Hi There!

A/N This is another one of my story ideas that just popped into my head and I decided to start writing. The updates, (If they are wanted at all) may be irregular, as I don't actually have the Internet at the moment, (Long story- I'm using a school computer at the mo), but they WILL be done. I think that I may get it back soon though, so eventually, ALL of my stories will be updated. I have written at least one new chapter for each of my unfinished stories already, it's just a matter of net access. Adding to that, I also don't have any access to my e-mail, so, sorry if it seems like I'm ignoring anyone :)

A/N2 Just to warn everyone in advance, this is a B/A story, and if you don't like that sort of thing, then I would advise against reading it, and I don't know why you would be here in the first place.

A/N3 If anyone has any factor that they would like to see in this story, eg, add one of your favourite characters, maybe for me to concentrate on a specific thing or genre, PLEASE do tell me, it makes it more of a challenge for me to write, which is more fun, and it also lets me know what sort of thing you guys want to read. Moving on to the actual story now...

I DISCLAIM EVERYTHING!!!

Prologue: Startling Revelations:

Joyce Summers stuffed her paperwork into her smart black handbag as she got up from her desk to leave. It was 23:30, and she'd be damned if she was going to stay here any longer. The hours that she worked were ridiculous, and she knew that her job was driving her and her daughter further and further apart, but she could do nothing about it. Liam Angelus Sr. was a hard man to work for. She had of course heard the stories of his greatness 'back in the day', when he had founded Angelus Industries on his own, but she was also witness to the broken, shell of a man that his wife's death had left him as. And she was less than impressed. Some days she would enter his private study to tell him that she was leaving for the night, only to find him passed out on the floor, a bottle of alcohol firmly in his grasp. Other days she wasn't quite so lucky, having to endure a torrent of slurred abusive outbursts, for which he would sincerely apologise for early the next day.

She remembered the first time that she had encountered her employer's violent temper, she had absent-mindedly entered his private study without thinking to knock. He was so angered by this that he ended up throwing a bottle at the wall and screaming at her to get out. She had been so badly frightened and intimidated by him that she had avoided him wherever possible, despite the beautiful bouquet of flowers he had sent in apology the next day. Since then, Joyce had had numerous encounters with her drunken boss, and though he still intimidated her, his violent outbursts had become routine.

No, working for Angelus Sr. certainly was not easy. Joyce was sure that she would have long ago quit, if it wasn't for the impressive sum of money that he bestowed upon her for her services as his personal secretary. And of course there was the schooling.

Angelus academy was an impressive accomplishment, even for the slightly younger, happier Angelus Sr. of the time. The extremely private school was of course one of the best in the country, and extremely difficult to get into. Which was why Joyce was thrilled that Angelus Sr. had agreed to let her daughter Buffy attend the highly successful high school next month. She had heard that even Mr. Angelus' own children went there.

Since Angelus Sr. insisted that all of his assistants have a set of rooms to work in within the Angelus mansion, Joyce had often come across his two children, Liam Angelus Jr. and Katherine Angelus, wandering about the huge property from time to time. And though both were polite when spoken to, and did not appear to have allowed their wealth go to their heads, Joyce worried about them. Of course she hardly knew them, but she knew from the haunting looks in their eyes, especially the older one's, that they were unhappy in their lives. And who could blame them? Their mother had died when they were younger, and their father was a raging alcoholic, with definite rage issues. Joyce also suspected that the boy, Liam Jr. might have problems at school with bullying, judging by the almost constant bruising that she saw on him. She had considered telling Mr. Angelus about it, but she had decided that it wasn't really any of her business.

Now, as she exited her 'office' the familiar sound of an intoxicated Angelus Sr. made her cover her ears. His slurred screaming was hard to make out over the racket of crashing furniture and smashing bottles. Mrs. Summers sighed, even as she winced at a particularly loud string of curses reached her ears. Who knew how long she would have to wait before she could safely enter his room to announce her departure? Not that he would notice anyway, she told herself. Just as she was heading resolutely down the hallway to leave, a loud thump sounded from the room, and the door to the study slowly opened.

Joyce's mouth fell open as Liam Angelus Jr. limped out of the room, holding his left arm limply at his side, his swollen lip bleeding below a black eye, his face pained. Her shock was mirrored in his eyes as he turned and saw her staring at him. The next moment, his face was masked and expressionless as he deliberately straightened his back, and solemnly nodded at her before turning and walking away.

Joyce stood there, routed to the spot, looking from where Liam had stood just moments before, to the office where she knew Angeus Sr. would be laying unconscious on the floor. Usually, she would have tried to make him more comfortable, perhaps tried to have revived him with a coffee, but after what she had just seen... What had she just seen? She had of course known about his temper, but to beat his own child? She felt sick at the thought. And she knew that it couldn't have been the first time this had happened. All the time that she had seen the cuts and bruises on Liam, she had thought he had been being bullied at school. It hadn't even crossed her mind to think that Mr. Angelus could be so cruel. Joyce shuddered to remember how defeated and accepting Liam had looked as he exited the room.

Shaking, she picked up the bag that she didn't remember dropping to the floor, and ran out of the house as quickly as she could.

Buffy was on the phone to Cordelia when she heard her mother walk through the front door.

"Ooh I gotta go Cordy, mom's back." she told her on again- off again friend, smiling when she heard the familiar reply;

"You so need to get a private line, Buffy"

"Believe me when I say I know," she answered, before saying her goodbyes and hanging up as her mother entered the kitchen.

Buffy's cheerful expression immediately disappeared as she saw her mothers distraught one. She looked exhausted as she slouched into the nearest chair, forcing a brief smile at her worried daughter.

"Mom?" Buffy ventured, "What's wrong?" She refrained from informing her mother that she looked like hell, and sat down opposite her, with her 'sympathetic daughter' look firmly fixed on her face.

"Rough day at work?" She asked, when she got no answer. Joyce didn't seem to hear her, as she tiredly rested her head on the counter for a brief moment, before finally looking up at her concerned daughter.

"Do you remember I told you about Mr. Angelus' son?"

Buffy made a face at the mention of her mothers slave driving employer, but nodded none-the-less, curious as to where this was going.

"Do you remember how I talked to you about thinking he might have problems at school?"

Actually, Buffy didn't, but she nodded anyway, waiting to hear more of whatever was bothering her mother, and not wanting to distract her from whatever she was going to say.

"Well," Mrs Summers continued, shrugging helplessly, "he's not."

Buffy frowned, "And this is a bad thing why?"

Joyce stared down at the counter, as if the answers to all her problems would be written there on the smooth marble surface.

"He's having problems at home instead."

"Who doesn't?"Buffy retorted quickly, but immediately sobered as she took in her mother's sombre demeanour.

"What kind of problems?"

"I think... "Joyce started, still staring intently at the counter, "I think that Mr. Angelus hits him."

Buffy was silent.

If she were to be completely honest with herself, she couldn't say that she was exactly surprised at the news. She knew exactly what the ill- tempered billionaire was like, not only from her mother, but from her own experiences as well. However, she also knew that her mother had been secretly hoping that by some miracle, he would some day simply snap out of his downward spiral, and thought that he couldn't possibly be as bad as he seemed.

"Well, what are we talking about here?" She asked her mom gently, "I mean, lots of parents hit their kids, it might have been nothing, a one off type thing?"

Of course, Buffy believed no such thing, but she figured she should at least get all the facts straight first, before judging so harshly.

Her mother shook her head sadly, and decided to tell her daughter the full story. Buffy sat in silence throughout her speech, and her mother noticed that she didn't seem at all shocked at the discovery, although she obviously felt sorry for the Angelus kids, somehow, this realisation saddened her.

It shamed her to think of how trusting she had been, realising that she was probably the only one oblivious enough not to have noticed sooner what sort of person Mr. Angelus Sr was.

She found herself wondering whether he sent flowers to little Liam Jr after their fights, before she mentally shook herself from that irrelevant and silly thought and stood from her chair.

"I'm tired, sweety, I'm just gonna go to bed now, "She told her daughter, knowing that she was avoiding the subject, but not having the energy to do anything about it. She leant down to kiss her on the forehead, before leaving.

"Sure mom, night," Buffy replied absently. She wished that she could help her mom out with the problem, but she just didn't know what to do in this situation. That Angelus Sr. was a menace and Buffy just knew that eventually, she would think up an appropriate punishment for his cruelty. For now though, she could do nothing but helplessly sit by and watch, and she hated it. She spared a thought for that poor Angelus boy, feeling sorry for him, and briefly noting that she would probably be attending school with him in a couple of weeks, before getting up and following her mothers path upstairs. Soon she would be in bed, though she knew that she wouldn't get to sleep for a while.

Okey Dokey, that's my first chapter, and yes I am aware that there's something just a little bit off about it, but I'm too annoyed to figure out what it is just now. Maybe I'll redo it later.

For now though, please review, it will both help my writing and give me the incentive to continue. Unless you don't want me to, in which case, review and tell me to stop.

Hope you all at least liked the basics of the story, I promise that the shoreline is not as straightforward as it seems, I always like a few twists and turns in my stories. :)

Lots Of Luv,

Angie :)

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