Hey guys, I'm back with another chapter, and yet again it does not contain a fight scene...sorry guys...definitely in the next chapter!!

Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed my story – I am eternally grateful!

MAJORLY huge thanks to my Beta...she knows who she is...Thanks girl!

Here is the fourth chapter of Lone Ranger, I hope you like it!

Hearty Conversations

Angel looked up in surprise as the teacher called out his name just as the bell rang signaling the end of the day. Warily rising, he made his way down the isle, stopping before the desk. Watching curiously as Buffy joined him, her arms crossed moodily across her chest, Angel frowned in confusion.

"You needed to see me?" he asked, a little shocked when Mr. Giles entered the room, his face void of any emotion. Which in away scared him.

"Yes we did." Ms Calendar smiled brightly, her hand slipping into Giles's hand the second he was close enough. "You see I believe I owe the both of you an explanation. I was the one that found out about you Angel. The word of you leaving your group spread like wild fire the second you left, and I had to warn Mr. Giles of your coming, for I knew you would come here."

Angel frowned. "You knew I would come here? Come to think of it, I'm not even sure why I'm here. It just seemed like a different place to be."

Jenny Calendar shared a look with Rupert Giles, the look in his eyes confirming his suspicions. "Yes, that is what my source told me."

Buffy snorted. "What is he, like a prophecy? Or just a golden boy?" This was so pathetic. He's here not even one day and already there is a prophecy about him. She had been here two months before anything about her arose. Frowning darkly, Buffy silently fumed. It was so unfair.

Giles nodded solemnly. "It seems like it now. It has been written for centuries, that a rogue demon hunter would help the slayer stop the end of days. I didn't know which slayer, but I guess it means you." Giles smiled slightly, it also told of your future destiny and how the children of the two greatest beings would bring about eternal peace. Giles shook his head to clear that thought, he believed that they had had enough for one day, that and the look Buffy was shooting him, certainly showed that nothing would happen between the two for quite some time.

Buffy laughed. "You mean to say, that we are written in history?" It's about time it swung in her direction, otherwise what was the point of her being here?

Jenny nodded and pulled an old worn book out of her drawer. Opening it to a page that had obviously been read countless times, she began to read, her voice detailing the important parts, too skipping the afterthought of their obvious relationship that would indeed surface in the near future.

"A rogue demon hunter with the strength of a vampire,

Will join the slayer to help with the end of days,

Together they will fight,

If their bond is true, they will win."

Angel sat down on a vacated desk. "That's it?" he asked, watching as a look passed between Giles and Ms Calendar.

Jenny nodded slightly. "Yes and no. I have been told what to tell you, the fates will decide the rest." Jenny smirked, that and the will of human attraction, she silently thought, hoping that everything worked out for the two stubborn creatures before her.

"What is it with all this fates and destiny crap? I didn't know I had a destiny. For all I know my destiny could end tonight." Buffy frowned darkly. "How about you tell me something useful, like how there's a vampire nest that needs exterminating?" Turning she stalked out of the room, her heels clacking loudly in the silent hall.

Giles removed his glasses and started cleaning them. "You have to watch her Angel. I fear for her sometimes. She's like a daughter to me, heaven help you if anything happens to her."

Angel nodded, a small smile gracing his face. "Don't worry Mr. Giles. I'll guard her with my life." Turning he too rushed out of the classroom and hurried off to find Buffy to try and get her talking. If he was going to first become friends with her, he had to win her trust.

Jenny watched the door with twinkling eyes. "Has it begun Rupert?" she asked, turning to her partner, looking at him with big soulful eyes.

Giles lifted her hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles. "I believe it has. This could get interesting. Buffy's emotions have always guided her, I wonder if she will listen to these ones."

Jenny laughed. "I'd like to see her try and ignore them."

Giles joined in her laughter. "I'm more interested to see how Mr. O'Rourke will handle her sudden change."

Jenny laughed harder. "Oh we are in for a fun ride Rupert." Standing she tugged him out of the classroom, and lead him to the library, the swinging doors hiding her laughter as Mr. Giles swept her into his arms.

"Hey Buffy! Wait up!" Angel ran down the steps, meeting her angry stride moments later. "Where's the fire?" he joked lightly.

Buffy turned and glared at him. "There is no fire. How about you turn around and run in the opposite direction though?"

Angel laughed softly, hiding his slight hurt. "Ok, how about we go get some ice-cream or something. My treat. Then you can tell me all about yourself."

Buffy stopped and sighed heavily. "Will you leave me alone after that?" to be honest she had never been one to give in that fast, but this boy was so annoying, she was willing to try anything to try and get him to leave her alone. Even if it meant sharing an ice-cream with him. Besides, she didn't have to pay, so major bonus there!

Angel raised two fingers. "Scouts honor."

Buffy started walking, changing her direction to the path that leads into town. "I never could get that right." She muttered, rather annoyed that she had to spend time with this moron, but at the same time oddly comforted that she finally had someone to talk to – even if he was a jerk, but a hot jerk all the same. Buffy stiffened slightly. Where had that motion come from? She had been perfectly fine being alone...so why was she comforted? Glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, she sighed. She'd figure that thought out later.

"So...have you always lived here?" Angel asked, desperate to break the silence that surrounded them, it was unnerving.

Buffy shook her head, her golden-blond hair bouncing on her shoulders, no harm in giving him a slight insight...it might make him leave her alone. "I lived in L.A till I was 15, then my parents got divorced and I moved here with my mom and little sister."

Angel nodded. "Hey, what school did you go to?"

Buffy smiled at the memory of her younger days, when she knew nothing of what went bump in the night. "I went to Hemry High."

Angel nodded. "I remember that school. There was a scandal a couple of years ago, some girl burnt down the gym."

Buffy shrugged. "Yeah, you see it was infested with Vampires, there was nothing I could do."

Angel halted. "It was you?" he asked, completely shocked that she would do such a thing, it intrigued him. "You have legendary status in L.A! You should see the gym they put in its place. It's apparently the biggest in the district."

Buffy laughed. "I had to go out with a bang. Besides I set the scene for all the trouble makers. I doubt they could ever top that!"

Angel grinned, she had a nice laugh, and he wished he could hear it more often. "Ok, how old is your sister?"

Buffy's smile faded from her face, a dark haunted look replacing it, her eyes putting up an invisible wall that he had broken down a few seconds ago. "Dawnie is 2 this weekend. It seems my dad had an affair, and decided to tell my mom on the day she found out she was pregnant. We moved out that day. Mom told dad after Dawn was born, Dad thought mom had had an affair, and we didn't correct him. The less contact we have with him, the better."

Angel frowned. The guy told his wife he had had an affair on the day she found out she was pregnant? "So you don't see him?"

Buffy shook her head again. "I told him – mom doesn't know about this so don't say a word – that if he ever came near us again, I'd personally see that he never walked again, and that he would never be able to produce another devil-spawn child. Him and his fling have a son who is worse than the devil himself...I still don't know how Dawnie and myself are so normal considering we came from him."

"How did he take to that?" Angel asked, walking into the ice-cream shop and sitting down at a table.

"At first he didn't believe me, but after I punched a hole in his wall, I think he got the message loud and clear. We don't accept anything from him. Not even support. We're fine, alone, that's all there is to it." Buffy stood up keen to stop the 'Let's all hear about Buffy's dysfunctional family' session. "So what ice-cream are you going to buy me?"

Angel chuckled slightly. Getting a couple of dollars out of his wallet he handed them to Buffy. "I'll have a chocolate one thanks; you can get what you want."

Buffy snatched the money out of his hand and stalked off.

Angel leant back in his chair. So Buffy had been scorned by her father. Well, that could explain why she is so hesitant to trust anyone. Spying her walking back, an ice-cream in one hand and a sundae in the other, Angel mentally debated with himself. Did he try and dig deeper, and get himself into even more trouble, or did he let her call the shots and choose when to tell him? Watching the concentration on her face, Angel decided. What's the worst she could do to him? He had strength as well. It's not like he couldn't handle it...right?

Buffy sat down and handed him his ice-cream, sliding the change along with it. "Thank you" she muttered, scowling slightly.

"You're more than welcome. So tell me, why you're alone?" Angel started on his ice-cream, the chocolate tasting sweeter than usual.

Buffy sighed. "Jeez, noisy much?" At Angel's grin, she sighed again and elaborated. "I had friends once. A lot of them too. My two closest actually go here. I told them I was...well what I am, and they freaked. Couldn't handle the danger apparently. So they told me to leave. Or something like that, I wasn't quite listening at the time. Hence why I'm alone. Nobody can handle it."

Angel nodded. "Trust me I know what that's like."

Buffy snorted. "Sure, pull the other leg...it plays Jingle Bells."

Angel leant forward. "I'm serious. I had to abandon my own crowd...well actually I just left, but anyway; I do know what being alone is like. Like how people call you a freak when you accidentally pull your locker door off, when you first find out you have supernatural strength. Or, when you accidentally throw someone across the room during Gym. Or how your friends turn on you, when they discover you're not an ordinary demon hunter. Trust me, I've felt it all."

Buffy sucked on her spoon thoughtfully. "But you're a guy. You just slap each other on the ass after a week and you're friends again. For girls it's different. It takes time. Hell it's been two years; you'd think that would be long enough. Anyway, I have to pick Dawnie up from child-care, so bye." Leaving her empty cup on the table she strode away. Pausing mid-stride she turned back. "If you so much as mention to anyone that we had this chat, I will tear out your ribcage and wear it as a hat. Have a nice day."

Angel stared after her, his jaw hanging slightly open. That was a nasty threat. Maybe he was beginning to see what she meant, or maybe he was totally in for the fun ride she was sure to bring, or maybe he just had a doozy of an ice-cream headache. Whatever that maybe was, Angel was certainly ready to tame the wild beauty, Buffy Summers. But first he had to do some investigating. It was time to find out more about her past, and the only way he was going to do that was to enlist the help of Buffy's so-called friends. But just who were they? Standing with that thought, Angel headed towards the school. It was time to ask Giles. He sighed.

ARG finally finished...it has taken me so long to finish this, what with Final Exams and all (WOOHOO finally finished!!!) I hope you enjoy this chapter...still don't know where it is heading. I know I made Buffy crumble a bit, but don't worry, she'll make up for it in the patrol chapter, which I am going to put in next...any tips on how to write a fight scene?

Please review...I absolutely love them!!!!

Cheers, BeraMoon