AN: I know I've been doing anything in the present from Buffy's point of view. Well that is changing as of now. Wanted to let you know. Now on to the chapter.

Joyce walked through the airport looking for her daughter. Buffy had mentioned that her appearance had changed, but Joyce was in for the shock of her life.

As the terminal began clearing out Joyce noticed a young woman looking out at the sky.

"Buffy," she asked tentatively?

"Mom!" Buffy exclaimed. She ran and hugged her mother. Despite her longing for the easy life in France, she was overjoyed to see her mother again.

Joyce held her daughter out at arms length to inspect her. She couldn't believe this young woman was the same person as the little girl who had been dragged from her house almost four years before. So much had changed. Gone was the stringy brown hair and white skin, or any trace of the baby fat that had once lingered on her cheeks and tummy. Here was a girl with honey-blond hair slightly curled, a healthy tan that gave the appearance she was glowing, and a well built muscular body- despite it's tiny frame. The real difference was in how she carried herself. Gone was the shy, insecure girl and here was a smart, outgoing, attractive young woman. If it weren't for her hazel-green eyes, Joyce wouldn't have believed this was her daughter.

"Wow," was all she could say and Buffy just smiled.

"BUFFY!"

Buffy turned and was shocked to find a redheaded girl in a mismatched outfit calling her name. Buffy realized this must have been the one person who had known about her coming home. She smiled at the sight of her once friend, before letting it slip. She remembered how the entire group had turned on her with a wave of Cordelia's hand and she wasn't ready to be forgiving just yet.

"Hello Willow," Despite Buffy's attempts at being cold, Willow wrapped her into a huge hug.

As if reading Buffy's mind, "I am so sorry for not sticking up for you with Cordelia, Please forgive me," she whispered.

Buffy looked deep in her eyes and could only find sincerity written in them. She smiled "We'll talk, it is good to see you Willow." This caused Willow to break out in the most innocent and giddy grin Buffy had ever seen.

They couldn't carry all Buffy's luggage to the car in one trip so Buffy decided to get help. Willow and Joyce watched with gaping mouths as the once shy girl charmed two cute airport employees to help carry her bags.

"Is there anything about you that hasn't changed," Joyce asked her daughter in wonder as they walked to the car. Buffy didn't know how to answer that, so she remained silent.

In the car the three girls talked nonstop, trying to fill each other in on what happened over the years. Buffy told them all about school, her friends, shopping, and her classes. Joyce and Willow told her about the Gallery, any Sunnydale gossip, and their lives. Apparently not long after Buffy had left Willow had started volunteering at the Gallery with Joyce and Kalie.

"Buffy, why didn't you want people to know you were back," Joyce wondered. From this naive question Buffy presumed Willow hadn't told her mother about Cordelia and the group and for that she was thankful.

"I want it to be a surprise," Buffy lied. She looked over at Willow in a way she hoped said 'thanks' and Willow nodded and seemed to understand. Buffy knew they had a lot to discuss but she felt a connection with Willow and for that she felt happy.

When they got home Buffy and Willow got up to her bedroom with all her stuff. Willow offered to help Buffy get settled this weekend, to which Buffy happily accepted. She was glad this would give them a chance to talk.

"Buffy, I need you to know that I hated the way Cordelia treated you. But I saw how hurt you were and as a little kid I was scared to have that done to me," Willow explained. "I felt horribly guilty. Then when Angel told us you had left I felt a million times worse. To think you left because of how terrible you were treated by us, by me, I just couldn't stand it." Until that moment Buffy hadn't even considered what Angel had told the others. For the moment she was so happy that he hadn't told her secret to the world that she wanted to see him more than ever, but she too soon remembered how that same Angel had hurt her by completely ignoring her letters and her heart turned to stone; as Willow continued.

"That day at lunch, Cordy was saying something to the effect of good riddance about you. I looked over and realized no one was going to say anything despite the guilt on their faces and Angel looked so broken hearted, that I just cracked," Willow said.

"What do you mean you c-cracked," Buffy stuttered, the sound of Angel hurting after she left shook her up more than she liked.

"I told her off!" Willow explained, "I used words I didn't even think I knew. Then I turned on everyone else calling them cowards for not standing up to 'Miss Queen C'. Then I stormed off. It didn't take long for Xander, Oz, Anya, and Fred to follow. Ever since that day we have been split into two groups. Cordy's is the popular group and we are affectionately known as the losers," she finished.

It took Buffy a moment to digest this information. After all that she had only one question, "And Angel didn't follow?"

Willow knew this was a sore spot and she hated to further hurt this girl, but it would do no good to lie now, "No," she said quietly.

Then Buffy did something Willow wasn't prepared for. She hugged her, "Thank you Willow, for sticking up for me."

"I do have one question Buffy" Willow said when they broke apart.

"Go ahead"

"You didn't know about Angel and the whole Cordelia thing, so why didn't you want him to know you came home? I mean you were like best friends."

Buffy sighed, she didn't want to tell anyone this, because in her mind it was humiliating, but she trusted Willow.

"When I was in France, I wrote him every week. He never replied once. That broke whatever part of the Sunnydale girl that was left in me, that I had been holding on to."

"Buffy I'm sorry. He's…um…well he has become kind of a jerk since you left," Willow admitted; only telling half the truth. Willow really wanted a friendship with Buffy and therefore didn't want to be the one who broke that bit of news. "For instance, no one but his mother and your mother are allowed to call him Angel, to everyone else he is Angelus."

Buffy snorted, "He always told me Angel was a sissy name and Angelus is one that people would fear."

There was a moment of silence, both girls not wanting to continue on this subject.

"You know what," Willow suddenly said, "we should go to the Bronze."

"The who?"

"The Bronze, it's a local club that opened while you were away. Anyways, Oz's band is playing there tonight. We should go!"

"Willow, I don't know"

"Come on Buffy, it'll be fun. Plus no one knows you're back, but everyone knows there's a new girl coming to Sunnydale High. You could totally tease everyone at the Bronze tonight with your identity by keeping it a secret and shock them when they find out it's you on Monday.

"Willow be realistic, have I really changed THAT much?"

"Trust me you are completely different, in a good way, from when you left. Except for your eyes and the only person who would know that has been too big of an idiot lately to take notice. Besides I happen to know Cordelia is sick and will not be there."

"So?"

"So! You can make your grand entrance tonight when she is not around to steal any of your thunder. You will have everyone talking about the 'mysterious new girl' until Monday, which will drive Cordelia crazy. Then when she finds out it's you at school, she just might have a seizure."

"Oh wouldn't that be bad thing," Buffy added sarcastically and both girls giggled.

"So you are in," Willow inquired.

Buffy was unsure but the temptation of driving Cordelia nuts was just to enticing, "I'm in" she finally decided. "But Willow?"

"Uh-Huh?"

"I get to dress you."

Later

Buffy and Willow arrived at the Bronze fashionably late so Buffy could make her grand entrance. To say the pair looked stunning is an understatement. Buffy had dressed Willow up in a casual, yet spunky and flattering look. She had on hip hugger jeans and a white lacy top that fell off the shoulders and white little tennis shoes. Buffy had arranged her short red hair with some mousse and gel to give it a styled sporadic look. Willow would only let her put on light make-up, but it was more than Willow had worn in her life. She looked beautiful and was only to be out done by one girl that evening, Buffy Summers herself. Buffy's look screamed confident and sexy. She had on a blood red top that tied with one string in the back and at her neck, she had tight black leather pants, and black strappy heals. Her hair was tied up in a French twist with several pieces falling down around her face. She did her make-up a little heavier than normal, but kept to the natural tones she had been taught to wear.

The girls were dressed to kill and they knew it. Willow got to the door and Buffy grabbed her hand. Buffy took a deep breath and said "Here goes nothing, before entering the club.

When Buffy and Willow first entered the Bronze they had little impact on its atmosphere. This discouraged Buffy slightly. At school in France she had gotten used to grabbing attention and to think she couldn't do that in a little town like Sunnydale was more than disheartening, it was damn right annoying.

As Willow led Buffy over to where her hang hung, things began to look up. Buffy sauntered behind Willow swaying her hips slightly with the music. She could feel eyes of both the male and female persuasion on her and it only helped to encourage her more. Soon whispers followed and Buffy continued to glow. In a situation where she would have once ducked and hid she was lavishing in the moment and rising to the occasion.

They made it over to a couch where Willow began introducing people. The pair had decided early on to regard Buffy with her full name, Elizabeth - as many people didn't know it was her name, for the time being.

"Guys, I am sure you've all heard about the new girl. Well let me introduce Elizabeth," Willow wasn't enjoying lying to her friends, but it was important to her to earn Buffy's trust back. "Elizabeth, this if Fred and her boyfriend Gunn, Xander and his girlfriend Anya."

"It's nice to meet you all"

"Oh, and that's Oz on stage playing bass," Willow added with pride.

The evening continued on, and although Buffy was enjoying Willow's company she really wanted to get on the dance floor. As soon as she thought that Oz's band was taking a break and Oz came over.

After being properly introduced Buffy took this as her chance to get out on the floor and excused herself.

Unseen by Buffy a trio of guys entered the club at that moment and made their way to the second story.

Buffy's walk towards the dance floor earned her all the attention she needed and she soon found herself in the middle of a large group of guys. Whenever one would get too close to her she would flirtatiously push him away. The girl did love to tease.

The trio of guys made it to the balcony over looking the dance floor and began scanning the scene. The seemed leader of the three was scanning with out much interest when his breath caught in his throat. His eyes were glued to the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.

"He man, what's got your attention," the skinny blond one to his left asked. By scanning where his friend was looking he spotted what had caused the distraction, "Bloody Hell, get a load of the new girl!"

"Damn, I wouldn't mind taking her for a spin," the one on the right said.

"She's mine," The leader growled.

"Whoa, back off 'Mr. I'm dating the most popular chick in school," the one on the right responded.

"Yeah, possessive much," The one on the left added.

Buffy felt this little tingling sensation near the bottom of her spine. She knew she was being watched and had been before but this feeling that came with it was new. She shut her eyes and tried to feel where this feeling was coming from. When she opened her eyes her breath hitched. Standing there on the second level was the most gorgeous man she had ever seen. He was amazingly well built, wearing leather pants (that could match hers perfectly) and a dark blue shirt that accentuated his muscles perfectly. He had spiky brown hair going in every direction and when she noticed she had been staring and he was looking at her she saw the sexiest smirk adorned on his face that made her go weak in the knees. She turned quickly; no one had ever had that effect on her. She shook off the feeling of him and concentrated on the guys around her.

He growled for the second time that night as he watched her turn away and continue dancing with those guys. He watched her in awe and growing jealousy. She was a goddess with honey-blond hair and tanned skin that appeared to glow. He had to touch her; feel her. Filled with want he didn't know if he could control, he made his way to the dance floor; ignoring the calls he got from several women.

Buffy had noticed a sudden change in the guys she had been dancing with's demeanors, but thought little of it. They all seemed mediocre now that she'd seen Mr. Mystery on the balcony. She closed her eyes to let the music flow through her and wipe away the mysterious balcony guy.

The next thing that happened took Buffy completely by surprise. She felt two large hands grab her hips. Her eyes snapped open, but it wasn't from surprise, she had felt serge of electricity shoot through her the moment this guy's hands touched her.

He couldn't believe the feeling he had gotten when he touched this girl; it was like an electric shock. He pulled her against his body and was surprised, but pleased, to find she didn't fight it like she had done with the others. Especially since he knew it was impossible she didn't feel how much he wanted her.

Buffy surprised herself when she let him wrap her into his embrace. She gasped a little more when she felt the evidence of how he felt about her pressed into her back. But she refused to give in that easy no matter how good it felt being in his arms. She attempted to pull away, but this only caused him to grip her sides tighter and pull her closer into his arousal. It began clear she wasn't going to get away, so she thought she'd have a little fun while stuck in said position. She began to rotate her hips with the music causing him to groan and a low growl that seemed to come from deep in his throat and her to smile.

'God, if she doesn't quit that I might not be able to be held accountable for what I do to her' he thought, in secret hopes she wouldn't stop for that reason. But seeing she had no intention of stopping, he knew he had to do something (other than take her right on the dance floor). Instead of the sensible thing of letting her go (which for some reason he couldn't bring himself to do) he rotated her around in his arms so she was facing him. His hands wrapped around her waist and settled on the small of her bare back causing them both to shudder at the contact.

Buffy turned to look into his eyes and almost found herself lost in the chocolaty orbs. She let out a quite gasp of realization and whispered, "Angel?"

He put on that sexy smirk and looked into her hazel eyes (that seemed oddly familiar), "Do I know you," he purred.

"I ah…well I mean…um…I have to go" and with that Buffy rushed from the club. Both were feeling an odd sense of emptiness at the loss of contact.

Everyone had seen the interaction between the pair and the club was left with equally jealous male and female teenagers.

"Geez, I swear Angel gets EVERY hott girl," Xander complained and received a punch on the arm from Anya, "OW!"

Willow had also seen the scene and knew Buffy needed support, "Guys, I have to go, I'll see you Monday."

Willow ran after Buffy to find her sitting on a park bench. Willow could see tear trails on her beautiful face and her heart broke for this girl. At that moment she realized the girl Buffy had fought so hard to distance herself from, was really right there under the surface. She took Buffy's hand in comfort.

"I swear one confrontation and everything I learned gets thrown out the window and I become a babbling idiot," Buffy said.

"What are you talking about, you were wonderful tonight, you were the talk of the Bronze," Willow told her in attempts to better her mood. Buffy only looked deep into her eyes more broken then ever. Unshed tears began to well up, "Buffy, there is something more isn't there. What happened with Angelus?"

"He forgot, Will," Buffy cried. "He promised he would remember me and he forgot."

AN: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I had a lot of fun writing it. We got a little Buffy/Angel action before he became a butt (which we all know he can be) and there was some angst. Because it really wouldn't be a true B/A relationship with out at least a little angst. So review with any suggestions or ideas you might have. I have to say your reviews are so encouraging and flattering. They put a big ol' smile on my face and make me want to write more…so keep them coming!