Chapter Five

Buffy walked through the door, just as Willow was pulling her meatloaf out of the oven.

"I'm home!" she called as she hung her coat on the coat tree.

"Something smells good, Willow."
"Thanks, Buffy," Willow said as she walked into the dining room carrying the hot glass baking pan. "You're just in time to eat."
"Where is Giles?" Dawn said as she walked in from the upstairs, "Hey, Buffy how was Brian?"
"Uh, I didn't get to talk to him," Buffy said quickly as she embraced her sister. "He was busy with a client, so I just took a cab home."
"Must have been a new cabbie, Buff."
Xander eyed Buffy suspiciously as he took his seat at the table.

"Why do you say that," Buffy asked as she pulled her seat out.

"Because it takes ten minutes to get here from Brian's office," Xander said accusingly, "not an hour and a half."
Buffy lowered her eyes before saying, "I decided to take a walk through the Park, before I came home."
Buffy looked at her sister and Xander, hoping they would buy her story.

"Does it really matter how long it took Buffy to get home?" Willow asked, hoping to break the growing tension at the table. "Come on, let's all just have a nice, 'family' dinner, and we can worry about Buffy's sense of direction later."

Dawn made the first move, pulling her seat closer to the table, and taking a slice of Willow's meatloaf.

Then she picked up the pan, and one by one, they passed the food and began to enjoy their dinner.

Just as Xander set down the dinner rolls, Giles came through the door.

"Forgive my tardiness," replied the former Watcher as he walked in the room, " I was unavoidably detained by a friend."
"Is everything okay Giles," Buffy asked, concern growing on her face.
"No, no, nothing's wrong," Giles said smiling at Buffy as he took his seat. "My, my this smells divine. You have out done yourself again, Willow."
Willow only blushed as Giles complimented her on her cooking.
"So what did your friend have to say that made you so late?" Asked Buffy.
"Um, he was offering me a job," Giles replied as he began to eat. "It appears he has an opening for a professorship at a university outside of London."
"Oh, Giles," Exclaimed Buffy, "That's great news!"

"Yeah, Giles, it sounds exciting," Xander piped in.

"Well, if I take him up on his offer then I would need a T.A. to help me out." Giles said looking at Dawn.

"Oh, Buffy could I go?" Dawn asked, bouncing in her seat like a child on sugar. "Please?"

Buffy began to giggle and Willow placed her hand on Dawn's shoulder. "Calm down, Dawn," She said.

Xander and Giles looked Buffy as she began to stare off into space.

After a few moments of silence, Buffy put her fork down, and folded her hands under her head. "I don't see any harm in it," She finally said, making Dawn's eyes sparkle, "As long as you come to visit often."

Dawn smiled and ran over to hug her sister. "Oh, thank you, Buffy!"

"What did I miss?"

Everyone looked towards the entryway, to see Brian walking in, still wearing his tan trench coat.

"Buffy's letting me move to London!" Dawn exclaimed, jumping up and down as she made her way towards Brian.
"That's wonderful news, Dawn," he said as he tried to give the jumping girl a hug.

"I have decided to accept a friend's invitation to teach at a local university there in London," Giles informed Brian, " And Dawn is coming with me to act as my Teaching Assistant."

"Well," Brian said, as he flung his coat over the back of his chair and sat down beside Buffy, "I must say that the house will be very quiet with Dawn gone, but I am sure she will have a ball."
Giles nodded in agreement.
"When will you leave?" Willow asked as she handed Brian the tray of meatloaf.

"I had planned on leaving for home after the new year," Giles said as he finished eating, "But I believe that since I have accepted the professorship, I should probably leave the day after tomorrow."

"I will certainly be sorry to see you leave so soon," Buffy said as she stared at her Watcher.

"We all will," Xander said as he finished his plate and wiped his mouth with his napkin.

Willow stood from her seat and began to clear the empty plates, returning a few minutes later with a tray of glasses and a bottle of wine.

"I thought we could all have a glass of wine and celebrate," she said as she began to pass the glasses around.

Handing Dawn a glass, Buffy replied, "Since this is a very special occasion, only this once will I allow you have alcohol."
Buffy looked at her younger sister with a wink, and Dawn smiled back.

"To Giles and Dawn," Said Xander, as he raised his glass.

"To Giles and Dawn!" Came the simultaneous response, as the sound of tinkling glass filled the Dining Room.

Later, Buffy was sitting the small study that was adjacent to the living room reading, when Brian walked in and sat down beside her.

"How are you doing, sweetie," he asked as Buffy looked up.

"I'm okay, just catching up on some reading."
Buffy closed the book and scooted closer to Brian so that her head rested on his chest.

"Have a busy day today," Buffy asked as Brian wrapped his arm around her.

"Yeah, it was okay," he said as he looked down at his loving bride. " I'm just running into problems with the design and it's beginning to make me crazy."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Buffy said.

"Yeah, me too. If I can't get a final drawing approved soon, Sunnydale won't have a new town hall.

Buffy was about to protest about even taking the contract, when Brian began to cough uncontrollably.

"Brian, honey are you okay?" Buffy said as she began to rub his back.

The coughing slowed down, and Brian was able to reply, "Yeah, I think so."
"Do you think you are coming down with something?"

"I don't know, I had a spell like this at the office this afternoon. I think Edith about had a heart attack."
Buffy couldn't help but giggle at the thought of that plump old woman scurrying around franticly.

"Poor Edith," she said with a smile as Brian laid back against the couch.

"Yeah, I know," Brian said smiling to himself, as Buffy placed her head back on his chest.

"So what are you plans for tomorrow?" Brian asked as his breathing calmed.

"Well, I don't know," Buffy said, remembering her afternoon talk with Angel. "An old friend from my days in L.A. has recently moved to town and was needed my help finding a decent place to live."
"Oh, cool," Brian said as his arm wrapped around Buffy and squeezed, "If anyone knows where the best places to live are, it would be my girl."
Buffy smiled nervously as Brian hugged her, suddenly feeling uncomfortable about lying to her husband.

But if I told him about Angel, it would bring up too many questions, Buffy thought to herself.

Brian rose from his seat and extended his hand out to Buffy, "You coming to bed?"
Buffy placed her book on the table beside her and took Brian's hand.
"Yeah sleep sounds good," she said as she put her arm around Brian, and his around her.

"I have a long day ahead of me, as do you."
Brian smiled and kissed his wife's head. "Yeah, have to stare all day at drawings and listen to people yell because the design's not right."
Buffy smiled, and then stopped, putting her hand on Brian's chest.

"Oh, do me favor", she asked.

"Anything."
"Make an appointment with the doctor as soon as possible," Buffy said as concern filled her eyes. "Two bad coughing spells, in one day doesn't sound right."
"Ok, sweet, I'll have Edith make the appointment in the morning."
"Good," Buffy said, giving her husband a kiss. "Must keep you around for a long time."
Brian smiled as they climbed the stairs and went to bed.

The following afternoon, Buffy stood at the benches in Central Park, where she had told Angel to meet her, and tapped her foot as she pulled her coat tighter around her.

"Where is he?" she said aloud to herself as she watched the people walking through the park.

After a few more minutes of waiting, Buffy decided it was a dry run, and turned on her heels to walk back home, walking straight into a black wall.

"Hi," said Angel as looked down at Buffy.

"You're late," Buffy said as she looked in his face.

"Sorry, was unavoidably detained."
"By what?" Buffy asked as she folded her arms.

"This," Angel handed her a card that said, "Angel Investigations".

"Starting up the old business huh?" Buffy said as she handed the card back to Angel.

"Something like that," he said as slipped it back in Buffy's hand. "Keep it. It has my cell."
Buffy raised an eyebrow. "You? The infamous Angel, hater of all things electronic, has a cell phone?"
Angel smiled as Buffy placed the card in her purse. "Use it in case of emergency."
"Ok, I will."
Angel turned Buffy around and asked her, "So what have you been able to find?"
"Honestly, not much," Buffy said as she tried to shake off the old feelings that came from Angel's touch.

Digging into her bag, Buffy pulled out a paper with red circles on it.

"I thought we might try these first, and see where that takes us."
Angel nodded, "Okay, sounds good."

Hours later, Buffy and Angel sat down inside a local sandwich shop, to warm up, and go over the paper.

"I can't believe the shape those places were in," Buffy sighed as she sat down in her seat. "I mean there has to be at least one good apartment in there!"

Buffy slammed the paper down on the table as Angel slid into the booth.

"We'll find a place. Don't worry so much."
"I can't help it," Buffy said as the waitress handed them their menus.

"Can I get you anything to drink," She asked as she pulled her notebook from her apron.

"Diet Coke, please," Buffy said as she looked to Angel for his answer.

"I'll have the same," Angel told the waitress as she smiled and walked away.

"Looks like she likes you," Buffy said with a sly grin on her face.

"Yeah, but there's only one person I like," Angel said looking at Buffy.

Buffy suddenly felt uncomfortable, as she understood what Angel said.
"Angel," she asked as she stared blankly at her menu. "We- I need- There are some things we need to get straight."
"Such as," Angel asked he watched Buffy suddenly become nervous.

"Us," was Buffy's reply, "We can't be anything other than friends."
"I know, Buffy," Angel said, "I understand that you're married to Brian and he seems like a great guy. I didn't come here and make you feel uneasy."
"You can't help that," Buffy sighed under her breath. "You have always done it, even though you never meant to."

"Well, is there anything I can do to maybe help you out?"
"I really don't know," Buffy said as he shook her head. "I mean, I just think a lot of it is just me and I have to learn to push, certain things aside."

Angel looked down at his menu and tried to not let Buffy's words hurt.

She's right, he thought. There are some things to have to push aside so you can go on.

At that moment the waitress came back with their drinks.

"Are you ready to order?" she asked as Buffy and Angel looked over the menu.

"I'll have the Roast Beef," Buffy said as she handed her back the menu.

"And I'll have the turkey," Angel said as the waitress jotted down the order.

"Anything else?"
"No, thank you," Buffy said, and Angel nodded in agreement, as the waitress walked away.

"So how is everyone?" Angel said, hoping he was asking a safe question.

"Good," Buffy said, " Giles was offered a professorship, and Dawn is going with him to act as a T.A."

"That's great!" Angel said smiling. "I can't believe Dawn has grown up already."

"Not quite," Buffy smiled, " But she's close. She's still into teenage things, but she's growing out of it, I think."

"Sounds like you when you were young," Angel said as he remembered the Buffy he used to know.

Buffy giggled and said, "Yeah I guess so."

"So, how long have you been human?" Buffy asked as Angel took a sip of his coke.

"Almost a year", He said as he watched Buffy control her blood pressure.

"And it took you this long to find me because…?"

"It's kinda hard to find someone when they don't want to be found," Angel explained.

"I had to talk to that ex-farm boy of yours to even have a clue as to where you might be."

"You mean to tell me you talked to Riley?" Buffy's eyes went wide. "You hated him. And he despised you. How did you ever get him to talk?"
Angel looked silently at Buffy.

"Please tell me you didn't hurt him?"
Angel scoffed, "No, and even if I wanted to I wouldn't. He was scared just being in the same room with me."
"Well, can you blame him?" Buffy said as she raised her eyebrows. "The last time he saw you, you cold cocked him in the face!"

"Yeah, well, he had it coming," Angel grumbled.
"Can we please not start that again?" Buffy said as she rubbed her temples.

"It's dropped," Angel said, holding up is hands.

Buffy looked at him with a "yeah right" playing across her face.

Changing the subject yet again, Buffy tried to focus her attention on living quarters for Angel.

"So, we need to find you some place nice, and preferably less, vampiry, so that eliminates that side," Buffy made a 'X' over a part of the city map she had laid out before her.
"And it has to be close to your office- let me see another one of your cards."
Buffy held out her hand as Angel took out another card and handed it to her.

"So, she asked as she looked at the address on the card, and compared it with the map, "Are you still planning on doing paranormal investigations, or are you going more towards the mainstream?"
"A little of both most likely," Angel said as he leaned over the table. "I'll work on the domestic cases to pay for the paranormal ones."
"Sounds good," Buffy said as she marked on the paper.

Before she could stop herself, she asked, "You need any help?"

And as soon as she said it, she stopped and looked up from the paper.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ask that question."

"Why do you say that?" Angel said as he watched Buffy suddenly back step.

"Because, Angel," she said, a frustrating sound coming from her words. "Every time you and I have ever worked together, things, happened. Bad things, and I would like to avoid the apocalypse before it even begins."

"I understand," Angel agreed, "It's like Spike said, 'we can never be just friends'."

"I don't even think we were friends when we first met," Buffy spat out. "From second one you were always in my thoughts, day and Night."

"I know," Angel said. "Same here."
For a brief moment, Buffy basked in the easiness of Angel's company. He had always made her feel like she could talk about anything, no matter how upsetting it might be to Angel. And he was always there to listen.

It was nice to have that again.

The waitress arrived with their plates a few minutes later, and they began to enjoy their sandwiches.

"What?" Angel asked as he noticed Buffy had stopped eating, and was staring at him.

"Nothing," she said as she shook her head. " I'm just not used to seeing you eating real food before."

"Sure you have", Angel said as he took another bite.
"Noooo," Buffy said as she shook her head again. " I think I would have known if I saw you eat food."
"Yeah you do," Angel said grinning. "You just don't remember. It was that Thanksgiving, the year you went to college, You came by my office and we-"

Angel stopped in mid-sentence. He had forgotten that he had had the PTB erase that from her memory. God! How could I have forgotten that? Angel silently cursed himself before saying, "Never mind."
"What? What do you mean that Thanksgiving after college?" Buffy asked, ignoring her sandwich.

"I was there for like, five minutes, and you killed some moha thing, and then I left. Did something happen that I didn't know about?"
Angel looked at Buffy, hopeful for just one moment, that maybe, just maybe she remembered something from that day."

After a second or two, Angel realized that it was Buffy who digging for truth, and he just couldn't give it to her. "No, nothing else happened," Angel lied. "You remembered it right. I must have confused a dream I had that night with what actually happened."

Buffy looked at Angel in silence? HE had the same dream too?

I guess I shouldn't be surprised, Buffy thought. Angel and I have always shared dreams from time to time. Which usually signaled something to come, but that never happened. Buffy blinked her eyes to chase away the thoughts and let the subject drop. There would be time to dig deeper later.

After lunch, Buffy and Angel continued their apartment hunting.

But, as the light outside began to dim, they realized they would not get much more done today.

"Looks like you get to spent another night at The Plaza," Buffy said as she placed the map and paper in her purse.

"Yeah," Angel said as he hailed a cab. "Looks like we try again tomorrow."
"Oh, I'm sorry Angel, but I can't," Buffy said disappointingly as a cab pulled up.

"Why not?" Angel said, disappointment showing in his voice as well.

"Giles and Dawn leave for England in the morning," she said as Angel opened the car door for her, "I promised them I would go with them to the airport."
"Oh, okay," Angel as he told the cabbie where to go. "I guess I'll see you later then."
"Yeah", Buffy said timidly, as she played with her purse handle.

After a moment of awkward silence, Angel said, "You better get going, you'll be late getting home."

"Uh, yeah," Buffy said as she turned around to look at the seat behind her. "You want a ride to your place?"
" No thanks," Angle said, "I think I'll walk home."
"Ok, bye," Buffy said.

"Goodbye."

Then Buffy surprised even herself, when she reached up on her tip-toes, wrapped her arms around Angel's neck, and hugged him. Angel smiled as he wrapped his arm around her, and embraced her.

After a moment or two, Buffy let go, and Angel helped her into the cab.

"Call me sometime?" He asked as Buffy took her seat.
"You know I will," she said as Angel leaned in and gave her kiss on the cheek.

Then he closed the door and the cab drove away leaving Angel smiling as he stood on the curb.

Buffy on the other hand, was stunned as she touched her cheek. It had been bad enough to feel the old familiar emotions just being near him, but since he had kissed her, now everything was out of whack.

This is going to be hard, Buffy thought to herself, as she laid her head against the backseat of the car and groaned. I am going to be in SO much trouble!

End Chapter Five

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