So... Three years, huh? Ok, I know literally none of my excuses here will really explain it, but let's chalk it up to high school. Anyway, as an apology, I have a treat for you. Not only one, but two chapters coming in one week. And even more than that, they both take place in the past. I decided that I wanted to give a bit more insight into Angelus' and Ivy's past together.

I'm sure you guys are sick of me rambling, so lets get on with the story!

(I only own my original characters and my plot. The rest belongs to Joss Whedon.)

I made my way through the ballroom, wincing slightly at the thought of actually dancing. I was graceful, to be sure, but I found the activity entirely too awkward, stiff, and boring, at least in my previous experiences. I always ended up with the partners with pimples, sweaty hands, and wet smiles. They would always stare too far downward for my comfort and step on my toes. The only reason I was here was to appease my father, who was desperate to marry me off to a suitable rich gentleman. Despite his wishes, I found each man a bore and painfully awkward.

I had managed to find my friends, Evelyn and Marie. The two had been asked to dance by handsome gentlemen of prestige and nobility. They were currently gossiping about their nights when I felt a tap on my shoulder. Dreading what I would see, I turned around.

I was met with mesmerizing dark eyes. I was hardly able to keep my senses about me as I stared into them, their intensity throwing me off, making me completely forget my previous feelings of dread. "Hello miss, I was wondering if you'd like to dance?" He asked, a cocky smirk on his lips.

I raised my eyebrows in surprise, shocked that this man would want to dance with me. "I would love to." I replied, taking his hand. His smirk turns to a grin as he leads me to the floor.

As he places a hand on my waist, bringing us in to dance position, he begins to make small talk. "Might I ask why a lovely lady such as yourself was standing alone?" He wonders.

I blush slightly at his compliment. "Well, I've only just arrived. My brother was determined to look as handsome as possible, so he made our entire family late." I explain.

"Oh? Were you not concerned with your appearance at all?" He wondered curiously.

I shook my head. "Not exactly. Of course, I care, but nowhere near to his extent," I replied, my mouth slanting slightly as I added, "He fancies a lady here."

The man raised an eyebrow, one corner of his mouth tilting up. "Oh? And do you not have anybody special?" He questioned.

My blush, to my horror, darkened. "Um, no. Not exactly." I reply, smiling sheepishly.

He chuckled at my embarrassment. "Well, I'm glad to have snatched you up before anyone else could," He stated flirtatiously, winking. My eyes widened in surprise. I suddenly realized how close we are as we dance, making my blush darken. I took note of his appearance. He had dark eyes, silky black hair, and pale skin. He must have been over half a foot taller than me, considering my short stature.

I hesitated for a moment before asking, "Forgive me for not asking earlier, but what is your name?"

He grinned devilishly, like he was attempting to draw me in. It was working. "The name's Angelus, darling," He told me1, "And might I have the honor of knowing your name?"

I smiled slightly. "My name is Evangeline Pratt." I reply.

He tilted his head to the side, as if he was pondering my name. "May I call you Evie?" He questioned playfully. A blush once again colored my cheeks at the nickname. I hesitated for a moment before nodding. He shot me a final crooked smile as the dance ended and bowed before swiftly turning, practically strutting away. I was left gaping after him.

Evelyn walked towards me, giggling at my expression. "And who might that have been?" She interrogated.

I turned towards her, still dazed. "I haven't the slightest idea."

I checked myself in the mirror. Did my dress have creases? Did the red clash with my blue eyes? Was my hair too flashy? Was it not flashy enough? Above all other questions, one was deafening.

Would Angelus be there?

I felt silly for thinking of him, but I had been unable to rid my mind of him for the past week. His smirk, eyes, and voice had plagued my thoughts ever since my meeting with him. I found myself remembering the dance often. I attempted to assure myself that the sole reason was the fact that he was the first person in a long time not to step on my toes. Still, I knew that I was unable to deny the obvious attraction I felt towards the mysterious man. I knew essentially nothing about him, but I was drawn to him.

I was snapped from my reverie by the sound of a door being knocked on. I whipped around, finding my brother smirking playfully in the doorway.

"Who's got you so worked up?" He questioned, an eyebrow raised.

I scowled, a blush present on my face. "Quiet, you. You're even worse with Cecily." I grumbled. At the mention of his "one true love," he became a blushing, stuttering mess. I chuckled slightly before brushing past him.

After a lengthy carriage ride full of Will's complaining, we arrived at the ballroom. I entered after my brother, whose hand was clutching my own. I knew that he was seeking my comfort, but he honestly could get extremely overbearing. He immediately let go when he spots Cecily, his expression immediately growing flustered. I laughed at him, causing his blush to darken. I felt a tap on my shoulder. I spun around to find Angelus, who was smirking at my surprised expression.

He was here! I had been hoping he would show up, but now that he was, I had no idea what to do.

"Care for a dance, Evie?" He questioned playfully, his Irish lilt like music to my ears.

I rolled my eyes at his nickname before taking his offering hand. "I suppose."

He pulled me towards him, his hand tightening on my waist. He led me expertly through the steps. "I must admit, I was hoping you'd be here," He murmured in my ear, "I've been thinking of you."

My face turned scarlet. "Oh?" I stuttered.

He chuckled lowly at my response, pulling me even closer. Instead of responding, he twirled me before moving his hand back to my waist, subtly stroking it so that only I could notice. I gasped quietly at the action, causing him to smirk. I had never been so… intimate with anybody before. I was entirely innocent to the world, and the simple gesture had flustered me immensely. Still, I found myself pleased by the action, and I could feel my attraction to Angelus growing. Something I couldn't explain about him was so alluring, and I was inexplicably drawn to his dark eyes and flirtatious smile.

To keep myself from being totally lost in him, I decided to speak. "So, tell me about yourself." I wondered, internally cringing at my icebreaker. To my surprise, he actually responded. Throughout the evening, we danced only with each other, and I learned that he enjoyed traveling, while I always loved a good book. He told me of a heartbreak he had experienced, which caused me to confess that I had never been courted before, let alone had an intimate relationship. He laughed at that, and when I had asked why, he brushed it off, simply stating that he was lucky to have found me when he did. I blushed at the comment, still slightly unsure about what he meant. After several hours, he pulled me to the side of the room, his hand never releasing my own.

"Angelus?" I questioned, wondering why he was taking me to the side.

He shushed me quickly. "I just wanted to thank you for the evening. It has been truly enchanting." He stated. Then, before I can react, he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. I was paralyzed for a moment, but that didn't stop him. He snaked an arm around my slender waist, pulling me closer to him. Without realizing what I was doing, I allowed him to open my mouth, and he swiftly acted. He explored every inch of my mouth skillfully, making my knees weak. I had to grip his coat to keep from falling. He suddenly pulled away, leaving me gasping for breath. He grinned and pressed another kiss to my lips before leaning his forehead against mine. "I expect to see you again, darling." He stated, his tone flirtatious and, though I didn't realize, possessive. I nodded weakly, my head still spinning from the intensity of the kiss. I barely considered how improper it all was. My first kiss… "You're the perfect dance partner, aren't you, my little Evie? My little dance partner…" He murmured in my ear, sending shivers down my spine. Before I could respond, he had already swept away, disappearing into the crowd. I was left gaping after him, shocked at the night's events. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I looked up to see Will smirking down at me.

"And what are you staring at, little sister?" He questioned.

I tried to stutter out a response, but I found that I couldn't find one. My face turned crimson, and I averted my eyes. "Shut up, William." I grumbled.

I hummed to myself and danced mindlessly around my room, my mind on Angelus. I had never met anyone so… charming. Was that even the word? Yes, he was charming, but he also had a mysterious, dark quality to him. He was magnetic and hypnotizing, and I found myself drawn to him like a moth to a flame.

I collapsed to the bed only to hear a loud thump. Startled, I immediately sat up, knowing the noise couldn't have come from me. I moved from the bed, walking to the window. No matter how much I searched, I could not find the source of the noise. Biting my lip, I opened the window, leaning out. Unable to find anything, I shut the window before leaning against the wall.

What was that? I shook my head, oblivious to the eyes watching me hungrily from outside.

My hair mussed from sleep, I slowly and reluctantly sat up. As much as I wanted to groan and fall back, I knew my father would want me downstairs as quickly as possible.

Sighing, I dressed myself as quickly as possible before making my way downstairs.

"Evangeline," Father greeted, with an almost presentational tone, "I was wondering when you'd wake up."

"Good morning," I responded, mildly curious about his expression.

He moved next to me with a face that practically screamed, "behave." "Now, I'd like to introduce you to Mr. Adam Langley," He told me, turning me so I could see him.

In front of me was tall man with a square jaw and fair hair tied in a ponytail. Mildly confused, I lifted my hand to his. "A pleasure to meet you," I greet politely.

He raised my hand to his lips, never breaking my gaze. "The pleasure is all mine, Miss Evangeline."

I glanced at my father in discomfort. He smiles gloatingly. "Evangeline, Mr. Langley is your fiancé."

I stared at him in shock. "My-" I found myself stuttering.

"I'll leave you two alone, I suppose," He cut me off before practically strutting away.

I hesitantly met my fiancé's gaze. "I'm sorry if this came across as a surprise, my dear," he began, "I thought your father might have told you. We've been arranging this for quite some time."

"But we've never even met," I exclaimed, politeness momentarily forgotten, "How could you want to arrange a marriage with me?"

He smiles slightly. "Your father, I'm afraid, owed some debts to my family. Rather than paying them off, he offered a merging of our families. I was hesitant at first, but he assured me that you were beautiful and would make a wonderful match." His eyes scanned me for a short moment. "And I must say, he certainly was not lying."

I felt like I was frozen. Why now? Why would he have to come along right as I met Angelus? "Mr. Langley-" I began.

"Adam, please," He interrupted.

"Adam," I repeated, "I'm sorry, but how can I agree to marry someone I've only just met?" Not to mention the fact that I was already rather smitten with another man.

He assessed me for a moment before nodding slightly. "If that is the case, then perhaps we could get to know each other. You could come over for tea tomorrow, and we could chat," He offered. I resisted the urge to bite my lip and nodded. "Wonderful."

Before I could respond, he brought my hand to his lips, bowing slightly. "Until tomorrow, Miss Evangeline," He stated.

"Until then," I replied, curtsying.

Then he was gone, leaving me staring at the door, helpless. I stumbled up the stairs to my room, hardly recognizing what I was doing. As I entered, I felt a sudden burst of anger. At my father, at Adam, at my situation. At Angelus for making me finally feel something just before being caught up in this.

I felt energy surge through me, and in a sudden release of rage my fist flew out, creating a hole in the wall. I let out a cry as pain shot up my arm. I sank to my knees, realizing my hand was bleeding. I looked up at the wall, staring at the hole in shock. How had I done that? I had never had much strength, and I could hardly believe that I had broken through the wall. Shaking, I pushed myself to my feet, tearing my eyes away from the damage.

I quickly descended the stairs, moving to the cupboard and grabbing a bandage.

"Evie?" William asks, worry coloring his voice. I turned around swiftly, meeting his gaze. He moved forward, grabbing my hand. "What happened?" He asked, acting uncharacteristically stern. I stuttered for a moment, but he simply shook his head and took the bandage from my hand. He slowly wound it around my hand, covering my wounds. "Care to explain?"

I hesitated for a moment. "I don't even know what happened," I began, "I was so angry, and I just… I might have accidentally punched a hole in a wall."

His eyebrows raised, surprise covering his face. "Show me."

I paused for a moment before leading him to my room. I remained in the doorway as he moved towards the wall. He inspected the hole, his brow furrowing.

He grinned, shaking his head. "How-" he tried to say, but he simply laughed instead. I blushed in embarrassment, fiddling with my bandage. After several minutes, he finally calmed down. He cleared his throat before finally questioning me.

"What happened?" He wondered, "How did you do this?"

I hesitated for a moment before admitting, "I don't know."

The following day, I found myself being forced into a carriage to meet my future husband. After a short journey, it rolled to a halt, allowing me to step off. I was immediately greeted by a butler, and he led the way to a parlor.

"Miss Evangeline Pratt, sir," he announced, directing me into the room.

Adam immediately stood, smiling widely. "Miss Evangeline," he greeted, "I'm so glad you could make it. How did you find the ride here?"

I smiled weakly. "Fine," I responded shortly.

He moved next to me, taking my arm and guiding me gently to the chaise lounge. "Would you care to sit?" He asked politely.

I met his eyes briefly. "Yes, thank you," I replied before sitting beside him.

He sighed. "Miss Evangeline, may I be perfectly frank?" He questioned. I nodded, wondering what he could possibly be thinking. "I am looking forward to our upcoming marriage. You, however, seem rather distant, and we cannot build a relationship on that. You are here in order for us to get to know each other. So let's talk and get to know each other, alright?"

I watched at him for a moment. My mind wandered to Angelus. I felt like I was committing some crime against him by trying to learn about my fiancé. But was it really so wrong? While it was not ideal, or my choice at all, I was stuck in the situation, and no amount of pining would change it.

"Alright," I replied, "I'm sorry. I suppose I'm still adjusting."

His lips moved into a smile. "I understand completely," He reassured, placing his hand over mine, "I'm simply happy that you are willing to move forward." I nodded in response. "Where would we like to start?"

I felt conflicted as I entered the ballroom. I hadn't wanted to come at all, honestly. I couldn't imagine speaking to Angelus after learning about my fiancé. I knew I would somehow have to tell him that he couldn't continue to court me. How would he react?

As I moved behind my brother, I noticed Angelus in the corner of the room, eyeing me. I avoided eye contact and quickly moved towards Evelyn and Marie.

I hardly got a sentence out when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around, meeting Angelus's eyes. "Might I have this dance?" He asked, offering a hand. I nodded and took it, pushing down the feeling of foreboding. I wasn't entirely sure I could bring myself to tell him what happened. He moved me into dance position, placing his hand low on my waist. After a few minutes of dancing, I began to speak.

"Angelus," I started hesitantly, "I need to talk to you about something."

He raised his eyebrows, "Oh?" He questioned, "Nothing too serious, I hope." I hesitated for a moment, scared to say anything. "That bad, is it?" He stopped me playfully, "Let's at least enjoy the night some, first." He tightened his grip on my waist, pulling me closer. It felt wrong to dance with him, this man that I had begun to feel so strongly for, when I knew I was going to be married to a man I barely knew. As if sensing my hesitation, he stated, "We'll talk about it at the end of the night."

With the set time, I felt myself relax slightly. "Alright," I agreed.

He offered a lopsided grin and twirled me. "Perfect," his dark eyes met mine, and my earlier problems seemed to be completely forgotten as we danced. "Now, you haven't been getting in too much trouble, have you Evie?" He asked, all charm.

"Of course not," I responded, pretending to be offended at the notion.

"Oh, really?" He questioned playfully. Suddenly, he raises my bandaged hand between us, lifting an eyebrow. "I'm afraid this bandage tells another story."

"That?" I began to protest, though I found it exceedingly hard to concentrate as he ran his thumb against my hand, watching me with curiosity. "That was just an accident."

"It must have been some accident, love," he chided, "What happened?"

I realized suddenly that telling him that I had punched a hole in the wall might not be the best idea. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," I attempted.

Something flashed in his eyes. "Is that so?" I nodded quickly, making him laugh quietly. "Tell me, what's your unbelievable story."

"I, erm…" I trailed off, glancing to the side before continuing, "I might have punched a wall, uh, accidentally."

His soft laughter became louder, and he nearly stopped dancing as he laughed. I blushed. "Is that so?" He questioned, still chuckling as an almost hungry look tinted his gaze.

"I did say you wouldn't believe me," I protested, trying to maintain some pride.

He chastely kissed my hand. "Oh, I can believe it," he jested. He smirked slightly and held me closer, allowing the conversation to drift into silence.

We danced for most of the night, slowly moving towards a corner of the room. After several songs, I began to grow tired. Without even meaning to, I found myself resting my cheek against his chest. I felt his chest shake with laughter as I did so. His hand moved to my head, stroking my hair. Our dancing slowed to a halt as we stood there, almost in a lovers embrace.

"I suppose it's about time for our little chat, isn't it?" He questioned, playing with a strand of my hair.

Thoughts of Adam suddenly flooded me. Without truly meaning to, I jerked away from his chest. What had I been doing? I had come to tell him of my engagement, not continue the affair. I couldn't allow him to seduce me as he had been doing the entire night.

I nodded, trying to convince myself that I needed to do this. "I think it's best if we didn't speak in here," I told him fairly shakily.

He tilted his head in curiosity before offering his arm. I took it, allowing him to lead me outside.

"Well?" He questioned. His voice was uncharacteristically serious.

"Angelus... Something happened yesterday, and I believe it to be only fair for you to know," I stated. He lifted his hand, gesturing for me to continue. I took a deep breath. "I'm engaged."

The words seemed to heavily hang in the air. I wished I hadn't said them so abruptly.

"I didn't want the engagement, but my father arranged it without giving me a say. I'd thought he would have given me some choice, but he introduced him as my fiancé and I-"

"Engaged?" He only said the one word, but it felt weighted. One of his hands held the side of my face. I nodded, unable to speak. Something seemed to open up in the pit of my stomach. Why was everything in me screaming at me to run as far as I could? "Oh, darling," He cooed, "My poor, poor Evie. You've been caught up in this moral dilemma all day, haven't you?" I felt trapped in his gaze, unable to tear my eyes from his. The dark pools drew me in, the honey in his voice catching me. It had an almost spell-like quality to it. I tried to respond, but no sound came out. He shushed me, bringing a finger to my mouth. "That's not what you want, though, is it?"

Finding my voice, I responded, "No, but it doesn't matter. It's not as if I can simply disobey my father's wishes. Marrying him will settle my family's debts. I can't just abandon them!" I exclaimed. "Besides, even if I had the luxury, I wouldn't know how! I don't have a choice, Angelus."

Suddenly his lips were on mine. The hand on my face wound its way into my hair while his other snaked around my waist, pulling me against him roughly. His kiss was bruising as he forced his way into my mouth. I felt as though I had been swept off my feet. I was no match for him. Despite my best efforts, I responded to his touch in kind. My arms looped around his neck, and I arched my back, yearning to be closer to him. He grinned against my lips and continued to kiss me hungrily. When he finally pulled away, I felt breathless and dizzy. His maintained his grip on me and rested his forehead against mine, staring into my eyes.

"You've always got a choice, my little dance partner," He stated gruffly, "You just need to learn how to take it."

I felt so tempted. I couldn't remember wanting anything more. But still, I found myself shaking my head. "I cant," I murmured, my voice cracking slightly.

His eyes darkened. "No?"

"No," I repeated, "I can't. A promise is a promise. Whether it was made by me or not."

He growled at my stubbornness. "So faithful," He recognized bitterly, "to everyone but me." He suddenly released me from his hold, and the cold of the night rushed through me.

The words felt like a dagger. "Angelus, I never made any promises to you. What we had was a… flirtation. And I am sorry, but it must end. Whether I want it to or not isn't relevant to the situation," I tried to reason.

He chuckled darkly. "Can I at least know the name of the man who is stealing you away from me?" His words sounded almost sarcastic, like he knew that I would come crawling back soon enough.

I swallowed thickly. "Adam Langley," I informed him.

"Adam, huh?" He questioned, laughing slightly. "Adam and Eve… a match made in heaven."

I hadn't expected to feel so hurt by the conversation. Angelus had always been charming and suave. Where did his new darkness come from?

"Angelus-" I began, but he cut me off swiftly.

"Run along now, my Evie," He dismissed, grinning widely at me. He pressed a chaste kiss on my forehead before running his hand along my cheek. "I'll see you around, love. Remember, if you should ever find yourself free of your little predicament, I'll be waiting for you." Not knowing what else I could do, I turned and fled.

So there it is! Like I said earlier, I already have another chapter lined up, which is part of why this took so long. So I promise (actually this time) that the next chapter will be up within a week.

Also, let me know what you guys think of this backstory here! I really had a fun time writing it.

Like always, please favorite or follow if you want to see some more of this. And be sure to review to let me know how this was (or just to yell at me for not updating for three years.)

See you in a week!