I am going out of town for the next 5 days so I wont be able to update while I am gone. I hope you enjoy this chapter and I will update as soon as I can.

Chapter 34: Happy 4th Of July

The Fireworks were amazing, the Army Base really went all out for the celebration. They were beautiful, the only thing that annoyed Buffy was once the fireworks started Kathy ran over to their blanket clinging to Angel saying they were to loud and she was scared. 'Really? I have to compete with his little sister?' Buffy had thought. Half way threw the fireworks show he sent Kathy back over to their parents. 'Looks like I might be winning.' Buffy smiled.

When they left base everyone else went home but Buffy and Angel stopped off at Dunkin Donuts because Buffy was having a craving. When they got there she ordered her drink. "As long as its not a coffee, we don't need you up all night. I'm ready for bed!" Angel told her. When Angel saw all the donuts he thought they looked good so he got a few and joked that they would have to eat them in their room to make sure they actually got some.

"Maybe you should get some for everyone else too." Buffy smiled.

"I will, we can come back Monday and get some." He told her as they walked to the car.

They all slept in on Sunday, they were going to do a 4th of July barbeque since Sunday was actually the 4th. The Army Base didn't do celebrations on the actual dates because of so many accidents like drunk drivers so they celebrated the day before to keep all their military personal and their families safe.

Sunday was nice. Peaceful. Angel's family were even polite to Buffy which she hadn't had happen to her other then Patrick which Buffy was still baffled by. She didn't know why they were being so nice. It was odd to say the least. Buffy's family came over for the barbeque, as did Veronica, Logan, Xander, Anya, Willow, Oz and Fred. Keith had been invited but he said he had to be out of town for work and couldn't make it. The whole day was great, everyone got alone, they drank, ate laughed and had a all around good time. Doesn't mean there weren't a few mishaps though.

Buffy was happy that Angel had Monday off of work. Spike, Doyle and Gunn did also. They decided they were going to go to the pier on Monday during the day and then Monday night Buffy and Angel were going to go out together. Buffy mentioned to him that they hadn't really been out on a date yet, she told him Smash Burger didn't count as a date. They had talked about going to Dinner and a movie or The Bronze. Angel said they should do all three but Buffy didn't think they would have enough time since they both needed to be to work the next morning.

While Angel was cooking on the grill Buffy walked up behind him and put a empty plate on the side of the grill so he could put Burgers on it. "How about this? A late lunch, a movie and then The Bronze? If we are hungry again we can eat at The Bronze….. They have food there right?"

Buffy laughed at him. "You have been living in Sunnydale for how long and you have never been to the Bronze?"

Angel shrugged as he flipped a burger. "Does my age count for anything?"

Buffy crossed her arms. "I know people older then you who have been to The Bronze."

Spike sat down on the patio chair with a beer. "There are no strippers there, Pet."

"What do strippers have to do with anything?" Buffy asked Spike.

"Shut up William!" Angel warned.

Spike smiled. "You house broke him, Luv. Nancy Boy here was all about strippers, booze, porn and sex."

"Oh." Buffy nodded getting what Spike was saying. "So pretty much getting drunk and anything with naked woman."

"Knew you were a smart one." Spike nodded.

Angel turned to Buffy. "That was before I met you."

"I know. Its okay. All guys are like that. Your not the first guy I have dated with those things at the top of their priority list. Exhibit A." She said pointing to Logan.

Veronica laughed. "Looks like I'm not the only one who reforms bad boys."

Buffy smiled. "I didn't even do anything."

"Yeah, but love will change someone." Veronica smiled back. Buffy's eyes got wide and Angel choked on his beer.

Spike broke into a fit of laughter over Angel's reaction.

Buffy took Angel's reaction as bad. Without looking at him she started to walk back into the house. "I'm going to go see if I can find any hot pokers to shove in my eyes." She whispered.

Buffy sat at the kitchen table playing with some cards from the Clue game they had played earlier in the day that no one cleaned up. 'I'm sure Angel will have a fit about this.' She picked up the game and sat back down. She got bored and picked up the deck of cards that were on the table also from earlier when they were playing Kings Corners. It had been forever since she played it and Angel had to explain it to her again. She started shuffling the cards.

Angel walked into the kitchen to bring in the cooked meat and get some more hamburgers and hotdogs to put on the grill. "Hey." He said when he saw her sitting at the table.

"Hey back." She said glancing up at him then back at the cards she was shuffling.

Angel opened the fridge and got another beer out. "Do you want to come out and finish helping me?"

"I think its safer in here, thanks." She half joked.

Angel sat down next to her. "And why is that?"

Buffy started looking threw the deck of cards randomly and shrugged.

Angel didn't want to bring up what Veronica had said so he said nothing. He thought maybe Buffy was upset about it. They had never said anything about the L word before and if he was going to tell her he loved her, he didn't want it to be today with all these people around.

"Did you decide what you wanted to do tomorrow?" He asked her.

Buffy shook her head. "Doesn't matter. We don't even have to do anything. Its fine." She tossed some of the cards on the table.

"If you don't decide we are just going to go to Smash Burger." He joked picking up the cards she put down.

Buffy smiled a little. "That's fine."

"No its not. Other wise you wouldn't have said anything." He smiled.

Buffy looked up at Angel and asked a completely random question. "Do you mind if I invite someone?"

"On our date?" He asked.

Buffy shook her head. "Now. Today. I want you to meet him."

"Him?" Angel asked wondering exactly who 'him' was.

Buffy nodded. "My dad."

Angel was even more confused. "Your dad? The dad you hate that lives in LA?"

Buffy shook her head again. "My surrogate dad. You know how there is a person who chooses to be something to you instead of being born in that role? Well, Giles is my dad. He has always been there for me since the day I met him. I actually didn't want him there for me but he took it upon himself to help me. I met him on the first day of high school, I wasn't in the best relationship with Jeff. It wasn't like bad, bad but Giles saw us in the hallway and he didn't like it that Jeff was … pressuring me to.. do stuff. So he said I needed to learn self defense just in case there was a time that Jeff didn't take no for an answer." Buffy smiled at the memory. "He said he doesn't even know why he took a liking to me so much because all the other kids got on his 'bloody nerves'. Xander still does sometimes but he loves Xander."

"He's British, I take it." Angel smiled. He was happy that she had someone looking out for her back then.

Buffy nodded. "I wouldn't have him any other way. His stuffy Britishness just adds to his charm. He isn't as stuffy now as he used to be though. He has lightened up a lot. Even has a girlfriend which we all thought was weird at first. They are complete opposites and yet, they make it work. Jenny is great though. We had a few touch and go moments in our past, but now we are good."

Angel nodded. "Sure, invite them. Why didn't you invite them to begin with?"

"His Britishness, remember. I didn't know if he would want to come because its an American holiday and he always says us Americans are crazy." Buffy laughed.

"Go call him. I am going to get some more food on the grill." Angel told her.

Buffy went to call Giles. After she did she went back outside, walking past Veronica she glared.

"So?" Angel asked.

Buffy nodded. "He will be here."

"Who will be here?" Logan asked.

"Giles and Jenny." Buffy told him.

Willow got excited. "Giles is coming?"

Buffy smiled. "Yup. It didn't even take as much convincing as I thought it would. I think maybe he misses us.. Well not you, Will because he sees you everyday at work but the rest of us."

"Yup, he totally misses us!" Xander agreed. "He says we bugged him so much back in the day but now that he doesn't see us everyday ditching class he wants to see us."

"We weren't ditching." Buffy laughed jokingly. "We were studying. That's what you do in the library."

"Buffy, we never read books that would help up in our classes. We always went for the "Supernatural" books." Willow smiled.

"Demonology, Will!" Buffy smiled.

Xander looked from Buffy to Willow. "We took Demonology in High School?"

"No!" Willow told Xander.

"Oh! Thank god! I was going to say, I totally slept threw that one then." Xander said relieved.

Buffy looked at Xander seriously. "What class didn't you sleep threw?"

"Ditto, Summers!" Xander yelled.

Buffy smiled. "Truce?"

"Deal." Xander nodded.

Joyce sat down next to Logan who had Veronica on his lap. "I better not be hearing about you kids skipping classes."

"Are you going to ground us?" Buffy asked her mother jokingly.

"I don't think I have that jurisdiction anymore." Joyce smiled.

"Okay." Xander and Buffy said together.

"We often skipped classes and went to hang out in the library. Or me and Veronica used to ditch and work on a case." Buffy told her mother truthfully.

"How did you kids even graduate?" Joyce asked shaking her head.

Buffy, Xander, Veronica and Logan all looked at Willow.

"No! Xander, yeah- I helped him graduate." Willow told Joyce.

"Or they just wanted him gone." Buffy smiled and Xander nodded.

"Veronica is smart all on her own and Buffy is too! She just didn't apply herself until it really mattered. She kicked ass on her SATs!" Willow defended.

Joyce nodded. "I would have to agree with you there, Willow. I saw Buffy's SAT scores."

"1430!" Willow shouted excitedly.

"Yeah, and I thought me and Buffy were going to be manning the drive thru window together after high school, but nope! She had to go and pull a 1430! And Willow! Just your verbal 740 score resembled my combined scores!" Xander complained.

"Keeping you in your position as the village idiot?" Buffy joked.

Xander nodded. "Yup."

Spike look impressed. "Who would have thought you were dating a brain, Angelus."

Patrick heard what they were talking about and went over to sit down at the patio table next to Joyce. "Why didn't you go away to college, Buffy? With scores like that you could have gotten into anywhere." Patrick asked.

Joyce nodded. "She did. Northwestern."

"Mom, why go there? I graduated from college. Okay a community college but I didn't suck at what I went for AND I am using what I went to college for… kind of." Buffy said ending on the uncertain side.

"What did you go for college for?" Patrick asked her.

"Criminal Justice with a minor in Psychology" Buffy answered him. Patrick looked impressed.

Anya choose to chime in at that time. "Anyone else think she did so good in Psych because she was banging the teacher?"

"Did you really have to bring up Riley? I'm trying not to regurgitate." Logan said with a disgusted look.

Xander shook his head in disappointment. "Bailin' on the Buffy. Anyone else want to hit that guy?"

All of Buffy's friends raised their hands along with Spike and Angel. Buffy grabbed Angel by the wrist and lowered his arm.

"Didn't we already have that vote when Parker bailed?" Buffy asked.

Xander nodded. "But we have to do it every time."

"Why do we have to do it every time? Then we will be doing it a lot." Anya blurted out.

"Thanks." Buffy muttered.

"Hello?" They heard a mans voice. "Knock knock." Came a woman's voice.

"Giles! Jenny!" Buffy gave them hugs and then they went around to all Buffy's friends and gave them hugs too.

"Mom, can you handle this like the adult you are?" Buffy joked.

Joyce gave Buffy a 'shut up' look. "Rupert and I are friends now."

"They totally had sex when I was in high school." She whispered to Angel so no one else could hear.

Buffy smiled. "Giles, Jenny. This is.."

"Angelus?" Giles asked. Angel nodded. "I have heard a lot about you." Giles told him. "From Buffy's description I knew exactly who you were as soon as I approached. All though I heard her tell Willow you were… what is it that you called him, Buffy? A hunk of.." Giles was cut off.

"La la la la la la." Buffy shouted just to make noise so that Angel couldn't hear Giles.

When Buffy quieted down Giles began talking again. "It was the same thing you told me Jenny had said about me even though she hadn't actually confided in you."

"Doesn't mean I didn't think it." Jenny smiled.

Willow laughed. "I remember that, you told him she thought he was a 'hunk of burning something or other' when we were trying to sneak into his office."

Buffy gave Willow a warning look to stop talking.

"You were trying to sneak into my office? Why would you try to sneak into my office?" Giles gave Buffy and Willow a scolding look.

"We wanted to see a book from your private collection!" Willow confessed.

"WILLOW!" Buffy shouted. "Don't you want to meet everyone else?" Buffy asked Giles to distract him.

"Exactly what book was it?" Giles asked removing his glasses to clean them.

"At least we were reading." Buffy smiled at Giles leaning her head on his shoulder.

Giles put his glasses back on. "Buffy, I asked you a question and I expect a answer young lady."

Buffy looked down and the ground. "That diary of that really old guy."

"He has the diary of a lot of really old guys." Jenny joked.

"That blind monk… or maybe he was deaf." Buffy pouted.

Xander smiled. "Wouldn't it be hard for him to write if he was blind?"

"It would have been really messy writing. Was it messy, B?" Veronica asked.

Buffy shook her head. "It had lots of drawings in it of lady's in old fashion dresses. I would have killed for that waste line."

"Why would a monk have drawings of woman in his diary?" Logan asked.

Giles looked at Buffy like a father would look at his daughter with her hand in the cookie jar. "That just proves how often you went threw my stuff. You did ready the diary of the deaf monk I take it. 'The wolf shall live with the lamb, and the leopard shall lay dawn with the kid: the calf and the lion and the fatling together; and the little child to lead them'" Giles quoted. Buffy nodded. "Buffy, that was the diary of a deaf monk, you are right about that but he was quoting a passage from the bible. Isaiah 11:6. The diary with the woman in old fashion dresses as you put it, was the diary of a noble woman in the 1700's."

"Why in the bloody hell do you have so many diary's, old man?" Spike asked Giles.

"I like to read." Was all Giles said.

Buffy got behind Giles and started to push him. "Can we not get Buffy in trouble for anything else she did 6 years ago and move along. Okay, here we go."

While everyone was eating they were talking about the fireworks the night before, not everyone had gone on Base to see the fireworks but they watched the ones that were set off for the rest of the town. All the sudden Irene changed the subject. "You know, things have been going so nicely here. Everyone had gotten along since we all met."

Buffy, Veronica, Joyce, Dawn, Logan, Willow and Xander all looked at each other wondering if she was talking to them or not. Buffy had told them all about how Angel's family had treated her and how they weren't very welcoming to her mother and sister either.

Irene continued. "Because it has been so wonderful here we have decided to stay even longer." Irene looked at Buffy to see her reaction but Buffy didn't show any reaction.

Angel looked towards Buffy "How long had you originally planned to stay? You never told me."

"A week…" Patrick began to say but was cut off by Irene.

"Patrick, we decided on two weeks. You know that." She scowled at her husband.

Angel glanced between his father and his mother. "Its only been a week. How could you decide you want to stay even longer then two weeks when it hasn't even been two weeks yet."

"Oh Liam, relax. Your father wont bring up leaving the Army again for the rest of our stay." His mother told him. Patrick had brought it up almost everyday since they got there, except yesterday and today which was odd.

Buffy and Angel looked at each other, Angel looked worried but Buffy still didn't show and emotion.

Everyone stayed very late that night talking about what was going on now, the past and joking about what could happen in the future. Kathy spent most of the time with Dawn, even thought the night before she hadn't talked to her much she seemed to take a liking to her while they were all hanging out that day. Angel hoped Kathy and Dawn would become friends and it was a good sign that maybe his family was coming around to Buffy and her family. Although Angel had never actually seen his family be this nice, ever.