Thanksgiving. The one day a year devoted to being thankful for the special people in your life. Buffy Summers-Finn honored this by hosting a large friends and family Thanksgiving dinner at her mother's old house. It was the first Thanksgiving without her mother, but that didn't stop her from trying to have an uplifting holiday.
There was much to look forward to this Thanksgiving. Buffy would have the assistance of Willow, Dawn, and Jenny helping her in the kitchen. This was much needed as there would be a total of sixteen people, themselves included, in attendance - the most Buffy ever cooked for. Liam had insisted on inviting everyone to Thanksgiving this year including Cordelia and her husband, Doyle, Angel, and Angel's friends, Spike and Faith. She assumed this was Liam's way of trying to fill the void his Grandma left, so she allowed it. What Buffy was completely unaware of was that this had been a part of Liam's master plan to get his parents back together. For it to successfully work, he needed to gather the troops.
"Ready for our little announcement," Riley said, sneaking up on his wife and kissing her cheek. He snaked his arms around Buffy and rested his hands on her flat stomach.
"Riley, I'm not pregnant yet. I just agreed that we would start trying," Buffy replied while snuggling deeper into her husband.
Marriage counseling had been going good for them, despite Buffy's clear avoidance of some Angel related questions. During their most recent session, Buffy admitted that she was ready to try for a baby with Riley once her birth control ran out.
"I'm sorry if I seem too giddy, I'm just thankful that this is happening," Riley said. His life was finally getting back on track. He and Buffy's marriage was improving and they were going to have a baby in the relatively near future.
Just as Riley was about to seal their happiness with a kiss, someone knocked on the door. "I'll be right back," Buffy promised. She moved to the front door, but was beaten by Liam speeding down the stairs. "Woah, slow your roll!"
Liam rolled his eyes and was greeted by the remaining guests who had yet to show, also known as his dad's family and close friends. He knew they were going to be the last to arrive since Spike and Faith were driving straight from LA.
Spike walked through the door first, messing Liam's perfectly styled hair. "Willy, what did I tell you," Angel chided, exposing Spike's real name. "No touching the hair, even if it is my son's."
"Bug off," Spike said making his way through the old Summers house to find Buffy. He held out his pack of cigarettes and a lighter about to indulge himself before Buffy snatched them away from him. "Whatcha do that for?"
"No smoking in the house," Buffy said while tossing the pack of smokes to Angel. "Thanks for the heads up."
"You sold me out!" Spike complained to Angel.
"Someone had to. She's scary," Angel joked, moving into the living room with his dad as Liam rushed into the kitchen.
"It's good to see you, B," Faith greeted. "What's it been twelve years?"
Faith and Buffy had an interesting friendship some years ago. Whenever Buffy had to tag along with Angel and Spike, Faith more often than not was there with them. Faith had been the only one of the trio Buffy could ever relate to. "Give or take. How've you been?" Buffy asked.
"Five by five," Faith replied repeating the phrase Buffy knew well from the brunette. "Is everyone else here?"
"Yeah, Doyle's in the living room watching football. Oz is playing with the twins. Cordelia's helping Riley set the table. As for the rest of us, we're finishing cooking dinner," Buffy said. "Do you want to help?"
"I think I stick with football," Faith smiled.
Buffy leaned over to Faith and whispered, "Smart choice," before heading off into the kitchen.
Meanwhile, Liam had reminded the women in the kitchen of their next job in his master plan.
Phase one activated.
"Buffy, I'm so sorry, but we were moving some things around in the fridge and I didn't realize it until it happened and then it fell onto the floor and now we don't have a dessert," Willow rambled just like her and Liam had discussed. Buffy had barely made her way into the kitchen when she was bombarded by Willow.
"Slow down," Buffy said calmly. "What happened?"
"The pie fell out of the fridge when we were moving stuff around, I'm so sorry, Buffy," Willow apologized nearing tears. She did feel bad about dropping the pie onto the floor. Buffy worked so hard on it, even if it did taste like garbage.
"It's not like you did it on purpose, accidents happen, Wills. But now we're out of a dessert," Buffy said. She could care less about the pie. Every year it sucked, at least this year no one had to fake enjoying it.
"Tomorrow's Angel's birthday. We have a birthday cake in the refrigerator. You're happy to use it," Jenny offered from the floor as she cleaned up the destroyed pumpkin pie.
"Are you sure?" Buffy asked. "I thought you were going to throw a party for him."
"We were, but I'm sure Angel will understand. Either he or Rupert should have the keys to the house," Jenny informed, sending Buffy into the living room fulfilling the first part of Liam's plan.
"Giles, I need to borrow your keys. There was an incident with the pie and now we're down one. I need to stop by your house and grab Angel's birthday cake for dessert," Buffy explained. Giles reached in his pocket and handed Buffy his keys to the house.
"Buffy, wait up!" Angel called as Buffy headed towards the front door. "I think I left my phone at the house, I need to stop by get it. Although I swore I had it on me." Angel did have his phone on him, but at the instruction of Liam, Spike skillfully pickpocketed Angel, before arriving next door, and took it out of his pocket.
It take long for the two parents to arrive at the Giles house seeing as it was next door. While Buffy headed straight for the kitchen. Angel found his phone on the dining room table. Odd, he thought as he had no recollection of putting it there. Angel grabbed it and moved towards the kitchen as Buffy was rearranging the refrigerator to access the cake.
"Are you still keeping your mom's house?" Angel asked, breaking the silence between them.
"Yeah, Dawn and I have been splitting the cost for the last month and a half, but with the new baby coming...I doubt paying the mortgage will be the first thing on her mind. We'll probably have to list it soon," Buffy admitted. She loved that house and the memories she had there, but she could not afford that home and her own.
"What if I buy it?" Angel suggested. Buffy stopped her rearranging the items and focused on Angel. He could not be serious, she thought. "I've been thinking about moving back to Sunnydale. It's hard coming down every weekend to see Liam, and then having to leave him Sunday night. Not to mention that I have been paying a fortune in gas."
"And give up your successful, high-paying job at Wolfram and Hart?" Buffy questioned. She understood Angel's need to move closer, but Wolfram and Hart was the best job out there for him. Leaving that job for anything else would only be a downgrade.
"Trust me, I've made more than enough money to last me a lifetime," Angel said. In fact, he could probably retire with the amount of money he had stored away, but alas thirty was quite young to retire. "I was thinking of establishing a firm here."
"That would be nice," Buffy absentmindedly said as she reached the cake. "But what does that have to do with my mother's house?"
"I'll need a place to stay, and as of tomorrow I'll be thirty-one. I can't move in with my parents. I was hoping I could move into Joyce's old place that way it still stays within the family."
"The family?"
Angel crossed his arms at Buffy's confusion. "Yeah, I don't know if you forgot, but we do have a kid together. That way once I die, the house could go to Liam and his family."
Buffy pursued her lips in thought. It was a very kind gesture and Angel would probably allow her access to the house whenever she needed, but there was one fault in his plan. "As you said you're thirty-one, what if you choose to settle down with some nice girl and have a few kids with her, then Liam would have to split the house with them once you die."
"I don't think that's going to happen." Angel twisted his Claddagh ring.
"Oh come on, your hot and you have every single girl in town throwing themselves at you whenever you come in for a visit. Surely one has to catch your eye." While those girls did seem crazy, Buffy figured that one had to be normal and Angel's type.
"One already did." That comment piqued Buffy's curiosity and also sparked some unspoken jealousy.
Buffy tried to hide her disappointment. "Who is the lucky woman?"
"Just some girl I fell in love with thirteen years ago." Angel looked up at Buffy and into her soul. Sure he had girlfriends and even a fiancée over the past decade, but he never loved them like he loved Buffy.
"Angel..." Buffy said breathlessly. "You can't keep saying stuff like this."
"Why not?" Angel fought back. He thought he had made it clear to Buffy Halloween night that he still had feelings for her. And he thought she reciprocated the same feelings. They almost kissed. That hadn't been something he imagined.
"Because I'm married. Riley and I are in a good place finally. I don't need you to keep saying things like that and messing it all up, because for the past few weeks I've been fighting the urge to kiss you." Buffy couldn't deny the fact that she was still attracted to her son's father despite being married to another man. It was one of her biggest guilts as of recently.
Angel looked at his watch. People would come looking for them eventually if they stalled any longer. None of that matter to him. Angel grabbed Buffy by the waist and melted his mouth onto hers. She could no longer fight the urge once his lips had attached to hers. It had been years since they kissed, though it seemed as if no time had passed. Angel led Buffy back against his parents refrigerator, not once breaking the kiss. Buffy jumped onto his waist and threaded her fingers through his hair pulling Angel closer. They stayed in that position, making out like passion driven teenagers against the fridge, until they had to come up for air.
"We've been gone a while," Angel said trying to regain his composure. He looked down at Buffy's swollen lips and realize they might have gone too far. Angel could only imagine how disheveled he appeared. "We should probably head back."
When Buffy and Angel returned, they split off in different directions, avoiding eye contact with one another. Neither wanted no one to catch on despite Angel's hair being slightly messy and Buffy's bright red face. Unfortunately for them, Liam immediately caught on. So far, everything was going as planned.
Phase two activated.
"Dinner!" Jenny called, gathering everyone to the dining room table where Cordelia had arranged the seats. Like Liam had told her, she had put Angel on one side of Buffy; however, with Riley's intervention, Liam was unable to snag the other seat next to his mom. He had to settle with the seat between his dad and Spike.
"For those of you who are new this year, before we eat everyone goes around the table saying what they are thankful for," Buffy explained. However, the guests were already aware of this, as it was vital to phase two of the plan. Liam had everyone else in the room fabricate what they were thankful for so it would include his parents. He had hoped it would show his mom and dad that they were meant to be. "Does anyone want to go first?"
"I do!" Liam volunteered. "I am thankful that I have both of my parents here today, together again." Buffy and Angel focused their attention on Liam and smiled at him, hoping no one caught on to their intense make out session next door.
Riley, on the other hand, rolled his eyes at his stepson. Liam had been insufferable ever since he returned back from Iowa. Buffy's precious boy seemed to do no wrong in her eyes, but Riley could tell that Liam was conspiring against him. It seemed that the relationship they once had was nothing but a distant memory.
"I am thankful for-," Spike began.
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to cut you off," Riley apologized as he stood from the table. Spike grumbled and crossed his arms like a child which, coincidently, Liam did. "But there is something I need to say. Buffy, will you please stand with me?" Buffy wanted to delay the news, especially after the steamy kiss with Angel, but Riley had been so excited, he couldn't control himself any more. Against her better judgement, Buffy did as her husband asked of her. "This year, I am thankful for my wife who I love dearly. Recently, we have come to the agreement to start trying for a baby."
"A baby?" Angel asked softly as his heart slowly broke. He thought that the time they spent in the kitchen was more than enough of a cause to dump Riley. Apparently his love for Buffy wasn't enough.
"A baby?!" Liam shouted, slamming his hands on the table. Everyone jumped at Liam's sudden outburst. The twins even started to cry seeing Liam so upset. But this news completely threw off his entire plan for the evening. "Why would you guys want to have a baby?"
"Because we love each other," Riley explained, securing his arm around Buffy.
Buffy pushed Riley away and tended to her son. She knew they should have told him privately. This reaction was something she feared and part of the reasons as to why she had reservations in the first place. "If you don't want us to have a baby, just talk to me. I'm not pregnant, yet," Buffy comforted, stroking Liam's arm.
"Good, because I don't want you to have another baby," Liam said. He knew he sounded like a jealous child would didn't want to share his mother. All he wanted was his parents back together and a baby with Riley thwarted his parent's reunion.
"Liam, that's not really your choice," Riley said whilst crossing his arms. He was trying best to remain his cool during dinner. Riley really didn't want to lash out at Liam. "Your mom and I have been talking about this for some time and we think now is the perfect time."
"No, it isn't," Liam shot back. "If you do, I'll move to LA with my dad. Right Dad?"
Angel had spaced out during the conversation. This was a living nightmare. It was best for him just to keep quiet or else he may of done something he would have regretted later. "Liam, we'll talk about this later," Angel replied.
"Look, Liam I won't have another baby. I'm sorry, Riley and I should have consulted you in this," Buffy apologized. She didn't want Liam to leave her. He was her everything - her reason for being. Buffy couldn't bare the thought of him hating her and leaving because she had a baby with Riley.
"Buffy!" Riley yelled. It was the first time Riley had ever raised his voice to her. "We already agreed on this. Don't turn your back on this because he's being a brat."
Calling Liam a brat was another first, something Buffy took notice of. "I'm not a brat!" Liam argued.
"Yes, you are. You're a selfish little kid who has no regard for anyone but himself," Riley said to the twelve-year-old.
Angel couldn't stand for Riley's belittlement towards his son. Liam was on the verge of tears. "Hey!" Angel commanded, causing Liam jolt and run over to his grandparents where they held him and wiped away his tears. "Leave my son alone."
"Funny because two months ago, he was my son and calling me 'Dad.' Just leave us alone and go back to LA, our lives were much better without you," Riley said, closing the gap between himself and Angel.
"Riley!" Buffy yelled. "Just calm down and leave Angel out of this."
"Even now you're protecting him! Why is it that you always come running whenever he or Liam say something?" Riley questioned furiously. Once again his wife was prioritizing them over him.
"Because they're my family," Buffy answered.
"And I'm your husband! Maybe Angel should take Liam to LA. It would solve both of our problems," Riley argued.
"Get out," Buffy ordered in a soft voice.
"Excuse me?" Riley questioned, getting dangerously close to Buffy.
"I said, 'Get out,'" Buffy repeated firmly.
"I don't think so," Riley fought back.
Buffy raised her hand and slapped Riley across the face. "Get out!" Buffy screamed and pointed Riley towards the door. Riley took the hint and went to grab his things as Buffy delivered the last blow. "I want a divorce."
"Fine, but I get the house. You and the twerp need to be out by Saturday," Riley huffed, slamming the door on his way out.
"This is way better than Passions," Spike commented.