Coffee Cup:

"UC Sunnydale," Xander mused, taking in his surroundings. "It's a lot small than I expected."

"That's just the Natural Sciences Building," Willow explained. She grabbed Xander by the shoulders and turned him around to the direction her and Buffy were facing. "This is UC Sunnydale."

Contrary to Xander's statement, UC Sunnydale was much larger than he initially gave credit for. "Somebody should really put a map around this place," he commented.

"Xander," Buffy began. "Somebody already did." To Xander's right, there was a large campus directory standing directly next to him.

"Ooo, the bookstore," Willow pointed out on the map. "We should go there first."

"Really more books, Will?" Xander questioned. They had just went to the bookstore last week with Willow; Xander did not understand why they would have to go again.

"Not for me," Willow said, causing Buffy and Xander to cock their heads to the side. "You guys still haven't gotten your books for class yet."

Xander and Buffy could not deny this fact. Both of them had pushed off buying their books to the very last minute.

"Willow's right," Buffy agreed. "But first, that coffee shop over there is calling my name and I don't know if I can make through the day without it."

Following Buffy, Willow and Xander went to the coffee shop and got something small to eat while Buffy ordered her coffee. When the trio had finished up with their food, since Buffy was nursing her drink, they made their way across campus to the bookstore.

Buffy and Xander splintered off from one another with Willow floating around to help both. As Xander ran to the back of the store deciding to gear up with a UC Sunnydale sweatshirt, Buffy struggled to find her way around. She pulled her list of materials from her bag and scanned the shelves.

She found her first book with ease, but the second proved to be much more difficult. Standing on her tippy toes and extending her arm, Buffy reached for her book on the top shelf. After a great deal of trying, she was able to successfully grab the book.

Unbeknownst to her, a junior, at the college, saw her struggle and walked over to assist. However, by the time Buffy had grasped the book, the junior was already is in talking distance. Buffy turned around holding her books in one hand, and her coffee in the other, slamming into the junior and spilling her hot beverage all over them.

"I'm so sorry," Buffy apologized, trying to search for a napkin in her backpack. Once she acquired the napkin, she placed it on his shirt and tried to dab the excess coffee off him. Embarrassed and full of guilt, Buffy tried to make the best of the situation."Is there anything I can do to repay you? I could buy you a new shirt."

The moment he locked eyes with Buffy, he knew he was done for. Her soft smile and shiny blonde hair and the most beautiful green eyes drew him in. In the back of his head, he heard Darla's voice. Over the past few months, their relationship seemed to wane and cheating allegations on her part caused Angel to slowly distance himself from the relationship.

Here he was presented a chance - an out - to be rid of Darla forever. Angel cocked a smile at Buffy. "Why don't you let me take you out to dinner, then we'll call it even," Angel suggested.

Buffy's anxiety lessened at Angel's remark. She had to admit, he was handsome beyond belief. His smoldering eyes and spiked hair made her heart flutter. What else could she possibly say?

"Okay," Buffy smiled.

Deck of Cards:

"Whatcha guys doing?" Buffy asked, wiping her eyes as she stepped out from Angel's bedroom and into the living room.

It had been an incredibly tiring day from her job at the library. The only reason she worked there was because Willow had suggested it. And boy did Buffy hate it. When she wanted to kick back and relax with her magazine, some kid would come in looking for a book. Her only reprieve this Friday night was crashing at Angel and Spike's place.

She strolled over to Angel as he dealt a deck of cards to Spike, Xander, Willow, Anya, and himself. Buffy wrapped her arms gently around Angel's neck and leaned on him, pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

"Playing poker," Spike answered, intently watching Angel hand out the cards. He lost fifty bucks the last poker night to Anya and did not want a repeat.

"Can I play?" Buffy asked, sliding onto Angel's lap.

Both Spike and Xander burst into laughter at the idea of Buffy playing poker. They had seen her play go fish before and it wasn't a pretty sight "Are you sure, Buff? This a little more complex than go fish," Xander said.

"Well if Anya wasn't withholding all her cards from me, then I would have won," Buffy grumbled.

"Well if you asked the right people who had the cards you needed, then you would have won," Anya mumbled under her breath.

Buffy rolled her eyes. She pushed herself off Angel's lap and grabbed the chair right next to him. "Deal me in," Buffy said.

"Buffy, are you sure that's a good idea?" Willow cautiously asked. She didn't want to have to run out at two in the morning and buy a replacement table again.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Buffy asked while scrunching up her face.

Angel sat back and decide to sit this game out and watch the beauty before him. She was absolutely stunning in his eyes, the epitome of perfection. He knew that it was only a matter of time before he would drop to his knees and ask her to be his. Despite being with Darla for years, he never once felt any love and devotion shared between them. With Buffy, all he felt was love. Wrapped up in his thoughts, he was completely oblivious to his girlfriend slowly cleaning the pockets of everyone there.

"Bloody hell! One hundred dollars! That's double what I lost to Anya," Spike complained, fishing the money out of his wallet. He couldn't believe it. Buffy, the girl who couldn't even get a single match in go fish, tricked him out of one hundred dollars. "I thought you said you've never played before."

"This was my first time," Buffy admitted. "I guess that I'm just lucky."

"Seven hands in a row?" Xander questioned. "That's more than beginners luck."

Buffy rolled her eyes as she fiddled with Spike and Willow's money in her hands. If she knew poker was this much fun, then she would have started playing ages ago. "So what? You still owe me thirty dollars and Anya owes me fifty. Pay up."

Buffy tried to control her emotions as she peered through the box. She had been stuck in traffic for the past hour before deciding to investigate the box. And with Liam asleep nothing was stopping her from taking a peak.

Upon opening the box, she couldn't help but remember all the great times they had together. The coffee cup from their first meeting and the deck of cards were only the tip of the iceberg. There was also Angel's old UC Sunnydale sweatshirt buried underneath some movie tickets and a picture of the two of them on the night they got engaged.

Buffy tried to refrain herself from crying. Seeing all of her old memories boxed up made her miss the good old days. She was young, in love and starting her life. Those years she missed are ones she will never get back.

In the end it didn't matter.

Buffy caught a glimpse of her son in the rearview mirror and reminded herself to stop dwelling on the past. She had to live in the present and focus on the future. And while Angel may no longer be a part of those plans like she intended years ago, at least she had Liam. Her piece of Angel that will never leave her side.