Scribes FanFic

SCRIBES OF ANGEL

Fan Fiction

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The Marriage Deal cont...

"Are you positive you don’t want to come to the preliminary hearing today?" Buffy asked Dawn Tuesday morning while the teenager was getting ready for school. "Faith could really use all the support she can get."

"I already told you, I don’t want to go. Spending the day in a boring courtroom isn’t my idea of fun. Sorry."

The older sister frowned. "Okay. But Faith is going to be very disappointed."

"She’ll get over it, I’m sure," Dawn replied sarcastically. "Besides, she’s going to have you and Angel there rooting her on."

"Dawn, what is your problem? You’ve been acting like a spoiled brat lately and I’d like to know why. Frankly, I’m sick of it."

She threw on her jacket. "You have to ask why? My life has turned completely upside down in the past six months. First Mom and Dad die, then Faith gets sent to jail, now I’m living in this new house with my sister and the husband she’s only known for a week. Does that explain my attitude?"

Buffy sighed; Dawn did have a point.. "I really wish I could get into this with you now, but I don’t have the time. I have to be at the courthouse in half an hour. But when I get home tonight, I think we’re going to have to sit down and talk about some things."

Dawn exhaled heavily. ‘Lucky me,’ she thought. ‘A lecture.’ "Fine, whatever. Can I go? I’m gonna be late for school."

"Sure."

"Tell Faith I said good luck," she said before leaving her bedroom.

Sagging her shoulders, Buffy slumped down on Dawn’s bed. Trying to be her mother was harder than she thought, and she doubted she could handle having children of her own when the time came. ‘Faith, I could *so* use your help right now.’

A knock at the door broke her out of her thoughts; she looked up and found Angel standing in the doorway with an expectant look on his handsome face. "Hey," Buffy greeted.

He took a step inside. "After Dawn walked off in a huff, I thought I’d find you in here. What happened between you two?"

"Nothing you want to know about. I tried to convince her to come to the hearing with me but she adamantly refused. Needless to say, a family meeting is in order for tonight."

"Oh" was all he could think to say.

"Will you be there? I’m going to need moral support. And probably a lawyer."

Angel smiled at his wife. "Sure I’ll be there. I doubt I will be much help, but I can show support. I can play the loving, supportive husband."

"That’s all I need. What time are you leaving for the courthouse?" Buffy wanted to know.

"In a couple minutes. Are you ready to go?"

She nodded. "I think so. And in case I don’t say it later, thank you for everything."

"Don’t thank me yet."

***

When Faith was led into the courtroom five minutes before her trial was to begin, she knew the coming half-hour would determine the course of the rest of her life. ‘This is it, I guess,’ she thought. ‘I either go home or spend what will probably be the better part of my life in jail.’ Though she tried to hide it, Faith was a bundle of nerves.

She saw Buffy sitting in the first row behind Angel, a sympathetic smile playing upon her pretty face. Faith smiled back, knowing just how much her adopted sister had sacrificed for her. As she sat down, she felt Buffy’s hand on her shoulder, and she placed hers over it. "Everything is going to work out today, Faith. I can feel it."

"I hope you’re right, B. You have no idea how much I want to come home today," Faith said.

"You will. Angel will work his magic."

The defendant nodded. "One can hope. Is Dawn here?"

She noticed the smile dim from Buffy’s face. "No. She…she had a test in her English class and couldn’t get out of it. But she told me to wish you good luck."

"You never were a very good liar, even when we were kids. Dawn didn’t want to come, did she?"

"I’m sorry," Buffy apologized.

"It’s okay. If I were her, I wouldn’t want to come either."

From his seat to Faith’s left, Angel listened to the two sisters as they talked. He’d never seen them together, but he could see now why Buffy agreed to the terms of his deal – Faith was more than just her sister. They were best friends. And he knew it was up to him to keep their close-knit family together. A family he was proud to be a part of, if only for three years.

The bailiff came into the room, standing tall. "All rise. This court is now in session. The honorable Judge Daniel Wellings presiding."

The people in the room rose from their seats when Judge Wellings entered, taking his seat. "Please be seated," he told everyone. He sifted through his papers. "The People of the State of California versus Faith Summers. The defendant is charged with the second degree murder of Parker Abrams. We are here today to determine if this case will be brought to trial. I will hear remarks first from the People."

Assistant District Attorney Alexis Baxter stood behind the Prosecutor’s table. "A man is dead. Parker Abrams, a twenty-four year old man from a modest Mid-West family died four weeks ago at the hand of his supposedly loving girlfriend. Faith Summers claims it was self-defense, but it wasn’t, not by a longshot. She knew exactly what she was doing when she shoved that knife into her boyfriend’s chest. She did not aim to hurt, she aimed to kill."

Angel had warned her that they would attack her character and say she had killed Parker purposely, and Faith did her best to keep her emotions to herself, despite her anger. The prosecutor was accusing her of killing her boyfriend in cold blood; it took all of her strength to keep from shouting out the truth. But she knew her brother-in-law would tell the real story.

Judge Wellings nodded his head after Alexis Baxter finished her argument. "Mr. McKenzie, I’d like to hear from you now."

Straightening his papers in front of him, Angel got out of his chair. "The prosecution has painted Parker Abrams as the innocent victim here. A loving, kind boyfriend; a pillar of the community. That was his public persona, but in private he was a very different man. Faith Summers knew him best; she knew what he was like when the doors to the public were closed. For close to three years she lived in fear of what he would do to her if she disobeyed him.

"Parker Abrams hit her. He punched her. He called her names no woman should ever be called. Faith would become so frightened that she’d break up with him, but Parker was also a master manipulator, swearing he would never do it again if she took him back. But he could never hide his true nature for too long and soon he was back to his old tricks.

"The night of October fifteenth started out innocently enough. Faith and Parker sat in the living room of her home watching a movie with her fifteen year old sister Dawn. Faith stated that she found the actor in the movie attractive, and that simple comment sent Parker Abrams into a fit of rage. He jumped from his place on the couch and pushed Faith off, causing her to hit her head on the coffee table. After verbally abusing her, he disappeared into the kitchen, returning moments later with a sharp knife.

"Concerned for her sister’s safety, Faith sent Dawn to her bedroom until her boyfriend calmed down. But he never did. He began attacking her with the knife, and Faith knew she was in a life-or-death situation; the man she loved was going to kill her. So she did what she had to do to protect herself. Did Faith Summers intend to kill Parker Abrams? No. She made split-second decision any one of us would have made. Faith Summers chose life."

When Angel sat back down again, Buffy put her hand on his shoulder, whispering in his ear. "You sounded great. Very convincing."

"Thanks. Let’s hope the judge thinks so."

Judge Wellings cleared his throat. "I have gone over the evidence, read the statements written by the defendant’s sisters and friends, as well as the documents sent to me by A.D.A. Baxter and Mr. McKenzie. It is clear to me, and to this court, that Miss Summers acted out of self-defense the night of October fifteenth. There will be no further investigation and this case is dismissed." He pounded the gavel.

"Angel?" Faith asked.

He stood once more. "You’re free, Faith. You can go home now."

A giant smile spread across her lips, her brown eyes dancing with glee. "You mean it? No more jail?"

"No more jail."

Without warning she jumped out of her seat and threw her arms around him. "You are amazing. Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She turned to her sister, who had made her way over to the defense table. "B, I’m free!"

"I know. Congratulations." Buffy wrapped her arms around Faith. "So, what do you want to do to celebrate?"

"I say we all hit the Bronze tonight. Big celebration party," suggested the brunette.

"You got it." Buffy looked at her husband, who was busy putting his papers back in his suitcase. "Angel, I really appreciate what you did in court today."

He tried his best to remain professional. "I was just doing my job. Like we agreed."

"That doesn’t mean I can’t thank you properly." In a surprise move, Buffy reached up to give him a hug. In their innocent embrace, Angel could smell her shampoo, the scent of vanilla invading his nostrils. He sighed softly and then felt her give him a kiss on the cheek.

"Faith wants to celebrate tonight, so after dinner we’re gonna hit the Bronze. Care to come with us and make our first public appearance as husband and wife?" Buffy invited.

Angel’s head was still reeling from being so close to her. ‘Good god, what is wrong with me?’ he asked himself. "I have to file the paperwork for the case, but after that I’m free for the day. Looks like I’ll be there."

"Great. When I get back to your house – I mean, our house," Buffy corrected herself, "I’ll invite the whole gang. And you should invite that friend you were telling me about yesterday."

He nodded. "Spike. Yeah, I’ll do that."

"See you later."

On their way out, Faith raised an eyebrow at her sister. "Well, it’s easy to see who wears the pants in your marriage."

"Shut up, Faith," her sister retorted.

***

"I want to go with you!" complained Dawn at seven-thirty when Buffy was getting dressed for the celebration party. "It’s not fair that I can’t go."

Buffy shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "Oh well. I already told you it’s for adults only. No kids allowed."

"I’m not a kid."

"Dawn, you are too young to be going to clubs. You’re only fifteen." She slipped her feet into her black pumps, which perfectly matched the simple black dress she wore.

Dawn placed her hands on her hips in annoyance. "You were fifteen when you started hanging out at the Bronze with Willow and Cordelia. And so was Faith. What’s the big deal if I go? It’s supposed to be a celebration party for my own sister and I can’t even go."

"First of all, Faith and I were sixteen, almost seventeen, when we started going to the Bronze. Secondly, you’re grounded. And third, you didn’t even have the decency to go to Faith’s hearing today, but now you want to celebrate her freedom? I don’t think so. Don’t think I’ve forgotten about my promise to have a family meeting tonight. We won’t be that late, so you can expect it."

"You’re treating me like a child."

"You *are* a child. Get over it."

Angel entered the room from the bathroom. He wore a pair of black trousers and a midnight blue shirt, his brown hair styled in his trademark spikes. "Am I interrupting a sister moment?"

Buffy shook her head. "Nope. Dawn and I were just finished. Weren’t we?" she asked her younger sister.

"Apparently so. Try to have fun without me." Turning on her heel, the teenager stalked out of the room.

Angel couldn’t help raising his eyebrows at his sister-in-law’s exit. "Okay, once more with tension."

She laughed at his comment. "You sound just like Xander."

"Xander?" he questioned.

"A good friend of mine. He’ll be there tonight. Don’t worry, you two will get along famously. I’m sure of it."

"Are you almost ready?" he wanted to know. "We have to pick up Faith in ten minutes."

She put the finishing touches on her makeup. "Just about. I still need to fix my hair real quick."

"You look fine to me."

Buffy smiled sincerely. "You’re sweet. A terrible liar, but sweet nonetheless."

***

The couple glanced at each other before entering the club. Faith had already gone inside, leaving Buffy and Angel standing in the alley. "Ready to meet my friends?"

"Yep," Angel answered.

"Great. Prepare to act couple-y." Reaching out, Buffy took his hand in hers and he opened the door for her. ‘Wow, Angel really *is* a gentleman,’ she thought. ‘Nobody’s ever held a door open for me except my father.’

Angel’s eardrums were assaulted the moment he set foot in the club. It had been a long time since he’d been to one. Generally, he tended to frequent restaurant bars to meet women. He wasn’t prepared for the younger, more laid back atmosphere of the Bronze.

His wife noticed his reaction. "Culture shock?" she asked.

"Slightly. I didn’t exactly hang out in clubs back in England."

"What did you do for fun?"

Angel shook his head and smirked. "Buffy, you don’t want to know. Maybe when you’re older I’ll tell you."

She sneered. "Real funny. Look, there’s the gang."

He followed her lead to a group of people in their early twenties. The only person he recognized was Faith, who sat flanked by two young women – a redhead and brunette – and a man. Angel assumed he was the Xander person Buffy mentioned earlier. Suddenly, he felt out of place as they approached the table.

"Hey, guys," greeted Buffy. "Sorry we’re late."

"No problem," Xander answered. "Who’s your date?"

Plastering a fake, happy smile on her face, Buffy touched Angel’s arm. "He’s not just my date, Xand. I want you to meet Angel McKenzie. My husband."

"Husband?" Xander asked, confusion written all over his face. "Since when are you married, Buff?"

"Since this past weekend. Angel, this is Xander Harris, Cordelia Chase and Willow Rosenberg," she introduced, pointing to each one of her friends individually. "You already know Faith."

Cordelia openly checked out her friend’s husband. "Hello, salty goodness." Underneath the table, Willow kicked her. "Sorry."

Willow stretched out her arm toward him. "Nice to meet you, Angel. Buffy’s told us quite a bit about you Sunday."

He flashed her his famous half-smile. "All good, I hope."

"Well, we haven’t gotten all of the gory details out of her yet," Cordelia told him. "But we tell each other everything, so it’s only a matter of time."

"Good to know."

"Um, question for all," Xander began. "Why wasn’t I informed of the Buffster’s new marital status?"

Faith condescendingly patted him on the head. "Aww…poor Xander feeling a little left out? Don’t worry, I wasn’t even there for it and I’m her sister. They wanted a quick wedding."

Buffy shot daggers at her sister. ‘If she tells them the truth, that’s it for me. I’ll never live it down.’ She decided it was time to get out of the conversation. "Angel, what do you say you and I share our first official dance as husband and wife?"

He sensed what she was up to. "Sounds like a great idea."

Taking her hand in his, Angel excused them and they made their way to the dance floor. A slow song had just begun playing while the band took a break between sets. "We need to make this look as real as possible," Buffy told him.

With one hand on the small of her back and the other one clutching her left hand, Angel agreed. "I think we can manage that."

// So lately, been wondering

Who will be there to take my place

When I’m gone you’ll need love to light the shadows on your face

If a great wave shall fall and fall upon us all

Then between the sand and stone, could you make it on your own?

If I could, then I would

I’ll go wherever you will go

Way up high, or down low

I’ll go wherever you will go \\

"I promise not to step on your feet," he whispered in her ear. "At least not purposely."

Buffy laughed; a soft, quiet laugh that warmed his heart. "Not much of a dancer, are you?"

"I’ve go two left feet. I pretty much try to avoid dancing if at all possible. I’m what you’d call a spaz on the dance floor. Don’t say I didn’t warn you."

"I’ll take it under advisement, counselor."

// And maybe, I’ll find out

A way to make it back someday

To watch you, to guide you, through the darkest of your days

If a great wave shall fall and fall upon us all

Then I hope there’s someone out there who can bring me back to you

If I could, then I would

I’ll go wherever you will go

Way up high, or down low

I’ll go wherever you will go \\

"Aren’t they so darn cute together?" Willow asked the group as they watched Buffy and Angel sway in sync to the music. "Look how in love they look."

Xander rolled his eyes. "Yeah. So cute they make me want to throw up. Gimme a barf bag and make it quick."

"You don’t have a romantic bone in your body, do you, Xander?"

"No, he doesn’t," Cordelia answered for him, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "At least not in the year we were dating."

"Hey, I take offense to that!" an offended Xander complained. "I am very romantic, thank you very much. Just ask Anya."

Cordelia made a face. "I’ll pass, thank you. I don’t need all the intimate details of your active sex life."

"At least I have one," he shot back.

Perfectly happy to be a spectator in Cordelia and Xander’s war of words, Faith turned her attention to her sister and her husband. They looked like a married couple who could only see each other; as if they were the only two people in the room. She seriously wondered how much of it was acting and how much was their true feelings surfacing. ‘Marriage deal my ass!’ she thought. ‘One of them is going to crack, I just wonder who’ll be the first.’

From a darkened corner of the Bronze, Spike watched his best friend dance with the tiny blonde. Since he didn’t know where Buffy’s friends were sitting, he contented himself with the show on the dance floor. The show Angel was putting on; only Spike couldn’t tell if he was faking the look in his brown eyes.

// Run away with my heart

Run away with my hope

Run away with my love

I know now, just quite how

My life and love might still go on

In your heart, in your mind, I’ll stay with you for all of time

If I could, then I would

I’ll go wherever you will go

Way up high, or down low

I’ll go wherever you will go

If I could turn back time

I’ll go wherever you will go

If I could make you mine

I’ll go wherever you will go

I’ll go wherever you will go \\

"What you did today, Angel…I can never thank you enough for it. Having Faith home where she belongs means more to me than anything in this world," Buffy said. "I wish I could show you my appreciation."

"Don’t worry about it. You being here is thanks enough."

She looked into his dark eyes. "But there must be something you want."

‘Don’t, McKenzie,’ he told himself. ‘Don’t even go there.’ "Buffy, I have everything I’ve ever wanted."

***

"Buffy, this is William Lords, my best friend since elementary school," Angel introduced when he found Spike standing off by himself a short while later.

"You can call me Spike, everyone else does," Spike informed her, kissing the back of her hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Buffy."

She nodded and smiled. Something about the way he looked at her left Buffy feeling unnerved. "Nice to meet you, too, Spike. How long will you be in Sunnydale?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I’m not quite sure yet, I haven’t given it much thought." ‘Maybe indefinitely now that I’ve seen you, pet.’

"I see. Well, I’ll leave you two alone. I’m gonna see if I can drag Faith out on the dance floor." Buffy patted Angel on the arm and walked back to her friends.

With a raised eyebrow, Spike watched her walk away. "She’s a stiffener, that one."

"Spike, you’re sick."

"What? She’s over eighteen, isn’t she? I think I’m allowed to be…shall we say, aroused by her."

Angel groaned. One thing Spike had always lacked was tact. "Buffy may be twenty years old, but she’s also my wife. Show a little more judgement."

"What? It ain’t like you’ve got all these fuzzy bunny feelings for her. You’re just using her." He paused. "Aren’t you?"

"We have a business arrangement."

The two of them gazed at the dance floor, where Buffy and Faith were dancing. Spike smiled with appreciation at the two sisters. "You are married to a girl with a body like that and you aren’t even gonna take her out for a test-drive? I find that impossible to believe. Especially given your colorful history with women."

"Believe it."

Spike nodded, unconvinced by Angel’s words. "Uh-huh." ‘Looks like I’ll be staying in Sunnydale longer than anticipated. Someone needs to keep an eye on Angel. And his pretty little wife.’

***

Faith found herself impressed when she, Buffy and Angel pulled into the driveway of the McKenzie home. She whistled with appreciation. "Very nice place you got here, B. Maybe I should run out and marry myself a millionaire."

"I’m not a millionaire," Angel corrected her.

"Not yet. But in about three years when you’re done using my sister, you will be."

Buffy, seated in the front seat, sighed heavily. "He’s not using me. We have a deal, that’s it. One from which we both benefit."

"Yeah, whatever."

As he stepped out of the car, Angel thought, ‘Now I see where Dawn gets her sparkling personality from. It’s a good thing Faith is staying at the old house, I’d kill her if we had to live together. Personality clash.’ Once again, he thanked God Buffy wasn’t like her two sisters.

"What’s with the family meeting?" Faith wanted to know. "It’s obviously not to welcome me home from jail."

"It’s about Dawn. She’s been acting out of sorts and it is beginning to grate on my nerves. I figure if we double-team her – plus Angel – we should be able to get through to her," Buffy informed her, entering the front door, which was being held open by Angel. "Thank you."

He smiled. "You’re welcome."

Faith looked from her sister to her new husband. ‘Uh-huh…’ "What a gentleman."

"I try."

Once she’d put her purse down, Buffy stood at the bottom of the stairs. "Dawn! We’re home, come down here!"

Ten seconds later, Dawn’s bedroom door opened. "Buffy, I’m ready for bed. Can’t we do this tomorrow?"

"No way. Get your butt down here."

Slamming her bedroom door, Dawn stomped down the stairs, finding Buffy and Faith sitting on the couch and Angel on the loveseat. "What’s *he* doing here?" she demanded. "He’s not family."

"Angel is my husband. That makes him family. Now sit down because we need to talk to you," Buffy said sternly.

Sulking, Dawn plopped down on the reclining chair. "Make it quick, I’m tired."

"That’s too damn bad, Dawn. You have a choice, either you talk to us tonight or you can talk to a counselor. It’s your decision."

"Fine. Let’s get started."

"Good. Explain your pissy attitude. I’d like to know why you’ve been acting like a royal bitch these past few weeks."

Dawn narrowed her eyes. "Why do you think? It’s all her fault," she said, pointing to Faith.

"What did I do? What is it my fault?"

"Because if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be in this fucking mess! You just *had* to stay with Parker when he treated you like shit, didn’t you? You let him hit you and call you names, and you didn’t even bat an eyelash. You just sat there and took it. For three years! How many times did Mom and Dad tell you that you deserved better? Or Buffy? We all told you, but did you ever listen? No!" Dawn shouted.

Buffy was about to interrupt when Faith stopped her. The brunette wanted to hear what else her sister had to say. She felt that after four weeks in jail, she could handle just about anything. Even the wrath of her angry fifteen year old sister.

"So you kept seeing that jerk even though none of us liked him. Mom was always afraid he’d end up killing you. Well, wouldn’t she be proud to find out that you offed him before he could do it to you. Faith, why would you stay with someone like that? Parker scared the hell out of us, every night when you went out with him we were afraid you wouldn’t come home.

"And do you know how much everyone at school made fun of me because you killed him? I became the butt of everyone’s jokes and it’s all your fault. They’d call you a heartless murderer, no matter how many times I told them Parker got what he deserved. I lost all my friends. Thanks a lot."

Faith raised her eyebrows. "Are you done? Because I have something to say."

"No, I’m not done," Dawn said, shaking her head. "Since I seem to be on a roll here tonight, I’d like to state for the record that it’s also your fault I’m stuck here."

Buffy was genuinely confused. "Stuck where?"

"Here, in this house! If it wasn’t for Faith getting arrested, I wouldn’t be here. You never would have met the lawyer and married him so damn quickly. What was the big hurry, Buffy? Why did you *have* to marry that guy five days after you met him? That’s not normal behavior, especially for you."

"You have every reason to be upset about that, Dawn. I uprooted your life, and I’m sorry about that. But Angel and I are in love with each other. He’s my husband," the blonde tried to reason.

Wide-eyed, Dawn stared at her biological sister. "Husband? You two don’t even act like you’re married most of the time. Aren’t people in love supposed to touch each other? You two don’t kiss or hug or even look at each other. If I had a husband who looked like Angel, I’d be touching him every chance I got. The only good thing I can see is that you aren’t as sad as you were before, Buffy."

"Angel’s done a lot for this family."

"Yeah, I know that. And I’m glad he’s a great lawyer who got Faith out of jail, but I don’t know. Something isn’t right," mused Dawn.

Closing her eyes, Buffy exhaled the breath she’d been holding in. "What do you want me to do? I’ve done everything I can to make this transition easier for you. You have a nice home and a family who loves you. What else do you want?"

"I want things the way they used to be!" Dawn exploded. "I want Mom and Dad back."

She shook her head. "I’m sorry. I wish I could, believe me. Do you think things have been easy for me? It’s been hell for me, too. You know, Dawn, the world doesn’t revolve around you; I had to make huge sacrifices after Mom and Dad died. I had to quit school and give up my dreams of being a lawyer; I suddenly had to support an entire family by working as a waitress at a coffee shop. And on top of all that, I have to be your mother."

"Well, you’re not doing such a great job at it," Dawn commented.

"Dawn, stop that," Faith warned.

Buffy waved her hand. "No, it’s okay. I admit it, I’m not a good mother. But it isn’t like I asked for this job. And you know what? I’m doing the best I can. I never thought you’d be so ungrateful to me for trying to give you a stable home life."

"I’m not ungrateful–"

"It certainly sounds like it to me. I’m your legal guardian, Dawn, but if you find someone else who wants to take over that responsibility, you can go live with them. Maybe Faith wants to do it."

Dawn couldn’t believe her sister said that to her. "I don’t want to live with Faith. I want to live with you."

"Then we need to make a few ground rules. The first being that your bitchy attitude ends here. I’m sick and tired of it. Second, you are to treat Angel with respect. He has given up his home to us because he wants to take care of me and my family. Third, your grades had better improve. I know you are capable of A’s, not the D’s and F’s you’ve been getting lately. Four, you are grounded until I see your next report card. You will be able to go out on Saturdays only. No phone, no internet. Understood?"

She nodded. There was no point in arguing. "Understood. Can I go now?"

"Go ahead."

Biting her lip, Dawn went back upstairs. "Well, that was definitely interesting," Faith laugh. "I couldn’t even get a word in edgewise. It’s good to be home."

"I’m going upstairs," announced Buffy. "Angel, could you drive Faith home?"

"Sure."

Once her sister was sufficiently out of hearing distance, Faith turned to her brother-in-law. "Welcome to our dysfunctional family."

***

Half an hour later, Angel returned home from bringing Faith to her house. Inside his bedroom, he threw his shirt on the bed and thought about how relaxing a long hot shower sounded. It had been a long, eventful day, and all he wanted to do was feel the spray of hot water on his aching muscles. Kicking off his shoes, he opened the bathroom door.

What he found on the other side was the last thing he expected. With her back to him stood Buffy, drying her wet, naked body off with a fluffy white towel. For an unknown reason, Angel couldn’t peel his eyes away. She turned around, drying her face and unaware of his presence, giving him a full frontal view of her body.

His breath caught in his throat and he knew that he should look away, but he could not bring himself to do it. He caught sight of a tiny tattoo on the front of her right hip – an angel. Angel did his best to keep his eyes on the angel rather than her more private areas.

"Oh my god!" Buffy exclaimed, quickly covering herself from his gaze with her towel. "Angel, what are you doing in here?"

"I-I didn’t realize you were in here, I just got back," Angel told her, turning his eyes to the ceiling. "I’m sorry."

She was shaking, but not from being cold. "Could you leave me alone? This is kind of a private thing."

"Yeah, yeah. Of course." Walking out of the bathroom, Angel shook his head in disbelief. And he knew that when he went to sleep later on, his dreams would be of Buffy’s curvaceous body…and the tiny angel tattoo.

***

// The wind whistled outside, knocking tree branches against Angel’s bedroom window. He found the sound soothing; he always loved a good storm, even as a child. Growing up, Angel would sit in front of the window watching the lightening as it lit up the otherwise black sky.

A knock at the bathroom door disrupted his musings. "Come on in," he invited, tearing his eyes away from the brewing storm outside.

The door opened and Buffy entered, wearing a worn yellow robe. "Hope I’m not interrupting you."

"Nope. Just looking outside," Angel told her, shaking his head. "What’s going on?"

She glanced down. "Nothing. Forget I came in here." She turned to leave.

He reached out to touch her. "What is it, Buffy? Is it because of what happened earlier? Look, I’m really sorry about walking in on you like that. I guess I’m not used to sharing a bathroom with someone. I didn’t set out to embarrass you."

"I’m not embarrassed, Angel. It’s just that…well, you’ve seen all there is to see of me. Now I want to see you."

Angel stood in shock; he couldn’t move. "You want to *what*?" He wasn’t sure if he’d heard her correctly.

Buffy took a few steps closer to him. "It’s only fair," she said, her voice becoming seductively low. "Come on, it isn’t like we’re breaking any laws. We *are* married, after all."

"You want me to get undressed?"

"What? You don’t want to? Are you ashamed?" she teased.

Once again he shook his head. "Not at all."

Buffy smiled knowingly. "Oh I get it. You don’t want to be alone. That’s okay, I don’t have anything to hide anymore." She brought her hands to the belt of her robe and untied it. Then she let the garment fall the ground. "Better?"

"I…" Angel did his best to keep from staring at her, but he couldn’t. And he didn’t know what it was about Buffy Summers that made him act like a teenager with raging hormones. She affected him the way no other woman before had ever done.

She could see where his gaze was locked: on her tattoo. "I see you noticed my tattoo. Do you like it?"

"It…it’s very nice," he stuttered.

"I thought so. It’s an angel, I got it right after my parents died. They never would have let me get one when they were alive, so I got one as a tribute to them a week after the accident. Faith has one, too." Buffy took his hand, outstretched his pointer finger and placed it on the tattoo.

His finger took on a life of its own and traced the ink outline along her hip. It was all he could do to keep from looking at the rest of her body. "Did it hurt?"

"A little. This is fate, Angel. I have a tattoo of an angel and a husband with the same name. Someone up there is telling us this is meant to be. And I’m a firm believer in fate and destiny."

In one swift motion, she had Angel backed up against the wall, a wicked smile across her innocent face. She placed her finger on his lips, running it down his jaw to his neck, then across his firm chest and stopping when she reached his boxer shorts. With a hand on either side of his waist, Buffy pulled off the only garment her husband wore. Once he stood naked before her, she looked him up and down with appreciation.

"Exactly the way I pictured you," she commented. "But it seems like a waste, you know? For the two of us to be here like this and not give in. I mean, think about it. We’re both young and relatively good-looking, why shouldn’t we make the most of it? Obviously we are attracted to one another, if this is any indication. Why should our marriage be in name only? It isn’t right. Three years from now, do you want to look back in regret on what you and I could have shared? I know I don’t."

"I don’t either," agreed Angel. "But we shouldn’t."

"Why not? Don’t you want me?"

His heartbeat quickened. "More than you’ll ever know." He bent his head down, taking her lips in a passionate kiss and pushed her body flush against his. Buffy’s arms wrapped around his neck, and she began to lead him to his bed. \\

With a grunt, Angel awoke, unconsciously moving his arm to the left side of the bed to feel for Buffy. What he found was the cold mattress instead, and it left him disappointed. ‘It was just a dream,’ he thought. ‘A very nice dream. But I can’t see Buffy doing any of those things. It’s so not like her.’ Sitting up in bed, Angel rubbed his eyes, and then found the bedsheets tented around his waist. ‘Just great.’

Climbing out of bed, he put his sweatpants on and went downstairs for something to drink. He poured himself a glass of milk, then took a seat at the kitchen table to do some thinking. ‘What the hell is wrong with me? Why am I having these fantasies about Buffy? I can’t be having feelings for her, can I?’

"What are you doing up?" a voice asked him.

Angel looked up from his drink, seeing Dawn standing in the doorway of the kitchen. "Dawn, I didn’t see you there. I was just thinking. I didn’t wake you, did I?"

"No, I was thirsty and I saw you sitting there. What’s wrong? Can’t sleep?"

"Nah. I had a strange dream. Needed to think."

Dawn got herself a glass of water and sat down across from him. "And so rather than waking up Buffy, you decided to come down here and think alone?"

"Something like that."

An awkward silence followed. "Angel, I guess I owe you an apology for the way I’ve been acting. I have been really mean to you and you don’t deserve it," Dawn apologized.

"You’ve been going through a rough time of it lately. I understand that."

Dawn shrugged her shoulders. "That’s no excuse. You’ve been so nice to us and given us a lot, especially Faith. And I can see how happy you make Buffy. Her entire face lights up when you come in the room."

"It does?"

"Totally. Buffy did something so unexpected when she married you and it threw me."

Angel narrowed his eyes. "Why’s that?"

"Buffy’s the last person in the world to run off and marry some guy she’s only known for a week. We all figured Faith would be the one to do that, but never Buffy. I guess you could call her a hopeless romantic. Saving herself for Mr. Right but always meeting Mr. Wrong. Well, until she found you," Dawn said. "Even if you two don’t always act like you’re married all the time."

"I wasn’t aware I came as a shock to everyone."

"That’s okay. We like you. So far."

He laughed. "I hope you continue to like me. Although I want to warn you, I don’t know how to deal with teenagers. As you can probably tell."

"Yeah, I’ve noticed. But that’s okay. Just keep making Buffy happy. Angel, do you love her? Really, truly love her with all your heart?" she wanted to know.

"What’s not to love about her?"

"I don’t know. Faith says you two are perfect for each other. And I think she’s right for once."

***

The next month passed by without incident. Following the accidental run-in in the bathroom, things between Angel and Buffy were uncomfortable for a few days. Neither knew quite what to say to the other, and it took several days before they could talk openly about it.

// "Buffy, I’m really, really sorry about what happened Tuesday night," apologized Angel the following Friday at breakfast. "It was an accident."

She managed a half-smile. "Yeah, I know. I never thought you did it intentionally."

"Good. Do you think we can chalk it up to me not having shared a bathroom with a woman in a long time? I promise to knock next time."

"It’s a deal. Although I have to admit, it did make me a little uncomfortable knowing you’ve seen me naked," Buffy said.

"I guess telling you that you’re not the first woman I’ve seen naked isn’t going to win me any points, is it?" he tried to joke.

Buffy shook her head. "Not really the way to go."

"Okay. Then, if it helps, the only thing I got a good look at was your tattoo. An angel, I like it." \\

***

Jenny sighed with exasperation when Buffy walked up to her desk. She didn’t like the young blonde or her attitude. ‘What does she want?’ "Can I help you?" she asked with a put-out tone of voice.

"I’m here to see Angel," Buffy told her.

"Sorry. He’s not to be disturbed; a big meeting in half an hour and he needs to be ready for it," she said, smirking with satisfaction. "Which means no unannounced visitors. But I’ll be sure to tell him you stopped by, Miss Summers."

Buffy put on her best fake smile. "Angel already knows I’m coming; I called him earlier. You can check with him if you don’t believe me."

With a scowl, the secretary stood up and headed to her boss’ office door, knocking on it. "Mr. McKenzie?" she called, opening the door a crack.

"Yeah, Jenny?"

"Miss Summers is here to see you. Should I tell her to go?" ‘Please say yes.’

"No, let her in. I’m expecting her," Angel informed her.

Dejected, Jenny turned back to Buffy. "You can go in, Miss Summers."

"Thank you." Before entering Angel’s office, Buffy turned around. "By the way, Jenny, I would prefer it if you called me by my married name. Mrs. Angel McKenzie." Leaving the stunned secretary standing behind her desk, she went inside.

Angel stood when she entered. "Hey. I thought we were supposed to have lunch at noon," he reminded her. "It’s almost one-thirty."

"Sorry. Course registration took a little longer than I anticipated. I grabbed something to eat at the Student Union." Buffy handed him a paper bag. "And I felt bad about stiffing you, so I brought you a sandwich."

"Thank you."

She sat down on the leather couch, Angel taking a seat next to her, opening his lunch. Buffy had bought him a BLT sandwich on white toast with french fries. "Your secretary has a major attitude problem. Would you please fire her?"

"Buffy!" he exclaimed after swallowing a bite of his sandwich. "I can’t just fire her. Jenny’s worked for me since I started here."

"Then tell her to stop being so rude to me when I come in here. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think she’s jealous of me. You know, because I’m your wife. I think she’s got a thing for you."

Placing his hand on her knee, Angel smiled at her. "Would you feel better if I talked to her? Tell her to back off?"

"You’d do that?"

"Sure."

"I appreciate it, Angel. Thanks."

He took another bite of his sandwich. "Did you get all the classes you wanted?"

Buffy nodded. "Yep. Trigonometry, Shakespeare and Astronomy for my Gen Ed requirements. Constitutional Law and Tax Law for my Legal Studies requirements. This semester is going to be a blast. Goodbye social life."

"Doesn’t sound all that bad. Constitutional Law is on the difficult side, though."

"That’s why I’m married to a lawyer. So you can help me with all that hard stuff. Right?" she joked.

Angel laughed. "If you need help, I’ll be glad to get you through it. But don’t expect me to give you all the answers."

"I would never ask you to do that. Although there is one thing I want to ask you," Buffy said.

He knit his eyebrows together. "What’s that?"

"Well, I kinda want to invite a few friends over on Friday night. Not a big party or anything, just Willow, Cordelia and Anya. We do this sleepover thing every month and it’s my turn to host it," she told him. "I missed it last month because of Faith. Is it okay with you?"

"Go ahead. Let me guess, you want me out of the house?"

Buffy shook her head. "No, not at all. It’s your house, after all; you can stay. In fact, if you want to join us, I’ll even invite Xander and Oz."

"That’s okay. I think I can find a way to keep myself busy for a night. Maybe I will take Dawn to the movies or something," Angel suggested. "Seeing as she and I are getting along these days."

"She’s gonna stay with Faith this weekend."

"Oh. Okay."

She eyed him carefully. "Are you sure you’re okay with turning your house over to a bunch of twenty year olds?"

"It’s fine by me. You deserve a night with your girlfriends."

Throwing her arms around him, Buffy gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You’re the best husband ever. You know, you’re more like the big brother I never had and always wanted."

‘She thinks of me as an older brother?’ Angel thought. ‘That’s good, isn’t it? Then why do I feel disappointed?’

"Mr. McKenzie, Lilah Morgan and Lindsey McDonald are here for your meeting," Jenny said over the intercom on his desk.

Pulling out of their embrace, Angel went to his desk. "Send them in, Jenny." He took a deep breath. "I hate to do this considering you just go here, but this is an important meeting, Buffy."

She got up. "It’s okay. Should I expect you for dinner?"

"Yep, I’ll be home. I might be a little late, though. I have to stop at the mall for some quick Christmas shopping. That reminds me, do you need any money for your shopping?" Angel wanted to know.

"No, I think I’m good. I saved up a lot from working at the café my last two weeks there. But thanks for the offer." She grabbed her purse. "See you later."

"Bye." He watched as Buffy left his office, just as Lilah and Lindsey were walking in. "Hi, guys."

Lindsey’s gaze followed Buffy. "Whew," he whistled. "That is one good-looking girl, Angel. Too damn bad you’re already married. I’d tell you to go for it."

"Newsflash, genius," Lilah began with a sigh. "That *is* his wife."

"Nice," the other lawyer commented. "How old is she again?"

Angel rolled his eyes. "She’ll be twenty-one next month, Lindsey. Can we kindly change the subject? We have important things to discuss."

***