"Welcome back!" Cordelia said sarcastically. "Miss the Hell that is school?"

Buffy smiled. "Actually, just knowing I stand a chance at actually earning a high school diploma gives me a happy!"

Xander grinned and slid his arm around the slayer's shoulders. "It's good to have a happy!" Then he gave her a worried look and placed his hand over her forehead. "It's just not healthy to have a happy about school."

Buffy rolled her eyes and playfully pushed him away. Cordelia gave him a dirty look.

"Must you always embarrass me in public?"

Buffy smiled sympathetically at her friend. It made her sad sometimes to see Cordelia forcing him to behave a certain way. Buffy missed the way Xander used to be proud to act like a dork.

Cordelia looked over at Buffy and asked "So which one do you think you're going to get?"

Xander, with a mouthful of his sandwich, asked "Which what?"

"You don't want to know." Buffy and Cordy replied in unison.

"I think the. ." Buffy looked at Xander cautiously, "more traditional one. The shot is more effective, but I don't like the side effects."

Cordy nodded her head. "That's what I decided, although, as you know, it's totally pointless!"

The two girls laughed and Xander looked confused. Then he just shrugged. They were probably right. He didn't want to know, especially if it involved shots. He hated needles.

"Hey Buffy! Hey guys!" Willow said cheerily, with Oz tagging along.

"Hi Will, Oz!" Buffy replied.

"Hey, how's it going?" Oz asked.

"Yeah, how's your first day back at school?" Willow grinned, plopping down in the seat next to Buffy.

"Pretty good. My teachers actually seem fairly decent."

"So, do you think Angel misses not having you around?" Cordelia interjected.

"No, why would he? It's not like we spent every moment of the day together."

"Yeah! Buffy has her own life! She is an independent young women." Xander argued.

"That's right." Buffy agreed.

"She does what she wants, when she wants!"

"Yeah!"

"And if Angel doesn't like it, he can take a flying leap!"

"Xander!" Buffy laughed, "Shut up!"

"I'm just trying to remind you of your self worth."

Buffy shook her head and sighed. "You're terrible! Anyway, he had dinner with my mom and I last night and he told us he's thinking about getting a job!"

"A job? Why?" Cordelia exclaimed.

"He doesn't want to get bored! It is the craziest thing I have ever heard!" Buffy replied.

"I know! Work is like, a punishment!" agreed Cordelia.

Oz and Willow laughed at the two of them, while Xander acted like he had an idea.

"Oh no! What if he wants to cheat on you Buff? Maybe he is just giving you a reason for why he won't be around all the time!"

Buffy gave him a dirty look. "Shut up Xander!"

He looked around and saw Willow and Cordelia looking at him in the same way. Even Oz looked annoyed with him. He shrank back in his chair and resolved to keep quiet for the remainder of the lunch hour.

"Does anybody want to do something after school today?" asked Buffy.

"I have a meeting with the dance committee." Announced Cordelia, who then pointed a finger at Xander. "Don't forget, you promised to help, so you better be there too!"

"I have to tutor some other kids, maybe tomorrow we could do something?" Willow asked.

"Sure." Smiled Buffy.

"Well, the band and I are practicing, you're welcome to come watch, but it might be painful for you." Oz offered.

Buffy laughed. "I guess I could just go home and relax after my exciting day!"

Soon after, the bell rang and Buffy breezed through her afternoon classes. Buffy found it funny how Snyder avoided her. It was almost like he was afraid of her. Buffy wondered what exactly her uncle had said when he had talked with the principle. He was a great lawyer. Thanks to him, she had managed to avoid an arson charge back in LA

As Buffy headed out of school, Harmony and a few of her groupies strode up to her.

"Hey Buffy." Harmony greeted in a not-so-friendly tone.

Buffy sighed. "Hey."

Harmony gave her a dirty look. "We were just wondering if, now that you're back in here, you were planning on murdering anybody?"

Buffy gave her an equally dirty look. "Don't you have a meeting or something?"

"Don't worry about me!" Harmony sneered. "We just like to keep tabs on all the school psychos."

Buffy rolled her eyes as she headed out the front doors of the school, with Harmony and the others tagging along. Harmony saw something on the street that caught her eye.

"Wow, check out the hottie!" she exclaimed.

Buffy looked up and saw a black Toyota 4 Runner, with Angel leaning on it. He saw her at the same time, and grinned broadly.

"Who is HE here for?" Harmony exclaimed.

"Well, it's been fun, but I've got to go! See you later girls!" Buffy grinned as she rushed over to Angel. She jumped up on him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He laughed and hugged her back.

"Oh I missed you so much today!" She told him, then captured his lips in a passionate kiss. She was acutely aware that there were plenty of eyes on them and she didn't mind showing off.

"I missed you too baby." He replied, then settled her back on the ground and opened the passenger door for him. She looked back by the school's doors and saw Harmony and her followers standing with open mouths. She gave them a little wave.

"Friends of yours?" Angel asked.

"Not even close!" she giggled.

He drove her home and they found her house empty, her mom would still be working at the gallery for a few hours. Buffy pulled Angel into the kitchen, then started raiding the fridge for snacks. Angel leaned on the counter, and admired her behind.

"What do you feel like Angel?"

He grinned at her wickedly, but she had her back to him and missed it. "You."

She whirled around and looked at him. Then raised an eyebrow and said "Too bad, maybe you can't have me."

"Oh really?" he smirked. "You think I can't?"

Buffy crossed her arms in front of her chest and nodded. Angel quickly moved toward her and she raced out of the kitchen with him close on her tail. Squealing loudly, she ran up the stairs and down the hall to her room. He was barely behind her, he purposely hadn't caught her yet and she purposely let herself be close to being caught. They ran into the room and Angel slammed the door shut behind them.

Buffy was standing a few feet in front of her bed and smiling teasingly at him. They stood there, staring at each other for a few moments, the only sound in the room was their panting, which was heavy from the chase. Angel slowly took a few steps towards her, so she took a few steps back. As soon as she felt her legs touch the bed, Angel pounced. He pinned her to the bed, with her pretending to struggle, but soon was giggling and wrapping her arms around his neck. He kissed her hungrily on the lips, then moved his mouth to her neck, kissing and licking her sensitive skin. His hands started working on unbuttoning her sheer blouse, when he had it completely open, he moved off of her. She sat up and slid her arms through the sleeves. She pulled her silk tank top off over her head. She went to take her bra off, but he stopped her, pushing her back down to the bed, and lying on top of her again. He paused for a moment, and stuck his hand in his pocket. He pulled out a condom and they both laughed and he put it on her nightstand.

They resumed their kissing, and he slowly stroked his hand up and down her bare arm. She unbuttoned his shirt, and quickly helped her pull it off of him. They separated for a moment while he pulled his shoes and socks off, then pulled off his pants. Buffy lifted her hips and reached her hands to the back of her skirt, pulling her zipper down.

Now only in his boxers, he moved over to her and pulled her shoes off, followed quickly by her skirt. He laid on his side, next to her, kissing her lips tenderly, his tongue roaming the inside of her mouth. He softly moved his fingers over her body in a circular motion. He slipped his hand inside her silky panties and found her wetness. He dipped a finger inside her, eliciting a moan from Buffy.

"Angel!" She begged, "I need you, NOW!"

"Okay baby." Was his soft reply.

Angel lifted her back up and quickly undid her bra. He pulled it off, and quickly worshipped her nipples with his mouth. He pulled his boxers off and revealed to her his straining erection. Buffy smiled and wrapped her hand around him, stroking his length. This time he moaned in desire.

He quickly pulled her panties off, sheathed himself with the condom, and positioned himself at the apex of her thighs. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he entered her in one swift motion. Buffy let out a little squeal of ecstasy. She never felt complete unless he was inside her, filling that void. He pulled back until only the head remained inside her, then he quickly thrust back inside her.

He continued to pound her into the bed in a quick and steady rhythm. Their moans and cries got louder and louder as they neared orgasm. In a blinding flash they both came and collapsed, totally exhausted, in each others arms.

"I love you Angel."

"I love you too baby, more than anything."

They sat there for several moments, just cuddling. Buffy started to drift off, but Angel cleared his throat, bringing her back to reality. He seemed a little nervous about something.

"Uh, Buffy, I have something to tell you."

"What?"

"Well, I was at your mother's gallery this morning, and she and I had a talk."

Now Buffy was getting nervous. She wasn't sure she liked where this was going.

He looked at her worriedly and just spit it out. "She hired me to be an art buyer for her gallery."

Buffy's eyes widened. "You're joking!"

Angel shook his head.

Buffy sat up in bed, slowly shaking her head. Angel just looked up at her, unsure of what she would say. She looked down at him after a few seconds.

"You're working for my mother!"

Angel sat up as well. "Well, sort of, but this shouldn't change anything between you and me."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Angel, you're sleeping with the boss' daughter!"

Angel sighed and put his hand on her shoulder. "Buffy, it's not like that."

"Oh sure, you say that now, but that'll change in a few months, wait, knowing my mother, weeks!" Buffy ranted. "I can hear you now. No, Buffy, this is wrong! You're seventeen! Your mother would be so upset!"

Angel started laughing.

"My mother! My own mother! I can't believe her." She looked over at him, annoyed at his laughter. "She's EVIL!"

"Calm down honey. I don't NEED a job, I just want one. If it got to be a problem like that, which it won't, I would just quit, okay?" he promised, pulling her to him and looking into her eyes.

"You promise?"

He nodded. She leaned her back against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her neck.

"Why do you want this job?" She asked him.

Angel shrugged. "I always liked art and I figure this job is just paying me to do something I already like to do. I get to go to art shows and I can look at exhibits coming into the gallery. As weird as it sounds to you, I think it'll be fun."

"Go to art shows? Like, art shows in LA and New York that my mom usually goes to and I have fun home alone? Like, you'll go there and she'll be home and I'll be away from you?"

"Calm down honey." Angel chuckled. "It's only a couple of times a year, and who knows, maybe you can join me..."

Buffy giggled. "Oh yeah I can see that. My mom pays you to take me off gallivanting somewhere!"

"I have a way with women, trust me."

Buffy turned her head and glared teasingly at him. "You better only have a way with me!"

He laughed and kissed her. "You're the only one I want to have a way with baby."

Buffy rolled her eyes and smiled. Then she seemed to get an idea, which always made Angel more than a little nervous.

"Angel, what's you last name? I just realized my mother probably knows and I don't!"

"That's right, I never told you!" He laughed. "Why didn't I? I guess it never came up. Wow, you're right, your mother knows you don't!"

"Ha ha." Buffy said in an unamused tone. "Stop teasing and tell me!"

"All right. It's McKellen."

"McKellen. I like it! A lot! Angel McKellen. I can't believe I never found out. I never even thought about it. All those times you paid with your credit card I never even thought to look! Angel McKellen."

"Buffy McKellen."

Buffy looked at him, surprised, then she grinned. "Really?"

"Yes! That is, if you wanted to. In a few years of course."

"Of course. This is California, not one of those states where you marry your cousin."

Angel laughed, and captured her lips in a kiss. They cuddled again for a few more moments, then Buffy broke out in a big grin.

"Buffy McKellen. I like it. Or maybe Buffy Summers-McKellen?"

"Oh yeah, maybe, you are one of those modern women." Angel laughed.

Buffy sighed and grinned, then she glanced at her bedside clock.

"We better get a move on. Your boss is going to be home on about an hour!" she teased.

He laughed. "You know, in a way, she's your boss too."

She smiled. "Oh, so you think we're co-workers? When can we do it on the Xerox machine?"

Angel laughed hard.

"You know what I'm talking about?" she asked, honestly surprised that he did.

Angel rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I learned all about it one of those new fangled televisions!"

Buffy mocked anger and punched him playfully in the stomach. They got up and dressed quickly. Buffy ran to the bathroom and fixed her hair and make up. She didn't want her mom to know exactly what they were doing. She felt better when it was just suspicions.

They went downstairs and into the kitchen. Buffy saw that they still had a while before her mother was due home.

"Do you think we should, like, make dinner?" she asked.

"You know how to cook?"

She shrugged. "Sort of."

They were interrupted by the doorbell ringing. Whoever was ringing it must have been in a hurry, because they pushed it twice, waited a few seconds then pushed it two more times.

"I'll get it." Angel told her, then walked to the front door. As he opened it he heard them before he saw them.

"You are such an idiot!"

Cordelia and Xander were standing there, bickering as usual. Willow and Oz were standing a few feet behind the other couple. Willow smiled at him and Oz just stood there, cool as a cucumber.

When they saw him standing there Cordelia told him. "Xander was convinced that you killed Buffy!"

"What?"

"Hey, no offense, but I've seen enough episodes of the X-Files to know that when mysterious guys in black trucks pick up teenage girls, bad stuff happens." Xander explained.

"How did you know I picked her up?"

"Harmony was telling everyone!" Cordelia told him.

Xander was peering around Angel, inside the house. "Where is Buffy anyway?"

"I'm right here." Buffy said, walking up to the door.

Angel stepped to the side and allowed the four of them in. "Xander thought I killed you."

"What?" Buffy exclaimed.

"Like I said, he's an idiot!" Cordelia explained.

"So you guys came over here just to make sure Buffy was alive?" Angel asked, shutting the door. He didn't realize how little faith they had in him.

"We came here to prove it to Xander. He's been driving us nuts!" Willow told him.

"Yeah, and to see if you guys wanted dinner." Oz added.

All of a sudden, the front door opened and Joyce walked in, surprised to see all the people in her home.

"Hi Mom. Xander and the gang just came by to check my vitals."

Joyce raised and eyebrow and Xander laughed.

"What, your friends can't worry about you?" he asked.

Buffy gave him a look and he knew he better shut up.

"Well, I was planning on just ordering a pizza for Buffy and I, how about I just order a second one and we can all eat together?"

Xander grinned. "You ROCK! Can I come live with you and Buffy?"

"No!" Buffy and Angel both shouted.

Xander laughed and Cordelia rolled her eyes.

The doorbell rang again and Joyce went to go see who their latest guest was.

Angel walked over to his girlfriend and whispered in her ear "You didn't sneak behind my back and plan another party did you?"

Buffy shook her head and smiled. "I can never keep secrets from you honey."

"I bet." He answered, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, hello Rupert!" Joyce greeted the nervous librarian as she opened the door.

"Hello." He replied, peering behind her, and seeing her daughter. "Oh good, Buffy you're okay!"

Joyce motioned for him to enter, looking at him strangely.

"Oh course I'm okay, what makes you think there was something wrong with me?"

"I heard you were kidnapped."

Cordelia looked at Xander incredulously. "See what you've done!"

Joyce and Giles looked like they had no idea what was going on, so Willow took it upon herself to explain. "Angel picked Buffy up at school today. Cordelia's friend Harmony saw them, and was telling anyone who would listen. Xander, well, we don't know how, but Xander got this ridiculous idea that something terrible happened to Buffy and told everyone, whether they would listen or not."

"Okay." Joyce said, then looked over at Giles. "I was just going to order some pizza, would you like to join us?"

"All right, that sounds lovely." Giles smiled.

They started rambling on about adult things and walked into the kitchen. The teens stared at them in disbelief.

Buffy looked a bit nervous so Angel squeezed her shoulders comfortingly. He knew she loved her father and Giles, so seeing him with her mother, even if they weren't just flirting, it wasn't easy for her.

"Giles…and pizza?" Xander asked nobody in particular.

"It doesn't really go together like….uh, two things that really go together." Willow said.

"Like peanut butter and jelly?" Oz suggested.

"Yeah! Exactly!" Willow grinned. "See you are so smart! If you had just gone to class you would have graduated on time easily!"

"That was certainly an interesting evening." Angel told Buffy. He wasn't lying. He had only had pizza a few times himself, so it was still a new thing to him. He also had the unforgettable image of Xander attempting to stuff two slices of pizza in his mouth at one time. But the funniest thing had to be Giles attempting to eat pizza with a fork and knife, ever the English gentleman, and Buffy, sitting there interrogating her watcher. She was convinced that Giles had eaten pizza many time in the past. Angel wasn't sure he disagreed. After that Eyghon mess they knew Giles was pretty wild when he was young.

"I had fun, did you?" Buffy asked, wrapping her arms around his waist.

He wrapped his arms around her as well, and kissed her on the lips. "I always have fun when you're around."

Buffy grinned. "Will you be picking me up from school again tomorrow?"

"I wish I could, but I am going to be at the gallery tomorrow, probably all day."

Buffy pouted. "I can tell this whole job idea is NOT something I am going to like!"

"I'll make it up to you, I promise." He told her, and kissed her again, more deeply this time.

For several moments they stood on Buffy's front porch making out. They had their eyes closed and were completely engrossed in each other, so they didn't notice the porch light flashing on and off. Eventually, Joyce got tired of giving subtle hints and went with the straight forward approach.

She stuck her head out the front door and cleared her throat. "Buffy, I think it's time you came inside. It is a school night."

They pulled their lips apart, yet kept their arms around each other.

"Okay Mom, I promise I'll be inside in one minute."

"All right, sixty seconds." Joyce replied. "Good night Angel."

Angel looked over at her and smiled. "Night, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yes, tomorrow." Joyce replied. "Fifty seconds Buffy." Then she ducked back inside and shut the door.

"Have fun your first day at work." Buffy giggled.

"I love you." He replied.

"I love you too." She kissed him swiftly on the lips and they reluctantly pulled apart.

Angel made her walk back into the house before he went and got in his car. Buffy found it funny that he was so chivalrous even though he knew she could take care of herself just fine.

"Don't forget." Joyce reminded her, as they walked upstairs to bed. "You have a doctor's appointment tomorrow afternoon to go on the pill. I'll pick you up from school early, your appointment is at 2:00, so I'll be there at 1:30."

"Oh joy." Buffy said sarcastically.

In reality, she was looking forward to going on the pill and ditching the condoms. She had been talking to Cordelia and they'd decided sex without condoms was much more fun. As she got into bed, she thought of all kinds of places she and Angel could make love. Too bad he had this job now, it looked like he wouldn't be picking her up from school again anytime soon. She had really enjoyed this afternoon.

She giggled and said to herself, "Ah, love in the afternoon." Then she snuggled into the covers and went to sleep.


The End