Poker Face

By Cynamin

SERIES: Warriors #10.We're in double digits!
SUMMARY: An alternate version of the poker scene in "The I in Team" in my happy little world.
DISCLAIMER: Okay, obviously anything you recognize, I don't own. Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, Angel and all related characters, etc. doesn't belong to me.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: For those of you who haven't read the previous stories, Angel remained human at the end of "I Will Remember You," but the powers gave him his strength back. He and Buffy are now doing a weekend sort of relationship thing. Oh, and I know this story sort of sucks, but it's a filler and brings up some issues for later.
SPOILERS: The first scene of "The I in Team"
FEEDBACK: Any comments are not only welcome, but begged for.

"Send me the heart I desire," Willow chanted.

"Hey, no magic at the poker table," Xander scolded, holding the cards to keep any magic spells from effecting them. He hoped.

"It wasn't magic!" Willow defended herself. "I was praying."

"Sounded an awful lot like magic to me," Buffy pointed out.

"Me too," Angel agreed.

A moment's silence. "Am I supposed to agree now?" Anya asked in confusion.

Willow sighed in resignation. "Two," she said, passing two cards to Xander and holding out her hand for two new ones.

Anya was next in the circle. "Five," she said.

Xander shook his head. He'd explained this before. "You can only have four, Anya."

"And that's only if you have an ace," Angel added.

"Okay then, four."

"Show me the ace," Xander replied.

Anya sighed. "Three."

Buffy asked for three cards as well. She made a face of disgust, put her cards down, and leaned into Angel's shoulder. She craned her neck to look at his cards. "Ooooh," she said appreciatively.

"Buffy!" Angel complained.

"Sorry," she replied, laughing slightly.

"Isn't anyone going to bet?" Anya asked suddenly. "I have three 'k' cards."

Everyone else put down their cards in defeat while Anya scooped up her chips with a grin. Somehow, she and Angel had amassed the largest piles of chips. They weren't playing for money, of course. Luckily.

"I like this," Willow said as Xander dealt the cards again.

"You like playing poker?" Buffy asked in surprise.

"No, well, yes. I mean, I like all getting together like this. We haven't done this in a while," she explained.

"And no demons involved," Xander piped up. "Present company excluded, of course."

Both Angel and Anya glared at him. After all, that was expected. In the middle of the conversation, bets were made, cards changed.

"We got together over New Years," Buffy said as she looked over her new hand.

"Yeah, and you and Angel were all over each other," Anya complained.

"You're one to talk," Buffy replied with a smirk.

"It's been over a month though," Willow said finally. "Every other weekend you've been busy with Angel."

Buffy frowned. "Hey," she said, leaning on her boyfriend's shoulder. "You'll hurt his feelings."

Angel chuckled slightly. "No she won't."

"Besides," Willow pointed out, "I was counting him as part of the group, kind of."

"Thanks," Angel said sincerely, then proceeded to win that hand of the game.

Xander sighed. "I don't get it. How come the demons keep winning?"

"Ex-demons," both Buffy and Angel corrected at the same time. Buffy laughed slightly.

"Practice," Angel finally answered.

"Hey, not me," Anya disagreed. "I've never played before."

"Obviously," Willow agreed.

"Okay then, beginner's luck for Anya," Xander said. He went to deal the cards again, but Willow shook her head and stood up.

"No more," she said. "Some of us have classes tomorrow and need some sleep."

Angel stood as well. "I need to drive back to L.A. tonight," he said.

Buffy pouted. "Do you have to?"

Angel nodded and helped Buffy to her feet. Not that she needed help, but it was a nice gesture. "You have school tomorrow, too," he reminded her.

"Oh, you're no fun." She smiled slightly. "Thanks for having us over, Xander."

"Yeah," Angel agreed. "I had fun."

Xander couldn't help but laugh at that. "Angel had fun? This may be a sign of the apocalypse, folks."

"Goodnight, Xander!" Willow called as she made her way out of the room before the conversation could degenerate.

Buffy and Angel followed her out the door. As she walked out of sight, Xander could hear Buffy say, "What did you mean by 'practice,' Angel?" He never heard a reply.

When they were out of earshot, Xander sighed. "They're weird," he said to himself. Anya said nothing in response and he began to put away the poker chips. When he was done she looked at him expectantly.

"So, you want to.?"

*****

Buffy broke from their kiss reluctantly. "I wish you didn't have to go," she whispered softly.

Angel sighed slightly. "I wish I didn't have to go, either." He threw his bag in the back seat of his car and stood there. He really didn't want to get in the car, because that meant he wouldn't see Buffy for another week. The weeks keep getting longer.

Buffy leaned into his chest. "We have to find a better way to do this," she said, echoing his thoughts.

"I know," Angel agreed, making no move to leave her embrace. "I don't want to go," he said.

"Then don't."

Angel smiled. "I have a business to run," he said, though he'd much rather be in Sunnydale than working. Still, there were people relying on him.

"Than take me with you," Buffy insisted.

"You have classes, remember?" Angel replied.

Buffy sighed again. "We have to work out something," she explained. "For one thing, you can't keep paying for hotel rooms every other weekend. And as long as I'm living in the dorms you can't stay with me." She paused for a moment in thought. "Well, you *could,* but I don't think Willow would appreciate it much. And I can't come to you every weekend. For one thing, I don't have a car."

She was beginning to babble, so Angel silenced her with a kiss. When they broke for air, he smiled at her reassuringly. "Hey," he said, "we'll figure something out. I'll talk to you about it seriously next weekend. Nothing's going to come between us."

"You mean that?" Buffy asked softly.

"Nothing's capable of coming between us for long."

"No," Buffy clarified. "I mean talking about it. We will talk about it? We'll work something out?"

"We will."

The End

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