Carissimo Padre

Disclaimer: Joss & Co. Own all the characters and the idea is Victoria�s.
E-Mail: [email protected]
Notes: After Victoria�s �Daddy dearest� Challenge.
#2 Note: The songs are �Something Stupid� by both Nicole Kidman & Robbie Williams and Nancy & Frank Sinatra, �Calling� by Geri Halliwell, �Crawling� by Linkin Park and �Don�t speak� by No Doubt. They are all very good, so go to Nabster or Morpheus and download them! Or better: Buy �em! Especially No Doubt and Linkin Park are fabulous groups!
#3 Note: It�s possible that the comment about Robbie Williams Deanna tells isn�t true. I read it in a teenie magazine of my little sister�s. She�s a big fan of him. Well, the magazine was from the third of April, so it could be one of these horrible, nasty April Fools.....
Rating: I�d say Strong R. They do have sex, but I�m not telling it so visibly.
Summary: AU, On her 17th birthday Buffy has sex with Angel who she doesn�t even know and gets pregnant. After 10 years they meet again.
Couples: B/A (what else??), X/A, F/S, W/T and hints about several ex�s. Distribution: Everyone who already hosts my work can have it, if you don�t: Want. Take. Have. Just tell me where it�s going.
Dedication: To Shirlz, Leelee and my sweet Eva, �cause you forced me to continue this ^_^
Feedback: P-L-E-A-S-E !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

~ Note: Just imagine that Deanna plays something along the lines of �Close your eyes�. You all know the song and probably the solo-piano section. I�ve played it myself, it�s wonderful. Or Sarabande or the Moonlight Sonata, but I don�t know if you all know these. ~

Translations:

This is the conversation Buffy and Guiseppe, the waiter have:
G: Hello, beautiful. How are you? I haven�t seen you for a long time, already began missing you! That�s your boyfriend?
B: No, no. He�s not my boyfriend. Not yet.
G: Ah, I understand.
B: Shut up.
G: As usual?
B: Yes.

And this is what Buffy says on the phone, in French:
Good, I�ll tell him. I�ll see you next week then. Yes, Bye.

Angelino = It�s a short form for Angel in Italian. Literally. Used for kids, or small people.

The fan fiction challenge : Daddy dearest .
Note: Yes, it's another one AU challenge - is this mean I'm not happy where the show going ( ;
Yes, it's another let's see how can I screw Buffy�s life challenge.
The deadline : open
Rating : up to you ( PG, PG-13, NC-17...)

The Idea :
* Buffy is being raised by her father ( please, give me some credit, it's not Hank (btvs) ).
* On her 17 birthday she has a surprise party in some establishment.
* The same night Angel celebrates his last night as a bachelor and has a bachelor party in the same establishment as Buffy, different room.
* They both get drunk, stumble on one another in some area and have sex, not even asking the names.
* In the morning Angel slips out that it's his wedding day, Buffy panics and runs out on him.
* Buffy gets pregnant, keeps the baby, sees Angel after 10 years.

The cast:

Dean
- Buffy�s father. Caring for his daughter and running a big business is not an easy task, but Dean�s doing it very well, till his seventeen daughter tells him she�s pregnant - despite the shock he supports her decision every step. Takes his granddaughter to work with him. Adores both his daughter and granddaughter.

Deanna
- 9 year old, named after her grandfather, very intelligent and smart, skipped two year of school and about to skip another. Very close to her mother, loves her grandfather.

Buffy
- 27 year old, advertising executive in her father�s business. Has a daughter. Recently engaged to a successful lawyer. About to come face to face with Angel for the first time in 10 years.

Angel
- 33 year old, divorced ( he did get married that day), architect. Just got a big project for Dean�s company and meets with Buffy to discuss business. Has no idea he had a daughter, till now.... The rest of the cast is up to you.

Has to have :
Buffy and Angel getting together in the end. Buffy DOESN'T just fall into Angel's arms, he has to work very hard for her to pay him some attention.
And the rest is up to you.
Good luck.

*~*~*

�SURPRISE!� Buffy�s friends yelled when she entered the Chez Piere, an expensive establishment, along with her best friend Willow Rosenberg.

It was her 17th birthday and all of her friends were there: Xander and his girlfriend Anya, Dru and Spike, Ford, Pike, Tyler and Jenny, Amy and, of course, her father Dean Summers who embraced her warmly.

�Happy birthday, honey!� Dean told his (not so) little girl cheerily.

�Thank you, daddy� Buffy smiled.

�My, you look so much like your mother!� Dean took her at arms-length and looked her up and down. �My beautiful baby!�

If any other guy had said that she�d have blushed, but not with her dad. He always that this kind of stuff to her.

Buffy�s mom had died on a brain-tumor when the little girl had been 5 years old. Dean had sat at her side every night until she took her last breath. He�d needed a bit of time to move on, but when that time came, he did. Buffy didn�t remember much of her mommy, though. She�d been too young. So all she ever had, had always been her dad who�d raised her.

�Happy B-day, B.!� Faith hugged her. �Seems you have only 24h left!� Faith wiggled her eyebrows jokingly and Buffy only glared at her.

Faith and Buffy had made a bet two years previously, when Faith lost her virginity. Buffy had until one day after her 17th birthday to lose hers or pay a forfeit which involved table dancing at the Sunny Island club in LA. As things stood she was going to be table dancing very soon, and that would put paid to her ever setting foot in the club again!

�Here� Spike handed her a drink. �Let�s see how much you can drink!�

*~*~*

It was Angel Liery's bachelor party and he was already slightly drunk. His best friends Doyle and Gunn were making sure his glass was never empty, while in front of him a stripper undressed to an hypnotic beat.

Doyle, his best man, had chosen the stripper. The woman was blonde, smaller than him and thin. So, he had a type. But who cared?

He was about to get married to Darla Bennett, a girl he�d known since High School. Angel didn�t believe in true love, that�s why he�d said yes when Darla had proposed. He cared a great deal for the girl and liked her more than every other person in his life. But was it love?

�How�s your party, buddy?� Gunn grinned. �It�s a miracle we got that place! They are filled up, tonight. They have 2 birthdays, 1 wedding and a birth, here!� Charles Gunn informed the soon-to-be architect.

�It�s okay, I guess.� Angel mumbled.

�Oh-oh. Not so convinced, here!� Doyle remarked. �Harry!� He called the bartender. �Angel needs another drink!�

�How are you, son?� Angel�s father walked towards the bar, along with the 23-year-old�s Uncle Rupert Giles.

�Oh, we� re filling him up!� Gunn told the two men grinning.

*~*~*

Buffy�s world was spinning around her. She�d tried to walk in a straight line but landed on her butt after only the second step. She was more drunk than ever before in her life.

She could slightly see her dad flirting with the waitress, which probably didn�t look as icky to the others, as it did for her, because the waitress looked like she was 20 and her father was 36! Even though he didn�t look like it.

She had no idea where she was, or where she was going, so she just walked; and bumped directly into the most delicate body she�d ever seen.

*~*~*

Angel couldn�t think straight, anymore. He was so drunk, that he hardly felt his body, anymore.

Well, at least he wasn�t as drunk as Doyle and Wesley. The two were standing on the counter, singing �Let it be� as loud as they could and he could clearly hear Doyle falling from the �stage�.

Then there ran the most beautiful girl he�d ever seen right into him. Looking down he saw it was a petite blonde girl. His first thought was that she was the stripper, at first glance they appeared identical...but then she kissed him.

He kissed her back. No, this wasn't the stripper. At the end of her act she had kissed him and it hadn't been like this. That had been purely business, this was soft and yielding, yet it held an underlying strength.

All he knew was that he wanted more of her, so he pulled the girl closer to him and dragged her into the nearest empty room.

And although he didn�t know at all what he was doing, it was the best ride to ecstasy he�d ever had.

The feeling of the girl�s skin under his fingers and tongue was incredible. So unbelievable soft and smooth.

He knew she also enjoyed herself, because he heard her moan and scream above him.

*~*~*

All she heard in the backround was a very poorly rendition of �Let it be� when those gorgeous lips closed themselves over her�s and strong arms pulled her tighter and shoved her through the next door.

She had no idea what she was doing, but she was ripping his clothes apart and pushing him onto a nearby table.

It was the most amazing feeling she ever experienced.

It was fire and passion and desire and she just knew she couldn�t possibly survive one more moment without touching this guy.

It was crazy, she knew that despite the amount of alcohol in her blood, but she honestly didn�t care.

And she knew he also enjoyed himself, because she could hear him moan and scream under her.

*~*~*

Angel woke up with the biggest tomcat he imagined could ever exist. His head was damn hurting and he could hear the blood rush in his head loudly and painfully. Not even after his twelfth birthday, when he�d first drunken too much, had the headache been this bad.

Well, that and a petite naked blonde lying next to him on the floor of �Chez Piere�.

And when the memories of the last night returned to him, he felt completely guilty at once. It was his wedding-day, goddamnit!

But thinking more on it, he wouldn�t want it any other way, because this had been the most special night in his life; and he didn�t even know her name!

�Hey� He greeted the strange girl when she stirred and opened her eyes.

She gasped and looked around in shock, realising what she had done. �Oh. My. God.� She mouthed without letting out one single noise.

She had lost her virginity last night, without even knowing who that guy was. Hell, she didn�t even know his name!

�so,� Buffy said. �That was my birthday last night. What party have you been at?� Buffy mumbled, rather embarrassed, searching for her clothes.

�It was my bachelor party.� Angel said without thinking further. And when her eyes went wide and she stared at him in shock with this big beautiful hazel-eyes, he realised what he�d just told her.

She dressed quickly. �Hey�no�..wait! Please.. WAIT!� Angel called after her, but she�d already gathered her belongings and fled from the establishment.

*~*~*

When Buffy arrived home, she ran directly into the bathroom, puking into the toilet. The headache she had was so much bigger than her past ones. And in that moment she swore to herself � for maybe the hundredth time � that she�d never ever in her life touch alcohol, again. Now she knew what could happen, then.

Great. Oh HOW great. She really had spent the most intimate experience of her life with a guy cheating on his girlfriend!

But what scared her most, was that she�d actually enjoyed it with that wanker. No, more so: it had been the bloody best night of her life!

And, Oh God! They hadn�t used protection! How could they? They�d been like jumping each other and been completely drunk.

She silently went into her dad�s room and was relieved to find it empty. Which was no surprise when she thought about it. Considering it was 11am, he was obviously already at work.

So she went into the kitchen and found a note on the fridge.

Morning, Honey.
Hope you got home safely from Willow�s.
Breakfast�s in the refrigerator. It�s
Gonna be a long day at work, so don�t wait for me.
Love you,
~Dad

Well, it seemed Willow had lied for her, for which she was really grateful.

Buffy grabbed the phone, calling the one person she could think of in such a situation.

��Lo?� A sleepy voice answered.

�Faith? Can you please come here? And bring one of those pregnancy tests of yours.�

*~*~*

�And will you, Darla Bennett, take Angel Liery as your husband and care for him in joy and sorrow until death does you apart?�

�I do.� Darla said smiling.

�And will you, Angel Liery, take Darla Bennett as your wife and care for her in joy and sorrow until death does you apart?�

�I do.� Angel answered, a small frown playing on the sides of his lips.

*~*~*

The test stripe was pink.

And Buffy didn�t seem to stop crying in Faith�s arms.

�How did you get that so soon? Normally you only notice that you�re pregnant after a month or so!� Faith told the blonde.

�What am I gonna do, now?� The blonde girl sobbed. �What am I gonna tell my dad?�

�Oh, C�mon, B.! You don�t have to worry about your dad. The guy adores you. You�re his world!� Faith soothed the crying teenager. �He�ll understand and support you with every step you do!�

�I guess� Buffy sniffed.

�What you do have to think about is, if you wanna keep the baby.� Faith whispered.

*~*~*

Dean Summers puked the whole evening through, His baby girl was *pregnant*. No, his baby girl had SEX!

He needed a few minutes (correction: hours) to collect himself until he was finally able to face his sweet daughter, again.

�Will you keep the child?� Buffy�s dad asked her.

�Daddy, how could I not? Someone up there decided that it was time for this baby to be born. How could I possibly kill this child? It�s already a part of me!� Buffy whispered.

Dean made an �Ahw�-face and hugged his daughter warmly. �That�s my little girl.� He nearly cried. �But you are still *so* young!�

�You and mom were only one year older that I am when mom got pregnant with me!�

�Yeah, but we were married and knew perfectly well what we were doing!� Dean protested.

Buffy giggled lightly. �Daddy, I know I�ve been an accident! You told me so yourself!�

�But you�re loved like you�d been planned!� Dean Summers defended himself grinning and chuckled.

�What?�

�Well, at least you won that bet! Now, I won�t have to worry if my daughter is table-dancing in some club!� Dean smirked.

�Very funny.� Buffy growled, her voice dripping of sarcasm.

*~*~*

Ten years later:

�Mom? Mom!!� Deanna Summers yelled through the house. �MOOOOOM!� Deanna shouted again and watched her mother run down the hall and grab her coat.

�I�m ready!� Buffy said, kissed her daughter on the forehead and went through the door to Deanna�s parent-teacher meeting.

Buffy hated those. The teachers of her daughter criticised her and looked at her like she was some slut not able to race children, because Buffy was still young and looked even younger, while her daughter looked much older than her nine years. Which was no surprise, because most of her teachers didn�t know that Deanna skipped two years of school and was about to skip another. Which was all the more reason that there was no need at all for Buffy to meet her daughter�s teachers. Deanna was a child prodigy, just like Buffy had been at her age. So what need was there for Buffy to show up at a parent-teacher meeting?

Deanna was named after her grandfather, who took the place of a �dad� in the little girl�s life. She knew the story of her father, though. But it didn�t really matter to her. Of course she wanted to meet him sometime. But only when he already knew that she existed.

Enie, the way her mother called her often, looked much like Buffy, besides the brown her and chocolate eyes.

Buffy and Deanna lived in a very expensive apartment building in downtown L.A.. Dean owned the whole block, so he lived practically next door.

The young mother had once thought about moving to a little town called Sunnydale, because she�d got the chance to teach architecture at UC Sunnydale, but had dropped the thought when her father had announced to her that she was about to inherit Summers & Co. after he turned 50. Till then she was his right hand and led nearly every project.

Dean loved both his daughter and granddaughter as much as he possibly could and he only wanted the best for them. He often played the babysitter for the 9-year-old and took her to work with him from time to time, as he had done when Buffy was little.

That was the plan for today.

�Can we go, now?� He asked Deanna, standing in the doorway to his daughter�s apartment.

�We can!� Deanna smiled, grabbing her Jansport-backpack and her jacket before walking out of the door and heading for her grandfather�s expensive car.

�Dean?� Enie asked. She always called him by his name, because she believed it would sound ridiculous to call a man �grandfather� who looked like he could almost be her way older brother. �Have you got a meeting today? �Cause if you have, it�s gonna be real boring for me!� Deanna complained.

�No.� Dean chuckled lightly, starting the engine of his red sports-car. �I have to interview a new employee, though. He�s going to work with Buffy on the new Trump building. And I have to check the guy out, before I allow him to work with my daughter, don�t I?� Dean smirked and Enie only rolled her eyes.

*~*~*

Angel entered the building of �Summers & Co.� 10 minutes to early, he knew that. They said Dean Summers was very kind, but sceptic and strict all the same when the topic was either his family or his work. And Angel faced both of them, because his partner was going to be Buffy Summers, the daughter of the best architect the world knew. And Ms. Summers was good. They said she was as good as her father, if not better.

So that meant he had to make a good appearance, didn�t it? Now it was important to seem funny, reliable, nice and smart, so that Dean Summers would allow him to work on one of his projects, together with his beloved genius daughter Buffy Summers.

From what he heard, Buffy Summers had been a child prodigy and had graduated with seventeen. After that she graduated from Harvard after only three years of studying and already had several doctorate and professor titles. At only 20 years old, Buffy Summers began working for her father and would one day inherit the firm.

Angel went towards the counter and asked the older lady sitting behind it where the office of Dean Summers was and took the elevator to the 79th floor that lead directly to Mr. Summers� office.

He knocked lightly on the huge double door and a loud �Please, come in!� echoed through it.

Angel was very surprised to see a man behind the table looking like 35, although he knew that the guy really was 47. Almost 50! He had expected a man with grey hair, grim face and wrinkled skin. But this guy�s skin was perfectly smooth, his hair still a deep brown and a huge goofy grin was plastered to his face.

�Good morning, Sir!� Angel greeted politely. �You�re Angel Liery, I presume?� Dean got up and walked around the table to lean against the front of it and motioned Angel to take a seat.

�Yes, that would be me, Sir.� Angel answered while sitting down.

�Oh, forget the �Sir�. That sounds much to much like �bum-licker�� Dean joked. �I�m Dean.� The man offered his hand.

Angel smiled at that. �I�m Angel.� The two men shook hands.

�So, Angel. Tell me more about yourself!�

Angel made a little shrug with his shoulders. �I�m 33 years old. Divorced. I studied architecture and graduated with flying colours from UC LA with 26 years and I already worked for several large companies in New York and with the designer of the Empire State building.�

Dean smiled his daddy-smile at Angel. �well, that�s rather interesting. Then, tell me, why are you the right man for this job?�

�Because I�m good. I know the business. I worked with the best people. I already experienced all the stuff I have to deal with now and I�m sure I�m good enough to work for your company.� Angel told.

�I�ve been told you�ve been accepted at Harvard and Prinze. Why did you chose UC LA?� Dean wanted to know.

�I chose LA, because I fell in love. And then I married and she didn�t want to move, so we stayed. That was the reason we got divorced; we were just too different.� Angel told his boss-to-be. Even when that wasn�t the real reason for his divorce. The reason had been that he fell in love on his wedding-day. And not with Darla. He fell in love with the beautiful stranger he�d shared the best night of his entire life with. But he never saw her again. The owner of Chez Piere had refused to help him over and over again and he�d searched everywhere for her.

�Well, I think I�ve heard enough.� Dean said calmly and Angel immediately feared the worst. �Welcome to my company.� Dean smirked when Angel cheered loudly.

�You will work with my daughter and with Mr. Alexander Harris. He and his company will build the building. Excuse me.� Dean said and walked around the table again to sit down into his big leather chair while pushing one of those many buttons on his phone. �Amanda?� He called his secretary. �Could you please send Xander in?� Dean asked.

�Sure, Mr. Summers.� Came the voice outta the machine.

�I�m afraid you won�t be able to meet my daughter today. But you�ll get to know her tomorrow. She�ll show you everything you need to know.� Dean Summers apologised.

�Hey D-man!� Xander yelled when he entered the office, earning an evil glare from Dean.

�A good morning to you, too, Xander.� Dean told his daughter�s friend. �Xander, this is Angel Liery. He and Buffy will design the new Donald Trump mall in downtown LA.� He told the younger man. �Angel, this is Alexander Harris.� He introduced the two.

�It�s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Harris!� Angel said politely but Xander had to giggle at that.

�Call me Xander. Everybody does!� The dark-haired guy told Angel. �Oh, and Dean?�

�What?� Dean replied starlet.

�Why�s Amanda teaching Deanna how to play poker?� Xander said. �*I* wanted to show her that! I�m her god-father!� He complained.

�*I* am teaching *her*. NOT the other way around!� Enie yelled through the closed door with her small soft voice. Then she stormed into the room. �Okay. I�m under ten! But I�m as intelligent as a 13-year-old which means in mind I already am a teenager and know stuff! I�m not a bloody baby! I CAN play poker!� Deanna told her grandfather, standing in the doorway.

��Kay. And who taught you? So that I�m not the bad one in front of your mother?� Dean smiled.

�Mom did!� With that Deanna shrugged and the 4�4� tall girl left the room.

Angel chuckled lightly. Somehow this little girl reminded him of someone. He just couldn�t put his finger on it. �Your daughter?� He asked Dean.

And again there was Dean�s chuckle. �My granddaughter.� He explained.

�That�s the Buffter�s little brat!� Xander grinned.

�I HEARD THAT!� Deanna shouted from outside.

That was something Angel hadn�t expected, because from what he�d heard Buffy Summers was only around 20!

�How old is she?� Angel was a little curious, now.

�9 YEARS AND THREE MONTHS!� The girl shouted from the outside.

*~*~*

�Honey, I'm home!" Buffy came through the door. She'd spent a day with "Oh, you're very young's , I expect her father to be a little older?" and "She has her intelligence from her grandfather?"s. Really , if hell did exist, then Deanna's teachers were it's kings!

Oh, what a satisfaction had it been to see the face of Mrs. Hamilton asking "Well, I do know that some stupid kids get children before they are even allowed to have sex at all, but those are too dump to even graduate from High School. Did you finish High School?" when Buffy replied: "Nah. I don't know. But some people I studied with at Harvard had children, too!" "Deanna?" Buffy called again. "Honey, you here?" She shrugged off her leather jacket and walked into her daughter's bedroom.

Empty.

"Enie? Cutie?" Buffy began to worry now.

"Hi Mom! We're in the living-room!" The 9-year-old yelled.

Deanna was sprawled ver the couch in her pyjamas with her grandfather sitting opposite of her, playing poker.

"Dad! Hi! I didn't expect you to be still here!" Buffy bent down to hug her father. "And you, young lady, are supposed to lie in your bed for two hours!" She told the pouting girl.

"But mom! I'm winning!" Deanna whined with her puffy-eyes.

"Nah. You already did win." Dean stated, putting down his cards.

"YEAH!" The girl squealed, collecting all the money from the small couch table. "127$ for lil' Deanna!" She grinned.

Buffy giggled at that! "That my daughter! You're gonna make him real poor!" And now bed!"

"Spoil my fun!" Deanna mumbled when she strolled towards her room.

"Hey, that's what mothers are there for!" Buffy smiled sweetly. "G'night gorgeous!"

"Night mom. Night Dean.� The girl shouted back before disappearing through her door.

�God, you have absolutely no idea how cruel teachers can be!� Buffy groaned when she fell into the place her daughter had just sat in.

�Oh believe me, honey. I remember. I�ve been a young single father, once!� Dean chuckled. �No. Correction: I�ve been a young single father with a hell of an intelligent daughter and everybody kept telling me exactly how much I should hire a professional nanny!�

�Oh, I know exactly what you mean!� She complained.

Dean suddenly jumped up and walked towards Buffy�s CD-Player, switching it on and Frank and Nancy Sinatra�s song �Something Stupid� echoed through her apartment.

// I know I stand in line, until you think you have the time
To spend an evening with me.
And if we go someplace to dance, I know that there�s a chance
You want be leaving with me.\\

Dean danced through his daughter�s living room, singing along the verses of one of his most favourite songs.

// And afterwards we drop into a quiet little place
And have a drink or two.
And then I go and spoil it all, by saying something stupid
Like: �I love you.� \\

Buffy giggled at the sight infront of her. It just looked too ridiculous.

Dean Summers liked all the ever-greens. Dean Martin, Sammy Davis jr., Barry Manilow, Frank Sinatra, Bob Marley, etc.. All the stuff Deanna Summers couldn�t stand. She was more into Hard-Rock, Bossa Nova, Jazz, Soul and R n�B.

// I can see it in your eyes, you still despise the same old lies
You heard the night before
And though it�s just a line to you, for me it�s true
And never seemed so right before. \\

And out of a sudden Dean pulled his daughter from the couch and danced with her in a very formal manner. Like a real gentleman.

// I practise every day to find some clever lines to say
To make the meaning come through.
But then I think I wait until the evening gets late
And I�m alone with you.\\

Buffy had to laugh. She found it amazing how very cute her father could be, sometimes.

Why couldn�t the men in her life be a little bit more like that? Her own fianc� had never done something this sweet. The only time someone had treated her with such tenderness had been the night of her 17th birthday. STOP!

Don�t go there. Jerk cheating on his wife! Remember?

// The time is right, your perfume fills my head, the stars get red
And oh the night�s so blue
And then I go and spoil it all, by saying something stupid
Like: �I love you.�

I love you

I love you

I love you

I love you

I love you \\

Why couldn�t her fianc� act so loving towards her, like even her father did? Why couldn�t he make her smile or laugh or even surprise her sometimes?

�What�s wrong, sweetheart?� Dean asked concerned.

�Nothing.� Buffy grumbled.

�Oh, C�mon. Don�t you think I know you a little better by now? What�s on your mind?� Dean sat down, motioning her to sit next to him. �Is it Riley?�

Buffy groaned at the mention of her fianc�. Riley Finn was a very successful lawyer from Wolfram & Hart and was caring and sweet, but unbelievable boring. She still wasn�t sure why she�d said yes when he proposed.

�Do you love him?� Dean wanted to know.

But Buffy only shrugged.

�Do you love him?� Dean repeated. �Simple question: Yes or no?�

�You know- I thought about this a lot.� Buffy admitted. �I like Riley. I like him so very much, like I never liked one of my boyfriends before. And he likes Deanna and Deanna can actually kinda stand him, which is very rare considering her attitude towards my ex�s. But I don�t really love him. And I believed that I�m not able to love, because Riley�s so sweet, but I just don�t seem to fall in love! And then I realised that I�ve *never* been really in love. So then I thought it was just simply like this. That it wasn�t in my nature to feel true love. But then I saw that I *do* love. I truly and completely love somebody - Deanna. But I am not able to love another, like I love my little girl. And it�s all so confusing.�

Buffy took a deep breath. �Shouldn�t I feel the fire and passion and desire?� She whispered.

�What makes you so sure that this fire exists?� Dean asked gently.

�Because once I felt it.� Buffy breathed. �For one night I had this fire, this passion and desire. But I�m just not able to feel it, again. But I know it�s there and that bothers me so much.�

�It bothers me that I can feel real ecstasy and love with some moron I don�t even know, but not with my *fiance*!� Buffy exclaimed.

�I wanna have the passion back!� Buffy said, jumping up and spread out her arms like wings in the sky. �Why like when I can love? Why move when I can dance? Why run when I can fly?�

*~*~*

Buffy woke early the next morning. She would have to face a long day today. She felt a little groggy, because she�d stayed up rather late that night. She talked with her Dad until dawn.

She got up and took a long hot bath in order to remove the tension in her back and even fell asleep in the water. It wasn�t until Deanna waked her when she got up to prepare for school that Buffy finally got out of the water. Her skin was all wrinkled and soft, then.

It was like a morning ritual for her: First bath (or sometimes shower, that laid on the fact whether or not she had to hurry) then slowly - very slowly - choosing her clothing, then making Enie�s breakfast and eating a bite of a toast, before searching all over the place for her stuff, giving Deanna a ride to school and then driving to her own work.

The day was as boring as every other day. Unbelievably that this was her 27th birthday.

God, she sounded like your average mommy, although she hadn�t even turned thirty, yet! And the fact that her boyfriend - no, FIANCE - was boring and never there and she hadn�t had sex for weeks, now didn�t make her feel any better.

She walked - ever so slowly - towards the elevator, same as always, pushed the button for the 57th floor and waited for the noise and the tingling in her stomach that told her that the elevator had stopped and reached her aim and walked over the long floor towards the large door on which the name �Buffy Summers� was written in huge letters and opened it carefully, because Henry, the care-taker hadn�t oiled the lock, yet and it made horrible sounds when it was pushed open too fiercely.

And like expected, there was sitting a man on the chair infront of her desk with his back towards her. Angel Liery. Her new partner for the new Trump building design. Her father had only told her the best about him and that was rather unusual, because normally Dean Summers hated every freshman.

�Good morning, Mr. Liery it�s nice--� But Buffy stopped in horror, because the guy shot around upon hearing her voice and now she was staring into the - oh god- eyes of her one-night-stand from ten years ago and father of her child. Oh no. Please, this just couldn�t happen to her.

And there she thought her life was average and boring.... Where was boring when you wanted it, huh?

�YOU!!?� They yelled at the other�s face.

Angel couldn�t believe his eyes. THIS was Buffy Summers? OH GOD! He�d screwed the daughter of his boss! Okay, he already could forget this job.... But �oh my� she looked so *damn* good in this outfit.

�No, no, no, no. NO! No, no.� Buffy kept this single word as a mantra. �YOU are NOT Angel Liery! I REFUSE to believe that. No!� She walked up to her armchair, hands in her hair and plopped down onto the soft material, her feet dangling from the arm.

She then shot up in a heartbeat and looked him straight in the eye. �Tell me that you�re NOT Angel Liery!� She ordered, resolve face up and voice raised.

�I�m not Angel Liery.� Angel replied grinning.

Buffy�s face fell and her lips formed a pout. �My god, you ARE Angel Liery!� She whined desperately. �Okay, I need a drink, now.�

Oh my, she�s beautiful... Okay, WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?? �You�re Buffy Summers, then?� he said. �Not just, maybe, the secretary?� He asked hopefully. So, he admitted it, she IS beautiful. But who could blame him? He was a male, after all!

�Buffy Summers, the one and only.� She said dryly.

�Oh my.� Angel sank into his chair and there they kept sitting in complete silence and lost in thought.

�Wait.� Angel yelped terrified. �How old are you?? They say you�re around twenty! Then... ten years ago..... Please, tell me you�re over twenty.� He exclaimed.

�I�m 27.� Buffy told him smirking. �And so: NO! I wasn�t ten, then.� She said a little louder.

�Oh,� He sank back into the chair and lifted his head up. �Goodness, thank you!� He mouthed to the ceiling.

�Happy Birthday, by the way.� Angel told the blonde whose head shot up once again.

�YOU REMEMBER THAT?� She actually shouted.

�Hello? Tomorrow would have been my tenth anniversary! Of course I remember your birthday under this circumstances!� He told her as if she was a little girl.

Buffy chuckled then. �That�s amazing! Not even my fianc� remembers that today�s my birthday!� She told him impressed.

�So you have a boyfriend?� He asked her frowning.

�Fianc�. And don�t make that face. You�re married.� She told him annoyed.

�Am not.� He smiled at the small blonde.

�You�re not?� Buffy replied surprised. �You mean you didn�t marry her that day?� She asked.

�No!� He said. �I did. But it didn�t work out. I�m divorced.�

�Oh.� Was all Buffy said to that.

Then he frowned again. �NO!� He shouted. �Oh no, no, no! NO!� This was SO not happening.

�You�re imitating me.� Buffy remarked dryly.

�Your daughter! Nine years and three months!� He yelped when the revelation hit him. �Oh god.�

Buffy only bit her lip.

Okay, that was it. He was going crazy now. �I have a daughter.� He shook his head desperately. �I can�t even recall her name, right now.� He had a headache now. So much was sure.

�Deanna. Deanna Cameron Summers. Born on October 29th. Scorpio. A+. Must have been your blood, I�m AB-.� Buffy told him quietly.

�Oh god.� Angel repeated over and over.

*~*~*

Buffy returned to her office a few moments later with two mugs of coffee in her hand. This was a nightmare. This HAD to be a nightmare. She was facing the father of her child after ten bloody years. He hadn�t been there for so long. Why the hell did he have to show up, NOW?

She pushed the door to her office open with her foot and the large wooden door made a horrible screeching sound. Right. Non-oiled.

�Here.� She handed him a cup. Angel still sat on the same chair he�d done all morning. �Thought you might need this as much as I do.� She said sarcastically.

�I can�t believe this.� He chanted. �This can�t be.�

�Well, sorry but it�s the truth.� Buffy nearly shouted, annoyed. �Sorry, fella, but YES. You. Got me. Pregnant.�

�You!� Angel turned around.

�What�s with me?� She quirked an eyebrow at him.

�You�re the mother of my child!� He said.

�Yes, I thought we covered that, already.� She said sarcastically. �Are you this dump?�

He glared at her then. �No, I mean you�re the mother of my child. Which I don�t know. And I don�t know a thing about you beside the fact that your birthday is on January 19th. And you lost your virginity exactly ten years ago.�

�Wait.� Buffy interrupted angry. �You don�t know that!�

�I do. You told me, remember?� He glanced at her. �Anyway: I know that you have a daughter. And your name is Buffy Summers, you were a child prodigy, graduated with 17 and went to Harvard. You�re about to inherit the most famous architecture firm of the world. Your father�s name is Dean Summers.� He said frowning, seemed he did knew a thing or two about the woman infront of him. Buffy only smirked at that. Angel slowly got up and paced around the room. �You�re engaged. Your blood type is AB-. Your father is VERY overprotective about you. Your favourite flowers are red and pink roses--�

�Huh?� Buffy interrupted, again. �How the HELL do you know THAT?� She yelped.

�The room your party was in. It was decorated with those two types of flowers.� He told her smiling. �Oh, and you aren�t exactly able to stand much alcohol.� Angel continued starring at the ceiling. He was lying on the couch in the corner of her office, now.

�HEY!� Buffy said. �You were drunk as well!�

�You have a tattoo on your right inner thigh and one in the hollow of your back. You�re ticklish on your sides, feet, knees and stomach.� Buffy wanted to protest about that, again. �And you�re all touchy when it comes to your personal life--�

Buffy shook her head confused at that. �Again: HOW THE HELL DO YOU KNOW THAT?�

�Oh C�mon.� He turned his head to look into her eyes. �You�re interrupting me nearly after every sentence I speak out!� He told her. �Oh, and Alexander Harris seems to be befriended with you, �cause he�s Deanna�s godfather. And if I�m right that you like vanilla. Am I right?� He asked her.

Buffy was completely impressed now. �Yeah. How---�

�Your perfume. You smell like it.� He told her sincerely. �Okay, I think I�m done now.�

�Wow.� Buffy said and got up, walking around her desk to lean against the front of it. The same way her father had done, the day before. �You DO know me better than my fianc�!�

Then she plopped down next to him on the couch. �Oh god, you know me better than my FIANC�!� She whined desperately.

Angel smiled at her. �Okay, considering you�re the mother of my daughter. I want to learn more about you.� He told her.

�Don�t you rather want to get to know your daughter?� She asked him confused.

�Of course, but I want that she tells me about herself, herself.� He told Buffy.

Oh god, he�s actually cute! �Okay. Then ask me.� She said.

�Um. Favourite Food? Fave colour? Your middle name? Your fianc�s name?� He asked laughing. �God, that whole situation is so damn ridiculous!� He smiled his sexy half-smile at her.

Okay, Summers. Calm down, you DON�T find this smile in any way mind-blowing. YOU DON�T! �Spaghetti and jelly sandwiches. Pink, red and black. Anne. Riley Finn.� She answered his questions.

�Riley Finn?� He snored. �That screams �idiot�. Where does he come from? Iowa?� Angel joked.

Buffy choked at that. �Yes! Iowa!� She answered amazed.

Angel grinned at her and stretched out his legs, leaning against the back of the couch, tilting his head to the side to look into her face. �And how is he? You�re in love?� He asked curious. **Please, say no. Please, say no. Please say no. Please, say no. Please, say no.**

She smiled at him �Much� She lied. Who was she to tell a stranger about her love-life? Okay, so she lost her virginity to this particular stranger, but who cares? He�s a stranger so or so. A really gorgeous stranger..... Woah! Stop right there! �He�s a very successful lawyer. Very kind and loving and he likes Deanna a lot. And Deanna likes him, which is really rare, �cause normally she hates every male that so much as looks at me.� She told Angel.

�A lawyer?� Angel wrinkled his nose, which looked kinda cute.... , but no, Buffy had sworn herself to never ever again think about Angel Liery like this! �You DO know why they don�t get apartments? They like to sue their landlords.� He told Buffy and actually tried to seem serious, but failed miserably.

Buffy chuckled lightly. �What is this? You want to talk me out of my marriage?� She grinned.

YES! �Nah.� Angel smiled. �Just want to make you see it all from another perspective.� He half-smiled at her. �So. Let�s rather talk about business. Enough talking about old times.�

�Old times?� Buffy cocked an eyebrow at him. �We don�t have old times. We have an old time. Singular.�

�Yeah. Singular.� He smiled back at her. �Unfortunately. I�d have liked to make it plural.� He told her and she had to smile at him. God, he WAS cute!

�Okay. Angel Liery.� She looked into the files on her desk, having walked over to it. �33 years old. Divorced. Graduated from UC LA. Worked together with the Empire State Building�s designer. Right?� She turned to the dark-haired man.

�Right.� He confirmed.

��kay: We�re working on the new Trump building as you might have already heard.� She sat down into her big leather chair that made her seem real small and received a nod from Angel who sat down into the chair opposite of her, again. �A mall. He wants a kind of �closed open-air�. Gothic style. And he wants it to look like a monastery. A touch Italian. We have a whole year to build it, so I think...�

They spoke on and on about the case for the rest of the morning.

*~*~*

Angel walked towards his black convertible later that day. He still expected to wake up any moment. HE HAD A DAUGHTER! A nine-year old daughter, about 4 feet tall, who didn�t know a thing about him. Well, likewise. But what mixed him up all the more was the feeling he had when he was around Buffy Summers. It was strange. Although he�d admitted the fact that he�d fallen in love with the strange blonde he�d woken up with ten years previous to himself long ago, the feeling was still utterly confusing. He�d never felt such a thing before. Never. It was like he couldn�t think straight anymore, once she�d entered the room everything fell into darkness beside the blonde beauty. **She�s the daughter of your boss, idiot!** He simply ignored the little voice that quietly whispered **But, she�s also the mother of your child**.

He started the engine and drove off to the small club he was supposed to meet with a few friends of his. He let the top down and just let the wind whistle around his face.

He switched on his radio. Damn, Love song. He changed the channel.... Love song. Great, he really wasn�t in the mood for this.

He was about to switch the radio off, again when he recognised the song. He�d heard it before, he just couldn�t really place it.

//The sun is going down on me
As she surrenders to the sea
So steal the night and fly with me
I'm calling, I'm calling

The moon is high on me and you
Is my message breaking through?
Darkened skies that once were blue are falling
So hear me now\\

Where had he heard this? The lyrics were so familiar he could sing along. He knew the whole bloody thing! Why couldn�t he remember where he�d heard this before?

Somehow the words where touching him. They were so fitting to how he felt that it was becoming very scary.

//Calling out your name
Burning on the flame
Played the waiting game
Hear my calling
Hear my calling

(Forever and ever)

Through distant lands and mountain streams
My river's running through your dreams
There's an ocean in between
Forever and never\\

And suddenly he remembered where he�d last heard this song. Why hadn�t he thought of this faster? He�d heard this song. Over and over. Sung with a different voice.

Buffy had sung it over and over and over, silently to herself the whole day. Sometimes she hadn�t even noticed it.

//Chasing shadows through the years
I whisper softly to my dear
Be sure to know that I am here
Forever

So hear me now
Calling out your name
(A wish that could come true)
Burning on the flame
(I'm reaching out to you)
Played the waiting game
Hear my calling
Hear my calling\\

It was like there was a curse on him. Why did every thought in his mind return to the small blonde? It had been like that when he�d woken up with her those ten entire years ago. He hadn�t been able to stop thinking about her for a whole year!

Was this repeating itself all over again, only now? And it was even worse this time, because now he would spend a whole year working with her?

When he�d only needed a day to be haunted by her for a whole year, what was he gonna do when he had to spend an entire year in her presence?

//Whispers in the air
I dream you into life
Here a lover's prayer
I pray for you tonight
I can feel you there
Hear my calling
Hear my calling

No man is an island
That's an empty sin
Discovery is a journey
Just have to let me in\\

God, this was going to be the most difficult challenge in his whole life. How could he spend a whole year with this woman and not once kiss her beautiful lips, never know what they taste like?

And what was he going to tell his daughter? �Hello, I�m your father. No, you�re right, I haven�t known a thing about you my whole life, wanna play a game of Monopoly?� Yeah, most likely.... Oh god!

//Calling out your name
(A wish that could come true)
Burning on the flame
(I'm reaching out to you)
Played the waiting game

Calling out your name
(A wish that could come true)
Burning on the flame
(I'm reaching out to you)
Played the waiting game
Hear my calling
Hear my calling\\

This was a nightmare! And this was what he�d imagined to be the very best day of his life for ten years! Of course, good things happened always with strings attached to him. Typical.

What the hell was he going to do now? This was all so difficult. Pro: You�ve found Mrs. Right. Con: She hates you.

He�d dreamed about her for so long, why couldn�t she simply feel the same way about him?

//Whispers in the air
(I dream you into life)
Hear a lover's prayer
(I can feel you there)
Hear my calling
Hear my calling

No man is an island (A wish that could come true)
That's an empty sin (I'm reaching out to you)
So steal the night and fly with me
I'm calling
Hear my calling\\

Oh, he SO felt a headache coming.

*~*~*

Angel arrived at the Sunny Island, a popular club in L.A. just a few minutes after sunset. Fortunately he wasn�t terribly late, so his friends were still there, sitting at a table in the end corner of the large club on the couches that were placed there. Walking over to them, he tried to calm himself down. Tried to decide whether or not to tell them.

�Hey, man!� Gunn grinned up at him. �How was your first day at that super-company? How�s your partner?�

�Quite okay.� Angel mumbled and plopped down on another couch.

�Hey. Shouldn�t ya jump around all happy? Ya got the job! It�s yer dream come true!� Doyle commented confused, noticing the other man�s disturbed face.

�I guess ...� Was all Angel replied absently. He wanted to go back to bed. Just crawl into the sheets and pretend all this shit had never happened.

Gunn tilted his head to the side, looking at Angel confused. �What�s wrong, man?� The African American asked his friend.

�I got myself into the biggest mess there ever was.� Angel stated through gritted teeth.

Doyle sighed and rolled his eyes. �What? Shagged yer boss�s daughter, or what?� He joked.

Angel lowered his eyes to the table and just stared.

�No!� Doyle yelped.

�Oh, C�mon, Angel. You�ve got to be kidding! You SCREWED your partner?!� Gunn frowned at the brooding man.

Angel sighed. �I met her.� Angel almost whispered. His voice was barely hear-able.

�You met who? Yer partner?� Doyle asked �Angel, we know that! Ya were supposed to meet Ms. Summers all along, remember? You two are PARTNERS! All the more reason not to fuck her on the first day!� He glared at his friend.

�No. SHE is Ms. Buffy Anne Summers. I met HER.� Angel corrected, his gaze fixed on the table.

�She? Who---� Doyle began frowning until relation dawned on him. �SHE? As in the woman ya made love to on your wedding day? As in the woman you love? She, the woman you can�t get over, she? Oh.� He leaned back into his seat. �Oh.�

�Huh?� Gunn said. �You met her? Isn�t that all the more reason to run around and cheer nevertheless? Hell, you�ve searched for that woman for so long!�

Angel leaned forward and buried his face in his hands. �I met her.� He said, his voice muffled by his hands. �She�s absolutely beautiful. And so damn smart. And, god, those legs! But � She�s the daughter of my boss. She hates me. She�s engaged. She has a child!�

�Oh.� Gunn agreed. �Well. I don�t think the child�s father would be too thrilled when you try to steal her away from him.�

Angel throw his head against the back of the couch and watched the ceiling, sighing. �*I* am the father.� He told his friends.

�WHAT?!� The two men exclaimed unison.

�Are you absolutely sure it�s yours?� Doyle asked desperately. �I mean- ya know- ya do not know the girl, she could- maybe---�

�I�m positive.� Angel snapped. �And she�s not like that!� It was strange. Even without really knowing her, he felt the urge to defend her in front of his BEST FRIEND! And although he knew that all Doyle wanted for him was the best, he just hadn�t been able to not snap back at him for simply even thinking about her that way. It was strange. He�d really never felt this. A few days before his wedding day, Gunn had made a not so nice comment about Darla. And he�d had to force himself to glare at Gunn instead of smirking. He�d failed and actually laughed about the snappy remark. And now it was like just thinking about someone saying something like that about Buffy made him want to hit something. Hard.

�Okay. Big mess there, man.� Gunn replied and ordered himself another drink along one for Angel. Angel didn�t even notice the waitress flirting with him when he ordered his drink.

�Angel has a kid!� Doyle mumbled to himself. �ANGEL has a KID!� He shook his head frankly. These words just didn�t fit together for him.

�Yeah.� Angel whined.

*~*~*

�I�m home!� Buffy yelled through the apartment and went into the kitchen after tossing her coat over the couch and caught sight of her nine-year old daughter munching on a bowl of cereal. �Isn�t it a little late for breakfast?� Buffy joked and stroked her daughters wet hair.

�I got up only half an hour ago!� Deanna defended grinning. She was sitting on a stool at the counter in the modern designed apartment, still wearing her fluffy pink bathrobe.

Deanna�d had a temperature the last night, so Buffy had decided to let her stay at home, because Deanna wouldn�t have any problems to work the stuff from school up on her own, anyway. �Go, dry your hair! You�re gonna get a cold!� She told the girl and put the empty bowl into the sink.

She watched the dark-haired child walk out of the room and leaned heavily against the sink once she was out of sight. �I can�t do this! I can�t!� She whispered to herself and began washing the dishes, putting up the volume of the small radio on the counter in a desperate attempt to erase the thought about Angel in her mind.

After the dishes were clean and dried and each item was placed in it�s right place she began cleaning the counter, just trying to keep herself busy.

Because if she wasn�t, she had to go into the next room and tell her baby girl about her father that wanted to see her.

And when the counter was as shiny as waterdrops in the morning sunlight she moved on to the cooker and placed a pan there, taking a few eggs and milk out of the fridge to make her daughter scrambled eggs. One of her favourites.

�Mom?� A now fully dressed and dry Deanna called confused. �What are you doing there?� She said, placing her hands on her hips. And if there weren�t all these things on her mind she would have laughed out loud, because Deanna looked exactly like herself when she was little and wanted something from her dad. Of course, her father had made everything possible. She really had been a spoiled child.

�I-...I�m making you something to eat!� Buffy told the small brunette.

�Mom? I ate when you came home! Just a few moments ago!� She said frowning. �And what�s with the cleaning tick? You�re making our home to a museum! Louisa cleaned yesterday, remember?�

�Right.� Buffy shut her mouth and took the pan from the stove, shoving the eggs onto a plate. �You want some, nevertheless?� She asked her daughter.

�Sure.� The girl shrugged and took a seat at the counter in the middle of the room and dug into the warm meal. �Delicious!� She commented smiling.

Buffy smiled back. �Louisa came yesterday?� She asked, tilting her head. �She only comes on Mondays and Wednesdays!�

Enie looked towards her mothers amused. �Yesterday WAS Monday!� She told Buffy, smirking.

�Oh.� Buffy replied and took a mouthful of Deanna�s eggs. �Honey, I have to tell you something.� She then said.

*~*~*

�So, ya�ll meet her today?� Doyle asked. It sounded more like a statement than a question, though.

�Yes.� Angel sighed. �In two hours.�

�You have to buy a thingy thing for �er!� Gunn told Angel.

�Is thingy a word?� Doyle asked them.

�It is!� Gunn defended himself.

�You MADE it UP!� Doyle argued and took a sip of his beer.

�Yup.� Gunn grinned. �But it�s spreading! I heard a waitress use it yesterday!!�

�THINGY is NO word!!!� Doyle exclaimed. �You only use it because you don�t know another word for it. You know? Like useless, or nice or-or ---�

�Hello? Guys! Can we get back to the main problem here!� Angel interrupted, shifting uncomfortable in his seat.

�Buy her a rose!� Doyle advised. �This way she won�t feel treated like a child.�

�But a pink one, not a red one.� Gunn added, munching on his donut. �She�s still a little one, after all!�

�And buy her some stuffed animal.� Doyle said further.

�But just a small one. Those you can put on keys. And an expensive one.� Gunn told Angel who was extremely impressed at how good his friends knew about teenage girls. �If you buy a big one, she�ll think you see her as a baby.�

�But don�t let it look like you put effort in it. Let it look like you bought it only a few seconds before, or else she�ll think you want to buy her love.� Doyle said.

Angel simply shook his head. �How do you know all this?�

�I raised my cousin like, on my own.� Doyle told him, shrugging. �She was one hell of a difficult brat.�

�I raised more than one cousin on my own.� Gunn smirked at Doyle. �And they were devils in person.�

�Okay, Angel. What does she look like? Still as beautiful as you remember her?� Gunn winked.

�God, you HAVE to see those legs, wait - No you don�t!� Angel told Gunn.

*~*~*

�So, my dad�s in town?� Deanna asked, receiving a nod from her mother. �And he wants to see me?� Again, Buffy nodded, her gaze resting on the shiny counter.

�When?� Enie asked.

�One and a half hour left, then he�s here.� Buffy told her daughter.

Enie nodded once and then turned to face her mother, grinning. �So? Is he still as hot as you remember him?� She winked playfully.

Geeze, this girl was much too grown up to really be her little baby girl. Buffy rolled her eyes, groaning. �Even more so.� She replied in a desperate voice.

Deanna turned in her seat to face her mother fully. �What does he look like?� She asked curiously. �I need to be able to recognise him, don�t I?�

Buffy smiled warmly at the brown-haired girl and stroked the dark, velvety locks. �He has the same hair, short and spiked up. And the same chocolate eyes.� Buffy tilted her head to the side and gazed deeply into her daughter's eyes. �And your smile. He�s tall with broad shoulders and he�s mysterious looking and he wears only dark clothing, I think. It suits him, he looks unbelievably irresistible in them.� She sighed then, pushing back the thoughts that sprung to her mind. �He hasn�t really changed at all.�

�Crush?� Deanna asked, hiding the hope in her voice. There was nothing that she wanted more than having both a mother AND a father. Even when she didn�t know her father at all. Riley surely didn�t cover the �dad� in her life.

Buffy only glared at her daughter playfully and put the empty plate into the sink. Did she have a crush? Yes. But would she tell her daughter? No. What kind of mother would she be, telling her daughter she had a crush on another man when she was in a steady relationship? And about to get married.

Oh god! Riley! She�d forgotten all about him! The two of them were supposed to meet in a few minutes. She rushed to the phone and dialled the familiar number of his mobile. �Riley? Yeah, I�m sorry, but I won�t be able to see you today. What? Yes, I�m sorry. I�m ... distracted.... I-I have to ...work longer.� She lied. She could almost feel Deanna�s stare from the kitchen door. But what was she supposed to do? If she told Riley about Deanna�s father visiting he�d come in an instant and act all protective and jealous and possessive infront of Angel. �Yes, I�m sorry. Yeah, me too. ...� There was a long pause before she mumbled a small good-bye and hung up. She never said �I love you� to anyone but Deanna and her father. She�d never told Riley and Riley knew that.

�Why didn�t you tell him the truth?� Deanna asked, standing in the doorway to the kitchen. �If Angel�s gonna stay in my life, he�ll find out about him sooner or later.�

Buffy turned, noticing how her daughter referred to her father as �Angel� instead of �Dad�. It shouldn�t surprise her, Deanna didn�t call Dean �granddad�, either. �I don�t know.� She replied honestly. �It just felt like the right thing to do. You know what would have happened if I�d told him. He�s even acting all protective infront of Spike, since he knows there was a thing going on between us when you were little.�

�Yeah. Right.� Deanna flinched, remembering the day Riley�d found out about that. He�d been so angry at Buffy for not telling him. But most of all, he was angry that Spike was still in the picture after that. Even more, so. Spike was Buffy�s best friend and Buffy nearly told him everything.

Riley hated it when there was a guy near Buffy. Even Xander, and Xander was married! But since he knew that Buffy and Spike had had an affair for more than a year, it was nearly impossible for Buffy to spend time with her friends without Riley towering over them.

One could only imagine what the man would do if he found out about Angel.

It wasn�t that Deanna didn�t like Riley. She did. Riley loved her mother, everyone could see that. He was just a little overprotective. Which didn�t really fit, because Buffy normally hated that in men. She had that more than enough in her father.

And with that the doorbell rang.

*~*~*

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