03 - Sparkling Conversation
Author: Starla
Email: fuzzylittlepackrat@hotmail.com

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Buffy clutched Angel's hand as they walked through her font door. They'd been doing an early sweep, and she was exhausted, still tired from the events of Graduation Day. She wound her arms around his, holding on to him for all she was worth, leaning against him, yawning.

He stopped for a moment, pressing a soft kiss to her head. "Tired?"

"Mmmmm." She confirmed.

"C'mon. I'll make you something to eat, and then you're going to bed." He said firmly.

"Will you tuck me in?" She asked, as playfully as she could muster.

"If you're good I'll read you a story." He shot back, leading her towards the kitchen.

Once he got there, he paused in the doorway, tensing.

A man stood inside, studying a magazine that lay open on the counter. He was alone.

"Hello." Angel said quietly, startling the man.

He jumped from the stool, putting a hand to his chest. "You scared me."

Angel looked down at his girlfriend, who was still nestled against his back. "Buffy?"

She snapped back to consiousness. "Huh? What? Angel?" She spotted the man. "Who the hell are you?"

The man flinched. "Uh...I'm a friend of your mothers. She's just gone upstairs for a moment." He awkwardly held a hand out. "I'm Eric."

Angel looked at his hand for a moment, then, realizing that Buffy definitely wasn't going to take it, shook it. "Uh, Angel. The comatose girl is Buffy."

The sound of a small thump reached Eric's ears, and Buffy's muffled voice followed seconds later. "I resent that. I'm not comatose. I'm very much awake, thankyou very much."

Angel rolled his eyes, walking further into the kitchen and guiding her into a stool. "So...a friend of Joyce's..." Angel began awkwardly.

"Actually, I'm more of an...an....a boyfriend type." Eric said nervously.

Angel raised an eyebrow, smiling as he crossed to the refrigerator. "You're lucky that Buffy is asleep, then."

"It's gonna be that bad.?"

"She plays the protective daughter well." Angel said. "But don't worry. I'll be the stand in for now. What do you do?"

"I'm an architect."

"Ever been married?"

"Divorced. Two kids around Buffy's age."

"Reason for divorce?"

"It was amiable. We just grew apart."

"How long have you lived in Sunnydale?" Buffy said, lifting her head, apparently not having been fully sleep.

"A year and a half." Eric replied, his anxiety growing. He'd never been so terrified as he was by the five foot tall , half asleep, blonde teenager.

"You moved here?" Buffy said. "By choice?" She raised both eyebrows. "Some people are just sick."

"Well, you and your mother chose to move here." Eric pointed out.

"Higher Power. Destiny, yada, yada, yada." Buffy mumbled, then realized what she'd just said. "Uh, never mind."

Angel had been studying the contents of the fridge during Buffy's exchange with Eric. He shut it and returned to her side, leaning down to talk to her. "Honey, what do you want to eat?"

"Brownies." She replied, smiling.

Angel lifted an eyebrow, then glanced at Eric. "There's a balanced diet for ya. " He looked at Buffy. "I'm not making you brownies for dinner."

"But I want them." Buffy yawned. "And I love you." She smiled sweetly and kissed his cheek.

"No." Angel said, with a great deal of difficulty. "You have to eat some real food." He reminded her. "Plus, your mother would kill me."

"No, she wouldn't. She likes brownies too." Buffy said, looking at him through innocent eyes.

"Baby, I love you, but we're not eating brownies for a meal."

She sighed. "Fine. I'll eat some of that 'real-food' crap."

"Pasta?"

"Sounds good." She said, but pouted. "No chocolatey goodness, though."

"Tell you what." Angel said, gathering her hands in his and bringing them to his mouth for a kiss. "You eat the pasta- whatever sort you like- and I'll make brownies for you later."

"But I'm gonna go to bed."

"So I'll make them while you're sleeping." Angel said.

She frowned. She wanted the brownies, brownies were good. She also wanted to fall asleep in Angel's arms. But then, they *were* talking about brownies....

"Deal." She said finally.

Angel smiled, kissing her forehead. "Good girl."

"You're spoiling her, Angel." Joyce's voice reached him.

Angel straightened, turning to face Joyce. "She deserves it."

"Did I hear you talking about pasta?" Joyce asked.

"Yeah, You guys want some?" He asked.

"That would be great." Joyce said, her eyes flickering to Buffy. "I'd been hoping she'd be a little more lively when she met Eric."

"It's been a long day." Angel replied, setting about making the pasta.

Buffy yawned. "You know, if I'm going to get through the next five minutes awake, I'm going to have to shower." She stood, walking over and standing behind Angel, peering over his shoulder as he chopped onions. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and he turned slightly, allowing her to give him a quick kiss on the side of his mouth. He smiled slightly, and then she left, dragging herself up the stairs.

"That was much easier than I expected. " Eric said after several moments.

Angel glanced at him and smiled. "You aren't exactly out of danger yet. Wait til she's awake."

"Angel, you're scaring him." Joyce laughed.

"I'm just telling him to be prepared." Angel objected. "You can't send him in there unarmed."

Joyce laughed. "She's not that bad, I swear."

****

Buffy ran her hand through her hair as she bounced down the stairs, dressed in one of Angel's silk sweaters and a pair of old bluejeans. Her shower had given her a new burst of energy, which she knew would be short lived, but she planned to use it to the best of her advantage.

The Target: Eric. The Objective: Annihalation.

Unless of course she liked him, which considering her Mom's track record was not of the likely.

The smell of Napoli Sauce hit her nostrils as she strolled into the kitchen, and she smiled, savoring the perfection of her boyfriend. Rich, handsome, good cook, and those hands....

She sighed, making eye contact with him as he removed the sauce from the stove, pouring it into a blue patterned bowl. She put her hands on the bench, leaning over and kissing him. He returned the kiss, lifting one of his hands, cradling her cheek with his big palm.

She pulled away finally, nuzzling her nose against his. "Where's my Mom?" She asked after several moments.

"She and Eric are in the living room." Angel explained.

"So what's the goss? Are you getting any evil vibes?"

"Not really. Seems like a regular guy. Two kids living in New York, a girl and a boy around your age. He owns his own firm, and they do pretty well. He drives a BMW. He met your Mom through the Gallery."

"Aren't you Information Guy! How'd you find out all that?"

"I dabbled in the Art of Conversation." He shrugged, picking up the bowl of Sauce. "You wanna get the Spaghetti?"

She picked up the bowl of spaghetti and a plate of parmesan, and followed him into the dining room.

"Mom!" She yelled, ignoring Angel when he rolled his eyes.

Moments later her mother walked into the dining room, followed closely by Eric.

Buffy briefly narrowed her eyes, and then smiled vibrantly at Eric, walking over to him. "Hi, I know we met before, but I was slightly trashed and I have the feeling I wasn't very welcoming." She held her hand out. "I'm Buffy."

Eric seemed *way* nervous. He took her hand, shaking it. "I'm Eric. Your mother never stops talking about you."

"It's one of her most attractive habits." Buffy joked, carefully considering his handshake. Firm, but Gentle, warm, without seeming overly intimate. She couldn't hate him on account of his handshake. It was very nice as handshakes went...She frowned slightly, but took a seat next to Angel.

She started right in with the interrogation.

"So Eric, how long have you been dating my mother?" She asked casually, leaning back in her chair. <*Lull your prey into a false sense of security, and then *BOOM* strike....> She thought gleefully, her hunter's mind spinning.

"Uh, Um, A-Around Six Months." Eric stuttered.

Buffy lost all pretense of calm. "Six Months? Six?" She asked incredulously. She swivelled to face her mother. "Why the hell didn't you tell me??"

Joyce paled under Buffy's furious gaze, fussing with her napkin. "Well, I, well...." She sighed. "I was worried about how you would react."

"How I would react?" Buffy shrieked. "What do you think I am, a child?"

"Well you are certainly acting like one." Joyce replied.

"Mom, I'm not denying you the right to a relationship. I can't, after you've been so great about Angel...I'm just saying...Six Months is a long time to hide this from me." Buffy said, calming down considerably after Angel placed a comforting hand on her arm.

"I know. I guess...I guess I was a little afraid." Joyce admitted.

"Buffy, we were just very concerned that you would object to our relationship. Your mother told me that you have had problems with her boyfriends in the past..." Eric trailed off.

"Ted was a *psycho*. He tried to kill us." She glanced at Angel. "And he read my diary."

"But you had problems with him before you knew that he was insane." Joyce pointed out.

"He gave me the wiggins." Buffy said, frowning.

"He threatened her." Angel added.

Buffy almost smiled at the look on Angel's face. Like he was stunned by the audacity of the man to threaten *his* girl. Almost smiled, but didn't. There were more serious matters at hand.

"I must admit, I can see why you would be a little...anxious...about your mother getting a new boyfriend, especially from what I've heard about Ted. But Buffy, I love your mother. And I would never hurt her, ever." Eric said slowly, leaning forward, his eyes pleading.

Buffy pursed her lips, looking at him. "You say that. But sometimes, no matter how much you love a person, you can't help but hurt them." She shook her head. "It happens. There's nothing you can do about it." She glanced at Angel, gave him a small smile. "But don't make promises you can't keep, Eric. False hopes are dangerous."

Eric stared at his girlfriend's daughter for several long moments, before a sad look fell upon his face. "Very cynical words for someone so young."

Buffy swallowed, managing a small smile. "I'm not cynical. I'm a realist."

"So you don't indulge in fantasies?" Eric asked, cocking his head to the side.

Buffy shot Angel a mischeivous grin. "I wouldn't say that." She turned her attention back to Eric. "I've just accepted that in some areas of life it's futile to hope for it to go your way. You have to go with the flow."

Eric nodded, accepting this. "I suppose you are right."

"Which is why I'm giving you a chance." Buffy said slowly. "But if you turn out to be an asshole I wont hesitate in killing you." She smiled levelly. "Painfully. Possibly along the lines of evisceration."

Silence reigned for a few moments, acknowledging their agreement, and then Buffy picked up the bowl of pasta. "Spaghetti?"

****

"She hates me." Eric said firmly, sitting on the porch with Joyce.

"Believe me, she doesn't." Joyce reassured him. "If she hated you, you'd be in a lot shabbier condition."

"Well, she doesn't like me much." Eric said.

Joyce leaned backward. "She doesn't know you."

"Still..."

"Buffy has issues when it comes to trusting people." Joyce said. "Justified issues. And she doesn't want me getting hurt. She'll come around."

Eric gazed at her, unsure. "I hope so."

****

Buffy swam back to consciousness when she felt the bed shift and dip slightly. She opened her eyes, finding herself staring at Angel's velvet covered back. He was sitting on the edge of her bed, placing something on her side table. She moved as silently as she could, trying not to attract his attention until the perfect moment. When she was kneeling behind him, she slid her arms around his waist. She giggled when she felt him jump, and gave him a playful nip on the shoulder. "Boo."

He turned his head slightly to look at her, and smiled. "You're awake."

"Indeedy-do." She confirmed. "Whatcha doing?"

"Bringing Madam her midnight snack." Angel said, gesturing to the side table. Buffy followed his actions, her eyes lighting up in glee when she saw a plate of Brownies and a glass of milk waiting for her consumption.

"I can't believe you actually made them!" Buffy cried happily, tightening her arms around him in a giant hug. "That is just so sweet."

"You're worth it." Angel said, pulling out of her arms, easing himself up the bed so that he leaned against the headboard.

She grinned. "Ok. But one day *I'm* gonna feed *you*" She promised.

Guilt passed over Angel's face, and his eyes darted to the scar on her neck. She realized what she'd just said.

"You already did." Angel said quietly. "And it's not going t happen again."

"Angel. No brooding. My decision, remember? I didn't give you a choice." She said firmly.

"I-"

"No!" She said, smiling. "Now give me a Brownie."

He gave her a small grin and handed her the plate. She leaned against his chest, nibbling on her munchies. They sat in thoughtful, companionable silence before Buffy spoke.

"Do you think they'll get married?" She whispered.

Angel snapped out of his trance and looked at her. "I don't know, Buffy. They've only been dating Six Months."

"We'd been dating less than six months when you gave me the claddagh ring." She said softly. "And that's technically a wedding ring, right?"

"But I'd been in love with you for nearly two years." Angel pointed out. "And I knew that you were my soulmate."

"I guess, but..." She trailed off.

"Would it really be that bad if they did?" Angel asked, kissing her forehead.

"It's just...I'm the Slayer. I'm not the kind of person someone wants as a step daughter. And I can't give reasons for my behaviour, so he'd just think I was acting up. It'd be junior year all over again."

"But you'll be moving out soon, anyway." Angel pointed out. "You wouldn't have to explain yourself to him very often."

"Moving out..." She looked at Angel, her eyes large. "So much is changing, all at once." She whispered. "Giles doesn't have a job, Mom is dating, I don't work for the council anymore..." She sighed. "I'm just worried that it's all going to change to much and I'm not going to like the way it all turns out."

"It's the chance you have to take." Angel told her, picking at a piece of the Brownie she held in her hand. "It would be very boring if everything stayed the same."

"I suppose..." She conceded. She looked at him. "Promise you'll love me no matter what?"

"Even if you were covered with slime, my dear. Even if you were covered in slime." He said, smiling.

She nodded, satisfied, and leaned back against his chest.

Silence fell once again.

Buffy closed her eyes, thinking of her mother, and the happiness that she deserved. Angel was right, she was moving out soon, and her mother would be all alone.

It was kind of comforting to know that she and Eric could be alone together.

Finally, she let out a sigh and looked at Angel. "I'm not going to make any promises. And I'm never, ever going to eat his cooking. But I'll do my best to get along with him."

Angel was smirking at her.

"What?" She huffed indignantly.

"You have brownie on your nose." He told her, and leaned in to kiss it away.

:: Chapter Four ::