"My Way - Chapter Thirty-Six"
Author: Sydnie
Email: sydniep@hotmail.com
Riley was frustrated. He had been looking for a week and he couldn't find Angel's name listed anywhere.
"Man, why are you obsessed with this guy?" Forrest asked him.
Riley looked up from the computer to his colleague but didn't say anything.
"This is about some girl, huh?"
The blond man smiled. "She's amazing."
"And this Cleary guy's her boyfriend?"
Riley shook his head. "He's her husband. ... And before you say anything, I'm not trying to break up her marriage. They have a little girl. I just want to make sure that this guy won't hurt her."
"This doesn't sound like you, Ri." Forrest told him. "I know you're 'Mr. Responsibility', but she's not yours."
A few weeks later, Buffy was sitting at the desk in the office doing her homework. Angel entered the room carrying a glass in one hand and Meghan in the other.
He sat the glass beside her. "How's the studying going?"
She looked up at him. "Well, I remember why I didn't want to go to college in the first place." She slammed her book shut. "How am I supposed to pass my test tomorrow when I don't even understand the material?" She put her head down on the desk.
Meghan reached for her mother. "Ma Ma."
"What baby?" Buffy sat up quickly and looked at Angel. "Did she ... she just said her first word!"
"Ma Ma" Meghan said again and reached for Buffy.
Angel turned her to face him. "Who do you want, babygirl?"
Meghan turned her body and reached for Buffy. "Ma Ma."
"That's my smart baby." She gave her daughter a tight hug and a kiss. "I've gotta call my mother."
Buffy picked up the phone and dialed her mother's number.
"Hello?" Joyce answered.
"Meghan said 'mama'!" She blurted out.
"Oh Sweetheart, that's wonderful. ... Just a minute Buffy." Joyce put her hand over the mouthpiece. "Meghan said her first word."
Buffy heard Giles' muffled voice say 'how delightful'.
After Buffy had called everybody she'd ever known, she kissed her baby and then looked at her closed text book.
"Thank you for the wonderful distraction Meggie, but Mommy's got to get back to studying."
Angel took Meghan from his wife and smiled at her. "You know, Sweetheart, if you're having so much trouble understanding this, why don't you just call your boyfriend?"
Buffy glared at him. "You are so very funny." She thought for a moment. "I could always call Willow. I mean we are in the same class."
She picked up the phone and called her best friend. After ten rings, she hung up. "Great, she's not there."
"Buffy, just call that Riley guy. That's what he's there for, right?"
"Yeah, I guess."
She opened her folder and pulled out her syllabus. Then she picked up the phone and dialed Riley's number.
He answered it on the second ring. "Finn."
"Riley, hi, it's Buffy ... Cleary."
Riley's heart rate sped up. "Buffy, hi. What can I do for you?"
"Save me, I hope." She whined.
"What's wrong?" His voice was full of concern.
"Well, I'm having trouble understanding some of the material for the test and I was hoping that you could possibly explain it to me."
Riley suddenly felt a mass of disappointment run through him. "Sure."
"Why don't you come over here for dinner and then you can help me afterwards." Buffy suggested.
A little excitement made him shiver. "Yeah, okay. What's the address?"
"It's number 4 Martin Road. The driveway is at the dead end. Just buzz us at the gate and we'll let you in."
"What time?" He asked.
"Dinner will be ready in an hour."
Riley drove up to the gate at the end of Martin Road and pressed the button as instructed.
"Yeah?" A deep, male voice answered.
"Um ... I'm Riley Finn."
"Come on up."
The iron gate opened and Riley drove down the driveway to the house.
When he got out of his truck, he looked at the house in awe. "Who the hell is this guy?"
He climbed the steps to the porch and rang the doorbell.
It was answered by Angel.
"Come on in, Riley." Angel told him as he extended his hand. "I'm Angel, Buffy's husband."
Riley took the taller man's hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you."
"Buffy will be down here in a second. She's changing our daughter."
The blond man looked around. "This is some house."
"Thank you. It's a little big, but Buffy had her heart on raising our family here."
Buffy descended the staircase carrying Meghan. "Hi Riley. I really appreciate you coming all of the way here to help me."
Riley smiled at her. She was wearing a pair of denim overalls with a white t-shirt. Her long blond hair was in a ponytail and she wore minimal make-up. He'd never seen a more beautiful woman.
"Well, it's not often that I get invited for a home cooked meal."
Buffy laughed. "Jeez, no pressure there."
Angel put his arm around his wife. "You're a wonderful cook, Sweetheart." He kissed the top of her head.
She smiled up at him. "Flattery will get you everywhere."
Riley was feeling a little uncomfortable, but even more, jealous.
"Okay, Angel, why don't you go show Riley where he can put his backpack and Miss Megg and I will go finish preparing dinner. Isn't that right Meggie Weggie?"
"Ma Ma."
"That sounds better every single time I hear it." Buffy said as the two of them left the large entry hall and headed to the kitchen.
Buffy had made baked chicken, mashed potatoes, corn and green beans. It wasn't much, she thought, but Riley seemed to really enjoy it.
"This is delicious, Buffy." Riley told her.
"Thank you." She smiled at the compliment.
Angel was feeding Meghan as well as himself. "Buffy can make anything taste great." He fed their daughter her baby food.
Of course at the very moment the food was in her mouth, she started blowing raspberries right in her father's face.
He grabbed his napkin and wiped the mashed carrots off of his face. "There are less messy ways to share your food, babygirl."
Meghan started laughing and banging her hands on her highchair tray.
Buffy was trying to stifle her laughter. "Um, Honey, you have some carrots in your hair."
Angel took the napkin his wife offered him and removed the food from his hair. "We need to work on your table manners, little girl. Lesson number one: no spitting food in Daddy's face."
That's when Buffy's laughter filled the room.
The sound melted Riley's heart. She was so happy with her little family.
"So, Angel, what do you do for a living?" Riley asked acting like he was starting polite conversation instead of fishing for information.
"I own a few businesses and some real-estate." Angel answered.
"Anything I'd know."
Buffy perked up. "We own the Bronze."
Riley thought for a second. "That's the over/under club in the warehouse district, right?"
Angel nodded. "Yeah."
"That's a nice place." Riley commented.
"Well, it's really the ONLY place for someone my age to go. So it stays pretty busy."
After dinner, Angel cleared and cleaned the dishes and took care of Meghan while Buffy and Riley went into the office to study.
Buffy felt like a complete idiot. Every question she asked, Riley explained in simplistic terms.
"Okay, so Multiple Personality Disorder and Schizophrenia aren't the same thing?
"No, MPD is when one personality splits into two or more distinct personalities. Schizophrenia is a single personality, but they hear voices."
Buffy sighed. "Why didn't I understand this when Professor Walsh was lecturing?"
Riley laughed. "Maggie is a great teacher, but she has a tendency to put students to sleep. You probably just zoned out."
As a matter of fact, Riley knew that she was daydreaming on the day of the MPD lecture. He knew because he watched her beautiful face stare off into dreamland.
"Well, I really appreciate you coming over and helping me. I have to do well this semester."
"Other than the obvious, why's that?" Riley asked.
Buffy sighed. "Before we got married, Angel promised my family that I'd go to school. I don't want to disappoint them again."
"How could you possibly be a disappointment?"
"Riley, I got pregnant at seventeen. Shortly after we found out, Angel was in a plane crash and presumed dead and instead of hanging around and telling my family and friends about the baby, I ran away. Three and a half months later I was working in a diner in LA when my dad came in to eat lunch. The next day I came home. And then by the grace of God, Angel came back to me. Megg was born in December, I turned eighteen in January and Angel and I got married in February. My family and friends have been very supportive of me, but sometimes I feel that they think that I've rushed my life. But you know what, I wouldn't change a single moment. Because if I did, I wouldn't have Angel and Meghan."
"Well, if I was your family or friend, I wouldn't be disappointed in you. You are a very level headed young woman."
"Thank you."
They were interrupted by the phone ringing.
"Excuse me." Buffy told Riley as she answered the phone. "Liam Cleary's office. ... One moment please." She pressed the hold button and then pushed the house intercom. "Angel, Mr. Mason's on the office phone."
"I'll be there in a sec. I'm putting Meghan down." Angel's voice came over the intercom.
Buffy pushed the phone line. "He'll be with you in a moment." She put the man back on hold.
She smiled at Riley. "I love playing secretary."
Angel entered the office. "I'll make this quick." He kissed Buffy as she handed him the phone.
"No need, we're done." She led Riley out of the room. "Let's go get something to drink."
He grabbed his backpack. "Nah, I should get goin'. Tomorrow's a test day which means I'll be grading papers most of the day. I need my sleep."
Buffy laughed. "Just grade mine first and then call me." She led him to the front door.
"Sure thing. But don't worry, Buffy. You know the material. You'll do fine."
"Thanks, Riley." She gave him a friendly hug. "I don't know what I would have done without you."
He smiled, loving the feel of her body next to his. "Hey, as long as a delicious meal is included, anytime."
She laughed again. "I'll see you tomorrow, Riley."
Riley said goodbye and headed to his truck. As he drove down the long driveway, he spoke to himself. "So 'Angel' is just a nickname. No wonder I couldn't find him anywhere."
He picked up his cell phone and dialed the Initiative's computer room number.
"Henderson."
"Hey, Henderson, it's Finn. Are you busy?" Riley asked.
"No sir. Cleary again, sir?"
"Yes, but instead of Angel, the first name is Liam. L-I-A-M. I'll be there in about twenty minutes."
"Yes sir."
Riley turned his phone off and drove back to Lowell House. Sure, Angel seemed nice enough. But everyone has their secrets. Riley was determined to find out just what Liam "Angel" Cleary's were.
The End