"Graduation"
Author: Pamela
Contact: destructo-girl@cox.net
"Buffy Anne Summers."
Angel, Joyce, Giles, and Hank all stood from their seats and cheered as Buffy took her diploma from her now ex-principal. She smiled as her mother took pictures at a furious pace, while Hank- much to Giles' chagrin- videotaped the graduation ceremony. When Joyce had first tried to hand him the camera, he hadn't wanted to have the job, but when Hank had enthusiastically offered to tape "his little girl graduating," the idea of videotaping seemed so much more fun. The watcher brightened when he got the idea that Hank might be so busy taping, Giles might be able to get to Buffy first to congratulate her!
However, as soon as the ceremony was over, Angel almost knocked everyone over in the race to his fiancée. As soon as he reached her, he picked the petite blonde and swung her around as she laughed.
As soon as he set her down, Giles, in the race to beat Hank, pulled her into an embrace. "I'm so proud of you, Buffy!"
Buffy gave him a strange look. "You okay, Giles?"
"Of course, Buffy, I'm just so happy right now that you graduated from high school."
Buffy raised an eyebrow and smiled mischievously. "Are you sure you're just not amazed that I graduated?"
As Giles laughed with her, Hank rushed over and pulled Buffy in a death grip-like hug, moving the camcorder so he could videotape his congratulations.
"I can't believe you're graduating from high school! It seems like yesterday you were just a little baby!" He told her, with a pointed look at Angel.
"Dad, I can't breathe!" Buffy complained.
"Sorry sweetie." Hank replied, before releasing her.
Joyce quietly, compared to the guys anyway, congratulated Buffy, before gathering up Willow, Xander, Oz, and Cordelia up so that she could take a ton of pictures. After everyone had gone their separate ways, Hank insisted on taking Buffy and Joyce and their guys to dinner.
The meal was tense at times, Angel was nervous around Hank, Hank was mistrusting of Angel and Giles, and the females tried several times without success to get friendly conversation going.
When there wasn't nervous chitchat or uncomfortable silences, Giles and Hank tried to one-up each other, putting both Joyce and Buffy in the middle. When they had finished their meals, Joyce insisted they all go back to the house for coffee and so that Buffy could open her gifts.
Finally, Buffy and Angel were able to make their escape, saying their good-byes and heading to a party at one of the other graduate's house. When Buffy had told him that they would be party hopping all night, Angel hadn't been very happy, but the hellish evening he'd just been through had put things in perspective.
Despite Buffy's most persuasive efforts, Angel was determined to be a wallflower. All he would do is sit on a couch, and try to get her to sit with him. She would have none of it. She had made it through high school, and, pregnant or not, she would dance.
"Please, just one dance?" Buffy begged as she stood in front of Angel as he sat alone on the couch. She had to wonder if his ass was stuck to the cushion.
Shaking his head, he replied "No, I don't want to dance, I want to go home."
"I'm not going home until you dance with me!" She told him, before marching off and grabbing Xander, much to Cordelia's relief. She loved Xander breaks and Xander loved dancing with Buffy.
Angel, however hated it.
A song had just started a few seconds earlier, and Angel was pleased that it wasn't very slow. At least there was no touching. Still, he made sure that his gaze did not leave his woman dancing with the dorky teen.
And she don't care that I can fly her
To places she ain't never been
But if she really wants to go
I think deep down she knows that
All she has to say is when
Sighing, Angel rose from his seat and made his way over to the blonde that he could never resist.
And I'm so glad I found her once again
And I'm so glad I found her once again
Gazing at the ceiling
as we entertain our feelings in the dark
The things that we're afraid of are gonna show us
what we're made of in the end
"May I cut in?" He asked, shooting Xander a dirty look before pulling a triumphant Buffy into his arms.
"I love it when I get my way!" She grinned, allowing him to hold her, even though the song was a little fast for it.
She likes me for me
Not because I sing like Pavarotti
Or because I am such a hottie
I like her for her
Not because she's phat like Cindy Crawford
She has got so much to offer
Why does she waste all her time with me
There must be something there that I don't see
The song finally ended and the couple ceased their movements, standing still on the dance floor and hugging.
Buffy looked up at Angel and smiling wickedly, she teased. "I'm a necrophiliac, how are you at playing dead?"
Angel laughed out loud, then replied. "Oh... I don't know, haven't tried for a while. Although... I guess it's like riding a bike, once you learn it you always know how."
"Oh goodie! What do you say we get out of here?"
"I thought you'd never ask." He replied, pulling her smoothly out the door and to the car.
"That felt... different." Buffy said as she drew designs on Angel's bare chest with her fingernail as they lay in his bed, catching their breath after a particularly vigorous round of lovemaking.
"Different?"
"Yes, I think it's the whole diploma thing. Not only did I feel really really great, I felt really smart!" She told him, before bursting into giggles.
Angel rolled his eyes. "You're terrible!"
"I am?" Buffy asked, pretending to pout.
Angel dipped his head down, to kiss her soundly on the lips. "No, I mean you're wonderful."
"Oh... good." She grinned.
Angel pushed her back onto her back as he kissed her more deeply on the mouth and moved over her.
"Angel, Angel..." Buffy protested, pulling away.
"What?" He asked, confused.
"We shouldn't do this again, I need to get home."
"Stay the night, your mother will let you." He told her, kissing the side of her neck.
"But my dad is there, he'll freak!"
"I'll take you home really early, he won't even know you didn't come home early."
Sighing, Buffy gave up. "Let me call my mom, see what she says."
Joyce told her that Hank had gone to bed, and it was fine if she stayed with Angel, she should just try to be home before eight.
As soon as she hung up, Angel was on top off her, and she had no more thoughts of her father, mother, or anything besides pleasure for the rest of the night.
Buffy carefully opened the front door, Angel insisted that she shouldn't be climbing into her window now that she was pregnant. It was six-thirty, so her father was probably sound asleep, but Buffy didn't want to take any chances. She was creeping up the stairs when Hank Summers walked out of the kitchen.
"Where have you been all night, young lady?" He asked angrily.
Buffy almost jumped out of skin, he'd completely caught her off guard. "Dad!" She replied in a whispered voice. "What are you doing up?"
"Don't try to change the subject, Buffy!" Hank responded, his voice getting louder and louder, until he was almost shouting. "Why are you doing coming home at half past six in the morning?"
As Buffy scrambled to find an answer that wouldn't result in Hank going after Angel with a shotgun, she heard the master bedroom door open.
A sleepy Giles came part of the way down the stairs. "What's going on?"
"Buffy is just now coming home, is this something you and Joyce allow?" An irate Hank asked.
Giles was confused, obviously, Joyce hadn't told him about Buffy's call.
"Dad, it's not like I was roaming the streets, I was with Angel."
"Oh, like that's so much better. You spent the night with a man that's much too old for you. He's already knocked you up, what does he need from you now?"
Buffy couldn't believe her ears. Tears welled in her eyes as Giles looked at Hank in incredulity. Instead of staying and fighting with her father, the slayer took the high road and ran the rest of the way up to her room.
Shaking his head in anger, Giles pointed a finger at Hank. "You went *too* far! You might not like Angel, but she loves him. He loves her. I know that she is young, but they can make it work and you need to give them a chance!"
"Who are you to tell me how to feel, you seem to forget, she's *my* daughter, not yours!"
Giles went down the rest of the stairs so that he was eye to eye with the other man. "A father is someone who is there for their child. A father is someone who loves their child unconditionally. *You* are nothing but a sperm donor! I know that Buffy loves you, and there was a time that you were there for her. I respect that. I don't try to replace you. But I am here for her now. I know what her life is like. I see her and Angel interact on a daily basis, so I know better than you do what is good for Buffy."
"How can you possibly say that getting married and having a child at eighteen is good for her? You're just as bad for her as he is!"
In a blind rage, Giles pulled his fist back and swung, hitting Hank in the face with all his might.
As Hank came to, he found Joyce sitting at his bedside, smiling conspiratorially at him.
"Feeling better?" She asked him sweetly.
Hank groaned. "What happened?"
"Let's see... you were a complete asshole to Buffy, she ran up to her room and cried because her father really sucks at his job, and then you pissed Rupert off because you're jealous that he's far more of a man than you'll ever be. And he punched you, like you so richly deserved."
Hank sat in silence for a moment, trying to dull the sting of her words. "What time is it?"
"About ten... Rupert really hit you. I'm so proud."
Hank groaned again then moved to get up. "Look, I'll just go home, okay? I'll call Buffy later."
Joyce sighed. "No, I don't want you driving yet. You can go home after you eat some lunch. I'll go get you something to drink, but I don't want to leave you alone, so I'll send someone to keep you company."
She left the room, and- to Hank's horror- a still angry looking Giles walked in, followed by an even angrier looking Angel walked in.
"W-w-w-where's Buffy?" Hank stuttered.
"She's in her bedroom, and still upset." Angel told him coldly. "I hate it when Buffy's upset. I makes me have all these urges to make sure the person who upset her never upsets her again."
Hank gulped, hoping Angel would remember it wasn't a good idea to kill your future father-in-law.
"No, Daddy, of course I still want you to give me away. I still love you. I know you didn't mean it. Okay, I love you too. See you soon." Buffy spoke into the phone.
Hanging up, she turned to Angel, lounging beside her on the bed. "You really wigged him, Honey."
He pulled her into his arms. "I'm sorry, I just couldn't stand to see you upset like that."
Buffy looked into his eyes and smiled. "I love you."
"I love you too."
The couple kissed once more then proceeded to test the noise level of Buffy's bedsprings.
The End