**

English was the only class Buffy and Angel took together, and it was suitably timetabled to be the very first class of the morning. Buffy and Cordelia sat in their usual places, talking and waiting for Ms Davis. Neither expected to see Angel at all, and so they were utterly surprised when he came shuffling into the room, not daring to look at either of them. He took his seat behind Buffy and breathed a sigh of relief. He'd gotten this far. Maybe if he could make it through the next hour, he could make it through the rest of the day. And if he could make it through Monday, maybe he could make it through Tuesday, then Wednesday, then Thursday, then Friday. And if he could make it through the week, maybe he could achieve anything.

Buffy and Cordelia exchanged concerned looks. Cordelia knew that Bebe had spent the entire weekend at home, albeit complaining. The separation of the Drunken Duo had to be a good thing, especially now that Angel had come in looking well groomed and sober, if not happy. A searing pain coursed through Buffy's heart as she remembered the brutal fight on Friday. Without thinking, she turned around to face a startled Angel.

"Are you OK?" She asked gently. Taken aback simply by the fact Buffy had spoken to him, Angel paused, before nodding silently.

"Good." Buffy smiled, then seemed to remember that she was mad at him, before turning around.

She wouldn't ever know it, but the simple without-question kindness that Buffy showed Angel in that single moment saved him. If the girl he'd hurt most in the world could show compassion, then perhaps all was not without hope. Angel's eyes began to show signs of life, and by the time he met up with Spike and Dru at the end of the school day, he almost felt better. But if he thought that Buffy would easily forgive him (which he didn't believe for a second) he would have been grossly mistaken.

Buffy herself was torn. She could see that he was hurting, she could see that there was a lot going inside his troubled mind, but she couldn't bring herself to quell the anger inside herself. He had betrayed her. He had probably slept with Bebe, which is something he and Buffy had never done. He had broken every promise he made to her. Before, she had been able to write off anything he did in New York because he swore he had changed, he swore that it was all behind him. But now, she wasn't so sure. She wasn't sure of anything anymore.

Angel, to his eternal credit, wasn't looking for forgiveness. He didn't think he deserved it, and he wasn't going to chase it. Instead Angel concentrated on the place he should have done to begin with. Himself. With Drusilla and Spike's help he spent his time studying, catching up on everything he'd missed during his ride to Hell and back. He spent hours on the phone talking to his mother, telling her how much he missed her, and he meant it. He managed civil conversation with his father, and even apologised for being such a menace. This time, he meant it. Even thousands of miles away in New York, William Driscoll could tell.

**

A couple of weeks passed before Angel considered doing anything but going to school and doing his homework. Finally, a couple of days later, Spike persuaded him to go and watch the Sunnydale Razorbacks football team play a team from Santa Barbara. What Angel didn't know, was that Cordelia and Drusilla had persuaded Buffy to attend. Their reasoning was simple- Buffy and Angel were both miserable without each other. They knew that Buffy would find it hard to forgive him, and they knew that Angel would find it just as hard to accept forgiveness. But they had to try.

"Buffy! What a surprise! Cordelia! We never thought you were the football types." Spike feigned surprise as they met in the bleachers.

"We're not." Buffy said shortly, seeing through the ruse in a second. "Hello Angel." She said shortly. Angel, who looked like a cat caught in headlights, merely nodded. They all settled down to watch a game none of them were especially interested in. At half time, Cordelia, Spike and Dru disappeared, exactly as Buffy had feared.

"I'm not going to forgive you easily, you know." She said. Angel nodded.

"I don't expect you to. If I were you, I wouldn't ever forgive me."

"Forever's a long time." She said. She looked at him, and despite herself, found her heart melting a little. She sighed. She hated hating him. Then, she saw in her mind, the sight of Angel and Bebe together.

"Just answer me one question, and tell me the truth."

"What?"

"Did you and Bebe ever... You know..." She asked, blushing slightly.

"Have sex? No." Angel told her.

"Oh." A small weight lifted off her shoulders. Maybe it wasn't quite as bad as she had thought. No, she couldn't forgive him yet, but she could forgive him. One day.

"How have you been?" His voice was so quiet and unsure, she wasn't certain that she'd heard him at first.

"I've survived." She said, bitterness creeping into her voice. He was about to speak when their friends returned, ending the conversation.

**

It wasn't good news. Not remotely. Angel had gotten the call half an hour ago and still hadn't been able to find a good side to the news. His father was coming to Los Angeles for business and would pay his son a visit up in Sunnydale. William was coming to check up on him, Angel knew it. He was glad that he was now trying to walk the straight and narrow path, because he dreaded to think what his father would do if he found out what Angel had been up to for the past few weeks. He had to persuade his father that he really had changed, because he felt that if William believed it, so might he believe it of himself. After all, if he could persuade his most unbending critic, he could do anything.

Angel had a week before the arrival of his father, and spent much of it with his friends. He gained strength from them, as they helped him through each rather painful day. To his delight, Buffy and her friends were included in this number. Each day at school they all ate lunch together under the tree, they all went to the Espresso Pump together after school and they tacitly boycotted Blitz because Angel was banned. Buffy herself rarely said anything directly to Angel. Sometimes he thought it was if she was observing him to make sure he had changed for good this time. He certainly hoped so, because his body couldn't take another binge. Dru had insisted that he visit the doctor, who had diagnosed Angel with a damaged liver. The time he spent in New York drinking large amounts of highly alcoholic drinks had caused enough problems. But his sudden descent after a long time into his old ways had weakened his liver. He had thus been advised to drink very little ever again. He hadn't told anyone this, of course. He didn't want pity any more than he wanted "I told you so."

**

"Hello Angel," Buffy smiled a little uncertainly. He had arrived in English earlier than usual on this particularly Monday and Cordelia and Bebe had not yet arrived.

"Hello. Did you have a good weekend?" Angel asked politely.

"I guess. You?"

"Oh, OK. I went to the mall for Spike's birthday present. And my dad called to tell me he's coming this weekend."

"Your dad's coming to see you? That's good, isn't it?" Buffy asked.

"I guess. But... Never mind." Angel turned away.

"Angel, tell me." Buffy asked gently.

"He's going to see me and think nothing's changed. And I don't blame him." Buffy looked uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry Buffy." He said.

"You know, that's the first time you actually said that." She told him.

"Well, I knew you wouldn't listen. I don't blame you." He said.

"Angel, stop beating yourself up," Buffy was irritated with him. "You say you're sorry? Maybe I believe you. But you have to make it up with actions, not just words." She told him, before turning to face front. He sighed. She was right. But how exactly did he put it all right? He had no idea. How do you 'be sorry' for what he'd done?

**

"Angel, can I talk to you a minute?" Ms Davis asked as the class filed out.

"Yes?" He approached her.

"Sit down." She paused as he sat down. "You've been having problems recently, haven't you?"

"Well..."

"You don't have to tell me. But I was concerned. You have a real talent for English, but your grade was slipping the last couple of weeks or so. Is everything OK now?"

"Yes."

"Good. In fact, I was hoping to enter one of your pieces in a state-wide literature competition. What do you think?"

"Something I wrote?"

"Sure. The story you wrote about the lost boy?"

"Oh." Not long after arriving in Sunnydale, Angel had written a piece for class about a boy lost in an enchanted forest before being rescued by the princess.

"How about it? The prize is $8000."

"Well, I guess so." He stammered, a little surprised. Ms. Davis smiled.

"Good. And Angel? I expect great things from you the rest of this year." He nodded and left. He was good at English? Since when? Maybe this was something his father could be proud of. Finally.

**

"Help me!" Angel's pained cry brought little smiles to his friends' faces. He was frantically trying to clean the house, which really did have all the hallmarks of being lived in by three students. Angel had been cleaning all day, throwing out old pizza boxes, empty Coke bottles and, more importantly, removing all the empty glass bottles which had accumulated over the past couple of weeks. His friends hadn't lifted a finger between them to help him, deciding that it was all part of his punishment. Instead, the whole gang had sat watching movies and eating junk food- making more mess for Angel to clean up.

"What next?" Spike asked as he removed a video from the machine. Next to the TV there was a tall stack of videos.

"Labyrinth." Dru said, reading the titles.

"No," Buffy immediately countered. She didn't want reminding of the masquerade ball when Angel had somehow been coerced into the Goblin King outfit.

"OK..." Spike neatly changed the subject by holding up Ever After, having been told by Xander that Buffy was a sucker for the straightforward happy ending movie.

"Sure, let's watch that." Buffy said, trying to quell her enthusiasm in front of her friends, who didn't buy it for a second.

Actually, Buffy was distracted for most of the two hours they watched the movie. She had become increasingly aware that Angel hadn't stopped moving all night, and had always been doing something. He seemed to her to be absolutely petrified about his father's visit, and coming so soon after the Bebe troubles, she wondered if perhaps this time Angel might actually crack under the stress. He had told her that, after surviving his time in New York, he felt like he could survive anything. But he looked pale and exhausted and sick. Drusilla had told her how his drinking had taken a much heavier toll on him than it used to. Buffy was privately worried about him, and had taken to watching his every move closely. She alone noticed how sometimes his hands would shake, how the dark circles under his eyes never really disappeared, no matter how much sleep he swore he was getting. Buffy believed that he was now firmly back on the wagon, and hopefully for good. But she knew that his problems weren't over. It was times like these that she just wanted to take him in her arms and promise that everything was going to be all right and she forgave him. But then, she would remember the cruel things he said and did, and how he paraded around with Bebe. Conflicting emotions fought with each other inside Buffy, and she was becoming more and more confused.

"I'm just off to the bathroom," She said, getting up. Her friends just nodded, more interested in the story on screen. She walked through to the bathroom, but heard a bizarre noise coming from Angel's room. She silently opened the door, and looked inside. Angel was sitting on the floor beside his bed. Tears were streaming down his face and he was trying his best to cry silently. She went over to him and knelt down. Scattered on the floor were piles of photographs. Without needing to think, Buffy sat beside him and put her arms around him.

"Shh.... Shh..." She said softly, rocking him back and forth until the sobs quieted a little. She looked at the pictures. Some were of Angel and Courtney, some were of Angel and a young man she assumed to be his old best friend Byron. Then, some of them were much newer, of Angel and Buffy, Angel, Spike and Dru or the entire gang.

"I thought I was happy..." He said, sniffling.

"When?"

"When I was in New York. I thought it was the best kind of fabulous life ever." He sniffed again, then dried his tears, suddenly very aware that he was doing the unmanly crying thing. "I was only ever happy here in Sunnydale with you." He said, looking her directly in the eye for the first time in a while.

"Well, we'll have to see what we can do, won't we?" Buffy smiled a little, getting up. "Come on, you're missing the movie." She said, before going out. Angel smiled, his first real smile in some time. She hadn't forgiven him, but she'd told him that forgiveness was possible. So, life was already looking up. But then, there was the matter of his father to deal with.

"Angel, you're missing all the good bits," Spike looked up when he saw his friend come in.

"Oh well," Angel said, picking up cans and bottles left by his friends.

"Stop it, Angel. This can wait. We'll all help tomorrow morning." Dru told him. Relenting, Angel sat down. Most of the picture had already passed, and by now Cinderella had already lost her glass slipper. In fact, she was now sitting on a step in the pouring rain crying her eyes out.

"Well, this is depressing." Angel commented laconically. He was immediately shushed by Dru, Cordelia, Willow and Buffy, before getting understanding glances from Spike and Xander, but not Oz, who seemed almost moved by it. Angel's gaze shifted from the TV screen to the rest of the room. He noted cobwebs hanging from the high ceiling that would need to be cleaned up, and then his gaze rested upon the pile of videos beside the TV. Each of the people seated had selected something to watch. Apocalypse Now (Xander's choice), This Is Spinal Tap (Oz's choice), Pret-A-Porter (Cordelia's choice), When Harry Met Sally (Willow's choice), Ever After (Buffy's choice) and Labyrinth. He had no idea who would have chosen it, and shuddered as he recalled the night he spent dressed in a blonde wig, a sequinned coat and black tights. Then, a smile almost graced his face when he recalled the parts of the night not spent inside the school, when he had finally told Buffy that he loved her. A thought hit him. Could he? Did he dare? Would it work? Would he ever live it down?

**

Bebe stumbled on the gravel driveway slightly, her legs swaying slightly. She could see that the lights were on, and there were a couple of cars outside the house, so somebody was obviously in. She went to the front door, but instead of knocking, tried the handle. It turned, and she went in. The sound of laughter reached her ears and she walked further into the house.

"What are you doing here?" An accusing voice called out. Spike had seen her stumble in.

"I'm here to see my Angel."

"He's not your Angel. Didn't you hear me when I told you not to push me?" Dru spat at the girl. Drusilla was a sweet girl, but when pushed too far, could be nasty.

"I came to ask Angel if he wanted to go out tonight."

"Why don't you ask me yourself?" He stood up. She smiled slowly at him.

"Hey Angel baby!" She giggled drunkenly. "Wanna come out to play?" Angel stared her down.

"No." The group didn't bother to conceal their surprise. They had never expected him to reject her so bluntly, so entirely.

"What?" She didn't believe it. She wouldn't believe it.

"No." He repeated. "Go home. Go home to New York." He said in a low, controlled voice.

"Why? What?" She couldn't form the words.

"Go back to New York. You don't belong here." He said. She sniffed as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Angel?" She asked softly.

"No." He said finally, before turning and leaving the room.

The next morning, Bebe Thomas thanked her aunt and uncle Chase for allowing her to stay. Then she went to the airport and got on the first plane back to New York, her tail firmly between her legs.

**

William Driscoll arrived in Los Angeles on Sunday evening, and was immediately chauffeured up to Sunnydale. He hadn't seen his son for some time and was even looking forward to it

Meanwhile, in Sunnydale, Angel was on the verge of a complete nervous breakdown.

"What if he tells me it isn't good enough? What if he tells me he wants nothing more to do with me?" He asked Dru anxiously. The entire gang was coming over to meet Mr Driscoll, deciding that it might help Angel's cause to show he had lots of nice friends. However, right now, Dru was alone in calming him down.

"Angel, dear, calm down. You'll have a stroke at eighteen." She smiled encouragingly at him.

"Everything will be fine."

"Yeah. Yeah. What about his room? Have I forgotten anything? What if it isn't good enough for him? I've seen him reduce hotel managers to nothing over stuff like that." Angel said, becoming riled again.

"Only us!" Cordelia's voice called as they came through the front door.

"Hi guys." Angel said.

"Nervous?" Xander asked. Angel didn't respond, instead went and straightened the doormat.

"Angel!" Dru cried in frustration. "Sit down." She commanded. He hesitated, but he sat down just the same.

"What time is he arriving?" Willow asked.

"His flight arrived in LA two hours ago. He should be here by now." He told them. Then, he noticed an absent member.

"Where's Buffy?" He asked in a small voice.

"She'll be here. She just had to help her mom with something or other." Xander told him. Spike came in, carrying several shopping bags.

"I have tea, I have coffee, I have healthy foodstuffs to fill the fridge with." He announced grandly. Angel grabbed the bags and ran to unpack them in the kitchen.

"Still bouncing off the walls?" Spike asked them. Everybody nodded.

**

The sleek black car pulled onto the long driveway of the Driscoll mansion and slid to an almost silent stop by the door. The chauffeur hopped out to open the door for his passenger, but was beaten by a young man.

"Hello dad." Angel said uncertainly.

"Hello Angel." William said, not giving any emotion away. "Help with my bags." He commanded. He walked into the house, with Angel in hot pursuit carrying his bags. The chauffeur then drove away, almost running into a pretty blonde girl who was running up the driveway.

"You remember Spike and Drusilla, don't you?" Angel asked. William nodded and shook Spike's hand warmly.

"How are you William?" Mr Driscoll asked, purposely calling the young man by his original name.

"I'm very well, thank you sir." Spike smiled. Drusilla shook Mr. Driscoll's hand also, "Hello Mr. Driscoll. It's good to see you again." She smiled warmly, and he returned it, having always liked both Spike and Dru.

"This is Cordelia," Angel introduced his father to the brunette. "And Willow," Then to the redhead. "This is Xander, and this is Oz." He introduced them to his father.

"Oz? What kind of a name is Oz?" Mr Driscoll asked.

"It's short for Daniel Osbourne, sir." Oz said. Mr Driscoll noticed Oz's rather unusual green hair.

"I assume that colour isn't natural?"

"No sir. I dyed it." Oz said, uncomfortable under the scrutiny, and hoping he wasn't letting Angel down.

"Oz is in a band that plays here in town."

"A band? What kind of band?"

"Well, we play all kinds. Beatles, Dylan, newer stuff." Oz said. Mr Driscoll seemed appeased, then turned to Angel.

"What about that girlfriend you mentioned?"

Buffy was just coming through the door when she heard him and froze.

"What?"

"Girlfriend. Don't tell me you've broken up with her. Surely you can keep a girlfriend who isn't a crazy drunk? Or did she break up with you because you reverted to your old ways?" Angel cringed, knowing how close his father was to the truth. "Did that Thomas girl make trouble? I knew her coming here was a ridiculous idea."

"No," Angel paused. How was he going to get out of this one.

"Hey Angel!" Buffy called brightly. "Sorry I'm late." She came running in and hooked her arm through Angel's, planting a kiss on his cheek. "You must be Angel's father. It's so great to finally meet you. Angel talks about you all the time." Buffy shook Mr. Driscoll's hand warmly, giving him her warmest, most dazzling smile.

"I'm sure he does." Mr. Driscoll said. "You must be Buffy."

"That's right. How was your flight?" She asked, taking control of the conversation.

Within an hour, Buffy had won over Mr. Driscoll with her bright smiles and polite conversation. Angel watched in awe as the girl he'd hurt the most proceeded to save his skin. Finally, Mr. Driscoll excused himself, telling them that after his flight, he was tired. Angel showed him to his room, which he found decent enough, and then Angel headed back to the main room.

"Well, I think that went very well." Spike said, an amused smile spread across his face. But Angel wasn't listening. His eyes were on Buffy, who was sitting beside the fire, a contemplative look on her face.

"Thank you Buffy." He said to her. She got up.

"That's OK." She grabbed her coat and was out of the door before he could say another word.

**

Willliam Driscoll spent Monday talking with all of Angel's teachers. He was not surprised to be told that while Angel had been doing very well, over the past few weeks he had lapsed, before recovering to his usual level of hard work. He spoke with Principal Snyder, who had been the one to alert him that Angel's work had been lacking recently. They all said the same- that Angel was a good student who had simply slipped behind recently. William was pleasantly surprised to hear Angel's English teacher Ms. Davis tell him how good at English Angel was, and how she had entered him into a writing contest, which he had won.

"I won?" Angel asked, not believing Ms Davis when she told him that afternoon.

"Yes, you did." Ms Davis smiled. "There's a presentation next week at City Hall, where you'll have your picture taken with the Mayor and then he'll present you with a check for $8000.

"That's great." Angel said, a little overwhelmed. "Did my father see you today?"

"Yes. I told him about this. I'd only just heard about it myself. Don't worry Angel. He was very proud."

"Thank you." Angel said, before running out to tell his friends.

He was still a little shaky now and then, but so far Mr. Driscoll hadn't picked up on it. Tonight, however, Buffy was invited to dinner. How Angel was going to get through this, he had no idea. Then, he did have an idea. He didn't know how he was going to explain it to his father, but it might work.

**

"It's not a date, Willow." Buffy told her friend. Buffy, Willow and Cordelia were in Buffy's bedroom, discussing the upcoming dinner.

"Yes it is. Maybe not to you, maybe not to Angel, but to Mr. Driscoll it is. He thinks you and Angel are still going out." Buffy was silent as Cordelia pointed it out.

"You want to!" Cordelia realised.

"What?"

"You want to be Angel's girlfriend again!"

"No.... Yes." Buffy admitted. "He's so sad."

"That's not a reason to forgive someone. He was pretty awful to you."

"Yes, and he's sorry for it. It was all Bebe's fault. Well, not all her fault, but..."

"He's sorry, sure. But is that enough of a reason to forgive him?" Cordelia asked.

"Buffy! Drusilla is here!" Joyce called up. Footsteps came lightly up the stairs, and Dru came in.

"Hi! I'm so glad to get out of that house. Angel's trying to get everything ready for dinner, and his father insists on calling Spike William, and it's all crazy." Dru said, sitting down.

"If Angel were to ask, would you date him again?" Dru asked.

"Why do you ask?"

"No reason. I just... Wondered."

"I... I think I probably would." Buffy admitted. "He'd have to prove he'd really changed though. But... I just hate to see him so sad."

"Yeah." Dru nodded, smiling slightly.

**

At half past eight, Angel's car pulled up outside Buffy's house. She saw him from the window and ran down, all ready for dinner. She got to the front door and stopped dead in her tracks. Angel was coming up the path wearing a dark blue frock coat covered in sequins and beads, a pair of very tight black trousers (or were they tights? Buffy couldn't tell) and a ruffled white shirt. He was wearing long black boots, but by far the crowning glory was the white blonde wig he was wearing. He was carrying a bouquet of red roses and wearing an uncomfortable smile.

"Angel?" She asked uncertainly, trying not to laugh.

"Hi." He said, trying to play it cool. "These are for you."

"You did all this for me?"

"Well... Yeah." He smiled nervously. She took the flowers and disappeared inside for a moment, before returning empty handed.

"My mom's taking care of them." She said. She took the hand he offered her and allowed him to lead her to his car. And as he held the door open for her, she leaned over and kissed him, before getting inside.At that moment, Buffy forgave him. Anyone who dressed up as Jareth the Goblin King for a second time must really want her back. After dinner, they talked for hours, trying to resolve all the pain and hurt caused. They decided that they loved each other too much to stay apart.

**

A week later, Angel was presented with a check for $8000 from the Mayor of Sunnydale for his winning entry in the writing contest. Watching were his proud friends, his prouder father who had stayed in Sunnydale longer than expected to take in this moment, and his even prouder girlfriend. Maybe he hadn't banished all his demons yet, maybe he and Buffy hadn't resolved everything, but for the first time in his life, Angel was at peace.

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