RATING: Um, a mild PG
DISCLAIMER: BtVS, Angel, and all other characters aren't mine. Neither is Disney's the Little Mermaid, 8-balls, Slinky's beanie babies, Hallmark, or the Girl Scouts.
SUMMARY: A little Challenge fic that I sent out to everyone then decided to take myself up on. What can I say I was bored.
FEEDBACK: Of Course I want it. Even if its to tell me how weird my mind works
DISTRIBUTION: Just let me know where its going…
NOTE: Challenge Requirements at the bottom. Enjoy! The title sux, I know...if you have a better suggestion mail me!

Les poissons
Les poissons
How I love les poissons
Love to chop
And to serve little fish
First I cut off their heads
Then I pull out the bones
Ah mais oui
Ca c'est toujours delish
Les poissons
Les poissons
Hee hee hee
Hah hah hah
With the cleaver I hack them in two
I pull out what's inside
And I serve it up fried
God, I love little fishes
Don't you?

Buffy Summers paused as she opened the door to her mother's house, as the sound of someone singing that French song from The Little Mermaid hit her ears. Cautiously, she shut the door behind her, her body tensed for a fight as she moved from the entranceway to the living room. "Spike!?" her voice conveyed her shock at seeing the platinum blonde vampire singing along to the movie playing on the television.

"Bloody hell!" Spike yelled, diving for the remote and instantly turning the T.V. off. "What the hell are you doing here Slayer?"

"It's my house, remember?"

"Yea, but you live at the bloody dorms with 'Red!"

Buffy stifled a giggle, and crossed her arms across her chest. "What, I'm not allowed to come back? What are you doing here anyway Spike? My mom is out of town."

"I know. She's letting me use it while I look for a new place to stay. Now that those bloody morons that work with your new boy know where my crypt is, I can't very well go back!"

Buffy just shook her head, and made her way to the basement door. "Uh sure, Spike. May I ask what you're doing watching The Little Mermaid? Let alone singing along?"

"They canceled my soaps because of some stupid college basketball game, all right? I was bored!" Spike retorted, narrowing his eyes in annoyance at the blonde slayer. "What are you doing here anyway? I figured you'd be off shagging that Fish Boy of yours."

"Spike, I told you all last week that we're slowing things down. A lot. What with the whole Inititative fiasco and the Adam deal, we're just trying to cope with that," Buffy replied as she walked down the steps into the basement, Spike following her. "And I'm here 'cuz Wills and I decided to try and spice up our dorm room."

Buffy wandered around the basement, looking for a specific box. Pausing at the dryer, on which sat a full laundry basket, she grimaced as she spotted an unfamiliar item. "What the hell is my mom doing with blue silk sheets? Never mind….I don't think I want to know. Its bad enough knowing that your mother and your watcher had sex on the top of a ….Ah!" She cut herself off as she spotted what she was looking for. "I found it!"

"Found what, Goldilocks?" Spike invaded her space, peering over her shoulder as she pulled out a full plastic bag. "What's in there?"

"Christmas lights!" Buffy replied cheerfully, opening the bag to allow him to see even as she stepped back. "A girl on our floor gave us the idea. We're going to string them up around the room." Spike didn't reply, just gave her a weird look, not unlike the one she'd given him for singing along to the Disney movie. "I wasn't looking for your approval, Spike. Anyway, I'm got what I came for. I got to get back. I promised Willow and Oz that I would go to lunch with them."

"Don't you get sick of watching them together? Bleh. They're almost as bad as the idiot and that girl."

"I think its cute. I'm glad Oz came back. As for Xander and Anya, I think I actually agree with you on that one." A scared look passed over her face. "Oh no. I just agreed with you. I've got to get out of here. I'll let you get back to your movie."

Buffy praised the Powers that Be for her Slayer reflexes, for once, as she ducked a pair of pom poms that were hurled out of dorm room. Throwing a bemused look at the now closed door, she moved down the hallway, stepping into her own room. "Hey guys. I got those lights Willow."

"Buffy! Look what Oz gave me!" Willow gestured wildly from her seat on her bed beside Oz.

"Huh?" She moved across the room, dropping the lights on her chair, and looked down at the array of items on Willow's bed. She spotted a silver Slinky in the shape of a star and a Magic 8-ball. And Willow was holding what looked liked a black beanie baby monkey with white fur framing its face, dressed in pants and a little hat. "What was the occasion?"

Oz shrugged, but Willow answered happily. "Anniversary of our first kiss. Isn't he sweet?"

Buffy grinned. "The bestest." Going to sit on her own bed, she noticed a long white flower box, tied with a white ribbon, a card attached. "Did Oz give this to you to?"

"No, a delivery man brought it about half an hour ago. It's for you."

"For me? From who?" Buffy perched on her bed, ignoring a strange feeling that was growing in every cell in her body as she reached for the box and the card. Her name was written on the card in unfamiliar script.

"Riley?" volunteered Willow helpfully as Buffy slipped the ribbon off the box. "Maybe wanting to get things back on track? Oh, Buffy, that's gorgeous."

Buffy nodded, a slim finger tentatively reaching out to touch the soft petal of the single pure white rose that rested on red tissue paper. It had to be the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. "I don't think so Wills," replied Buffy, tapping the corner of the card against her lips thoughtfully. "This doesn't seem like Riley."

"The card isn't going to tell you anything unless you open it," supplied Oz, helpfully, absently walking the monkey across Willow's knee.

"Oh. Yea." Buffy tore her gaze from the bloom, and slid a nail under the flap of the card, gently lifting it up. She pulled the card from the envelope, unconsciously noting the Hallmark insignia on the back. Flipping it over, the front of the card held a beach scene lit by a sunset, a lone figure looking out over the water. 'Thinking of You' was written in the top corner.

Her breath caught as she opened the card and recognized the elegant handwriting. "Beloved, I think of you every second of the day; the sunsets don't hold a candle to your beauty or your love. I was a fool for hurting you. Love Eternally."

She hadn't even realized she'd read it out loud until Willow commented. "Do you know who it's from?"

Buffy didn't answer. She was out the door, accidentally brushing against Willow's desk and knocking a black candle to the floor in her haste. With a burst of Slayer speed, she was out the main doors of Stevenson, and pausing hesitantly on the steps, shading her eyes as she looked over the main mall that stretched out in front of her.

It was then that she saw him. Standing out in the crowd of teenagers dressed mostly in jeans and t-shirts, he was in the middle of them all, dressed in black leather pants, a dark button up shirt, and his long duster. And he was standing in the sun.

A happy shout escaped her lips, and she flew across the quad, jumping into his arms as he grabbed her around the waist, lifting her above him, as he swung her in a circle. Their laughter sounded across the quad, making all those who heard it smile at the loving couple nearby. He lowered her after a few moments, his lips capturing hers in a tender kiss.

"Angel, how?" she asked curiously as her feet finally touched the grass.

He shook his head, his face lit up with a smile. "Let's just say I made my amends."

"Angel, this is probably the best thing I've heard, well, in a while!"

"So you forgive me for hurting you?"

"Angel I forgave you the moment I thought rationally again. I'm always going to forgive you. I love you. Always have. Always will."

"I don't deserve you," he said, his hand caressing her cheek. "Did you like my present?"

She leaned into his touch. "It was gorgeous. Thank you." She was about to say more when her stomach suddenly, very audibly, protested its state of emptiness. Blushing she giggled, just as Oz and Willow, hand in hand approached somewhat cautiously.

"Angel? What…how? You're not dust?"

"I think she means to say its good to see you again," said Oz, reaching out and taking Angel's hand. "Though you still look kinda pale."

*****

"So what's going to happen now?" asked Willow curiously.

The four of them had headed to the cafeteria, without much happening other than having to lunge out of the way as a computer suddenly was thrown off the balcony of the building they'd been walking by, followed by loud yells of 'Good Riddance'. They were presently seated around one of the tables, well Oz, Willow and Angel were. Buffy had neglected to sit in a regular chair and had place herself on Angel's lap, a place he didn't seem to mind to have her. Trays of food lay on the table before them.

Buffy looked to Angel to answer her roommate's question. He grinned and held her a bit tighter, trying to reassure her. "I'm hoping me and Buffy can work things out. I need to stay in L.A. because I still have work that needs to be done there, but we can make it work. Right?"

Buffy nodded happily. "Hell never stopped us. A two hour drive won't either." She paused, throwing down her spork in disgust. "I don't know why I keep trying to eat this stuff. I buy it, don't eat it, then get something else on the way home. Where are those Girl Scouts when you need them? I could seriously go for a box of two of those Samoas." Grinning, she turned to quickly steal a kiss from Angel, who happily complied.

"Buffy!?" Riley's voice broke into the PDA, breaking the newly reunited couple. His voice raised a few more notches at his next words, bringing most of the students in the café to look at him. "What the hell are you doing?!"

Buffy looked up, surprised, and she jumped from Angel's lap, embarrassment staining her cheeks. "Uh. Riley. Hi. What are you doing here?"

"I came in to get some food, but then I see my girlfriend making out with some guy!"

"Riley, look, I'm sorry. It's just…"

"Just what?" His face got red with anger. "That I was wrong about you? That first chance you get you go behind my back and are all over some new guy? How old is he anyway?"

Angel growled at that and stood, taking a menacing step toward the TA. Buffy placed a hand on his chest, keeping him in place as she squared off against the farm boy. "Listen Riley. Don't talk about me like that or else I'm not going to be responsible for what Angel does to you. I didn't exactly think you'd find out like this. I wanted to find a nicer way."

"God Buffy. We decide, or you decide, that we need a break. Do you know what I've been through because of you? Probably a lot more than some fling has ever been! Why didn't you just break it totally off with me if you just wanted to find some new guy?"

"First of all, Fish Boy," retorted Buffy, her tone loud and demeaning. "You have no idea what Angel and I have gone through. And we have a hell of a lot more history than the few months me and you spent together. I had a good time with you Riley, but I never loved you. I've always loved Angel."

Riley glared at them both, Angel having come to stand more fully behind his girlfriend, putting all he had into looking foreboding, and it was working. "I should have listened to Parker."

Anything else he had to say was cut short as Buffy drew back her fist and slammed it into his face. The force of her powerful right hook, complete with all the strength of the slayer, sent him reeling across the room, crashing into a table that had been quickly vacated, and leaving the sound of bones crushing echoing in the air.

There was stunned silence in the aftermath. Buffy turned to Angel, a sheepish smile on her face. "Ooops. I think I used a little too much force there."

Angel's face spread in his patented half grin as he pulled her into his arms. "Then it's a good thing I'm used to your strength."

Challenge Requirements:
Angel and Buffy get back together, but Angel cannot move back to Sunnydale
Riley gets totally humiliated and dumped, in front of tons of people
A computer must be thrown off a balcony or roof
A Song from Disney’s The Little Mermaid

And four or more of the following:
-girl scout cookies, samoa’s are the best
-leather pants
-a monkey beanie baby
-xmas lights (can’t be a xmas fic)
-a ‘thinking of you’ Hallmark card
-a white rose
-dissing of cafeteria food
-a pom pom
-a magic 8-ball
-a slinky
-a black candle
-blue silk

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