Disclaimer: Do you own them? I surely don't!
Distribution: I'd be honored but ask first please.
Summary: Sequel to Sunnydale High. The gang is in college now, stuff happens.
Pairings: B/A (duh) X/C W/O F/S
Rating: Probably PG-13 for language. I'm not really good at these.
Feedback: Yes please!

Buffy Summers groggily lifted her head from the comfortable pillow, blinking the sleep away from her eyes. She moved to sit up but a voice stopped her. A very male voice.

"Wouldn't do that if I were you." Oz held his hands over his eyes, quickly turning away from the blonde. Buffy blushed quickly, realizing she was naked. Right, she spent the night in Angel's dorm, more in his bed. Buffy quickly covered herself with Angel's sheets.

"Where is Angel?" Buffy muttered. She was not a morning person, especially when she almost flashed her friend.

"Shower." Oz muttered, his hand still over his eyes as he tried to reach blindly for his school books, he knocked over a lamp instead. Buffy watched amused and shook her head.

"It would help my dignity if you got dressed." Oz said simply, hearing no movement from the bed, kicking the pieces of the lamp on the floor with his shoe.

"It would help mine a lot more." Buffy said, quickly reaching for Angel's t-shirt since all her clothes were thrown around the room. Oz would die if he opened his eyes to see her bra right next to him. Buffy got up from the bed, looking around the room for her sweatpants, after a while she gave up and settled from Angel's boxers.

"All right, I'm decent." Buffy chuckled at Oz who slowly peeled his hand from his eyes.

"Good to hear." The guitarist grabbed his books. "I wonder how blind people do it."

"Sorry about that." Buffy apologized, walking over the small refrigerator in Oz and Angel's dorm room, fishing for some milk.

"At least I warned you in time, we wouldn't want a repeat of the Xander incident." Oz grinned at his blonde friend. Buffy shivered. The 'incident' was the most traumatizing thing that had happened. Xander got in trouble with some frat boys and was forced to streak through the halls of Sunnydale University in order to get to his dorm rooms. Unfortunately, the whole gang was in the hall at the time. Cordelia was the only one who was not fazed while Faith screamed that she was blind and Angel couldn't look in Xander's eyes for a long time without bursting out laughing. Willow turned a permeant red for a week and Spike screamed out curses while laughing hysterically. It was truly a Kodak moment or should have been taped on World's Funniest Videos.

"I got to meet Willow in a couple minutes so I'll see you later." Oz said simply and walked out the door as soon as Angel came in. He was dressed in clean clothes and looked refreshed, his hair still wet from the shower.

"Hey you." The dark man greeted with a small smile.

"You might want to warn me when Oz is in the room. He almost had a Buffy Show and Tell in the morning." Buffy quipped but smiled back and greeted her boyfriend with a kiss.

"Sorry. A shower was a necessity." Angel shrugged then frowned. "He didn't see anything though...right?"

"Oh, he saw everything." Buffy teased, she loved making him squirm. Angel frowned and shifted, he was torn between making Oz wear blindfolds when he came in the dorm or debating if she was lying.

"So, where is my breakfast?" Buffy chuckled, changing the subject and leaving Angel unsatisfied.

"Breakfast? Who said anything about breakfast?" Angel laughed.

"You always give me breakfast in the morning. With strawberries and whipped cream. A hungry Buffy is a cranky Buffy and a cranky Buffy is in no mood for kisses." Buffy whined, slipping her hands under his shirt.

"Well, then Cranky Buffy will get no kisses today." Angel smiled softly, stroking her hair.

"Not even one?" Buffy frowned, defeated at her own game. She pouted in a very childlike way which made Angel kiss her forehead. Why did she always win? The blonde smiled cheerfully, pulling away from him.

"Get dressed, we are gonna meet the gang soon." Angel instructed.

"Easy for you to say, you threw my bra out the window." Buffy raised an eyebrow at her boyfriend. Angel shrugged helplessly.

"Damn thing wouldn't come off!" He defended himself. Buffy just shook her head.

*****

"Oh beloved Twinkie, how I miss you so." Xander sighed to his favorite munchie before shoving the whole thing in his mouth.

"Did you know that it is healthier to eat the wrapper?" Willow watched in disgust as Xander finished the treat in a matter of seconds. The redhead shook her head and leaned back into her boyfriend's arms.

"How come he talks to a snack romantically but never me?" Cordelia asked more to herself then anyone else.

"The snack is sweet; you're not." Faith muttered under her breath. Xander laughed, causing sprinklets of Twinkie to fall out of his mouth. Willow nonchalantly handed him a napkin.

"Thanks." He muttered, causing more of his food to tumble from his open mouth.

"Just stop talking." Willow grinned.

"Excuse me, Miss Biker Wannabe, did something come out of your over make-up lips?" Cordy snapped back at Faith.

"Watch it, cutie." Spike chuckled, tightening his grip on his dark-haired girlfriend, feeling her tense.

"How long have they been mad at each other now?" Buffy asked, perched on Angel's lap, indicating to Cordelia and Faith.

"Almost a week now. Who ever knew that borrowing eye shadow could ruin friendships?" Oz shook his head. The whole gang was seated outside the college, their local meeting place before they went to classes. College was tough, tougher than high school but it was fun. Their was parties every day, dorm rooms, and meeting new people. Unfortunately, the dorm rooms wasn't as fun as it should have been. The gang picked names for who they were going to be paired up with. Of course all the girls wanted their boyfriends but it was dorm rules that no boys and girls could live together. Spike got stuck with Xander, Willow was happy to be with Buffy, Oz was stoic is be with Angel, and Faith and Cordelia unhappily got stuck together. There was a lot of complaints. Though, everyone would be spending their nights in someone else's dorm room, so it wasn't *that* bad.

Expect when one person walks in on the other person having sex. Faith was the first one to experience that one, hence more anger towards Cordelia and Xander.

"It was black eye shadow! When did you *ever* wear black eye shadow?" Faith glared at the former cheerleader.

"Duh! Like always. You're just mad because you walked in on me and Xander." Cordy rolled her eyes, even though Angel had to admit that he had never seen his sister wear black eye shadow.

"That's it! I'm gonna have sex with Spike every second of the day and when you walk in, then you see how it feels to be ruined for life!" Faith yelled, causing strange looks from onlookers.

Cordelia opened her mouth to retort but Spike interrupted. "That sounds like a wonderful plan! Lets put it into motion already!" Spike quipped cheerfully.

"Eww, I'm gonna be sick." Xander shivered.

"Put a God damned sock in it, Naked Boy." It was meant to be a threat but Spike couldn't help but laugh at the nickname. Angel smirked and rested his head on top of Buffy's.

Oh yeah, this year was gonna be fun.

*****

"No! No way, absolutely not." Cordelia firmly shook her head and stomped her foot on the ground for emphasis at her boyfriend. Xander sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, desperately trying to figure out how to deal with going out with the malicious Cordelia Chase.

"And why not?" He asked, his tone tired.

"Because I did not shop for this! You should have warned me, Xander Harris!" The Queen C snapped. God, why was she going out with a person who didn't have a brain? Didn't he know that it was the sacred rule to shop for a new swimsuit before a girl goes swimming at a public pool? God! What has the world come to?

"Cordelia! I bought you three new swimsuits in the summer? How the hell could you not have shopped for it?" Xander half shouted.

"You call what you bought me swimsuits?! One, those are little strings that I would not wear in public in less I want to looked like Faith and two, you bought those from store that is not in my vocabulary. Therefore, I do not like them!" Cordy shouted, busily searching through her closet for a swimsuit that was not a month old. The whole gang was probably at the pool already since it was the most hottest and humid day in California. Xander had just decided to tell her now, three minutes before the whole gang was leaving, that they were going to a public pool and she had *no* good swimsuits. Hence her dilemma.

"You said you loved those." Xander whimpered, hurt.

Cordy rolled her eyes. She did not have time to deal with her boyfriend's pain. She had a clothing problem.

"Well, never mind! I don't care if you liked those or not. I am leaving here in five minutes with you or without you!" Xander shouted firmly, sitting down on the Cordelia's bed in Faith and Cordelia's dorm room. The brunette shouted in frustration before starting again with her search.

*****

"Where the hell are they?" Buffy asked, laying down on a fold up chair that the pool had scattered around the place.

"Who gives a fuck." Faith muttered grimly. All she needed was another day with Cordelia. She already lived with the bitch!

"I do. I hope they didn't get in trouble or in an accident." Willow sighed.

"They are just probably shagging." Spike shrugged off his two absent friends. He was busy watching Faith in her so called bikini but it was more like a thong and strapless small swimsuit top.

"Lets not forget that *I* walked in on them!" Faith snapped, crossing her arms over her chest and shuddering at the memory. Angel chuckled and pulled down his sunglasses, that Buffy found very sexy, to grin at Faith.

"You can't let that go, can you?"

"If you saw Xander naked *twice* then you wouldn't let it go either." Faith retorted, even though she had a slight grin on her face.

"Ugh." Was Oz's only reply.

Angel chuckled, pushing his sunglasses back up. "Point taken."

"Let's get off the subject of naked Xander please. I just ate." Buffy said, pulling Angel's hand over to her and playing with her fingers. Angel gasped at the electricity that shot through him at her touch. It was strange, he would have thought that the amazing feeling of being near Buffy would fade but it only had gotten stronger. Sometimes he would feel like he was on an incredible high when they kissed. He would shiver as if he had been put in a freezer but had hot water pouring down on him for a year and smile like an idiot. Angel wondered if she felt these strange feelings as intently as he did.

"Speak of the devil." Willow chirped waving to Xander and Cordy who walked into the pool arguing.

"Do you have to wave them over here?" Faith glared at the redhead.

"I was just...being nice and letting them know that we are here and not left yet because they are a half an hour late." Willow stressed that last part when the couple came into hearing distance.

"Sorry, Xander was being...Xander." Cordy dismissed the comment with a wave of her manicured hand.

"What? I was being Xander? *You* were the one who took three years to find a freaking swimsuit!" Xander shouted angrily at his girlfriend. His very picky girlfriend.

"Oh my God, Cordelia, that swimsuit is like a month out of style! How could you?" Buffy mocked disgust and shock. Xander chuckled, good ole' Buffy.

Cordy stared at Buffy in horror then turned to Xander quickly. "I hate you! You made me pick this swimsuit." Xander's grin was wiped from his face and he threw his hands up in defeat. Bad Buffy!

"Fine! Everything is my fault. If you have a bad hair day it is my fault, if you have PMS it is my fault! And you know what else? I *hate* that swimsuit it makes you look...fat!" Xander yelled. The group looked around to see other onlookers staring at them in amusement. Willow buried her face in her hands. She would have to start counting how many times her friends embarrassed her in public.

Cordy shouted in frustration and anger and with one clean blow, she pushed Xander straight into the pool. Spike and Angel immediately took the time to point and laugh at their friend as he managed to get his head above the surface. Buffy frowned in disappointment. She really needed to start bringing a camera.

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up." Xander muttered as he stood up in the water. Everyone gasped in shock and horror. Angel turned away, his body shaking from laughter and sharing high fives with Spike.

"Xander!" Buffy yelled, turning her face into Angel's shoulder. Willow rolled her eyes and chuckled to see that Oz had his hand over his eyes. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

"No!" Faith screamed in horror, covering her eyes. "Damn you, you bastard! This is the third time! Why are you so cruel to me God?"

Xander looked down only to notice that his swimming trunks was around his ankles. He turned a violent red before sitting quickly back down in the water and pulled his swimming trunks up.

"Sorry." He sighed. Damnit!

******

"How is your mom?" Buffy asked her boyfriend on the way home from the pool. It was a great trip. All her trips were great if she had her friends and her boyfriend. The rest of the day contained of going down slides, dunking the boys, and making fun of Xander.

"She is doing fine. I think she is still a little shocked about the whole thing with my father but that was almost four years ago. I still don't like her new boyfriend though." Angel admitted, throwing his arm around her shoulders as Spike drove Angel's convertible. Faith looked back at them, raising in eyebrow.

"I thought your mom was dating that guy for his money."

"Are you calling my mom a gold digger?" Angel chuckled in disbelief.

Faith shrugged. "It could happen."

"Turn around." Buffy laughed and snuggled closer to her boyfriend. They have been dating for almost four years now. Angel and the boys were all sophmores at the college and the girls were all new freshmen. Spike hated it. He knew that the seniors had already started to continually ask his girlfriend to frat parties, raids, and more illegal stuff. So far, they had both had stayed clean but she warned him that if he touched another beer bottle more than three times then she was going to have sex with every single man on campus. So he was staying sober.

"What are we doing tomorrow?" Spike asked. The rest of the gang was in Cordelia's car behind them. Spike could just imagine Willow and Oz ready to kill Xander and Cordelia and their bickering.

"There is a party at Steve's." Faith supplied.

"Nah. He is a total druggie so that means everyone's drink has something in it." Buffy dismissed the idea.

"Party at Chessa's?"

"Not a good idea." Angel said.

"Why not?" Buffy asked.

"Chessa... has a very large appetite for men." Angel replied slowly and Buffy raised an eyebrow at him.

"What are you hinting too?"

"Chessa has been trying to get into Angel's pants since he came to Sunnydale University." Spike winked at his best friend.

"Thanks Spike." Angel muttered. Mental note to self, kill Spike, Angel thought.

"Then no Chessa's." Buffy stated firmly, gripping her boyfriend with a new found possessiveness.

"Hey! Ain't Gunn having a party?" Spike asked.

"Oh yeah. If Gunn is throwing it then it will be one hell of a party." Faith grinned.

"What the hell, woman? How come you know whose having a party and who isn't?" Spike demanded. His girl was sneaky and he knew that he had to watch her.

"Just special that way, I guess." Faith smiled innocently.

"Yeah right." Spike grinned.

*****

The alarm clock rang loudly, shattering the quiet morning air in Willow and Buffy's dorm room. Buffy groaned and took a swing at the noisy appliance but her fist smacked into the wall instead. The blonde groaned once again before sitting up to nurse her wounded fist.

"Damn thing." She cursed, glaring daggers at the seemingly innocent alarm clock. Willow woke up with ease, bouncing away from the bed in excitement. Why Willow liked school, Buffy would never understand.

"Ahh. Morning. I love morning, its so fun and peaceful." Willow beamed at her best friend.

"More like grouchy and bad hair." Buffy muttered, throwing back the covers.

"Don't be a spoiled sport. Morning is filled with...bagels! Gotta have those bagels and oh, with all that cream cheese and it kinda melts when the bagel is nice and toasty. But don't tell Oz, he might get jealous." Willow smiled, imagining the perfect bagel. Buffy just stared at her friend strangely.

"I can have food fun too." The redhead defended.

"Are you up for Gunn's party later?" Buffy asked. "Now there is excitement."

"I'm not really a party person but I guess it will be fun." Willow said, rummaging through her closet.

"Not a party person? Will, we go to the Bronze almost every day. Besides, some times you just got to let go and go wild." Buffy chuckled.

"I don't do wild." The redhead almost blushed. Willow and wild are not good things when mixed together.

"Willow, you are the most wild person I know. With the whole loving bagels and being excited about school thing." Buffy teased. Willow just stuck her tongue out at the blonde.

******

"At first I was afraid, I was petrified, kept thinking I could never live without you by my side! But then I spent so many nights, thinking how you did me wrong and I grew strong!" Xander sung loudly, dancing around his and Spike's dorm room, looking for something to wear. Spike just glared at Xander, sitting on his bed with his hands over his ears. Dear God, this was *not* happening to him. Why the hell did he get stuck with this singing ninny?

"Shut the hell up, damnit!" Spike roared, he was expecting his ears to start bleeding with any more of this God damn singing.

"Aw, come on, Spike! Get in the spirit." Xander did a crazy dance, which looked like to Spike that Xander was trying to swim with no water, while he put his shirt on.

"And what spirit is that? The I'm-Gonna-Kill-Xander-Spirit?" Spike threatened. It was too early for this shit.

"Actually, today at Gunn's party, I'm going to break up with Cordelia." Xander pronounced proudly. Spike removed his hands from his ears and raised an eyebrow at his room mate.

"You are going to break up with *Cordelia Chase*?" Spike threw his head back and laughed. Xander frowned at his friend's reaction.

"Whites so funny?" The brown hair boy demanded. Spike forced himself to stop laughing but it still took him a couple of minutes to collect himself.

"You aren't going to break up with a babe like Cordelia because you love her *and* you won't break up with her because then she will start crying and then Angel will kill you." Spike listed the reasons.

"Cordy is not capable of crying of a guy." Xander retorted. "Did you see what she did to me? She embarrassed me in front of a whole pool full of people!"

"Its a good thing you will never see those people again." Spike chuckled from the reminder of the past day.

"Half of those people go to this damn school! I swear, I can't take any more of her. I'm about to snap." Shifted his weight from foot to foot and waved his hands around crazily. When Spike was about to retort Xander started up his horribly off key singing.

"I will survive! As long as I know how to love I know I will stay alive...something something, something, I will survive!" Xander shouted loudly, going to take his shower.

"You're not going to survive if you keep singing that fucking song!" Spike shouted after him. Bad start to the morning.

*****

"You try that again, bitch, and see what happens!" Faith screamed at her room mate.

"Try what? What are you screaming about now?" Cordy snapped, turning around to face her very pissed off room mate.

"You drank my milk, damnit!" The tough brunette yelled, holding up the empty carton of milk, her eyes demanding an answer. Cordy opened her mouth to yell back but slowly snapped it shut. Whoops.

"Sorry. It wasn't labeled!" The Queen C defended. Faith rolled her eyes and threw her hands up in the air in disbelief.

"Listen, princess, there are *two* fridgerators in here! The one by my bed is mine and the one by your bed is yours! Get it!?" Spike's girlfriend's voice was hoarse from all the yelling. She was emotionally exhausted from living with Cordy. She should get a transfer into a different side of the college.

"I didn't know it was crime to drink milk." Cordy turned back to the mirror, applying more of her makeup. Faith seethed in anger, she slowly put down the carton of milk to avoid throwing it at her room mate's head. She turned cautiously towards her bed and threw one good punch at her pillow. Then another one and another.

"God. Therapy much?" Cordy asked, looking strangely at Faith who was soon pummeling her pillow.

There was a couple of pounds on the side of the wall. It was Angel and Oz, whose room was right next store to theirs, signaling from them to be quiet. Faith glared at the wall and pound her fist once on it, telling them she was done with her screaming. For now.

******

After a long day of grueling classes and a lot more bickering, Angel was more then pleased to sink into the arms of his beloved. The sad thing was that the bickering seem to follow him even there. Angel shook his head sighing as he laid his head down on his girlfriend's lap, they were in Buffy and Willow's dorm room, lying on top of Buffy's bed. Willow and Xander were sitting on the bed next to them. Angel was perfectly content and only heard some of their heated conversation. It had to do with staying alive and crazy girlfriends.

"You seem so tired, up to Gunn's party?" Buffy asked, running her fingers through his thick brown spikes.

"Hmm." Angel muttered, his eyes closed. He could stay like this forever. A shiver of delight ran through him as she giggled.

"Great answer. I totally agree."

"Hopefully everyone will come to their senses after this party. I think they all need to separate from each other for a day." Angel said, gesturing to Xander who was surely talking about his sister.

"Whatca mean? I think we have matured in a great sense." Buffy smiled down at her boyfriend.

"*We* have, they haven't." Angel corrected.

"Not true. Faith is way more mature and so is Spike, with the whole not drinking and having sex with everything that breathes." Buffy joked. "But I do understand what you mean. I just guess that living with your sister makes you crazy, you should know." The blonde grinned, thinking about how horrible it must have been to live with Queen C.

"I feel bad for Faith." Angel chuckled after some more thinking.

"Ugh!" Willow shouted from her bed, startling Xander and the rest of the occupants. "We should start getting ready we are gonna be late for the party. Plus, you know how Gunn is. He has got maximum security with his whole gang thing and all." Willow pointed out.

"Good point, Wills. I gotta go, today is my big day!" Xander bounced off the bed, standing tall and taking a deep dramatic breath before leaving the room. Angel raised an eyebrow at his strange friend.

"What's up with him?" He asked, groaning in protest as he reluctantly pushed himself away from Buffy. He oddly felt empty.

Willow chuckled. "He thinks he is going to break up with Cordelia."

Buffy exchanged serious looks of concern with her boyfriend before they both burst into hysterical laughter.

*****

"God damn!" Gunn shouted over the large crowd of people filling the large house. He checked his friends at the door to make sure no one who wasn't wanted got into the party. His friends were mostly the people in his gang who look out for his back, he had several other scattered around the party. The house that the party was thrown in wasn't his, hell no. He had gotten permission from one of his buddies in a fraternity who lent their house. The huge mansion was being filled up quickly was food, drinks, people, and dancing. It was great.

"And they say I don't know how to throw a party." Gunn laughed to himself. Damn straight this was going to be the most kickin' party over on this fucking earth.

"And I thought that you were losing your touch." Angel spoke up from behind his old friend. Gunn turned and grinned.

"Angel! Man, glad you made it." They shared a brief hug before Gunn turned his attention to the blonde on his friend's arm.

"Hey you. What's up, girl?" Gunn greeted, looking the familiar blonde up and down. He was blown away when he heard that those two were still together but he knew that they had something more then just a regular crush.

"Nothing much. I'm kinda disappointed, I was expecting to get robbed again." Buffy admitted, amusement in her eye. She remembered how scared she was when she first had an encounter with the African American. He had held a knife to her neck and demanded money, if Angel hadn't have come to the rescue she didn't know what might have happened. Gunn laughed and shrugged.

"If I knew that you were Angel's girl I wouldn't have even thought about it." The street kid gave Buffy a welcoming kiss on the hand and changed the subject. "Where is the rest of your crew? And your beautiful sister?"

"They are around here somewhere but don't even think about my sister that way. Don't you have a girlfriend?" Angel warned playfully.

"Yeah. My woman is around here somewhere, also. I got to watch her, I see the way these men look at my girl. You wait to you see her, she is a knock out!" Gunn promised, a goofy smile on his face.

"I bet." Buffy chuckled. She generally liked Gunn, although his profession of gang banging was not the best way to live, he was sweet and funny.They said their good-byes and continued on to the party.

******

"Woah! Slow down there, tiger." Faith shouted as she barely dodged a drunk who flew at her, trying to grab parts that only her boyfriend can grab. Said boyfriend grabbed the drunk by the neck and threw him behind them as they continued into the loud party.

"It was a bad fucking idea to bring *you* here." Spike muttered as Faith shamelessly smiled at guys but hanging on his shoulder. What a tease.

"Aww, come on. Where is your sense of fun?" Faith teased, jumping up and wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. Spike chuckled, leaning in for a kiss but was interrupted by Gunn.

"Hey! All that freaky stuff takes place upstairs in the bedroom, not in the middle of the damn party!" The host laughed. Faith grinned, letting the bleach blonde go and dropping to the floor.

"What's the fun in that?" The brunette winked at Gunn.

"Damn girl! Its getting hot in here. You better watch her, Spike." The black man aired out his shirt and fanning himself for emphasis.

"Don't I know it." Spike snapped, grabbing Faith by the hand and dragging her away. Why did his girlfriend have to be so damn hot?

"Hey!" Willow shouted, catching Faith and Spike's attention. The both turned around to face Willow and her boyfriend. Oz nodded his greetings.

"Hey guys. Why aren't you out there getting all wild on the dance floor?" Faith asked the shy couple. Willow blushed, grabbing her boyfriend's hand.

"Why does everyone see me as wild now? I don't understand. Was it something I said?" Willow looked a little excited, though.

"You crazy, Red? You are so wild in bed....I mean..." Spike teased. Willow blushed even more, if that was possible.

"You have no proof." Willow turned to her boyfriend who simply raised an eyebrow. "He has no proof."

"What about our video tape?" Spike mocked hurt and Faith chuckled.

"Video tape?" Willow squeaked.

"Its okay, honey, we will just burn the evidence." Oz squeezed her hand before leading the speechless Willow away.

"God, I love teasing them." Spike sighed happily. Faith elbowed him hard in the gut but couldn't wipe her smile away. Willow was very shy about things, including sex, so it was pretty amusing to see her turn the color of a tomato.

"Speaking of teasing, did you hear what Xander is going to do tonight?" Spike couldn't help but laugh thinking about it.

*****

Xander stared at his soon to be ex-girlfriend. She looked amazing tonight, that was of course blemished because of the long hours he had to wait for her to look like that. He believed that everyone had their natural beauty and Cordelia had lots of it, why she put on so much makeup and the best clothes to look good was beyond him. He would never truly understand her. He loved her, a lot, but he could only take so much of Cordelia Chase. Xander didn't know how Angel dealt with it since his childhood.

"Cordy." Xander called to get her attention but the party was too loud and she was busy talking to some old high school friends. He tried again louder, "Cordelia!"

No luck. Xander shrugged, the big break up could wait until later. Hopefully, he still had the courage to do it. No one would believe that he would have the guts to let a beautiful woman like Cordy go but he was going to prove them wrong. He had been with her since junior year of high school and they had went through countless fights but had always been together but this was it. He was not going to be a lap dog to her anymore! No more embarrassing outbreaks of screaming, no more kisses in the girl's bathroom and certainly no more getting caught having sex.

Oh God, what did he think he was doing? He grabbed a cup of beer and gulped it down, wincing at the bitter taste.

"I will survive, as long as I know how to love I know I'll stay alive." He sung under his breath.

"Hey, I love that song. Got me through some tough times when the beasts known as men tried to kick me out of their house." A pretty brunette said bluntly who was standing right next to Xander.

"Me too! Well, not really." Xander said excited. The brunette chuckled and held out her hand.

"Anya." She introduced herself, shaking Xander's hand.

"Xander Harris. It's lovely to meet you." Xander flashed her a dazzling smile, pulling the charm card. It always works.

"Don't you just hate men?" Anya snapped bitterly, looking beyond Xander at a muscular man flirting with a couple of women.

"Yeah. Screw all the men in the world....wait, please don't do that." Xander joked, trying to lighten Anya's dark mood.

"I mean, who do they think they are? Flirting with whoever they want, breaking up with women because they aren't good enough or they take too long to get dressed. I hate them!" Anya glared at the man still flirting, grabbing Xander's drink and taking a long sip. Xander assumed macho man over there was Anya's ex.

"Hey! We try to be good for you, women but you are just too strange! I mean who pushes their boyfriend into a pool, causing him to flash everyone, just because he called her fat? Is that fair? Women need to appreciate the risk men take for them by going out with them." Xander defended his sex. Anya raised an eyebrow to stare at him.

"I mean...men suck." Xander quickly covered up. Anya smiled in return.

"Dance with me, Women Hater." The brunette demanded, taking Xander's arm and pulling him to the dance floor. Xander smiled in victory and wrapped his arms around Anya.

******

"He has a death wish." Willow stared at her friend who was dancing with some unknown women. Thank God, Cordy was no where to be seen or else she would have a fit and probably break all the windows with her scream.

"Maybe she is just a friend." Oz wrapped an arm around her shoulder. The couple was seated on a couch in a secluded corner, watching the excitement pass them by. Willow loved it, just being in Oz's arms and watching all her friends have fun and to see people dance and have a good time was her idea of a perfect night. It was strange, she knew but she couldn't help but feel anything else.

"Maybe." She agreed, she couldn't rule out that possibility but they were holding each other too tight.

"Don't worry about it. Its none of our business." Oz whispered in her ear, kissing her crown.

"I know but..." Willow tried, worried about her friends.

"No." Oz said softly. "If Xander thinks that he could try and break up with Cordy then let him do it. You know that they will be back together tomorrow. They are like...a bass and a drum."

"Oh. But you could start a band without a drum." Willow argued, squeezing her boyfriend's hand.

"Impossible. The drum gives the bass life." Oz replied with ease. Willow thought about it for a moment before smiling happily. He could always make her feel so much better.

"You're right. I'm overreacting."

"It happens." Oz smiled, reinforcing his embrace on his redhead. A loud shout caught both of their attention. The couple turned to look at Faith who was standing on top of a table, dancing and shouting. Guys circled her, cheering her on while passing up beer.

"Chug! Chug! Chug!" They chanted and Faith did as they asked, emptying a beer bottle in a matter of seconds. She threw the beer bottle of her shoulder and threw her hands up in victory. The men cheered, grabbing at her but she pushed them away with ease.

"Uh oh." Willow muttered. She then saw Buffy and Spike stare at her in disbelief.

"Come on, boys! Keep passing the drinks!" Faith yelled and more men cheered. Buffy shook her head. She had enough of this, she quickly maneuvered through the men surrounding her drunk friend and reached the table that Faith was standing on. Spike was too pissed, shocked, and turned on to react.

"Faith!" Buffy hissed, getting the brunette's attention. "Faith, get down there. You're drunk."

"Hey B!" Faith laughed. "You want to come up here? Its fun as hell!"

"What? No!" But it was too late. Men was pushing her up on the table and Faith grabbed her hand, helping her up.

"Its B, everyone!" Faith introduced, her words slurred. Buffy looked around, embarrassed to see men blowing kisses and winking at her.

"B! B! B!" They chanted. Buffy turned away in disgust, wishing for Angel to seriously pummel all these intoxicated people.

"Faith, come on. Spike is pissed, how can you be drunk but tell him not to?" Buffy hissed in her ear, kicking at guys that were trying to grab her ass.

"Back off, pig. I'm taken." She warned one of them, turning away from Faith for a second.

"Well, where is my boyfriend? He could join the fun. Spike! Where the fuck are you?" Faith shouted, scanning the crowd for her blonde boy toy.

"Spike! Spike! Spike!" The drunken crowd cheered and Buffy rolled her eyes.

"Can you guys chant something else?" She snapped. Buffy winced as she also looked around the crowed, still on top of the table surrounded by men, and saw Angel standing deathly still, next to Spike, with his arms folded over his chest with the same pissed of expression as Spike. Damnit Faith! She grabbed her friend pulling her off the table, much to the disappoint of many of the men.

Buffy pushed away any man that got too close and finally reached their destination. Their pissed off boyfriends. Buffy pushed her drunk friend into Spike before slowly turning to face Angel, who wanted an explanation about why his girlfriend was standing on top of a table surrounded by men chanting her name.

"Shut up." She said simply before leaning against his chest, trying to get the feeling of the other men touching her off. Angel sighed, wrapping his arms around her. He couldn't stay mad at her for more then a couple of seconds.

"Explain tomorrow." He said simply and Buffy smiled against his shirt. She watched as Spike angrily dragged Faith away, probably to yell and makeout with her. Same old thing.

"Hey. Nice table dance, Buffy." A new voice interrupted them and Buffy turned around quickly in Angel's arm to face Penn. Buffy's anger quickly evaporated as she saw Angel's friend.

"I'm still expecting my payment." Buffy teased and smiled when Angel gripped her tighter.

"What are you doing with my girl?" Angel smiled, removing an arm from Buffy to shake hands with his old football buddy.

"You didn't tell him?" Penn mocked surprise and fear and Buffy shrugged.

"I didn't know you went to SU, Penn, I thought you were going to Yale or some smart school like that." Angel said.

"Yeah right. I love Sunnydale, wouldn't leave it. I got accepted at the very last second at Sunnydale University, my room mate is Gunn. Hence, why I am at this kick ass party." Penn explained.

"Damn, you should have told me. I will stop by Gunn and yours room and we will have to catch up." Angel promised. Penn smiled.

"Yeah, that would be great. Haven't seen a whole lot of familiar faces. Well, I got to go, the women are waiting." Penn winked at them before disappearing into the crowd. Angel chuckled, he was glad that Penn was here but his smile was soon swept from his face when Buffy abruptly broke away from his embrace.

"Uh oh." She muttered.

"What?" Angel asked, grabbing her hand as she led him towards the dance floor where another crowd was growing. Buffy jumped trying to see what was going on, she heard Xander and Cordelia yelling. Was Xander really going to break up with Cordelia? She wanted to see this miracle in the making.

"Here, get on my back." Angel asked, he could clearly see Xander and Cordelia shouting being a good foot taller then Buffy. Buffy laughed as she jumped on her back, looking over the crowd to clearly see Cordy and Xander in the middle of a heated argument.

"What the hell do you think you're doing with *her*!?" Cordy shouted, pointing at Anya who she found dancing closely next to her boyfriend.

"I will dance with whoever the hell I want to dance with!" Xander shouted back, defending Anya who he found exciting and cool although, he could feel her death stares burning into his back. She did have a problem with men.

"You are my boyfriend, you don't grind with some other girl without me getting in-between it!" Cordy shouted. How dare he try to cheat on her! She would show him! She was sick of being held behind by Xander, who was always telling her to change herself. She will be beautiful if she wants to, damnit!

"I'm not your boyfriend anymore!" Xander yelled, part of him regretting it. There! He had said it. He wasn't her boyfriend anymore. Xander Harris no longer belonged to Cordelia Chase! She did the last thing he thought she would do.

She laughed. "Are you saying *you* want to break up with *me*?" Giggles escaped her lips but Xander could make out her sentence. Several people who knew who Cordelia was, laughed also.

"Why does everyone laugh when I say that?" Xander demanded. Does everyone think of him as whipped? He will not be whipped no more!

"Because Xander, you love me and there is nothing you can do about it." Cordy said, quite proudly. She did hate embarrassing her boyfriend, it meant embarrassing her too. She loved Xander, she really did, but sometimes he was just too wacky.

"See, Cordy, that's where you are wrong." Xander said, his seriousness scaring Cordy. Was he really going to break up with her? A pang of sadness and guilt struck her and her defensive demeanor broke. An innocent look crossed her face along with confusion about what was going to happen next. Xander winced at seeing her desperate face and the anger that threatened to overwhelm her. Okay, calm down, breathe, he told himself. This was it. The big moment that he had been waiting for. Just say the words...

"Cordelia, I think that we shouldn't break up." Xander said quickly. Wait, that wasn't what he wanted to say. We *should* break up! Hurry, say it, take it back! Remember, no more whipping, Xander reminded himself but it was too late. Cordy smiled happily, launching herself into his arms.

"I don't think we should either." Cordy said, her voice muffled because her face was firmly buried in his neck. "But if I *ever* catch you dancing with another woman again, I will break up with you without hesitating." Queen C threatened. Xander tried to squash down how happy he felt that he hadn't broken up with her but he couldn't. He simply sighed and sent an apologetic look towards Anya who glared at him, pushing past the couple.

"Just another man." Anya shook her head, walking away. Xander winced, he liked Anya. He would have to send her a fruit basket or something. He looked around to see the crowed quickly evaporating at seeing that there was no fight anymore. Cordy parted from Xander after a quick kiss, going to powder her nose and get a drink. Gunn walked up to Xander with a brunette on his arm. She was pretty with long brown hair, big eyes, and a pleasant smile. She reminded Xander of a brunette version of Willow.

"Keep it up, Xand. You're making my party! By the way, this is my girl Fred." Gunn introduced and Fred shook Xander's hand.

"Nice to meet you. Sorry about the display with your girlfriend. She is very pretty." Fred said politely.

"Yeah, thanks. Nice meeting you." Xander said good-bye as they continued on their way. The brown haired boy turned to look at Angel and Buffy. Angel was obviously giving Buffy a piggy back ride. Buffy jumped off of her boyfriend to applaud him.

"That was one tough break up, Xand. Are you okay to drive?" She teased. Xander winced, yep, he was going to hear about this nonstop. His rescue came in the form of a tall, sandy blonde haired man who stopped a couple steps in front of Buffy.

"Buffy? Buffy Summers?" Xander and Angel both noticed how the blonde tensed at the unfamiliar voice. Angel immediately was at her side as she turned around to look at the tall man who called out her name. Xander took one protective step closer.

Buffy gasped, stumbling a step back but was held up right by Angel's arms. Her face turned a sheen white and she shivered in displeasure. Ohgodohgodohgod.

"Who are you?" Angel asked, already disliking the man who made his girlfriend so upset. She was clinging at his arm like a lifeline. He wrapped a protective arm around her, pulling her closer.

"My name is Riley, Riley Finn."

******

"Hi, Riley. My name is Xander Harris." Xander said dumbly, reaching his hand out to shake, ignoring Buffy and Angel's reaction to the unfamiliar man. Angel pushed Xander's hand down, making a mental note to punch him later.

Riley Finn. The name made Angel want to grab a baseball bat and beat the blonde person in front of him unconscious. He would, but he didn't have a baseball bat near him at the time. Angel pushed Buffy behind him and stepped threateningly closer to Riley all in one fluid motion of instinct.

"You're not wanted here." Angel gritted out between clenched teeth, it sounded more like a growl but Angel didn't care. Something flickered in Riley's eyes but went away before Angel could identify it. He clenched his fists to stop them from itching to be thrown in Riley's face. Buffy gripped his hand like a lifeline, taking quick shallow breaths. Angel feared she would hyperventilate.

"Woah, tension much?" Xander said, feeling the whole room go down a couple notches in degrees.

"Sorry, I just thought I would say hi." Riley held his hands up in surrender and taking a small step away from the possessive dark haired sophomore. He maneuvered his body to take a quick glance at Buffy behind Angel. Angel's hands shot out, forcefully shoving him away from Buffy and himself. Xander jumped back, since this was not his fight. He held his hands up, standing between the two men, play referee.

"Angel! Bad boy, how many times have I said no pushing?" Xander scolded. Buffy glared at Xander, promising to beat him in a bloody pulp later. Did he have to be so thick headed?

Riley stumbled back a couple of steps, caught off guard and looked around to see a crowd of nosey and drunk students gathering around.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" They chanted in their usual drone. Buffy's eyes left Xander to the obnoxious crowd.

"Is that all you guys do, scream something three times?" Buffy snapped angrily, all her emotions mixing into one confusing mess. She was shocked to see her drunken friend, Faith, cheering with the crowd. Did she manage to get away from Spike? Damnit.

Riley stood up taller, fixing his clean shirt, then took the time to glare at Angel.

"What the hell is your problem? I don't even know you." Riley snapped. Angel let go of Buffy's hand to cross his arms over his chest, raising an eyebrow. Anyone could tell that he was royally pissed off. Angel wanted nothing more than to rip his head off with his bare hands.

"What are you doing here?" Buffy gathered up her courage to speak to her unwanted ex-boyfriend. It was so strange. He seemed so...nice, innocent. Nothing like the abusive drunken man from LA. It caught Buffy totally off guard. Fear and anger collided with each other with more conflicting emotions. She swallowed a lump in throat before stepping out behind Angel, her emotionless eyes demand an answer.

"I came to visit my friend, she goes to this school. I dropped in to say 'hi' and then I saw you. I wanted to....give my regards." Riley said slowly. If Buffy hadn't known better, she would have thought that Riley was a new person. But she wouldn't let herself believe.

"Seems innocent enough," Xander tapped his chin with his fingers. "What do you say, Sherlock?"

Angel sent him a death look and that shut up Xander's stupid and out of place jokes. The comedian shrugged and stepped back to watch the violence that was sure to happen.

"I meant, what are you doing out of jail?" Buffy snapped impatiently. Did he break out? She half expected to see his face if she turned on the TV and watched America's Most Wanted.

"They let me go, Buffy. I didn't kill anyone. The only evidence they had was the security tape and that person wasn't me. It took them nearly a year to figure it out, but I've changed now." Riley stepped forward, closer to her but once again, Angel automatically shoved him back.

"Back off." Buffy's boyfriend growled. Buffy was so confused. No! She was certain that Riley killed her mother. Damnit, what else was she supposed to believe? Was she supposed to fall for this new Goodie Goodie act that he had going on? What if it was true? Too many questions made her head spin and she felt her stomach churn.

"Just fucking fight already!" Faith shouted from the crowd, a round of cheers agreed.

"Hey! What the hell is going on here?" Gunn and his girlfriend broke through the crowd, getting to the center of all the commotion. Gunn stared at Angel and Buffy glaring at tall blonde haired man. Gunn automatically stepped closer to Angel, also glaring at Riley.

"Now, who the fuck are you?" Gunn snarled at Riley, taking Angel's side in an instant but his girlfriend looked confused and angry.

"Charles!" She snapped. Gunn's defenses went down when he saw Fred getting upset.

"What, baby?" He asked sweetly.

"This is my friend that I was talking about." Fred said sheepishly, looking towards Riley.

"You're friends with *him*?" Angel pointed at Riley for emphasis.

"I just came down to visit her." Riley repeated.

"You friends with a person that wants to come and mess up *my* party?" Gunn stared at his Fred.

"I wasn't messing up the party. I just came to say hi." Riley frowned, his tone almost whining.

"Riley, I guess you should just leave now. We will have coffee tomorrow." Fred promised with a sweet smile. Riley nodded, smiled at Fred then turned to look at Angel and Buffy.

"Sorry about the confusion." He apologized and then walked away.

"Oh, now you're going to have coffee with him?" Gunn asked, jealous. "I see how it is."

Fred shook her head and chuckled before turning to Angel and Buffy. "Sorry, if my friend upset you."

"It's not your fault." Angel said politely and turned to Buffy. He gently grabbed her face in his hands.

"Baby, are you all right? Don't be scared, I'm here." Angel cooned softly. Buffy shook her head and buried her face in his chest, trying to make the room stop spinning. She wanted to push Angel away so she didn't throw up on his shirt but she didn't have the strength. She grit her teeth and swallowed hard.

"What the hell was that?" Xander asked, confused.

"I need to lay down." Buffy muttered, trying not to talk so much. If she opened her mouth anymore she knew her lunch would be spewed all over the floor. Angel nodded and looked to Gunn.

"Could we use one of the rooms?" He asked. Gunn nodded.

"Sure, but later you gonna tell me why you almost jumped that bimbo."

Angel said his thanks before leading Buffy slowly up the stairs.

"Why am I always ignored? Didn't I just ask what the hell happened or was I saying it in my head? It's been known to happen." Xander threw his arms up in defeat. Cordelia came back from the bathroom and looked at the disappearing crowd and then to Xander.

"What happened?"

"Angel and his girl flipped when they saw some kid." Gunn filled in. Xander glared at Gunn.

"How come she gets answers when I don't?"

"Stop your whining. People just see how pretty I am and they can't help but subject to my questions." Cordy answered as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Yeah and my name is Martha Stuart." Xander snapped sarcastically. Why didn't he break up with her again?

"Well, Martha, I need to get a drink come with me." The Queen C demanded of her boyfriend and he couldn't deny her, only because it would cost him his head.

******

"How do you feel?" Angel asked, his eyes showing his obvious concern. Buffy chewed her lip thoughtfully. Her years in Sunnydale were so wonderful, why did it have to be ruined with her appearance of her ex-boyfriend who claims he is innocent to shooting her mother.

"He was so...nice." Buffy muttered, her brow furrowed. Her thoughts were racing, her whole being trying to cope with what just happened. Riley just appeared out of nowhere and threw her totally off track. Why he couldn't just stay in jail in LA or go back to Iowa? Why did he fucking have to come to Sunnydale University? Damn this too small world. "I've known Riley to be a lot of things but nice was never one of them. I'm confused." She admitted.

"He said he was just visiting Fred, he will be gone soon but until then, I'm going to make sure he doesn't even look at you." Angel promised, grabbing her hands, bringing it to his lips and kissing her knuckles.

"I'm going to have to tell the gang the whole story now." Buffy sighed, she thought she could keep her friends in the dark about this but now it was impossible. Angel was the only one who knew out of all of them.

"I'll be right there with you but you shouldn't worry about it. They won't judge or pity you. Spike will probably just go on the hunt for Riley and kick his ass." Angel chuckled at the thought and Buffy smiled at hearing his laugh.

"Once Faith is sober, I'm sure she could help too. We could all pitch in for a little kicking Riley's ass session. We could start a club." Buffy joked, feeling better that she had Angel here with her. She couldn't even think about what her world would be like without him in it.

"Are you afraid?" Angel asked bluntly after a long spell of comfortable silence. Buffy didn't mind the question but it took her a while to sort out her feelings and answer. Was she scared? She was angry, that was for sure but afraid?

"Yes." Buffy spoke softly, looking down at her hands that were tightly entwined with Angel's. There was another spell of silence until Angel pulled her closer to him, kissing the top of her head.

"Don't be." He muttered finally.

"I can't help it." Buffy admitted. "I keep thinking about what he did to my Mom and I'm scared he could do that again to the gang or my dad or to...you."

Angel laughed, which was the last thing that Buffy expected him to do. "I'm invincible, like a super hero, complete with the bullet proof chest and x-ray vision." He joked lightly. Buffy couldn't help but laugh.

"X-ray vision, huh? So you could see through people's clothes?" Buffy grinned, pulling him closer, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Oh yeah." Angel muttered, resting his forehead against hers.

"So that means you have been looking at girl's undergarments this whole party?" Buffy mocked anger and shock.

"Only yours." Angel retorted, pressing his lips against hers before she had time to reply. Buffy just sighed and melted into his kiss, pressing herself against him. Angel moaned at the sensations of their bodies so close together, his fingers playing with her hair. Buffy's hand snaked under his shirt, pressing against the hard muscles of his stomach and looping her fingers through his belt hooks. She opened her mouth in submission when she felt Angel's tongue prodding. Their tongues met, dueling for dominance, exploring each other's mouth. For a moment, all of Buffy's fears were forgotten.

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