It's All Relative: A Dewey Weekend

by Kasiya

DISCLAIMER: Yeah, I wish... no, really I do wish they were mine. Mmm peanut butter and chocolate all day! I guess I could have fine with the characters that are actually mine (Dewey family), but it's just not as fun. ::pout::
TIMELINE: Future-ish AU
SPOLIERS: We will just say the whole show okay?
SYNOPSIS: Buffy and Angel spend the weekend with some of her relatives.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I would like to thank Doc, Liz, Ryan, and Taylor.  The *four* people who gave me feedback on my last fic.  It meant a lot, thanks. Oh and Angel is a vamp but hey, Gem of Amara is a good thing...  Oh and I would like to say I am sorry this thing is so long, I meant for it to be a short fluff-y fic and I just couldn't leave some scenes with brief summaries.  This is the longest fic I have ever written, by the way. 40 pages! Whoo hoo!
FEEDBACK: Yes, I know it's been a month, so if you guys want more fluff, I ask that you please send me some sort of feedback telling me you want more.  And if you don't want more, then tell me you don't want more. Please?
RATING: PG I would say.  Maybe PG-13, I don't know...



"Why is it the air breaks down in every car ride we take?" Buffy complained wiping sweat from her forehead and lifting her sticky thighs from the car seat.

"I don't know," he smiled, "It is a California summer. And maybe if you didn't crank it up all the way it would be fine."

"Hey!" she laughed, "I don't turn it up all the way... just most of it.  And you are all cold anyway, so why does it matter?"

"I am not cold, just room temperature, which is uncomfortably hot right now might I add.  But seriously?  I don't know why the air keep breaking down, this is a good car."

Buffy spared a glance to Angel, taking her eyes off the road for a couple seconds.  "Maybe some demons are having a field day of torture.  Ya know, let's make the Scourge of the Underworld and of Europe feel like sizzling bacon."

"Scourge of the Underworld?" Angel questioned.

"Hey, it's not self-appointed.  Wills gave it to me."

"Really?"

"Yep, we a scourge-y couple, the two of us," Buffy frowned, "but hey, why do I have a feeling that won't matter in a couple hours?"

"Buffy, it's just a couple relatives.  Not the whole Summers clan."

"Yeah, not Summers, Summers I can deal with, it's the Dewey family that scares me.  Angel come on, they are scary.  You talked with Aunt Susanna.  Scary."

Angel sighed, obviously having been through this discussion many times, "Hey, they love you, they have to, they are your family."

Buffy grew serious, "Just because they are family doesn't mean they have to love you, Angel."

He ran a hand through his dark hair, starting to become flat, no longer spike-y, probably because of the heat. He would have to re-apply his gel before they reached their destination.

"Yes, but hey, how could someone not love you, you're perfect in every way."

Buffy smiled genuinely at him, "'Cept for the fact that I turn up the air conditioner way too much?"

"Well... that one I can let slide."

"Well, I like the cold, it's much easier to put on more clothes than take them off."

Angel smirked, "But not half as fun."

"No, it most certainly is not." Buffy shot a grin over to him.

*~*

Angel pulled her back one more time, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, Angel, perfect."

"It doesn't look too..."

"Too...?"

"I don't know, too over-done?"

Buffy smiled, "No, Angel your hair is perfect, and even if it wasn't so what?  After we go swimming the gel will get messed up anyway."

"There's going to be swimming?"

"Yes, silly.  Didn't I tell you that?"

Angel thought about it for a minute or two, "Well, we were doing other things while you were telling me about this weekend."

"Just kissing," Buffy argued.

"No, I was working my way down, you were talking."

Buffy winked at him before leading him up the pathway to her Aunt's house.

"So lemme guess, you didn't bring swimming trunks?"

"Nope."

Buffy thought for a moment, "Well, if we were alone, that would be just fine, but don't worry.  I have a pair for you."

Angel stopped walking. "You doubted me?"

"Well, you are 200 years plus, the memory probably is working really well, and I know that what I am saying is going in one ear and out the other when you are... busy."

"Really?"

Buffy just shrugged, "Yeah."

She grabbed his hand, leading him once again to the home.

"Oh, you guys made it!" Susanna exclaimed after she opened the door.

"Yep, here we are," Buffy said meekly.

Angel gave her arm a squeeze. Buffy stepped inside and felt Angel falter behind her.  She turned back and frowned slightly, wondering why Angel wasn't coming in, after only a few moments it dawned on her.  She sent him a sympathetic smile and turned to her aunt.

"Angel is an old fashion type of guy, he feels that he needs to be invited into someone's home," Buffy explained to her obviously wondering aunt.

"Oh!" her aunt smiled, "Of course honey, come right in.  That's so sweet."

Angel gave Buffy a small-relieved smile, and entered the home.  He took a quick step towards Buffy, standing behind her.

"Oh! Air conditioning is so great!" Buffy said more to herself than anyone as she stood in the home.

"I see that you two look... warm."

Buffy snorted, "Warm? Understatement!  The air blew out of our car and we had to drive more than half the way over here in heat.  And did you know that the only radio station you get here is religious?"

"Well here we get more but out on the road it's nothing all the way."

Susanna sidestepped to glance out the window at the car Buffy and Angel used to drive up, "Well that car seems mighty..." her eyes widened, "is that a BMW?"

"Yep," Buffy said proudly, happy that her aunt noticed, "You like Anna?"

"Yes, it's very... nice," Susanna drew her attention back to the man who was with Buffy.  "So this is the marvelous Angel, let's take a look at you." Buffy's aunt took Angel by his arm and let him further into the house.

"What a sight you are," Susanna circled Angel stopping to turn her head to the side.

Buffy's eyes went wide as she realized that her aunt was checking out Angel's butt, "Hey!"

Aunt Susanna covered up her observation by quickly stepping aside to take stock once more.  "Well how about you two throw some clothes on at least, though sugar," she threw a look at Angel, "you can stay just the way you are."

Angel looked down, realizing that he was wearing a muscle tee, which he almost forgot to throw on after arriving at the Dewey household.  If he could have blushed he would have right then and there; Angel wasn't really a "people person."

Buffy groaned. "Sorry, I just thought my family would pester you with questions, I didn't know that my aunt would also be hitting on you," she whispered to Angel.

"That's okay Buffy, these people are part of you, I want to meet them, even if..." he paused unsure of how to go on, "they don't hide their feelings very well."

"Like Anya."

Angel smirked, "You said it, not me."

"That I did," she grinned, "that I did."

*~*

"So what's your poison?" Susanna asked as the couple took a seat at the kitchen table.

"Water is fine thanks," Buffy answered.

Angel gave her Buffy's aunt a smile, "Same for me, thanks."

"Oh polite too, Joyce wasn't lying about ya then."

Buffy's eyes went wide with panic, "What did mom say?"

"Oh nothing baby, just some of your beau's more charming attributes.  And a couple uncharming ones to," she added in at the last moment.

Buffy curled into her chair, becoming very suspicious of her family after what her aunt had told her.  Angel just took in his surroundings.

The house was fairly homely.  It was decorated with a dash of country and was obviously inviting to strangers.  The little touches such as pictures and other craft fair items gave the idea that much time had been spent decorating, creating a home.

Angel smiled at the report cards, finger-painted pictures, and other schoolwork attached to the fridge by assorted colorful magnets.  Buffy had told him that her oldest cousin was sixteen, the next thirteen, and after that three more kids in the ages of three, six, and seven.  With four girls in the family and one boy.  In fact she had said that another male in the house, even if only for a day or two, would be very welcomed.

"So, Anna, were is the rest of the family?"

Her aunt set two glasses of ice water on the table.  "Daisy is at her job, in fact I need to pick her up in about fifteen minutes.  Carl is next door babysitting, and Jim took Cynthia, Polly, and Georgina out for ice cream."

"Oh, where does Daisy work?"

"Oh at the Cub Foods, she wants to apply for a job at the newspaper place on the corner of 3rd and Main but right now the pay for her isn't that bad."

"Oh."

Angel was still thinking about all these people that he didn't know.  He was going to have to live with them for a couple days.  Before this trip he had forgotten that a lot of people would be living in this house at once, and wondered what the sleeping arrangement was to be.  It used to be just him, now he was going to have family.  And while he couldn't be happier, he was still a bit scared.  What if they didn't like him?  Though he did not have to wait long to learn who would be sleeping where. Aunt Susanna started talking about it after settling herself down with a glass of iced tea.

"Daisy has her own room downstairs in the basement, The girls have their room upstairs, Carl has his own room, as do Jim and I.  There is a spare room that we re-did also downstairs.  That's where you will be staying.  There's a bathroom down there, I hope you don't mind that it is loaded with a bunch of teenage girl stuff," she directed at Angel.

He shrugged, as if he was unsure of why he would mind.

Buffy laughed a bit, "Oh he is used to seeing all my junk in the bathroom, in fact he uses half the stuff."

"I do not," he replied.

"Do too."

"Do not," he stated lightly.  He really didn't want to argue with her in front of her aunt.  But his girl had that affect on him; it seemed their surroundings always disappeared when he was with her.

Buffy just pouted for a bit before Angel sighed, "Fine, whatever."

Buffy's pout turned into a grin as she bounced out of her chair; "I win.  I'll be right back I have to go to the bathroom."

Angel watched as his fiancée retreated back into a hallway.  He would have to learn the layout of the house though the main floor was pretty much already burned into his memory.

"Well Angel, I--" Susanna began before being interrupted by an opening door and a load shout.

"Mom, I'm home!"

"That would be Carl.  He's glad to have a guy in the house, Jim has been busy with work lately and Carl has been busy with school and sports so they don't get much time in.  Though now that school is out Carl is spending more time at home and Jim still has work so..."

Carl entered the kitchen.  His eyes flew to Angel who sat awkwardly in the wooden chair.  He gave the boy a small smile, not wanting to appear unfriendly.

Carl's hair was spiked similar to Angel's though it was messier than coifed.  It was a dark brown color streaked with blond.  Angel could stand the look.  It was one thing to have natural sun highlights in your hair, though with this kid it looked like butter had run down his head.  Carl had an oval face, with a small nose.  It was a bit flattened at the top, dusted with freckles.  His gray eyes were framed with thick lashes.

He wore baggy jeans and a long sleeved shirt bragging a name brand, despite the heat.  His sneakers barely poked through the bottoms of the pants, and untied shoelaces snaked around beneath the ragged hem. 

"Who's this?" he nodded in Angel's direction.

"Honesty Carl, don't you listen to anything I say?  That's Angel, Buffy's fiancé.  Remember they are staying here for the weekend?"

"Oh," the boy frowned, "Buffy's get married?"

Susanna sighed, "Yes."

"Angel, huh?" the boy snickered, revealing a mouth full of braces.

"After four years of no one making fun of the name a teenagers goes and breaks the chain," he said under his breath.

"Nah, it's cool," Carl caught what he said, "my girlfriend's name is Angel."

Angel sat back in his chair, "Girlfriend?"

The boy plopped himself into a chair and with a grin said, "Yep."

"Hey," Buffy announced her presence.

"Hi Buffy."

"Oh hi, Carl, long time no see.  What's shaking?" Buffy messed the hair on top on his head, much to his dismay.  He frowned slightly but messy was the look he was going for so...

"Not much, though I come in and find out you are getting married?"

"Anna told you, I was on the phone with her when she did."

Susanna chose that time to chirp in, "I swear he only listens when you talk about money or cars.  Oh, speaking of cars, Carl did you notice the car in the driveway?"

"Yeah, sweet ride.  Wait... that's yours?" he asked Angel.

"Yes," Angel replied.

"Wow.  When did you get it?"

"Last year," Angel told the teenager.

"How old are you?" he asked suddenly.

"Carl!" Susanna exclaimed from behind the kitchen counter, she was taking out pots and pans for that night's meal.  It probably wouldn't be anything big.  Which was fine for both Angel and Buffy.

"Oh it's alright," Buffy spoke for Angel. "He doesn't mind, do you?" she asked sweetly.

Angel shook his head, "I'm twenty-eight."

"Wow, you're old.  Wait.  Buffy how old are you again?"

"Carl," Susanna warned.

"Anna, don't worry about it.  I'm twenty-three."

"Well, only five years difference, I thought it was more."

Buffy and Angel shared a secretive smile, which was not lost on Buffy's younger cousin.  "What?"

"Nothing, Carl, nothing."

"Come on, what?"

Buffy shot him a glare and he shut up.

At the same time the garage door opened and three small girls came running into the house.  They ran into the kitchen and crowded around their mother.  Each girl had blonde hair.  One had a very light blonde, one a strawberry blonde and the other a darker color.  Each wore cloth shorts and a checkered print shirt.  Jelly sandals were strapped on their feet, each in a different color.  It was very obvious that they had eaten ice cream shortly before arriving back home.  The two, who Angel could only assume were the two youngest, had ice cream all over their faces.

Susanna sighed, "Come over here, let's get that sticky mess off of your pretty faces."

The oldest of the three girls who entered the house had the darker hair.  She looked just like her mother with curly hair, brown eyes, and tanned skin.  There was a drop of ice cream on the front of her shirt but nothing that wouldn't be fixed with a washing machine.

She was quiet and stared at Angel.  He stared back for as bit, but thought that after a while it would seem a bit scary so turned to Buffy.  She smiled at him and then introduced him to her relatives.

"Hi, Polly," she greeted the girl who sat at the table.

"Hi," the girl said with a quiet voice.

"This is Angel, my fiancé."

The girl's forehead crinkled, "What a fiancé?"

Buffy smiled, "That means the person you are going to marry."

"Oh," Polly said.  Her eyes never leaving Angel.

"Angel," Buffy grabbed his attention, "Over at the sink is Cynthia and Georgina.  Georgina is the one with the reddish blonde hair and Cynthia is the one with very light blonde hair. Gina is 3 and Cyn is 6."

The girls hearing their names turned to face Buffy.  They gave her toothy grins.  Well Cynthia was missing a tooth, so she gave a toothy grin with a space in the middle.

Georgina had fair skin with freckles all over.  She was very thin and had her hair pulled back into small pigtails.  Her big bright blue eyes were rimmed with a dark blue circle almost accenting them.  Her round face was still covered in what Angel could only guess as chocolate ice cream.  She brushed a strand of hair away from her face and continued washing her hands at the sink.  Because she was the shortest she had to sit on the counter and lean over the sink.

Cynthia had a bit darker skin than Gina but not as much as Polly.  She had a more heart shaped face with next to nothing freckle wise.  The girl's hair was pulled back into a simple high ponytail.  Her hazel eyes looked at Angel curiously but lost attention quickly because of the washcloth that Susanna handed to her to clean the sticky cream.  She stood on a blue stepping stool to reach the sink.

"Hey guys, this is Angel."

"Hi," the said in unison.  Cyn finished with her washing and walked over to Angel.

"Hi," she greeted again.

"Hello," Angel said, unsure of how to approach this situation.  It had been even longer that he had interacted with a child.  Well one this young anyway, Dawn really didn't count.  Cynthia took a seat next to Angel at the kitchen table.

"You're pale," she stated.

"Yes, I am."

"Why?"

"I use a lot of sunscreen."

"Why?" the girl asked again.

"Because the sun can hurt your skin."

"Oh."

"Girls, where is your father?" Susanna questioned as she wiped the last of Gina's mess off her face.

"He said he was going to go to work."

"Work? Why would he go to work... oh yeah new project." She turned to the couple, "Jim will probably be working all weekend, the company called something about a Yates account or something a couple days ago.  Shoot, I need to go pick up Daisy."

"If you want we could go pick her up," Buffy offered.

"Oh that would be great, do you know where the Cub is?"

"No, but we could take Carl along, he knows where it is, right?"

Carl nodded, "Yeah, sure.  Plus I want to get a new magazine.  Can I go mom?"

"Sure, sweetie, do you have money?"

"Yeah, just come back from babysitting, member?"

Susanna smiled, "Yeah I forgot."

The boy stood up, "And you say *I* don't listen to *you.*"

"Just get going," she said.  "Dinner will be ready in about an hour and a half."

Angel stood up and offered a hand to Buffy, "Thanks."

"No problem," he told her as they walked to the front door.  "Do you want me to drive?"

Buffy turned to him, "Could you?"

"Sure."

"Oh hey Carl, hope you don't mind but the air is busted in our car," Buffy said to the empty hall.

"Oh well," he said as he pulled on his shoes.

"Ready?" Buffy asked after slipping on her own sandals.

"Yeah," Angel opened the door for her and Carl.

The heat hit them with a blast as they stepped outside.  Buffy could only think of what the air inside the car would be like.

"You know, there's a car place a couple stores down from Cub. If you want, you could probably drop the car off there," Carl suggested.

"We could, but I don't know how long it would take, though I guess we could ask, Angel?" Buffy offered as she opened the passenger seat and got it.

"I guess, why not?" Angel sat down.

"Ugh! Ya know maybe we should stop by, Angel, I don't know if I'll be able to stand another car ride in this... oven."

"Buffy," Angel chuckled, "it's not an oven."

"Oh, you be quiet.  Roll down my window for me would you?"

"Okay, though may I ask why you can't?"

"I'm too hot, you are always cool, and therefore can spend the extra energy.  My deductive reasoning."

"If you say so, though the extra energy you speak of is all of that pushing a button."

"Oh well, too late," Buffy's voice held a hint of playfulness.

"Oh well, I can use my energy to roll that window back up," Angel threatened.

"You wouldn't!"

"Really?  And why not?" he asked.

"Because," Buffy thought aloud, "because... oh! Because you love me."

"Got me in my weakness, alright, it stays down."

Carl laughed a bit, announcing that he was still in the car.

Angel had another would-have-blushed-if-he-could-have moment.  Ever since getting back together with Buffy he had become less broody and had a generally lighter attitude.  Though he still was quiet, his usual Angel self.  Buffy glared at Carl once again and turned the radio on.

The End

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