DISCLAIMER: Buffy, Angel and all other characters (except those I make up) are the absolute property of Joss (EVIL ONE) Whedon, Fox, Mutant Enemy and Warner Bros (If I owned them, the events of Buffy season 4 or most of season 3 wouldn't have occurred).
SUMMARY: Could there be anything worse than meeting Joyce Summers? Yes, meeting Hank Summers.
RATING: PG
SPOILERS: General (if any)
TIMELINE: Six years after ATS season 1 and BTVS season 4

ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS

Buffy and Cordy were sitting in the outer office gossiping, until Doyle and Angel walked in and the girls fell silent.

"What did I tell ya, Angel. They've been talking 'bout us again" Doyle complained.

This was enough to rile Cordy, who said "Oh, please. Like I'd waste my breath talking about you".

"Oh, come on Princess. You know you love me" Doyle said.

"Only in your best dreams and my worst nightmares" Cordy yelled at him.

"How did you know about my dreams? Did I tell you?" Doyle said, just to annoy Cordy.

"Ewwwww" she answered.

Meanwhile, Buffy and Angel just stood back and watched in silent laughter, because they knew exactly how Doyle and Cordy really felt about each other, in fact all the fighter seemed to be a kind of foreplay with them. The fight was interrupted by the phone ringing, Cordy answered it.

"Hello, Angel Investigations. We help the hopeless" Cordy said in her most professional voice, she paused for a moment and then said "Sure, I'll get her". She turned to Buffy and said "It's for you".

Buffy took the phone from Cordy and said "Hello".

"Hi Pumpkin" said a familiar voice.

"Daddy, wow. This is a surprise" Buffy replied.

"Yeah. Speaking of surprises, your mother called me with a few this morning"

"Really?" Buffy answered her father in a squeaky voice.

"Yes. Like you moved back here to LA and you didn't tell me or come visit or anything. And then she tells me you're shacked up with some old guy". When all Hank heard was silence, he continued "So when do I get to meet, this evil seducer of my baby girl?"

That snapped Buffy out of her funk "Daddy, he is my fiancé and I really don't appreciate you calling him that".

"Your fiancé? What did he do, knock you up? You can't get married you're only 25 years old".

"Dad, do you know how ridiculous you just sounded? Yes, I am pregnant, I wanted to tell you in person but since you brought it up.....However 25 is not too young to get married. Besides you and mom were like 19 when you got married" Buffy tried to explain to her father.

"Ok, ok. I'll reserve judgment until I meet this......" Hank trailed off realising he didn't even know the guy's name.

"His name is Angel" Buffy told him.

"What kind of name is Angel?" Hank asked, suddenly concerned that Buffy had run off with some sort of biker.

"Daddy" Buffy said in her warning voice.

"How about you and Angel come over for dinner tomorrow?" Hank asked, trying to be civil.

"Sure. What time?"

"About 8:30, at my house" Hank told her.

"Ok, see you then. Bye daddy"

"Bye Pumpkin" Hank said.

When she hung up the phone and turned around she found three pairs of eyes staring at her. She look at Angel and said "Mom called my dad and so we are now having dinner with him tomorrow night".

With this news Angel seemed to grow even paler than usual. Buffy watched this and was concerned, as was Cordy. Doyle on the other hand thought Angel deserved to be teased.

"Well, I'm guessin' Angel's a little nervous 'bout meeting his future Da-in-law. Then again if I were Angel's age I'd be worried too, especially since......" Doyle would have continued to rant, if Cordy and Buffy had not glared at him, so evilly that he feared for his life, or at least he feared sleeping on Cordy's couch.

Buffy went over to her love and put her arms around him, as she said "We would have had to face him sooner or later. It's just now we have to refute my mom's version of events and tell him what's really going on, you know our version".

Angel said to her, "It's not that. I just keep thinking, what if he doesn't like me. I mean just look at your mom's opinion of me".

"Angel, sweetie. The only opinion that's important to our future is mine. If my dad turns out to be like my mom, then we don't have to spend time with him" Buffy said.

"But I'm not...."

Buffy cut him off "Yes, you are. You are the greatest thing that has ever happened to me".

With that Angel kissed Buffy. Cordy seeing this said "Please, this is a place of business. Stop with the PDA's already". Cordy's interruption ruined the mood, so they all went back to work.

HANK'S HOUSE - NEXT NIGHT

Buffy and Angel pulled up in front of Hank's house and got out of the car. Buffy grabbed Angel and hugged him close as she whispered, "Remember, my opinion is the only one that matters". Angel nodded and they walked up to Hank's front door and rang the bell.

When Hank answered the door, he couldn't believe it. From the way his ex-wife had been talking, he was expecting Buffy's fiancé, this Angel guy to be pushing 50 at least, but he didn't look more than 2 or 3 years older than Buffy.

"Come on in" Hank said, cheerfully.

"Hi daddy" Buffy said, hugging him. She turned and grabbed Angel's hand and said "This is Angel".

"Nice to meet you, Angel. You are a lot better than I was expecting" Hank said, as he shook Angel's hand.

"Nice to meet you too" Angel said politely.

They went into the dining room and Hank said to them "I hope you both like Chinese".

"Love it" Buffy said.

"Whatever you're serving is fine, sir" Angel replied.

"Angel, please call me Hank".

"Sure, Hank" Angel replied, suddenly feeling much more relaxed.

"Well then, let's eat" Buffy said, impatiently.

About 5 hours after they arrived they finally left, and only then because Buffy was tired. Angel and Hank had gotten along like they were old friends.

After he was sure they were gone, he rang Joyce.

~Ring, Ring~

"Hello"Joyce answered immediately, like she had been sitting by the phone waiting.

"Joyce"Hank said.

"How did it go?"

"It went great. I really like the guy, her taste has improved since that Pike guy".

"YOU WHAT?"Joyce screamed down the phone.

"I like him and he and Buffy seem happy.We shouldn't interfere".

"Hank, he's older than her" Joyce pleaded.

"No more than a few years, Joyce" Hank replied.

"I don't believe you" Joyce said as she hung up on him.

However that didn't bother Hank. All he could think about was, how nice it would be to Buffy,Angel and his future grandchild nearby. Giving him the opportunity to get to know Angel, re know Buffy and spend more time with this grandchild than Joyce,the wicked witch of the west coast would.

THE APARTMENT

Buffy and Angel were lying in their bed, snuggling and discussing her dad, and the visit to his house.

"I liked him" Angel told her.

"I noticed, he liked you too. I am totally thinking that my mom described you as an old lech and dad was relieved that you weren't" Buffy said.

"Well,at least one member of your immediate family approves" Angel said.

"I thought I told you, my opinion is the only one that matters".

"Maybe"he said teasingly.

"Now, I'll just have to convince you" Buffy teased back.

"Oh yeah. How?"

She kissed him and whispered exactly what she was going to do to him. It was a long time before anyone spoke or thought of anything in the apartment.

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