Summery: Buffy gets put in an Art History class by the evil Principal Snyder, but it's not ALL bad.
AN:I got this from a challenge that I got from Jenny.
Disclaimer: lets look at it this way, if I owned it, do you think Angel would be stranded at the bottom of the ocean in a little box? I don't think so...well maybe if Buffy was trapped in there with him...but that's another story hehehe. (I don't own anything it all belongs to Joss and Co.)

Buffy stared helplessly at her tiny, troll-like principal. Art history?? She could barely stay away in just plain old History. This wasn't fair. "Um, Principal Synder do you really think that art history would be best for me right now?" she asked, trying to sound less desperate than she was.

Snyder glared at her from the other side of his large wooden desk. "I say it's about time youth learned some culture. All the loitering and slacking off is going to be the death of America. I'll have you know that buying drugs helps terrorists do their bombing and terrorising." he said in his inhuman little voice.

"Well, I don't buy drugs. Drugs are bad." she said in her last pathetic attempt to get out of her Art History sentence. She put on her sweetest smile but the little man was showing no sign of caving. She made a little whimper.

"I'll show you to your new class, Miss. Summers." he said getting up from his chair enjoying and look on this delinquent teenager as she followed him down the art hallway. He stopped at a door and knocked. It opened within a few seconds.

Buffy's eyes were staring at the floor when the door opened, but something drew her to look up. Her eyes traveled up the body of a very very very hunky man. Taking in his tall muscular form, his broad shoulders and finally resting on his dark brown, penetrating eyes. She vaguely heard her principal introduce her. "Hi." she managed, lost in his deep, brown eyes.

Angel discretely took in the small blonde's petite body. He couldn't help but smile when she said 'hi'. He was used to women being attracted to him, but this time the feeling was mutual. "Nice to meet you Miss. Summers. Welcome to Art History. You can go take a seat next to Mr.Finn." he said.

She followed his directions, concentrating and not tripping, she made her way to the empty seat and placed her bang on the floor against her chair. "Hey Buffy." she heard a voice beside her. She looked over and there was a funny lookin guy sitting there. "I'm Riley." he introduced himself.

"Hey." she said resisting the urge and say 'and I'm so not interested'. She preoccupied herself with taking out a pen and a small binder.

Angel finished talking to Snyder and closed the classroom door. "Anyway. As I was saying Welcome to Art History. I'm Mr. O'Brian, but I'd like you all the call me Angel." he introduced himself to everyone in the class.

Riley, being the annoying little pest he was, spoke up. "Why 'Angel'?" he asked.

He was expecting that from some start ass in the class. He leaned against the front of his desk and crossed his arms. "If you don't know, Finn-you need a life." he burnt the immature teen. All the kids snickered and Riley turned red. He realized he wasn't that cruel and added. "No, seriously it's a nickname my sister gave me." then he went right into the lesson plan.

Buffy sat with her elbow resting on the table and her cheek resting on her hand as she listening to the incredibly sexy voice of her incredible sexy teacher. He was talking about some artist in the early 1700's who was killed or something, she wasn't really listening to the words, just the mouth saying them and the deep, manly voice. "Psst." she heard from behind her. She turned around to face who is was. It was a dark haired girl who was wearing a black t-shirt that said Spike's Pet on it. "Do you like kittens?" she asked.

The blonde's eyebrow shot up. "Um, ya sure. They're great." then she turned around and faced the hunky teacher again and began undressing him with her eyes.

"Mr. Angel has a kitten at home, but she always is sick." the girl said again, there were traces of an English accent in her voice as well. Buffy turned sideways in her seat, looking at the strange girl. "Cancer. Poor little thing."

"Cats and get cancer?" she asked. The brunette shook her head 'no'. "What do you mean then?"

"Shh, it's a secret." she put a finger to her lips, pointed a finger to the tall, dark and handsome teacher's left hand. Buffy looked and saw the gold wedding band on his finger. She felt her spirit die 'dammit' she thought, then looked back at the weird girl. "Shh." she said.

Buffy nodded and turned around. So the teacher was married and his wife was sick. That sucks in a lot of ways. Poor guy.

~*~

It was lunch hour finally and Buffy was sitting on a picnic table outside with her friends Xander, Oz, Willow and Cordelia. "Snyder put you in Art History?" Xander exclaimed in a sarcastic tone, "Why does he hate you?" he put a hand to his chest in a gesture of sympathy.

"Xander." Cordelia warned, hitting his lightly on the shoulder.

"What?" he asked defensively then smiled and pulled her closer, putting his arm around her waist.

Buffy shook her head and smiled at the strange love/hate relationship her two friends had. "Well it's not all bad, the teacher is a major hottie." she said with a radiant smile.

"Oh, yeah. Angel is awesome. Too bad he only teaches one class. He leaves at lunch time to be with his wife." Willow said.

"Apparently they were planning a split, but then she got brain cancer." Oz said in his even, calm cool tone.

Buffy nodded. "Poor guy. Falling in love then out of love, then his wife gets sick. That's gotta be tough." she said, feeling a new kind of respect for her teacher after gaining all this new information.

"Oh they were never in love." Cordelia blurted. The blond gave her a dubious look and the group all joined in. "What? I heard it through the grapevine. It was an arranged thing to reunite a family that was separated years ago. They were friends but never in love. They had a lot of respect for family, that's why they agreed."

"Wow. That's harsh." Buffy stated. She looked over at the basketball court and watched the shirtless guys with not much interest. Then Angel walked out of the school and past the court. She watched as the guys tried to get him to play.

"Hey, Angel, you playing man?" one of the guys called.

"Sorry, not today guys. I gotta get home." he told them.

"Come on, man. One game, we've been practicing and we're ready to kick you ass in 20 shots." they challenged.

"I'll waste you guys tomorrow." he said. "I have to drive Reanne to her appointment." then he walked away and towards his car, which was a red corvette convertible.

"...right, Buffy?" she heard Willow say.

"Huh?....um right." she agreed without knowing what she was agreeing to. Then turned her attention back to Angel as he sped away.

~*~

Angel was feeling butterflies in his stomach as he was preparing for his next class. He knew that his next class was the grade 12's and in that grade was Buffy Summers. He couldn't help but be entranced by her. The course had been going on for 2 weeks and everyday she would come in and sit in the seat beside Riley, in front of Drucilla and behind Faith. Faith was new to the school this year and he could tell that Buffy and her was friends but constantly trying to beat each other in everything. And both of them were always undressing him with their eyes during class.

Then bell rang and he felt his heart jump, knowing that the beautiful blond would be here in minutes. He couldn't be in love, that was impossible.

All the kids filed in a took their seats, Buffy came in with Faith, they were talking about a pair of boots that were on sale at some store in the mall. Both of them checked him out as they walked past. Buffy smiled and said "hey." as she walked by, Faith just tossed a sexy look his way.

The bell for class to start went off and he started into the lesson plan. "Would anyone care to tell the class what Leonardo DaVinci was famous for." he asked. The bleached blond at the back of the class put his hand up displaying the black nail polish on his fingernails. "Yes, Spike."

Spike's real name was William, but he had told Angel before the first class to call him Spike. "Yup, he was a painter." he said ignorantly. The class snickered.

Angel smiled. "Yes, that's one thing he is. I meant what painting in particular." he clarified. He scanned the students. None of them volunteered, then he saw a small manicured hand raise. It belonged to Buffy. "Yes, Buffy."

Buffy fought to hold down the blush as she said, "He painted the Mona Lisa, didn't he?" she said uncertainly, but she was quite sure that it was Leonardo that Willow said painted it.

Angel smiled proudly, "Yes, that's correct." he told her. Then he launched into the history of the Mona Lisa.

Faith turned around. "Suck up." she accused Buffy quietly.

"You're just jealous that you didn't know." Buffy accused right back. The brunette just huffed and turned around to face front again. The blond smiled in victory and watched Angel write something on the board. She let her eyes travel down to his well formed ass. She licked her lips as she watched the muscles flex as he moved. Then he turned around and she was looked at another part of his anatomy. She blush a bright pink and looked away immediately. This was gonna be a long semester.

~*~

Before classed started the next morning Buffy opened the door to her Art History class to find her teacher, Angel, sitting in his chair with his feet up on his desk, reading a book. She knocked lightly of the open door. His head turned toward her. "Hey." she greeted.

He put his feet down and closed his book, turning in his chair to give her his full attention. "Hello, Miss. Summers. What can I do for you?" he asked. He felt an urge to reach out and touch her as she moved closer until there was about 3 feet separating them.

She opened her assignment booklet and placed it on the desk. "I had trouble with this question." she pointed it out, in the process moving close still, not there was mere inches separating them. She caught the scent of his cologne, it made her skin tingle slightly. Then he spoke.

"What did the French do to find the man who took the Mona Lisa?" he read the question. "Well, if you turn to page 125 of your text book it tells you that they sealed all the borders and examined the cargos of the ships leaving..." he went on the tell her where to find everything and basically told her the answers.

When he was done she smiled. "Thanks Mr.O'Brian." she said, taking her book back.

"Please call me Angel. Being called Mr.O'Brian makes me feel old." he said with a hint of humor in his voice. She smiled her sweet little smile. "I'll see you in class." he told her. He had to get her out of their before he lost control and pulled her into his arms. Sure, he was married, but all he felt for his wife now was sympathy because she was sick, and guilt for wanted to divorce her.

"Yeah. See ya." then she turned to leave.

"Oh, Buffy." he called before she left. Buffy turned around. "Good work the other day. You got the top mark in the class. I'm impressed." he told her.

Buffy's face lit up in a grin. "Really? I've never had the top mark in anything. Well, except P.E." she said happily. "I bet Principal Snyder told you about my transcripts from Hemery." she guessed, knowing her evil little principal that was probably something he would do.

Angel nodded. "But that was a while ago now. As far as I know out gym is still standing." he joked.

She let out a little laugh. "Hope so, that's my first class." she said. Then, as if on cue, the bell to tell students to get to their classes sounded. "See ya later." she told him with a cute wave of her hand she walked gracefully out of room. Leaving an infatuated Angel behind her. She was amazing.

~*~

Buffy and Willow were stretching for mile run. "He was flirting with you." Willow said to her friend, it was a statement not a question.

She giggles in response. "We were talking. We joked a little bit and talking about Mona Lisa." Buffy corrected. Then the teacher blew her whistle and the students lined up at the door to the outside. "Do you want me to run with you?" she asked Willow.

The red head shook her head. "No, you get the marks you deserve." she told her friend with her resolve face firmly in place.

"Okay." Buffy said. Then the teacher blew her whistle and the students ran out of door and started running around the school. Buffy easily ran through the crowd and to the front and blew way ahead. She was the first to get after the mile.

She ran through the door and up to her teacher. "Hey." she said, slightly out a breath.

"Good, Summers, 5th time in a row you've been first in. Congrats." the slavedriving teacher told her. "Now you can start with the pushups, sit ups and jumping jacks. 3 sets of 10."

Buffy nodded and moved away to the other side of the gym and began.

When Buffy was on the jumping jacks, Angel came through through the door from the hallway. He froze in his tracks and watched the small blond move so gracefully and easily. She finished her work out and turned her head to him, noticing him. She smiled, and he snapped out his daze and returned her smile with one of his. Then he walked to the P.E. teacher and talked to her a bit.

The other students started filing in, out a breath and red faced. They all checked in with the teacher and started their workouts. Willow came in with a small group at the end. She checked in and walked over to Buffy. "Wow, you're getting so fast." she said. Buffy was busy checking out her hunky Art History teacher to hear Willow. "Buffy. Hello..." she waved a hand in front of her friend's face.

Buffy's head snapped to face her friend. "I'm fine." she said, then she looked back to Angel and smiled when he looked over at her and felt weak in the knees as he half smiled at her.

Willow looked where her friend was looking, then rolled her eyes and started on the situps, pushups and jumping jacks. "You've got it sooooo bad." she mumbled.

~*~

Buffy was scanning the racks of leather pants. She wanted to get a new pair for the Bronze that night. She looked at the worn look and the shiny look, then chose a black pair of low riders. "That's an excellent choise." said a voice from beside her. She turned to look.

"Thanks." she replied. "Do you work here?" she didn't see any name tag, and her face was really pale and frail looking.

"Oh God, no. I'm here to get a new shirt. I've lost so much weight, nothing fits anymore. I'm here with my husband." she told Buffy, who nodded. "I'm Reanne O'Brian." she introduced herself and held out her hand.

Buffy took it and felt how tiny her hand was and how papery her skin felt. "I'm Buffy Summers." she introduced herself in kind. Reanne's eyes widened slightly. "What?" she asked.

"Are you in my husbands Art History class?" Reanne asked with wonder.

"You mean An-I mean Mr. O'Brian?" Buffy asked. Reanne nodded. "Yup, sure am. He's a great teacher." she said, trying to sound like just and student that liked her teacher, and not like a student who had a major monster crush on Reanne's husband who happened to be her teacher.

"Yeah. He is." then she turned around and looked around, calling out weakly, "Angelus, honey!" Angel rushed up to her from around the corner.

"What is it?" he asked, hoping she wasn't having a dizzy spell. Reanne stepped aside to reveal the beautiful blond girl who seemed to draw him in every way. "Miss. Summers." he greeted her.

"Hey Angel." she replied. "I was just having a chat with your wife." she filled him in. She held the hanger of the leather pants tightly, embarrassed to have him see her with them in her hand. She liked wearing sexy cloths to the Bronze, but it was awkward having her teacher see her buying them.

"Reanne does like to start conversations with everyone." he said. Then looked down at his tiny wife, "did you find anything you like?" he asked.

Reanne held up a shirt she picked out. "I just need to try it on." Then she turned to Buffy. "Nice meeting you Buffy." then she left, taking her husband's hand to drag him along.

"I gotta try something on too, so I'll come with." she told them and followed them to the dressing rooms. She talked to the sales lady and she was let into a dressing room. She put on the leather pants and took of her jacket. It was a very sexy combination with the leather pants and the white tank top with the devil heart on it. She heard Angel say something to her wife, and was reminded that he was out there. She knew it was wrong, but she needed to tease him a bit, it was fun.

She opened the door and looked in the big mirror. Angel felt like he was underwater. Seeing the small blond whom had had been developing a little fascination with in tight, form fitting, low riding leather pants, and a tiny white tank top...it was making his mouth water.

Buffy saw the look in his eyes in the reflection of mirror. She smiled in success and walked back into her change room adding a little extra sway in her hips to entice Angel further, oh she was BAD! When she was back in the privacy of her change room she changed back into her blue jeans and put her jacket back on. She folded the pants over her arm and strolled out of her change room, tossing Angel a smile as she moved to the till.

Angel watched her walk to the till and place the devilishly sexy leather pants on the countertop, and tried on sunglasses as the saleslady scanned the price tag. When her eyes connected with his, he cleared his throat and looked away. She was 18 years old...old enough... but it was wrong. He was still married. Sure he was gonna divorce his wife when she got better, but still. He spared a glance as she paid for the pants and the saleslady put them in a bag. Then she took the bag and looked up to catch his eyes again, then turned and left the store. He briefly wondered where she was gonna be wearing those pants, then his wife came out of the change room looking paler than usual. "We should go home now." he suggested. She weakly nodded and took his arm. He helped her out of the store, setting the clothes she tired on, on the counter before leaving.

~*~

Willow's eyes were wide as she met her friend at their shared locker. "What?" Buffy asked at Willow's weird look. "Can't a girl dress up a little sexy now and then?" putting her hands on her practically perfectly visible hips.

"Buffy, you're wearing leather pants and a black tank top that shows your middle. I haven't seen you dress like that at school before. That's Bronze attire." Willow told her friend.

Buffy shrugged. "Well, mom wasn't home this morning, so I just wanted to wear these. They're new and I like them...." her friend raised an eyebrow. "...and so does Angel." she finished.

"You took Angel leather pants shopping with you?" she asked her friend with a weird look on her face?

"No. I ran into him at the store. He was there with his wife. She's a great lady, really nice. It's too bad that she's so sick and Angel is gonna be breaking up with her." Buffy said with sympathy in her voice.

"Yeah. Angel is like the most popular teacher on campus, it's too bad that he's got it so hard at home." Willow said. Then the bell went off. "I gotta get to Chemistry class." she told her friend.

Buffy smiled, "I gotta go to Art History." then her and her friend parted ways and Buffy walked down the art hallway to her class. She walked through the door and took her seat, saying hi to Angel on her way to her seat.

Angel felt like he was gonna bust. She was wearing the leather pants, how could the fates be so cruel to him. He had to get through an hour with that image of her small, round ass clad in that black leather. It wasn't fair.

"Hey, Buffy." Riley said to get her attention. She looked over at him. "Where did you get those pants? Sluts-R-Us?" he insulted her, then started laughing. Buffy was ready to pummel him when Angel was right there.

"What was that, Riley?" he asked the teenage boy in a challenging voice, daring him to repeat what he was just said to Buffy.

Riley smiled cynically up at Angel. "I was just asking Buffy where she got her pants. They look like the pants that the whore I slept with last night was wearing." he said without so much as blinking.

"Well, Finn. I suggest you take that back because that whore you slept with last night was obviously a deaf, dumb and blind because with sweet talk like that I'm sure no girl in her right mind would touch you with a 50 foot pole. And my students have the right to wear whatever you feel comfortable in, and if you have a problem with that I would be very happy if you'd just walk out and take a stroll to the office." then Angel walked back to the front of the classroom and sat on his desk. "Now, open your books to 150 of you Exploring Art text book, any volunteers to read?"

Riley was slouching in his chair. He was just majorly burnt by a teacher. And he wanted to smack that smirk off Buffy's pretty face. She rose her hand and began to read from the page Angel had instructed they turn to.

The tall teacher listened to Buffy's sweet voice as she read about Michelangelo and the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Her mouth formed the words so well and it was making him feel things that he had never felt before. He couldn't help but feel a protectiveness for the young girl and a deep feeling that he couldn't quite place. But it felt like he was falling in love with this petit girl, and falling pretty hard.

After class Buffy waited until everyone was gone she stood in front of Angel's desk. He looked up when everyone was gone. "Yes, Miss. Summers?" he said.

Buffy held her books to her chest, feeling a bit shy. "Thanks for what you did. It was sweet." she thanked him.

Angel looked at her tenderly, feeling like he was falling further in love with her. "Well, he had no right to talk to you like that." he replied.

She nodded. "No kidding, he's such a jerk to me, since I shot him down last year." she said.

"He doesn't deserve you." he told her, glad that she didn't accept the boys offer for a date.

Buffy smiled. "Who do you think deserves me then?" she asked, dropping mentaphically anvils at him saying, I LIKE YOU!!!!! I'M FALLING IN LOVE WITH YOU!!!!!!!

"I don't think any guy deserves you." he replied, at her confused expression, he continued, "But whoever gets you is very lucky to have you in their life." he smiled and got up. He walked around his desk. He stood in front of her. "Don't sell yourself short, Buffy, you're an amazing girl."

Buffy felt warm, fuzzy feelings rise in her. She looked into his eyes, feeling the world disappear. "Really?" she asked. He nodded. They were now close enough to kiss. She tilted her head up in invitation.

He took it. He leaned in and touched her lips with his. She tasted so sweet, he craved more. He stepped closer and placed a hand on bare skin at the small of her back and drew her close until they were flush against each other. He deepened the kiss.

Her heart sped up and was thudding against her chest. She wrapped her arms around his neck indulging in the moment. He tasted like peppermint and something else that tasted really sweet, she couldn't identify it. Then he ended the kiss, stilling holding her close. She opened her eyes and met his. Their eyes communicated a silent message to each other, they both smiled simultaneously. He would be filing the divorce papers in a week after his wife's next appointment, then he'd be free to love Buffy Summers.

~*~

Angel stepped through the door of his house. "Reanne, I'm home!" he called walking into the living room, he saw his wife lying on the floor, breathing really shallow. He rushed to her side and kneed beside her, feeling guilt rise in him for not getting there sooner. He ran to the phone and called an ambulance. Then returned to her side. "Don't you die on me!" he ordered her. "You have to get better. Remember Tylor? He loves you. You were gonna marry him once the divorce was final." he told her. "So you can't die." he held her hand as he heard the ambulance approaching.

Then medics rushed in and placed his wife on the wheelable bed and took her out to the ambulance. Angel followed them and rode with his sickly wife in the back.

When they got to the hospital they rushed his wife to Emergency and went to work on getting her stabilized and breathing properly. Angel was forced to wait in the waiting room. His thoughts on his wife, worrying that she wouldn't make it this time. They were lucky last time, they might not be so lucky this time.

"Angelus O'Brian?" asked a nurse.

Angel's head shot up. "Yes?" he replied.

The nurse sat down beside him. "Your wife's cancer has traveled from the left side of her brain to the right and we've found a tumor in her right lung and in her stomach as well." then she was silent.

He stared straight ahead, processing the information. It was true he didn't love his wife, but he did care about her, they had been married for 3 years. "What do we do now?" he asked.

"The doctor is in surgery right now. He'll be out to give you the news when he's done." she told him, then sympathetically patted him on the shoulder and left.

Angel's head fell into his hands and he felt the guilt rush back. He was kissing Buffy, while his wife was lying on the floor suffering and dying. He loved Buffy, but how could he be with her with this guilt weighing on his shoulders. He sat there with his head in his hands for it seemed like forever then he heard his name being spoken. He looked up to see the doctor. "How's my wife?" he asked, standing up.

"Maybe we should sit down." the doctor suggested.

"No. I don't want to sit. Just tell me, is she alive?" he asked, praying to god that she was.

"Yes. We got her stabilized, but there's nothing we can do and the cancer. It's been there for a long time. Did she ever tell you that she was have stomach aches and nausea at all?" the doctor asked. Angel shook his head numbly. "Well, she's been living with pain for some time. I'm sorry, but the cancer is too advanced, the only thing we can do now is make her comfortable." he told Angel.

Angel looked at the sterile hospital floor and felt a tear in his eye. "How long does she have?" he asked.

"A week, maybe two." the doctor gave it to him right between the eyes. "We put her in the hospitals lodge where she can get health care and live comfortably for her last days." he told Angel, who just nodded.

He watched as the doctor left then sat down again. Then he got up and called the man his wife loved, Tylor.

~*~

Buffy bounced happily into class and looked over to where Angel always sat before class. There was a strange man there. She did a double take. What happened to Angel? She sadly took her seat.

The bell rang and the last of the students took their seats. "Hi, I'm Mr. Polder. I'll be subbing for Mr.O'Brian for the time being until he returns." then he got right into the lesson plan. Buffy sat back and listened sadly, she was looking forward to more smoothes today. Where was he?

After class it was lunch time and Buffy met her friends on the quad. "hey guys." she greeted them. "Did anyone hear what happened to Angel?" she asked.

Oz spoke up first. "I heard his wife is in the hospital on her death bed. Angel is probably at her side." he said.

Buffy looked down at her hands. "Oh my god." she whispered. "It happened yesterday?" she asked. Oz nodded. "Um, I-I gotta book, I'll see you guys later." then she hurried off and went to the park across the street to the small park.

She sat on the swing and began to swing back and forth. "Why so glum?" the velvety deep sexy voice asked from beside her. She looked up to see Angel standing there. He smiled at her. "Hey."

"Hi." she replied, unsure of what to say. "You weren't in class today." she said.

"yeah. I went to see my wife, but Tylor came to visit so I left them alone." he replied. "So, you heard about my wife?" he asked. She nodded. "I hoped that she would get better, but I guess I was living in a dream world. Cancer really drains a person."

"Sure does. My grandpa passed away or lung cancer 5 years ago." she said sadly. He had been in the middle of teacher her a song when he passed suddenly. She missed him. She had hunted for the last part of the song, but never found it.

Angel moved behind her and began pushing her on the swing. "How about we change the subject. Reanne told me to not be sad. I think she's got an inkling of how I feel about you." he said.

Buffy couldn't help but smile. She looked back at him. "You are pretty obvious, ya know." she teased.

"You think so?" he asked, playing along.

"Yeah. Totally." she giggled. When she swung back, Angel stopped her and held her against him. She turned her head and their lips were millimeters apart.

"I guess I should try harder." he whispered then pressed his lips to hers. When the kiss was over he looked right into her eyes and said, "I'm in love with you."

She felt tears in her eyes. "Ditto." she said, then she kissed him again.

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