Buffy had seen Angel talking to a girl in the park last night. Both of them seemed like they had a past.

In class, Buffy and I were passing a note back and forth.

I wrote: Do you know who she was? And passed it to Buffy.

"Well, it seems like Louis XVI was just sort of a weak king," a boy said.

Buffy and I glanced at each other.

Buffy started to write an answer to the note.

"That's fair enough," the teacher said. "Uh, any other impressions?"

Willow sat behind me. Xander sat in front of me. Cordelia sat in front of Buffy, next to Xander.

Xander looked over at Cordelia with his head propped up on his fist.

"I just don't see why everyone's always picking on Marie Antoinette," Cordelia told us. "I can so relate to her. She worked really hard to look that good, and people just don't appreciate that kind of effort."

Buffy had finished her answer to my note, handing it back to me.

I held it subtly over my shoulder to let Willow see.

No. Dark hair. Old dress. Pretty

"And I know the peasants were all depressed..." Cordelia trailed off.

"I think you mean 'oppressed'," I told her.

"Whatever," Cordelia told me. "They were cranky. So they're, like, 'Let's lose some heads'. Uhhh! That's fair. And, and Marie Antoinette cared about them. She was gonna let them have cake."

I wrote: Vampire? And handed it to Buffy.

"Yes, well, that's a very interesting perspective," the teacher told us  "Um, would anyone else like to comment?"

Buffy opened the note.

The bell rang.

Buffy, Willow, Xander and I walked out of class.

"I don't know," Buffy told us. "I don't think so. They seemed pretty friendly."

"Who's friendly?" Xander asked.

"No one," I told him.

"Angel and a girl," Willow told him.

"Willow, do we have to be in total share mode?" Buffy asked.

"Hey, it's me," Xander told us. "If Angel's doing something wrong, I wanna know. 'Cause it gives me a happy."

We walked into the lounge.

"Mm, I'm glad someone has a happy," Buffy told him.

"Aw, you just need cheering up," I told her. "And I know just the thing." I pretended to dance. "Crazed dance party at the Bronze."

"I don't know," Buffy told me, crossing her arms over her chest, depressed.

"Very calm dance party at the Bronze?" I asked. Buffy gave him a glum look. "Moping at the Bronze."

I sat on a couch next to Willow.

A guy walked up the steps behind Buffy. "I'd suggest a box of Oreos dunked in apple juice, but maybe she's over that phase."

Buffy uncrossed her arms and turned around. "Ford?"

"Hey, Summers," Ford told her, wrapping his arms around her. "How you been?"

"Oh, my God!" Buffy told him. "What are you doing here?"

They let go and held both hands.

"Uh, matriculating," Ford told her.

"Huh?" Buffy asked.

"I'm finishing out my senior year at Sunnydale High," Ford told her. "Dad got transferred."

"This is great," Buffy told him.

"I'm glad you think so," Ford told her. "I didn't think you'd remember me."

"Remember you?" Buffy repeated. "Duh! We only went to school together for seven years. You were my giant fifth grade crush."

"So," Xander said to get their attention. "You two know each other.",

"Oh!" Buffy said, turning to Xander, Willow and me. "I'm sorry. Um, this is Ford. Uh, Billy Fordham, this is Xander, Willow and Zoey."

Buffy and Ford went to sit on the other couch.

"Hi," I told him.

"Hey," Ford told us.

"Nice to meet you," Willow told him.

"Uh, Ford and I went to Hemery together in L.A.," Buffy told us. She looked at Ford. "And now you're here. For real?"

"Dad got the transfer, and boom, he just dragged me outta Hemery and put me down here," Ford told us.

"This is great," Buffy told him. "Well, I mean, it's hard, sudden move, all your friends, delicate time, very emotional, but let's talk about me." She put her hand on his knee. "This is great."

Willow smiled. "So, you two were sweeties in fifth grade?"

"Not even," Buffy told us. "Ford wouldn't give me the time of day."

"Well, I was a manly sixth-grader," Ford told us. "I couldn't bother with someone that young."

"It was terrible," Buffy told us. "I moped over you for months. Sitting in my room listening to that Divinyls song 'I Touch Myself'." I had been about to plop a chip into my mouth, looking up. Buffy realized how what she just said could be taken and casted a nervous look at Xander, Willow and me. "Of course, I had no idea what it was about." Ford nervously scratched his temple. Xander just smiled and nodded. Buffy looked at Ford. "Hey, are you busy tonight? We're going to the Bronze, it's the local club, and you have to come."

"I'd love to," Ford told us. "But if you guys already had plans... Would I be imposing?"

"No, only in the literal sense," Xander told him.

"Okay, then," Ford told us. "I gotta find the admissions office." He stood. "Uh, get my papers in order."

"Well, you know what?" Buffy asked, standing. "I'll take you there." She looked at Xander, Willow and me. "And I'll see you guys in French."

Buffy took Ford's arm.

Ford looked at us. "It was good to meet you."

Buffy and Ford walked away.

Xander smiled at them until they'd gone.

Willow had a thoughtful look on her face.

"This is Ford, my bestest friend of all my friends," Xander said sarcastically. "Jeez, doesn't she know any fat guys?"

"Oh, that's what that song is about?" Willow realized.

I smacked my forehead.

~~

At the Bronze, Xander, Willow, Ford and I were playing pool.

Ford sunk his shot and set up for another.

Buffy arrived at the table. "Ford! You made it."

"Wasn't hard to find," Ford told her.

"Buffy, Ford was just telling us about the ninth grade beauty contest, and the, uh, swimsuit competition," Willow told her.

"Oh, my God, Ford, stop that," Buffy told him. "The more people you tell, the more people I have to kill."

"You can't touch me, Summers," Ford told her. "I know all your darkest secrets."

"Care to make a small wager on that?" Xander asked.

"I'm gonna go get a drink," Buffy told us. "Ford, try not to talk." She walked for the bar and found Angel there. "Hi."

"Hey," Angel told her. "I was hoping you'd show."

Buffy saw he had a drink. "You drink. I mean, drinks. Non-blood things."

"There's a lot about me you don't know," Angel told her.

"I believe that," Buffy told him.

Xander and Willow were racking up the pool balls.

Ford saw Buffy with Angel.

"That's Angel," Willow told him.

"He's Buffy's beau," Xander said sarcastically. "Her special friend."

"He's not in school, right?" Ford asked. "He looks older than her."

"You're not wrong," I told him.

"So," Buffy said. "What'd you do last night?"

"Nothing," Angel told her.

"Nothing at all," Buffy said. "You ceased to exist?"

"No, I mean I stayed in, read," Angel told her.

"Oh," Buffy said, walking toward us without another word.

Angel stood there confused for a moment, then followed her.

"Didn't want that soda after all?" Ford asked.

"Not thirsty," Buffy told us.

"Hey, Angel," Willow said.

"Hi," Ford said.

Buffy turned to Angel. "This is Ford. We went to school together in L.A."

"Nice to meet you," Angel told him, shaking Ford's hand.

"Whoa," Ford said. "Cold hands."

"You're not wrong," I told him.

Buffy gave me a look.

I smiled innocently.

Angel looked at Ford. "So, you're here visiting Buffy?"

"No, I'm actually here to stay," Ford told him. "Just moved down."

"Hey, Angel, do you wanna play?" Willow asked.

"You know, it's getting really crowded in here tonight," Buffy told us. "Um... I'm a little hot." She looked at Ford. "You wanna take a walk?"

"Um, sure," Ford told her. "That'd be nice."

"Okay, then, um..." Buffy trailed off, looking at Willow, Xander and me. "I'll see ya tomorrow."

Buffy led Ford out past Angel.

"Good night," Angel told them.

"Take care," Ford told us.

"Okay, once more with tension," I said sarcastically.

"He just moved here?" Angel asked.

"Yeah," Xander answered. "And, boy, does he move fast."

"Well, Angel, we could still play," Willow told him.

Willow moved the rack into position, and when she looked back up Angel was gone.

I looked at Xander. "See, you made him do that thing where he's gone."

Xander dismissed the comment and got ready to break.

~~

Buffy had came to Willow and me and told us that she had slayed a vampire in front of Ford, but he had told her that he had already known that she was the Slayer.

We sat together in my room.

"Just like that he told you?" I asked.

"Just like that," Buffy answered. "Said he found out right before I got booted from Hemery."

"Wow," Willow said. "It's neat. Is it neat?"

"Yeah, I guess it is," Buffy told us. "I don't have to constantly worry that he's gonna find out my dark secret. It just makes everything easier."

We all smiled.

~~

Angel had asked Willow to look into Ford.

Xander, Willow, Angel and I were walking down the alley to the Sunset Club.

"The only thing I could track down was this address," Willow told us. "The Sunset Club. Still didn't find anything incriminating."

"He leaves no paper trail, no records, that's incriminating enough," Angel told us.

"Yeah, I'm gonna have to go with Dead Boy on this one," Xander told us.

"Could you not call me that?" Angel asked.

I knocked on the door.

The viewport opened and the doorman looked out.

"We're friends of Ford's," I told him.

The doorman nodded, letting us inside.

We walked in through the inside door and looked around. It was gloomy in the extreme.

Willow was wearing a colorfully striped shirt. "Boy, we blend right in."

"In no way do we stick out like sore thumbs," I said sarcastically.

"Let's look around," Angel told us. "You guys check out downstairs."

"Sure thing, Bossy the cow," Xander told him, leading the way downstairs.

Willow and I followed.

Willow looked at me. "Okay, but do they really stick out?"

"What?" I asked.

"Sore thumbs," Willow told me.Do they stick out? I mean, have you ever seen a thumb and gone, 'Wow! That baby is sore!'"

"You have too many thoughts," I told her.

"Reptile", by Creaming Jesus, was playing.

Lyrics: The one hungry life / My life with the other

Willow, Xander and I walked by a man standing in a coffin dressed as a movie vampire.

The man waved. "Hi."

I waved back and looked around more. "Are you probably noticing a theme here?"

"As in 'Vampires. Yay!'?" Xander asked.

"That's the one," I answered.

A girl walked toward us from behind. "You guys are newbies. I can tell."

Willow turned to face her. "Oh, no. We come here all the time."

"Don't be ashamed," she told us. "It's cool that you're open to it. We welcome anyone who's interested in the Lonely Ones."

Angel walked down the stairs behind her.

"The Lonely Ones?" I repeated.

"Vampires," Angel explained.

"Oh," Xander said. "We usually call them the nasty, pointy, bitey ones."

"So many people have that misconception," the girl told us. "But they who walk with the night are not interested in harming anyone. They are creatures above us. Exalted."

"You're a fool," Angel told her.

Xander gave him a look.

"You don't have to be so confrontational about it," the girl told him. "Other viewpoints than yours may be valid, you know."

She started to walk away.

"Nice meeting you," Willow told her.

We turned to Angel.

"You really are a people person," I told him sarcastically.

"Now nobody's gonna talk to us," Willow told him.

"I've seen enough," Angel told us. "I've seen this type before. I mean, they're children making up bedtime stories of friendly vampires to comfort themselves in the dark."

"Is that so bad?" Willow asked. "I mean, the dark can get pretty dark. Sometimes you need a story."

"These people don't know anything about vampires," Angel told us. "What they are, how they live, how they dress..."

A young man dressed exactly like Angel walked down the stairs behind him and looked him up and down before continuing on.

Angel cleared his throat.

We started up the stairs to get out of the club.

"You know, I love a good diatribe," Xander told us.

"But I'm still curious why Ford, the bestest friend of the Slayer, is hanging with a bunch of vampire wannabes," I told them.

Willow nodded. "Something's up with him, you're right about that."

~~

The next day at school, Xander, Willow and I were sitting on the steps in the wall.

Buffy walked toward us.

I stood up. "Buffy." Buffy didn't really want to face us, but did. "Did, uh, Angel..."

"He told me everything," Buffy answered.

"I'm sorry we kept stuff from you," I told her.

"It's okay," Buffy told us, smiling weakly.

"When Angel came to my room, he was just really concerned for you, and we didn't wanna say anything in case we were wrong," Willow told her.

"Did you find out what Ford is up to?" Xander asked.

"I will," Buffy told us, walking away.

Willow, Xander and I sadly watched her go.

After a moment, something clicked in Xander's head. He looked at Willow. "Angel was in your bedroom?"

Willow nodded. "Ours is a forbidden love."

I smiled at the sarcasm.

~~

In the alley leading to the club Angel, Xander and I walked toward it to see the people help and support each other.

Buffy looked at us. "You guys are just in time."

"Are there vampires?" I asked.

"They're contained," Buffy told us. "They'll get out eventually, though. We should probably go. We can come back when they're gone."

"Come back for what?" Xander asked.

Buffy looked back at the entrance. "For the body."

Ford wanted Spike to turn him into a vampire because he was dying. He had been willing to trade it for Buffy.

He got his wish.

Buffy had to kill him because his wish came true.