PART 8

Buffy lay down on the bed in her assigned bedroom and tried to get a grip on her raging emotions. She was feeling so many conflicting ones that she didn't want to leave her room and do something stupid, like going into Angel's room and killing him… or jumping his bones. There was a lot of crap that she had to get through and work through before she could actually do either. A knock on her door sounded quickly and before she could say anything, Hank entered.

"Hi," he said cautiously, "Are you still mad?"

Buffy sat up and stared at her father, "Why would I be mad?"

"That Angel put you across the hall from him," Hank said.

"No, not really."

Hank stared at her, "Well I am."

"Why?" Buffy asked him confused.

Hank looked at her even more intently, sometimes he swore she was still five years old and needed him to protect her from the world. "He's after you," Hank simply stated.

"I know… he always was," Buffy replied. "And I'm seriously debating letting him catch me."

"*WHAT*?"

"Dad…" Buffy started to say.

"Don't dad me, young lady. He is too old for you," Hank replied.

Buffy muttered, "You have no idea." Then she said as she got up, "I'm old enough to make my own decisions dad.

Hank looked somewhat embarrassed, "I know you are. I'm just worried… even though I'm not around much, you're still my little girl."

Buffy hugged him, "I know. But you don't have to worry; your safety is the only thing I'm concentrating on at the moment."

"I wasn't about me," Hank said returning the hug.

"Liar."

Meanwhile Cordy was in Dawn's room using Doyle's cell phone. "Kate!" she was saying, "You're one of Angel's best friends and we need you down here to help in this situation."

"Cordy, I'll try to come down if it's necessary, but we're really swamped with work here," Kate replied looking through some case files.

Cordy frowned, "Angel would really appreciate it."

"I'm sure Angel can take care of the problem by himself," Kate answered.

"But…"

Kate sighed, "Look I'll come if I can, but no promises. Bye."

"Bye Kate," Cordy replied disappointed. She really needed Kate down here or the whole plan that she and Dawn had come up with wouldn't work. Either that or they'd have to double up on sneaky Kate/Angel stories to compensate.

"So?" Dawn asked after Cordy hung up.

"Maybe."

Dawn just sat there with her mouth open. "What are we gonna do now?"

"Kate gossip."

"Huh?" Dawn asked confused.

Cordy sighed, "We just tell Kate stories… one's that are slightly altered to make it seem that she and Angel are more than friends."

"Will that even work? Buffy's not stupid," Dawn said.

"The way I alter them… even Angel will believe."

"Okay!" Dawn agreed, "What should I do?"

"I'm tellin' yer man, 'Delia's up to somethin'," Doyle said pacing the living room with Rick in his arms.

"What makes you think that?" Angel asked unconcerned.

Doyle stopped pacing and stood in front of Angel. "She's been talkin' to the younger one for hours."

"So… she's talking to Dawn. That's not suspicious," Angel replied.

"She also took my cell phone and is in a really good mood," Doyle added sitting next to Angel.

Angel stared at his friend, "Ooh run everyone, Cordy's in a good mood."

"Laugh it up," Doyle said, "I think she's plotting somethin' to do with yer… Remember what happened last time."

Angel could vividly remember Cordy's last set-up. He ended up spending six hours trapped in a lift with Cordy's friend, Gayle. An aspiring actress with a voice to rival Fran Drescher's.

"Okay," Angel said trying to remain calm, "We've got to stop her."

"I'd like to see yer try" was all Doyle said.

Doyle and Angel were still trying to figure out what Cordy's latest plan was and how it could involve Angel, when there was a loud knock on the front door. Angel got up and answered it and then found himself pushed aside as the Scooby gang walked in looking for Buffy. Although he'd never expected to be welcomed back into the group with open arms, he'd at least expected them to treat him politely and not as though he didn't exist… or wasn't worthy too.

"Hey. Where's Chip head?" Xander asked looking around the living room. According to what Dawn had told Angel, Xander and Spike had become good friends… obviously united in their hate of him.

"Well Einstein," Angel replied cheesed off at being ignored. "Since it was daylight when Buffy, Dawn and Hank arrived… I assume they left him at the house. You know, so he wouldn't fry."

Xander just stared at Angel, amazed that for once he had answered back. "Sure, whatever!" he muttered trying not to show how that comment had unnerved him.

Then they all just stood there in an uncomfortable silence, none of them sure what to say to Angel and Doyle, when Dawn came downstairs.

"Hey guys," she said greeting her extended family. "If you're looking for Buffy she's upstairs with Hank."

Dawn had barely finished the sentence when they all left the room without saying a word, to go to Buffy.

"Was it something I said?" she asked Angel confused at their abrupt departure.

Angel shook his head sadly, "No. It was something I did."

Hank had just left and Buffy was looking forward to some quiet alone time, but the door swung open and in trumped the Scooby gang.

"Buffster!" Xander yelled jumping on the bed, rattling Buffy.

Buffy looked at her friends in shock, "What are you guys doing here?" She didn't know how they knew that she was at Angel's and not at home, especially since she had decided not to tell them.

"That Irish fellow called us," Giles answered looking around curiously.

"Oh." Willow looked at her friend's suitcase and duffle bag lying on the floor. "You're staying here?" she asked in a small, nervous voice.

"Yeah. Both Angel and Hank thought that it would increase the chance of Hank surviving the assassin," Buffy told her, trying to sound like the whole thing was no big deal.

"I'm surprised he didn't try to move you into his room," Xander said voicing his dislike of Angel again. "He didn't try that did he?"

Buffy sighed and pointed the room across from hers, "That's his room. And chill Xand, he didn't try anything."

"That…" Xander started not believing Buffy, but he was interrupted by Cordy coming into the room.

"Hey!" Cordy said waddling over to the bed. "I thought I heard your big mouths in here. So how is everyone? You won't believe just how much I missed living here in good old Sunnyhell."

Xander took great offence to Cordy sitting in on what was supposed to be a Scooby meeting. "What do you want, Queen C?"

Cordy looked up at him and the others; "I just wanted to say hi… and to offer my help in say… research."

"We always need help with research," Willow said staring at Cordy's stomach. She had a hard time picturing Cordy as a mother period, never mind becoming one for the second time.

"Cool," Cordy answered. She then turned to Buffy and said, "I wish that I could help in a physical way, but…"

"That's fine Cor," Buffy answered glad that Cordy couldn't help in that way.

Cordy smiled, "Anyway Kate will probably come help."

"Kate?" Buffy asked confused.

Cordy looked around at everyone; "Didn't Angel tell you? Kate is a *good* friend of his."

"Good friend? How good a friend?" Buffy asked unaware of how jealous she sounded.

"Well… they go out a lot," Cordy said omitting the 'on cases' bit.

Willow said, "I guess he really isn't interested in Buffy."

"Good!" Xander added. He didn't want Angel back in Buffy's life, whether he was dead… or alive.

"Yeah, good," Buffy echoed.

She had a sinking feeling in her stomach; another feeling began to surpass this feeling though. The feeling of wanting to track down this Kate-person and scratch her eyes out. Leaving Buffy reeling from confusion over what to do.

Doyle was just passing by Buffy's room on the way to his and Cordy's when he heard his wife's piece of fiction. Kate, no one that knew Angel and her would believe that they were… it was a stupid suggestion. That was when Doyle realised what she was up to. In her own twisted way she was trying to set Buffy and Angel up and Doyle hoped that this time, for once one of her plans actually worked. He moved along shifting his son from one arm to the other and saw that Hank's door was open. He decided to check on him and when he looked inside he saw Hank leaning against the wall eavesdropping on the conversation.

Suddenly Hank noticed he was being watched. "I'm just watching out for my little girl," he justified to Doyle.

"No yer not. Yer just looking out for yer," Doyle answered before moving on.