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TITLE: Storm Before The Sun
AUTHOR: Reed
E-MAIL: iheartbareed@yahoo.comDISCLAIMER: Not mine. Never were. Never will be.
TIMELINE: Starts in the middle of "Dad" on Angel and
after "Smashed" on BtVS except Buffy never actually slept with Spike.
SYNOPSIS: Angel goes to Sunnydale with Connor.
DISTRIBUTION: Sure, just ask me first.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Thanks to my beta-reader, Pixie. You're da bomb yo.
FEEDBACK: Yes, please.
***********************
Angel sped down the highway, moving further and further away from Los Angeles. Luckily, the motion of the car and the hum of the engine had lulled Connor to sleep so Angel could concentrate on what he was about to do. Cordelia was right. He couldn't do this alone. There were too many powerful people after his son and if anything ever happened to him? So he was speeding down the highway. Towards Sunnydale.
*****
Buffy pulled her sweatshirt a little tighter around her. The house was freezing, but they were trying to save money on heat so she huddled on the couch under layers of clothes and blankets. She, Willow, and Dawn were crashed out on the couch, watching movies and drowning their sorrows in junk food.
Buffy's mind, however, was not on the movie or the cheese curls that she was shoveling into her mouth. Last night, she had almost slept with Spike. SPIKE! She had no idea what was going on in her head. Why did she keep going back to him? She knew that she didn't love him, and it certainly wasn't a purely physical attraction. She was disgusted with herself.
However, her self flagellating thoughts were interrupted when the doorbell rang. She sluggishly got off the couch and padded over to the door, swinging it open, expecting to find Xander and Anya. Instead she found a very strange sight.
Angel. With a baby.
"A-Angel." Buffy's stomach bottomed out.
"Hey. Can I come in?" Angel tried not to think about how fantastic it was to see his love again or how sad and tired she looked or how much he wanted to take her in his arms and hold her.
"Uh, sure." He stepped inside and the next move was up for grabs. Willow and Dawn had gotten off the couch and came to the door, taking in the strange scene. Buffy was still surprised and couldn't find any words. Angel's eyes were flicking between the baby in his arms and the woman in front of him. The tense moment was interrupted by a loud noise from the television and a baby's cry. Angel immediately switched from still-madly-in-love-exboyfriend-caught-in-an-awkward-situation face to concerned father face. In that instant, Buffy knew. She didn't know that she knew, but she knew.
"He needs to be fed," Angel explained, jiggling Connor gently, trying to calm him down. "Can I use your microwave?"
"Of course," Dawn said, leading the way into the kitchen. "He's adorable. What's his name?"
"Connor." Angel took a bottle out of the light blue baby bag he had slung over his shoulder and struggled to balance Connor and prepare the bottle. Willow stepped in with a smile and helped prepare theformula. She put the bottle in the microwave for a few seconds, then tested the liquid on her arm, making sure it wasn't too hot. She handed it to Angel, who fed it to the baby, effectively shushing his cries.
"Thanks, Willow."
"No problem. I used to babysit for my little cousins all the time."
"So, Angel, are you going to tell us what's going on?" Buffy asked, leaning against the door jam.
"I?" The sentenced was never finished because Angel was saved by the bell. Or more accurately, saved by the knock. Xander and Anya knocked on the kitchen door and let themselves in.
"We come bearing ice cream!" Xander swept into the kitchen, ready to cheer up his two best friends and unofficial little sister. However, he stopped short when he saw two extra people in the room.
"Angel? and a baby. What's going on?"
"We're not quite sure yet," Buffy said, focusing her gaze on Xander. "Angel was just about to tell us." Angel felt five sets of eyes settle on him and he tried not to tense up, knowing that Connor could sense it.
"I'm not sure where to start."
"How 'bout starting with who's kid it is?" Angel took a deep, unneeded breath.
"He's my son."
The room came to screeching halt. Buffy tightened her grip on the wall, feeling it give a little under her Slayer strength, but if she let go, she was positive her knees would give out. For some strange reason, she really wasn't surprised, but hearing him say it aloud made her want to throw up. As she tried to fight back her nausea, she heard Willow speak.
"I thought vampires couldn't have kids."
"We can't. Or at least under normal circumstances, we can't. Connor is special, he was prophesied." Angel shifted uncomfortably. He was looking at the floor, but knew everyone was staring at him. Buffy's stare was burning through him, unnerving him greatly.
"Who's the mother?" Buffy choked out. Her voice sounded strangely high and she barely recognized it as her own. Angel's pained eyes looked up and met Buffy's blatantly heartbroken expression. He tried to apologize with his eyes, but then turned his gaze away, not able to look at her when he broke the news.
"Darla." Buffy felt all the blood drain from her face and her entire body went numb. Her nausea increased tenfold.
"Buffy, are you all right? You're paler than Angel," Anya said.
"Darla's dead. You killed her. For me," Buffy whispered, her voice barely audible.
"Yes, I did, but she came back. It's complicated."
Angel had known this would be hard, that's why he had planned out everything that he would say in the car. But things never went the way he planned. While Angel was trying figure out where to go next, everything began to sink in for Buffy. And she was not happy with it. Slipping into Slayer mode so she wouldn't have to feel the pain, she placed her hands on her waist and she vaguely sensed her nails digging into her hip.
"So, what's the deal Angel? Why'd you come back? Just wanted to show me your shiny new life?"
"Buffy, it's not like that. Maybe we should sit down and I can explain."
"Save it, Angel. Just go back to L.A., fuck Darla, and leave me the hell alone!" She turned on her heel and ran out of the house.
"Buffy!" He made a move to run after her, forgetting that he was holding his son. The sudden movement upset Connor and he started to wail. "Dammit!" he exclaimed, making his son cry even harder. "I'm sorry," he began in a soothing tone. "Please don't cry. Come on Connor please." The crying ceased after a minute and Angel became aware of four sets of eyes trained on him.
"Maybe you should leave." Xander crossed his arms over his chest and set his steely gaze on the unwelcome vampire.
"I can't," Angel sighed heavily. "I have nowhere to go."
"Why? What happened?" Willow asked. She had always been the most sympathetic towards Angel and this time was no different.
"Connor's the prophesied human child of two vampires. There's at least five demon cults after him not to mention local gangs, demon hunters, and lawyers. He's only a day old." He looked down sadly at Connor. This is not the life he wanted for his son. "I need help. That's why I came here." Xander made a move to make another harsh comment, but Willow silenced him with a look.
"Dawn, why don't you go upstairs and get ready for bed?"
"Will?" she protested.
"Dawn. Resolve-face," she said, pointing out her expression.
"Fine." Dawn grumbled something about being 15 and an adult as she left the room and Willow turned back to the vampire and his son.
"Why don't we go to the living room and you can start at the beginning?"
*****
"Save it, Angel. Just go back to L.A., fuck Darla, and leave me the hell alone!" She turned on her heel and ran out of the house. She blindly ran at full tilt down the street, not knowing where she was going and not really caring. She just needed to get as far away as possible.
He had a baby. With DARLA. She even thought she had only been in contact for a few months over 5 years ago, she had always had Darla issues. After all, she was Angel's sire. And they had spent 100 some odd years together, merrily killing and fucking. How could the 3 years and one night they had spent together possibly compete?
And now they had a baby.
Angel had a son.
And it was not with her.
She wound up in the park and, not being about to run anymore, she plopped down on a swing and felt the tears start to slid down her face.
"No!" she hiccuped. "I won't cry over him. Not now." She sniffed and wiped at her eyes, using all her willpower to stop her sobs. She got up off the swing and start walking, looking for a fight. She needed to kick some ass. Then, she remembered that she had left the house with out a stake.
"Good job, Buffy," she berated herself. "Way to get yourself killed." Reaching over, she broke off a tree branch and started to hunt.
*****
Two hours and 9 vampires later, she was feeling a little better due to the adrenaline pumping through her system, but was still dreading going home. She didn't know if Angel would still be there, but either way everyone would be asking her if she was all right and Willow would want to talk about in more detail and she would have to apologize for her freak out and she just didn't want to deal with anything right now. She looked at her watch to see that it was still early, only 10:30. Veering left, she headed for the Bronze. When she arrived at the club, she headed for the restroom, peeling off her sweatshirt as she went. She wasn't exactly dressed for dancing but after she took off her layered clothes, she was left with a tiny black tank top. She went out on the dance floor, letting the beat fill her head, emptying it of all other thoughts. She didn't know how long she was dancing when she sensed an unwelcome presence at her side.
"Go away Spike," she hissed, not even opening her eyes.
"Are you sure?" he asked, putting his hands on her hips and whispering suggestively in her ear. "You look like you could use me right now." She grabbed his hands and shoved them off her. She turned and was going to tell him to leave, but instead grabbed his face in her hands and kissed him hard.
Nothing. She felt nothing. Except maybe disgust. She pushed him away and looked him in the eye to let him know she was serious.
"This ends here, Spike. I won't do this anymore. I want you to leave town and I don't want you to come back. If I see you again, I'll stake you." For some reason, Spike knew that she wasn't in denial. He turned and left for parts unknown.
Part 2
Buffy slipped quietly into the house at three o'clock. She had stayed late at the Bronze and went hunting again. She started to go up the stairs when she heard someone speak her name and she froze.
"Angel." She squeezed her eyes shut. "I didn't realize that you were still here."
"I'm sorry. I was going to stay at the mansion, but Willow thought it wouldn't be good for Connor. Too damp."
"Oh, okay." She started to walk again.
"Buffy, can we talk?"
"It's late. I don't want to do this."
"Please Buffy. I can't sleep knowing you hate me."
"I don't hate you." The words were out before she could even think.
"Please let me explain what happened."
"Go ahead." She came downstairs and sat in the big armchair. Angel sat down on the couch and starting speaking softly as to not wake Connor.
"Approximately two years ago, this law firm Wolfram & Hart brought back Darla as a human. I tried to help her, save her soul, but Wolfram & Hart brought Drusilla in to turn her. It happened right in front of me and I couldn't stop it. All of this was part of a plot of Wolfram & Hart to drive me over the edge and it worked pretty well. Do you remember the Christmas after I came back from Hell?" Buffy nodded, remembering the night when Angel had tried to kill himself and had been miraculously saved by the snow.
"I was in worst shape then I was in then. I had a really harsh encounter one night and when I went home, Darla was waiting for me. I just wanted it to be over and I saw a way out."
"You wanted to lose your soul," Buffy said softly, finally understanding.
"Yes," he looked down at his hands, ashamed. "I regretted it as soon as it happened and I told Darla that if she ever came back I would stake her. But she came back a little over a week ago, nine months pregnant. We didn't know what had happened. Darla had tried to terminate the pregnancy but she couldn't. Then we found a prophecy that included Connor. He's going to be a warrior. He was born yesterday and he's human. Darla is gone. She staked herself."
"What?" Buffy asked unbelieving.
"Connor's soul had an effect on Darla. She loved him and knew that once he was born, she wouldn't be able to give him anything because she would no longer have any part of a soul."
"Oh." Buffy had calmed slightly as Angel explained what happened. In a way, she understood what had happened because it was similar to what had gone on between her and Spike. But he hadn't gotten her pregnant. "Why are you here Angel?"
"I need your help."
"So you just come back with your baby after only talking to me twice in a year and want my help? That's not fair Angel." She didn't mean to be mean, but she didn't know if she could handle anyone's problems but her own.
"I'll leave if you want me to."
"No, don't," she sighed. "I've just been under a lot of stress lately. How much did the others tell you?"
"They said that Giles left."
"Yeah, he did." She sighed again. "Angel, am I stupid?" Angel's brow furrowed. Why would she ask that?
"Of course not!"
"Then why does everyone insist on making my decisions for me? How come no one thinks I can take care of myself? I mean, this thing with Giles, leaving for my own good, is sounds extremely similar to when you left. I can make my own decisions. Why can't people see that?" She got out of her chair and started pacing.
"It's not like I depend on Giles for everything. I do things myself. I've just been going through some tough times lately." Tears sprung to her eyes, but she brushed them away furiously. "I'm trying so hard, but I'm not a superwoman. Sure, I'm the Slayer, but that doesn't mean I can take all this shit. I can deal with the vampires and demons. That's my job and it's simple and gives me a rush. But it's all the other stuff. Dawn and all her school work and social services and money. And missing my mother and missing you. I can't keep doing it." Her voice, which had been escalating, dropped so it was almost inaudible. "I just want to go back. Everything was peaceful and I didn't have to fight anymore." Angel had been sitting silently throughout her tirade, taking it all in, but was confused by her last statement.
"Go back where?" Buffy turned to him, her eyes
glistening with tears.
"Heaven. Or at least I think it was heaven. I was in heaven when they brought me back, not some hell dimension like they all thought. I was peaceful and I didn't have to fight and I didn't feel empty. And now I'm back and everything's harsh and it hurts." Her shoulders slumped and a tear escaped the corner of her eye. Angel was at a loss for words. He had had no idea. He, the king of tortured souls, couldn't even imagine the pain she was going through.
But he didn't have to say anything. He met her
pained eyes and reached for her hand. Giving in to the overwhelming emotions, she collapsed into the safety of his arms. Burying her head against his neck, she let herself cry. Part of her was protesting that Angel was her ex and this was inappropriate, but she was too far gone to care. She needed the comfort his embrace had always given her and he was more than willing to provide.
*****
Willow woke up the next morning to the harsh sound of her alarm clock. Burying her head deeper into the pillow, she waited for Tara to hit the snooze button but when the beeping continued, she sadly remembered that Tara was gone. Starting what was shaping up to be a crappy day, she rolled over, shut the alarm off, and climbed out of bed. She pulled on a t-shirt and jeans, ran a comb through her hair, and knocked on the door to Dawn's room.
"Dawnie, you awake?"
"Yea, I'm getting dressed," she called back. Willow walked down the hall to Buffy's room to find the door open and the bed unslept in. She was standing in the doorway worrying about her best friend when Dawn came up behind her.
"She didn't come home last night?"
"I guess not. You need to eat before Xander gets here, let's go downstairs." They trudged downstairs, but at the end of the staircase Dawn came to a halt.
"Whoa." Willow followed her gaze to see Buffy curled up on Angel's lap with her arms tightly wound around his neck and his arms wrapped securely around her waist. Both were sleeping peacefully.
"Well, I didn't expect to see that."
"No, me neither. Should we wake them?"
"No, leave them. Go get yourself breakfast." Dawn went into the kitchen and Willow lifted a barely awake Connor from his carrier and grabbed his baby bag. She carried him into the kitchen where Dawn was eating cereal. She wondered what had gone on between her best friend and the baby's father as she prepared a bottle and fed the small child.
Part 3
The first thing Buffy was aware of was a strong embrace and the scent of Ivory soap. Her mind put the two things together and she came up with Angel. Her eyes opened slowly and confirmed her suspicions. Not sure how to feel, she swung her legs off the couch and got up, careful not to wake him. However, her stealthy efforts were in vain because Angel stirred and woke. His eyes took a second to adjust to the light and then fell on the blonde watching him intently.
"Morning."
"Morning." Buffy shifted uncomfortably. "About last night?"
"Where's Connor?" Angel interrupted. He leapt off the couch and bent over the baby seat. "Oh God, something horrible's happened to him."
"Calm down, Angel, he's right here." Willow entered the room after hearing their voices.
"Oh." Angel took a deep breath to calm down.
"He was hungry and we didn't want to wake you two up. It was a rough night."
"I guess I'm just not used to this father thing," Angel said, reaching out and taking his son from Willow. "For 250 years the only person I had to take care of was me and now there's this life that I'm in charge of. It's kind of weird."
"Yeah weird," Buffy echoed, raking her hands through her hair. "Is Dawn up?"
"Yeah, she's eating breakfast." Buffy nodded and headed towards the kitchen. Willow gave Angel a small smile and gestured for him to follow her into the kitchen. He lingered in the doorway because the kitchen was flooded with sunlight and watched as the three girls went about their morning routine. Dawn finished her cereal and went to brush her teeth. Willow toasted herself a bagel while Buffy fixed herself a cup of coffee. Four sugars and lots of milk Angel recalled and he smiled to himself as she fixed it exactly as he remembered. The morning routine continued as Xander came through the kitchen door. He greeted the women warmly and regarded Angel with a nod. Dawn came bounding into the room with her backpack slung over one shoulder.
"Hey, Xander."
"Hey, Dawnie. Let's go or we'll be late." They were halfway out the door when Angel's cell phone rang stopping them in their tracks. Angel fished the phone out of his pocket and answered.
"Hello?"
"Angel."
"Wesley."
"Are you at Buffy's?"
"Yeah, I'm here. What's going on?"
"Angel, we have a little situation. We've taken care of most of the gangs that were outside the hotel, however, Cordelia had a vision and it does not look good."
"What is it?" He heard scrambling on the other end of the line and Cordelia's voice yelling something at Wesley.
"Angel?"
"Cordelia? Is everything all right?"
"Yeah well except my head is pounding and I have bad news. Holtz knows where you are and he's coming to Sunnydale. In my vision, you were fighting at night. I don't know if he's not going to get there until tonight or that's just when you meet up with him. Fred says there's no eclipses or anything so it's not that. The fighting is on Main St. but that's all I can tell you. How's Connor?"
"He's doing good."
"And how are you?"
"Fine."
"Really fine or I-don't-like-to-talk-about-my-emotions-so-I'll-say-I'm-fine fine?"
"Cordelia." She sighed in defeat.
"Okay, be that way. I'll make you talk later. We just passed Exit 13 so we'll be in Sunnydale ASAP. Gunn's driving like a lunatic." Angel heard Gunn shout an objection in the background and the corners of his mouth twitched in a slight smile, albeit the bad situation.
"Be careful. See you soon." He clicked off the phone and looked up at four expectant faces. "Holtz is coming here."
"I take it that's not a good thing. Who's Holtz?" Buffy asked.
"Oh right, sorry." Buffy hadn't heard the entire scenario like the others had the night before. "Holtz is a demon hunter."
"Okay, but why is he after you? You're on the same side."
"Kind of. But he doesn't know that. He knew me back when I was Angelus. Darla and I caused him a lot of misery and somehow he's been transported into the present which is the future for him."
"And now he's after you."
"Yes. But he'll go for Connor first."
"Why?"
"I killed his child, now he wants to kill mine."
"Oh." Angel wasn't sure what to say to make the transition from his haunting past to the tense present so he just jumped into it.
"Cordelia, Wesley, and the others will be here soon and we'll have to figure out what to do."
"Okay, Dawn, Xander, go. Willow and I will take care of things. Xand, I'll call you if necessary." She waved her hand and the two were off.
*****
Twenty minutes later, the doorbell to the Summers' residence rang and Buffy ran down the stairs to answer it. She swung the door open and Cordelia swept inside, giving Buffy a quick and surprising hug.
"Hey, Buffy, good to see you're not dead." Four other people stepped in behind her and a large green man in a loud shirt took the Slayer's hand.
"You must be Buffy. I've sensed a lot about you." Buffy was confused at his words and also at his presence, but then Angel emerged from the kitchen with Willow on his heels. Cordelia took a few quick steps towards her boss and swept the baby out of his arms.
"How's our little man?" she cooed to the small boy. "Has he been to the doctor's yet?"
"No, I haven't had the chance."
"Is there something wrong with him?" Buffy asked, her worry for Connor surprising her.
"No, he just needs immunizations and stuff. I'm Fred by the way," the long brown-haired girl said in a warm Texas drawl, extending her hand, which Buffy shook. Buffy considered the other woman, thinking that they could be friends, but she also felt an overwhelming jealousy over her apparent closeness to Angel.
"Oh, right, Buffy, Willow, this is Gunn, Lorne, Fred, and you remember Wesley," Cordelia introduced. "Angel, Connor needs to go to the doctor."
"Cordelia, we have more important things to worry about right now."
"You won't be saying that when he gets sick."
"I can't exactly take him now." The bickering was par for course the A.I. gang, but Willow and Buffy were a little surprised.
"I'll take him now. You can stay here and figure out the game plan." Angel sensed defeat.
"Fine, go. Gunn, go with her. Make sure nothing happens." The chocolatey-delicious man nodded, grabbed the baby bag, and headed out towards his truck.
*****
An hour and a half later, when Cordelia and Gunn returned, the rest of the gang was gathered in the living room, discussing options. So far, nothing had turned up.
"Maybe if we figure out what kind of temporal fold Holtz came from, we could send him back before he could do any harm," Fred suggested.
"That might work," Wesley put in, "But we have no resources."
"All of Giles's books are at the Magic Shop and we've indexed a lot of the information on my computer." Willow went to get her laptop and Buffy crossed her legs under her.
"What about Connor?"
"What about Connor?" Angel asked, looking up from where his son was sleeping peacefully in his father's arms.
"If we don't find a way to send Holtz back and he goes after Connor first, that's a huge problem. Not to state the obvious, but he can't defend himself and if something slips through the cracks?" she trailed off.
"What about a protection spell like we had around the hotel?" Lorne suggested.
"That might work as a back-up but powerful magic can counteract it."
"I might have a spell," Willow said flipping open her laptop and scrolling through her files trying to find the right one. "Here we go, eye of newt, pinch of sage?" she stopped suddenly.
"Will, what is it?" Buffy asked concerned.
"I can't do this spell by myself."
"Whatever language it's in, I'm sure I could help out," Wesley suggested.
"It's not that. I need another witch, more power." Buffy looked over at her friend, her face filled with concern.
"Tara?"
"I guess." Her voice was shaky and she didn't break her gaze from the glowing computer screen.
"Are you sure? We could try to find someone else." Willow was quiet for a moment, trying to summon the courage to face Tara. She looked up at Buffy, meeting her gaze with determination.
"No, call. This is more important. I'll be fine." Before she stood up, Buffy leaned in and gave her friend a hug. The Slayer disappeared into the kitchen to use the phone while Willow shifted uncomfortably under Cordelia's stare.
"Not to be pushy but is Tara yourâ?¦"
"Girlfriend? Yes. Well, ex, actually."
"As of?"
"Last week." Feeling uneasy with the subject matter, Willow went back to analyzing the spell. "I need some stuff from the Magic Shop. Wesley, do you want to come? You can grab some books for research."
"Okay."
*****
When Wesley and Willow arrived back at the house, Tara was already sitting in the group, engrossed in the spell. The group settled down to research further into the problem. There was an heavy layer of tension threading throughout the room, but they were all working towards a common goal so the palpable tension was ignored. After an hour or so, Tara got up to get a drink. She was pouring herself a glass of water when Willow entered behind her.
"Tara."
"Willow."
"You don't have to be here, you know."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, we broke up. You have no obligation to be here."
"That's not true. I'm part of this Willow and I have an obligation to help if I can. Well maybe it's not an obligation. It's more like something I want todo. If anything ever happened to you guys and I could have helped?"
"Why do you care?"
"What do you mean why do you care? How could you even ask me that?"
"You left."
"Not because I stopped loving you. You don't understand the power that magic gives you and I can't be around to see you self-destruct."
"Then why are you here now? Helping me with magic?"
"Magic isn't bad if you keep it under control or if you use for the right purpose, like protecting people." Willow sighed. She didn't understand what Tara meant. Sure, she shouldn't have cast the forgetting spell, but how could magic lead to her destruction?
"I miss you." Sadness quickly became evident in Tara's eyes.
"Willow, please don't."
"Please, Tara, come back. I promise I'll cut back on magic."
"You said that before."
"I know, but I didn't understand before. I do now." Tara took a calming sip of her water and looked at the woman she loved.
"How about we get through this first? Then we'll talk." Willow nodded and the two Wiccans stood in silence.
Part 4
Five-thirty, an hour until sunset, and nothing had turned up. All they could do was fight their hardest and hope they would win. The Scoobies were wandering the house while the L.A. gang sat conversing quietly in the living room. Buffy headed for the bathroom, but stopped in her tracks when she came to the door. Connor was laid out on a towel on the floor with Angel kneeling over him, changing his diaper. Angel was speaking in a soft tone as he put on the diaper and lifted Connor off the floor.
"That's my boy." He softly kissed the baby's head as he buttoned the small jumper.
"You're good with him," Buffy said, breaking the tender moment between father and son and surprising Angel.
"Ya think so?" Angel's voice sounded young and
unsure.
"Yeah, I always thought you'd be a good father and I guess I was right." Buffy leaned against the door jam and crossed her arms over her stomach.
"You thought I'd be a good father?"
"Yeah, well you got the protective vibe going on overdrive and you're always trying to do what's best for people. I always thought that maybe it was just my fantasies talking, but now that I see it_I'm rambling." Angel smiled at her.
"I don't mind. It's nice to hear that someone thinks I'm a good father. I keep questioning it. I mean it's only the second day of his life and he's already in mortal danger. And who knows how long this will continue. It's my fault that this is his life." Buffy uncrossed her arms and took a step closer.
"It's not your fault. The Powers That Be want it this way. There's nothing you could do to prevent it. All you can do is keep him safe and I think you'll do a good job of that. Cause that's what you do, keep people safe." She took a few steps closer and touched the baby gently. Connor's short chubby baby fingers reached out and wrapped around her pinkie eliciting a smile and a rush of affection from the Slayer. "He looks like you."
"Really?"
"Yeah, he has your eyes." Buffy looked down into the small child's chocolate eyes and then up into his father's matching ones. Unconsciously dropping back into old habits, she began to lean in. Their lips inched closer and closer until Buffy caught herself and pulled back with a start.
"We should get ready to go downtown."
Part 5
Everyone was assembled in the Magic Box, gathering weapons picking from the assortment on the table. They were all united for a common goal, yet little fights were breaking out all over.
"We have to make sure nothing happens to the shop," Anya announced.
"Right, because the shop is the most important thing," Cordelia grumbled sarcastically under her breath.
"Xander, your exgirlfriend is whispering mean things," Anya whined.
"Not now, An."
"But, I'm your fiancée, you have to defend me."
"Fiancée?"
Meanwhile, Buffy grabbed her favorite crossbow and a sword, and Dawn reached over and took a dagger.
"Dawn, what are you doing?"
"Getting a dagger."
"Why?"
"So I can help fight."
"Nuh-uh. No way. Not happening."
"Why not? I'm old enough to research, but I'm not old enough to fight?"
"First of all," Buffy started, bracing her hand on her hips. "I didn't think you were old enough toresearch, it just started happening. And secondly, there's no way you're fighting."
"Why not? You were fighting when you were my age."
"Because I was the Slayer, it was my job. You are not fighting. End of story."
"Willow, Xander, c'mon. Back me up."
"No Dawn, Buffy's right on this one."
"Dawn, why don't you take Connor?" Angel broke, hoping to make Dawn feel useful. He had always been fond of Buffy's little sister. In a way, she reminded him of his own sister from so many years ago. Fred, who had been holding the baby, handed him carefully to Dawn.
"Support his head." Dawn nodded, cooing to the baby.
"Stay in the backroom," Buffy instructed. While Buffy was talking to her sister, Angel turned to his crew.
"Try to stay back. I don't want you guys getting hurt. It's not your fight."
"Yes it is, Angel." Cordelia put a hand on his shoulder. "We love Connor just as much as you do. And we love you. How many times do we have to tell you that you don't have to do this alone?"
"Probably about 200 more," Angel joked dryly. She stepped forward and enfolded him in a hug. Hugging her back, Angel smiled slightly. Across the room, Buffy glanced over to see the embrace and felt a surge of jealousy.
"Cordelia?" she interrupted, her voice a little harsher than she intended, but effectively breaking up the hug.
"Yeah?"
"How many people were in your vision?"
"Besides Angel and Holtz, there was the one big demon guy I mentioned earlier. I got the feeling that there were others but I didn't see them and I couldn't tell you how many."
"All right. I guess all we can do now is wait."
*****
Holtz stood in front of an assorted group of demons and humans about a block from the magic shop.
"He's assembled new colleagues. Kill them all, but remember, Angelus is mine."
Part 6
"Uh, guys, bunch of demons and guys in weird old clothes coming down the street," Xander announced from his perch by the window. Angel rushed over to the window to check out the scene.
"It's Holtz, he's got a lot of back up."
"Well, let's go kick some ass." Gunn grabbed an ax and headed for the door. Angel moved to the front of the group with Gunn and Buffy flanking his sides.
"Angelus, we meet again."
"Holtz."
"Can we just the fighting started?" an fiery red-head from Holtz's side asked.
"Not a problem." Buffy reached out and threw the other woman to the side. Two demons rushed her and the fight began. Willow and Tara joined hands, sending magical bullets which made it easier for Xander, Anya, Cordelia, and Fred to do some damage. Wesley and Gunn worked as a team, dispatching the warrior demons slowly but surely. The demons were strong, but they certainly weren't smart. Angel had been fighting Holtz, but a few demons got in the way and Holtz stepped to the side, waiting for his nemesis to tire out. Buffy was exchanging blows with the red-headed girl.
"You're not a demon," Buffy accused, aiming a punch towards the woman's middle.
"Neither are you," she replied, blocking the blow.
"Right."
"What are you then?"
"I'm Buffy, the vampire Slayer." Buffy landed a kick on the woman's shoulder and sent her flying backwards. Buffy ran over to her, ready to continue the fight.
"If you slay vampires, why are you fighting with one?"
"Because he has a soul. He's in the right here. I don't know what Holtz has told you, but your fearless leader was brought back by black magic to seek revenge on someone who's innocent." Buffy backhanded the woman, but then was flipped on her back.
"I don't understand."
"Angel never hurt Holtz or anybody for that matter. As vampire with a soul, he has never killed anyone. Holtz is after? Angel's evil twin." Buffy flipped the pair over again so she was on top and landed a hard punch, hearing the satisfying crack of a breaking nose. "I normally don't kill humans, but if anyone goes after Angel I will have to make an exception. Now get yourself and all the other humans out of here before I have to make good on my threat." Buffy hit the woman one more time to get her point across, then ran to help Angel, who was being over run with demons. She fought two while Angel twisted the neck of one of the three he was fighting. The red head that Buffy had been fighting had gathered up the other humans who were fighting alongside Holtz and ran. She wasn't quite sure of the story Buffy had told her but she wasn't fighting to the death for something she was unsure of. The numbers in battle had dwindled and although the Holtz's side was at a disadvantage, Buffy and Angel's gang were not 100 percent. Finally, Holtz stepped in with his sword drawn.
"Angelus, you are nothing. You shall be dust."
"Not if I can help it." Buffy threw a punch but then found herself thrown backwards into a nearby car. She hit the car with force causing the alarm to go off, the sirens only adding to the chaos on the street. Meanwhile, Angel grabbed his sword and began to thrust and parry with expertise. Watching the fight, Buffy's mind was dragged back to the last time she had seen Angel sword fight, the horrible night that she had to send the love of her life to Hell. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she almost didn't notice the fatal thrust that Angel could have taken but didn't. Suddenly, she realized the problem. Holtz was human and Angel couldn't kill even though he was a threat.
Buffy sprung into action. She signaled to Xander who moved forward and they tackled Holtz away from Angel. Angel was confused at Buffy's interference, but he couldn't ponder it for too long because one of the remaining demons attacked him. With Xander's help, Buffy soon gained an advantage over Holtz. The whole time her enemy was telling her about the horrible things that Angelus had done to him and why he needed to get his revenge, but Buffy blocked out his voice. He was after Angel and Connor and she felt surprisingly protective of her ex and his son. What Angel had done in the past didn't matter, he was not Angelus anymore. Buffy had suffered at the hands of Angelus as well, but she had moved on. She understood why Angel couldn't kill him and was okay with it. He had enough guilt as it was, but she had no such problem. As far as she was concerned, Holtz was the enemy and deserved to die, human or not. She was about to snap his neck when the man disappeared.
"What?" Buffy exclaimed, finding her hands empty.
"He just went 'poof' right? That wasn't just my imagination right?" Xander asked amazed.
"Yeah, there was 'poof'. What the hell is going on?"
There were no demons left, but suddenly a new one appeared.
"Who are you?" Angel asked, readying his sword.
"Easy, big fella. I'm not here to hurt you. I'm Sahjhan, keeper of prophecies and such. I'll explain in a minute, but first let's go inside. It's about to rain." Buffy, distrusting, was about to protest, but the skies opened up and water began rushing down. Everyone ran inside to avoid getting soaked. Anya went and let Dawn and Connor out of their hideaway in the back and Fred took Connor into her arms, holding him away from the mysterious demon.
"What's going on?" Angel accused. "What happened to Holtz? Who are you?"
"As I said before, I'm Sahjhan, keeper of prophecies. Holtz went back to his own time because he is no longer needed here. He had fulfilled his purpose, but the Slayer over there was going to kill him. There's no need for more bloodshed."
"So what is the prophecy? Is it over?"
"It's over for now. But I can't say how long it's going to last. Your son is a very special boy, Angel, and that won't go unnoticed. However, the Powers realize that you have a son now, a human son. In him, you will find your redemption and because of him you will be human."
"Human?" Angel asked incredulously.
"Yes. Being a vampire with a human son will only complicate things more than they already are, so the Powers are giving you a break. You'll keep your strength and other abilities so you can protect your son."
"I thought he wasn't supposed to shanshu until after the End Of Days," Wesley broke in.
"Well, the End of Days will come, but prophecies have to adjust when we have certain people doing unexpected things," Sahjhan quickly glanced at Buffy and Angel.
"When?"
"In about two seconds." Angel felt his heart jump start and gasped as the need to breathe came back to him. Buffy knew she was staring but couldn't help it as she watched the steady rise and fall of his chest.
He looked over at her and for one intense moment their eyes locked. Angel quickly looked away as he was surrounded by his friends. Cordelia and Wesley hugged him, Gunn gave him a slap on the back, and Fred kissed his cheek and transferred Connor into his arms. Angel gazed lovingly at his son, his redemption, and reveled in his newfound humanity.
Buffy had always dreamed of Angel becoming human and she was really truly happy for him. But as she saw his friends congratulate him, she realized they were just that. HIS friends. She had no part in his life anymore. His becoming human had no effect on her. Quietly she slipped out the door and into the rain.
Everyone's head turned as they heard the bell jangle as Buffy left. Angel gazed longingly after her but made no move to follow her, but, oh how he wanted to.
He wanted to run after her and pull her into his arms and make love to her, but he was a father now. His life was different now.
"Angel," Xander said, stepping forward. "You know that I'm not your biggest fan, but I have to say this. She's still in love with you and I have a strong suspicion you're still in love with her. If you don't go after her, I'll stake you myself, human or not." Shocked by Xander's words, Angel shot an agonized look at his friends looking for support and found it. Wesley nodded his approval and Cordelia wordlessly lifted Connor out of his arms. As soon as he was sure his son was safe, he turned and ran out the door.
*****
Buffy walked quickly down the street, the rain soaking her to the skin but she barely even noticed. She was a block away from the magic shop when she felt a strong grip on her upper arm, spinning her around. Angel crushed her to him, sealing his lips over hers in a sizzling kiss. She wrapped her arms around the back of his neck, pushing her body flush against him so there was no space between them. She slipped her tongue inside his mouth, reveling in the feel of him, but finally she had to pull away to breathe. He rested his forehead against hers and gazed into her eyes which were glistening with unshed tears.
"This doesn't make everything all better," she whispered. "We can't just go back."
"I know," Angel whispered back, smoothing his hands over her cheeks and hair. "But we can start over." She tilted her head and he lowered his so that their lips met in another soul searing kiss that signified the new beginning of their relationship.
Part 7
************ 3 Years Later ************
"Daaawn! Get your butt down here and help me!" Buffy called up the stairs.
"But I'm working on my AP History homework," Dawn whined back.
"Angel will help you with it later. I need you to get Connor dressed." Dawn came clumping down the stairs.
"Fine, but if I fail out of school, it's all your fault." She scooped up her nephew from his seat in front of the television and took him upstairs. Buffy went back to the kitchen to finish the cake she was baking. A few minutes later, she heard the key turn in the lock.
"Hello?" Angel called. Connor came rushing down the stairs and leaping into his father's arms.
"Daddy!"
"Hey buddy, how ya doin'" Buffy came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel and ran into the arms of the man next to Angel.
"Giles!"
"Hello, Buffy." He hugged her back and kissed her cheek.
"How was your flight?"
"Long, but fine."
"When is all your stuff being shipped?"
"It should get here tomorrow."
"Have I told you how glad I am that you're moving back?"
"Yes, I think you did a few thousand times over the phone." Buffy grinned and Giles took Connor out of Angel's arms, greeting the closest thing he had to a grandson. Buffy stepped towards her husband, who leaned in and kissed her, flicking his tongue out over her upper lip.
"Mmm, icing," he grinned. "When are the others
getting here?"
"In about an hour," Buffy answered. "And you two are getting put to work."
*****
Two hours later, everyone was gathered around the dining room table. looked around at all the people who made up her family. Giles looked happy to be back with the younger people who meant so much to him. Willow, her best friend in the world, and Tara had gotten back together shortly after Buffy and Angel and remained happily together, using magic only when necessary. Xander, who had grown from the class clown into a wonderful mature man, had his arm casually slung around Anya, who was holding their 8-month old daughter, Madison. Angel's friends, who had quickly become integrated with the Scooby Gang rounded out the group. Fred rested against Gunn's side, the slight shy woman fitting perfectly with her strong, outgoing partner. Wesley and Lorne stood behind Cordelia who, with video camera in hand, was recording the events of her godson's third birthday. Dawn, all grown up andgoing to UCLA the next fall held up Connor, who was standing on his chair so he could blow out his candles.
Buffy's gaze fell on her son and she smiled. He looked like a much younger version of Angel, with his deep brown eyes and dark hair. She loved Connor with all her heart and couldn't even bring herself to hate Darla for being his biological mother because she had brought him into this world. Sure, things hadn't always been. Right after Buffy's and Angel's reunion, they had been forced to deal with Wolfram & Hart and from time to time, vampires and demons popped up trying to get their hands on Connor, but each time had been shot down by two devoted parents.
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to Connor, happy birthday to you."
Buffy watched her son blow out the candles atop his cake, from her position leaning back against her husband's chest. Angel wrapped his arms around her and slid his hands gently over her slowly expanding abdomen. In six months, their happy family would have a new edition. Buffy sighed happily, but then broke away.
"Okay, who wants cake?"
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