I've returned to this sorry sooner than I expected and the credit for that goes to BADWOLF22. She edited this chapter and the few after. She kept me accountable and I couldn't be happier with what this portion of the series has in store. Enjoy!

Chapter 2: Love isn't Words

"So now you're bailing on shelter duty too?" Cordelia glared at the filling suitcase. "Did you learn this from her or was it the other way around?"

"This is something I have to do in person." He looked at her. "She could be there, Cordelia. It's the only thing that makes sense."

"I still can't picture slayer-hen in tramp-ware."

"She's hoping if she goes to the hellmouth looking like Faith, then word won't spread about her return."

"She's hiding from the council." Cordelia crossed her arms. "Which means she's hiding from Giles and Willow."

"Or something else. We don't have all the information."

"We never do. That doesn't mean we drop our lives to find it! Angel," She pulled on his arm making him face her. "You quit being a champion in the fight against evil. Are you quitting on these kids too?"

He shook his head. "I'm coming back."

"You're becoming like her." Her voice grew quiet. "And we know that path doesn't lead good places."

His whole body stilled. "You blame Buffy for the Powers taking Vinny?" His voice sounded deceptively calm.

"You can't abandon your destiny and expect things to work out alright."

"If she'd stayed in Sunnydale, she wouldn't even have Vinny." His brow furrowed in confusion. "She wouldn't have lost him, but she wouldn't have known him."

They stood quietly over his packed bags.

Angel mumbled, "I think he was gonna be left-handed."

"Huh?"

"The way he'd hold onto your fingers," He rubbed his fingers together absently. "his left hand always squeezed just a little bit tighter." His lips smirked slightly. "Kid had a grip. . . he was gonna be a southpaw for sure."

She spoke softly. "It just seems the Powers don't like people changing the script on them." After a short hesitation, she confessed, "I'm scared for you."

Nodding once, he grabbed his bag off the bed. "Don't be." He heard her follow in down the hall. "If something happens to me, the kids will still have somebody." Laughter from Fred and Wesley carried through the halls. He muttered, "They'll have a lot of somebodies."

Angel walked down the stairs towards Groo who after his makeover, looked like an Angel replacement. "You need anything before I go?"

The Groosalugg shook his head. "Your kingdom will be well tended till your return."

Cordelia reached his side. "If she's not there, you'll come right back, right?"

"Of course."

"And if she is . . ."

"Princess," Groo put his arm around her. "A warrior must follow his heart to wherever she flees." With his free hand he picked up hers and brushed his lips across her knuckles.

Angel headed for the door. "I may not be the Powers' champion anymore, but I still recognize my duties to the people I care about." He looked back at the couple. "I learned that from her."

"Why is everyone set on keeping me out of her life?"Angel stood in the boarded up living room of Buffy's old Sunnydale home. Putting his hands in his pockets, he sighed.

"Look," Faith sat next to Spike on the sofa. "I don't know what happened between you and B, but she doesn't want to hear from you - at least, not now."

"She doesn't know what I have to say."

Spike frowned. "She doesn't care, mate. Your bird left town with naught but a crumb to track her. She doesn't want to hear what any of us have to say."

"She'd want to hear this."

Resting her elbows on her knees, Faith clasped her hands tight. "I'm sorry Angel, but after the big favor she just did us, I can't go doing something I know she won't like."

"You both know I would've done the same favor had you asked." He watched her look at her feet "She's family to you. I'm family to her." In a low voice, he pressed, "We're on the same side here."

Spike watched Faith's clenched jaw twitch. "She's happy." Turning to Angel, his tone turned somber, "When I heard the slayer lost her boy . . . " Feeling his throat tighten, Spike shook himself. With sharp intent, he refocused on Angel. "wherever blondie is, whatever she's doing, it's worked a bloody miracle because somehow, she's at rights with this world."

Faith nodded. "If she looked miserable, I'd hand over every scrap." She frowned, "No matter what she said, you wouldn't even have to ask."

"I'm glad she's found some peace, and I not trying to ruin that." He leaned on chair's armrest. "I just need to tell her something."

Spike guessed what that was, "It'll never be over between you. You'll be in love till it kills you both." Spike nodded as he spoke. "You'll fight and you'll shag and you'll hate each other till it makes you quiver, but you'll never be done." He frowned. "Love isn't words Angel; it's blood. Blood screaming inside you to work its will." He leaned back. "She knows everything you're feeling because her blood is screaming too."*

Angel's expression firmed. "She deserves to know what I've done."

Faith sighed. "I'll bite. What have you done Angel?"

Buffy pushed strands of her short blonde hair behind her ear.

Lying on the floor beside her, Sunny watched Vinny gurgle on her lap. "What you thinking about?" He stared at the carpet. "You've been quiet since you got back."

"Wondering if I made the right call. He surprised me."

"Because he took over Sanctuary."

"He's not just helping keep them safe, he opened up his home. He's turning over his whole life because he thought it's what I'd want."

He made Vinny's toy dance in front of him. "It doesn't change things."

"I didn't think so, but maybe it could." Over unfocused eyes, her brow furrowed.

He looked at her. "Anne, no, it couldn't. You know what Lindsey would say."

Kissing the top of Vin's head, she whispered, "I know."

"You can't let seeing him again mess with what's right."

"I learned my lesson." She breathed in the scent of her baby boy. "I can't have everything. I'm just not sure that what's right doesn't include him." She smirked grimly. "He's made staying away feel as wrong as possible."

"You lived with the idea you'd never see Vinny again. You can live with this too."

Reaching down, she covered Sunny hand and squeezed. "If it hadn't been for Angel I wouldn't have made it to this moment."

"And when you left him, you found Vincent. That's the trade-off: Angel for your family's safety."

"I don't know if I can keep trading away someone who loves me as much as he does."

Turning over his hand, Sunny held hers in his palm. "You have to try."

That night, Buffy walked into her apartment looking like Faith. She flipped the locks on her door as well as the light switch. Pulling off her jacket, she noticed her answering machine blinking.

She pressed play before unzipping her chunky boots.

"Lindsey here, just wanted to say thanks for leaving dinner in the fridge and for watching Vince last minute." She could hear his heavy sigh. "I realize you're trying. I see that. But it's not you I'm worried about. Things happen that neither of us can stop or change."

She imagined him rubbing his forehead. "That's how we got in this situation to begin with. I'm not trying to keep your kid away from you; I'm trying to keep him safe." She nodded at the machine.

"If we can find a way to do that and have you see him more, that'd be- Annie, that's what I want. You're his mom. He needs you. I need you . . . I wanted to make sure you knew that. I'll see you on Thursday. We can talk more then."

She nodded and took off her jacket as the machine clicked to the next message.

"Anne? It's Liam." She frowned. "You didn't want me to have this number and you don't want to hear from me, but I have something to tell you." Her frown deepened. "When you were here, I didn't get a chance, but we need to talk and it can't be over the phone."

She thought that might be the end of the message but the machine didn't click. "Anne, I only got this number after telling her why I needed it. Trust her. Trust me. It's important." His voice turned down low and quiet, "you deserve to know."

Running her hands through her hair, she looked at the blonde wig on the table. She leaned against the wall and slowly slid down. The table with the answering machine loomed next to her. Looking up, she sighed, "You're really not going to make this easy."

She reached up and grabbed the phone from its perch. She stared at the numbers blankly before dialing.

Holding it to her ear, she listened to it ring and ring and "Hello?"

Her breathing grew shallow. "Liam."

"You called."

"Your message didn't leave much choice."

"Does that mean you'll meet me?"

"Not in California." She added, "Nevada's the closest I'll come."

"How about Las Vegas?" Before she could answer, he started to ramble, "I'm just said that because if you maybe wanted to see Lorne too, that's where he is now, Las Vegas."

She nodded to herself. "I guess with his place burned down, he had to go somewhere."

"He couldn't help us with Sanctuary because of - well, the stage makeup excuse wears out."

When she spoke, her voice was soft. "I'd like to see him. But you'll be coming alone, right? No Lilly or anyone."

"Just me."

"Can you meet this weekend-"

"Yes."

She smiled at his hurried reply. "Okay then, I'll see you Friday night?"

Relieved, he sighed, "Yes."

"I didn't give you my phone number."

"Anne-"

"But I'm glad you have it."

"Friday night."

She nodded. "Friday night."

They hung up at the same time. With phone hands, she held the phone between her bent knees. It felt like a foreign object now. It felt like his. As if his voice could somehow transport him there, she sensed his presence lingering in her apartment.

She wanted to believe things could end differently this time. Ever since she found out he was a vampire, she'd wanted him to be the exception to most rules. He wanted that too, but no matter how much they wanted it, it never proved true.

And yet . . . she raged, Why couldn't she see him this one time and not have it end tragically? Why couldn't she talk to him without being a horrible mother?

Looking at a framed picture of Lindsey and Vincent, she let all the reasons this was a bad idea press upon her mind.

She whispered, "Why couldn't you leave it at goodbye?"

One review of the series said my writing style leaves a lot to readers' imaginations which I understand can be both good and frustrating.

For my lovely, devoted readers, I am entirely happy to write one-shots of any scene in the series you would have liked included. It could be from any point in the series and between any characters. Include the request in a review or PM and I will gladly add Buffy's first night out of the hospital with Vin and Angel, Joyce's last conversation with Angel before she died, Spike getting spit up on, or whatever scenes your heart imagines.

Some of Spike's lines were paraphrased from his speech in Season 3 of Buffy episode 8, "Lover's walk."

Angel's comments about Vinny's dominant hand came from Angel season 3 episode 18 "Double or Nothing."

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