A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes- Chapter Three
***
"When will she be back to normal, Giles?" Angel asked over the phone later that evening.
"Well... You see..." Giles paused. "It might not be for some time."
"What?" Angel's voice echoed down the line.
"The problem is that, well, Willow recalled that Buffy wished to be a child again the day before it happened. If this is the case, then whoever has done this will have created a very, very powerful spell. We might not be able to break it without them. And we have no leads on who it could be."
"How long might she be like this?"
"Weeks. Perhaps longer. Is everything OK there, Angel?" Giles asked.
"Yes, it's all fine. It's just... I worry, that's all."
"I know. So do I. But as long as nobody knows that the little girl living in your hotel is... Who she is, it should be OK. You have to protect her Angel."
"I will."
"Goodbye Angel."
"Bye Giles."
"Did he say how long?" Cordelia came in, seeing Angel replace the receiver into the cradle.
"Weeks. Maybe months."
"Months?" Cordelia looked surprised and shocked. Angel nodded.
"I think you're going to have to find someone to look after her."
"What?"
"Look Angel, Wesley and Gunn can't do all the demon fighting on their own, they need you. Did you see what state they were in when they arrived back last night? They need you."
"Buffy needs me."
"I know. Maybe you should think about getting a nanny for her, just for when you're not here."
"A nanny?" Angel seemed sceptical.
"It might be best."
"I'll think about it." He said. "Really, I'll think about it."
"What are we doing tomorrow?"
"Not much. Maybe some research to help Giles down in Sunnydale." Angel told her.
"OK. And nannies?"
"And nannies." Angel finally agreed.
***
"My name is Esther Williams," The stern old lady told them. Angel repressed a smile at the thought of Esther Williams, MGM's swimming superstar.
"I've been a nanny for forty years now. Your little Bunny will be just fine with me."
"Buffy." Angel said.
"Excuse me?"
"Her name is Buffy,"
"Yes, well... Nicknames are not always the most constructive things for children to have." She said in such a superior tone that Angel wanted to wring her neck. Within a few minutes, she was out of there.
***
"My name is Candy." She was blonde and would have looked more at home at the Playboy mansion with Hugh Hefner.
"Candy. Do you have a last name, Candy?"
"Sure... Candy Cane."
"Candy Cane?" Angel asked in disbelief.
"Well, it's not my real name. It's my stage name. I'm an actress. I'm just doing this nanny stuff to help pay the rent."
"Really? Do you have any experience?"
"Lots."
"As a nanny?"
"Well... No. Not really."
"Thank you."
***
"I'm Helen Mason." She looked entirely ordinary, with mousy hair and plain clothes.
"You have experience as a nanny?"
"I've worked in this field for some years now."
"Good. How long have you been a vampire, Ms Mason?" Angel asked calmly.
She jumped up and went to attack him, but Cordelia was behind with a stake ready.
"That was... Annoying." Angel said, brushing vampire dust off himself. "There aren't any good nannies available."
"I'll look after her." Cordelia said. Angel looked at her strangely.
"What?"
"I said I'll look after her. After seeing all those people, even I can do a better job than that."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. She's really not that bad. I mean, I probably should have thought of it sooner. Before you had to go through all... This." She pointed to the dust on the ground.
***
"Buffy! Buffy! BUFFY!" Cordelia yelled from another part of the hotel. Angel, Gunn and Wesley, returned from a demon hunt, exchanged wary looks. Then, a little blonde hurricane entered the room, headed straight for Angel.
"Angel!" She screamed, giggling as she jumped at him.
"You're all wet!" He said, putting her down again.
"I know. Cordy gave me bath." Buffy wrinkled her nose up in distaste. She had on a little blue bathrobe, and her long blonde hair was dripping with water.
"Cordelia hasn't finished." Cordelia came in. "Cordelia was interrupted when Buffy ran out to meet Angel." She added. Buffy pouted at Angel, but he wasn't going to buy into it.
"Go." He told her. She pouted more. "The sooner you go in, the sooner you come out." He pointed out. Reluctantly, Buffy unlatched herself from him and went back with Cordelia.
"She's so cute!" Gunn commented, smirking at Angel. Angel merely nodded.
"But one day she'll be back to normal, and you won't be able to see her anymore." Wesley understood Angel's suddenly glum expression. Angel nodded again.
"I like having her here. Whether she's twenty or four." He told them in a rare moment of openness.
Sighing, he got up and walked up the stairs to his room. From there, however, he could hear Buffy and Cordelia laughing in the bathroom. Part of him wished that they could stay like this forever.
***
"Angel, Kate called." Cordelia told him the very next morning. She, Gunn and Buffy were eating doughnuts in the lobby of the hotel. Or rather, Cordelia was eating, Gunn and Buffy were playing with their doughnuts.
"Gunn, you're such a child." Cordelia reprimanded. Gunn merely smiled up at her and resumed the game he and Buffy were so engrossed in.
"What did Kate want?" Angel asked Cordelia.
"She didn't really say. Just that she had a case she couldn't solve herself, and she wants you to go in and see her."
"What about Buffy?"
"What about her?"
"I promised I'd take her to the park today."
"Well..." Cordelia paused. "Stop in at the police station on your way to the park. Park? You, in the park? In the daytime? Awfully kamikaze of you."
"A shaman friend of Wesley conjured up a temporary immunity spell for me."
"And why haven't you done this before?"
"Because this is the first time I knew about it. Ask Wes." Angel said. "Buffy, shall we go to the park now?" He asked the sugar covered girl. She smiled brightly, jumping off the sofa.
"No!" Cordelia said firmly. "Stop. Turn. Wash hands." She commanded Buffy. Buffy pouted momentarily before running off into the bathroom. She emerged a couple of moments later, her face and hands no longer sticky.
"We ready to go?" Angel asked her. She nodded eagerly. "See you later, guys!" He said.
"Bye bye!" Buffy called back to the three as she was led outside by Angel.
***
Sunlight was strange to Angel. It was a little disorientating, but his eyes were slowly adjusting, thanks in part to the sunglasses Cordelia had shoved into his hands at the last minute. After battling through LA traffic, Angel pulled into the parking lot of Kate's police precinct.
"Angel?" Buffy asked, a little confused.
"We just have to stop here. Just for a minute, OK? Then we're going to the park."
"OK." Buffy pouted slightly.
"We're going to the park straight after this, OK?"
"Promise?"
"I promise." Angel told her. She brightened up a little.
He unbuckled her seatbelt and went round to open the door for her. They went inside the station, and Angel asked to see Kate. Buffy was a little overawed by it all. The room was full of people, policemen, all talking loudly on the phone or to each other.
"Hi Kate," Angel said softly. Kate jumped up from her desk.
"Hi! Angel," She said a little eagerly. Then, she noticed the somewhat intimidated little girl clutching Angel's hand.
"Who's this?" She asked warily.
"This is my friend Buffy." Angel smiled down at Buffy, who grinned back at him.
"Really?" Kate seemed rather disinterested. "I need to speak to you about a case, Angel." She told him, all business now.
"Sure."
"In private."
"Sure." Kate led them to the interview room. Angel sat Buffy down on a chair outside.
"Now, stay right here, OK? If you have a problem, come and tell me. OK?" Buffy nodded. Angel and Kate then disappeared into the interview room.
***
Angel emerged from the interview room slightly frustrated. He had in fact, solved Kate's case several days ago, and in essence, this was a wasted journey.
"Buffy?" He asked. The seat was empty. "Buffy?" His voice became full of worry.
"What's the matter, Angel?" Kate emerged from the room behind him.
"Where is she? Where's Buffy?"
"Wasn't she sitting right here?"
"Yes Kate, she was." He said, glaring dangerously.
"I'm sure she's fine."
"Or she might not be fine!" Angel's voice rose. Had someone found out who the little blonde girl was?
"We'll find her Angel." Kate said, her eyes searching the busy room. Angel ran through the room, looking for Buffy.
"Buffy!" He shouted, panic rising inside him. Buffy was nowhere to be found.
"Buffy!" He called again.
"Angel!" Buffy's voice called gaily. He spun around. Buffy was standing with a young policewoman, drinking a carton of juice.
"Where did you go?" He asked her.
"To get a drink."
"I'm sorry. She said she was waiting for you. We thought we'd be back before you'd finish."
"Rachel, that was a little remiss of you." Kate told her.
"Remiss? Who just takes little girls away?" Angel asked roughly.
"I'm so sorry," Rachel said.
"Why didn't you even say anything?"
"Kate told me you'd probably be a while. I thought..."
"You thought?" Angel cut in angrily.
"I'm sorry." Rachel was clearly upset now.
"Angel," Buffy asked softly. His anger subsided.
"Yes?"
"Can we go to the park now?" He nodded.
"I am sorry."
"You should've just knocked on the door to say something." Angel advised. Rachel nodded.
"Thanks for looking after her." He managed to tell her. She merely nodded. Angel looked at Buffy and smiled.
"Time for the park?" He asked, being answered with an emphatic nod. He smiled awkwardly at Rachel and Kate, before leading Buffy out of the building.
***
They arrived at the park a little while later. They walked through the park, and Angel watched affectionately as she played on the climbing frames and the jungle gym. But Buffy soon tired of this. Angel bought a soccer ball and he and Buffy began to play. Slowly, other children began joining them in their game, until perhaps ten children were all playing soccer.
"Run, Buffy!" Angel called to her as she got the ball. She ran, laughing, and kicked the ball. It rolled past Angel into the makeshift goal.
"Yay!" Buffy jumped up and down in glee. Angel scooped her up and swung her around several times, making her scream in delight.
"Angel!" She yelled. "Put me down!" He did, and the dizzy little girl swayed, laughing.
"I win?" She asked.
"Yeah, you win." He looked at his watch. "We should be going," He told her. She pouted.
"I don't wanna."
"But Spike's coming to see you. Remember?"
"Really?" She grinned at the thought of her blond friend.
"Yes."
"Well, we need to get back then, don't we?" She nodded. They walked back to the car, but as they got to the parking lot, Buffy tripped and fell.
"Oww!" She yelled. Within a millisecond Angel was at her side. She had scraped her hand and arm badly. He scooped her into his arms and ran to the car. Tears streamed down her face
"Shh, Buffy... Shh, you'll be OK." Angel told her, wishing at this point that they had never left the hotel. He secured her seatbelt and then drove off towards the nearest medical centre.
***
"You're a very brave girl," The doctor said, smiling at Buffy. Her face was tear-stained, but she was no longer crying. The doctor had cleaned up her hand where she'd cut and grazed it, and had given her a tetanus shot.
"Am I brave?" Buffy asked Angel.
"The bravest." He told her. And, he mused, she was, whether she was four or twenty. Buffy smiled at him.
"Can we go now?" Buffy asked the doctor as he applied the dressing.
"Sure. If you just keep it clean and dry, she'll be fine." The doctor told Angel. Angel carried Buffy out to the car.
"Buffy can walk." She told him.
"I know." He smiled at her. "Time to go see Spike, I suppose." Buffy grinned.
***
"Where have you been?" Cordelia demanded. "We've been worried... What happened?" She asked as she noticed Buffy's bandaged hand.
"A little accident."
"Where?"
"The park. Not to mention Buffy getting lost at the police station."
"What?"
"Long story, tell you later. Hello Spike." Angel said, attempting to be civil.
"Angelus." Spike nodded.
"Spikey!" Buffy shouted, running to him.
"Hey little bit," He said, smiling broadly as she jumped into his lap.
"Do you like it here?" He asked, genuinely anxious. She nodded.
"Lots and lots."
"Not scary at all, is it?"
"No. Spikey, you were right." Buffy said solemnly.
"Has Angel been looking after you?" She nodded. Suddenly, she jumped off his lap and shot upstairs. For a minute or two, they stood, confused, until she returned clutching Mr. Gordo, and several other toys.
"This is Mr. Gordo," She said, introducing Spike to the pig.
"Mr. Gordo?"
"Yeah. This is Princess Buffy." She handed him the blonde Barbie. He smirked. "This is Princess Cordelia." She handed him a dark-haired Barbie. Cordelia smiled proudly.
"Who's this?" Spike asked as she handed him the Prince Ken doll she'd picked out.
"This is Prince Angel." She said with a smile. Spike began to laugh, but covered it up with a cough.
"Prince Angel?" He repeated. She nodded, climbing into his lap again.
"Can we play Barbie?" She asked him sweetly.
At that moment, Angel knew that no matter what happened in his life, he could always blackmail Spike with the story of how he had once played Barbie with a four year old girl. A slayer, no less.
***
***
"When will she be back to normal, Giles?" Angel asked over the phone later that evening.
"Well... You see..." Giles paused. "It might not be for some time."
"What?" Angel's voice echoed down the line.
"The problem is that, well, Willow recalled that Buffy wished to be a child again the day before it happened. If this is the case, then whoever has done this will have created a very, very powerful spell. We might not be able to break it without them. And we have no leads on who it could be."
"How long might she be like this?"
"Weeks. Perhaps longer. Is everything OK there, Angel?" Giles asked.
"Yes, it's all fine. It's just... I worry, that's all."
"I know. So do I. But as long as nobody knows that the little girl living in your hotel is... Who she is, it should be OK. You have to protect her Angel."
"I will."
"Goodbye Angel."
"Bye Giles."
"Did he say how long?" Cordelia came in, seeing Angel replace the receiver into the cradle.
"Weeks. Maybe months."
"Months?" Cordelia looked surprised and shocked. Angel nodded.
"I think you're going to have to find someone to look after her."
"What?"
"Look Angel, Wesley and Gunn can't do all the demon fighting on their own, they need you. Did you see what state they were in when they arrived back last night? They need you."
"Buffy needs me."
"I know. Maybe you should think about getting a nanny for her, just for when you're not here."
"A nanny?" Angel seemed sceptical.
"It might be best."
"I'll think about it." He said. "Really, I'll think about it."
"What are we doing tomorrow?"
"Not much. Maybe some research to help Giles down in Sunnydale." Angel told her.
"OK. And nannies?"
"And nannies." Angel finally agreed.
***
"My name is Esther Williams," The stern old lady told them. Angel repressed a smile at the thought of Esther Williams, MGM's swimming superstar.
"I've been a nanny for forty years now. Your little Bunny will be just fine with me."
"Buffy." Angel said.
"Excuse me?"
"Her name is Buffy,"
"Yes, well... Nicknames are not always the most constructive things for children to have." She said in such a superior tone that Angel wanted to wring her neck. Within a few minutes, she was out of there.
***
"My name is Candy." She was blonde and would have looked more at home at the Playboy mansion with Hugh Hefner.
"Candy. Do you have a last name, Candy?"
"Sure... Candy Cane."
"Candy Cane?" Angel asked in disbelief.
"Well, it's not my real name. It's my stage name. I'm an actress. I'm just doing this nanny stuff to help pay the rent."
"Really? Do you have any experience?"
"Lots."
"As a nanny?"
"Well... No. Not really."
"Thank you."
***
"I'm Helen Mason." She looked entirely ordinary, with mousy hair and plain clothes.
"You have experience as a nanny?"
"I've worked in this field for some years now."
"Good. How long have you been a vampire, Ms Mason?" Angel asked calmly.
She jumped up and went to attack him, but Cordelia was behind with a stake ready.
"That was... Annoying." Angel said, brushing vampire dust off himself. "There aren't any good nannies available."
"I'll look after her." Cordelia said. Angel looked at her strangely.
"What?"
"I said I'll look after her. After seeing all those people, even I can do a better job than that."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. She's really not that bad. I mean, I probably should have thought of it sooner. Before you had to go through all... This." She pointed to the dust on the ground.
***
"Buffy! Buffy! BUFFY!" Cordelia yelled from another part of the hotel. Angel, Gunn and Wesley, returned from a demon hunt, exchanged wary looks. Then, a little blonde hurricane entered the room, headed straight for Angel.
"Angel!" She screamed, giggling as she jumped at him.
"You're all wet!" He said, putting her down again.
"I know. Cordy gave me bath." Buffy wrinkled her nose up in distaste. She had on a little blue bathrobe, and her long blonde hair was dripping with water.
"Cordelia hasn't finished." Cordelia came in. "Cordelia was interrupted when Buffy ran out to meet Angel." She added. Buffy pouted at Angel, but he wasn't going to buy into it.
"Go." He told her. She pouted more. "The sooner you go in, the sooner you come out." He pointed out. Reluctantly, Buffy unlatched herself from him and went back with Cordelia.
"She's so cute!" Gunn commented, smirking at Angel. Angel merely nodded.
"But one day she'll be back to normal, and you won't be able to see her anymore." Wesley understood Angel's suddenly glum expression. Angel nodded again.
"I like having her here. Whether she's twenty or four." He told them in a rare moment of openness.
Sighing, he got up and walked up the stairs to his room. From there, however, he could hear Buffy and Cordelia laughing in the bathroom. Part of him wished that they could stay like this forever.
***
"Angel, Kate called." Cordelia told him the very next morning. She, Gunn and Buffy were eating doughnuts in the lobby of the hotel. Or rather, Cordelia was eating, Gunn and Buffy were playing with their doughnuts.
"Gunn, you're such a child." Cordelia reprimanded. Gunn merely smiled up at her and resumed the game he and Buffy were so engrossed in.
"What did Kate want?" Angel asked Cordelia.
"She didn't really say. Just that she had a case she couldn't solve herself, and she wants you to go in and see her."
"What about Buffy?"
"What about her?"
"I promised I'd take her to the park today."
"Well..." Cordelia paused. "Stop in at the police station on your way to the park. Park? You, in the park? In the daytime? Awfully kamikaze of you."
"A shaman friend of Wesley conjured up a temporary immunity spell for me."
"And why haven't you done this before?"
"Because this is the first time I knew about it. Ask Wes." Angel said. "Buffy, shall we go to the park now?" He asked the sugar covered girl. She smiled brightly, jumping off the sofa.
"No!" Cordelia said firmly. "Stop. Turn. Wash hands." She commanded Buffy. Buffy pouted momentarily before running off into the bathroom. She emerged a couple of moments later, her face and hands no longer sticky.
"We ready to go?" Angel asked her. She nodded eagerly. "See you later, guys!" He said.
"Bye bye!" Buffy called back to the three as she was led outside by Angel.
***
Sunlight was strange to Angel. It was a little disorientating, but his eyes were slowly adjusting, thanks in part to the sunglasses Cordelia had shoved into his hands at the last minute. After battling through LA traffic, Angel pulled into the parking lot of Kate's police precinct.
"Angel?" Buffy asked, a little confused.
"We just have to stop here. Just for a minute, OK? Then we're going to the park."
"OK." Buffy pouted slightly.
"We're going to the park straight after this, OK?"
"Promise?"
"I promise." Angel told her. She brightened up a little.
He unbuckled her seatbelt and went round to open the door for her. They went inside the station, and Angel asked to see Kate. Buffy was a little overawed by it all. The room was full of people, policemen, all talking loudly on the phone or to each other.
"Hi Kate," Angel said softly. Kate jumped up from her desk.
"Hi! Angel," She said a little eagerly. Then, she noticed the somewhat intimidated little girl clutching Angel's hand.
"Who's this?" She asked warily.
"This is my friend Buffy." Angel smiled down at Buffy, who grinned back at him.
"Really?" Kate seemed rather disinterested. "I need to speak to you about a case, Angel." She told him, all business now.
"Sure."
"In private."
"Sure." Kate led them to the interview room. Angel sat Buffy down on a chair outside.
"Now, stay right here, OK? If you have a problem, come and tell me. OK?" Buffy nodded. Angel and Kate then disappeared into the interview room.
***
Angel emerged from the interview room slightly frustrated. He had in fact, solved Kate's case several days ago, and in essence, this was a wasted journey.
"Buffy?" He asked. The seat was empty. "Buffy?" His voice became full of worry.
"What's the matter, Angel?" Kate emerged from the room behind him.
"Where is she? Where's Buffy?"
"Wasn't she sitting right here?"
"Yes Kate, she was." He said, glaring dangerously.
"I'm sure she's fine."
"Or she might not be fine!" Angel's voice rose. Had someone found out who the little blonde girl was?
"We'll find her Angel." Kate said, her eyes searching the busy room. Angel ran through the room, looking for Buffy.
"Buffy!" He shouted, panic rising inside him. Buffy was nowhere to be found.
"Buffy!" He called again.
"Angel!" Buffy's voice called gaily. He spun around. Buffy was standing with a young policewoman, drinking a carton of juice.
"Where did you go?" He asked her.
"To get a drink."
"I'm sorry. She said she was waiting for you. We thought we'd be back before you'd finish."
"Rachel, that was a little remiss of you." Kate told her.
"Remiss? Who just takes little girls away?" Angel asked roughly.
"I'm so sorry," Rachel said.
"Why didn't you even say anything?"
"Kate told me you'd probably be a while. I thought..."
"You thought?" Angel cut in angrily.
"I'm sorry." Rachel was clearly upset now.
"Angel," Buffy asked softly. His anger subsided.
"Yes?"
"Can we go to the park now?" He nodded.
"I am sorry."
"You should've just knocked on the door to say something." Angel advised. Rachel nodded.
"Thanks for looking after her." He managed to tell her. She merely nodded. Angel looked at Buffy and smiled.
"Time for the park?" He asked, being answered with an emphatic nod. He smiled awkwardly at Rachel and Kate, before leading Buffy out of the building.
***
They arrived at the park a little while later. They walked through the park, and Angel watched affectionately as she played on the climbing frames and the jungle gym. But Buffy soon tired of this. Angel bought a soccer ball and he and Buffy began to play. Slowly, other children began joining them in their game, until perhaps ten children were all playing soccer.
"Run, Buffy!" Angel called to her as she got the ball. She ran, laughing, and kicked the ball. It rolled past Angel into the makeshift goal.
"Yay!" Buffy jumped up and down in glee. Angel scooped her up and swung her around several times, making her scream in delight.
"Angel!" She yelled. "Put me down!" He did, and the dizzy little girl swayed, laughing.
"I win?" She asked.
"Yeah, you win." He looked at his watch. "We should be going," He told her. She pouted.
"I don't wanna."
"But Spike's coming to see you. Remember?"
"Really?" She grinned at the thought of her blond friend.
"Yes."
"Well, we need to get back then, don't we?" She nodded. They walked back to the car, but as they got to the parking lot, Buffy tripped and fell.
"Oww!" She yelled. Within a millisecond Angel was at her side. She had scraped her hand and arm badly. He scooped her into his arms and ran to the car. Tears streamed down her face
"Shh, Buffy... Shh, you'll be OK." Angel told her, wishing at this point that they had never left the hotel. He secured her seatbelt and then drove off towards the nearest medical centre.
***
"You're a very brave girl," The doctor said, smiling at Buffy. Her face was tear-stained, but she was no longer crying. The doctor had cleaned up her hand where she'd cut and grazed it, and had given her a tetanus shot.
"Am I brave?" Buffy asked Angel.
"The bravest." He told her. And, he mused, she was, whether she was four or twenty. Buffy smiled at him.
"Can we go now?" Buffy asked the doctor as he applied the dressing.
"Sure. If you just keep it clean and dry, she'll be fine." The doctor told Angel. Angel carried Buffy out to the car.
"Buffy can walk." She told him.
"I know." He smiled at her. "Time to go see Spike, I suppose." Buffy grinned.
***
"Where have you been?" Cordelia demanded. "We've been worried... What happened?" She asked as she noticed Buffy's bandaged hand.
"A little accident."
"Where?"
"The park. Not to mention Buffy getting lost at the police station."
"What?"
"Long story, tell you later. Hello Spike." Angel said, attempting to be civil.
"Angelus." Spike nodded.
"Spikey!" Buffy shouted, running to him.
"Hey little bit," He said, smiling broadly as she jumped into his lap.
"Do you like it here?" He asked, genuinely anxious. She nodded.
"Lots and lots."
"Not scary at all, is it?"
"No. Spikey, you were right." Buffy said solemnly.
"Has Angel been looking after you?" She nodded. Suddenly, she jumped off his lap and shot upstairs. For a minute or two, they stood, confused, until she returned clutching Mr. Gordo, and several other toys.
"This is Mr. Gordo," She said, introducing Spike to the pig.
"Mr. Gordo?"
"Yeah. This is Princess Buffy." She handed him the blonde Barbie. He smirked. "This is Princess Cordelia." She handed him a dark-haired Barbie. Cordelia smiled proudly.
"Who's this?" Spike asked as she handed him the Prince Ken doll she'd picked out.
"This is Prince Angel." She said with a smile. Spike began to laugh, but covered it up with a cough.
"Prince Angel?" He repeated. She nodded, climbing into his lap again.
"Can we play Barbie?" She asked him sweetly.
At that moment, Angel knew that no matter what happened in his life, he could always blackmail Spike with the story of how he had once played Barbie with a four year old girl. A slayer, no less.
***