AN: Thanks again for the reviews, views and follows! The support is wonderful.

Chapter 2

"You know you two could be doing more than just being voices in my head!" Buffy shouted in frustration as she dragged a bag of fish behind her. Connor was cradled against her chest in a makeshift sling made from one of her blankets.

"We provided you with earthly clothes and usable weapons, told you where to get nutrition and sustenance. We showed you how to fashion utensils and tools and how to use the nature around you in your daily routines. What more would you like, slayer?"

"Oh, I don't know. A way out of here?"

"We are searching for a way, warrior," she heard the Sister cut in, "but we cannot risk opening the portal and destroying your home world."

"Guys, come on," She sighed tiredly. "We've been here for two months. You've been searching for two. Months. God I- I don't know how much longer I can hold out. All these demons, the constant attacks-"

"We wouldn't have put you in this situation if we did not think you could handle it, slayer."

"This isn't about just me, Goldy!" Buffy cried, startling Connor, who began to cry. "Oh no, no, Connor, no please. Buffy's sorry. See? Buffy didn't mean to scream! She wasn't screaming at you buddy, come on, sweetie pie." As Connor's cries turned into gurgles, she shook her head and looked to the ceiling once more. "Goldy… I can't raise Connor in a place like this. He means too much to me."

There was silence.

"We are trying, slayer. Stay strong… and remember… little Connor's destiny is not so bleak as it once was, even if he must live in Quor'toth for longer than you'd like."

The voice in her head was gone and she knew they were alone again. Buffy let out a sad huff as she took the sling off and sat Connor on her knee. The baby stared at her, his mouth slightly agape. "You'll forgive Buffy if we stay here well into your teendom, wont you?"

He smiled in return.

"That's what I thought," she said with a grin. "You love Buffy, don't you, my little man? You love, Buff-Buff, right? Because Buffy sure does love you." She gave him an Eskimo kiss, eliciting a squeal of joy from the boy. "That's right, Buffy loves Connor and Connor loves Mommy."

The term slipped out of her mouth so quickly that she didn't notice it.

Until she did.

And her eyes widened and she began stuttering out an excuse.

"Uh- no, I meant Buffy! I meant Buffy, Connor. I'm not your mommy. I mean unless you want me to be? I mean would you want me to be your mommy? Your mommy was evil but she did something really good for you. I wouldn't want to overstep my boundaries, you know, I would never replace Darla. It was amazing what she did... but if you want me to be your mommy- oh my god I'm explaining myself to a baby who doesn't understand what I'm saying at all."

She dropped her forehead to his and smiled softly when his hands grabbed her cheeks.

"I can't believe it. I accepted this thinking that I'd be your guardian. That I'd get you home quick and easy and then your daddy would tell me that he and I could never be together… again. As if I didn't hear it the first time."

Connor's head nodded, and though Buffy knew it wasn't at what she was saying, she praised her boy for having such great listening skills.

"But now… I can't imagine a world without you… I wanna be with you all the time, even if that means that your daddy and I aren't together. You wouldn't mind that, right? Me staying in L.A. with you? Daddy and I taking turns?"

Connor murmured a few soft noises to himself, playing with her blonde hair as he did.

"I… I think I'd really like to be your mommy, Connor. I wonder if your daddy would mind."

"Ma."

Buffy grumbled whiningly as she turned over and hide her face in her arms.

"Ma… Ma."

"Con," she muttered into her ratty sleeping bag. "It's too early, bub. Go back to sleep, kay?"

"No, ma. Ma."

She opened one eye to look at him. The boy had the nerve to giggle when she glared. "Connor, you little silly monster," she accused as she grabbed him and began to tickle his tummy. If Goldy and his Sister were right about Connor's birthday, then her little man was a few months away from two years old. "And why did you wake me up, hmm?"

"Tum!" he exclaimed, rubbing his stomach heartily. "Tum! Tum!"

"Ah, so my little man is hungry, huh?"

"Ma," he said in agreement.

"Can mommy get a kiss for being woken up so early?" she asked, tapping her cheek. Connor's eyes lit up as leaned forward and placed an open-mouth kiss on her chin. "Close enough, bud."

"Tum!"

She got up with the tiny boy in her arms. "I know, kid, I know! Fruits?"

"Mm!" the boy sounded.

"Berries it is." She chuckled when Connor scrunched his nose up. "I know baby, the berries are getting tiring, but it's all we got in this nasty place."

"Na'ty?"

"The nastiest, bub."

"Gol, ma? Gol?"

"Hm, I don't know, Con-Con. Goldy's been busy, but hopefully they're working hard, right?"

"Mhm!"

"Mhm!" Buffy echoed as she poured some berries into a wooden-crafted bowl. "Here, Connor, sit down and eat." Connor shimmied down Buffy's body and sat cross-legged on the dirty ground. He reached up for the bowl, which he promptly placed on his lap before picking at the berries. Buffy smiled, stretching with a yawn as she looked at the food they had. She shrugged and helped herself to a few berries as well. "So what do you wanna do today, Connie Bear?"

"Gol!"

She frowned. "I don't know if we can talk to Goldy today, Connor."

"Gol!"

"A year and you still doubt me, slayer?"

Connor shrieked, clapping his hands. "Gol! Gol!" Buffy smirked as she pictured the scowl on the Brother's face.

"Yes. Hello, little one."

"Gol! Bur! Bur!"

"… Slayer, I do not understand his pleas. What is a Bur?"

She rolled her eyes. "He's saying 'berries', all-knowing gold one. He's tired of them. Think you can open the portal just a tiny bit to toss us some yums?"

"You know we cannot risk that."

She resisted the urge to groan. "Learn how to joke, Goldy. What's going on?"

"We have visited your mate. He is in distress. Sister has insisted that I was… cruel and unfair to him. She has sent me away for treating him as I did."

Buffy frowned. "What did you do?"

"Sister and I have told you that your thoughts and feelings were clear to us during your time in limbo, yes? Well… I may have used it against him."

Buffy gave Connor a look, who took it as a signal to start scolding the voice in their heads. "Bah Gol! Bah Gol!"

"That's right, Connor. Bad Goldy."

"He was whining and accusing sister and I of intentionally harming you."

"Hate to break it to you, Goldilocks, but you did drop my ass in a hell dimension."

"To aid his son!"

"Did you tell him that?"

"I am a servant of the Powers that Be. I will not let you or your mate bully me into submission."

Buffy snickered, Connor quickly following her lead. "Someone's a bit grumpy, eh, Con-Con?" She waited for him to nod before continuing her teasing of the Powers' most loyal servant. "Well, maybe-"

A roar from outside cut her off. Connor whimpered in his spot, his hand shooting out and grabbing his mother's ankle. "Ma?"

"Shh, baby," she whispered. Buffy scooped him up and took him to the back wall where their bags were.

"Ma," Connor tried again, but she shook her head and held a finger to her lip, begging him to be silent. Buffy tucked him into one of their sleeping bags as quickly as she could, then hid him behind a large boulder.

"You stay here, right, remember? You stay here no matter what, Con-Con. Goldy, you there?"

"I'm here, slayer."

"Talk to him. Comfort him till I get back." She ordered as she grabbed a hatchet and crept towards the cave's opening. "Mommy will be right back, Connor. Don't. Move."

Angel crawled onto his mattress, his head at the foot of the bed so that he could stare at the empty crib a few feet away from him. Closing his eyes, he tried to imagine the sound of Connor's cries, hoping he could will himself into believing that he hadn't just lost his son. A harsh growl ripped through his throat as he turned away and clutched his head in agony.

Connor was gone.

His son wass fucking gone and it was his fault.

He couldn't stop Holtz from taking him. For all his supernatural speed, couldn't stop Holtz from jumping into the portal. And now his son wasn't the only one in jeopardy. Somehow, Buffy was dragged into another mess and the damn Oracles refused to say anything about her mission. She could be trapped, or alone or dead again for all he knew and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.

There wasn't a damn thing he could do for either of them.

"Angel?" he heard.

He glanced over his shoulder and saw Fred standing at his door, debating on whether she should enter the room or not.

"Uhm, Cordelia's just finished speaking with Willow. They're coming here to L.A., all of them. They've even called Mr. Giles. We figured we could work together since… well since the Oracles approached both groups."

He grunted slightly to let her know that she had been heard.

"I guess I'll just go down now, Angel. Gunn's going out to get you some food, alright? He should be back soon."

Angel wondered if his son was being fed, or if Holtz was starving him as punishment for Angelus' crimes.

He heard Fred stop at the door once more. "Angel… I just wanted to say that it's not your fault… and we're all here for you. You don't have to do this alone. We'll find him, Angel, both of them and- and if Buffy is anything like Cordy told me she was, then she's still alive out there too."

Buffy dragged herself into the cave, trying her best to hush her panting so as not to scare the boy. She lifted a shaking hand up and bit her lip when she saw it covered in blood. That demon was much bigger than she expected it to be, and her little hatchet survived all of five minutes before it broke in half against the demon's rock-like exterior. The big bastard had clipped her stomach with its tail, and when she fell to the ground as it charged towards her, she had picked up the hatchet's head and hurled it towards the beast's throat.

"G-Goldy?" she stuttered out.

"You're fading."

"You know how you were able to breach the realm to do your v-voodoo stuff around the cave?"

"Yes."

"D-don't suppose you could… make me unfadey?"

"Go to your mat, warrior. Lie next to your son." Using the rest of the strength she had, she hoisted herself up, supporting herself with the walls of the cave, and made her way to the back. Connor was shivering behind the boulder, staring up at her with his big, round eyes. When he spotted the blood on her shirt he immediately began to cry. Buffy sat herself beside him and took him into her arms.

"Don't cry, baby. Mommy's okay."

"Ma, ouch," he protested, pointing to her stomach. "Ma ouch!"

"Goldy's gonna fix it, Connie Bear. Just hug mama okay?" He snuggled into his mother's side almost immediately. "Lay your mojo on me, Knowing One."

"You would think you would grace me with more respect, seeing as I'm the higher being that is saving your life right now."

"It's okay, Connor," Buffy whispered as she drifted off to sleep. "Mommy's all okay."