No one spoke until the door behind Brianna opened up and out came a short chubby woman. Cordelia and Angel recognized this woman as Theresa Johnson. This was the woman they had trusted to take care of Brianna two years ago. Theresa looked up and immediately recognized the two members of AI, and smiled.
"Angel! Cordelia! It's so nice to see you again!" She said running down the front steps to greet them. "We have been wondering when you two would come around." Cordelia embraced the woman and noticed how much she had aged. She was no longer the young upbeat woman she had seen two years ago. She was now older and more tired looking. Cordelia also noticed she had gained about forty pounds, but decided not to comment on that.
"Theresa! You look wonderful!" Cordelia said releasing the woman from her embrace. Cordelia looked over and noticed Angel had yet to break eye contact with Brianna. She grabbed him.
"Angel say hello to Theresa" She whispered. Angel seemed to snap out of it. He turned to Theresa and gave a nervous smile.
"Uh hi." He said with his hands now in his pockets.
"Angel!" Cordelia said scolding him.
"No, no it's alright Cordelia. I understand. It's been 18 years for us and I'm sure you want to get down to the reason you all are here." Theresa said looking back and forth between Angel and Cordelia. Angel visibly stiffened while Cordelia smiled and relaxed. Theresa ushered her guests towards the front door where Brianna stood holding the door open, one by one the filed into the house. Once inside the house Cordelia and Angel sat down on a beige couch and noticed Theresa pull Brianna aside and whisper something; Angel with his vampire hearing her telling Brianna to go upstairs and let them talk privately for a bit. When Theresa returned she took a seat across from Angel and Cordelia.
"So I guess you two probably have some questions for me?" She asked.
"Well, I'm not sure where to start." Cordelia said grabbing Angel's hand for comfort. Theresa smiled at the couple.
"How about I give you some basics" When Cordelia nodded she continued. "Incase you were wondering we no longer live in L.A.. We thought it would be best to get away from the city. We live in Tennessee now. Lets see, uh, Brianna just turned 18. She graduated High school a couple months ago with honors." Angel smiled at this. "During her senior year she also did Dual enrollment at a college here. She is very intelligent, she wants to be a doctor." Angel's smile only grew wider.
"What about boys?" Cordelia asked. Angel's smile quickly disappeared.
"She has dated on and off but nothing serious from what she's told me." Theresa said.
"Does, she, uhm, know about us?" Angel asked shifting in his seat a little.
"Yes. Clark and I decided early on to be honest with her. She knows us as Mom and Dad but she knows all about you and Cordelia and what you did for her. It was a little hard for her when we finally told her the details. We told her that you would come back and give her a choice. She never really told us what she was thinking, but we have a feeling she will go with you. She's very adventurous and these past few months she seems to be on edge. I think a change would be good for her." Theresa concluded. Angel paused to take in everything. He started to say something when he hurt a sharp movement upstairs and then a yell. He bounded up the stairs taking them two at a time. He attempted to burst through the door only to find himself a lot weaker. Cordelia rolled her eyes and turned the door knob. When they entered they stood frozen.
"It's not what it looks like!" Brianna said. The situation before them however said something different. A boy was half way through her window.
"Hi! I'm Charlie." The boy said. Brianna rolled her eyes.
"Uh." Was all Angel could get out. Theresa stepped in the room and just shook her head.
"Charlie? You know you could have just used the front door."
"Brianna told me not to, something about a vampire?" Brianna turned a bright shade of red refusing to look towards Angel or Cordelia.
"Charlie! Shut up!" Brianna scolded.
"Well excuse me" he said climbing the rest of the way through the window. He walked over to Brianna and stood beside her. Theresa decided it was time to intervene.
"This is Brianna's friend Charlie. He lives down the street. Charlie this is Angel, and this is Cordelia" Charlie nodded and stepped forward.
"Oh it's nice to finally meet Brianna's other Dad." Charlie said extending his hand. Angel just nodded and gave him a smirk Angelus would have been proud of. Cordelia noticed and extended her hand to shake Charlie's.
"It's nice to meet you, Charlie. Don't mind Angel he's just really old." Cordelia said. Angel looked at her and scoffed.
"Am not."
"Are too," Cordelia said returning to attention back to Charlie. Charlie just looked confused t the two's banter. Theresa noticed the tension in the air and turned to Angel.
"Charlie and Brianna are just friends." Theresa reassured him. Angel did not look at all convinced. Brianna decided it was time for her to speak up.
"He really is just my friend." She said looking Angel directly in the eye. Cordelia noticed then just how much Brianna resembled the tall dark brooding vampire. Angel froze under his daughters gaze. Cordelia watched the two and noticed Theresa not braving to break the tension this time had left the room.
"I'm sure he is. Angel's just a little overprotective." She said. Brianna finally looked over and met Cordelia's gaze. "Well, actually a lot overprotective." She said smiling. Brianna returned the warm smile. Cordelia looked over and noticed Angel staring down Charlie.
"Angel!" Cordelia said grabbing his arm and pulling. Angel seemed to not hear her. "ANGEL!" that seemed to snap him out. He turned to Cordelia.
"Huh? What?" Angel said acting slightly confused.
"Angel leave poor Charlie here alone." Charlie seemed to relax a bit and Angel turned to look back at Brianna. Brianna was the first to speak.
"I wanted Charlie to come so I could, uh, say goodbye" She said. Angel decided it was time to explain to her what dangers she faced if she came with them.
"Brianna, if you come with us it'll be very dangerous. I mean I'm a vampire—"
"So?" Brianna interrupted. Angel looked at her and realized she was her mother. At more filled out and younger, but definitely Cordelia, Oh Great. Cordelia decided right then that yep that's my daughter.
"When do we leave?" Brianna asked a hint of excitement edging on her voice. Angel looked a little shocked and uncomfortable when Cordelia gave him an 'I told you so' look.
"Well as soon as you get ready. You can bring pretty much anything you want. We left your room for you to decorate. I mean we don't really know your favorite color or anything." Cordelia said frowning. They really didn't know anything about her.
"How about we leave Brianna to pack and say goodbye to Charlie." Theresa suggested. Charlie perked up a bit form his place on the window seal. Angel had thoroughly intimidated him. Angel however did not like this idea what so ever, but what could he really do about it? Nothing.
"We'll be downstairs" Theresa said one again ushering Angel and Cordelia out to give Brianna come privacy. Cordelia gave Brianna one last smile before heading down the stairs after Angel. They followed Theresa into the kitchen where she offered them drinks. After they both said no they took a seat at the table with Theresa.
"What if she doesn't like us?" Cordelia said with her head down. Angel offered little comfort because he too had this suspicion.
"Oh please, you'll be just fine. She just needs time to adjust. Plus once your alone with her I'm sure it'll get easier. She is a teenage girl after all." Theresa reassured them. It seemed to perk Cordelia up. Angel seemed to stiffen. The words teenage girl still hung in his head. Fear quickly set in. What am I going to do with a teenage girl running around L.A.? Cordelia noticed his shift in mood.
"Something wrong Angel?"
"No! No nothing" Angel said very un gracefully. Cordelia did not look convinced. Oh yeah he's definitely scared of her being a teenager. Like I didn't notice him tense when she said teenage girl. Pfft! A few moments later Charlie came bounding down the steps. He entered the kitchen a little later.
"Bye Mrs. Johnson! Bye Brianna's other parents. Hope you have a safe journey." He said as he exited the back door.
"Nice Kid." Theresa said.
"Yeah" Cordelia mused. This was all so different. She was so normal, their lives so normal. Cordelia was snapped back to reality by Brianna coming into the kitchen. She noticed Brianna still wore the pj's. They were blue with big fluffy clouds.
"I'm ready to go" she announced. Theresa got up and hugged her.
"I'll be fine Mom. Maybe I can visit sometime. Please tell Dad I love him!" Knowing very well that the next time she came back her mother could be 80 years old. She teared up thinking about it. Angel and Cordelia both felt a stab at their heart at her calling someone else Mom and Dad.
"Have a safe journey we love you" Theresa said through tears. It was time to let her little girl go, even if she wasn't truly her little girl. She loved her like her own daughter.
"I'm ready." She stated looking at Angel and Cordelia. Cordelia looked at the only bag she had with her.
"That's all you're taking?" Cordelia asked. Brianna looked down.
"Yeah I mean its L.A. Hello? Shopping is way better there!" She said smiling. Angel found his fear had quickly come back. Not only would he have a teenage girl running around L.A. she would more than likely have his credit card. He gave a nervous smile.
"Of course! We have to go shopping! You'll love it!" Cordelia said excited. Angel looked at Cordelia's big eyes. He could already feel his wallet burning from what was going to happen to it.
"Well let's get going" Angel said trying to steer the conversation away from all things that could include his wallet. Angel took Cordelia's hand and Brianna picked up her bag to join them. She gave Theresa one last look and smiled. Theresa smiled back through her tears. Angel began to read from the paper Wesley gave him, but Brianna didn't hear a word of it. She looked at Theresa as long as she could before she was enveloped in a bright white light. She tried to shield her eyes, but found nothing could stop the bright light. When she finally gave up on trying everything went black and she felt herself hit something hard. When she finally came around she looked up to see a scruffy guy looking at them weird.
"Good God man, you just left!" The man shouted in a British accent.
