All characters from BTVS and ATS are owned by Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, other partners and affiliates. All other characters are my own babies. This fic is B/A in spirit.

Author's Note: Sorry it has taken so long. I had writers' block, and RL problems that kept me from writing. My Muse has been very stubborn. She insists this is going to be a long fic about Angel before he was turned by Darla. Therefore, the whole spiel about what would Liam's life had been like or did he have another destiny if he had not been turned is out the window.

So, you Angelus fans will get a little of him at the very end, because this is really all about Liam the human. I know I said this story would be paired with the BTVS story "Powder Monkey", but the time-line honestly doesn't work. I will be shortly starting another Angel fic that will be more in sync with "Powder Monkey" and in that story I will not have Liam turned but give him another fate which will be very B/A.

Chapter 2 continued

In the few minutes, that Sean had his attention off the soon to be six year old; Liam had found a place to hide and think. He needed to go find Pedar. He quickly discovered a space in the dried and stacked peat bricks large enough to hide in next to the inn. No one would have suspected that such a space existed where a child, Liam's size could comfortably hide.

Liam heard Sean call for him and run past in his search for the little boy. Salty almost revealed his hiding place. The dog stuck his wet nose in a space between two bricks letting Liam know that the dog knew where he was. He whined and barked trying to get to Liam. Sean pulled the dog away and scolded the dog for going after mice among the peat bricks.

Liam ignored them, while he sat biting his lower lip and shuddered with silent sobs. Liam's world turned upside-down by the news that Pedar was gone and would not come back for a long, long time.

Pedar had always been there for Liam. He was one of the first to hold Liam when he was born. Pedar helped take care of Liam for the first few days of his life, while his mother was too ill with the birthing sickness, his father too drunk thinking his wife was dying, and Nurse Biddy too exhausted from tending mother and baby, slept.

When Liam's mother became feverish, and the doctor stated that, her milk would sicken the baby. It was Pedar who got Liam to suck goat milk off the end of a finger. He did this for two days until the doctor found a wet nurse.

Since then, of all the adults in the lad's life, it was Pedar who watched the boy. Liam's father too involved with business, and the social expectations of his era; spent little time with the Liam and often was away. His mother tried to spend some time with her vivacious and curious son, but she suffered from poor health due too many miscarriages and well-meaning doctors, that bled her with leaches to rid her body of the bad blood. Biddy and the other servants had too much to do, to care for a boisterous little boy.

Pedar was different, he loved the boy like the little brother that he never had. No one realized, that to the small boy, young Pedar had become, over the years, Liam's surrogate father.

Pedar was the one who heard Liam's first words, had seen his first step, and held him when he cried. The young man had tended the boy's hurts, given him hugs, encouragement and listened to the child's telling of dreams and nightmares. He had taught Liam how to catch frogs, butterflies and how to hold young kittens. He showed him how to use a slingshot, the chamber pot and how to tie knots.

Liam was heartsick. He had to find Pedar and beg him not to go. At the moment, the lad felt raging anger at his father for ordering his hero to go away. Liam realized that like the times when he hid to avoid a scolding; the adults if they found him, would take him home or to his father. He would never see Pedar that way.

Liam had a trick visual memory that helped him to relive past events. Visual flashes of recent incidences made the boy cautious. He remembered that he could not out run adults that were not old or frail. Liam silently sobbed again, biting his lip so hard it bled. He so badly wanted to race down to the docks and see if Pedar was there.

More memory flashes came into the vision of his inner eye. Liam's nine-year-old twin cousins, Karina and Karoleen had inadvertently taught him patience through their constant torments and teasing. He had learned that if you waited, people gave up when they did not see the results they wanted. People would try or do something else.

He waited for the older boy to go into the house before making a run for the alley across from the inn. When Sean went into the back door, Liam ran for the street, but he saw people and knew he could not go that way or he would be seen.

He had to find another good hiding place before the adults started searching for him. Liam noticed that behind the buildings were Hawthorn bushes that for a boy his size would give him adequate cover while he made his way down to the docks. He proceeded quickly crouching down behind the bushes listening for possible shouts and the running footsteps of pursuers. He was several buildings away when he heard the distant shouting of his name.

The wild scrub led down to a small rickety footbridge that crossed the creek that flowed by the buildings making its way to the bay. The bushes and rushes hid the little structure from view of the buildings. It was so dilapidated that no one had used it for years for fear of it falling apart. Liam being small quickly ran across without risk. On the other shore was a path that meander through more brush and scraggly willows that formed such a thick cover that the small boy was easily hidden as he ran following the path thinking any minute it would lead to the docks.

Liam ran until the shouts could not be heard and his chest hurt from the exertion. He plopped down on the path, panting trying to catch his breath, and removed his shoes fearing that his blister was slowing him down. He wondered how long would Pedar be on the docks before he would go away. Liam forced himself up and trudged along the path. He rested when ever his side ached, wiping away the perspiration from too much exertion; not realizing that he was going away from town, away from the shore, up toward higher ground. He had been hiking for hours not willing to stop. The young boy eagerly expected that any moment he would burst out of the brush onto the docks and find Pedar waiting with open arms.

The six year old began to panic for he was noticing that it was getting dark and scary. The brush canopied over him forming a tunnel above the path. The path being lighter than all his surroundings, led him on and he half walked, half jogged, drenched with perspiration. He could barely see that the path was leading to an open space far ahead. His exhaustion was causing him to stumble so he now walked as quickly as he could, looking at the lighter space growing bigger and brighter.

Finally, he broke free into a grassy meadow, yelling, "PEDAR, PEDAR! WAIT FOR ME!"

Spinning around he saw nothing, but brush and willows along the edge of the meadow. The sun had set and the first stars were in the sky. Liam collapsed on to the ground and wailed. He was completely drenched with sweat and dew. A breeze wicked away the moisture cooling the heat from his exhausted small body. He shivered with the sudden cold and he did not care. Liam knew he was lost and he would never see Pedar again. He sobbed until his throat was raw and he was numb with cold and despair. The grief stricken boy wanted to die.

Liam lay still well into the night weeping. Lying on his back, he looked at the stars and asked, God, Jesus, and Mother Mary, to bring back Pedar and punish his father for sending him away. All along, the numbing cold was stealing heat from his body, while it lulled him into a troubled sleep.

Liam dreamed. He vaguely thought of the blonde girl that had been picking wild flowers. He sat up feeling better, but cold, and hungry again. He wished he still had his shoes, but after young Liam looked down the path that he had been on; it scared him because he was sure he saw many pairs of little glowing eyes staring back.

Standing, he peered down trails and paths, until to his surprise he found one that lead to a place that was fire lit. Liam reasoned if there were a fire, there would be people, thus warm blankets and food.

He cautiously walked down the trail toward the light. He heard singing or chanting as he approached. He saw a bond fire and a man wearing the head of a stag with a splendid set of antlers upon his head and nothing else. The boy then noticed that on the edges of this clearing were young men and women chanting as they removed woolen robes revealing their nudity.

The boy froze in the shadows, not venturing further. He was shocked that these adults were nude. Liam had never seen completely nude people before, especially women. At first, he thought they were daft for not having clothes on when it was cold and then realized he was warmer because of the heat from the bonfire. His shock was renewed, remembering the spankings for not being properly dressed.

The people began to dance in a circle around the man and the bonfire. He was suddenly struck by how beautiful these people were, all golden satin skin, hair like yellow flame and sparkling emerald eyes. Liam knew they must be more then human, because they looked perfect.

He saw to the right of him a woman that made him think of mother, Biddy, his Aunt Enya and other women that he thought of as mothers. She did not look older than the dancers did, yet she felt very old and wise. She was crowned with a wreath of hawthorn leaves and spring flowers. She was dressed in a lambskin robe of pure white. She smiled at him as she disrobed dropping the lambskin robe at his feet. She turned away stepping into the circle of dancers that parted to let her go to the man with the stag horns. The man held his arms open, ready to embrace her. The circle closed obstructing Liam's view of the couple in the center. The chanters quickened the tempo and grew louder.

Then, Liam picked up the lambskin robe, feeling a sudden chill. The white downy fur was the softest he had ever touched and it radiated warmth. He covered himself with the robe lying down at the edge of the clearing. He felt at peace, and it would be perfect if he had something for his thirst and hunger. He saw partially hidden by the robes to his left a wine flask, a round loaf of bread, a large wedge of cheese, with a basket of fruit. Liam crawled over to the food picking up a peach that looked so perfect and smelled so invitingly sweet. A small very strong hand grabbed his wrist preventing him from biting the fruit and knocked the peach away. It was the little blonde girl of his dream.

Liam outraged, but not wanting to let any one know he was stealing food demanded in angry whisper.

"Ya stupid girl what ya do that fer?"

"Do not eat or drink of their food or you will be theirs' forever. I will never find you if that were to happen," she hissed in a terrified whisper.

Young Liam gazed at her and was completely dumbfounded. Just as he was to vent his full rage at her, she transformed into a woman pedar's age, in strange clothes that didn't cover much with a wooden stake in her hand, then changing to a fifteen-year-old mistress in a proper dress, back to a waif of five years old. He knew it was the same person; just she was different ages all at once.

"H..how ya d..d..do…why ya ch..change…what are you?"

Young Liam stuttered.

"I have not been born yet. I am in your dream to warn not to eat of the fairy food." She stated.

"I am not dreaming, yer daft and strange! Yer a witch tryin' to hex me, just like Pedar says." He hissed in an angry whisper, backing away from her.

"Nay, Liam, you must wake or you will die." She said as she began to fade, which really scared the boy.

"A ghost! Yer a ghost come to kill me!" He yelled.

"Nay, wake up, Liam. You must wake before the dance is finished," Said a patch of glowing mist that had been the little girl.

Liam looked toward the center of the clearing. The dancers' music had taken on a frenzied pace and he notice that they did not look so beautiful, but wild and fierce. They were forming couples falling on the ground wrestling. The men looked like they were biting the mouths of the women. People were screaming and groaning and he became terrified and ran.

He ran back to the path that had brought him to this gathering. He felt all of sudden as if he was flying to the clearing where he had cried his heart out wishing to die. Right now, he did not want to die. He was scared and wanted to be home.

The boy realized his feet were not touching the ground. His heart felt like it had just leapt into his throat, he wanted to scream, but could not; he was literally flying. He flew over to a small bundle on the ground in the vacant clearing. It was himself!

His body looked so small huddle in a tight ball. His face was white and so pale with bluish lips. Liam felt as though strong invisible ropes were pulling him down toward the body, he panicked and resisted this force.

"Do not resist the pulling, you need to get back in your body and wake up" Said the disembody voice of the little girl.

"Nay, ya want me dead! I will na do what you say!" He yelled in the direction the voice had come from.

She appeared before him looking so sad as though she was about to cry.

"Nay, Liam, I love you and have always loved you. We have been too many lifetimes apart; please go back into your body so we can find each other."

The young boy looked into her eyes and believed. He did not know why, but his fear vanished. He felt and saw pure love and honesty. He knew she meant what she said and it warmed him. She truly loved him and would always. Understanding this, he realized that he had always loved her; and was deeply moved.

"I know you," He declared.

"Aye, we can not talk, now. Quickly, Liam, your body is dying" She declared as she faded into the gathering fog.

The lad felt an immediate jerk as he stopped resisting the pull. His body felt cramped and so still.

"You need to wake and breathe," said his love's voice in his head.

He was tired he did not feel he could do those things. Somewhere in his mind, he knew that if he woke, he would be painfully cold, wet, and hurting from the cuts, bruises, and aching muscles. This deep state of sleep was safe and he was numb to those discomforts of his body.

"Wake up and breathe"

"Nay," He thought.

"Liam, Wake!"

"Oh, Blessed Jesus, wake my son! Please, Liam breathe! Oh, God! Oh, God!"

The lad became aware that the voice he was hearing was his father's voice.

"Sir, I am sorry, but I think the lad…," Said another male voice with pity for the father.

"Nay, he is not dead, his breath fogged my blade."

Liam heard his father beg, "Son, my wee boy, please wake!"

His father was crying! His father never cried. The little boy felt alarm for how much pain his father was in. His father cared about him.

He felt guilty for how much he had hated his father for sending Pedar away. He must wake up and tell his Da he was sorry.

Liam stirred, inhaled, and went into a fit of coughing.

He opened his eyes and became aware that he was nude against his father's bare chest underneath the man's linen shirt. His father's arms were not in the sleeves, but were bare, wrapped around the small boy, while his father tried to warm his little son's shivering body. His father had two large woolen capes covering them both.

"He's awake! Tank ya, Jesus! Give him warm milk and whiskey!" Yelled, Eamon O'Connor feeling very much relieved that his boy was conscious.

Liam felt his father shift and leaned the boy slightly back so someone could press the rim of a cup to the lad's lips. Liam thinking it was the same warm, sweet, drink that he had at Maggie's Inn, took a big swallowed and sputtered. The drink was not at all sweet; it burned going down his throat and brought tears to his eyes. He went into another coughing fit.

"Easy, boyo take wee sips." Eamon said in reassuring tone.

Liam tried again, but it tasted bitter. He turned his head away from the offensive brew. The boy began to uncontrollably to shiver and his teeth chattered.

"Please, son drink some more ta chase the chill out of yer bones; it will make ya feel better."

Liam saw now that there were many men and fire in the clearing. Granny Malone walked toward them. She had a bowl of something hot.

"Master Eamon donna worry about his drinking. It may be too strong and bound to be bitter. He just needs something warm inside him. If you hold him up a little I will feed him."

"Aye, Granny Malone." Eamon, acknowledged.

Despite his shivering and chattering teeth, the widow gentle ladle small spoonfuls of broth into to Liam's mouth. The savory thick broth tasted like it was lamb stew. It was delicious and slowly warmth was seeping into his small body. While Granny fed him, his father blew warm breath on to the boy's freezing hands and gently rubbed them to get warm back into his small hands.

A donkey pulled cart came into the clearing and a man came over to speak to Master O' Connor.

"Sir, the Revenue Officer is in tis area, we may be seeing 'im soon. Are ye needing ta men to stay?"

"Nay, have the men go in plan view along the path ya think the English will be. The men are to talk amongst themselves of how we found Liam, so the soldiers will hear. If they run into a soldier they are to say the missing boy is found and be of good cheer. If they are asked, where they are headed; say home to kiss their sleeping children and warm beds, or whatever will make the soldiers feel sympathetic and accommodating toward people looking for a lost child on a cold night."

"Aye, sir" Said the man as he nodded his understanding.

"Ruan, we will need the cart to take Liam and Granny Malone home." Master O' Connor stated.

Taciturn Ruan nodded again his acknowledgment and walked over to the others.

Eamon, held Liam, as he finished the stew. Granny Malone went to Ruan, cleaning up the temporary campsite.

"Son, look at me?" Eamon in a gentle voice asked.

"Why, boy did ya run off?"

"I wanna ta see Pedar, before he left for England," Liam said in a small voice filled with guilt.

Eamon let out a heavy sigh. For the first time he regretted his avoidance of emotional scenes, where his son was concerned. He had discouraged Pedar from waking the boy while he napped at Maggie's Inn. Pedar tried to tell him that he believed the boy would be far more distraught at his not saying good bye. Hearing an emotional catch in the young man's voice, Eamon suspected there was a close attachment that he had failed to notice before. It made him feel irrationally jealous of Pedar and he immediately dismissed him.

This emotional irrationality nearly cost him his son. Eamon tried to up hold the ideal of rational and reasoned thought. His brother, Connor had asked what harm would there have been to let Pedar say good-bye. He had given the excuse that he felt he should spare everyone, including the boy a tearful and embarrassing scene. Now, he wished he had braved every tear and heart-wrenching sob.

"Och, Liam! The ship Pedar was on, had already set sail when yer Cousin Master French woke you. Why didna you ask me, boyo? He wanted to tell ya fair thee well, but you were asleep and his boat was to leave with the evening tide."

The young boy looked down; sniffing knowing his father did not like crying.

"Shh…Liam, alas I ken that ya miss the lad, but it is nay good to get attached. Pedar is a servant. Servants are in our lives because we employ them. Sometimes they leave for better position, or in the case of maids, they marry. There are situations where we let them go, when our need for them changes. "

"My need for Pedar to teach me things has nay changed" Liam cried.

Master O' Connor gave another heavy sigh as he thought of another argument to calm his son.

"He is a young man, anxious to make a better life than a footman. There is an opportunity for him to make enough of a living to get married; and start a family of his own. I thought he deserved that chance."

Liam only sobbed. His father was left with only one way to comfort the boy; that was to hold him close and rock him till the child fell asleep.

Eamon thought to himself that he could not wait for the boy to be mature enough to see life more rationally. He contented himself with the fact that the lad was getting older and eventually they would see eye to eye on all aspects of life.

Little did the man know that this was closest he would ever be to his son. If he did, he might have held his son more tightly and dare to show his feelings of how much he cared for the boy and his happiness.

My muse desperately needs reviews, if she doesn't get them she goes into a silent pout that lasts for weeks. So, people give her lots of reviews so she doesn't clam up and I can write more real soon.