Three years had passed since Angel had taken his first breath in over two hundred years. Now a part of him wished his heart would once again be a shriveled piece of ice, as it expanded threatening to explode. Just with a hint, a thought, a word of the death of his child and everything stopped. Time loosened its grip in the tiny, bright hospital corner. He pushed his gaze back to his son.

Lucien was as white as the sheets clutched to his chest, tears rimming his dark eyes, Cordi's eyes. Fear had never tainted his children, at least beyond the innocent ones of childhood. Buffy gripped at his arm.

"Where is Aveline? Where is my baby?" hysteria edged her voice.

"I don't know. I had to find you and Luc…" dawning on him was the lack of presence of his other two children. "Colin?"

"Right here boss. I found something you might want back" Colin's voice wrapped around the corner in the hall.

In the matter of two minutes Angel's heart skipped a beat once more. Flanking Colin, Giles stood regally dapper with one hand perched on Connor's shoulder while Spike sneered at Angel cradling Aveline. His children didn't look any worse for the wear except for the haunting trouble in Connor's face. Aveline giggled at Spike whispering in his ear. She finally caught sight of her father.

"Daddy!"

Possessive, he crossed the hallway taking his baby from his nemesis and pulling Connor by the hand into Lucien's room.

"Angel..did you….oh god..my babies. Giles, what?" Buffy stammered. She was seated on the bed next to Lucien, cradling him in her lap.

"I don't care what you have to say to the doctors Colin, but let them know we are taking Lucien home now."

He handed Aveline to his wife, swept Lucien up in the blanket, grabbed Connor once more by the hand and headed for the elevator. Colin disappeared in the direction of the nurse's station while Buffy carrying her daughter and followed by Giles and the vampire trailed behind Angel. Things were getting interesting.

Angel eyed Spike as everyone piled out of their cars and into the house. The blonde menace paced around the door, not obvious or anything.

"So?" he glared at Angel.

Angel looked from Spike to Giles, who nodded grimly.

"Come in," inviting the vampire over the threshold.

Buffy handed Aveline to Connor, taking Lucien from her husband.

"I'm going to get him a bath and all of them in bed."

Angel nodded. She pulled Lucien closer to her chest herding her children in front of her up the stairs. The dogs chased after them.

"Why are you here?" Angel pulled out three glasses when they moved into his library. Lightly he drizzled bourbon over the thick ice cubes he placed in each tumbler. Spike took advantage taking his own, Angel turned handing the second to Giles.

"Not that it is wonderful to see you," he laid a hand against the elder man's arm. "You think over your answer. I'm going to go look in on Lucien."

Upstairs Angel found Connor tucked into the corner of Aveline's bed dressed in gray and blue pjs with the pink sleeper princess in his lap reading the Velveteen Rabbit. He paused for a second savoring the scene of peace. He could hear splashing down the hallway in the bright bathroom.

Buffy sat on the edge of the tub whispering with Lucien.

"Hey buddy," Angel leaned against the doorway.

Amongst the suds his son's bright ebony curls shinned against the white tile. His inky eyes stared wide, stretching with his smile.

"Hey Daddy."

"How are you doing?" he moved away from the door, kneeling beside Buffy. She handed a towel, Angel lifted his soapy child out of the water wrapping him in the dark blue towel. Lucien snuggled into the foals, sighing against his father's chest.

Minutes later Lucien Gailen was folded into his bed, a parent sitting on each side.

"Luc, can we talk about what you told us at the hospital?" Angel whispered.

"Sure Daddy." Never one to shy away from things, his son stared straight into his face, then put a hand on Angel's.

"You said you saw…"

"I was in the bathroom, trying to find a band-aid. There was a light in the corner. A lady called my name. She was like mommy, but different."

"What did she look like?" Buffy took his other hand.

"She had a big smile and black hair, curly. She was happy. Then I saw the sad thing."

Angel did not want his son to go on, he wanted to rewind to the last day and keep Cordelia from his son. To hold back the gift that had somehow slipped through the binds they had put there six years ago.

"Black, someone black had Ave. She was crying and I could not see her. It shined, then red. She was going to sleep, and then she died. The light left her, like when Cordi left."

"Who?" Angel stammered.

"Cordi, the woman in the light."

Giles watched Angel follow Buffy down the stairs. At the bottom she reached for him, he encircled her to his chest. They looked as if they were grieving.

"Giles." Buffy reached him, shaking. He reached for the woman, the girl he had raised to a woman. In his heart he knew it had begun.