1630 Revello Drive

Buffy's Bedroom

Katie couldn't sleep. She wasn't tired at all.

She laid on her back and held up a photograph of her mother at the age of sixteen years old. When Aunt Cordelia wasn't looking, Katie took the photograph from the album and tucked it in the pocket of her strange pants.

Feeling the large bed shift slightly, Katie glanced over to her left side watching Connor nestle deeper into his pillow. The beds of this time were much comfier but equally as warm.

Every one of this time was so nice to her and her brother. She quickly discovered how funny Uncle Xander was. It was like he was a large child himself. But it was Aunt Dawn and Aunt Cordelia, who hovered and cooed over them the most.

Katie took a particular liking to the Englishmen. Her father had always said the English were daft and scum of the earth, but this Englishmen was just plain humorous, especially when Connor tried to play with him. But she liked that he didn't try so hard for her attention. In fact, he didn't try at all.

Earlier That Night

Spike and Katie sat together on the couch watching the rest of the grownups play one of Connor's ridiculous and childish games. For the longest time, neither of them said a word to each other, until finally, Spike broke the silence when he said, "Your mum… she's only doin' what she thinks is best."

"I know," Katie replied.

"I doubt she's ever told you, but… I've known your mum for a long time now and though she's a pain in my ass—What I'm tryin' to say is… Um, well, you see, your mum is a very complicated woman and—" Clenching his jaw, Spike recognized that puzzled look set on Katie's features. She looked exactly like Buffy right then. "Bloody hell, your mum is a sort of hero 'round 'ere." He finally spat out.

Katie broke her gaze from the childish display set in front of them and looked at Spike, "A hero?"

"Yeah," Spike nodded, outstretching his arm across the top of the couch. "She's much more than just 'your mum'. She's very important to this world—the whole world." Katie stared at the vampire with growing surprise. "She saves a lot of lives. You're…" Spike turned his blue eyes down to the child pushing the foolish feeling to the back of his mind, "… you're very lucky to 'ave a mum like her. My mum, well, she was a just a bit—a piece of work. Nothin' like yours."

Keeping that tidbit of information from a seemingly cranky Englishmen, Katie smiled to herself proud to have such a mother like her own but something ached at her. She looked up at Spike, "What about my Da?"

Spike caught her eyes and frowned, clearly he was not a fan of her father. "Let's save that long tale for 'nother night, nibblet."

"Do ye call him 'Angel' too? Mama does." Katie thought for a moment looking around the room when she realized something. "So does everyone else... But Mama says, it's a special name. What does she call you?"

"Spike," Spike replied.

Katie's frown deepened, "'Spike' is a strange name... Did she give you that nickname?" She turned her eyes to Spike, "Mama is good at given nicknames, she calls me 'sardine'."

"She calls me 'Spike'."

Nodding her head thoughtfully, Katie lifted hazel green eyes to Spike and asked, "Do you have a nickname for me Da?"

Spike caught her gaze as his sneering smirk widened. "I have several."

Releasing a heavy breath, Katie ran her small index finger over her mother's young face and rolled over to her side facing the window when she noticed something.

Katie sat up in the bed with wide eyes staring at a man sitting outside the bedroom window of her mother's room.

"Da?" Katie whispered staring at his familiar face.

Angelus sat outside the window wearing a tender easy smile. He gently tapped on the window, careful not to wake Connor from his slumber.

Katie rolled out of the covers and set the photograph down on the bed. She crossed the small distance to the window unable to blink her eyes in seeing her father.

She looked at him with peculiar eyes finding his appearance strange. His attire was all black but the oddest thing was not his clothing but his hair. It was so short. Katie had never seen her father with such short hair before. It was spiked in all sorts of directions.

"Open the window, mo sairdín beag (my little sardine)," Angelus said through the glass. "Turn that latch and push up." He gently directed her.

Katie turned the window latched and lifted the window up letting in the cool nighttime air.

Angelus ran his dark eyes over her and a soft smile tugged at his lips, "Ye're just as I remember ye to be… beautiful like ye're mother." He kept his voice low letting his Irish brogue easily slip back into his words.

"Da?"

"It's me, lass." His voice was soothing and familiar. "I've looked high and low for ye. For so long. I've missed ye. I've missed our long conversations about books and the clouds… Ye're mind is a remarkable thing, mo chroí (my heart). So smart for such a young little thing."

Katie stared at her father with large eyes. She wanted to cry and jump into his arms. "What are ye doin' out there, Da? Aren't ye cold?"

Angelus shivered and popped his collar to block the cool air hitting the back of his neck. "Oh, very much. I think ye should let me in and ye can tell me all about where ye've been with ye're brother."

Suddenly, Buffy's warning rang in Katie's mind. Mama said not to let anyone inside. And if I saw Da, I should tell someone. She lifted her puzzled eyes to Angelus' kind face. He doesn't seem so different to me… He doesn't seem dangerous—Why would Mama say he's dangerous? It's Da and Da loves me.

"Why don't ye just come in? Do ye need someone to open the door? I can tell—"

"—No," his harsh tone took Katie by surprise.

Angelus cursed to himself as Katie began to back away from the window suddenly afraid of him. What has Buffy been telling these little brats? Angelus felt his demon roar with anger at the Vampire Slayer.

Regrouping and replacing his frown with a kind tugging smile, one he knew his daughter would recognise, Angelus watched Katie ease. "I'm sorry, lass. I didn't mean to sound so brazen, I just… I want to surprise ye're mother and ye're brother. I've missed all of ye so much. Me heart aches to be with ye again. It's been so long. Forgive me?"

Katie eyed her father carefully trying to detect his honesty.

"I just want to hug ye. I want ye in me arms, mo sardine. Is breá liom an oiread sin. (I love you so much.) Come to me." Angelus whispered. "Give me a hug."

Katie thought for a long moment wondering if she should run and tell someone like her mother told her to do but her father was so close and she him missed so much.

Slowly, Katie made the first small step towards him.

Jogging at half speed back to her house, a terrible feeling came over Buffy as soon as she turned the corner of her neighbourhood street.

Everything in her body was telling her something supernatural was near. Instantly, she worried for her children and picked up her pace heading back to the house.

The house came into view and Buffy's eyes lifted to the roof. She saw a dark shadowed figure crouched outside the window of her bedroom. Narrowing her sights, Buffy saw the top of her daughter's head. No! Panic rippled through her veins and sprinted to the house as fast as her supernatural stamina can take her.

Charging into the house, Buffy threw open the front door, never noticing, Xander, Cordelia, Dawn, and Spike shoot up to their feet from the living room.

Buffy ignored her name being called and raced up the stairs in a panic.

Running down the hallway, Buffy wrapped her hand around the bedroom doorknob and shoved open the door, instantly waking Connor from his slumber.

Katie, who stood inches from Angelus whirled around to see her mother angrily stomping into the bedroom. Her green eyes never landed on Katie but were fixed on Angelus.

"We were just talkin' about ye." Angelus' smile grew large knowing the jig was up.

Taking long strides, Buffy stepped in front of Katie and pushed her far back, away from the Master Vampire.

"C'mon, Buf, she just wanted to see her 'ole Da. Pull that stick out of ye're arse and loosen up a bit—but not too loose, ye know I like ye tight." Angelus purred lifting his eyes from her breasts to her face. "Let me in." He menacingly grinned.

With supernatural speed, Buffy reached out of the window, grabbing Angelus by the front of his shirt. "Sorry, Liam. Changed the locks." Buffy rammed his forehead into the glass window letting it crack and scratch his head.

She let go of the front of his shirt just as Angelus' bleeding head came through the glass window only to be blocked by the protective forcefield Willow and Tara had cast over the house.

Angelus tumbled off the roof of the house and fell flat on his back with a thud.

Buffy calmed her racing heart, fueled by adrenaline. She whirled around to her children. Katie stood pale and terrified at what she had just witnessed. Her hazel green eyes were reddening with tears and Connor sat on the bed holding the blanket under his chin, freely letting his tears river down his little face.

Her children have seen her and Angel fight numerous times before. Yelling matches that should have scared anyone but their fights were never like this. This was something they should have never seen. This was violent and cruel and the argument didn't end in a deep passionate kiss.

"Are you okay?" Buffy addressed Katie holding her hands to her face. She tucked the child's hair behind her ears. "Did he hurt you?" Frightened for her daughter, Buffy scanned Katie's young face for injury.

Katie shook her head as her tears finally fell from her eyes.

"Oh, Connor, c'mere baby," Buffy held out her arm for Connor to crawl into.

Quickly, Connor jumped out of the covers and ran to his mother's side. He cried into her jacket, soaking her black long sleeve shirt. "Shh, I'm here…. I'm here…" Buffy whispered.

"Buf?" Xander called out to her gently.

Lifting her head, Buffy to see the gang and Spike standing at the entrance of the bedroom.

"Are you okay? What happened?" Dawn asked.

"Angel happened. But… he's gone now." Buffy looked down at the children held tightly in her arms. "He won't be coming back. You're safe." She assured her children and laid her cheek over Connor's head that was on her chest.

Feeling utterly awkward, Spike cleared his throat and asked, "Will you, uh—Are you okay?"

"We're fine," Buffy said without looking up at Spike, too distracted by her petrified children. "We're going to go to bed. Thank you." She raised her eyes to Spike then tossed them around the faces surrounding the vampire.

One by one, the gang filed out of the bedroom, closing the door behind them to give Buffy privacy.

"Let's get back to bed." Buffy gently directed.

"Will ye stay, Mama?" Connor asked crawling back under the covers.

"Of course I will," Buffy said.

Katie watched her mother with a hawks eye, afraid to leave her out of her sight. She watched as Buffy removed her jacket and draped it over the back of a chair then unzipped her black heeled boots.

Buffy placed herself between her children. As soon as her back rested against the backboard, Katie and Liam were nestled at her sides needing contact with their heroine mother.

"Why is he like that?" Katie asked in a small voice that broke Buffy's heart.

"I told you, he's different. He's mean."

Katie tilted her little chin upwards to look at Buffy, "He has no soul. Just like ye said."

Pressing her mouth against her daughter's forehead, Buffy tried a soft smile which never made her face. "That's right. But soon he'll be himself again."

"He's scary, Mama." Connor buried his face into Buffy's breast.

"I know. But I'm here and I'll always protect you."

"I don't like him anymore," Connor mumbled hiding his face.

Buffy weaved her fingers through his brown hair. "No, never say that. He's still your father. He may be different now, but soon he'll be himself again." She repeated trying to assure her children and herself. "And you'll love him." Buffy turned her eyes to Katie still looking up at her. "Just like how I love him—how I'll always love him." She kissed Katie's forehead. "Close your eyes… sleep." She softly whispered with a comforting breathless voice which immediately comforted her young children. "Sleep."

Softly, Buffy began to sing a familiar song:

"You know I can't smile without you,

I can't smile without you,

I can't laugh and I can't sing,

I'm finding it hard to do anything,"

Buffy watched her children's eyes grow heavy as they tried to desperately to keep their eyes open. She continued to sing the song gently. Her fingers ran through Connor's shaggy hair. A small smile tugged her lips watching his puffy cheeks squish against her. She kissed the top of his head then turned her eyes to Katie. Her nose was buried into Buffy's side and her arm draped across Buffy's waist.

The Slayer's heart poured love for these two little blessings asleep against her. Her eyes turned to the cracked window that was a haunting reminder of what had happened not long before. She glared at the window silently vowing to protect what was left of her family with everything she possessed.

Song Used: "Can't Smile Without You" Barry Manilow 1978