Chapter Twenty-Five

Liam awoke with a start; his body sitting straight up in bed, his mouth wide open as if he was trying to scream but no sound was coming out. His body was covered in a cold sweat and as he looked around the room, he couldn't place himself. Moving his hand to his side he leaned on it and saw the other bed only a few feet away and there slept his mother and father. It was that moment that he felt relief flood through his body. Though he couldn't remember the dream, he felt safer knowing that they were just right there, not down the hall.

As quickly as he could he slipped from the sheets and slid onto the floor. Angel's sleeping body was the closest, but just as he was about to nudge him awake and call his name out, that his mother was wrapped up tightly in his arms, and if he was going to shake him awake he would have to get into the bed so he could reach. He wasn't sure why he was choosing to wake Angel instead of his mom, usually it would have been Buffy that he would have turned to but with his father's return, he wanted to see how he would react. He wanted to savor every moment that he could possibly have with him.

Angel felt the bed move and tightened his grip around Buffy, afraid that she was trying to pull away. He wasn't going to let her get away that easily though. Now that she was there in his arms, it was exactly where he wanted to keep her. The smile crept onto his face as he felt her press herself closer to him, and he knew that this was everything that he would ever need. However, he noticed that the bed was still moving but she was laying there.

Loosening his grip on her and sliding his arm out from under her as carefully as he could, he turned to his side to see Liam sitting there, a somewhat scared look on his face, his eyes brimming with tears. Buffy stirred from underneath him as she tried to snuggle closer to the body that was now half sitting and half laying, murmuring something under hear breath that he couldn't seem to make out. He managed to pull himself from Buffy's grasp and sit straight up in the bed, watching as Liam inched closer to him.

"What's wrong Lee?" He asked, using the nickname that he had begun to call his son.

"I had a bad dream…" He spoke softly, watching as Angel reached out to him, presumably to cradle the boy in his arms. But Liam just sat there, unsure as to what to do. He wanted to go, wanted to throw himself in his father's arms, but still, he was unsure. Angel could see the apprehension in his eyes and it stung slightly, all he wanted to do was comfort him, to hold him in his arms and protect him.

"What was it about?" He questioned. He remembered Buffy telling him that Liam often dreamt about the men that were after him and he was hoping that maybe he had caught a glimpse of the Master's childe. If he could tell them what he looked like, they would be a giant step ahead of where they were now. The sooner they caught him, he knew, the sooner that he could convince Buffy to be with him, for them to be the family that they always should have been had he not been such a fool.

Liam shrugged, and a few tears seemed to escape his eyes. "I don member." Angel reached forward and brushed the tears off Liam's face and before he knew what was happening the boy had buried himself into Angel's chest.

"Shh… It will be okay." Angel whispered, rubbing Liam's back as he closed his arms around him. He could feel his heart beating rapidly in his chest. Holding Liam was so odd and yet it felt right. It was different than holding Buffy but his heart still swelling the way it did when it was her in his arms. With Liam, it was about pure protection, about protecting his off spring and doing whatever it took to keep him safe. "It will be okay… I promise I'll never let anything happen to you or mommy. I'll never leave you guys ever again."

Liam pulled away slightly, just enough so he could look at him. "Pomise?" He sniffled, wiping a few of the tears off his cheeks.

"I promise." Angel said, pulling the boy back into his arms. "Do you want to sleep with us?" Liam nodded against his chest and Angel reached over and gently nudged Buffy, watching as she groggily opened her eyes, attempting to sit up in the process.

"What's wrong?" She croaked, her voice still heavy with sleep.

"Lee had a bad dream so he's going to sleep here with us." Angel replied, his free hand reaching forward, pushing the blonde hair that was covering her beautiful face. She smiled slightly, moved over in the bed and laid back down, feeling Liam's body as he crawled under the covers. Angel laid down as well and felt Liam snuggle against him. He hadn't been expecting that, when he offered to let the boy sleep with them, he figured it was because he wanted to be closer to Buffy. He was pulled from his thoughts when he felt Buffy's hand on his waist, and turning his head, he saw the image that he had always wanted to see; the three of them, sharing a bed, and him, keeping them safe…

The Next Morning…

Buffy felt the warm light of the sun across her face, pulling her from her dream and back into reality. As she slowly started to acclimate to her now awake state, she could hear the sound of the shower. However, as she turned to her side she felt a body. Opening her eyes she took in her son, sprawled out across Angel's side of the bed. She had briefly remembered him joining them last night but somehow she felt that it was only a dream. Leaning over him, she kissed his forehead before she began to tickle him awake.

"Wakey wakey…" She whispered in his ear. She could see him trying to keep a straight face but as she continued her friendly torture, his face broke out into a smile and he began to laugh. "Did you sleep okay?"

"I had nother bad dream." He said as she pulled him into her arms.

"Do you remember what it was about."

"No. Angel asted already."

"So that's why you slept with us last night? How come you didn't wake me up?"

"Angel was coser." He responded, snuggling up closer against his mother. She smiled, and stroked his hair, happy to see that her son was beginning to adapt to Angel, to trust Angel. "He pomised he wouldn't leave us again and I think he's telling the truth."

She leaned down, dropping a kiss on the crown of his head before looking back up, just as Angel had immerged from the bathroom, his body still glistening from the steam in the shower, the white, fluffy, hotel towel sling low on his hips, allowing her to see everything that he was. "I think he is too… I think he is too." She responded, her eyes locked with his own.

In San Diego

Xander was filing the trailer that he had hitched to his truck with the few possessions that he owned. Buffy had told them not to bother with the furniture. He looked up at the house that he owned, and wondered why on earth he had ever purchased the damn thing. He, like Buffy, would rent the house out, but still, it was his house, a house that he had scrapped to put everything he had to purchase it. He wanted to make roots, something that he had lacked since Sunnydale had collapsed. He had been looking forward to starting a family, growing old, and all those thoughts, all those fantasies took place in this house. Now, as he filled his car, he knew that he would probably never come back, that this would be the last time that he looked upon it, and in doing that, he knew that he was leaving all his dreams behind. Nevertheless, it was worth it, he told himself, it was worth it if it meant Liam and Buffy were safe.

As he was closed the door to the trailer he watched as Willow's Prius drove by the house, pulling up along the curb. He knew this was real, that this was happening but part of him wished it wasn't. He loved San Diego, it was a beach version of Sunnydale. He had never been a big beach person before, but he was letting it grow on him and he understood what it was that Buffy had loved so much about it. There was a soothing quality about it and although San Jose wasn't terribly far from the beach, it wasn't just across the street either.

Willow stepped out of the car, closing the door behind her and stood to look at the house that Xander had purchased on a few years ago. There had been a lot of good memories in that house, Buffy's as well and it seemed so sad to be leaving it all behind. She had to admit that she was in a better position than Xander and Buffy as well. Unlike the two of them, she had been content to just rent an apartment, a furnished apartment at that so in the end she didn't have to leave much of her own stuff behind, a few lamps here and there, her sheets, bedspread… But those were trivial possessions, they weren't costly to replace. Xander and Buffy were not only leaving behind their houses, but their furniture as well. It had to be hard.

"I can't believe this is happening." Willow said as she walked up and stood beside Xander who was still looking at the house.

"I found someone to rent it, furnished. It will pay the mortgage, and a little bit more. I mean, I guess looking on the bright side, I'm coming out of it with more money." He spoke, shrugging. Still, Willow could see that he didn't want to leave the house behind.

"There will be others." She responded, placing her hand on his arm.

"I know." He responded, finally looking away, it was useless to even keep looking at it. He knew that it wouldn't make any difference. She was right, there would be other chances, other opportunities. He figured he should look on the bright side, at least he wasn't leaving anyone behind. Then again, that had to do with the fact that he had spent the past five years of his life, pretending to be Liam's father. Now, even that was gone. "Have you told Kennedy?"

Willow bowed her head, her eyes shifting from the house to the ground. "I was going to. It's just too hard. The wounds are just too deep right now." She closed her eyes, remembering the last conversation that she had had with her former girlfriend, trying hard to keep the tears from forming, even if it was true, even if the break up was for the best.

Willow had been out all day; work had been a killer and all she wanted to do was go home, curl up with Kennedy and fall asleep. They had been having a bit of a rough patch and she wanted to make it up so before she had gone home, she had stopped off at their favorite market to pick up a few things so she could make her a nice dinner.

As she pulled into the driveway she felt a little off. Like something was wrong, but she chalked it up to her own nerves. She knew that she had been distant lately, she knew that Kennedy was trying hard to get her to open up, but she just hadn't been in the mood. Hell, she hadn't really even known what her problem was, she just hadn't felt herself. But she hadn't braced herself for what would be behind the door.

What she saw was her girlfriend, tangled, naked, in another woman's arms. It wasn't until the she dropped the bag that they had noticed her presence.

"I…" She stumbled. It was a faintly familiar scene for her… In fact, it only stirred up the memories of Oz that she had tried so hard to suppress.

"Will…" Kennedy replied, softly, grabbing a blanket and covering herself up before standing up to rush over to her.

"I can't believe this…" Willow stumbled, reaching for the doorframe. "How long? How long has this been going on?"

Kennedy looked to the floor, unable to meet her eyes. "Why didn't you just leave me then?"

"You left me a long time ago…" Kennedy finally spoke, looking up and meeting her eyes. "You left me when you didn't want to open up anymore."

"So now this is a blame game?" Willow responded.

"No… It's just… I guess this was a long time coming."

"Goodbye Kennedy…" Willow finally spoke, turning around, making her way out of the door of the place she once called home, and leaving everything behind.

"Maybe it was for the best." Xander said, breaking her thoughts and pulling her into a hug. "But, enough of that. It's time for us all to have a fresh start. Let's hit the road Rosenberg." Willow hugged him back, managing a small smile and walked back to her car after they had pulled away. She would have plenty of time to push back the thoughts on her drive there.

Meanwhile…

"This place is amazing!" Buffy squealed under her breath as she walked around the rather large apartment. She was thankful that they were furnished because it was one less thing that she would have to worry about, meaning all that needed to be unpacked were the books, pictures and clothes. It would take maybe a day, as opposed to how long it would have taken had there been nothing. She looked around the Master bedroom, in her mind she was thinking of all the things she would like to do with Angel and all the places that they could do it.

She felt his eyes on her and she grew self-conscious, could he read her thoughts? As she turned to face him, she found that he was only a few feet away, his steps moving him closer to her and before she knew what was happening, his arms were around her waist, pulling her closer to him. She circled her arms around his neck and buried her head in his chest, breathing in the scent of the soap from the hotel, which on him, smelled like heaven.

"So… Who is staying where?" She heard Pike's voice interrupt her moment with Angel and as she pulled her head from her chest, she noticed that Angel's grip around her did not falter.

"Willow and Xander called a little while ago and they should be here around eight or so… So I mean, Liam has his own room and obviously I want him with me…" Her voice trailed and she looked up at Angel. "I want you to stay with us as well." He unwrapped one arm from her waist and pushed her blonde hair off her cheek, tucking it behind her ear. "If you want…" She added with a second thought.

"Of course I want to." He replied, kissing her cheek.

"So that leaves one more room here… And the three bedrooms in the apartment next door." She finished just as Spike walked into the room carrying Liam.

"Mommy! My room is huge!" He smiled and wiggled out of Spikes arms, running over to the door that opened to the balcony.

"If it's okay with you Pike. I'd like to stay here. I think that knowing Liam, and Buffy and Angel as well as I do… I can fight if I have to." Spike said. "I know that next door isn't that far away but I know I'd be more comfortable being closer to the little guy."

"Unca Spike's room will be right next to mine!" Liam said excitedly, causing Buffy to laugh. She could feel Angel tense, presumably because he was worried that it was a ploy to push himself into their lives, just as they were finally becoming a family.

"I thought Willow would be here." Angel said, loud enough only for Buffy to hear.

"Jealous?"

"No."

"Liar." She joked, "Spike has a point, we are better off with him around. The two of you will keep Liam safe, I have no doubts about that." Angel shrugged, and pulled her closer, casting a glance towards Spike, it was a warning, that he would literally tear him apart if he tried anything.

"Don't worry beef cake. I know when to back off. No need to go all grumpy and jealous."

"I'm not jealous." He stated once again, though he knew it was a lie.

"Okay you guys, go get the boxes and stop your bickering. Really, it's not necessary." Buffy said laughing, as she pulled herself from Angel's grip and walked to her son. "You should show me your room."

Liam grabbed her hand and pulled her out into the hallway, laughing the entire time.

Meanwhile…

"We have news master…" A hooded figure approached the chair where his superior was sitting.

He lifted his hand, urging him to continue, all the while not saying a word. He pushed himself deeper into the velvet covered chair, looking around at the surroundings. He hated the building, the cement walls, the broken windows. He had been assured that it would only be for a short period of time. That short time been a whole year. But now that Angel was back, they were certain that the boy was his, and now, he could seek his revenge.

"They are gone."

"GONE!" His voice roared as he jumped from the chair. "What do you mean gone!"

"I'm sorry master."

"Where have they gone?"

"We do not know."

"You insolent fool! Do you know what that means? We were so close how could you let them slip from your fingers?"

"I have failed you and I am forever in your debt." The figured kneeled, their eyes on the floor, unwilling to meet the eyes of the master that they had failed.

"Find them!" He motioned to his minions who were surrounding him. "And kill this traitor." He pointed to the figure before him. "If any of you fail me again, it will be all of your heads. Finding replacements will not be difficult. I can assure you that. You have three months. six months before the child turns five and it will be too late. Do not fail me again!"

A/N:

Hey guys! I don't have much to say today! Hope you like the new chapter! Oh... So I'm trying to make Liam sound more like the actual 4 1/2 year old that he is but being that I'm the youngest in my family (and I'm 21) I don't have a lot of experience with children so let me know what you think... Maybe someone out there has more experience with kids that age! As always, thank you for all of you who keep adding this story to their alerts/favorites and a bigger thanks to those who continue to leave feedback! I love to hear what you have to say!