*A/n: In my fantasy world, Connor is indeed still a baby and never was
stolen from Angel in the first place. Darla is dead and Wes is still an
important part of the team.
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***Angel's POV***
I hung up the phone after what may have been the most shocking and disturbing phone call of my life. I looked around and aimed my body for the sofa in the lobby of the Hyperion. I fell upon it and just sat in amazement.
"Is everything okay?" Gunn asked concerned. He could probably see the obvious look of worry on my face. "Oh god, did Buffy die again?"
I just laughed and looked up at him.
"I'll take that as a no."
"No, it's nothing like that. Is Cordy still here, she'll get a real kick out of this one."
Gunn looked confused but beckoned Cordelia nonetheless. She came into the lobby looking tired and worn. Her hair was a mess but we had been working on a case that required the entire crew.
"What is it?" She asked sleepily.
"Spike has a soul," I told her as bluntly as I could.
She merely stared at me, probably waiting for a 'gotcha' or 'just kidding,' but it never came and she watched me with her deep hazel eyes.
"Your serious."
"I am."
"Wait wait wait," Gunn insisted, he did not know my history quite as well as Cordy, "is Spike the one that that freaky Drusilla chick sired?"
"That's the one," I told him.
"Just checkin'."
"I have to go to Sunnydale," I told them both.
"What?" Cordelia asked, "for Spike?"
"For Spike," I assured her, she obviously wasn't too happy. "Think of it as a family obligation. You know, the kind where you REALLY don't want to go but have to anyway."
She nodded in agreement and Gunn merely shrugged. I looked at the stairs that lead of to the room of my sleeping child. And walked in that direction.
When I reached Connor's room I could hear his soft breathing and his heart beating softly. I sighed and walked over to his crib. I kissed him lightly on the forehead, careful not to wake my baby boy. I smiled and said nothing, but walked from his room and down the stairs. Without a word I walked out the front doors of the hotel and right to my car. I t was early enough in the night, Sunnydale was only about two hours away and I was sure I could make it there before the sun rose
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As I pulled into the driveway of 1630 Rovello drive, I waited for a few minutes before I pulled the keys from the ignition.
"Am I really doing this?" I asked no one but myself. I nodded and walked from the car to the door and rang the bell. It was barely six in the morning when I arrived so I was patient for someone to answer the door.
Dawn pulled it open after what felt like an eternity of waiting, and she smiled warmly at me as I walked past her. She looked so grown up. I hadn't seen her since I left Sunnydale and it occurred to me that I had never *actually seen her before, since she technically has only been around since two summers ago. I didn't make an issue of it though, it had been a long, torturous drive.
"Wow, Dawnie, you look, look at you."
She blushed and looked at her feet. I could tell that she was flattered, and I just stood uncomfortably in the home that used to be, well, homey to me. Now it just seemed to bring back memories and emotions I hadn't felt in years. When Buffy walked down the stairs, I thought my heart would break in two but I kept my somber, brooding aura, I didn't come to create drama.
"Hey Angel," she said as she walked over and hugged me.
"Hey," I replied, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.
The three of us stood in silence until I felt like I would explode. I wanted to break the silence but I really had nothing to say. Finally after what felt like years, Buffy asked me to sit down.
"Do you want anything?" She asked, "we may have some blood in the fridge believe it or not."
I shook my head. "I'm fine, thanks."
"Dawnie, could Angel and I have a minute?" Dawn obliged without resistance and ran up the stairs to where I remember here room was located. Buffy sat down beside me and smiled warmly.
"Angel, I-I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate you coming."
I merely nodded in response.
"To be perfectly honest, I didn't think you'd agree."
"I didn't either," I told her, trying to be just as honest. I really didn't want to be there, I still hated Spike with a passion, but what I had said before, about family obligation, it was starting to get to me.
"It's just, I've realized that Spike means a lot to m-Dawn, and, it's important to her that he's okay."
"Are you in love with him?" I was shocked at my own bluntness. I had wanted to ask that question since I arrived, but I thought that I would wait for a better time.
Buffy cocked her head as though she didn't know what to say. She wasn't surprised, or angry, she just looked sad.
"I don't know," she answered, shaking her head and staring at her feet.
I nodded and we sat in silence, I was really hoping for a 'no,' but for whatever reason, I wasn't expecting one. I knew Spike loved Buffy, it wasn't like I hadn't heard. I wasn't surprised by his affection for her, he always had an obsession with slayers. Besides, he had a thing for strong women.
Buffy looked up and me and sighed. "I'm not really sure what to say."
"Then that makes two of us I guess." We laughed, not for humor but for the sake of making some noise so that things wouldn't be so awkward.
"Do you want me to tell him you're here? Do you think your ready?"
I shrugged. What could I possibly say to that. In reality, I was never really ready for Spike.
"I want you to remember something Angel. I want you to remember that he wants you here. I don't know why you two didn't get along one hundred years ago, but he is obviously willing to put his differences behind him, please do the same. Also, if anything gets broken you are so paying for it." She said the last part with a smile, I was happy to see her smile a genuine smile.
"Alright Buffy, I'll behave," I taunted back at the girl I used to love and the woman I still did. She disappeared up the stairs. I waited in silence but a million voices were chatting away inside my head. When I finally calmed down I gave myself one last piece of advice.
"Okay, Angel, try to behave."
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***Angel's POV***
I hung up the phone after what may have been the most shocking and disturbing phone call of my life. I looked around and aimed my body for the sofa in the lobby of the Hyperion. I fell upon it and just sat in amazement.
"Is everything okay?" Gunn asked concerned. He could probably see the obvious look of worry on my face. "Oh god, did Buffy die again?"
I just laughed and looked up at him.
"I'll take that as a no."
"No, it's nothing like that. Is Cordy still here, she'll get a real kick out of this one."
Gunn looked confused but beckoned Cordelia nonetheless. She came into the lobby looking tired and worn. Her hair was a mess but we had been working on a case that required the entire crew.
"What is it?" She asked sleepily.
"Spike has a soul," I told her as bluntly as I could.
She merely stared at me, probably waiting for a 'gotcha' or 'just kidding,' but it never came and she watched me with her deep hazel eyes.
"Your serious."
"I am."
"Wait wait wait," Gunn insisted, he did not know my history quite as well as Cordy, "is Spike the one that that freaky Drusilla chick sired?"
"That's the one," I told him.
"Just checkin'."
"I have to go to Sunnydale," I told them both.
"What?" Cordelia asked, "for Spike?"
"For Spike," I assured her, she obviously wasn't too happy. "Think of it as a family obligation. You know, the kind where you REALLY don't want to go but have to anyway."
She nodded in agreement and Gunn merely shrugged. I looked at the stairs that lead of to the room of my sleeping child. And walked in that direction.
When I reached Connor's room I could hear his soft breathing and his heart beating softly. I sighed and walked over to his crib. I kissed him lightly on the forehead, careful not to wake my baby boy. I smiled and said nothing, but walked from his room and down the stairs. Without a word I walked out the front doors of the hotel and right to my car. I t was early enough in the night, Sunnydale was only about two hours away and I was sure I could make it there before the sun rose
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As I pulled into the driveway of 1630 Rovello drive, I waited for a few minutes before I pulled the keys from the ignition.
"Am I really doing this?" I asked no one but myself. I nodded and walked from the car to the door and rang the bell. It was barely six in the morning when I arrived so I was patient for someone to answer the door.
Dawn pulled it open after what felt like an eternity of waiting, and she smiled warmly at me as I walked past her. She looked so grown up. I hadn't seen her since I left Sunnydale and it occurred to me that I had never *actually seen her before, since she technically has only been around since two summers ago. I didn't make an issue of it though, it had been a long, torturous drive.
"Wow, Dawnie, you look, look at you."
She blushed and looked at her feet. I could tell that she was flattered, and I just stood uncomfortably in the home that used to be, well, homey to me. Now it just seemed to bring back memories and emotions I hadn't felt in years. When Buffy walked down the stairs, I thought my heart would break in two but I kept my somber, brooding aura, I didn't come to create drama.
"Hey Angel," she said as she walked over and hugged me.
"Hey," I replied, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.
The three of us stood in silence until I felt like I would explode. I wanted to break the silence but I really had nothing to say. Finally after what felt like years, Buffy asked me to sit down.
"Do you want anything?" She asked, "we may have some blood in the fridge believe it or not."
I shook my head. "I'm fine, thanks."
"Dawnie, could Angel and I have a minute?" Dawn obliged without resistance and ran up the stairs to where I remember here room was located. Buffy sat down beside me and smiled warmly.
"Angel, I-I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate you coming."
I merely nodded in response.
"To be perfectly honest, I didn't think you'd agree."
"I didn't either," I told her, trying to be just as honest. I really didn't want to be there, I still hated Spike with a passion, but what I had said before, about family obligation, it was starting to get to me.
"It's just, I've realized that Spike means a lot to m-Dawn, and, it's important to her that he's okay."
"Are you in love with him?" I was shocked at my own bluntness. I had wanted to ask that question since I arrived, but I thought that I would wait for a better time.
Buffy cocked her head as though she didn't know what to say. She wasn't surprised, or angry, she just looked sad.
"I don't know," she answered, shaking her head and staring at her feet.
I nodded and we sat in silence, I was really hoping for a 'no,' but for whatever reason, I wasn't expecting one. I knew Spike loved Buffy, it wasn't like I hadn't heard. I wasn't surprised by his affection for her, he always had an obsession with slayers. Besides, he had a thing for strong women.
Buffy looked up and me and sighed. "I'm not really sure what to say."
"Then that makes two of us I guess." We laughed, not for humor but for the sake of making some noise so that things wouldn't be so awkward.
"Do you want me to tell him you're here? Do you think your ready?"
I shrugged. What could I possibly say to that. In reality, I was never really ready for Spike.
"I want you to remember something Angel. I want you to remember that he wants you here. I don't know why you two didn't get along one hundred years ago, but he is obviously willing to put his differences behind him, please do the same. Also, if anything gets broken you are so paying for it." She said the last part with a smile, I was happy to see her smile a genuine smile.
"Alright Buffy, I'll behave," I taunted back at the girl I used to love and the woman I still did. She disappeared up the stairs. I waited in silence but a million voices were chatting away inside my head. When I finally calmed down I gave myself one last piece of advice.
"Okay, Angel, try to behave."