Angel walked downstairs to the lobby of the Hyperion and smile to Fred
bouncing Connor on her knee and singing some nursery rhyme or another. He
looked over to the front desk where Gunn, Wes and Cordy were eating what
looked like wraps. Angel sighed heavily, thinking how everyday should end
like this, happy. However, the feeling in the room was less than light;
the sun was setting and Angel came to say his good-byes.
Angel first walked over to the front desk where he saw a mug of blood that Cordy had prepared for him. He smiled his gratitude and drank it down, he figured he should eat before he left. His three friends walked around and each said their farewells. He hugged them each and they told him encouraging words that he tried to take heed of.
He turned around to see Lorne walking into the lobby of the hotel from the entrance to Caritas. Lorne had decided to rebuild it there when they discovered an empty club in the hotel about a year before. That way, he could not only run his club, but also continue living in the hotel and helping to take care of Connor.
Angel walked over to Lorne and embraced him tightly. The Host pulled back and looked Angel in the face.
"You take care of yourself, okay."
Angel nodded sadly and moved on. Fred put the baby down for a moment and walked over to Angel and hugged him like the rest had. She giggled quietly.
"What?" Angel asked.
"You're my night in shining armor. A handsome man who came and rescued me from the monsters."
"It's what I do best."
Angel released Fred and turned to what would be his most difficult goodbye. He knelt down and motioned to his son to come to him. Connor toddled over and held out a toy truck to Angel.
"No, sweetie. Daddy can't play now. Daddy has to go for a few days."
Connors eyes lit up as he held his arms out for Angel to pick him up. "Out!"
"No Connor. You can't come with daddy. You are going to stay here with Fred and Lorne, and Cordy, Gunn, and Wesley will be here a lot too, okay?"
"Weswey!" Connor shouted excitedly.
Angel laughed and he picked up his son and held him close. Connor snuggled in to his daddy and closed his eyes.
"I love you, dada," he told his father.
Angel's eyes filled with tears. "I love you too, Connor. I love you so much." He kissed his son's forehead and handed him to Wesley.
Connor looked confused. "Weswey, out wiv dada!"
"No, Connor, you have to stay here with us."
Connor started to cry, but Angel knew he couldn't delay. He walked out of the hotel, his back to the crying of his son and the comforting coos of the rest of his family.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Spike took a moment to really look at his crypt, possibly for the last time. After his breakup with Dru, he had decided never to become attached to anything again, but it was too late. He had come to know that crypt as his home. From his late night romps with Buffy to comforting the Nibblet after Buffy's death, all of his memories would be cherished in a heart- shaped box, even if that box was unbeating.
He sighed and turned to Clem, who was looking at him sadly.
"Oh, don't get all soppy on me now, mate," Spike told him, not wanting to admit to himself that he would even miss Clem.
"Sorry, it's just, be careful, okay."
"Will do."
"Good luck."
Spike nodded his response and walked from his crypt.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Spike walked up the stairs of the Summers' house and lifted his hand to knock on the door. He knocked three times and almost immediately the blonde wicca opened the door.
"You been standing there all night, Glinda?" Spike asked Tara light- heartedly.
Tara smiled and opened the door wider. "Hello Spike."
Spike nodded politely and stepped inside. He walked in to the living room to see the Scooby gang fully assembled; even the watcher was there.
"Are you lot moving in here or something?" Spike asked flippantly.
Giles stood up and walked over to Spike. "May I have a word with you?"
"For what, a little British solidarity?"
Giles rolled his eyes. "Precisely," he said sarcastically, motioning toward the kitchen. Spike followed obediently, figuring he had nothing to lose. As he entered, he saw that it was a quarter to ten, the great poof was late, but Spike didn't mind.
"So, what's up, Rupes?"
"I don't want to, um, invade your privacy-"
"Hm, that's a first," Spike laughed, but Giles gave him a look that told him that he was being serious, so Spike decided he'd better bite his tongue.
"Anyway, I understand that you and Dawn are allowed to have a private relationship and I have been very respectful of that but I must ask, what happened between you and her yesterday?"
Spike took a minute to think of what he was talking about. "Do you mean, when she fell asleep at my crypt?"
"No, I mean last night, when you came over. I know I wasn't here but none of the others know what went on."
"Why don't you ask Dawn then?"
"Because since last night she has locked herself in her room and only came out twice for food. She has refused to train or talk to anyone, especially not Buffy. We've all tried to get her to talk but she's really upset about something."
Spike thought to the conversation he had with Dawn the night before. "I told her I hated her."
"What?" Giles asked confused and a little shocked. "You don't though. Why would you say that?"
"She was mad that I told her that she couldn't come with me to the Delegation, she told me she hated me and so I told her I hated her too. I thought, at the time, that it might make it easier on her if she was mad at me when I left."
"Well, it has only upset her greatly, and now she won't talk to anyone."
"Well, it's not the only reason I'm sure."
"What? Why else then?"
"You're gonna have to talk to Buffy about that, mate."
Giles just put on a puzzled face, shrugged his shoulders and walked from the kitchen. Spike pulled out a cigarette, lit it and inhaled deeply. Spike was enjoying the feeling of the smoke and chemicals burn his throat and lungs when the cigarette was pulled violently from his mouth. He opened his eyes quickly to see Buffy putting out the cigarette in the sink.
"Hey!"
"Hey yourself! Don't smoke in my house," she told him coldly. Spike knew why she was acting like this too him, and he figured he deserved it.
"Look, Buffy, about last night-"
"Don't apologize, Spike," She interrupted him, "I thought it was what you wanted."
Spike walked over to Buffy. "Of course it's what I wanted, I always want you Buffy, that wasn't the issue."
"Then what was? You said you couldn't be with me again."
"That's not what I said."
"You said that you couldn't do this again, you were pretty clear about how you felt."
"I just meant that I can't take being used again, Buffy. You had said it yourself that you had been using me last time, why should I think this time would be any different? Or or or you'd kiss me last night and then deny anything had ever happened. Bloody hell Buffy, you may not realize but I have feelings too and it hurt to be with you sometimes. You think I didn't know that you hated coming to me. We would be. and I could see it in your eyes, I could see how much it hurt you to lower yourself to be with an evil, soulless thing like me. But I loved you so much I didn't even care. I love you so bloody much that whether or not you wanted to be with me, having you, holding you, it was the greatest thing ever to happen to me."
Buffy was silent. She had no idea what to say to that. She wanted to tell him how she felt. She knew she should just do it, but every time she mustered the courage, she just couldn't.
"I just don't know what they would think of me, what they would say."
"So that's all, it's about your precious image. Well I wouldn't want to damage that, bloody no, it's all about what your sodding friends think of you then. That's fine, but this is what I mean, I won't do it this time. If you want to be with me, I don't want you to hide it."
"But maybe if we could just start again, and wait a little while-"
"No," Spike told her coolly, and he walked out of the kitchen. He walked toward the front door, planning to walk outside and just wait there, when the doorbell rang. Spike apprehensively leaned forward and opened the door. Angel stood there like a wall; his face was expressionless. Spike didn't mind, but he stepped aside and allowed Angel to walk in.
Angel came in and looked at the people who used to be his friends. He barely recognized Anya and had never met Tara. He greeted everyone warmly and they all returned the gesture. Willow introduced him to Tara, and he told Willow how happy he was for her. He turned around to see Buffy walking in; she looked sad and tired.
'But god,' he thought to himself, 'she looks just as beautiful as ever.'
He walked over to her and they hugged awkwardly. After they made small talk for a minute, his attention was turned to pretty girl descending the stairs. He recognized her immediately, but took notice of what a beautiful young lady she had become. She finally grew into her arms and legs, and her long brunette hair complemented her features. She had become more muscular since the last time he had seen her, but he figured that that was due to her becoming the slayer.
"Hello Dawn. You really grew up since the last time I saw you."
She smiled and sat down on the stairs. "Thanks."
Angel nodded, realizing that something was obviously wrong, but he didn't want to pry. He wasn't there on a social call, he knew what he came for and he wanted to leave as soon as possible.
"We better get going," he said to Spike. Spike nodded in reply at looked at the people he had grown to consider his friends, some of them anyway.
Tara and Willow both stood and hugged him goodbye, telling him good luck and goodbye. Even Anya hugged him, which got her a nasty look from her husband. However, Xander was polite enough to say goodbye nicely, he knew how much he meant to Dawn and didn't want to start something. Giles shook his hand but didn't say anything, that was there moment of British solidarity.
Spike smiled at them all and turned sadly to Buffy. She looked at the floor and he just shook his head.
"Goodbye, Slayer. Bitty slayer." Dawn narrowed her eyes at his farewell. She was disappointed, figuring he'd give her more than just saying one of his nicknames for her. Spike began to walk out the door when his motion was interrupted by Buffy's voice.
"Spike, wait."
He turned around and she threw her arms around his neck. She figured that it was now or never, and she definitely didn't want to opt for never. She was glad when she felt Spike place his hands on her back and hug her tightly. She pulled her head from his shoulder and kissed Spike passionately. When she finished she looked into his deep blue eyes and could feel him looking into her hazel ones.
"I don't care. who knows," she told him honestly for once. "Spike, I lo-"
"Don't!" He stopped her mid-sentence. "Tell me when I come back."
Buffy smiled and nodded, holding back the tears that were waiting to be shed. "I'll be waiting," she whispered to him. He nodded, released her, and walked out the front door.
Spike was about halfway across the front lawn to his grandsire's car when he felt a strong jerk on his left arm. He swung around to see a crying Dawn holding on for dear life.
"Please don't go," she begged him, tightening her grip. "Please don't leave."
Spike looked behind her to see everyone but Buffy watching the scene.
"No need to make a scene, love," he cooed softly, smiling as comfortingly as he could. "You know I have to go."
She dropped his arm, and continued to cry. "I don't hate you, Spike. I'm so sorry. I didn't-"
Spike interrupted her by pulling her into a tight hug and kissing her on the forehead. "I know sweet bit, don't be sorry."
She hugged him tightly as she sobbed into his chest. "Everyone is always leaving me, Spike. I can't lose you too."
"Your not losing me, Dawn. I'll be back," he told her confidently.
"How do you know?"
He released her from their hug and put her head in his hands. "Because I have something to come back for." He kissed her on the forehead and walked into the car. Angel got in the driver's seat and put the key in the ignition. Silence was all they shared for about five minutes before Spike finally spoke.
"So. was it that hard for you?"
Angel first walked over to the front desk where he saw a mug of blood that Cordy had prepared for him. He smiled his gratitude and drank it down, he figured he should eat before he left. His three friends walked around and each said their farewells. He hugged them each and they told him encouraging words that he tried to take heed of.
He turned around to see Lorne walking into the lobby of the hotel from the entrance to Caritas. Lorne had decided to rebuild it there when they discovered an empty club in the hotel about a year before. That way, he could not only run his club, but also continue living in the hotel and helping to take care of Connor.
Angel walked over to Lorne and embraced him tightly. The Host pulled back and looked Angel in the face.
"You take care of yourself, okay."
Angel nodded sadly and moved on. Fred put the baby down for a moment and walked over to Angel and hugged him like the rest had. She giggled quietly.
"What?" Angel asked.
"You're my night in shining armor. A handsome man who came and rescued me from the monsters."
"It's what I do best."
Angel released Fred and turned to what would be his most difficult goodbye. He knelt down and motioned to his son to come to him. Connor toddled over and held out a toy truck to Angel.
"No, sweetie. Daddy can't play now. Daddy has to go for a few days."
Connors eyes lit up as he held his arms out for Angel to pick him up. "Out!"
"No Connor. You can't come with daddy. You are going to stay here with Fred and Lorne, and Cordy, Gunn, and Wesley will be here a lot too, okay?"
"Weswey!" Connor shouted excitedly.
Angel laughed and he picked up his son and held him close. Connor snuggled in to his daddy and closed his eyes.
"I love you, dada," he told his father.
Angel's eyes filled with tears. "I love you too, Connor. I love you so much." He kissed his son's forehead and handed him to Wesley.
Connor looked confused. "Weswey, out wiv dada!"
"No, Connor, you have to stay here with us."
Connor started to cry, but Angel knew he couldn't delay. He walked out of the hotel, his back to the crying of his son and the comforting coos of the rest of his family.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Spike took a moment to really look at his crypt, possibly for the last time. After his breakup with Dru, he had decided never to become attached to anything again, but it was too late. He had come to know that crypt as his home. From his late night romps with Buffy to comforting the Nibblet after Buffy's death, all of his memories would be cherished in a heart- shaped box, even if that box was unbeating.
He sighed and turned to Clem, who was looking at him sadly.
"Oh, don't get all soppy on me now, mate," Spike told him, not wanting to admit to himself that he would even miss Clem.
"Sorry, it's just, be careful, okay."
"Will do."
"Good luck."
Spike nodded his response and walked from his crypt.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Spike walked up the stairs of the Summers' house and lifted his hand to knock on the door. He knocked three times and almost immediately the blonde wicca opened the door.
"You been standing there all night, Glinda?" Spike asked Tara light- heartedly.
Tara smiled and opened the door wider. "Hello Spike."
Spike nodded politely and stepped inside. He walked in to the living room to see the Scooby gang fully assembled; even the watcher was there.
"Are you lot moving in here or something?" Spike asked flippantly.
Giles stood up and walked over to Spike. "May I have a word with you?"
"For what, a little British solidarity?"
Giles rolled his eyes. "Precisely," he said sarcastically, motioning toward the kitchen. Spike followed obediently, figuring he had nothing to lose. As he entered, he saw that it was a quarter to ten, the great poof was late, but Spike didn't mind.
"So, what's up, Rupes?"
"I don't want to, um, invade your privacy-"
"Hm, that's a first," Spike laughed, but Giles gave him a look that told him that he was being serious, so Spike decided he'd better bite his tongue.
"Anyway, I understand that you and Dawn are allowed to have a private relationship and I have been very respectful of that but I must ask, what happened between you and her yesterday?"
Spike took a minute to think of what he was talking about. "Do you mean, when she fell asleep at my crypt?"
"No, I mean last night, when you came over. I know I wasn't here but none of the others know what went on."
"Why don't you ask Dawn then?"
"Because since last night she has locked herself in her room and only came out twice for food. She has refused to train or talk to anyone, especially not Buffy. We've all tried to get her to talk but she's really upset about something."
Spike thought to the conversation he had with Dawn the night before. "I told her I hated her."
"What?" Giles asked confused and a little shocked. "You don't though. Why would you say that?"
"She was mad that I told her that she couldn't come with me to the Delegation, she told me she hated me and so I told her I hated her too. I thought, at the time, that it might make it easier on her if she was mad at me when I left."
"Well, it has only upset her greatly, and now she won't talk to anyone."
"Well, it's not the only reason I'm sure."
"What? Why else then?"
"You're gonna have to talk to Buffy about that, mate."
Giles just put on a puzzled face, shrugged his shoulders and walked from the kitchen. Spike pulled out a cigarette, lit it and inhaled deeply. Spike was enjoying the feeling of the smoke and chemicals burn his throat and lungs when the cigarette was pulled violently from his mouth. He opened his eyes quickly to see Buffy putting out the cigarette in the sink.
"Hey!"
"Hey yourself! Don't smoke in my house," she told him coldly. Spike knew why she was acting like this too him, and he figured he deserved it.
"Look, Buffy, about last night-"
"Don't apologize, Spike," She interrupted him, "I thought it was what you wanted."
Spike walked over to Buffy. "Of course it's what I wanted, I always want you Buffy, that wasn't the issue."
"Then what was? You said you couldn't be with me again."
"That's not what I said."
"You said that you couldn't do this again, you were pretty clear about how you felt."
"I just meant that I can't take being used again, Buffy. You had said it yourself that you had been using me last time, why should I think this time would be any different? Or or or you'd kiss me last night and then deny anything had ever happened. Bloody hell Buffy, you may not realize but I have feelings too and it hurt to be with you sometimes. You think I didn't know that you hated coming to me. We would be. and I could see it in your eyes, I could see how much it hurt you to lower yourself to be with an evil, soulless thing like me. But I loved you so much I didn't even care. I love you so bloody much that whether or not you wanted to be with me, having you, holding you, it was the greatest thing ever to happen to me."
Buffy was silent. She had no idea what to say to that. She wanted to tell him how she felt. She knew she should just do it, but every time she mustered the courage, she just couldn't.
"I just don't know what they would think of me, what they would say."
"So that's all, it's about your precious image. Well I wouldn't want to damage that, bloody no, it's all about what your sodding friends think of you then. That's fine, but this is what I mean, I won't do it this time. If you want to be with me, I don't want you to hide it."
"But maybe if we could just start again, and wait a little while-"
"No," Spike told her coolly, and he walked out of the kitchen. He walked toward the front door, planning to walk outside and just wait there, when the doorbell rang. Spike apprehensively leaned forward and opened the door. Angel stood there like a wall; his face was expressionless. Spike didn't mind, but he stepped aside and allowed Angel to walk in.
Angel came in and looked at the people who used to be his friends. He barely recognized Anya and had never met Tara. He greeted everyone warmly and they all returned the gesture. Willow introduced him to Tara, and he told Willow how happy he was for her. He turned around to see Buffy walking in; she looked sad and tired.
'But god,' he thought to himself, 'she looks just as beautiful as ever.'
He walked over to her and they hugged awkwardly. After they made small talk for a minute, his attention was turned to pretty girl descending the stairs. He recognized her immediately, but took notice of what a beautiful young lady she had become. She finally grew into her arms and legs, and her long brunette hair complemented her features. She had become more muscular since the last time he had seen her, but he figured that that was due to her becoming the slayer.
"Hello Dawn. You really grew up since the last time I saw you."
She smiled and sat down on the stairs. "Thanks."
Angel nodded, realizing that something was obviously wrong, but he didn't want to pry. He wasn't there on a social call, he knew what he came for and he wanted to leave as soon as possible.
"We better get going," he said to Spike. Spike nodded in reply at looked at the people he had grown to consider his friends, some of them anyway.
Tara and Willow both stood and hugged him goodbye, telling him good luck and goodbye. Even Anya hugged him, which got her a nasty look from her husband. However, Xander was polite enough to say goodbye nicely, he knew how much he meant to Dawn and didn't want to start something. Giles shook his hand but didn't say anything, that was there moment of British solidarity.
Spike smiled at them all and turned sadly to Buffy. She looked at the floor and he just shook his head.
"Goodbye, Slayer. Bitty slayer." Dawn narrowed her eyes at his farewell. She was disappointed, figuring he'd give her more than just saying one of his nicknames for her. Spike began to walk out the door when his motion was interrupted by Buffy's voice.
"Spike, wait."
He turned around and she threw her arms around his neck. She figured that it was now or never, and she definitely didn't want to opt for never. She was glad when she felt Spike place his hands on her back and hug her tightly. She pulled her head from his shoulder and kissed Spike passionately. When she finished she looked into his deep blue eyes and could feel him looking into her hazel ones.
"I don't care. who knows," she told him honestly for once. "Spike, I lo-"
"Don't!" He stopped her mid-sentence. "Tell me when I come back."
Buffy smiled and nodded, holding back the tears that were waiting to be shed. "I'll be waiting," she whispered to him. He nodded, released her, and walked out the front door.
Spike was about halfway across the front lawn to his grandsire's car when he felt a strong jerk on his left arm. He swung around to see a crying Dawn holding on for dear life.
"Please don't go," she begged him, tightening her grip. "Please don't leave."
Spike looked behind her to see everyone but Buffy watching the scene.
"No need to make a scene, love," he cooed softly, smiling as comfortingly as he could. "You know I have to go."
She dropped his arm, and continued to cry. "I don't hate you, Spike. I'm so sorry. I didn't-"
Spike interrupted her by pulling her into a tight hug and kissing her on the forehead. "I know sweet bit, don't be sorry."
She hugged him tightly as she sobbed into his chest. "Everyone is always leaving me, Spike. I can't lose you too."
"Your not losing me, Dawn. I'll be back," he told her confidently.
"How do you know?"
He released her from their hug and put her head in his hands. "Because I have something to come back for." He kissed her on the forehead and walked into the car. Angel got in the driver's seat and put the key in the ignition. Silence was all they shared for about five minutes before Spike finally spoke.
"So. was it that hard for you?"
