Buffy smiled as she set Evan down for his nap. He really was a very quiet baby--calm and patient. He must have been well taken care of before he was brought for to her. Yet again, Buffy wondered where her son had been for the first several months of his life, but she couldn't think of any possibilities.
She tiptoed out and headed to the living room, where Dawn was watching TV and Willow was reading a mystery novel. Spike, Xander, and Anya had taken her patrol for the night. For some reason, the Sunnydale demon population had substantially fallen off and patrolling no longer took nearly as much time or effort as it had even a few weeks earlier. Plus, given her new responsibilities, Buffy was much more willing to allow her friends to take over some of those duties so she could spend more time at home.
She flopped onto the couch beside Willow just as the telephone rang. "I'll get it!" Dawn yelled, jumping up and running into the kitchen.
Willow put her book aside. "You think she wanted to use the phone in there because she has a secret boyfriend who's calling?"
Buffy shuddered. "God, I hope not. Remember what happened the last time Dawn went out with a boy?"
"Halloween. Kinda tough to forget," Willow agreed. "But you know, she's gonna start dating seriously sooner or later. I just hope she finds someone as perfect for her as Tara is for me." Willow hesitated and looked at her friend. "I really wish you had someone too, Buffy. I mean, not that you need a significant other to make your life complete or happy or anything, but it wouldn't hurt, would it? And I'm not talking about you and Spike, either. It's just... well... have you talked to Angel lately? 'Cause maybe things have changed with him and -- "
"No," Buffy interrupted in a flat tone.
"Oh." Willow paused. "Um. Well, I was wondering why not?"
"I'm not exactly happy with Angel at the moment. I mean, I die, I come back to life, he meets with me once, and then what do I hear from him? Nada. Zilch. Not a word. You'd think a good, solid reminder of my mortality would have more impact on him, but I don't even get a monthly checkup call. So if that's the way he wants things, fine with me."
At that moment Dawn walked into the room. "Buffy," she said quietly.
Willow and Buffy looked at the teenager. Tears welled in her eyes and her lower lip was quivering. "Dawn? What's wrong?" Buffy demanded.
Dawn wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "It's really bad news. Dad was on a business trip with his secretary in Ireland and accidentally fell under a bus. He's dead."
*****
Angel checked off yet another Connor-less day on his office calendar and sighed. How much longer would they be separated? He was doing everything he could think of to get back on the right track. The way he'd seen it, he had two choices. He could either rebel against TPTB, ignore their advice, and try to find Connor on his own--basically, undertake a needle-in-a-field-of-haystacks task, since he hadn't the first idea who Connor's mother was and therefore had no chance at figuring out where they would be. Or he could buckle down, follow instructions, and eventually, as promised, reunite with his son.
He wasn't the happiest vampire in the world, but Angel had chosen the second option and made a list of all the actions TPTB apparently wanted him to undertake.
Brood? Check.
Not charge clients? Check.
Quit making stupid jokes? Check.
Increase work load? Check.
Stop smiling like a fool for no reason? Check again.
The only thing Angel couldn't figure out was what he was supposed to do about Cordelia. He didn't know what his feelings toward her had to do with anything. And no matter what TPTB said, he wasn't giving up one of his few friends. He hadn't even cut off Wesley. Somehow, he'd managed to forgive the former Watcher for taking Connor away, and they were once more working together.
As Angel replaced the calendar in his desk drawer, his gaze fell upon a crumpled photo of Buffy that he had tucked away. Instantly, Angel felt himself falling into a brood. He got up and locked the door, hoping that Cordelia wouldn't return early from having a facial and pester him again. She meant well, but she was really getting on his nerves. He needed to brood in private, especially since he couldn't believe the horrible way he had treated Buffy. In fact, Angel was so ashamed he couldn't even bring himself to pick up the phone and call her. He figured she would be sure to hang up on him. Besides, how could he explain the absolutely idiotic decisions he had made recently? No, it was better to stay out of her life completely.
*****
Buffy and Dawn had a few days to get over the initial shock of their father's death before his will reading was held at the end of the week. That afternoon, Anya, Tara, Xander, and Willow waited in the Magic Box with Evan for Buffy and Dawn to return from the lawyer's office. The sisters finally walked in with puzzled expressions on their faces and sat down at the table with the others.
"Is something wrong? What did the lawyer say?" Xander asked eagerly.
"Something about Dad's death was a little strange," Buffy replied. "The witnesses said that even though he was walking alone, it looked almost as though someone dragged him under the bus. They must have been drunk or something. Anyway, the life insurance pay-off is pretty substantial and Dad left us some cash on top of that. Dawn, Evan, and I aren't filthy rich but we're comfortable."
"So, Buffy, what are you going to do now that you have so much beautiful money?" Anya asked.
"You mean after I quit my job at Doublemeat Palace? Well, I have a major purchase in mind but it depends on what all of you say." Buffy looked around the table at her companions. "See, I was thinking there's something we should have done a long time ago. And that's establish a base of operations. Meeting here for strategy sessions is great, but we always waste travel time because we have to come from scattered parts of town. It would be much more convenient if we all moved in together in one house. And a bigger house falls within my new budget. What do you think?"
"The Buffster raises a good point," Xander admitted. "I like the idea. Anya?"
His girlfriend considered. "The lease on our apartment is almost up and the rent is increasing. Besides, a house would be more private."
"Sounds good to me," Willow offered as Tara nodded.
Dawn shrugged. "Fine, as long as we don't sell our old house."
With that matter settled, Willow asked, "Do we start house hunting right away?"
"As a matter of fact, I already have a place in mind," Buffy said. "It's perfect. It's huge, it's in a convenient location, I bet it's dirt cheap, it's --"
"Buffy, if you're going to say it's the mansion on Crawford Street, I'm going to say a big 'ook,'" Xander warned.
Anya and Tara, who had been absent during the Angelus glory days, looked blank. Willow and Dawn, struck by unpleasant memories, turned slightly green.
"Actually, no," Buffy replied. "I was going to say the old boarding house on Lincoln Avenue. The one that closed down last year due to lack of business."
No one objected to that location, so the gang soon found themselves moving into the Lincoln Avenue house. And for a while, life moved along pretty smoothly.
*****
Over in L.A., Cordelia was not making the headway she had hoped for with Angel. She had no idea why. Once she'd thought about Fred's words, she'd realized that Angel had been making cow eyes at her for months before Connor's abduction and she just hadn't noticed at the time. He was interested, she was too, so why wasn't he taking the bait and crying on her shoulder?
Cordelia had already concluded that Angel's feelings for Buffy couldn't be the problem. He must not have loved Buffy *that* much or he would have found a way around the happiness clause in his curse rather than just leave Sunnydale like he had. After all, spells and potions existed for just about every condition or situation. And the fact that Angel had fallen for Cordelia so soon after Buffy's death proved his love for the other girl had been fleeting.
Given the circumstances, Cordelia didn't understand why things weren't going better between her and Angel. They should have been dating, at the very least. She'd taken to spending most of the day with him, trying to prevent him from brooding his life away or working himself to exhaustion, yet his reaction had been less than encouraging.
At the moment, they were in Angel's office. Cordelia sat in the chair across from his desk and studied the vampire. He was sitting with a morose expression on his face, dangerously close to brooding right in front of her. Cordelia hated that. She was doing her best to distract him, but Angel barely grunted whenever she spoke. Cordelia gritted her teeth and decided to try yet again. "I know you're still upset about Connor, but you have other things to live for."
Angel nodded slowly, clearly not listening. Cordelia flopped back in her chair in frustration. What was wrong with that idiotic vampire? She was giving him what he wanted, so why had locking lips apparently become a foreign concept to him?
Well, she wasn't going to give up so easily. Cordelia jumped up and circled the desk to stand directly in front of Angel. "*I'm* still here, remember." She leaned forward, lips slightly parted, and anxiously awaited his reaction.
*****
Angel leaned back as far as his chair would allow. Cordelia had been behaving very strangely lately and he didn't like it. In fact, she was making him extremely nervous. "Cordy, can you... go file invoices or something?" he asked desperately.
She moved even closer, seriously invading his personal space. "We don't *have* any invoices ever since you stopped charging our clients. If this keeps up, we'll go bankrupt and I'll never be able to buy any new clothes to wear on any dates I might happen to be asked out on."
"Cordelia, can you give me a little time to myself?" Angel begged.
"No, that isn't good for you," she objected. "You'll just get all depressed and frowny."
Angel thought about gently but firmly shoving Cordelia out the door, but he wasn't sure if being so rude would jeopardize his redemption. No, he wouldn't do anything that might interfere with Connor's return. But if Cordelia edged any nearer, she'd be sitting in his lap. Angel jumped up and began to pace around the office. Cordelia was sticking to him like glue and making him miss his daily brooding session. He tried to brood even with her there, but vaguely Angel became aware that Cordelia's voice was droning on. She was talking about miniskirts and manicures and how nice it would be to go to the ballet again. Why couldn't she just leave him alone for at least part of the day like the others did? Angel cringed and did his best to tune out the sound of Cordelia's incessant babbling. He didn't know how much more of it he could endure before he went insane.
*****
Three months after the gang moved in together, Buffy was settled into the living room with Evan, who had just woken up from a nap. Willow, Xander, and Anya were out patrolling as a team, even though demonic activity had been so low lately Buffy wondered if they would run into anything that was slayable.
The front doorbell rang, and she called, "Dawn? Tara? Can one of you get the door?" There was no response and several seconds later the doorbell chimed again. It looked like she'd have to answer it. Dawn was probably ignoring her and Tara was likely out of hearing range. Buffy tucked Evan against her shoulder and hurried to the door to see one of the last people she had expected: Giles.
"Giles, you're back! Um... why? You took off, you didn't call, you didn't write, you were almost as bad as Angel, but at least you had the excuse of being in another country. Even on another continent. *He's* not even a time zone away but what do I hear from him? Nothing!"
"Buffy, I'm sorry to interrupt. But why are you holding a baby? Surely I haven't been gone *that* long."
"Hellmouth, Giles," Buffy reminded him. "But where are my manners? Come in." She led him into the living room, placed Evan in the playpen, then turned and enveloped Giles in a fierce hug. "I've missed you so much. So why are you here? I mean, not that I mind, obviously. But you said you wanted to go home to England, you *did* go, and the whole no-contact thing kinda seemed like a sign."
Giles smiled sheepishly. "I realized what a terrible mistake I had made. I belong in Sunnydale. This *is* my home. If you'll have me."
"I don't know. Let me think about it." Buffy pretended to consider--for about a second. "Are you kidding? Without a doubt, we all want you to stay. I don't even have to ask the others. I know what they'll say."
They sat down on the couch, and Giles noted, "I was surprised to learn from your old neighbors that you had moved."
"Yeah, my dad died and left me and Dawn a lot of money. It seemed like a good idea for all the gang to move in together so we did."
Giles glanced at the playpen. "I'm almost afraid to ask, but the baby?"
"About three months ago this strange man showed up and said he was a representative of The Powers That Be. He gave me the baby and claimed I was his mother. Tara says it's true because Evan's energy flow matches mine. And you know, however he came to be, I've decided that Evan showed up at the perfect time. I couldn't understand why I was brought back to life and then I got him. I'm here because he needs his mother."
"What a remarkable story," Giles stated. "But if you've only been taking care of him for a few months, where was he before he was brought to you?"
"I have no idea but I'm pretty sure that representative guy didn't have him all that time. He was really uncomfortable with even holding Evan. And he gave me, like, *no* details. Like name, birthday, medical history. You know, the basics."
Giles polished his glasses, taking an inordinate amount of time even for him. "Buffy, have you given any thought as to the identity of the child's father?"
"Well," Buffy said, "given that we live on the Hellmouth, the possibilities are vast and frightening. But I did the math and Riley's kind of the obvious choice unless it was an immaculate conception. Which is entirely possible and maybe preferable."
"Ahem," Giles declared. "If I may ask, do you plan to consult with Riley about this matter?"
Buffy shook her head. "No. Not right now, anyway. He came to town for a visit a little while ago, and he's happily married. I didn't even have the nerve to say I tried to stop him from leaving me all those months ago. If I couldn't admit to that much, I'd have a really hard time working up to telling him we might have a child together."
"Quite," Giles replied, at a loss for an argument.
"So, putting aside the fatherhood issue for now, how do you feel about being Grandpa Giles?"
Giles smiled. "I think I could live with that."
"Good. Now, let's go find Dawn and Tara and let them know you're back. And by the way, you owe me a birthday present."
*****
At the same time, Angel was not doing so well. He was working hard, doing his best to redeem himself, for little tangible reward. He knew getting revenge on his enemies would make him feel at least a little better, but vengeance was easier thought than done. For one thing, Holtz was beyond his reach in the demon dimension. And sure, he could get at the folks at Wolfram & Hart, and killing them was an enticing thought. Unfortunately, Angel knew he'd just have to carry around even more guilt if he did succumb to that temptation. He had just about resigned himself to the fact that he could do nothing when fate intervened.
After word had spread that the workers at Angel Investigations were no longer charging, they had been overrun with clients. Three of those clients happened to be half demons who looked human most of the time. They reminded Angel of his old friend Doyle, and he decided to handle their case himself for nostalgia's sake. He showed the group into his office, where they explained their situation.
"Our race is dying," the first demon began. "Naturally, we don't want this to happen."
Angel nodded. "Perfectly understandable. What kind of help do you need?"
The middle demon took over the story. "There is one way to save our lives, and that is if we suck part of the brains from approximately 100 adult humans. The effect on them would be complete memory loss. They would have to relearn even the basics of life--things most five-year-olds know. We have no desire to ruin anyone's lives, but at the same time, we don't want to die ourselves. We realize this is a difficult proposition, but we were hoping you could direct us to some humans who would be suitable for our purposes."
Angel's first impulse was to answer with a firm "no" and send the demons on their way. Then he reconsidered. The fact that they had requested help rather than just sucking random brains spoke well for them. He had to at least try to aid them. On the other hand, Angel didn't feel he had the right to pick and choose and decide who deserved to retain their memories and who didn't. He started to shake his head, when a thought struck him. Would it work? Could it possibly? Angel remained silent for long moments, examining the ethics of the situation. He could find no flaws, but a heck of a lot of benefits. Finally, he turned back to the demons. "Yeah, I know some people you can use. In fact, I don't think it would be an exaggeration to say you would be helping the world if you took their memories." He dug in his desk, located a business card, and handed it to the closest demon. "Go to this address. The business is called Wolfram & Hart. Just do me one favor."
"Anything," the demons chorused.
"Make sure you take care of everyone in the place."
*****
Angel figured he had made a good decision. Just days after his meeting with the demons, Wolfram & Hart had mysteriously dropped out of the business community, and the demon underworld had been thrown into chaos. No one was able to figure out what had gone wrong at the law firm.
Angel's crowning moment came about two weeks later, when he passed Lilah on the street and she showed no signs of recognition. In fact, she was in the middle of learning to tie her shoes again.
Given that since he'd taken out Wolfram & Hart, Angel figured he had scored some bonus points with TPTB, yet he hadn't received so much as a progress report from them. At the rate things were going, Connor would be a teenager before they reunited.
Frustrated beyond belief, Angel went outside late one night and stared at the sky. "When do I get to see my son again?" he yelled into the void. "Don't I at least get a hint?"
There was no answer.
*****
Evan had been in Sunnydale for six months, and everyone was happier than they had been for a long time. Willow and Tara were back together, Giles had returned and was living in the house with the others, Buffy had rebounded from her depression... Even Dawn was feeling upbeat. She had a real family once more.
Unable to sleep one night, she snuck into Evan's room to see if he was awake and needed anything. Instead he was peacefully sleeping in his crib. "You're a cute kid, even if Riley is your dad," Dawn whispered. "Which he may very well not be,"
She quietly left the room and headed downstairs, towards the kitchen. A late night snack of ice cream sounded like a really good idea. As she got closer to the kitchen, Dawn heard a strange noise. She stopped and strained her ears. It was kind of a swishing sound and it was coming from the basement. Who would be down there at this time of night?
Cautiously, Dawn approached the basement door. It was ajar and the light was on downstairs. She slowly crept down until she could see into the large room. When she realized who was there, she immediately relaxed. It was just Spike. He wore a thick blindfold and held an ornate sword, which he was somewhat unsuccessfully attempting to drive through the "hearts" of a series of dummies set up along the floor.
Dawn perched on the bottom step to watch him. "What are you doing, Spike?"
The vampire jumped straight in the air, dropped the sword and yanked off his blindfold. "Watch it, Nibblet! I could have hurt you, you know."
Dawn shrugged. "Yeah, but what were you doing?"
Spike crossed the room and sat beside Dawn. "Practicing my blindfolded fighting technique. I got the idea from Buffy. Didn't she have to do something like this once when the Watchers' Council tested her? Anyway, I needed a large, enclosed space where I could do it safely and this place fit the bill. You know, that technique could come in handy sometime. Helps sharpen the senses."
"Then how come you didn't know I was here until I said something?"
"That's why I need to practice."
Dawn nodded. "That makes sense. So, I'm glad you came over. You haven't been around enough lately. Is it because of Evan? 'Cause Buffy said she wouldn't mind if you visited with him. I think she figures he ought to be exposed to at least one harmless vampire before the bitey ones start coming around."
"You want the truth about how I feel 'bout children? I've never much liked 'em. They're loud. Irritating. Tend to travel in packs." Spike glanced at Dawn. "Present company excluded, of course. Babies are the worst, though. Too small to make even a good snack. You barely start drinking and nothing's left of them. On the other hand, if you keep them alive they need constant care and take ages to grow into a proper-size meal. What good are babies?"
"Children are a part of you that carries on even when you're gone," Dawn tried to explain.
Spike looked unconvinced. "Huh. Vampires have the right way of things, then. Turn an adult and you don't have to put up with any of that nonsense. You get all the benefits and none of the trouble."
"Take my word for it, Evan's worth the time." Over an ice-cream sundae, Dawn continued to try to convince Spike that she was right.
*****
Meanwhile, Cordelia just wouldn't give up on Angel. On this particular day, she had come up with a clever scheme she was sure would draw the vampire back into her clutches. The timing was ideal: She'd sent Wesley, Fred, and Gunn away on a wild-demon chase so she and Angel would be alone in the office.
"Angel, I have an audition for a suntan-lotion commercial," she informed him. "I'm not sure which outfit to wear so I thought you could help me decide. All right?"
"Yeah, right," Angel muttered.
Not quite the enthusiastic reaction she had hoped for, but Cordelia figured once Angel saw her in an array of her skimpiest clothing, his attitude would change. She quickly switched into her first outfit, a white one-piece with slits up the sides, and paraded in front of Angel's desk. He blankly looked ahead, not even seeming to register her presence. "Well, what do you think?" she prompted.
"Nice," Angel responded with a notable lack of enthusiasm.
Maybe the white was too plain for him. Cordelia quickly hunted for a flashier color and switched outfits. "Okay, how about... this one?" And she popped up wearing a green bikini.
"Fine. Great." Angel stared at a spot on the wall over her shoulder.
Cordelia had had enough of his inattention. She planted her hands on her hips and snapped, "Really, Angel, I don't know what's wrong with you. Here I am, letting you make a hugely important decision about my future, and you can't even keep your eyes open for ten minutes."
That was it. Angel had been restraining his temper around Cordelia for months but he simply couldn't take it anymore. "You'll have to excuse me, but I have more important matters on my mind than helping a wannabee actress decide how to wear the least possible clothing."
Cordelia's mouth flopped open and shut. "Well, I *never*."
'And it's way past time,' Angel thought.
Cordelia scooped up her clothing and stalked up the stairs, the haughty effect somewhat spoiled when she stumbled on a step and nearly fell flat on her face.
Angel slowly shook his head. "I don't know what I ever saw in that girl," he mumbled to himself. He could practically feel his brain cells regenerating already.
TPTB were satisfied. They had heard enough. Angel had worked hard for a full six months. He had buckled down and helped the helpless with no hand outstretched. He had taken out Wolfram & Hart with a splash. And finally, *finally*, he had gotten over his laughable interest in Cordelia. It was time to implement the next phase of their plan: reuniting him with his son.
*****
The day after the blow up, Angel and Cordelia both apologized for their overly harsh words and established a tentative truce but they weren't entirely comfortable in each other's presence. Cordelia wasn't sure what she had done wrong. Still, she wasn't about to give up. It might take her a while, but she would figure out the best way to get at Angel.
So she was pleased that evening when she felt a vision coming on. She thought it might provide a good opportunity for her to work side by side with Angel and regain some of his trust. She called him over and reported, "I'm having another vision. There's a big demon, green and scaly like a lizard. Totally gross. Its hands are clawy and it has lots and lots of teeth, all brownish. Oh." Cordelia paused in dismay. She didn't like the next part of the vision one little bit.
"Well, what is it?" Angel waited impatiently.
Cordelia sighed. She had to tell him, even though she hated the thought. "The demon is fighting Giles and Willow and Xander. And I think it's about to kill them."
"We'd better warn Buffy and the others," Angel decided. He grabbed the phone and dialed the numbers in quick succession: Buffy's, Giles', even Xander's. The numbers were either disconnected or belonged to other people. "Something strange is going on. I don't like this. It looks like I have to go to Sunnydale."
"Well, you're not going without me," Cordelia declared. "Gunn, Fred, and Wesley can hold down the fort here."
"Okay, but hurry up. I don't like what's going on."
As Cordelia threw her travel bag together, she optimistically mused that maybe going to Sunnydale wouldn't be a mistake at all. Even though she had concluded that Angel no longer loved Buffy, it was entirely possible the vampire's infamous guilt complex was preventing him from moving on. If he could see for himself that Buffy wasn't waiting around for him, though, he would surely feel free to do the same. And who better to move on with than Cordelia herself?
*****
Angel broke every speed limit on the way to Sunnydale, not letting up until they reached the city limits. From there he drove to Buffy's house on Revello Drive. Even from the street the place looked deserted, and Cordelia waited in the car as Angel rang the doorbell. Not surprisingly, no one answered. Angel returned to the car, started the engine again and pulled back onto the street.
"What now?" Cordelia asked. "Do you think Buffy's back in college and living on campus?"
Angel shrugged. "I have no clue. Let's face it, we haven't exactly been keeping in touch. But I know the quickest way to find out--ask Willy. He used to know just about everything that happened in this town and he probably still does."
So their next stop was Willy's Bar. Sure enough, Willy was able to immediately provide the new location not only for Buffy but for the rest of the group as well. Just a few minutes later, Angel and Cordelia arrived at the Lincoln Avenue address. Even though it was nearly midnight, lights were on in the downstairs area of the house, indicating that someone was probably still up. Now that they were so close, Cordelia noticed that Angel seemed almost unwilling to go up to the door. But he finally dragged himself out of the car and up to the front of the large house with Cordelia close behind.
Angel pressed the doorbell, and within a few seconds the door swung open to reveal Giles. "Angel, Cordelia. What a surprise to see you two. Is anything the matter?"
"Is Buffy here?" Angel asked.
"Yes. She and Xander and some of the others are in the living room." Giles indicated the direction with a nod.
Angel turned to Cordelia. "Cordy, can you tell the others the news while I talk to Giles?"
Cordelia smiled broadly. "Sure." Angel was obviously uncomfortable with the very thought of being in Buffy's presence. As far as Cordelia was concerned, that was an excellent sign. She left him with Giles in the hallway and entered the living room, where Xander, Anya, Buffy, and a young blonde woman she didn't know were gathered. Xander sat on the couch, holding a baby. Cordelia stared. The last she knew, none of the old gang had any children.
"Cordelia?" Buffy's startled voice interrupted her thoughts. "What's going on? Why are you here?"
"Oh, Buffy, hello. Um, a demon with bad teeth is after your friends. Or I guess it will be soon. Angel's talking to Giles about it now."
"Angel's here?" Buffy started to stand, then sank back into her seat.
"That's our Cordelia, polite as always," Xander noted. "We're all fine, thank you very much for asking. That includes Tara." He indicated the blonde woman. "I don't think you two have met before."
"Nice to meet you," Cordelia lied as Tara mumbled a greeting. Not really interested in making small talk, Cordelia eyed the baby again and thought quickly. If Angel saw her acting domestic with an infant, he could react in one of two ways: be upset because it reminded him of Connor, or be touched because it reminded him of Connor. Cordelia decided it was time to take a chance and hope for the best. Nothing else she'd done so far had worked. She plunked herself on the sofa next to Xander and requested, "Let me hold the baby."
She extended her arms. After a nod from Buffy, Xander shrugged and carefully handed over the baby. He squirmed in Cordelia's hold, but she merely gripped him more securely. "Whose is he? Yours, Xander? I'd think you would have told me you were a father, considering you used to stick your tongue down my throat in the janitor's closet at school and all."
"No, Cordelia, he's mine and his name is Evan," Buffy informed him.
"Yours," Cordelia echoed. She smirked triumphantly. Buffy had a child. A child who wasn't Angel's. That little fact should shove him over any lingering infatuation he might still misguidedly feel for Buffy. "So who's the father?"
A quiet but firm voice interjected. "I really don't think that's any of your business, Cordelia."
Everyone turned to stare at mild-mannered Tara. Even Evan got into the act by wailing and struggling in Cordelia's grasp, forcing her to turn him back over to Xander just as Giles and Angel entered the room.
"Angel was just telling me about --" Giles began.
He was interrupted by Angel, who stopped short and stared at the baby in Xander's arms. "My God. That's Connor."
"Who's Connor?" Anya asked.
Angel stepped closer, never moving his gaze from the baby's face. "My son. That's him."
"Uh, no," Buffy protested. "That's *my* son, Evan. And for that matter, when did you have time to have a son? Or the physical capability?"
"I could ask the same of you. The first part, anyway."
"I asked first."
"Fine. Short version. I'm his father, and I thought Darla was his mother. She staked herself and left me with the kid. I raised him until he was kidnapped six months ago. The Powers That Be rescued him and took him away, and I haven't seen him since. All they told me was Darla wasn't his real mother and he was being given to whoever was. What's your story?"
Buffy sighed. "It makes about as much sense as yours does. One day about six months ago, I walked into the Magic Box and this strange man said I was Evan's mother and left him with me, just like that."
"This six-months thing doesn't seem like just a coincidence," Xander observed.
"It has to be," Cordelia insisted. "This baby couldn't possibly be Connor. He would have remembered his Aunt Cordy. We were very close."
"I don't know about remembering anyone," Buffy interjected. "But Angel, how can you be so sure Evan is your son? Babies change a lot in half a year."
Angel walked forward until he was standing right in front of Xander. "I can sense it. And his eyes are the same. Give him to me. He'll remember me, I'm sure of it."
Xander handed off Evan to another individual. This time, instead of fussing, he settled comfortably into Angel's arms and began babbling mostly nonsense words, with one very clear exception: "Dada."
"See? I told you he'd know me," Angel said proudly.
"It does seem rather obvious," Giles agreed.
Buffy turned to Tara. "I want to be sure. Can you check like you did with me?"
"Sure." Tara got up and touched Angel with one hand, Evan with the other. It didn't take her long to decide. "It's true. They're father and son."
Buffy shook her head. "I was thinking maybe Riley was my baby's father. Now you say Angel. I guess I'm falling back on the immaculate-conception theory because it just isn't possible. Angel and I haven't--you know--since my 17th birthday," Buffy explained to the others.
Angel cleared his throat. "That isn't strictly true. Buffy, do you remember the time you came to see me in Los Angeles? When the Mohra demon attacked us in my office? Well, there's a little something I kind of never told you about that visit. My blood got mixed up with the demon's and it turned me human and we basically spent a day getting it on on every flat surface in my apartment and some that weren't. But then I found out I was weak as a human and you couldn't work to the best of your abilities if you had to worry about me. So I went to the oracles and they turned back time. You don't remember that day because to you, it never happened."
"But I visited you in late November of 1999," Buffy remembered. "Even if I could have conceived then, now it's September of 2002 and Evan is about a year old. How --"
Angel interrupted. "Don't even bother trying to do the math. It doesn't add up, just like lots of other things in all our lives."
"Whether the dates match or not, cases of extremely unusual pregnancies *have* been reported," Giles noted. "I will have to do some research."
"I don't recall any cases of vampires having children together," Anya stated. "And Angel did say he originally thought Darla was the baby's mother."
Buffy shook her head. "Yeah, that's a tough one. Seriously, Angel--Darla? What were you thinking? No, wait. Don't answer that."
"I don't know, that's not as bad as you and Spike," Xander interjected. Buffy's previous relationship with the blonde vampire was still a sore point with him.
"What?" Angel yelled.
Buffy cringed. That wasn't exactly how she'd wanted Angel to learn her big secret. There was no way he would react well to learning about her and Spike.
"You and Spike?" Cordelia echoed. "Buffy, your taste in men has obviously gone way downhill."
Avoiding any further discussion, Buffy jumped up and took Connor/Evan away from Angel. "This really isn't the time to get into certain subjects. Plus, I think Evan's had more than enough excitement for one night. I know I have."
"Yes, well, perhaps we had all better sleep on the situation," Giles suggested. "I expect matters will seem a little more clear in the morning."
"Fat chance of that," Xander muttered, but Giles' idea did seem like the best course of action. So everyone did soon turn in, wondering what surprises the next day would bring.
end 2/3