Part 3: The Gathering
Marie pulled back the cheap hotel's thick, radiation proof curtains and checked for the familiar blue Taurus, only to find that it still hadn't returned. It had been nearly an hour, where on earth could he be? It wasn't like this was some huge town that he could get lost in. Hell, she had been to villages in Japan that were bigger then this place. Not to mention nicer.
"Re," a little voice said from beside her as a tiny hand pulled on the bottom of her over sized peasant shirt.
She glanced down at her side and found the little three-year-old staring up at her with his large, tired brown eyes. His Spider Man t-shirt he wore was horribly wrinkled from his nap.
"When's Daddy coming home?" he asked, a slight pout forming on his lips.
A kind smile formed on hers as she reached over and rubbed the side of his head. Unlike his father, Van a had head full of dark brown hair, reminding the young woman how much he actually looked like her sister. She wished so badly that she was still alive. If nothing else, so she could be here instead of her.
"Soon, baby," she told him sweetly.
"I hope so," the child told her as he wrapped his arms around her waist and laid his little head on her hip. "Night's coming. Bad things come out at night. Like the bad things that sent Mommy to heaven."
"I know," she said, trying to sooth her nephew with a gentle rocking motion. "But that's why Daddy's here, remember?"
He nudged his little head closer into her side, and, to her relief, she heard the lock to the room being turned. Van's face brightened when his father step through, carrying a large bag with 'The Magic Box' printed on its side. The child let go of his aunt and leapt to his father.
"Hey, buddy," he said kneeling down to his level. "Have a good nap?"
"Uh, huh," the child said bobbing his head up and down before noticing the bag. "Daddy, what's that?"
Eric looked down at the shopping bag, then back at his son. "Something for your Aunt Marie. Now, why don't you go wash up, and I'll take us out to eat. How about at…Doublemeat?"
"Yeah!" the three-year-old exclaimed before he took off for the bathroom and left the two adults alone in the room.
Inwardly, Marie shuttered at the thought of eating at the disgusting place again. Just something about there being two kinds of meat in the thing made her stomach turn, not to mention the fact that it taste like neither beef nor chicken. But Eric just smiled at his son's excitement for such a cheap meal before turning to his sister-in-law.
"Here," he said handing the bag over to her. "Hope it's the right kind of stuff. The sales girl just kept pulling these little bags off the shelf and shoving them in there."
"Not to mention she over-charged you," the woman answered, holding up a little bag of cat tooth powder. "How much did you spend?"
He sighed as he walked over to the table and flopped down in one of the chairs. "Let me put it to you this way. There's a reason why we'll be eating from the value meal for the next couple of days. So, you think you can do it with this stuff?"
"Oh, yeah, no problem. We just need one more thing, though."
"What's that?"
She drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "A lock of the girl's hair."
Eric groaned as he leaned back on the bed. Marie knew that was easier said than done, but there was no other way.
"Fine," he sighed. "I'll get it, somehow."
"Good, I'll call the boss then and let him know what's up," she said as she tucked away the supplies. "Come Monday, this should all be over with."
"I hope you're right."
**********
Travers sat back in his chair, staring out the large window in his office at the dark city bathed in a thick cover of fog. In less than two weeks, the child would be a full year old, and she was still beyond his control. It wasn't right, she was his project, his prize, and she was still with that slayer and that…thing. Disgusting really, not to mention disgraceful.
Lindsey had been sensing her boss' down mood and felt it best if she avoided him. He didn't even remember the last time she had actually come into his office; just called him over the intercom if there were a call or let in a person with a scheduled appointment. Tonight was no exception.
"Mr. Travers," a tiny voice came. "There's a call for you on line two."
"Thank you, Lindsey," he replied before picking up the phone. "Travers."
"Hello, Mr. Travers," a woman answered coolly, causing the Watcher to sit up straight.
"Ah, it is so good to hear from you, my dear. Tell me, how are things?"
"Going very well, Sir. Though, I fear that the witch may be starting to suspect something."
He frowned deeply at the news. "That is unfortunate. Do you think she'll be a problem before you are able to fulfill your job?"
The woman on the other end snorted. "No. And even if she is, I can take care of that very easily."
"Excellent," he said with a wicked smile, feeling his spirits lifting with the news. "Do not forget our deal, Ms-"
"I haven't. I give you what you want and we're even."
"Of course, my dear," he lied. If she really thought that this would be the end of their association, she was seriously mistaken. "I look forward to seeing you and the child soon."
"Sure, whatever," she answered, sounding rather annoyed before hanging up.
The old man sat back in his chair and laughed slightly to himself. Well, maybe he would be celebrating the first year of life with the little precious herself after all.
**********
Angel paused at the entrance to the Magic Box. He knew he shouldn't have said those things to Buffy; he knew when those words passed out of his mouth that he shouldn't have, but he had. That look on her face hurt a hundred times worse then the sting of the slap.
He sighed deeply from within. Well, time to face the music.
The little bell rang out loudly as he pushed the door open and he felt the tension hit him in a hard wave when he stepped inside. The whole room paused and turned to look at him, half with scolding eyes, the others leaving him to deal with this on his own. Oh, this was definitely not good.
Buffy was standing over by the counter, the other women of the group forming an almost protective circle around her and the baby she held. Her usually bright hazel eyes were still dark from hurt as she pushed Dylan a little higher on her hip, and then said, "I'm going to go train in the back."
"Buffy-" he said gently, taking a step in the direction she was fleeing, but Dawn moved in his way, her arms crossed and the iciest glare on her face that he had ever seen before.
Cordy, who had much the same look on her face, grabbed him by the arm and started to pull him back towards the door saying, "We need to talk. Now."
Angel cringed inwardly. He knew that tone, and this wasn't going to be pretty. She dragged him out front, crossed her arms, and shifted all her weight to one foot. Her eyes were hard as she bit at him, "What the hell is wrong with you? Did that part of your brain that tells you when not to say something just stop working today or something?"
"Cordy-"
"Because, I swear that if you'd said that to me, you'd be calling the Dust Buster in the utility closet home."
He dug his hands deep into his pockets as he looked down to the sidewalk. Cordelia became very nervous herself as she shifted on her feet and carefully asked, "Are you still in love with her?"
His head shot up at that. "What? No. I'm not. We're just friends…or we were."
"So, then why were you playing The Jerk?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I-I don't know," he said sighing. "I mean, she told me about her and…She told me who Dylan's father is, and-I don't know. I just got mad. I mean Spike-Spike!-has a child, her child. He got to see her first steps and hear her first words and he'll get to be there for the first day of school and hear her call him daddy. He doesn't deserve to have that."
Cordy blinked as she listened to him. "You're jealous."
"What? No."
"Yes, yes you are! You're jealous of Spike."
He glared at her for a moment, determined that she was wrong. He was not jealous of Spike, the annoying vampire had nothing he wanted. Just because his grandchilde got to have a pretty little girl, who would love him no matter what, and look to him for answers and comfort, and would never look at him with contempt because of what he was…Oh, God, he was jealous. Spike was going to get to have the life with Dylan that Angel never got to have with Connor, and that made the elder vampire angry. Why would the PTB's allow the bleach blond to have that life and not him? It wasn't fair. Spike didn't deserve it, but, then, neither did he.
"Well, you're just going have to get over it," Cordelia's voice broke through his thoughts. "I mean, look, I'm not all 'yeah, go Spike' or anything, but if you want to keep Buffy as your friend, I suggest that you get over it."
"It's not that simple, Cordy," he said solemnly.
She sighed. "I know it's not. But, remember, we're here to help Buffy, not attack her and her life choices. If we were, I would have been all over that outfit she has on. I mean, hello, the peasant look is so yesterday."
Angel couldn't help but smile at her. She hadn't even been back in town one night and she was already tapping her old May Queen persona. Must be something to do with the Hellmouth. Brings out the worst in everyone.
"Besides," she went on. "If Dylan really is Spike's, then that kind of makes her part of your family. Which means we've got some major catching up to do in the spoiling department if we want her to be as bad as Xander's little girl."
He laughed softly at her. Spoiling the girl rotten did have a certain nice evil quality to it.
"Now, go apologize to Buffy and let the spoiling begin. I want that kid so rotten by the time we leave that they'll shutter the next time we call and say we're coming up."
Angel bent over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, Cordy," he said before heading into the shop to do just as the seer suggested.
**********
Buffy stood in front of the black bag, continuously punching it as hard as she could while Dylan watched in amazement from her play pen.
How dare he come here and judge her for something she had no control over! He at least knew what he was doing when he slept with Darla! But does that matter? No. Cause he's Angel and he gets to make mistakes and not have anything said to him. But because she was Buffy, his pure, innocent slayer led to corruption by his wayward grandchilde, he could judge her life all he wanted. That just wasn't fair!
She reared back and punched the bag with all her might, knocking it off the hinges and causing it to land on the ground with a loud thud.
"Well, it's good to know that if we ever get attacked by a legion of evil punchin' bags you can take 'em," Spike said sarcastically, leaning in the doorway from the alley.
The slayer glared over her shoulder at him before starting to take off the tape wrapped around her hands.
"Daddy!" Dylan chirped happily, holding up her arms to him. "Up."
He smiled kindly at the child before complying with her wish. She snuggled into the cool, soft leather jacket as he kissed her forehead and turned his attention back to her mother.
"Take it Peaches 'as been givin' you a hard time," he said calmly daring to get a little closer to her, though he knew he would be risking himself. Even if he was holding the baby, she could still take him out in a second flat and be holding Dylan in her own arms before he hit the ground. He'd much rather not go into how he knew that.
Buffy grunted as she jerked off the top to her water bottle. So he had talked to Dawn.
"You can say that," she snorted before taking a sip of the liquid like it was vodka instead of water. "I mean, where the hell does he get off riding me for what happened? It's not like he was in the picture then anyway."
Spike frowned at her words. He wasn't in the picture then?
"I mean, come on, give the jealous boyfriend act a rest already," she said shaking her head slowly.
She knew he wasn't really mad at her, he was mad at the situation, and, since Spike wasn't there, he lashed out at her. Like the rest of her friends, it would take him awhile to get used to it, but he would eventually. Though, she didn't think that she should plan on him ever liking the fact that Dylan was Spike's child. That's okay, though. She really didn't like the fact that Connor was Darla's son, so she guessed they were even there.
"Sorry I wasn't there for you, love," Spike said, shifting Dylan in his arms as she played with the lapel of his coat.
The slayer gave him a weary smile. "It's okay. If you had been, I'd probably been empting what's left of you into the trash right about now."
"What? You think I couldn't take on dear old Grandpappy?" he asked with a smirk.
"In a word? No."
He laughed at her. "Okay, come on, Buffy. I could kick the poof's-"
"Buffy, I-" Angel voice called, cutting Spike off. The older vampire froze in the doorway, his eyes locked on the younger vampire. If looks could kill, Spike thought idly as he shifted Dylan in his arms. "You," his grandsire hissed.
Spike smirked at the poof. "'ello, Peaches, it's been awhile since I last tortured you."
"Peaches!" Dylan repeated happily, causing Spike to smirk even more if it where possible.
"That's my girl," he whispered softly in her ear.
But Angel didn't seem to notice the small child in his arms. In fact, he was across the room in a second flat and had Spike pinned against the wall by the throat. Dylan began to cry as her father tried to keep his grandsire off with one arm, and maneuver her with the other.
"Get off!" Buffy exclaimed in a horrified tone, jerking her ex to the ground and placing herself between the two. She took the screaming child from her father, began rocking her, and then turned her venomous stare toward her old flame. "Are you insane?! You could have hurt Dylan!"
Angel blinked from the ground and looked at the child in her arms, seeing her for the first time since he had come into the training room. "Oh, Buffy, I'm sorry."
"Buffy!" Dawn said rushing in with Giles. "What's wrong? Why's Dylan screaming like that?"
The slayer gave Angel a cold look before turning her attention back to her sister. "She just got a little scared is all," she said kissing the child on the head. "I think she'll be okay in a minute."
"Yeah, as long as the great hair gelled one stays away from her," Spike added coldly.
His grandsire growled lowly at the comment, but Buffy quickly shut him up with a look before passing her baby to Dawn. The tiny blonde then said to Spike, "Come on, let's head to Willy's. I'm suddenly really in the mood to beat something up."
Cordy was standing by the door as the slayer passed, a confused look on her face as the two headed out the front entrance. The seer then turned from the door, and glared at Angel, who was still sitting on the ground. "That's not what I meant when I said apologize."
**********
TBC