Chapter 9
"Angel, I love you. I know how much telling that story upset you in there. You had to be a blind fool not to see it." Buffy said, holding Angel's face tenderly with one hand as she stroked his bare chest with the other. They were sitting in Angel's bed back at the Hyperion. He was leaning up against the headboard and she was sitting with her legs slung across his abdomen. He was slowly massaging her legs as she played with his hair. They had moved the crib and changing station into the outer room and shut the doors to the bedroom, blocking out any cold night air with towels covering the cracks in the doors.
"I know." He replied.
"Just remember, you're not Angelus. You will never be Angelus ever again. The man I love is here to stay and there is no one that can take him away from me. Not even you." he smiled and she continued. "You shouldn't blame yourself for what happened to Holtz's family. That was Angelus. And I'm going to pound this into your head until you admit that I'm right and you forgive yourself for it."
"These hands."
"Yes, those hands, but those hands were taken over by a demon's hands. Those are YOUR hands now. They've always been your hands. And trust me when I say 'I know this is a fact!'"
Angel smiled again and this time looked at Buffy. She looked alluring in his shirt that practically swallowed her whole. She had insisted that she wear it because she had forgotten her top at home. He knew she hadn't and he knew that she knew that he knew. She had always liked his silk shirts and he didn't mind letting her wear them. Suddenly her legs were gone from his stomach and arms. He looked down to see her nestle herself down onto his chest as she laid down on top of him. He then started to stroke her back.
"You know, Conner is offly quiet tonight." Buffy sighed.
"He had a little more action tonight than he could handle. He's just tuckered out."
"And just think, his whole life is gonna be like that."
"We'll try to make it a little better."
"Oh of course!"
They laughed softly so as not to wake Conner. Buffy crawled up Angel's body just a little so she could get a little more comfortable. Not that she wasn't now, it seemed that her and Angel's bodies were made to fit and compliment each other. Angel held onto her back and she turned in his grip so she could lay on her back, but still be on top of him.
"Do you think that our life is going to be like this forever?" Buffy asked.
"As long as forever doesn't mean that you're a vampire, yes."
"I don't wanna be a vampire! I was one once."
"When?"
"Back when I had first moved here, this little boy was in a coma and he was so scared of his little league coach, who put him in the coma by the way, that his nightmares were affecting the Hellmouth. The Hellmouth then began making everyone else's nightmares come true. Giles and I had the same kind of nightmare where he failed me and I became a vampire. Well, the Master rose, that was another one of my nightmares, and he buried me alive. I came back as a vampire. It was only temporary, but I hated it!"
"I can imagine. And where was I when all that happened?"
"I don't know. I hadn't heard much from you then."
"Oh."
"Angel?"
"Yeah?"
"Holtz was stupid today."
"Why do you say that?"
"He called me Darla. The only thing that looks like Darla would be my hair."
"I know. That just goes to show he didn't do his homework."
"Yeah. Big stupid evil guy." She kissed his chest.
"Mmm."
"Will he come after us? I mean, will he come after our family?"
"I don't know Buffy. If he does, we'll be ready. No one is going to get to my family before they get through me."
"And me. We're the two warriors of the light. We're supposed to fight together, side by side."
"Whatever you say love." And he meant it.
"Good." Buffy stifled a yawn. "We should have stayed with Cordy at her apartment."
"Why?"
"Those vamps and Holtz could come back while we're sleeping."
"The vamps couldn't get in here. It's my home. They could before though."
"Before what?"
"Before we got married. Now wherever I made a home, it's your home too. So that invisible barrier is up and running."
"But what about Holtz?"
"I don't think he would try that again for quite some time. He's too smart for that."
"I hope you're right Angel. I want to be able to sleep tonight."
"You and Conner sleep. I'll stay up and watch."
"Are you sure? Cause I could help you stay up." Buffy said alluringly.
"That offer is tempting, but I'm going to decline on your behalf. You need some rest. This is the first time Conner hasn't kept us up all night and we all had a big day today. And you're tired. I can see it in your eyes."
Buffy yawned. "All right. I'll sleep. Just as long as you promise to stay here with me."
"I promise."
Buffy rolled off onto the bed, but didn't leave Angel's arms. Not ten minutes later she was soundly asleep for the first time in a long while. Angel stared down at her, his love, his light, as she slept peacefully. In all his 249 years, he had finally found happiness in, of all people, the slayer's arms. Now that happiness didn't come with a price. He wasn't about to let Holtz destroy that. Angel knew what Holtz wanted. He wanted Angel's heart with a stake through it. Angel looked down at his free hand. Suddenly, it occurred to him that Holtz could shove all the stakes he wanted through Angel's heart, but it wouldn't do him any good. Angel was truly immortal now. He wore the Gem of Amara. Abruptly, Angel knew that now nothing could stand in his way from keeping his family safe. He silently thanked Doyle for convincing him to put it away somewhere safe. Buffy shifted her position in his arms.
In her dream, Buffy was running. She didn't know what from exactly, but she knew it was bad. She could hear this horrible laugh coming from behind her. She came to a fork in the road, or whatever it was that she was running on. When she looked left, she saw Wesley get his throat slit by some red headed woman. On the right, she saw Hell. Literally, this was Hell. Only it was like a portal. Everywhere around the fiery edges of the portal like thing, it was a clear night sky, but inside the thing, a vast hellish dimension stared back at her. She heard screaming, but it wasn't coming from Hell, it was coming from behind her. The trouble was, it sounded like her. There was some yelling too. Buffy couldn't make out the words, but it wasn't good. In her world yelling was never good. When Buffy turned, Holtz nearly ran into her. He was holding a little bundle and Angel and her were giving chase. Then, Holtz jumped into the portal and a huge flash of lightning knocked Buffy and Angel back. Buffy, the Buffy standing and watching this whole scene, felt the shock of the jolt. It was painful. She looked down and realized that she could see her hands. Just as she was about to scream from the shock of it all, she was jolting awake and nearly flying out of the bed. Angel had caught her.
She turned and looked at him. She was crying and a cold sweat had broken out on her forehead. Angel held tightly to her as she trembled all over. She knew what that little bundle in Holtz's arms had been. It had been her son. Buffy jerked away from Angel and darted away to Conner's crib. She looked in, expecting to find no one there, but she was wrong. Conner lay there peacefully. Buffy sighed and stroked his head as she leaned over to kiss his hair. When she came back up, a hand touched her shoulder. Instinctively, she turned and punched the person in his stomach with all her force. Then she saw Angel go flying back and into the wall. He sunk to the floor and shook his head. Buffy ran to him and helped him up.
"Angel, I am so sorry!" Buffy said quietly.
"It's ok, I scared you when you were by Conner. I should have known that could be a fatal thing to do." Angel smiled tightly as he rubbed his abdomen. "I'd forgotten how big of a punch you pack. I think it got stronger." He said.
"No, it really was my fault. I shouldn't have hit you like that."
"Buffy, really, I'm fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive. Are YOU ok?"
"I'm fine, why?"
"I meant from that dream you had. It really had you spooked."
"Oh that."
"Yes, that. Come here and sit down. I'll get you a glass of water."
Buffy did as she was told. Angel went to the little nook that passed as his kitchen and got her a glass full of water. He brought it back and she gratefully drank it.
"Now, what was all that about?"
"A lot. Enough that I think we should really get Spike and Faith up here."
"It was a prophetic dream?"
"I saw my hands. In all my dreams that I could see my hands, they've come true."
Angel waited, knowing that she would get to the dream at her own pace.
"Holtz.he was there. But that was later in the dream. First I was running. I don't know from what or who. Then I came to a fork in the road, or at least I think it was a road. On the left I saw Wesley getting his throat slit by some red headed chick. On the right, there was a portal like thingy to a hell dimension. There was screaming and yelling behind me and it was coming from us. I turned around and Holtz nearly barreled into me. He had Conner in his arms. I didn't realize it at first. We were chasing him. I was watching all this; I wasn't a part of it. Then Holtz jumped into the portal with Conner and we were knocked backwards by a giant bolt of lightning."
"Are you sure it was Conner?"
"Positive."
"I think you're right."
"About Conner?"
"No, I think you're right about getting Faith and Spike up here."
"Maybe we could go back to Sunnydale."
"No! That would put more people in danger. It's bad enough that it's you and Conner. Now it's Cordy, Wesley, Gru, Lorne, Gunn, and Fred. He knows this place now. Let's not let him get to know Sunnydale and the people we love there."
"Ok."
"I'll call Faith and Spike. You go check on Dawn."
Buffy got up and walked out the door. As soon as she shut it, Angel was on the phone calling Faith. After the seventh ring, Faith's groggy voice came over the line.
"If this isn't important, I know someone who's gonna have a stake through the heart."
"Faith, it's Angel."
"Hi. Oh! Is everything ok? Is B all right?"
"She's fine. A little shook up right now."
"Why?" He could tell Faith was fully awake now.
"She had a dream. I'll explain it all later, but this guy Holtz took Conner into a hell dimension and Wesley got his throat slit by a red headed woman."
"Angel.you do realize that it was a dream, right?"
"Slayers have prophetic dreams. Buffy knows when one will happen because she can see her hands. Faith, she saw her hands in this one. I'm calling because I think we're gonna need you and Spike here right away."
"When?"
"A.S.A.P."
"What time is it?" she wasn't asking him, she was asking Spike. She heard Spike say it was 3:15 in the morning. "Ok, we'll be there within the next few hours."
"See ya then." He gave Faith the address and directions to the Hyperion. As he hung up the phone, he could hear Faith say something to Spike that sounded like, "Get your bitch ass up, Buffy and Angel need our help!"
Buffy walked back in with a sleepy Dawn in tow.
"I thought maybe she could sleep in here with us. For safety reasons." Buffy said.
"Ok sure." Angel replied. He got up and took the covers Dawn was holding and he laid them on the floor, making a sleeping bag like arrangement out of the covers. Dawn laid down in them and instantly fell back asleep. Buffy sat in the chair next to Conner's crib and curled her legs up.
Quietly she asked, "Are Faith and Spike coming?"
"Yeah. They'll be here in the next couple of hours."
"Good."
"Can you sleep?"
"No. I was just gonna sit here and read."
"Ok. You want me to make you anything from the kitchen? I was going to head down there. I'm a little.hungry."
"Sure. Can you make me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?"
"Crunchy?"
"Yes please."
"Strawberry jelly all right with you? It's the only kind they'll eat around here."
"Sounds fine." Buffy picked up a book that was laying on the table near the chair. "Demonic Forms of the Wicked" was the title.
"That's all in Farsillatai." Angel said.
"Huh?"
"It's a demon language that I learned."
"Oh." Buffy put the book back on the table and picked up another. "Memnoch the Devil?"
"I like Anne Rice." Angel shrugged and walked out the door. Buffy opened the book and started reading. The first thing she recognized was the name Lestat.
"Oh, I like Tom Cruise." Buffy said to herself.
Faith and Spike arrived a little before dawn. Angel gave them a room just down the hall from his. As soon as 7:00 arrived, everyone was downstairs. The ones that didn't live in the hotel appeared. Angel Investigations opened and was ready for business. The day went by without so much as a peep from Holtz.
"Angel, I love you. I know how much telling that story upset you in there. You had to be a blind fool not to see it." Buffy said, holding Angel's face tenderly with one hand as she stroked his bare chest with the other. They were sitting in Angel's bed back at the Hyperion. He was leaning up against the headboard and she was sitting with her legs slung across his abdomen. He was slowly massaging her legs as she played with his hair. They had moved the crib and changing station into the outer room and shut the doors to the bedroom, blocking out any cold night air with towels covering the cracks in the doors.
"I know." He replied.
"Just remember, you're not Angelus. You will never be Angelus ever again. The man I love is here to stay and there is no one that can take him away from me. Not even you." he smiled and she continued. "You shouldn't blame yourself for what happened to Holtz's family. That was Angelus. And I'm going to pound this into your head until you admit that I'm right and you forgive yourself for it."
"These hands."
"Yes, those hands, but those hands were taken over by a demon's hands. Those are YOUR hands now. They've always been your hands. And trust me when I say 'I know this is a fact!'"
Angel smiled again and this time looked at Buffy. She looked alluring in his shirt that practically swallowed her whole. She had insisted that she wear it because she had forgotten her top at home. He knew she hadn't and he knew that she knew that he knew. She had always liked his silk shirts and he didn't mind letting her wear them. Suddenly her legs were gone from his stomach and arms. He looked down to see her nestle herself down onto his chest as she laid down on top of him. He then started to stroke her back.
"You know, Conner is offly quiet tonight." Buffy sighed.
"He had a little more action tonight than he could handle. He's just tuckered out."
"And just think, his whole life is gonna be like that."
"We'll try to make it a little better."
"Oh of course!"
They laughed softly so as not to wake Conner. Buffy crawled up Angel's body just a little so she could get a little more comfortable. Not that she wasn't now, it seemed that her and Angel's bodies were made to fit and compliment each other. Angel held onto her back and she turned in his grip so she could lay on her back, but still be on top of him.
"Do you think that our life is going to be like this forever?" Buffy asked.
"As long as forever doesn't mean that you're a vampire, yes."
"I don't wanna be a vampire! I was one once."
"When?"
"Back when I had first moved here, this little boy was in a coma and he was so scared of his little league coach, who put him in the coma by the way, that his nightmares were affecting the Hellmouth. The Hellmouth then began making everyone else's nightmares come true. Giles and I had the same kind of nightmare where he failed me and I became a vampire. Well, the Master rose, that was another one of my nightmares, and he buried me alive. I came back as a vampire. It was only temporary, but I hated it!"
"I can imagine. And where was I when all that happened?"
"I don't know. I hadn't heard much from you then."
"Oh."
"Angel?"
"Yeah?"
"Holtz was stupid today."
"Why do you say that?"
"He called me Darla. The only thing that looks like Darla would be my hair."
"I know. That just goes to show he didn't do his homework."
"Yeah. Big stupid evil guy." She kissed his chest.
"Mmm."
"Will he come after us? I mean, will he come after our family?"
"I don't know Buffy. If he does, we'll be ready. No one is going to get to my family before they get through me."
"And me. We're the two warriors of the light. We're supposed to fight together, side by side."
"Whatever you say love." And he meant it.
"Good." Buffy stifled a yawn. "We should have stayed with Cordy at her apartment."
"Why?"
"Those vamps and Holtz could come back while we're sleeping."
"The vamps couldn't get in here. It's my home. They could before though."
"Before what?"
"Before we got married. Now wherever I made a home, it's your home too. So that invisible barrier is up and running."
"But what about Holtz?"
"I don't think he would try that again for quite some time. He's too smart for that."
"I hope you're right Angel. I want to be able to sleep tonight."
"You and Conner sleep. I'll stay up and watch."
"Are you sure? Cause I could help you stay up." Buffy said alluringly.
"That offer is tempting, but I'm going to decline on your behalf. You need some rest. This is the first time Conner hasn't kept us up all night and we all had a big day today. And you're tired. I can see it in your eyes."
Buffy yawned. "All right. I'll sleep. Just as long as you promise to stay here with me."
"I promise."
Buffy rolled off onto the bed, but didn't leave Angel's arms. Not ten minutes later she was soundly asleep for the first time in a long while. Angel stared down at her, his love, his light, as she slept peacefully. In all his 249 years, he had finally found happiness in, of all people, the slayer's arms. Now that happiness didn't come with a price. He wasn't about to let Holtz destroy that. Angel knew what Holtz wanted. He wanted Angel's heart with a stake through it. Angel looked down at his free hand. Suddenly, it occurred to him that Holtz could shove all the stakes he wanted through Angel's heart, but it wouldn't do him any good. Angel was truly immortal now. He wore the Gem of Amara. Abruptly, Angel knew that now nothing could stand in his way from keeping his family safe. He silently thanked Doyle for convincing him to put it away somewhere safe. Buffy shifted her position in his arms.
In her dream, Buffy was running. She didn't know what from exactly, but she knew it was bad. She could hear this horrible laugh coming from behind her. She came to a fork in the road, or whatever it was that she was running on. When she looked left, she saw Wesley get his throat slit by some red headed woman. On the right, she saw Hell. Literally, this was Hell. Only it was like a portal. Everywhere around the fiery edges of the portal like thing, it was a clear night sky, but inside the thing, a vast hellish dimension stared back at her. She heard screaming, but it wasn't coming from Hell, it was coming from behind her. The trouble was, it sounded like her. There was some yelling too. Buffy couldn't make out the words, but it wasn't good. In her world yelling was never good. When Buffy turned, Holtz nearly ran into her. He was holding a little bundle and Angel and her were giving chase. Then, Holtz jumped into the portal and a huge flash of lightning knocked Buffy and Angel back. Buffy, the Buffy standing and watching this whole scene, felt the shock of the jolt. It was painful. She looked down and realized that she could see her hands. Just as she was about to scream from the shock of it all, she was jolting awake and nearly flying out of the bed. Angel had caught her.
She turned and looked at him. She was crying and a cold sweat had broken out on her forehead. Angel held tightly to her as she trembled all over. She knew what that little bundle in Holtz's arms had been. It had been her son. Buffy jerked away from Angel and darted away to Conner's crib. She looked in, expecting to find no one there, but she was wrong. Conner lay there peacefully. Buffy sighed and stroked his head as she leaned over to kiss his hair. When she came back up, a hand touched her shoulder. Instinctively, she turned and punched the person in his stomach with all her force. Then she saw Angel go flying back and into the wall. He sunk to the floor and shook his head. Buffy ran to him and helped him up.
"Angel, I am so sorry!" Buffy said quietly.
"It's ok, I scared you when you were by Conner. I should have known that could be a fatal thing to do." Angel smiled tightly as he rubbed his abdomen. "I'd forgotten how big of a punch you pack. I think it got stronger." He said.
"No, it really was my fault. I shouldn't have hit you like that."
"Buffy, really, I'm fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive. Are YOU ok?"
"I'm fine, why?"
"I meant from that dream you had. It really had you spooked."
"Oh that."
"Yes, that. Come here and sit down. I'll get you a glass of water."
Buffy did as she was told. Angel went to the little nook that passed as his kitchen and got her a glass full of water. He brought it back and she gratefully drank it.
"Now, what was all that about?"
"A lot. Enough that I think we should really get Spike and Faith up here."
"It was a prophetic dream?"
"I saw my hands. In all my dreams that I could see my hands, they've come true."
Angel waited, knowing that she would get to the dream at her own pace.
"Holtz.he was there. But that was later in the dream. First I was running. I don't know from what or who. Then I came to a fork in the road, or at least I think it was a road. On the left I saw Wesley getting his throat slit by some red headed chick. On the right, there was a portal like thingy to a hell dimension. There was screaming and yelling behind me and it was coming from us. I turned around and Holtz nearly barreled into me. He had Conner in his arms. I didn't realize it at first. We were chasing him. I was watching all this; I wasn't a part of it. Then Holtz jumped into the portal with Conner and we were knocked backwards by a giant bolt of lightning."
"Are you sure it was Conner?"
"Positive."
"I think you're right."
"About Conner?"
"No, I think you're right about getting Faith and Spike up here."
"Maybe we could go back to Sunnydale."
"No! That would put more people in danger. It's bad enough that it's you and Conner. Now it's Cordy, Wesley, Gru, Lorne, Gunn, and Fred. He knows this place now. Let's not let him get to know Sunnydale and the people we love there."
"Ok."
"I'll call Faith and Spike. You go check on Dawn."
Buffy got up and walked out the door. As soon as she shut it, Angel was on the phone calling Faith. After the seventh ring, Faith's groggy voice came over the line.
"If this isn't important, I know someone who's gonna have a stake through the heart."
"Faith, it's Angel."
"Hi. Oh! Is everything ok? Is B all right?"
"She's fine. A little shook up right now."
"Why?" He could tell Faith was fully awake now.
"She had a dream. I'll explain it all later, but this guy Holtz took Conner into a hell dimension and Wesley got his throat slit by a red headed woman."
"Angel.you do realize that it was a dream, right?"
"Slayers have prophetic dreams. Buffy knows when one will happen because she can see her hands. Faith, she saw her hands in this one. I'm calling because I think we're gonna need you and Spike here right away."
"When?"
"A.S.A.P."
"What time is it?" she wasn't asking him, she was asking Spike. She heard Spike say it was 3:15 in the morning. "Ok, we'll be there within the next few hours."
"See ya then." He gave Faith the address and directions to the Hyperion. As he hung up the phone, he could hear Faith say something to Spike that sounded like, "Get your bitch ass up, Buffy and Angel need our help!"
Buffy walked back in with a sleepy Dawn in tow.
"I thought maybe she could sleep in here with us. For safety reasons." Buffy said.
"Ok sure." Angel replied. He got up and took the covers Dawn was holding and he laid them on the floor, making a sleeping bag like arrangement out of the covers. Dawn laid down in them and instantly fell back asleep. Buffy sat in the chair next to Conner's crib and curled her legs up.
Quietly she asked, "Are Faith and Spike coming?"
"Yeah. They'll be here in the next couple of hours."
"Good."
"Can you sleep?"
"No. I was just gonna sit here and read."
"Ok. You want me to make you anything from the kitchen? I was going to head down there. I'm a little.hungry."
"Sure. Can you make me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?"
"Crunchy?"
"Yes please."
"Strawberry jelly all right with you? It's the only kind they'll eat around here."
"Sounds fine." Buffy picked up a book that was laying on the table near the chair. "Demonic Forms of the Wicked" was the title.
"That's all in Farsillatai." Angel said.
"Huh?"
"It's a demon language that I learned."
"Oh." Buffy put the book back on the table and picked up another. "Memnoch the Devil?"
"I like Anne Rice." Angel shrugged and walked out the door. Buffy opened the book and started reading. The first thing she recognized was the name Lestat.
"Oh, I like Tom Cruise." Buffy said to herself.
Faith and Spike arrived a little before dawn. Angel gave them a room just down the hall from his. As soon as 7:00 arrived, everyone was downstairs. The ones that didn't live in the hotel appeared. Angel Investigations opened and was ready for business. The day went by without so much as a peep from Holtz.