Chapter 25
Steven sat in the sun shining on his bed, rereading Holtz' letter. There was a knock on the door.
"It's us." Buffy called. Buffy opened the door. "Can I come in?"
Steven looked over his shoulder at the door but stayed silent. Angel picked up a bookcase and carried into the room behind Buffy.
"I brought you a bookcase and some of my favorite books when I was your age." Angel said sitting the bookcase down. "So, can I get you some breakfast? Are you hungry?" "Not really." Steven said.
"We can go out." Angel looked at Steven, then at Buffy who prodded him to keep going. "Hey, you know, we'll stay in, hang out together, tonight we'll do something special. You ever been to a movie?"
Steven put the letter in the drawer of his nightstand. "No."
"Oh, we'll go to an action movie. You'll love it. Your mom can't come tonight. She has to meet an old friend in town. But anything else you wanna see or do, just say the word."
Steven stood up and turned to face Buffy and Angel. "There is one thing."
"What?" Angel asked.
Steven lunged for Angel, but Angel easily captured and deflected Steven's hands. "I wanna know how you do that."
"Fight?"
They broke apart. "Yes."
"I think you got that down pretty good already." Buffy said.
"I wanna learn to be like you and mom."
Angel said with the slightest smile, "Well, there might be a thing or two that we could show you."
Buffy and Angel were training Steven down in the lobby with the help of Gunn and Fred, who were both wearing a seat cushion on their chest.
"Stake." Buffy said.
Buffy tossed a stake and Steven caught it.
"Vampire!"
Gunn lunged at Steven and Steven 'staked' him.
"Behind you!" Angel said as Steven spun to 'stake' Fred. "Civilian! Civilian!" Steven pulled his blow. "Protect her, protect her!"
Angel came in to exchange a flurry of quick blows with Steven while Fred helped Gunn back to his feet.
"Where is your balance? Where is your balance? Huh? You lose it." Angel grabbed a hold of Steven and pushed him over backwards so he rested awkwardly on Angel's arm, "you lose. Don't worry, I got you. I got you." He helped Steven back up. "You're doing good, kid. You've got heart."
Fred raised her hand. "I wanna be the vampire!"
"I wanna be in a hot tub." Gunn said.
"I wanna know who's cleaning this stuff up."
Gunn pointed at Fred, who in turn pointed at Buffy, Angel, and Steven.
"Yeah. It has been a long day." Buffy said. She turned to Steven. "Had enough?"
"No. I wanna learn." Steven said.
Angel smiled. "Is this kid a chip off the old block or what, huh?"
Angel gave Steven a playful punch which Steven half ducked.
"He's chippy." Cordy said.
"Hey, Cor, we're going to the movies tonight. You wanna come?"
"Yeah! I mean, I'd like to, ah, I can't. Gru and I are supposed to have some one on one time. So..."
"Oh. Right. You should do that." Angel turned and pointed at Fred. "Okay. Vampire."
Fred raised her hands like claws and let out a growl.
"Vampire. You're not in 'Cats.'" Buffy giggled.
Fred pulled her hands in and let out a small, questioning 'grr.'
Angel pointed at Gunn. "Innocent by-stander."
"By-sitter." Gunn said. He dropped down onto and overturned, stuffed chair.
Angel turned to Steven. "Close your eyes. Feel it. Where is the attack going to come from? This is one thing your mom and I used to practice." Steven fended off Angel's blows with his eyes closed. "Good. Good."
Angel went to answer a knock on his door. "Yo. Hey! Lorne. Come on in."
"Well, you're in a good mood."
"Yeah. I'm taking the kid to the movies. He's gonna love it. Although, Buffy's not gonna be there with me."
"Oh. No subtitles or dreary Leitmotive, all bloody action?"
"You bet."
"Oh, he'll love you for it. Well, I thought, I'd stop by and say arrivederci, Angel-hair."
"You're really going?"
"I'm really going."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be." Lorne held out a CD. "Here, I got you and Buffy a little something to remember me by."
On the CD was a picture of Lorne, smiling while holding a microphone. Angel read the title. "Songs for the love Lorne. Oh, I get it. Lovelorn, because your name is Lorne." "Yeah, my publicist's idea. Her name is mud now but the tunes are good. And, ah, and that's not my real gift. This is: Buffy loves you. The way you feel about her is pretty much exactly how she feels about you. I know that you've been having doubts ever since you two got back together. You two are so obviously connected. Bubela, all I'm saying is: stay open. Conner's back. Your whole life is coming together. Sometimes things do work out. I got to skiddoo."
"Take good care of yourself, and keep in touch."
"I'll drop you a line. Let you know where to send the gift basket."
Lorne waved over his shoulder as he walked towards the door. When he shut the door, Angel smiled.
"Buffy, I'm gonna make it all up to you one day." He said to himself. "I can't believe that I had doubts!" Angel picked up Mr. Gordo. "Why the hell should I have had doubts? She's always loved me. Oh wait, I remember. It was something I said along time ago." He said to the pig, "'We don't live in each other's worlds anymore.' That was the dumbest thing I have ever said to her!"
Steven opened the door and stared at Angel talking to the pig. "Think the pig is going to answer back?"
Angel turned around and dropped the pig back on the bed. "Steven, hey!"
"Hi."
"How long were you standing there?"
"Long enough to realize my dad is a psycho that talks to pigs about his wife."
"Oh. Sorry. It was just something Lorne said."
"She loves you. Why did you have doubts about that? I could have told you she loves you more than anything in the world, even me."
"She doesn't love me more than you. You're her son. She loves us both equally."
"Yeah."
"Are you ready to go?"
"Sure."
A helicopter streaked by, launching some rockets and shooting its guns. Angel and Steven were sitting in the front of his convertible, Gunn and Fred were in the back. They were sitting at a drive in movie theatre.
"Pretty cool, huh?" Angel asked Steven.
Steven stared at the screen. "Uh-huh."
"You emptied the jumbo tub?" Gunn asked, staring into the now empty bucket.
Fred pushed the tub at Gunn. "Free refills."
"I love this woman."
"Shh." Angel said. "Buffy's not here, so I feel bad that you two are all couple-y back there."
Gunn levered himself up out of the backseat and jumped out over the side of the car.
Fred handed him the tub. "Don't skimp on the butter."
Gunn walked off to refill the tub.
Steven jumped as an airplane apparently streaked right at them.
"Sorry. It's just make believe." Angel said.
A real helicopter with a searchlight pointing down came flying up over the edge of the movie screen.
"How'd they do that?" Steven asked.
Angel and Fred stared at the helicopter. Gunn stopped and turned to stare as well. Some lines were lowered out of the side of the helicopter and three guys in nondescript combat uniforms started to rappel down them.
The searchlight centered on Angel's car.
Angel turned to Fred. "Get down!" He looked at Steven "Out!"
Angel and Steven jumped out of the car as Gunn bowled down two of the Commandos. In a van parked a little ways from Angel's car, Linwood and Gavin were watching the fight on a couple of screens.
"Tie me up, threaten me with sharp objects, but don't let me go. Chowder head!" Linwood said.
"Kid's pretty good." Gavin said.
"Oh, I can't wait to get my hands on him, cut him open, see what makes him tick."
Angel stepped between Steven and two Commandos. "Get back."
Steven pushed Angel aside. "No!"
"He wants to protect his son." Linwood said.
"We were counting on that." Gavin stated.
"What weren't you counting on?"
"Stay behind me." Angel said.
Steven pushed Angel back. "No!"
"The kid wanting to protect him so badly." Gavin affirmed.
The fight continued. Gunn got thrown over Angel's car. As the commando jumped up to follow, Fred, lying on the back seat, kicked him in the crotch.
"Hey, thanks!" Gunn said.
"Welcome!" Fred called back.
A voice came from the external speaker on the helicopter. "Abort! Abort! Abort! Abort!"
The commandos melted away and the helicopter veered off.
On the screen in the van, Linwood watched Angel walk straight at him and his eyes widened. "Drive! Drive!"
The driver jumped behind the wheel, but Angel ripped the back doors of the van open before he could get the engine started.
Angel reached in and pulled Linwood out.
"Hey! Yeah, okay. Easy. Easy. Easy. Now we're even." Linwood said.
"Now you're dead." Angel said.
"What, you're gonna kill a human in front of your son, set an example?"
"I vote yes!" Gunn said.
"You're not human. Did you touch Buffy?"
"Not yet. We were counting on her to be here."
"Touch her and you die."
Police sirens started to come closer.
"We should probably both get out..." Linwood started.
Steven suddenly pushed Angel aside and took a hold of Linwood. "Stay away from my father and my mother."
Steven threw Linwood into the back of the van.
"I'm not your enemy. We can help you, Steven." Linwood said.
Conner said after a beat, "My name is Conner."
Gunn and Fred exchanged a look and a smile.
Angel put a hand on Conner's shoulder and Conner let himself be lead away.
Gavin reached out to help Linwood up, but Linwood shrugged his hand off.
"Let's go home." Angel said.
The phone in the lobby was ringing just as Angel and the others walked in.
"I got it!" Angel ran across the lobby, whistling.
"He's whistling. I've never heard him whistle." Gunn said.
"He's happy." Fred said.
Conner closed the door behind them all.
Angel picked up the phone. "Angel Investigations. We can help you. I know we can!"
"Hi. It's me." Buffy said.
"Hi! Buffy. How are you?"
"I'm good. You?"
Angel glanced at Conner. "I'm pretty good. I've got something to tell you!"
"Um, Angel, I sort of need to talk to you, in person."
"Is it something bad?"
"No! No, it's something good. Well, it sort of depends on how you feel."
"About what?"
"Well, about me. Lorne came to see me before he left. He left me with a feeling that we need to talk."
"Oh."
"Could you meet me tonight?"
"Tonight? Sure. Okay. Where?"
"I've always loved Point Dume. There's a viewpoint. It's the first turn north of Kanan. Really pretty spot."
Angel said as he wrote down the directions, "Point Dume. Viewpoint. First turn, north Kanan. We'll meet there. About an hour?"
"Yes."
"Okay."
"Okay."
"Yes."
"Good. Okay then, we'll do that. Oh, hey!"
"Yeah?"
"Cordy was supposed to be headed over there to take Dawn out for pizza. Is she there yet?"
"No."
"Ok. Well, tell Gunn and Fred I said hey."
"Ok."
"Angel?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you."
"I love you." Angel slowly hung up the phone.
Angel slowly took his hand away from the receiver and turned to find everyone looking at him. "I've got to go out for a while, son."
"With mom?"
"Yeah. Will you be all right? Cordy is supposed to be here to get Dawn. If you want, you can go with them."
"She's beautiful. And she cares about you. Is this the part where I say, 'I told you so?'"
Gunn and Fred exchanged a look.
"I'm glad. And you really don't have to tell me that."
"It's good to see you happy, dad. It's good to see you both happy."
Angel turned away with a smile, humming a little tune.
"Now he's humming." Gunn said.
"He's really happy."
Fred, still clutching her jumbo tub of popcorn, got up from the couch and grabbed the stake lying on the sofa table. She walked over to Angel and started to poke him with the stake. "But not perfectly happy, I hope!"
"No! Ouch!" Angel said.
Fred held up the stake. "Just checking."
"That's gone now Fred. There is no loophole."
Angel slowly walked out, no longer smiling or humming.
Steven sat in the sun shining on his bed, rereading Holtz' letter. There was a knock on the door.
"It's us." Buffy called. Buffy opened the door. "Can I come in?"
Steven looked over his shoulder at the door but stayed silent. Angel picked up a bookcase and carried into the room behind Buffy.
"I brought you a bookcase and some of my favorite books when I was your age." Angel said sitting the bookcase down. "So, can I get you some breakfast? Are you hungry?" "Not really." Steven said.
"We can go out." Angel looked at Steven, then at Buffy who prodded him to keep going. "Hey, you know, we'll stay in, hang out together, tonight we'll do something special. You ever been to a movie?"
Steven put the letter in the drawer of his nightstand. "No."
"Oh, we'll go to an action movie. You'll love it. Your mom can't come tonight. She has to meet an old friend in town. But anything else you wanna see or do, just say the word."
Steven stood up and turned to face Buffy and Angel. "There is one thing."
"What?" Angel asked.
Steven lunged for Angel, but Angel easily captured and deflected Steven's hands. "I wanna know how you do that."
"Fight?"
They broke apart. "Yes."
"I think you got that down pretty good already." Buffy said.
"I wanna learn to be like you and mom."
Angel said with the slightest smile, "Well, there might be a thing or two that we could show you."
Buffy and Angel were training Steven down in the lobby with the help of Gunn and Fred, who were both wearing a seat cushion on their chest.
"Stake." Buffy said.
Buffy tossed a stake and Steven caught it.
"Vampire!"
Gunn lunged at Steven and Steven 'staked' him.
"Behind you!" Angel said as Steven spun to 'stake' Fred. "Civilian! Civilian!" Steven pulled his blow. "Protect her, protect her!"
Angel came in to exchange a flurry of quick blows with Steven while Fred helped Gunn back to his feet.
"Where is your balance? Where is your balance? Huh? You lose it." Angel grabbed a hold of Steven and pushed him over backwards so he rested awkwardly on Angel's arm, "you lose. Don't worry, I got you. I got you." He helped Steven back up. "You're doing good, kid. You've got heart."
Fred raised her hand. "I wanna be the vampire!"
"I wanna be in a hot tub." Gunn said.
"I wanna know who's cleaning this stuff up."
Gunn pointed at Fred, who in turn pointed at Buffy, Angel, and Steven.
"Yeah. It has been a long day." Buffy said. She turned to Steven. "Had enough?"
"No. I wanna learn." Steven said.
Angel smiled. "Is this kid a chip off the old block or what, huh?"
Angel gave Steven a playful punch which Steven half ducked.
"He's chippy." Cordy said.
"Hey, Cor, we're going to the movies tonight. You wanna come?"
"Yeah! I mean, I'd like to, ah, I can't. Gru and I are supposed to have some one on one time. So..."
"Oh. Right. You should do that." Angel turned and pointed at Fred. "Okay. Vampire."
Fred raised her hands like claws and let out a growl.
"Vampire. You're not in 'Cats.'" Buffy giggled.
Fred pulled her hands in and let out a small, questioning 'grr.'
Angel pointed at Gunn. "Innocent by-stander."
"By-sitter." Gunn said. He dropped down onto and overturned, stuffed chair.
Angel turned to Steven. "Close your eyes. Feel it. Where is the attack going to come from? This is one thing your mom and I used to practice." Steven fended off Angel's blows with his eyes closed. "Good. Good."
Angel went to answer a knock on his door. "Yo. Hey! Lorne. Come on in."
"Well, you're in a good mood."
"Yeah. I'm taking the kid to the movies. He's gonna love it. Although, Buffy's not gonna be there with me."
"Oh. No subtitles or dreary Leitmotive, all bloody action?"
"You bet."
"Oh, he'll love you for it. Well, I thought, I'd stop by and say arrivederci, Angel-hair."
"You're really going?"
"I'm really going."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be." Lorne held out a CD. "Here, I got you and Buffy a little something to remember me by."
On the CD was a picture of Lorne, smiling while holding a microphone. Angel read the title. "Songs for the love Lorne. Oh, I get it. Lovelorn, because your name is Lorne." "Yeah, my publicist's idea. Her name is mud now but the tunes are good. And, ah, and that's not my real gift. This is: Buffy loves you. The way you feel about her is pretty much exactly how she feels about you. I know that you've been having doubts ever since you two got back together. You two are so obviously connected. Bubela, all I'm saying is: stay open. Conner's back. Your whole life is coming together. Sometimes things do work out. I got to skiddoo."
"Take good care of yourself, and keep in touch."
"I'll drop you a line. Let you know where to send the gift basket."
Lorne waved over his shoulder as he walked towards the door. When he shut the door, Angel smiled.
"Buffy, I'm gonna make it all up to you one day." He said to himself. "I can't believe that I had doubts!" Angel picked up Mr. Gordo. "Why the hell should I have had doubts? She's always loved me. Oh wait, I remember. It was something I said along time ago." He said to the pig, "'We don't live in each other's worlds anymore.' That was the dumbest thing I have ever said to her!"
Steven opened the door and stared at Angel talking to the pig. "Think the pig is going to answer back?"
Angel turned around and dropped the pig back on the bed. "Steven, hey!"
"Hi."
"How long were you standing there?"
"Long enough to realize my dad is a psycho that talks to pigs about his wife."
"Oh. Sorry. It was just something Lorne said."
"She loves you. Why did you have doubts about that? I could have told you she loves you more than anything in the world, even me."
"She doesn't love me more than you. You're her son. She loves us both equally."
"Yeah."
"Are you ready to go?"
"Sure."
A helicopter streaked by, launching some rockets and shooting its guns. Angel and Steven were sitting in the front of his convertible, Gunn and Fred were in the back. They were sitting at a drive in movie theatre.
"Pretty cool, huh?" Angel asked Steven.
Steven stared at the screen. "Uh-huh."
"You emptied the jumbo tub?" Gunn asked, staring into the now empty bucket.
Fred pushed the tub at Gunn. "Free refills."
"I love this woman."
"Shh." Angel said. "Buffy's not here, so I feel bad that you two are all couple-y back there."
Gunn levered himself up out of the backseat and jumped out over the side of the car.
Fred handed him the tub. "Don't skimp on the butter."
Gunn walked off to refill the tub.
Steven jumped as an airplane apparently streaked right at them.
"Sorry. It's just make believe." Angel said.
A real helicopter with a searchlight pointing down came flying up over the edge of the movie screen.
"How'd they do that?" Steven asked.
Angel and Fred stared at the helicopter. Gunn stopped and turned to stare as well. Some lines were lowered out of the side of the helicopter and three guys in nondescript combat uniforms started to rappel down them.
The searchlight centered on Angel's car.
Angel turned to Fred. "Get down!" He looked at Steven "Out!"
Angel and Steven jumped out of the car as Gunn bowled down two of the Commandos. In a van parked a little ways from Angel's car, Linwood and Gavin were watching the fight on a couple of screens.
"Tie me up, threaten me with sharp objects, but don't let me go. Chowder head!" Linwood said.
"Kid's pretty good." Gavin said.
"Oh, I can't wait to get my hands on him, cut him open, see what makes him tick."
Angel stepped between Steven and two Commandos. "Get back."
Steven pushed Angel aside. "No!"
"He wants to protect his son." Linwood said.
"We were counting on that." Gavin stated.
"What weren't you counting on?"
"Stay behind me." Angel said.
Steven pushed Angel back. "No!"
"The kid wanting to protect him so badly." Gavin affirmed.
The fight continued. Gunn got thrown over Angel's car. As the commando jumped up to follow, Fred, lying on the back seat, kicked him in the crotch.
"Hey, thanks!" Gunn said.
"Welcome!" Fred called back.
A voice came from the external speaker on the helicopter. "Abort! Abort! Abort! Abort!"
The commandos melted away and the helicopter veered off.
On the screen in the van, Linwood watched Angel walk straight at him and his eyes widened. "Drive! Drive!"
The driver jumped behind the wheel, but Angel ripped the back doors of the van open before he could get the engine started.
Angel reached in and pulled Linwood out.
"Hey! Yeah, okay. Easy. Easy. Easy. Now we're even." Linwood said.
"Now you're dead." Angel said.
"What, you're gonna kill a human in front of your son, set an example?"
"I vote yes!" Gunn said.
"You're not human. Did you touch Buffy?"
"Not yet. We were counting on her to be here."
"Touch her and you die."
Police sirens started to come closer.
"We should probably both get out..." Linwood started.
Steven suddenly pushed Angel aside and took a hold of Linwood. "Stay away from my father and my mother."
Steven threw Linwood into the back of the van.
"I'm not your enemy. We can help you, Steven." Linwood said.
Conner said after a beat, "My name is Conner."
Gunn and Fred exchanged a look and a smile.
Angel put a hand on Conner's shoulder and Conner let himself be lead away.
Gavin reached out to help Linwood up, but Linwood shrugged his hand off.
"Let's go home." Angel said.
The phone in the lobby was ringing just as Angel and the others walked in.
"I got it!" Angel ran across the lobby, whistling.
"He's whistling. I've never heard him whistle." Gunn said.
"He's happy." Fred said.
Conner closed the door behind them all.
Angel picked up the phone. "Angel Investigations. We can help you. I know we can!"
"Hi. It's me." Buffy said.
"Hi! Buffy. How are you?"
"I'm good. You?"
Angel glanced at Conner. "I'm pretty good. I've got something to tell you!"
"Um, Angel, I sort of need to talk to you, in person."
"Is it something bad?"
"No! No, it's something good. Well, it sort of depends on how you feel."
"About what?"
"Well, about me. Lorne came to see me before he left. He left me with a feeling that we need to talk."
"Oh."
"Could you meet me tonight?"
"Tonight? Sure. Okay. Where?"
"I've always loved Point Dume. There's a viewpoint. It's the first turn north of Kanan. Really pretty spot."
Angel said as he wrote down the directions, "Point Dume. Viewpoint. First turn, north Kanan. We'll meet there. About an hour?"
"Yes."
"Okay."
"Okay."
"Yes."
"Good. Okay then, we'll do that. Oh, hey!"
"Yeah?"
"Cordy was supposed to be headed over there to take Dawn out for pizza. Is she there yet?"
"No."
"Ok. Well, tell Gunn and Fred I said hey."
"Ok."
"Angel?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you."
"I love you." Angel slowly hung up the phone.
Angel slowly took his hand away from the receiver and turned to find everyone looking at him. "I've got to go out for a while, son."
"With mom?"
"Yeah. Will you be all right? Cordy is supposed to be here to get Dawn. If you want, you can go with them."
"She's beautiful. And she cares about you. Is this the part where I say, 'I told you so?'"
Gunn and Fred exchanged a look.
"I'm glad. And you really don't have to tell me that."
"It's good to see you happy, dad. It's good to see you both happy."
Angel turned away with a smile, humming a little tune.
"Now he's humming." Gunn said.
"He's really happy."
Fred, still clutching her jumbo tub of popcorn, got up from the couch and grabbed the stake lying on the sofa table. She walked over to Angel and started to poke him with the stake. "But not perfectly happy, I hope!"
"No! Ouch!" Angel said.
Fred held up the stake. "Just checking."
"That's gone now Fred. There is no loophole."
Angel slowly walked out, no longer smiling or humming.