Rating: PG. (Includes some swearing and violence) 
Summary: Set a few years after Rain of Fire. Connor has a chat with mystery blonde in the park. The blonde turns out to be Darla. Gunn tries to kill Darla. Darla is taken to hospital after fainting. They find out she is human. I don't know what happens in the series 'cause I'm not going to read the spoilers! OK, I've read up to Rain of Fire but no more. Some things may be wrong.

Disclaimer: Anything you recognise in this story belongs to Joss Whedon and co. Please don't sue!

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed! I'm glad you like this story! My history project is in for next Monday. So when that's in I'm free!

Chapter 3- Wedding bells

 "Ooooh, definitely that one." Darla pointed to a dress with a big billowy bottom. "Are you sure?" "Well you said you wanted a fairy tale wedding." "Yeah, I guess. Don't tell anyone yet though. And don't tell Charles I told you." "My lips are sealed. Hey, how about that one?" "What are you two doing?" Angel's voice drifted over to them. Darla quickly hid the bridal magazine under a cushion. "We were just er talking." Fred looked at Darla and smiled. "Talking?" Angel looked at them suspiciously. "About what exactly." "Oh it's nothing. Really." Angel looked surprised as Fred scurried away. "What's under the cushion?" "Nothing." "Let me see." "No." "Fine." Angel walked round to the front of the couch and picked Darla up. "Aaah! Put me down! Just 'cause I'm not as strong as you, it doesn't mean you can-." Angel reached down with one hand and was just about to pick up the cushion that was hiding the bridal magazine when Lorne walked in. "Oooh, I knew something was up with you two." Angel quickly put Darla down. Lorne winked at them and walked the counter where Cordelia was talking on the phone with a very impatient man.

"Listen, we are completely booked up for the next two days... No, someone can't come round now... Fine, go get killed by your monster, have a nice day." Cordy slammed down the phone.

"Bad day huh?" Lorne said with a grin. "You might want to be careful, You're going to loose customers if you carry on like that."

"Well it's not my fault he wants everything his way." Cordy snapped and Lorne backed away.

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"Hey, where did you learn to cook like that?" Fred chewed on her food. "And are you sure medieval recipes aren't poisonous?"

"Well, no ones keeled over yet."

Angel looked at the food in front of him. "When did you start cooking?"

"You learn a lot of things in four hundred years." Darla smirked. "But of course you won't know. A) You're not old enough. B) We going to have to get plenty of fire extinguishers on hand if you do cook. And C) You don't need to cook."

"OK, OK, I get the point."

Connor looked at his mum. She wasn't like Holtz had described her. He had said that she was cruel and dangerous. But she's not. Connor hated Holtz for that. He lied to him.

Cordy nudged Connor. "What?"

"How are you coping?"

"With what?"

"Darla."

"Oh, she's great."

Cordy smiled. After all he had been through, Connor deserved some happiness. Although she didn't really trust Darla yet, but if Connor was happy, then that was all that mattered. And just to think of it, Angel was kinda happy too.

"Um... We have an announcement to make." Gunn stood up. "Me and Fred." He took Fred's hand. "We're getting married."

"Oh my god!" Cordy screamed and hugged Fred then Gunn.

"Congratulations man." Angel shook Gunn's hand and hugged Fred.

Darla beamed and winked at Fred.

"So, Angel, do you really want to know what me and Darla were looking at earlier?"

Gunn raised his eyebrows and Angel nodded.

"This." Fred produced the bridal magazine.

"Darla and bridal magazines? God, I would never have thought." Angel looked at Darla with mock horror. "You know, you're ruining your evil vampire image."

Darla stuck out her tongue.

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Darla stood alone at the counter. No one else was around. Fred and Gunn had gone to see the vicar about their wedding. Angel was out with Connor, dealing with some poor old dear with giant mice in her house, she was convinced they were demons. Cordy was with Wesley at the library, looking up some stuff. Darla sighed. She was bored.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't my precious Darla." Darla looked up to see the Master standing just a few feet away from her.

"What do you want?"

"Darla, you have changed. You're, human." The Master walked a step closer. "Let me turn you."

"No. I'm happy as I am thanks."

The Master growled. He grabbed Darla from behind the counter and pinned her to the floor. "How dare you disobey me?" The Master lent down and as just inches away from Darla's neck.

There was a whizzing sound. The Master turned to dust. Angel ran in.

"Are you OK?"

"Yeah." Darla took a shaky breath. "I thought he was dead."

"Me too." Angel helped Darla up. "Go to bed Darla."

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Darla tossed around in her bed. She couldn't sleep. The Masters face kept appearing in front of her. It was nearly dawn. Darla groaned and got up. She put on a bathrobe and crept downstairs.

She walked through the dark foyer. A movement behind her startled her.

"So you couldn't sleep either huh?" Angel appeared from the shadows.

"Jeez, don't do that. You're gonna give me a heart attack one of these days."

Angel walked over to her. "Have you slept at all tonight?" Angel looked her up and down.

"No. The aster's face keeps popping up."

Although it was dark, Darla could still make out the fact that Angel was looking at her. She felt herself go red.

"Stop looking at me like."

"What did I do?"

Darla sighed. "Can I stay with you tonight?"

Angel was surprised but he agreed anyway. He led Darla to his room.

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Angel woke up to find Darla already awake and peering around the dark room.

"Did you sleep OK?"

"Yeah. Much better thanks." Darla sighed and lent back. This felt nice, she thought. "What time is it?"

Angel looked over at the clock. "Twelve."

Darla sat up. "I'm hungry. I'm gonna go find something to eat." She lowered her head and gently kissed Angel on the lips.

"What did you do that for?"

"Thank you."

Darla walked across the room and bumped into Connor on the way out.

"Er, hi. What are you doing here?" Connor looked at Darla.

"I couldn't sleep."

"Oh."

Connor watched as his mother left the room. He turned to Angel.

"You didn't sleep with her did you?"

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Darla and Fred crept down stairs.

"OK, no body's here. Let's go."

"Where are you two going?" A voice stopped them.

The two girls turned around to see Gunn standing at the top of the stairs.

"We're... we're going... out?" Fred racked her brain for excuses.

"Where?"

"Shopping."

Gunn looked at Darla. He didn't trust her. Fred, however seemed to take to her very well. But then again, Fred trusted most people she had just met. Those two always seemed like they were in a little world of their own.

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Darla and Fred returned from their shopping spree later that evening. They were both exhausted but very happy and all they really wanted to do was to have a nice long bath and go to bed. However, everyone knows that in stories people never really get what they want.

"Hey, we have a really big, major crisis here." Angel ran past and skidded to a stop. "Hang on, where have you two been?" Angel glared at the two girls.

"We went shopping." Fred's smile faded.

"We'll deal with this later. Right now we have bigger problems."

Darla sighed. "Now what is it?"

"Some big demon serpent thing running rampant around in the Caritas."

"Oh." Darla put down the many bags she was carrying.

"Lorne wasn't very happy."

"Guess we'd better go then." Fred also put down her bags.

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"God, next time remind me to change out of my high heels before we go chasing after any demons." Darla moaned. "My feet are killing me."

Angel smirked. "That'll teach you not to wear high heels then."

"Aw." Fred followed closely behind. She too was wearing high heels.

Darla looked at the clock. It was two in the morning. Where did the time go?

"Well I'm going to bed." Darla stomped upstairs.

Fred tripped and was caught by Gunn just before she hit the floor.

"I think you need to go to bed."

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Darla walked down stairs, the smell of frying bacon drifted up to her. She entered the kitchen. Fred was busy loading plates with food. Gunn was reading the newspaper.

"Where's everyone else?" Darla yawned. She felt as if she hadn't slept at all.

"Um, well Wesley is with Lilah. Probably shopping."

"I never thought those two would get together."

"No, me neither." Fred smiled. "Cordy's dragged Connor off to the January sales."

"Oh, lucky." Darla was looking at Angel, who was looking into his mug of blood. "Why aren't you asleep?"

"Can't." Angel sniffed his blood and sipped it.

"Wow, somebody's really under the weather today."

Angel grunted.

"Come on, tell me what's wrong."

Angel cast her a sideways look.

"OK, fine. You know it's not good to keep things bottled up."

Angel got up and left the kitchen without a word.

"Oooh. Moody."

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"OK, I've arranged it. We're meeting Buffy and the rest of the scoobies in the Caritas." Angel announced as they made their way back to the hotel after a hard nights demon slaying.

"Buffy... She's the slayer isn't she?" Darla frowned.

"Yeah, don't worry, I won't let her stake you."

"You'd better."

To Be Continued...

A/N: Hope you like this! I know not much is happening so far... Please R&R!! :)