The next morning after Buffy woke up and got dressed she left the room where Spike was still asleep and she headed towards the lobby where she saw Fred sitting behind the desk looking bored. Buffy walked up to her, and saw Conner in the office behind her, going down the stairs.
"Morning Fred." She said upon reaching the desk.
"Hey Buffy." Fred didn't know what to say to Buffy. She had heard about her and had tons of questions to ask her about Angel but figured she would ask them later, after the apocalypse was stopped.
"What's the deal with the Conner kid?" Buffy asked, curious to find out all she could about the boy. "Who is he exactly?"
"Oh, he's Angels son." Fred told her. Buffy stood there shocked for a minute before speaking.
"T-that's not possible…He must be 16 a-and when I saw Angel 3 years ago he didn't have a son. Or if he did he didn't tell me." Buffy wouldn't, believe that Angel had a son with someone else; she stared at Fred in disbelief, looking like she might cry. "How could this happen?"
"Maybe Angel should be the one telling you this…" Fred said, feeling unsure and fearing how Angel was going to react when he found out that Fred had told Buffy about Conner.
"Please…just tell me." Buffy sounded so desperate to know that Fred felt like she had to tell her.
"Alright, but if Angel comes after me for this my death is going to be on you're hands." Fred told her, smiling. "I'm going to give you the shorter version, it's the only one I know. I don't know the details." Buffy nodded her head in understanding and Fred continued. "Darla came back human, Angel slept with her, and she got pregnant with Connor, had him, and died to save him. Then when Connor was a few months old an old enemy of Angel's came and took him to a hell dimension with him. Conner came back a few months later, all grown up because time moved faster where he had been." Fred finished looking worriedly at Buffy to see her reaction.
"That poor kid, he must have been so scared." Buffy said, sounding sad for the kid and then getting a look of fury and hurt on her face. "I cant' believe he didn't tell me! That asshole!" She had tears running down her face and a look of fury and sadness in her eyes.
"Who's an asshole?" Angel asked, coming up behind Buffy. She turned around to face him, looking like she was going to have a breakdown.
"You!" She yelled at him. Seeing the look of worry and confusion on his face she went on. "How could you not tell me about Conner? I can't believe you!" Angel interrupted he before she could go on.
"I didn't want to hurt you. I didn't think I would ever see you again so there wasn't a reason to tell you."
"Well that plan worked really well for you!" Buffy spat at him. "You should have told me no matter what!" She yelled, glaring at him.
"Lets go somewhere else to talk about this." He grabbed he arm and began leading her towards his room. " Fred if you need me we will be in my room." She yanked her arm away from him and followed down the hall towards her room except went into the room across the hall from hers. Once they entered the room she started yelling at him again.
"I can't believe you didn't tell me! Didn't you think I might want to know? Or did you just not care enough to tell me?" She stood in front of him and began sobbing. He stepped towards her, wanting to take her into his arms and comfort her, but she stepped back. He looked at her hurt and she glared back at him.
"I didn't want to hurt you. I knew if I told you wouldn't react well!" He told her, starting to get aggravated.
"Now, what would make you think that?" She asked sarcastically. "Could it have something to do with the fact that I clearly remember you telling me you couldn't have kids? If I remember correctly that was one of the reasons you said you had to leave me. Was I not good enough? Did you not want me anymore? Didn't want to have a life with me?" She asked him, sounding so sad and hurt that his heart was breaking.
"That's not it at all. I can't have kids. Conner is a prophecy." Angel told her, before getting mad himself. "I left you so that you could have a normal life. I slept with Darla because I was so depressed about leaving you!" She interrupted him before he could continue.
"Yeah, that makes tons of sense!" She said sarcastically, "I bet you just thought, 'Hey, I miss Buffy, so let me go sleep with the bitch who tried to kill her.' Yeah, very understandable."
"I wanted to forget about the pain I had from leaving you, and sleeping with her seemed like a good way to ease it for a little while." He said to her a bit loudly.
"What about your soul? You were willing to risk losing it to be with Darla, but not me?" Buffy asked in a small voice.
"No, that's not it at all." He couldn't believe she would even think that. "I knew she couldn't give me perfect happiness like you could." After saying that they just stared at each other before Angel remembered his anger. "How could you go to Spike!? I left so you could have a normal life and you turn to an undead monster who tried killing you and your friends!" He yelled at her.
"You're one to talk! I seem to remember you trying to kill me and everyone who I care about!"
"That was different. Spike doesn't have a soul!"
Spike had been woken up from yelling and followed the noise to across the hall. He opened the door and went in just time to hear Angel's last comment.
"See, that's where you're wrong Peaches. I went out and got a soul, and we aren't together." Spike told him. Angel just stared at him before looking at Buffy for confirmation. At her nod he turned back to Spike. Just then there was a knock at the door and Gunn walked in.
"Angel, we've got trouble." Gunn said, looking between the three people standing in front of him, sensing the tension.
"We'll meet you downstairs in a minute." Angel told him. Gunn nodded and left the room. Angel looked at the others, at Spike and then Buffy, "Buffy…" He trailed off not sure what to say. Buffy walked out of the room and headed towards downstairs drying her eyes. Spike glared at Angel and then followed Buffy. Angel stood for a minute, trying to figure out what happened before shaking his head a following the others.
Once everyone was situated around the table Gunn began filling the others in on what was going on.
"The Beast was spotted by 11th and 14th street. It's getting closer to us." Gunn informed them.
"We need to get this thing now. Have you found a way to get us close enough to the arm chop it off without getting ourselves killed in the process?" Buffy asked, looking at Fred and Gunn who had done most of the researching.
"No. You are going to have to use someone or something as a diversion." Gunn told them.
"I say Peaches runs in front of it as a distraction while Buffy and I go for the arm." Spike said, liking the idea of using his grandsire as a distraction.
"I don't like the idea of using Angel as bait. He could die!" Fred said.
"What a loss that would be." Connor said, but was ignored, except for a glare from Gunn.
"So could we all. Look, the thing is after Angelus, so it will follow Angel where ever he goes, if Buffy or I were to try 'n distract it while Peaches was near it would ignore us and go after him." Spike told them.
"He's right, it has to be me." Angel said, looking around the table at them and most of their scared faces.
"How good are the chances of you turning to dust? Are they good?" Conner questioned, sounding hopeful.
"He wont be turning to dust, so don't get your hopes up." Spike said to the teen. "If I let him die I would have to up with her," he gestured to Buffy with his hand, "crying and being depressed all the time. From what I heard that's exactly what happened the last time the Poof disappeared into some hell dimension."
"To bad he didn't stay there. I bet he fit in perfectly." Connor muttered so only Spike could hear him.
"Look, we have to go after him tonight. We will just have to figure out what to do as we go." Buffy said.
"She's right. We go after it tonight." Angel told everyone.
"Now that that is settled, I could really go for some lunch." Buffy said.
"I have some mac and cheese in my room if you want some." Cordelia told her.
"Great. I love that stuff." Buffy told her.
"We can catch up while we eat. It'll be great!" Cordelia said that before getting up with Buffy and leading her up the stairs and to her room.