Chapter 2! Read and PLEASE Review! I love reviews and the more I get the sooner I update!
P.S. I have finals until next Wednesday,4, and then summer break! I'll update more then and whenever I can between studying!
Andrew had insisted on blindfolding everyone until they got to the hotel to prolong the mystery, therefore Buffy hadn't been able to recognize the area and where they were heading. If she had, she would have made them turn around and go to a different hotel because as much as she wanted to see Angel, she wanted to do it in her own time, when she was prepared. But Andrew hadn't let them take off the blindfolds until they were all just in front of the hotel. When she recognized where they were, she had instantly gone pale, but had been too shocked to walk away and let Rona, who had a big grin on her face, usher everyone in.
He was the first thing she saw. She looked at him for a moment noticing how, after all these years, he was still wearing all black. She looked over his broad shoulders, then at his face. He looked older than he had, but she knew that wasn't possible; vampires didn't age. That was when he noticed her. He turned his head toward her, looking directly in her eyes, and also went pale. They felt everyone else's eyes on them, but couldn't bring themselves to look away from the other, thinking that if they did the other would disappear. She heard Dawn say something and then another guy spoke, but was to absorbed in her own world to pay any attention.
"Hello! We booked rooms at the best hotel around, and all you can do is stare at each other!" Andrew said to the group. Not only were Buffy and Angel staring at each other, but everyone else was either staring at them or at someone else in the room. Xander looked up and glared at him, effectively making Andrew shut up.
"Uh, Dad? What's going on?" Connor asked Angel.
Dawn turned quickly to look at Connor once he said that. "Your dad is here? Where?" She asked. Angel and Buffy were still staring at one another, not having heard the boy.
"Right there." Connor said, indicating toward Angel. Dawn looked to Angel then back at Connor in disbelief.
"That's not possible. He can't have kids; he's a vampire and they can't…"
"Yeah. It's a thing." Connor told her, not wanting to explain it right then. "How do you know about vamps anyway?"
"It's a thing." She told him, using his own words. Connor stared at her another moment deciding that they could talk later. He turned back to Angel just as Down turned back to Buffy.
"Dad!" Connor said loudly.
"Buffy!" Dawn said at the same time, just as loudly.
Having finally gotten his father's attention, Connor repeated his question. "What's going on?"
Buffy had turned to the boy next to her sister when he had said dad. It took her a moment before she realized who he was referring to and managed to go even paler. She stared at the boy another minute, seeing the resemblance, then back to Angel. "Dad?" She asked quietly.
"Uh, yeah." Was all Angel got out. He knew he had to, and wanted to, tell Buffy about his son sometime, but not like this where so many things could go wrong.
"Hey, Angel." Willow said, trying to break the tension that was consuming the entire room.
"Hi, Willow." He said, turning away from Buffy to look at the red head. "How are you?"
"Been better. You?" She asked. Everyone else, who didn't know what was going on, was till staring around confusedly while Xander, Giles, and Faith remained silent, not wanting to get in the middle of anything.
When Willow asked her question, Angel turned back to Buffy and stared right at her while he answered. "Not sure yet."
That was right when Dawn realized something. "Spike!" She squeeled before running to him and throwing her arms around his neck in a hug, pulling back moments later. "How are you here? How come you didn't tell us you weren't dead? And why are you so warm?"
"I think that's a story for another time Bit." The bleach blonde told the girl hanging onto him, knowing there were bigger issues to discuss.
"Hey everyone. Long time no see." Faith greeted everyone, in an amused voice, just knowing this was going to be an amusing evening and wanting to ease more of the tension.
"Hello Faith." Wesley greeted back. Just then Cordelia walked in. She had seen some old friends at the restaurant and stayed with them for a bit before catching a taxi back to the hotel. She walked right in, not seeming to notice everyone there, having gotten used to having large groups of people standing around the lobby. Then she made her way to the rest of the Fang Gang and looked to see who they were staring at.
"Oh, great. It's Buffy and the rest of the group. Interesting." She said, noticing the other two girls she didn't know, who looked like they were expecting to be attacked any moment. "Oh, no. Not more slayers. One is enough, we really don't need four more."
"You are all slayers?" The girl who had been behind the desk had come up to the group before and was now making herself known.
"Maybe. What's it to you?" Faith asked suspiciously.
"She's one too. Her name is Steph." Connor told her. "You three are slayers?" He asked, indicating to the other three girls that came in with Faith.
"No." Buffy said to him. "Willow isn't." She told him, pointing to the red head. "I'm Buffy. That's Kennedy and that's Rona." She said, pointing the girls out. Buffy was so confused that she hardly even knew what she was doing. "Dawn." Buffy said, walking up to her sister and hugging her.
"Hey Buff."
"Umm…Angel?" Fred asked, getting her boss' attention. "Why don't we get everyone settled in for the night, and we can all talk in the morning?"
"That's a good idea."
"Andrew, who did you have sharing rooms?" Kennedy asked him. It would be easier for him to tell them now, rather that trying to figure it out themselves.
"Xander and I are sharing, Kennedy and Willow, Faith and Rona, and Giles and Wood. Buffy gets her own room." Andrew explained.
"Great." Faith said. "How 'bout you manly men grab the bags while we get the rooms?" She suggested, walking off following the girl, Steph, back to the desk to get the rooms and keys, before the guys had time to object.
"Dawn why don't you stay with me tonight?" Buffy asked. "I don't want you driving home this late at night. Plus, we can do some sisterly bonding." Connor had been standing next to Dawn and when he heard Buffy say "sisterly" he became even more shocked , but didn't say anything about it at the moment.
"Ok." Dawn agreed. Everyone got their keys and walked to their rooms with the guys carrying everything. Buffy and Dawn changed into pajamas. Buffy lent Dawn a pair of hers, and they curled up under the blankets of the king size bed together. Before either of them could say anything there was a knock at the door.
"Who is it?" Buffy yelled from the bed, not wanting to leave the warm blankets to open the door.
"Angel." Came the muffled reply.
"Come on in." Buffy yelled back. Angel walked in and saw her and Dawn staring at him from the bed. He hadn't known that Dawn was staying with Buffy.
"Sorry. Didn't know you two were sharing a room. I'll just see you in the morning," he said before heading back to the door.
"Angel! Wait!" To Buffy's surprise Dawn told Angel to stop and hopped out of bed. "I'll just go stay with Connor." She said. "He is staying the night, isn't he?"
"Yeah." Angel said, turning to face her. "Room 3."
"Thanks. Night Buffy." Dawn looked at her panicked sister, who was still lying in bed, and gave her an encouraging smile before walking out.
"I can come back tomorrow if you want." Angel told her, noting how pale she had gone. She sat up and leaned against the wall behind her.
"No, that's ok." She said. "Here, sit." Buffy patted the bed next to her, and Angel sat.
"How are you? Really?" Angel asked her, genuinely concerned.
"I'm doing well. We all helped Giles rebuild the Council in England and we're training some slayers there. The Council is even paying us." Buffy paused there. "But considering Giles is running it, that really isn't surprising." She said with a smile. Angel chuckled at that, knowing how Giles had fought the old Council about paying Buffy before.
"That's good."
"So, how are you doing?"
"I'm ok." Angel stopped for a second. "But we really need to talk."
"Can it wait till the morning? I don't think I'm up for one of our serious talks tonight."
"Yeah, sure." Angel said, moving to get up from the bed. "I'll just leave you to sleep."
"Wait…" Angel stopped his movement, still sitting on the bed with his feet on the floor. Buffy paused a moment before nervously asking, "Can you stay? Just lay with me?"
"Yeah. I can do that." Angel removed his shoes and socks before climbing back in the bed and under the blankets. He lay stiffly on his side of the large bed, not sure of what she wanted. Buffy scooted towards him and rested her head on his chest, closing her eyes. Then her eyes suddenly got really big.
"Angel…?"