Angel waited helplessly for Cordelia to return to the lobby. He didn't dare leave Buffy alone. He didn't like the way she was peering into the weapons cases.
Finally, after what felt like an hour but was probably only about five minutes, Cordelia came back into the room. Angel asked her, "Where are Gunn and Wesley?"
"Out on a case. A client came in while you were sleeping."
"Oh." There went the idea of asking one of them to help him. Gunn had had a sister. He probably knew a lot more about how to handle little children than Angel did. It was true that Angel had had a younger sister but that was a very long time ago and he hadn't been her caregiver anyway. "What am I supposed to do with Buffy? Willow and Xander didn't leave anything. No clothes or toys or food or even a list."
He had said the wrong thing within Buffy's hearing. "I'm hungry!" she wailed.
"OK, we'll get you something to eat. Cordy?" Angel stared expectantly at her.
"Don't look at me. I'm not your cook."
"We have to get her food," Angel repeated.
"Correction," Cordelia replied. "YOU do. She's YOUR responsibility. I'm staying out of this mess."
"I'M HUNGRY!" Buffy shouted at the top of her lungs.
Angel winced. "All right, all right, I'll get you something. What do you like?"
"Ice cream!" Buffy yelled, tears streaming down her face. "Cookies!"
Angel looked at Cordelia again. She shook her head. Angel frantically tried to think of whatever food they might have in the kitchen that he had a chance of preparing. "How about eggs? Or vegetables? I think we have vegetables."
Buffy began to turn red. "I don't like them! I'm hungry!"
"Well, it's the middle of the day," Angel pointed out, more for Cordelia's sake than for Buffy's. "If my supposed friends aren't willing to help, I don't have many options. It's not like I can go running off to the store right now."
"So find a place that delivers," Cordelia suggested.
"Delivery?" Angel thought. "Domino's. All their ads say Domino's delivers. Buffy, do you like pizza?" She didn't answer and he turned around to hunt for her. She had wandered back to the weapons cases and was gazing raptly at the longest, shiniest sword of all. At least she'd stopped crying. Rather than risk upsetting her again, Angel consulted with Cordelia. "What do you think?"
"What do I think? I think almost all kids like pizza."
"Great." Angel sighed with relief and grabbed the phone book. He could handle this much.
........
Cordelia had been right. Buffy did like pizza. After finishing her meal, she'd curled up in the middle of the floor to take a nap, which disturbed Angel a little until he figured he could keep an eye on her there and she didn't seem to mind where she was. The longer she slept, the more he allowed himself to relax.
Until the doors burst open and Wesley strode in out of the dusk, wielding a slimy ax. "One nest of havelock demons, all taken care of," he announced.
"Shhh!" Angel hissed, pointing at the sleeping girl.
Wesley lowered his voice. "Who is that? A client's daughter?"
"Unfortunately not." Angel explained quietly about Willow's spell and the reasons Buffy had ended up with him.
"How interesting." Wesley walked forward, studying Buffy like she was a fascinating scientific experiment.
"Don't wake her up," Angel warned. "She's much easier to watch when she's sleeping."
The phone then rang, causing them both to jump. Luckily, Buffy didn't even stir and Cordelia was able to grab the phone before it could sound again. "Hello?" Short pause. "Yeah, Angel's here and Wesley just got back." Longer pause. "Dammit! All right, I'll tell them." She hung up and informed Wesley, "That was Gunn. You know the demons in that nest you went to destroy? You missed a few. Guess where they are right now? You obviously have no clue, so I'll tell you. They're on Easter Street, attacking everything in sight."
Angel and Wesley looked at each other. "I guess we're there too, then." Angel ran over to the weapons cases and selected a few items for himself. "Watch Buffy till I get back, OK, Cordy?" he called as he ran out the door after Wesley.
"I'm not a babysitter!" Cordelia yelled back but it was too late. Angel was gone.
TBC
I'll post the next part tomorrow afternoon.
Queen Boadicea, sorry to tell you this but this story is a challenge response and one of the requirements includes Spike's presence. I only plan to have him appear in one short part to fulfill that requirement, though, if that helps.
Finally, after what felt like an hour but was probably only about five minutes, Cordelia came back into the room. Angel asked her, "Where are Gunn and Wesley?"
"Out on a case. A client came in while you were sleeping."
"Oh." There went the idea of asking one of them to help him. Gunn had had a sister. He probably knew a lot more about how to handle little children than Angel did. It was true that Angel had had a younger sister but that was a very long time ago and he hadn't been her caregiver anyway. "What am I supposed to do with Buffy? Willow and Xander didn't leave anything. No clothes or toys or food or even a list."
He had said the wrong thing within Buffy's hearing. "I'm hungry!" she wailed.
"OK, we'll get you something to eat. Cordy?" Angel stared expectantly at her.
"Don't look at me. I'm not your cook."
"We have to get her food," Angel repeated.
"Correction," Cordelia replied. "YOU do. She's YOUR responsibility. I'm staying out of this mess."
"I'M HUNGRY!" Buffy shouted at the top of her lungs.
Angel winced. "All right, all right, I'll get you something. What do you like?"
"Ice cream!" Buffy yelled, tears streaming down her face. "Cookies!"
Angel looked at Cordelia again. She shook her head. Angel frantically tried to think of whatever food they might have in the kitchen that he had a chance of preparing. "How about eggs? Or vegetables? I think we have vegetables."
Buffy began to turn red. "I don't like them! I'm hungry!"
"Well, it's the middle of the day," Angel pointed out, more for Cordelia's sake than for Buffy's. "If my supposed friends aren't willing to help, I don't have many options. It's not like I can go running off to the store right now."
"So find a place that delivers," Cordelia suggested.
"Delivery?" Angel thought. "Domino's. All their ads say Domino's delivers. Buffy, do you like pizza?" She didn't answer and he turned around to hunt for her. She had wandered back to the weapons cases and was gazing raptly at the longest, shiniest sword of all. At least she'd stopped crying. Rather than risk upsetting her again, Angel consulted with Cordelia. "What do you think?"
"What do I think? I think almost all kids like pizza."
"Great." Angel sighed with relief and grabbed the phone book. He could handle this much.
........
Cordelia had been right. Buffy did like pizza. After finishing her meal, she'd curled up in the middle of the floor to take a nap, which disturbed Angel a little until he figured he could keep an eye on her there and she didn't seem to mind where she was. The longer she slept, the more he allowed himself to relax.
Until the doors burst open and Wesley strode in out of the dusk, wielding a slimy ax. "One nest of havelock demons, all taken care of," he announced.
"Shhh!" Angel hissed, pointing at the sleeping girl.
Wesley lowered his voice. "Who is that? A client's daughter?"
"Unfortunately not." Angel explained quietly about Willow's spell and the reasons Buffy had ended up with him.
"How interesting." Wesley walked forward, studying Buffy like she was a fascinating scientific experiment.
"Don't wake her up," Angel warned. "She's much easier to watch when she's sleeping."
The phone then rang, causing them both to jump. Luckily, Buffy didn't even stir and Cordelia was able to grab the phone before it could sound again. "Hello?" Short pause. "Yeah, Angel's here and Wesley just got back." Longer pause. "Dammit! All right, I'll tell them." She hung up and informed Wesley, "That was Gunn. You know the demons in that nest you went to destroy? You missed a few. Guess where they are right now? You obviously have no clue, so I'll tell you. They're on Easter Street, attacking everything in sight."
Angel and Wesley looked at each other. "I guess we're there too, then." Angel ran over to the weapons cases and selected a few items for himself. "Watch Buffy till I get back, OK, Cordy?" he called as he ran out the door after Wesley.
"I'm not a babysitter!" Cordelia yelled back but it was too late. Angel was gone.
TBC
I'll post the next part tomorrow afternoon.
Queen Boadicea, sorry to tell you this but this story is a challenge response and one of the requirements includes Spike's presence. I only plan to have him appear in one short part to fulfill that requirement, though, if that helps.
