Over the next day Angel kept a close lookout for trouble but nothing popped up for quite some time. Spike was gone and Riley hadn't shown up. They might have gotten off fairly lightly.

Then the telephone rang. That was not always a good sign lately. Angel picked it up and cautiously answered, "Hello, Angel Investigations."

"Angel? It's Kate Lockley."

"Kate." Angel relaxed. A call from the police would normally be a significant cause for alarm but considering that the caller was Kate, he wasn't too worried. The problem was probably demon related and she just wanted their assistance. "Anything we can help you with?"

"No, it's more like you're the one who needs help. Do you have a little girl named Buffy staying with you?"

Angel looked across the lobby to where Buffy was watching an episode of "Rugrats" on the videotape Cordelia had insisted they make. "How do you know about her?"

"I have a friend who works in DCF. The Department of Children and Family. She tipped me off to a situation they're supposed to look into. The Kids Corner Day Care Center reported some irregularities with a girl named Buffy Angel who was listed as living at your address. As a favor to me, my friend let me know."

"What does all that mean? What are they going to do?"

Kate explained, "Someone from the department will be visiting you to find out more. If she doesn't like the answers you give, she could take Buffy away and you could be in serious legal trouble."

"They can't take Buffy," Angel insisted. "She's fine here."

"Then the department can check you out and decide that for themselves?" Kate asked. "You'll be able to give them the answers they want, such as documentation and proof that this child is legally in your custody?"

"Not exactly," Angel admitted. "But this situation is temporary. She won't even be staying here for more than another couple of weeks."

Kate was silent for a moment. Then she said, "I'm not surprised to hear that there are complications. I think we can straighten everything out with no more trouble, though. Bring Buffy to the station tonight at 8. I'll have a friend from DCF here. I'll vouch for you and we can gloss over any loose ends."

"Are you sure it will work out? I just have to show up with Buffy?"

"Basically. It shouldn't be too difficult at all."

"All right," Angel decided, "we'll be there. Thanks for helping." He hung up, still going over his options. There was the possibility of running away with Buffy so the authorities couldn't find her. They didn't know who she really was and once she was back to normal, they'd never figure things out. But they wouldn't stop pressuring Angel for answers and he'd be jeopardizing the agency and their clients if the police started investigating them. Kate had seemed confident that she could fix things. Angel decided to trust her and go to the meeting.

When they heard the story, Gunn, Cordelia, and Wesley were all optimistic that things would fall into place and crisis would be averted. Buffy didn't know anything about it except that she was going out with Angel that night and would see the inside of a real police station and meet a few new people.

She didn't seem very happy and Angel couldn't figure out why until she looked up at him with a betrayed expression and complained, "You promised! We're going to the Digimon movie tonight!"

Angel had forgotten the promise he had made last night. "We'll see the movie tomorrow instead," he bargained.

"No! You promised!"

Buffy obviously took promises very seriously. Angel turned to the newspaper and found that the only two nearby showings of the "Digimon" movie that evening started before sunset and right after 8:00. "Wesley or Gunn can take you to the early showing," he offered Buffy.

"You take me! You promised!"

"All right, I did promise." Angel turned to Gunn. "If you can drive us over and there's enough shade, I should be able to make it. After the movie, it'll be dark and I'll walk Buffy right to the station. It isn't far from the theater."

That idea worked out well. When the credits began to roll on the movie, Angel and Buffy were both settled into seats in the middle of the theater. Buffy had candy, soda, and popcorn and was eagerly looking forward to the film. Angel just hoped he could stay awake through the whole thing.

About an hour and a half later, he came out of a stupor to realize that movie was over. Gunn and Wesley had been right when they'd said it was 88 minutes of their life they'd never get back. He felt that way too and he was immortal. Buffy had enjoyed it, though, and that was the important thing.

As he led her out of the theater, Angel checked the time. They should be able to make it to the station with a few minutes to spare. That was what he assumed, anyway, but he hadn't accounted for Buffy's curiosity. As they walked, she kept trying to stop and investigate various shops full of fascinating window displays. Angel had to pick her up and carry her inside the station at the end of their trip. Instead of being early for the meeting, they were a few minutes late.

Kate was waiting just inside, looking anxious. "Angel, you're here. Good. And this must be Buffy. We have a meeting room to ourselves. Let's go there and work this all out."

She showed them to the room where the social worker was waiting and introduced them. Then Kate left to go back to her desk outside. After a few basic questions and absolutely no request for proof in the form of legal papers, the social worker spoke briefly to Buffy. Then she turned back to Angel. "Well, Kate vouches for you and everything seems fine so I don't think we need to pursue this matter any farther, as long as no other problems arise."

Angel looked at the social worker. She must have really owed Kate big but he wasn't about to complain. "Thank you. We'll be going home now. It's past Buffy's bedtime."

"I don't have one!" Buffy blurted, becoming talkative.

Not giving her a chance to say anything else, Angel quickly led her out of the room. It was over and they could go home. Then he remembered Kate. It would be only polite to thank her. She had saved him a lot of trouble. "Wait right here, Buffy," he instructed, pointing to the bench they were standing beside. He waited until she was sitting down before he hurried across the room to where Kate was working.

"How did it go?" she asked when he got there.

"Fine. Very smoothly. Thanks for the help. I owe you now."

"No problem," Kate replied. "And good luck."

"Right." Angel turned and went back to the bench to collect Buffy so they could go home. Only she wasn't there.

Angel turned and looked all around the room. Then he did it again, but he still didn't see Buffy anywhere. She was missing.

TBC