She adopted, as she always thought she would. A fifteen year old package of molten fury with curly, white-blonde hair and a temper that rivaled Dylan's own. She knew she needed some kind of family that she could count on not to shoot her off a window, jump of a boat, or try several times to kill. She felt that she had finally figured out that family isn't just a dependable boyfriend. And so Leah became part of her family, joining Alex, Bosley, and Natalie.
But there was still Shaemus to deal with. She testified at his trial, but this time she didn't change her name. While he was still a threat, she still knew she could deal with him. And for the next ten years, he would be behind bars and out of her way, almost as if he were really dead. But after ten years, she'd have him on her mind again.
She knew that being an Angel, she would have enemies. She also knew it would be dangerous to have a daughter because Leah would have to watch her back all the time. But she knew Leah could do it, she'd had her share of tough times. But more than that, Leah could be considered a weakness, and Dylan didn't want it to be that way. So she educated her.
"Leah, there's someone who could be a serious threat to your life that I really want you to know about."
Leah yawned and rested her head on her hands.
"Just like the last twenty guys?"
"Yeah, but this guy's different. He actually came close."
Leah laughed. "Really? Just how close?"
"He almost killed me, and he would have if things hadn't turned out like they had…" She trailed off, trying not to remember the Thin Man's sacrifice, his kiss, his death…
"But why'd he get so close? Why did he get so much farther than everyone else?"
"Because I loved him."
Intrigued, Leah sat up, her eyes wide with curiosity. "Really? Tell me more."
No matter how many stories she told, how many pictures she showed her, she could not get Leah to grasp how dangerous he really was. Leah assumed that the only reason he'd gotten close was because of Dylan's previous love for him, she didn't know that that wasn't the whole part. He could kill her even if she didn't love, or hate, him. But Leah's confidence did not help her in this instance. It took a lot of doing to convince Leah that she, nor most people could not hold her own against Shaemus O'Grady without help. She didn't want her getting cocky about her skills.
But she still thought that she needed to show Leah what she might be up against. The question was, how? She was going to visit Shaemus in prison anyway, as a way of tying up loose ends and testing how bitter he was. She'd bring Leah, and she'd watch from a distance. Then she could judge for herself how dangerous Shaemus was.
Of course she didn't want Shaemus knowing she had a daughter. It would give him ten years to plan how he'd play on her weaknesses, destroy her life again. She wasn't going to let him have all the facts, at least not from her, if she could help it. But she knew Leah had to see for herself.
***
"Cleared. You can go in, Ms. Sanders. Booth five, he's there waiting."
She could feel his eyes following her, but this time, she was glad. He wouldn't notice the 'Leah Sanders, you've been cleared. Go on in.' behind her. But he didn't miss everything. He watched her sit down, watched her gingerly pick up the telephone so that she could talk to him through the thick glass.
Looking him over, she knew he'd been working out in his cell again. If anything, he looked more furious than before. He was wearing one of those prison uniforms, but only the pants. His chest was bare, she figured out of intimidation. His surly demeanor was surely not missed.
"Came to visit, have you?"
His faraway voice seemed to shock her back into reality. She took a deep breath and looked up to face him, ignoring the sneer on his face, and the way he was gripping the phone so hard that it might break.
"Yes. I have."
He let of a burst of air and sat back, looking around at the other visitors suspiciously. Apprehensively, Dylan tried to follow his gaze. She knew he was searching the guests with his eyes, he knew she was hiding something. She just hoped he wouldn't see the fifteen year old with white blonde hair talking to a black man two booths over in a staged conversation. If he noticed anything he didn't show it, and he replaced the phone against his ear again.
"You've brought someone."
She stared at him, trying hard not to turn red both out of anger and embarrassment. She knew he could judge her emotions pretty well, but if it was that clear, then, well, she just wasn't good at this anymore. She knew he might be bluffing, so she put on a cool face and picked at her nails as if she didn't care.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. Don't think I don't know you well enough to judge when you're hiding something. You're doing exactly what you did before you turned me in."
"Really?" she said quietly, looking down at her nails and trying to act uninterested.
"It's the blonde one, isn't it? Over there talking?"
She froze, and by his bemused reaction she knew she couldn't hide it anymore without shaming herself. He knew now by her reaction.
"Wanted her to know what she was up against, did you?"
"Something like that." She braved a glance at him and found that he was mocking her again.
"Adopted, isn't she? Can't exactly have a kid within two months, can you?"
Dylan didn't answer, but looked over to where Leah was talking quietly with the other man. But glancing quickly back towards Dylan, Leah obviously got the picture. On her face was a mixture of confusion and quiet anger. Dylan hoped desperately that she'd look away before Shaemus had a chance to familiarize himself with her appearance, but she stood, quietly said goodbye to the man she was talking to, and walked over to stand behind Dylan, her hand on Dylan's shoulder.
"Bold one, isn't she?" Shaemus remarked to Dylan, smiling almost sinisterly.
Dylan rubbed her forehead vigorously, feeling older and stupider by the minute. She didn't want to be outdone in front of her own daughter, but at least Leah was getting the jist of his personality.
"What's your name, then?" he went on, this time to Leah.
"That's not important," Leah said defiantly, but she couldn't help feeling a little intimidated.
"I think it is. Leah, isn't it?"
Dylan stopped rubbing her forehead and started breathing heavily. She sat up and looked Shaemus in the eye. This was more than a random lucky guess.
"How -- did -- you -- know?" she said forcibly, spitting out each word as if it were poison.
"I have sources, Helen. I thought you knew."
"What fucking sources can you have from a prison cell?"
Dylan had attracted the guard's attention, and he came over, preventing Shaemus from replying, to Dylan's displeasure.
"Is everything alright here?"
Dylan allowed herself one last livid glare before pulling Leah away.
"I -- will -- be -- back." she breathed, grunting force into each word. She wanted him to understand every word.
But there was still Shaemus to deal with. She testified at his trial, but this time she didn't change her name. While he was still a threat, she still knew she could deal with him. And for the next ten years, he would be behind bars and out of her way, almost as if he were really dead. But after ten years, she'd have him on her mind again.
She knew that being an Angel, she would have enemies. She also knew it would be dangerous to have a daughter because Leah would have to watch her back all the time. But she knew Leah could do it, she'd had her share of tough times. But more than that, Leah could be considered a weakness, and Dylan didn't want it to be that way. So she educated her.
"Leah, there's someone who could be a serious threat to your life that I really want you to know about."
Leah yawned and rested her head on her hands.
"Just like the last twenty guys?"
"Yeah, but this guy's different. He actually came close."
Leah laughed. "Really? Just how close?"
"He almost killed me, and he would have if things hadn't turned out like they had…" She trailed off, trying not to remember the Thin Man's sacrifice, his kiss, his death…
"But why'd he get so close? Why did he get so much farther than everyone else?"
"Because I loved him."
Intrigued, Leah sat up, her eyes wide with curiosity. "Really? Tell me more."
No matter how many stories she told, how many pictures she showed her, she could not get Leah to grasp how dangerous he really was. Leah assumed that the only reason he'd gotten close was because of Dylan's previous love for him, she didn't know that that wasn't the whole part. He could kill her even if she didn't love, or hate, him. But Leah's confidence did not help her in this instance. It took a lot of doing to convince Leah that she, nor most people could not hold her own against Shaemus O'Grady without help. She didn't want her getting cocky about her skills.
But she still thought that she needed to show Leah what she might be up against. The question was, how? She was going to visit Shaemus in prison anyway, as a way of tying up loose ends and testing how bitter he was. She'd bring Leah, and she'd watch from a distance. Then she could judge for herself how dangerous Shaemus was.
Of course she didn't want Shaemus knowing she had a daughter. It would give him ten years to plan how he'd play on her weaknesses, destroy her life again. She wasn't going to let him have all the facts, at least not from her, if she could help it. But she knew Leah had to see for herself.
***
"Cleared. You can go in, Ms. Sanders. Booth five, he's there waiting."
She could feel his eyes following her, but this time, she was glad. He wouldn't notice the 'Leah Sanders, you've been cleared. Go on in.' behind her. But he didn't miss everything. He watched her sit down, watched her gingerly pick up the telephone so that she could talk to him through the thick glass.
Looking him over, she knew he'd been working out in his cell again. If anything, he looked more furious than before. He was wearing one of those prison uniforms, but only the pants. His chest was bare, she figured out of intimidation. His surly demeanor was surely not missed.
"Came to visit, have you?"
His faraway voice seemed to shock her back into reality. She took a deep breath and looked up to face him, ignoring the sneer on his face, and the way he was gripping the phone so hard that it might break.
"Yes. I have."
He let of a burst of air and sat back, looking around at the other visitors suspiciously. Apprehensively, Dylan tried to follow his gaze. She knew he was searching the guests with his eyes, he knew she was hiding something. She just hoped he wouldn't see the fifteen year old with white blonde hair talking to a black man two booths over in a staged conversation. If he noticed anything he didn't show it, and he replaced the phone against his ear again.
"You've brought someone."
She stared at him, trying hard not to turn red both out of anger and embarrassment. She knew he could judge her emotions pretty well, but if it was that clear, then, well, she just wasn't good at this anymore. She knew he might be bluffing, so she put on a cool face and picked at her nails as if she didn't care.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. Don't think I don't know you well enough to judge when you're hiding something. You're doing exactly what you did before you turned me in."
"Really?" she said quietly, looking down at her nails and trying to act uninterested.
"It's the blonde one, isn't it? Over there talking?"
She froze, and by his bemused reaction she knew she couldn't hide it anymore without shaming herself. He knew now by her reaction.
"Wanted her to know what she was up against, did you?"
"Something like that." She braved a glance at him and found that he was mocking her again.
"Adopted, isn't she? Can't exactly have a kid within two months, can you?"
Dylan didn't answer, but looked over to where Leah was talking quietly with the other man. But glancing quickly back towards Dylan, Leah obviously got the picture. On her face was a mixture of confusion and quiet anger. Dylan hoped desperately that she'd look away before Shaemus had a chance to familiarize himself with her appearance, but she stood, quietly said goodbye to the man she was talking to, and walked over to stand behind Dylan, her hand on Dylan's shoulder.
"Bold one, isn't she?" Shaemus remarked to Dylan, smiling almost sinisterly.
Dylan rubbed her forehead vigorously, feeling older and stupider by the minute. She didn't want to be outdone in front of her own daughter, but at least Leah was getting the jist of his personality.
"What's your name, then?" he went on, this time to Leah.
"That's not important," Leah said defiantly, but she couldn't help feeling a little intimidated.
"I think it is. Leah, isn't it?"
Dylan stopped rubbing her forehead and started breathing heavily. She sat up and looked Shaemus in the eye. This was more than a random lucky guess.
"How -- did -- you -- know?" she said forcibly, spitting out each word as if it were poison.
"I have sources, Helen. I thought you knew."
"What fucking sources can you have from a prison cell?"
Dylan had attracted the guard's attention, and he came over, preventing Shaemus from replying, to Dylan's displeasure.
"Is everything alright here?"
Dylan allowed herself one last livid glare before pulling Leah away.
"I -- will -- be -- back." she breathed, grunting force into each word. She wanted him to understand every word.
