1 Rowan- Chapter Two

Rowan's heart beat a little faster at Angel's words. He was not at all what she expected he would be. Her great-grandmother's diary held many descriptions of him, but they were from another time and another place. This Angel had short hair sticking up in odd tufts here and there, and deep brown eyes dark with anger. He was muscular and strongly built, not "skin and bones" as Gran had put it. And long gone were the less-than-fashionable flapper era duds.

Rowan again felt that this was not the good idea it originally seemed to be. Clearing her throat, she managed to say something as her mind feverishly compared what she knew of Angel to the man sitting before her. "You don't look like I expected."

Angel gave a low-volume snort. "And what did you expect?"

Rowan shifted nervously. Taking a deep breath, she decided it was time to explain her self-appointed mission. "Let me introduce myself. I am Rowan McKinney Gallagher."

The vampire didn't have any response to the name. After 240 some years, did it even mean anything to him anymore? Or was it just that it was so common? "I am a professor of Celtic mythology at Penn, and I came to LA for a conference."

Angel shifted in his chair slightly, coming warily alive. "I realize that I am part of mythology, but I didn't think it was the kind studied at ivy leagues."

"Meeting you actually doesn't have anything to do with my position…." Rowan was really at a loss; she didn't know how to explain her interest. "Um, let me start again."

There was a light knock on the door, and the British man entered. "Angel, I think Gunn and I can handle the.." he searched for a word, with a pointed glance at Rowan," …situation ourselves. We'll leave you to talk with Professor Gallagher?"

Angel nodded. "Thanks. I'll keep an eye on Cordy."

Wes pushed his glasses back. "She's lying down right now. Probably be out for a while." Turning, he shut the door behind him quietly. A moment later, there was the sound of a bigger door slamming shut.

Angel turned his attention back to Rowan. "Well?"

Rowan smoothed her hair back and played with a small silver claddaugh ring on her right hand. It had been in her family almost as long as the secret she was going to reveal to the vampire.

"Do you ever think about your family? From before you were turned?" Rowan tried to ask in a respectful manner, but she could see that Angel was uncomfortable with the question. She gave him time to consider an answer.

He chose not to; he just glared at her with those dark eyes. It was quite disconcerting.

She looked down at the ring again before continuing. "The reason I am here as to do with your family. Your human family."

Angel looked less angry but still uncomfortable. "What about them? It's been some time since I saw them, you know."

"I know your history- all of it. Darla, Angelus. The whole scourge of Europe thing." Rowan tried to play off the hundred years of evil, but those entries in the diary had chilled her.

"And you obviously know that I've got my soul again." Angel rose and starting pacing in front of her sofa.

"Yes," Rowan nodded. "As well as how."

"And what is it you want with me?" Angel stopped in mid-pace to glare at her again before continuing.

"Well, there's a part of your family history you don't know about."

"And you know about it how?"

Rowan looked him squarely in the face. McKinney genes had bred true in her; could he see it? Granted, her eyes held a bit more green than his, and her hair had abundant auburn streaks from the sun his never saw- but wasn't there enough in her face to clue him in?

Angel looked straight back at her, never blinking. And then she realized. Silly witch! He hasn't seen his reflection in how long? And mirrors weren't the best back in his day; he may never have actually gotten a good look at his own face. Rising from her seated position, Rowan stepped in front of his pacing. "Nice to meet you, many-times-over Grand- da."