To all you Wesley lovers out there, don't worry, there's gonna be a lot of him later on....


Part 3
Terminus Sunnydale

It was close to dawn when they arrived in Sunnydale. She could smell the daylight hours before the sun rose over the horizon. It was a startling scent that each time filled her with a strange uncommon fear. She wanted to bury herself in the ground and never witness that blasted ball of fire rising on the sky ever again. But as always she held back that odd desire, knowing very well that mostly she was human and whatever vampire urges she held inside would surely kill her if she chose to follow them. She smirked remembering one of her most unpleasant experiences with those urges.

It had been after she had turned 14. One day when she was out on some random celebration with her friends, a bunch of crazy mages that followed her uncle Remy's school of witchcraft, she had fallen for a jazz singer in some sleazy joint called 'La Bouche D'Or'. But it hadn't been a sexual attraction, but a sort of dirtier desire, a murderous instinct that had been awakened at the sight of him. At first, she didn't understand what it was, but then when she talked to him she realized she wasn't interested in whatever he had to say. She didn't care for his jokes, his songs, his smile. All she could hear was his heartbeat. Oh, it was so fast. Too fast. All she wanted was to slow down that heartbeat and if she could bring herself to do it, stop it. She had quickly convinced him to leave with her and she had thrown him in a dirty alley and instead of doing what he had suspected her to want she had ripped his throat open and drank all the blood she could take. She could hear his heart beating slower and slower and god did she ever like the way that ticking just seemed to want to stop. When her blood filled hands reached down to grasp that heart and pull it out of his chest, her father had shown up.

'What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?' she could still hear him now. Had he been furious! He had called her everything from irresponsible to stupid, eventually begging her to never mention a word of the happening to her mother. She would have been spooked if she had known. Joy had understood and never told her mother anything to this day. The boy had been lucky. If her father hadn't appeared, she would have killed him. Sure he had spent a few weeks in a hospital, but eventually he recovered. She smiled. He was probably the only human who truly feared her. How come her father had been able to find her? They shared a special bond, very close to the one sires and childes shared with one another. Sometimes her mother had envied that connection complaining that she had no idea what was going on with her, while her father seemed to understand her every action. 'Because we're both the same kind of monsters' Joy usually replied to these 'accusations'. Her mother would frown and pout and eventually smile and say 'I guess we're all monsters inside. I just wish you'd be the kind of monster I am.' Her mother usually called herself that; it was her own way of punishing herself. Joy would only agree with her years later.

She looked out the window of the car, the reason of her visit to the past suddenly falling upon her with all its weight, for a moment, crashing her spirit. Suddenly, she breathed, letting out a heavy sigh. Cordelia gave her a small glance, but quickly returned to stare out the window. Poor thing, Joy thought, she probably felt more lost than she did.

It was strange to see Sunnydale as it had been before it had become ashes and rubble. All the streets, all the buildings, every person that would soon perish. 'This is where the Bronze used to be. The coolest place to hang and dance if you're a teen in Sunnydale' her mother's voice echoed in her mind as they passed the still lit sign of the legendary Bronze. 'Everybody came here. That's where the stage used to be. Dingoes ate my baby played there and Veruca's band. Remember her? The evil werewolf?' her mother's eyes had such a bright light inside them when she spoke of the past - a light that was replaced by another the day she left Sunnydale behind. And that new light was maybe less bright, but it lacked the shadows that had burdened the other. Outside Sunnydale her mother had found the one thing that had been taken from her on the hellmouth, her freedom.

'And there - see that big crater? That's where Sunnydale High was. That's where I went to school. Your aunt Dawnie too. And Willow. And Xander. Even Anya,' her mother's voice continued to speak in her mind as they passed a street from where Joy spotted the distant building of the Sunnydale High. 'And Cordelia too, right?' she heard herself ask in her mind. 'Her too,' her mother agreed with her. As they turned the corner to another street, Joy's heart began to beat faster.

'It was pretty. All white and the door...well it was changed very often cause any demon that wanted a piece of the slayer eventually came in or went out *with* the door. Demons never knock. You know, now that it's gone, I just wish I'd looked at it a bit more. Never know how much you'd miss something until it's gone. Even the most insignificant thing, like the shape of a house' her mother's voice told her as the car pulled up to a house. Was this it? The Summers house? The house that always appeared in her dreams as an unconquerable palace?

"This is it," Angel told them suddenly realizing none of them knew what 'it' was. His son had never been there, neither had Joy and Cordelia didn't remember what 'it' was. Everyone expected an explanation. "This is the place the slayer lives."

"Oh," Cordelia let out. "And what are we doing here?" she asked.

"I'm going to ask her to help us out with the gholas. If what Joy's saying is true, we won't be able to handle them all by ourselves," Angel explained. "Besides, I promised her I'd tell her if I'd come into town and not sneak around trying not to run into her."

"Why would you do that?" Connor suddenly asked.

"Long story," Angel didn't feel like sharing his romantic history with him. Somehow he felt as if Connor was a rival in his quest for Cordelia's heart. When they reached the door, Angel remembered what time it was. He hesitated for a moment before ringing the bell. He rang once. Twice. Three times. Four times and still no answer. Only after the fifth ring an irritated, grouchy voice yelled an 'all right, all right' from inside and footsteps were heard. When the door opened, a smile escaped Angel. The slayer was wearing her pajamas - a light pink and white combination - her hair was messed up and her pouty face betrayed the fact that she had been awakened from a deep sleep.

"Angel?" she asked sleepily. Joy's hands trembled. Oh, she was so sweet, so young. Her mother! She had seen her this young before, but she looked different then. She didn't understand why. It was the look in her eyes, she thought. Buffy shook her head, trying to snap herself awake. "Angel!" she eventually smiled and instinctually hugged him. Angel returned the hug, holding on a bit too long. Buffy proceeded to hug Cordelia. The half demon felt weird hugging a complete stranger. "God!" the slayer let out as she invited them in. "So what brings you Sunnydale? Scary apocalypse?" she asked as they entered the living room. Joy stayed a bit behind, taking in the surroundings. She seemed to want to memorize every object, every shade, every smell of that house.

"No, nothing like that," Angel assured her.

"Oh god, am I going to die?" It suddenly dawned on the slayer. "Again?" she added.

"No," Angel said smiling.

"Good. It'd be kinda corny at this point," Buffy said relieved.

"I'm actually looking for help," Angel told her. "Are you up for a little demon hunting?"

"Now you're talking," Buffy smiled. "Tiny inconvenience though," the slayer pointed towards the window. Outside, slowly the night was turning into day.

"How about tonight?" Angel suggested instead.

"You're on," Buffy immediately agreed. She missed a good a fight. And Angel's presence was always so soothing.

"Then we better go to a hotel," Angel told her, realizing he hadn't made the introductions yet and wasn't really looking forward to it either. How could he explain Connor?

"No way, you're staying right here. You and Cordy are basically family. You don't let family sleep in nasty hotels. Especially in Sunnydale hotels," Buffy made a grimace. "And your friends are our friends," she looked over at Joy and Connor.

"You sure we're not bothering you?" Angel asked, delaying the moment of introductions.

"No way. You know you're always welcomed here," Buffy told them smiling.

"Who's welcomed?" a sleepy voice asked from the stairway. The slayer turned towards them. It was Dawn.

"Go back to sleep, Dawnie," Buffy told her little sister, but the teenager obviously didn't obey her and strolled downstairs to see who their guests were.

"Angel?" she noticed the vampire. "Is something wrong?" she immediately asked.

"Hi, Dawn," he smiled. "Everything's okay. Don't worry," God, had she grown up! She was no longer the toddler he had left behind, but a teenager. It dawned on him how much time had passed since he had left Sunnydale.

"Hi, Cordy," the teenager saluted the half-demon. "I like your hair."

"Thanks," Cordelia said, feeling uncomfortable that no one had made clear the fact that she had amnesia yet.

"And hello..." Dawn's eyes stopped on Connor and she smiled. He was cute. He reminded her of someone, but couldn't quite place the resemblance.

"This is Connor. And Joy," Angel introduced the two. "Joy's the reason we're here. Her brother was turned into a ghola and she asked for our help to get him back. She found some sort of cure for the ghola bite."

"And uhm, Connor?" Buffy asked feeling the same odd recollection as her sister.

"He...ahhh, he's my son," Angel let it out and both the slayer and her sister were shocked.

"Your son," Buffy repeated surprised.

"Mine and Darla's," Angel explained.

"Darla..." Buffy repeated again. "As in dead Darla? The Darla you killed?" Connor shot Angel a look. The vampire nodded. "And he's how old?" she pointed towards Connor.

"Ahh...he's 18," Angel told them.

"O-kay," Buffy found the situation more than a little strange. "And where is the happy mother?"

"She died giving birth to Connor," Angel explained.

"Sorry. You'll fill me in later on the gigantic gaps of that story," Buffy told Angel feeling as if she could use a stiff drink right now.

"Wow," Dawn only managed to let out. Joy smiled to herself. She had already achieved a small change of history. In her version of the history Dawn Summers had never met Angel's son. It was a small, probably insignificant detail, but for her it was a small step towards victory. She just hoped there wouldn't be any sparks between the two teenagers. Dawn definitely seemed to like Connor, but the boy - it was obvious, he only had eyes for Cordelia. She found herself asking whether he really liked Cordelia or it wasn't all just out of this unhealthy rage he had inside him against his father. Maybe it had started that way - he wanted to take away everything his father loved - but in some ways - the ways of the heart - he was too innocent, too naïve to cheat his own feelings.

"Angel..." Cordelia cleared her throat.

"Oh, sorry," Angel apologized. "And Cordelia doesn't remember a thing so I..."

"As in she doesn't remember us? Sunnydale?" Dawn asked.

"Anything. She has amnesia," Angel said. "I brought her here hoping she'd remember something. Anything."

"What happened?" Buffy asked looking over at Cordelia.

"She was turned into a half-demon so she could still have the visions without dying. Then it turned out the kind of demon she was turned into was too good for this world. She was risen to the higher realm. We don't know how she came back and why her memory's gone," Angel laid out the history.

"Things got really weird over there, huh?" Buffy asked smiling.

"You're the one to talk," Angel reminded her that more than a year had passed since she had been resurrected.

"Good point," Buffy smiled. "I'm Buffy," she introduced herself to Joy, Connor and Cordelia. "And that's my little sister Dawn."

"Not that little," Dawn objected.

"Now let's see how you can sleep today," Buffy ignored her sister's words. "Dawn can come sleep in my room and Cordelia and Joy can take her room. Can you two manage with the living room?"

"Yeah, I can take the floor. I had worse," Angel assured the slayer.

"I'd give you your old place, but it'd be a bit crowded," Buffy told him smiling. She was referring to the place next to her bed, where he had slept for the very first time she had invited him in her house.

"It's okay," Angel told her returning the smile.

"Do I even want to know what that was all about?" Dawn asked and Angel suddenly realized he was kind of flirting with his ex in front of Cordelia. Not good, he thought. Sure Buffy held a special place in his heart, but he also loved Cordelia. And Buffy was the past and Cordelia, she was the present and hopefully the future. Joy followed the whole spectacle with interest. Maybe it wouldn't take too much to bring them back together. There was this...she didn't know how to name it, spark, this light of remembrance between them, a friendship, a love, a soothing completion of each other so strong it tied their souls together. It was beautiful. It wasn't the love her mother and father shared, it was different, it seemed like...like.... Magic, she thought and laughed at that word. What had been between her parents was a mutual comfort, they had loved, lost and been through hell and back, and all they had was each other. It was consuming, it was crazy, it was fire alive, it was death and life in one single thread, it was their eternal love. And one flame without the other would burn out, she thought bitterly.

"Fine, I don't want to know," Dawn said when Buffy gave her 'the look'. "But can we sleep in our room?"

"Yeah, sure," Buffy wanted to get Dawn off her back. She stopped herself before telling Cordy that she knows the way to the room. "Dawn, show Cordy and Joy where my room is. I'll make the beds here."

"Yes, sir," Dawn gave Buffy a military salute before guiding the two women upstairs.

"She's funny," Connor noted before asking for directions to the bathroom. Left alone, she and Angel started making the couch into a bed for Connor.

"I never thought this would happen," Buffy broke the silence.

"What?" Angel asked looking up from the pillow he was fluffing.

"That we'd be making your son's bed together," the slayer said as she put out a cover on the couch.

"You should've been there when I had to change dippers," Angel smirked.

"This story just keeps getting weirder and weirder," Buffy stated shaking her head. "So you want to fill me in on it?" Angel let out an unnecessary sigh.

"I'll cut it short, I'm kinda sick of the long version. Darla. Evil lawyers brought her back. She was human, dying, Dru turned her. She went evil. Again. Got obsessed with her. Had sex. Didn't lose my soul. Had a baby. Baby got stolen by revenge thirsty old man. They escaped into a portal. My son got raised in a hell dimension. Eventually came back. Revenge thirsty. Thinks I killed his adoptive father. Which I didn't. Threw me in a crate at the bottom of the ocean for the summer. Wesley found me. The end."

"The end? If he threw you at the bottom of the ocean and you came back, I really don't believe the story stops there. Totally unbelievable. I, for one, would've probably kicked his ass. Son or not," Buffy said as she sat down on the now made bed.

"I threw him out of the hotel," Angel said as to complete the story. "He's a good boy. He just grew up hating me. That won't go away from one day to another."

"I guess," Buffy thought he was right.

"So how are things with you?" he asked as she stood up to take out bed sheets for him.

"Pretty good. Got a job that doesn't imply great quantities of fat. On the other hand Sunnydale High reopened, which as you know means things are a bit more hellish," Buffy said as she laid the sheets on the floor.

"And what's this wonder job you got?" Angel asked as he laid a pillow down on the floor.

"You're looking at the new Sunnydale High counselor," Buffy stated in fake pride.

"You're kidding," Angel was surprised.

"Nothing like a little teen angst and demonic intervention to keep an old girl like me fit," the slayer smiled standing up.

"Old?" Angel grinned. "Wonder how you'd feel at 200 something."

"Like rattling bones in a coffin?" Buffy suggested smiling reminding him she, unlike him, was mortal. "You know, it's good to see you," the slayer told him.

"Yeah. Maybe we should do this more often," Angel suggested.

"Make your son's bed? Nah," Buffy faked a misunderstanding.

"No, this," Angel told her. "Talking."

"You know where it would eventually get us to," Buffy said and was about to leave for upstairs, but suddenly turned back towards him. "Can I have another hug?" she asked and Angel hugged her. "Welcome back."

"Thanks," Angel replied still not letting go of her. It just felt so right to hold her. Unknown to them, Connor was watching them from the threshold of the living room. He cleared his throat and the two broke away.

"Good night," Angel whispered.

"Good night, Angel," Buffy told him smiling before heading upstairs. "Good night, Connor," she told the boy before she disappeared. Connor stared after her for a moment, pensive. He wanted to know what exactly there had been between his father and this woman. He looked over at Angel and knew he would get no answer from him.

End Part 3