I don't own BTVS or Angel *sigh* or any of the characters in this story *double sigh*. Anyway, some of this that's starting to happen was not exactly my original idea. I've just decided to humor some of your ideas. (And the people rejoiced.) Oh..... I have a question. Why are you guys so worried about Spike? He's in good hands here. *laughs evilly* Okay, I suppose that's enough of that. So we should be.....

On with the show.

::Carpe Diem- Kate::

Angel yawned and rubbed his eyes, before glancing over at the clock and cursing Spike's name. He jumped up, out of bed, and ran over to his bureau, grabbing up the first t-shirt he could get in his grip. "Two-thirty." He slipped the shirt over his head and pulled it down over his chest. After taking a calming breath, he slung his door open and marched down the hall and down the stairs. "Spike! Buachaill? I thought you said you would wake me up at one!" He screamed, once he reached the lobby.

Connor ran out of the kitchen, wearing an apron and holding a bowl of cookie dough. "Shh! Spike can't wake you up, when he's asleep." Connor nodded his head, in the direction of the couch.

Angel looked over in the direction his son pointed out and sighed. Spike was passed out on the couch, right arm covering his eyes and the left hanging, limply, over the edge. His nails, chipped paint and all, brushed the hard floor. "Damn it. Now, I can't be mad at him." Angel muttered under his breath.

"I'm surprised you didn't wake him up." Connor thought out loud, as he went back to stirring his concoction.

Angel watched his son stir the dough and grinned. That stupid cat was sneaking up on him, from behind. It arched up and made a leap for Connor's back. Connor yowled and dropped his bowl, before reaching back and snatching the cat by the skin of its neck. He tried pulling, but the thing had a good grasp on his shirt. Angel walked over, to lend a hand. He took a hold of the kitten and squeezed its jowls. It tried to bite him and suddenly lost interest in keeping its grip on Connor. Angel held it over his face and growled at it. The kitten hissed back.

"My two favorite monsters." Connor stated, dryly. He took the kitten away from his dad and sighed. "What am I going to do with you, Skits?" The kitten purred and tried to lick its master. "Now, you act like you love me. You're a little liar."

"Your dough is still in the bowl." Angel pointed at the, surprisingly, mess-less mess. "The spoon flew over there, somewhere, but you can get another."

Connor dropped Skittles in the oversized pocket, of his apron and sighed. "Cordelia said I should try to be more..... domestic. I think that means she wants me to be a woman."

Angel shrugged. "I've stopped trying to figure out what Cordelia wants."

"She wants you to try and call that number on the desk over there."

Angel turned to look at Spike, who still lay in the same position as before. "What number?"

"The one on the desk, Angelus." Spike turned over on his side, back toward Connor and Angel. "She also wants you to stop yelling and stomping all over the house. No, wait. That's me that wants you to do that."

Angel walked over to the desk and picked up the number. "You eat, yet?"

"Yup. Had a nummy meal. Connor made me pancakes. Seems that you don't have a waffle iron." Spike turned his head, so he was facing his Sire. "That's pretty barbaric, Angel. No waffle iron?"

"Yes, well, I suppose if I were still Angelus, I'd have a waffle iron around somewhere." Angel grinned, wickedly. "Don't think it would have been used for waffles, much."

Spike grinned. "Good point." Spike rolled off of the couch and landed on all fours. He got up and stretched toward the ceiling. "How long I sleep?" He asked Connor, who was now stooped down, picking up his stuff.

Connor shrugged and looked up at the clock on the wall. "Three hours?" He grabbed Skittles, before he could stick his whole head in the bowl of dough.

"Go back to sleep, Spike." Angel pointed at the couch.

Spike shook his head. "Nope. I see cookie dough and I want a piece of the action." Spike dived at the bowl and Connor yanked it back. All Spike got for his effort, was the luck of being smacked with a large wooden spoon. "Ye-ow." Spike rubbed the side of his neck and scowled at Connor. "Jerk."

"Demon." Connor stuck his tongue out at Spike and then broke into a fit of laughter.

"Acting your age is kinda' fun, innit' Con?" Spike asked with a grin. The boy's face is lit up like a bloody Christmas tree, Spike mused. "Okay, get your jollies out and go on with your baking. I won't steal any."

Connor gave Spike a skeptical look and got up from the floor. He offered Spike a hand and the vampire took it, gladly. Connor took back his hand and pushed Skittles head down in the pocket, yet again. "Dad..... What was it that you yelled, when you came downstairs?"

"What?" Angel gave his son a confused look.

"You yelled something in a different language." Connor informed his dad. "You called Spike something, I think."

"It was Gaelic." Spike grinned at his Sire. "What cha' call me? I bet it was nasty."

Angel shook his head. "Don't remember."

"You lie." Spike scoffed. Spike jumped, when his stomach growled. "Holy mother!" Spike glanced down at his stomach and back up at Angel. "I didn't know it could do that, anymore."

"That's because, up until now, you've been feeding it." Angel grabbed Spike, by the arm, and led him to the kitchen. "You're going to eat something. Preferably blood." He shoved his childe in the direction of the fridge and waited, patiently, for Spike to do as he was instructed.

Spike scowled at his Sire and rubbed the place, where Angel had grabbed him. "Was that necessary?"

"Eat." Angel set his jaw and pointed at the fridge.

Spike opened the refrigerator and pulled out a packet of blood, keeping his eyes on Angel the whole time.

"Now, you eat that and I'm going to go make that call." Angel watched Spike another moment, to make sure he was still getting the blood ready. He left the room, when Spike started up the microwave and leaned back against the counter. He headed over to the desk and stopped Connor, on his way into the kitchen. "Make sure he eats. He's being weird about his feeding."

"I heard that!" Spike yelled from the kitchen.

Connor just nodded quietly and headed into the kitchen, where Spike stood biting his thumbnail and watching the doorway. "I have to make cookies."

Spike nodded and put his hand out in front of him, so he could study his nails. "You're playing babysitter."

Connor put his bowl down on the counter and pulled Skittles out of his pocket. He dropped the kitten to the ground, where it landed on its feet, skittered around the kitchen table, and ran out the door. He gave Spike that wise look, which always seemed to remind the vampire of Angel, and shook his head. "I can't make you do anything you don't want to do and I don't plan on trying. I happen to agree with Angel, though. You are being strange..... er, lately. I'm kind of worried about you." Connor gave Spike a half grin and turned back to his unmade cookies. He started pulling dough out of the bowl and placing it on the, already greased, pans that lay out on the counter.

Spike watched the boy for a few silent moments and turned back to the microwave. He opened the door before it could ding and pulled the bag out. He looked at it thoughtfully and bit in.

Angel walked in the room, cordless phone up to his ear. He saw Spike leaning over the sink, sucking down a bag of blood and Connor was slipping a pan of cookies into the oven. Now, this was domestic. "Hello, This is Angel. May I speak to Amelie?"

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"Do you know how much I am willing to pay?" Lindsey hissed into his telephone. He rolled his eyes, as the man on the other side of the line laughed. "Obviously, you don't. I heard that you have precious cargo and I want a piece of it. No, not a literal piece! Are you crazy? You have to keep the pelt intact, or it will be worth nothing, to me." Lindsey sighed, gustily, and nodded, to the benefit of no one, seeing as how he was alone. "Yes. I'll double your asking price. No, I prefer to skin them, myself. I want it wriggling, too. I won't take him if he's dead or sickly. That's right!" Lindsey feigned a chuckle. "Sick bastards, like us, have to stick together. Right? Yeah. Don't be late." Lindsey flipped down the cover of his phone and took a deep breath. After very little contemplation, he threw his cell at the wall, where it was effectively shattered.

"Well, that was lovely, Linds." The young woman walked into the room and slumped down in the nearest chair, bouncing her head against the cushion. "Now, you are going to have to get a new phone and have the number transferred..... again."

Lindsey waved his hand in the air and grinned, cynically. "Evil hand, Katie. What can you expect?"

"Well, I expect you to either train that thing or cut it off." Katie quipped, as she closed her eyes to rest them. She tensed up, when she felt a warm calloused palm cup her cheek.

"I thought you liked my hands."

Katie opened her eyes and looked up at Lindsey. He was so beautiful. "I do. When you aren't using that one as a scapegoat. I don't even think the evil thing applies, anymore." She covered his hand with her own and smiled, weakly. "You'll get him back, you know."

Lindsey shook his head. "No, I don't know." He pulled his hand back and walked over to pick up the pieces of his phone, that lay scattered on the floor. He scooped up the shards and sighed. "I'll kill them, for this."

"I'm not marrying a murderer." Katie watched Lindsey, as he threw the broken phone, into the nearest garbage can.

Lindsey shrugged. He was already a murderer, but Katie really didn't need to know that. "Two months ago, you told me you would never marry a guy who was divorced."

"Two months ago, I didn't know *you* were divorced. Rules are made to be amended." Katie smiled, affectionately, at the man she planned to make a life with. "At least, when it comes to love."

Lindsey shook his head and crossed his arms across his chest. "Andy would love you. You're nothing like his mom."

Katie leaned her head back and chuckled. "Does he hate his mom or something?"

"No." Lindsey frowned. "He's five..... or is he six? Anyway, he's too young to hate anyone, let alone his mother. He still feels like he needs her."

"Doesn't he?" Katie asked, suddenly very serious. She got up from her seat and took the few steps that divided her and Lindsey. She put her arms around his chest and hugged, tightly. "Doesn't he need her?"

"He's better off, without her." Lindsey stated, firmly.

Katie sighed and dropped her arms to her side. "You know that most women wouldn't put up with all of this."

"With what? Their future stepson being a werewolf? Kidnappings? A fiancé who is a charming, yet foolish, ex-lawyer?" Lindsey watched Katie look down at her left hand and smile. She was, yet again, mesmerized by that tiny diamond, glittering on her ring finger.

Katie shook her head and looked up at Lindsey, with a grin. "No. I'm talking about our wedding date. You keep on moving it back. I'll tie you down, get you liquored up, and bring a reverend in, if I have to."

"Gotta' love Southern women." Lindsey grinned a real grin. It was the first one in a few days. All things considered, he was a lucky guy. Well, he would be, in a few hours, when everything was to be settled. "Now if I could only get all of the blasted demons, off my back."

Katie shrugged. "Kill 'em."

Lindsey nodded, as he walked over to his window and looked out at his limited view of the city. "We'll see." He leaned on the windowpane and stared down at the chipping paint. "How did I ever get by, without you Katie?"

Katie didn't know how to answer that, so she just sighed.

Lindsey turned, to sit on the pane, and smiled. "You keep the monsters at bay."

"Maybe, you just started seeing things through rose colored glasses, when you started seeing me." Katie watched Lindsey's face fall, slightly, and suddenly felt guilty for her comment. "I didn't mean anything by that, Linds. You know I've stopped all of my....."

The phone rang, in the kitchen. Lindsey jumped up from his seat and ran to get it. He grabbed it up and almost wilted, when he heard the voice on the other end. "Yeah, Amelie, it's me."

"That voodoo woman there with you? That why it took you so long?"

She sounded pissed and he hadn't even said hello. "Yes, she's here. What does that have to do with anything? You know what? Nevermind. Have you heard from Angel?"

"I can not believe you didn't wait for him to get back to the hotel! You let his houseboy tell you what happened? And since when do you let other people tell you what to do?"

Lindsey wasn't sure whether he should take a leap of courage and fix Amelie's grammar, or not. Probably 'or not' would be the safest bet. "I didn't wait, because I didn't need to, Spike isn't a houseboy, and I only listen to good advice."

"He wants us to meet him at the hotel. He has to talk to us about some stuff. Bring your bitch."

"Oh, you need a ride?" Lindsey couldn't help it. She was so.....

"Just bring the voodoo woman. Maybe..... she can help locate him or something."

Lindsey sighed. He really hoped Katie did decide to go with him. He could use her there with him. "She doesn't practice magic, anymore. She said that the last few months magic has been the most volatile form of....."

"I don't want her back story, Lindsey. Just bring her."

Lindsey dropped the phone in its cradle and covered his face, with his hands. Again, it was Angel. Everywhere he turned.

Katie walked into the room, twisting her hair up on the back of her head and pinning it with a large clip. "Well, lets go, then."

Lindsey looked up and caught the shine in Katie's eyes. Everything would be all right.

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Angel waited patiently for his guests to arrive. Spike was passed out on the couch, catching up on some, much needed, rest and Connor was eating a whole canister of cookies, while refusing to let Gunn have any. "Chocolate chip?" Angel already knew the answer. Nothing smelled like chocolate chip cookies, when they first came out of the oven.

Connor nodded and stuffed another small cookie in his mouth. "I think I'll be domestic more often." He said around a mouthful of semi-sweet, chocolaty goodness.

"Come on, Connor." Gunn almost sounded like a kid, when he made that voice. "Should put a cap in you, you little cookie hog." A really mean kid.

Angel nodded, as he watched the front door. All he had were questions. What he wanted..... needed, were answers. Lindsey- good or bad? Amelie- victim or..... Where had Missy gone? These men were up to something, but what? A loud bang made Angel leave his thoughts and focus, again, on the open doorway. There stood Amelie, in all of her glory. Hair pulled back in a slick ponytail, make-up done to perfection, and a pair of shoes that would make Versace jump out of his grave and kiss her feet. Angel's first thought was definitely, 'Wow'.

"That son of a bitch, bastard, is on my tail. If you're going to kill him, now would be the best time. He has his whore with him, so you might want to get help."

Angel's second thought was, 'whoa'. Angel jumped up from his seat and jogged up to the door. "Gunn, help now and cookies later."

Lindsey walked in through the door cursing his ex-wife and her horrible driving. Next thing he knew, everything was dark and he was laying, face first, on the hard wood floor.

Katie's scream could have broken glass. As a matter of fact, it did. Windows shattered, letting sunlight filter into the room. Angel ran and jumped over the couch, pulling the top, so it toppled and served as a shield for both him and his childe.

"What in the bloody hell is going on, Angelus? We being raided?"

Angel shook his head and peaked over the couch. Connor was standing over the limp form of a young, mocha colored woman. She was beautiful and, as of right now, very scary. How had she shattered the windows?

"Are we hiding out here, until night?"

Angel looked over at Spike, who seemed to be very confused. "No, I'll get Gunn to bring us some blankets. We'll 'Spike it' upstairs."

"Spike it?"

Angel sighed. "I'll explain later."

"Explain what? Why I'm on the ground?"

Angel shook his head, slowly. "I'll figure it all out..... later." Or, at least, he hoped he would.

TBC

-"Ugh! That was hard as crap, to write." That was a direct quotation from my little brother, there. He says funny things, sometimes. Anyway..... Thanks for the reviews. Shout-out to all of my continuous reviewers and a fond thank you, to new readers, also. So, I suppose that's it until next time. Ciao.-

--The subtitle was Kate. It's a song by Ben Folds Five that I happen to like. (Plus, it's the name of Lindsey's girl.) You thought I was going to bring back *the* Kate, didn't cha? Haha! Yeah right. I hate her..... so much. I will never get over the whole Penn thing.-

---If you are wondering, 'buachaill' means boy, in Gaelic. (So says this really cool Gaelic to English dictionary, I found. Now, if I could only find an English to Gaelic dictionary.)---