A/N: See, I told you I'd be updating often. Thanks for the feeback.
I wasn't too sure this story was any good, but the 5 reviews I've received
so far have changed my mind. Thanks, as always, to M for doing a great job
as my beta. She's a goddess, I bow down at her feet. This chapter's a
little short, but full of Spuffiness.
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They entered the lobby to find Cordelia alone, feeding the baby. Buffy looked from Angel to Cordy and back.
"Where is everyone?" Angel asked, taking the baby from Cordelia.
"Fred's in her room. Gunn and Wes went home." She answered. Buffy walked over and stood next to Angel, looking at the baby.
"Can I hold him again?" Buffy asked. Angel handed the baby to her silently. "Oh..." Buffy said, looking down at the baby.
"Nothing beats baby snuggles, huh?" Cordelia spoke up.
"He has your eyes." Buffy said, looking at Angel. Angel leaned over.
"So he does." He replied, touching Connor on the cheek. This was the scene that Spike and Willow walked in on. Spike had checked on her and found her awake. He'd filled her in on what little he knew, the bit about the baby needing protecting and the boy being Angel's son. They both came into the room, Willow going over to Buffy and Angel to see Connor.
"Hey Will. How are you feeling?" Buffy asked.
"Better." Will replied, looking to Angel. She glanced at the baby, and then back to Angel. "If your his father, who's his mother?" Willow asked, without waiting for Angel to answer her first question. Buffy, Willow and Spike all turned to Cordelia, thinking that she might be the answer.
"Oh no. I am not his mother." Cordelia replied to their stares. Angel sighed, almost wishing that Cordelia had been his mother.
"Darla." Angel said.
"What?" Spike, Buffy, and Willow all asked in unison, shocked.
"Was that back when she and Dru were trying to drive you insane or whatever their soddin' plan was?" Spike asked, the first to recover. He had already known Darla was alive.
"What the hell?" Buffy asked. "Darla is dead, you killed her. Willow and I both saw you." She said to Angel. Angel grimaced. Buffy was not going to be happy with this story, that's for sure.
"This lawfirm, Wolfram and Hart, they brought her back to life. Only thing is, they brought her back as a human, dying from the same thing she had been when the Master made her a vampire over 400 years ago. The lawfirm knew I wouldn't let her die, so they got her to try to force me to make her a vampire again. To make me taste human blood. To get my perfect happiness and lose my soul." Angel took Connor from Buffy, and stared down at the infant. "They almost succeeded." He continued. "I finally refused, though. Lindsey, one of the lawyers, was in love with Darla. He tracked down someone who would make her a vampire. Dru." Buffy sat down. She was stunned. Angel cuddled his son, laying a sleeping Connor against his shoulder. "They held me down and forced me to watch as they changed her. She was ready to die. She'd made her peace." Angel's expression was pained. "After that, I went kind of mad. Fired everyone here, and helped Darla and Dru kill a bunch of those lawyers." Angel paused. Buffy looked horrified. Willow had her hand over her mouth. Spike was just surprised. He knew that Dru and Darla were running loose in L.A., but this was news to him. "I didn't do anything to them myself. I just locked them in a room with Darla and Dru. Just when I thought I couldn't get worse and still have my soul, I learned something. I learned that Wolfram and Hart's Home Office, some type of Hell, was here on Earth. I didn't know what to do. I came here, and Darla was waiting for me. I think you all guess what happened next." Angel finished up.
"Boy, was she pissed when you didn't lose your soul." Cordelia commented, taking Connor from Angel, and setting him in his playpen. Angel looked sheepish.
"The rest of the story is that she came back here a few weeks ago, pregnant and ready to deliver." Angel started to go on.
"So where is the old bint? And Dru isn't hanging round is she?" Spike asked. Buffy looked surprised that he would ask about Dru.
"I don't know where Dru is. And Darla is dust. Again. She had to kill herself so that Connor could be born." Angel answered his questions.
"That's good." Spike replied. Angel gave him a look. "About Dru. I really don't fancy running into her while we're here. Especially after the last time I saw her." Spike finished.
"What? You can't face her because she broke up with you?" Cordelia asked, not caring that she might upset Spike.
"No. He can't face her because the last time he saw her, he tried to kill her." Buffy answered. It was Angel's turn to look shocked.
"What?" Was all he could say.
"She showed up, fresh from L.A. And she wanted her Spikey back." Buffy went on.
"So why did you try to kill her? I mean, I know your twisted, but I didn't think you were that twisted." Cordelia wanted to know.
"Killing Dru was going to be a present. For me. Cause that would be the night the Spike chained me up in the basement of his crypt, and professed his undying love." Buffy said, sounding bitter.
"You chained her up? I take it back. You are that twisted." Cordelia said. Spike smirked, and Buffy groaned.
"Why exactly are we here, Angel?" Buffy asked, changing the subject.
"I wanted you to meet Connor. I want you to be ready if something should happen. I figured it was better for you to come here and see for yourselves. I'm not sure if you'd have believed me over the phone." Angel explained. Buffy nodded.
"I'm beat. I think it's been a long night, and an equally long morning." Buffy said. She turned and headed up the stairs, Spike and Willow at her heels.
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Willow said goodnight, and left Buffy and Spike standing alone in the hall. Spike was uncertain about what to do. Just sensing Angel's presence was enough to make him want Buffy. He had a need to prove that Angel no longer had a claim on her. He was torn between talking to her, and shagging her senseless. He chose the second option.
Like I would have chosen anything else, he thought.
Slowly, like a predator, Spike back Buffy up against the doorway to her room.Buffy slowly licked her lips. She knew that drove him crazy. And she knew what he was doing. She didn't care. She was desperate to make herself feel. Even if she was disgusted with herself. It was a feeling, wasn't it? It was a start. It would lead to more feelings, and soon she'd be able to handle the living part of being alive. Trying to ignore the fact that since her return from the land of the dead, Spike was the only thing that made her feel, Buffy anticipated his kiss. It wasn't what she expected. Instead of the bruising kiss she was anticpating, Spike kissed her gently. Like she was something fragile enough to cradle carefully in fear it might break.
"I don't want it to be like before." Spike whispered, referring to their one night in that abandoned house. The one that now lay in shambles. Buffy wasn't sure what to make of this Spike. He wasn't supposed to be gentle. Picking her up before she could protest, Spike opened her door. "Invite me in, pet." He said, hoping she would. Otherwise, it would be a cold shower and a long day for him. The words hung there, Buffy knowing that they would never be able to go back to the way it was before if she invited him in. At this particular moment she wasn't caring at all about that. She was just tired of being numb.
"Come in, Spike." Was all she was able to get out before his mouth covered hers. He kicked the door shut behind them, and in the darkness Buffy found herself full of feeling.
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They entered the lobby to find Cordelia alone, feeding the baby. Buffy looked from Angel to Cordy and back.
"Where is everyone?" Angel asked, taking the baby from Cordelia.
"Fred's in her room. Gunn and Wes went home." She answered. Buffy walked over and stood next to Angel, looking at the baby.
"Can I hold him again?" Buffy asked. Angel handed the baby to her silently. "Oh..." Buffy said, looking down at the baby.
"Nothing beats baby snuggles, huh?" Cordelia spoke up.
"He has your eyes." Buffy said, looking at Angel. Angel leaned over.
"So he does." He replied, touching Connor on the cheek. This was the scene that Spike and Willow walked in on. Spike had checked on her and found her awake. He'd filled her in on what little he knew, the bit about the baby needing protecting and the boy being Angel's son. They both came into the room, Willow going over to Buffy and Angel to see Connor.
"Hey Will. How are you feeling?" Buffy asked.
"Better." Will replied, looking to Angel. She glanced at the baby, and then back to Angel. "If your his father, who's his mother?" Willow asked, without waiting for Angel to answer her first question. Buffy, Willow and Spike all turned to Cordelia, thinking that she might be the answer.
"Oh no. I am not his mother." Cordelia replied to their stares. Angel sighed, almost wishing that Cordelia had been his mother.
"Darla." Angel said.
"What?" Spike, Buffy, and Willow all asked in unison, shocked.
"Was that back when she and Dru were trying to drive you insane or whatever their soddin' plan was?" Spike asked, the first to recover. He had already known Darla was alive.
"What the hell?" Buffy asked. "Darla is dead, you killed her. Willow and I both saw you." She said to Angel. Angel grimaced. Buffy was not going to be happy with this story, that's for sure.
"This lawfirm, Wolfram and Hart, they brought her back to life. Only thing is, they brought her back as a human, dying from the same thing she had been when the Master made her a vampire over 400 years ago. The lawfirm knew I wouldn't let her die, so they got her to try to force me to make her a vampire again. To make me taste human blood. To get my perfect happiness and lose my soul." Angel took Connor from Buffy, and stared down at the infant. "They almost succeeded." He continued. "I finally refused, though. Lindsey, one of the lawyers, was in love with Darla. He tracked down someone who would make her a vampire. Dru." Buffy sat down. She was stunned. Angel cuddled his son, laying a sleeping Connor against his shoulder. "They held me down and forced me to watch as they changed her. She was ready to die. She'd made her peace." Angel's expression was pained. "After that, I went kind of mad. Fired everyone here, and helped Darla and Dru kill a bunch of those lawyers." Angel paused. Buffy looked horrified. Willow had her hand over her mouth. Spike was just surprised. He knew that Dru and Darla were running loose in L.A., but this was news to him. "I didn't do anything to them myself. I just locked them in a room with Darla and Dru. Just when I thought I couldn't get worse and still have my soul, I learned something. I learned that Wolfram and Hart's Home Office, some type of Hell, was here on Earth. I didn't know what to do. I came here, and Darla was waiting for me. I think you all guess what happened next." Angel finished up.
"Boy, was she pissed when you didn't lose your soul." Cordelia commented, taking Connor from Angel, and setting him in his playpen. Angel looked sheepish.
"The rest of the story is that she came back here a few weeks ago, pregnant and ready to deliver." Angel started to go on.
"So where is the old bint? And Dru isn't hanging round is she?" Spike asked. Buffy looked surprised that he would ask about Dru.
"I don't know where Dru is. And Darla is dust. Again. She had to kill herself so that Connor could be born." Angel answered his questions.
"That's good." Spike replied. Angel gave him a look. "About Dru. I really don't fancy running into her while we're here. Especially after the last time I saw her." Spike finished.
"What? You can't face her because she broke up with you?" Cordelia asked, not caring that she might upset Spike.
"No. He can't face her because the last time he saw her, he tried to kill her." Buffy answered. It was Angel's turn to look shocked.
"What?" Was all he could say.
"She showed up, fresh from L.A. And she wanted her Spikey back." Buffy went on.
"So why did you try to kill her? I mean, I know your twisted, but I didn't think you were that twisted." Cordelia wanted to know.
"Killing Dru was going to be a present. For me. Cause that would be the night the Spike chained me up in the basement of his crypt, and professed his undying love." Buffy said, sounding bitter.
"You chained her up? I take it back. You are that twisted." Cordelia said. Spike smirked, and Buffy groaned.
"Why exactly are we here, Angel?" Buffy asked, changing the subject.
"I wanted you to meet Connor. I want you to be ready if something should happen. I figured it was better for you to come here and see for yourselves. I'm not sure if you'd have believed me over the phone." Angel explained. Buffy nodded.
"I'm beat. I think it's been a long night, and an equally long morning." Buffy said. She turned and headed up the stairs, Spike and Willow at her heels.
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Willow said goodnight, and left Buffy and Spike standing alone in the hall. Spike was uncertain about what to do. Just sensing Angel's presence was enough to make him want Buffy. He had a need to prove that Angel no longer had a claim on her. He was torn between talking to her, and shagging her senseless. He chose the second option.
Like I would have chosen anything else, he thought.
Slowly, like a predator, Spike back Buffy up against the doorway to her room.Buffy slowly licked her lips. She knew that drove him crazy. And she knew what he was doing. She didn't care. She was desperate to make herself feel. Even if she was disgusted with herself. It was a feeling, wasn't it? It was a start. It would lead to more feelings, and soon she'd be able to handle the living part of being alive. Trying to ignore the fact that since her return from the land of the dead, Spike was the only thing that made her feel, Buffy anticipated his kiss. It wasn't what she expected. Instead of the bruising kiss she was anticpating, Spike kissed her gently. Like she was something fragile enough to cradle carefully in fear it might break.
"I don't want it to be like before." Spike whispered, referring to their one night in that abandoned house. The one that now lay in shambles. Buffy wasn't sure what to make of this Spike. He wasn't supposed to be gentle. Picking her up before she could protest, Spike opened her door. "Invite me in, pet." He said, hoping she would. Otherwise, it would be a cold shower and a long day for him. The words hung there, Buffy knowing that they would never be able to go back to the way it was before if she invited him in. At this particular moment she wasn't caring at all about that. She was just tired of being numb.
"Come in, Spike." Was all she was able to get out before his mouth covered hers. He kicked the door shut behind them, and in the darkness Buffy found herself full of feeling.
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