Part 3.
As they were finishing up the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it." Buffy called, making her way to the front door.
She was more than shocked to see Cordelia, Angel and two other people she didn't know standing on the porch.
She was astonished at how bad Angel looked, but she said nothing about it.
"Come inside." she told them, leading them into the lounge room. "Take a seat, you must all be tired."
Each of them sunk into a chair.
Except Angel. He reached out and hugged her, almost in tears. "It's a big mess, Buffy. He's gone. I don't know what to do."
Buffy said nothing, just wrapped her arms around him and held him tight.
As she held him, she heard Willow, Tara and Dawn walk into the room. Xander, Giles and Anya were still in the kitchen. They all had the sense not to say anything.
Carefully, Buffy extracted herself from him and sat him down on the couch. "Why don't we get some coffee? Then we can talk." she said to him. He nodded vaguely, said nothing.
She got up from where she was kneeling. He looked at her in surprize. "It's okay. Relax." she laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Dawn would you ask Anya to make us all some coffee. Get Xander to help her." Buffy said to her younger sister.
Dawn left the room.
Several minutes later Xander and Giles carried trays of tea and coffee in. Anya carried a milk jug and a sugar bowl.
Deftly Buffy made him some tea, white tea, no sugar. She pressed the mug into his hands, waiting for him to grasp it. Then she picked up her own tea, plain black. It was too late for her to have coffee.
Xander, Giles and Anya were all silent, for that Buffy was thankful.
"What happened?" she asked him calmly, sitting cross-legged on the floor.
"Conner. He's gone." Angel began haltingly. "He's just a baby."
Gently she laid a hand on his knee. "Who is Conner?"
"He's my son. He's just a baby, and they took him." he looked at her, his eyes full of tears.
Carefully she set her mug down on the coffee table and gently took his, setting it next to hers. She stood up. "Come with me."
She helped him to his feet and began to lead him out of the room.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Cordelia asked worriedly.
"We'll be back soon." Buffy answered. She closed the dividing doors behind her. He watched her, unsure.
She took him by the hand once more and lead him up the stairs, to her bedroom.
She opened the door silently, but didn't turn on the light. Instead she crossed the room and flicked on a lamp.
Then she led him over to the crib in the corner.
Inside, fast asleep lay Conner. Angel gasped. "Conner!"
Buffy said nothing, even as Angel lifted his sleeping son out of the crib and cuddled him close. "Oh, Conner. You're all right. You're all right." Angel stroked his son's wispy hair and kissed his sleeping face.
As Buffy watched she felt as though her heart was breaking.
"Thank you." He turned to Buffy. "Where did you find him?"
"In the cemetary, with some lady vamp who was abandoning him. I brought him home with me." she took a deep breath. "We didn't know who he belonged to. Otherwise I would've brought him home to you." She reached out and touched the infant's cheek, "Be good Conner."
"Thank you." he said again. "How did you know his name?"
"He looks like a Conner." She answered simply, then smiled, "Come downstairs when you're ready. I'll leave you two alone."
With that she left the room.
Downstairs someone had opened the doors to the lounge room.
"Buffy?" Cordelia called. "Where's Angel?"
"He'll be down in a minute, just leave him for a bit." she answered, picking up her slayer bag. "I have to go and uh, patrol." "Buffy-." she heard Giles call, but she ignored him. She needed to get out of there.
She walked all of the way to the cemetery before she burst into tears.
Buffy didn't know how long she cried for, she just cried until there were no more tears left in her.
Then she just walked for a while, trying to clear her head, trying to straighten things out in her mind.
She said nothing, she saw no one.
As they were finishing up the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it." Buffy called, making her way to the front door.
She was more than shocked to see Cordelia, Angel and two other people she didn't know standing on the porch.
She was astonished at how bad Angel looked, but she said nothing about it.
"Come inside." she told them, leading them into the lounge room. "Take a seat, you must all be tired."
Each of them sunk into a chair.
Except Angel. He reached out and hugged her, almost in tears. "It's a big mess, Buffy. He's gone. I don't know what to do."
Buffy said nothing, just wrapped her arms around him and held him tight.
As she held him, she heard Willow, Tara and Dawn walk into the room. Xander, Giles and Anya were still in the kitchen. They all had the sense not to say anything.
Carefully, Buffy extracted herself from him and sat him down on the couch. "Why don't we get some coffee? Then we can talk." she said to him. He nodded vaguely, said nothing.
She got up from where she was kneeling. He looked at her in surprize. "It's okay. Relax." she laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Dawn would you ask Anya to make us all some coffee. Get Xander to help her." Buffy said to her younger sister.
Dawn left the room.
Several minutes later Xander and Giles carried trays of tea and coffee in. Anya carried a milk jug and a sugar bowl.
Deftly Buffy made him some tea, white tea, no sugar. She pressed the mug into his hands, waiting for him to grasp it. Then she picked up her own tea, plain black. It was too late for her to have coffee.
Xander, Giles and Anya were all silent, for that Buffy was thankful.
"What happened?" she asked him calmly, sitting cross-legged on the floor.
"Conner. He's gone." Angel began haltingly. "He's just a baby."
Gently she laid a hand on his knee. "Who is Conner?"
"He's my son. He's just a baby, and they took him." he looked at her, his eyes full of tears.
Carefully she set her mug down on the coffee table and gently took his, setting it next to hers. She stood up. "Come with me."
She helped him to his feet and began to lead him out of the room.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Cordelia asked worriedly.
"We'll be back soon." Buffy answered. She closed the dividing doors behind her. He watched her, unsure.
She took him by the hand once more and lead him up the stairs, to her bedroom.
She opened the door silently, but didn't turn on the light. Instead she crossed the room and flicked on a lamp.
Then she led him over to the crib in the corner.
Inside, fast asleep lay Conner. Angel gasped. "Conner!"
Buffy said nothing, even as Angel lifted his sleeping son out of the crib and cuddled him close. "Oh, Conner. You're all right. You're all right." Angel stroked his son's wispy hair and kissed his sleeping face.
As Buffy watched she felt as though her heart was breaking.
"Thank you." He turned to Buffy. "Where did you find him?"
"In the cemetary, with some lady vamp who was abandoning him. I brought him home with me." she took a deep breath. "We didn't know who he belonged to. Otherwise I would've brought him home to you." She reached out and touched the infant's cheek, "Be good Conner."
"Thank you." he said again. "How did you know his name?"
"He looks like a Conner." She answered simply, then smiled, "Come downstairs when you're ready. I'll leave you two alone."
With that she left the room.
Downstairs someone had opened the doors to the lounge room.
"Buffy?" Cordelia called. "Where's Angel?"
"He'll be down in a minute, just leave him for a bit." she answered, picking up her slayer bag. "I have to go and uh, patrol." "Buffy-." she heard Giles call, but she ignored him. She needed to get out of there.
She walked all of the way to the cemetery before she burst into tears.
Buffy didn't know how long she cried for, she just cried until there were no more tears left in her.
Then she just walked for a while, trying to clear her head, trying to straighten things out in her mind.
She said nothing, she saw no one.