A/N: Part 4 is UP!!!!! R&R
Part 4.
Shortly after Buffy left, Angel walked back downstairs, cradling his son gently against his chest.
He walked back into the lounge room smiling. "Where's Buffy?"
Everyone looked at him. "She gave me back my son, I wanted to thank her again."
Both Cordy's and Fred's eyes lit up. In seconds they were on their feet cooing over him.
Gunn chuckled. "I guess you were right, Buffy could snap him out of it."
Cordelia turned and gave him a playful shove. "Everyone, this is Gunn and Fred by the way."
"Where did Buffy go?" Angel asked again.
"She told us she was going on patrol." Dawn chipped in helpfully.
"I did try to tell her she could take the night off, but she didn't hear me." Giles offered.
Angel sat down on the couch, Conner yawned and wriggled in his father's arms. "Do you mind if I wait for her to get back?"
Willow shrugged, "Be our guest. Where are you planning on staying tonight?"
Cordy and Angel looked blankly at each other.
"You can stay here." Dawn told them. "I'll put a mattress in Willow and Tara's room for me, Angel and Conner can have my room, Cordy and Fred can share the guest bedroom, and Gunn can either have a mattress in with them, or he can sleep on the sofa." she finished.
Everyone looked at her.
"Are you sure Buffy won't mind?" Cordelia asked
"Yes." Dawn answered her. "She'll want you to stay here." Dawn turned to look at Tara, "Will you help me set everything up?" Tara nodded and got to her feet.
Soon the cradle was moved into Dawn's room, a mattress was laid out on the floor for Dawn, and the sofa bed was all set up for Gunn.
Exhausted by the events of the day everyone fell asleep quickly.
Even Angel, as he waited for Buffy to return, fell asleep, and did not hear her come in. Nor did he hear her put her weapons away, or get dressed for bed.
As she lay there in bed, she was glad that everyone was asleep. She was glad they didn't get to see her swollen, red eyes, or her tear stained face.
Her heart wasn't breaking anymore. It was broken.
When Conner woke up at around three o'clock, she was still awake. She heard Angel fix him a bottle and put him back down to sleep. She heard him open her door slightly, so he could check on her. She said nothing, stayed absolutely silent. After a few moments, she heard him close the door and get back into bed.
Slowly she drifted off to sleep.
Her peaceful sleep became powerful reminders of what she was, and what she wasn't. She saw herself being killed by the Master, grinding his bones with a sledgehammer, Angel as Angelus taunting her, Kendra lying in a puddle of her own blood, fighting Angel, killing Angel, sending him to hell, going there herself, going home, Riley leaving her, her mother's funeral, fighting Glory, jumping off the tower, and she dreamed of being in heaven.
But then heaven changed and she was back inside the coffin, frantically trying to get out. She felt her hands hitting the top of the coffin as she woke up screaming.
In the next room Angel heard her tossing and turning. He got up to see if she was okay.
When he entered the room she was still sleeping, but her hands were drawn into fists, bashing against something unseen to him.
He sat down on the bed beside her, waiting for her dream to end.
She began to thrash more and more. Angel took hold of her wrists as she began to scream.
She bolted upright in bed, breathing hard.
Angel sat beside her. "Are you okay? That was some nightmare."
She said nothing, her eyes glazed over with tears. "It was just a dream." She reached over to turn on the lamp. Light flooded the room, and she began to breathe easier. "It was just a dream."
"Tell me about it?" he asked her gently.
"It was nothing. Just a dream." she answered him.
"Okay." he said to her, knowing that she wouldn't talk about it. "If you need, call." He closed the door behind him as he left the room.
Leaving the lamp on, Buffy curled up under her blankets again.
It was a long time before she fell asleep again.
Part 4.
Shortly after Buffy left, Angel walked back downstairs, cradling his son gently against his chest.
He walked back into the lounge room smiling. "Where's Buffy?"
Everyone looked at him. "She gave me back my son, I wanted to thank her again."
Both Cordy's and Fred's eyes lit up. In seconds they were on their feet cooing over him.
Gunn chuckled. "I guess you were right, Buffy could snap him out of it."
Cordelia turned and gave him a playful shove. "Everyone, this is Gunn and Fred by the way."
"Where did Buffy go?" Angel asked again.
"She told us she was going on patrol." Dawn chipped in helpfully.
"I did try to tell her she could take the night off, but she didn't hear me." Giles offered.
Angel sat down on the couch, Conner yawned and wriggled in his father's arms. "Do you mind if I wait for her to get back?"
Willow shrugged, "Be our guest. Where are you planning on staying tonight?"
Cordy and Angel looked blankly at each other.
"You can stay here." Dawn told them. "I'll put a mattress in Willow and Tara's room for me, Angel and Conner can have my room, Cordy and Fred can share the guest bedroom, and Gunn can either have a mattress in with them, or he can sleep on the sofa." she finished.
Everyone looked at her.
"Are you sure Buffy won't mind?" Cordelia asked
"Yes." Dawn answered her. "She'll want you to stay here." Dawn turned to look at Tara, "Will you help me set everything up?" Tara nodded and got to her feet.
Soon the cradle was moved into Dawn's room, a mattress was laid out on the floor for Dawn, and the sofa bed was all set up for Gunn.
Exhausted by the events of the day everyone fell asleep quickly.
Even Angel, as he waited for Buffy to return, fell asleep, and did not hear her come in. Nor did he hear her put her weapons away, or get dressed for bed.
As she lay there in bed, she was glad that everyone was asleep. She was glad they didn't get to see her swollen, red eyes, or her tear stained face.
Her heart wasn't breaking anymore. It was broken.
When Conner woke up at around three o'clock, she was still awake. She heard Angel fix him a bottle and put him back down to sleep. She heard him open her door slightly, so he could check on her. She said nothing, stayed absolutely silent. After a few moments, she heard him close the door and get back into bed.
Slowly she drifted off to sleep.
Her peaceful sleep became powerful reminders of what she was, and what she wasn't. She saw herself being killed by the Master, grinding his bones with a sledgehammer, Angel as Angelus taunting her, Kendra lying in a puddle of her own blood, fighting Angel, killing Angel, sending him to hell, going there herself, going home, Riley leaving her, her mother's funeral, fighting Glory, jumping off the tower, and she dreamed of being in heaven.
But then heaven changed and she was back inside the coffin, frantically trying to get out. She felt her hands hitting the top of the coffin as she woke up screaming.
In the next room Angel heard her tossing and turning. He got up to see if she was okay.
When he entered the room she was still sleeping, but her hands were drawn into fists, bashing against something unseen to him.
He sat down on the bed beside her, waiting for her dream to end.
She began to thrash more and more. Angel took hold of her wrists as she began to scream.
She bolted upright in bed, breathing hard.
Angel sat beside her. "Are you okay? That was some nightmare."
She said nothing, her eyes glazed over with tears. "It was just a dream." She reached over to turn on the lamp. Light flooded the room, and she began to breathe easier. "It was just a dream."
"Tell me about it?" he asked her gently.
"It was nothing. Just a dream." she answered him.
"Okay." he said to her, knowing that she wouldn't talk about it. "If you need, call." He closed the door behind him as he left the room.
Leaving the lamp on, Buffy curled up under her blankets again.
It was a long time before she fell asleep again.