Part 12.
"It looks like everyone made it." Cordelia said as she got out of the car.
"This beach is gorgeous, there's so few people on it!" Kate exclaimed.
Angel turned to Dawn. "Where's Buffy?"
"On the beach. I think she needed a little downtime."
In the distance Angel could see her wandering along the shoreline, the waves lapping at her feet. "She seems happier though, doesn't she?" Angel asked them.
"I think she's getting there." Dawn told him. "She just needs some time. Why don't you go down and talk to her?" "Good idea, thanks." Angel said to her, reaching into the car to get Conner out.
"Here." Cordelia held out her arms to take the baby.
"He's coming with me." Angel told her. "I'm going to show him the beach for the first time, aren't I little guy, yeah." As Angel walked away from them, towards Buffy he was still talking to his son in baby talk.
"Buffy!" Angel called out to her, waving with one arm.
She stopped walking and waited for him to catch up. "I didn't know everyone else was here yet." She smiled. "Hey Conner."
"Are you okay? Willow said you were a little quiet." He asked.
"I'm okay. I don't get down here very often, and when I do, it's mostly work related." She shrugged, reaching out to take Conner. Angel slipped his arm around her bare middle, resting his hand on her hip.
They walked like that for a few minutes before Buffy pulled away from him, carrying Conner into the water, which barely reached above her ankles. She leaned down, dipping his feet into the water, letting the baby kick his feet. He laughed and smiled. Finally, before he could get bored or frightened, Buffy straightened up and smiled at him.
"He likes the water doesn't he." Angel said to her.
"Most little kids do." She passed Conner back to him, letting Angel balance Conner on one side, before taking him by the hand.
"I wonder what they're doing over there." Cordelia asked aloud.
"You worry too much Princess." Lorne said to her, sunning himself on his towel, the same shade of green as his skin.
"They're just talking." Dawn shrugged her shoulders.
"You know," Buffy began, "I like your shirt."
Angel flushed slightly, looking down at his blue Hawaiian style shirt. "I copped a lot of flak over it on the drive over here."
"I think it looks nice." She smiled at him, while he looked her up and down, trying to find something to say about her clothing, a turquoise bikini and a pink sarong.
"What's up you two?" Xander called.
"Nothing." Angel answered him, sitting down on one of the towel that had been laid out. "We were just thinking about taking Conner in the water."
"Are you sure that's safe?" Cordelia asked.
"Yeah." Angel answered. "He likes it."
"Can you swim?" She asked.
"Yes I can swim." He answered patiently. "I have many times."
Buffy took Conner from his arms. "Come on then." Then she looked up at everyone. "Is anyone else coming in?"
"I'll come." Dawn answered.
"No water fights." Buffy warned her as she raced Dawn down to the water's edge, deliberately kicking spray at her younger sister.
"I'll give you no water fights!" Dawn called back, kicking water back at Buffy.
Before long Angel, Gunn, Xander, Anya, Willow and Tara had joined in the water fight.
"It looks like everyone made it." Cordelia said as she got out of the car.
"This beach is gorgeous, there's so few people on it!" Kate exclaimed.
Angel turned to Dawn. "Where's Buffy?"
"On the beach. I think she needed a little downtime."
In the distance Angel could see her wandering along the shoreline, the waves lapping at her feet. "She seems happier though, doesn't she?" Angel asked them.
"I think she's getting there." Dawn told him. "She just needs some time. Why don't you go down and talk to her?" "Good idea, thanks." Angel said to her, reaching into the car to get Conner out.
"Here." Cordelia held out her arms to take the baby.
"He's coming with me." Angel told her. "I'm going to show him the beach for the first time, aren't I little guy, yeah." As Angel walked away from them, towards Buffy he was still talking to his son in baby talk.
"Buffy!" Angel called out to her, waving with one arm.
She stopped walking and waited for him to catch up. "I didn't know everyone else was here yet." She smiled. "Hey Conner."
"Are you okay? Willow said you were a little quiet." He asked.
"I'm okay. I don't get down here very often, and when I do, it's mostly work related." She shrugged, reaching out to take Conner. Angel slipped his arm around her bare middle, resting his hand on her hip.
They walked like that for a few minutes before Buffy pulled away from him, carrying Conner into the water, which barely reached above her ankles. She leaned down, dipping his feet into the water, letting the baby kick his feet. He laughed and smiled. Finally, before he could get bored or frightened, Buffy straightened up and smiled at him.
"He likes the water doesn't he." Angel said to her.
"Most little kids do." She passed Conner back to him, letting Angel balance Conner on one side, before taking him by the hand.
"I wonder what they're doing over there." Cordelia asked aloud.
"You worry too much Princess." Lorne said to her, sunning himself on his towel, the same shade of green as his skin.
"They're just talking." Dawn shrugged her shoulders.
"You know," Buffy began, "I like your shirt."
Angel flushed slightly, looking down at his blue Hawaiian style shirt. "I copped a lot of flak over it on the drive over here."
"I think it looks nice." She smiled at him, while he looked her up and down, trying to find something to say about her clothing, a turquoise bikini and a pink sarong.
"What's up you two?" Xander called.
"Nothing." Angel answered him, sitting down on one of the towel that had been laid out. "We were just thinking about taking Conner in the water."
"Are you sure that's safe?" Cordelia asked.
"Yeah." Angel answered. "He likes it."
"Can you swim?" She asked.
"Yes I can swim." He answered patiently. "I have many times."
Buffy took Conner from his arms. "Come on then." Then she looked up at everyone. "Is anyone else coming in?"
"I'll come." Dawn answered.
"No water fights." Buffy warned her as she raced Dawn down to the water's edge, deliberately kicking spray at her younger sister.
"I'll give you no water fights!" Dawn called back, kicking water back at Buffy.
Before long Angel, Gunn, Xander, Anya, Willow and Tara had joined in the water fight.