A/N: Okay, I've got block on this, several stories on the go, and a
reviewless story (Replay) which is actually the start of a series story,
plus the sequel to Izzy, however, for all you faithful Bryn reviewers,
here's another chapter.
Buffy finally meets her little girl.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
'Harmony?' Buffy stated, incredulously, her eyes wide. The blonde vampire looked up from her desk, a scowly pout crossing her dim face.
"You can't kill me, you know. I have contractual obligations, and a health plan," she said proudly, and defiantly, then her tone weakened. "Please don't stake me," she begged. Buffy stared, disbelieving.
"Harmony?" she repeated, her brain feeling kinda dizzy. Harmony worked for Angel? Scratch that, Harmony was Angel's secretary? The gang stopped in the doorway, all eyes focused on Harmony, a little dazed.
"Do you want to see Angel?' Harmony shuffled some papers together on the desk, and stood up, her smart outfit detracted a little by the tiny length of the skirt that went with it.
"Yeah," Buffy agreed, after a pause. Harmony nodded, self importantly.
"Okay. I'll go get him. Bryn should be around somewhere, too," she called, as she left the office.
Buffy wrinkled her nose in puzzlement. Bryn?
"I guess another P.A?" Willow offered, a puzzled expression on her face. Buffy nodded slowly, thinking. She was gonna see Angel. It was funny, throughout her stay in Paris, and Rome, and Geneva, where she'd been surrounded by people, and cultures that she'd never been able to experience, her thoughts flashed back to the two people in her life that she'd never forget. Spike and.
"Buffy," Angel said quietly, as he stepped into Harmony's office, soundlessly. He looked at the gang. "Hello Willow, Xander, Dawn." His eyes were filled with something strange, Buffy realised with a jolt that for once, she couldn't read her ex-lover's thoughts.
"Hi Angel," Dawn replied, cheerful as usual. "We went to Paris. And saw Disneyland. With Goofy. It was very cool." She looked for confirmation at Xander, who nodded.
"Very. Plethora of Disney characters. We were privileged."
"Hi," Willow gave the vampire a tiny wave, accompanied by a nervous grin. "How are you?"
Angel's demeanor relaxed a little, his shoulders sinking. He almost smiled.
"I'm good."
"Angel," Buffy said, her tone anxious, impatient. He looked over at her, the same golden blonde hair cropped short, big hazel eyes that were now familiar, filled with mischief over the top of a bowl of cereal in the morning, sleepy and half closed as he tucked the possessor into bed at night. His stomach felt like a large, cold hand was squeezing it incessantly.
"Angel,' she repeated, more nervously, tucking strands of hair behind her ears. "What was so important?"
Three faces gazed at him, equally puzzled, and interested. Angel swallowed, trying to think how to say it. He'd had Bryn for near two months now. Buffy, finding out she had a daughter after he had- he remembered the Slayer angry when decisions had been made for her in the past. He didn't relish this prospect.
"That would be Bryn," he answered, with a small, private smile at the picture of the little girl springing to mind, probably curled up asleep, and in a fierce temper at being put in a hated time-out.
Blank looks met him.
"Bryn is our daughter," he explained, gently, looking at Buffy.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
"Jory!" The planes were filled with light, the Star children's souls moved around, following different tracks to worlds, dimensions, hundreds of different colors. Bryn stood in the centre of her path, the bright gold trail from her entrance leading to this place, the Place Between. Here was no real world, only the place of the Star children. Here they rested, gathered, and was the respite from the constant travelling. A Star child never stayed long, but it was the only place they could escape to.
"Jory!" Bryn yelled again, impatient. If Daddy wouldn't play with her, then Jory would. A light bobbed, and blew towards her, materialising into a form Bryn knew well. The tall non-angel, long brown hair flying around her tired face broke into a smile at the little girl. She hugged her, Bryn's touch making her briefly corporeal.
"Heya shortie," she greeted happily. "What are you doing up here?"
Bryn shuffled her feet a little, trying to decide what to say. Jory got mad if Bryn was naughty.
"Nothing," she said evasively. Jory frowned.
"Hero,' she stated, a warning note in her voice. Her blue eyes were bright, shining the same color as her soul did on the planes. She narrowed them at Bryn.
"Okay, okay. Daddy got mad cuz I painted a wall," Bryn mumbled, glaring at the ground. Jory knelt beside the child, looking into Bryn's eyes.
"Sweetie, you can't come up here every time you get in trouble," she said firmly. "You're a person now. You have to learn to be Hero Brynna Angel again, and you can't do that up here."
Bryn gazed pleadingly at the older Star child. "Can't you play with me a little bit?' she whispered, clinging to Jory's hand. Before the older girl could answer, another light bobbed forward, a topaz color, and another form appeared. A smaller girl, about seven or eight materialised beside Jory, her own eyes the same color as her light. Golden blond hair curled around her heart-shaped face.
"Jory, we've got to go," she said impatiently. Jory looked at the newcomer.
"I know, Con, just let me say goodbye to Bryn." Rudely, Con dissipated into light once more, and shot away.
"I'm sorry, Bryn. I've got to work. It's no longer part of my assignment to look after you," she said quietly to the little girl. Bryn's lip quivered, her hazel eyes filled with tears.
"Who's she?" she whispered, not looking up at Jory. Jory sighed, all the resentment at being forced to continue going, at everyone's time coming, at the newcomer rose up in it.
"She's my new partner," she explained softly, hating the way it would hurt the child. "Everyone is a pair, Bryn."
Bryn nodded, her brown head bowed, as she sniffed, then swiped her hand past her nose. Jory felt the same tugging sensation pull at her, call on her soul. Demanding that she hurry.
"Bye," Jory said awkwardly, before turning, and shimmering into light, and following Con.
Bryn sniffed again, biting her lip. Jory didn't want her any more. She wasn't s'posed to be here any more. All she had was a Daddy who played work all day, and a building full of lawyers. No one wanted a Bryn. Maybe she'd just go home.
She closed her eyes, and as she opened them again, the room around her appeared solidly. Four people bent over her, worried looks on their faces, and Daddy was one of them. Bryn sighed. He looked mad. Again.
"So this is Bryn?" Buffy asked, gazing at the child, trying to stop the painful throb of her heart. Of course this was Bryn, the little girl's face was the same shape as hers, the same hazel eyes set into Bryn's face, but the same broody look that showed on Angel's face often enough echoed in Bryn's. Angel's dark hair fell around the child's shoulders.
"Hero Brynna Angel, what were you doing?' Angel asked, sternly. Bryn shrugged, suddenly feeling very much like taking a nap. She felt itchy whenever she'd been There, like this wasn't right. The world itched her, and she couldn't reach to scratch. It itched like chicken pox, and woolly sweaters.
"I went," she said quietly. Angel watched his daughter, bewilderment filling him. She always seemed different when she'd been.. away. As if she'd seen things that made her an adult, things he would never understand, in his entire immortal life.
"Bryn," Angel chose his words carefully. He looked at Buffy, anticipation, hope, fear, and impatience filled her eyes. He could hear her heart beating, faster than ever.
"Yeah?' the child answered belligerently, folding her arms across her paint stained overalls defiantly. Buffy knelt, and reached out tentatively to tuck a fly away piece of soft baby hair behind Bryn's ear. Bryn stiffened unconsciously. Buffy froze.
Bryn could smell the lady, vanilla like ice cream, and another smell, like cookies, and the feeling Bryn got when she tried to 'member past being There, and back, to the first time she had a daddy, when she was real. She didn't like it. Bryn scowled to herself. She didn't want to be here, yelled at by Daddy. She wanted to be free, to explore, and play hide and go seek with Jory. Jory. She wanted Jory.
"Bryn, honey, this is your mother. Buffy." Angel reached out to touch Bryn, but her eyes widened as she stared at Buffy, frozen in shock. His fingers brushed her shoulder, and she jerked violently.
"No," she stated. Angel reached out, for her, but the little girl moved away.
"No!'" the child shrieked. "Go away! I don't want you! Go away! I want Jory, make Jory come back. Go away!'
She ran out of the office, fleeing down the corridor. Buffy met Angel's eyes.
"That went well," she said softly.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
A/N: An angsty chapter I don't think any of you predicted. Next chapter, Buffy and the gang move into the hotel while Bryn comes to grips with reality, a familiar face re-appears, Spike shenanigans, and the enemy rises.
Oh, any Con haters/Jory lovers, don't worry. Things shall happen. I promise.
REVIEW!!!!
Buffy finally meets her little girl.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
'Harmony?' Buffy stated, incredulously, her eyes wide. The blonde vampire looked up from her desk, a scowly pout crossing her dim face.
"You can't kill me, you know. I have contractual obligations, and a health plan," she said proudly, and defiantly, then her tone weakened. "Please don't stake me," she begged. Buffy stared, disbelieving.
"Harmony?" she repeated, her brain feeling kinda dizzy. Harmony worked for Angel? Scratch that, Harmony was Angel's secretary? The gang stopped in the doorway, all eyes focused on Harmony, a little dazed.
"Do you want to see Angel?' Harmony shuffled some papers together on the desk, and stood up, her smart outfit detracted a little by the tiny length of the skirt that went with it.
"Yeah," Buffy agreed, after a pause. Harmony nodded, self importantly.
"Okay. I'll go get him. Bryn should be around somewhere, too," she called, as she left the office.
Buffy wrinkled her nose in puzzlement. Bryn?
"I guess another P.A?" Willow offered, a puzzled expression on her face. Buffy nodded slowly, thinking. She was gonna see Angel. It was funny, throughout her stay in Paris, and Rome, and Geneva, where she'd been surrounded by people, and cultures that she'd never been able to experience, her thoughts flashed back to the two people in her life that she'd never forget. Spike and.
"Buffy," Angel said quietly, as he stepped into Harmony's office, soundlessly. He looked at the gang. "Hello Willow, Xander, Dawn." His eyes were filled with something strange, Buffy realised with a jolt that for once, she couldn't read her ex-lover's thoughts.
"Hi Angel," Dawn replied, cheerful as usual. "We went to Paris. And saw Disneyland. With Goofy. It was very cool." She looked for confirmation at Xander, who nodded.
"Very. Plethora of Disney characters. We were privileged."
"Hi," Willow gave the vampire a tiny wave, accompanied by a nervous grin. "How are you?"
Angel's demeanor relaxed a little, his shoulders sinking. He almost smiled.
"I'm good."
"Angel," Buffy said, her tone anxious, impatient. He looked over at her, the same golden blonde hair cropped short, big hazel eyes that were now familiar, filled with mischief over the top of a bowl of cereal in the morning, sleepy and half closed as he tucked the possessor into bed at night. His stomach felt like a large, cold hand was squeezing it incessantly.
"Angel,' she repeated, more nervously, tucking strands of hair behind her ears. "What was so important?"
Three faces gazed at him, equally puzzled, and interested. Angel swallowed, trying to think how to say it. He'd had Bryn for near two months now. Buffy, finding out she had a daughter after he had- he remembered the Slayer angry when decisions had been made for her in the past. He didn't relish this prospect.
"That would be Bryn," he answered, with a small, private smile at the picture of the little girl springing to mind, probably curled up asleep, and in a fierce temper at being put in a hated time-out.
Blank looks met him.
"Bryn is our daughter," he explained, gently, looking at Buffy.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
"Jory!" The planes were filled with light, the Star children's souls moved around, following different tracks to worlds, dimensions, hundreds of different colors. Bryn stood in the centre of her path, the bright gold trail from her entrance leading to this place, the Place Between. Here was no real world, only the place of the Star children. Here they rested, gathered, and was the respite from the constant travelling. A Star child never stayed long, but it was the only place they could escape to.
"Jory!" Bryn yelled again, impatient. If Daddy wouldn't play with her, then Jory would. A light bobbed, and blew towards her, materialising into a form Bryn knew well. The tall non-angel, long brown hair flying around her tired face broke into a smile at the little girl. She hugged her, Bryn's touch making her briefly corporeal.
"Heya shortie," she greeted happily. "What are you doing up here?"
Bryn shuffled her feet a little, trying to decide what to say. Jory got mad if Bryn was naughty.
"Nothing," she said evasively. Jory frowned.
"Hero,' she stated, a warning note in her voice. Her blue eyes were bright, shining the same color as her soul did on the planes. She narrowed them at Bryn.
"Okay, okay. Daddy got mad cuz I painted a wall," Bryn mumbled, glaring at the ground. Jory knelt beside the child, looking into Bryn's eyes.
"Sweetie, you can't come up here every time you get in trouble," she said firmly. "You're a person now. You have to learn to be Hero Brynna Angel again, and you can't do that up here."
Bryn gazed pleadingly at the older Star child. "Can't you play with me a little bit?' she whispered, clinging to Jory's hand. Before the older girl could answer, another light bobbed forward, a topaz color, and another form appeared. A smaller girl, about seven or eight materialised beside Jory, her own eyes the same color as her light. Golden blond hair curled around her heart-shaped face.
"Jory, we've got to go," she said impatiently. Jory looked at the newcomer.
"I know, Con, just let me say goodbye to Bryn." Rudely, Con dissipated into light once more, and shot away.
"I'm sorry, Bryn. I've got to work. It's no longer part of my assignment to look after you," she said quietly to the little girl. Bryn's lip quivered, her hazel eyes filled with tears.
"Who's she?" she whispered, not looking up at Jory. Jory sighed, all the resentment at being forced to continue going, at everyone's time coming, at the newcomer rose up in it.
"She's my new partner," she explained softly, hating the way it would hurt the child. "Everyone is a pair, Bryn."
Bryn nodded, her brown head bowed, as she sniffed, then swiped her hand past her nose. Jory felt the same tugging sensation pull at her, call on her soul. Demanding that she hurry.
"Bye," Jory said awkwardly, before turning, and shimmering into light, and following Con.
Bryn sniffed again, biting her lip. Jory didn't want her any more. She wasn't s'posed to be here any more. All she had was a Daddy who played work all day, and a building full of lawyers. No one wanted a Bryn. Maybe she'd just go home.
She closed her eyes, and as she opened them again, the room around her appeared solidly. Four people bent over her, worried looks on their faces, and Daddy was one of them. Bryn sighed. He looked mad. Again.
"So this is Bryn?" Buffy asked, gazing at the child, trying to stop the painful throb of her heart. Of course this was Bryn, the little girl's face was the same shape as hers, the same hazel eyes set into Bryn's face, but the same broody look that showed on Angel's face often enough echoed in Bryn's. Angel's dark hair fell around the child's shoulders.
"Hero Brynna Angel, what were you doing?' Angel asked, sternly. Bryn shrugged, suddenly feeling very much like taking a nap. She felt itchy whenever she'd been There, like this wasn't right. The world itched her, and she couldn't reach to scratch. It itched like chicken pox, and woolly sweaters.
"I went," she said quietly. Angel watched his daughter, bewilderment filling him. She always seemed different when she'd been.. away. As if she'd seen things that made her an adult, things he would never understand, in his entire immortal life.
"Bryn," Angel chose his words carefully. He looked at Buffy, anticipation, hope, fear, and impatience filled her eyes. He could hear her heart beating, faster than ever.
"Yeah?' the child answered belligerently, folding her arms across her paint stained overalls defiantly. Buffy knelt, and reached out tentatively to tuck a fly away piece of soft baby hair behind Bryn's ear. Bryn stiffened unconsciously. Buffy froze.
Bryn could smell the lady, vanilla like ice cream, and another smell, like cookies, and the feeling Bryn got when she tried to 'member past being There, and back, to the first time she had a daddy, when she was real. She didn't like it. Bryn scowled to herself. She didn't want to be here, yelled at by Daddy. She wanted to be free, to explore, and play hide and go seek with Jory. Jory. She wanted Jory.
"Bryn, honey, this is your mother. Buffy." Angel reached out to touch Bryn, but her eyes widened as she stared at Buffy, frozen in shock. His fingers brushed her shoulder, and she jerked violently.
"No," she stated. Angel reached out, for her, but the little girl moved away.
"No!'" the child shrieked. "Go away! I don't want you! Go away! I want Jory, make Jory come back. Go away!'
She ran out of the office, fleeing down the corridor. Buffy met Angel's eyes.
"That went well," she said softly.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
A/N: An angsty chapter I don't think any of you predicted. Next chapter, Buffy and the gang move into the hotel while Bryn comes to grips with reality, a familiar face re-appears, Spike shenanigans, and the enemy rises.
Oh, any Con haters/Jory lovers, don't worry. Things shall happen. I promise.
REVIEW!!!!