Chapter 2
Things were not the same at Angel Investigations. There still was work to do, but it had been postponed during the search for Angel. And even now that he was there, it still seemed as though he wasn't.
Things were never the same since Cordy disappeared. Lorne, always up to something, did not let any disappearances hinder his progress in Caritas, and he spent most of the time away at the club.
Wes, as was in his style, rescued Angel from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, stayed long enough to make sure he was all right... and left.
"Typical," Gunn would mutter, shaking his head.
Back to Angel. He was brooding, as usual. But everyone was so used to seeing him do it, that after several attempts to cheer him up they left him alone. As usual.
Fred knew he wasn't sleeping. His bed was untouched in the morning. And she'd noticed his absence at night. But she had sense enough to not mention it to anyone. She knew he was watching Connor.
After searching for him, Angel realized the boy was getting along fine. He was made for this. Connor could take care of himself. Angel just needed to make sure of that.
Then, one morning, there was a letter for Angel in the mail. Fred handed it to him at breakfast as she read the paper.
Angel read the letter and rushed up the stairs, taking three at a time. Fred only had enough time to look at Gunn bewilderedly before he called to her.
"Fred," he yelled from the second story. "Which is our best room?"
Gunn had his fork halfway between the plate and his mouth, with an apparently forgotten piece of bacon on it. His mouth slightly open, he stared at Fred for an explanation for Angel's sudden joviality.
"Number 13," she called back, choking slightly on her piece of toast. "The only one with a balcony."
There was a moment's pause.
"We need new sheets!" he yelled. "And a comforter!"
He appeared at the kitchen door, beaming at them. "We're going shopping," he announced, and left again.
Gunn, still in the same position, gave an even more questioning look at Fred. She, however, was looking worriedly towards where Angel had disappeared.
"But you can't go out," she called. "It's sunny outside!"
Then, glancing at Gunn, she frowned. "Are you gonna eat that bacon or not?"
Gunn sank down into a couch, placing beside him half-a-dozen packages, half of what they had acquired during Angel and Fred's shopping spree. Personally, he didn't like shopping, but since nobody asked...
Angel bought, aside from new sheets, pillows, books, towels and many other objects, including flowers and a comforter. He kept asking for Fred's advice, especially on the comforter.
"Which one do you like?" he asked Fred immediately upon entering the store.
Taken aback, she took a while to answer. "Um...the white one?" She pointed it out.
Angel then told her she had good taste, and proceeded to ask for her opinion on the matching cushions, curtains and shag rug. Fred was delighted, yet bewildered.
Back at the Hiperion, they all sat down to rest, but Angel soon was active again, placing the brand-new things in the room and decorating it. Gunn and Fred soon went up to watch him, too tired to help him themselves.
"Um, Angel?" said Fred timidly, encouraged by Gunn. "Who is this for?"
Angel stopped what he was doing, looked up at them and sat down.
"An old friend," he finally answered. "He needs a favor from me."
"Him?" questioned Gunn, noticing the obviously female taste in decorating.
"He has a daughter," Angel put in rapidly. Silence ensued.
"When are they coming?"
"Tonight," answered Angel, brightening up noticeably. He got back to work.
Lorne returned an hour later, and was fully informed by Gunn as to what was happening.
"What old friend?" he asked Angel.
"James," was the answer.
"Oh, James!" exclaimed Lorne. "The guy that...?"
Angel nodded solemnly.
"Ohhh," was all Lorne said, nodding thoughtfully. "Is his daughter coming?"
Again the vampire nodded.
This caused Lorne to nod even more.
Fred and Gunn were perplexed. Fred didn't like being perplexed.
"What," she said, as calmly as possible, "is going on?"
Lorne looked at her. "James is an old friend of Angel's. He's a bounty hunter- he followed Angelus all the way to America. When Angel was given his soul, James was given immortality in payment for getting rid of Angelus," Lorne said, sighing.
Silence.
"Well?" Fred prodded Lorne on. "And then?"
"A vamp Angelus had sired had seduced James into ... well, you know," he said meaningfully. "'Course, this was almost two decades ago. When she was about to suck him dry, Angel saved him, but she got away. Then the weirdest thing happened. She had his child. Yeah," he added, seeing his audiences' faces. "It's happened before. Mostly with the ones sired by Angelus." He nodded towards where Angel was sulking. "The rest is history."
Things were not the same at Angel Investigations. There still was work to do, but it had been postponed during the search for Angel. And even now that he was there, it still seemed as though he wasn't.
Things were never the same since Cordy disappeared. Lorne, always up to something, did not let any disappearances hinder his progress in Caritas, and he spent most of the time away at the club.
Wes, as was in his style, rescued Angel from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, stayed long enough to make sure he was all right... and left.
"Typical," Gunn would mutter, shaking his head.
Back to Angel. He was brooding, as usual. But everyone was so used to seeing him do it, that after several attempts to cheer him up they left him alone. As usual.
Fred knew he wasn't sleeping. His bed was untouched in the morning. And she'd noticed his absence at night. But she had sense enough to not mention it to anyone. She knew he was watching Connor.
After searching for him, Angel realized the boy was getting along fine. He was made for this. Connor could take care of himself. Angel just needed to make sure of that.
Then, one morning, there was a letter for Angel in the mail. Fred handed it to him at breakfast as she read the paper.
Angel read the letter and rushed up the stairs, taking three at a time. Fred only had enough time to look at Gunn bewilderedly before he called to her.
"Fred," he yelled from the second story. "Which is our best room?"
Gunn had his fork halfway between the plate and his mouth, with an apparently forgotten piece of bacon on it. His mouth slightly open, he stared at Fred for an explanation for Angel's sudden joviality.
"Number 13," she called back, choking slightly on her piece of toast. "The only one with a balcony."
There was a moment's pause.
"We need new sheets!" he yelled. "And a comforter!"
He appeared at the kitchen door, beaming at them. "We're going shopping," he announced, and left again.
Gunn, still in the same position, gave an even more questioning look at Fred. She, however, was looking worriedly towards where Angel had disappeared.
"But you can't go out," she called. "It's sunny outside!"
Then, glancing at Gunn, she frowned. "Are you gonna eat that bacon or not?"
Gunn sank down into a couch, placing beside him half-a-dozen packages, half of what they had acquired during Angel and Fred's shopping spree. Personally, he didn't like shopping, but since nobody asked...
Angel bought, aside from new sheets, pillows, books, towels and many other objects, including flowers and a comforter. He kept asking for Fred's advice, especially on the comforter.
"Which one do you like?" he asked Fred immediately upon entering the store.
Taken aback, she took a while to answer. "Um...the white one?" She pointed it out.
Angel then told her she had good taste, and proceeded to ask for her opinion on the matching cushions, curtains and shag rug. Fred was delighted, yet bewildered.
Back at the Hiperion, they all sat down to rest, but Angel soon was active again, placing the brand-new things in the room and decorating it. Gunn and Fred soon went up to watch him, too tired to help him themselves.
"Um, Angel?" said Fred timidly, encouraged by Gunn. "Who is this for?"
Angel stopped what he was doing, looked up at them and sat down.
"An old friend," he finally answered. "He needs a favor from me."
"Him?" questioned Gunn, noticing the obviously female taste in decorating.
"He has a daughter," Angel put in rapidly. Silence ensued.
"When are they coming?"
"Tonight," answered Angel, brightening up noticeably. He got back to work.
Lorne returned an hour later, and was fully informed by Gunn as to what was happening.
"What old friend?" he asked Angel.
"James," was the answer.
"Oh, James!" exclaimed Lorne. "The guy that...?"
Angel nodded solemnly.
"Ohhh," was all Lorne said, nodding thoughtfully. "Is his daughter coming?"
Again the vampire nodded.
This caused Lorne to nod even more.
Fred and Gunn were perplexed. Fred didn't like being perplexed.
"What," she said, as calmly as possible, "is going on?"
Lorne looked at her. "James is an old friend of Angel's. He's a bounty hunter- he followed Angelus all the way to America. When Angel was given his soul, James was given immortality in payment for getting rid of Angelus," Lorne said, sighing.
Silence.
"Well?" Fred prodded Lorne on. "And then?"
"A vamp Angelus had sired had seduced James into ... well, you know," he said meaningfully. "'Course, this was almost two decades ago. When she was about to suck him dry, Angel saved him, but she got away. Then the weirdest thing happened. She had his child. Yeah," he added, seeing his audiences' faces. "It's happened before. Mostly with the ones sired by Angelus." He nodded towards where Angel was sulking. "The rest is history."