Part Eighteen
been here before, been here forever
Willow was researching in Giles' room for two hours before Buffy and Angelus heart to heart, and occasionally fist to fist, was over. Sticking her head around the door when the sounds of yelling, crying and breaking stuff was over she found Buffy curled up on Angelus lap. Deciding it was probably safe to come in Willow inched around the door. When Buffy saw Willow she got to her feet and smiled shakily. "Sorry… bout before. I didn't mean to have histrionics to leave you all stranded in Giles' room."
"Research was done… and you guys are okay now… right?"
"Well…" Buffy smiled. "We're getting there."
"Are we gunna do some research then?"
"We could, but I was planning on taking Buffy wound to look at some schools."
Willow frowned. "But it's August, aren't they closed?"
Buffy laughed, "Summer school, where I have spent many a productive summer vacation."
"Oh I kinda always graduated… except the last two years… which I didn't."
"You didn't graduate?" Buffy echoed.
"The initiative flew from England to my career fair specifically to recruit me. I was young, it was a lot of money…" she trailed off.
Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Wasn't this last year?"
"Uh, well, yeah, but a lot's happened since then!"
"You can come too if you want." Angel offered.
"Sure. But, do you mind if I call Oz and tell him where I'm going?"
"It's fine." Buffy assured her, handing her the phone. "So long as you tell me everything about this guy you've been living with."
Willow smiled secretively.
Slipping into the leather seat of Angel's convertible, Willow laughed quietly to herself, twisting round from her position in the passenger seat Buffy raised one eyebrow. "What's so funny now?"
"Vampires. Convertibles."
Buffy smiled. "Angel has this ring that makes him all impervious to sunlight and stakes… his hair's brown. I never knew that until I saw him in the sun the first time."
"You're undead lover defies the laws of his nature and the only thing you notice is that his hair is brown?"
"Then I yelled at him." Buffy admitted. "Which I seem to be doing a lot."
Willow shrugged. "I'm not surprised, given the situation."
"What do you mean?"
"You may know Angelus… biblically, and I suspect on the most raw emotional terms, but you don't know him in a day to day way, and yet here you are being around him 24/7, if there wasn't yelling involved I'd die of shock."
Smiling softly, Buffy nodded. "I guess… I just. I woke having been unconscious for a week… and there was Angel… I sort of thought that was my happily ever after." She smiled wryly. "I guess that was naive."
Willow shook her head. "You love Angel, he loves you. You're free to be together… you've got your happily ever after, you just haven't quite realised it yet." Slumping back into her seat Buffy mused over what Willow had said. She sensed Angel before he arrived, walking over to the car, he was holding a leather briefcase which he stowed in the trunk before sliding into the front seat. Seeing her tense expression, he leaned over and kissed her gently, eking a smile from her lips. Leaning back into his seat he stuck the key in the ignition and pulled the car out of it's parking spot.
"Say, Buffy, why do you call Angelus - Angel?"
Angelus growled.
When Buffy and Angelus arrived back from their impromptu shopping for schools trip Buffy was somewhat unsurprised that his favourite had been an all girls catholic school run by nuns. Unfortunately it was predominantly also a boarding school so she felt confident that she had avoided that horror.
Buffy's personal favourite had been the only one that hadn't started her tour of the school with "We always search our visitors…"
Slipping off her coat and dropping it over the back of the couch, Buffy stretched languidly, watching the muscles on Angel's back flex as he started skimming through the books on the shelf.
"Research again?"
"Till you agree that Holy Trinity was the best… yep."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "You just wanna see me in one of those tartan skirts."
Twisting to face her he grinned wolfishly. "That may be a factor… yes."
Before Buffy had a chance to respond the doorbell rung. Brow furrowing Buffy glanced at Angel, and then at the dusk tinting the sky through the huge living room window. Pausing to slip a knife from the drawer of the table by the door into her hand, she held the knife behind her back and cautiously opened the door.
Seeing her dark haired friend behind the door, she chucked the knife to Angel behind her back, who deftly caught it, and hid it behind some books on the bookshelf. Opening the door wider she motioned for the woman to come in.
Studying her Angel surmised that she was older than Buffy, early to mid twenties probably, and given her striking resemblance to the child grasped in one hand she had clearly gotten pregnant young.
"Oh gosh! I'm so sorry!" Buffy gushed. "I completely forgot it was my turn to come get Connor."
The girl shrugged smiling tiredly. "It's okay, I was trying to get in touch with you to say I was going to be late anyway." Spotting Angel she quirked one eyebrow. "Suddenly getting the feeling that you didn't mind."
"Wha-" following her line of sight Buffy blushed a little. "Oh, hey, this is Angel, Angel this is Harry. She's Doyle's ex-wife, and this is their son, Connor."
"Nice to meet you." Angel replied, all charm and politeness.
"And you." Harry motioned to Buffy, "Can I have a word with you?"
Angel nodded, "I'm gunna go, call Spike and Faith." He excused, disappearing from the room into his and Buffy's bedroom, something that didn't go unnoticed by Harry.
"You know he's older." Buffy nodded. "And it looks like you're pretty serious."
Buffy smiled secretively. "We are."
Harry sighed. "Am I allowed to warn you that I'm not seeing sunshine and roses in your future?"
Buffy shook her head. "Nope, mom's coming to visit, in… two days and I think she's going to bags all lecturing rights." Smiling reassuringly she took Harry's hand. "Honestly, Harry, I know what I'm doing. That it's going to be hard, and that no one approves, but I'm going to do it anyway, I love him. How could I not?"
"If you're sure." Harry sighed, squeezing Buffy's hand lightly before dropping her hand and running her own through her hair. "If Doyle has a chance could you ask him to call me? As much as it's easier that he's never here when I drop Connor off, there's some stuff we need to sort out." She changed the subject.
"Sure." Hugging they swapped goodbye's before Harry left and Connor, who had implanted himself infront of the TV, twisted to face Buffy excitement written all over his four year old face. "What are we gunna do this week?"
"Hey you know what comes first!"
Connor rolled his eyes. "No, I didn't tell mom that Dad's not here."
"Well done." Buffy smiled, "Hmm… do you want to try cooking something?"
He considered this. "So long as it's got chocolate in."
Flipping the TV off, Buffy switched on the stereo instead and led Connor into the kitchen. "How's learning elvish going?"
"Not bad. Oantë, Legolas."
"What does that mean?"
"Go away, Legolas." Buffy laughed. Picking up Connor and sitting him on top of the counter she pulled out a cookbook and put it on his lap. Pulling out her own book, she was startled when a pair of hands slipped round her waist and Angelus cool lips kissed her neck. Moving away he sat on the table opposite Connor, stepping away, Buffy watched the interaction between the two, Connor assessed Angelus with almost predatory intelligence, as if considering how Angelus might change things between himself and his Aunt. Angelus in turn just dared the five year old to challenge his presence. "Hey." Connor finally said. "I'm Connor."
"I'm Angelus."
"But you can call him Angel." Buffy put in, Angelus just scowled.
"Hey! You don't get called the baby!" Connor consoled.
An hour later the three of them where curled up on the sofa eyeing the now empty plate of brownies wistfully, somehow hoping that the plate would magically refill itself. The plate wasn't cooperating. Sighing Buffy stood up and held out her hand to Connor. "Time for bed mister. Go wash up and get in bed and I'll say goodnight in a minute." Nodding tiredly, Connor picked up his bag from the door and shuffled toward the bathroom.
Hearing the door click shut behind him, Angel pulled Buffy back down on the sofa. "I didn't know Doyle had a son."
"Yep, married and divorced young, when Harry's discovered about his other less human half. But the council are trying to kill Doyle so he can't be around Connor, they'd have no objection to killing him too." She sighed, playing with the hem of her shirt. "Especially if Doyle's demonic streak is hereditary." Dropping the cloth and looking up at Angel she gave a weak half smile. "The worst thing is Harry can't know I've been looking after Connor or she might sue Doyle for full custody… whatever way you look at it Connor just got thrown into the middle of the biggest nightmare on earth at five years old." Dropping her eyes back to the floor she ran one hand through her hair. "The Watcher's Council are bastards."
"I noticed." Angelus growled.
Connor padded back into the room now dressed in Lord of the Rings pyjamas. "Can you read me Lord of the Rings?" The change in Buffy was immediate, smile fixed firmly in place, she jumped up and held out her hand to Connor, leading him into 'his room' at the flat.
Back on the sofa Angel watched the boy with a thoughtful expression on his face.
TBC…
The elvish is from The Lore Book of the High Elven Tongue. Which I don't seem to be able to link to... if anyone wants to know leave a message I'll email you the site.
Thanks for the reviews, and well I can't reassure anyone without giving anything away… you sort of have to bear in mind that Buffy is possessed… and… well. I can't say anymore. But bear with me and you will be satisfied. (hopefully)
Weasy