Chapter 13
Katherine woke to the smell of blueberry pancakes and bacon. She sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
"Good morning," said her father from the chair beside her bed.
"I thought this was supposed to be my room," she said.
"It is. I was just…visiting."
"Are you planning to visit me every night?" she asked.
"Why don't we play it by ear?" he suggested.
"Something smells good," she said as she climbed out of bed.
She sniffed around and followed her nose through the connecting door to Angel's room. There, she found Grandma in the kitchen cooking. On the table was a plate of pancakes, eggs, bacon, sliced fruit, and large pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice.
"I thought you kids might like some breakfast," she told them as she brought a second stack of pancakes to the table. "I peeked in on Katherine earlier and saw you both asleep. I hope you don't mind me helping myself to your stove."
Angel gazed in awe at the amount of food on the table. "Not at all. I appreciate it…really. It's just that…"
He didn't want to hurt her feelings but the truth was, his breakfast usually consisted of more drinking than eating and, Katherine was only six.
"…I don't know what to eat first."
There was a knock on the door and Katherine ran to answer it. It was Fred and Gunn.
Angel brightened. "Fred! Gunn! Good to see you. Come on in. Have some breakfast."
"Well, are you sure there's enough?" Fred asked.
"Positive," Angel assured her. "Sit here." He pulled out a chair for her and they all sat down.
"Where's Daddy?" Fred asked her mother.
"He and Wesley and Lorne have had their heads together about something since early this morning," she told her. "I can't imagine what that's all about."
Angel welcomed an opportunity to escape breakfast. "Why don't I go on down there and see what's up?" he offered.
""Don't you want your breakfast first?" Mrs. Berkle asked him.
Fred leaned in towards her mother. "Mama, Angel's not really a breakfast person." Her mother stared at her blankly.
"Or a lunch person," Fred continued. "Or a dinner person?"
Katherine helped her out. "He only drinks blood," she said casually.
There was another knock at the door. This time Angel answered it. Mr. Berkle, Wesley, and Lorne were all standing in the hall, grinning from ear to ear.
"Hey guys. Want some breakfast?" Angel stepped aside and gestured them in.
"Mornin' all," said Mr. Berkle as he walked over to the table. He kissed his wife on the cheek and Fred and Katherine on the head.
"You certainly are in a good mood this morning," his wife observed.
"And there's a very good reason for that. You are looking at the man who just purchased the last seven seats on the Moonlight Cruise on the Lady of the Sea."
"The what?" she asked.
"The most luxurious ship on the west coast. And this weekend only, performing live and in person, is Tony Bennett!"
"No!" She exclaimed.
"Yes!" he insisted.
She covered her mouth with her hands as her husband explained to the rest of the group.
"We saw Tony Bennett on a cruise ship on our honeymoon. We always said we were going to take another cruise for our 25th wedding anniversary. Unfortunately, that passed us up last year. What with Fred being missing and all, well, we just didn't much feel like it."
Fred stood up and hugged her father. "I'm so sorry that you both had to go through that."
"Now don't you be sad, honeybunch. It just so happens that today is our 26th and, thanks to Lorne here and his connections, we're all going to go see Tony Bennett together tonight!"
Everyone was very excited about the planned evening. Cordelia, Fred, and Mrs. Berkle made plans to go dress shopping after breakfast. Cordelia turned to Angel.
"If your tux needs cleaning, just lay it out and we can drop it off."
Angel looked uncomfortable. "Thanks, but…I can't go," he said, nodding in Katherine's direction.
Mr. Berkle spoke up. "Got that covered, young man. Since Lorne can't exactly go out and mingle with your everyday folk, he's offered to babysit."
Angel half-smiled at Lorne. "That's really nice of you…and I appreciate it but…"
"Now I'm not taking no for an answer. This is a celebration for family, and you're family," Fred's father said, clapping him on the shoulder.
Angel looked at Katherine. "Would it be okay with you if Lorne stayed with you?"
Katherine was torn. On the one hand, Lorne was a demon. On the other hand, she didn't want to disappoint Grandma and Grandpa. She guessed she could stay in her room and avoid him for one night.
"I guess it's okay," she said reluctantly.
Mr. Berkle clapped his hands together. "Great! It's settled. Now let's eat!"
Everyone looked magnificent as they left the hotel that evening. Mr. Berkle had even ordered a limo to drive them to and from the ship. Katherine stood beside Lorne and waved goodbye to her father with a smile.
When the limo was out of site, she turned to Lorne and said, "I'm going to my room and you better stay away from me." From a safe distance, she added, "Demon."
She walked up the stairs and into her room and locked the door.
Lorne guessed this was going to be the easiest babysitting job anyone ever had. He poured himself a drink and sat down to watch some television.
Upstairs, Katherine had changed into her pajamas and was lying in her bed trying to go to sleep. She heard something above her head. She tried to ignore it. Then she heard something outside her window. She ignored that, too. She heard something out in the hallway. Hugging her Spike dog close, she walked slowly to her bedroom door and unlocked it. She eased the door open and cautiously peeked out. Empty.
As she walked back to her bed, one of the new dolls Grandma and Grandpa had brought her fell off of the shelf by her bed and landed on her neck. She screamed.
Lorne was half asleep in front of the local news when he heard Katherine screaming from upstairs. Taking the stairs three at a time, he reached her quickly. He flipped on her light and saw her standing frozen next to her bed, the doll on the floor beside her.
"What is it?" he asked frantically. "What's wrong?"
She looked at him, terrified. "Something attacked me."
Lorne walked over and picked up the doll. "Did it look something like this?"
Katherine realized it was only her doll that had fallen on her, which made her feel a little better, but she was still afraid. "I heard something, too. A lot of somethings."
Lorne sat down on her bed so that he was at her eye level. "You know, an old hotel like this can have a lot of personality. The sounds it makes are like its language.
Katherine looked skeptical. "Buildings shouldn't talk."
"Do you think you can go to sleep?" he asked her.
Katherine looked doubtfully at her bed. Lorne was aching to help her.
"Would you like to know what I do when I can't sleep?"
She had resolved to hate him. He was demon, after all. But anything was better than staying in this room alone. "Sure," she said.
He held out his hand and, to his surprise, she took it and allowed him to lead her downstairs.
He rifled through some CDs until he found what he was looking for. When the music started, he stood in front of Katherine and said, "Here we go Lambchop. Watch and learn."
Angel, Fred, Cordy, Wesley, Gunn, and the Berkles had a wonderful evening. Angel had exercised great restraint and had not called home once. It was well past 1:00 in the morning as they walked to the door of the hotel. Angel noticed that all the lights in the lobby were on. Afraid something might be wrong, they hurried inside and were shocked by what they found.
A makeshift curtain had been strung from staircase to staircase. Music was blaring from the stereo. Lorne and Katie were dressed in black pants and white T-shirts. They were wearing top hats and carrying umbrellas. As the music cued them, they linked arms and belted out the chorus of Cabaret.
Everyone watched, first in amazement, then in delight as they sang and danced. They were good! When the song was over, their applause filled the room. Katherine and Lorne took a bow and Katherine then ran to her father.
"Did you see me?" "Was I good?"
Angel swung her high. "You were fabulous!" he gushed.
"Uncle Lorne taught me," she said.
Angel raised an eyebrow in Lorne's direction. "Uncle Lorne?"
"What can I tell you? Nothing bonds like show tunes. Kid's got a hell of a voice, too. Clearly takes after her mother in that department."
Angel glared at Lorne. Katie yawned in his arms.
"I'd better get you to bed, young lady."
"Can Uncle Lorne put me to bed?" she asked.
Angel kissed her head and handed her off to Lorne. "Okay, but I don't want to hear any tap dancing up there."
Angel watched them go up the stairs. One more hurdle crossed. Things were good.