Episode 14:

'I'm in love, I just can't wait

Tonight I have a date

I have a date with the cutest girl in town

I have a date and I'm the happiest boy around

I'm in love. I just can't wait 'cause tonight I have a date'

- 'I Have a Date', by The Vandals -

'So,' Darla said, taking a look at their surroundings, 'where are they?'

Lindsey' brow furrowed. 'I'm not sure. According to my informant, they were bound to be here...'

They were at the hall of a fancy theatre, surrounded by dozens of people all dressed up in black tuxedos and colourful clothes of silk. Darla's gaze swept over the small groups of elegant people that were chatting excitedly, and over the marble stairs and golden banisters. She frowned too.

'I can't feel anything. Are you sure this is the place?'

Now Lindsey looked annoyed. 'She assured me they were going to be here tonight. After all, this is the only theatre in London they haven't attacked yet...'

A gang of vampires had developed a taste for attacking fancy theatres and operas, draining the members of the public and stealing the money. According to Lindsey's flippant informant, that night they were going to attack this very theatre. However, the play had already finished and Darla didn't have as much as glimpse of any other vampires, and she was supposed to be able to sense them.

'Well,' Lindsey said, annoyed, 'you bet I'll make her return my money after this fiasco...'

'I wouldn't do that.'

Lindsey was surprised by her words and turned to face her... but where moments ago Darla was standing, there was a sudden whirlwind of red silk as she launched herself forward at light speed. He cursed.

It seemed that the vampires had showed up after all...

An hour later, they were at her place, taking care of their mutual wounds, as Lindsey had refused to go to a hospital. 'If I go, they'll want to see you too,' he'd argued, 'and they're bound to notice you've got no pulse, right?'

Darla hadn't pushed the subject, and secretly had felt relieved that she wouldn't have to see a hospital again. It had been already a month since the attempt to rip her heart, but Darla still had nightmares with scalpels slashing her skin and the smell of blood and antiseptic filling her nostrils.

'Well, one thing's for sure: this dress is completely ruined,' she said, shooting a sad look at the pieces of red silk that had once been a beautiful – and rather expensive, at least for her – dress.

Lindsey snorted. 'Yeah, definitely these fancy clothes are no good for slaying. We should have worn soemthing else, but I guess I kinda hoped they wouldn't show up...'

Darla raised an eyebrow. 'And what would we have done, then?'

Lindsey shrugged and grimaced when a cut of his shoulder throbbed.

'Perhaps we could have enjoyed the play and then just gone to have dinner at some nice restaurant in the West End.'

Darla laughed. 'Geez, Lindsey, if you wanted a date, all you had to do was ask.'

Suddenly, a thick, dense silence fell upon them, and all the air of the room seemed to have been sucked away as Lindsey looked away and Darla's words sank in her mind.

Her brain started to race, and she began to examine those three months of camarederie and friendship they'd shared. Once or twice – all right, probably more often than that – Darla had entertained thoughts about Lindsey that certainly weren't fraternal. But that was hardly surprising, as Lindsey was an attractive man, smart and funny, and chivalrous, and brave... and all those things any woman would hope for, including the renewed and souled version of herself. But she'd hurt him so much already, that she did not dare to think...

'Lindsey,' she began hesitantly, and was startled when he jumped to his feet and strode towards the door.

'I'd better get going, it's getting late...'

'Lindsey, don't leave.'

He stopped dead on his tracks, and slowly, very slowly, he turned to face her. His blue eyes were wide with... fear? Sadness? Expectation? She couldn't read the expression on his eyes, or perhaps there were just too many feelings in them, all mixed.

'I... I wasn't expecting this,' she admitted. 'I thought... I hoped you had moved on me.'

Lindsey let out a sigh.

'I wasn't expecting this either. I mean... I had moved on you.' He shook his head and walked back to the armchair and sank in it. In silence, Darla sat in front of him. 'I had moved on you. I changed, and I no longer was the fool who'd fallen in love with someone who'd never be able to love him back. And then I came back here and I met you.' He averted her eyes and his gaze, instead, fixed in some point mid-air. 'What I hadn't counted with was you changing too. I came here, and I saw you, and then I realised you were no longer the one I had fallen in love with. You were a completely different person. A better person. A person that... a person that could love back.'

He let out a humorless chuckle. 'And I was foolish enough to fall in love with you, who had just turned into the most amazing woman I ever met. I know you wanted nothing more than my friendship and I'm sorry. I... I'll go now.'

And with that, he stood up abruptly and headed to the door with long strides. It took her a moment to react.

'Lindsey, wait.'

He stopped again and turned, and she saw the heart-breaking sadness in his eyes. She stood up and, as if she were inside a strange dream, began to walk towards him slowly.

'I don't want to hurt you again.'

He gave her a faint smile, a tiny nod and turned to leave. His hand was already on the knob when Darla grabbed his arm, making him to turn... and then kissing him fully on the lips.

'Okay, so everything's ready,' Darla said, but despite her feigned confidence, she went to check the kitchen once more. 'All right, so here's Connor's favourite food, and for once I haven't burnt it... Oh, I forgot to buy him some Mars Bars, he loves them...'

'Darla, honey, stop,' Lindsey said, wrapping his arms around her waist. 'There's no reason to be nervous, I'm sure Connor'll take it well.'

In spite of his words, an hour later, when he stopped in front of Darla's door, Lindsey's hand hesitated before knocking.

After dating for three months, Darla and him had decided it was wise to tell Connor about their relationship. After all, the boy was already nine years old, and he had a right to know if his mother was in a serious relationship. It was healthier to tell him diplomatically, in a way he could grasp it easily, instead of blatantly lying to him. They were doing the right thing.

However, he didn't feel very confident himself. This was the first time he would see Connor, and despite listening to Darla talk about him for months, Lindsey did not know what to expect. Connor had had a very strange childhood, so probably he wouldn't be like normal children. Not like Lindsey had any experience at dealing with normal children, anyway.

Lindsey knew that he was being stupid, but he couldn't help wondering what would happen if Connor didn't take it well. Darla, from what he could see, had always overprotected Connor when she could. Would the boy feel jealous? And what if he didn't like Lindsey at all? He hadn't a clue of what Connor might like, or which his interests were. What could he talk about with him?

However, there was something else that troubled Lindsey's mind, although he didn't want to acknowledge it. Instead, he tried to bury the thought in the bottom of his mind, focusing in more mundane things. In spite of his efforts, the distressing idea kept lingering in his head, darkening all his other thoughts.

Lindsey's problem was that he was just going to meet Angel's son. It was stupid, but he couldn't get rid of the idea. Which was completely irrational. It was also Darla's child, after all.

Of course that, if he was one hundred per cent honest with himself, he would have had to admit that that was exactly his problem. Despite of the years that had gone by, Lindsey still felt a pang of

jealously? fury?resentment? hatred?

pain everytime he remembered the night he'd found out Darla and Angel had slept together, and how much had it hurt to realise she preferred the vampire over him.

and that child should have been mine, because I did love her, whereas he only used her

Of course, he knew he was just being silly. Darla was, after all, an evil, soulless creature, whose primal instinct was to eat Lindsey alive. He was lucky indeed that she'd left him alive

if only, of course, she'd have let me lay a finger on her, which obviously she never did and never would have. I wasn't nearly enough, was I?

and not have killed him when she'd had the chance. She had had no conscience and no capability to love. He shouldn't have been surprised by her actions, neither should he have blamed her. Naturally, it still hurt when he thought about it

should have run over him with the truck until he was dust

but she had been a different being back then, and so had he, so he'd better move on. He raised his hand once more to knock, and his fist stopped in mid-air once more.

What if he looked just like Angel? It would be dreadful to contemplate the face of his old enemy in the features of Darla's child. From what he'd been able to see in the pictures Darla had showed him, the boy took after his mother, but pictures not always portrayed people accurately. There were so many things a camera could not capture. He really, really didn't want to be reminded of Angel, not after all this time. It wasn't like he'd been happy for his demise,

but I can't say I was that sorry either, can I?

although he'd been shocked. Truth to be told, he'd always expected Angel to go with a bang, and the sound of trumpets, and perhaps a chorus of angels. And thunder and lighting, and a great war and a miracle.

he was always such a drama queen

He hadn't, though, and it still surprised Lindsey. But back to the matter at hand, he really didn't want to see Angel on Connor's face...

The door swung open, and Darla beamed on the doorstep.

'Lindsey, I was starting to worry! C'mon, Connor's here.'

And before he could do something, anything, she grabbed his arm and dragged him inside.

Lindsey's worst fears turned out to be unfounded. Connor didn't remind him of Angel at all. With his blue eyes and his fair skin, Connor's seemed a childish and male version of his mother. Even the way he raised his eyebrow was exactly alike.

Darla, whom to Lindsey's shock was showing true nervousness for the first time ever, introduced them. Connor had shaked Lindsey's hand and greeted him rather formally, to the man's inner amusement. Then he remembered that Connor had spent the first five years of his life raised by a psycopath from the 18th century and he no longer was amused by Connor's unnaturally formal ways.

At first, dinnertime was an awkward business. Connor wasn't very talkative, and his eyes seemed to be digging a hole in Lindsey's as the child watched intently his every move, which didn't help the man to feel as comfortable as usual. He got the impression he was going through some mysterious exam in the child's eyes, and he had no idea of what would make him fail. On the other hand, Darla tried to sound cheerful and casual, but she was obviously doing something very wrong indeed, as Connor kept throwing her curious glances.

Ice was finally broken when Lindsey casually mentioned that he'd forgotten his guitar at Darla's. Connor's head jerked up, and his eyes shone with curiosity.

'You've got a guitar? Can I see it?' Suddenly remembering his manners, he hastened to add: 'If it doesn't inconvenience you, please.'

Lindsey had to suppress his laughter at the boy's solemn tone, and as soon as dinner was over he proceeded to show Connor the guitar. The boy's eyes widened in surprise.

'It doesn't look at all like Spike's.'

Darla caressed Connor's head. 'Of course not, sweetie. Spike's guitar works with a plug, like the TV.'

Dawning comprehension shone on the child's face. 'Oh, I get it. It's eclectical.'

Darla and Lindsey exchanged an amused glance, and after some minutes Connor asked if Lindsey was planning to stay in England for long.

'Because Spike and Faith never stay much time, and Mum's other friend, Mr.Giles, is too old to talk with, although he knows a lot of stuff.'

Lindsey remembered that Darla had commented that Connor had seen Spike and Faith many times now, and that he seemed to worship them. He couldn't help wondering whether he should tell Darla to worry about it or not.

'I hope I won't have to leave soon.'

'Oh,' was Connor's reply, and he dropped the subject, focusing instead on the intriguing guitar that worked without magic or electricity, which Connor considered as "Muggle magic".

While Connor watched TV, Lindsey helped Darla doing the washing-up.

'I think it's going rather well, don't you?' He asked her tentatively. She turned to face him and grinned.

'I think you're doing it really great, if that's what you're intending to ask.'

He grinned and kissed her through the bubbles, and she gigled like a young child. As he watched her, it hit him how much she looked like Connor. He was really his mother's son.

When he was about to leave, Darla got a phone call from Giles and answered the phone in her bedroom. As soon as she was out of earshot, Connor approached Lindsey.

'My friend Jacob's parents got divorced a few years ago, you know, and now his dad has a new girlfriend.' Lindsey startled and eyed Connor' face carefully, but the child's expression was unreadable. 'I've been thinking. If his mother got a boyfriend, it wouldn't be weird at all, would it?'

'Well, no, of course not,' Lindsey replied slowly. Connor seemed pensive.

'And Geoffrey's dad died. It wouldn't be weird either if his mum dated somebody else, right?'

Lindsey kept eyeing Connor intently, but nothing in the boy's face gave away his thoughts.

'No, that wouldn't be weird at all either.'

Connor seemed to ponder about his words for a few moments, and then gave a satisfied nod.

'I thought so, too. So,' he added abruptly, 'you're my Mum's boyfriend, aren't you?'

Imzadi: Well, I hope this episode cheers you up, at least for now! I had to write a little more cheerful episode after the last one, which was quite scary and depressing - although this one has a couple of dark moments. Tell me what you think!