Buffy was still in shock at Angel's words and it showed. Spike asked the questions for her since she was speechless. "What do you mean son? Vampires can't have kids remember?"
Angelus just kept on smiling, "That's the fun part, I guess i can. You should meet him buffy, a breath of vile air. Really annoying sometimes and kind of whiny."
Buffy looked at him with Anger, "Why didn't he tell me?"
Angelus just stared, "Because he doesn't love you."
Buffy wasn't fazed since that was the answer she thought he'd say. She continued to stare awaiting answers, "How can he want to talk to me if he's only a baby? Or is it from a long time ago?"
Angel actually laughed, "You know how you sent me to hell right? Well when Conner was a baby Wesley stole him and then Holtz had him and they went to hell. He spent all those years teaching Conner how dangerous and how big of an asshole Angel and I are. Now he's 16 or 17. Brilliant how time moves quicker down there huh?"
Buffy ignored him and went for the real question, "Who's the mother?"
Spike stared at him too as he grinned even wider, "Well you remember Darla, well this little law company brought her back and one thing lead to another."
Buffy had tears in her eyes, "Son of a bitch."
Angelus bowed, "Thank you."
Spike stared at the saddened Buffy and anger fled through him. Angelus was standing close enough to the bars that when Spike jumped and hit him through them he flew into the wall. When Angelus stood he was still smiling, "You can't protect her forever Spike. Remember she likes it alone."
Buffy cleared up her tears and then looked at Spike, "Can you watch him?"
Spike nodded, "Where you going?"
"I'm gonna go meet Conner."
Spike nodded and they hugged before she walked upsatirs. Spike turned to Angelus who was growling a little bit, "Look at this Angelus, Never thought you for the jealous type."
He walked to the bars again, "Yea well not jealous just protective of what's mine. You know she has my mark on her?"
Spike smiled and nodded, "Yea, it made the love a little more dangerous and better knowing that."
Angelus just smiled, "So how was it Spike? You couldn't kill a slayer so you started screwing her?"
Spike just stared and continued to smile, "You're the one who said to kill her you have to love her. Problem is I got myself a soul because I loved her too much."
"Figured! You always got to close to Spike and now you're where you don't belong."
"Really then, so why is it Buffy chose to share a room with me?"
Those two continued to bicker like old ladies while upstairs Willow was one step closer to finding out how to restore his soul. Cordelia had come down but didn't like it and continued to glare at Willow or Buffy whenever possible. Buffy however had walked out to the garden and found exactly who she was looking for.
-The Garden-
Conner stood just looking up at the sky. He knew buffy was coming long before she entered the garden but just stood as if he didn't. He didn't want to scare her by coming on too strong. That's why he was glad when buffy started talking first.
"You must be Conner."
He turned around and nodded, "And you're the all famous Buffy."
She nodded and just stared at the remarkable resembelence, "You look just like him."
Conner stared away, "Everyone says that. Although things have changed I am almost repulsed by the similarity."
A surge of anger hit Buffy and she clenched her fists. This did not go un noticed by Conner, "Why do you hate him?"
"He's a vampire...what do you expect. You of all people should hate him."
Buffy started getting ancy at how little this boy knew about where he came from, "You don't know a thing Conner." He was startled at her tone but listened, "I was told you were raised in a dimension of pure torture. I don't know where all these thoughts of hatred came from but I do know that you won't understand how wonderful a man Angel can be until you can learn to judge a person by a soul and not being. It's true he will always have a voice inside of him that pushes and pulls at his every move but his soul is so much stronger then that voice. Angelus is one of the most vile and destructive creatures to live and he does deserve to die but there is an amazing difference between Angel and Angelus. Angel can't even see himslef as good. He spends day and night paying for what that soulless asshole did in his body. I've felt more of Angel's soul then anyone, believe me when I say he cares more about you and this world then anyone else."
Conner stared at the now relaxed slayer, "How would you know he cares for me, you haven't been here."
"I know because I know Angel. There's only two things in this world that Angel wasn't aloud to have and that's love and a child. Imagine how happy you would be if you could have the one thing in the world that you thought you weren't aloud to. Even now that he knows you hate him, he would lay his life down for you because you share his blood and his soul."
"What about you?"
Buffy was taken back, "What about me?"
"He said he loved you with everything he had too but he ended up leaving. Doesn't that mean he's going to leave me too?"
Conner looked down as Buffy walked to him and grabbed his hands. They were almost the same height with how short Buffy was so when she tilted his head up she was staring him in the eyes. "Angel loves you more then he could ever love me. I don't need to see him around you or listen to you guys talk, I know him. When there's family involved, especially a daughter or son they always come first. I don't blame you for not connecting right away but I sure as hell hope you'll try because you have no idea what you're missing out on. To grow up without a real father... makes you kind of lonely."
"What would you know about being alone? From what I hear you have a bunch of friends."
Buffy smiled and shook her head, "I'm a slayer Conner. This world rests on my hands almost every day. I had to learn how to lead, to fight and still go to high school all when I was 16. I know you know what it feels like to be alone and yet be around people...I feel like that every single minute of my life."
Conner looked down, "I'm sorry."
Buffy shook her head, "Don't worry about it. Not a common question so it was cool to answer it." It was a tad silent so buffy started a new question, "So why did you want to talk to me?"
Conner looked away from her, "I found a picture of you in Angel's office and a note. Since then I just felt I had to meet you."
Buffy smiled at him, "I'm glad I got to meet you too."
Conner actually half smiled back at her, "You're more beautiful then your picture."
Buffy blushed, "Thank you. I mean it was taken a while ago."
Something clicked in Conner's head as he remembered, "Buffy, can I show you something?"
She nodded and took his extending hand, "Sure."
Conner lead her through the main room as everyone watched them go. Cordelia looked even more pissed then before and just sighed as they took off up the stairs. They ended up at the door to Conner's room and Buffy just followed him in without concern. For some reason she held absoloute trust with this boy and she had known him for almost 10 minutes. She was a slayer meaning she was suppossed to be careful when she trusted someone but this boy...Angel's son didn't have a single insincere bone in his body. She sat on the bed and watched with a smile as he moved to the dresser and started searching. For that minute in time she actually pretended she was this wonderous teenager's mother. That moment was gone when he walked over with a box.
"What's this Conner?"
He just smiled, "My father and I had a talk about you, that's how I knew I wanted to meet you. He talked briefy of your love and your past. He wouldn't let me keep the picture and note but he gave me this box. I thought you should have a look through it."
Buffy nodded and opened the box. Tears started slowly coming to her eyes as she saw the first object. She reached in and grabbed the silver claddagh ring and watched it shine in the room light. "I thought I'd lost it."
Conner stared at he unsure of what to do, "I haven't read through the journals yet so i don't know exactly..."
Buffy smiled at him and through small sobs and falling tears she explained, "On my seventeenth birthday, Angel was about to leave to save the world. We were on the docks when he gave me my present which was this ring. It's an old symbol for love and marriage in his culture before he was turned. The hands mean friendship, the crown means loyalty and the heart means love. When you wear it with the heart pointing towards you it means you belong to someone. Mine always faced that way..."
She started crying, and it wasn't just for the rings but for all the pressure and containment of emotions she had been feeling lately. Conner just moved towards her and instantly she found a place in his shoulder and cried. He just petted her hair and listened. She did eventually calm down and stared right at Conner.
"I'm so sorry Conner. I didn't mean to just..."
"It's okay. I understand releasing emotions. I do it very often, that's why people think I'm so violent."
Buffy smiled and wiped her tears away, "I'd do that too but I didn't want to hit you."
He smiled right back at her, "You seem like a very sad girl buffy Summers."
Buffy just stared at him and realized, "Oh yea, Angel's kid. Of course you're going to know me inside out." They both smiled and Buffy continued, "It's not that I'm sad it's just a lot of what's happening right now is so overwhelming."
Conner stared into her eyes, "Will you tell me?"
Buffy smirked, "Only because you have Angel face."
He smiled, "Well I guess he became of use."
Buffy glared but started, "Well I have to save the world in Sunnydale while holding a bunch of potential slayers in my small house. I have to come and see Angelus again of all people, watch him be re ensouled by a friend who is somewhat unstable with magic, listen to Spike and Angel be jealous of each other, I'm very confused and then I got to meet you. Angel couldn't love me that much if he didn't see fit to call and tell me about you. I guess Cordelia finally got him."
Conner looked at her blankly, "What do you mean Cordelia finally got him?"
"In high school when I met Angel she was all over him. She made it clear that one way or another it would be him and her. I guess she got what she wnated yet again."
Conner shook his head, "Believe me Buffy, Angel does love you. You didn't see his face when I showed him that picture of you. He said you never forget someone like Buffy..."
She smiled, "You never do forget but sometimes that person can drift so far into the back of your mind that you don't think about them that much. I can't be what he wants if he didn't even call me when the happiest thing in the world happened to him."
Conner looked down, "You're glad I'm here though right?"
Buffy smiled and tilted his head up again, "Believe me when I say I am surprised but giddy with glee, even if I'm not showing it. There's something about you Conner and it's not the essence of Angel that just makes me... comfortable. Sorry if I wierded you out."
Conner just smiled, "No, I kind of just feel...safe around you too. Like I'm not alone anymore."
Buffy smiled and hugged him, "Conner even when I'm not here you don't have to be alone. Every single person down there loves you with everything they have. Believe me you can trust them. Just not Angelus...I meant Angel when he comes back."
The disembraced and Conner smiled, "Why do I believe you?"
"Because I'm always right, and plus if anyone does anything to you just call me and I'll beet the crap out of them for you."
Conner nodded, "So do you think Willow can do it? Bring back Angel?"
Buffy smiled, "Of course she can. Ensouling Angel was the first spell she ever learned."
Conner nodded, "So we just wait?"
Buffy nodded. The room went silent and both looked a little bored. Buffy smiled, "Have you gotten into the 20th century yet?"
COnner shrugged, "Well I like t.v and I really like food. Pizza's good."
Buffy smiled and jumped up grabbing Conner's hand, "Then we'll go out, patrol. Grab a pizza on the way back, watch some T.V and play pictionary. Classic wait for the end of the world event."
Conner smiled, "You act like a little kid Buffy."
She smiled back and grabbed his hand. They ran down the stairs with her yelling, "Well you are just a kid, now act like one, even if it is to just not make me feel old."
They ran to the main room telling everyone their plan. Cordelia stressed her objections many times but they didn't listen and just stared at the blank faces on Gunn and Fred's faces. They had never seen Conner this happy...or happy at all! Buffy told Willow to tell Spike he can leave Angelus alone if he wants and that he can come up but she was going to be gone for a while with Conner. After Willow nodded they grabbed their coats and took off. Fred addressed the whole room.
"Was he smiling?"
Willow looked around, "What? Does Conner not smile?"
Cordy looked at them and that at Willow, "He does around me."
Fred looked out the door, "Not like that. Whatever buffy did, she's changed him."
Cordelia looked disgusted and stomped upstairs again. Wesley just smiled, "Looks like Buffy hasn't lost her touch."
Willow just smiled, "Buffy will always be Buffy."
The room shared a smile and continued to research a spell that would save their precious Angel.