Oh my God, I am so sorry about taking all my stories offline, but my stupid computer deleted them all off the internet!

Please forgive me.

Anyway to people who have read up to the point that these were taken off, don't worry I've been adding more on.

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters invented by Joss Whedon except Calista and a few others


Balance chp 1: Surprise!

"Connor don't let her in!" pleaded Darla as she stood in the warehouse trying to save her son from Cordelia.

"It's Angel he trying to turn you against me with this cheap image of… Darla." Darla blinked in surprise as Connor asked

"You can see her?"

"Connor listen to me let the girl go!" insisted Darla

"It's not her. It's not Darla, its Angel, this is how much he hates you!" whispered Cordelia coolly. Connor screwed up his face as both women continued to speak. He was torn in half, what was he meant to do? The girl sobbed and pleaded with him to let her go. He couldn't place it but she reminded him of someone he knew or used to anyway.

"Steven!"

That whisper in his mind instantly caught his attention. He recognized that voice, but from where?

"Listen to Darla, you are too good for this, Cordelia has tricked you more then you realise! Please remember me Steven!" Connor was suddenly assaulted with images, memories and feelings. He suddenly realised! Both women stopped speaking as they saw Connor's face change from indecision to horror to fury in the space of a minute. His eyes flew open and they were burning with a sudden fury that neither had seen before. Connor looked at Cordelia, his smouldering eyes focused on her. They made her nervous, they seemed to pierce her soul.

"You!" he shouted furiously, "You made me forget! You made me forget about her!" Cordelia was baffled by this outburst, and then she realised.

"Oh shit!" she cursed and stepped back out of fear, in her present condition she would never stand a chance if Connor attacked. Connor, however, had other ideas. He reached down and grabbed the girl by her bonds and dragged her to her feet. At the same time he stuck his hand into his pocket, pulling something out. He backed away from Cordelia and looked at his mother who was beaming at him with tears of joy falling down her cheeks.

"Thank you mother." he whispered, then he threw something to the ground and he, the girl and Darla were all gone leaving Cordelia alone.


Connor and the girl appeared out on a street that was near the Hyperion hotel. He quickly looked around as he undid the bonds that were around the girl's wrist. As they came away he saw there was a mild rope burn around them.

"I'm so sorry about this, I didn't mean…" he trailed off unable to finish so he settled for looking at the girl with remorseful eyes. "Please don't tell anyone about this." he whispered gently. She nodded and then he stepped back and she quickly ran off. He watched her go until she rounded a corner. He leaned back on a tree and breathed deeply trying not to cry, this was too much for him to handle.

"Connor!" Connor jumped as he heard Angel's voice. He looked over to meet the wary but caring eyes of his father, he had Fred, Gunn, and Wesley with him all of whom were watching him suspiciously.

"You were right dad!" the exhausted boy murmured, "It's not Cordelia, the real Cordelia wouldn't have done things like that." Angel was horrified by the defeated, tired and sad tone that was in his son's voice. "She wouldn't have told me to get her a sacrifice or that you hated me, even if you do. She wouldn't have done that to me." Connor wasn't referring to the other things he had mentioned, but the others didn't realise that.

"Connor are you ok?" asked Angel worriedly, the poor kid looked as if he was ready to die on his feet. Gunn Fred and Wesley each lowered their weapons that they had had ready to use, not quite aimed at him but cocked enough to warn him. They had never seen this sort of behaviour with Connor; defeat just wasn't something you associated with him. He would fight until the end, he wouldn't just give up. He shook his head

"No I don't think I am." and he sank to his knees.

"Connor!" cried Angel as he bounded forward and caught his son just before he hit his head off the ground. He quickly lifted him into his arms and rushed back to the hotel. Lorne looked away from the contained Skip as they came in and asked

"Did you find out what that flash was?" then he noticed Connor. "Hey where'd he come from?"

"Don't know all we know is there was a girl with him. He freed her and healed her rope burns somehow and then asked her not to tell anyone about something and then she ran off. He collapsed as we approached him." said Angel in a rush as he laid Connor down on the couch. Fred rushed back into the lobby with a wet cloth that Angel took and began to wipe Connor's face in an attempt to rouse him. It worked, Connor almost instantly woke up and he grabbed Angel's wrist his eyes wide with fear.

"Hey Connor it's ok, you're safe." Connor looked around and felt very uncomfortable that he was surrounded by his dad's friend, all of whom were regarding him with suspicion. Angel noticed and gave them all a look that said 'back off'. They quickly did so. Connor looked at his father and gulped, he was afraid of the trouble he was in. In Qour-Toth punishments had been severe, he just prayed Angel would be a little less harsh. Yet at the same time he wanted to be punished for what he did, that and the fact that it would make him focus on the pain and not the thoughts that were rolling around in his head. Angel meanwhile noticed the frightened look in his eyes and reached forward to gently squeeze his son's shoulder, but then drew away as Connor flinched before he even touched him. Angel looked at him, hurt, and then stood up and walked upstairs. Now Connor felt worse, he had flinched because he expected pain, like a reflex, he hadn't meant to hurt Angel. Unfortunately the others didn't know this, and as soon as Angel was gone and out of earshot they surrounded him and glared furiously.

"What?" asked Connor tiredly

"You are so lucky I don't have a taser handy!" snarled Fred angrily, her eyes flashing dangerously. Connor flinched again he could remember that as easy as he could see her right now.

"Yeah after everything, everything you've done. You put Angel through hell and yet he still cares about you, he lets you come back here, takes care of you and you still treat him like he's a monster!" shouted Gunn. Connor bowed his head, his hair falling into his face, obscuring it. Gunn, thinking Connor was sulking roughly grabbed him by the shoulder and shook him and yelled "You are nothing but a selfish brat! Get the hell out and stay out of Angel's life, cause ever since you were born there's been nothing but trouble!" Connor's head snapped up and they were shocked to see the tears flowing down his cheeks. He pushed Gunn away and then curled into a ball and began to cry into his knees. They watched, completely baffled by this behaviour.

"Connor?" they all turned to see Angel standing there looking furious and sad at the same time. He pushed past them and crouched in front of the sobbing teen.

"Connor?" he called again, softly and lovingly. Connor looked into Angel's brown eyes and then flung himself at Angel and sobbed into his father's chest. Angel was taken aback by this sudden show of emotion but he quickly wrapped his arms around his son and rocked him as he sobbed.


"… and that's how you dust a vampire!" finished Buffy Summers as she brushed her clothes free of vampire dust. She turned to the group of awed potential slayers and the bored Spike. Suddenly the silence was broken with

"Impressive moves!" They all looked to the right and saw a teenage girl, they could only see her face, the rest of her was hidden by the shadows, leaning against the tree.

"Thanks, but that was nothing I got better moves." said Buffy. That was both a comment and a threat should this girl attack. The girl smiled knowingly

"You are all very strong, but I wonder if you are strong enough for this mission."

"What mission? We have enough on our plate we don't need anymore missions."

"But the mission I'm talking about links to your mission and Angel's mission." Buffy instantly went on high alert at the mention of her soul mate.

"Really! So peaches needs help as usual!" smirked Spike.

"Yes what he strives to prevent is something he cannot stop, I can, but only if you all come to L.A." Buffy arched an eyebrow suspiciously she was very aware of how clever The First was and this could be a trick.

"So let me get this straight, you have the power to stop something that Angel can't and you expect me to just up and leave Sunnydale and go to L.A."

"Pretty much."

"And just what do you have to do with this?" asked Spike coming to stand beside Buffy. The girl stepped out of the shadows and their eyes were all instantly drawn to the nine months pregnant swell of her stomach. She laid a protective hand on it and gently rubbed it.

"I don't have anything to do with it but this does." she answered looking at them under lowered eyes, indicating her belly.

"We're not midwives." said Kennedy scornfully. The girl rolled her eyes and sighed. Buffy noted she was at best eighteen years old, with waist-length curly blond hair, blue eyes and a pretty face. Even with the large stomach she was quiet attractive, something Buffy knew she would never be able to pull it off if she ever got pregnant.

"Please help me!" she whispered sounding afraid, "The world has a danger coming, it's so close I can feel it, if it comes then not even the slayer and the champion united could stop it." Buffy stared at her and found she believed her.

"So you want us to leave taking all the potentials with us to L.A. because of what a young pregnant girl told you?" asked Giles slowly and incredulously. Buffy shrugged

"I can't explain it Giles, I just can't help but trust her, she seems so…"

"Pure!" suggested Spike from where he was sitting.

"Yeah pure, but it's almost like she was tested harshly by evil, tempted, and she just flicked her hair at it and ignored it." Buffy shrugged at the confused looks she got, it was the best way she could explain it. Meanwhile said pregnant girl was sitting on the couch in the sitting room slowly rubbing her belly fondly while Andrew Dawn and Willow watched her openly.

"You can stare all you like I am not going to turn into a monster and try to kill you." She looked up at them and smiled warmly. They smiled back, feeling calm in her presence.

"So who's the father?" asked Willow. The girl smiled even more and sighed happily

"A wonderful person, he would do anything to protect me, he is a warrior and fights the evil in this world."

"Sounds like a lovely guy, what's his name?"

"You already know him." Willow's forehead creased in confusion. She shook her head and looked around the room.

"This is a lovely house!" she complimented

"Thanks but it's seen better days!" smiled Dawn. The girl nodded and then started in surprise then relaxed with a happy smile.

"What is it?" asked Willow leaning forward. The girl just reached forward and took her hand and placed it on her belly. Willow gasped in amazement as she felt movement. "Wow strong kicks they got there." Dawn eagerly reached forward and placed her hand on the stomach and squealed excitedly as she felt the kick as well. The girl laughed in amusement.

"Hey I just realised we don't know your name." said Andrew suddenly.

"Oh right, sorry, it's Calista."

"That's a pretty name, it means the most beautiful doesn't it?"

"Yes it does. That's why I was called it."

"Well we've decided!" said Buffy coming in with Giles, Xander Faith Spike and Anya. "And we will do as you suggested and go to L.A." Calista smiled happily and heaved herself to her feet, waving away Dawn who moved to help her up. "But…" said Buffy stepping into her face, her own firm and her eyes intense, "If this is a trick of The First, then pregnant or not I will kill you, we clear?"

"Perfectly!" said Calista calmly her lips curving into a small, amused smile as if Buffy didn't scare her at all. That annoyed the slayer because she knew she could easily kill her even if she was pregnant if she had to. Calista looked at Giles and said, "I suggest you asked Robin Wood if you can borrow one of the school buses so there is enough room for the 30 potentials here." Giles looked surprised and nodded, disappearing to make the call. She then looked back to Buffy and said quietly

"Thank you, I am in your debt for this." and then she stepped around her and announced she was going to step outside and get some air. Dawn followed her as did Spike and Faith. Buffy sighed and went to the basement where most of the potentials were.

"Ok listen up, I want all of you to pack up as many weapons as possible, we are going for a road trip." she announced as she came down the steps.

"To L.A.?" asked Molly excitedly

"Yes, we have a job to do. It seems that there may be more then just the First to worry about now." There were gasps and murmurs of fear from among the girls. "We will fight it and any one else who is involved in this apocalypse, because that is what we do, we fight because we are slayers and you all have to remember that." The girls nodded and Kennedy asked

"When are we going?"

"We are going A.S.A.P… or sooner."


Again so sorry for the stories being taken off, don't worry I'll repost them as quick as I can. :-)

Night's Darkness