"Wait a minute, you think Connor is what?" Buffy shook her head slightly, a little surprised.
"When I first asked Connor to follow you guys, I got Cordelia to pitch the idea...make him think it was for her not me. He figured it out though and agreed to help anyway. When I cornered him on it he said it was because of Dawn."
"Well sure, they met once before....he saved her life." Buffy clarified. "He is your son Angel, why find it odd that he wanted to help keep someone safe?"
"It's not that it's just..."
"Buffy?" Cordelia's surprised voice was heard from behind and she turned to see not only her, but two other people and a demon standing there as well.
"What do you guys want?" Angel asked them, his tone clearly indicating that their presence in his bedroom was unwanted.
"We heard voices." Gunn said with a shrug. "Thought we'd come see if you were back yet. Guess that's a yes. You're Buffy then?"
"Yea." She stated shortly, on her guard despite herself. "And you?"
"Charles Gunn." The man replied.
"He works for me." Angel added, unnecessarily.
"And the others do as well?" Buffy questioned, referring to the young girl and the green skinned demon that stood beside them.
"I'm Fred," the girl said with a smile friendlier than Gunn's had been.
"And I'm Lorne," the demon said. "Don't let the horns fool you though sweetie, I'm a puppy dog in disguise."
"I'll bet." Buffy murmured.
"Angel call me crazy, but I thought you didn't want Buffy to know that you knew she was in town." Cordelia said in confusion. Buffy glanced sharply to her, but said nothing.
"I should have known I couldn't have tailed her without her knowing." Angel replied, slightly abashed. Buffy smiled slightly and Cordelia frowned.
"So now what?" She wondered.
"Now, I think we should get down to business." Cordelia stated, heading over to where Angel was sitting and plopping herself down at his side. "Are we gonna help her fight this thing or what?"
"Look, I appreciate the offer," Buffy began, not liking the way Cordelia was staring at Angel, nor the look he returned to her. It was as if they shared a silent language...the way she and him used to, but couldn't any longer. "I'm fine though, really. I can handle this thing."
"Oh really?" Cordelia challenged, "then why did Willow call Angel? Surely if you could handle it, she wouldn't have felt the need to..."
"She was worried." Buffy said shortly. "It's understandable, I left sort of...swiftly. This demon....the Brillcrall...it attacked a daycare center Cordelia. It killed little children....and I couldn't get there in time. I wasn't fast enough."
"You did what you could Buffy." Angel said gently. He wanted to move towards her and lend her physical comfort, but realized the impracticality of it. They weren't together anymore...couldn't be, and acting as if nothing had changed could only hurt the both of them.
"Sometimes it's just not good enough." She stated simply. "Look, I know that this stuff isn't my fault. I know I can't protect everyone...but little children! Innocents! I owe this demon a world of pain, followed by a grisly and horrendous death."
"I'm all for that." Gunn agreed, speaking for the first time since his introduction. Buffy looked to him as well as Fred and Lorne who nodded their agreement.
"We're helping Buffy, whether you like it or not." Cordelia said firmly. Buffy noted a maturity in her she hadn't possessed the last time she had seen her. It was almost as if she had aged ten years. I know how that feels. Buffy thought sadly, how old and weary do I appear to them? To Angel?
"Obviously I can't stop you." She agreed with a sigh. "OK, but this thing is bigger than I originally thought. This wasn't a random kill. The demon was hired to kill those kids."
"Hired?" Angel echoed, ears perking up. "By who?"
"Don't know. My source wouldn't say. He did say whoever hired this thing was pretty high up politically." Buffy paused for a moment, lost in thought. "What kind of high profile politician could get away with hiring a demon for a massacre without leaving any sort of trail?" Cordelia and Angel looked at each other, their eyes lighting up simultaneously with realization. She jumped up first, and he followed closely behind.
"Someone with a good lawyer I bet," she said as she hurried out of the room. Buffy jumped up to follow as the AI team headed down to the main lobby as if preparing for 'research mode'.
"Fred?" Angel started. She cut him off however.
"On it," she stated as she sat down at her computer and began to type furiously. She might give Willow a run for her money. Buffy thought.
"We'll need someone to protect the daycare centers." Buffy stated. "We don't know if his job is finished."
"I'll take some," Gunn said, happily twirling a rather sharp looking axe. Buffy nodded.
"I'll patrol, see what I can dig up from some other demon bars or the street." She looked at Angel. "Maybe you should get Connor to watch after some of the other daycares. We can't protect all of them, but we can protect some."
"I don't know that Connor would listen to me." Angel said uncertainly. Then, as if realizing something, "he might listen to Dawn though."
"Fine, whatever." Buffy agreed, waving a dismissive hand. Angel nodded as if things had been finalized and headed for the door. "Angel! What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to consult a lawyer," he replied, with a wink in Fred, Gunn and Cordelia's direction.
"Translation, he's going to tick off the big powers in this town." Lorne replied when hit with Buffy's confused glance. "Me, I like my danger a little less deadly so I'm going to stay here and help our little genius with the research."
"Coward," Fred teased affectionately.
"And proud of it sweatpea." Lorne replied with a smile. Buffy nodded and left the hotel, ready for patrol.