MOVING BACK

CHAPTER 3

Angel Investigations finally stood outside of their new home or an old one in Angel's case. They walked into the old mansion, and instantly their breath was taken away. David Nabitt had done an amazing job and there was no way they could thank him enough. He had put them on his books to do private work for his company, in that way they would be paying off what David had done for them. He also wanted to come and visit the hellmouth, they knew he wanted to be a hero and fight the good fight.

"So, home sweet home." Cordy said. "Right let's go and find our rooms so we can stick the rest of our junk in them." She said with a laugh.

Angel watched her as she ran up the stairs, her laughter still caressing him as she vanished from his sight, her smell covering him like a blanket keeping him warm. He could no longer imagine what it was like without her as his best friend and his heart no longer knew what it felt like not to love her, she was the one that brought and kept their family together.

"How old is she again?" Gunn asked grinning and before he could get an answer Fred was off running up the stairs.

The four men left standing in the entrance shook their heads and slowly followed. On one of the corridor's upstairs Cordy had picked a room that was in between Angel and Connor and on the other side Fred was in between Gunn and Wesley. Angel was pleased it meant that they could keep an eye on Fred and Cordy and keep them as safe as they could inside the mansion.

Buffy was slowly walking through the cemetery with Xander and Willow at her side and a couple of the potential slayers with them.

"So are you going to go and see Angel?" Willow asked softly.

The blonde slayer turned to her best friend. "I don't think so, they need to unpack and all that kind of stuff." She mumbled knowing even as she said the words no one was going to believe her, hell she didn't even believe it.

"Yeah good idea Buff." Xander said but his eyes went to Willow, they both knew how hard this was for her. All she knew was that Angel was back with his family. The vampire with a soul, her ex-first love had moved on and even though Buffy had done the same it was still hard, especially having to learn about it all in one go.

The two young slayerettes listened to the conversation. "So you have been friends with two vampires."

Buffy stopped and turned to them. "Yes Angel has just moved back to town so you will see him around a lot try not to stake him, he is one of the good guys, has been for a while."

"Angel?" One of the young girls muttered letting the name run around in her head and suddenly her eyes opened wide. "You don't mean Angelus do you?" Her voice was full of fear.

"He was once called that but he is one of the god guys." Buffy told them.

"Ok." The girls muttered their voice betraying the nervousness they felt.

Angel lay on his bed his arms behind his head as he stared at the ceiling amazed that he was back here again, he'd thought once he left he would never move back. He should have learnt by now never to say never, because the unexpected could always happen especially to him. A knock at his bedroom door woke him out of his reverie.

"Come in." He knew who it was he could smell her scent.

Cordy poked her head around the door and grinned at him. "I just wanted to see if you know, you were ok because of..." She waved her hand around his room.

"Well." He grinned. "At the moment I seem to be doing ok. What's wrong?" He knew there was something bothering her.

"It's Connor's first day tomorrow and well I just wish you could be there to see it." Her face fell down, Angel had already missed out on so much in his son's life and this was just another one to add to the list.

Angel moved over and patted the space in the bed next to him. "Come here Cordy."
He waited until she was on the bed and without thinking he pulled her into his arms, she stiffened for a moment and then relaxed, she placed one arm across his waist and she used his shoulder as a pillow to rest her head. "As much as I would love to be there I can't but at least his mum can and when she gets home she can wake me up and tell me every little single detail."

Cordy laughed and slowly her eyes began to feel heavy and her body relaxed, Angel ran his hand up and down her arm gently, it wasn't long before Angel could hear her steady breathing and he knew that she had fallen asleep. He tightened his grip on her and closed his eyes and the steady beat of her heart lulled him off to sleep as if he were being sung a lullaby.

"I don't want to go to school. Why do I have to?" Connor whined.

Everyone from AI was up, they all wanted to see Connor off to school but Cordy was the only one going with him because she had to go and see the principal.

"Because you need to lead something of a, well, normalish life. Just remember don't do everything; you can try to fit in. You may enjoy it." Cordy said with a smile.

Connor just glared at her.

"You are going whether you want to or not." Angel told him his voice firm.

"Let's go Connor." Cordy said as she walked out.

Gunn, Wes, Fred and Angel all gave Connor a hug as he slouched out of the mansion his feet scuffing as he went and his rucksack dragging along on the floor.

Cordy and Connor walked into the High School and she stared at the new building her eyes trying to take in everything but still remembering how it used to be, she could still see herself walking through the corridors with the cordettes on her heels trying to be her and look where she was now and she had never been more happier.

Buffy was sitting at her desk when Cordelia Chase came into view, she frowned and watched as the ex-may queen and a teenager walked through the hallways, she watched them hug and Cordy watch as he went into a class, the same class that Dawn was in and she watched as the elegant brunette went towards the Principals office and just like when they were in High School everyone parted to give her room to walk.

Connor glanced nervously around the classroom as he walked in.

"Everyone we have a new student who has just moved from Los Angeles, his name is Connor Chase please make him feel welcome." The teacher said and pointed to a chair that he could go and sit at.

A young girl with long brunette hair leant towards him smiling. "Hi I'm Dawn Summers."

"Dawn Summers, oh you must be Buffy's little sister." He said looking at her closely.

Dawn's eyes narrowed at him suspiciously. "How do you know about my sister?" She asked.

"My dad, mum and uncle told me about her they all knew each other when they lived here." Connor said casually.

Her face was now full of confusion. "I don't understand. Who are your parents?"

But before Connor could answer the teacher had called for their attention and for the rest of the class Dawn kept turning and staring at the young man sitting next to her.

The day had passed quickly for Angel Investigations as they started to get the business up and running again. If they could manage it Cordy and Connor were the only ones not going out of town because Connor had school and Cordy was down as his adopted mother and was the only parent that could actually go out in the daylight.

"Magic Box?" Wes asked.

"But we haven't had any food yet?" Fred and Connor whined together, the two of them ate so much it was amazing they were still as thin as they were.

"Ok you and Connor grab some food and bring it to the Magic Box. Angel told them.

Fred and Connor high-fived each other and ran out of the door laughing. The rest of them just shook their heads in amusement.

Dawn looked around anxiously when she arrived home from school Buffy wasn't there and now they were at the Magic Box and her sister still hadn't turned up. Just as the younger Summers daughter opened her mouth Buffy walked in.

Dawn jumped up. "We had a..."

"Guess who..." Buffy said at the same time and they turned to each other.

Just then the door opened and in walked Angel, Cordy, Wes and a man they had never seen before.

Spike, Giles, Willow, Xander, Anya, Buffy, Dawn and the slayerettes stared at them, knowing that they were here but seeing them was still confusing.

"We had new student today he said his mum, dad and uncle know you." Dawn said before anyone else could speak.

"I wonder who the parents are." Xander asked.

The door flew open again and in ran Fred with 2 large bags in her hand laughing and followed by a teenager he ran straight to Angel and Cordy.

"Mum, Dad, Aunt Fred wouldn't let me have some fries on the way home." Connor whined but still with a smile on his face, letting them know that him and Fred had been having fun.

"Well that answers that question." Dawn answered.

TBC