Chapter 7: Good nights lead to bad days.
The rest of the day was mostly spent in silence. Everyone digesting the story they had just heard and discussing it amongst themselves. Everyone unconsciously separating into their normal groups. The Scoobies gathered together, the AI group, and finally the slayers formed their own group. The Halliwell sisters and Leo, joined the AI group for the simple fact that they had met them first, and the others were still relative strangers to them. Of course where the sisters went, so did Champion.
Spike sat looking at Champion, a cigarette dangling from his lips, "You know Champion, I've heard many stories about Camelot, mostly from my mum. I never heard your version though."
Champion shrugged, "Well as my father once told me, the tales of battles are most often told by the victors."
"True that." Spike admitted looking at his watch, clapping his hands, "Hey! Sun's down, come on Champion, time to get changed and get ready to hit the town!" Turning to the others, "You guys coming right?"
Angel shrugged "Can't, Cordy and I already promised to have dinner with Giles, Joyce and Buffy and Dawn."
"Well." Gunn stood up, most definitely needing some sort of distraction, "Me and English here are definitely coming. Right Wes?"
"I don't think so." Wes looked up from his book, "I really should….Hey…"
Cordelia plucked the book from his hand and closed it, "Go have some fun Wes. The book will still be here tomorrow morning. You really need time to recharge those batteries, go meet a girl or something. Sow some wild oats."
Wes chuckled, "Okay, Cordy. As always you are right." he conceded gracefully
Cordy winked to the women in the room, "And don't you forget that neither."
Piper looked at her husband and laughed, "Go on Leo, you can join the boys and have some fun. Us girls have decided to have a huge slumber party. Girl talk, junk food, and swap lots of stories. You will be bored to tears."
Leo smiled rubbing his hands, "Cool, I never hang out with just guys anymore. You guys mind?"
Spike waved it away, "Nah, the more the merrier I always say."
Cordelia looked at Spike, "No bar fights, no getting arrested and calling here at four in the morning needing bail money."
Spike's face fell, "Aw, c'mon sis, you can't go and take all the fun out of this."
"Spike!" Cordy warned
"I promise, no fights… unless they start it." Spike smiled impudently at Cordy, "I love you sis, but I ain't standing there and letting some yahoo beat on me."
"Fair enough." Cordy conceded the point.
The men stood up and went into the lobby, Spike looked over at the Scooby group and called out "Yo, Xander you great bloody poof. You hanging here with the girls and painting your fingernails, or are you coming and hanging out with us boys?"
Xander smiled, even if it did mean going out with Spike. At least he didn't have to hear these girls when they all started giggling and talking about sex and eventually bashing on guys."
"Love to." Kissing his wife, "See you later honey."
"You better behave." Anya warned
"You have my word." Xander crossed his heart. Then joined the other guys.
"Okay boys." Spike looked at his watch, "We all go and put on our party frocks and be back here in thirty minutes."
The guys all met down in the lobby,
"Okay boys, last minute checks, wallets, id's, everyone got cash or credit cards?" Spike asked as he checked his pockets.
Champion pulled out a thick wad of hundreds, "Will this be enough Spike?" he asked
Everyone's eyes bulged at the wad of money.
"Yeah, that's plenty." Spike shook his head. "Drinks are on you tonight mate." he joked
"Okay half of us in my car, the other half with Leo. Leo just follow me and I'll take us to our first stop of the evening mates."
Twenty minutes later, the group found themselves standing outside the Viper Room on Hollywood blvd.
The line was down the street waiting to get inside.
Spike avoided the line and went directly to the front "Hey Charlie, you wanker."
The half- demon bouncer smiled, "Hey Spike, it's been awhile." as he opened the barrier for the vampire, the crowd groaned and booed. As Spike and the rest of the guys went inside.
Angel stared at the menu, "I'll have the steak please, rare, very rare." he said with a smile
Cordelia smiled, "Yeah, just wave it over the fire a couple of times and bring it out for him." She joked.
Once the waiter was gone, Buffy looked at Angel, "So you actually eat?" Angel nodded
"Cooks too." Cordelia added smiling at her hubby, "You know for a guy who hasn't needed to eat in 250 years. Angel really makes the greatest omelets."
"So" Joyce began staring curiously at the couple, "How did you two finally get together?" she asked.
"Well" Angel sighed, "It all began when Darla came back the last time, pregnant with Connor."
"Slut." Both Cordelia and Buffy mumbled, looking up they smiled, well at least they both agreed on that point.
"Girls." Joyce shook her head.
"Anyway, after she died. I needed help raising Connor, Cordy stepped in and became Connor's mom. Now I'll admit it now, that I had been having certain more than just best friend feelings for Cordy for a long while, but watching her with Connor. That just had me falling head over heels. She was just amazing with Connor, Cor did everything in her power to make him happy. Cor became his mother." Angel said simply
"What about the curse though?" Giles asked
"Oh, we were able to seal his soul." Cordelia told them, "No more Angelus when he gets a happy, only Angel."
"Was it the orb thingie?" Dawn asked curious
"No, it was Cordy's blood." Angel told them matter of factly
Seeing their shocked faces Cordelia explained, "I got poisoned by a demon, the only way for me to survive was for Angel to get the poison out of me. The hard way, if you know what I mean."
"Oh." Joyce turned a bit white.
"It really was the only way, Joyce. The doctors couldn't do a thing for her." Angel explained "I couldn't lose her." He shrugged, "I just couldn't"
"Anyway, long story short. Something in my blood, from my demon side. Sealed his soul. Or so the powers told me in a vision." Cordelia finished sipping her Cosmopolitan.
Buffy perked up at that moment, "Your what side?"
Cordelia stared at the group, "You guys don't know?"
Dawn also stared at Cordy shocked, "Ah…no. I think that is definitely something that we would have remembered."
"Well I was dying, from the visions." Cordelia said matter of factly, as the others stared at her in shock, "So the powers made me half demon, that way I could still help Angel, and not, have to, you know, die."
Giles put down his fork, "So you are half demon now."
"Yup, that's me." Cordelia smiled her 100 watt smile "Got some cool benefits out of it as well."
"What kind of Benefits?" Giles asked his scholar's mind coming to the forefront.
"Honey." Joyce tried to head him off, not wanting to offend anyone
"No it's okay Joyce." Cordy told them "I mean if we are going to work together, you should know. I do this whole glowing thing. I don't really know what it is, or how to control it yet." Cordelia admitted to them, "Except when I'm really mad or really happy, it happens. When I'm mad, I start to glow really bright, I mean light up the city kinda bright, and it usually destroys whatever bad we are facing at that moment. When I'm happy, it's like a really soft nice glow and start to levitate."
Buffy smiled, "Who'd a thunk, night-light Cordy." she joked, looking at the faces of the others, who were all staring at her, "What, I'm trying here. It all doesn't happen over night people." she defended
Leo and Xander looked around staring at all the various demons in the club.
"Ah…Spike…What kinda place did you say this was again?" Xander asked as he watched a very sexy woman with a tail walking past. Whispering in Champions ear, she slipped a piece of paper in his pocket.
"Thank thee Milady." Champion smiled "I shall consider thy most generous offer most carefully."
Spike looked at the two nervous men, "Relax guys, you're perfectly safe here. This is Lorne's place, it's a karaoke bar. No one fights here, too many spells and enchantments, this is neutral ground for everyone, human and demon. We won't be here long anyway, just gotta see a guy about a thing." Spike looked around, "There he is. Be right back." Spike moved off.
Lorne leaned on the table of the five men, "So how's boy's night out going so far?" he asked
"Very well Master Lorne." Champion admitted, "Although, women's fashions have changed much since my time." Champion told him as he watched a woman in a micro-mini on the dance floor.
Lorne suppressed a titter, "I'm sure it has."
Spike returned, "Okay boys, let's go."
"Where we going now?" Xander asked, hoping it wasn't another demon infested club.
"My buddy over there owed me a favor, I helped him out of a jam." Spike told them with a grin, "Tonight, there is a very special function happening at the Playboy mansion." Spike held up six invitations.
"Spike…" Xander began looking at the tickets now in Spike's hands "Did I mention how glad I am that you aren't dead anymore."
"Way to go my man." Gunn jumped from his chair, "Let's go!"
Cordelia paced the main lobby feeding Connor his bottle. Looking up she looked at the clock again.
"Where are the boy's?" she asked Connor lightly, inside however she was a nervous wreck. It was thirty minutes till sunrise.
"If uncle Spike isn't home soon, he is going to be a walking charcoal briquette."
"Cordelia?"
Spinning around Cordelia almost screamed, "Jesus, Buffy, give a girl a heart attack why don't you."
Buffy grinned evily, "What are you doing up?" she asked
"This little one woke up screaming for his breakfast. You?"
Buffy walked over, for the first time really looking at the baby and shrugged, "Still on London time I guess."
"He looks just like Angel." she smiled, "Do you think I could…" she motioned to the baby
"Would you." Cordelia sighed relieved, and handed over the baby to Buffy, "Yeah, just tilt the bottle back. Perfect." Cordelia stole another look at the clock.
"What's wrong?" Buffy asked looking at the clock
"The boy's aren't back yet."
"It's almost 6 am!" Buffy stared at the clock
"I know, sunrise is in twenty minutes. If Spike isn't here by then." Cordelia shook her head.
"You really like Spike?" Buffy asked seriously
"Oh yeah!" Cordelia laughed, "What's not to like. He's rude, abrasive, always has a nasty comment to make about someone, he loves to gossip, we watch passions and days of our lives together. He's practically a woman."
Buffy also laughed looking down at baby Connor, "You are going to be so messed up when you grow up. Vampire daddy and uncle, demon mommy…"
"Hey!" Cordelia called out in mock annoyance, then seriously added, "I'm glad you're back."
Buffy smiled sheepishly, "It's actually pretty good to be back." she admitted, she was about to ask about Spike, when the doors slammed open, and six extremely drunk men staggered through the doors.
"LUCY! Were home!" Spike called out, spotting the two women staring at them open mouthed Spike bowed to them "Hello pets."
Suddenly doors opened and shut upstairs and the sounds of pounding feet could be heard.
"XANDER!" Anya called out angrily
"LEO!" Piper called out
"CHARLES!" Fred called out
Spike sniggered and threw his arm around a very drunk Wes, "Someone's in for it now." Both men laughed
"You two are in trouble too!" Cordelia stared at the two drunk men
"What's going on?" Dawn asked as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and saw the drunk men and the angry women.
Cordelia sighed, it would do no good to yell now. "Better to wait till later to yell ladies, when they are way hung over, then we can make them really suffer." she said with a gleam in her eye
"Ohhh!" Buffy stared at Cordelia impressed, "Good to see that you haven't gone soft."
"Me! Soft!" Cordelia looked to the other women, "Well Ladies, grab your man, Buffy could you grab Spike, I'll take Wes and Dawnie, could you take Champion."
Buffy led Spike into his bedroom, dropping onto the bed, Spike laid back and sighed in satisfaction. Shaking her head, Buffy made her way out, when suddenly Spike's voice stopped her cold.
"I've never stopped thinking of you, Buffy, never."
Shaking her head Buffy threw a blanket over the now sleeping vampire, "Get some sleep Spike."
"You just wait until you sober up, Xander Harris." Anya told him as she undressed her husband, "God knows what the hell you were up to tonight. If you were with another woman, I swear, I'm talking half of everything then I'm taking the other half for the baby." she huffed pulling Xander's belongings from his jacket pockets, "Making me worry all night lo…" Anya stopped short as she pulled out pictures from the pocket, looking at it, Anya was surprised to see that it was of them, on their wedding day and another of the sonogram that they had done just days before. Xander still carried it with him where ever he went, and he was already proudly showing his unborn son to everyone and anyone.
Sighing Anya covered him up, "I hate you." she smiled affectionately as she got into bed and went back to sleep.
Dawn struggled with the taller and much heavier man
"Whoa are you heavy." Dawn muttered as Cordelia passed by with a very drunk Wes.
"Can you handle him Dawn? I can help you in a minute." Cordelia muttered as she opened the door to Wes's room.
"Great, he is heavy." Dawn struggled with him
Suddenly the weight lifted from Dawn's shoulder, "I got him." Angel moved over and grabbed the heavy man, "Come on Champion, time for bed."
Champion looked up his eyes glazed over, "Father?"
Angel sighed and shook his head as he led Champion inside, Cordelia and Dawn behind him.
"Forgive me father, for being such a disappointment to thee."
Angel shrugged, as he removed Champion's jacket, "Yeah, okay." Not really wanting to have a conversation of this kind at this moment. It reminded him of too many conversations with his own father. No, bed was a better idea, now, bed with his wife, was much more important to him.
Champion shook his head drunkenly, "I cannot marry Lady Gwen, nor any of the others that thou want me to marry. I know that thee want progeny, but I must be true to my heart."
Angel looked up, "Cordy could you give me a hand."
"Sure." Cordelia moved over and helped Angel remove Champion's shoes
Champion smiled at her, "I have seen her mother." He told Cordelia, "In my dreams, she is brave and pure of heart, she has hair like finely spun gold. Eyes the color of a summer's afternoon sky on a cloudless day. She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."
Cordelia sighed, just what she needed at six in the morning, a drunk Champion telling her about his love life, as she pulled off his shoes, "Sounds like a really nice girl."
"She is mother, Merlin hath told me that he has seen her too, in his visions. That I was meant to be with her and her alone. She is the key."
Angel and Cordelia looked up shocked and turned to look at Dawn, who stood frozen in the doorway.
"The key to my heart, the good lady Dawn will set me free." Champion fell backwards and passed out.
Angel moved Champion into a more comfortable position, as Cordelia went to Dawn.
"You okay?" she asked gently
Dawn's mouth was opening and closing without a sound.
"Dawn?" Cordelia prompted
"He did say me, right?" Dawn pointed to the peacefully sleeping man, "I wasn't imagining it was I?"
Angel shook his head, "He's drunk Dawn."
Dawn began to shiver, "I thought that I was imagining things. When I first saw him standing in the lobby, I thought I was imagining things."
"What?" Cordelia asked confused, "Imagining what?"
"I've dreamt of him too." Dawn pointed to Champion, she told them, "I've dreamt of being his wife, having his children, living in a castle. I thought, it was just little girl dreams! Except his name wasn't Champion, it was Val."
Angel's eyes opened wide as it all came together in his mind, he remembered one of the Arthurian legends, quickly looking up and down the passageway, he turned to the two women.
"Don't say a word of this to anyone, either of you." Angel warned, "His name is Champion, nothing more, do you understand!"
"What?" Cordelia asked confused, "So what if his name is Val. Okay so it is a bit girly, but that is the only thing girly about him, and I agree that Champion is a much cooler name." she pointed out reasonably, "And it's not like he can't change it if he wants."
Angel winced and looked up and down the passageway again. "Both of you, come with me. I have to tell you something, but it has to stay between us."
It was nine hours later that a brisk and wide awake Champion trotted down the stairs.
"Good morning to all you ladies, and gentle men folk."
"OH bloody hell shut up!" Spike whined from his seat in the Lobby, an ice pack on his head.
"Serves you right!" Cordy unmercifully said a bit too loud
"Aarghh!" Spike winced in pain, "I said I was sorry Cordy, give a bloke a break would ya?" he whined
"Shut up Spike." Leo moaned from the next couch. He could feel Pipers eyes boring a hole through him. As a marching band held practice in his head.
Angel looked over to Dawn, who he saw was staring at Champion. Confusion easily discernable on her face. Turning to Champion, Angel saw that the man looked fine.
"How are you feeling after last night?" Angel asked curiously and through new eyes.
Champion smiled, "I am in fine health my good sir. Eager to begin this fine day, or is it afternoon." Sheepishly he added, "I am usually able to hold my drink better than last night. But alas, it has been almost fifteen hundred years."
Piper looked up at her champion, "What did you guys do last night Champion?" she asked wanting to know the night's activities, "These guys don't quite remember."
Smiling Champion moved forward and stood by her side, "Ah, we began the evening in a tavern called the Viper room. Then we went to Caritas." Frowning Champion added, "Then we went to this strange house, I believe it was called the Playboy mansion?"
Angel and Giles smothered grins
"THE PLAYBOY MANSION!" Piper, Fred, Anya, Buffy and Cordelia all yelled out at the same time. All the men groaned, they were screwed now.
"Yes, strange place…" Champion told them all, "Women kept wanting to take me to a place called the grotto?"
"What did Xander do?" Anya asked as Xander tried to sink into the couch, trying desperately to remember what he had done.
"Ah, well Xander met these lovely young ladies, they called themselves centerfold bunny's? A Miss January and a Miss July, Strange names. He spent the evening talking to them and showing them your picture from thy wedding and this other strange picture as well." Champion shrugged, "Most of their conversation from what I could gather consisted of words like, ohh and ahh, also what names had you chosen."
Anya's face softened, "Aw really?" she smiled at Xander, "Your dream of meeting a playboy centerfold comes true and you spend the whole time talking about me and the baby?"
"Yes!" Xander said immediately, "All night… about you!"
"Then we went to a body art establishment."
"A tattoo parlor?" Cordelia asked amused, "Okay, who got tagged?" she asked looking around at the men who were all comically trying to remember.
Champion nodded, "Well I did, and so did Leo and Wesley. I always wanted one, but my father was against the idea. He said I should always set an example to others. Now I do it to honor my fathers memory."
Leo's head popped up, "I did what?" Piper stared at her husband in shock.
"Huh?" Wesley's head popped up from another couch.
"You got tattooed?" Piper asked incredulously as Phoebe and Paige covered their mouths, Piper spun on her sisters, "It's not funny!"
"It is a bit." Phoebe shrugged, "Besides it's not such a big deal." she said having many tattoos herself
"Let's see it." Piper demanded
Leo began to look at his body.
"Thy left shoulder, Leo." Champion supplied helpfully. "Wesley, thy right shoulder."
Wesley tore open his shirt and exposed his arm. A large black ink tribal design now decorated his shoulder.
"Bloody hell."
Faith looked over, "Hey, that's good workmanship. Very nice Wes." She nodded approvingly.
Wes looked up skeptically, "You think?"
Faith nodded, "Very hot, really goes well with all that rogue demon hunter vibe, you got going."
Wes blushed.
"Leo?"
Leo raised his sleeve showing a large and intricate lion's head.
"Leo the lion." Champion supplied
"Really nice work", Phoebe stared at the tattoo." Looking at Champion, "Where did you say this place was?"
Piper shook her head, "Well it is your body."
Phoebe smiled knowing her sister too well, "Come off it Piper, it's turning you on. Admit it."
Piper blushed furiously, but didn't deny it either.
"What did you get Champion." Dawn spoke for the first time.
Champion stared at her, his stomach caught in his throat. Both Angel and Cordelia saw instantly that Champion was taken by Dawn. That he was in fact, very much in love, with someone he'd never met, except in a dream. Cordelia couldn't quite decide if that was just pathetic, or the most romantic thing she'd ever heard. She hoped it was the latter.
Without saying a word, Champion opened his shirt and showed them his chest. On his right peck, a dragon with wings spread, spitting fire, it's tail stretching down towards his stomach. In one claw he held a sword, in the other two white roses.
"Wow" Dawn moved over to him and ran a finger over the intricate and very beautiful tattoo. She felt Champion tremble a bit under her touch. Dawn looked up and met his eye and smiled. They were both frozen there staring at each other.
"Ah Dawn?" Joyce called out, Nothing, no reaction at all, "Dawn, this is your mother speaking."
Dawn jumped, realizing that her hand was still on his chest, actually she was now rubbing his chest. She removed her hand quickly.
"Sorry, nice tattoo though." Dawn swallowed hard and blushed furiously and moved to stand by her mother, who was throwing her strange looks.
"Yes," Champion quickly buttoned his shirt and turned to Piper "Ah, yes, then we ended the evening at a tavern called the Seven Veils."
Angel covered his eyes, glad once again that he hadn't been there. Cordelia would have staked him in his sleep.
Cordelia's eyes blazed, and smacked Spike on the head, "You took Champion to a STRIP CLUB? What were you thinking."
Buffy frowned staring at Spike, hating the fact that it bothered her still that Spike was in a strip club.
"OWW!" Spike groaned mournfully, "Come on sis, the man's been trapped in hell for over a millennium. Least I could do was show him a good time."
"It was fun." Champion admitted, "Although, I do have a question that perhaps thee can answer for me Lady Piper." he said reaching into his pockets "All evening long, women were giving me pieces of paper." he said as he handed a large stack to Piper
Piper looked at them and bit her lip. "These are women's phone numbers…A lot of women's phone numbers." she added as she counted them
Confused Champion stared at her, "Phone numbers?"
"Ah, yeah…" Piper didn't know quite how to say it, "This is a way to contact these women. They…Ah…"
Spike looked at Champion, "They gave you these numbers so that you can contact them and take their virtue." he said so that Champion got it.
"Ah…" Champion nodded in understanding, "I see that not much hath changed in that area." he said simply "Twas much the same in my own time."
"What?" Cordelia threw a look to Dawn who was staring back at Champion shocked and just perhaps a bit jealous? Cordelia noted with much interest, maybe it wasn't just Champion who fell in love with a dream. Smiling, Cordelia realized it was the most romantic thing she'd ever heard, because she realized that Champions love was returned and not just one sided.
"Well." Champion shrugged, "I was not always in a hell dimension, princess. Some found me pleasing to the eye. Others, well they liked my titled position, my money and lands, they hoped that I would take them as my bride." Turning he looked at Angel, "Is there any food left?" he asked
"Yeah, we have some stuff from last night. Just nuke it up." he said absently, for the moment forgetting who he was talking to.
Champion stared at Angel blankly.
Angel suddenly smiled at Champion, remembering, "Sorry…"
Dawn laughed, "I'll show him, come on Champion, I'll show you how to work a microwave."
Champion bowed at the waist, "Of course Lady Dawn."
"Champion…" Piper held up the numbers, thinking that Spike was right, 1,500 years was a very long time to go without. "Do you want these back?"
Champion shook his head, "No thank thee, none of they are the one that I truly desire."
Spike sat up interestedly, "Mind if I have them then?"
Cordelia slapped him in the back of the head again.