May 9, 2009
"You don't look ready for this." Buffy addressed her husband as she set the last of the paper cups full of rainbow colored popcorn on her serving tray.
He sent her a 'so-what-if-I'm-not' glare.
Smirking at his obvious annoyance, she jabbed, "Well next time Katie says she wants a birthday party, you should re-direct her into something more your taste rather than blindly accepting Lisa Frank Unicorn themed."
He growled, "Didn't know it was cartoon and rainbow."
Pausing her task to look over at him, she warned, "You are not brooding at your daughter's 4th birthday party." Picking the party tray up, she added, "Besides, don't be ridiculous, there's nothing wrong rainbows."
"Not brooding." He grumbled, "And yes, there is something wrong with a grown man wearing rainbows."
"Angel." Buffy addressed him, "You might want to check in the mirror, your being-an-ass Angelus streak is showing."
"Ha, ha." He responded humorlessly, getting up when she kicked him in the shin.
"Stop being a grump and go outside, Katie's been asking where you are." The annoyed wife ordered, not sure why Angel was being so childish about a rainbow shirt. It wasn't like he had anything against multi-colors...or gays...that she knew of. It hadn't slipped her notice he'd been moody since returning from patrol a few nights ago. The report he'd written hadn't shown any flashing red lights, but he was obviously upset about something, she'd have to corner him later and find out what. Apparently he hadn't decided to talk to her on his own yet.
Something in the back of her mind wondered if his lousy mood had anything to do with the ache in her neck, where a certain pair of fangs frequented her on occasion.
With a sound like he was in pain, he trudged towards the door, Buffy following behind to make sure he didn't bail at the last minute and go hide in the garage.
The backyard was sunny and bright, made ever brighter by the rainbow streamers and artwork depicting the colorful Lisa Frank Unicorns that Katie had so recently become smitten with.
The kids were playing an extensive game of tag off to the right, Katie and Liam joined by a group of kids from the local park, Buffy having invited them so Katie would have some peers close to her age. The majority of those milling around where friends and family, a small collection of slayers that babysat the kids had come, also a few neighbors they'd recently met and the parents of the park kids.
It was a good group of people, at least 50 including the children. 'More people here than I figured would show, guess Katie draws a bigger crowd than Angel and I.' The thought didn't bother her one bit, as long as her daughter had a smile all day, she could have as many people as she wanted.
After setting the tray on the table with the rest of the snacks, she shooed at her lurking spouse, "Go mingle."
He wandered off, aiming towards the cooler containing the beers. Whisky would have been preferred at the moment to dull his senses, but there hadn't exactly been a bottle in the cooler and there wasn't any hard liquor in the house, at best some Champagne or wine. After snagging a 6-pack of Guinness, he headed over towards the far corner of the yard, where they weren't any other people, dragging a fold up chair along as he went to resume his brooding. 'I'm not brooding.' The living vampire told himself firmly.
'Drinking alone, yup, something is festering...' Making a mental note to keep an eye on him, Buffy sighed and turned her attention back to the trying task at hand, party hostess.
...
Angel had just popped open his third can when his little girl ran up to him, "There you are!" Grabbing his hand, she tugged, "Daddy come play with us!"
"Honey, Daddy has a headache, can we play after?" He replied, not exactly lying. There are been a proverbial storm cloud raining shitty feeling down over him for a few days now, he doubted running around with a small herd of 3 to 8 years olds was going to reduce the resulting tension headache.
Her bright smiling face fell, "You have an ouch? I can get Cassy." The medic was mingling on the other side of the yard, engaged in a heated discussion with Willow about the effectiveness of healing spells.
Angel took one look across the yard at the two verbally warring redheads and knew he wanted no part of that.
"That's okay Sweetheart. No ouch here, just a little headache." He leaned down and kissed her cheek, "I'll play later, I promise."
Instead of running off like he'd expected, she just stood there watching him, examining with his own chocolate brown eyes.
"Baby, go play, I'm fine." He insisted, feeling like he was on an exam table right now under her scrutinizing gaze. 'Inherited from Buffy no less..or maybe she's been watching Cass. Note to self, keep observant offspring out of the Med-Ward.'
Instead, she quickly climbed up into his lap, those big brown eyes targeting him point blank, "Why are you sad?"
Blinking at her, he shook his head, "Honey, I'm not sad, just a little tired. Please, go play with your friends now."
Her dark head shook back and forth, "Daddy, don't lie."
"I'm not lying." He bit out a little brisker than he should have, getting annoyed he was being grilled by an as of today 4 year old.
Katie blinked, then her mouth quivered like she was going to cry.
'See asshole, you should have just gone to play with her.' He mentally kicked himself.
"Okay, okay. You win. Daddy was being grumpy. Please don't cry Baby girl." He leaned down and kissed her forehead.
"Not a baby! I'm 4!" Came the immediate rebuke as those crocodile tears vanished immediately, followed by, "Why you grumpy Daddy? Doesn't cake makes you happy?"
'Is it just me, or does she play me like a violin?'
"You know your perception is remarkable for a four year old, not to mention a little unnerving."
"Daddy!" She narrowed her eyes at him, making it obvious she wasn't leaving without an answer to why he was grumpy. 'Again, her mother's daughter.'
Guzzling down a good portion of his beverage for a little liquid courage, he finally answered her question in the best way a child could understand, "I had to fight a demon I knew a long time ago, it upset me." 'Okay, now go play.' He thought, mentally urging her to not ask another question.
Those big brown eyes centered on his, like she was trying to see what he was thinking in his eyes, "Did you make him dead?"
Quietly Angel nodded, "Yeah."
Her brows pulled down in confusion, "But that's what you and Mommy do, made bad demons dead. Why did this one make you sad?"
After a moment of indecision, Angel answered truthfully since she would only see though his lies, "Because I'm the one who made him a demon."
The little girl in his lap sat there for a long moment before asking, "Why did you make him a demon?"
'Because my beautiful little girl, your Daddy was a sick, viscous monster. The true depth of which I pray you never discover.'
Angel was prepared for her question, "A long time ago, Daddy wasn't a good guy, he was one of the bad guys. I was mean, I hurt a lot of people, and sometimes I made those people into demons like me."
He half expected her to jump from his lap and avoid him for the rest of her life, instead, she leaned over and kissed his cheek. "It's okay Daddy, you're better now."
He couldn't help but smile at her, "Yeah, but it doesn't change the things I've done. That vampire reminded me of who I used to be, how I used to think. I had no soul, no feelings of remorse or guilt. It was an easy way to live, without a conscious." He really wished he hadn't sounded like he was longing for those days again, a part of him wondered if he was.
Her wide eyes watching him brought his mind back to reality, and he realized he'd really just spoken out loud to his little girl about being an evil vampire. 'Fuck, what the hell did I just say?'
"Katie, Daddy's delirious right now, so please forget everything I just said and go have fun with your friends." He urged, picking her up and planting her feet back on the ground.
She took a hesitant step away before turning back towards him. Before he could sit back up or ask her what she wanted, she wrapped her two small hands on his cheeks and looked him right in his soul, "You're not a monster anymore."
His mouth dried up as she leaned her forehead against his, "You're my Daddy." Her little lips planted a kiss on the tip of his nose, "You're my hero."
He couldn't say a word. His throat felt like cement had been poured inside, left to harden into an unbreakable plug.
Someone called her name, one of the kids from the park. The connection broke a little as she turned and told them to wait. When she looked back at Angel, he had a tear in his eye, "You coming to play with me now?"
Still barely able to breathe, let alone speak, he nodded.
Her smile beamed at him, "Okay." She turned and ran into the thicket of screaming children.
Angel sat there for a few minutes, composing himself and willing the emotional tears away.
'You're my Hero.' Echoed in his mind, eliciting a smile from his lips.
"Come on Daddy!" Katie had her mother's impatient streak.
He couldn't tell her no now, not when she'd just knocked his foul mood right out of the park.
"Okay, okay, two minutes!" He called back, as he popped to his feet. Grabbing his lawn chair and remaining beers, he headed back towards the house, his eyes skimming over Katie as she was engaged in full on play mode, all smiles and wild unrestrained enthusiasm.
"Think fast." He called out as he tossed the beers at Xander, who was milling near the cooler like he wanted one but wasn't sure it was appropriate at a kids party. The one eyed man fumbled the catch as he complained about being blindsided. Luckily, Oz, standing nearly, saved the brew from hitting the ground.
Now that the alcohol wouldn't fall into any small hands, Angel headed into the throng of scattering children, "You better run, here comes the tickle machine!"
...
Angel was trying to ignore the fact he was tired and out of breath by the time Katie's attention turned off him and he was 'released' back into adult society.
Although the romp with the kids had been uplifting, it hadn't cleared his conscious enough to prevent the storm cloud from reforming is his mind, those ugly feelings were still lurking deep down.
Like remembering the taste of human blood in his mouth.
Spotting his wife busily tying little bows on the goodie bags to give the kids after the party, he slid up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, purposely staying behind her and trapping her arms down by her sides.
"Angel, what are you doing?" She asked, trying to turn as he halted her.
"Protecting myself from your inevitable wrath." He answered, kissing the back of her neck and wishing she wasn't going to kick his ass into next week for what he was about to tell her.
She stiffed a little, trying to turn again, "And why would I have wrath?"
The answer took a moment, but finally he just let it out, "Because I just opened my big fat mouth about being a former demon to our as-of-today four year old daughter."
Buffy stilled against him, her own brain spinning, "And what exactly provoked you into doing that?"
The answer seemed obvious enough to him, "She's got too much of you in her for my own damn good."
Firmly but gently overpowering his hold over her, she turned to face him, "And how did she respond?" Her eyes moved from his face to over his shoulder to where the little girl in question was laughing as she tracked her brother.
Angel snorted at the ridiculousness of it, "She told me I wasn't a monster anymore and that I was her hero."
Buffy was quiet, which worried him. Instead of responding, she grabbed his hand and drew him towards the house. 'Great, a private thrashing.' Angel thought with dismay. At least out here on the porch the eyes of others might have spared him somewhat, granted he wasn't exactly wanting an audience either...
Once in the kitchen, Angel moved to stand by the counter, eyes downcast, body tense.
He flinched slightly as he felt Buffy raise her hand, but she didn't slap him, instead she cupped his cheek and forced his eyes up. "Don't be twitchy, you know I'm not going to hit you, so stop thinking I am."
Leaning in, she pressed her lips to his and drew him down, determined to get him relaxed before she drilled him for more info.
When the tension was released from his shoulders, she pulled back and look up at him, "What happened the other day? Obviously something's been eating at you enough where you cracked under minimal pressure."
"Minimal my ass, she drew me though the grinder with the tears act." He muttered, thinking he might as well go hang his balls in the garage, he apparently didn't need them anymore.
'Big softy.' Buffy thought but smartly didn't say it, "Okay, so she pulled a Buffy on you, but you still haven't told the actual Buffy why you needed to be cracked."
His eyes moved away from her, searching around the kitchen, really hoping one of the kids did something he could use as a distraction to loop hole out of his wife's hold. 'Gees, talk about frying pan into the fire, why didn't I just mingle? Why did I have to open my big mouth again? I really need a foot to shove in there the next time I decide to talk.'
"Angel." Buffy called to him, not liking how he was tensing again, "Honey, please just talk to me."
Biting the inside of his lips, he signed and decided to just let it go. "It started two days ago, out on patrol..."
There was a scream from outside.
'Yes! Saved by the scream.' Angel cheered to himself, it hadn't been either of his kids, but he was already moving towards the back door anyways. His wife's iron grip on his upper arm halted him, "Don't go anywhere! I'll be right back." Buffy threateningly pointed at him as she went to investigate, determined to hear the rest of what he'd been about to say.
The realization this wasn't really a 'save' but just a 'delay' in the inevitable conversation brought a pained sigh from his mouth. 'Like pulling a band-aid off slowly.'
Something stirred his demon.
Straightening, Angel's senses took over as he pushed the emotional crap into the back of his mind, where hopefully it would be forgotten and die.
Walking towards the living room, he glanced out the front window, someone was loitering on his front porch.
Taking a deep breath, he recognized the scent.
'Great, just what I needed right now.' His thoughts darkening with the rage he felt just under the surface for this man. 'Actually this might be a good thing, beating the crap out of him again might just improve my mood.'
Without alerting the man outside the door he was there, Angel moved lighting fast as he opened the door, grabbed his hands full of shirt and banged the guy up against the wall of the house. "Pretty sure your name wasn't on the guest list."
Hank Summers gaped, suddenly finding himself barely touching the ground as his daughter's husband had him dangling from the lapels. 'This is what you get Hank.' The aging man told himself, 'You should have known you wouldn't be welcome, especially not if Hulk here answers the door.'
"Please Angel, I'm not here for trouble." The suspended man placated, "I just...I wanted to see my granddaughter, to wish her a happy birthday."
"You don't have a granddaughter." Angel growled out, struggling to keep his demon face hidden under the skin. "You shot that right away the moment you pulled the trigger."
Shooting Buffy wasn't something Hank Summers was ever going to forget. It had been the single worst moment of his life. He'd been ashamed his obsession with killing Angel almost took his own child's life, and he was determined to earn their forgiveness, even if it took him the rest of his life...or with Angel keeping guard...the effort could cost him his life.
"I know you hate me, you have every right, Buffy does too, but the kids..." The older looking man fell silent, tears forming in his eyes. "Even Dawn barely talks to me...but they're all I have left."
Angel dropped the man, not letting go but standing him on his feet and moving him away from his home and more towards the street and his car. "Save it for someone who cares."
"Please, if you kick me out, just give Katie my gift, let her know Gran...Hank, says Happy Birthday." He pointed to a pink wrapped box on the front step, he'd dropped it when Angel grabbed him.
"Yeah...right." Angel growled, planning to throw the box away the second he got back inside.
Hank was moving reluctantly, he didn't want to go. He didn't want to be the guy who didn't show up for family events anymore.
"Daddy, where are you going with Grandpa Hank?" A small voice asked from behind him, Angel instantly cursing for not hearing her approach.
Quickly, he stopped literally dragging the graying haired man across his front lawn towards the street and dropped his hands, letting the struggling man regain his feet. "I'm not going anywhere Sweetheart, I was just giving Hank directions back to the highway."
The little girl turned to her biological grandfather, her eyes sparkling, "But Grandpa, you can't go yet, we haven't had cake or presents."
Angel gave the man a sharp look, letting him know he wasn't invited for cake or presents.
Seeing the warning glare from the living vampire, Hank knelt down to be more eye level with his granddaughter as she came to stand between them, "I'm sorry Katie, but I really can't stay. I just stopped by quickly wish you a Happy Birthday."
"How come you don't visit anymore?" The dark haired girl asked, watching him with the same big brown eyes as her father, minus the raging hate.
There had been a significant amount of 'grey area' surrounding what she knew about Hank and her mother's ouch about 8 months ago.
Hank swallowed, 'Because your father wants to tear me apart and your mother currently despises me.' It might have been true, but that wasn't the kind of explanation you could off to a child, especially with Angel hovering within striking zone.
"I...I work a lot." Hank forced himself to say, hating those words. They were the words he'd given to Joyce when she'd asked her husband why he couldn't find time to talk to her, or what he'd said to Buffy and Dawn when they asked why he'd stopping picking them up on weekends or taking them for school vacations. Those were the words he used to hide behind when the he'd been under control of his demon secretary. Those were the words that ruined his relationship with his family. He'd hoped to leave those words behind with his old life.
At her crushed expression, he wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug, "I'm sorry Katie, I'll try to be around more."
When he caught Angel's glare, he added, "I'll call if I get any time-off." It was a call he knew he wouldn't ever be allowed to make.
When they separated, Angel scooped his daughter up into his arms, mostly to end the conversation with Hank. "Hank has to go now Katie, I'm sure we'll hear from him soon." It took a lot to make his voice sound sincere.
He started walking towards the house, expecting the unwelcome man to go directly to his car. If he didn't, there would be another 'talking' taking place once a particular set of small eyes were absent, and it would involve his fists more than mouth.
Hank almost followed after them, to ask to see Buffy first, but decided against it. He wasn't welcome here, he would respect that and go.
Looking over his shoulder at her grandfather's retreating back, Katie commanded into her father's ear, "Daddy, I need my cake right now."
Shifting his fidgeting child, he asked, "What? Honey, no, you need to wait till later."
Her face turned alarmed and serious, "But Daddy, I need to blow out my candles and wish Grandpa Hank can stay right now! If I wait, he'll miss my party!"
'Son-of-a-bitch.' Angel thought, admiring his child's ideals but equally frustrated by them. 'She's a persistent little devil, but what did I really expect out of someone created from Buffy and I?'
"Sweetie, the wish from your cake can't make Hank change his mind about staying, that isn't how magic works." Angel did his best to steer her thoughts away from having that man here, or in her life in general.
"Why not?" She pouted, then her eyes spotted the pink wrapped gift on the doorstep as he carried her onto the front porch. "Is that present from Grandpa Hank?"
'So much for throwing that away.' He didn't even try to cover it up, what could he say? He knew if he tried to sneak it off now, she'd only ask about it later. Some little kids would have forgotten, Katie didn't forget. "Yeah, I'll put it with the rest."
After scooping up the gift, Angel deposited the moping birthday girl on the back porch, and the gift into the pile on the table, watching as his child trudged back to the other kids, her earlier joyous energy seeming to have faded.
'Great.' He thought to himself, 'Good job Angel, now her birthday is ruined. Damn it Hank, thanks for showing up and fucking my family up again...'
Just as he thought it, Buffy grabbed his arm and yanked him back inside into the kitchen, "What the heck happened? Katie's brooding now and you're a bundle of nerves. Did you two have a fight?" The kids were always in the better mood after spending time with their father, the fact her daughter now looked like she wanted to cry was disturbing her.
"What was the scream about?" He asked, a diversionary tactic at best.
"Jack punched Lenny in the nose while playing tag, their parents are handling it so back to the question I asked Mr. Distraction." Buffy wasn't being side tracked.
The living vampire shifted from foot to foot, putting his wife's nerves on edge even more, "No fight...not exactly. Listen Buffy, she's just pouting, she'll get over it in a few minutes."
"Get over what?" Buffy demanded, searching his eyes for what was stressing him out. She thought he was tense earlier, he was worse now.
His silence wasn't reassuring her much either.
He turned and walked away, for a second she thought he was out right blowing her off, but then he stopped in front of the fridge and pulled out a beer that was hiding in the back. After popping it open and guzzling down a long swig, he leaned back against the counter and replied, "We got a visitor, someone not invited. I threw him out, but not before Katie noticed him."
"Vague isn't working for me right now." Buffy replied, moving closer wanting to know who exactly the 'him' was.
Chugging down more of his beverage, Angel finally answered, "The son-of-a-bitch that almost killed you."
"That could describe a lot of people..." The slayer retorted before her brain figured it out, "Wait, do you mean my father?" He was the only man who tried to kill her recently that Katie would react to.
"That one." Her grumpy spouse agreed, finishing off his beer, crushing the can and tossing it into the recycle bin beside the trash.
A well of emotions bloomed in the slayer's heart, anger at the forefront, "Why didn't you tell me?"
His eyes met hers a moment, his tone flat, "I just did."
Sighing, she ran her fingers though her hair, her other hand unconsciously moving over her stomach, to where the impact site of the bullet had left a now barely detectable flaw in her skin. She paced a few steps, her mind trying to process the idea her father would just show up on their doorstep.
Turning to her spouse, she demanded to know exactly everything that was said.
Now that the cat was out of the bag, he gave her the rundown.
It didn't take long, Hank hadn't been there for more than five minutes.
When he was finished, she asked, "I don't get it, how did he even know we were back in LA? The last time we saw him, our house was in Ohio."
Angel shrugged, "He's already found you once, guess we can classify him as a serial stalker."
Buffy didn't know what to do with this new information. In truth, she'd been thinking about her father a lot lately, wondering if she should try and make contact with him. A part of her wanted to share her pregnancy with her only surviving parent, to hear stories and details from him that she hadn't been able to share with Joyce about how her pregnancies had gone.
In the deepest part of her heart, she knew she'd already forgiven him for what happened back in September. Yes, she would always hold a small bit of anger over him for trying to ruin not only her marriage, but for his plot to murder her husband, but she knew his heart had been in the right place. He'd thought he was saving her from a demon, it was understandable that seeing Angel's demon side, he could think the worst of him. Part of her wished she'd been more open with her father right from day one about Angel's unique duel existence, then perhaps the use of firearms could have been avoided.
After what felt like an hour, but couldn't have been more than a few minutes, she turned to her husband as asked a little accusingly, "You should have told me he was here."
She felt Angel bristle at that, "Why? You told me he was a stranger to us now, that he wasn't welcome in our home. What did you want me to do, give him a big hug and invite him in for cake? He almost murdered you while trying to murder me, I so very sorry if I haven't forgiven him of that. In truth, I'm pretty sure I never will."
"My father isn't a threat anymore, he understands he was wrong, that what we have isn't want he went though this demon mistress Melissa. Out of all the people in the world Angel, you should be able to see when someone wants to make amends."
"Amends my ass." He growled.
She didn't like how tense he was, or how he stomped over to the fridge for another beer, 'That's number five so far today.' She observed, even more aware now he had more than just the meeting with her father on his mind. She was realizing he wasn't forgiving himself for something.
Before they could continue the conversation slash argument, Xander popped his head into the kitchen, "Hey guys, not to rush you, but some of the parents need to split soon and we haven't done the gifts and cake yet."
Realizing the middle for their daughter's 4th birthday party wasn't the time or place for the conversation they were having, Buffy thanked Xander and promised they'd be right out.
Turning back to her spouse, she was about to tell him they'd talk after, but he was already nodding testily, "Yeah, yeah, we'll finish the lecture after cake."
"It's not a lecture." She denied, but he was already moving out the back door.
Signing, she set of her 'everything is fine' smile firmly across her face and resumed hostess mode.
...
The rest of the party continued normally, Despite his actual foul mood, when he wanted to, Angel could hide his emotions almost flawlessly. Buffy noticed the guests only saw him as a happy and proud father, but she knew there would be a long talk tonight.
Katie's mood seemed better, although her mother's instincts picked out on her little eyes searching the backyard occasionally, like she was looking for someone missing. 'She's still hoping Hank shows up.'
'Maybe I should call him? Tell him to stop in for just a little while?' The idea almost reached her cellphone, but at the last moment she decided against it. Angel was already on edge, she didn't need to stir that pot of boiling water anymore.
After cake, Buffy eyed Angel as he watched intently as Katie picked up a pink wrapped package, his stance looking like he was ready to jump in and pummel something that might come out of the box.
When the little girl wrestled the paper off and opened the box, Buffy immediately understood Angel's reaction, the present was from Hank. Her hand covered her mouth as emotions welled up, watching as Katie pulled a pair toddler sized ice skates from the box.
"Didn't dad get you your first pair of skates when you were little?" Dawn asked as she came to stand beside her sister.
A smile tugged at her lips, "Yeah, he did."
Dawn looked at her sister's emotional response, then at the box again, understanding. "Oh, Dad sent them?"
Nodding, Buffy explained quickly about what happened earlier.
"He asks about you and the kids all the time." Dawn admitted, looking a little guilty, "I kind of haven't been returning his calls lately because I feel like he's just using me to get info for him." After a beat, "I swear I didn't tell him we were back in LA."
"Don't worry, I'm pretty sure he found that out on his own." Buffy assured her, "I know he messed up big time, but a part of me is glad he's trying to be in our lives again, to know he's does actually care and wants to a part of our future. "
Dawn nodded, understanding, "He's dad."
"Yeah." Buffy glanced over at Angel, he was still watching Katie opening her gifts, his smile forced. "Angel isn't so thrilled about it, in fact, we already had a little argument earlier, which I'm sure will have a bigger brother later tonight." Fighting with her love wasn't exactly high on her to-do list, but she was fairly certain it was going to happen regardless of if she wanted it to.
"He got over being mad at me." Dawn pointed out, "I'm sure he'll warm up to dad if given time."
"You never tried to kill me, and you have the advantage of Angel having met you when you were ten. Angel listened to enough of my 'lack of father-figure' rants in high school that he pretty much hated dad before even meeting him. When I really think about it, everything concerning Dad hasn't been a positive for Angel." He'd been ignored as Buffy spent far and more time with her father instead of her husband, her father had been disapproving of him since learning of their marriage, never mind the whole shooting event.
The brunette sister shook her head, "Okay, so best outcome is, it'll be like relationship between Angel and Xander. They have a general dislike of each other but opt for quiet tolerance in order to keep you happy."
Rolling her eyes, "Yeah, not loving the idea of going though life with dad and Angel always in different corners when having to be in the same room. It makes it hard on the kids too, they'll see the tension."
Dawn shrugged, "Sorry sis, don't know the answer to your dilemma."
"Yeah, me too." Buffy sighed, "but first I need to corner Angel and pick his brain tonight, he's got something else eating at him and I think that is just making him crankier."
"Good luck." Her sister told her honestly, hoping things would work out in the end between their father and Angel.
"Thanks." Buffy glanced over at her silently brooding spouse again, "Something tells me I'm going to need it."
...
It turned out Katie's birthday gift from Connor was an all day pass at Disneyland, which he volunteered to take her and Liam for the examiner of Saturday, keep them overnight and spend all Sunday exploring the massive park.
At first, Buffy wasn't too sure she wanted the toddlers to leave for the night, but then she realized being alone with Angel might be better so they could argue (and hopefully make-up) without having to schedule around the kids.
After the party ended, she packed an overnight bag for the kids, making sure to include Gordie Jr. while Angel gave his eldest son the 'watch your siblings as all times' lecture.
"Relax dad, they're in good hands." Connor assured his father, both promising to be observant because the kids were little and mischievous and because there were those in the world who would like to hurt/steal them. If anyone besides Buffy and Angel were qualified to protect them, it would be a human born with his vampire parent's powers.
"I know they are." Angel agreed, wrapping a big hand around the young man's shoulder and giving him a strained smirk, "That's the only reason I'm allowing it."
After the goodbyes, Buffy noticed Angel was sipping yet another alcoholic beverage, "Haven't you had enough of those today?" He'd had a few more during the party too, she was sure he'd drank almost a full 12 pack by now.
"I'm not drunk." He replied annoyed, taking his beverage and walking back towards the kitchen, thinking of grabbing the whole cooler and perhaps retreating to the tree-house to avoid his wife's comments. She was too short to reach the rope latch.
'Okay Buffy, not the best way to enter a calm and meaningful conversation.' She scolded herself, following behind so he couldn't escape. "Sorry, didn't mean to imply you were, I just don't want you having a hangover in the morning."
He didn't respond, but he didn't leave the immediate area either.
"Listen Angel, I don't want to fight with you." She sat at one of the chairs at the kitchen table, hoping he would too. "But I know you're dealing with something right now and we have this thing with my dad we need to discuss."
Angel took that bait, "Okay, I deal with my problems and we leave that prick out of our lives and we move on. Discussion complete."
Blinking at him, Buffy just shook her head, "I'll agree we can deal with both those issues separately, but we're not ignoring either of them." After a moment of watching him standing stiffly at the counter, she asked, "Will you sit with me?"
"Rather stand." He replied, taking a sip of his beer.
'God Angel, why are you being so standoffish tonight?' Trying something different, she asked him that directly.
"I'm not." He growled.
"Really? Sure fooled me." Buffy shot back, standing, "Look, I know you're grumpy, I'm just trying to figure out why? You've been broody for a few days now and I know that has nothing to do with my father. Please Angel, I'm not trying to pick a fight, I just want you to talk to me."
"Maybe I don't want to talk." Was his response.
Buffy bit the inside of her lip to keep from yelling at him that he didn't have a choice, instead, she let her disappointment show on her face as she told him, "Okay." She got up and made to leave the room.
He felt the guilt hit him square in the chest. "Buffy."
She paused when her husband called her name, she turned in the pass-way between the kitchen and living room, looking back at him standing there by the counter.
"You never said anything to me about wanting your father being in our life again, that's called blindsiding." He hadn't yelled or said is accusingly, but she could read the frustration in his tone.
Turning to face him, she agreed, "You're right, I didn't. In my defense, I didn't know this was something I wanted until..." She put her hand on her abdomen, not over where the gunshot wound was, but lower, over her uterus. "I realized I wanted to talk to the only living parent I have about this, about what mom went though with me, learn more about how I was as a child. Those are only details I can get from my dad."
"Is this only about information?" Angel asked, thinking she wanted more than that.
Moving closer to him, she shook her head, "No. The truth is, I miss him."
At his frown she added, "I haven't forgotten he tried to kill you and nearly killed me, but before that all happened, it was like old times again. I like having my dad around."
Angel looked down at his shoes, his own mind remembering how much his wife enjoyed spending time with her father, and as the trade off, so little time with him.
He looked at his hand as she took it, "I made a mistake before, I was choosing between spending time with dad and with you, but I won't make that mistake again. I want you with us, spending time with me and the kids too."
"Which would mean me also spending time with your father..." He pointed out, rather pointedly.
Her eyes met his, pleading, "Dad isn't automatically welcomed back into our home and life right this second, I'm not saying I want us all to hang out and sing campfire songs tomorrow. He's still on probation in my heart and any future plans I make with him depend solely on the fact he must accept you as my husband and our children's father. I just want you to know that if he does, I do plan on my dad being in my future."
'What if I don't accept him.' He thought, 'Would she choose him over me again?'
She watched his face, but he wasn't giving anything away.
Taking his hand again, she placed it over the spot on her abdomen where their new life was growing, "Our family is growng larger Angel, not to say we can't handle it ourselves, but it wouldn't hurt for us to have all the help we can get."
Looking up into those impassive dark eyes she added, "I'm not asking for you to be best buds, I just want to know you'll be civil. At least try...for me?"
His jaw was clenched tight, but after a moment of running his hand over her womb and studying her begging eyes, he gave as good as he could manage at the moment, "Okay, fine. I'll try, for you. I can't promise to like him Buffy, but I won't do anything aggressive toward him, unless provoked."
Figuring that was the best she could hope for at this stage, she nodded and stood on her tippy toes to give a quick thank you kiss. 'He basically promised to not kill him on sight, so it's better than I hoped.'
After she broke the kiss, she let him gather his thoughts a moment before asking, "Did you want to tell me what happened two days ago?"
Kissing had taken some of his tension away, but not all of it. "Not particularly." He replied, standing back and burying his hands into his pockets.
"But you will?" It was a question, but one she hoped he'd answer correctly.
'Oh just get on with it.' He told himself, 'She either hates you now or later, why keep delaying it?'
"Fine." The word pushed from his mouth, "But you're not going to like it."
Taking a firm stance by the fridge, in case he wanted more liquid courage, he began, "Last patrol was...hard."
...
Flashback of two night ago, patrol of L.A's less attractive neighborhoods.
"Angel. No signs yet." He answered into the walkie as he jogged down the alley, his dark eyes ever alert to the potential dangers that lurked within the shadows. His senses were alive right now, with so many different scents and sounds to categorize. Doing so fast and correctly could be the difference between life and death.
"Spike. Same nothing as before." The radio clicked again and a female voice added, "Jen, possible lead, woman's handbag in the trash, running the ID."
"Where?" Angel asked, hearing Spike ask the same from his location as well.
"2nd and Wilson." The response came from Jen, who was leading slayer team 4, shorted to S4.
"On it." The living vampire replied as he waved to the four young woman of S2 around him, signaling with his hands they were changing location.
A few blocks away, Spike's team, S3, was doing the same.
A short time later, the three teams converged on the area of S4, the young woman spreading out to cover a boarder range as the leaders discussed, "Anything else?" Angel asked Jen, the young woman pulling out a baggie with a torn piece of fabric. Even though the plastic both Spike and Angel could smell human blood...female...pregnant.
"One of our missing?" Angel asked.
Kelly, who'd been on the phone, turned to the team leader, "Yes, control confirms ID is Gabrielle Hutton, 25, reported missing 4 days ago by her husband, she's 3rd trimester. LA sent her file over earlier today along with the others."
"Safe to bet she's been taken by the same demon as the rest." Angel acknowledged, disappointed they had another name added to the missing list and still have yet to find any of the other 14 pregnant woman that had turned up missing over the two weeks.
This was the biggest case the LA police had turned over to them yet, they were all eager to solve it fast, and not just for the credit, there were a lot of lives on the line, each woman counted for two right now.
"So where's the owner?" The platinum blond vampire asked, nose ever scenting for a lead.
"Your guess is as good as mine." Jen, the tall curly blonde replied, her tight grey eyes scanning the map she just pulled from the pocket on her gear, "Found it here, the teams are searching along here and here."
Angel scanned the map and pointed to an area she hadn't noted, "Check here too, there's a sewer entrance behind the building."
"That doesn't show on the map." The young woman questioned her senior officer.
Angel ignored the power shot and simply replied, "It's there, trust me."
Calling orders into her walkie, two slayers appeared a moment later, heading in the direction Angel had indicated.
"Heard some rumors about activity in this neighborhood too, might be worth a looksie." Spike added, pointing to a part of the map off to the far left.
"Go. Reconvene here in twenty minutes." Angel addressed, as he hurried after the two slayers that were following up on his hunch.
Jen nodded and resumed searching the immediate area as Spike led his team off to where he suspected activity.
"You hear something?" Kay asked her partner, glancing around into the gloom of the dark alley behind her as they headed towards the hidden sewer enterence.
"Sheath the stakes." Angel answered, materializing from the shadows, "It's just me."
Parting for their team leader, he took up point as they crept though the unlit corridor, his night vision better than theirs.
"Clear." Nelly called as the alley turned up empty.
"Now we go down." Angel replied, towing the manhole cover neither girl had seen.
Footfalls approached, but it was the other two members of S2, "Nothing found, we were sent back to you."
Acknowledging, he bend and yanked the heavy metal cover off the tunnel entrance, it moved easily, not much dirt in the seals. It had been used recently. "We're heading in. I'll go first."
Right before he jumped in, he indicated they use the ladder, "Oh, and keep the flashlights down and out of my eyes."
Angel dropped roughly eight feet, landing with a wet splash into something he didn't want to think about judging by the smell. Nothing was visible in the corridor to the left and right. "Clear for the moment, careful coming down, the rings are wet." He warned up to the slayers already descending the ladder built into the wall.
When all four slayers had feet on the sewer pipe floor, he indicated three check to the right and he and another went left. 'Maybe we should have went with the standard 6 slayer per team format.' Angel though briefly, noticing it was awkward to split up when an uneven number.
Putting that side for the moment, they continued down the tunnel-like pipe, his ears and nose straining to work over the constant drips of falling water and the strong smell of waste.
Their footfalls were nearly silent to a human, but for Angel they were loud enough, the constant moving ripples in the water constantly drawing his attention as movement.
They gone maybe 50 feet when he heard footsteps approaching from the rear.
He readied for a confrontation, but his radio clicked 3 times, signaling approaching friendlies.
When the three slayers he'd sent right regrouped in beside him, the closest whispered, "Dead end Sir, so we regrouped."
Nodding, he replied, "Moving out" waving them forwards as they made their way down the tunnel.
Something crossed his hearing, still too faint to make it out but he raised his hand to slow the troops. "Angel. S2 is going dark."
Two clicks from the radio indicated Spike and Jen's teams acknowledged they wouldn't be back soon and to keep the lines quiet.
The four young woman readied themselves under Angel's warning and followed the living vampire as the sound slowly became audible for them all.
Light was visible at the end of the pipe, where the metal tube had been severed and the surrounding bedrock excavated in a large room. Torchlight flickered from within as Angel crept forwards for a better look.
Careful to keep in the shadows until the situation could be assessed, Angel retained the lead as he inched ahead, his ears easily detecting the voices several people, the term people being used loosely of course.
In the background, the cries of those being subjugated were also present, the scent of blood growing stronger as he neared the entrance.
Having the slayers stand guard a few feet behind him, Angel snuck to the edge of the doorway, pressing as much as able into the shadows as he assessed the scene.
The room was larger than he'd anticipated, well over 50 feet square, walls and ground dug from the same mudstones the rest of the sewers were built within. Positioned around the perimeter were oil torches dug into the walls, several free standing dotting around the interior to light the middle of the room. The whole back wall was dominated with a floor to ceiling metal bared cage, a half dozen scared, crying woman huddled on the floor.
He counted about 12 guards patrolling loosely around the space, several lounging in folding chairs around a plastic table, smoking or drinking from plastic cups, a few verbally toying with prisoners caged behind the metal bars that spanned the wall.
"Can't we eat one?" A bumpy faced guard asked another, likely a higher rank than he.
"Boss says we don't touch em." The vampire turned to look at the other guard, whacking him across the face with the back of his arm, "Don't ask me again."
The slapped guard growled, baring fangs, and backed off, looking angrily at the prisoners, like his being hit was somehow their fault.
Falling back to the shadows, Angel whispered, "About 12, could be more, all vamps."
Without a word, he clicked the radio five times, alerting all ground teams that they'd found something. Backup would be arriving shortly.
"We can take em." Olive whispered, clutching her stake in anticipation.
Angel shook his head, "No, we go as a full team, no exceptions."
The girls around him seemed bummed, but he couldn't give a shit less. The first goal here wasn't glory, it was keeping them alive. A close second would be teaching them to work together. A distant third would be actual slaying.
He'd been part of an ambush mission before, he'd lost slayers. He wasn't letting that happen ever again.
3 clicks from the radio signaled the approaching teams. Once in place, Angel communicated the odds and a quick plan was drawn out.
"I'm going first." Angel announced, but Spike breezed past him, "Like hell you are."
Suppressing a grin, he followed the blond close behind, the two taking the first assault and the slayers would file in at their signal.
Angel hated to admit it, but when Spike wasn't chasing after his woman or insulting him, he actually could tolerate the prick. They worked well together in battle, Angel's careful plans and Spike's wild unpredictability somehow complemented one another. It was clear to see Spike was in his glory riding the front lines. He'd always been a jump first, look later, kind a guy, and it was good for the learning slayers to see examples reckless behavior so they knew how to avoid it themselves.
"On three." Angel whispered to the blond.
"Three." Spike replied back instantly, charging out the tunnel and into the room.
Knowing he would do that, Angel was already hot on his heels.
The two hung in the sparse shadows on the walls from the flickering torches as they broke out into the room, managing to keep from be detected immediately as they closed in on the milling vamps that were too bored to be much good for guarding anything.
Three died before they realized they were being attacked, then the call to arms went though the group.
By then, the slayer teams were spilling in from the tunnel, quickly neutralizing any enemies in their path.
"Spike!" Angel yelled, pointing to a demon gunning it down a corridor to the left as he follow hot on his heels.
The blond nodded and finished up staking the two vamps he'd been fighting, moving to signal a team to follow Angel, but reinforcements suddenly spilled in from a previously unseen room, about 20 angry vampire guards in full game face.
By the time Spike was able to break free, Angel had vanished a few minutes earlier down the corridor, without backup. "Angel, status." He barked into the radio, but no reply was forthcoming. "Angel!"
"Bloody hell." The souled vampire muttered, signaling for a team to press the assault in the direction Angel went, silently hoping the dark haired living vampire wasn't dead. Buffy would have his fangs if he died.
...
Angel launched himself at the legs of the escaping guard as soon as he was close enough, bringing them both down to the rough packed dirt floor in a tangle of arms and legs.
Rolling on top, Angel straddled the struggling guard, sent him a few hard punches and then managed to drive his stake down into the demon's chest.
The demon dusted from beneath him, but as Angel exhaled a breath in relief, he immediately stiffened again.
"On your feet." A gruff voice demanded.
Angel looked up, there were seven guards surrounding him, which wasn't so bad. It was the mix of swords and sharpened wooden poles hovering inches from his flesh that were worrisome.
Silently, he stood. Dropping his stake when he was poked and raising his hands.
"Seal it." The lead guard barked to several of the vamps.
Angel turned and watched with a sinking feeling as a lever was thrown, dropping a good portion of rocks and debris into the tunnel, effectively closing it off. Yes, a team of slayers would be able to remove it, but not that quickly.
Angel's radio clicked, Spike's call sounding in his earpiece. One of the guards overheard and grabbed Angel's hand as he went for the transponder. The living vampire broke the demon's hold, along with his nose, but several others attacked him at once. He felt a knee smash into his gut, a fist impact his mouth and a elbow between the shoulders that drove him down to his knees. While struggling for breath, he felt the radio ripped off his gear and heard it smashed into the rock wall. 'Well, so much for that.'
Another guard tore his vest off, not exactly bullet proof, but it was designed to stop a stake or bolt from entering his chest.
Angel struggled back to his feet, licking blood from his torn lip.
The lead guard ordered, "Bring him" before turning and heading deeper into the tunnel.
With several hands grabbing his arms, he reluctantly let himself be dragged deeper into the tunnel. 'Well, looks like I got an invitation to see the guy in charge.'
...
"Who in the bloody hell put this here!" Spike raged as he came upon the mess of rocks blocking the tunnel he'd been hurrying down, having irrationally been hoping he hadn't heard the cacophony of a cave-in. "Right idiots these tunnel builders, lousy engineering." Even as he complained, he was pulling pieces off and chucking them out of the way.
No one thought the rock-slide was a structural deficiency.
As a positive, Spike didn't smell any blood, so it wasn't likely Angel was buried under the pile.
It seemed like forever, but with fourteen sets of super strong hands, it took only thirty minutes to open a hole in the rock pile. As far as Spike was concerned it was thirty minutes too many.
He was the first one though, and nearly lost his head as a stray guard that had stayed behind brought his sword down over the opening that had been created.
Spike yelped and dropped to the ground, rolling out of the way of the blade as he kicked out, knocking the guard sideways.
He popped to his feet, but a crossbow bolt fired from the new doorway hit the guard mid-chest, dusting him instantly.
Jen stepped though next, holstering her gun, "Unless you wanted to take a little off the top, I suggest checking for enemies first before sticking your neck out again." The slayer leader reprimanded the souled vampire, mostly for the benefit of the learning slayers.
He scowled, "I knew he was there."
"Right." She answered, ignoring his attitude. She'd trained with Spike and Angel long enough to know how both could be, and how it was best to ignore the comments from the blond.
Several more slayers were coming though now, one of them noticing the smashed radio.
"Well, too much to hope the rock wall was coincidence." Jen commented, leading her team forwards, "From now on people, we're treating this like a search and rescue."
Spike eyed a few spots of blood the slayers missed on the ground, he could smell they were Angel's. 'Going the drama queen route again, right Peaches.' Spike thought, mostly to keep himself from worrying.
...
Angel was forced down hard on his knees, one of the vamps grabbing a handful of hair and yanked his head up, flashing a light in his face, effectively blinding him from looking up at whoever he was kneeing before.
"Well, well, well." A male voice called,. "I guess the rumors were true, you're alive...literally."
The voice was familiar, Angel knew it, but couldn't place it yet. He'd met so many in his long, long life, every voice, face and name was there, just not always together and on demand. "Who are you?" He bit out, not really in the mood for the 'shadowy figure' crap.
"You should know me, Angelus." The man answered, slapping the flashlight from the guards hands and allowing Angel's eyes to readjust.
Blinking rapidly to fix his vision, Angel shook the stars from his head and focused back on the source of the voice. A face slowly came into view; young, handsome, all too familiar. He hadn't seen it in over 100 years, but his memories of the man flooded back instantly. He never forgot the face of a victim, it had been part of his curse, and now it was just part of his existence.
He always remembered.
The man smiled, his handsome features shifting into the mask of the demon he'd become. "Ah yes, I can see it in your eyes. You do remember me. Of course to do. How could you not? You sired me."
Angel swallowed, "Hello Gregory. Long time no see." He sounded calm to his own voice, but he could feel his heart thundering in his chest. What was the year 1802, 1803? Details like years didn't much matter to the dead, but he remembered the man standing before him perfectly. He'd been wearing a long grey suit coat that draped down the back of his legs, high waist white linen pants, a shinned black top hat and high black leather boots.
It had been just past sunset, he'd been hungry.
He'd stalked the man several blocks, enjoying the chase.
Right before he'd grabbed him, the door to his home opened, his wife exited.
She'd screamed at the shadow behind her husband, and he'd moved back into the darkness, watching as she wrapped her arms around her husband and they fled into the safely of their home.
Her belly had been big, swollen with child. It had made her smell delicious.
That night he'd found someone else to eat, but returned shortly before dawn. Glancing into their open bedroom window from the empty apartment across the road, he'd watched them sleep.
'I will have you yet.' He'd thought, not to be denied a kill, 'And I'll watch you eat that wife of yours.'
He'd done it too. It took several weeks to stir up the man's blood enough before he was ripe for slaughter, but he'd sired him then waited a night, returning to the man's home with him, easily charming the worried young wife to inviting them in.
He'd been pleasantly surprised they'd had a young son already, he'd been a fine appetizer.
For the main course, Angelus had oversaw Gregory remove the babe from his still living wife's womb, offering it to his sire before feeding on the mother.
It had been one of the sweetest meals of his long, long life.
...
Gregory grinned, "Yes Sire, a long time indeed."
Shaking the memories from his head, Angel forced a smile to his lips. "I take it unlife's been good to you? You seem to have acquired quite a following." Already he'd seen over 50 guards since he entered the sewers, he suspected more were patrolling in other tunnels.
"I have, Sire. You taught me well." The other demon came closer, sizing up his old Sire before turning to the guards, "Release him, let me have a look."
Angel stood when he could, keeping his eyes focused on the demon before him, trying to read his face for how this meeting might go.
"So Angelus, it seems unlife has not been as good to you, in fact, no unlife to speak of now. Tell me, how did you lose your vampirism?"
"I didn't." Angel answered back, curious as to what Gregory may want from him. "I found a way to give myself a never ending supply of fresh blood."
"Oh?" The demon came forwards. "Do tell."
Angel vamped.
"My, my. Ingenious. Your own body producing blood. Though it seems a little archaic." The demon walked around him, touching here and there, watching his breaths, feeling his pulse, listening to his heartbeat. "But what I don't understand is why?"
Angel shrugged, "Needed a change."
Gregory blinked, "Oh but I do love the classics. Some things are worth reliving for eternity. Like the blood of the unborn. I must thank you for that Angelus, introducing me to taking such sweet blood as my very first. Ever since you taught me what to do, I've been doing it. Woman with child are the most tender, only paled by their fetuses. No blood can compare to fruit of the womb, is that not right Angelus?"
Katie and Liam flashed in his mind, and Buffy, her belly full of them both, and the new life growing within her now. He could see himself in Gregory's shoes, slicing into Buffy's womb, pulling their child free, draining it before her as she screamed.
There was a time in his life he would have delighted in it, sang a song of joy to her cries of agony.
'He is who I was.'
'Back when I hadn't a care in the world. People weren't people, they were inanimate objects. Like muffins, you take one and eat it. It's what they exist for, to sate your hunger. You don't worry if the other muffins miss the one you ate, you don't stop to worry if it feels pain as you consume it. It's doesn't matter, it's just a muffin.'
That's what it meant to live as a demon, to see the world though demon eyes.
The Angelus in him opened his heart back to that darkness, welcomed that sense of peace.
"No Gregory, there is no finer blood that that of the womb." He answered, his fangs tingling for the sensation.
"Join me for a drink then?" The younger demon asked, "Just like old times?"
"Of course." Angelus agreed, flashing that charming smile, "And here I thought I was being brought before some savage vampire fool. If I've known this was your lair, I'd have steered the slayers clear."
"Yes, yes. I would like to ask about them. Seems most unwise to associate with so may slayers wielding sharpened stakes." Gregory waved Angelus to sit with him, at the table and chairs in the center of the room, situated on a small platform as if like a thrown to overlook his kingdom. The kingdom being a large underground chamber in the sewers, but vampires seemed to collectively find that appealing. In fact, the room was very similar to the first one, however the walled cage held far more prisoners, upwards of 2 dozen. "In fact, the rumor is you've married one, the infamous Buffy no less. Please, tell me of this madness Angelus."
The guards moved away, standing at attention for any signal from their leader to attack as they kept a vigilant guard at the tunnel entrance, all well aware of slayers in the tunnels. The closest ones were watching Angelus with suspicion.
Angelus leaned back in his chair, looking carefree as he pushing back and crossed his legs up on the table, looking like he were relaxing by the pool instead of being a prisoner. All he was missing was a pair of sunglasses and a colorful drink with a paper umbrella. "What better means to an end that to make the world think my demon is gone?"
When Gregory sat across from him, Angelus continued, "I've always wanted the best for myself Gregory, you know that well enough. Buffy Summers is the best. I have the most powerful Slayer in the world wearing my ring, sharing my bed, bearing my seed. The slayer is mine."
At the vampire's curious look, he sat up, "It may sound crazy, but I've noticed something over the centuries; fear gets you a lot… people will do what you say because they're afraid of the consequences. I taught you that Gregory and you've used those blocks to build yourself this little empire, but the drawback is; it also creates enemies.
Enemies are something I can't afford to have waiting with stake behind every corner. I've learned from watching humans that friends can get you more than fear can. When someone actually likes you, cares for you, they'll do a lot more for you; try harder to help you than anyone through intimidation will.
Torture is by far more enjoyable, yet time consuming and messy. If getting what I want is as easy as smiling and shaking a hand, I'd be a fool not to.
That web of people around me, they no longer fear me…but they fear for me. Those slayers out there, they protect me. Buffy herself would die for me. The world's greatest slayer would die for a vampire. Tell me Gregory, is that not true worship?"
The other demon was looking at Angelus with wide, hungry eyes. "Oh my dear, sweet, Angelus. You have certainly earned your fame as the most brutal of us vampires, and the title as Scourge of Europe, but how is it so few know the extent of your brilliance? I mean, using the most powerful slayer as your personal pet? You are a god Angelus, your artistry for evil knows no bounds."
"Flattery will get you everywhere." Angelus replied, "But I believe you offered me a drink."
"Oh yes, yes, forgive me my Sire." Turning to one of the guards, Gregory ordered he bring one of the woman, a ripe one.
Angelus kept his eyes on the demon across from him as the screams of a young woman filled the room, the guards carrying her over to the two vampires sitting at the table. He shoved her down on the table as he snapped a cuff around her wrist. When he backed off, she tried to bolt, but was unable to break free of the manacle.
She was in hysterics now, cradling her swollen belly as she beg and pleaded for mercy.
"Isn't it wonderful?" Gregory asked, closing his eyes and listening to the wail as if he were listening to a fine composure of music.
"It has its moments" Angelus agreed.
"Come, drink with me." The demon said, his arms grabbing the woman roughly and bringing her towards his mouth as she screamed and twisted.
Angelus grabbed the vampire's wrist, "I apologize Gregory, my time with you was short, I had not the time to teach you how to age your passions, but true flavor can't be achieve so quickly." Angelus stood, looking over the screaming, bawling woman. "Like this, her fear will season the blood deliciously, that I cannot lie about, but there is a taste that makes even the most ripe fetus pale in comparison."
"Truly Sire, there is such a thing? Please tell me how to attain it." Gregory turned his attention back to the struggling woman, eager to know as he looked her over, as if he could see it.
"Just watch your master at his best." Angelus sent him a warm smile as the demon mask vanished, leaving his face handsome and human before crouching by the cowering woman, his words were low enough that only Gregory and she could hear. "Shh, hush now miss, you will not be harmed." Angelus looked up at Gregory, a wink in his eyes and a dark smile. "I'm going to get you out of here, you'll be fine, so won't your baby."
"No, no he's going to kill me, you both will." She wailed, curled around herself and rocking.
He grabbed her face, forcing her to look up at him, being more forceful with his words, "You are not going to die. I promise you." He stood, and grabbed her hands, "Now come, sit here." He pulled her up, moved his chair so it would reach the length of the manacle and sat her down, then turned to the vampire, "Get her some water."
The demon looked confused a moment before waving a guard to fetch a bucket.
The young woman bit her lip, unable to determine if he was telling the truth or not as tears streamed down her cheeks. She hadn't been treated even remotely human since being taken.
Angelus knelt by her side, handing her the water in a cup when it arrived. "What's your name?"
She looked at the cup, licked her dry and blistered lips, then decided against it. It could be poison.
She said nothing, so Angelus took the cup, drank two large swallows and handed it back, "Go on, it's just water."
Severely dehydrated, her resistance wavered and she took a quick sip, soon draining the cup as she was unable to stop.
Angelus sent his student a quick eyebrow shake, indicating how well he was making her respond.
Gregory nodded, curious and eager to see more. He was greatly impressed with his sire, his words and actions seemed so...sincere.
"I'm Angel." He offered her his hand, "And you are..." He paused waiting for a response.
Slowly, she took his hand, meaning to be quick but his hand grasped hers firmly, she was caught at how warm they were. He gave her a look like he was waiting.
"Ga-Gabrielle." She spoke quietly, "Gabrielle Denise Hutton."
'The owner to the pocketbook.' He thought, remembering smelling her blood on a piece of cloth earlier in the alley.
Turning up the charms, he gave her an encouraging smile as he released her hand, asking, "Where are you from Gabrielle?"
After a moment, she answered. "LA originally." When he seemed interested for more she continued, "Shawn, my husband, and I live in Texas, we were coming home for..." She stopped suddenly, her eyes looking down at her belly, fresh tears slipping down her cheeks.
"You were coming home for the birth of your son." Angelus finished, rolling his eyes behind her back for the benefit of his demon companion.
"Well, I'll make sure that happens." He assured her, winking again to the vampire studiously watching him.
"Please Angel, help me, let me go." She looked up at him, pleading with her eyes.
He knelt before her, "I can't do that Gabrielle." Nodding to the guards, he told her, "If you run, they'll catch you. If they catch you, you won't live to see your son born."
Tears welled in her eyes, he could smell the salt, her voice was weak as she whispered despairingly, "He won't be born. He's already dead. I know he is."
Angel looked down at her belly, listening, searching, and gently placed his hand over the swell. "He's not. I can hear his heartbeat."
Her eyes widened, her head shaking back in forth in denial, "You can't, and he's not moving, he used to move all the time."
His dark eyes met her light brown, "Your body is weak from dehydration and starvation, he's conserving energy."
Something flashed in her eyes then, something that had been missing, hope.
Gregory stepped forwards, "Come now Angelus, I'm beginning to think this new technique of yours is a load a crap. Seems far too much trouble for what it's worth."
Angelus stood, giving the demon his dark smile, "That's because you haven't tasted it yet."
"Then I shall now." He moved towards the woman, but Angelus's hand grabbed his shoulder, halting him. "If you just grab her and sink your teeth into her throat like a beast, her fear will return instantly and spoil it all. Be patient my boy, I'll get you your taste soon enough."
Gabrielle hadn't been able to hear the vampires when they spoke to one another, but she'd seen the mean one move towards her and the other stop him.
When the dark haired vampire with the kind eyes came back over, she looked up at him without the fear she'd had earlier. "He wants to hurt me." It wasn't a question.
"Yes." Angelus didn't sugarcoat it, "But I won't let him."
"How?" She asked, her fears returning, "He's not human. He's a monster, he's killed others like me, he pulls their babies out as they scream, he...he drinks the blood!"
"I know." Was all he said, making her understand this was not new information to him.
She shivered then, trying to hold back the tears.
Kneeling again, Angelus asked, "What's his name?"
The woman looked at him for a second confused, before realizing he meant her baby. "Micah, we were going to call him Micah."
Leaning in closer and lowing his voice so only she could hear. "Listen Gabrielle, you have to trust me, I mean completely trust me on what I'm about to ask you. Do not question it. Turn off everything inside you and just follow my commands. Don't be scared. You are going to give me control. You are going to be willing. I promise you that if you do, Micah lives."
She leaned back, tears shining in her eyes, whispering, "And..and if I don't?"
"There are no other options Gabrielle. You trust me, or you both die."
She wanted to run screaming, but there was something about this kind demon, something that made her want to believe him.
Angelus stood, nodding to his demon companion before offering his hand to Gabrielle.
'Good girl.' He thought as she took it, rising to stand before him. 'Don't deny me Gabrielle, do as I say and your blood will be everything I promised Gregory.'
"Embrace me Gabrielle." He told her, opening his arms so she could step inside.
She did, moving without thinking, just stepping into his arms as they enclosed around her. The fact he was warm, had breath and a heartbeat assured her confidence even more.
Angelus savored the awe that Gregory showed at his ability to command one to him. The other demon had never been able to command food come to him before, not even after the most brutal of beatings, he'd always had to drag them kicking and screaming.
"Now Gabrielle, you're going to feel pinch on your neck. Don't think about it. Think about Shawn, you're on the beach together, watching the sunrise."
Emotions made her shiver, "Shawn hates the beach."
He rolled his eyes again at Gregory, "Okay, wherever you feel most happy. You're going to think of Shawn and Micah. Which one will he look like? What color hair and eyes. Think of those and nothing else."
Too low for Gregory to hear, his whispered into her ear, "I won't hurt you."
She was terrified, but she tried real hard to think of Shawn, and of Micah. She wanted him to look like Shawn, to have his big brown eyes and sandy hair, maybe her dimples and her nose, she liked her nose.
She was still thinking of her baby's face when a small pain flared in her neck, but she wasn't thinking of that, she was now thinking of riding horses with Shawn, they'd ride to the edge of their Texas ranch at sundown, watch the sunset together. Micah was conceived on one of those trips, they'd laid the horse blankets under a tree and made love as the sun slipped below the horizon.
The fear and terror slid from her mind as she thought how much she loved Shawn, how much she loved Micah.
Angelus felt her lean against him, pulling closer as his fangs slipped into her neck. His eyes closed as the blood rushed into his mouth, savoring the flavor.
He felt his demon stirring in rage.
She shook against him, lost in her memories as the intoxication of a vampire bite entered her system.
He swallowed a gulp, it wasn't Buffy's potent slayer elixir, his body took no pleasure in this 'other' blood that invaded his senses.
But Gregory would call it ambrosia.
When the blood filled his mouth, he broken the connection, withdrawing his fangs and dropping the dazed woman back into her chair before taking the few steps to Gregory, grabbing the demon by the back of the neck and slamming his lips into his in a mocking kiss.
The other demon wasn't sure what to expect, but then the hot living blood crossed from Angelus's mouth to his, and the other vampire was greedily sucking it down, lapping at his Sire's mouth for more.
When the blood was gone, Angelus shoved the demon off him, a dark grin on his bloodless lips, "Was it good for you?"
Gregory's eyes were wide, as if he were high. In a way he was. "Oh Sire, oh my, oh my, oh my! I've never tasted such, such...more, I must have more!"
The other demon was swung around as Angelus slapped him hard across the face, "Don't be a fool Gregory my boy, as I've already said, you just pollute the blood if you grab the wench. This is not a game for the weak, you must be in control at all times, else your stomach is the true master."
"But I want more!" The vampire whined, almost shaking with need.
"You will have more, but you will learn how. Control Gregory, it is all about control."
Something moved in the far shadows, Spike, he didn't think any of the guards had noticed, they were all pretty well focused on him at the moment, having just 'kissed' and slapped their boss.
"As I told you, if they trust you, their blood when given freely is like nothing else in this world, but that is the key. It must be freely given."
"Teach me Sire, teach me how to make them trust me!"
Angelus grinned, "I would Gregory, but there is one vital piece you are missing that would allow you to do what I've just done."
The demon looked back at him, confused, "What? What don't I have?"
Angelus leaned in close, before whispering, "A clue."
Clearly not understanding, Gregory looked at his Sire, "A clue? What clue? Is this a game?"
Before Angelus could respond, chaos exploded as the slayer teams burst in from every direction, the guards having been sufficiently distracted by Angelus's performance to not notice the armed women sneaking in behind them.
In an instant, Gregory was screaming orders to his guards, "Kill them, kill them all." He turned to his Sire, "Come, we must hurry, I have a way out."
When he noticed Angelus hadn't move, he asked, "What are you waiting for! They'll stake us!"
Angelus raised an eyebrow, "Yes, they'll stake you." He sent him that dark, dark grin, "Me however, they're here to rescue."
Suddenly Gregory understood his mistake, "Well played Sire, an artist to the end."
"No hard feelings Gregory."
The vampire resigned himself to his fate, no longer concerned his men were being slain and his prisoners freed, he only had eyes for his Sire. "What you said to the woman..."
"I meant every word."
Gregory nodded, "You're going to kill me then?"
"Gregory, I already did."
Gregory gasped as a stake he hadn't even seen pierced up threw his heart, his last sight was Angelus looking back at him, with something shinning in his eyes.
As the dust settled, Angel turned to Gabrielle, who was watching him with large wide eyes.
"Is...is it over?" She asked, seeing the guards rendered to dust by a group of young woman, the screaming prisoners were being freed and the leader was now just a pile of dust basely distinguishable from the dirt under their feet.
"It's over." Angel agreed, his game face fading as he tore the manacle off her wrist, "You're free to go."
She took his offered hand to help her rise, and began to follow him as he met up with Jen and Spike.
"Nice moves Peaches, but if you bloody well try kissing me, you're going to be eating a stake." Spike jabbed, making sure Angel knew he'd been there long enough to see all the juicy bits.
"I'd rather be staked." Angel countered before addressing Jen, "Any loses?"
The young slayer grinned, "Since we found you alive, none on our side. Several minor injuries, walking wounded."
He nodded, "Good. Let's get started moving people towards the surface, call this in at AI, have them alert the hospital we need ambulances, and make sure they're prepared for the majority of the victims being in third trimester pregnancy."
"We could use the escape hatch, look like a more direct route to the surface." One of the slayers, Kerie, pointed out, having noticed Gregory pointing for it before Angel staked him.
A half hour later, Angel was helping the last of the woman out of the escape hole when he felt a tap on his shoulder.
Gabrielle stood behind him, a blanket around her shoulders, her face was cleaned. Without the dirt and fear, she was rather pretty. His eyes avoided the gauze on her neck.
"What are you still doing here? You should be at the hospital." She'd been one of the first to the surface, he figured she'd have been on the first ambulance.
Her cheeks pinked, something he hadn't been able to see down in the cavern with so much dirt on her face, "I just, I wanted to...to say thank you."
"Gabrielle, this is what I do..." His words were cut off as she stepped forwards and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder and she squeezed him in a tight embrace.
Not knowing what else to do, he hugged her back, running his hand along her back, "It's okay, it's over." He whispered, feeling her shaking as she cried against him.
After a few long moments, she compiled herself and stepped back, brushing her eyes with her blanket, "Sorry, I didn't mean to assault you. The hormones."
He laughed, "It's fine, I know how it is. My wife is 4 months with our third."
She smiled at that, "So I guess you are used to this." She said, wiping her eyes again. "I've got two more weeks, if you believe the doctors..."
He nodded, not knowing what else to say.
She was watching his face, it made him uncomfortable. "You...you're like that thing was, at least your face changed, you...bit me...but you're nothing like him at all. How is that? What are you?"
That was a complicated answer he didn't have all night to explain. "I assure you it's not contagious, you won't need a rabies shot or anything."
Any further explanations were rendered moot as, "Oh!" She suddenly grabbed her stomach.
Any calm and cool from him vanished in that moment, "Are you okay, are you in labor, should I call someone?"
She grabbed his hand and pressed it under hers, against her belly, "He's kicking!"
A relieved smile spread over his face, "Yeah, you've got a strong little guy in here."
Tears were flowing down her cheeks again, in unrestrained waves, "He's kicking, he's alive, he really is alive." She hadn't felt her baby move since she was captured, but she'd hoped what Angel had told her was true, but now she knew it was.
"Gabrielle!" A young man, pale, with wide brown eyes and dirty blond hair called her name as he was running towards her, Angel assumed it was her husband Shawn.
"He's kicking!" Gabrielle launched herself into Shawn's arms as he come closer, melting against him as she cried her joy.
Angel smirked as his thought turned towards his own family, his smile waving as he thought of Gabrielle's neck. 'I bit her.'
Seeing she was in good hands, Angel slipped away, needing to debrief before heading home.
...