Disclaimer: All characters and things from ANGEL and BUFFY belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. If they aren't on the show they belong to me.

Summary: Angel and Spike get a chance to get back the people that meant the most to them after the battle against Wolfram and Hart. But can they keep the real past a secret from the only people they want to share it with? A/C S/B

CHAPTER 9

Angel made his way down the stairs to the lobby of the Hyperion Hotel after a nice night of sleep. He needed that sleep. He needed it because it was the only time he was with Cordelia; she was always in his dreams.

Angel moved to the kitchen and realized that he had forgotten to go food shopping when he arrived in L.A. Having to eat food three times a day was still not something he was used to.

Angel moved back out to the lobby, grabbing his jacket, and then stopped, looking at the leather duster. He then looked outside and realized he probably didn't need a leather jacket; it was already rather hot outside. He just wasn't used to having a body temperature, or being able to walk in broad daylight. He sighed and flung the jacket back at the counter. He took a step toward the door and then a step back to his jacket, quickly throwing it on. He knew he didn't need it, but he felt naked without it. His duster had been part of him for so long; it was part of the past that he did not want to forget.

"Planning on walking into a freezer anytime soon?" Wesley asked as he made his way down the stairs.

Angel looked up at his friend, a friend that didn't remember even knowing Angel. "Huh?"

"You're jacket." Wesley pointed to the duster Angel had just put back on. "You give the impression that it is rather cold outside."

"Oh." Angel nodded, reluctantly taking the jacket off. "I just wanted to see if it fit."

Wesley nodded. "I don't mean to be a bother but is there anything to eat? I am rather hungry."

Angel shook his head. "I haven't really settled in yet, but I was going to head down the street. There's a coffee place, they serve breakfast. If you want, you can come."

Wesley nodded. "If that's alright with you?"

"Sure." Angel told him. He was actually glad Wesley was coming with him. He missed talking to Wesley and he was pleased to have the company.

Angel moved to the door and led Wesley the two blocks to the coffee shop where they sat and ordered breakfast. Wesley had tea and a biscuit, while Angel had a cup of coffee and an omelet.

"So, you said you were here for a conference?" Angel asked Wesley as he took a sip of his coffee. "Do you mind if I ask what its for?"

"It's a historian conference." Wesley told Angel.

"So you're a historian?"

"Yes."

Angel nodded; it made sense. Wesley had always known his history and was quite a brilliant man. "What kind of history?"

"Uh…" Wesley straightened his glasses, trying to figure out how to approach the subject. "Worldly history, ancient mostly. Mystical myths and entities."

Angel gave a small grin. He knew exactly what Wesley was, but he decided to play along. "So you research like vampires and ghosts?"

Wesley nodded slowly. "The myths of them and how they relate to the development of civilizations."

"Who do you work for?" Angel pried a little more.

Wesley seemed somewhat flustered by Angel's question. "A council of sorts in Britain."

"Which one?"

"You wouldn't know it."

"The Watcher's Council?"

Wesley was silent, visibly stunned by Angel's knowledge. After a moment he seemed to recover. "How do you know of the Watcher's Council?"

"I used to date the Slayer…" Angel looked away.

"Buffy?" Wesley questioned.

Angel nodded.

"Well, she is not to speak of the Council." Wesley told him.

"I know." Angel replied. "But it's not like it's a big deal. I mean, vampires and demons don't exist anymore so she really doesn't have a job."

"Not necessarily true." Wesley told Angel. "I mean, yes, it is correct that she no longer has a true calling, and that vampire do not exist anymore, but demons, well that is a different story…"

Angel raised an eyebrow at this new information. "What do you mean?"

"Demons do still exist." Wesley told him. "But only the ones some would say are on the right side."

"So good demons?" Angel asked, his thoughts immediately drifting to Lorne.

Wesley nodded. "I suppose you could say that. They are the demons that are not a threat to humans, the ones who are willing to co-exists with us."

"How come we don't see them?" Angel asked.

"They tend to stay low-key. They don't bother us, we do not bother them." Wesley explained, checking his watch. "I really should be going now." He stood. "Thank you for the room, Mr. Angel."

"Its just Angel." Angel stood as well. "And if you need to stay another night, that's fine."

"Are you sure?" Wesley asked. "Because that would actually be wonderful. I'm not exactly sure how long I'll be in town."

"It's fine." Angel told him. "I mean, you can't say it isn't weird that we ran into each other." Angel truly believed that. What was the chance that Wesley would ever come back into his life in this reality?

"Very true. Both of us knowing the Slayer…" Wesley made that connection. Not the one of a past he spent fighting side by side with Angel.

"Right." Angel nodded, almost sadly.

"I'll see you later then, Angel." Wesley said, making his way out of the coffee shop.

Angel also moved to the door. He turned in the opposite direction Wesley had gone in. He was heading over to the college campus to see if he could find Connor. He wasn't sure what he was going to do if he did see his son, but he just wanted to make sure Connor was okay.

Cordelia awoke in Angel's bed to the sun beating in from the window. She sat up; stretching out and taking a good look around the room. Angel had left quite a few things with him, among them, his Sunnydale High School varsity jacket. Cordelia picked up the jacket and put it on. It was a little big on her, but she felt comfortable in it. She decided she would bring it with her when she went to Angel, because her mind was made up. Spike was going to tell her where Angel had run off to and she was going to find him. For some reason she needed to be with him.

Cordelia made her way out into the kitchen to find Spike sitting at the table with a cereal bowl in front of him. When Cordelia entered the room, he turned and nodded at her.

"Sleep well?" Spike asked.

Cordelia nodded. "I did."

"Good." Spike went back to eating.

Cordelia sat down across from him. "I thought about it. I'm still going after Angel."

Spike nodded. He was hoping Cordelia would still want Angel. For some reason, Spike wanted Angel to be happy and he knew the only way for that to happen was for Cordelia to be with Angel.

Before Spike could answer, however, there was a loud knock on the door. Spike looked over at Cordelia. "Just stay here a minute."

Cordelia complied as Spike turned the corner to see who was at the front door. He then quickly came back into the kitchen.

"Who is it?" Cordelia asked.

"It's Xander." Spike told her.

Cordelia turned white as a ghost. "What should I do?"

"Talk to him?" Spike suggested.

Cordelia shook her head feverishly. "No. He won't be rational, trust me. I'm afraid of him."

"Afraid?" Spike raised an eyebrow. He didn't like the sound of that. "Stay here, be quiet. I'll take care of him."

Cordelia nodded, and Spike moved toward the front door, opening it to find a noticeably angry Xander on the other side.

Xander pushed at the door, trying to get in the mansion. "Where is she?"

"Where is who?" Spike played dumb. He had never seen Xander this angry or rude in his life.

Xander was in Spike's face. "I'm not stupid. I know Cordelia is here. Her car is out front!" Xander pointed to Cordelia's car that was sitting in front of the mansion.

Spike also looked at Cordelia's car and nodded. "Yes it is."

"So where is she?"

"Who?"

"CORDELIA!"

"I don't bloody know." Spike was still playing dumb, but he was on his guard. He didn't like how crazed Xander seemed to be.

"Look, you're buddy Angel already screwed things up with me and her, don't you be screwing it up too." Xander got in Spike's face.

"From what I understand you screwed it up yourself just fine." Spike shot back.

Xander clenched his jaw, leaning against the door, which forced it open a little more, but Spike stood his ground.

"I'm not leaving until I see her." Xander said.

"Well then you'll be hear a damn long time, because I don't know where she is." Spike lied.

"Then why is her car here?" Xander tried to remain calm, thinking that Spike might tell him where Cordelia was if he was more relaxed.

Spike wasn't stupid. He knew what Xander was doing, and so he continued lying. "I don't know. It's bloody been there all night. I got home, and it was there. I thought maybe she left it here and went somewhere with you."

"Why would she have done that?" Xander asked.

Spike shrugged. "I don't bloody know. She is your girlfriend."

"Not anymore." Xander sighed, seeming to believe Spike. "Do you know where I can find her?"

Spike gave Xander a dumb look. "If I knew where she was I would have told you."

Xander nodded, accepting Spike's answer. "If you hear from her or see her, let me know?"

Spike nodded. "Will do." He then closed the door in Xander's face, and watched as Xander made his way back to his car, then Spike quickly darted back in the kitchen to find Cordelia sitting silently.

"You need to get out of here soon." Spike told her. "Xander doesn't seem right. I'm afraid he will do something if he finds you here, or anywhere in this town."

Cordelia nodded in agreement. "I know. I'm scared too."

"Go to Angel." Spike told her. "He's in L.A. I couldn't tell you where, but try this address." Spike wrote the address of the Hyperion Hotel. "I have a feeling Angel will be there, if not, try and find him."

Cordelia nodded, taking the address from Spike. "Thank you."

Spike nodded. "Be safe."

"I will be." Cordelia moved to the door, but then turned back to Spike. "Spike? Seriously, thank you."

"No problem." Spike gave her a slight wave and watched her rush out to her car. He made sure she made it down the road and out of sight safely before turning back into the house. He hoped he had done the right thing by telling Cordelia where Angel was.

Angel made his way around the college campus. It was rather big and he had no idea where he would start looking for Connor or what he would do if he did find his son. He eventually found himself wandering into the school's library. He looked around the library and found that most of the students were on the computers; barely any were actually looking at books.

Angel shook his head, a small smile falling across his lips. He would have picked a book over a computer any day, but it seemed like the generation he had now become a part of were computer-savvy. He guessed he would have to learn how to really work a computer at some point soon. He no longer had Fred or Cordelia around to help him with that. He sighed, thinking of them both. He missed the women of his life dearly; especially Cordelia.

Angel wandered into the library a little more, looking around.

"Can I help you?" A woman's voice came from the desk that Angel had just walked past.

Angel turned back to the woman, but could not see her face for the computer she was typing on blocked it. "I was actually looking for someone."

The woman popped her head out from behind the screen, and Angel immediately recognized her. He couldn't believe it.

"Fred?" Angel smiled in disbelief. He didn't understand how he kept running into his family. The family that didn't remember him. He expected to see Cordelia when he was sent to Sunnydale, but he couldn't get his head around the fact that he had been in L.A for less then two days and had already run into Gunn, Wesley, and Fred. It was as if they were all meant to know each other regardless of what reality they were in.

Fred raised an eyebrow at Angel. "How do you know my name?"

Angel had to think quickly. "You're nametag." He pointed down to the tag on her shirt.

"Oh." Fred seemed to blush. "Duh. So who are you looking for?"

"I…a kid named Connor, actually." Angel said.

"Connor…?" Fred was searching for more information.

"I don't actually know his last name." Angel knew he sounded dumb, but it was the truth. He wasn't sure what Connor's last name was in this reality.

"Well, that's going to be a lot of help…" Fred raised an eyebrow at Angel.

"Yeah…I know." Angel shuffled his feet.

"Does he hang out here a lot?" Fred asked. "I've been working here part time since I started school. I know everyone who comes in here."

"You go to school here?" Angel asked, wondering about Fred's life in this reality.

Fred nodded. "I'm going to be a physicist."

Angel smiled at her. Finally, Fred was going to get to follow her dream. "That's good."

Fred nodded. "Thanks. So back to the Connor you were looking for…"

"Right." Angel nodded. "I doubt I'll find him."

"Well, what does he look like?" Fred asked.

"He's about as tall as me, a little thinner though, blonde hair, kinda long. Blue eyes." Angel described his son to Fred.

"Connor Angel." Fred said.

Angel was shocked that Fred knew whom he was talking about and that Connor had the same last name as him. "Yeah…"

"He comes in here all the time. He's going to school to be a detective. He does a lot of research in here." Fred explained.

"A detective?" Angel couldn't help but smile. It seemed as though Connor was following in his footsteps, even though he couldn't remember that Angel was his father.

"Yeah." Fred nodded. "If I see him do you want me to tell him you were looking for him?"

Angel nodded. "Yeah. I'm Angel." Angel shook Fred's hand.

"What a name…" Fred smiled back at Angel.

Angel blushed. "If Connor comes in tell him to come to the Hyperion Hotel. Do you know where that is?" He wasn't sure why, but he wanted Connor to swing by the hotel. He wanted to see his son. He would think of an excuse to have Connor there when Connor arrived.

Fred nodded. "Sure do."

"Thanks, Fred." Angel smiled at her.

"You're welcome." Fred smiled back at Angel and watched him walk out of the library before going back to her computer work. "What a tall handsome man…" Fred smiled as she thought of Angel.

Buffy knocked on the mansion door. When no one answered she pulled at the doorknob until she was able to jerk the door open with her slayer strength. She stepped into the mansion and found it rather quiet.

"Spike?" Buffy called out. "Are you home?"

"Kitchen…" Spike seemed to mumble.

Buffy made her way into the kitchen to find Spike sitting at the table, staring at the wall.

"Wow, what's wrong with you?" Buffy asked.

Spike looked at Buffy and then back at the wall. "I think I made a mistake."

"What happened?" Buffy took a seat next to Spike.

Spike turned to Buffy and sighed. "Cordelia came over last night. She found out that Xander was really cheating on her with Faith. She was looking for Angel. She wanted to apologize to him, I guess."

"And?" Buffy pried.

"I told her I would tell her where he was but she had to wait to the morning. She wanted to run after him and I had to make sure that was something she really wanted to do." Spike explained. "She stayed over and this morning she still wanted to know where Angel was. I was going to tell her, but then Xander showed up. He was so bloody angry."

"He was?"

"I've never seen him like that. He looked like he wanted to rip someone's throat out."

"He can be like that sometimes."

"He was looking for Cordelia. I was afraid he was looking to hurt her if he found her." Spike told her. "I told him I didn't know where she was, so he left. Then I told Cordelia where Angel was and had her leave immediately in case Xander came back."

"You really were afraid for Cordelia?" Buffy could sense Spike's concern.

"I know she means a lot to Angel and I couldn't live with myself if Xander did find her and hurt her." Spike explained.

Buffy nodded. She understood. "So Cordelia left?"

"Yeah. She went after Angel." Spike told her. "He went to L.A."

"So, what's the mistake?" Buffy asked.

"Maybe I shouldn't have told Cordelia. She is so young and a city like that…" Spike trailed off.

"If she is with Angel, she is fine."

"Angel doesn't know she is coming."

"Then you better call him and tell him." Buffy told Spike.

Spike nodded. "I guess so."

"Here." Buffy handed Spike the phone. "Make the call."

Spike sighed and dial the one number he hoped he would reach Angel at. He wasn't entirely sure, but he knew Angel well enough to know that the man liked to know his surroundings. He liked to be comfortable somewhere.

Angel arrived back at the hotel to find the phone ringing. He quickly made his way over to the desk, wondering why the phone was still hooked up, but then again, he couldn't ask many questions in this reality. Things seemed to work themselves out.

Angel picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Angel, it's Spike." Spike's voice was on the other end of the line.

"Spike? How'd you know I was here?"

"Lucky guess. Angel, I need to tell you something."

"Spike, you won't believe it. Wesley, Gunn, Fred, they are all in L.A. and they are all happy. Wesley is actually staying here because of some business trip. I mean none of them remember me or anything but they are all okay. And Connor is coming by at some point hopefully, and get this! He's a detective! Well, he is going to be one. A chip off the old block!" Angel was very excited.

"Angel that's great, but listen-" Spike tried again.

"And, last night I hated this world. I hated not having anyone remember me, but after I saw them all, they all seem so happy, you know? Maybe they were better off not knowing me…"

"Well, I'm not sure about that, but Angel listen to me! I have to tell you something!"

Just then the door to the Hyperion Hotel swung open and Angel turned to see the only true angel he had ever known walk in. He had to blink twice to make sure what he was seeing was actually true.

"Angel?" Cordelia called his name from her spot at the door.

Angel nodded at the woman he loved before he turned back to the phone. "Spike…I have to go. Cordelia is here…"

"That's what I was trying to bloody say!" Spike yelled, but his efforts were useless, Angel had hung up the phone already.