Chapter 2 Nightmares

Angel came down the stairs and he could hear Isabella screaming in the dining hall. He walked in and Cordelia was trying to feed her but she was failing. Isabella didn't want it and screamed. Angel came over and she would eat to a degree. Angel grabbed a napkin and rubbed her face but she try to dodge him.

"Izzy," Angel said in a stern voice but he saw her eyes water. He reached again and she screamed again. "Isabella," Angel raised his voice and looked at her. "Stop, what's gotten into you?" He asked and she screamed. Cordelia sighed and went to the counter.

"She's been Miss Grouchy all day, I'm done." Cordelia said and Isabella had some tears which Angel didn't understand why.

"Did she sleep last night?" Angel asked. Cordelia nodded while cleaning up the part of the kitchen she used. Angel had been away most of the night scoured the city for some demon. Angel stood up and picked his daughter up and carried out to the training room. She seemed to quiet down a little while he carried her. He placed her on the floor and she sat there watching her father strip down into a shirt and sweats. He then got down to the floor to her level and looked at her father in the eye. "Izzy, I need to train." He said and paused letting her think about it. "Be good and then maybe I'll take you out for ice cream. Ok?"

"Ok," She repeated and looked around the room.

The training was being interrupted because something was upsetting Isabella. Angel stood there with his arm cross as she looked up to him, maybe it was just attention seeking, then he had an idea.

Isabella would laugh as Angel kissed her cheek and then go back. Angel was doing pushups with Isabella under him, every time he lowered to the floor he would kiss her. Then he laid flat on the ground and she scooted to him. He picked her up and placed her on his legs.

"Hold on ok?" He asked and she nodded. He then begun to do double crunches and when he brought his knees up she would laugh as he kissed her. Maybe that's all she wanted was to spend time with her dad. He trained some more with Isabella incorporated in the training.

Another week had passed but Isabella's little fits weren't getting better, only when Angel was around she would stop and be calmer to a degree. But it was at night that Angel figured something was wrong with her. Angel was falling asleep when heard maybe the most bone chilling scream ever. He shot out of bed and ran down the hall to Isabella's room and literally kicked down the door. Isabella was standing in her crib crying. She reached for Angel desperately, eyes filled with tears. Angel went to her crib and picked her up as she sobbed in his shoulder. She was shaking violently and he had no idea why. He kissed her head and bounced her up and down trying to calm her down but she wouldn't have it.

"Dada, dada," She cried and he knew something was wrong. He left her room and walked to his, everyone in the hotel had heard of the scream and came to see what happened.

"She ok?" Cordelia asked as Angel walked into his room.

"Yeah," He said and then shut the door behind him. Isabella was still crying as he sat down on the bed and held her. "Shh, shh," He said and kissed her head she clutched him still crying. "I'm here Inion, daddy's here." He whispered and she still sobbed. "A leagan síos do cheann agus beidh mé a chanadh shuantraí duit ar ais go na blianta as Loo-li, Lai-Ley. Agus beidh mé a chanadh tú a chodladh agus beidh mé ag canadh beannaigh tú amárach tú le grá chun an mbóthar go bhfuil tú ag dul" Angel was singing her the lullaby that always calmed her and always put her to sleep. He didn't know he could do for her except sing to her and that his voice could put her to sleep. She was calming down now and the lullaby was working.

The morning came and Angel was still asleep, Isabella was on her father's chest asleep curled in a little ball.

"What happened last night?" Gunn asked. Everyone in the hotel was awake but the brooding vampire and his daughter. Spike poured his cup of blood and shrugged.

"That scream though," Fred said in some horror. "Sounded like she saw a ghost or something worse." Giles nodded while he sipped his tea.

"Has anyone noticed that Isabella has been acting weird?" Cordelia asked and everyone looked up at her thinking. "I mean she's been very easily upset and somewhat testy except when Angel's around."

"Daddy's little girl?" Spike asked thinking she was acting this way to get attention but Willow shook her head while Tara bounced Levy. "Maybe the little nibblet can sing for Lorne, see what's going on." And for once everyone nodded at Spike's idea.

Angel sat in the chair with Isabella in his lap while Lorne knelt before her. The little one and half year old looked at the green demon.

"Ok little princess," Lorne said with a smile trying to keep her focus and calm, she was already getting agitated even with Angel there, maybe because she had everyone in his room. "All I want you to do is sing to me, any song you're the star tonight." Angel raised an eyebrow in a little bit of amusement, Isabella singing. "So take your time baby doll." Isabella looked up at her dad and he nodded. She then had a look, she was thinking. She was only one so her vocabulary and word bank was limited.

"Twinkle, twinkle little sta," She began, she couldn't say star completely and Lorne listen as Isabella did her best in the little song, Angel helped her out to get through the song. Everyone smiled as she sung it was cute but Lorne wasn't smiling, something was wrong. After she finished and everyone clapped and she clapped too Lorne looked to Angel concerned and motioned to talk to him outside.

"Izzy want to go with aunt Willow?" Angel asked Isabella nodded and he handed her to Willow and left and already Isabella was letting out some protest of Angel leaving. Lorne and Angel were outside in the courtyard in the shade as the sun was out. Angel crossed his arms in concern and Lorne didn't know what to say.

"Well easiest way to put it is little Izzy is having nightmares or at least that's what I'm picking up." Lorne said but Angel furrowed his brow, kids have nightmares all the time. "I know big guy but there's a little bit more, these nightmares to her are real. I believe something is in the room with her. I couldn't see it but whatever it is, it's scaring the hell out of her. She's not sleeping because of it." Lorne stated and Angel nodded in worry. "My suggestion, she sleeps with you until we figure this out." Angel nodded in agreement and went back inside where Isabella waited and threw her hands up as her dad got closer and he held her. Something was after her, scaring her to where she was trying to stay awake all night.

Giles and Wes were in the study looking for anything that could appear to be a nightmare. They wanted to work fast because it could go after Evan, Anya and Xander's kid and Levy Willow and Tara's adopted daughter. There was tons of information on children monsters so this wouldn't take a short amount of time. Then Spike came in standing there.

"Yes Spike?" Giles asked but really didn't care for what he had to say.

"I want to help, it, it rather pains me to see my little nibblet like this so what am I looking for?" He asked and Wes handed him a piece of paper with a drawling on it but it was a kids drawling. "What's this?"

"It's what Isabella is seeing, or at least her interpretation." Wes stated.

"Looks nasty, wonder what it actually looks like." Spike then put the paper down and opened a book and began to look. "Oh for the record this is to help little Izzy not the big brute." Spike informed the two watchers.

Angel walked into Isabella looking around, he was angry someone or something was trying to harm his daughter. He looked around, opening the closet and anything that could hide something. He looked under the crib, in the crib, everywhere. Whatever it was he wanted to kill it, tare it up piece by piece.

Angel sat his desk in his room looking at a book Giles left him also a copy of the drawling Isabella made. Angel looked through the book for anything that could look like the picture, although for a little one year old Isabella could drawl, she got that talent from Angel. Angel could drawl very well so that trait was passed on.

"Oh," He said.

"Fuzzy lumpkins," Isabella said as she sat up from Angel's bed where she slept. Angel turned around and looked at her 'fuzzy lumpkins' he thought 'what kids shows is Cordy letting them watch' and then realized he woke her up and noticed it was really late even for him.

"Oh sorry sweetheart," She sat there looking at Angel, even though Isabella had a tired look she slowly crawled off the bed and into his lap. She rubbed her eyes as Angel looked through the book. He said oh because he remember seeing the thing well at least described the thing that Buffy killed that would suck the life out of sick children. He found it and could see why kids were afraid but this wasn't Isabella's monster. Isabella leaned up against him as he flipped the page looking but knew he should probably turn in. He closed the book and held Isabella while he got up. He placed her back in his bed and went to shower. After he was done Isabella was still up, she was laying down with her foot in the air pulling it closer to he, she was flexible for her age. Angel smiled and crawled into bed next to her, he turned off the light on the nightstand. She cuddled up next to him sighed and closed her eyes and he kissed her forehead and closed his eyes.

In her room they set up cameras to watch and record what was happening. It would record anything human and none human. They did the same in Evan and Levy's room while they slept with their parents as a precaution. Until this thing was gone the children would not sleep alone. It was a good thing because the monster was creeping around her room, looking for her.

"Ok turn it off," Fred said as they all watch the recording. "That's just creepy like really creepy." Angel paused the tape and was angry. Something was invading his daughter's space and her sleep. The children were out with Xander and Lorne while the rest of the adults watched.

"Well we've got a better look than the drawling," Giles said comparing Isabella's stick figure that was scribbled and had huge to teeth to this monster. This made him scared it was a black shadow, red-orange eyes, it looked like it was hooded too. Angel wasn't afraid not completely but he wanted to kill it nonetheless.

"Maybe it's something from Wolfram and Hart?" Tara suggested and that wasn't a farfetched thought from anyone's mind at this point. Wolfram and Hart was always suspect number one with anything these days.

"We'll keep looking but Angel," Giles said looking to him with concern. "Whatever this thing is it wants her and I feeling it wants to kill her." Angel felt his gut being ripped out as he stared at the screen he stared at this demented shadow.

Angel had his head propped up with his hand and his other flipping through pages. On his lap was Isabella and somehow she managed to ball up small enough to sleep there, it was a good thing she was tiny. Angel looked down and smiled, she looked rather uncomfortable but she was asleep, much needed sleep. Then he felt two hands touch his shoulders.

"Hey let me take her, I've got the other two sleeping in the training room with Spike on guard." Willow said in a soft whisper and Angel nodded. He closed the book and pushed the chair back and gently picked up Isabella and handed her off to Willow. "Poor thing seeing this nasty monster." Willow said and Isabella's fell to Willow's shoulder and she didn't make a sound, she was out cold. Then Cordelia came in with a fresh cup of blood as Willow left.

"Here Angel brain food." She said handing the cup to him. Angel looked at it and really didn't want it, he wasn't hungry. Cordelia pulled up a chair next to her boss. "You should rest, take a cat nap." She suggested and Angel gave an unnecessary sigh but knew she was right until he saw the cover of the book he was looking at. He looked through that book last night but now it just hit him.

"Well the monster Buffy faced in the hospital was called Der Kindestod which means Child Death." Giles began. Cordelia, Willow and Xander remembered the hospital demon. "It fed off sick children by sucking the life out of them of course because the child was sick most assume it was the sickness." Giles paused and Angel nodded. Although everyone knew that wasn't the demon they were looking for it was something else that was similar. The camera only picked up the shadow of the demon Isabella saw the real thing. When Angel saw the picture of Der Kindestod and compared it to Isabella's picture there was a similarity. "But you think this thing has cousin well subclass?" Giles asked and Angel nodded. It was a start. And then the break through happen.

"I may have found it," Wes stated as he had another book. "Angel is correct there is another demon like Der Kindestod it's called Albtraum Noir visible to children as well it's a subclass or cousin." Wes stood up as everyone was listening. "It stands for black nightmare and comes to a child from what it says here it hand picks a child based on its energy field it likes…strong children." He paused looking up at everyone and they were waiting to hear more. "It comes to the child as a friend like um I don't know something a child likes like a big teddy bear. Once the child allows it into the room it slowly sheds its guise and becomes the nightmare. It keeps the child awake breaking them. Once the child is broken it…" Wes paused again, he didn't want to finish the last part. "It feeds by… by." Wes couldn't finish and passed the book to Giles, somehow Giles could say even the most horrible things.

"It feeds by…pinning the child down and injecting it with a venom from its teeth paralyzing the child. The venom well it liquefies the insides and then…drinks." Giles finished and everyone was grossed out, this seem worse than Der Kindestod. Angel sat in his chair thinking.

"Well maybe if Isabella stays out of her room for a while it'll go away thinking she's gone?" Willow asked and Giles shook his head no.

"No it'll find her or at least try and if it can't it'll move on to the next closes child." Giles informed her, the next close child or children was Evan and Levy.

"How do we kill it?" Xander asked knowing his son could be endanger now.

"It's nearly impossible to see as an adult, children see things we can't." Wes said. "Buffy was still a child when she encountered Der Kindestod."

"Plus she made herself bloody sick." Giles added, Willow, Xander and Cordelia remembered they drugged her up with the flu shot when she already had the flu.

"I have an idea," Spike said walking in with three children running in behind him and going to their parents. Isabella went straight to Angel's lap and smiled, she placed both hands on his face and kissed him. He could help but smile, she seemed much better now that she was getting rest, she was her happy self which he loved. "But Peaches you aren't going to like it." Angel then looked up as Isabella covered her eyes and then uncovering them with a giggle.

Angel inspected Isabella's room while everyone else walked the hotel, opening all the doors so nothing could truly hide. Willow and Tara were putting up a protection spell around the hotel. Giles said it probably won't work but it wouldn't hurt to try if anything it might alert everyone that something was here. The plan was for Isabella to sleep in her room. They all could see the thing as a black shadow, it was only visible to children in its true demon form or maybe that's what it thought. Over the last year everyone could feel a very strong connection between Angel and Isabella, a bond perhaps a blood bond similar to a sire and a sireree. Although theirs was much stronger, maybe that bond could allow Angel to see the demon in its true form.

Xander came into Isabella's room while Angel still inspected it.

"Ok Evan's room looks good and Willow gave the thumbs up for Levy's room," And Angel nodded. Xander could only imagine what Angel was feeling. Both of them were fathers now and for something to be attacking their children, it was the scariest thing in the world even more so than the most hellish thing out there. "Angel," Angel turned around and Xander could see the griminess on his face, the fear. "We're going to get this thing." Xander assured him. Angel walked away from the window looking around. He didn't like this plan but he knew right now it was the only one, use his daughter as bait literally wave her around. Angel met up with Xander at the door and for once Xander placed his arm around the vampire. "So how are you going to kill it?" Xander asked.

"I was thinking massive violence to start." Angel said as the two fathers left the room.

"Solid start dead boy." Xander said as they walked down the hall. They headed downstairs to the main lobby where everyone else was. The three kids were playing with some toys and Spike was playing with the kids, he seemed to be having fun maybe even more fun than the kids.

"Bless this space, set the bound let nothing evil come through." Willow and Tara said at the same time while burning sage. The spell was set in place and everyone was ready, hopefully. Now all they had to do was wait for bed time.

Angel did the nightly routine with Isabella, bathe her, comb her hair, read a story and then began to rock in the rocking chair and was ready to sing to her.

"No dada," She said and he looked at her as she looked to her crib. "No," She said in a low voice of fear. He knew what she meant. He then hugged her reassuring her he was here and it would be ok.

"I'll be right here watching you, the bad man won't hurt you." He said and then he started to rock in the chair and sing. He was afraid too, he was in fear for her life. Isabella was still sleep deprived so while he sung he could feel her getting heavy on his shoulder. Once the lullaby was over Isabella was in dream land. He stood up and walked over to the crib and placed her in it. He smiled, pretty soon she would out grow this bed and need a bigger on. She was tiny but growing so fast. He turned off the light and turned on her little night light, it had cut outs of starfish, clams, fish and seahorses. It was a low light but just enough light. Angel sat in the corner of the room in the rocking chair. Earlier that day he brought an axe into the room, not a big one but one to do the job. The corner of the room was dark so hopefully this thing would show and he could kill it. He sat down and then rocked slowly waiting.

Xander was in Evan's room doing the same thing while in Levy's room Willow sat ready to use magic also she had a huge butcher knife. Levy was adopted but Willow and Tara loved her as if she was created out of them. Willow was a mother a true mother and like a mother nothing was going to hurt her young.

Down in the lobby everyone waited as well, they all wanted to kill it because it killed children, innocent children who couldn't fight and defend themselves. They all had weapons and they all waited.

Midnight rolled around and up in Isabella's room Angel waited for this thing. The little night light lamp cover spun slowly and he waited. Spike was right outside the door waiting, he would grab Isabella to get her out of the line of fire when the time came. Angel waited, he gripped the axe with both hands while it rested on his lap. He rocked waiting for it. Isabella was sleeping peacefully and he smiled.

"Come on you bastard, where are you?" He asked quietly. Then the spell worked, a bright light shown outside alerting the home something was on the property that shouldn't be. Angel gripped the axe and if his heart could pound it would. He kept steady not wanting the thing to know it was here waiting. He knew it took physical form because somehow it opened the window from the outside when it was locked. Angel could now see a shadow behind the curtains and the window lifted up. Something stepped inside and opened the curtains. Angel stopped rocking and sat, if he gripped the axe any tighter it might snap in half. The demon then moved slowly to Isabella's crib. It was hooded just like in the video but Angel would make it visible in its true form. It looked down at Isabella as she slept and Angel stood up slowly. "Get the hell away from her." He said as he step out of the shadow and the demon looked up. It was about to make its way back to the window but Angel jumped in front of and swung his axe and it ducked. Spike came crashing through the door took Isabella out of the crib and ran. Down the hall Willow and Xander had their children and left that level. They knew Angel wasn't the cleanest person when he killed something.

The demon kicked Angel and he flew back to the window and the thing ran out to the hall. Angel cracked his neck and vamped out and went after it. Spike, Willow and Xander came downstairs with the half asleep kids.

"It's here and it looks really pissed off!" Spike said and jumped over the railing and everyone got up.

"Yeah but not as pissed as Angel," Will threw in and they all ran to the training room where all the weapons were. Angel caught up to the demon and jumped for its heels and the hood came off. It did resemble the Der Kindestod with its teeth. Angel then punched it's face and the demon pushed Angel off and he slid across the floor. The demon looked at Angel and hissed. And growled and jumped and was before the demon. The two fought, crashing into the walls.

Down in the training room Isabella was crying in fear, she knew her father was fighting. Spike did what he could to calm her and finally Tara took her and tried to hush her.

Angel jumped in the air and kicked the demon and rolled down the stairs to the main lobby. Angel picked up his axe and went after it. The demon stood up and Angel jumped over the railing and with the butt of the axe smashed it into the demon's face. The demon grabbed hold of the axe and the two fought for it. It then kicked Angel to the ground and swung the axe. Angel dodged it by rolling and got up, he dodge the swings and knew he couldn't go to the training room for more weapons. The demon swung the axe and Angel caught it keeping it from going into his chest. Angel kicked the demon away and then had an idea. He was glad he swiped Spike's Zippo earlier, something told him he would need fire, a familiar voice he had heard in over year. The demon stood up as Angel lit up a cigarette he also took from Spike and lit it huffed on the drag. He blew out the smoke and as the demon ran to him and Angel relit the Zippo and tossed it at the demon. The flame caught the demon's clothes on fire and Angel smiled. He took another huff of the cigarette and flicked it to the already burning demon. The fire sprinklers came on in the main lobby and the demon was being put out. Angel then was standing face to face with the demon and he smiled.

"I'm your worse nightmare," Angel said and swung his axe and the demon's head rolled to the ground. Just as the happen he heard a scream and it was Isabella, she was running to him. He tossed the axe away and got down on one knee and she jumped into his arms still crying. He hushed her as she cried. Everyone came out and saw the sprinklers going and the beheaded demon. Angel stood up holding Isabella, the nightmare was over. He walked pass Spike and tossed him his Zippo.

"Ah was wondering where it went." He said and put it back in his pocket.

Isabella sat on Angel's bed back at the mansion in Sunnydale. Everyone came here to take a little break from the hotel. But Isabella didn't want to sleep alone at least not now. Angel walked around his room in sweats and a t-shirt looking through cases that would need to be solved when he would get back. Angel set down the notes on his little desk and turned around to find Isabella asleep, she was curled up like always and he smiled. He turned off the lights and crawled in next to her and she instinctively cuddled closer. He kissed her head.

"Now you can dream Inion." He said and thought to himself, now we both can dream.

So what do you think? Kind of a creepier chapter but Angel saved the day, our hero. My inspiration for this chapter came from BTVS S2 episode 18 Killed by Death, that episode always creeps me out. Anyways more "episodes" on the way. Hope you are liking this little series I've got going. Comments and reviews are most welcomed, thanks for reading.

Inion is the Gaelic word for daughter.

The lullaby Angel sings is called Sleepsong by Secret Garden. And here's the full lyrics in English.

Lay down your head, and I'll sing you a lullaby, back to the years of loo-li, lai-ley And I'll sing you to sleep, and I'll sing you tomorrow, bless you with love for the road that you go. May you sail fair to the far fields of fortune with diamonds and pearls at your head and your feet, and may you need never to banish misfortune. May you find kindness in all that you meet. May there always be angels to watch over you to guide you each step of the way to guard you and keep you safe from all harm Loo-li, loo-li, lai-ley

May you bring love and may you bring happiness. Be loved in return to the end of your days. Now fall off to sleep I'm not meaning to keep you I'll just sit for awhile and sing Loo-li, lai-ley. May there always be angels to watch over you to guide you each step of the way to guard you and keep you safe from all harm Loo-li, loo-li, lai-ley Loo-li, loo-li, lai-ley