"So?" Was everyone's question when she came downstairs.
"Guys, tell me you didn't spend the whole night…"
"We went home Buffy." Said Cordelia.
"But we are usually early here, is not like someone can sleep, when someone upstairs is a close call to get himself killed."
"Hum.. he'll be fine.." She said. "He just need some sleep, I guess."
"Where are you going?" Asked Fred as she saw Buffy get closer to her bag and getting it.
"I have two teenagers to watch, one being Connor, yes the same Connor you guys have been looking for. And I'm sorry I didn't know anything about it, but no one called till yesterday."
"We.. how did he showed up in Sunnydale?" Wesley requested.
"Full of himself, he wouldn't let much approach, expect perhaps me on the first day, it was a very hard day for him.. I never saw something like that, he was so broken Wesley, he was afraid I was gonna hurt him, I have no idea what this monster has done with him, but one thing I know, he's never putting one finger on Connor again."
"Buffy" Cordelia called. "What shall we do till then?" She breathe and gave them a grin "Wait. I'll come."
Sunnydale Buffy's House
"Do you think my dad is fine?" Connor asked for the third time passing on the chicken room.
"I'm sure he is, if he wasn't, I'm sure Buffy fix it already." In that moment Buffy opens the chicken doors with Chinese food on her hands.
"Chinese?" She asks happily.
"Má, is he.."
"He will be just fine.. he just need to eat. Properly."
"Next week we will be going there, so make all the questions you might till then."
For the LA and the Sunnydale Gang it was a rough week: demons, vampire, restless sleep, anxiety, despair. And God Lord, it was finally Friday.
Connor said 'see ya soon' to everyone hugging them, and got into the car, Dawn wanted to tag alone until she notice it was gonna be even worse to say goodbye there.
Buffy drove, calmly, the songs playing in the car, Connor drift off after some moments, dreaming with his first months, seeing his vampire father smiling happily at him, tricking and playing with his face. Then after not seeing him, only weird people and his father begging for his life.
"Dad!" He woke up a bit scared. Buffy soothed him touching his hand.
"Everything okay dear?" She asked.
"Yeah, I remember him; he used to do his game face to me. I thought it was so funny." He grinned holding her hand for a moment, then letting go so she could do the curve.
"We are here." She announced, getting out of the car.
Inside the Hyperion Hotel
"How freaking long can she get?" Asked Cordelia passing.
"Angel? Would you please do something?" Begged Lorne.
"Cordy, could you make some coffee? I think, we are all needing it" He said chanting.
"Yes, you're right." And with that she left the room.
"God when this woman is nervous, it creeps me out!" Lorne said, Wesley and Gunn laughed while Angel simply twisted his lips a bit, in a small grin.
Outside the Hyperion Hotel
"Perhaps, we shouldn't get in." Said Connor a little terrified.
"Hun, you're kidding right?" Buffy asked playfully to him.
"Is just, if they don't like me?" Buffy was holding the door, seeing how suddenly the teenager sounded like a scared child.
"Hey Connor, I'll be at you side, you don't have to do anything except saying hi."
"Isn't that just silly as well?" He asked worried about what his father's friends would think of him.
"I'm getting in, when you feel like you want to join us, come on in." Buffy again went to open the door and he was now on her side holding it open for her.
"That's my boy." She thought. "Not that hard hum?" Mockingly she asked.
"The things we do for the people we care and love…" He mumbled.
They walk a bit, warning everyone of their presence, the whole gang look dumb founded at him.
"Hi." He tried but failed miserable.
"Great, that was really something! At least you can't deny being his son." She said tapping his shoulder.
"I'm not good with this Má, you know that" He replied under his breath, hidding his face.
"Okay then, gladly you got me, hum?" She smiled, he looked up at her and grinned.
"Connor this is the Fang Gang" she started "Fang Gang this is Connor".
He looked helpless to her and she murmured.. "Fine". A bit annoyed, it was being harder than she thought.
"The green guy on the left, closed to Wesley is Lorne, the other is Gunn, close to him is Fred, on the other side behind the counter we have Angel aka you dad, and I supposed that Cordy is making some coffee." She started introducing passing a bit and pointing them a little, she was really hating that kind of attention, and so was him, she could feel.
"Hum.." He said standing still in the same place.
"You know kiddo.. you're gonna have to move sooner or later, you can be a vampire son, but you still have a beat." She played.
"You know, for a very loving small kinda slayer, sometimes you are extremely annoying. I'm starting to understand Spike."
"Look, he talks". Angel smiled now close to Buffy embracing her.
"And you look better" She mumbled knowing he would listen her.
"I guess all I need was an awaking call" He said looking to his son.
"I was always good with them." She said smiling to him.
"Connor." Angel spoke.
"Hey dad. I mean Angel, or may I call you dad, perhaps sir or father.." He said nervously stumbling on his words, practically babbling.
"You sure are part of the Scooby Gang… you can even babble!" Angel smile gratified.
"Is that bad? Because when you coexist with Buffy, Dawn, Will and Tara you kinda beg for someone to kiss them shut." He said.
"What?" Buffy asked.
"Seriously Má, sometimes your speeches are a bit wacky."
"Enough on the subject Buffy. I'm not even here, please ignore me." Angel smiled at her. She was like usual, breaking the ice. He bent down kissing her face whispering a "Thank you, Ionúin".
"Come on, I wanna hear everything about you, we all do" Connor looked around seeing his father friends smiling.
Buffy was turning out of the door when Lorne called her amiably.
"Going already, Goldilocks?" She breathed turning and looking up at Lorne.
"They need to interact, and for that, no one needs me here." She said, holding back the tears.
"He's a part of your life dear, I understand that it may hurt." The green demon said pushing her back to join them.
"Hey" Connor and Angel said together "We were about to look for you. You won't dare to leave without 'a see you later' right?"
"I hate 'goodbyes' you both know that." She complained.
Angel grabs her hand pulling her into another embrace, kissing the top of her head.
"You go later.." Connor said smiling fondly. "I have to, you know.. grab about you, your work and so on.." He could totally see her rolling her eyes.
"Honestly.. And here I thought you go on, about the whole almost dying in the shopping mall day."
"I didn't even complained." He said a bit hurt.
"Hun, you didn't have to, your face was priceless enough" Buffy said relying on Angel that simply eyed his son.
"It's not my fault, I was trying, but Dawn, she speaks so much in one day that I almost thought she had some issue, though Spike assured me she's just talkative"
"He knows Spike?" Cordelia asked almost fuming.
"Well ya, considering his around." Connor replied.
"Around, like around?" Angel asked.
"Around, like in the basement." Connor said smiling.
"Spike is living in your basement? What for? I mean.."
"Riley Finn, Má ex's, had this military thing going on.. and well he got a chip on Spike's brain, so he can't hurt humans, technically speaking and on his own words he is now just a big, fluffy puppy with bad teeth." Connor spoke imitating Spike on the last words.
"Unbelievable, you're just.." Angel shook his head a bit finding so incredible fun that he could be so comfortable with it than said "Well certainly the Scoobies have been good for you." Angel said smiling fondly to his son.
"Well, Dawn is amazing with the stories, before Má got back, she finally told me about you too." Buffy looked puzzled and Angel simply sign.
"Heartbreaking, but I love it. I honestly wish you guys could be together, you just seem to fit right...like.. hum..like you know ketchup and hot dogs." He smiled.
"Did you just compare me and Buffy, with hot dogs and ketchup?" Angel asked grumpy.
"Ignore him honey, your dad is just grumpy, can you believe that he's 250 plus years and he's jealous of me?" Buffy said playfully.
"Of course! Má you're dangerous to leave alone, guys looked at you like you're some sort of meat. They eat you with their eyes; I have to keep my watching in alert every time I go out with you or Dawnie!" Connor stated.
"That's so not true!" She said. Getting up from her spot. Angel noticed how different she was, her hair was a bit darker and she was beautifully dress in jeans and a shirt, he basked in the vision of her, what wouldn't he give up as to have Buffy as his mother's son? Or to give her everything she deserves? Perhaps returning the Claddagh ring he once gave her, finally proposing her and keeping them both as his family, but he knew that was only a dream.
"Dad? What's wrong?" Connor asked. "You vent out for a moment there"
"It's nothing, everything is perfect." He than looked outside hearing the thunder he eyed Buffy that was talking something with Connor and questioned "You're not leaving with this weather now, are you beloved?" Worried written on his face.
"No, it would drive you and Conn to madness, so I'll stay till morning, if the storm is better till then I'll go." She spoke. Connor went to her and hugged her ffrom behind, she just laid her head on his chest and waited, Angel sign happily and thought "I should have a camera."
"So, where can I sleep?" Buffy asked yawning.
"Come on, I thing Cordy got a room for Connor and you get to sleep in mines I'll keep the couch." He said "Nonsense" Buffy thought.
"Serious, Dad? You letting Má, sleep on her on?" Connor asked rolling his eyes.
"Come on Connor, you can let me know what you and Dawn did while I was out.. you had too many questions and it totally slit out of my mind." Buffy said graping her "son's" hand and climbing the stairs.
Buffy and Connor explored Connor's room, it was quite interesting, with book shells, a nice couple bed, mirror, which made Buffy murmur a "humpf" in surprise, and a wardrobe. Connor lay down and path his side so Buffy would follow him, Angel walked slowly listening to their small talk.
"I like" He said "Well certainly it's as good as the one I got in Sunny D… but is a bit weird you know? Má?" He called.
"What Dawn told you Connor? I mean, as far as I'm aware you never mentioned you father's factor to her, she just thought you were taking the whole fake ID into consideration hum? Wait until your dad gets the name I put on you.." Connor laughed and turned at his "mother".
"Louis is not so bad, I actually like it." Buffy smiled falling into the pillow.
"Louis?" Angel thought, actually is pretty great. She named him.. is like she just decided he was part of her as well, it was a bliss at least for him.
Connor closed his eyes listening to the rhythm of Buffy's heart and breathe falling into an easily slumber. After some minutes Buffy got up and left the room, walking to Angel's bedroom, cracking the door open, Angel looked on her direction, motioning so she would climb into the bed with him. She took her shoes off and laid on his shoulder felling the familiar scent and a slightly touch on her blond long hair, they stood in silence simply reveling into each other presence. Withou any notice they both drove to sleep.
Angel open his eyes to find himself into a dream, Buffy was running after a baby girl with at least three years old and a baby boy with almost two. The small girl had dark hair like the boy and the run playfully.
"You can't catch us, Mum!" Screamed the girl.
"Catch you Conn!"
"Run Nie, run!"
The little girl ran faster and stumbled into her father's legs.
"Daddy" She said smiling.
"Look baby, he got Dawnie!" Buffy said.
"Da, you no fun..." The boy said pouting.
Angel smiling to his wife and kids and pulled her for a kiss, hearing his little angels says "Urg."
Angel woke up surprise seeing his beloved still asleep. Dawn and Connor; if his dreams were true, the Oracles were real fucked up kinda guys. Not only he had a son but a daughter, and apparently with the woman he loves more than life itself.