"Buffy, I can't believe you're letting this happen!" Xander complained pacing around his friend's living room. "He's gone for twelve years and expects to take Liam from us without a fight."

"It's just for the weekend," Buffy assured him. She tried to be calm for Xander despite internally freaking out herself. In fact, after the stunt Liam pulled Monday, she wasn't even sure if she would let him go. But seeing as Angel was finally wanting to spend time with his son, Buffy did not want to take that away from either of them.

"Xander, relax," Dawn said urging Xander back down to the couch. They came over with Willow bright and early at the insistence of Riley. Riley wasn't a fan of Angel taking Liam to LA for the weekend, but seeing how it made his son happy, he kept his mouth shut. He'd been doing that a lot the past week, bottling his feelings inside.

"I think this will be good for Liam," Willow said, causing Riley and Xander to look at her like she had four heads. "It will be a great bonding experience for the two of them."

Buffy had to agree. They needed this time together.

A knock on the door signaled it was time. "Riley, could you please get the door while I get Liam?" Buffy asked.

Riley obliged and was met face to face with his son's biological father. "Angel," Riley greeted.

"Riley," Angel said. "Can I come in?"

"Actually, I was hoping to speak with you," Riley admitted. He closed the front door behind them knowing Xander would try to listen in and guided Angel over to the porch swing.

"Okay, shoot." Angel had just come for his son. He didn't want to have to interact with Buffy's husband while he waited. If anything, he wanted to bother Xander Harris since he possessed the inability to keep his nose out of other people's business. It amused him to see Xander squirm back in high school and Angel wanted to see if he still had the same effect.

"While you've been away for the past twelve years, I've stepped up to the plate and been the father figure Liam needed," Riley began. Angel had to roll his eyes; he did not need parenting advice from Riley. "He's a good, well-behaved, smart kid. And in the past week and a half since your return, you've been nothing but a bad influence on him. I mean he got sent to the principal's office for fighting, something that has never happened until you showed up."

"Look, I don't know what your implying, but I just want to have a nice weekend with my kid," Angel admitted. He didn't want to deal with an insecure stepfather ruining his time.

"That's the problem, he's not your kid. He hasn't been for a long time."

Angel stood up to his feet to close the space in between them. "As long as my name is on his birth certificate, he's my kid. So I suggested you go back inside and get my son."

"He's not going to be your kid for long." Angel released the tension building in his neck for a moment and let confusion set in as Riley spoke.

"What?"

"I've talked to Buffy about this and I want to adopt Liam." Angel felt as if someone had punched him in the gut. All the wind was suddenly knocked out of him and he couldn't move. "I've known Liam since he was one. I helped Buffy potty train him. I took him fishing and to baseball games. We played catch. I know what his favorite food is. Favorite movie. Favorite book. I know what he's scared of. I know his allergies, I know that he gets a little crease on his forehead when he's thinking to hard. And I know that once 9:00 rolls around tonight he'll want to call his mom. And do you know why I know that?" Angel remained silent. "Because I'm his father. You haven't been it in a long time. It takes a lot more than biology to be someone's dad."

Angel didn't argue, didn't even put up a fight. Riley was right. He was no father and hearing it out loud had killed him. Angel shoved his hands in his pocket and looked at the photo of him, Liam, and Buffy. The moment he left that hospital was the moment he gave up his parental rights.

"Is everything alright?" Buffy asked holding Liam's suitcase.

"Yeah, everything's fine," Angel lied, stuffing the picture back into his pocket. Liam stepped out from behind Buffy as he was finishing up his goodbyes to his aunts and uncle. "So kiddo, you all packed?" Liam eagerly nodded. He had been counting down the days for this trip since Buffy told him about it Monday night. "Then let's go."

Buffy followed Angel and Liam down to the car to load the suitcase in the backseat. Angel went to help her out as Liam climbed in the front. "Please bring him back in one piece," Buffy said.

"This the first time he's been away from you?" Angel concluded. He could tell that Buffy and Liam had a close relationship, it wouldn't shock him if this was their first time apart with the exception of school and work.

"That obvious?" Buffy asked. She went to the window where Liam had buckled himself in as Angel got in the car. "Please be careful. I don't want Angel to have to call and tell me that something bad happened to you. Got it?"

"Got it," Liam agreed.

"I love you," Buffy said to her son.

"I love you, too," he replied. Angel started to back the car out of the drive way as Liam waved goodbyes to his family on the front porch. "Bye Mom. Bye Dad. Bye Aunt Willow. Bye Uncle Xander. Bye Aunt Dawn."