Chapter 3: Meetings and Re-Meetings

There wasn't much talking when they started their drive to Sunnydale. Cordy and Groo were sitting together in the back seat. Angel was driving, as it was his car, and Connor was sitting next to him.

"How's Buffy doing?" Cordy finally asked.

"She's… I'm not sure," Angel answered. "She's hurting from Willow's death, but she didn't say anything else."

"Who's Buffy?" Connor asked.

At this Cordelia smiled. "Now there's a story," she told him.

"Cordy, I don't think Con- Steven wants to hear about my history with Buffy," Angel said, silently asking Cordelia to drop the topic for the moment. He was having enough trouble with his own feelings at the moment; he didn't need any laid out in front of his son.

"Connor," the teenager replied quietly.

"What?"

"Call me Connor," he said. Angel gave his son a smile.

"Hey, that reminds me," Cordy said, "Does Buffy know about Connor?"

Angel raised an eyebrow. "You think I called my ex-girlfriend to tell her I somehow had a son with Darla, who she saw die, and that he's now a teenager?"

Cordy grimaced. "Good point. I would not want to be in your shoes."

"Why?" Connor asked.

Angel sighed. "Because you're coming, and I'm going to have to give that same explanation."

The four of them settled back in silence.

"What do you mean she saw Dar- my mother die?" Connor asked.

"She died and Wolfram and Hart brought her back to life," Cordy supplied.

"How'd she die?"

"I staked her," Angel said simply. Connor looked at him in surprise.

"Why?"

"Buffy," Cordy told him.

"And you and Buffy used to date?"

Cordy laughed. "That's where things get complicated."

"Does she know you're a vampire?"

Angel nodded. "She's actually a vampire slayer."

Connor gave him a look. "That sounds like a weird story."

"Full of lessons and morals," Cordy put in.

"Like what?"

"Check for loopholes in gypsy vengeance curses."

"Cordy, he doesn't need my entire history in a two hour car ride."

"But I want to hear it," he protested.

"Don't worry," Cordy told him. "You'll see the reprise."

"Who else is going to be there?" Connor asked, changing the subject.

"I'm not completely sure," Angel replied.

"Most of the Sunnydale gang," Cordy told him. "Don't worry, we'll introduce you."

†

"Hey, Buffy," Dawn said as she entered the hospital room.

"Hey, Dawn." Buffy motioned to the chair next to her. "How'd your day go?"

"Fine." The two Summers girls sat in silence for a moment.

"Angel's…" Dawn glanced up at her sister. "He's coming early. Do you think you could meet him at the house?"

"Sure," Dawn said with a small smile.

She stood up to leave.

"And let Xander and Tara know," Buffy added.

Dawn nodded.

"Remember to rest," Dawn reminded her with a grin.

"Don't remind me," Buffy teased back.

As her sister left, Buffy let her smile drop.

There were very few things to be happy about at the moment, but Angel coming early was definitely one of them. She knew that things were probably going to be different. He had his own life now. But she needed him here. She needed someone who she didn't feel like she needed to be strong for. Someone who got her.

Someone she could trust.

†

When Angel arrived at 1630 Revello Drive, Dawn and Tara were sitting on the porch.

"Hey, guys," Cordy said as they got out of the car.

"Hi," Dawn said. Tara offered a little smile.

"Hi," Angel responded.

Cordy started making introductions.

"Groo, Connor, this is Tara and Dawn. Dawn, Tara, this is Groo and Connor."

"It is an honor to meet you," Groo said.

"It's nice to meet you, too," Tara responded.

"Hi."

"Uh, hi," Connor said hesitantly.

"Where's Buffy?" Angel asked.

Dawn raised an eyebrow. "She… didn't tell you, did she."

"Didn't tell me what?"

†

"Hey there!" Buffy said as the gaggle of people entered the room.

"Uh, hi," Angel said.

"Thanks for coming," Buffy said as she met his eyes.

"Always."

It was silent for a moment before Tara left to go work with Xander on funeral arrangements in the waiting room. Buffy and Angel continued to look at each other hesitantly.

"Are they always like this?" Connor whispered to Dawn.

Dawn snorted. "Pretty much."

"It's nice to see you again Buffy," Cordy said, stepping up.

"You, too," she said. She did a double take. "What happened to your hair?"

Cordy raised an eyebrow, but had a smile on her face. "What, thought you were the only one who could pull off blonde hair?"

"It's so… short," Buffy said, smiling. "How long since you cut it?"

Cordelia shrugged. "Year and a half? The blonde part's new, though."

The conversation petered out and Buffy had a chance to see who else was there.

"So, uh… Who's everyone else?" she asked.

"This is my boyfriend, Groo," Cordy said, motioning to the guy behind her. "And this is Connor." She motioned to the teenager standing next to Dawn.

"Hi," she said.

Cordy looked over at Angel as everyone else started making small talk. "I'm gonna go get some hotel rooms for us all if you want to…" She motioned to Connor and Buffy.

"Thanks," he said.

"Come on, you guys," she said, opening the door. "If we get done fast enough, I can show you where the good ice cream is. You come too, Dawn."

Dawn gave her sister a quick hug before leaving with the rest.

And it was just Buffy and Angel.

"Why didn't you tell me you were in the hospital?" Angel asked quietly.

"I don't know," she responded. "I think I just forgot. With…"

"I'm sorry about Willow," he said.

"Thanks," she whispered.

"I need to tell you something," Angel said, his voice steady. "And I need you to hear me out."

"What is it?'

"Connor…"

Buffy waited.

"He's...Um… He's my son."

Buffy stared at him.

"...Huh?

†

On the other side of the world, Spike walked through an African village, focused on the task ahead of him.

A villager approached him, and started yelling a warning he couldn't understand.

Ignoring him, Spike entered the cave. Finally slowing down, he flicked on his lighter, getting a look at the gory cave paintings on the wall.

A breeze blew out the lighter as a voice spoke. "You seek me, vampire?"

"You do the finger paintings?" Spike asked, covering his nervousness. "Nice work."

"Answer me," the demons said. His glowing eyes appeared in the dark of the cave.

"Yeah, I seek you," Spike replied.

"Something about a woman. The Slayer."

Spike nodded, his scowl firmly fixing itself on his face. "Thinks she's better than me. Ever since I got this bleeding chip in my head, things ain't been right. Everything's gone to hell."

"And you wish to return to your former self?"

"Yeah."

The demon began laughing.

"What?" Spike demanded.

"Look what she's reduced you to."

"It's this bloody chip-"

"You'd never endure the trials required to grant your request."

"Do your worst. When I win… I want what I came here for."

The demon watched him, saying nothing.

"Bitch is gonna see a change."

†

Dawn licked her mint chocolate chip ice cream cone as she looked over at Connor.

"What flavor did you get?" she asked. She vaguely noticed Cordelia explaining to Groo about why the ice cream was in a cone and not a carton, but her attention was mainly on the awkward, but kind of cute, boy in front of her.

"Um, chocolate," he answered. "What did you get?"

"Mint chocolate chip."

Connor nodded. "Cool."

"So, you're Connor, right?"

He nodded again. "And you're Dawn."

"Yeah." She looked around for a conversation. "So, um, how'd you get involved with Angel?"

"Uh," Connor paused for a moment. "He's... actually my father."

Dawn's eyebrows raised. "Wait a minute, your father?" She looked over at Cordelia, who seemed to have picked up on the topic.

"And how old are you? Cause I'm pretty sure Angel would have mentioned something."

"I, uh, I'm not really sure." He looked at Cordelia. "Do you…"

Cordelia picked up where the struggling teen left off.

"He was born last November."

Connor nodded.

"So, did you, um, do you age faster or something?"

"Uh, no. I didn't actually grow up in this dimension."

"And…" Dawn prompted, not quite getting it.

"Time is… different. I was only gone for a few days."

"Oh. So you're only, like, a couple months old Earth time, but older biologically."

"Uh… yes?"

Dawn laughed. "Wow. I'm finally not the only person like that."

"What happened with you?"

"I was created as a teenager. Some monks were trying to hide this Key-thing from a hell goddess, so everyone has fake memories of me."

"That's… strange."

Dawn snorted. "So, wait, how's Angel your dad, anyway? I thought vampires can't have kids."

"I don't know."

She looked over at Cordelia, who was now very obviously eavesdropping on their conversation.

"None of us know." she clarified.

"Who's your mom?" Dawn asked.

"Darla," Connor answered.

She looked at him curiously. "Who's Darla?"

"Angel's sire," Cordelia told her.

Dawn sifted through her memories of Angel. "Not ringing a bell."

"Angel staked her like a month after you and Buffy came to Sunnydale," Cordelia told her.

"Then how was she around last November?"

"Evil lawyers."

At this Dawn started laughing.

Cordelia raised her hands in surrender. "Just telling the truth."

"You were always good at that."

The group lapsed into a semi-comfortable silence.

"Wait, is that why Angel stayed at the hospital?" Dawn asked. "To tell Buffy about Connor."

Cordelia nodded.

Dawn licked her cone again. "Feel kind-of bad for Angel."

"He'll survive," Cordelia said. She reconsidered. "Well, probably."

Since the drive-in movie/W&H helicopter scene never happened, I had to come up with a new time for Connor to start going by Connor. Because I just can't think of him as Steven, and it works for the character (trying to gain Angel's trust for revenge reasons).

And the gang has all met! Well, minus Oz (because he's not there yet) and Xander, who's just kind of avoiding the collision that is Buffy and Angel. Speaking of which, the angst-y conversation has begun! Dawn and Connor decide not to emulate their relatives and have a fairly calm conversation! Groo is just kind of standing in the background!

In all seriousness, I hope you enjoyed, and leave a review if you'd like to.