Part Five

May 22nd 2003

The next day dawned with foggy skies and sullen air that hug thick and heavy over the bay. For once Buffy was up before Callum, sitting on the balcony watching the fog roll in over the sea. She hadn't been able to sleep, how could she have? Her tiny three year old son, still so much her baby, was terrifying her with a drawing.

Endless questions buzzed around her mind and Buffy sighed heavily. She had best speak to Angel soon, Callum had been fine before he came here, and he would be fine when he left, she assured herself.

Unfortunately that left her with the entirely unsavoury prospect of spoiling Angel's perfect new life.

As promised Fionn took Callum to the party at Eleven, and having pocketed the address to pick him up at Buffy spent the next few hours looking round Trinity College and the Star Wars library before doing a little bit of research for her next book. She knew what Willow would say if she knew what she was doing, she'd already waited too long to tell Angel about Callum and every day she didn't she was just making it worse. But she just couldn't bring herself to start the chain of pain and confusion that always sparked whenever she was around Angel.

Fishing the slip of paper out of her purse, she figured she ought to at least work out how far away Callum was and how long it would take to get there. Flipping the piece of paper to read Fionn's looped script she almost dropped the address in shock.

Callum was at Caritas.

Then Connor must have been the boy she had seen the day before, with the dark hair and eyes that where so much like Angel's. It was just her luck that of all the people Callum could have met at the beach he met his half-brother. Sighing heavily Buffy realised there was no way she could get away with picking up her son and not running into Angel. At least he'd restrain himself a little if there where other people there.

Trudging up the driveway for the second time in as many days, Buffy checked out the array of highly expensive cars in the driveway with growing dread. At least it'll be over soon, she tried to assure herself. Pulling her new leather jacket closer against the cold she stepped up to the front door and after a few minutes of hesitation pressed the button for the doorbell.

There was muffled sounds from inside the house, the small laugh of a child and the sound of footsteps approaching the door, feeling cold fear seep through her bones Buffy was suddenly compelled to run away as fast as she possibly could. But knowing her son was inside she could hardly abandon him though, as much as she really didn't want to be there.

The door was pulled open and the bright face of the dark haired woman she'd met before smiled at her. "Oh hey, you're the girl from yesterday!" She said, eyes flashing in recognisition.

"Uhm, yeah." Buffy sighed, "Look-"

"Angel's round here somewhere…" She continued, turning inside the house and glancing round.

"Wait!" Buffy stepped in to the house, and hearing her protest Kaitlyn turned to face her. "I just came to pick up my son."

"Your son?" She asked suspiciously.

"Yeah, Callum Summers? My grandmother dropped him off here this morning."

"Oh yes of course." Kaitlyn smiled again. "Sorry, kids party, everything gets hectic."

Smiling in relief, Buffy nodded. "I know what you mean. And spending the next few weeks cleaning chocolate off the walls, an interesting experience."

Kaitlyn laughed. "I think it may be cream this year." Motioning toward the kitchen she shut the door behind Buffy. "Come in, have some coffee."

"I shouldn't-" Buffy protested

But Kaitlyn cut her off. "No buts, you look like you could do with a break."

Buffy sighed nervously. Staying in the house would be highly unlikely to ease her tension, but it would be rude to refuse after her son had undoubtedly been causing havoc all day. Following Kaitlyn into the kitchen she took a seat at the table in the sprawling kitchen, through an archway Buffy could see half a dozen kids Callum's age playing in the living room though she couldn't see Callum or Connor from where she was sitting.

Glancing back at the other mothers around the table she was unsurprised to see herself and Kaitlyn seemed by far the youngest she half waved weakly at them. "This is…" Kaitlyn started to introduce and then laughing, turned back to Buffy. "You know you never did tell me your name."

Buffy laughed, calming in the presence of the easy going Kaitlyn, so maybe he was Angel's wife, but she was extraordinarily nice, and if the circumstances where different Buffy could see herself becoming friends with her. "Buffy, Buffy Summers."

There was a flash of something in Kaitlyn's eyes and her brow furrowed for a second. "From America?"

"Yep, Sunnydale California middle of nowhere."

"Really?" Kaitlyn cocked her head sideways. "My brother studied there for a while, but I think he's older than you."

Buffy shrugged. "I don't think we met." Not your brother, Buffy thought, I definitely met your husband though. Turning back to the others, Kaitlyn introduced them in turn and an easy conversation about their children started up.

Time slipped by quickly, and Buffy had been lulled into a sense of comfort when she heard the giggling shriek laugh of her son, turning to the door she saw Callum and Connor each being hung up-side down by there ankles by a tall man, his face was down laughing at the kids as they wrapped their arms around his legs, looking up Buffy saw his face, pale skin and dark spiky hair with big chocolate brown eyes. Buffy dropped her coffee cup in shock. Feeling the warm coffee drip off the table it had pooled on and onto her legs Buffy sat up and anxiously Kaitlyn started dabbing her down with a cloth.

Angel's eyes where locked with hers, against their protests he let the children down to the floor, where they lay screaming with laughter. Taking a hesitant step forward, Angel blinked. "Buffy?" He asked cautiously.

Smiling nervously she raised a hand in a half wave. "Hey, Angel." She said weakly.

"I uh… what are you doing here?"

Callum finally got to his feet and want to Buffy, wrapping his arms around her knee. "Er, well, pick up Callum actually." Buffy confessed after a long pause.

"Oh." Coming to the table, Angel stood a foot from Buffy, one hand running along the surface of the counter absently. "Is he a friends?"

"No. He's mine."

"He's nearly three."

Buffy nodded.

Angel's eyes widened a little. "But I… I mean… three and a half years ago… there was us."

Buffy nodded again. Angel ran one hand through his hair distractedly. Finally managing to regain control over her voice Buffy, stepped away from him abruptly. "Callum! We're going home!"

Heading to the door, Buffy pulled her coat over her shoulders and taking Callum's from the stand in the hall, she quickly pushed him into it when he came running up panting, "I don't wanna go yet!"

"We're leaving now." Buffy informed him shortly a dangerous note in her voice.

"Buffy wait!" She heard Angel call, and fiddling with the locks on the door, Buffy let out a ragged breath as she tried to keep in the tears that where threatening to fall. Feeling his hand on her shoulder she flinched, and he drew away nervously, spinning Buffy leaned against the still closed door and found herself near pinned there by Angel's hulking form. "Is he…" he stepped back and took in Callum again, eyes near breathing in every detail of his tiny form. "I mean, is he mine?"

"Of course he is Angel." She hissed abruptly.

"Mommy?" Callum asked quietly.

Tearing her eyes away from the shock in Angel's she turned to her son. "Yes baby?"

"What's going on?" He asked a hint of fear in his voice.

"Will you please go find Connor's mom and say thank you." Buffy said finally. Watching as he ran off, Buffy found herself meeting Angel's gaze again she dropped her eyes to the floor. "I'm sorry." She whispered. "I didn't mean to come and interrupt everything you've got here. I just thought you should probably know." She let out a short stilted laugh. "I was just trying to make things better."

She felt his hand running down the side of her face, lifting her face to his and she was once again lost in the depths of those chocolate brown eyes. Seeing his smiling face, she hitched in a breath.

His lips met hers a moment later.

For a moment she was lost, her body had ached to be near his for so long, she melted against him in an instant, quickly wrapped up in the familiar taste of his lips, and the rising heat between them. Coming to her senses she pushed him away.

"Angel, your wife-" She muttered.

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "I'm not married Buffy."

Her nose crinkled in confusion. "But, Kaitlyn and Connor-"

Angel laughed, that soft deep laugh that always filled her with toe curling happiness whenever she heard it. "Kaitlyn's my sister Buffy, and Connor is her son, not mine. I just live with them."

"Oh. He… uh, looks a lot like you." Buffy echoed, though there was still a sense of confusion in her voice.

"Where are you staying?"

"With my grandmother… in Sandy Cove."

"Do you mind… could we meet up some time? Talk about Callum." He asked hesitantly.

"Yeah." Buffy agreed. "I guess there's a lot to be said." Glancing at her watch she held in the sudden urge to throw herself back in Angel's arms. "I should go."

"Oh…" he looked disappointed, "hang on I'll give you my number."

In the time it took him to return with a card Callum had returned, clutching a party bag in one hand. Giving the card to Buffy, Angel pressed a kiss to her cheek and whispered "See you soon." in her ear. Dropping to his knees so he was Callum's height, he ran one hand through his son's hair, and stared at him with a look of sheer wonder. "Hey kid." He said.

"Hey Angel." Callum returned somewhat uncertainly.

"Would you mind if I came and saw you again?"

Pausing for a moment Callum looked up at his mother who smiled softly. "It's okay Callum." She reassured him.

"I guess." He said finally.

Part Six

Buffy smiled reassuringly at Callum across the table. They where sitting in a little Italian restaurant in the back streets of Dublin that they had been reliably informed sold amazing ice-cream, glancing at the menu Buffy could guess how they afforded their boasted top class ingredients. At least Angel was paying… or he would when he arrived, which he hadn't yet.

Glancing down at her white sundress with red flower detailing and beaded trim she wondered if it was suitable at all for the conversation they where about to have. But then there where hardly self-help books for this kind of thing… Fionn had rapidly realised exactly why Buffy had so many suitcases, and was deeply fed up before Buffy had made her way through even one trying to decide what she should wear. "Mamma?" Callum's voice wafted up to her.

Smiling at him, she glanced down at the drawing he was swiftly covering the napkin with, the scales again… shaking her head she focused on him.

"Do I hafta call Angel daddy now?"

"Uh…" I don't know! A voice in her head yelled. "I guess… he is your daddy, Cal, but if you don't want to…" She trailed off, but Callum's expectant gaze did not waver. "Why don't we talk about it when he gets here?" She hastily finished. If he ever gets here…

"I'm late." Angel sighed from over her shoulder, spinning to face him, she tried to remember how to breathe as her heart constricted in her chest. It wasn't fair! How could he still do this to her? Why was it that every time she closed her eyes all she could see was his chocolate brown gaze hovering over her, remember the gentle touch of his fingers on her skin… the smell of his hair. And he was so damned disaffected. He could walk back into her life like nothing happened, and she'd let him… just because he was Angel, and God help her she loved him more than she ever believed was possible. She realised he was waiting for her to say something and she smiled weakly.

"Oh, hey, no. It's fine. We were late as well… couldn't decide what to wear."

"I had that issue. They should make handbooks." Angel said, his words echoing her thoughts, and his half-smile illictiting a shiver of warmth that ran down her spine. "I bet mommy had three suitcases of clothes to choose from, Callum."

Callum's face split into a smile "Four!" he laughed, "…gamma fell asleep helpin' mamma choose."

"If it helps I think you made the right decision… you look beautiful Buffy." Heat curled in her stomach, and she cursed her fate again, to be forced to look and not touch with this guy she wanted so badly it hurt. She mentally cursed him for teasing her, when he didn't love her… she sighed. "Don't you think she looks beautiful?" he asked Callum.

Callum just shrugged. "She looks girly."

Buffy laughed at him, and running a hand through his hair she pressed a kiss into his locks. "Thanks baby." A waiter came round to take their order and Callum ordered the biggest ice-cream he could, guiltily Buffy ordered her own moderately sized chocolate one knowing she'd have to finish Callum's, but dammit, she needed chocolate. Callum's attention had been stolen by the paper in front of him, and he frowned in concentration as he tried to draw the scale pendent again.

"There's a lot needs to be said." Buffy finally said. "Some of it not entirely suitable for minor ears… but…"

"We've got to start somewhere." Angel finished.

"Yeah." Buffy, glanced away from her Angel, wondering how it was that he could still do that… read her mind like there was nothing between them but air and blood… a single being in two separate bodies. "So I guess you know how he came to exist."

"Thanksgiving…" Angel echoed, "just before I came back to Ireland."

"So the question would be why didn't you come back?" Buffy asked, her eyes locked with Angel's and in that one moment she saw it all, his doubt and fear and insecurity and she could do nothing but look away as the waiter came back with their food. "I'm sorry I…"

"Buffy-"

"No, I… how are we going to deal with this?" she quickly cut him off.

"Deal?" His brow creased.

"I mean… do you want to be involved? If that wasn't what you wanted…" Buffy trailed off, as Angel shook his head vehemently.

"I've never wanted anything more in my entire life." He sighed. "I've missed out already… I don't want to lose anymore time with my son."

"Then we're going to have to come to some kind of arrangement…" Buffy laughed, "I never thought I'd be sitting in an ice-cream bar discussing transatlantic childcare with you."

"Me neither." Angel admitted. Buffy's heart broke that tiny bit more. Of course it hadn't been what he wanted… she was just some girl he'd had a thing with once, nothing more and nothing less. She hadn't wanted it this way either… she'd wanted a big wedding and bridesmaids and all those other things girls where meant to have… and so had he. But apparently not with her.

"I always thought after we'd done with college, I'd take you to Ireland… down to Claddagh and propose on the beach across from Galway bay. I never thought we'd break up the way we did."

"You never said goodbye, or that you weren't coming back. It wasn't a break up, you left me." Buffy shot back quietly, mindful of the child beside her, as her mind swam with visions of the proposal Angel had planned… and she wished bitterly that she could go back to that day and change things. Make him decide then what he wanted instead of waiting until now. "We could split it to follow school patterns, so he spends the semesters with one of us and holidays with the other."

Angel frowned. "That seems disruptive."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Children are."

"No, I meant for him, he'll make friends at school and then won't be able to see them in the holidays, and wherever he is during the holidays it'll be difficult to make friends because everyone else knows each other from school…" Angel trailed off. "I studied abroad and it was a weird thing to be doing at seventeen, at three I would have died."

"Then what would you do?"

"Either you move here, or I'll move to America."

Buffy blinked. "But… Angel…" She trailed off, eyes locked with his, and there it was again, the undying love and compassion, the willingness to do anything for her, the way he always had… the look she'd thought was only for her. Oh God, she breathed… how could life be like this? How could he be willing to move continents for their son but not for her… and still look at her like that.

"Mamma!" Callum yelled impatiently, tugging at Buffy's arm, wrenching her eyes from Angel's she tried to sort out the muddle of thoughts drifting though her mind. "What is it?"

"The lady from the train." He told her secretively, pointing across the café. Brow furrowing, Buffy followed his gaze, sure enough there across the room, a woman sat turned away from them she wore a black coat so big it seemed like a cloak on her small frame. Her hair was pulled back in a loose bun tinged with grey.

Now blatantly staring, Buffy felt her hand drop Callum's as he struggled away from her, trying to get down form his chair to greet the woman. Just as his feet touched the ground the woman turned to face Buffy, thick coal black hair fell loose from the bun to frame her olive skin and sparkling brown eyes that caught Buffy's gaze for long moments before she turned away. Catching Callum as he tried to run past her and pulling him onto her lap she took in the figure again and wondered how she could have mistaken her for an old woman, what she had thought was grey hair was merely reflection from the café's candles and lights, and the hand that pushed ice-cream around in the glass with a long spoon was smooth and young - a deep contrast to the woman from the train.

Struggling in her grip, Callum whined at her. "Mamma, stop it!"

"Shh, baby, it's not her. Didn't you see? She's much too young." She tried to convince him.

"It's her!" Callum insisted loudly, and Buffy felt the gaze of the occupants of several nearby tables on her.

"Cal…" Buffy tried again. "That wasn't her."

"It was." He insisted, screwing up his fist he slammed his hand against the arm that held him imprisoned, it barely registered as pain but unable to comprehend that he would have hit her, Buffy let him slip from her grip eyes wide with shock. Landing on the floor, Callum had one moment of freedom before Angel scooped him up in his arms.

"Hey! What was that about? You can't hit people." Pulling a few loose notes out of his pocket, Angel dropped them on the table before standing up. "I think it's time to go mister." Balancing a struggling Callum on one hip, Angel held out his spare hand to Buffy.

She sat for a moment, taking in this man… this Angel, who when informed of his lot, obediently slipped into the role of father with no previous training and little incentive, but did so willingly and gratefully, including the parts that sucked like telling Cal off, and denying him his promised ice-cream.

She took Angel's hand, and as they left the café she heard the adjacent table clucking about teenage parents and Buffy and Angel's doubtless numerous criminal convictions. She couldn't help but smile.

Part Seven

The sun rolled round the sky then dipped under the horizon as night well and truly set in over the rich Foxrock suburb. Buffy was curled up on the sofa, glass of wine in hand, filled with the same sleepy happiness she had been filled with since Angel had taken her hand and led her out of the café earlier that day. Callum was in Connor’s room stretched out in the stupefied sleep of children everywhere on the guest bed. Moving to sit next to her, Angel sighed and propped his feet up on the central table. "Ionuin," he sighed, letting his own glass drop to the table as he did so.

"Angel?" She murmured in return, twisting to face him.

"What was he like? As a baby?" He asked.

"Quiet… and tiny." She smiled. "He was early, but the doctors weren’t really surprised, given how small and young I was. When he was born he didn’t cry straight away, just opened his eyes and looked around him. They thought there was something wrong and they wouldn’t let me hold him, just wanted to take him away for tests. But as soon as they took him out the door he started crying. Like he knew there wasn’t anything wrong with him." She smiled remembering it. "He reminded me so much of you when he did that. I wanted to call him Angel… but I didn’t want…" Her eyes met his for one baleful moment. ‘I didn’t want the others to know how much I missed you,’ she finished silently. Seeing his expectant eyes she rushed out the first thing she thought of, "I didn’t want him to get confused when you met."

"So you called him something Irish instead?"

"I wouldn’t’ve been able to take your kicked puppy expression if it hadn’t been Irish."

Angel laughed. "I guess I would’ve been upset if you hadn’t."

"See, I know you better than anyone mister broody." She joked, then remembering the distance between them, she turned away. "Or y’know I did."

Sensing the connection had broken again, Angel let one hand run down the smooth skin of her arm, and felt her warm under his touch. Feeling the familiar current of lust and desire swirling through her, Buffy forcibly pulled herself away covering the move with a weak smile. Angel frowned at the motion but didn’t try to touch her again. Hesitantly he met her gaze again. "Did you… are you involved with anyone?"

Turning back to face him she saw the possessive interest in his eyes, and she wondered what he wanted her to say. "No. Not recently. Men suddenly loose interest when I tell them about Callum." Drawing in a deep breath she mentally crossed her fingers. "What about you?"

"Not really." He replied dismissively and Buffy tried not to analyse why she was so relieved at his answer. He smiled suddenly, and Buffy wrinkled her nose at him. "I was just thinking… how beautiful you must have looked when you were pregnant." He explained hesitantly.

Buffy blushed. "Hardly. More fat and whale-like."

Angel just smiled at her, the hand that she had been so skittish of resting on her arm slid back up to cup her cheek and he watched as she took in a quick heady breath to reign in her reaction to him. Rubbing the skin softly with his fingertips he felt her resistance melt a little at a time until her cheek was cradled comfortably in his hand and her eyes where half-closed from the sheer memories he was arousing. Tentatively he moved his other hand to rest on her hip, the touch was soft and delicate a far cry from the wild embraces they had once shared… but they where ex - even this was against the rules. His face hovering an inch from hers, Angel whispered "beautiful" again before seizing her lips.

She couldn’t help but open her lips to him, pressing closer in his embrace until she could feel the muscled wall of his chest pressing against her, and his hands where snaked through her hair, lips, tongue and teeth fighting for control in a battle so wrought with tension she thought she would die. One of her hands curled over his chest and she felt his heart running at a thousand miles a minute, puffing a breath against his lips she giggled from the heady pleasure of the kiss.

He pressed a kiss against the tip of her nose. "That’s very distracting." She informed him dryly. Stealing a butterfly kiss from his lips she drew away and bit her lip, hazel eyes meeting his chocolate brown. She let the swollen flesh drop from the grip of her teeth and her mouth fell open to speak.

Steeling her reserve her eyes flitted up to his again and she wished so desperately that they could make it work. That she could spend a thousand heated nights wrapped in his embrace. She had to stop things now, before anything more… mentally she sighed, "Angel… I can’t, this can’t be anything-"

Callum’s terror-ridden scream ripped through the air like an unknown jet-engine ploughing through the house.

Buffy was on her feet in a moment, stumbling to get her bearings she tore through the hallways in what she hoped was the direction of Connor’s room, silently she cursed Angel and his wealth for having such a damn big house, in her mom’s house in Sunnydale it would only have taken moments to reach her petrified son. Angel’s hand gripped hers and he guided her toward their son’s screams, a moment later she slipped past Angel through the door and rushed headlong inside.

She saw Connor first, he was sitting up in his bed screaming himself hoarse in big gulping breaths that where only impeded by halting cries for his mum. Following his eyes she found herself staring at her own son. He’d stopped screaming now, his tiny body wedged between the headboard and the wall, he was scrunched up and silent tears ran down his cheeks as he clutched his necklace in front of him and rocked silently.

Slowly she walked toward him looking around the room and behind the door as she did so, trying to find the source of his agitation. Sitting on his bed she reached out her arms to him and he fell into her lap, clutching at her clothes desperately. "Baby?" She whispered quietly, instantly wrapping her arms around him and pulling him closer to her breast. "Shh… baby, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…" She whispered over and over again.

Still stood in the doorway, Angel moved into the room to let Spike run in and bundle Connor up in his arms. Connor collapsed into the cradle of arms and cried into his daddy’s shirt. Kissing his son’s locks Spike looked up at Angel. "What happened?" He demanded roughly.

Angel could only stare apologetically back - his shoulders lifting in an shrug. Moving toward Buffy he sat on Callum’s bed and wrapped his arms around the crying mother and child to meet the gaze of his son. A chocolate brown gaze filled with blank terror and horror at something he seemed unable to say a thing about. "Daddy?" Callum finally whispered solemnly.

Buffy looked up at the word, her eyes meeting Angel’s for a moment then shifting to Cal’s upturned face. "They won’t go away." He went on, "I told ‘em to, but… they won’t."

Angel nodded grimly, and let one hand float down the jawline of the child infront of him. "Who are they?"

Cal looked away, watching his hands for long moments as the played with the fabric of his pyjamas. Finally he muttered, "they hurt the man… the vampires… they hurt him in the neck and there was red everywhere." He picked at the skin on his arm agitatedly. "They wanna hurt me." He finished quietly under his breath.

Angel felt Buffy tense in his arms, and pulling in a ragged angry breath he held his little family closer. "They can’t hurt you, Cal." He assured Callum.

Callum stuck his wavering lip out, on the edge of tears again. "D’you promise?"

"I promise." Angel swore. "Your mom and I aren’t going to let them anywhere near you."

0

Hours later Buffy sat guard at the doorway of the room, her back was pressed against the wooden frame and her head lolled back as though she had fallen asleep there. But her eyes were open: cool, green and lucid. The bleached blonde man she’d seen comforting Connor earlier has been introduced as Spike, his father… but the rest of the conversation was a blur, her distraction too much to take anything in.

She felt him before she saw his legs in front of her. The familiar tug at her heartstrings she thought her memories had exaggerated… but now she was near him again and it was almost shocking how accurately she had preserved her image of him, from the taste of his lips to the size of his feet. What was it people said about the size of men’s feet…

He sat down next to her, his fingers brushing against hers. He said nothing for a while, just letting her bask in the security of his presence, and the comfort of his fist wrapped around hers. Nearly an hour passed by like that before a spider scuttled past them, shifting to watch it Buffy’s eyes met Angel’s and she nodded, silently letting him know she didn’t mind sharing some of the things that weighed on her mind.

"You know why he reacted like that." He finally said.

When she replied her voice was stiff and closed. "Yes."

His eyebrow twitched and she thought for a moment she saw a flicker of emotion scuttle across his face. "I-" He paused as though weighing the importance of his words. "It was just a dream Buffy."

She smiled faintly, "Perhaps." He closed his eyes momentarily and she knew he was desperately wondering what was going on in her mind.

"How could it not be? Vampires don’t exist, Buffy."

She nodded compliantly. "I didn’t say they did."

Crumpling forward he pulled her face to his cradling her head in his hands "Please…" he begged. "Please tell me what’s wrong…"

She melted into him her arms wrapping around his frame to pull him closer, though she kept her head level with his, so he could see the pain surging through her eyes as she pressed her lips to his in an urgent kiss. "I don’t know." She whispered to him. "Not yet… not…" Their ailing relationship be damned. She needed him, and burying her face in his shirt she closed her eyes and let him comfort her.

Desperately she hoped he wouldn’t hate her for what had happened.

She knew exactly what was wrong with Callum.

Part Eight

Buffy spent the night restlessly pacing around Angel’s guest room and resisting the urge to sneak into his own (doubtless excessively large) bed and curl up next to her ex. After numerous shared kisses the day before she had no idea if to do so would be appropriate or not. The strange state of affairs she was constantly living in had redoubled to astronomical proportions and when the sun crept up over the horizon and lit her room with pale light she was happy to see the end of her sleepless night.

Throwing on the dress she’d been wearing the day before she wrinkled her nose at her crumpled form, she needed to go back to Fionn’s for a change of clothes and a shower at least, longer really, to fill Fionn in on everything that had happened. Heading down the hallway she peaked in on Connor and Callum to find them up already, playing on the floor of Connor’s bedroom the drama of the night before apparently forgotten.

It took them a couple of minutes for them to notice her, wrapped up as they were in the fleet of toy cars they were charging round the carpet in break neck hand-held races. Getting to his feet Cal ran over with his arms spread out as was customary when he wanted to pick her up. Obediently she did as requested, and starting a little realised it wouldn’t be long before he was too heavy for her to carry around any more. He grew far too much and too often for her liking.

“Morning Cal.” She said pressing a kiss to the top of his head as he folded into her grip, head leaning against her shoulder. “Good morning Connor.”

“Hey Buffy!” Connor replied brightly, chucking the toy cars into a box beside his bed. “Can we go downstairs and play now?”

Buffy paused and glanced at the clock in the corner. “Does your mommy normally let you?”

“So long as somebody comes down with me.”

Her eyes ticked between the two boys and seeing no particularly guilty smiles she acquiesced. “Okay. But it’s really early and I think your mommy and daddy and Angel are still sleeping, so we’re going to be really quiet okay?”

The two boys nodded sagely deep conspirators in a dark plan and Buffy thought really they would have made fantastic twins. She’d’ve died of exhaustion, but they’d’ve had a great time. They were inseparable already as it was. Cal tugged at her arm and she let him down onto the floor speeding into a half run, Cal caught up with Connor as he led them down the corridor and stairs, leaving Buffy to watch them as they skipped along next to each other, whispering and giggling through the silent halls.

If she took up Angel’s offer for him to move back to the States with them then she would be separating her son from his first proper friend, and if she moved here… she resisted a laugh. The idea was insane, much as with Angel’s new found money and her own publishing fortune she wouldn’t have to worry about needing people to look after Cal her friends were worth far more to her than that. To move six thousand miles away from them, from her mother’s grave, from sunny weather.

The kids charged into the huge open plan sitting room and she started the machine for an extreme dose of caffeine. Settling on the sofa she flicked on the television with half an eye on the kids and the sounds of percolating coffee rattling away in one ear she tried to concentrate on the headlines rushing past as the thick accents of the presenters rumbled away quietly from the box.

The coffee machine clicked quietly to tell her it was ready for consumption, and suddenly desperately needing the fix Buffy hurried over to help herself to a mug full. A quick tour round the kitchen and she’d found the mugs, sugar and milk and Buffy was leaning against the counter sipping away at the gorgeous thick elixir of the gods otherwise known as coffee. Pausing a moment to let it cool she smiled at the mug warming her hands, really whoever had invented this stuff deserved a Nobel prize, many sleepless nights had been rescued with just a –

The mug slipped from her hands.

“Angel!” she yelped pathetically, trying to jump backwards to avoid the splashes of burning hot coffee spreading across the stone floor of the kitchen.

He rushed over to help her, all shirtless and covered in paint. And she screamed inside her head, why was she so goddamn incapable of controlling herself around him!

“I didn’t mean to startle you,” he was apologising as he picked up a dishcloth from the sideboard and started trying to mop up the mess.

“It’s my fault, I didn’t realise you were up…” she spoke over him, trying to tear her eyes away from the muscles on his back rippling under the gryffon tattoo she’d never seen before. Dropping to her knees she tried to pick up the bigger bits of broken mug, gingerly picking them up by the fingers before crossing the room to throw them in the bin.

She felt a wet touch slide up her calf and startled she moved away, looking down she saw Angel’s cheeky grin and the dishcloth in his hand. “You had coffee on your leg.”

She paused, uncertain. “Oh.” Confusion flashed across his features for a remote second, but before Buffy had much time to address it the boys were peeping their heads around the counters and Angel and Buffy were instantly both on their feet and shooing the barefooted kids away from the broken crockery.

Satisfied that Callum and Connor were back playing on the carpet in the sitting area where they should be and all of the remaining spillage had been swept up, Buffy lent against the kitchen counter behind her and suddenly became extremely aware of how close she was to Angel’s half naked form she was.

“Want some more coffee?”

She frowned. “In this house, I really don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

Angel smiled wickedly. “I can put it in one of Connor’s unspillable mugs.”

Buffy laughed, “okay, let’s not go quite that far. I’m not that accident prone.”

“Really.” He raised an eyebrow. “Learnt how to drive yet?”

“I-“ she cast her eyes downward. “No driving school in a thirty mile radius of Sunnydale will teach me.”

Angel burst out laughing, and begrudgingly Buffy joined in, Angel was… she didn’t remember Angel being like this. So happy, and of course she was happy for him, but at the same time. The choices they were going to have to make, she didn’t want to take any of his new found happiness away.

Falling easily into conversation, Buffy sat on a breakfast stool while Angel cooked for her, blueberry pikelets and fresh fruit appearing steadily before her until she couldn’t eat anymore and she was feeding him strawberries from her plate. Somehow they had moved closer and closer together until Angel was pressed against her, her legs falling on either side of his as he pushed the proffered strawberry away and pressed a kiss to her lips instead. She could taste mint, coffee, strawberries and masses of Angel on his tongue and she tried to shuffle closer still, until her hands were running through his hair and he was practically squashing her into the counter.

Pausing for breath he pulled a fraction away kept pressing silent butterfly kisses against her swollen lips. They didn’t talk. To do so would be to make this, this – whatever it was they were doing – meaningful. And meanings could be misinterpreted, misunderstood. For now at least Buffy forgot the consequences, five year plans and tough decisions and gave into the desperate want for Angel that had sent her packing from every other man since. She caught his lips again and again, hands roaming the solid, paint covered wall of his chest while his slipped over and along the lines of her dress, slipping down to her thigh to push the hem up her legs. She scooted closer still, closing her eyes and letting the softest moan pass her lips as his soft kisses moved down to the column of her neck.

“Mamma?”

She tried to shove Angel away, eyes jumping open. Doggedly, he moved only a fraction away, enough to turn and squint at their little boy but not enough to remove the constant contact between them.

Callum to his credit, didn’t seem to be too confused by his parents embrace and was staring at the floor instead. “Is it safe, mamma?”

“Yes sweetie, it’s fine.” Slipping down from her stool, but staying in physical contact with Angel she crouched on the floor to be the same height as her son. “Is everything okay?”

“Can we have cookies for breakfast?” He asked seriously.

Buffy laughed. “We’ll see what Kaitlyn has later. Go back and play with Connor, he’s probably lonely on his own.”

“Will you come too?”

Buffy shared a glance with Angel. “Okay.”

Rising back to her feet Buffy felt Angel’s hand slip into hers as they walked from one room to the next. She was frankly both confused and glad for the strange state of affairs she had fallen into. Admittedly, she had never really thought realistically that Angel would kick her out after she told him about their son. But after years of non-contact between the two of them she hadn’t really expected him to be all over her either. Now, in the smooth light of the morning Callum’s dreams and the nagging doubt that, she shock it away and glanced out through the huge glass doors of the living room into the rolling grass of the house’s gardens beyond. In this moment, living here in Ireland with Angel and his sister’s family seemed like an amazingly brilliant idea.

Angel settled down on the sofa and pulled Buffy down so that she was curled up next to him, head pillowed on her chest where she could watch their son and nephew building up their car emporium in the shadow of the rolling Irish newscasters behind them.

“Thanks, Mickey,” one of the reporters echoed as it cut to his segment. “I’m here at Tara Street DART station, where the third body has been found in what seems to be a series of cult killings. A leaked garda report received by this station suggests that the gang model themselves on mythological ‘vampires’ the drain the blood of their victims-“ Buffy could see the reporter was trying to suppress his grin at the somewhat ludicrous idea “-through bite marks in the neck. In major cities like London and New York there have previously been reporters of youth gangs living under bridges using knives and artificial mouth pieces to try and drain the blood of victims this way. However most victims have previously survived having easily fought off their attackers. In these attacks in Dublin the garda have yet to find any survivors of attacks, and are urging the public to come forward if they have any information.”

“Can’t imagine that’s gone down very well at the PA office of the garda.”

Buffy laughed, “probably not.”

Cal had stepped away from the toys and shuffled back towards his parents, climbing onto Angel’s lap to cuddle against them both. “Mommy…” “It’s okay, Cal.” Angel smiled, wrapping him in a hug with his free arm and pressing a kiss against the top of his head. “Vampires aren’t real, and if they were your mamma and me will always keep you safe.”

“But that’s him.”

Buffy frowned, lifting herself up into a proper sitting position to look Cal in the eye. Uncertain fear shimmered there and she followed his outstretched arm to the picture on the screen. A young man with dark and open friendly eyes, smiling at the little girl that sat on his lap. “What do you mean, Callum?”

“He’s the man I saw yesterday in my dream. The one the bad men killed.”

Angel shifted Callum around on his lap to face him. “It can’t have been Cal, maybe he just looks very similar.”

Buffy flinched. Bad idea, Angel… Cal’s face hardened instantly. “It was so him!” He yelled struggling against Angel’s grip. But he wasn’t just having a temper tantrum paddy because angel told him he was wrong. He was still scared, hot tears pricked his eyes and his face was screwed up and red, snot already dribbling down his face as he yelled and screamed.

Wrestling the screaming infant from Angel’s grip Buffy pinioned him against her chest. “Calm down, Cal, mamma’s here…” she whispered into his hair rocking him against her as she paced the room. Angel was standing to one side, clearly confused as to what he’d done that was so wrong and Connor was staring up at his friend, clearly trying to work out if he should be acting upset too.

“It was him, it was him!” He screamed and Buffy sighed, turning away from Angel as she did what she knew she shouldn’t.

“I know Cal. I saw him too.”


Part Nine

“I saw it too.”

Angel didn’t seem to know how to react. Peeking over Callum’s head Buffy could see his mouth opening and closing soundlessly before he suddenly lurched to his feet. He wound through the room pacing in circles and avoiding the boys and their toys without seeming to actually see or notice them. Finally he stopped and shot Buffy a hurt and confused look from across the room, as Callum’s heaving sobs died down to sighs and mumbles. “Buffy, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

She sighed heavily and getting up from the sofa leant down to slide Callum back to the floor and his puzzled little friend. “Connor can you look after Callum for me sweetie? He should be okay now.” Connor nodded mutely as she left her son behind. Buffy grabbed Angel’s arm to steer him back into the kitchen area and out of earshot of the kids.

“Did you read my book Angel?” Buffy asked quietly.

“Slayer? Of course, but-”

“I didn’t make it up.” He quirked one eyebrow at her and she held up her hand to cut him off. “Obviously, I made some of it up. A lot in fact. But the basic idea… that there’s a girl out there who fights demons at night? I know it’s true. I’ve seen it.” She waved her hand absently and tried to distract herself. Shuffling a pile of letters on the counter uselessly in her hands, she kept her eyes away from Angel unwilling to witness his disbelief. “I have these dreams. Horrible nightmares. Where monsters kill people. Over and over again. My mom sent me to a therapist, more than one.” She could feel the grim smile on her face and knocked it away thinking of the bills her mother must’ve paid to be told repeatedly there was nothing to be done. “It didn’t help. Eventually, when we moved to Sunnydale it got worse.”

She straightened up, peeking at Angel under her lashes, but he wasn’t giving anything away. “It wasn’t just that I had more dreams, and I did. It was that suddenly I was dreaming about people I’d sat next to in Chem class that day. When I went to school after they’d be missing or found dead.”

“Buffy.” He ran one hand through his spiked dark hair. The hair he’d loved to let her play with. Before. “This can’t be. It must be a coincidence.”

Her lip twitched in glum acceptance. “No coincidence. There’s no such thing as 23 identical coincidences. 19 students, 2 teachers, 2 principals. Locals too. I saw all of their deaths. Their graphic violent horrible ends. I couldn’t cope. I tried to save them. But it’s not prophetic. I don’t get to know in advance. I’d just turn up in the woods and fall over a corpse.”

Her hand was idly smoothing over the counter top and she flicked her eyes back to him. He was trying to puzzle it out. Come up with a rational solution. She allowed him the chance. She’d done the same often enough. “Not long before you came to Sunnydale I was assigned a guidance counselor. He also did not get it.” She felt herself smiling genuinely as she thought of the man who’d helped her so much without realizing how. “He told me to look for things in the dream I could change to help myself, help the people in them. Once I tore my eyes away from the horror I started seeing this girl. All the time.”

“You met her you know.”

“What?”

“About my size, skinny, dark hair. Wears a lot of leather. Pain in the butt.”

He frowned. “Faith?”

“That would be her. Faith’s the Slayer. It took me a while to work out. Faith was in a lot of my dreams. She’d be too later, of course. Because the person would die. But sometimes she nearly managed. Usually she was fighting off monsters trying to get to them. I found out she lived in that scummy interstate off the highway. After a while I started popping by, taking meals if she was injured the day before.”

“Meals? Now I know you’re lying.” But Angel’s eyes didn’t say liar. He was interested, relaxed, curious. Little things were making sense.

“Mom made them.” Buffy laughed, “she loved that I wanted to help someone. Even if she didn’t know the details. Anyway, after a while she got to trust me. If there were demons she’d missed I’d tell her where they’d been.”

“You helped.” Angel echoed a small smile gracing his lips.

“Of course.”

His hand found hers and he gripped her palm tightly for a moment. “For you. Yes. Of course you helped, when you found a way to do it. Not everybody would.”

Buffy sighed. “Except, after Mom died I needed money. Wrote Slayer. Now Faith hates me. I have to leave whatever info I’ve got on voicemail.”

“I’m sorry.” He sighed. “I have to ask you. About Fred. She went missing from campus that day we had, in LA.”

Buffy nodded slowly. Painfully. “I don’t… Fred’s gone. I’m sorry Angel. You really need to talk to Gunn about this.”

Mutely Angel flicked his eyes over Buffy’s face searchingly. “I know, Buffy. Gunn, we talked about it at the time. I just-“ He threw his hands up in the air in frustration. “I had no idea Buffy – I knew what happened with Fred, and her Professor, and that thing from the portal. I had no idea there were more. That there are enough demons out there to have killed 23 people just from you school. That man on the television…”

He trailed off. “That Callum also saw.” He sighed. “I take it this gift is hereditary.”

“Apparently.” Buffy replied every bit as glumly. “You know I wouldn’t want this for him.”

“It’s okay.” Absently he drew her closer, folding her into the curve of his chest and under his arm as he ran as his fingers through her hair and down her back.

She shook her head against his warm chest “It isn’t okay, Angel. It’s about twenty state lines over from okay. I can cope with me. But not Callum. I didn’t want him to be like me.”

“I did.” He sighed deeply and she could feel his lungs working under his shirt, she was surrounded by the bulk of his reassuring presence. “I’m sorry I didn’t come back for you, Buffy. It took so long to sort Kaitlin out I thought you would have moved on. I had no idea about Callum or your mother. I feel like I could have done so much for you and now it’s too late.

Buffy leaned back a little from his achingly familiar embrace and took in the worried frown he’d settled into.

“Angel, I’m fine. Callum is fine. At least I know what’s going on with his dreams even if I’m not sure what exactly to do about them.

“I do believe you about the dreams.” He reassured her. “It makes a lot of stuff make sense. It just also makes me feel even more terrible for leaving you instead of helping. I don’t deserve you.”

Buffy touched his face, running one hand along the stubble around his chin. “Well for start you can stop with the blame game.” She stretched up on her tip toes to press her lips against his gently and the warmth of his body against hers drew her closer, until her hand was sliding under the buttons of his cotton shirt and smoothing over the hard flesh of his chest underneath. “Ahem?”

Buffy snatched her hand away guiltily.

“Oh don’t mind us love.” Spike piped up from behind his wife. “Angel here could really do with a good roll in the hay.”

“Spike!” A chorus of groans filled the kitchen.

“What?” His perplexity was definitely fake as he made his way to the fridge and started chucking things out ready for breakfast. “Can’t help it if Angel’s been moping over you for years. For a while -” He paused as he dug out something at the back and emerged a moment later with ketchup. “I was sympathetic. I too know the love of a difficult woman. But Barry Manilow on repeat got old fucking fast.”

Spike surveyed his open-jawed audience. “So who wants a fry-up?”

Buffy and Kaitlyn were matched in their embarrassment, red-faced and silently gaping at the bleached blonde. Angel settled for a seething glare and curled fist. Kaitlyn broke the silence first, shaking her head as she took a seat at the counter. “Christ you’d’ve thought I’d’ve been used to that man by now.”

“Manilow?” Buffy finally mouthed. “You kept that under wraps.”

“It’s not a deal-breaker is it pet? I’d never hear the end of.”

Buffy slipped her hand quietly into Angel’s and willed him to restrain himself. “If you want rid of me you’ll have to try harder than that.”

A flicker of a smile touched Angel’s lips and Buffy’s stomach lurched in response. This was them being couple-ly. Slipped right back into it. And guessing by his firm grip on her hand, Angel was as happy with it as she was.

Except. “Is that really the time?” She motioned to the clock on the big fridge.

“Yes.” Kaitlyn echoed back uncertainly.

“Fionn is going to go spare.” Buffy span around trying to remember what she needed to do and spotted Callum still playing in his jammies, and not been fed yet. “Angel? If I run to Fionn’s are you alright with Callum?”

“Absolutely.” Angel near jumped at the chance. He leaned over the counter and waved at his son to get his attention, a silly grin spread over his face. “Do you want to stay here while your mom pops out Callum?”

Callum considered it thoughtfully. “Here with Connor?”

Angel nodded.

“Sure.” He yelled lunging at his friend as they dropped their cars and started chasing each other round in a fast and furious game of chase.

Angel smiled smugly at Buffy. “See – no problems. Go see your grandmother. She’ll be wondering what happened to you.”

oOo

Buffy was back in Sandycove an hour and change later. But her mind and heart was resolutely in Fox Rock at Caritas with Angel and her son as Fionn fussed around her, offering the breakfast she’d missed.

“Looks like a good time was had by all.”

“Sorry?” Buffy dragged herself back to Fionn. “What did you say?”

“That look on your face.” Fionn smirked. “I’ve not seen that one for a few years. Take it your boy is just as fine as you remember. Or maybe you’ve got a more entertaining reason than usual for the bags under your eyes.”

“Ye- Fionn!” Buffy nearly jumped out of her skin. Then relaxed and chuckled “somebody wants to be a thoroughly modern grannie.”

“Somebody isn’t blind.” She shot back. “Anyway, if you want to be with Angel I’m pleased for you. It’ll be lovely for your boy. And better for me if he’ll convince you to stay this side of the pond.”

“Maybe.” Buffy replied, and pushed that worry away to think on more. “Nothing’s official.” She amended. “Just waiting to see how things go. Rushing doesn’t help anything.” She reasoned. It was easy enough to be cautious having once been the pregnant voice of experience.

“Funny family he comes from though. He just lives with his sister and her husband now?”

“Yes. Spike, and their son.” Buffy filled in absently.

“At Caritas you say?” Buffy nodded. “I remember it from when his grandfather lived there. Although it burned down and they moved. I heard your Angel rebuilt it with the money from his paintings.”

Buffy shrugged. “We haven’t really talked about his family. He doesn’t speak to any of them outside of his sister. Whenever he does he just talks about how obsessed they all are with money and debt.”

“Really?” Fionn seemed surprised. “His grandmother was a lovely soul. Angel told me that was how Spike met the family, he’s a nurse, came over to treat Isabella when she was sick. Must’ve been a fighter too, she lived a long time ago.”

“Spike’s a nurse?” There weren’t words for the shock Buffy was feeling. “Can’t imagine his bedside manner.”

Fionn laughed in a loud burst. “Oh, I know, I’ve met him. And his mother. But it’s a big healing family that one. A lot of nurses and midwives, even the men, right back beyond when people didn’t think men could be nurses.”

“I feel like the world is revolving backwards.” Buffy shook her head to shake the feeling away and stood up from her seat a little regretfully at leaving her grandmother behind.

Perhaps she knew what Buffy was thinking, because Fionn stood too and went to shoo Buffy away. “You didn’t come here to see me, missy, much as I love it. Go back to your Angel.”

“Thanks, Fionn.” Buffy smiled, and she grabbed her bad and headed back towards the door. “I’ll give you a call later and fill you in.”

“You better!” Fionn threatened.

oOo

On the way back Buffy had decided to detour and pop to the shops for a few bits and pieces. Little gifts for Kaitlyn and Spike for putting up with their unexpected visitors and they weighed against her leg as she trudged down the hill towards Caritas. The sky was just starting to tinge with the sunset. Little jets of pink and orange creeping through the sky and darkening the few clouds to tumultuous looking grays and blues.

She was much later than she’d intended to be and a couple of bottles of wine clinked as she tried to hurry herself. It would be bedtime soon, if not already gone and Callum might be funny about it without her. Buffy wondered how Angel had coped. She assumed since Connor was living in the same house he must have babysat often enough but a whole day was a different thing to a few snatched hours and she hoped her boy was making a good impression. Buffy didn’t worry about Angel somehow getting fed up of their son, just that it might all have been a bit overwhelming to leave them for so long so early.

A bitter smell was being swept in on the breeze and glancing at the skyline Buffy wondered who was starting a barbeque when it was already getting dark. A thin coil of smoke wreathed it’s way past the trees below her and she frowned.

Buffy heard an echoed muffled poof and shattering glass. Her gut rolled and wetness splashed her legs.

But she was already running. The smoke was already thickening up, way too much for a barbeque or bonfire. Everything in the sky was black and the smell was foul coating her lungs with every breath as her heart pounded and she dived down the hill towards her child and the burning house.

Part Ten

Part of Buffy had hoped that the further she'd got down the hill it would become obvious that it was not Angel's house whose acrid smell was burning her nostrils. But the smoke just got denser and blacker as she approached, and she was glad she'd abandoned her shopping on the sidewalk as she fled through the streets and towards the danger.

What could possibly have happened? She could hear the sharp repeated trill of the fire engine at the back of her hearing but it was distant and she was close. She screeched around the last turn and out of the corner of her eye saw a couple watching from the other side of the street and yelling into a phone.

Or maybe, she skidded as she hit the drive and the little pebbles spat up from her feet and hit against her ankles and calves, they were yelling at her - she could hear them calling out stop. But it was irrelevant.

The door wasn't even closed properly. Smoke tendrils crept out the small gap and hung noxiously in the porch. Buffy spun around quickly checking that Angel and the others weren't standing watching in the yard. But from here she could see the whole front and it was very empty, just abandoned toys and green grass between the hedges and decorative bamboo.

Buffy yanked at her top pulling it up enough to cover her face and keep some of the smoke out as she shouldered the heavy wooden door open. Even the wood felt hot against her limbs and she struggled to stay calm not think of the worst.

The fire roared in her ears. Left and right or her both sides of the house were ablaze. It seemed strange that the middle was full of cloying black smoke but little flames and Buffy stood for a moment wondering what to do next.

A small yelp and a thud drew her attention and Buffy shot across the entrance and up the stairs as quickly as she could manage. The whole hallway stair entry seemed to be kept pretty clear and even almost blind Buffy could pull herself up pretty quickly. She kept one hand gently touching the banister to guide her direction and the polished wood felt horribly warm under her palm.

"No!" A girl. Forward Buffy told herself. Demanded she kept going up onto the landing and heading towards the direction she thought was towards the children's room. "Get the fuck away!" Spike. Unmistakably. Another loud smacking thud that chilled her bones, and twisted her stomach in knots. The air was clearing as she got further from the fire, and she could see through the partially opened door to Connor's room.

His brightly patterned rug, bleached blonde hair buried in long dark brown slumped at an awkward angle and with blood pooling on the floor. They were too still.

They'd been thrown against the wall. Buffy remembered her dreams and her sudden in take of breath made her cough and choke on the ashes in the air, until she heaved and vomited against the wall.

There was nobody else here. It had to be her.

Buffy straightened up and ignored the nausea of her pained stomach. Pulling her shirt back over her mouth she walked determinedly into that little room.

The demon was big. Seven feet easily. He wore a suit. And it was that she noticed first, before the curve of his distended jaw or the tail that swished bleakly from under his charcoal grey dinner jacket.

His head swiveled to watch her. And his blink seemed to go sideways, and it seemed horribly reptilian with his ridged pale grey skin and swept back hair. "Of course." He hissed, and she could see the black forked tongue that whipped across his lips as he spoke.

It revolted Buffy to see this demon standing here, where her child had slept, and amidst such carnage. She tried not to look at the broken forms of Angel's sister and Spike, but in front of her he'd broken the little toddler bed clean in half and it's bedding lay strewn amongst the toys on the floor, while scrapes and dents littered the walls. Just a few feet away huddled in the corner was her little boy and his cousin. They weren't crying anymore. But their eyes were puffy and red.

Angel was there too. He was kneeling in front of the kids, half crouched, seemingly captivated by the beast that stood before them but trying to shield them all the same. He was watching her too, and silently she stumbled through the wreckage over to him. To join his guard.

She wasn't a Slayer, but she would still fight with whatever she had.

"Who are you?" She yelled at the monster. Hoping to distract him as she searched the wreckage for something that might work as a weapon.

The beast paused. "That's an interesting question, little one. Who? Under these circumstances people usually ask what I am."

"Can't say I give a shit." She replied tightly. "But who gets me to why quicker."

He nodded and smiled touching fingers as he paced lightly in front of them, crushing everything underfoot without any effort. Something sturdy to whack him with, Buffy corrected her quest. "My name is Shylock. As for the why, I'm here for the same why as always. Money."

Buffy stopped looking. Surprised, herself she could feel Angel scramble to his feet next to her "Money?" Angel laughed. "You can have it all, Shylock. Just let us go."

Shylock shock his head and the fear that had been pounding through Buffy's veins since she first saw the smoke from the hill pulsed through her skull. It was devilishly hot from the fire below and sweat poured from every inch of her skin as quietly looked behind Angel to check on the kids. Connor pointed in front of him nervously, and Buffy followed his gaze to a stout piece of four by two that must have been part of his bed. Weapon! But she couldn't grab for it yet. From her angle she could see that Angel had his own chunky piece of bedstead gripped behind his back and she touched his arm gently, tried to get him to relax.

"The problem is, boy, that this isn't your debt. It's Antonio's. I saved his son once. But I upped the price. Two male heirs. I believe they're standing behind you."

"Can't we make a deal too?" Angel begged, and Buffy could hear the panic in his voice. "Anything, please."

"No." Shylock replied, shifting closer towards them. "These two are too significant to pass up. A seer and a warrior. They got those delicious supernatural genes from their parents, and there is no way you've got the only other thing I'd accept."

"What is it?" Buffy demanded.

"Please, we'll find it. Whatever it is."

"No." He snapped. His tongue clicked angrily against his lips and Buffy knew he'd run out of patience. "Get out of the way or I'll kill you too."

"Argh!" Something bleached blonde shot through the air and wrapped itself around Shylock's head, Spike fought dirty, fingers ploughing straight into one creepy eye and black goop poured from the wound. "Now." Buffy yelled quickly grabbing the wooden beam and charging over the rubble to smack the demon square in the balls. If he had balls.

Angel was there too hammering blows on to any bit of the demon he could reach and kicking what he couldn't "Fuck off you bastard!" Someone yelled and for one brief fluttering hopeful moment Buffy thought they were beating him down.

Shylock straightened and knocked them flying in one viciously fast movement, and his noxious blood sprayed out with the three adults. Buffy's head smacked against the wall and the pain screamed through her nerves until she could hardly see through blurry eyes let alone move.

Across the room Angel grabbed at Shylock's leg and Buffy watched as the demon just dragged her love behind him like he weighed nothing.

His path to the boys was clear and Shylock honed in on them leaning down and reaching out as they screamed and shouted, kicking and wriggling. Buffy rolled over onto her stomach and gripping at the detritus on the floor pulled herself bodily towards her son as Shylock grabbed him by one ankle and straightened dangled her poor screaming child in the air.

"Callum!" She tried to yell.

He was screaming and clutching at his neck, dragging the little gold cross out on it's chain and trying to shove it into the demon's skin.

Shylock grabbed at the necklace impatiently, and as his fist closed around it his mouth opened in a little o. The demon dropped her child, and Nuffy managed to scramble to him, pull him into her lap as she threw her arm around Connor too.

"Boy." Shylock hissed. "Where did you get this?"

Callum's head had been buried in Buffy's neck but he pulled away and faced the demon bravely. Cold filled Buffy's veins, and she understood absolutely the way Fionn had described those few days before. Like her little boy, her Callum, her and Angel's son. Was other in a way that was much more than she had already known. "I got it from Isabella." Callum replied calmly. "Are you Shaky? She gave it to protect me from you. Didn't she mommy?"

Callum turned to her and she stared into his beautiful soulful brown eyes. Deep as his father's and remembered the woman in black. "Yes." Buffy managed to murmur.

Her eyes met Shylock's. "That's what you want isn't it."

"Yes. The debt is paid." The words felt like everything. Relief bubbled through Buffy's smoke charred lungs as she checked Connor and Callum, whose eyes seemed to be drooping a little as they snuggled against her, and eyed the three unconscious adults Buffy realized they still had the fire to deal with.

When she thought of Shylock next he was gone.

oOo

She must have passed out there huddled with the boys because when she opened her eyes the ceiling was checkered white ceiling tiles and a steady beep filled the background.

She coughed and a hand appeared with a glass of water. "Drink this sweetheart, you've inhaled a lot of smoke."

The water tasted like heaven. Smooth and cool and more refreshing than if she'd just left the desert.

"Can you tell me your name?"

"Buffy Summers." She croaked, and her hand went to her throat automatically. "It's okay, you've just inhaled a lot of smoke and had a little knock to the head. You're going to be totally fine. We'll keep you overnight in case of concussion."

Buffy immediately started pulling at the bedding trying to get up.

"Buffy stop it." Someone yelled at her. Their voice was cracked and sore as hers, and she twisted in the bed to see Angel lying next to her. Her limbs stilled as she took in his battered face. "That's better." He added, more quietly. "Callum is good too. They just told me he's at the children's ward with Connor."

"Are you sure?" She demanded as much as she could in her broken voice.

"Yes." The nurse confirmed resolutely. "You can go up and see them in a few minutes. But only if you let us finish checking you over first."

Buffy acquiesced.

oOo

The lot of them didn't manage to be alone until they were checked out. Caritas had been destroyed in the fire, along with all their possessions and most of the art Angel had been working on.

It didn't seem very important, but after sharing with Angel the conversation she and Shylock had had Angel had insisted they visit the derelict property and even sneaked inside before they checked his sister's family into a hotel.

Buffy insisted Angel came back with her and Callum to Fionn's and the little bruised, short of breath trio were solidly a family before they'd even knocked on the door of her apartment.

Fionn fussed over the lot of them, bringing snacks and drinks until Callum was becoming unbearably spoilt and after forty minutes of 'staying up five minutes more' Fionn offered to take him to bed.

Collapsed on the sofa together Buffy listened to the happy end-of-day bath running sounds and breathed contentedly. "We're so lucky to be alive."

Angel nodded mutely from his position next to her on the sofa and pulling something out of his jacket pocket wrapped one arm around Buffy to pull her close against his chest.

"You said Callum got that charm from a woman on the train, who he calls Isabella, right?"

"Sure." She sighed, burying herself further into his chest as she fiddled with a button in her line of sight.

"My grandmother was called Isabella." He held up the little book. "This was her diary. I've read it before, but I never believed she was actually a witch."

"She probably was." Buffy mused, not really getting the point.

"She probably was your Isabella." Angel clarified. She found out about Shylock and the deal after her husband made it. She was so angry she stole the amulet and said she would pass it down to protect her descendents. It was what Shylock gave Antonio so that he became so successful in business, a lucky amulet. But she didn't want Antonio to keep being lucky either. When you kept seeing her… it must have been some kind of spell. Her way of giving it to the person that needed it, without anyone else profiting from it's luck."

It did kind of make sense, and Buffy propped herself up to look Angel in the eye. "If that's true, you're grandmother is one hell of a smart lady. Grandfather Antonio? Not so much."

"I'm getting that." Angel sighed. "At least it's over now."

"Apart from the whole Connor and Callum supernatural duo thing."

"Ah, well." He seized her lips in a kiss as he twisted her round to face him. "We'll deal with that when it comes." He kissed her again, sweetly, before looking her seriously in the eye. "First I'd like to reacquainted with my girlfriend."

She smiled into his lips and wound her hands into his gently spiked hair. "I'm sure we could arrange that."

The End

An NC-17 epilogue is available here at my LJ please do you read if you are underage!