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Few hours later.

Spike was still lurking around, trying to find out any bit of information. He knew instinctively that something big was going down. His grandsire looked more miserable that usual. Anything that made peaches look so miserable must be an interesting thing and Spike wanted to know more.

The only down side to Angel being miserable, was that he was occupying everyone else's time. And that cute brain girl had had to stop working on a cure for his.. well.. problem. He just couldn't have that. He had to find out more.

He waited for them all to vacate Angel's office, and them floated though the wall, and began to try and rummage through Angel's things. It wasn't easy, he had to concentrate hard just to move anything, to have the slight impact on the world.

He heard his grandsire begin to make his way back into the office. 'Damn', he thought. He didn't feel like a lecture from the old poof.

So he looked for the nearest closet and blended between it and the wall of the office. Just enough to spy on the big mope, but hidden enough so he's go unnoticed.

Angel stormed in and slump down into his desk chair. He lifted up all of the latest report, and tossed the papers haphazardly across the room. 'Again', he thought, 'We missed our chance again'. They had been looking for Connor and Drusilla almost 3 years now. They needed them in close proximity so that they could capture Connor. Eve made it clear that the partner's would still make good on their promise to him, for Connor. Always for Connor. Although their was no way to turn Connor back to human, no way they knew of, (while he was alive, so to speak). They could curse him with a soul, like Angel was.

A soul. With a soul, he may have a chance. A chance to stop the mindless killing. A chance to achieve shanshu, if he worked here, got enough good deeds under his belt. Yes, Connor had a chance He was young yet, not so drenched in blood. He would be a good candidate. If Angel could only steer him back on the right course.

It was a small hope, but Angel clung to it like a drowning man to driftwood. It was all he had left now. His only reason for staying in this god awful hell of a place. He needed this place, its resources, to try, once again, to save Connor.

Screw Dru. Angle couldn't wait to get his hands on her. He didn't care anymore about her murdered family, or had driven her insane. She'd crossed a line by going after Connor. And Angel would have his vengeance. Dru had a trip to hell waiting for her, and Angel was ready to punch the ticket.

One thing he couldn't fathom. How the hell did Dru find Connor anyway??

Angel's thought were interrupted by hearing Harmony moan and whine.

"But... But, you can't just go in there...and .. and you need an appointment or something... and I think he's real busy...and I really think I should warn him first..."

Just then the door burst open, and Angel received another shock of un life.
"Buffy"


Chapter 9 The Talk


"Hello Angel." Buffy said calmly. But in reality she was a jumble of nerves. She had discuss this moment with Giles, with the group. What she should and should not say. About how much she should reveal. It wasn't just Angel she was concerned about (although she was not quite sure where his loyalties lie anymore) . It was this whole evil place in general. She could feel that the walls had ears and were listening. She did not want to reveal to it any information that would lead them to her son. Every report they've gotten suggested that no one here knew of her son or if they did, they were not interested in him. Yet..

Angel tried to remain calm as he took in the site of her. Here. In front of him. After all these years.

"You look..great.." He began warily all they while wondering what she was doing here, after so long a time. She did look great. The years had done wonders for her. She was dressed in a simple white camisole top that clung in all the right places and a pair of beige khaki pants that hugged tightly at her waist. Her hair was still blond. Her face as beautiful as he remembered. Her hazel eyes showed more mature, more confident and had a glow in them that Angel had never seen before. He noticed she'd added some weight, but that only proved accent her body, rather than retract. Her legs were still sturdy and strong, soft flesh covering the steel muscles that Angel remembered so well. They lead to her hips, that were now more curves and full, leading up to her washboard abs. Her now more fully rounded breast were held lusciously by a white simple bra barely showing beneath her top. She was the vision that he remembered and more.


'Is she finally coming back to me?' He couldn't help but hope.

Finally, he allowed his eyes to stop it's demanding quest to drink in her body and he summoned the will to speak ."So, how's Europe." "Here on a visit?"


Okay. Here it goes. General answerers. Nothing specific. Choose words carefully. Try to keep your story straight And ...
'God. He looks like shit.' she thought.

He wore a rumpled dark brown buttoned shirt with wrinkled black paints and plain black shoes. He never was a great dresser, but this outfit made him look like an intern at a mortician's office. It did nothing to enhance his once handsome face, which now was drawn and haggard with stress. His once soulful eyes, were now marked with grief and loss. And..
And did he gain weight??

Suddenly, Buffy stopped her critiquing long enough to remember that he was standing there waiting for an answer to his question. What was it? Europe. Oh yeah! Europe! Uh Oh!
"I never made it passed England; actually, and no, not here on a visit." "I'm...
"I'm back.. in..in the states..."

"Oh, We'll that's great." Angel looked onto her eyes," How long have you been back?"

Okay steady, here we go "Bout two and a half years, roughly", Buffy couldn't help notice the hurt that spread across his face.

"Oh,... That's.. great. Just getting around to visiting now?" Angel said, his eyes steady, never wavering from her.

"I've been busy." she said.

"Guess so." he returned.

"So have you, from what hear." Angel could see contempt creeping into her eyes.

They silently stared each other down.

"So." Angel began "What brings you around here to the evil empire, another apocly.."

"Its about Drusilla...and Connor..." she said cutting him off.

Angel froze upon hearing his son's name. Especially from Buffy's lips.
'Damn, what did she know?'
"What do you know about it." he spat. He did not want slayers, any slayers, with knowledge of his son.

"Enough!" She said, her voice rising, "Enough not to understand you stayed. Even after he was turned."

Angel glared at her with daggers in his eyes, but kept his words calm and steady . "This place is the only resource I have left to save him." He explained as if speaking to a child.

"Save him! Save him!!??" Buffy gasped at the irony. "This place is probably responsible for turning him to begin with, and definitely responsible for him landing in a demon dimension with some psycho guy."

"You don't know anything about this!" He shouted.

"I know enough!" She shouted back.

"Oh right, from where? Second hand watcher reports?; or by beating it out of some demon who will tell you anything, just so you 'd stop pounding on him? Let me set the record straight! The past is over. I can't change it. All I can do is try to save Connor from centuries of bloodshed. Before its too late. Before he's too far gone."

"He's far gone now!" Buffy shouted, "And he wasn't a prize to begin with was he? But now. Oh, He and Dru have been making quite a name for themselves. Do you know what kind of massacres those two have been responsible for in the past few years? Their quickly rising to number one on the Slayer hit list."

Angel winced at this information "And what can you do. Get him on one of those slayer -friendly list? For demons who work for you and behave themselves by being good little demons and eating all their vegetables?"

Buffy looked coldly at Angel "Even if I could, I wouldn't! He's a killer Angel!"

"HE"S MY SON BUFFY!!!" He shouted, then spoke softy, "He's my son. My son who was once an innocent baby. My son who was stolen from me and perverted into the monster that he became. I'm not about to continue to let him pay for the mistakes that were made by me. I will not let him to continue to suffer just because he was born my son! Maybe. Someday. If you ever have a child. Maybe then. You'll understand".

Buffy lowered her gaze, not wanting to meet his eyes. She calmed her voice, "Look this is not what I came here for."

"What did you come here for then!!" He snapped.

"I need information about Drusilla." She said, "Where she is. What she's planning. I need to know.. "

"So you can feed it to the council, get them both dusted." Angel spat.

"No. This is not about the council. This is personal." She spoke quietly.

"Personal how?" He asked, "What do you care about them so much for? Word has it that you retired from the fold. So why..."

"Dru sent a message for me. She wants to punish me. She wants to take something from me, to hurt me."

Angel looked at the desperation forming in her eyes, in her voice. Seeing her pain melted some of his anger. "Why would she want to hurt you. She's never really been one to focus on anyone not directly in her path, even slayers. That was more Spike's game."

"She blames me...for Spike." Buffy whispered. "For him .. not being here.. anymore.."

Angel stood there wordless, but the wheels in his mind were spinning. 'Buffy really doesn't know he's back. Can't tip my hand.'

"She want to make me pay." Buffy continued, "To make me suffer. She wants to take someone that I love from me".

"Who?" Angel demanded, "Is it Dawn, or.. Willow.?."

"No, not them." again Buffy could not meet Angel's gaze.

Angel began to pick up her agitation. He smelled her fear, and reluctance, and something else. He walked slightly closer to her and sniffed the air again. There was a presence on her. Male. He caught it now, light in the air, faint, but not old. Had she tried to cover it up? It started to dawn on him. "So this someone. The someone you love. Would it be a..a male someone?"

"Yes." she said softly, silently cursing to herself. She'd caught the bloodhound act. She had scrubbed and scrubbed herself till her skin flaked off. Even had used some herble crap that smelled horrible, but that Willow promised would do the job. Still Angel manage to pick up her son's sent. Buffy cursed all vampires and their stupid noses.

"So you've finished...baking?" He asked.

"Baking?" Then she remembered, the cookie analogy, "Oh yeah, baking. Well.. Yes, I guess. He.. completes me." No use in denying it, she'd improvise.

"Little cliche' don't you think?", he smirked

"Maybe." she said looking into his eyes.

Angel looked into her face, her eyes, the determination there in. His eyes flickered to her neck and then he noticed it. His heart sank. No marks. Somehow she had all the bites,.. removed. He suddenly realized that he hadn't sensed her when she had walked in. And then he knew. Knew that it was truly over with her. He didn't know exactly when, or why or for how long, but he had finally lost her.

"Do you ... You love him." He managed to stammer.

With all my heart, more than anything else in the world." she said firmly.

"More than you loved me", he asked quietly.

Buffy could look straight at Angel now. Eyes steady, and told her what was in her heart, her soul.
"I love him more than I have ever love anything, or anyone in this world. I have to...protect him. I will not see him hurt."

"That why you had the marks removed." He spat.

The what!" Her hand flew to where his eyes peered. Her neck. She had used surgery and a bit of magic to have any trace of her past...transgressions...removed from her. Body, mind and spirit. For him. Both of them.

Angel cut her off, truly hurt now, and letting it show. " Never mind. You *spelled * the marks away. Off living your new life, which is great for you. What I wanted right? But don't come in here and get into my business. You have to protect him! Huh. So why didn't you bring the big whuss with you to plead your case!?"

"Cause he is not involves with this! This is about me, and those band of sicko freaks that YOU created!" She knew she was egging him on. She could see the hurt and pain building in him, but she didn't care now. Before she had realized it, she had pushed him against the far wall, stake in hand. Rage appeared in his eyes as he struggling against her, but he wasn't going anywhere. The stake came up, and she lunged it at his heart, breaking the skin, but not piecing the dead organ. The slayer had him now, immobilized, anger still sweeping though him, but now he gave off a new scent. Fear. 'Good', she thought. Let him fear me. Her voice was hard and rained down on him like icicles as they broke from her tongue and made their assault. "I'm making this my fight. I have my reasons. Anyone who gets in my way. Who tries to hurt him, will suffer dearly my wrath. Anyone..."

Angel looked at her. Still trapped, he listened and registered these words, and knew she meant every one.
If Connor and Drusilla,..or even himself... did anything to upset the original slayer, there be no place they'd be safe, ever.

It was almost an hour before Buffy finished up her conversation with Angel and left the building and L. A. behind. Which was fine by her. She didn't get much information, but she got her point across. Never did she, nor Angel for that matter, suspect that they had been observed from the shadows by veiled eyes.





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