"You Still My Girl" Parts 1-5

Part 1

The Romance

***** In Sunnydale *****

The rain poured and thunder rolled as Buffy laid in the comfortable embrace of her lover. After all the pain and all the emptiness, she finally felt again. Lying there with his arms around her waist, she once remembered what happiness was like. Her lover slowly stroked the arch of her back with his fingertips, as she drifted in and out of conscious.

“Buffy are you trying to sleep,” her lover asked.

“No, I’m just laying her with my eyes shut,” she replied.

“Oh I’m sorry…..I just wanted to…well I mean I wanted to say,” he stuttered.

“What is it?” Buffy asked.

“Well I guess the best way to say it is just to blurt it out, so here goes. Buffy, you make me feel like a man and I can’t believe how I let myself become so vulnerable. I just love you so much that words can’t even describe,” he said.

Buffy yawned and said, “I love you too……Angel.”

***** In L.A. ******

Fred and Cordelia sat around the table sorting through the new case files that had just come in this morning.

“Did something happen to Angel and you’re too scared to tell me because of how I might react,” Fred asked.

“What do you mean,” Cordelia said.

“I haven’t seen him all day today and he’s usually the first the person I see,” Fred implied.

“Oh Fred…nothing happened to Angel, he just went to Sunnydale to tell Buffy about the baby,” Cordelia replied. “He should be back tomorrow.” Gunn and Wesley walk through the doors with a crib and stroller in hand.

“Oh gracious, I’m getting old,” Wesley whimpered as he placed the stroller down on the floor.

“No, it’s not that Wesley, it’s just that you are a weakling,” Cordelia smirked. Wesley glared at her with a displeasing look.

“Gosh Cor, you just get more and more wittier every time you speak,” Wesley remarked. Cordelia threw a pillow over in his direction but missed him entirely.

“I just don’t get. If Angel and that girl with the weird name aren’t together then why does he feel that he needs to go and see her. I know that they’re suppose to be this whole soul mates and true love thing, but didn’t they move on from that,” Fred committed.

“Well from what Wesley and Cordelia tell me, Angel and Buffy will never be over each other no matter how much they say they are,” Gunn replied. “They will always, in some way, be a part of each other’s lives. No matter what happens, Angel will never love another girl the way he loves Buffy. At least that’s what they say. So anyways I guess he just feels obligated to tell her about the baby.”

***** In Sunnydale *****

Her lover got up off the bed and Buffy sat up to lean against the head board.

“Damn it, Buffy! You called me Angel again,” he said and threw the covers to the floor.

“Oh! God! I thought I was with….well that me and….” Buffy said.

“Yeah! Yeah! That you were with Angel, your one true love. You know I am so sick and tired of living in his shadows. For 200 years I have always heard about how great he was and why couldn’t I be more like Angel. First, he was the most vicious vampire ever…. then he gets a soul and he still gets praised. Who would want to be a vampire with a soul anyways? For once Buffy, I wish you would think of me instead of Angel,” he said throwing a glass that was on the nightstand up against the wall.

Buffy got up and grabbed a shirt to put on, “Don’t you think that you are blowing this all out of proportion, Spike?”

“No, I don’t! Don’t you think I know that every time you are with me, you are really thinking of him. I’m not bloody stupid you know. I can feel it when you touch me. I bet that when we make love, that you imagine the bloat’s bloody face,” Spike proclaimed.

“You are being ridiculous. I just wish you would stop ranting on about this all the time. Oh ‘poor little’ Spikey. P-lease!! All you do is whine, whine, whine. Angel left me,” Buffy said looking down at the floor. “Can’t we just leave the past alone.”

“No we can’t ‘cause every time we’re together your not really here. Your body’s here but your heart is with him. I know that one time you and him were together couldn’t have been that great,” Spike said as he walked across the room to the chair where his clothes were.

“Okay, you can just stop right there,” Buffy remarked while pulling up her pants.

“Well how the bloody hell do you think that makes me feel,” Spike replied as he buttoned his pants. “I’ll tell you how…..it makes me feel less than a man.”

“You are less than a man, you’re a vampire…you’re missing the soul that a man has,” Buffy smirked. “You see people as little happy meals with legs!”

“The point I’m trying to make is that ever since you started this thing with me, you seem to always be with him….mentally and…….” Spike began.

Spike was interrupted by a dark figure standing in the doorway. “Him who?” the dark figure said as he entered the room. “I went by your place and they said you were out patrolling. I walked by here, heard the yelling and welldoor was unlocked so I just let myself in. I hope that I’m not interrupting anything.”

“Oh bloody hell,” Spike yelled out.

“Angel……” Buffy whispered.

Part 2

The Reunion

***** In Sunnydale *****

The rain had stopped. There was silence in the room. For a moment, they all stood there and stared at each other. Spike finally grabbed his jacket from the chair.

“Well Angel, what brings to my humble abode?” Spike asked.

“Um, well I really came to…..” Angel replied while taking off his wet jacket.

“No, let me guess,” Spike interrupted. “You came to talk to ‘Buffy’ right. Of course…..well ‘friend’, she’s all yours. I’m not staying around for this bloody reunion.” He put on his jacket and stormed out of the door.

Buffy and Angel walked towards each other until they were right in front of one another. Buffy smiled up at him until she noticed that he had a cut above his right eye. Slowly Buffy takes her hand and gently caresses the cut.

“You’re hurt….What happen?” she said.

“Oh… it’s nothing really,” Angel said.

“Yeah well you’ve got something face,” Buffy implied.

“ I just got in a little confrontation on my way over here,” he replied, taking her hand off his face.

“Here, sit down and let me clean it for you,” Buffy said, pulling a chair out for Angel. She walked over to the dresser and got some bandages and peroxide. “I didn’t know you were coming to town.”

“Yeah…..I could tell when I walked in,” Angel said sarcastically. Then his face became very serious and he said, “Look Buffy, something’s happen, and I just needed to talk to you.”

Buffy made her way back over to Angel and opened the bottle of peroxide.

“It sounds important,” she said.

“Yeah, it kinda is,” he replied.

“This is going to burn a little bit,” she said softly. Angel jerked back just as the peroxide hit his cut. “Stop being a baby, Angel.” Buffy couldn’t help but to have a little smile on her face. “Okay so what is so important that you came all the way back to Sunnydale. Let me guess, Cordelia had a vision that some ‘big bad’ demon was coming to kill me and you came back to save the day.”

Just as she was placing the bandage over his cut, Spike walked back in.

“Well it’s just like old times, isn’t it. ‘Poor little’ wounded Angel gets pampered by ‘big bad’ slayer,” Spike committed.

“Was there something you wanted, Spike,” Buffy said harshly.

“Well I got half way down the road and noticed that I forgot my shoes….so I came back to get them,” Spike said. He leaned down and got his shoes, then looked at both of them and rolled his eyes. “Okay I’m leaving now, but don’t think….” Spike was then interrupted by the door slinging opened.

***** In L.A. *****

Gunn was setting up the crib while the rest of the gang was cleaning the weaponry.

“Okay Cordelia, I just about got this finished. Go get the kid,” Gunn said, taking the last few screws and putting them in place.

“Maybe we should try something in it like a doll, to make sure that it doesn’t fall apart when the baby is placed in it,” Fred remarked.

“Hey, I think I know how to put a crib together. See it’s nice and sturdy,” Gunn replied while shaking the crib.

“Yeah nice and sturdy,” Wesley remarked after noticing that a few screws had fallen from the crib. Then Cordelia came running back into the room.

“Guys, Where’s the baby!” she asked.

**** In Sunnydale *****

Everyone stood there in silence, staring at the door. It was Spike that finally spoke.

“Doesn’t anyone believe in knocking now days, or just does everyone find the need to barge in,” Spike proclaimed.

Angel was the first to notice who it was. “Whistler is that you? What is it?” he said slowly backing away from Buffy.

“It wasn’t suppose to be like this, Angel. There was a prophecy of a child to be born to rid the world of all evil. He would be the savior. The kid was to be born of a

ex-slayer and a ex-vampire. It was suppose to be you and Buffy that brought this savior into the world. The baby wasn’t suppose to be born until after your redemption. But now everything has change….there’s a new prophecy,” Whistler said.

Angel glanced over at Buffy and noticed her confused expression. Then he looked down at the floor. “Whistler get to the point,” he ordered.

“Angel, man there’s trouble. You have to get back to L.A. It’s a terrible catastrophe. If you don’t go now then it’s going to be too late,” Whistler replied.

“What are you talking about?” Angel asked.

“Holtz……he’s got your kid. Your kid…..he is the key. Your kid is the key to your redemption,” Whistler said.

“Um….excuse me, needing a little back story here. Now what the hell are you talking about,” Buffy said, looking at Whistler. She put her hands over her face and walked over to the dresser. Then she turned back around and looked at the three men that stood before her. Her gaze stopped when she reached Angel. They looked at each other for a moment and she noticed the pain that was in his eyes.

“I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Is it true?” she asked, without taking her eyes off of Angel. Angel immediately looked down at the floor.

“Angel! Look at me,” she demanded. Angel rose his head back up and looked at Buffy. “You have a child.”

Part 3

The Truth

**** In Sunnydale *****

A million things began to run threw Buffy’s mind all at once. The past, the present, the future…..none of made sense anymore. A vampire with a baby, how is that possible.

“No! No, uh-huh,” Buffy said, shaking her head. “ Vampires can’t have babies….Angel you told me that vampires couldn’t have babies.”

“Somebody’s keepin’ a se-cret,” Spike sang with a smile on his face.

“Look Buffy, I told you that I had to tell you something and well….this was it,” Angel said.

“Buffy, I’m sorry but it happen. I don’t know how….” Angel said softly.

“You don’t know how? How about this…you had sex Angel,” Buffy interrupted.

“Look Buffy, I regret that you found out like this but I will never regret that night ‘cause that gave me a son,” Angel said, rubbing Buffy’s arms to try and calm her down.

Buffy threw her arms up to keep Angel from touching her. She walked over in Spike’s direction but didn’t stand beside him.

“I don’t know how you expect me to accept this. I mean out of nowhere you come to Sunnydale and before I know it, Whistler comes in a tells me that I was suppose to have your child, only I was too late ‘cause you already hopped in the sack with…. with….with…. who the hell was it?” she proclaimed.

“Darla,” Angel replied.

“Darla! OH GO, Angel!” Spike said, still laughing about the whole situation. Then he stopped in the middle of laughing and said, “Wait……I thought she was dead.”

“Yeah, well see came back,” Angel said.

“Wait a minute. Darla! You had a baby with Darla! You had sex with Darla,” Buffy yelled.

“Damn it, Buffy! Don’t be like that. It’s not like you have a lot of room to talk. As I recall, I walked in on you and Spike getting dressed. Hmmm….let me guess what you were doing,” Angel said sarcastically, while putting his hand up to his chin. Then he placed his hands on his hips. “You know from where I’m standing, it doesn’t look like you can talk about my sex life. I mean Riley was bad enough but come on Buffy, ‘Spike’, you could have done better than that.”

“Uh! Hello! I am standing right here,” Spike said, waving his hands to get their attention.

***** In L.A. ******

The whole gang just looked at Cordelia, as if she had crazy. Then all of a sudden, they all jumped up as if their brains had just comprehended the words that were coming out of her mouth.

“What! What do you mean ‘where’s the baby’. Isn’t he in there,” Wesley said in his normal panicking voice.

“Well gee, Wesley. Don’t you think that if the baby was in there, then I wouldn’t come out here yelling ‘where’s the baby’!” Cordelia remarked.

“Well he couldn’t have gone far. I mean he’s too young to walk anywhere, right. It just isn’t normal for a baby to get up and walk anyway. On the other hand, this is Angel’s baby so who’s to say what is normal….” Fred commented.

“ Fred don’t, babies can’t walk,” Gunn implied.

“Oh my God! This can’t be happening. Oh my, I have a chest pain,” Cordelia said, patting her chest. “Is it possible to have a heart attack at such a young age, ‘cause I think that I about to have one.”

Then everyone started searching the place from top to bottom……

**** In Sunnydale ******

Buffy stared at Angel with a confused looked on her face. Physically she was there but it was like her mind had shut down and she couldn’t understand anything.

“You know, love, him and Darla did always make a cute match,” Spike said humorously.

“Spike, please,” Buffy said softly. “I just need to think. I am so confused. I just don’t know what to believe anymore……You know, Angel…….I think that……..well maybe you should leave.”

“Buffy, I……” Angel said.

Then he was interrupted by Buffy. “I said get the hell out!” she yelled while rubbing her hands over her face, her whole body was trembling. “I just can’t deal with this right now.”

“Fine. If you want to act childish then go ahead. I don’t have time for this. My son is out there and it’s no telling what Holtz is going to do with him,” Angel said in an extremely frustrated voice.

Spike walked up to Buffy and put his arms around her. She accepted his embrace and fell into his arms, crying. Angel began to walk out the door, when Whistler grabbed his arm and stopped him.

“Actually I do know what Holtz is going to do with your son,” Whistler said.

“What?” Angel asked with a vengeful look on his face.

“Show no mercy,” Whistler replied and then stepped back in the shadows and walked away.

Part 4

Family

****** Angel Investigations ******

The place was wrecked; furniture was turned upside down, clothes thrown everywhere. The gang all stood around the crib; all except Cordelia. She was sitting in a little corner of the room, rocking back and forth. The baby was gone. There was no sign, what so ever, where the baby could be.

Then all of a sudden, the doors busted opened and Angel came rushing in. Cordelia popped up from the floor and ran over to Angel. She put her arms around him and busted out crying.

“Oh my God, Angel…. I am so sorry… I don’t know what happened… I mean one minute, you know and then the next… I am so sorry,” Cordelia said still crying. “It’s terrible, Angel…. It’s, It’s.. your son….I am so sorry…. But your son….”

“I know,” Angel said interrupting her. “When I was with Buffy… well let’s just say that we received a surprise visit from Whistler.”

“Whistler? You mean that good demon guy. How did he know?” Cordelia asked, finally pulling away from Angel.

“I don’t know how he knows half the stuff that he knows,” Angel replied. He noticed the crib and walked over to it. He placed his hand on the rail of the crib and ran his finger from one end to the next. “I think I know where they might be.”

***** The Warehouse *****

Holtz laid the baby in a basinet that was lying on a long wooden table. He stood above the child, just glaring at him. Then he grabbed a cloth bag that was lying beside the basinet. He pulled out a bottle and an old, ragged black book. Holtz opened the bottle and placed the red liquid on the tip of his forefinger. He smeared the substance across the baby’s forehead, in a mystical circle shape. The baby started to cry.

“Now, now,” Holtz said. “It’s just a little blood.” He opened the book and started chanting an ancient spell. The room started filling up with this blue mist and lightening bolts were coming down from the ceiling. A whirlwind rose in the room and lifted the baby from the table. Then a smoky black face appeared from the ceiling and circled the basinet. Holtz chanted repeatedly, getting louder with every verse he said. The lightening bolts were striking in a circle formation, surrounding them. The black face slowly began to seep into the baby through his mouth. Then all at once everything stopped. There was silence…the basinet fell from the ceiling. Holtz walked over to the baby and smiled. The baby looked up at him with a blank expression. Holtz picked up the baby and started rocking him back and forth.

“I know, I know…..stop crying now…daddy will be here soon,” Holtz said with a devilish smile across his face.

***** Angel Investigations ******

Angel walked into his office and opened the closet door. He grabbed a bag and started stuffing items into it. Cordelia walked in, wiping the last remaining tears from her eyes.

“What are you doing,” Cordelia said, still sniffling. She walked over beside him and stood there looking at him. “Angel?”

“Huh….oh, I’m just getting some supplies,” he replied softly.

“So how was things with Buffy,” she asked.

Angel let out a little chuckle and said, “oh you know, same old same old.”

“Do you want to talk about it? You know sometimes it good to just let it out,” Cordelia implied.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Angel replied.

“Come on, tell me,” Cordelia insisted.

“No. All I want to do is get my son back,” he said while continuing to put things into his bag.

“So then, where did he take your son?” Cordelia asked.

“Holtz wants me to find him. He won’t make it too hard. There’s an old abandon warehouse a few blocks from here; it’s just his style. Round up the troops, we’re going hunting,” he replied, glaring at a knife that he was holding in his hand.

***** The Warehouse *****

Holtz stood, with the baby in his arms, staring out the window. The anticipation was overwhelming. Every second of every minute, Holtz could feel Angel getting closer…coming for his ‘child’.

“You know little one, your daddy stole my family away from me. He killed my loved ones and turned my precise little daughter into a monster….a vampire. He made me do something that no father should have to do,” Holtz proclaimed. “He made me kill my little girl.” The baby just gazed at Holtz…his face was innocent but his eyes were dark and mysterious.

Holtz caressed the baby’s head and smiled. “I just want to repay the favor. Just repay the favor,” he exclaimed.

***** Outside Angel Investigations ******

The gang stood on the sidewalk, outside the building waiting for Angel. Fred and Wesley were beside each other whispering something in one another’s ear. Cordelia leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. After all that has happened tonight, she was so stressed out. Then she felt something grab her arm and cover her mouth. When she opened her eyes she saw Wesley and Gunn lying on the sidewalk knocked out and Fred was being held by a gruesome looking vampire. Cordelia tried to get his hand off her mouth so that she could scream but nothing was working. They heard Angel coming and moved into the shadows of the building.

“Don’t make a sound and maybe I’ll consider not killing you,” the vampire whispered in Cordelia’s ear. There were at least five other vampires besides the ones that held Cordelia and Fred. Cordelia knew that there was no way Angel could take them all on but there was no way to warn him.

“Okay guys, let’s…” Angel said but stopped in mid sentence when he noticed who was waiting for him. “What is this?”

“We’ve been waiting for you, Angel. We were sent to kill you by an old ‘friend’,” the vampire holding Cordelia said.

“Oh somebody always wants to kill me. Don’t you people have anything better to do than come after me,” Angel declared and threw the bag at one vampire and punched another. All the five vampires came at him all at once. For a few minutes, he was holding them off but then one grabbed him from behind. Angel struggled to get loose of the vampire’s grip but was unsuccessful. The vampires circle around Angel, and then the leader, the one holding Cordelia, spoke.

“No! Let me…..here take her,” he said, pushing Cordelia over to another vampire. The leader walked over to Angel, with a stake in hand. “Really I would prefer to torture you, but the boss wants it fast.”

Cordelia turned her head away; she couldn’t bear to see what was about to happen.

“No. No. Now,” the leader said to Cordelia. “You’ll want to see this.” The vampire lifted the stake up and Angel closed his eyes. Then Angel felt the other vampire’s grip was gone. He opened his eyes and noticed that all the vampire’s were gone.

“I thought that you might need some help,” Buffy said, still holding the stake that she used to kill the leader vampire.

Angel looked around and noticed Cordelia and Fred helping Wesley and Gunn up off the ground. Then to his left was Xander and Spike, also holding stakes. He looked back at Buffy but didn’t say a word.

“I’m sorry for how I acted in Sunnydale,” Buffy said, looking down at the ground.

“No don’t… It’s okay, I know it hurt you to find out what happened. I know what it feels like to find out that someone you love was with another person. I know it all too well,” Angel remarked.

She raised her head and looked at Angel. “I left Anya and Willow at home to watch Dawn. I didn’t want to bring her into any of this. But well, I brought the guys to you know……help.”

There was an awkward moment of silence. Everyone just watched Buffy and Angel, waiting to see the explosion. However, the explosion never came. Instead they smiled at each other.

“Thanks, Buffy. For that just now,” Angel said, referring to saving his life.

Buffy walked up to Angel and met his eyes. They looked at each other for just a moment. Then she bent down and grabbed the bag at his feet. “Let’s go get your son,” Buffy said.

Part 5

Surprise, Surprise

***** Outside the Warehouse *****

The gang stood outside the entrance to the warehouse. Angel was passing out weapons that he had in his bag. They all had knifes, axes, or stakes; except for Cordelia. He gave her a bottle.

“What am I going to do with this? Squirt milk in his eyes,” Cordelia said sarcastically.

“No. That’s to feed the baby,” Angel replied. “Okay, it’ll just be Holtz in there. I know him and he’s a loner. He won’t have any body else in there with him. I want all you guys to stay out here. Cordelia, when I distract Holtz, I want you to get my son. Then I want all of you to go home and wait for me. If there is any trouble on the way back, then use the weapons.”

“Angel, no. I want to help you,” Buffy said.

“Go with them okay. I can handle Holtz myself,” Angel proclaimed.

***** In the Warehouse *****

Angel walked into a huge, empty space. The moonlight coming in through the windows was the only light in the room. The only thing that was in the room was a long wooden table with a basinet lying on it. He turned back and motioned for Cordelia to come in. She stepped in and he pointed over the table.

“I knew you’d come,” Holtz said, stepping out of the shadows.

“Yeah well you have something that I want,” Angel said. Cordelia kept herself against the wall, making her way to the table.

“Well if you give me what I want, then I might give you what you want,” Holtz committed.

“Yeah, what’s that?” Angel asked.

“Justice, maybe a little revenge,” Holtz replied.

Angel walked around Holtz, causing Holtz to turn his back to the table. Cordelia made it to the table and grabbed the baby, leaving the basinet on the table. She quietly made her way back to the door.

“I wish I could turn back the hands of time and undo the past, but I can’t change what has happened. The person that did that to you wasn’t me, I’ve changed,” Angel said.

“Yeah, I heard about the curse, restoring your soul, blah, blah, blah,” Holtz proclaimed. “But you know, vengeance is a pesky little thing cause I still want payback.”

Angel walked up to Holtz and grabbed him by the neck. The he pushed Holtz up against the wall and said, “I suggest you let this go, unless you want to join your wife.”

“You want kill me,” Holtz said with a smile on his face.

“Yeah, what makes you say that?” Angel asked.

“I am a human, not a demon or vampire. Are you ready to take a human life,” Holtz replied.

“I’ll do anything for my family,” Angel said. He loosened his grip and then backed away from Holtz.

“Anything, huh. You do know that for this to end, that one of us will have to die. Personally, I am counting on it to be you,” Holtz implied.

“Well then, let’s get it started,” Angel said walking over to Angel.

Holtz pulled out a crossbow and shot at Angel.

“Not exactly the heart,” Angel committed. Angel pulled out the arrow and then swung at Holtz, but he blocked it. Holtz took the crossbow and hit Angel in the face with it. Then Holtz kicked him in the stomach causing Angel to hit the table hard. Holtz pulled out a stake from his jacket and walked over to Angel.

“Revenge is so sweet,” Holtz said, holding up the stake.

Then Buffy jumped through the skylight and fell on top of Holtz. “Surprise, surprise,” she said as she got up and left Holtz on the floor, unconscious. She ran over to Angel and helped him up.

“Are you hurt,” Buffy said.

“I’ll be okay,” he replied, grabbing his side. “I just fell on the table wrong.”

“But you’re bleeding. We need to get that bandage,” Buffy said, touching his chest where he was hurt.

“It’s fine, really,” he said taking her hand off him. “What about you? That was a pretty big jump.”

“Nah. I’m fine,” she replied.

“Is he knocked out,” Angel asked.

“Yeah. Let’s get out of here. Cordelia and the gang should be back at your house by now,” Buffy said, putting Angel’s arm around her shoulders so that she could help him walk.

“No. He has to die,” Angel said pulling away from her.

“He’s a human being, Angel. You can’t kill him. We’ll find another way, a spell or something to send him back to where he came from,” Buffy implied.

“Your right. I can’t kill a human. The smart thing to do would be just to get out of here and get back to my son,” Angel said. Buffy and Angel walked out and headed down the street.

***** On the Street ******

Buffy and Angel walked down the street. Then Angel stopped and grabbed Buffy’s arm. She stopped and looked at him.

“That’s the second time tonight, Buffy, that you have saved me. Thank you,” Angel said.

“Hey, it’s no big. It goes with the job. Save people that need to be saved,” Buffy replied with a smile on her face…. “Angel?”

“Yeah,” he replied.

“I have to know. How did you end up sleeping with Darla,” Buffy asked.

Angel looked down at the ground. “It all happen so fast, Buffy,” he said, raising his head to look at her. “I didn’t plan on it…I didn’t even want it to happen. One minute we were fighting and then the next we were…you know.”

Buffy didn’t say anything just looked down at the ground as they continued down the street.

“Well how did it happen with Spike,” Angel asked.

“Pretty much the same way. We were fighting, then we were kissing, and then…well you don’t need to hear the details,” Buffy said.

They didn’t say anything else the rest of the way; just walked in silence.

***** Angel Investigations *****

Cordelia laid the baby in the crib. The rest of the gang sat around, waiting for Buffy and Angel to return.

“What is taking so bloody long,” Spike asked, still irritated that Buffy stayed back to wait for Angel.

“I’m sure that they’ll be here in any minute. Oh, see what I mean,” Fred said, just as Buffy and Angel came walking through the doors.

“Where’s my boy,” Angel said happily, walking over to the crib.

“He wouldn’t eat anything, Angel. I don’t know why he didn’t like the milk,” Cordelia said, walking to the kitchen to put the bottle up.

Angel lifted the baby into his arms and smiled. He walked over to the chair and sat down. “How’s my little boy doing,” Angel said making baby faces at him.

Buffy couldn’t help but to laugh at Angel. She walked over to the couch and sat beside Spike. “So nothing happened on the way back?” she asked.

“No, everything was fine,” Gunn replied.

“What about you?” Spike asked.

“There was a little fight but nothing major. Oh Angel you do need to get that spot on your chest bandaged,” Buffy said.

“Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!” Angel yelled.

Everybody stood up and said, “What is it?”

“His eyes. What is with his eyes? Come over here and look at this,” Angel replied. Everybody got up and walked over to Angel. “Just look at his eyes. There is a red flash in them. It comes and goes. Just watch it.” They all stood there and stared at the baby but nothing happened.

“Angel, are you okay,” Wesley asked.

“I’m telling you I saw it,” Angel said, holding the baby close to his face.

Cordelia walked out of the kitchen and then stopped when she saw that everyone was huddled around the baby. “What are you doing?” Cordelia asked.

“Angel thinks that there is something weird with the baby’s eyes but I just think that he hit his head on the table a little too hard when he fell,” Buffy replied, walking back to the couch.

“Yeah, maybe I am seeing things,” Angel said trying to shake off the whole ordeal but still looking confused at the baby’s eyes.

***** The Warehouse *****

Holtz was still lying on the floor. Then he raised his hand and put it on his head, He slowly lifted himself from the floor, still holding his head with his hand. He walked over to the window and put his hands on the wall to hold him steady. He glared out the window and then smiled.

“You’re smart, Angel. You have all your little friends to help you. But I’m smarter…and your little friends can’t help you with what you have to do next,” Holtz said.