TITLE: Talking

AUTHOR: Kelly Rowe

RATING: PG

DISCLAIMER: Buffy, Angel and all other characters (except those I make up) are the absolute property of Joss Whedon, Fox, Mutant Enemy and Warner Bros (If I owned them, the events of Buffy season 4 or most of season 3 wouldn't have occurred).

SPOILERS: General (if any)

TIMELINE: Over 17 years after IWRY

DISTRIBUTION: You want you can have it; just tell me where you put it.

Angel sat on Buffy's couch trying to think. It had only been a few minutes since he'd last spoken, but it seemed like an eternity. He had some major decisions to make and no matter what he decided his and everyone else involved in this lives would be forever changed. He was still in love with Buffy that would never change, but the problem was they didn't know each other anymore, 17 years had not only changed them physically but also emotionally. Another factor in this whole situation, one he had never thought possible, was Hope. He wanted...no needed to get to know his daughter, but he didn't want her to be hurt by anything that might happen between him and Buffy. All of a sudden he needed to get out of the house, he felt trapped in there with them all staring at him.

He got up and said, "I'm going for a walk", and before anyone could reply he was out the door.

He'd only gone a few houses down when he heard footsteps behind him.

"Wait up" a voice called. Angel slowed down so Hope could catch up to him, and she did a few seconds later.

"What are you doing?" he asked, curiously. This was the first move she'd made towards him, well except for threatening him earlier.

"Taking a walk with my...dad" Hope replied, falling into step beside him, "Why, is that unusual?"

"Don't know" Angel told her, "I'm kinda new to this dad thing". They walked in silence for a few minutes, until Angel asked "Aren't you going to tell me anything about yourself?"

"What do you want to know?" She answered, hoping to avoid the topic of her boyfriend again.

"Everything. I have 17 years to catch up on," Angel said.

"This won't take long, there's not much to me" Hope replied.

"I doubt that" Angel told her.

"Well, I'm in high school. I have two best friends, Abby and Dave. Mom says they remind her of Willow and Xander, but after having met Xander I have to say I don't think so, Dave isn't a moron and Xander is". Hope stopped talking when she noticed Angel laughing, "What?" she asked.

"We have something in common. I think Xander's a moron too" Angel replied.

This made Hope smile. "I also do girlie-things".

"Please don't tell me you take after Buffy for shopping?" Angel begged.

"Ok, I won't".

"Do you mean it?" Angel asked.

"Nope, I have a closet full of clothes and shoes".

Angel groaned, "Anything else I need to know".

"I kinda...I mean..." Hope stammered.

"What?"

"I'm the slayer," Hope whispered.

"Just like Buffy" Angel said, realising that it was possible that he could have lost Hope before he knew about her.

"Not quite, I'm a lot stronger and quicker than she ever was. The council say it's because mom was a slayer," Hope told him.

"Wow" Angel replied, not quite knowing what else to say.

They walked along in silence again, this time it was Hope who asked, "Tell me about you?"

"I'm really not interesting" Angel said, not wanting to tell her about his life as a vampire.

"I'm not asking about the years before my birth, if I wanted to know that I'd look it up in the watcher diaries. I'm simply asking about the last 17 years of your life" Hope told him.

"Alright" Angel replied.

The End