Mo Anam Chara

DISCLAIMER: Doesn't belong to me. Everything belongs to Joss and Company.

SPOILERS: The timeline is around BTVS season six and Angel season three. Oh, I did change a few things. In this story Saint Cordelia never went to heaven, and Angel and Conner have managed to work through their problems.

Pairings: A/C, D/S, G/F, W/O, C/C, and finally A/B

Rating: NC-17 for adult language and sexual content.

Feedback: Would love it, but keep in mind this is the first time I've posted a story.

Distribution: Notify if archived.

Music: "I'm With You" by Avril Lavigne. "Hand Me Down" by Matchbox 20, and "If You're Not The One" by Daniel Beddington

Dedication: To my husband, Joey who finally convinced me to let someone besides him read my stories.

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PROLOGUE

"Is it done?"

"Yes." The male higher being answered the female as he moved into the room, and closed the distance to her. "But I do not understand why it had to be done this way."

"There is a purpose for everything, and you know what her purpose is."

"I do, but how can she do her purpose if she is full of hate and bitterness?"

"She was not happy here. You know that. It's a chance we must take, and the stars say... Well, you know what the stars say."

"Yes, I do. But I also know the stars can be changed. Hasn't she proved that? Hasn't he?"

"Yes, that is true, but they both will see the light in time."

"You know he will question her return. And what about his new lady warrior? He shares emotions with her."

"Not the kind he thinks. In time he will figure that out."

"And if he doesn't?"

"He will. It is written that he will."

"Hmm... Because the truth will be told."

"Yes, it shall. And it won't be easy when it is. There will be confusion, hurt, and pain. Lot's of pain."

"And more hate..."

"Yes, and they will have to overcome it all before they can find their way back to each other."

"And if they don't overcome? What then?"

"Then we are all doomed." The female higher being finally turned away from the flock of doves she had been petting to look at the male higher being. "And the world as we know it and the people that live in it are all doomed as well."

****

I wasn't even born when the girl with flaming red hair came to tell that she had died... again. I wasn't there to see him mourn her death, go away to Tibet for months to recover from it. But even after I did come along, I never knew about her. Sure, I knew that once a year he locked himself away in his room for a day, and brooded. But you have to understand that brooding came naturally to my father. In fact, I had gotten so used to it by the time we had worked through our problems I had quit questioning why he did it.

It's my understanding now that everyone refrained from speaking about her because they knew it would send my father into serious brood mode. That's the reason I never even knew she existed. But eventually I would find out about her. Eventually I would find out why everyone never spoke of her. Not even him. Eventually I would find out that his indifference to her wasn't really indifference at all. And eventually I would find out her true meaning to him. Not just to him, but to me as well. Eventually everyone would find out just how important she really was period. But until that time came, life went on. I got older, and joined the fight against evil. I joined the fight for my father's redemption, and I was by his side when he began to earn it. I was there to watch him see the sunlight for the first time in over two hundred and fifty some years. Rejoiced in it. Of course, my happiness at being by his side when it happened would fade the moment I learned his secret. But I'm jumping ahead of my story here, so let me go back a little.

I was there... By my father's side to watch him start to earn his redemption. I was there to watch the changes in him. We changed together. We became father and son instead of enemies. We became a family. And I soon began to think that he would eventually add to our family. Take a mate. He grew to love someone. Someone that and I and everyone else thought was the woman of his dreams. But like everything else I was eventually going to find out why he never would take the final step with her, and I was going to find it all out in the form of a gift. A gift from the powers.

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CHAPTER 1

Five years later...

"Conner? Son?" Conner suddenly jumped as a hand landed on his shoulder, but his eyes remained on the building across the street. "Conner, are you listening to me?"

"Mmm..."

"Okay then, what did I..." Angel peeked around the side of his son to find his eyes fastened on something outside the Hyperion lobby doors. "What are you looking at?"

Conner pointed straight ahead. "We have a new neighbor."

Angel came around to look at where his son was pointing to. "What happened to the Orange Julius that used to be there?"

"That's been gone for six months, Dad."

"It has?" Angel scratched his head. "How come no one told me?"

Conner shrugged, and still continued to keep his eyes trained on the building across the street. "Don't know. Maybe because you don't like orange juice."

"Right." Angel murmured and turned away from the front entrance doors to look at Conner. "So what's with the sudden interest in our new neighbor?"

"It's a girl."

"OH... Umm... Maybe now's a good time for us to talk."

"It's not necessary, Dad."

"Why not?"

"Because it's not what you think."

"It's not?"

"No. I've never even met her. Or even seen her for that matter."

"Then how do you know it's a girl?"

"She has breasts."

"W-What?" Angel blinked in surprise.

"Breasts. She has breasts, Dad. Nice ones from what I can tell. Their not as big as Cordelia's, but Gunn told me that more than a mouthful is a waste anyway."

"Okay, when did you look at Cordelia's... When did you and Gunn talk about..." Angel swept a hand through his hair. "Maybe we really should talk, Conner."

Conner finally glanced at his father. "Why? Did I say something wrong?"

"No. No. It's just we never... We never talked about what happens when a man and woman uhh... Well..."

"It's okay, Dad." Conner chuckled. "You can relax. I already know about all that."

"Y-You do?"

"Yeah." Conner's eyes returned to across the street. "Holtz told me. A-And I umm... I'm not exactly a virgin. I umm... While I was out there I umm... I've been with a woman, and you really can relax because I know the do's and don'ts that go along with it. Besides, it's like I told you before it's not like that with her."

Angel was still reeling from the news that his son had had sex, but he finally managed to relax somewhat. "Of course, it's not like that with her. You've never even seen her. And then there's the possibility that she could actually be a he dressed up like a she. We have alot of those in LA."

"Yeah, we do. But I know she's not one of them." Conner pointed to the form silhoutted in the shade of the first floor window. "Look at her. She moves like a woman. She has a womanly shape."

Angel glanced at the form Conner was pointing at. There was something vaguely familiar about the way she... he moved, but he quickly shook it off as a sharp pang of guilt began to overwhelm him. "Will you please stop staring at her, Conner. I feel like we're invading her... his privacy."

"The shade is drawn, and you can't see anything except her form. How then can we be invading her privacy?"

"Because it's uhh..." Angel suddenly forgot what he was about to say as he continued to watch the figure, and once again he fought the feeling that there was something vaguely familiar about her... him. "It's not nice to stare."

"I wasn't staring." Conner informed him. "I was watching her. You're the one that's staring."

"She's uhh... I'm not staring either, Conner. It's just... She's uhh... doing Tai Chi."

"Yeah." Conner murmured. "She does that alot."

"What do you mean..." Angel tore his gaze from the form again, and turned back to his son. "Just exactly how long have you been watching this person, Conner?"

"Two weeks."

"Two weeks!" Angel practically yelled. "Conner..."

Conner glanced over at his father. "I told you it's not like that, Dad. I've been watching her because I think she's a vampire."

"Why do you think that?"

"She never sleeps at night."

"That doesn't mean she's... he's a vampire, Conner. Maybe she... he works at night."

"I thought about that, but she never leaves during the day either. At least, if she does I don't see her."

"That still doesn't mean she's... he's a vampire, Conner."

"Okay, maybe she's not." Conner turned back to look at the building across the street. "But something is definitely off with her."

"Off? Off how?"

Conner wasn't about to tell his father that he was getting really weird vibes of their new neighbor. He knew if he did he would worry, so he kept his mouth shut. "I umm... I don't... I just..."

"You're attracted to her."

Conner glanced back over at his father and smiled. "So are you admitting you think she's a she, too?"

"No, I'm not doing any such thing, Conner. And don't change the subject. Are you attracted to umm... him... her?"

Conner's eyes returned to across the street. "I'm not really sure if you could call it attraction. It's more like I'm fascinated with her. I don't know. There's just something about her."

"Conner..." Angel started to say something, but he was interrupted. "There you two are." He turned around to greet the owner of the voice with a smile on his face. "Did you want something?"

"As a matter of fact, I did." Cordelia greeted him with a smile of her own, then handed him his jacket. "We have to go."

"Vision?"

She nodded. "Uh huh. Down on the docks. Looks like some vamp nest is inducting new members off some of the ships down there. I called the others. Their going to meet us there."

"Okay." Angel began to shrug on his coat as he turned back to Conner. "Conner?"

"What?" Conner asked, still not taking his eyes off the form across the street.

"Vision. Work. Are you coming or do you want to stay here?" Angel eyed his son's back in concern.

"I'm coming." He turned around to look at his father. "I could blow off some steam right about now."

And Conner did manage to blow off some steam. Especially when the team from AI had to split up to find the stragglers from the vampire nest they had raided earlier that night. The four he had given chase to had ended up eluding him until they had ducked into the alley behind his new neighbor's building. He didn't take time to ponder if it was just a coincidence or not. He simply gave chase after them, and it wasn't long after he had that he realized his mistake...

****

He was going to die... He knew it, and Conner silently cursed himself for being so stupid in the first place. He should have listened to his father. He should have never followed the four vamps into the alley. Angel had warned him there were too many places for a vampire to hide in such a place. Too many places to seek cover, and wait for the perfect opportunity to attack. And now here he was, shoved up against the brick wall of some building, waiting for the larger of the four vamps to finish him off while the other three stood and waited with smiles on there faces for the leftovers.

Conner prayed his father... any of his family... would find him before it was too late, but deep down he knew his prayers were in vain. No one would find him. Not alive anyway. And because they wouldn't eventually they would have to hunt him down the same way they had done the species he was about to become a member of.

It was a promise they had made to each other before he had ever entered their lives, and it was a promise they still kept now, and would always keep. They had vowed that if one of them should fall in the battle against evil the others would make sure he or she wouldn't come back as the enemy. That's what family was for. Especially his family. It was a bond they shared. A bond that made them even closer than other families.

Oh, God. He really was going to die, Conner thought to himself as he felt the fangs of the vampire sink into his neck, and his blood... his life's essence, slowly be drained from his body. But just when he felt everything began to fade around him he heard what sounded like a car engine, and lights... He saw lights, and then it was over. He watched in shock as the three other vamps were the first to disappear, and then the larger one, the one that had his fangs buried in his neck, was gone, too. Disappearing like dust in the wind, and left standing in his place was the most incredible woman he had ever seen.

His stunned eyes flew to her equally as stunned ones as he slid down the wall in relief and weakness, and then within seconds she was joining him, collapsing to the earth in front of him, and dropping the makeshift stake in her hands in the process.

They both sat there for what seemed like forever, both too shocked to do anything, but eventually he regained his senses enough to crawl over to her. He reached out to touch her, but she jerked away from him, but he wasn't sure if it was from fear or shock. "A-Are you okay?"

"I uhh..." The golden blonde shook her head as if to clear it. "I uhh..." And then suddenly she was touching him. "Y-You're bleeding."

Conner shrugged her hand away. Her touch... It felt funny. "It's nothing. Just a scratch."

She looked down at the blood on her hand. "I uhh... I think it's more than just a scratch. He w-was biting you." She frowned before looking back up at him. "I umm... w-where did they g-go? I s-stabbed them. I k-know I did. I-I felt it pierce..." She glanced back down at her bloody hand. "There's b-blood, but it isn't theirs. I-It's mine..." Cause it's always got to be blood, a voice whispered in her head. "B-Blood... It's just like mine. N-No! N-Not mine... I-It's n-not mine. It's yours." She must have spaced for a moment because the next thing she realized the stranger was gently touching her on the arm, jarring her back to reality. "I think you're in shock."

"Uh huh." She said, staring at him.

"You don't know what just happened, do you?"

She vigorously shook her head no, then turned away from him long enough to lose the contents of her stomach. When she turned back to him she was really pale, but still the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. "A-A drink." She pushed herself up off the ground on unsteady legs, and looked down at him. "I uhh... I n-need a drink. A-Are you coming?"

Ten minutes later the young woman had Conner's neck bandaged, and was now standing behind a kitchen island pouring Irish whiskey into two glasses. While she was doing that he took the opportunity to look around the room he was sitting in. It was large and open, and obviously under construction. But it wasn't the construction that caught his eye. It was the paintings leaned against one wall of the room. When he finally tore his gaze away from them and turned back to her, it was to find her eyeing him over the rim of her glass in great scrutiny. "It's Hell... The paintings. Their all of Hell." She pushed the other glass across the counter to him.

Conner looked down at the glass then back up at her. "You've been there." It was more of a statement than a question.

"I uhh... In my d-dreams I have." She sat her glass down, and pointed to the muriels. "The paintings are taken from my dreams. The umm... The dreams are so vivid sometimes. So vivid it seems real. So vivid it seems like I really have been there." She lifted her glass to her lips again and took a big gulp before sitting it down. "B-But if you think that's weird you're wrong. It g-gets weirder. I uhh... The really weird part is I managed to paint them in the exact image of my dreams. I mean identically."

"That's not so weird. It just means you really do have an artists'eye."

She let out a little laugh. "What if I told you that I'm not an artist. What if I told you I have no memory of ever being artistic before."

"Before?" Conner eyed her across the counter. "Before what?"

"Five years a-ago. I umm... I was hit by a car. I umm... I was in a coma for awhile. When I came to I umm... I don't remember anything. I mean, of my life before. I don't remember it, and no one seems to know who I am to tell me anything about it. Or at least that's what my Dad... my adoptive Dad tells me. No one seems to know who I am period. I don't exist. For the six months I was in my coma I was called Angel because apparently that's the only word that came out of my mouth the whole time."

Conner toyed with his glass. "Well, I guess that explains it."

She frowned. "Explains what?"

He locked eyes with her. "The weird vibes I've been getting off you. You're not a vampire. You're an angel."

She started laughing again, but quickly sobered and stared at him across the counter. "I-I'm sorry, b-but did you just say you thought I was a v-vampire?"

"Yeah." Conner nodded.

She started laughing again. "Th-That's funny. I-I mean, I th-thought I was a little loopy, b-but you... If someone heard you say that you would be in a psychiatric hospital before you could blink."

"Why do you say that?" Conner asked, a little confused.

"B-Because..." She laughed. "Everyone knows there's no such thing as vampire's, silly. There just folklore. M-Made up stories about incrediblely sexy males that enthrall the beautiful woman with their incredibly gorgeous, dark eyes."

Now it was Conner's turn to laugh. "Boy, if my father could hear you say that... Sure, to alot of women he may be sexy, and his eyes are dark, but I'm not so sure I would go as far as saying their incredibly gorgeous because I know for a fact their not when he morphs. Of course, no vampire is very pretty when in full vamp face, and that includes my father.

"Y-Your father?" She frowned again, and shook her head. "O-Okay, a-are you telling me... A-Are you saying th-that..."

"My father's a vampire?" Conner finished for her.

She nodded mutely.

"Yes. Well, he's part one anyway. And okay, you're staring at me. Why are you staring at me? Are you going to tell me that you were serious about thinking vampire's were folklore?"

"Uh huh..." She continued to stare at him in shock.

"But... If that's the case what did you..." Conner finally lifted his glass to his lips, and the dark liquid nearly burnt his throat up as it slid down it. "Outside..." He choked out as he sat his glass back down. "What do you think those guys were outside?"

"I umm... Guys. I mean, they looked like guys, but then..." She reached for her own glass again. "A-A blur. Everything's a blur. I-I remember pulling up in my car and seeing you fight with them, and then they umm... They surrrounded you... I don't know..." She finished off her drink and reached for the bottle to refill it. "I umm... I don't know. I just... I saw the biggest one shove you against the wall, a-and somehow... somehow I just knew he was going to kill you." Her hands were shaking as she refilled her glass. "E-Everything's a blur. I just... I barely remember jumping out of my car... There umm... There was some old chairs I had thrown out earlier in the day for the garbage truck to pick up. I-I remember snapping the leg off it, b-but..." She took another gulp of her drink. "A-A blur... Everything's a blur a-after that. He umm... H-He was biting you. I-I do remember that, but afterwards... A blur... Everything's a-a blur... But I-I do remember dust. One minute he was there and the n-next p-poof... Dust."

Conner chuckled. "The other three went poof before the one biting me did. And you were right about the dust. That's normally what you get when you stake a vampire through the heart."

"V-Vampire?"

"Yes." Conner locked eyes with her again. "Are you honestly going to tell me you didn't know what you killed?"

She jumped to her feet. "Hell yes, I'm telling you I didn't know what they uhh..." She began to pace back and forth in front of him. "A dream. This has to be a dream like all the others. I'm going to wake up. A-Any minute now I'm going to wake up."

It was during her pacing that Conner caught sight of something that sent him scrambling off his own barstool. "Sonofa..."

"Wh-What?" She spun around to look at him.

"Y-You're a..." He started to laugh, but quickly sobered and was yanking her across the counter before she could so much as blink. "I don't know who you are, demon but whoever you are I'm not falling for your tricks."

"Wh-What?" She repeated and her eyes welled up with tears as he yanked her head back by her hair.

"This..." Conner spat through gritted teeth, and touched her scar. The moment he did though, a shock wave went through him, causing him to abruptly let go of her and stumble back in both fear and stunned surprise. "Wh-Who are you?" He whispered, locking eyes with her.

"I don't know." She answered, her teary gaze connecting with him. "I-I don't know." And then she was crying. Sobbing was more like it, and God help him he couldn't take it. For some reason it was breaking his heart, and he didn't stop to question why. All he could think about was comforting her as he watched her fall to the floor in a crumbled heap...

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CHAPTER 2

"I'm sorry." She murmured a little while later. I normally don't get this emotional."

"Neither do I." Conner admitted to her. They were now sitting in the floor against the counter, her head laying on his shoulder. "I don't know what came over me."

"Y-You felt it, too." She sniffled, and raised her head to look at him.

"D-Didn't you?"

He nodded.

"Do uhh... Do we... I mean, d-do you know who I am? Wh-Who I really am?"

"No." He murmured. "But for some reason I feel like I should. Weird, huh?"

"N-No. I umm..." Another laugh erupted from her throat. "I don't think it's any weirder than what else has happened tonight."

Conner chuckled. "True."

Her laughter faded, but her smile stayed. "I'm Chara, by the way." She stuck out her hand. "Chara Williams."

Conner enveloped her hand, and he was once again overwhelmed with a storm of emotions. "Conner. Just Conner. And it's nice to meet you, Chara."

"You too, Conner." She rewarded him with another smile. "And now that the introductions are out of the way don't you think we should try and figure out what the hell is going on with us?"

"Why question it? I mean, it's pretty obvious that it was meant to be, us meeting, so maybe we should just take it as the blessing it is and go from there."

"Blessing, huh? You think it was a blessing that we met?"

"Of course." He smiled, and there was something vaguely familiar about it to Chara, but she didn't have a clue why. "If we hadn't I would be..."

"Dead..." She finished and shivered. "Yeah, I know. But I still don't really understand what happened. All I remember is pulling up in my car and seeing you... I've never seen anyone fight the way you do. You were doing some serious ass kicking, and then I remember seeing the other three come out of nowhere... I wanted to scream until I realized I was still sitting in my car and it wouldn't do any good if I did. Everything's kinda blurry after that. I saw them gang up on you, and somehow I just knew I couldn't sit by and do nothing. By the time I managed to get to you the bigger one was already uhh... biting you. I don't know how to explain it but it was almost like I could feel your pain, and I have never been so afraid in my life. N-Not for me, but f-for you. I-I was afraid for you. Really afraid. Now tell me that's not weird."

"Maybe to others, but... Well, the truth is the same happened to me when you started crying..." Conner murmured. " When you started crying I felt your pain. All of it. And I have to tell you now it was rather overwhelming."

"S-Sorry." She half-giggled, half-cried. "I umm... Th-The pain... I-It umm... It comes from five years of pain and n-not knowing."

"But there's happiness inside you, too." Conner reached for her hand. "I felt it. Tell me about it. Tell me about the last five years. Maybe it will help you, and in the process it will give me the chance to get to know you."

"Well, I umm..." She sighed. "You already know the first part of the story. I umm... After the accident I umm... I was in the coma for six months, and then one day I just woke up, and when I did I couldn't remember anything. Nothing. Not even my name. It was so hard... The not knowing. It still is, but having Kyle helps."

"Kyle? Who's Kyle? Is he your mate?"

Chara laughed. "I think you mean husband, and the answer is no." She quickly sobered, and looked down at her left hand. "Although I'm not ruling out the possibility that I have one out there somewhere." She held up her hand. "See this..." She showed him the ring on her left ring finger. "It's another part of my past life that I don't remember. It was the only thing on me when I was found, and after I was well enough I did some research. It's a..."

"Irish wedding ring..." Conner finished for her. "Yeah, I know. My father was... is originally from Galway, Ireland. He taught me everything there is to know about his people, including their traditions. But that ring... It doesn't have the same meaning as it used to when my Dad was growing up. It's not always given as a wedding ring nowdays. Nowdays it's mainly exchanged as a sign of friendship."

"I know that too, Conner." She murmured, looking down at the ring on her finger again. "And even Kyle has pointed it out to me because he doesn't want me to think the worst."

"The worst?"

"Yeah. That whoever he was... My husband... Kyle doesn't want me to think he didn't want me anymore. He umm... He doesn't want me to think that I couldn't make him happy... That I was incapable of loving or being loved by whoever he was, but it's too late... I've thought of nothing but that since the moment I found out the true meaning of my ring. How can I not when he's not here to tell and show me differently. There's no one. Not one single person from my past life has come looking for me, a-and because they haven't I can't help but wonder what kind of person I really was. Horrible. That's all I can think. I must have been a really horrible person. I mean, how else do you explain the fact that no one has missed me?"

She shook her head as if to clear it. "I'm sorry," She murmured. "Depressing. I must be depressing you. K-Kyle... Let's get back to Kyle. He's uhh... He's my adoptive Dad, n-not my real Dad. He umm... He was the police officer that investigated my a-accident. T-To say he got personally involved is an understatement. He said he fell in love with me the first moment he laid eyes on me, and he swore to take care of me no matter what, and he did. He umm... He did everything he could to find my true identity while I was in the hospital. He wanted to find my real family and bring them to me, but his search was futile. N-Nothing. He couldn't find anything. It was like I never existed, so when it turned out I might be facing life in a mental institution.... He umm... He couldn't take it. My being all alone, so he gave me a home, and his last name. I picked out the name Chara myself. I don't know why. I just... I don't know why but it just came to me one day in the hospital, and it felt right for some reason."

"You've mentioned a mental institution twice. We're you in one?"

"Y-Yes." She stood up, and walked over to the counter to pour herself another drink, and Conner knew whatever she was struggling with must be pretty bad. "It's okay, Chara. You can tell me anything. I promise I won't judge you."

"I umm... After I came out of the coma, things were so hard. My recuperation was long and drawn out because of the coma, and the injuries I sustained in the accident. I had surgery right after the accident to relieve the swelling on my brain, and to stop the internal bleeding... And I also had two other surgeries on my right leg while I was in the coma. It was severly broken. C-Compound fracture. I had to take hours and hours of physical therapy to regain my strength, and then the hospital gave me back my ring, and I couldn't help but wonder why no one had tried to find me. I don't know... Maybe it was all too much for me because I started having these nightmares. Nightmares about hell, demons, vampires, death and destruction, and blood... Lots and lots of blood. The images were so vivid I would wake up screaming my head off, and I also had this feeling like someone was watching me. I was always looking over my shoulder. I didn't sleep. I still don't sleep. But before... eventually everything just took it's toll on me physically and mentally." She let out a bitter laugh, and took a sip of her drink. "I cracked... I cracked under all the pressure so my doctor called in a psychiatrist to exam me, and when I told him about the nightmares and that I felt like I was being watched he came to the conclusion that I was crazy and had me committed to a mental institution." She shivered. "I was there thirty horrifying days before Kyle finally managed to get me out, and I 'm never going back. Never! I don't care how many people think I'm a freak. I'm not going back there. I'm not! Thankfully though, I'll never have to worry about it because Kyle has promised me he would never let anyone hurt me again."

Her experience was really bad. Not just that, she was hiding something. Conner could tell. That's why he didn't press her to talk about it further, maybe in time she would open up to him and tell him what she was hiding. Until then he would wait. "Kyle... You two are close, huh?"

"Uh huh..." She swiped at tears he couldn't see, and walked back over to sit beside him. "He never had kids of his own. His wife died ten years ago of cancer, and he pretty much devoted his life to being a cop until I came along and got him away from it. I umm... I hated it. Him being a cop. Everytime he left to go to work I would be on edge the whole time wondering if that particular night would be the night one of his fellow officers was going to arrive at our house bearing the news I feared the most. I stayed on him to retire for two years, and then last year something happened that enabled him to make my dream come true."

"What happened?"

"I-I hit the jackpot."She laid her head back down on his shoulder. "Vegas. We went to Vegas on vacation. He hadn't taken a vacation in years, and I finally talked him into going. Again, I don't know why, but for some reason I wanted to go there, and he took me. We were there three days when I hit the megabucks on a slot machine at the Desert Inn."

"When you say megabucks, exactly how many megabucks are we talking about, Chara?"

"You were eyeing my car outside earlier, Conner. How much money do you think it takes to buy a car like that?"

"I-I don't know. I don't even have my driver's liscense much less own a car. Now ease my curiosity and answer my question. Just how many megabucks did you win?"

She raised her head to look at him. "34.9 million after taxes."

Conner blinked in surprise. "You're kidding?"

"Nope, and I was just as shocked as you are. It took me a month before I realized I had more money than I could ever imagine, but it only took me one second after I did for me to know what I wanted to do with some of it. K-Kyle... I deposited a very nice sum into his retirement account, and then I went to him and asked him to retire. At first he said no, but when I told him how scared I was of losing him, he gave in and did as I asked."

"So he retired. What's he doing now?"

"He runs a community center downtown. He loves kids. He always has, and he's been volunteering for years. He doesn't like to see kids on the streets. Once I was well enough, I started volunteering myself. I teach Karate, Tai Chi, Gymnastics, Yoga, and Modern Dance. I love teaching. I majored in Physical Education at UCLA, and I just graduated six months ago. A Personal Trainer. I'm a Personal Trainer, and this place is going to be my gym once I'm done with it."

Conner looked around the wide open room, at the muriels on the wall. "This place is going to be a gym?"

Chara giggled. "A-Actually, this is going to be my apartment. The gym is going to be downstairs."

"So you're going to live here?"

"I already live here. I moved in two weeks ago. There's alot that needs to be done, and since I have really weird sleep habits, and work schedule I thought my staying here would allow me to work on those things when I'm not working or can't sleep. Kyle hated it, of course. My moving out on my own, I mean. But it was for the best. He's only forty nine years old, but he acts much older. Lives like a damn hermit when he's not volunteering, and I'm sick of it. He needs a life outside of me. Don't get me wrong though. I'm not trying to put distance between us. I still want him in my life. He's my Dad. But as long as I'm around he refuses to do anything without me, and it's not good for him. He needs the kind of female companionship I can't give him."

"You mean he needs a mate."

Chara laughed again. "Yeah, a mate. He needs a mate. Or at least he needs to date prospective ones anyway."

Conner locked eyes with her. "And you? What about you, Chara? What do you need? Do you need one as well?"

Chara turned away from him. "No. I don't need anything, Conner. I'm happy with the way my life is. Besides, I don't date, and I pretty much told you why, so let's just drop it, okay?"

"Chara..." Conner started to say, but she cut him off. "You know, I've been babbling about myself and I just realized that we haven't really talked about you o-or what happened o-outside." She glanced back over at him. "What did happen outside, Conner. I mean, really? Because from where I was standing either those guys were really ugly or they wasn't human, and I'm guessing by the way you fought them that you're not exactly normal boy either."

"I told you what those things were outside, Chara."

"S-So it's true?" She asked meekly.

"Yes." Conner nodded. "It's true. Vampires exist. As do demons and any other evil you could possibly imagine."

A half laugh, half sob escaped from her lips. "G-God, what I-I wouldn't have given to know you four and a half y-years ago before they put me i-in that place."

"Chara..."

She shook her head. "N-No, Conner. You don't have to apologize to me for what happened. You wasn't even there. I umm... It's just... It's overwhelming. All this is overwhelming. I-I just need some time to digest it is all." She stood up and moved to the kitchen island to pour herself another drink. "So... A-Are you?"

"Am I what?" Conner stared at her back in confusion.

"A-A vampire?" She turned back around to look at him. " Are you going to kill me? B-Because I seem to recall you mentioning earlier that your father is one, too."

"My father's different, Chara. And so am I."

"I would ask you to explain different, Conner. But right now I need you to answer my question. Are you going to kill me?"

"What do you think?"

Her eyes welled up with tears. "I-I don't know." She began to cry again. "I-I look at you and it feels as if I've known you forever. A-And then there's those things outside... They would have killed me. I know they would have killed me if they had gotten the chance."

Conner stood up. "Yes, they would have. Their cold blooded killers."

"But a-are they like you and y-your father?"

"No. I told you we're different, Chara. Neither one of us would ever hurt you, and you'll see that once I explain everything to you."

"Fine. Explain then. Start with your father first. Tell me how he's different from those things outside."

"He has a soul. Well, that and he's part human now, too."

"W-What?"

"Human, Chara. My Dad is part human." He saw her frown, and reach up to rub her temples. "Look, it's complicated, okay?"

"Uh huh. So complicated that it's already giving me a splitting headache."

"I'm sorry." He murmured. "But will you let me explain anyway?"

"Sure." She gestured to a stool, and then sat down in the one behind her.

"Be my guest."

Conner sat down. "Okay, where do you want me to start?"

"How about at the beginning." She reached for the bottle of Irish whiskey on the counter. "How did your Dad become a vampire?"

"He was sired by a female vampire in Galway, Ireland in 1753. Her name was Darla."

"So that umm... that would make him over two hundred and fifty years old, right?"

"Two hundred fifty three to be exact." Conner answered her. "And he was one of the evilest vampires to ever exist. That's why he was dubbed Angelus, The Scourge of Europe. He left a path of destruction... death... where ever he went."

"Okay, if that's the case, how can he be any different than those things outside? In fact, from what you're telling me it sounds like he should be the leader of the pack."

"The word is Master, and Dad probably would have been one if he had stayed on the path he was on. But the thing is he's not like that anymore. See, when a human is turned into a vampire there's nothing left of that person except it's body. There's nothing left inside whatsoever. No heart... No soul... All that's there is demon. Pure demon. That's how my Dad differs from other vampires. He's the only vampire to have a soul."

"So what you're saying is your Dad didn't have a soul at first, but now he does?" She asked as she raised her glass of whiskey to her lips.

"Yes."

"O-Kay, I get it. But I don't understand how he got it. His soul, I mean."

"He was cursed by Romany gypsies. They cursed him with his soul after he killed a beloved daughter of their clan. It took him almost eighty years to pull himself together enough to deal with the things he had done while he was Angelus, and now he fights his own kind to redeem himself. He's earning his humanity."

Chara shook her head. "I-I don't understand. H-How is that p-possible?"

"The powers. He's a warrior for the powers now, and his reward for helping them in their fight against evil is his humanity. He's slowly but surely earning it back little by little. There's even a prophecy about him. It tells of how the vampire with a soul will shanshu... earn his humanity... if he survives the end of days. But prophecies are sometimes very vague. As was the case in the one about my Dad. Instead of him earning his humanity all at once after the end of days like we thought, he's slowly earning it piece by piece instead. The best we can figure out is that the final step will be made if he does survive the end of days. I guess that explains why he never gets excited when a change occurs."

"S-So there have been ch-changes?"

"Yeah. First he lost his allergy to crosses and churches. Then the curse was fixed. The powers bound his soul to keep him from losing it and going all evil."

"Has that happened before? H-Him going all evil?"

"Yeah, twice. But I wasn't around to see it and he won't talk about it, so I have no idea what happened to cause it."

"It must h-have been bad." Cara murmured.

"Gathering Angelus' history I don't doubt that it was. That's why it was a big relief to the both of us that the powers bound his soul. He had made me promise that if he should ever lose his soul again I would kill him. But honestly, I'm not so sure I could have done it because they share the same body, the same face. My father's face."

There was something about this conversation that was vaguely familiar to Chara, but she didn't know why. And she wasn't about to try and figure it out. Not when her head was starting to feel like there was a entire drum line inside of it. "I umm... The changes... Have there been others?" Conner nodded. "Yeah. He can now eat real food. He still requires blood, but not everyday. And before you ask, because I know you're going to, Dad doesn't drink human blood. Pig's blood. He drinks pig's blood purchased at a butcher shop."

"Oh, I umm... So I guess you wasn't lying when you said he wouldn't hurt me. If he doesn't drink human blood that means he doesn't uhhh... bite. A-Am I right? He doesn't bite does he?"

"No." Conner fibbed. He wasn't about to tell her about the time his father bit his friend Kate. He didn't want to scare her or upset her. Not when he knew that's exactly what was going to happen when he broached the subject with her about the scar on her neck that he had noticed earlier. "And if you think that's weird than you're wrong. Try seeing a vampire go into sunlight and not go poof. The day that happened to my Dad I nearly freaked out."

"Sunlight? Y-Your Dad can go into the sunlight?"

"Yeah, that was the most dramatic, and recent change. It happened six months ago."

"A-And he's happy about it?"

"To a certain extent he is because of me... Us. He enjoys the fact that he and I can do things together outside in the daylight now, but I don't know... After it happened he withdrew into himself for weeks. Brooded as everyone calls it. And because he did, Cordelia got really pissed off. Why I don't know."

"C-Cordelia?" Chara frowned. Why the hell did that name seem sound so familiar?

"She's my Dad's girlfriend." Conner informed her.

"Oh... Umm... I-Is she a vampire, too?"

"No." Conner shook his head. "She's human. Well, part human. She gave up part of her humanity to become half demon."

"W-What? W-Why would she do such a thing?"

"She gets visions from the powers. They send them to her when someone is in trouble. That's how my Dad helps them, and with each individual that he helps he earns a little more of his redemption. Cordelia's been helping him since he moved here. Her and my Dad's other friends. It was one of my Dad's friends that passed the ability to have visions on to Cordelia. He was part demon so he could handle them, but when he died and passed that ability on to Cordelia her human body couldn't handle it. Getting the visions was killing her, so she became part demon to keep that from happening. She gave up part of her humanity so that she could continue to help my Dad."

"Is she uhh... Is she your m-mother?"

"No. My mother was... is Darla, my Dad's sire. I never knew her. She umm... She didn't have a soul like Dad, but she did get a heart in the end before she umm... She sacrificed her life to save mine."

"So what does that make you?"

"Human. I'm human." Conner looked across the counter at her. "And don't ask me how that's possible because I don't know. Know one does. In fact, know one knows how to explain the fact that my Dad got Darla pregnant in the first place. Vampires can't... Their dead... Their not supposed to be able to have children much less a completely human one. I'm the exception. And to make things even more complicated it turns out I'm not just an ordinary human. It turns out I'm sorta like you."

"M-Me? What do you mean you're like me, Conner? I-I'm not... I'm not like you."

"Yes, you are, Chara. You don't scar. You said so yourself. Neither do I. You're strong. Abnormally strong. So am I. And last but not least, you fight better than my Dad. I'm not quite there but in time I will be. You are not a normal human being, Chara. And neither am I. So I guess that makes us kindred."

"I umm..." She shook her head. "I didn't know about the super strength. The not scarring, yes. But the strength... I remember the first time it was b-brought to my attention. Gods, I don't think I'll ever be able to forget it. B-But that doesn't mean... I can hold back. I have been holding back. N-No one knows. N-Not even D-Daddy. I've hidden it for so long. U-Until tonight."

"You know, if I didn't know better I would almost swear you were a slayer."

"A-A slayer?" Chara frowned again. "W-What's a slayer?"

"The Chosen One. The one girl in the world chosen to defend it against the vampires and other evil that threaten it's existance."

"A-And you think I umm... D-Do you really think I may be one?"

"I really did think it was possible, but the more I do think about it, I kinda doubt it. There's only one slayer, and she's the only one until she umm... dies. Faith is the slayer now. She'll umm... She'll be the slayer until she dies, and another one is called to take her place."

"F-Faith?" Chara rubbed her temples as another name rang familiar in her head. "Y-You know this umm... You know the slayer?"

"Mmm... But not as good as my Dad. Their friends. They have been for awhile."

"Th-That's umm... That's a little weird, don't you think? A-A vampire being friends with a slayer?"

"No, not really. I told you my Dad was different, Chara. He kills evil to protect the innocent, and Faith does the same thing. They both fight to better the world. Someone has to do it. Especially since so many others fail to see what's really out there."

"I guess that explains about this then." She pointed to the scar on her neck. "I noticed a little while after I came out of the coma, and when I asked about it Kyle and my doctor told me it was there when I was found. The doctor told me he thought it was a wild animal bite, but I dreamt differently. I dreamt I was bitten by a vampire with no face, and when I told the doctor at the institution about it he centered my treatment around convincing me that there was no such thing as vampires therefore my scar couldn't have been caused by one." She let out a bitter laugh. "A-After I umm... got out of the institution I couldn't even look at it much less talk it about it. That's why when someone finally did ask me what happened to cause it I told them I was bitten by an adorable angry puppy. I thought the story was cute, and was much better than telling someone I was bitten by a wild animal or a-a... I never told anyone that I thought it was a vampire bite after I got out of the institution. I was afraid it would get me thrown back into it. Of course, now that I've met you and I know I'm not crazy..." She locked eyes with him and raised her hand to the scar again. "It isn't an angry puppy bite is it?"

Conner leaned across the counter to cover her hand. "No, I don't think it is. I'm pretty sure it's a vampire bite, but I won't swear to it because I've never seen any old bite marks. Just fresh one's like mine, and the only answer I have to why you're alive is that you evidently must have gotten lucky like I did tonight."

"By lucky you mean either I escaped or someone saved me?"

"Possibly. But then again..."He brushed her hand aside to touch the scar, and the minute he did he got the same shockwaves he had earlier. Shockwaves that had him drawing his hand back because of the intensity of them.

"B-But then again what?"

"N-Nothing..." Conner reached for his untouched glass of whiskey. "It's nothing."

Chara could tell there was something he wasn't telling her. It was written all over his face. "C-Conner..."

Conner took a big gulp of the whiskey before speaking to her "You know, My Dad told me alcohol was bad for you, and that it tasted horrible, but evidently he was fibbing because I happen to think this stuff isn't half bad."

She blinked in surprise. "You mean you've never drank before?"

"Nope. I guess I failed to mention the little part where he also told me he'd kill me if I did."

"Oh, God..." Chara reached across the counter and snatched the glass out of Conner's hand. "Kill me... Your Dad isn't going to kill you, he's going to kill me. "Oh, God..." She went to the sink to pour the glass of whiskey down it. "This is just great. He's going to go all *grr* on me for giving his baby whiskey, and he's going to kill me."

"He's not going to kill you, Chara. And just so you know, I am not a baby. I'm twenty two years old and If I'm not mistaken that makes me old enough to drink."

"Still doesn't matter..." She muttered. "To him you're still his baby, and if I were in his shoes and someone gave my baby liquor I would want to kill them, too." She turned around to look at him with sad eyes. "Your his only child, Conner. And you're still young. I should be setting an example since I'm older than you, and what do I go and do? I ply you with whiskey. Irish whiskey at that. This stuff is rock gut and I'm pretty sure your Dad knows that since he's from Ireland. That's probably why he told you alcohol was bad for you. It's because it's true. Horrible... I'm a horrible, horrible person."

"You're not a horrible person, Chara. You were in shock, and needed someone to have a drink with. And once again let me remind you that I am not a baby."

"Okay, maybe you're not, but you're still his baby. His only baby, Conner. That fact only makes a parent even more protective. Kill me... He'll kill me, and I'll let him because I deserve it."

"He won't kill you, Chara. My Dad's a pretty great guy once you get to know him."

"So you say, still..." She started around the counter. "Maybe you should go home." She halted in her tracks right before she reached him. "But then again maybe you shouldn't... He'll smell it. The alcohol is still fresh on your breath, and he'll smell it and demand to know where you were, and Oh, God..." Conner started laughing as he watched her go from worried to panicked, and at the same time shoot him a dirty look. "It's not funny, Conner! I don't want to fight anymore vampires! I abhorr violence of any kind. I don't even watch tv for christ's sake! I abhorr what this world is coming to. All the murdering going on! And now not only do I have to worry about dying at the hands of a human being, you up and tell me about vampires and demons and I have to worry about them, too!"

"You're getting upset again." Conner mumbled.

"Of course, I'm getting upset! I would like to live long enough to find out who I am, who I really am before I die again!"

"Again?" Conner asked in shock. "You died? When did you die?"

"Well duh, Conner! "She yelled. "When I was struck by that car! You do remember my telling you about that, don't you?"

"Yeah, but you never mentioned anything about dying, Chara."

"Oh..." She seemed to calm some. "W-Well, I umm... I did. For seven minutes to be exact, and then they brought me back." She felt her panic rising again. "Not that it matters now though, because I'm going to die again very soon. Only this time it'll be for real, and it'll be at the hands of your father of all things!"

"He's not going to kill you, Chara." Conner repeated. "I told you he doesn't even drink human blood, and then there's that soul of his... It does wonders for him. He's a really great guy, and I can almost guarantee you that he'll mellow out even more towards you once he finds out that you share something in common with him."

"Oh, really? And what exactly is it that we share in common, Conner?"

"Angel. You're both angels."

"W-What?" Chara asked, slightly confused.

"My Dad's name is Angel, Chara. And to make matters even better you're neighbors."

Chara's face paled as the name sliced through her. "A-Angel... Your Dad's name is A-Angel?" She began to feel lightheaded, and her legs felt really rubbery. "M-My neighbor... He's umm... A-Angel..." Conner shot to his feet the minute he saw her start to sway. "Chara? What is it? What's wrong?"

"I umm..." She reached for the counter to steady herself. "L-Lay d-down. I umm... I n-need to lay down." She brought her free hand to her throbbing temple. "H-Head... M-My head h-hurts."

Conner closed the distance to her, and slid his arm around her to support her. "Come on. I'll help you."

She nodded mutely, too much in pain to argue with him, and pointed in the direction of the sofa.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

CHAPTER 3

Conner entered the lobby of the Hyperion Hotel, and closed the distance to Cordelia, who was standing at the front desk looking at something on the computer. "Your Dad has been looking for you." She informed him without looking up. "He's pissed."

"It's not the first time he's been pissed, he'll get over it." He answered as he moved around the front desk, and plopped down in a chair.

Cordelia shut off the computer, and turned around to face him. "Okay, what the hell is up with you, Conner?"

"What do you mean?" He looked up at her and grinned.

"That!" She pointed at his face. "You've been way too happy for someone who has been sidelined from action by his father for the past month."

"That's because I found a better way to spend my down time." He tucked his hands behind his head. "A girl, Cordy. I met a girl. No, wait a minute. I take that back. A woman. I met a woman."

"W-What?" Cordelia stared at him in surprise.

"A woman, Cordelia. I met a woman."

"Y-You're in love?"

Conner frowned. "Well, n-no. I mean, I don't... Yeah." He broke into another grin. "Yeah, I guess I do love her."

"I umm... Wow... D-Does your father know?"

"No. Why would I tell him?"

"Well duh, Conner! He's your father. Oh yeah, and in case you didn't know it, he's been wracking his brain for weeks trying to figure out why you've been so distant with him lately. I mean, besides the fact that you're mad at him for sidelining you, that is. You should tell him. Ease his mind."

"You're just hoping I'll tell him about Chara so he'll tell you. Admit it, Cordelia."

"C-Chara? Her name is Cara? What the hell kind name is Chara?"

"A very nice one thank you very much. Not as nice as the woman herself, mind you. But nice nevertheless."

"Well, isn't that just sweet." She said sarcastically, and turned back to fool with something on the desk.

"Jesus, Cordelia. What evil crawled up your butt and rooted? You're the one that asked me about Chara, remember? I was just trying to be nice and tell you because Dad thinks we don't talk enough."

She sighed, and turned back around to face him. "I'm sorry, Conner. It's been a bad day. Go ahead and tell me all about Little Miss. Chara."

Another goofy grin appeared on Conner's face. "She's beautiful, Cordelia. Really tiny with golden blonde hair, and hazel eyes."

"She has golden blonde hair and hazel eyes?"

"Yeah." His eyes narrowed as he watched the play of emotions on Cordelia's face. "Why?"

"Nothing." She shook her head and turned away from him again. "It's nothing. I just... I'm surprised that's all. Darla had blonde hair and green eyes. What is it with men and blonde's with green eyes?"

Conner sat up. "What men? Who else has a thing for blonde's with hazel eyes? I mean, besides my Dad? And okay, you can strike Dad off the list because you and I both know that the thing with Darla really wasn't a thing."

"True, but Darla wasn't the only blonde in your father's life, Conner."

"There was someone else?" Conner stared at Cordelia's rigid back in shock. And he was shocked. He thought he knew everything about his father.

"Yes." Cordelia fiddled with a file. "She was blonde, and had hazel eyes. Tiny, too. Just a few inches over five feet. And her and your Dad... It was more than just a thing with them."

"Oh... " He murmured, realizing what Cordelia was saying. "He uhh... He loved her, didn't he?"

"Still does." She muttered. "Although he denies it."

"I umm... He loves you, Cordy. He's with you, isn't he?"

"Only because she's dead."

Her words stunned Conner again. "Dead? She umm... Stake?"

"Portal. And God, I can't believe I'm talking about her." She spun back around. "Talking about her is bad. Very, very bad. So let's not do it, okay? Let's talk about this Chara instead. Tell me everything there is to know about her."

"Everything?" Conner stared up at her.

"Uh huh." Cordelia gave him her best fake smile. "Now why don't you start with where you two met."

He grimaced, and Cordelia didn't miss it. "Uh oh. I don't like this. You have guilt face." She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Why do you have guilt face, Conner?"

He shifted nervously in his chair. "Because I've sorta been keeping something from Dad. Everyone actually."

"You mean besides Chara herself?"

He nodded.

"What is it, Conner? What didn't you tell your Father? Everyone?"

"She saved my life." He braced himself for the explosion about to come.

"What! What do you mean she saved your life? What happened?"

"I got bit."

"You got bit again?" She asked in shock.

"No, Cordy. Not again. Only once."

"Wait a minute, Conner. Are you saying she was there that night?"

"Yes. And the truth is she was the one that killed the four vampires, not me."

"I don't believe this!" Cordelia came over and pulled him out of the chair by his arm. "Let's go."

"Uh uh, Cordy." Conner halted her in her tracks. "There is no way in hell I'm telling him. He was pissed off enough when I told him that I went into that alley by myself."

"You're telling him, Conner." She yanked him towards a closed office door. "If you don't, I will." She reached the door, and threw it open without bothering to knock.

"Cordy..." Angel shot to his feet. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

"Why don't you ask *Mr. I like to keep secrets* here." She muttered, letting go of Conner's arm, and plopping down in one of the chairs in front of Angel's desk.

"Conner?" Angel's eyes moved to his son. "Would you like to tell me what she's talking about?"

"He met a slayer." Cordelia answered before Conner got the chance. "And it wasn't Faith, either. This one has blonde hair and hazel eyes. Go figure. Like father like son."

Angel started to say something, but Conner spoke before he could get the words out. "She's not a slayer, Dad."

"Yeah, right!" Cordelia snorted. "If she's not a slayer then how do you explain that fact that she killed four vampires?"

Angel's eyes shot back to his son, who was nervously shifting on the balls of his feet. "She killed four vampires by herself?"

"Yeah, but she's not a slayer, Dad." Conner argued. "Okay, yes her fighting skills are incredible. Better than yours and mine actually. And yes, she's strong. Really, really strong to be so tiny. But she didn't even know what a slayer was when I brought it up."

"Okay, Conner let's back track for a moment. Who is this girl, and how exactly did you meet her?"

"Woman." Cordelia muttered to Angel. "He says she's a woman, Angel. Not a girl, and just wait until you hear the next part. You're going to love it."

"Cordy..." Angel's gaze shto to his girlfriend in warning. "Will you shut up and let him tell me?"

"Fine. I'm shutting up." She shot him a dirty look. One which he returned before moving his gaze back to Conner. "Conner?"

"See if I ever tell you anything else, Cordelia." Conner muttered before taking the seat beside her.

"I'm waiting, Conner." Angel said after sitting down in his own chair.

"Well, uhh..." Conner started. "D-Do you remember the night I was ambushed and bitten?"

"Of course, I do." Angel answered. "Why do you think you're sidelined right now? You were stupid and you know it."

"Yes, sir I was. I admit it. Just like I'm about to admit that I lied to you."

Angel's eyes narrowed as he stared at his son. "About that night?"

Conner nodded.

"Let me guess..." Angel said. "It was the girl that killed the vampires instead of you. Am I right?"

"Yes, sir." Conner looked down at his hands.

"But if you think that's news, Angel you're wrong." Cordelia added. "It gets better. He's dating little Miss. Slayer."

Angel's gaze moved back to his son. "Is that true? Are you dating this girl?"

"Woman." Conner corrected him. "Chara's a woman, Dad. And I uhh... I wouldn't exactly say I'm dating her. I umm... We're friends. Very good friends. And I umm... I love her."

Angel's only reaction to Conner's words was for him to sit forward in his desk chair. "No more lying, Conner. Everything. I want you to tell me everything you know about this gi... woman."

Conner nodded, and shifted in his seat. "Well, you uhh... you already know the part about me being ambushed and bitten, and now you know that it was Chara that killed the vampires instead of me. The truth is I never managed to escape at all once the biggest vamp got his fangs into me. I was... I knew I was going to die, and all I could think about was you guys. Here I was facing death in the form of a vampire, and then all of a sudden I watched the same four vampires disappear before they even knew what hit them, and left standing in there place was the most incredible woman I have ever seen. I swear, Dad if you could have seen her. She dusted those guys without breaking a sweat."

"And she says she's not a slayer."

"Well, at first I didn't actually get around to asking her if she was or not."

"Why not?"

"Because after she killed the vamps she sank to the ground, and all we could do at first was stare at each other. Both of us were too stunned to move, but eventually I came to my senses enough to crawl over and see if she was okay. When I reached her there was this look in her eyes... I don't know how to explain it, Dad but whatever it was it was real. I saw it, and then as quickly as it was there it was gone, and she noticed I was bleeding. My blood... She got some of it on her hands and I guess she freaked out. She started mumbling something about the blood not being theirs, that it always has to be blood, and it's just like hers."

"You mean yours." Cordelia corrected him.

"No, Cordy. She said just like mine. Her exact words were he was biting you. Where did they go? I stabbed them. I know I did. I felt it pierce... There's blood, but it isn't theirs. It's mine. 'Cause it's alway got to be blood. Blood. It's just like mine. No, not mine. It's not mine. It's yours."

"You remember every word she said?" Cordelia asked in disbelief.

"It was kind of hard not to, Cordelia. I mean, if you could have seen her. She was so different from the woman I saw killing those vampires minutes before that. She looked so helpless. So alone..."

"She was in shock." Angel murmured.

"Yeah, she was because the next thing she did was turn away from me to get sick, and when she turned back to me she told me she needed a drink, and then she stood up and asked me if I was coming."

"Where did you go?"

"I umm..." Conner looked down at his hands again to keep from meeting his father's eyes.

"Conner..."

"Across the street."

"What?" Angel eyed his son across his desk as Conner raised his gaze to him. "It turns out I was right, Dad. She is a she. Chara's our next door neighbor. I sort of fibbed about what alley I was attacked in. It was actually in the alley behind her building. But if you think the alley was a coincidence you're wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I umm... She's turning the second floor of the building into her apartment, and that's where she took me after the attack. At first I didn't pay any attention to my surroundings because she kinda held my attention, but once she finished patching me up I got a chance to look around. There were several paintings leaned against one of the walls. Paintings of Hell. Really vivid paintings that chilled me to the bone. She caught me staring at them, and she confessed to me that they were exactly what I thought they were. She told me she painted the scenes from these dreams she kept having. But it was the next thing she said to me that was really weird. She umm... she said she had no recollection of ever being artistic before, and yet she still managed to paint the images exactly like the ones in her dreams."

"Interesting." Angel rubbed his chin in thought. "Did she say anything else?"

Conner nodded. "She doesn't know who she is."

This time it was Angel's turn to be surprised. "Come again, son?"

"She uhh... She told me the reason she has no memory of ever being artistic is because she has no memories at all. Well, no memories except for the ones of the last five years, that is. She was hit by a car. She was in a coma for six months, and when she woke up she couldn't remember anything. Not who she was, her life before the accident, nothing. She said that while she was in the coma she was given the name Angel because it was the only word that left her mouth from the moment she was found until she woke up from the coma."

"Did she say anything else?"

"No. Not right away because I jokingly made the comment that her being an angel was the reason my senses mistook her for a vampire."

"You felt something." Angel locked eyes with Conner.

"Yeah. I don't know how to describe it, Dad. It was this tingly kind of feeling. Strong. And for some reason my senses were really alert to her."

"And you're sure she's not a vampire?"

"I am now, but there was a point during the time that I was with her that I had a suspicion she might be, and I came really close to killing her because of the vibes I was getting off her."

"What happened to sway you from doing it?"

"I uhh... She had a pulse. She had a pulse right under the scar."

"What scar?"

"Here." Conner pointed to his neck. "She's been bitten. That's what tipped me off that maybe she was a vampire. I mean, I've never seen a vampire that still had their bite mark after they were turned and it confused me that she did, but I wasn't taking any chances. I was going to kill her before she had the chance to kill me. I grabbed her, and I was choking her. That's when I felt the pulse under the scar, but it wasn't just the pulse that confused me. The scar... when I touched it something went through me. A really powerful surge of feelings. It was like I was hurting a part of me, and I couldn't... I couldn't kill her, so I let go of her and I demanded she tell me who she was."

"What did she say?"

Conner swept a hand through his hair. "She started crying, and she told me she didn't know. She told me she didn't know who she was, and God, seeing her like that... For some reason it broke my heart. I couldn't take it, so I held her until she stopped crying."

Angel had so many questions, but he knew now wasn't the time. He needed to know everything about this girl before he could even begin to find the answers to his questions. "What happened after that, Conner?"

"She umm... afer she quit crying she apologized to me for being so emotional, and I did the same. I told her that I normally don't get like that. I haven't since..."

"Me." Angel finished for him.

Conner nodded and looked back down at his hands. "Yeah, but I didn't tell her about any of that. I didn't get the chance. Not that I would have even if I had go the chance."

"I'm assuming something else happened." Angel murmured.

"Yeah." Conner answered. "She umm... she felt it, too. Whatever it was I was feeling, she was feeling it, too and she wanted to know if I knew who she was. Who she really was. I told her no, but I felt like I should, and the really weird part was I really did feel like I should know. I still feel like that. The whole experience was so weird, and I asked her if she thought it was weird, too."

"What did she say?"

"No. She said no. She said she didn't think it was any weirder than what else had happened that night, and we talked about it a little more before we finally got around to introducing ourselves to each other. After the introductions we finally got back to what happened in the alley. She saved me, and I don't think it was a coincidence."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because not only did she save me, she felt my pain, too. When the biggest vamp bit me, Chara felt my pain. She told me, and the moment she did I admitted that I felt her pain as well. And I did. While she was crying I felt her pain, and it was really overwhelming. So much so I told her. She laughed at me when I did, and then she apologized to me. She told me the pain came from five years of not knowing, but I felt happiness, too. Not alot, but it was there, and I asked her about it. I asked her to tell me everything she could about herself, and she did. Her happiness comes from her father."

"Her father?" Angel sat up in his desk chair. "Wait a minute, Conner. I thought you said..."

"She was talking about her adoptive father, Dad." Conner cut him off. "He's not her real father. He adopted her after the accident. He was the police officer that was on the scene of her accident, and he became attached to her while she was in her coma. He searched for her true identity, but he couldn't find anything, so when she came out of her coma he gave her a home. He adopted her and gave her a home, and a name, and she loves him for what he did."

"What else did she tell you?"

"Kyle Williams. Her adoptive Dad's name is Kyle Williams, and when she first mentioned his name I thought maybe he was her mate. I even asked her if he was, and that's when she told me who he really was. But she also told me she's not ruling out the possibility that she has a mate... husband in her past life. When she was found there was a ring on her finger. It's a wedding ring. A Claddagh ring to be exact."

"So whoever she was before..." Angel frowned. "There's a good chance she's married."

"No." Conner shook his head. "You know as well as I do that Claddagh rings don't hold the same meaning now as they did back in your time, Dad. You even told me so."

"Figures he would tell you that." Cordelia muttered under her breath.

"W-What?" Conner looked over at Cordelia.

"Nothing." She mumbled, noting the scowl Angel was sending her way. "Nothing. I didn't say anything. Just tell us what happened next, Conner."

"Well, I umm... I told her the same thing Dad told me about the Claddagh ring, and she told me she already knew that. She said her father even told her the same thing, but she said the only reason he told her was because he didn't want her to think the worst."

"The worst." Angel asked. "What did she mean by that?"

"She umm... She said the only reason Kyle told her that the ring might not be a wedding ring is because he didn't want her to think that whoever it was that gave her the ring... the possible husband... He didn't want her to think that the reason their not around or hasn't tried to find her is because she couldn't make them happy and that they just didn't want her anymore. But she also told me it was too late. She said the moment she found out the true meaning of the ring she couldn't help but think she failed the person who gave it to her, and since their not there to prove her wrong she can't help but wonder what kind of person she was before the accident. Horrible. She thinks she was a horrible person before, and that's why no one has come looking for her."

"You felt sorry for her." Angel eyed Conner across his desk.

"I more than felt sorry for her, Dad. What she's been through... You have no idea what she's been through. What she's still going through because of the accident. It's left her doubting herself and her ability to love and be loved. And the dreams she's having doesn't help matters. She thinks she's a freak."

"These dreams she's having... You said they were about Hell?"

"Yeah." Conner nodded. "But there's others, too. She dreams of vampires, demons, death and destruction, and blood... Lots and lots of blood. She said they started after she came out of her coma, and they ended up causing her to get thrown in a mental institution because some doctor thought she was crazy. But if you think her bad experiences ended there, you're wrong. There are lingering effects from the accident. She suffers from migraines like Cordelia did because she sustained a severe head injury. There was also internal injuries, and her right leg had a compound fracture. She had to have four surgeries. One was to relieve the swelling of her brain, the other was to stop internal bleeding , and the last two were on her leg. After she came out of the coma between the grueling physical therapy and the wondering why no one had been trying to find her, she started having nightmares, and like I said before they ended up getting her thrown in a mental institution. She was there for thirty days, and from what little she's told me I gather the experience was pretty bad. She won't talk about it. Not even to her Dad. She's been through so much. So much. And she still suffers. The migraines... She said she's almost blind when she has them, and her brain... She says it feels like it's being squeezed out through her ears." He looked over at Cordelia. "Is that how it felt for you when you had them?"

"Yes, and boy am I so glad those days are over."

"Well, those days aren't over for her, and they might not ever be." Conner looked over at his father. "But she says she deals. She doesn't have a choice. And then there's Kyle... She said if she didn't have him she didn't know what she would do."

"She loves him." Angel murmured.

"Yes." Conner answered. "So much so she finally convinced him to retire from the police force after she won the money because she was afraid he would get killed. He works at a community center downtown now. He's always been involved in volunteer work with kids. He loves them and he hates to see them on the streets."

"You mentioned that she won some money." Cordelia sat up in her chair. "How much money did she win, Conner?"

"I umm... 34.9 million. She won it playing the slot machines in Vegas."

"34.9 million!" Cordelia blurted out. "You have got to be kidding me?"

Conner shook his head. "It's no joke, Cordelia. And that was what she had left after taxes."

Cordelia's eyes flew to Angel. "I don't believe it, Angel. Your son found a rich woman. Aren't you proud of him?"

Proud wasn't exactly what Angel was feeling right now, but before he could voice how he really was feeling he watched his son's eyes grow stormy and nail Cordelia. "I'm not interested in Chara because of her money, Cordelia. I happen to like her for her. I have fun when I'm with her. I can be me when I'm with her. She's a very incredible woman."

"An incredible woman with a mysterious past." Angel murmured.

"Dad..." Conner's gaze returned to his father.

"I know what you're about to say, Conner but I can't help but worry. I want to know everything else there is to know about her."

"Well, after she told me a little bit more about herself the conversation shifted back to what had happened outside earlier that night. She umm... She didn't quite comprehend that those guys were really vampires, and the reason why goes back to the mental instiution. It was pretty much drilled into her head that vampires or anything else evil didn't exist, so to find out it actually did... Let's just say she was a little overwhelmed by the news. But not overwhelmed enough to forget that I had mentioned you were a vampire earlier on in our conversation."

Angel blinked in surprise. "You told her I was a vampire?"

"I had to, Dad. I needed to make her understand what happened outside, and what those things were. But don't worry, I went on to explain how you were different from the others."

"Did she understand that I was different?"

"Yeah, but I had to go all the way back to when you were sired before I could."

"Jesus Christ, Conner! Did you have to tell her everything?"

"Pretty much. I even told her about Cordelia being part demon."

"Me? Why did you have to tell her about me?" Cordelia glanced over at Conner in disbelief.

"Because she wanted to know if you were my mother."

"So I'm guessing she knows about you, too." Angel cut in and asked Conner.

"I had to tell her, Dad. She saw me fighting, and once I broke the news to her about you and the vampires outside she wanted to know if I was a vampire too. I had to explain to her that I wasn't an ordinary human, that I was like her. And when I did it kinda threw her."

"Threw her how?"

"She umm... She didn't know about the abnormal strength. The not scarring, yes. But not the abnormal strength. Not a first. She found out somehow. She wouldn't tell me how, but I sense something happened to tip her off. She got scared when it happened. I felt her fear when she was talking about it, and whatever it was it scared her enough to where she's been hiding her strength. She told me she's been holding back since she found out. That know one knows about it, not even her father. That was until she saved me. She wasn't holding back that night, and what I saw... She could very easily be a slayer, Dad. She's that good. And I pointed that out to her. The part where she could be a slayer."

"What did she say, Conner? Did she seem to know what you were talking about?"

"No. She didn't have a clue what a slayer was, and I told her basically everything I knew about them. I even told her about Faith."

"Did she say anything after you did?"

"Not until after I told her I doubted she was a slayer. I mean, I explained how there's only one slayer, and since Faith is it there's no way she could be one, too."

"Oh, there's a way alright." Cordelia muttered.

"What?" Conner glanced over at Cordelia again.

"Nothing, Conner." Angel answered quickly, and shot Cordelia another dirty look. "It was nothing. Now let's get back to this girl... What did she say after you told her you doubted she was a slayer?"

"She asked me if I knew the slayer... Faith. I told her I did, but that I didn't know her as well as you did. I told her you two were friends, and to say it shocked her was an understatement. She couldn't quite comprehend that a vampire and slayer could be friends. But once I reminded her that you fight for the good side just like Faith she accepted the idea of the both of you being friends a little better. At least I think she accepted it. She never really got around to telling me whether she did or not because our conversation sort of steered back to her scar."

"What about it?"

"She umm... she said she dreamt a vampire bit her, but when she told the doctor he and Kyle both convinced her it wasn't a vampire bite. They told her it was a wild animal bite. Of course, she didn't like the idea of being bitten by either a vampire or a wild animal, so she made up a story of her own. Now when anyone asks her how she got the scar she tells them she was bitten by an angry puppy."

"What happened after she told you that?"

"She just came right out and asked me if it was really a vampire bite."

"And what did you tell her?"

"I told her I was pretty sure it was, but I couldn't say definitely because I had never seen an old vampire bite. Just fresh ones. And then I went on to tell her that if it was the only reason I could explain why she was still alive was that maybe she managed to get lucky the same way I did. It was either tell her that or me tell her what I was really thinking."

"What were you thinking?"

"That I'm just as confused as she is. She says she doesn't scar, yet there's this place on her neck. A place I'm pretty sure is a vampire bite. But then again I don't know... I just... I'm confused."

"Because of the vibes you're getting off her?"

Conner nodded.

"Well, I think I may have an answer for you, son." Angel sat forward in his chair again. "The reason she scarred and the reason you're getting weird vibes off her is because I think she was marked."

"M-Marked?" Conner stammered.

"Yes." Angel murmured. "It's a way for vampire's to establish their property. It's an old custom that usually only master vampires and older vampires know about and still practice. Younger vampires normally don't know anything about it unless their sire taught them."

"S-So you're telling me Chara belongs to a vampire?"

"I wouldn't rule it out, and just so you know, if that is the case she more than just belongs to this vampire, she's his mate. The mark she bears is a warning to all other vampires that she belongs to someone and that if anyone so much as attempts to look at her they'll pay the consequences. Taking a mate in the vampire world is rare, and because it is it's taken very seriously. Touching another's mate is forbidden, and the consequence if someone makes that mistake is death. Her being marked could also explain the dream she had about being bitten. Her subconscious could be trying to force her to remember."

"How do you know so much about marking?" Conner met his father's gaze. "Did you mark someone?"

"Your mo... Darla taught me the way of marking." Angel looked down at his hands. "And no, I haven't marked anyone. Part of the process requires you to drink the other person's blood, and I don't drink human or vampire blood. Not since I've gotten my soul back."

"Liar." Cordelia cleared her throat. "Have you forgotten about Kate, Angel? Oh, and let's not forget about the little golden blonde that went by the name Bu..."

"Cordelia..." Angel's head shot up, his dark gaze locking with her. "Don't."

"Don't what, Angel?" Cordelia spat. "Don't tell Conner the story or don't mention her name at all?"

"Enough, Cordy!" Angel growled. "Now drop it!"

"Fine!" Cordelia slumped back in her chair. "Considered it dropped."

"That's better." Angel murmured before returning his gaze to Conner, who was eyeing him across the desk. "What's going on, Dad?"

"Nothing, son. It's nothing. Now let's get back to this... Chara, was it?"

Conner nodded.

"You like her?"

"More than like her. I love her, Dad."

"Don't you think it's a little too soon to be thinking you're in love with her, Conner? You've only known her a month, and then there's the fact that you've never really been with any other women."

"Love is love, Dad. A person can experience it more than once in their lifetime and on several different levels. Love is also never bound to time. There's no certain time limit set for when a person is suppose to experience it, if they experience it at all. And there's also no certain time limit to when one ceases feeling it if their lucky enough to find it. Love is love, Dad. It can occur at several points in one's life, and fade quickly. Or it can happen instantly, and last forever and always. I'm not sure when exactly I reached the point of loving Chara. All I know is that I do, and there is nothing you can say or do to make me stop doing it."

"I'm not trying to make you stop..." Angel swept a hand through his hair. "Conner..."

"Uh uh. No way, Dad." Conner shot to his feet. "I know what you're about to ask me, and the answer is no. I am not bringing Chara over here for you to scare."

"I don't scare." Angel looked over at Cordelia. "Tell him I don't scare."

"You don't scare. But sometimes you do have a tendancy to be a little overprotective."

"And for good reason, Cordy. You two, Fred, Wesley, Gunn, and Lorne... You're all my family. I just want to make sure you don't get hurt, and that's exactly what I'm afraid is going to happen here. This girl can't be normal... Not if what Conner is telling us is true. You know that."

"Will you two please stop talking about me like I'm not even in the room." Conner muttered. "This is my life. Mine! And I love this girl. I don't want to lose her."

"Conner..." Angel started to say again.

"No, Dad. She's been through enough without having to deal with my overprotective father. Besides, we never discuss it. What I do. What we all do here. I wasn't lying when I said she was a little overwhelmed about it. That's why we avoid discussing it. But you know what, Dad? I'm okay with that because when I'm with her I don't want to think about anything but her. And I'm sorry if that hurts your feelings, but she's important to me, too. I won't lose her. I love her."

Angel sighed in defeat. "I understand."

Conner blinked in surprise. "Y-You do?"

"I do." Angel locked eyes with his son. "When you love someone you'll do anything for them. There's nothing wrong with you wanting her to have as normal a life as possible, Conner."

Conner shot a peek at Cordelia, who was staring at Angel with an unreadable expression on her face. "So does this mean we can put you meeting her on hold?" He turned back to Angel. "It's only until she comes to better terms with everything."

"Sure." Angel smiled faintly. "But I would eventually like to meet her. It's a parent thing you understand?"

"I understand." Conner grinned. "And I look forward to when you do meet her, because you're going to think she's just as incredible as I told you she was."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

CHAPTER 4

"Tell me about the nightmares." Kyle Williams replied to his daughter as he sat his container of Egg Fu Young down on the floor.

"W-What?" Chara looked up from her Sesame Chicken.

"I want you to tell me about the nightmares you've been having."

"Who says I've been..."

"I can tell you haven't been sleeping, Chara. And then there's this..." He gestured to the paintings leaned against one wall. "I know the nightmares are back, and I want you to tell me about them."

"Daddy..."

"Chara, you've got me worried, sweetie."

"You always worry, Daddy."

"Chara..."

She sighed in defeat. "There's only one. It starts out with me in a tunnel... I'm standing at one end of it, and on the other end there's this really bright light. There's something behind it. Something very important. I know it... Feel it... And I know that I have to reach it to find out what it is. I try... I try so hard, but just when I think I've made it... Just when it's just within my grasp the other end opens up into this big black hole that swallows me up into nothing. Only it's not nothing. There's this energy... It's really powerful, and it's draining me of my life's essence. I mean literally. And the pain... I can't take it." She sniffled. "The pain is so unbearable that I wake up, but it doesn't go away when I do. I feel like I'm lost... So lost... Like there's a piece of me missing. A really huge piece."

"Maybe you should call Dr. McGinn, Chara."

"No! No doctors, Daddy."

"Chara..."

"No. I'm not going back. I'm not." She pushed herself up off the floor, and took her barely touched food to the trash can. "You promised me I would never go back."

"And I intend to keep that promise, Chara. And so does Dr. McGinn. You know how bad he felt after you were sent to the other hospital. He made a mistake trusting that other doctor to help you, and he assured me it would never happen again. He assured me that from now on he would be the only one that takes care of you. And he will take care of you, sweetie. Just like before. He saved your life, Chara."

"You think I don't know that, Daddy?" She spun around to look at her father. "I know it. I do. Still... I don't want to go back to him. You have no idea what it's like. The memory loss... All I have are the memories of the last five years, and most of the first year is based on what you told me. I'm never going to remember. I don't care how optimistic Dr. McGinn is, it's just not going to happen, so I don't see the need in going back to him."

"What about the headaches, Chara? Are you having any headaches."

"No." She fibbed. "I haven't had any headaches."

"I still think you should make an appointment with him, sweetie. Just to be on the safe side."

"I'm not making an appointment with him, Daddy. I just want to forget. I'm sick of hospitals, and doctors. I just want to forget anything related to my accident. I just want to forget all of it. Do you understand?"

"Yes." He murmured, swallowing against the lump in his throat.

She gave him a weak smile. "Good. Then can we please just drop it, and talk about something else?"

He nodded. "Okay, tell me how Conner's doing?"

"He's fine. He's been busy. He uhh... work. He's been busy with work. I haven't seen him in a couple of days, but I talked to him this morning, and he said to tell you hello."

Kyle smiled. "I like that boy."

"So do I." Chara returned his smile.

"Is it serious?"

"W-What?"

"You and Conner, Chara. Are you two getting serious?"

"It's not like that with Conner, Daddy so don't go getting your hopes up on a wedding, or a house full of grandkids because it's not going to happen."

Kyle looked surprise. "But I thought..."

"You thought wrong." Chara walked over to the kitchen island to pour herself a drink. "Conner's special to me, Daddy. Really special, and I do love him. But it's not that kind of love. You know I don't believe in the fairy tale, happily ever after kind of love. It's all bullshit."

"So are you telling me that what I felt for Mary was bullshit?"

"No. I'm not saying that at all. I think a love like that is possible, you and Mary proved that, but times are different now then they were twenty years ago. People are different. I'm different. I don't think I'm capable of loving anyone the way you and Mary loved each other."

"I don't believe that, Chara." Kyle watched her drain the glass of liquor in her hands. "If you can love family... Friends... Then you're perfectly capable of loving a soulmate."

"I wish I could believe that, but I don't."

"I know." Kyle murmured. "But hypothetically just to ease my curiosity, if you could find a soulmate what would you want him to be like?"

"Hmm..." She refilled her glass while she thought about it. "I don't know. I guess he would have to complete me. You know? Two halves make a whole. Oh, and he would have to have chocolate eyes that I could drown in."

"Chocolate eyes? Doesn't Conner have chocolate eyes?"

"Uh huh, but as beautiful as they are, I don't drown in them." Chara peeked at her frowning father. "Don't ask, okay, Daddy. It's another reaccuring dream of mine. No face. Just pools of chocolate that I could drown in."

"Well, I for one hope that whoever he is , he has a face, a body, and a great big heart that will be completely full of love for my little girl. He has to be the best or he doesn't pass the test."

Chara rolled her eyes. "Now I know exactly why I've resigned myself to spending the rest of my life alone."

****

"Angel Investigations. We help the helpless, how may we help you?"

"Well see, here's the thing. I haven't seen my best friend in days and I was wondering if you could help me find him."

Hearing the voice on the other end of the line caused Conner's lips to spread into a huge grin. "Sorry, Miss uhh... Sorry, miss but we don't locate missing friends here at Angel Investigations unless their disappearance is demon related. Do you think your friend's disappearance is demon related?"

"Hmm... I'm not sure. Would the fact that he's a little devil be considered demon related?"

"Ha Ha. Very funny, Chara." Conner scowled.

Chara couldn't help but laugh. "W-What? What did I say?"

"I'm not a baby."

"I didn't say anything about you being a baby. My exact words were a little devil. Does that sound anything like the word baby?"

"Close enough."

"Okay, you're scowling. I can't see it, but I know you are, so I think we should change the subject. Why don't I start with saying hello. Hello, Conner. Now you say?"

"Hello, Chara."

"Good. Very good. Now I'm going to ask you what you're doing, and you do the same, okay?"

"Okay."

"Good. So... What are you doing?"

"Talking to you. You?"

"Painting. Or at least I was. I decided to paint the room that's going to be my bedroom, but once I was finished I despised the color I picked out. Too damn bright. So bright it actually made me want to pull my hair out."

"But you didn't, right? Please tell me you didn't because I happen to like your hair. You remind me of goldilocks." He waited for her comeback, but when he didn't get one he got worried. "Chara? Are you there?"

"W-What? I mean, yeah. I'm sorry, Conner. I guess I just spaced for a second."

"You know, that's a tell tell sign that you should get some sleep."

"Easier said than done, my friend. I'm hyped from all the painting."

"Are you happy with the new color?"

"Very. Black. I painted it black. And yes, I know it's not your typical bedroom color, but I like it. Black goes with everything. And it'll make my room look really really dark which might trick my brain into thinking it's time to go to sleep, and then I might actually sleep. What do you think? You think it'll work?"

"Don't know. But I can tell you that my Dad would definitely agree with you on black going with everything. Black happens to be his favorite color."

"You're kidding?"

"Nope." Conner chuckled. "But if you don't believe me I would be happy to let you take a peek in his closet. Most of his wardrobe is black."

"I think I'll have to pass on doing any snooping in your Dad's closet, Conner. I don't want to give him another reason to kill me."

"How many times do I have to tell you that he's not going to kill you, Chara?"

She sighed. "I'm sorry, Conner. I believe you. I do. I'm just... Take me dancing."

"W-What?"

"Dancing, Conner. Take me dancing. I need to take a break and unwind, and I haven't been dancing in months. Let's go. You and me. Tonight. What do you say?"

"I say no."

"Why?"

"Well, for starters I can't dance. And then there's the fact that I'm working all night tonight. Dad still has me manning phones. Everyone usually takes turns so they can have some sort of personal life, but I've been stuck with it until I can prove that I won't be stupid again."

"I see. So dancing is out, huh?"

"It wouldn't be in even if I could go, Chara. I told you I can't dance. "

"Okay, dancing is out. For now. But you will take me eventually. After I teach you, that is, then you have to promise me you'll take me. Do we have a deal?"

"Depends." Conner murmured.

"On what?"

"What I get in return."

"You get the honor of me teaching you how to dance."

"That's not enough. I'm a man, Chara. I have my dignity to consider here."

"Damn." She muttered. "You would have to go all macho on me."

"Of course, I do." He chuckled. "So what else do you have to offer me, Miss. Williams?"

"Hmm... How about I let you drive my car. I know you've been eyeing it every since we met, and it's pretty hot. Chicks dig men with hot cars. And driving it will do wonders for that macho image of yours."

"Sorry, that's no good. No license, remember? Try again."

"Okay then, how about I come over?"

Conner blinked in surprise, and laid the newspaper he was reading down. "Y-You want to come over?"

"Uh huh. I really think I should. I need to talk to your Father. I want him to explain to me why he hasn't taken the time to teach you how to dance or drive."

"Chara..."

"Does your Dad even own a car, Conner? I mean, considering he's two hundred and some years old does he still live in the dark ages or is he uhh... modernized?"

"He owns a car."

"Okay, what about a stereo? Because you need music to learn how to dance. Does he own a stereo?"

"He has a stereo, but it's in his room."

"What about you? Do you have one in your room?"

"No. I don't listen to music."

"Okay, that's it. Now I know I'm coming over to talk to your father. What kind of father doesn't introduce his child to music?"

"He doesn't let me watch tv either. He hates them. We don't even own one."

"Well, I can understand why he doesn't allow you to watch tv or even own one for that matter because tv is bad. Very bad. People waste alot of their lives sitting in front of a tv. They should spend more of their time doing other things. Important things. You know, like spend time with their family."

"Can't you spend time with your family and watch tv too?"

"Actually you can. You umm... I guess you could have a family night where you rent movies, pop some popcorn, and then sit around and joke about how stupid the special effects are in it or how that would never ever happen in real life."

"Sounds like fun."

"Yeah, it does." She murmured.

Conner blinked in surprise. "What? You mean you actually agree with me? I thought you hated tv, too?"

"I-I do. I mean, I do when it comes to the way every day life and world events are depicted on it. It's depressing, and that's why I avoid watching stuff like that. B-But it doesn't mean I wouldn't watch tv all together. I would. W-Watch it, I mean. Especially if I had a..." She suddenly stopped in mid-sentence, and Conner couldn't help but wonder why. "Chara? What is it? What were you about to say?"

"N-Nothing." She quickly replied. "It was nothing. I just... You know, you should do that. Have a family night, I mean. You have a big enough family, and it would give you more time to spend with your Dad."

"Yeah, but in case you've forgotten I don't have a tv, remember?"

"Right. No tv. No stereo. Now I know I really do need to have a talk with your father. Not letting you own a stereo is a sin. He of all people should know music is good for the soul."

"Joking about Dad's soul isn't a funny issue, Chara. So if I were you I would refrain from doing it when around him."

"I wasn't cracking jokes at your father's soul, Conner. I was being serious. Very serious. That's why you have to let me come over. I'm going to have it out with your father until he caves in and goes and buys you a stereo."

"Chara..."

"Okay, okay." She giggled. "I won't come over and have it out with him. It wouldn't be nice of me to put him on the spot like that. But I still want to come over."

"You were serious about that?"

"Would I have asked if I wasn't. It's about time, don't you think? You met my Dad, so it's only fair I meet yours, and the rest of your family."

"I'm sorry, Chara. I'm afraid Dad isn't here. He and Cordy are out for the evening."

"Oh... Well, uhh.. Th-That's okay. I uhh.. I can meet him...them some other time."

"Does that mean you still want to come over?"

"Yeah, why? Are you having second thoughts about having the pleasure of my company?"

"You know better. I haven't seen you in days. I've missed you."

"Then what's the problem? And don't say there's not one because I sense there is, Conner."

"You know, I really hate that you can read me so well."

"And I really hate when you try to change the subject. Now tell me why you don't want me to come over."

"It's not that I don't want you to come over, Chara because I do. It's just..."

"Just what?"

"I umm... I already have company."

"Oh. I umm... Is it a girl?"

"No. It's not a girl. It's Lorne."

"Lorne? Who's Lorne?"

"He uhh... He's a friend. A very good friend."

"A friend you're obviously hesitating about my meeting. Why? Don't you want me to meet him?"

"It's not that, Chara. I want you to meet him. I do."

"But? I'm sensing a but here, Conner. Come on now, spill. Why are you hesitating about my meeting your friend."

Conner braced himself. For what, he wasn't exactly sure. "He's uhh... He's a demon."

"A-A demon?"

"Yeah, but he's a good demon. Do you remember when I explained to you about those?"

"Uh huh."

"And he's a really great guy, Chara. I mean, once you get past the green skin, and red eyes that is."

"You don't have to sale me on this guy... demon... or whatever he is, Conner. I'll meet him."

"Y-You will?"

"S-Sure, I will. I mean, I was willing to meet your Dad, so I guess I can meet... I'm sorry, what was his name again?"

"Lorne."

"Lorne. Right. So okay, I'll meet this Lorne."

"Great." Conner relaxed in his chair again. "So how soon can you be here?"

"I umm... I have something I need to do first, and I'll be over right after that. Now say goodbye so I can go and get it done.

"Wait, Chara! Before you hang up I need to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"Have you had dinner?"

"Dinner? What's dinner?"

"It's the third and last meal of the day. You know, it comes after breakfast and lunch?"

"Breakfast and lunch? What's breakfast and lunch?"

Conner groaned. "When was the last time you ate, Chara?"

"Hmm... I think I recall eating an energy bar today. Or was that yesterday?"

Conner swore under his breath. "Damnit, Chara. Kyle's going to kill me. He made me promise that I would make sure you ate."

"Then feed me and you won't get in trouble."

"What do you want?"

"Junk Food."

"Junk food?" Conner frowned. "That's not real food."

"It is to me. Besides, you asked and I'm telling. I want junk food."

Conner muttered something else under his breath, and Chara didn't miss it. "I heard that."

"I worry about you, Chara. It's bad enough you don't sleep, and now you're not eating."

"I eat. I will eat. Or at least I will just as soon as you quit fussing at me, and let me go so I can get ready to come over and pig out on the junk you're going to feed me."

He sighed in defeat. "Fine. What kind of junk food does the lady want?"

"Cookie Dough Fudge Mint Chip ice cream, Waffle cones, Oreos, chocolate bars, and some peanut butter. Preferrably crunchy."

Conner couldn't help but laugh. "Is that all?"

"Yelp. Get me all those things and I'll love you forever."

"Then I'll do my best." He murmured.

"Great. I'll see you in an hour tops."

"Okay, bye."

"Bye, Conner."

Conner hung up the phone, and sat staring at it. "Okay, you little hell spawn. Who is she?" At the sound of the voice he snapped out of his reverie, and turned around to look at the owner. "How do you know it's a she?"

"You have that look. Now tell me about her."

"You mean Dad hasn't already told you about her?"

Lorne closed the distance to Conner. "No. Now spill. Who is this lady, and just exactly what does she mean to you?"

"Her name is Chara, and that's all I'm going to tell you."

"Why? Don't you want to tell me about her?"

"No. I'd rather you meet her instead. She'll be here in about an hour. Can you stay?"

"Sure I can, sweetie. And who knows, maybe I can get her to sing for me so I can find out all about her myself."

"No!" Conner nearly yelled. "You can't read her, Lorne."

"My. My. We're a tad protective of her, aren't we?"

"Because she's new to our world. She found out about last month when she rescued me from a vampire attack."

"Wait a minute, did you just say she rescued you from a vampire attack?

Conner nodded. "Dusted four vampires without breaking a sweat. You should have seen her, Lorne. She was incredible."

"Is she a slayer?"

"No, Lorne. She's just a girl. A girl who happens to want junk food for dinner, and it just so happens she would want something that's not in our industrial size refrigerator."

"Speaking of the refrigerator, do you want me to hide the bag of O pos in there?"

Conner shook his head. "No. She knows about Dad. I told her everything. I had too to make her understand what the difference was between him and the four vamps she dusted. I also explained about you a few minutes ago, and she wants to meet you. Can you stay?"

"Sure, I can, kiddo. And I'll even man the phones so you can go to the grocery store."

"H-How did you know I was going to a..."

Lorne smiled. "You mentioned that you didn't have what she wanted so I figured you would have to make a grocery run. You're the only one that knows what she wants. Now get out of here. Go buy your sweetie some sweets.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

CHAPTER 5

Okay, I can do this, Chara thought as she stood outside the Hyperion Hotel, and eyed the building warily. After taking several deep breaths she finally forced her feet into motion, and made her way through the front gates. She was on edge. She knew she was. She could feel the tension in her entire body, but she had to do this for Conner. He was her friend. Her best and only friend, and she owed it to him to try and learn more about his life. Get to know his family. When she reached the lobby doors she stopped just short of pushing through them to take a couple more deep, calming breaths to try and rein in her nervousness. Once she was in control she smoothed her hands over her deep purple and black cami, and black dress pants before pushing through the doors into the front lobby. She took the few steps down into the main part of the hotel, and looked around. "Hello? Conner?" She called out when she see anyone. "Hello?"

"Can I help you?"

Chara jumped at the sound of the male voice she didn't recognize, and when she turned around she instinctively took a step back as her eyes landed on the owner of the voice. Demon. Demon with red eyes that were watching her curiously. She finally squeezed her own eyes shut as she struggled to regain control of her fear ridden body. "Chara?" Her eyes flew open to find the demon smiling a real genuine smile at her. "Y-Yes."

"It's okay." He gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm Lorne."

"Oh, thank god." Chara's shoulders sagged. "I-I mean, H-Hello."

"You know, it's okay to be afraid." Lorne replied as he watched the golden beauty inch another step back.

"H-How did y-you know..."

"Conner told me what happened, and like I said before it's okay to be afraid. If I were in your shoes I would be a little scared myself, so I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to very slowly walk over and introduce myself, and then hopefully you'll do the same and we can shake hands, okay?"

"O-Okay."

Chara nervously watched as the demon moved towards her, and came to a stop a few feet from her. "Hello, Chara. My name is Krevlornswath of the Deathwok Clan of Pylea, but everyone here knows me better as Lorne, The Host and owner of Caritas, a demon karoke bar." Lorne extended his hand to Cara.

"I umm... Hello, Lorne. My name is Chara Elizabeth Williams. I'm Conner's best friend, and next door neighbor." She went to shake his hand, but the minute they made contact an electrical surge went through her that had her quickly pulling away. "W-Wow. I-I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to shock you."

"I'm sure you didn't." Lorne murmured, a bit dazed.

"I uhh..." Chara turned to look around. "W-Where's Conner?"

"Conner. Right. He umm... He went to the grocery store to get you all that junk food you wanted."

"He did?" She spun back around to look at Lorne, who nodded. "Yes, he did, but I'm sure he'll be back soon."

"I'm sure he will, too. I just hope he doesn't get in a hurry and forget the Cookie Dough Fudge Mint Chip ice cream. It's my favorite."

"I know." Lorne murmured.

"W-What?" Chara stared at him, not quite sure she'd heard him right.

"I said I'm sure he won't." Lorned quickly covered.

"Let's hope not for his sake." She flashed him a smile before turning to look around the hotel lobby again. "You know, I knew this place looked big from the outside, but I had no idea it was this big. It's alot bigger than my building." She began to walk around. "God, what I wouldn't give for this floor space."

Lorne watched her as she moved around. "That's right, I just remembered that you mentioned being Conner's next door neighbor. Have you been there long?"

"No. Not long. Almost two months, and it'll be another couple of months before I actually have an apartment that looks like an apartment."

"You live there?"

"Mmm... On the second floor. The first floor is my gym of sorts. I'm a personal trainer. The gym is almost done, but I'm afraid my apartment is a different story. I've been doing the work on it myself, but for some reason no matter what I do to it it just doesn't feel like home."

"Maybe the reason it doesn't feel like home is because of your decorating choices. Black walls. How depressing is that to wake up to every morning."

Chara spun around at the sound of the voice, and a smile instantly lit up her face. "Hey, don't you dare make fun of my choice of bedroom colors, mister. I explained to you why I did that. Besides, I'm not a morning person so why the hell would I want to wake up to some bright, cheery ass color when I don't feel cheery?"

"If you had someone to wake up with I would almost bet you would wake up cheery."

"Oh no, I am so not going to take the bait, Conner so you might as well hang it up and get down here and say hello to me."

Fine." Conner stepped down into the lobby, and closed the distance to her. "Hey, you." He pulled her into a hug. "You're early. I was hoping I would get back before you got here. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Not unless you forgot the ice cream."

"Don't worry I got the ice cream, and the oreos, and the waffle cones, and everything else on that list of yours."

"Hold up." Chara pulled away to look at him. "If you got everything on that list of mine how come your arms are empty?"

"My arms aren't empty. They have you in them."

"Conner!" Chara playfully slapped him. "I'm serious. I'm hungry. Where's my food?"

Suddenly there was a loud noise, and the sound of several objects crashing to the floor, followed by a very loud Oh dear lord.

"That would be your food." Conner announced as he pulled away from Chara, and turned around to look at the three people now down on the floor picking up what was obviously the groceries. "And that's Wesley, Gunn, and Fred. I'll introduce you just as soon as I help them."

"I've got it, Conner." Lorne quickly recovered from his shock, and hurried past the couple to help Wesley pick up the bag of groceries he had dropped. "Act normal."

Wesley's gaze nervously darted from Lorne to the woman standing beside Conner. "Y-You know?" Lorne nodded, and Wesley quickly shot another glance at the girl. "B-But h-how?"

"Don't know. All I know is it's her only she doesn't know it's her, and Conner... He doesn't have a clue either because as we all know he came after she uhh... after Angelface laid her to rest so to say. Now shut up and stand up to say hello. And for crying out loud don't forget to act normal until one of us can make a break for it, and put in a phone call to get Angel back here ASAP so he can figure out what the hell is going on."

"I umm... O-Okay." Gunn, Fred, and Wesley all stood up just as Conner brought Chara over to introduce them to her. Gunn reached for Fred's hand. "I uhh... Hello, Bu... C-Chara. I'm Charles Gunn, and this lovely lady is Fred Burckle, and the man beside her is Wesley Wyndam-Pryce."

"Hello." Chara smiled up at Conner's family. "It's nice to finally meet all of you."

"Likewise." Gunn murmured, and gestured to Lorne, who was fininshing picking up the groceries. "Sorry about this. It wasn't exactly the way we had planned on meeting you."

"Yeah, sorry." Fred mumbled. "Wesley is almost never a clutz, but the moment he stepped in the door he was all feet. Mine, Gunn's, and his.

"It's okay as long as he didn't ruin the ice cream." Chara eyed Wesley. "You didn't, did you? 'Cause if you did I just might have to kick your ass."

"It's okay, sweetie." Lorne said, standing up. "See." He held up the container of Cookie Dough Fudge Mint ice cream. "Not a drop missing."

Chara smiled. "Then it looks like you're off the hook, Wesley."

"Well, uhh..." Wesley nervously met her gaze. "Thank you, I appreciate that."

Conner slid his arm around Chara's waist, and looked back and forth at Lorne, Wesley, and Gunn. "What did I tell you, guys. Isn't she a real beauty just like I said?"

"Yes, she is. But as you know, Conner I'm very partial to brunettes. Especially one brunette in particular." Gunn slid his arm around Fred's waist. "Isn't that right, baby?"

"Uh huh." Fred giggled, and smiled down at Chara. "And look, he actually showed his incredibly sweet side to you which completely ruins that macho image of his I'm sure Conner told you about. Of course, I bet Conner also told you Wesley was stuffy like all Englishmen, but it's not true. He isn't stuffy at all, and it didn't take long for me to find that out after we met."

"You know, I had this image that Englishmen were stuffy, too." Chara frowned. "And why exactly I did is beyond me because I've never met anyone from England before today."

"Well, he's not stuffy." Lorne spoke up. "And I can attest to that myself. Wesley is so unstuffy he's actually sang Karoke. So has Gunn, and Fred. Now Conner on the other hand, he's a different story. But I'm not giving up." He smiled at Conner than returned his gaze to Chara. "What about you, sweetie? Do you sing?"

"Me?" Chara couldn't help but laugh. "Good heavens, no. I'm not the singing type. Well, except maybe in my car, and it's along with the radio. But that's as far as my talents go."

"I don't believe that." Lorne told her. "There must be something you're talented at."

She glanced over at Conner. "Well, I umm... Like I said before, I'm a personal trainer. I'm uhh... I'm an expert in martial arts, and gymnastics. And I also teach Yoga, aerobics, and some Tai Chi."

"And dancing..." Conner added. "Don't forget the dancing."

"Right." She smiled at him before looking at Conner. "I dance, too. I'm not exactly a professional, but I've been told I'm not bad. I umm... I've been taking lessons from a friend. He uhh.. Right now, he umm... He's teaching me how to belly dance."

"Belly dance?" Wesley blurted out. "Why in the world would you need to know how to belly dance?"

"Because Matt's perverted."

"Excuse me?"

"Look, Wesley. I umm... I'd really love to explain, but I'd rather not. It's kinda embarrassing. I can tell you this though. Believe it or not, belly dancing is actually a good way to burn calories, and to lose weight. That's why once I'm finished with my lessons I'm thinking about teaching it at the center and to my clients that want to learn." Chara answered, and rewarded him with a smile. "That's if my dad agrees to it. He uhh... Well, let's just say he's a little old fashioned, and I'm not sure that he'll like me doing it, much less teaching it. I'll just have to wait and see."

"Oh." Wesley murmured. "I mean, He doesn't know that you umm... that you're learning how?"

"No. I'm waiting for the right time to tell him. But I will eventually. Probably after his yearly physical, and I'm sure his heart is okay. Don't want to go giving him a heart attack or anything."Chara giggled again when she saw the look on Wesley's face. "Like I said before, Wesley. He's very old fashioned. He would most definitely have a heart attack if he saw some of the moves I'm learning."

"I bet Angelface would, too." Lorned murmured in a very audible voice.

Chara returned her gaze to Lorne. "Did you say something, Lorne?"

Lorne shifted nervously on his feet. "Uhh... Actually I did. I was just wondering if you would show us. A demonstration of your dancing, I mean."

Chara blushed. "Y-You want me to show you the belly dancing?"

Lorne actually blushed, too. "Oh no. No belly dancing. Just a regular dance. A regular dance would be fine."

"I wouldn't mind seeing the lady move myself." Gunn spoke out loud, and got rewarded with an elbow. "Charles..." Fred warned after jabbing him. "What?" Gunn grinned devishly. "You can't blame a man for trying."

"No, you can't." Fred muttered. "I just hope that man enjoys sleeping alone tonight."

"Okay. Okay." Chara laughed. "It looks like I've started something bad here, so why don't we reschedule my performing for you until some other time. And I promise there will be another time because I plan to give Conner dance lessons."

"Uh Uh, Chara." Conner shook his head. "I am not learning to belly dance."

"Who said anything about teaching you to belly dance?" Chara gave him an innocent look. "I said I plan to give you dance lessons, but I never said what kind. It doesn't matter though. You will learn. Any talents you can acquire will help you in the female compainonship department later on."

"Did you ever stop to think that maybe I don't want any female companionship, Chara?" Conner muttered.

"You can't be alone your entire life, Conner."

"But you can, right?"He pointed out.

Chara sighed. "Okay, I can see I've broached another sore subject, and since I don't want to argue with you why don't we change the subject to the presents I got you."

"What presents?"

"The ones in my car." Chara turned back to the others. "Gunn, would you and Wesley mind helping me unload them?"

"Jesus christ, Cara. What did you get me that requires both Gunn and Wesley to help you unload them? And why did you buy me something to start with? It's not my birthday."

"I know. Their unbirthday presents. And I'm not telling you what it is. You'll just have to wait and see." She smiled mysteriously. "Now go help Lorne and Fred unload the groceries, and meet us back here."

Conner raised an eyebrow. "My, my. We're a little bossy, aren't we?"

"You're damn right, I am. And you love it." She stuck her tongue out at him which caused Lorne to chuckle. "Now do as I say." With that said, she breezed past him, and out of the lobby with Wesley and Gunn on her heels.

Once she was gone, Conner came over and took the bag of groceries from Lorne with a grin on his face. "Now do you see why she's so special to me. Incredible. Isn't she the most incredible woman you've ever met?"

"That she is." Lorne murmured. And I happen to know someone else that used to think the same thing about her. I just wonder if after five years, her death, and a new girlfriend, he still feels the same way? ****

"So tell me again what Wesley said?" Cordelia asked Angel as he helped her out of the passenger side seat of his plymouth.

"He didn't say much of anything, Cordy. He just told me to get home as soon as possible, and to come through the garden doors instead of the front entrance to the lobby."

"Wonder what the hell that's all about?" Cordelia asked as Angel she waited for him to shut the car door.

"Don't know that either." Angel moved past her then stopped to stare at something. "The whole conversation was weird, and it's getting weirder."

"Why do you say that?" Cordelia stared at his back.

"I uhh... I've just got this weird feeling. And the fact that there's a hundred thousand dollar car parked right here only increases that feeling."

"Oooh." She moved up beside Angel to stare at the Ferrari Modena Spyder. "Maybe we've got a rich client, and Wesley's just serving them tea in the garden while they wait on us."

"Maybe. I guess there's only one way to find out." Angel muttered, and headed up the walkway to the hotel with her beside him. They had just reached the entrance to the garden doors when he suddenly came to halt again.

"Angel, what is it?" Cordelia laid her hand on his arm.

"I... Nothing." He shook his head, and entered the garden door.

"A-Angel..." Wesley stood up from the bench he was sitting on. "You're here."

"Of course, I'm here Wesley? You called me, remember?" He stepped further into the garden. "Now would you like to tell me why the hell I am here?"

"I uhh... We have company."

"I've already figured that out, Wesley. There's a hundred thousand dollar car sitting in front of the hotel. What I don't know is who it is or why you felt they were important enough for me and Cordy to have to cut our evening short."

Wesley saw how angry the half-vampire was, and shifted nervoulsy on his feet. "I uhh... You're mad. And because you are I'm thinking maybe it was a mistake for me to call you."

"Wesley..." Angel growled. "I'm waiting."

"I umm... maybe you and Cordelia should sit down first, Angel."

Angel's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"I umm... Conner's girlfriend is here."

"And you wanted me to sit down so you could tell me that?"

"No. Not exactly. I umm... The reason I think you should sit down is because I umm... the girl isn't who she says she is."

"I knew it!" Angel spun around to look at Cordelia. "I told you. Didn't I tell you something wasn't right with her?" He turned back to look at Wesley. "Let me guess, she works for Wolfram and Hart, am I right?"

"No, she doesn't work for Wolfram and Hart, but there is a slight problem. The uhh... the girl is someone from your past... Our past actually. You, me, and Cordy's. But the thing is she doesn't remember it... Her past or us. But what really has me and everyone with the exception of Conner, who doesn't have a clue who she is by the way, completely stumped as to why or how it's even possible that it's her. And it is ineed her. Lorne says so, but that's all he does..."

"What the hell is wrong with you, Wesley?" Angel cut him off. "You're babbling and not making any sense, and because you are now you've got me worried because you never babble or not make sense. Will you just spit it out in clear and simple terms. Who the hell is this girl and what the hell does she have to do with us?"

"You, Angel. She affects you more than me or Cordy."

"Me? How does she affect me?"

Wesley opened his mouth to tell him, but just then music began to drift into the garden, and the sound of a familiar, yet not so familiar voice yelling at Conner and Gunn, telling them they'd better not turn the song off sent Angel spinning around to look through the glass of the garden doors.

"Oh my God..." Cordelia moaned, and to Angel she couldn't have said it any better as he stared at the ghost of his past through the glass. "No. No. That's not..." He took a few steps towards the doorway, and suddenly stopped. "I-It's not her."

"Angel..." Wesley murmured.

Angel couldn't take his eyes of the girl, who was sitting on top of the front desk. "W-What's she doing?"

"I think it's called singing."

"Well, there you have it." Angel spun back around to look at Wesley and Cordelia. "That tells you right there it's not Bu... her." God, he couldn 't even say her name. "Sh-She doesn't... She didn't sing. She hummed or whistled but she never sang."

"Yes, she did. Well, at least she did this one time that I know of. It was when Amy's Mom was wreaking havoc on the cheerleading squad. Buf... She kept singing *Macho Man*. Nearly drove us all crazy." Cordelia muttered.

"She was under a spell that day, Cordy." Angel argued. "I told you Bu... She didn't sing."He spun back around to look at the girl. "It's not her. Whoever that is... This isn't funny." He started for the door leading to the garden. "I'm going to kill them."

"Hold it right there, Angel." Wesley jumped in front of him to block his path. "Lorne said it was her. How he knew I don't know. I haven't had a chance to talk to him because of her being here."

"It's not her, Wesley. Whoever that is..." Angel swept a hand through his hair. "This isn't funny. It's not her. It can't be. She di..." Jesus, he couldn't even bring himself to say that word either.

"I know she did, Angel. All I can tell you is that she's not that way now. Lorne said it was her, and you and I both know if anyone would know it would be him because he has a link to the powers."

"No." Angel shook his head. "I still don't believe... It's not her."

"Are you sure about that, Angel?"Cordelia spoke up and asked. "Earlier you said you had this weird feeling. Maybe it was her. Maybe you sensed her."

"No." Angel spun back around to look at Cordelia. "Cordy, I..."

Cordelia locked eyes with him. "Just be honest to yourself for a moment, Angel. Is what you felt earlier what you used to feel whenever she was near? Is that girl in there Buffy? The truth. Tell me the truth."

"No... I don't know... Maybe..." He turned to look at the girl through the glass again, and slowly nodded. "Y-Yes... I-I think it is. Conner said she had a scar. I just... I need to be closer to her. Talk to her."

"Then I suggest you go do it." With that said, Cordelia turned away from him, and disappeared out of the garden.

"Angel..." Wesley started to say.

"Not now, Wesley." Angel waved him off. "I need to... I'm going to try and get a closer look."

"Fine. I'll just stay here and wait for Cordy." Wesley said as Angel moved past him.

****

Chara stood and worried her bottom lip as she watched Conner tear into the wrapping paper of the huge package sitting in the middle of the lobby floor.

"Chara..." Conner looked up at her after his eyes took in what was hidden under the wrapping paper of his unbirthday presents.

"Well? Do you like them?"

"I uhh... I don't know. I've never had any before." Conner answered honestly as his eyes returned to the now unwrapped entertainment system.

"I know. You told me earlier, remember? That's why I got them. I just... I thought you should be introduced to music. Like I said, it's good for your soul. And the tv and dvd player... Well, I hope you use those to start a family night like we talked about. Remember, Family is important. Very important. And it's important that you spend as much time with them as possible."

"Amen to that, sister." Lorne said from his seat on the sofa beside Conner. "And I'm sure Angelface will agree with you. And as for the stereo... I've been after him for years, telling him that he needed to teach the little bambino here about music, but he wouldn't because he said he hated the music today and didn't want his son to listen to it. "

"Well, I can understand his position, Lorne. But I also have to disagree with him."Chara replied. "Not all music or movies are distasteful. And even if they were it's not our place to tell a person what they can't listen to or watch. That's what is so great about living in the United States, having the freedom to say, do, watch, and listen to what we want. Of course, I really wasn't sure how Conner's dad would react to my gifts, so I played things safe and only bought CD's and dvd's that wasn't distasteful as he calls them." She looked down at Conner. "That's what is in the other package by the way. CD's and movies. Now it'll be up to you to decide exactly which ones are your favorite."

Conner stood up. "You didn't have to do this, Chara."

"I know." She gave him her best smile. "I wanted to. Besides, if you're going to learn how to dance so that you can take me dancing you need to be familiar with music. Hence the stereo. And I've already told you why I bought the tv and dvd player. Just put them to good use, okay?"

Conner chuckled. "I knew there was an ulterior motive behind this."

"That's because you know my so well." She reached up to brush a lock of hair of his forehead. "Now what do you say we get these suckers out of the box and test them out?"

He smiled. "Sure, why not?" Conner turned to Gunn. "Will you help me since I don't have a clue what I'm doing?"

"No problem, man." Gunn replied, and dropped a kiss on Fred's lips before leaving the sofa he'd been setting on.

Chara hoisted herself up on the front desk, and for the next fifteen minutes watched as Conner and Gunn set the stereo system up, and began to sample the huge collection of CD's she had also purchased. He had decided to wait on testing out the tv and dvd player until he could talk to his father about where a good place would be to set them up, and that was fine with Chara. She was just happy to see Conner so excited. He was like a kid at christmas time, and every now and then she would catch herself mouthing some of the words to the songs he was playing because it was the first time in a long time she had actually felt at peace. And she was at peace. Happy even. Even if Conner and Gunn were skipping through song after song instead of listening to each one completely through, she was just happy to sit and watch them. That was until they came across one of her favorite CD's in the entire collection. They were both continuing to quickly skip through track after track until they reached her favorite song on the entire album, and when they went to skip over it she couldn't help but yell at them to leave it. "I love this song." She told them.

"I don't." Gunn muttered. "It's depressing."

"Yes, it is." She agreed. "But that's what is so great about it. Instead of singing about all that bullshit happily ever after love stuff this girl sings about real life. I mean, listen to the words really closely and tell me that you haven't felt the exact same way she feels at some point in your life."

"I think I'll pass, thanks." Gunn said before returning to the stack of CD's he and Conner had been sorting through earlier. Conner also eventually went back to doing the same, and as Chara watched them she didn't even realize she had started singing out loud along with the song.

I'm standing on the bridge I'm waitin' in the dark I thought you'd be here By now

There's nothin' but the rain No footsteps on the ground I'm listening but there's no sound

Isn't anyone tryin' to find me? Won't somebody please take me home

It's a damn cold night Tryin' to figure out this life Won't you take me by the hand Take me somewhere new I don't know who you are but I I'm with you I'm with you

I'm lookin' for a place I'm searchin' for a face Is anybody here I know 'Cause nothin's going right And everything's a mess And no one likes to be alone

Isn't anyone tryin' to find me? Won't somebody come take me home

It's a damn cold night Tryin' to figure out this life Won't you take me by the hand Take me somewhere new I don't know who you are but I I'm with you I'm with you Ye ah

Oh, why is everything so confusing Maybe I'm just out of my mind Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah...

It's a damn cold night Tryin' to figure out this life Won't you take me by the hand Take me somewhere new I don't know who you are but I I'm with you I'm with you

Take me by the hand Take me somewhere new I don't know who you are but I'm with you I'm with you

Take me by the hand Take me somewhere new Don't know who you are but I I'm with you I'm with you I'm with you

When the song ended, Chara blinked out of her reverie to find everyone staring at her, and the way they were doing it was sending this tingly sensation up her spine. It was unnerving. So unnerving she finally had to say something. "C-Conner?" Her eyes flew to his. "W-Why is everyone staring at me?"

"Maybe because we didn't know you could sing." Conner smiled at her. "Chara, that was... Wow... You sounded just like an..."

"Angel..." Lorned cut Conner off and said as he came to his feet.

"Yeah right, Lorne." Chara rolled her eyes. "I in know way sounded like an angel."

"No, Cara. Not you. He meant..."

"Angel." Lorne cut Conner off again, and pointed behind Conner. "Your uhh... Conner's uhh... Dad. He's uhh... here."

Great. Chara silently muttered to herself as she felt the heat rush to her cheeks. It was embarrassing enough that everyone else had heard her sing, but for Conner's dad to hear her, too. Oh well, so much for making a good first impression. Bracing herself for the encounter, she slid off the front desk, and raised her gaze to her best friend's father.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

CHAPTER 6

It was her. Cordy had been right. He had sensed her before he'd ever walked into the hotel garden, but it had been so long since he'd had that feeling he had forgotten what it was like. The last time had been the night of her mother's funeral, and later on he would find out it would be the last time he would ever sense, touch, or see her again. Or so he thought. But now she was here. He could hear the blood flowing in her veins, hear her heart beating in her chest. She was alive. Buffy was alive, and just within touching distance, and God the urge to go to her, take her in his arms and never let her go again was so overwhelming he nearly did. That was until she started singing that stupid song while she sat on top of the front desk, and the words to it began to tear at his gut. He was halfway to her when he stopped. He couldn't hold her no matter how much he wanted to. She didn't know who he was. Who she was. And the last thing he wanted to do was frighten her. So he chose to drink her in instead. Let her sweet voice entrance him like it always did. Watch as she sang along with the stereo that Conner and Gunn were pretending to tamper with. So he waited... Waited for the moment she would raise her gaze to his. And he hoped... Hoped that when she finally did there would be some sort of recognization in her eyes. His hopes were selfish, he knew it. If everything she had told Conner was true then she had been through so much pain. Too much. And then there was the fact that she couldn't remember. He didn't know if the memory loss was from the accident or from her return. All he knew was that she had been cheated out of having the peace she deserved, and he intended to find out why.

Angel was so deep in thought that at first he didn't realize the music had stopped, and that she wasn't singing anymore. It was the sound of her voice that finally snapped him out of his reverie, and once again he was drinking her in and waiting... hoping.

"Conner? W-Why is everyone staring at me?"

"Maybe because we didn't know you could sing. Chara, that was... Wow...You sounded just like an..."

Angel watched as Lorne suddenly stood up, and their gazes locked. "Angel..."

"Yeah right, Lorne. I in no way sounded like an angel."

Angel wanted to chuckle because it was obvious she still had her dry sense of humor, but he never got the chance because Conner's attention turned to him, and he pointed at him. "No, Chara. Not you. He meant..."

"Angel." Lorne repeated. "Your uhh... Conner's uhh...Dad. He's uhh... here."

"Oh." Was all Angel heard her say before she turned red with embarrassment. She refused to look at him at first. She waited until she had jumped off the front desk top, and then he was holding a breath he didn't need as she finally raised her eyes to him, and there it was... Their connection... They not only connected with their eyes, but with their hearts, bodies, and souls as well, and for a moment he actually thought he had gotten his selfish wish. He thought he saw recognization in those emerald jewels of hers, but just as quickly as it came, it was gone, and she instinctively took a step towards Conner, who pulled her into his arms as he manuevered around her to face his father again.

To say he was jealous was an understatement. The powerful surge of jealousy that shot through Angel was making his inner demons cry out for him to close the distance to his son, and pull her away from him. His son... It was those two words that blew out the fire raging inside of him, but if he thought no one noticed he was wrong because his vampire hearing caught Lorne's muttered oh boy just before she spoke and regained his full attention. "Umm... H-Hello."

Gods, her voice was like music to his ears. Five years. It had been five very long years since he had heard it last, and his shocked and pained eyes softened as he continued to drink her in. "Hello, Bu...Chara."

She frowned. "H-How did you..."

"Chara..." Conner's hands came up to rest on her shoulders in reassurance. " I told Dad all about you. I figured since I had pretty much given you his life story I at least owed it to him to tell him a little bit about you. I hope that's okay?"

She tilted her head back to look at Conner, and that's when Angel saw it. His mark... And seeing it again didn't cause him any pain. Far from it actually. He was actually happy to see it. Happy that no matter what she would always belong to him. So happy that when he dared a peek at Lorne he found the anagogic demon grinning at him from ear to ear, but his gaze didn't hold Lorne's very long, and then he was immediately returning his attention to the goddess standing in front of his son. "I uhh... you told him e-everything?"

Conner nodded. "Yes."

Her panic gaze flew back to Angel. "Are y-you going to kill me?"

"W-What?" Angel took a step back in surprise.

"A-Are you going t-to kill me?" She repeated nervously. "Because I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to. If I were in your shoes I would want to kill m-me, too. But I swear to you I didn't know Conner had never drank before when I gave him that whiskey. I was kinda in shock at the time, and I didn't think to ask him if he drank or not. Not until the shock had worn off some, and by then it was too late because he'd already drank it when he admitted to me that you would kill him if he ever did drink. I-I'm really sorry. Honest. If I had known I wouldn't have given it to him in the first place. But the thing is I didn't know, and I'm really sorry. But if you want to kill me I'll understand."

Angel's surprised and confused gaze moved to Conner. "Did I understand her correctly? Did she give you liquor?"

"Yeah." Conner grinned. "But it was like she said, Dad. I sort of didn't tell her what you said until after the fact, and once I did she panicked like she's doing now, so will you please tell her you're not going to kill her and put her guilty conscience at ease? She's been worrying herself sick every since it happened."

Chara glanced back and forth at father and son as they discussed her as if she wasn't there until she finally couldn't take it anymore, and let her gaze settle on Conner. "I uhh... Why do I get the feeling you didn't tell him what I just told him?"

"Because I didn't. I told him everything but that."

"OH..." Her eyes widened in surprise and flew back to Angel. "So I umm... Are you uhh... Are you going to kill me?"

"I thought Conner explained to you that I don't kill people, Bu... Chara?"

"H-He did. And I get that. I get the whole vampire with a soul thing."

"Then why would you think that I would kill you?"

"B-Because you're his father, and I umm... I would w-want to kill me, too if I knew someone gave my baby something that could be bad for him."

"I'm not a baby, Chara." Conner muttered from behind her.

"Sorry, sweetie." Chara tilted her head back to look at Conner, and reached up to pat his cheek with one of her hands. "You know what I meant. Now quit scowling at me before your face sets that way permanently." With another pat to his cheek, she returned her gaze to Angel. "So umm... K-Kill me. Are you g-going to kill me?"

Angel swallowed another surge of jealousy after watching the exchange between her and Conner before finally managing to find his voice. "No. Like I said before, Chara, Conner explained to me what happened, and I understand that you were in shock. Besides, no matter what you've done I would never lay a finger on y... I don't hurt humans. But if you don't believe me, and you're still uncomfortable being around me, I could always..." He motioned to the stairs. "Go."

"No!" She nearly yelled. "I-I mean, no. You don't have to go. I'm uhh... I'm still getting used to the whole vampires a-and demons exist thingie, but I know the difference between y-you and them. The uhh... The ones I killed. I know the difference between y-you and them, and it's not just because Conner told me either. It's hard to explain, but somehow I sense it." She frowned again. "And how or why that's possible I'm not sure, but I do. So I don't guess it really matters how I do as long as I do, right?"

"Right." He smiled this incredibly sexy lopsided smile that took Chara's breath away for a moment, but she finally managed to catch it again and get her voice back. "Eat... I uhh... Conner has this deal with my Dad to see to it that I eat, and tonight he's going to feed me lots and lots of junk food. Would you uhh... Would you like to join us? All of us?"

Angel's gaze moved to his son. "If you have a deal with her uhh...father don't you think you should be feeding her real food instead of junk food?"

Conner opened his mouth to say something, but Chara beat him to the punch.

"Don't blame him, uhh... Angel. He said the same thing you did, but I didn't want real food. I was in the mood to eat all this really fattening stuff, and once I set my heart on something I won't take no for an answer."

"Ain't that the truth." Conner muttered.

"Hey!" She spun around to look at him. "Are you trying to tell me something, mister?"

"I..."Conner saw the look in her eyes, and knew if he said something he would be fighting a losing battle, so he sighed in defeat and shook his head no.

"That's what I thought."She spun back around to look at Angel, who was struggling to control his jealousy again. "So... Would you? Like to join us, I mean. Not that I have to invite you seeing as it's your kitchen, but I'm asking anyway." She smiled at him, and he felt himself melting all over again. "So would you?"

Angel returned her smile. "I'd love to."

"Great. Then it's settled. Let's eat." She reached for Conner's hand, and Angel felt another wave of jealousy rush through him. "I'm going to let you lead the way, Mr. Conner. Especially since I have no idea where I'm going."

"I'll give you the grand tour after we eat." Conner told her. "Now let's go do that." He began to lead her out of the room, but suddenly she stopped in her tracks. "Oh, just a little reminder, guys." She spun around to look at the rest of the group, including Angel. "Hands off the Cookie Dough Fudge Mint Chip ice cream. It's mine."

A sharp pain shot through Angel at her words. "Actually, you know what... Uhh, Conner... Why don't you take our guest and go on ahead. I just remembered that I need to discuss a possible case with Lorne. We'll catch up in a minute."

Chara looked a little hurt as her gaze traveled to Angel. "A-Are you sure? We could wait on you if you'd like."

Angel smiled at her again. "No, that's okay. Go on and eat. Lorne and I will be along shortly."

"Okay." She returned his smile, and let Conner lead her out of the lobby, followed by Gunn and Fred. Angel waited until he was absolutely sure the were out of hearing distance before he turned to Lorne. "What did you see, Lorne? I know you read her."

"All I could see was her true essence, Angelface. There were flashes of things... Faded images of you and her, but I couldn't see anything else because there's too much pain and confusion. She's hiding behind it, and for some reason she doesn't want to come out."

"That's it?" Angel asked angrily. "Come on, Lorne. There's got to be something else."

"Oh yeah, you big palucca. There's definitely something else. I saw it the moment you two made eye contact, and I curse myself for being such an idiot. For reading between the lines when I didn't have all the facts."

"What the hell are you talking about, Lorne?"

"I thought you and Cordy had kyerumption, Angelcakes. I even pushed for the two of you to get together, but it was a mistake. I see that now. Kyerumption... It's not even a speck of sand in that universe that's known as you and Buffy. What I just saw take place between the two of you... I've never seen anything like it, and I don't think I ever will again."

"I don't appreciate you reading me without my persmission, Lorne."

Lorne patted Angel's arm. "Then quit being so obvious."

Angel turned away from Lorne. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Liar. You were smirking, Angel. Smirking. And just so you know, the jealousy thing isn't necessary. She loves him, but not the way you think."

"It doesn't matter what I think, Lorne. I'm with Cordy now, remember? And Conner... He's my son."

"You know, I never realized just how much love could affect a person until today." Lorne murmured as he stared at Angel's back. "It must have been hard for you to love her that much, and lose her not once, but three times. I can't even begin to imagine what you must have been feeling, and might I add that you did a pretty good damn job of hiding it all, too. I can see now why you settled for this life. It's so much easier, isn't it? Not anywhere near as painful?"

"I'm not going to discuss this with you." Angel moved towards the garden doors. "I have to go find Cordelia."

"That's right, Angel. Run away."

"I'm not..." Angel stopped just inside the doorway. "I'm not running away, Lorne. I don't know what happened to her. Why she's here. All I know is that if she she needs my help I'll be there to help her anyway I can."

"Still sounds like you're running to me, Angelface. And who's to say that it's your help she needs. Maybe what she really needs from you is your love."

"Lorne..." Angel turned around to look at him.

"Chara. It's kinda ironic that she would pick the name Chara, don't you think? Chara... Mo anam chara. Do you see what I'm getting at here, Angel. Mo anam chara. You do remember what it means, don't you? And she is that. Even under all that pain and confusion that was something I had no trouble seeing, and that ring on her finger only confirms it. I just hope you realize it's true for yourself before it's too late."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

CHAPTER 7

Angel didn't go to the kitchen after talking to Lorne. He did exactly what he told Lorne he was going to do. He sought Cordelia out, and he just so happened to find her sitting on the front steps of the hotel. The minute he sat down beside her he knew she was pissed by the way she refused to look at him. "So... Did you see your beloved Buffy?"

He grimaced, and his reaction only angered her more. "I don't believe it. It's really her. God! Of course, it's really her! She's the only person that could ever get that kind of fucking reaction out of you!"

"Cordy, will you please calm down and let me explain."

"Explain what, Angel?" She asked, rising from the step. "That you're still in love with her? No thanks, I don't need you to explain that to me. Especially when deep down I've always known you never really did stop loving her. It just pisses me off that you didn't even stop to take my feelings into consideration before you took off to have that happy reunion with her."

"We didn't have a happy reunion, Cordy. She didn't even recognize me."

"So, it's true." She turned around to look at him. "The whole amnesia thing isn't an act? She really doesn't remember anything?"

"You thought it was an act?" Angel stared at her back in disbelief.

"Well duh, you idiot! It's Buffy! She's always been able to wind you around her little finger. I figured she came back, somehow found out about us and Conner, and decided to make your life a living hell just like she always has."

"I can't believe you would actually think that, Cordelia. Things with Buffy and I... If she knew about Conner she would never use him to hurt me. She would never intentionally hurt me period. Just like I would never intenionally hurt her if I could help it."

"I so do not want to hear this right now. It's bad enough that I know now that you marked her, and that you gave her a wedding ring..." She turned around to look at him. "Doesn't any of the last four years mean anything to you? Do I mean anything to you?"

"Of course, you do, Cordelia! Why do you think I'm here instead of..."

"Instead of what, Angel?" She locked eyes with him. "Do you want her back? She's rich, you know? Won all those millions in Vegas. The two of you could travel the world together. There's nothing to stop you from being with her now."

"There's you to stop me." Angel answered quickly. "But just for the record, Cordy if I did want her back, which I don't, it wouldn't be because of the money."

"But? I'm sensing another but here, Angel. You have butface."

"You're right. It's Buffy, Cordy. Buffy! She made me believe in myself. She taught me about love and friendship. She gave me a purpose, and whether you like it or not she will always be a part of my life."

Cordelia sat back down beside him in defeat. "You're going to help her, aren't you?"

"I have to, Cordelia. I owe her that much. You owe her that much. If it wasn't for her we wouldn't be here right now. She gave her life to save us and this world we live in, and now it's time to repay her for her sacrifice."

"So what happens now." She buried her face in her hands.

"I'm going to Sunnydale. I need answers, and since that's where she... That's the most logical place to start."

"And when you come back?" She raised her head to look over at him.

"I'm coming back to you. But it doesn't neccessarily mean that this will be over. I may not find the answers I'm looking for there, and if I don't then I plan to search until I do. We can't go on with our lives until I make sure she can go on with hers. And then there's Conner. He loves her, and I have no idea what I'm going to do about that..."

****

He didn't join them like he said he was going to do. Angel hadn't joined them for their junk food fest, and Chara had found out from Wesley later on that evening why. He had went home with Cordelia, is girlfriend, and for some reason the thought of him being with this Cordelia had made Chara sick at her stomach. So sick in fact, she had eventually bailed on the festivities herself and came home. And now here she was sitting in the bathroom floor doing her best to try and get her strength back enough to make it to her bed on the sofa. What the hell was wrong with her? First she flips for a vampire of all things, and now she was making herself sick with jealousy over the fact that he had a girlfriend. A girlfriend that he had been involved with for four years, and was obviously sleeping with. That meant it was serious. It had to be, and that meant she didn't have a chance in hell of snagging him. Snagging him? Now where the hell had that come from? She wasn't interested in snagging anyone. Especially Conner's dad of all people. And oh, God. Who the hell was she kidding? She was immediately and totally smitten with the dark and gorgeous vampire, and for a moment she could have sworn that he was equally as interested in her because of the way he was looking at her. It was almost like he had been looking into her soul. And that tingle... The one she thought had been nervousness from everyone staring at her, hadn't been that at all. It had been him. She'd figured that out the moment she turned around and locked eyes with him.

Chara groaned out loud, and pushed herself up off the floor. She was in trouble. Serious trouble. She'd managed to fall for someone she's only known for like five seconds. Someone she hadn't even had a decent conversation with. Someone that was already taken. But for some reason none of that seem to matter. For some reason no matter how wrong she kept telling herself falling for Angel really was, deep down inside of her something kept telling her it had never felt so right.

****

Angel pulled up in front of the house on Revello Drive, and sat staring at it for the longest time. His last visit here hadn't went very well. It was right after he had gotten back from Tibet. He had come to check on Dawn, and to visit Buffy's grave. To say goodbye... And what he found while he was here had not only scared him, it had sent him seeking Spike out in a blind rage. Apparantly Sunnydale had been attacked by Hellions who had found out that the hellmouth was slayerless. Well, not exactly slayerless. They had found out that the slayer wasn't real. That she was a robot. A Buffybot. And they had come to town to destroy it, and take over the hellmouth according to the Scooby gang, who had gathered at Buffy's house to explain to him about what had been going on the last couple of months and to tell him about the attack on Sunnydale the night before. That's when he had found out that Spike had paid some computer geek to design a robot that looked like Buffy to satisfy his obsession with her. That piece of news alone had enraged him beyond belief, and he had wanted to seek his Grand Childe out right then and there and end his miserable existence, but he had somehow managed to rein in his rage long enough to listen to Willow explain about the attack, and how the Scooby gang had finally managed to drive the Hellions out of Sunnydale with magic and their wits.

Once Willow was finished telling him, he had still set his rage aside long enough to talk to Buffy's little sister, who had been in her bedroom upstairs balling her eyes out over the fact that now that there wasn't a Buffybot anymore the truth about her sister's death was going to finally come out and she was going to have to go live with her father in LA when she didn't want to.

After he had listened to Dawn pour out her heart to him about the death of her sister, and what it was doing to her knowing she had to go live with a man she despised, his anger towards the scoobies had softened somewhat. He finally understood why they had used the Buffybot. They had simply been doing what they had promised Buffy they would do. They were taking care of her little sister, and he couldn't stay angry at them for that. He would have done the same thing had he been here.

Spike, on the other hand, was a different story. His rage for Spike only intensified, and eventually he managed to catch up with the peroxide blonde and beat him beyond recognization. He had even planned on staking the sorry sonofabitch's ass, but the look in his Grand Childe's eyes as he raised the stake to carry his plan out had stopped him. Love. Spike had really loved Buffy in his own sick twisted way, and Angel couldn't kill him for that. He couldn't kill him for loving the most incredible woman to ever exist, so he had chosen to walk away instead, and he hadn't been back since. But that didn't mean he had forgotten about the hellmouth and the people there either. In fact, as soon as he had gotten back to LA he had called Giles, who had moved back to England after Buffy's death, and told him about the attack and they both agreed the hellmouth couldn't be left unprotected. A couple of days later Faith had turned up to see him. Apparantly Giles had told the Watcher's Council what had happened and they in turn had put in a call to the US government and had somehow managed to arrange to have Faith released from prison so that she could resume her duties as slayer in Sunnydale.

Since that day five years ago he hadn't set foot back in Sunnydale, but he hadn't severed all his ties there either. He still kept in touch with both Willow and Faith, and he had even called on the entire Scooby gang to fight another Apocalypse in LA. Thankfully they had won, and there hadn't been any casualities. Faith and the Scoobies returned to Sunnydale after that while he had resumed his life in LA. That had been a year ago. He hadn't seen any of them since then, and now he was about to come barging back into their lives and turn their worlds upside down again.

Taking one final glance at the house, Angel climbed out of his car, and made his way up the walkway to the front door. He was just about to raise his hand to knock when the door suddenly opened up, and the person standing on the other side made him take a step back in surprise. "D-Dawnie?"

"You know, Buffy always said you would look good in sunlight." She leaned against the doorframe, and looked at him through sad eyes. "It's too bad she's not here to see just how good you really do look."

He flinched, but quickly recovered. "H-How did..."

"Well, I could say it was the fact that your standing here at nine o'clock on a beautiful sunny morning that gave it away, but I'd be lying. I already knew. Willow told me."

"Oh." Was all Angel could manage to say.

"I was on my way out to get you by the way."

"You knew I was here?"

"Yeah. I came out about thirty minutes ago to get the paper and saw you in your car in heavy brood mode. I figured I'd give you some time to sort through your emotional turmoil then I was coming to get you."

"I wasn't brooding, Dawn."

"Yeah, right." She rolled her eyes. "Believe it or not, Angel even though I didn't really exist when you dated my sister I do still have the memories of that time, and I remember very clearly that you brood. Especially about Buffy. Don't worry though, you'll be happy to know that she brooded over you, too. Even after you left. She tried to deny it, put the blame off on fish boy and his latest round of *I really don't get you 'cause you won't let me, Buffy* tantrum, but I knew better. She would always have that same face that she used to get whenever she was thinking of you. I called it Angelface."

"Dawnie, I can't..."

"Right. Sorry. I forgot you were never one for strolling down memory lane. Too much guilt..." She stepped aside, and motioned to him. "Come on in."

Angel moved into the house, and shed his leather duster. "What are you doing here, Dawn? I thought you were in LA?"

"That's funny, I thought you were in LA, too."

"Dawn..." Angel turned around to look at her. "Just answer my question, please."

"Fine." She turned to close the door before turning back to him. "I moved back here two weeks ago to be with Spike."

"Spike? Why the hell would you move back here to be with..." He never finished the question because the look on her face was all the answer he needed. "I'll kill him." He took a step towards the door, but she blocked his way. "Hold it right there, mister. No one... And I mean no one, messes with my boyfriend. Got it?"

"Jesus Christ, Dawn! What the hell are you thinking getting involved with Spike? He's a vampire!"

"The fact that you were a vampire didn't stop you and Buffy."

"And you see how it ended too, don't you, Dawn?"

"Oh, yeah. I see how it ended, Angel. I have the memories of that, too. And if you ask me, you're a fucking idiot. You should have listened to your heart instead of my Mother. You should have listened to Buffy and what she wanted as well, but because you didn't she died alone believing that there wasn't a damn thing in this world worth living for."

"What the hell are you talking about, Dawn?"

"Nothing. Forget I said anything." She shoved past him and went into the living room.

"No, Dawn. I want to know what you meant." Angel replied, following her.

"Why are you here?" She spun around to face him. "Because I know for a fact it's not to see me. If you had wanted to see me you would have made an effort to do so in LA. Something's up, right? That's why you're popping back into Sunnyhell after five years. There's some big bad coming that you can't handle on your own? That has to be it because that's the only time you come to Sunnydale. Unless, of course, Buffy's in danger. And since that's obviously not possible seeing as she's dead, it has to be the big bad, right?"

"Don't change the subject, Dawn."

"I'll do whatever the hell I damn well please, Angel. Open your eyes and take a good look at me. I am not a little girl anymore, but even if I was I wouldn't discuss my sister with you. You lost that right a long time ago."

Angel took in her firey eyes so like Buffy's. "You're angry with me." He murmured.

"No, Angel. I'm way past being angry with you. The truth is I pretty much hate you."

"Why?"

"Hmm..." Dawn stuck her finger to her chin in thought. "Let's see. I could say it's because in the last five years you never not once tried to contact me when you knew I was in the same city as you, but the truth is that would be a lie. The truth is the reason I hate you has nothing to do with me. It has to do with my sister. You fucked with her head... her heart... That last visit... It's bad enough she wasn't dealing with mom's death very well. Oh, no. You had to breeze back into her life and then leave just as quickly." Something between a laugh and a sob tore from Dawn's throat. "Your little visit here when mom died destroyed what little that was left of her. She just gave up after that. You wasn't there the day she died, but I was. I was standing right there with her. I saw the look on her face when she made the decision she made. I saw the look in her eyes. She wanted it. She wanted death, and I blame you for that, Angel. You were a coward, and because you were my sister gave up. I blame you for not being here to watch her back. I blame you for not being here to give her a reason to live. Oh, I tried. We all did. Even Spike. But she didn't want us. She didn't want a normal life. She wanted you. And I blame you for her dying because if you had just listened to her... Just been here to pick her up when she fell I wouldn't have to be spending the rest of my life knowing that I wasn't enough to give her a reason to live. And I hate you for that, Angel. God, how I hate you for that!"

His pained eyes met hers. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry? You're sorry?" Dawn began to laugh. "If you want to say you're sorry go say it to Cordelia, and your son because I'm sorry doesn't cut it with me, Angel. I'm sorry won't bring my sister back! She's dead! My sister is dead, and she's never coming back!" She began to cry. "Buffy's dead. She's dead, and she's never coming back."

"That's the thing, Dawn. She's not."

"W-What?" Dawn's head shot up, her tear filled eyes meeting his.

"She's alive, Dawnie. That's why I'm here. Buffy's alive. I've seen her. Talked to her. She's alive."

Dawn Summers' eyes widened in surprise, and then for the first time in her very short life, she fainted...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

CHAPTER 8

Angel stood in the street outside the magic shop, and looked through the front door window at the people inside. "Maybe I should wait. I mean, it's like I told you, it's probably best we all keep our distance right now until we're absolutely sure what happened and what the repercussions are going to be."

"They love her, too. They should know." Dawn murmured from behind him. "Besides, Giles is in town. He especially should know. He maybe able to help you make sense of this."

He nodded. "Dawn..."

"I'm sorry, Angel." She blurted out, interrupting him. "I don't really hate you. It's just... like sister like sister. I have a tendancy to lash out at those closest to me. I uhh... I had been holding that in for so long. I blamed myself. I still blame myself."

He slowly turned around to face her. "Then I guess we're in the same boat."

Dawn gave him a weak smile, then nodded at the door. "So... Are we going in?"

"Yeah, I guess we are." He offered her his arm. "But you know if the going gets tough I want you to duck and run for cover."

"I know. But you also know I won't listen, right?"

"You know, you really are just like your sister." He grumbled.

"Thank you." She beamed. "I take that as the compliment I know you meant it to be."

"Just because I gave you a compliment doesn't mean you're off the hook, Dawn. You and I are still going to have a nice long talk."

"I look forward to it." She winked at him as they went through the front door, and stopped. "Hey, guys. Look who I found lurking outside my house."

Seven pair of eyes flew to Dawn and Angel.

"A-Angel. G-Good lord." Rupert Giles stood up from the table he was sitting at, and closed the distance to him. "Hello, Giles."

"R-Remarkable." Giles swept his hand through the beam of sunlight shining down on Angel through the front door window. "W-Willow told me about the prophecy, but hearing about it and actually seeing the results of it are two completely different things. A-Amazing... Simply amazing."

"Tell me about it." Angel smiled. "I'm still getting used to it."

"A-And there has been other changes as well?" Giles asked curiously.

"Yes. First I lost my allergy to churches and crosses. Next I got my appetite for real food back. I still require blood but not everyday. My body lets me know when I need it. And then there's this..." He held his hand out in the beam of sunlight. "It happened last year right after that last Apocalypse."

"Fascinating. The changes are like baby steps." Giles murmured.

"What's so fascinating about it G-man?" Xander Harris spoke up and asked from is seat at the table where Giles had been sitting moments before. "He's still dead and he still looks it." His gaze moved to Angel. "What's the matter, Deadboy? Does Cordy and the little one keep you so busy that you don't time have time to catch any rays? And speaking of the little missus, how is she?"

"I can definitely tell you that she has grown up a hell of a whole lot more than you have, Harris."

"And is she still part demon? Wait a minute, don't answer that because the way I see it she was pretty much part demon before she actually became part demon."

"And that's bad how?" Anya stared at her husband. "And keep in mind that not all demons are bad before you answer that, Xander."

"Sorry, honey. I didn't mean to offend you." Xander leaned over to kiss his wife. "And you're right. Not all demons are bad. Just Cordy and Deadboy's evil twin."

"That's enough, Harris. Zip it before I pulverize you." Faith threatened him before turning her attention to Angel. "Hey, A."

"Faith." Angel smiled. "How are things since we talked last?"

"Five by Five. What about with you?"

Angel shot a glance at Dawn. "Let's just say things have been rather surprising lately."

Faith raised an eyebrow. "Really? Surprising how?"

Angel started to say something, but Willow interrupted him. "Wait, guys. Can we hold off on shop talk for just a second." She moved around the table, and made her way over to Angel. "Hey, Angel. How have you been?"

"Fair. What about you?"

"Oh, umm... Good news actually." She smiled up at him. "Oz an I are going to have a baby. I'm pregnant."

"That's great, Willow." Angel hugged her then pulled away to look at the red head's spouse still sitting at the table. "Congratulations, Oz."

"Thanks, man." Oz smiled.

"So what really brings you to Sunnydale?" Willow asked, stepping back away from him.

"I'll tell you, but I think maybe I should speak to Giles alone first."

"M-Me?" Giles blurted out. "Angel, I'm not... Whatever it is you can discuss in front of the others. They pretty much handle things here now."

Dawn laid her hand on Angel's arm. "Go on. Tell them." She encouraged.

"Tell us what?" Giles asked, his gaze, returning to Angel.

"Well, uhh... Conner..." Angel began. "My son, Conner... He's uhh... He was ambushed by four vampires last month, and was bitten. He's fine. Alive. But only because someone saved him. A g-girl. She killed all four vampires."

"There's another slayer?" Faith asked in disbelief. "But that's impossible. I'm not..."

"I know." Angel murmured. "I was confused too, Faith. Especially when Conner explained to me that this girl wasn't a slayer even though she had the strength and fighting skill of one. But what was even more confusing was the fact that this girl nearly had a nervous breakdown after she killed the vamps. She didn't know they existed. Conner finally managed to explain everything to her, but because she was still obviously upset from everything that happened he didn't tell me the truth about what happened or her until last week. It seems he's uhh... He's in love with her. Their uhh... dating. At least I think they are. And of course, I wanted to meet her. He's my son, and something just didn't seem right. Then last night I found out why. Last night I got the shock of my existence because it turned out that I... We...know this girl. But what's even more shocking is that this girl... She umm... She died. She died, but she's not dead. Not anymore anyway. She's alive. Very alive. But she doesn't know who she really is or who I am. She doesn't remember anything."

"W-Who?" Giles spoke up and asked. "Who is this girl?"

Angel started to answer Giles, but Willow beat him to it. "B-Buffy." A sob tore from her throat. "Buffy. I-It's Buffy, isn't it?"

Angel nodded mutely. "Yes, b-but how..."

"It's her!" Willow yelled, and cut him off before spinning around to look at the others. "Did you hear that, guys? I knew it wasn't our imaginations. The spell worked. It worked! Sh-She's alive! Buffy's alive!"

"Willow?" Dawn's questioning eyes flew to the red head. "Y-You did it? You brought her back?"

Willow spun around to face Dawn. "Yes. Me, Xander, Tara, and Anya. We did a resurrection spell a couple of months after she died. The night those Hellions attacked Sunnydale. I couldn't stand the thought of her spending an eternity in some hell dimension being tortured forever, so I began researching right after she died. I did everything I could to get what was needed for the spell, and eventually all my hard work paid off. We had all we needed including the right alignment of the stars. It was on the night of the attack. We were halfway through the spell when it was interrupted. We didn't think we had completed enough of it to bring her back, but we found out differently later that night when we saw her. She was disoriented. In shock. She ran away from us, but we caught up with her. She was still in shock, and h-her hands were bleeding... We forgot... We forgot that by performing the spell we would bring her back where we left her. Sh-She umm... Aparantly she had to dig herself out of her own grave."

"Oh, God." Dawn began to cry.

"I'm sorry, D-Dawnie." Willow started crying even harder as her gaze moved to Angel. "I-I don't understand. She recognized us that night. I know she did. Sh-She saved us. W-We were attacked by the hellions, and she saved us. She was the one that took care of the Hellions, not my magic."

Angel nearly lost it as he digested what Willow was saying, and he had to turn away from everyone to keep them from seeing his tears. "Jesus, baby. What did they do to you?"

"I saved her!" Willow yelled." Can't you see that, Angel?" Willow's eyes shot back to Dawn. "D-Dawnie, I saved her. If it hadn't been for me she would still be in some hell dimension right now suffering."

"You stupid, little girl!" Angel spun back around, and when he did his face morphed. "You didn't save her. You tore her out of heaven!"

"W-What?" Willow's face paled as her eyes widened in shock.

"You heard me, Willow." Angel advanced her. "Buffy wasn't in hell. She was in heaven. Jesus Christ, you're supposed to have a brain, so why don't you use it? This is Buffy we're talking about. Buffy!" He stopped directly in front of her, and his amber eyes locked with hers. "She stopped six Apocalypses. Saved billions of lives, and sacrificed her own life to save this world and her sister. Do you honest to God believe the Powers would let their best warrior suffer an eternity in hell? No. NO! The most certainly would not. She was the epidemy of everything that was good in this world, and she was done! Finished! She was at peace! She was in heaven where there's nothing but love, happiness, and no pain, and you tore her out of there! You brought her back to a world of demons and darkness. Of complete and utter hate and chaos. To her this is hell! And you have the gall to stand here and pat yourself on the fucking back for saving her? You didn't save her, Willow. You destroyed her. You're the one that brought her back to this hell and condemned her to live in it, and I can't even stand ot look at you because of it." Angel backed away from her, and watched as she collapsed to the floor in a sobbing, crumbled heap. He didn't care about her pain though. He simply dismissed her with a look of disgust then morped back to his human face so that he could tend to Buffy's distraught sister. As he pulled Dawn into his arms, he met Giles' gaze over the top of her head. "Did you know about this?"

"D-Do you honestly think I would have let them do it if I had known?" Giles swept a hand through his hair. "So it's really her?"

"Yes, and I wasn't kidding when I said she doesn't remember. We need to talk. There's more I need to tell you, but not here. I can't... We need to talk, but not here. The mansion. I'll take Dawn home then meet you at the mansion."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

CHAPTER 9

Chara rolled over to stare at the black walls of her newly completed bedroom. She felt like shit. Her head hurt, and her throat was raw from throwing up, and on top of that she'd had the most vivid dream earlier. It had been about her and Angel... They were making love on a kitchen table, and had ended up breaking it. And, Oh God, it had seemed so real. So real in fact, she could still see every inch of his beautiful body, including a tattoo on his right shoulder. So real that she could actually remember what his hands and lips had felt like as they caressed her skin, and had woken up bathed in a sheen of sweat, her body still aching from need. She was going to have to stop fantasizing about the sexy half-vampire. She knew it. The only problem was she didn't have a clue how she was supposed to do that.

Just then, the telephone rang, jarring her out of her thoughts, and she rolled over to blindly reach for the phone on the nightstand beside her bed. "H-Hello?"

"Did anyone ever tell you that you are a very hard lady to reach?"

"C-Conner?"

"Now who else would it be? Unless, of course, you've managed to find a boyfriend since I saw you last."

"Yeah, right. What's the odds of that happening?" She mumbled. "A zillion to one? And for your information I thought it might be my Dad calling to check up on me. I've sort of had the phone unplugged."

"Well, that explains why I haven't been able to reach you. I was beginning to get worried. I even came over last night, but I didn't get an answer when I knocked. Was you home?"

"Uh huh. I was in the bathroom floor."

"What the hell were you doing in the bathroom floor, Chara?"

"I umm... Pukingmygutsout."

"Come again?"

"I was throwing up, Conner. That's why I didn't answer the door. I heard you. I just couldn't seem to stop throwing up long enough to do anything else much less answer the door."

"You have another migraine, don't you?"

"Uhh huh." She rolled onto her back.

"Damnit, Chara. Why didn't you call me?"

"Because I just told you that I couldn't seem to stop hugging the toilet long enough to do much of anything including call you, Conner."

"I'm sorry, Chara. I didn't think. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Yeah, you could get me a new head."

"You know I would if I could." He answered softly.

"I know."

"So what are you doing for it?"

"Taking my medicine like a good little girl. I took two pills at the onset like I was supposed to then I've taken two more every six hours since then."

"Is it working?"

"Nope. It won't either as long as I continue to puke the medication back up."

"Why don't you let me call Kyle, Chara. Maybe you should go to the hospital."

"Uh uh. Now way, Conner. I would rather do the next thing on my list before going to the hospital."

"And what is the next thing on your list?"

"I get to stick myself."

"Stick yourself?"

"Give myself a shot." She muttered. "And trust me it's not easy for me considering I hate needles just about as much as I hate doctors, and hospitals. It takes forever for me to pump myself up enough to give myself one, and usually by the time I do the pain is so intense I'm at the point that I think the back of my head is going to blow off. There is some good news to all this though. I have an auto injector. All I do is load it with the syringe, push a button, and walah. Relief. Relief, that is, if I can see to push the button."

"And if you can't see to push the button?"

"Then I move on to the next step. I simply find my thigh, and keep fooling with the auto injector until it fires."

"Your thigh? Why your thigh?"

"Easy access. More fat. The only really bad part about the whole deal is I can only have two shots in a forty eight hour period, so if those two don't work I'm pretty much hospital bound because there could be more going on other than just the migraine."

"What do you mean by more going on, Chara?"

"N-Nothing. L-Look, Conner. A-As much as I love talking to you, I just can't right now. I really need to get off here, and try to nip this thing in the bud. Not just for my sake but for the staff at the hospital as well. They really don't care for me too much."

"Chara..."

"Conner, please... Look, I'll take you to lunch tomorrow to prove to you I'm still alive. I'll pick you up at 1:30, okay? Now say bye, and hang up."

"Alright. But if it gets any worse..."

"I'll call." She finished. "Now say bye."

"Bye, Chara." Conner hung up the phone, and stared at it.

"Is something wrong?"

He jumped at the sound of the voice, and looked up to find it's owner standing in front of his desk. "Jesus, Dad. You're really going to have to stop doing that."

"Sorry." Angel murmured, sitting down on the edge of Conner's desk.

"It's okay. I forgive you." Conner sat back in his chair. "So how was Sunnydale?"

"How did you..."

"Wesley told me you went to see Faith. How is she?"

"She's uhh... She's good. I saw Spike, too."

"And how is he doing?"

"He's not going to be doing much of anything for a while. I beat the shit out of him."

"That's nothing new." Conner chuckled. "So what did he do this time?"

"It's a long story. One I'd rather not go into. Besides, I doubt it did any good. It doesn't matter how much I beat him he just keeps coming back for more. He's sick and twisted."

"There seems to be alot of that going on." Conner's gaze returned to the phone. "The sick part, I mean. Chara's sick, too."

"Bu... Chara's sick?" Angel stood up. "What's wrong with her?"

"Migraine. Pretty bad, too. I could hear it in her voice. She's been in bed with it since she left here the other night, and I can't help but worry after what she just told me. She takes medication for them, but if it does't work she has to switch to shots. The thing is she's only allowed to give herself two shots in a forty eight hour period, and if those don't work she's supposed to go to the hospital. But that's not what really has me worried. She let it slip that if the shots didn't work there was a good chance that there could be more going on in her head than just the migraine, and knowing her the way I do if things are that bad I doubt she would go to the hospital in the first place. She hates hospitals. She also hates needles, but she would rather deal with them than deal with a hospital and their staff. She really shouldn't be alone right now. She can barely move when she's like this much less drive herself to the hospital if she has to go."

Angel agreed with his son, and as much as he hated to do it, he swallowed his jealousy and made the suggestion anyway. "Maybe you should go over there, Conner."

"Believe me, Dad. I would love nothing more than to go over there, but she made it plain and clear she doesn't want me to. She has one hell of a temper to be so tiny, and the last thing I want to do is upset her. She doesn't need it right now."

"That's true." Angel murmured, and looked around the lobby. "I told Cordy to take the night off. Did she listen to me?"

"Yeah, if you can believe it or not, she did."

"What about the others?"

"Patrol. It looks like it's just you and me."

"No, it's just you. I think I'll go uhh... patrol myself. Get some air. I may just make a night of it. If you need me you can reach me on my cell."

"I know the drill, Dad."

"Good. I'm glad you do." Angel headed towards the lobby doors. "That means you know not to call me unless it's absolutely necessary."

****

Chara thought the sofa would be a change of scenery from the rumpled bed she had spent the last two days in, but she quickly found out all it was was a huge mistake. The pain in her head had intensified to the point she felt like the pressure was going to send what was left her brain oozing out of her ears at any moment. And to make matters worse her shot was sitting on the nightstand in her bedroom, and she really wasn't up for a return trip down the hallway to retrieve it. She wasn't moving period. Not until the pain in her head had completely vanished. But she should have known nothing ever went her way, and the proof came in the form of the doorbell her dad had installed the day she moved into the building. The sound of it sliced through her head, intensifying the pain beyond belief. She was going to kill whoever it was she vowed. That was if she lived long enough to make it to the door to carry out her threat.

It took her four attempts to get to her feet, and even longer to make the trek across the room to the door, and the person on the other side of the door evidently thought she was taking too long because they chose the exact same moment she reached the door knob to ring the doorbell again, and by the time it stopped she was on her knees in agony. She really, truly, honestly wanted to cry, but she knew it would only make matters worse for her if she did. Biting her bottom lip to smother the sobs threatening, she blindly reached up to open the door, and found him standing on the other side when she did. And it was him. She didn't have to see him to know it. She could feel him all the way to her bones.

"Invite me in, Chara."

"W-What?" She asked as she stared at the black blob that was evidently his shoed feet. "I-I mean, n-no." She mumbled, closing her eyes against the bright light that was coming from the street light in front of her building. "L-Look, Angel. If this is about the entertainment system I bought Conner it was a unbirthday present, and I don't want it back. Now will you p-please just g-go away."

Angel knelt down in front of her. "This isn't about the entertainment system Bu...Chara. I'm here to help you, and I can't do that unless you invite me in."

"N-No. J-Just go away." She muttered. "I don't want ahhh..." Suddenly she grabbed her head with both hands. "Th-This is all y-your fault."

"My fault?" Angel blinked in surprise. "How is your migraine my fault?"

"Doorbell, noise, l-light, m-movement, h-hurts."

"I'm sorry. I didn't think." He murmured softly. "But I promise you if you invite me in I'll make it all better."

"Y-You c-can't make it all better." She raised back up. "N-Not unless y-you're some k-kind of miracle w-worker."

"Maybe I am, but you'll never know unless you let me in. Now will you please invite me in?"

If she didn't do something soon she was going to die anyway, so Chara figured what the hell. Seeing his face, even if it was blurry, right before she died wouldn't be such a bad thing. "F-Fine. C-Come in." The moment the words were out of her mouth he was across the threshhold, scooping her up in his arms.

"OWWW!" She cried out, her pain filled eyes flying up to meet his. "W-What the hell are y-you trying to do, kill me? P-Put me down."

He ignored her. "Where's your bedroom?"

"W-What?" She stared at his blurry face.

"The bedroom. Where's the bedroom, Chara? You should be laying down."

"I-I w-was laying down u-until you sh-showed up a-and made th-things worse."

"You're grouchy." He murmured, looking down at her.

"Of course, I'm g-grouchy, d-dumb ass. Y-You'd be grouchy too if y-your brain was b-being squeezed out through your e-ears."

"I tod you I'm going to fix that just as soon as you tell me where your bedroom is."

"I uhh... ahhh..." Her hands went to her head again. "D-Down h-hall. F-First door on r-right."

Angel moved across the darkened room, and down the hallway without a word. "I-It hurts." She groaned giving into the pain, and sagging against him.

"Shh... I know." He murmured in a soothing voice. "I'm going to help. I promise." He finally reached her room, and he was surprised to find it done completely in black, including the walls, but he really didn't have time to take in anything else because she was his main concern. Reaching the bed, he gently laid her back on the bed pillows, then leaned over to switch on the lamp on the nightstand. "Bright light." He warned her, then reached to pull something from his leather duster pocket before shedding it and laying it on the back of the chair across from her bed. "Conner said you take shots. Have you taken any today?"

"No. I-I hate needles, a-and doctors, a-and hospitals."

"I know." Was all he said as he turned to her with a styrofoam cup in his hand. "I need you to sit up and drink this. I'm sorry. I know it's going to hurt, but you have to anyway. Come on, I'll help you." He slid his free hand up under her back, and if it had been any other time she would have relished in the feelings his cool touch was stirring up in her. He finally managed to get her to a sitting position, and brought the cup to her lips. "Drink."

Drink me. A voice whispered back in her head, and she froze.

"Bu... Chara?" Angel's voice snapped her out of her reverie. "Come on, drink it."

"I-It s-stinks." She groaned. "S-Sick."

"It'll help the nausea, too. Now drink."

"Wh-What is it?" She tried to focus on the contents in the cup.

"It's migraine tea. It's made from Rosemary, Peppermint, Lemon Balm, Sweet Violet, Feverflow, and Sweet Violet flowers. Trust me, it works. Now drink."

Chara took a sip of the lukewarm cococction and was surprised to find it wasn't half bad, so she took another sip, and another, and another until it was all gone. Once it was, he lowered her back on the pillows again, and pulled the bed covers up over her. "There's one more thing I need to do, but I need some hot water."

"B-Bathroom." She blindly pointed in the direction of her bathroom before closing her eyes. Within moments she heard running water, and then he reappeared at her side to place a warm wash clothe on her forehead. "Mmm..." She murmured. "N-Nice."

"It's Lavender. It's also good for migraines."

"Wh-Why are you d-doing th-this?" Her eyes fluttered open to find him kneeling beside her.

"Maybe I like you." He smiled that sexy lopsided smile of his, and it would have taken her breath away it hadn't been for the fact that there was something vaguely familiar about this conversation. It was almost like she'd had it with him before, and for some reason she knew exactly what she was supposed to say back to him. "M-Maybe?" The minute the word was out of her mouth a sharp pain shot through her head, causing her to cry out in pain.

"Bu... Chara, are you all right?"

"T-Tired..." She closed her eyes. "S-So tired."

"Then sleep. It'll be all better when you wake up. I promise." He murmured, and then she could have sworn she felt his lips graze her forehead, but she finally managed to convince herself it must have been her imagination as she drifted off to sleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

CHAPTER 10

Angel had just entered the living room, and turned on the light when the door to Chara's apartment came open, and a gray-headed man stepped inside, bringing them face to face. "Who the hell are you, and what the hell are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing." Angel replied, staring the older man down.

"C-Chara..." The older man's gaze flew around the room in panic. "Where's Chara? So help me God if you've hurt her you sonofabitch, I'll kill you."

"I would never hurt her. Not in a million years. She's resting. Sleeping off a migraine. And while she is sleeping I think you and I should talk because I happen to know for a fact that Chara isn't her real name and that she isn't your daughter, and I would really love to know why exactly you've been passing her off as such."

Kyle Williams' eyes rounded in shock. "Y-You know wh-who she is? Wh-Who she really is?"

"Yes." Angel murmured. "The question is do you know who she is? Who she really is, I mean?"

"No." Kyle shook his head.

"Then I suggest you and I go someplace private to discuss this because I happen to know for a fact that she doesn't have a clue who she is either."

"Follow me." Kyle moved past Angel, and Angel followed him to the back of the apartment where there was a flight of stairs leading to the first floor of the building. A few minutes later they were sitting in some chairs in the middle of a gym. "You know, when I found out she was alive and that there was someone passing themself off as her father I was worried there was something fishy going on, but now... You really do love her like she's your real daughter, don't you?"

"I love her more. Besides my late wife, she's the best thing that ever happened to me." Kyle answered honestly. "Now it's your turn. Who are you and how do you know who she is?"

"We were uhh... involved once. For three years to be exact. She was young, and I wanted more for her... Better... So I left. We only saw each other four times in the two years after that. The last time was right before she..." Angel swept a hand through his hair. "I was told she died."

"Died. Died how?" Kyle stared at Angel.

"It's a long story." Angel looked down at his hands. "One I'm not sure you could possibly comprehend."

"Oh. One of those." Kyle muttered. "Well, let me take a stab at it anyway. You thought she was killed by vampires, right?"

Angel's head shot up. "You know that vampires exist?"

Kyle chuckled. "Yeah, I know. I've never actually met one before, but I know their out there. I was a police officer for the LAPD for twenty five years, and it didn't take me long to figure out that all those dead bodies that kept turning up with two puncture wounds to their juglar vein and not a drop of blood to be found in their bodies wasn't wild animal attacks like everyone claimed. I also knew the moment I saw Cara's neck that she had been bitten by one. I just didn't understand how she was alive, but I almost bet you can tell me why Mr..."

"Angel. My name is Angel."

"Angel." Suddenly Kyle's eyes lit up with recognition. "Well, I'll be damned."

"What?" Angel searched his face. "Have you heard of me?"

"You could say that. I was one of the police officers at the scene when your old building exploded."

"You were there?"

"Yeah, but I never actually saw your face because Kate Lockley was too busy interrogating you. But that's not the only reason I recognized your name. Unfortunately I didn't make the connection at the time. Chara... She was there five years ago."

"What do you mean she was there?"

"She was struck by a car in front of it. That's how she came to be with me, but before I tell you anymore I'd like for you to start at the beginning and tell me who she really is."

"Buffy. Her name is Buffy Anne Summers. She was born here in LA, and lived here until she was fifteen..." Angel went on to tell Kyle everything he knew about Buffy, and once he was done he sat back in his chair to give Kyle time to digest it all.

"L-Let me get this straight. Chara... Buffy... She was a vampire slayer, and you were... are a vampire. The only vampire with a soul, and the two of you were lovers until you left. Three years later she died, went to heaven, then was resurrected by a real live witch, and now she's your next door neighbor and friends with your son Conner, who by the way is human even though both you and his mother were... are vampires?"

"Yes, sir." Angel murmured. "That pretty much sums it up."

"A-And the scar on Chara...Buffy's neck, you gave that to her because you were dying and she forced you to drink from her because slayer's blood was the only thing that could save you?"

Angel nodded. "Yes, and the wound would have healed without scarring if it hadn't been for the fact that the demon inside me recognized her as my mate and marked her as such."

"I see. Did she know that?"

"No. I never told her. It would have made my leaving even harder."

"I suppose you're right." Kyle murmured, and sat quietly in thought for a few moments. "There's one thing I don't understand. Why didn't anyone look for her? Her friends? You?"

"I didn't know her friends had performed the resurrection spell until yesterday, and it's my understanding they did try and find her, but when they didn't find any trace of her they put it off as a consequence of the spell. Now all I need to know is how she ended up with you."

"It was October seventh, two thousand and one. I got a call on my police radio from my captain asking me to go by and check on a rookie cop who was on the scene of a accident. When I got there I found out that a pedestrian had been struck by a car."

"Buffy..." Angel answered.

Kyle nodded. "Yes, and her chances of living weren't very good according to the rookie cop. When I asked him to tell me what the driver of the car had told him in her statement he pointed behind me and told me that the pedestrian... Buffy came from the place behind me, and stepped off the sidewalk into the path of the car. The place behind me that he was pointing to was your old building or what was left of it anyway."

"She was looking for me." Angel said in a pained voice.

"I would almost bet she was, but I can't really say for sure seeing as she has no memory of the accident or anything before it, and I never made the connection between the two of you at the time. I mean, I remembered the case, but for the life of me I couldn't remember your name. There wasn't any I.D on her either, and she was filthy, so the rookie and I just assumed she was a homeless person that happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The driver said she did everything she could to keep from hitting her, and there were no witnesses except Chara... Buffy and since she had no memory of what happened we couldn't charge her with anything. It was an open and shut case, so I told the rookie cop to finish getting the statement from the driver while I checked on the pedestrian's condition. Like I said before, the news wasn't good. Among the list of her injuries was a massive head injury, a compound fracture to the right leg, her left arm was broken, she had several broken ribs, and she was bleeding internally. The paramedics doubted she would even live long enough to get her to the hospital, and I don't know why, but I remember the rookie cop telling me how beautiful she was and what a shame it would be if she... I don't know why, but I suddenly had this need to see her, and I will never forget the first moment I did. God, the rookie was right. She was beautiful. And tiny... she was so tiny, and for the first time in my career as a cop I became emotionally involved in a case. All I could think about was how lost and alone she looked, and then the paramedic working on her showed me the scar and seeing it only made me want to protect her even more. I was completely smitten with her, and I couldn't help but wonder how anyone could let her go and not wonder where she was...not miss her. Anyway, I must have spoken my thoughts out loud. I remember asking her who she belonged to, and I damn near jumped out of my skin when she answered me."

"She woke up?"

"No." Kyle shook his head. "She was still unconscious, but didn't have any problem making out what she said."

"What was it?"

"Angel." Kyle locked eyes with Angel. "She said Angel twice, and then she stopped breathing."

Angel blinked back tears. "So she really did die again?"

"Yes. She was gone for over seven minutes before the paramedics were able to revive her, and I stayed with her the entire time, but once they had her stabilized I didn't waste anytime getting out of the ambulance so that they could get her to the hospital. I followed them in my police cruiser, and I've been with her every since even though the classified her as a Jane Doe and she became a ward of the state. I was there when they operated to relieve the pressure on her brain from the swelling, and to stop the internal bleeding, and I was there the six months she was comatose."

"What happened after she came out of the coma?"

"Things didn't get any better for her that's for sure. She didn't have a clue who she was or where she was from. She couldn't even tell you any dates or who the President of the United States was. Her entire mind was a blank, and then when the doctors and I told her we didn't know who she was either it nearly broke her. She cried for over a week. And then one day she just stopped, and never mentioned it again. She focused on her recovery, and she was doing so good. That was until the hospital up and decided to return the ring that was found on her after the accident. It was important. She told me it was. Even though she couldn't remember anything about it, she said she just had this feeling that it was." Kyle looked over at Angel. "The ring. It's a claddagh ring. Did you give it to her?"

"Yes."

"She did some research on it once she was able, and she found out... Is it what she thinks it is?"

Angel nodded. "I uhh... It's not a legal marriage. Not by today's laws, but I didn't need... In my heart I took her as my wife the night I gave it to her, but I didn't tell her. I wanted to. God, how I wanted to. But I never got the chance. Things went so horribly wrong after that night. I lost my soul, and she had to send me to hell... After I came back things were so hard between us. I couldn't tell her then. Not when I couldn't be with her the way I wanted. And then there was a point where she thought she had lost it. I don't know how she got it back. I thought it was still at the mansion somewhere...I didn't know...And it doesn't matter now... She uhh... Her identity... Conner mentioned that you did try to find out her true identity, but you never had any luck."

"That's right. And now I know why. She uhh... When a person passes away all records of them are completely erased to prevent fraud, and the time she got in trouble when she was a juvenile, those records are handled by the court and are automatically sealed after the ruling."

"I understand. But I don't understand about...Conner said she was in a mental institution. I uhh... What happened? I thought you said she was doing good after she came out of the coma?"

"She did do good at first just like I told you, but then the ring was returned to her, and it wasn't long before she started asking questions. She just couldn't understand why no one had tried to find her. That's when I started putting an extra effort into finding out who she really was. I really did want to help her find her family, but while I was doing it the nightmares started."

"The ones about Hell, vampires, demons and darkness, death and destruction, and blood... lots and lots of blood. "

"You know about them?"

"Conner mentioned them to me."

"They terrified her. So much so she would wake up screaming in such a way she scared the nursing staff. They were so bad that eventually they not only took a mental toll on her, they took a physical toll as well. She gave up trying to sleep, and eating was out of the question because she stayed nauseated from her nerves, and she also swore that she was being watched by someone. Things got so bad Dr. McGinn, her neurologist, decided to bring in a pyschiatrist to talk to her about the dreams, and to this day he regrets it because the stupid sonofabitch ruled her insane and recommended she be moved to a psychiatric hospital. I couldn't do anything. She was a ward of the state, and there was nothing I could do to stop her from being sent there. It nearly killed me the day they transferred her. Especially when I knew what she was dreaming actually existed. But I couldn't say anything. If I had I would have ended up in there with her and that wouldn't have helped her any."

"So what happened? How did she get out?"

"I got her out. I went to a judge friend of mine, and pettioned for guardianship of her. There was a thirty day waiting period while the court tried to locate her real family, but they too came up with nothing. After the thirty days were up I was finally granted custody of her, and the minute I had the papers in my hands I went to get her the hell out of there."

"And? How was she?"

"Not good. She lost a month of much needed physical therapy, and she was weak from that and the medication the bastard had her on. It took months to get her straightened out, but the moment Dr. McGinn did he started her back in physical therapy. A couple of months after that I filed papers to adopt her."

"Did anyone question your decision to do that?"

"No. I'm an only child, and so was my wife, who died ten years ago of cancer. Neither one of us had any living relatives. And once she was gone all that was left was me. Me and my friends. All who happen to be cops. When I adopted Chara... Buffy... they supported me one hundred percent, and I'll tell you why. See, cops... most of us know we have short life spans, so family and friends are the most important things in the world to us. The bond is so tight between us that when something happens to one of us the rest of us devote ourselves to the loved ones that are left behind. The same will hold true for Chara... Buffy... even though she wasn't born into the family she was adopted into it the day I adopted her. My friends... my family... they all loved her from day one, and they will always love her because they know how much I love her myself. And I do love her, Angel. She's everything to me. She is and always will be my daughter, and I don't need blood or a piece of paper to tell me that."

Once again Angel felt tears prickle his eyelids. "And she's been happy? I mean, since you took her in and gave her a home and family?"

"To a certain extent she has been. She has lingering effects from the accident. Migraines. But usually she doesn't have those unless she has a nightmare."

"So she's still having the nightmares?"

Kyle nodded.

"What else? I want to know everything that's happened to her the last five years."

"She also has lingering effects from the mental institution. Something happened there. I know it did. She won't talk about her time there at all, and she was very withdrawn after I go her out. At first I thought it was from all the medication, but Dr. McGinn noticed it as well during her visits to him. He had to practically sedate her to examine her, and he also noticed during her physical therapy sessions that she didn't like to be touched, and avoided physical contact with others as much as she possibly could. I think part of it is me. She's protecting me. I think she's afraid if she tells me what happened there the cop in me will kick in, and I'll try to do something and end up getting hurt."

"Did you try talking to her about it?"

"Yes, but she got so upset she made herself sick. Once she had calmed down enough she told me she just wanted to forget her time there, and then she made me promise her that I would make sure she never had to go back."

"What else?"

"For the first year and a half after I got her out of the hospital I didn't let her do anything except volunteer at the community center I run. That's where we began to discover more of her true self. She was incredible in martial arts and gymnastics. We already knew she didn't scar, and that she healed really fast. That came out in the hospital, and drew the interest of several doctors, but thanks to Dr. McGinn no one was allowed to touch her to find out why exactly she didn't. Once all that came out she realized she was different. She thinks she's a freak. She withdrew into herself even more. Like I said before she avoids any physical contact as much as possible even though she teaches. Don't get me wrong. She lets me hug and kiss her, and Conner... She lets him touch her, but anyone else... She avoids physical contact with others. Why I don't know, but I'm pretty sure it has to do with the mental institution. And then there's always the fact that she can't remember anything about herself or her life before hanging over her head. She doesn't push to remember anymore. She gave up trying to remember anything about who she was after the adoption was final, but the ring on her hand is a different story... It's caused some problems."

"What do you mean? What kind of problems?"

"She's convinced herself that she uhh... that she was married and that her uhh... husband left her. And because she has convinced herself of that she's pretty much came to the conclusion that it must have been her fault. That she's incapable of loving or being loved. That's why she doesn't date. She said she doesn't believe in the happily ever after, soulmates kinda love. Not in her case anyway."

"You said she doesn't date, but if that's the case then what's going on with her and Conner?"

"Not a thing." At Angel's confused look, Kyle went on to explain. "Don't get me wrong, Angel. She adores him. But she's made it perfectly clear to me, and I quote *Conner and I are just friends, Daddy. Best friends. So don't go hoping for a wedding or a house full of grandkids because it's not going to happen*"

"What about college? She was uhh... before she was going to college."

"You'll be happy to know she went back. UCLA. Got her four year degree in three, and made the Dean's List to boot. She majored in physical education. Of course, by then she'd already won the money..." Kyle stopped and eyed Angel warily. "You do know about the money, don't you?"

"Yes, sir. And I can tell you now that's not why I'm here. I could care less about how much money she has."

Kyle seemed to relax. "As I was saying, she graduated from UCLA this past May, and by then she had won the money, so she took a little break. It was just until she figured out what she wanted to do with her life. She'd already told me she wasn't going to let it make her fat and lazy. The break lasted all of two months, and then one day she comes home and tells me she's bought a building across from the old Hyperion Hotel. She said she had made up her mind to be a personal trainer, and that she's going to live on the second floor of the building, and open a gym on the first floor for her clients. She is so talented. I mean besides the martial arts, and gymnastics she also teaches yoga, aerobics, Tai chi, and modern dance. Of course, her love for dance is fairly new, and she has Matt to thank for it."

"Matt?" Angel swallowed another wave of jealousy. "Who's Matt? I thought you said she didn't date."

"She doesn't. And she wouldn't date Matt even if she was in the market for a man."

"He's gay?"

Kyle chuckled. "No. But Chara probably wishes he were at times. She met him in physical therapy. He's a professional dancer, and he's been giving her lessons the last three and a half years. Why he bothers he says he doesn't know. Swears she's ten times better than him, and doesn't need lessons, but if you ask Chara she'll tell you he does it so he can spend the entire lesson checking her out, and begging her to run away with him. That boy is a modern day Don Juan, and Chara knows it. She would never go out with him even if she did date."

"So she really doesn't date?"

"No. Not once in the five years she's been with me, and it's not like men haven't tried. Hell, even some of the single officers in my old department tried to snag her, but she would simply tell them her heart already belonged to someone else. A mystery man." Kyle sat back in his chair, and eyed Angel. "You know, I actually got her to tell me hypothetically what she would want in a soulmate if she could have one, and do you know what she told me?"

"What?" Angel murmured.

"She told me that whoever he was he would have to complete her. Like two halves make a whole. Then she went on to tell me that he would have to have chocolate eyes that she could drown in. She said she kept seeing these eyes in another reaccuring dream of hers. No face. Just pools of chocolate." His eyes locked with Angel's. "When she told me that I pointed out to her that Conner has chocolate eyes as she calls them, but she was quick to tell me that she didn't drown in them, and now I know why..."

"Mr. Williams..."

"Daddy?"

Both Angel and Kyle's eyes flew to the flight of stairs, and the golden blonde standing on them in her blue, satin pajamas. Kyle stood up and closed the distance to her, leaning over to kiss her on the forehead once he reached her. "Hey, sweetie."

Chara pulled back to look at him. "Daddy, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at the center?"

"I got worried when you didn't answer the phone." He wagged a finger at her. "Do not, and I repeat, do not ever leave the phone of the hook again, Chara. I was scared to death something had happened to you." He turned around to look at Angel. "Even more so when I found this young man here."

"Oh, umm... right."Chara pointed to Angel. "Daddy this is..."

Kyle took her hand. "It's okay, Chara. Angel and I have already gotten acquainted." His gaze locked with Angel's. "I should have known when I saw him that he was related to Conner. They look like brothers."

"Brothers. Right. We look like brothers because we are brothers." Angel stood up, his eyes returning to Chara. "Hey. How are you feeling?"

She smiled. "Much better thanks. Even my stomach's calmed. I guess you really must be a miracle worker."

"It was the peppermint, not me."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, great. Another one of those."

"Another one of those what?" Angel asked, confused.

Kyle chuckled. "Person's that doesn't like to take credit where credit is deserved. It's okay, she says I'm the same way." He returned his attention to his daughter. "How are you really?"

"I'm fine, Daddy. Honest."

He searched her face. "It's been awhile since you've had a migraine. How long did this one last?"

"I umm..." She couldn't quite meet his gaze. "Two days."

"Two days! Chara..."

"Will you please stop yelling at me, Daddy. I'm fine."

"If you had a migraine for two days you're not fine, Chara." His hands went to her hair. "Did you bump your head on something? Maybe we should call Dr. McGinn."

"No. No. And No! I don't have a case of the bumpies, and you are not calling Dr. McGinn." She swatted at his hand. "And will you leave my hair alone, for christ's sake! It already looks like a damn cat nested in it." She ducked under his arm, and moved away from him .

"Chara..." Kyle turned around to look at her. "Sweetie, you know what Dr. McGinn said."

"Yeah, yeah. I know." She muttered as she moved towards Angel. "Serious headache means serious brain problems." She spun back around to look at him. "But hey..." She pointed to her ears. "Take a look. See. No brain oozige here."

"That's not funny, Chara." Kyle frowned.

"It wasn't supposed to be." She muttered. "Now can we just drop it?" She pointed to Angel. "We have company."

"I'll drop it if you'll tell me what you think set it off."

"I umm..." Chara avoided both Kyle's and Angel's eyes as she took a seat in the chair Kyle had vacated. "I don't know. It might have been that dream I was telling you about last week."

"Dream?" Angel's eyes shot to Kyle then back to Cara. "What dream?"

"Oh, it's just this umm... I'm in a tunnel with a really bright light then get sucked into a big black hole and completely drained of my life's essence kinda dream. It's no biggie, really."

Kyle moved towards her. "Don't say it's no biggie, Chara. You told me the pain was still there when you wake up."

"Daddy, I'm pretty sure Angel doesn't want to hear about some silly little dream." She raised her gaze to Angel. "Isn't that right, Angel?"

"Well, actually..."

"See..." She stood up. "He really doesn't. End of story. Now let's talk about something else."

"Bu... Chara..." Angel took a step towards her.

"You know what?" She backed away from him. "I completely forgot my manners, Angel. Would you like a tour of the place? It's not as nice as yours, not yet anyway, but I'd be happy to show you around. Or better yet how about you let me get you something to drink or eat to repay you for your kindness? You name it. I've got it. Just tell me what you want."

"I uhh... nothing. I don't want anything. Thanks anyway." His gaze locked with hers. "And as for that tour you want to give me, I think it should wait for another time. You still look tired, and because you do I think I should go. Let you rest." He glanced over at Kyle worriedly. "Besides, I've been out of town, and just got back. I need to check in with the gang. Talk to Cordelia."

Chara spun away from Angel, and Kyle didn't miss the hurt look on her face. "Who's Cordelia?"

"Angel's lover, Daddy." She mumbled.

"Oh..." Was all Kyle could say.

Once again Angel's attention returned to Chara, and he reached out to lay a hand on her arm. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm just peachy. Thanks for asking." She moved away from him. "I'll go get your coat."

"Chara, that's not really..."

"I said I'll get it." She tossed over her shoulder before she disappeared up the steps.

Kyle waited until she was completely out of site before he spoke. "You're worried too. Why?"

"I don't like the fact that she can still feel pain after the dream is over. I have a friend... I'll talk to him about it, and see if he can figure out what's going on." He withdrew a business card from his pocket, and handed it to Kyle. "I need her medical records. All of them. Fax them to that number on the card as soon as you can."

"Would you do the same for me?" Kyle said as he also withdrew his own business card and handed it to Angel. "If you find out anything, I mean. My home number, community center number, and cellphone number is on there."

Angel stared at the card. "It may take a few days."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Good. Stick close to her. If anything changes I want to know."

"You're not going to be around?"

Angel's eyes moved to the stairs. "I'll be around. Lurking. But for now I think it's best I keep my distance."

"Best for who? You or her?" Kyle asked as he looked back and forth at Angel, and the young woman coming back down the stairs.

...

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