Part 5<\/b><\/p>\n
Called by many names<\/em> Enlightened by pain<\/em> Destiny or chance<\/em> Leaving Los Angeles and its heavy rush hour traffic behind, Gunn floored the Plymouth. The car zipped along the open highway, the California winds whipping around the convertible sending Fred\u2019s hair flying around her shoulders.<\/p>\n Listening to her conversation with Wesley as they sat in the back seat, Angel figured the issue of his invisibility was in good hands, but it was time to focus on more pressing matters.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to call ahead to Sunnydale,\u201d Angel broke into their conversation.<\/p>\n Fred glanced toward the front passenger seat, focusing in on the spot where she knew Angel was sitting. A little guilt crept into her expression having been caught talking about the scientific and mystic causes of Angel\u2019s condition.<\/p>\n It was just that it was something she knew she could help with and while the kidnapping was of great concern to them all, Fred figured Angel already had it covered.<\/p>\n \u201cTo that girl with the funny name?\u201d Fred guessed wondering why she could never seem to recall it.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, that one,\u201d confirmed Angel, the hint of a smile on his face going unseen. \u201cBuffy went to school with Cordelia. So it\u2019s my guess she knows the kidnappers. If they\u2019ve been causing this kind of trouble in Sunnydale, chances are that she\u2019ll know how to find them.\u201d<\/p>\n Wes considered, \u201cThis is a kidnapping case, so perhaps we should notify the local authorities.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRiiiight,\u201d Gunn\u2019s sarcasm came through as he flashed a look at Wes via the rearview mirror. \u201cAn invisible vampire goes into a police station to report the kidnapping of his son and his\u2026 his seer.\u201d<\/p>\n Cordelia.<\/i> Her name and her face filled his thoughts as Angel noted the struggle Gunn made in finding the right descriptor. That was just one connection they shared. She was a friend, his best friend, and probably knew him better than any living soul.<\/p>\n The things he felt for her were nameless, but those feelings ran deep.<\/p>\n Just the thought of her at the mercy of young men who might have reason to want the beautiful former Queen C under their power made him a little crazy.<\/p>\n \u201cNo police,\u201d Angel said firmly. If they dared to touch Cordelia, he\u2019d take pleasure in ripping them apart limb by limb. \u201cWe\u2019ll handle this my way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery well,\u201d agreed Wesley without any argument knowing the effort would be futile. Anyone with the temerity to kidnap Angel\u2019s son expecting to get away unscathed was either stupid or extremely desperate. He certainly wouldn\u2019t want to be on the receiving end of the vampire\u2019s vengeance.<\/p>\n Having no idea exactly what kind of desperado villains they were dealing with, Wes added, \u201cIt\u2019s a good thing that Cordelia is with Connor. We\u2019ve got someone on the inside looking out for him.\u201d<\/p>\n Angel\u2019s mouth curled up at one corner. \u201cCordelia faced down Angelus with nothing but an attitude and a container of spring water. He\u2019s in good hands as long as she\u2019s with him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ll be getting close to Sunnydale now,\u201d Gunn commented as he read the green and white mileage marker that showed another eighty miles to go. \u201cBetter make that call.\u201d<\/p>\n Pulling his cell phone out of his jacket pocket, Angel punched in a one and the area code for Sunnydale, but paused as he realized the enormity of the news he was about to spring on his former girlfriend.<\/p>\n She deserved to hear it face to face, but considering the importance of catching up with the kidnappers before they had a chance to contact potential buyers, he simply couldn\u2019t afford to wait.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe I should contact Mister Giles first,\u201d suggested Wesley when he noticed the lack of phone conversation coming from the front seat.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Wes,\u201d Angel silently added a thank you, understanding that his friend caught onto the reason for his hesitation, \u201cthis has to be done quickly. Buffy may know how to find to them before we even get to town.\u201d<\/p>\n He punched in the rest of the numbers and after several rings, he heard a familiar, \u201cHello?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDawn, it\u2019s Angel,\u201d he told the teenager. \u201cIs Buffy around?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, it\u2019s you.\u201d Dawn never really liked Angel and didn\u2019t bother to hide that fact from him. It had nothing to do with him being a vampire. Lately, it had everything to do with not liking him showing up during times of crisis only to leave again.<\/p>\n Buffy was always pouting and moping for a few days afterward. \u201cWe\u2019re fine. Nothing here for you to bother with. No apocalypses this week.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI need to talk to your sister,\u201d Angel tried to suppress the growl rolling into his voice, but heard the gasp catch in her throat as she responded to it.<\/p>\n Then came her mumbled, \u201cSpike was right,\u201d just before she held the phone away from her mouth to holler at the top of her lungs, \u201cBUFFY! Tall, dark and dudley is on the phone.\u201d<\/p>\n Snatching the phone from her sister, Buffy whispered furiously, \u201cHe heard you say that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo?\u201d Dawn shrugged and automatically cradling her left arm defensively. She was still getting used to the cast having broken it during a recent car accident.<\/p>\n Buffy held the phone to her chest as she snapped back, \u201cSo you should just\u2014 aargh! Just go do your homework.\u201d<\/p>\n With a defiant smirk, Dawn turned on her heel and stalked into the kitchen instead of heading up to her bedroom. For a moment, Buffy watched her go, completely caught up again in the frustration that was parenting an unruly younger sister.<\/p>\n Most days, Buffy felt she couldn\u2019t even parent herself, much less Dawn. With Giles in England and Willow teetering on the edge of control due to her addiction to magick, Buffy\u2019s usual support system was looking thin.<\/p>\n Glancing down at the phone in her hand, Buffy slowly pulled it up to her ear. Angel always had a knack for well-timed rescues, showing up when she needed him the most. She wanted to fall into his arms and never climb out again, but after all that had happened with Spike over the past few days, she wondered if she could even look him in the eye or if anything would ever be the same again.<\/p>\n \u201cHi,\u201d her voice squeaked its tiny greeting. Quickly, she issued an apology for all that was rude and ungrateful in her world at the moment. \u201cSorry, Angel, you know Dawn. She\u2019s still\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA teenager?\u201d For some reason, Angel\u2019s mind flashed to an image of Cordelia in her Sunnydale days; queen of all she surveyed, certain that the world revolved around her and allergic to anything that remotely resembled tact.<\/p>\n Not that the scant number of years since then had done anything to curb the bite of that tactless tongue. Cordelia had grown into one amazing woman. Maybe the whole world didn\u2019t revolve around her, but his certainly did and that was something Angel was only now starting to realize.<\/p>\n \u201cI was going to say pain in the neck,\u201d Buffy sighed her confession.<\/p>\n The words snapped Angel out of his thoughts and back to the point of the phone call. \u201cBuffy, I need your help.\u201d<\/p>\n Instantly alert, Buffy heard the strain in his voice. \u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is urgent,\u201d he stressed wishing again that this conversation wasn\u2019t happening in such an impersonal manner. This wasn\u2019t going to be easy in any form, but he\u2019d have preferred to be there to help her through this shock.<\/p>\n \u201cI need you to sit down and listen closely.\u201d<\/p>\n Buffy\u2019s eyes widened at the tone. \u201cOh, this is sit-down kind of news.\u201d Bad, she knew and sank slowly onto the couch next to the living room phone. Her mind reeled with the possibilities as she waited the few seconds for Angel to reveal what he needed to say.<\/p>\n The silence on the other end of the line prompted her to quip, \u201cSitting.\u201d<\/p>\n Feeling strangely nervous, Angel rubbed a hand along his tense neck muscles. Then he licked his dry lips and let out a breath he hadn\u2019t even realized that he\u2019d taken.<\/p>\n Deciding to start with the easy part, he asked, \u201cDo you remember anyone from Sunnydale High named Warren, Jonathan or Andrew?\u201d<\/p>\n Surprised, Buffy had been braced for news of a personal nature, not a query on old high school classmates who were more troublesome annoyances than anything else. \u201cUnfortunately, yes.\u201d She wasn\u2019t about to go into the details about her opinions on Warren or his ability to create lifelike robots.<\/p>\n \u201cDo they have a base of operations somewhere in Sunnydale?\u201d A giggle sounded from Buffy\u2019s end of the line causing Angel to wonder what he\u2019d asked that was so funny.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2014 like a super secret clubhouse or something?\u201d Buffy questioned as she gave it some thought. The idea of those three teaming up nearly gave her hives. \u201cSorry, but I have no idea if they have a Fortress of Solitude. I could ask around if it\u2019s that important.\u201d<\/p>\n Angel replied instantly, \u201cIt is. A lot has happened in LA while you\u2019ve been\u2026gone.\u201d He had mourned her, but now that Buffy was again in the land of the living, Angel found it hard to think of the girl who\u2019d given him his first experience with love as having been dead.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s one thing I haven\u2019t gotten around to telling you. More than one, I suppose, but mainly because I\u2019ve been getting used to the fact myself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh,\u201d Buffy\u2019s insides twisted into knots as the endless flow of her wild ideas suddenly narrowed into one distinct possibility. He\u2019d found somebody else.<\/p>\n While her mind reeled in protest at the thought, one tiny voice reminded her she had made more than one effort to find a life and love of her own. Then again, Angel was supposed to pine for her forever if they couldn\u2019t be together.<\/p>\n Except that she wanted him to be happy, too, sort of. Trying to sound supportive, she started off, \u201cWell that is just\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m a father, Buffy,\u201d Angel blurted the news as he cut her off, unable to make it come out any softer or less shocking. \u201cI have a son. His name is Connor.\u201d<\/p>\n Silence hung across the phone line as Buffy slowly digested the words. Not only had her suspicions been correct\u2014 he had found someone new\u2014 but they also had a child together. Angel had a family, one that didn\u2019t include her.<\/p>\n Gripping the phone a little too tightly, she heard the plastic casing start to crack and forced herself to loosen her hold. \u201cI didn\u2019t know that was possible.\u201d<\/p>\n Wasn\u2019t that the whole gist of their breakup? That he was a vampire and she a Slayer. That he could never give her a normal life, presuming that someone like her even had real relationships or a family in their future.<\/p>\n \u201cNeither did I,\u201d Angel confessed, also conscious of the eavesdroppers listening in and making no pretense of the fact that they were doing so. \u201cConnor\u2019s birth was foretold by prophesy, though we figured that out afterward. There\u2019s a lot more to it, but I don\u2019t have time to go into details right now.\u201d<\/p>\n Buffy was too caught up in the idea that Angel was making love to someone despite the curse binding his soul; that despite being a vampire he had given her a child of his. Though her heart hurt at the thought and her body ached with jealousy over the idea of it,<\/p>\n Buffy needed to know more. It didn\u2019t matter if Angel thought he had no time for the details; Buffy was making time.<\/p>\n Because in her mind\u2019s eye, Buffy found that the image of Connor\u2019s mother wasn\u2019t as faceless as she should have been. The conclusion she\u2019d suddenly come to caused her vision to blur with tears, but she had to say it.<\/p>\n To find out if her suspicions were true after all, \u201cConnor\u2019s mother\u2026she\u2019s Cordelia, right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cC-Cordy? NO,\u201d Angel\u2019s denial came out a little too swiftly. Maybe Cordelia had once had a crush on him back in her Sunnydale days, but they were friends, just friends, just best friends. Surely that\u2019s all she felt for him, anyway.<\/p>\n What was it with this new phenomenon where everyone seemed to be linking them together as a couple?<\/p>\n With her ear ringing from the loud shout, Buffy muttered, \u201cGuess not.\u201d Wrong thing to say, obviously. Defensive, much?<\/i> Confused at the vehement response, she confessed, \u201cI just thought it made sense.\u201d<\/p>\n Coming from Buffy, that statement left Angel a little shaken. Part of him admitted that it made a hell of a lot of sense. But he didn\u2019t have time for \u2018What Ifs\u2019, so he told her, \u201cConnor\u2019s mother is dead. Cordy\u2019s my anchor; she keeps me grounded.\u201d<\/p>\n Then Buffy was left to draw her own conclusions about Cordelia\u2019s place in his life as emotion welled up so that the words were choked off, \u201cIf anything happens\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Even as her unshed tears burned in her eyes, Buffy realized she\u2019d never heard Angel speak about anything with that sound in his voice. Not when he told her he loved her, or when he gave her the Claddagh ring or even when they put an end to their relationship.<\/p>\n She didn\u2019t like hearing the hurt, the fear or the helplessness sounding along with feelings of love that were supposed to be reserved for her.<\/p>\n Angel loved his son and he obviously cared for Cordelia. Something had happened to prompt this phone call. It wasn\u2019t like Angel to call her out of the blue and he\u2019d said that it was urgent. So Buffy wiped away the tears glistening in her eyes and asked,<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the trouble?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a price on Connor\u2019s head,\u201d Angel explained. \u201cEver since his birth we\u2019ve been fighting off one group or another bound to capture or kill him, humans and demons.\u201d<\/p>\n Shifting out of jealous ex-girlfriend mode, Buffy put her Slayer cap on. Nodding her understanding and concluding that something had happened to both Cordelia and Connor, she spoke into the phone, \u201cSo how can I help?\u201d<\/p>\n Having expected fireworks, whining, or demands for more details than he wanted to get into over the telephone, Angel realized that Buffy had changed, too. Though he didn\u2019t have the time to consider the reasons; he was just grateful for it.<\/p>\n \u201cCordy and Connor have been kidnapped,\u201d Angel\u2019s tone hardened to the point of cold steel.<\/p>\n Thinking back to the question he\u2019d first asked her, Buffy made the leap, \u201cAre you saying that you think Warren, Andrew and Jonathan are responsible?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know they are. They showed up, made their demands and shot me with some electro-magick thingy they\u2019d invented,\u201d Angel revealed to her. \u201cBy now, they\u2019re back in Sunnydale.\u201d<\/p>\n Buffy admitted, \u201cIt doesn\u2019t sound like Jonathan to get involved with a kidnapping, but Warren is definitely into the Crazy Professor mode with the inventions. Alone, those three have been troublemakers, so who knows what else they\u2019ll get up too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRight now it involves selling my son to the highest bidder.\u201d Angel pointed out the reason he was contacting her in the first place, \u201cSo, I was hoping you\u2019d get a head start on finding them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo problemo,\u201d Buffy promised to get right on it, jumping up off of the couch, her energy bounding at the thought of the action to come. \u201cWilly usually has his ear to the ground. I can check him out first. When you get to town, head straight to my house. That\u2019s our\u2026uh, base of operations these days.\u201d<\/p>\n Thanking her, Angel realized the whole telling Buffy thing had gone much easier than he\u2019d imagined.<\/p>\n \u201cOh,\u201d he remembered one other detail he needed to share, \u201cjust one other thing.\u201d<\/p>\n Listening attentively, Buffy sank back down onto the couch cushions. \u201cYou\u2019re WHAT?\u201d<\/p>\n
\n Soaring to heights unmeasured<\/em>
\n Bolstered by dreams<\/em><\/p>\n
\n Out of the gloom of despair<\/em>
\n Truth clouded no more<\/em><\/p>\n
\n Bounding to its pinnacle<\/em>
\n To be acknowledged<\/em><\/p>\n