A chance meeting keeps Buffy and Angel from being alone on the holidays.
Disclaimers: NutMeg says I can claim Angel, but I don't think Joss Whedon would agree with her. So no, I don't own them.
Spoilers: Dad. Pretty much ignores BtVS right now. Take place 3 years in the future.
Distribution: Anyone who has other stories by me, feel free. All of my stories can be found at
Content: B/A. Pretty fluffy, but not sickly so, and a happy ending. :) A holiday fic of sorts…
Rating: PG
Feedback: Comments? Questions? Criticisms or snide remarks?
Notes: Since I had a certain type of fic in mind that I wanted to read and no one seemed to be writing it, I figured I'd better do it myself. Now, part of my says there is no way Angel's child is going to stay around long enough for this fic to be remotely possible…but I'm ignoring the part of me that says that to write this story anyway. Enjoy!

Part One

Buffy stopped abruptly in the aisle, smiled to herself as she ran her fingers along the clothing in the children's department. She wasn't in a hurry, and somewhere between makeup and shoes she had begun dawdling. Tinny Christmas carols played over the department store's loud speakers. The crowds constantly came and went, but right here next to the children's department it was oddly quiet.

What had caught Buffy's eye was a red sweater with white snowmen along the bottom and snowflakes throughout. It reminded her of a sweater Dawn used to have. She had received it on Christmas from their grandmother; the package still had the address and stamps on it under the wrapping paper. Dawn had insisted on wearing the sweater immediately, even though they were in the midst of an unseasonal heat wave. How she had whined later, too hot but unwilling to give up the sweater.

Buffy's smile slipped. She was going to miss Dawn this winter. She pulled her hand away from the child's sweater. It was best to be moving on to what she came here for.

She turned...and almost tripped over a small child, dashing out from between the clothing racks. Blessing her Slayer reflexes, Buffy froze. The child froze as well, staring at her.

The boy looked to be about three years old, far to young to be wandering the mall by himself, which meant his parents couldn't be far away. His hair was dark, and his eyes surprisingly intense as he looked up at Buffy. When the boy did not begin to move or speak, Buffy crouched before him, smiling again.

"Hey," she said softly. "Where are your parents?"

The boy grinned at her.

"Your mommy? Daddy?"

He chuckled. "Daddy."

"Well, at least we narrowed it down," Buffy muttered to herself. Her gaze wandered, searching for anyone who looked like he might be this little one's father, but at this low vantage point she couldn't see much more than the clothes racks. At the same time she asked, "So, where is your daddy?"

The boy shook his head. "I'm hiding," he declared.

"Oh, are you?" Buffy asked, amused. "He's probably very worried about you. How about we find him together?"

The boy hesitated a moment before nodding.

"Okay, then," she said, starting to get uncomfortable in her crouch on the tile. "So, what's your name?"

He opened his mouth to answer....

"Connor!"

Buffy froze. That voice was way too familiar. She did not look up at the feet that came running, or the arms that easily picked up the small boy.

"I've told you not to wander off like that," he scolded the child, and Buffy knew that her initial recognition had been correct. Slowly she stood.

"I was so worried," he said to the boy. Then his tone changed, and Buffy knew he was talking to her even though he hadn't looked at her yet. "I'm sorry about this, miss...." His head turned and his eyes went wide. "Buffy."

She was sure her expression was similarly shocked. "Angel." The little boy – Connor – seemed quite comfortable and accustomed to his arms. With the two of them side by side, the resemblance was both eerie and undeniable.

And, obviously, impossible.

For that reason alone Buffy was willing to ignore the evidence of her own eyes. And there were so many other reasons that she wanted to ignore even the possibility. But she didn't have that luxury for long.

"Sorry, Daddy," the boy muttered, leaning his head into his father's shoulder.

Angel bounced Connor slightly on his hip, shifting his position. "It's okay. You just scared me."

Buffy could not hold back any longer. "Daddy?" she asked pointedly. There was the weight of a hundred questions in her word.

He swallowed visibly and answered them all just as simply. "Yeah."

She could not help but gape at him. "But...."

He shrugged, as eloquent as ever. Buffy had to concede that this wasn't the time or place for the types of questions she really wanted to ask.

Instead, she forced herself to smile slightly. "Aren't you going to properly introduce us?"

Angel let out a visible sigh of relief, which was instantly endearing. He smiled as well, and Buffy glimpsed something she never thought she'd see in him. Paternal pride. "Buffy, this is Connor, my son," he said.

"Pleased to meet you," Buffy said to the child.

Her formal tone made the boy giggle.

"Connor," Angel continued, "this is-"

"Picture!" Connor declared quite loudly.

Angel looked rather embarrassed at that, and Buffy got the impression that he would have blushed if he had circulation. "Picture?" she asked, confused.

Connor answered for him. "Daddy's picture," he said.

Buffy met Angel's embarrassed gaze. "You have a picture of me?" she asked, surprised and touched. They hadn't been together in over five years. They had not spoken to each other in a bit over three. The day was just full of surprises thus far, and the toddler showed there could only be more to come.

At last Angel nodded. "Of course I do," he said softly.

Buffy didn't have a good answer for that at all.

"This is awkward, isn't it?" Angel asked after a moment.

"To say the least," Buffy agreed. Did they even have things to say to each other any more? Were they really that far apart now? She didn't want to know. She could leave now, gather her things, and she'd never have to know how strained things really were between them now.

Or just how comfortable they could still be. And was that a chance she really wanted to give up? After all, what was life without a little chance?

Connor solved the debate for her. He pulled away from his father slightly to look at Buffy. "Come see Santa!" he said.

Angel looked just as startled by his son's invitation as Buffy was. "Uh..."

Buffy gave the child a smile. "I would love to come with you," she said. "But only if your father doesn't mind."

Connor looked at Angel with a pleading expression. "Pwease?"

Angel looked at Buffy, no doubt trying to read her expression. "Yeah," he said at last. "I'd like that."

Buffy swallowed. He'd like that? 'Buffy, you're reading way too much into this,' she thought to herself as she reached for her bags. He didn't mean that like it sounded, did he? Like he really wanted her around? No matter how much she tried to tell herself otherwise, Buffy liked that idea, too. 'And what else do you have right now? An empty hotel room for a vacation spot?'

But no. This was not a situation anything good could come of, at least in the long run. She could have an afternoon of friendship and companionship...but she'd be bound to have odd dreams and a bout of depression for the rest of the week. So she couldn't hope. She wouldn't....

Or at least that's what she tried to tell herself.

They did not speak at first as the two of them – three of them – fell into step beside each other. Angel was now pushing a rental stroller, Connor firmly ensconced inside, shopping bags hanging from the back. It was such an odd image for Angel. At least, for the Angel that Buffy remembered. First, of course, there was the child and all that entailed. But then there was Angel, actually shopping...? Buffy couldn't help but grin.

Angel must have noticed the shift in Buffy's mood. "What?"

She turned her smile to him. "I thought vampires weren't very big on Christmas," she teased. "I mean, shopping, Santa...what's next?"

"Well, I'm not having a traditional Christmas dinner," Angel teased right back.

Buffy felt on the verge of laughing. Her emotions were all over the place in his presence... It was like a natural high. "No, I didn't think you would," she agreed. "But...Santa?"

"I promised," Angel defended himself.

Buffy grinned. "He so has you wrapped around his little finger, doesn't he?"

Angel smiled. "He does," he agreed. "But I'm perfectly happy to be there."

She was nearly gaping at him. A paternal, emotional, happy Angel? This was just getting to be a bit too weird. In a good way, but completely outside of any of her experiences with him. Angel. Single father. At least, she hoped he was single.... 'Oh, that's none of your business anymore, remember?'

Buffy ignored that nagging little internal voice. "So, um...his mother?" she asked a bit falteringly.

"She's dead," Angel replied. There was something very odd in his tone.

"Oh," Buffy replied...yet internally relieved. "I'm...sorry?"

He gave her an uncomfortable look. "It's not.... That is...it's a long story."

"Sure," Buffy agreed. "Which you'll be sure to tell me when we reach question and answer time." Her tone was light, but she wasn't going to give up without answers.

He looked at her, seeming awkward.

Buffy returned the look, making it clear just how serious she actually was.

Angel let out a wry chuckle. "You don't give up, do you?"

"Nope," Buffy acknowledged, flashing him a smile.

"So..." he said at last, "when and where?"

Buffy shrugged. "This is your town, remember? You tell me."

"Speaking of," Angel said abruptly, "what are you doing here?"

Buffy held up her couple of bags. "Uh, shopping?"

"You're a little far from home, Buffy."

She sighed. "I don't know," she admitted. "I just needed to get away for a little while. Be by myself, have a vacation...."

She could never fool Angel, and she didn't manage it now, either. "You don't sound so happy about that," he said.

Buffy shrugged. "It's alright."

"Are you sure?" he asked. "Shouldn't you be spending the holidays with your friends? Dawn?"

"Dawn got a chance to go to Europe with Dad and every body else is spending their required family time."

"And you?" He very softly touched Buffy's hand.

"I," Buffy said dramatically with a false smile, "am having a fabulous L.A. vacation."

He met her smile a little sadly. "How about tonight?" he asked.

"Tonight what?"

"Questions and answers," Angel provided. "You could come for dinner. I'd even cook."

"You cook?" Buffy asked in surprise.

He gave a small smile. "Nothing really fancy, but I'm told it's edible."

Buffy smiled. "I think I'd like that." She looked at the stroller only to find Connor leaning over, obviously asleep. "Angel...?" she said, gesturing at the small boy.

Angel looked at his son and grinned. "It's been a long day," he laughed.

"Gonna be even longer," Buffy said, pointing to the line of children waiting to see Santa Claus.

Angel sighed. "Well, maybe he'll sleep through most of it," he said. He looked at Buffy and gave her a very hesitant smile, his hand held out to her. "Would it be wrong of me to ask you to keep me company?"

Buffy found herself smiling broadly back. "I'd like that," she said, and took the offered hand in her own.

Part Two

"Oh, wow."

Angel couldn't help but be pleased by her reaction. "I'd forgotten you'd never been here," he said.

Buffy smiled openly. The awkwardness between them had faded to almost nothing over the hours in the shopping mall. They had spoken easily about mundane things, other people's lives, the whole time shying away from emotions and questions they really wanted to ask. It was...actually rather nice. It was so rare to talk without the usual tensions.

It had continued like that as they waited in line with Connor, and even afterwards as Buffy moved along to buying the things she had gone to the mall for in the first place. She was originally going to return to her hotel before coming over for dinner, but that never happened. The afternoon passed quickly, the sun set behind the clouds, and Buffy accompanied Angel back to where he and his son made their home.

"The mansion was one thing," Buffy teased him, "but a hotel? I always thought you were more of a small apartment sort of person."

Angel took Buffy's bags and placed them behind the counter, out of the way. "It's also the office," he said. "It's not as if I live in the whole building. I have my rooms."

"Come see my room!" Connor said suddenly, tugging on Buffy's pant leg.

Buffy had long ago given up trying to resist the little boy. "Okay," she agreed, lowering her hand to him. He grasped it happily, tugging her towards the stairs.

Angel fell in step behind them, watching his son and his first love interact. He had never seen Buffy deal with small children before. And Connor, who had sadly already learned not to trust strangers, took to Buffy so easily it was surprising. Connor made his slow progress up the stairs, one hand firmly in Buffy's, the other grasping the railing supports one after the other. Buffy kept her gaze on him, taking each step with him, patiently letting Connor make his own way just like he wanted.

Buffy glanced back over her shoulder. Finding Angel watching her, she grinned. "Enjoying the view?"

"Yes," Angel replied without thinking.

Buffy gave him an amused, disbelieving look.

If Angel could have, he would have blushed. "I just meant..." he began, flustered. "I didn't mean that the way it sounded."

Now Buffy looked really amused. "I know," she said, stepping up the stairs even as she spoke to him. She smirked openly. "But if you did mean it the way it sounded, I'd take it as a compliment."

She reached the top of the stairs, leaving Angel behind, gaping at her. That wasn't the sort of statement he'd expected at all.

***

Buffy didn't have any clue why she had said that. She regretted it from the instant it was out of her mouth. So much for the nice evening, huh?

She was saved from any awkwardness though by Connor, eagerly leading her down the second floor hallway.

"My room," he declared at last, pulling Buffy through a door.

The room had obviously once been a typical hotel room, but not anymore. Now it was a very lived in little boy's room. The walls were painted white with a bright colorful border at the top. The typical larger bed had been replaced by a twin sized one, flat against the wall with drawers underneath and a detachable children's safety railing. A toy chest sat next to it, filled with stuffed animals and colorful children's books.

It was a warm and welcoming room. Buffy suddenly found herself picturing Angel surrounded by children's furniture and toy stores. Never mind where she had met him earlier, it was something she had never tried to picture before today.

"I like it," Buffy said at last.

Connor grinned, obviously pleased.

Buffy walked the room, taking a closer look at Connor's things. The room was neat, but not perfectly so. The tail of a plastic toy animal kept one of the drawers under the bed from closing all of the way. A coloring book and crayons was spread out on top of one of the dressers. Behind that was a picture of Angel with Connor as an infant. The frame was at least partially made by Connor, decorated with an excess of glitter and glue.

Buffy picked up the picture to look at a little closer. She smiled. Was she just imagining that happy yet somewhat disbelieving look in Angel's eyes? Her smile turned a bit sad, then. Part of her, long ignored, kind of wished she'd been there to see this in person.

She put the picture down and continued around the room. There was another door at the back of the room that opened to a bathroom, and a third door set into the wall beside it that probably went to an adjoining room. Ignoring her inspection for the moment, Connor had pulled down his coloring book and was sitting on the floor, working intently.

Buffy stopped for another moment beside the bed. The comforter was all in bold colors with dinosaurs around the edges. Then, sitting quite out of place next to the pillow, was a small, pink stuffed pig. She lifted the stuffed animal from the bed. It looked so much like her old pig that she couldn't help but chuckle.

Her laugh drew Connor's attention. "Mr. Gordo," he said, seeing what she was holding.

Buffy just grinned even wider.

"Just dropping by for some quality time with Mr. Gordo?"

Angel looked so confused, but he was still holding the pig. "Excuse me?"

"The pig."

Buffy looked at the stuffed animal a moment longer. She could sense that Angel was behind her, watching. "Is that his name?" she asked Connor.

The little boy nodded happily.

She finally acknowledged Angel's presence. "I'm going to guess you named him," she said.

Angel looked justifiably embarrassed. "I, well..." He gave her an uncertain looking smile. "I saw him in a toy store when Connor was a baby," he began to explain.

"And you just couldn't resist?" Buffy suggested.

Angel nodded.

That little hurt piece of her that wanted to be in that photo on the dresser reared up even stronger this time. "I guess you didn't forget about me like I thought," she said unhappily.

It was hard to read Angel's expression, but his tone was earnest. "I never forgot about you," he said.

Buffy sighed. She did believe that, really. It was just.... "Why didn't I know about all of this, then?" she asked. Her voice came out helpless instead of challenging.

Angel frowned. "I..."

"Yes?"

She could see him swallow. "I'll tell you everything over dinner," he said at last. "I promise." She still couldn't read his expression enough to figure out what was on his mind, but he looked quite uncomfortable. "I need to start dinner," he said quickly. "Would you, uh, bring Connor down in a couple of minutes? He knows where the kitchen is."

Buffy nodded, and without another word Angel hurried from the doorway. She couldn't help but feel that he was running away from her. And she had thought she'd grown past the point where that could hurt....

***

Angel didn't go any further than the top of the stairs at first. He just stood there, out of sight, bracing his hands on the top of the railing and taking deep, unnecessary breaths. Anything to calm himself.

If there was a way that he had planned on meeting Buffy again, this wasn't it. But as much as he might have hoped that a day would come when he would tell her everything and she would understand and.... He had never actually planned for a moment when he would see her.

But she was always so good at surprising him. She surprised him all those years ago when just a look at her managed to make him fall quite suddenly and frighteningly in love. She surprised him when she learned he was a vampire and eventually accepted him – loved him – all the same. And even now, when he thought she couldn't surprise him anymore, she did. Surprised him with the old spirit he feared had died when last they met, and surprised him with the beautiful woman she had grown to be. If he spent another minute in there with her and Connor, he was afraid....

Actually, he didn't know what he was afraid of. But he was, and that was enough.

"Angel?"

He turned suddenly. Buffy was standing in the hallway behind him, a hint of sadness in her gaze. "Buffy," he said with a swallow. He took an involuntary step towards her, then stopped himself. "Where's Connor?" he asked, concerned.

"Coloring in his room. He'll be okay alone for a minute," she said. "I was more worried about you."

"I'm fine," Angel protested automatically.

Buffy gave him an odd look. "I'm sorry about what I said," she began. "I didn't mean..."

Angel interrupted her with a shake of his head. "Really, it's okay. That's...not it."

"Oh."

He looked – really looked – at Buffy. "Are you disappointed?" he asked, confused.

Buffy chuckled. "Honestly? A little."

"Why?"

She flashed him a wry smile. "I don't know. Maybe some part of me likes being able to mess with your emotions. Like you always have mine." Her smile was not a happy one. "Pretty pathetic, huh?"

Angel didn't exactly smile, but he did finally take those steps closer that he'd wanted to. "You still 'mess with my emotions' just fine, Buffy," he admitted. And then he took a deep breath and said what he'd wanted to all afternoon. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you," Buffy breathed back.

This time Angel did smile. "You have?" he asked. He'd honestly thought he was alone in that. As time went on, he'd convinced himself of that...every time he put off that phone call he really ought to have made long ago.

"Of course I have!" Buffy said, surprised. She was barely two feet away now. Just another step and.... Her expression closed off again. "But, if you missed me," she managed to say, "why didn't you ever call me? Write me? Tell me?" He voice rose in volume and confidence with each question.

"I don't know," Angel said.

"You must have some reasons," Buffy argued. "Did we really fall so out of touch that you couldn't tell me you had a son?"

"We were never too good at the casual contact thing," Angel pointed out.

"Well, no," Buffy agreed. "But you could have still told me...."

Angel shook his head and sighed, thinking back to the days and weeks following Connor's birth. "There wasn't time at first," he said. "Right after Connor was born...actually, right before he was born...pretty much all hell broke loose."

Her eyes went wide. "You don't mean that literally, do you?"

Angel flashed her a reassuring smile. "No," he said. "But close enough."

"Oh." Buffy stepped a little closer until Angel was looking down at her. "And after?"

"After...I wanted the right moment."

Buffy's voice dropped and something in her gaze changed. "How about now?" she asked in a near whisper.

"Buffy..." Angel began, and then could say no more, finding himself just a hair's breadth from kissing her...and the look in her eyes said she didn't find any problem with the idea....

"Daddy!"

Angel jumped, startled by his son's voice and was suddenly a couple of steps away from Buffy once again. "I.... What is it, Connor?" His voice sounded a bit breathless in his own ears.

"I'm hungy," the little boy said strongly.

"You are?" Angel asked in mock surprise.

"Daddy!" There was a hint of a whine in his voice.

Angel smiled. "What do you want for dinner?" he asked at last.

The toddler thought about it for a second. "Sketti!" he declared finally.

"Alright," Angel agreed, and turned to Buffy. She seemed to have recovered her composure a lot better than he felt like he had. "Is sketti...I mean, spaghetti, alright with you?"

"Sounds good," she said, her voice calm and even.

Angel picked up Connor easily, setting him on his hip to walk down the stairs. Buffy fell into step on Angel's other side. "Angel?" she said after a moment.

"Yeah?"

She hesitated briefly. "I always knew you'd make a great father," she said.

Angel swallowed. "You...think so?"

Buffy grinned, then winked at Connor before looking him in the eye. "I know so," she declared.

Angel smiled, warmed by her statement far more than anything else thus far that day.

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