"It’s so hot!" Cordelia Chase whined. "Why is it so hot?"

"The sun gods are angry wit’ ya," Doyle suggested.

Cordelia glared at him. "They are not."

"Are too."

"Are not!" Cordelia screeched.

Angel covered his ears. "Enough already! Could you stop bickering like two yearolds for three seconds?!"

"Sorry, Man," Doyle apologized.

"Yeah, sorry. But ... are not!"

"Are too," Doyle hissed. Seeing the look on Angel’s face, he quicklygrabbed Cordelia’s hand and dragged her out the door.

Angel sighed, turning back to his computer. He had typed four more words in an email toBuffy when he heard the door creak open.

"WHAT?!" he bellowed. "WHAT NOW?!"

Getting no response, he growled and jumped up, thoroughly ready to yell at whoever wasdisturbing him yet again.

At first, he saw no one. Then, he saw her.

She was little and blond, her eyes a sparkling hazel that reminded him of his pastlove. She wore pink-rimmed glasses that were slipping off, and a white turtleneckunderneath a pink corduroy jumper, both of which were stained with tomato sauce. Heronce-shiny, once-white shoes were caked with mud, and she had her thumb firmly stuck inher mouth.

Angel groaned. Who’s kid could this possibly be?

"Hi," she whispered, looking at him, wide-eyed.

"Uh, hello ... why don’t you go find your mother?" Angel suggested rightaway.

The child shook her head, giving him a tiny smile. "Hi."

Angel resisted the urge to growl again. "Hello," he repeated."Where’s your mother?"

"Hi," the girl chirped for a third time, and Angel had to use all hisself-control not to punch a whole in the wall out of annoyance.

"HI," he snapped. "*Where is your mother?*"

"Hi hi hi," the young girl giggled, scampering around Angel’s apartment,knocking things over.

Angel stuck his head out his apartment door to yell, "WHO LOST THEIR KID? I FOUNDHER!" When he turned back around, the child was standing on the top of his leatherchair. "Not the leather chair."

"Hi."

"Can you say anything else?" Angel asked, slowly advancing towards her."What is your name?"

"Maggie. What is your name?" Maggie asked, leaping into Angel’s arms ashe advanced on her.

"Whoa!" Angel was caught off-guard, and tumbled to the floor, Maggie landingon his chest.

Right away, Cordelia and Doyle ran into the room.

"Are you all right?" Cordelia asked before she even saw him. "We werecoming back and we heard this loud crash and oh my gosh Angel what are you doing?!"

"Hi!" Maggie smiled sweetly at Cordelia and Doyle.

"Awww ... she’s adorable ... what’s her name, Angel?" She reachedout her arms to the girl, who went willingly.

"Maggie," Maggie responded for herself. "What is your name?"

"I’m Cordelia. Can you say that? Cor-deel-ee-ah."

"Cora!" Maggie said happily, bouncing in Cordelia’s arms.

"Cor-deel-ee-ah."

"Cweea!"

"No, Cordelia. COR-DEEL-EE-AH."

Maggie finally gave up, looking to Doyle. "Hi."

" ‘Ello," Doyle murmured.

"Hi."

"She’ll never shut up," Angel muttered, standing up.

"Never shut up," Maggie mimicked, giggling.

"Great, she’s a parrot," Angel groaned.

"What is your name?" Maggie looked from Angel to Doyle.

"I’m Doyle," Doyle supplied. "And that man there, he’sAngel."

"Animal?" Maggie asked in confusion.

"Angel."

"Animal."

"Angel," Angel snapped.

"Doyle!" Maggie cried, reaching for Doyle.

"Why is it she can only say *your* name?" Cordelia huffed, handing over thechild. "And who’s child *is* this?"

"I don’t know, she just showed up in my office."

"What do you mean, she just showed up?"

"I mean, she was just ... *there*."

"Just there. Oookay, Angel, now you’re losing it." Cordelia took Maggiefrom Doyle and handed her to Angel. "We’re leaving now. I suggest you call thatbit- I mean, Kate, and ask her to do some research. After all, you don’t want tospend months with Polly-wanna-cracker, now do you?"

Angel sighed, putting Maggie on the ground. "Good idea. Can you make sure shedoesn’t run off while I go see Kate?"

"Now I don’t know about that!" Cordelia cried.

"No problem," Doyle told Angel, scooping up the child. "Hi,Maggie."

"Hi!" Maggie cried. "Hi!"

Angel hurried to leave as Cordelia shrieked.

*****

"Angel? What are you doing here?" Kate asked, surprised. "I was justgetting ready to leave." She held up a white coat in proof.

"Uh, sorry, but I have a problem."

Kate sighed. "You always have a problem, don’t you?"

"What can I say? Comes with territory."

"I suppose you need my help?"

Angel nodded. "I need you to look into missing children."

"Missing children?" Kate cocked an eyebrow at him. "What happened?"

"A little girl just showed up in my office."

"Just now?"

Angel nodded. "I left her with Doyle and Cordelia and came right over."

Kate chuckled. "Angel, it’s an apartment building. Someone’s kidprobably just ran into your room."

"There was no parent in sight, and I’ve never seen her before."

"It’s a big building, Angel."

"Call it a hunch. Could you please look into it?"

Kate sighed, flipping her computer back on. "What can you give me to go on?"

"Uh, she’s little, about three or four, I think ... blond, wears glasses..."

"Did you get a name?"

"Parrot," Angel muttered under his metaphorical breath.

Kate looked up at him. "Excuse me?"

"Uh, Maggie."

"Probably short for Margaret. Did you get her last name?" Kate was typingrapidly.

"No ... I can call Doyle and see if he can get one."

Kate motioned to her phone. "Dial nine first."

*****

"Hey, come back!" Cordelia yelled, chasing Maggie. "Hey! DOYLE! Help mehere!"

"I’m trying to make a sandwich for her!"

"Well how hard can it be?! You’ve been at it for twenty minutes!"Cordelia snapped.

"Seventeen, and I can’t find the mustard, lass."

"Did you just call me *lass*?! And kids don’t like mustard, *anyway*!"

"Muh-tard!" Maggie shrieked.

Cordelia growled in annoyance. She was about to snap at the child when the phone rang.Sighing with relief over the prospect of getting away from the girl, even for just aminute, she snatched it up. "Hi!"

"Angel Investigations."

"What?" Cordelia frowned.

"That’s the greeting."

"Oh! Right! Hi! Angel Investigations, helping the helpless ... I’m going tohurt you!" Cordelia yelled at Maggie, who was tearing at a silk shirt of hers.

Doyle came into the room holding a messy sandwich. "That’s not it," hehissed.

"Shut up," Cordelia hissed back, then said sweetly into the phone, "CanI help you?"

"Uh, Cordelia, it’s me. Angel."

"Oh! Angel! Good! You *have* to come back. Did you find her parents?"

Angel sighed. "Not yet. Do me a favor and ask her if she knows her lastname."

"Of *course* she knows her last name," Cordelia trilled.

"Then ask her," Angel requested impatiently.

"Hey, Margie," Cordelia caught the girl’s arm. "What’s yourlast name?"

"Name?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah, name, you know ... Margie ... what’s the last name?"

"Maggie," Doyle whispered.

"Doyle says it’s Maggie," Cordelia chirped. "So ... hey!" Thephone hit the ground as Cordelia took off after the child. "Those were seventy dollarshoes!"

"That wasn’t what I was saying, Cordy," Doyle informed her, munching onMaggie’s sandwich.

*****

"Did you get it?" Kate asked.

Angel shook his head, dropping the phone back into the cradle. "No. I think Ibetter go back before someone gets themselves killed, they seemed to be a wreck ..."

Kate sighed. "Okay. But Angel ... look around the building, see if you can findthe parents. Chances are, that’s where they’ll be."

"And you’ll keep looking?" Angel asked anxiously.

Kate nodded. "I’ll be honest ... that’s not much to go on. Chances are Iwon’t find anything."

"What do I do with her till then?"

"Well," Kate’s voice dropped to a whisper. "Legally, she should beturned over to an LA social worker-"

"Okay."

"But," Kate continued. "To be frank, LA isn’t the best place formissing children. So because I trust you, for some God forsaken reason, I’m going toask you to hang onto her until something turns up."

"And if nothing turns up?"

"We’ll take it from there when the time comes."

*****

"Park."

"What?" Angel looked up from the book he was reading, glancing at the youngchild standing in front of him in one of his huge shirts.

"Park. Go to park?" Maggie looked at him pleadingly, lifting her arms up inan attempt to push back the sleeves of the T-shirt.

Angel sighed, putting down the book. "Not now, it’s late."

"Uh-uh," Maggie denied. "Park?" She jutted out her lower lip.

Angel reached out to pick up Maggie and sit her on his lap. "I can’t take youto the park. It’s dark. That means it’s dangerous."

"Dange-ous?"

"Right, dangerous," Angel confirmed. "How about a story instead?"

Maggie stuck her thumb in her mouth, apparently considering it, then shook her head."No story. Park." She curled up against Angel’s chest, looking up at himwith big hazel eyes. "Please?"

Angel sighed. "I don’t know ..."

Even at her young age, Maggie could see he was succumbing. "Please?"

Angel sighed. "All right, all right!" Inside, he was dreading what couldhappen, but in the six weeks he had been raising the little girl, he had found that shewas hard to say no to.

"Yea!" Maggie cried, jumping up and off the chair. "I go change!"

Angel shook his head, chuckling. This was going to be an adventure ...

*****

When he got to the park, he found he wasn’t wrong. Even the nicest LA parkwasn’t great at night (or anytime). He found himself more worried over drug addictsthan vampires ... then again, there was always drug-addicted vampires ...

"Tree," Maggie murmured. "I want to climb!"

Angel shook his head vindictively. "Not tonight."

"But ..."

Angel knelt down so that he was at her level. "No, Maggie. Not tonight."

"I’m mad at you!" Maggie announced with a shriek, taking off across thepark as fast as her tiny legs could carry her.

"Maggie ... Mag- Maggie!" Angel yelled, chasing after her through the crowdof people.

"Lost your kid?" A drunken man asked, laughing.

Angel growled, continuing to follow the child.

Everything seemed to go in slow motion as he saw someone reach out and snatch her.

"MAGGIE!"

"Help!" she shrieked. She wiggled wildly in the vampires arms, reaching forAngel. "Da! Da!"

Angel realized in horror that she was being held captive by a vampire. Withoutthinking, he vamped out and knocked the smaller vampire down with a swift punch to theface. While the predator was holding his bloody nose, Angel quickly seized Maggie and ranout of the park.

When they were in the apartment, Angel locked the deadbolt behind him, although he knewthere was no one following them.

"Jeez, what happened?!" Cordelia asked, coming out of the kitchen, herlipstick and hair mussed. "You come in in a rush and you’re all grrr!You’re going to scare the poor kid."

Angel realized in horror that his vampiric features were very apparent in the light ofthe apartment, and turned his face away from Maggie, holding her out to Cordelia.

Maggie didn’t budge, holding his face in her little hands and looking into hisyellow eyes. "Da," he murmured, curling up against him.

*****

"Still no leads?" Angel asked in surprise.

"Nothing. Angel, it’s been almost three months ... I’m leaving it up toyou. Of course, if I find anything, I’ll tell you, but ... it’s up to you. Youcan give her to social services, or you can keep her. I won’t say a word."

Angel nodded. "Thank you, Kate."

"Anytime, Angel." Kate smiled, then turned in her swivel chair to face thecomputer screen again.

*****

"Hey, Angel," Cordelia called when the apartment door opened.

"Cordelia? What are you doing here? I thought Doyle was watching her."

"He was, but he got a migraine-"

"About what?" Angel asked worriedly.

"A *real* migraine, Angel, like normal people get. So I came over and tucked himinto bed, and-"

"Oh," Angel sighed in relief, taking Maggie from Cordelia and getting pouringher a glass of juice.

"Angel? Are you listening to me?"

Angel suddenly realized she had been speaking the whole time. He shook his headsheepishly, sitting Maggie at the table. "Sorry."

Cordelia sighed in aggravation. "*As I was saying*, Buffy called up, she was justin hysterics. She wouldn’t tell me what was wrong, but she kept asking to talk toyou. I don’t know what her problem was, I kept telling her you weren’t here butshe didn’t seem to be comprehending much ..."

"Is she okay?" Angel asked quickly, picking up the phone and hitting thespeed-dial for her number.

"Well, she didn’t sound it, but you know Buffy ..."

"Something must be wrong."

*****

"I don’t know why I’m so upset over this," Buffy sobbed to Willow."It’s just ... one more thing ... one more thing I can’t have. BecauseI’m the slayer."

"Shhh," Willow whispered soothingly. "It’ll be okay."

Buffy shook her head.

The phone rang, and Willow picked it up. "Oh, hi, Angel ... yeah, she’s righthere .... I’ll let her tell you." Willow handed the phone to Buffy."Angel," she whispered.

Buffy sniffled, taking the phone from Willow.

Willow stared at her friend sadly for another moment before getting up and leaving theroom.

*****

"Buffy? What’s wrong?" Angel asked in a calming voice.

"I can’t ... I don’t ..." Buffy choked out. "It’s all amess, Angel!"

"What is? Tell me."

"I ... I was in this fight, the week," Buffy sniffled.

"What happened? Are you okay?"

"No," Buffy broke down again, choking on her sobs. "I ..."

"Tell me," Angel begged again.

"It messed me up. I mean ... I can’t ... the doctor said ... I can’tever have kids."

"Oh, Buffy ... I’m so sorry."

"No! Don’t pity me! It’s just ... I don’t know ... I didn’twant kids. Not if ... not if ..."

"Not if what?" Angel had a suspicion that he already knew the answer.

"Not if they weren’t yours," Buffy whispered. "But, Angel,it’s one more thing slaying has taken from me ... one more thing I can’t have... because of who I am. And it’s not fair. It’s not fair!" Buffy’svoice had been rising in pitch throughout, and she ended with a shriek.

"No, it’s not fair. Nothing is fair in life. And I’m so sorry."

"Stop. Don’t," Buffy begged. "I just ... I wanted to ... to talk toyou. Talking to you ... it always makes me feel better ... about anything." Shesniffled. "What about you? How are you? And Maggie?"

"I’m good, and so is she ... Kate couldn’t track any family ofhers."

"So ... what happens now?"

"I can give her to social services ... or I can keep her."

"And what are you going to do?"

"I honestly don’t know," Angel admitted.

*****

"Are you serious?" Cordelia asked.

"Yeah, Man, are you sure that’s a good idea?"

Angel glared at both Cordelia and Doyle. "I love her."

"I know you do, but that doesn’t mean ... I mean ... she’s going tothink you’re doing it out of pity, you realize that, don’t you?" Doyleshrugged. "Sorry."

"I’m not. I want to be with her ... and I want to love her ... and I want tostart a family with her."

"And you think this is the best idea?"

Angel turned and walked out the door.

*****

"It’s beautiful out here," Buffy murmured as they sat in a small boat inthe middle of the lake, just looking at the stars in the cool night air.

"You’re beautiful."

Buffy felt herself flush in the cool night air. "Thank you," she murmured.

"I only speak the truth. I love you."

Buffy looked at him with surprise. "I love you, too. But why ..."

"I want to try again. If you want to. We’ve kept in touch for the past twoyears as I’ve worked for redemption, and I still love you more than anything.It’s hard to be away from you ... too hard. And now with all the ... developments ...in both our lives, I don’t want to wait any longer. It just shows that you never knowwhen something unexpected is going to happen. I want to try again ... before it’s toolate."

"I ... I don’t know ... are you sure? I can’t ... I can’t deal withyou leaving again. I won’t survive it if you do ..."

Angel produced a little velvet box from his pocket and opened it. "I love you ...please believe me when I say forever. Marry me."

Buffy had tears in her eyes, on her eyelashes, tumbling down her cheeks. She noddedgently. "Yes. Oh, Angel ... yes."

Angel grinned broadly, slipping the diamond-encrusted ring onto her hand."We’ll never have the ideal relationship ... but it’s enough. Circumstances... they work against us. But I love you ... and that’s enough. It’s going to beenough."

"I love you," Buffy slid into his arms, sobbing against his chest. "Ilove you."

When her tears had died down to occasional sniffles, she looked up at him. "Whatabout Maggie?"

"I want ... I want us to be a family. The three of us."

"Angel ... is this because of ..." There was a hint of fear and insecurity inBuffy’s eyes

"No." Angel shook his head vigorously, holding her close. "I thoughtabout this even before ... that happened. But now I want it even more. Say yes ... saywe’ll be a family.

"Yes. Yes," she said, and her tears started all over again. "Yes. Alwaysyes."

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