~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Angel frowned, "So, this is a test? Not really something I can pass, is it?" He asked.
Buffy shook her head, "You misunderstand. This is supposed to be a test, but let's just say that...there's someone out there who likes you and is trying to help you." Her eyes softened and Angel found himself staring. "You're not Buffy." He almost whispered. "Who are you?"
She was taken aback by this, "O-of course I'm Buffy!" She said indignantly, trying to cover her earlier mistake, "Who else would I be?"
Angel watched her for a second and stepped forward, "You're not Buffy." He said again, softly.
"Darling boy..." She whispered sadly and suddenly, Angel understood. "You wouldn't have listened if I'd have come to you in my true form." She said, wisely. "So, I came to you in the form of someone you once loved, someone you trusted. I want my child to be happy, I want you to be happy and even if I don't agree with your taste in women..." She said softly, with a smile, "I want you to be happy. You go back to the powers and you tell them that you want her back, no tests, no games. You're not their pawn OR their puppet and neither is Connor, Cordelia or Alyssa."
"I'm sorry." Said Angel quietly, letting her words sink in. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you."
Darla smiled, having returned to her own form, "What kind of life could I have given our child? He'd either have been dead, or turned. Not fun." Said Darla, turning to leave. "Oh, and Angel?" Slowly, she turned again, "Next time...*don't* leave our child with Spike..." She said with a grin, "I've a feeling Connor's gonna like the Sex Pistols when you return."
"Over my dead body." Replied Angel with a smile, and then, Darla was gone. Angel, having been transported back to the Oracles, stood before them. "Ah, then it it is true. The first test is completed." Said the Man, smirking.
"Wrong." Said Angel. "No more tests. No nothing. I didn't pass any test."
The man frowned, "What do you mean?"
"See," Said Angel. "This is all about priorities, where they lay, who has power - who doesn't. And you have none." He said simply, "None over me, the woman I love or my children. When I got my Shanshu, I *still* fought for you. You found a way of communicating with me at the lack of my Seer, through Lorne, telling him when things were needed...making me sing..." He added, "And I did it all without grumbling or bitching once. It ends now. The way I see it, you have two options. You let me walk out of here happy. Or you don't."
"If we do?"
"Then you still have your Warrior on 'Payroll' as your last messenger put it. I still fight, Cordelia gets the visions. We all work as a team."
"And if we don't?"
Angel smirked, "Do you *really* think that's an option?" He asked. "Can you afford to pay the price if I walk out of here unhappy?"
"Tell us what happens, Lower Being." Snapped the Man, frustrated.
"Angelus. A Slayer bested him once...the chances of her doing it again are...slim..." He smiled, "I walk out of here unhappy and the world as we know it falls into rack and ruin. You lose a Warrior, and the world gains a Monster. Simple really, isn't it?"
"Chances are slim but not impossible." Said the man, haughtily.
"True." Said Angel, nodding his head, "But again...are you willing to take that chance?" Dancing behind his eyes was an expression of mirth, or knowing he had the Oracles exactly where they wanted him, satisfaction. "I believe this is the phrase known widely in Sunnydale of...bite me." He said, his eyes glowing a dangerous dark colour.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
**TWO YEARS LATER**
Taking the stairs three at a time, Angel listened to the scream and immediately panicked, almost diving headfirst into their bedroom to see what was wrong. He was met with an ashen faced Cordelia, "What?" He asked.
"There is a spider the size of Sunnydale in the bathtub, go...get rid!" She said, gesturing wildly to the bathroom. Angel looked at her, "We fight demons almost every day and you're worried about a spider?"
"Angel...don't mock me!" She said giggling, "Kill the damned spider..."
Grumbling, Angel shook his head and tossed the rather small spider out onto the window ledge, "You, Ms. Chase, over-exaggerate..." He said, walking back through to where she was standing in only a towel, shivering, her hair damp. Gently, he leaned down and kissed her, rubbing her arms through the soft fabric of the towel, "Are you alright?" He asked softly.
"Angel..." Cordelia chastisted, "Will you *stop* asking me if I'm alright? I'm FINE...F-I-N-E...fine!"
"Well, yeah but..."
"ME THINKS YOU IS VERY MEAN DADDY!" Screamed the voice of his eldest daughter at the top of her lungs. Alyssa, now three, stood in the room adjacent to Cordelia and Angel's bedroom and glared at him from where she stood. Cordelia joining seconds later, looking at the very annoyed look on her child's face, "Alyssa?" She asked, "What's wrong?"
"THIS!" The child held up open wrapping paper and a box...an empty box, "Daddy wrapped up an empty box just so me couldn't find presents..." She said pouting.
Cordelia noticed Angel was laughing and looked at him, puzzled, "What?" She asked.
"That was for you!" He explained, "I knew you'd go looking for your christmas presents so..." Angel was interrupted as Cordelia punched him in the arm, "Jerk!" She said, which only made him laugh even more. "WHAT NOW?" She asked.
Angel grinned, "You look just like her..." He said, pointing towards Alyssa.
Stepping out from the shadows sheepishly, Wesley grinned. "Wesley?" Said Angel, raising an eyebrow, "What are you doing here?"
"We-well, I thought it best that maybe I...uhm...you see..."
Alyssa butted in, "Me made Uncle Wesley help search for christmas pressies or else I'd tell Aunty Fred he was makin' funny eyes at her over the breakfast table." She said, matter-of-factly.
Cordelia burst into laughter, "That's my girl." She grinned, tousling their daughter's dark hair and looking up as Fred rounded the corner, carrying Shayla, Angel and Cordelia's youngest daughter in her arms. Shayla rubbed her eyes sleepily, still only a few months old. Handing her to her Mommy, Fred stood back and looked at Alyssa, "Where's Connor?" She asked.
"Out playing soccer with Uncle Gunn...blergh!" The child showed her distaste for the sport, then grinning, she said, "Uncle Wesley wants to kiss you! Me knows these things...me's wise, like Daddy." She nodded. He hadn't helped her find her christmas presents and after all, a promise was a promise. She'd promised that if he didn't help her find her toys, then she'd tell Aunty Fred about him wanting to kiss her. Wesley stammered his way through a "Uhm, well..." while Fred blushed uncontrollably.
And Cordelia looked at Angel and smiled, "Merry Christmas." She whispered.
Angel pulled her into a hug and kissed her softly, "How I love thee, Cordelia, let me count the ways..."
"Weeellll, you could start by changing your daughter's diaper..." She grinned.
"Smart ass..." Replied Angel as he swatted her butt with his hand.
"Wrong!" Said Cordelia, jovially, "HOT ass...HOT..."
Angel grinned, "Oh yeah..."
"~END~"