**********

~Part 1~

The group roared in laughter at Anya's comment. Considering this was her
and Xander's first child, she had some amazing and hilarious ideas on
child birth.

"What did i say?" Buffy just shook her head and heard loud music playing
from her daugther's room.

"Wonder what they're doing?"

"Probably talking about us." Spike said as he grabbed for another beer.

"So how's Veronica handling the whole slayer thing?" Buffy asked. They had
just recently found out that Veronica was the next slayer, something that
came
as a shock.

"A half vampire being a slayer? She's getting alot of angry demons, they
think
she's a traitor." Willow said sadly. Jeremy and Veronica where both half
vampires
due to the fact that Spike was able to have kids thanks to a spell. But when
Spike was turned human, the kids hardly got to see demons. Until now.

"She's strong Will, she'll make it, i did." Buffy gave Willow a reassuring
smile
as she grabbed her hand.

>From the stairs Veronica let a tear fall. She felt the burden of slayerness
harder
now that Jeremy, Jenny, and Jackson where all going to UCLA. This was their
last night together as a family before they left.

**********

A burst of light cut through the old dusty mansion as Angel fell to the
ground. He
slowly looked up and around at his new surroundings. He didn't know what had
happened, one minute he was tied to a wall being tortured, and the next he
was
here. He wasn't sure where he was exactly, but he knew it wasn't a place of
pain.
He wasn't prepared for the flood of memories that hit him.

"I love you, i try not to, but i can't stop.....BUFFY.....You can't do it can
you.....That's right baby, i'm back.....We're about to make history,
end.....Close
your eyes.....Was it good for you.....You're boyfriends
gone.....Angel.....Close
your eyes....."

Angel screamed. He couldn't have done these things, he had a soul. Then he
remembered him and Buffy making love, him losing his soul. Watching as the
demon killed and maimed and not being able to stop it. Angel closed his eyes
and waited, for what he didn't know.

**********

"Welcome to the first day of being Juniors!" Veronica rolled her eyes and
looked
blankly out the window. She heard two girls talking and decided to listen in.

"My father was totally freaked out!"

"What happened?"

"He went to check out that old mansion on Crawford Street and some guy
attacked him!"

Veronica listened more intently. "He said his face was all ripple like and
really
pale." After class V ran to her car to check out the mansion. She could miss
a few periods.

**********

Walking into the mansion, Veronica held the crossbow high. She wasn't the
best fighter but her slayer abilities mixed in with her vampire side made any
demon run for cover. She walked in a little more and was knocked down when
someone kicked her from behind.

She jumped up and faced her attacker. His eyes got bigger and he slipped into
his human face. "Willow?"

Veronica stared, to shocked to do anything. "How do you know my mother?"
She asked silently. Everyone always told her that she was an identical image
of her mother, but no on had ever called her mother before.

"Mother?" He looked at her a little harder. "You're the slayer."

"Took you long enough." She saw something amazing, tears began to fall from
his face.

"Buffy! What happened to Buffy? Do you know?"

Buffy? How the hell does he know my family. "Aunt B? She's alive." His face
showed relief. "Now, i'm gonna ask you once more before i kill you. How do
you know my mother?"

"I-i knew them....what's the date?"

"September 5th, 2023." He looked a little unsteady, but Veronica didn't let
her
guard down.

"It's so, i've been gone for 25 years....." He continued mumbling while
Veronica
thought.

Ohmigod! This couldn't be him could it? She gave it a try. "Angel?" That
stopped
him and he looked up at her. "Are you Angel?"

"Yes." She went to touch him, which took him back a little.

"I can't believe it's you." He got up and pressed her hand to his check,
closing
his eyes. He hadn't had a human touch him in hundreds of years. The only
touch
was torture. Veronica looked at him, admiring everything about him.

Ever since she was little, her parents had told her tales about Angel, the
vampire
with a soul, and his adventures. She had hoped to meet him, but was crushed
when she found out he had been killed.

When she grew, her parents told her why. She felt sorrow for him and knew it
wasn't his fault. And now he was standing in front of her, looking truely
like an
Angel.

She eventually snapped out of it and put her hand down, bringing them both
back to reality. "You can't stay here." She looked outside. "Its still light,
so i'll
go get you some blood. When the sun sets i'll take you somewhere." She walked
towards the door, leaving Angel standing in shock.

**********

Veronica climbed through her window as quietly as possible, only to find her
father waiting for her.

"Where did you go?"

Veronica hated lying to her father. Though she looked like her mother, her
father
and her always had the strongest bond. They understood each other and rarely
ever had fights. "A bunch of vampires attacked some students last night, so i
went to check it out."

"Are you ok?" Her answer pleased him, and he immediately got worried.

"I'd be better if they didn't run away, i only got to stake three." After
some talking
and her father's worrying, Veronica slipped into bed. She moved Angel to an
old
house about three miles out of town, and after some talking she got him to
open
up.

She had learned about the years of torture, the guilt he felt over Jenny
Calender's murder. But mostly she learned about him. He still had alot of
recovering to do,
but she was determined to help him. They had decided to not tell anyone,
considering they all still would blame Angel.

She had talked for hours about what she knew. What had happened to the
group after his death. He was happy for Buffy to have found someone and was
a little mad at Spike for going after Willow. She soon realized how late it
was
and reluctantly left, promising to come back.

**********

Veronica looked around the Bronze and sighed. It had been two weeks since
Angel had returned and she found herself growing more and more attached to
the vampire. She didn't know why, she just knew that she felt so horrible for
him.

He may have escaped the physical torture of hell, but the mental was just
gearing
up. He would wake up screaming and always had a sad look in his eyes, like he
wanted to die for all the things Angelus had done.

That was another thing she didn't get. Angelus. Two days after Angel had
returned she looked through old trunks of her mother's and found tons of
books
on Angelus. He was a ruthful heartless bastard who deserved to be in hell.
But
Angel was a differant story. He was kind and gentle and deserved so much more
then what he had ever gotten.

"V, you're lookin lovely." Allen said as he and Mandi took a seat next to
her.
Mandi and Allen had been her best friends since 6th grade. They where the
most popular in school, but also the nicest.

"What's up with that far away look on your face?" Veronica had, after much
debate, decided to NOT tell them about her slayerness. They were on a need
to know basis, and they so did not need to know about this.

"I'm just thinking."

"About a guy?" Mandi asked. Her best friend deserved to find someone.

"Not really a guy.....i guess a guy."

"You guess a guy? Sweetie he either is a guy or isn't." Allen added like he
knew everything.

"Really? Cause i always thought that there was a half way point...."

"Ok, ok! Geez, sarcasm noted." An hour later Veronica said goodbye and
started walking home. She was only a few minutes into her walk when she heard
a child scream from the park. She took off in a run and saw a minion about to
attack a
little girl.

"What, do you guys have no manners?" She asked as the vampire looked up. The
little girl took off runing.

"Slayer." He lunged at her. She ducked and sent him flying over her back.
When
he stood up, she punched him in the gut and once again in the face.

"The one and only." She pulled out her stake and stuck it through his chest
with
ease. She dusted herself off and decided to change her root, Angel could use
some company.

**********

Veronica walked down the steps of the house to see Angel doing some kind of
exercise. She had never seen it before, but he looked relaxed. She stood
there
for a few more minutes before making her presence known.

"That looks hard."

"Its not to bad." He turned around and saw a cut on her arm. "Are you ok?" He
rushed over and examined her arm.

"Yeah, i'm fine. You're worse then dad, ya know that?" She laughed but
stopped
at Angel's serious face.

"Who do you train with?"

"My dad and Aunt Buffy sometimes."

"Sometimes? Where's your watcher?" Sometimes wasn't going to be enough if
she ever got into a huge fight.

"Watcher? You mean Giles or Wesley? Cause they're both in the cemetary, six
feet under." Her voice took a sad tone.

"What happened?" He led her over to the couch.

"Umm...well, Giles was my first. He died a few days after i found out i was
the
slayer. A vampire that was a tad too strong for him. And then came Wesley..."
A few tears fell from her eyes before she wiped them away and stoppedc them
all together.

"You don't have to go on." Angel didn't want the girl to be upset.

"No, no it's ok." Veronica took a deep breath and continued. "We where out
fighting a group of vampires, when they found out i was half vampire and the
slayer they flipped. Three of them held me back, while the lead one held
Wesley.........
 

"You're a disgrace to all demons!" Luke shouted as he held the Watcher by the
neck. This girl would learn.

"Demon? I'm not a demon, i don't kill!" Veronica shouted back, she had to
save
Wesley, she couldn't loose him too.

"Well, maybe you never had the training." He put his fangs down to Wesley's
thoat. "This is how to kill." He started sucking Wesley's blood despote the
screams coming from the Slayer. When he was done he threw Wesley's lifeless
body to the ground and walked away.

Veronica didn't bother to chase them, she just ran by Wesley's body. When she
got there she knew he was dead and cried. She didn't stop until her uncle
Xander
came and picked her up. He lived a few minutes away and heard the screams.

He just sat there looking at Wesley and rocked Veroncia back and forth......
 

"The council didn't send another watcher?" Angel asked. Veronica looked like
she wanted to cry, but she wouldn't let herself.

"Nope, i'm to much of a liability to them." Damn council. They never did
learn.

"Then i'll train you." Angel wasn't going to let Veronica out of his site
unless
she was trained properly. "We'll start now."

"We will?"

"Yep." Angel got up and pulled a few weapons out. He noticed that she hadn't
moved, so he went over to her. "Do you trust me?" He held out his hand.

"Yes." She took it and they began training.

**********

Willow watched Spike lovingly as he slept. She loved these moments, when
she could just sit here and watch him all night long. She would memorize
every inch of him, making sure he was embedding into her mind. When she
looked up to his face, she saw a pair of blue eyes staring at her intently.

"I thought you where sleeping." She said as she stroked his face.

"Can't sleep."

"V?"

"Yes." Willow sighed. She had to admit that lately Veronica was acting
stranger then usual. She wouldn't get home until the early morning hours,
and her school had called to inform them that she had been skipping classes.

"I've been worried too. I mean, she doesn't ever wanna talk about slaying,
and
she never even comes home any more."

"I know, at first i thought 'comes with the destiny', but this is to much."
They
heard Veronica's bedroom window open and looked at each other. "Does she
really think that we can't hear her?"

"I dunno, let's go see." They got up and walked to her bedroom.

*********

Veronica flinched as she climbed into her room. She looked at herself in her
full length mirror and was surpirsed at how horrible she looked. It had taken
her an hour to convince Angel that she was ok to go home and, after he was
done patching her up, he had insisted on walking her home.

V smiled at this. Over the past three months, her and Angel had become
really close. She was spending more and more time with him, and she was
finding a growing attraction going both ways.

"What happened?" Veronica turned to see her parents standing in the doorway,
both looking worried.

"Oh-ahh..." She let out a little laugh, with caused her to grab her side in
pain.
Within moments her father took her to her bed and her mother turned her light
on.

*********

Angel paced around the mansion, waiting for Veronica. This had become a
habit of his, every day he would wait for her. In a way, he needed her. She
didn't blame him for the things that Angelus had done, she liked him for him,
Angel. But that wasn't why he wanted to see her, he wanted to see her to tell
her that he was going to tell Buffy and the other that he was alive.

He wasn't sure of her reaction, hell he wasn't sure of anyone's reaction to
him
being back. He knew that he was falling for Veronica, hard. So he had to be
truthful with her and tell her that he was still in love with Buffy.

He would always be in love with Buffy, but he knew a part of him was in love
with Veronica. So he would confront Buffy and the others and resolve the
past,
hope that they would take it ok, and move onto the future.

"In deep thought mode much?" Angel nearly jumped at V's voice. She walked
in and sat on the couch. "Ya know, my parents freaked last night, even though
i wasn't hurt that bad. I swear you'd think that they..."

"V..." Angel cut her off.

"Geez, who died?" She laughed and saw his serious face. "Ok, shutting up
now."

"I-um...." He grabbed her hands. "I think its time to tell everyone that i'm
here."

"What?" V jumped up and started pacing. "No...No! Angel they have no clue
about you being back, do you know what'll happen when they find out?"

Angel got up and grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to look at him.
"We. Have. To. Tell. Them." He looked down at her and kissed her softly on
the lips.

Veronica pulled back slightly and looked into Angel's eyes. She saw passion
and need. With a burst of courage she grabbed his head and kissed him
passionately. He grabbed her waist and pulled her as close as possible.

After a few minutes, they pulled apart and just held each other. "I don't
wanna
loose you."

"I know." He kissed her head. They continued to hold each other.

>From the window a dark figure looked in at them, smiling evily. They would
learn to betray her in such a cruel manner. She walked off and headed
towards her home.

*********

>From their beds Veronica, Buffy and Angel screamed in pain as the memories,
past and present, came flooding back to them. Riley ran to Buffy, Willow and
Spike ran to Veronica and Angel screamed as the pain intensified.

The elders conjured up the perfect punishment for me: they restored my
soul.....Look, Angel, I'm sorry if I was supposed to spend the summer mooning
over you, but I didn't. I moved on, to the living.....Do you think I chose to
be
like this? Do you have any idea how lonely it is, how dangerous?.....Are you
Angel?.....This was never about you.....I don't wanna loose you.....Close
your
eyes.....It sort of involves finding the bodies of all your friends.....I
love you, I
try not to...but i can't stop.....

The memories came to a halt and Buffy, Angel and Veronica found themsleves
standing in the library, looking at each other.

"Angel?" Buffy asked. She stepped foward to touch him, but before she reached
him a dark figure plunged a stake into his back.

"Buffy?" Veronica and Buffy screamed out Angel's name as he exploaded into
dust. When they looked up, they saw his killer.

"Hello dears."

"Drusilla."

Within an instant Buffy, Veronica and Angel awoke, sweating and crying.

**********

Veronica stepped into Buffy's livingroom slowly. She couldn't explain to her
parents what she had felt, in truth, she couldn't stand to look at her
parents.
After the first dream, she had fallen asleep and saw many more, and less
painful, memories.

She couldn't name all of the memories. Some where Angel's, other's where
her's
and most where Buffy's and Angel's. Times that they had spent together, the
love
that they shared, everything.

She also saw her father. The people he murdered, the children, the horrible
things
that he had done. She looked up as Buffy walked into the room, looking much
like Veronica knew she did. Sleepy and horrible. Buffy imendiatly hugged her.

"It was so horrible." Veronica said as she felt tears fall.

"I know, sweetie." Buffy answered as she patted her head. V had seen so much
more then any person should ever have to. The people dying, the things that
her
father had done, everything.

Veronica pulled back and wipped the tears away. "Look at me. Crying, that's
so
girly of me."

"You're allowed to cry."

"Crying is a form of weakness. I'm not weak."

"No, you're not. But what you witnessed gives you the upperhand." Buffy said
as
she pondered her next question. "Did you see Angel?"

Veronica stiffened at that. "Are you coming over tonight?"

Fine. Buffy would play that game. "Yep, me and RIley around seven."

"Don't be late." Veronica said, trying to hind the bitterness. What would
their
reaction be? Would they profess their love and kiss? Would they yell and
blame
each other? Would Angel go back and would Buffy except him? So many
questions plagued her mind.

********

Drusilla looked up at the stars (well the plastic stars on her wall) and knew
the
time was here.

"Fun times are coming. Oh, yes, the fun is just beginning." Her laugther rang
throughout the house.

**

 ~Part 2~

Veronica looked around her living room afraid of the upcoming event. Angel
would be over soon and she had no idea how anyone would react. On the couch
were her parents along with Buffy and Riley, with Xander and Anya sitting on
the recliner. She was sitting on the floor next to the couch, waiting
anxiously for the doorbell to ring so that the butterflies in her stomach
would die down. Everyone was talking and laughing at various things when the
doorbell rang. Veronica stood up slowly and walked over to the front door
with everyone watching her closely; when she opened up the door and backed
away, the entire living room was silenced.

Angel walked into the room a little more and looked around at everyone, he
was amazed at how grown up everyone had become. He noticed Veronica standing
behind him, obviously scared of what the reaction of everyone would be. He
said his next few words with caution, "Hello everyone."

They where more then enough. Buffy stood up and made her way over to Angel,
touching his face lightly before embracing him in a tight hug, "Angel? Oh
god, it's really you!" Her eyes filled with tears as she hugged him tightly.
"I never thought…oh god, Angel." She kissed his neck and looked back into his
eyes, searching for something.

Angel looked back just as intently and touched her lips softly. "Shh, it's
ok. I'm here, I'm not going anywhere, I promise." He hugged her once more and
saw the looks of everyone else. Willow and Xander's held disbelief and anger,
Riley and Anya's held wonder and Spike's held hatred. He suddenly realized
the situation that Buffy and him where in and backed away, fearing what
Veronica would be thinking.

"You knew about this, didn't you?" Spike asked angrily, looking past Angel to
Veronica. She stepped out from behind him and looked into her father's eyes.

"I had to help him." She said, almost scared to go against him.

Spike stood up fast and walked towards her, pushing Angel out of the way.
"You had absolutely no right at all to hide him or help him!" He screamed.

This flared Veronica's anger and she screamed back. "You don't have the right
to say that! You didn't see him when he first came back!"

"See him? V, he made me! I don't have to see him to know he's dangerous!"

"Dangerous? He has a soul! A permanent one now!" She stopped as soon as those
words left her mouth, Angel had no idea about her late night spells and she
had yet to inform him of his newly permanent soul.

"What?" Angel asked, stepping closer to V. "But…how?"

"A spell." She answered, smiling.

"Get away from her." Spike said, stepping in between them. He wasn't going to
loose his daughter to Angelus, not her.

"Dad, leave him alone."

"Stay out of this!" He barked back.

"I'm not gonna hurt her Spike, I wouldn't do that." Angel knew how over
protective Spike could get, along with how anger and violent. He assumed that
neither Willow nor Veronica had yet to witness or experience it and he wanted
it to stay that way.

"Like hell you wouldn't! I know you Angelus and you're ways, you just stay
the hell away from her."

"Daddy, please." Veronica begged; he wasn't going to ruin this for her.

"No Veronica! You don't know him like I do," Spike tried a softer tone, she
had to understand him. "He's a killer, death follows him!"

"He's not the only killer in this room." Everyone just looked at her,
including Angel and Spike. No one could believe her words and the hurt in
Spike's eyes said everything. "Mom and the others forgave you, why can't you
forgive him?"

"Because, he was worse then I was."

"That's not the way I saw it last night." It was true, the images and things
she had seen were far worse then anything she could've ever imagined Angelus
doing.

"He's right V." Angel finally said, realizing his mistakes and Spike's love
for his daughter.

"What? No, no he's not!" This wasn't happening, it couldn't be.

"He is though." Angel moved to Veronica's side and hugged her lightly. "Thank
you, for helping me. But I can't be around you if it's going to tear you away
from your family." By Riley's side, Buffy's eyes filled with tears. Angel and
her had both moved on and now he was being tore away from Veronica over some
stupid vampire fight? She hated it, but she knew she wasn't going to be able
to make Spike nor Veronica back down on either side right now.

"You're not! Angel-." She looked at her father, then at her mother and
knew what she was about to say was going to hurt them deeply, but she didn't
care. "I care for you more then them. You're like me in so many ways then
they could never come close to even describing. I told you before and I meant
it, I can't loose you."

"I'm sorry." He knew that if he didn't walk away now that he never would.
Kissing her softly, he turned and walked out the door.

She felt tears roll down her face and didn't have time nor the courage to
wipe them away. She looked up into her father's eyes and spoke with venom in
her voice. "I hate you. You had no right to interfere in my life like that."
She walked to the stairs and looked back once more. "I'm leaving tonight, try
and stop me and I will kill you." She then walked up to her bedroom and
slammed the door shut.

Spike just stood there as Willow walked up to him. "I hope your happy. If we
loose her I will never forgive you."

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