BondedChapter Twenty-Two
Buffy and Angel look around the dark room. He opens his mouth to speak but Buffy stops him with two fingers on his lips. She slips away over to the open bedroom door and glances down the hall before closing and locking it. Angel stands rocking Connor in his arms as Buffy stares down at the sleeping woman. Tears begin to stream down her cheeks before she lowers her hand to Joyce’s shoulder. Angel (whisper): Buffy. Buffy ignores him and shakes the woman gently. Joyce’s eyes open and she looks up at Buffy. Joyce: Hey sweety. Is something wrong? Joyce sits up right in panic. Joyce: Why are you crying? Is it Dawn? Buffy grabs her shoulders and holds her in bed. Buffy: Dawn is fine. She is sleeping. Please don’t wake her. Joyce relaxes and looks oddly at Buffy. Joyce: What did you do to your hair? When did you cut it? Buffy’s hand sweeps up to the short bobbed length. Buffy: Mom, I need to…… Joyce’s eyes take in Angel and Connor for the first time. Joyce: Angel? She looks at Buffy. Joyce: What is going on here? Buffy: Shh mom, I‘ll explain. Joyce looks at them and slowly nods. Buffy: I need you to trust me. And I don’t have a lot of time. Joyce: I’m listening. Buffy: I am not Buffy from now, 2001. I am Buffy from 2002, next year. Joyce just stares. Buffy holds up the contraption strapped to her wrist. Buffy: This is a time travel thing. I, uh we used it to come see you. I well I wanted you to know that we found a way to bind Angel’s soul. And well don’t want to waste time with the details but Angel and I are raising his son together. Joyce: Son? Buffy: Yes. Connor. She waves Angel closer and he hands her the baby. Buffy: His real mom is dead so I’m going to raise him. Angel: You are his real mother. Buffy: Okay, his birth mother is dead. Joyce: I’m so confused. Buffy: I know, I just had to come here and let you see him. Let you know I’m a mother and…. She pauses and takes a deep breath. Buffy: And you have a grandson. Joyce looks down at the little sleeping child and then up at Buffy. She gets tears in her eyes. Joyce: I…I…He’s cute. She glances at Angel. Joyce: He looks like you. Angel nods. Joyce: Soul is all safe? Angel: Yes, ma’am. Joyce glares at Buffy. Joyce: I assume it has been tested. Buffy: Numerous times. Joyce looks back at the baby. Joyce: And I’m not around. Buffy takes a deep breath and looks at Angel. He places both hands on her shoulders. Joyce: Don’t tell me. I don’t want to know. Buffy: I’m sorry. Joyce: Oh baby, don’t be. Joyce strokes Buffy’s cheek. Then she reaches over and flips on the bedside lamp. Joyce: Now let me see this little one. Buffy: You want to hold him? Joyce: Of course I do. Buffy shifts the child into her mother’s waiting arms. Joyce smiles down into his serene face. Joyce: He does look like his father. Buffy: I know. Joyce: His name is Connor? It fits him. What are you going to do for a last name? Angel: O’Hara. Joyce: Connor O’Hara. Very Irish. Buffy: Like his father. Joyce: I never knew you were Irish, Angel. What part? Angel: Galway. Buffy: Oh yeah. Joyce: What? Buffy: The name. I filed papers with the court last week to change my name. Joyce: What? Buffy: Angel and I can’t marry but this way we all have the same name. Joyce: Buffy O’Hara? Buffy: Yep just waiting for the judge to sign the papers. Joyce looks down at the baby. Buffy: I couldn’t love him more if I’d given birth to him. Joyce: I know, sweety. I’m happy for you. Buffy leans forward and hugs her mom. Joyce: So I’m a grandma. Don’t you think I’m a little young? Oh lord and what will Brian think? Buffy: Mom. Joyce: I guess Brian won’t know. Buffy shakes her head sadly. Joyce: Well…. They hear a noise. Angel: Buffy we need to go back. We can’t risk being seen. Joyce: No please a few more minutes. They hear the sounds of footsteps on the stairs. Buffy: Home from patrol. I’ll be checking on you. Joyce: Stay here. She hands back the baby before climbing out of bed. Joyce quickly unlocks and opens the door. She closes it behind her tightly. Angel grabs Buffy’s arm and tries to get her to leave. Buffy shakes her head and resists him. They stand quietly waiting until Joyce returns. Buffy smiles. Buffy: I remember you coming to my room that night. Joyce: Now can I hold him once more before you leave? Buffy quickly hands over the child. Joyce: Buffy look in the top of the closet and get my camera. Angel: What? No. Buffy: Angel please. She stretches up as she stands on her tiptoes trying to grab the leather case. Angel eventually comes up behind her and takes it down. Angel: This is wrong. Buffy: I don’t care. No one will see it but us. Angel: And Dawn? Buffy: No, not even Dawn. Angel: I don’t like it. Buffy looks up at him for a few minutes until he motions her to sit on the bed. He pulls the camera from the case and looks at it. Joyce: That roll should have a few pictures left. Joyce explains the flash and he quickly takes a couple shots of all three. Then Buffy stands up and he gets a closer shot of Joyce with Connor. Buffy: How many left? Angel: Only two or three I think. Buffy: Can you sit with mom? Angel: Buffy. Buffy: Please. He quietly settles beside Joyce. Buffy: Smile. He sighs and lets a slight quirk of the lips show. Buffy takes two shots. Joyce: Is there one more? Buffy: I think so. Joyce: Then try the timer if you remember how to use it. Buffy: I believe I do. She plays with the dials and sets it on the dresser. She darts across the room and lands in Angel’s lap within seconds of the flash. Buffy: I think I did it. Buffy pops up and gets the camera. Joyce hands Connor to Angel and reaches for the camera. She quickly rewinds the film and pops it out of the camera. Joyce: Put this in the little pouch on the side of the case. I’ll try to get it developed but I will make sure no one sees them. I promise. Buffy: Okay. Angel stands up. Joyce: You have to go? Buffy: I do. She hugs her mother once more before walking to the other side of the room. Joyce: You three look good together. Buffy: I love you. She swallows hard. Buffy: Goodbye Mommy. Joyce: Bye baby. Buffy’s hands are shaking, as she is held tight in Angel’s embrace. She stares over Angel’s arm at her mom as she reaches for the button. Joyce: I love you. Buffy whimpers and hits the button. She buries her face in Angel’s coat when the room reverts to the modern visage. Angel: Buffy. It’s okay baby. It’s okay. He lowers them both to the carpeted floor and gently lays Connor down before pulling her into his lap. Angel: Let it out. Let it out. After a few moments her sobs lessen. Angel: Oh Buffy I am sorry. We never should have done that. Buffy pulls back and looks at him. Buffy: No. No. Don’t say that. Angel: Baby. Buffy: Angel, I saw her. She saw Connor. I said good-bye. They both jolt at the sound of a knock on the door. Buffy moves to get up but Angel holds her down. Angel: You stay here with Connor and I will talk to Willow. Buffy: They probably want my help. Angel opens the door and looks down at the redhead. Willow: Sorry to bother you but we just need what is in here and we are all loaded. Angel: Good. If you would not mind watching Connor, I think we can get them downstairs fastest. Willow: Every mover should have super human workers. Buffy stands up and picks up the nearest large box as if it is stuffed with cotton. Angel stacks the other box on top of the trunk and picks them both up and follows her. Willow follows them down the stairs with Connor. Buffy moves straight out to the truck parked up to the porch. She darts across the metal ramp connecting the two. Angel sets his load inside the door. Xander walks over and glances at the load before sliding it on the dolly. Xander: Again, tell me why we chose to load during the day. Willow: Cause no one wanted to trip in the dark. Xander: But yes at night we could just load up dead boy and let him haul it all. Buffy: Xander, you are getting free rent remember. Xander: Yeah, yeah. I know. He rolls the boxes outside and onto the truck. Dawn: Is that everything? Willow: I think so. Buffy looks around the empty space. Buffy: Well I guess you guys can go on over. We’ll follow in a few minutes. Dawn: Do you want this? Buffy: What? She turns to look at the leather case in her sister’s hands. Buffy: Mom’s camera? Dawn: Yes, you said you were going to take pictures before the tenants moved in. You know in case they damage anything. Buffy just nods as she takes the case. Only Angel seems to notice her hands shaking as she clasps it to her chest. Xander: All loaded and ready to go. Willow: I’m ready. Dawn: See you at our new home. Angel: We will be there soon. Xander, you know how to turn on the floodlights there right? Xander: Of course. I helped in stall them. Angel: Right. Willow hands Connor to Angel and follows the other two out the door. Angel pushes it closed and turns to see Buffy digging into the camera bag. She pulls out the roll of film Angel: She never took it in. Buffy: She never had time. I found her the next afternoon. Angel wraps his arm around her. Buffy: I better take the pictures of the house. Angel: You going to be okay? Buffy: Yes. I’m glad I got to let her see Connor and I got to say a last goodbye. I made a memory. Angel: And you have pictures. Buffy: Ones only you and I can ever see. Angel: Yes. Buffy: For once the hellmouth worked for me. Buffy starts to take shots of the kitchen. Buffy: You know one thing is still bothering me. Angel: Not telling Dawn? Buffy: No. What Willow said at the hospital. You know about how the hellmouth somehow made me a match for Connor. Angel: Maybe. Buffy: Well I don’t understand how it can be. She turns and looks at him. Buffy: Connor looks just like you but he has my genes. I know we only ever made love that one night when you well did your Mr. Hyde. Angel frowns at her flippant reminder. Buffy: I am just trying to understand how I can be a match. I can’t be related. Oh god unless Darla is some ancestor of mine. Oh that would be really sick. Angel: Buffy, I have been thinking about it too and I may have an answer. Not saying I am right but I think maybe we should go sit down. Buffy: Sit down? Where? The floor? Angel nods and she follows him to the living room. They both sit down and he draws her close. Angel: Well this goes back to that Thanksgiving after I moved to LA………..
THE END |