Timeline

Chapter 26


Buffy woke up after a six hour sleep. It was dark outside and Angel was asleep in the chair , cradling his son.Spike stood up and whispered "How ya doing?"
"Feel great"
"Thankyou Buffy"
"What for?"
"Letting me stay "
"Shut up , You were here to protect us" she winked at him " I'm starved"
"The nurse left you this but it doesn't even look fit enough to feed to a gothaus demon"
Buffy lifted the lid to the dinner "URGHHH"
" I just want to go home now"
"I rang Willow and let her know"
"Thanks "
The baby squirmed in Angels arms and started to cry.Angel woke up.
" Guess that's a noise we're all going to have to get used to " Angel said
"Now we're all awake , can we go home , please"
"The doctors checked Layton over , and he got the all clear so I guess so"Angel said
Buffy got out of bed and got dressed. She bundled Layton up and Angel got the door.Spike peered out and gave them the signal "All clear"
The three of them ran to the elevator .


Hyperion


The lobby was buzzing, everyone had been waiting for news on Buffy. Willow bit her nails and Lorne wandered around with a sea breeze singing lullaby's. Dawn fidgeted on her stool by the phone. Faith sat making a stake . Xander a few of the potentials sat on the lobby stairs.The rest mingled and chatted. Illyria watched them all , fascinated .
"They're here" Giles shouted
Everyone ran to the lobby doors.
Angel and Spike held the doors open and Buffy walked through holding Layton.
Spike ran upstairs and bought the crib down. Buffy placed Layton in it and sat on the sofa next to him.
"I'm starved " Buffy said
Angel went into the kitchen and made her some pasta
Illyria peered into the crib "He is small and vulnerable." she poked him gently and he wriggled " The shells memory says I should call this cute" she paused " It is" , she walked away.
After everyone had looked , cooed and held the baby they all retired to bed. Angel ,Spike, Illyria , Gunn,Willow , Dawn and the two watchers remained. Buffy was still stuffing her face with pasta.
"Well , he's here " Buffy said between mouthfuls " Do I make slayer history or what?"
Giles beamed proudly at her " Yes I think you do. As the only dead slayer to give birth , I think you definitely do " Giles kissed Buffy on the cheek and sat staring at Layton.
Layton started crying and Angel picked him up , Spike looked over Angel's shoulder. The baby wriggled and grunted . "I think he wants mum" Angel said
Spike morphed and the baby stared and stopped crying " I think he likes me " Spike said smiling
Buffy finished her plate of pasta and took the infant in her arms. She got a bottle and fed him.
When he had finished she placed him in the crib.
"Can I ask why you called me Layton now and why our son is called it"
"Layton Eras is an anagram" Angel smiled and waited for the penny to drop.
Buffy looked confused
Giles laughed "Ingenious Angel"
"Huh?" Buffy said
"Not a Slayer" Giles said taking his glasses off and cleaning them.
"OH! she said " And I don't look twenty seven!"
They all laughed
"You did when you were in labour" Angel joked , walking out of striking distance.
Dawn sat making faces at the baby."Hey , I'm an aunt, I'm an aunt!"
Spike looked at Angel "And I'm an uncle"
Angel patted him on the shoulder "I think this is a time we should celebrate , what do you think guys?"
"Sounds good to me " Spike said
"You'd celebrate the opening of a letter" They walked into the kitchen laughing

Liam stood on the balcony looking down on the baby.
"So , your home" he whispered
Buffy stopped talking to Dawn and frowned, she looked around the lobby , nothing, she looked up at the balcony, just as Liam disappeared out of sight.
She walked over to Illyria and spoke quietly to her "I need you to guard Layton. Don't let anyone near him , especially Angel. Guard him like your life depended on it"
Illyria walked over to the baby and stood beside the crib and nodded to Buffy.
Buffy ran up the stairs in the direction that Liam had gone. She closed her eyes and relied on her slayer senses. She walked to the last room on the first floor. She opened the door , it was dark , only the light from the moon came in from the window. He walked out from behind a screen and his silhouette blocked the light from the window.
"Liam"
"You can't resist me now can ye slayer?"
"Get over it" she snapped.
" See the little nippers home, all safe and sound " he moved from the window and blended into the shadows.
"What's with the games Liam"
"No games , not yet , they come later" his voice moved around the room
"What do you want from me" she spun her head trying to work out where he would come from next.
"I want what's mine."
"I'm not yours . I'll never be ."
"Not true " He brushed his hand lightly through her hair
Buffy spun round and lunged into the dark, missing him.
"If you want me , why not just take me? Why do this?"
"Where's the fun in that . You must have read the books, heard the tales " he laughed " I know I had fun learning what a bastard I'd be" His voice seemed to stop moving
"You have your soul"
"And what? That's supposed to make me right and just , like that human downstairs?"
"Yes" She choked
Liam laughed
His voice sounded further away.
"Why hide from me?"
"Hide and seek , Hide and seek" he whispered
"I'm tired of this now"
Liam came from the darkness and stood behind her , morphed into the demon, Buffy had no idea he was there.He grabbed her shoulders and spun her round to face him.
He kissed her passionately . Buffy fought back. The fight was vicious and reminded Buffy of the fight she had with Angelus in the mansion . Liam took her down with a swipe and she kick him in the groin and as he recoiled she staked him in the chest , narrowly missing his heart.
"Now it's time for games"
He ran and jumped out of the window. Buffy ran to the window and looked out . Liam had gone.
"Great , just what we need , psycho vamp with a crazy soul shoved up his butt wandering the streets. Dammit"
Buffy ran downstairs .

Illyria was holding the baby. It was an eerie sight. Buffy panicked and ran down the stairs. Angel and Spike sat on the circular sofa watching , both had a beer in their hands.Illyria watched Buffy and placed the baby back in his crib.
"Thankyou Illyria"
"The baby made noises that offended my ears " she walked away " he has an offensive odour "
Buffy checked and he had a dirty nappy, she laughed.
"Where did you go to ?"
"Liam, he's gone, I mean , he was here, he taunted me and then he jumped out the window and he's gone"
"Did he hurt you?"
"No. But on a crazy clock, he'd be ten past cuckoo"
"There's four hours til sunrise, he could do alot of damage in that time" Spike said "We best go and fetch him then "
Angel went to his weapons cabinet and got out the broad sword. Illyria went to Angels side and Gunn grabbed his wheel hub axe.
" Retrieval only"
They left .
Buffy took the baby upstairs and settled in. Spike stayed with Buffy and the baby.
"Why do you think he keeps focusing on me ? Is it some twisted thing , be a slayer , have vamps with souls go crazy for you?"
" Hey!"
She smiled at him and picked up Layton "You know what I'm saying"
"Maybe it's Angel , I mean he had the memory thing going on before , maybe it worked the other way round too , maybe he got Angels memories "
"Could be" Buffy cooed and stroked Laytons cheek
"Oh my god! I just thought of something and can't believe I didn't think of it before "
"What?"
"The reason this is happening"
"The suspense is killing someone for gods sake spill" Spike said impatiently
"It's the soul"
Spike just pulled a confused face at Buffy.
"The soul , well Angels soul , is being pulled between two of them"
"Makes sense slayer. We best tell the others and see what we can do about it"

Angel thought of all the places he would go . All of them came up empty. He remembered he had had a thing for nuns.
"We need to go to the nearest church"
They got in the car and made their way to the church of St Augustine.


In the church, Liam had grouped the nuns and the priest together beside the alter.The church was vast and had huge stained glass windows, all depicting different stages of Christ's life. A huge statue of the St stood off to one side at the head of the church.The alter was dressed in white linen with gold piping , it had candlesticks on it and a few bowls of holy water .A huge gold cross stood behind it. Liam paced behind the alter, vamped out.
"Forgive me father for I have sinned " he shouted mockingly
" You vile creature , let them go" the priest begged for the nuns to be freed
" You don't get to go , none of you get to go. I have big plans for you and it involves me leaving your rotting corpses for my human self to find"
The priest was confused and thought Liam was insane.
"Please sir ....." The nun didn't get to finish what she was saying , Liam growled loudly and grabbed her , burying his teeth in her neck.
The other nuns and the priest shrieked and looked away.
Liam drained her , carved a cross in her cheek and dropped her lifeless body .He clutched his head.
"Urgh , why didn't they tell me , why didn't he warn me, shut up , shut up " he backed up and leant on the large cross. Smoke rose from his back.
Liam picked up the candles and threw them. After a while he calmed , he sat next to the priest and his face morphed back to normal.Tears fell down his cheeks.
" It's a curse y'see father, I am cursed to have a soul.I can still hear her inside my head , begging me not to do it"
"Then you should let the others go child " the priest said ,trying to get the nuns freed .
Liam looked at him and narrowed his eyes.
"See now father , I can't do that, I am, after all , a monster.It's her fault , she loves him and they flaunt it , she had his child . I hear them at night. How she moans his name .I feel it , all of it , like I'm connected to her"
The door at the front of the church slammed shut, pulling Liam out of his confusion.
"And here he is , your saviour " he stood up "The human that saves the day"
Angel stepped up close to the alter and looked down . He looked away from the dead nun and into Liam's eyes.
The priest and the nuns were taken back by the human and the demons likeness to each other.
Gunn and Illyria came up behind Angel.
"Liam, stop this , let them go"
"I've only just started , spoil me fun why don't ye"
"You've only taken one life, take more and the screams only get louder"
"Do ye promise"
Gunn knelt down next to the priest and untied them , taking them out through the back.
Liam watched them go "Not to worry , one I'm done with you there will be plenty more"
Illyria moved from behind Angel and hit Liam in the chest sending him flying across the alter and into the cross. He slumped at the base. She walked to him and picked him up by the collar.
"Bleat at me no longer half breed" she nodded at Angel .
Angel went into the back room to check on the others .
"What are you ?"
" I'm human father , he , he was , is me as I was .It's hard to explain"
"He's Angelus isn't he child "
Angel looked up stunned " Yes"
"How is it you both exist"
"A portal we , I bought him back"
"We thank you for saving us , now please leave us "
Angel left with Gunn and Illyria , she still held the unconscious Liam.


Hyperion


Buffy paced the room with Layton. Spike sat on the bed looking at the clock.Both of them were tense.
Buffy's phone rang and she answered it
"Have you found him?"
"O.K. "
"We'll do that now , how long til you get back?"
"O.K. He's fine " she gave a smile and hung up.
"They got him , they want Lilah out of the cage so we can put him in there"
"Did he do any damage?" Spike asked
"Killed a nun and terrified some others" She walked out of the room and down to the basement.
Faith had seen her from the lobby and followed her down .Spike unlocked the cage and grabbed Lilah.
"So that's what all the commotion was , the prodigal son has arrived "
"Shut up Lilah" Buffy snapped at her
Faith took Lilah up to an empty room and locked her in.
It wasn't long before they arrived back. Illyria threw Liam into the cage and Angel locked the door.
"So what now?" Buffy asked
"Now we get his stupid ass back through that portal and away from you" Angel said as he took his son into his arms and kissed his forehead.He wrapped his free arm round Buffy's shoulders and they headed upstairs.
Faith and Spike walked up behind them.
Willow had the books out on her lap and was going over the spell to re-open the portal.
Illyria stood by a potted fern . "I can open a vortex and allow you to put the half breed somewhere safe"
"You can still do that?" Willow asked
"You doubt me."
"No , no of course not"
"That would be easier . Can you guarantee Liam will go back to the precise time that he left?"
"To the very second he left" Illyria said.
"We'll get on that first thing "Angel said yawning
Buffy spoke up "I think I've worked something out and I'm not sure how this can be rectified, well there's only one soul , right"
"Right " Angel said
"And there's two of you"
Everyone suddenly realised what she was saying .
"So the soul is being pulled between the two of them?" Faith said
"Yes , that's what I think anyway"
"If that's the case ,what do we do about Liam , we can't send him through the portal with his soul intact" Faith looked at Angel
"Do you know a spell or some way we can take the soul from him?"Angel asked Willow
"It's never been known , if there is such a spell it would be dark magicks. "
" Well Liam's not going anywhere tonight , so I think it best we all go to sleep" Angel said
Buffy agreed " I'm probably going to be half the night with this lil one now, so best to get some while I can"
They all went up to their rooms .


Liam sat in the cage , congratulating himself on a good night's work. He took his shoe off and dug around finally pulling a key out.Bloody morons , he thought to himself.While they all fussed over the baby I got myself a key.
He unlocked the cage and stepped out. He stretched and waved at the camera. A quick stop off to see that slayer , then time to sort this once and for all.
Liam crept into the bedroom and stood in the shadows . Angel and Buffy were wrapped in each other and Layton lay in his crib fast asleep.Buffy stirred and turned from Angel. Liam leant down and kissed her cheek. Buffy stirred again and slept on. Liam left a rose on her bedside table and left. He went into the room Lilah had been put in . He put his finger on her mouth and untied her. Lilah thought he was going to be letting her go, she didn't struggle against him.
"I have been asking myself , why have they still got you locked up and why haven't they killed you yet. Any idea's?
Lilah shook her head
Liam walked round her .
"Are we getting out of here or what" she asked
"One of us is" Liam laughed
Lilah ran for the door and tried it , Liam had locked it behind himself. He caught her and covered her mouth , pinning her to the door with his body.
"Now I am disappointed, I thought you would have been a screamer"
He vamped out and bit into her neck. They slid down the door as he drained her. Her heart slowed and he pulled away . She was in her last moments.
" I can't decide whether I should just let you die or turn you . What do you think?"
Lilah just looked at him.
"Death it is then " Liam broke her neck. He left a note on her body and left using the fire escape.