Title: And Flights of Angels Sequel to: Requiem for a Childe Author: Janet Lynn (janet324@comcast.net) Rating: NC-17 Pairing: S/A Warning: This contains m/m slash. If this offends your sensitive nature, please avert your eyes. Genre: BtVS/AtS Disclaimer: All things BtVS and AtS belong to Joss Whedon (my god), Mutant Enemy, etc. I own nothing, so please don't sue me. I just want to play with the yummy beings that Joss created. Spoilers: Season 7 of Buffy and season 4 of AtS Distribution: Shara Nesu's Place and Red's Soulmates. Everyone else, just ask. I'm generous. Website: http://www.geocities.com/janet324@prodigy.net/FortheFaithful.html Author's Notes: Set one year after "Chosen". You don't necessarily have to read 'Requiem' to follow this story, but I would recommend it. Summery: Spike is dead and Angel has moved on. The title comes from Shakespeare: "Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!" Hamlet, Prince of Denmark Act V, Scene II. A huge thanks to my sis Stephanie who is betaing for me. You rock babe! Thoughts indicated by <> I'm dedicated this story to everyone from the lists, especially Forging Ghost, for all the great feedback about "Requiem for a Childe". It is because of you that this is even here. If you like this and think that it is worthy of continuing, please let me know. This is pretty much just set up. more action soon, ok? Thanks, Janet =] Chapter One October 1, 2004 Angel walked through the halls of the hospital, listening to the sounds of his heavy footfalls echoing through the empty corridors. He hated coming here. It reminded him of the fact that he was dead walking around in this place of healing. Angel had just come from seeing Cordelia. He had decided not to see her again. Of course, he had said that the last three times he had come to see her. It was painful to look into the eyes of the women he once believed he loved and not see any spark of recognition. Once she had woke up, it became painfully obvious that the Cordelia he knew was gone. When Jasmine was pulled from the very essence of the girls every cell, she took everything Cordelia ever knew with her. Cordelia couldn't remember anything. She had to relearn how to eat, walk and talk. Angel was at a loss of how to help her, so he used some of the resources available to him at Wolfram and Hart to get her the best help possible. She was doing quite well in the special rehabilitation department of the hospital. She could walk over six feet without assistance and she was able to read at a fourth grade level. But she still didn't recognize Angel. And it had been over a year. Sure, when he walked in the room, she smiled and called him by name, but she didn't know who he was, other than the man who came to visit her from time to time. Angel had held onto the hope that she would remember who he was for months until he finally gave up that hope. He still came to see her because he felt guilty. He felt as though he was abandoning her in the cold place, but to her it was home. Cordy, no Delia, had insisted on staying. She was so different now. She decided she didn't want to be called Cordy, even though it was Angel's pet name for her. She insisted on being called Delia. She thought it fit her better. It seemed like she was becoming a completely different person right before Angel's eyes. It had been an interesting year for the rest of the Angel Investigations crew as well. Everyone had settled into their roles at the former law firm quite well. Angel smiled as he thought about the good they had actually done. Of course, when you're working inside the belly of the beast, anything good would seem like a big deal. The dark vampire paused as he walked by the hospital nursery. He didn't know why he continued to torture himself like this, but he loved to go and stand at the window and stare at the small bundles of humanity wrapped in blue and pink blankets. He brought his hand up and rested it on the glass, remembering what it felt like to hold Conner when he was small and helpless like these tiny creatures. Angel stood for an extra moment, looking at the newborns, trying to decide whether or not to go to back to hotel tonight. He had his own apartment now, but the Hyperion still felt like home, full of harsh and painful memories. He was glad that the Sunnydale crew had moved on. Most of the group had stayed for several months, trying to decide what to do with their lives. Giles took Willow and several of the new slayers to England to rebuild the Watcher's Council. Buffy took Dawn and moved to Cleveland to patrol the Hellmouth there. Xander, Andrew and Faith were still living in and around LA, doing their own things and helping out here and there. Angel was surprised at the help the three hangers on had been. Faith helped fight the baddies that needed their asses kicked when she wasn't helping to train the slayers that stayed in LA. Andrew had found a job at a computer programming company, developing computer games based on his experiences in Sunnydale. The oddest of the group was Xander. He had insisted on helping restore the hotel as payment for staying there. One day, Xander had taken in a young girl he had met on the streets and helped her get on her feet. Soon, one homeless kid turned into three and now Xander was running a shelter for runaways out of Angel's hotel. Angel was proud of him. Oddest of all, Xander was dating Fred. Angel would never understand it. He sighed as he pulled himself away from the window, smiling as one of the nurses walked in, carrying the world's new resident. She smiled back and tilted the baby so the vampire could get a better look at the baby boy. Sudden memories of his own child shot through him and Angel shut his eyes to stave off the tears that threatened to fall. When he opened them again, the baby was laying peacefully in the bassinette and the nurse was gone. The dark vampire turned and made his way down the hall. He realized that he was now in the pediatric wing of the hospital. Normally, he visited earlier in the evening and this area was filled with the sounds of children laughing and crying. But now, it seemed all the children were sleeping. The quiet seemed to wrap around him like a blanket. Angel liked the quiet. Suddenly he heard a tiny voice laughing. The sound brought a smile to the vampire's grim face. He stopped for a moment to listen to the lilting sound. "Would you sing me a song?" the tiny voice asked her unseen guest. Angel imagined it would be the girl's mother or father since it was well past visiting hours. "Not sure we have time, little one" a male voice answered. Angel thought. It reminded him of Wesley or Giles. "Did you do what I asked you to, luv?" the man continued. "Yes, I kissed my daddy and mommy and told them I love them and not to worry 'bout me" she dutifully replied. Uncertainty filled her voice as she asked, "Do we have to leave tonight?" "I'm sorry, pet, but we have to go tonight." Angel felt panic rise in him. The vampire decided to stay right where he was and make sure that the child would be alright. "Just one more song, please" the young girl pleaded. "Just one, Poppet" the male voice answered. Angel had located the door and was standing just outside the room with his back to the wall. If he heard anything that sounded like the man was going to hurt her, he would be in there in an instant. But Angel was frozen to the spot when he heard the man begin to sing. "Early one morning, Just as the sun was rising, I heard a maid sing, In the valley below." He couldn't believe it. That voice. It was the voice that had haunted his dreams for the past year. He heard it cursing him and loving him. He had even heard it singing this very song. But it couldn't be. He was dead. Slowly, as the smooth baritone continued to lilt on the air towards him, Angel walked to the open door and stood, staring at the scene before him. On the hospital bed laid a little girl. Too little for such a large bed. On the far side of the bed, a young woman sat in a chair with her head pillowed in her arms on the bed next to what was obviously her child. The young mother appeared to be fast asleep and completely unaware of the interaction between her child and the man singing so beautifully. And then there was the man. He was sitting with his back to Angel, training all his attention on his young charge. He appeared to be wearing a fitted, long sleeved blue T-shirt and blue jeans. He had short curly sandy blonde hair. The man continued to sing, completely oblivious to Angel's presence. Angel thought as he realized that if it had truly been his childe sitting there, they would have felt each other. the vampire reminded himself. But that voice. The girl turned and looked at Angel, confused by the large man standing just inside her door. "Wil?" she asked quietly. "Who's the big man in the door? Is he coming with us?" The blonde stopped singing and turned to see who the child was referring to. When he turned all the way around, Angel felt his entire world fall out from under him. "Spike?" he whispered, desperate for the fantasy to be more than just a dream this time. "Angel?" Spike gasped, a look of utter shock on his face. "Shit!" tbc...