Deeper Than Blood

by Maygen

Disclaimer: All characters, etc. belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox, etc. I don't own them. I'm simply dreaming on paper...
Time Line: next part in the Dreams & reality series, start at the begining or it won't make sense!

Buffy stretched and tested her right shoulder . It had been a week since they had finally released her from the hospital, three weeks since the whole L.A. incident. She was sick of doing nothing, as a slayer idleness did not become her.

Listlessly she thought back to the events that had happened. Had it really been only 21 days since Angel had saved her life? After the surgery to repair the torn ligament in her right arm, all she had wanted was to see Angel, but he had gone. Why? The slayers mind raced through scenarios. Was Darla telling the truth when she said Angel was human? Was it just another one of her schemes? After all Darla was a vampire and it was not beyond them to lie, even when they thought they had won.

What if Angel was human? Wouldn't he have wanted to stay with her? Did he still love her? She resolved to find a way to get to L.A. More than anything she needed answers.

Cordelia watched as Angel sat across from her, picking at his food. After weeks of nagging Cordelia had finally gotten him somewhere other than the sewers or church and this was her reward. In her opinion he had seemed more alive when he had been dead.

Cordelia put down her fork and stared brazenly at Angel. It had to be said. "A phone call is all I'm asking for."

Angel looked at Cordelia, confused. "Huh?"

"You can be too self-righteous for your own good."

His head reeled, Cordelia definitely held the record for confusing him. "I'm not quite sure I follow you Cordelia."

A frustrated sigh escaped from Cordelia. "Buffy. You want her. She's not marring the clean marine, thank God, so you can have her. So get her."

Angel sighed, he really didn't feel like telling Cordelia about the realization he had come to, the resolution Joyce had unknowingly confirmed. He respected Cordelia too much to lie, so maybe he'd just sugar coat it. "Buffy and I just don't work. We wouldn't be able to fit back into each others lives anyway."

"Why?"

"Come on Cordelia. We're in L.A. providing hope to the helpless. Buffy's on the Hellmouth. She can't leave and neither can I." Angel silently prayed the girl wouldn't push for a more comprehensive answer.

Picking up her fork Cordelia resumed eating her salad. She knew there was something the ex-vampire wasn't telling her, but she wisely chose to listen to that little voice in her head that told her not to push.

Joyce knocked on Buffy's bedroom door and proceeded to let herself in. "Lunch is served." Walking over to Buffy's bed she placed the food laden tray on the comforter. Buffy hungrily began to eat and Joyce sat next to Buffy. "So how are you doing?"

Thoughtlessly Buffy tried to lift her drink with her right hand and was rewarded with a sharp stabbing pain through her arm. The slayer winced. "I've still got a long way to go."

"Well that's understandable, you suffered through quite an ordeal."

Buffy cleared her throat, praying that her mother wouldn't see through her scheme. "About that. Mom, I think that mabye I should go to stay with Dad for a while."

Joyce's senses heightened. Hank was in Los Angeles, Angel was in Los Angeles. "Why?"

"Well like you said, I've still got a lot of healing to do and it'll probably be safer for me to do that with Dad." Joyces expression changed from worried to puzzled and Buffy continued to explain. "I talked to Giles and we agreed that it's only a matter of time before some rowdy demon hears I'm off my game and decides to take me on. We figure the last place they'll come looking is with Dad."

Subconsciously relaxing, Joyce realized what Buffy was saying made sense. This wasn't about Angel, this was about being the slayer. "Okay. I'll give your dad a call." Joyce got up and left the room, returning a few minutes later. "He'll be away on business for the next few days but he can take you in on Monday and he said you're welcome to stay as long as you want."

"Thanks Mom." Buffy stretched and yawned. "I'm kinda tired."

"Sleep well honey." She took the tray off of Buffy's bed and left the room.

Buffy smiled to herself. Sure, she had told her mother the truth. Her worries were real. Giles had been concerned for her, but it was she that had suggested L.A. as her resting spot. It's not that she thought it'd be fun to bond with her Dad, his idea of bonding was giving her his credit card. She had chosen Hank strictly because he was her ticket into L.A., her ticket to Angel.

Angel rose with the rest of the congregation and sang. After two hundred and forty-five years of fearing the church it was wonderful to be inside one again, to have an assurance that his prayers were being listened to. These last few weeks since he'd become human he'd been and freely worshiping God - he'd forgotten what that felt like. As the service ended the crowd left the sanctuary and Angel folded into the mass of people and followed them into the courtyard.

"Angel!" From the distance a familiar voice hailed him. Angel turned in the direction of the voice. It was Hank. The two men shook hands in greeting. Hank Summers had befriended him a few weeks ago when he had started attending the church. When Angel had first heard his last name he had been a bit shocked. At first he thought the man was some relation to Buffy but he soon abandoned that opinion. Hank never even mentioned having any family, and after all he didn't even know the names of any of Buffy's relatives and the last name of Summers was kind of common.

They chatted business and pleasantries for a little while and then Hank got excited. "You busy in the next week or two?" Angel answered in the negative. "Well then you'll have to come over and have dinner some time."

Buffy slung her bag over her shoulder and stepped off the bus. Eagerly she scanned the crowd of people and located her father. Hank had yet to spot her and Buffy reminded herself that keen observation skills were one of the perks of slayerhood.

When she was finally about fifty feet in front of him, Hank finally spotted his daughter. As she approached he caught her in a big hug. Buffy tried not to wince at the pain he caused in her shoulder. After all their time of estrangement it was nice to at least know he was happy to see her.

Back at Hanks house Buffy unpacked and tried to settle into her room. Looking around she was suddenly glad that she had never been the typical "divorced kid", bouncing back and forth from parent to parent. She knew that she would never really have that father/daughter relationship with Hank, but they had never really had much of a relationship to begin with. When her parents had still been married Hank had thrown himself so into work to avoid Joyce that they all never really saw each other.

Long ago her dad had kind of adopted an uncle-like role. Hank spoiled her when he was around, seemed happy to see her, and chastised her when she got in trouble. But Hank had never really been there for her - not like a father should be any way. Buffy had long since embraced the fact that Giles had become a father to her. Giles was there at her prom, helped her in school, and was there for her when she was in over her head. Sure they weren't actually related but Buffy knew that some ties went deeper than blood or genetics, some things came from your soul.

So how does the mature plan go?
We stay in touch. Just not -
Literally...this is the first time I've ever really felt this way...falling asleep in the arms of my normal boy friend...it's not enough time! I'll never forget...

Angel sat bolt upright, breathing hard. Looking around he realized that he must have fallen asleep at his desk, he was glad Cordelia wasn't there to notice. She'd either disparage him for sleeping on the job or chastise him for not talking to Buffy.

The ex-vampire sighed. Mabye Cordelia was right - he needed to get out of the office for a while. Before he could change his mind Angel picked up his telephone and dialed.

Rolling over a wave of pain ripped through the right side of Buffy's body and she sharply awoke. As she got up she searched out her arm brace and medication. Gingerly she placed her arm in the brace and fastened it securely. While trying to get the child-proof cap off her medication the bottle smashed into a thousand pieces and Buffy gingerly fished the last two pills out. Looking at the remains of the bottle she remembered her doctor appointment in the afternoon. Sighing she realized she'd have to call a cab, there was no way she could drive with her arm like this.

"So are you going out among the living today or am I gonna have to drag you out?"

Angel gave Cordelia a look of disgust. "I'm going over to Hank's tonight."

"That guy from church?" Angel nodded. "Oh. Well he's not like trying to set you up with someone or something is he?"

"No Cordelia."

"Well good 'cuse the only person I wanna see you set up with is Buffy."

"Cordelia!"

Buffy made her way downstairs and noticed something on the kitchen table. Right in the middle of the table lay a note and a brightly colored package. Eagerly she picked up the note and read:

Buffy,
I had to go in to work. I should be home in a few hours. I've got a guest coming over for dinner, try to be home.
--Dad
P.S.
Here's your birthday present. Sorry it's so late.

The blonde smiled and shook her head. She picked up the palm sized package and eagerly unwrapped it.

Inside the paper was a pocket sized, leather bound Bible with her name engraved in the cover. Buffy laughed out loud. Hank could have no idea how helpful this would be to her on patrol.

From outside a car honked and Buffy hastily hurried outside to meet her cab.

Angel pulled up outside 1701 Namuria and breathed a sigh of relief. The house the Summers' had lived in had been on the other side of town. Angel straightened his coat and assured himself that Hank and Buffy were not related. He did however have the presence of mind to grab his cell phone, Cordelia was under strict instructions to call him in an hour - just in case he needed to bail.

Buffy sat impatiently while the doctor explained her new medication to her. She tuned him out effortlessly. Counting backward she realized that she had been in L.A. for almost two weeks and had still made no effort to contact Angel. She couldn't decide if she was more afraid to find him and see that he was a vampire, or if she was afraid he would be human.

The doctor cleared his throat and Buffy's head shot up. "Like I was saying Ms. Summers, you need to take one of these twice a day. But while your on the medication it can cause dry mouth, light headedness, dizziness, disorientation and an irritability to the sun."

The doctor placed the bottle in her hand and Buffy silently wondered how all those effects went together. "So I take it that means racing in the Indy 500 is out?" The doctor laughed and closed her chart. Shrugging she took one of the pills and headed down to the lobby to hail a cab.

Angel's cell phone beeped and he excused himself from Hank to go and answer it. Once in the hallway he answered it. "Cordelia?"

"Yup. So you need to bail?"

Angel looked over his surroundings, there wasn't a picture of Buffy, or any member of Hanks family in sight. If Hank did have a family he'd expect there to be some sign. "No, Hanks clean."

"Well I guess I should be happy you're out of the bat cave and let you go mingle. Bye." Cordelia abruptly hung up.

Angel turned off his phone and quietly returned to the entranceway to return his phone to his jacket.

Buffy payed the driver and headed to her front door. She was in no mood for dinner guests; her shoulder hurt, her medication was making her dizzy as promised and all she could even think about was seeing Angel. Quietly she entered the front door, hoping to sneak in unnoticed.

When she turned her back to the coat rack to lock the door she sensed some one walk in from the hall. Obviously whoever it was had their back to her or else they would have acknowledged her. Inwardly she groaned, as a slayer she was good as stealthy but not good enough to get out of this unnoticed. She decided to play the role of the rude teenager and get out of this as quickly as possible. Quietly she turned to face the guest. His back was still the only thing facing her, it didn't mater though Buffy could recognize him anywhere. "Angel."

"Angel."

The word came from behind him so quietly that Angel thought he had imagined it. Turning he came face to face with a very shocked Buffy.

Angel met her eyes and quickly took in every detail of her. Buffy's long blonde hair was down, cascading over her shoulders, her right arm was in some sort of a brace and the red dress she was wearing was the one she had worn on that forgotten day. The vampire slayer was also falling.

On to Crashing Down Around Us