Los Angeles, California

Angel exited the UCLA server as soon as he found the information he wanted. Connor was a student there and Angel's curiosity was piqued as to how his son was doing. Seeing Buffy in the spring had helped ease the pain somewhat, but it had also served to open up a second wound that cut just as deep.

He pushed his leather chair back from the cherry wood monstrosity of a desk he had in the office portion of his penthouse suite and stood. "Blinds," he said simply and the blinds designed to block out the sun's rays opened. He looked out the window and found himself focusing on Piscis Austrinus. It had been like this every night for a while now. He would grow restless and found it would not dissipate until after he had seen the constellation.

"Fish," he called out and his aquarium instantly went from nighttime mode to being fully lit. It was not a conscious thing to need to see his living fish after gazing upon the constellation named after fish.

Angel felt the need to patrol, something he had not done in months. With their defeat of Jasmine things were slow. Angel Investigations was no longer, but that did not stop Angel from wanting to help those in need. Wolfram and Hart would not succeed in taking him off the path to redemption. He might have made another deal with the devil, but he liked to think it was in Connor's best interest and that would be taken into consideration.

He knew, though, that he had to be even more careful with the line he toed. He had come close, too close, to letting emotion rule him again with Cordelia. Seeing Buffy had shown him that what he felt for Cordelia had not been love but loneliness and the desire to again have what he had with Buffy. And deeply missed. They had not seen one another in over a year, but just like the Piscis Austrinus drank of Aquarius' water he drank up being able to see her for the short time they had together.

"Are you all right?" he asked the LA streets far below him. She had not contacted him since he left Sunnydale. All that he knew was that what was left of Sunnydale, California was one big crater. He assumed Buffy and her group had been successful because they were all still here and evil was not taking over the earth like a giant tidal wave. He liked to believe another reason things were so slow was because Buffy had averted yet another apocalypse.

He poured himself a snifter of brandy and cupped the etched piece of crystal in his hand. She had to be okay, he felt certain he would feel it if she were gone. Their connection was not as strong as it once was, but he believed he would still know. He took a sip of the warmed brandy and decided he would wait for a little while longer before seeking assistance from The Powers That Be.

Story ©Susan Falk/APCKRFAN/PhantomRoses.com