He approached the cathedral with great trepidation. He hadn’t crossed holy ground in over two hundred years and now with his precious bundle hugged snugly to his chest he was prepared to plunge his hands into a font for his charge.

He slipped inside just as the priest closed the doors for the evening. Angel squinted at the glare of the harsh electric light then smiled as he smelled the alter wine, candle grease and incense, all familiar bringing back memories of his childhood and his first wafer. Of course by the time he was a youth he was more attracted to the “Blood of Christ” than to his “Body.”

The wriggling bundle in his arms brought him back to the present. His golden orbs sought out a cowering priest. Angel had been unaware of his change to vampiric visage, it must have been the holy influence of “Mother Church.”

"Good evening, Father. I have a child for you to baptise" Angel held out the book and waited for the horror struck look to fade. The priest backed away clutching his rosary.

"This child is innocent!" Angel growled round his fangs. The priest continued to back up until he thumped into a resistant body behind him. He glanced up over his shoulder and started muttering a stream of “Hail Mary’s” The figure was tall and silent clad in black from head to foot. He extended a long index finger toward the child. The plump priest blotted the sweat from his face and nodded.

They gathered at the font, Christening's did not usually take place at midnight so they didn’t have the usual godparents. Just Angel, Willow and the Watcher–Slayer.

Willow looked on the babe and smiled, Angel had washed it’s robe and wrapped it snuggly for its last Earthly duty. The church door banged, and the priest jumped splashing water from the font onto Angel’s skin he hissed in pain then became quiet, the water had also splashed onto the book and he felt a pulse at the delicate wrist.

The priest halted mid verse as Angel plunged his hands into the font screaming in agony he held on desperately to the wriggling child emerging from the books’ pages.

"Liam, you are LIAM!" He screamed and yanked his scalded hands from the Holy pool.

The baby cried.

Willow sniffed back her tears as the shivering infant drew it’s first breath and blinked open it’s huge brown eyes. Angel, held Liam close and kissed his soft cheek.

"Welcome home darlin’" Angel murmured

The Watcher–Slayer moved to the baby and then slipped his arm round Willow’s waist as if to say “we’ve got to work on one of those”

"Sir," the priest interrupted, Angel looked at him, his face human once more. "You have brought forth a child in darkness into the light. Please, can I ask that you give Liam, to the woman who came in during the ceremony? She can’t have children, though she prays constantly for them."

Angel looked where the priest indicated. Liam, smacked him firmly on the nose, and Angel sucked his fingers playfully. He walked over and knelt by the woman. A brief sideways glance was all it took to see the woman’s pain, rosary knotted round her fingers and her lips moving faster than he could decipher.

Liam babbled and stretched out his hand to the woman and tangled his fingers in her hair. She turned round,tears rolling down her face.

"Do you want this lady to be your mam?" Angel asked. Liam wriggled and arched away from his protector, Angel’s cold heart cracked. He kissed him once and then handed him to the dumb struck mother.

Liam smiled and the mother wept and drenched the baby with kisses.

The vampire walked silently into the night, letting his own tears dry on his skin.

End.

Site Disclaimer: Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, etc. own the Buffy characters.
All products, movies, books, songs, etc. are owned by their respective owners.
No copyright infringement is intended.
All ORIGINAL plots and characters on this site are owned by their respective authors.