Backdated to Monday
ooc: after This, this, this, this, this, this and this.
It starts with a phone call. Harry's number flashes on his caller ID and he is surprised. It's not like he and Harry are phone buddies. They talk when Angel visits the family. The animosity between them has faded into something similar to acceptance. It's amazing what grandchildren will do to mend old wounds. As long as Harry keeps his daughter happy, Angel can deal with him.
"Hello?"
"Angel, there's been a bombing at the entertainment complex. Kara and Addie were in Cupcakes when it happened. They've been taken to the hospital, and I'm on my way to see them. I'll call you as soon as they tell me what their condition is."
Harry sounds tired, hollow and very much like he sounded when the last tragedy started with a phone call. Except their roles were reversed then. Angel had called to tell Harry that Connor and Darla were gone. Harry isn't telling Angel that his daughter and granddaughter are gone. He's telling him that there is a problem, an emergency, and that he will pass on the information as soon as it's available. Angel's instinct is to run to the door. To rush to his car and drive to the hospital.
He's never been so aware of the sun before. It's rays taunt him from the safety of the windows that Harry put into his apartment to create the illusion that he's a man who can endure sunlight just like anyone else can. He's trapped inside the apartment until the sun goes down. He has hours to pace like a lion in a cage, ready to rip open anything or anyone who happens to cross his path, because he's powerless to get to his baby and her baby until the sun is down.
"I'll call Alan, Natalie and try and get in touch with Cordelia. Is there anything else you need?" He hates this. He hates that he can't do anything but offer to play messenger.
"No, no just call them. They'll want to know. I'll call as soon as I know something." The call ends, and Angel slams his first through the wall of his apartment. Fred will ask about it later, and he'll not need to explain beyond saying the sun kept him from being where he was needed.
He remembers a scared boy returning from a hell dimension bolting for the safety of sunlight to escape his father. Because monsters can't chase after people, not even their children, if the sun will set them ablaze.
There's a call to Cordy to let her know what is going on. To ask her to get in touch if she can. He's aware she's been off trying to get the help she needs, but he knows she'd want to be notified. Even if she can't retrieve the messages right away. The second call is to Alan. It's brief and to the point. Kara and Addie were in the building that got bombed in Gotham. They're at the hospital. Harry's enroute and will pass along an update on their condition as soon as he has one. Alan is family. Alan can visit if he wants. He doesn't pass along that Alan won't be trapped by the sun. He just happens to not live in the same city.
When he calls Natalie, she answers on the second ring. "I just heard it on the news. What happened?"
"Kara and Addie were inside Cupcakes. They've been taken to the hospital." He hears the gasp on the other end of the line. He hears Evan asking what is going on, Mommy.
"Are they okay?" Her voice is shaken. "Evan, go sit with Lex. I'll be in in a minute, okay?"
"Mommy, why are you crying? Are you okay?"
"I need to talk to your grandpa Angel for a minute okay? I'll be in to talk with you and Lex in a minute." She's saved by Lex coming in to collect the boy. Angel despises Lex Luthor, but in this moment he's relieved that Lex has taken Evan away from Natalie and their conversation. "Angel? The news says it's bad. Are Kara and Addie okay?"
"I don't know." He hates this. Hates not knowing. Hates having to rely on someone else to keep him informed. Hates not being at his daughter's side, holding her hand, promising her that she's going to be okay. Daddy's here, it's going to be okay. She's pregnant. What if she loses the baby? What if he loses all of them?
It always seems to start with a phone call. He begged Darla and Connor not to go. He was unable to help them too. Unable to stop them from leaving. Who is going to stop Kara and Addie from leaving? They can't leave. Angel needs them to be okay. He needs the sun to go down. "Harry's going to call back as soon as he information. I'm not able to get to the hospital right now."
"We're coming to Gotham. Lex will stay with Evan so I can check on Kara and Addie." She pauses and then quietly says, "The sun will set soon. Hang in there, Angel."
He hangs up the phone after saying goodbye. He'll need to contact Buffy and Fred. Right now he is waiting until Harry calls back with more information. He's tempted to ask Fred to come over. He's tempted to ask Fred to rush to the hospital and find out what is going on.
He's tempted to run out the door like he tried to run after Connor, but no one is here to stop him from bursting into flames.
So, he paces. He waits. He wills the phone to ring with an update on his girls. Angel hopes that his son-in-law can keep it together and not have a mental episode because of the stress. He's watching the news as he paces. Every tidbit of information only leaves him feeling more helpless, more worried, because they only tell you enough to keep you desperate for the next update. He leaves the message for Fred because she lives in the city. She's going to hear about it. He tells her he'll call when he knows more.
Norman Osborn's statement results in another hole in the wall. He's not their family. He didn't give a shit about Kara and Addie. Not even about his own son. He couldn't be bothered to learn Angel's daughter's name for fuck's sake. He wants to rip his head off his shoulders. He's stopped by the knowledge that the shadows are coming. The sun is setting. Angel's out the door the second it's clear for him to do so. He breaks all the speed limits and practically runs someone off the road in his attempt to get to the hospital.
When he comes in, it's through the front, and everything about his posture screams back off. They do. They let him through. He heads to the room that Harry said Kara is in. Harry's with Addie so Angel checks on his baby first. He's reminded of the other times he's seen her in the hospital and his heart breaks. How many times is she going to land in a hospital bed? He promised he would protect her. Darla promised too, and she isn't here to know the right thing to say. Which tea is he supposed to offer her?
She's sleeping when he takes a seat next to her. Her hand is so small in his, and it's hard for him to imagine that there is an even smaller person growing inside her. "I'm here, Baby. Daddy's here."
She doesn't wake up, and it's just as well. Because he doesn't know what to say, what tea to offer, or how to fix this. It doesn't mean that he doesn't want too. All he's ever wanted since this tornado of a tiny slayer blew into his life was fix the damage that was done by everyone who has let her down.
All he can do is hold her hand and wait.
He's got nothing but time after all. Immortality comes along with that sun allergy.
It starts with a phone call. Harry's number flashes on his caller ID and he is surprised. It's not like he and Harry are phone buddies. They talk when Angel visits the family. The animosity between them has faded into something similar to acceptance. It's amazing what grandchildren will do to mend old wounds. As long as Harry keeps his daughter happy, Angel can deal with him.
"Hello?"
"Angel, there's been a bombing at the entertainment complex. Kara and Addie were in Cupcakes when it happened. They've been taken to the hospital, and I'm on my way to see them. I'll call you as soon as they tell me what their condition is."
Harry sounds tired, hollow and very much like he sounded when the last tragedy started with a phone call. Except their roles were reversed then. Angel had called to tell Harry that Connor and Darla were gone. Harry isn't telling Angel that his daughter and granddaughter are gone. He's telling him that there is a problem, an emergency, and that he will pass on the information as soon as it's available. Angel's instinct is to run to the door. To rush to his car and drive to the hospital.
He's never been so aware of the sun before. It's rays taunt him from the safety of the windows that Harry put into his apartment to create the illusion that he's a man who can endure sunlight just like anyone else can. He's trapped inside the apartment until the sun goes down. He has hours to pace like a lion in a cage, ready to rip open anything or anyone who happens to cross his path, because he's powerless to get to his baby and her baby until the sun is down.
"I'll call Alan, Natalie and try and get in touch with Cordelia. Is there anything else you need?" He hates this. He hates that he can't do anything but offer to play messenger.
"No, no just call them. They'll want to know. I'll call as soon as I know something." The call ends, and Angel slams his first through the wall of his apartment. Fred will ask about it later, and he'll not need to explain beyond saying the sun kept him from being where he was needed.
He remembers a scared boy returning from a hell dimension bolting for the safety of sunlight to escape his father. Because monsters can't chase after people, not even their children, if the sun will set them ablaze.
There's a call to Cordy to let her know what is going on. To ask her to get in touch if she can. He's aware she's been off trying to get the help she needs, but he knows she'd want to be notified. Even if she can't retrieve the messages right away. The second call is to Alan. It's brief and to the point. Kara and Addie were in the building that got bombed in Gotham. They're at the hospital. Harry's enroute and will pass along an update on their condition as soon as he has one. Alan is family. Alan can visit if he wants. He doesn't pass along that Alan won't be trapped by the sun. He just happens to not live in the same city.
When he calls Natalie, she answers on the second ring. "I just heard it on the news. What happened?"
"Kara and Addie were inside Cupcakes. They've been taken to the hospital." He hears the gasp on the other end of the line. He hears Evan asking what is going on, Mommy.
"Are they okay?" Her voice is shaken. "Evan, go sit with Lex. I'll be in in a minute, okay?"
"Mommy, why are you crying? Are you okay?"
"I need to talk to your grandpa Angel for a minute okay? I'll be in to talk with you and Lex in a minute." She's saved by Lex coming in to collect the boy. Angel despises Lex Luthor, but in this moment he's relieved that Lex has taken Evan away from Natalie and their conversation. "Angel? The news says it's bad. Are Kara and Addie okay?"
"I don't know." He hates this. Hates not knowing. Hates having to rely on someone else to keep him informed. Hates not being at his daughter's side, holding her hand, promising her that she's going to be okay. Daddy's here, it's going to be okay. She's pregnant. What if she loses the baby? What if he loses all of them?
It always seems to start with a phone call. He begged Darla and Connor not to go. He was unable to help them too. Unable to stop them from leaving. Who is going to stop Kara and Addie from leaving? They can't leave. Angel needs them to be okay. He needs the sun to go down. "Harry's going to call back as soon as he information. I'm not able to get to the hospital right now."
"We're coming to Gotham. Lex will stay with Evan so I can check on Kara and Addie." She pauses and then quietly says, "The sun will set soon. Hang in there, Angel."
He hangs up the phone after saying goodbye. He'll need to contact Buffy and Fred. Right now he is waiting until Harry calls back with more information. He's tempted to ask Fred to come over. He's tempted to ask Fred to rush to the hospital and find out what is going on.
He's tempted to run out the door like he tried to run after Connor, but no one is here to stop him from bursting into flames.
So, he paces. He waits. He wills the phone to ring with an update on his girls. Angel hopes that his son-in-law can keep it together and not have a mental episode because of the stress. He's watching the news as he paces. Every tidbit of information only leaves him feeling more helpless, more worried, because they only tell you enough to keep you desperate for the next update. He leaves the message for Fred because she lives in the city. She's going to hear about it. He tells her he'll call when he knows more.
Norman Osborn's statement results in another hole in the wall. He's not their family. He didn't give a shit about Kara and Addie. Not even about his own son. He couldn't be bothered to learn Angel's daughter's name for fuck's sake. He wants to rip his head off his shoulders. He's stopped by the knowledge that the shadows are coming. The sun is setting. Angel's out the door the second it's clear for him to do so. He breaks all the speed limits and practically runs someone off the road in his attempt to get to the hospital.
When he comes in, it's through the front, and everything about his posture screams back off. They do. They let him through. He heads to the room that Harry said Kara is in. Harry's with Addie so Angel checks on his baby first. He's reminded of the other times he's seen her in the hospital and his heart breaks. How many times is she going to land in a hospital bed? He promised he would protect her. Darla promised too, and she isn't here to know the right thing to say. Which tea is he supposed to offer her?
She's sleeping when he takes a seat next to her. Her hand is so small in his, and it's hard for him to imagine that there is an even smaller person growing inside her. "I'm here, Baby. Daddy's here."
She doesn't wake up, and it's just as well. Because he doesn't know what to say, what tea to offer, or how to fix this. It doesn't mean that he doesn't want too. All he's ever wanted since this tornado of a tiny slayer blew into his life was fix the damage that was done by everyone who has let her down.
All he can do is hold her hand and wait.
He's got nothing but time after all. Immortality comes along with that sun allergy.