and the words repeat, breathing histories into stories untold

[todoright]

It had been exactly a month since he had arrived on the island, and Angel wasn’t feeling any more relaxed. This was supposed to be a vacation - albeit one that he hadn’t chosen for himself. Sun, surf, sand - an idyllic tropical island. The kind that he’d only dreamed about visiting in the daylight

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[unbound_vala]

I wore William in a sling, carrying him on my hip. It was something all the women of my own people had done, as well as the women of Ver Isca. It was something I hadn't been able to picture myself doing while I was pregnant, but now that he was nine months old, it was second nature. I had no trouble carrying him with me anywhere, regardless of what I was doing. Those who didn't know might assume he wasn't even mine, considering how blonde he was and just how much like Spike he looked. But he was mine and I rarely let him out of my sight.

I carried a large, pliant basket that was half full of fruit when I saw the man. It was hypnotic watching the way he moved. William squealed and bounced and slapped one chubby hand against my chest.

There was simply no way to be stealthy with a baby on the hip.

"Hello," I said. "We didn't mean to interrupt you."

[todoright]

Angel liked children, or at least he liked the few of them that he managed to see at night - which didn't come to very many in total. But he liked them because they were innocent. Completely and utterly pure, incapable of any corrupt human behavior. Not only that, but they were a blank canvas, with no indication of who they would become in the future

[unbound_vala]

That was disconcerting. Before even the polite formalities of greeting, this man had announced the father of William. It told me right away that he must know Spike very well to pick out his baby when we had never met.

I was tempted to lie. To say he was Daniel's. After all, Daniel was the one who had stayed through it all. But a lie would do no good in this situation, that much was obvious.

"William, yes. And I'm Vala," I said. "Do you know Spike, then?"

[todoright]

"You could say we have a history." Angel says non-commitally, saying nothing that might hint to about a century or more of history. Or the fact that the last time they'd met, Spike had him tortured with hot pokers. But apparently things were different now. Him - and Buffy - and the fact that he had a soul and that they were apparently partners.

It boggled the mind.

"Is he...taking good care of him?" it could be a sensitive question, but it was probably one he had to ask.

[unbound_vala]

"His father vanished a little over two months ago. Until he vanished, he was an excellent father," I said, my voice growing softer. Most days I simply didn't think of the loss. I didn't think of the way Spike would hold me and rub my growing belly and tell me I was a sexy bird while I was pregnant. I didn't think of how he cradled William as if he might break him. I didn't think of the way Spike looked when he would play with his son. And I most certainly didn't think of the cold light in his eyes when he'd rushed off to get our boy back from that woman.

But sometimes it all rushed back and I could do nothing but think of it.

I cleared my throat and swallowed hard.

"It happens. Quite a lot actually. People vanish all the time from here, just as unexpectedly as they arrive."

[todoright]

Angel debates the idea of telling her the truth for a few moments. That Spike was back on the island. After all, it wasn't as if he would remember her - and maybe it was better to leave her be. It would be better if she thought he had gone than to have him in front of her without a trace of his memories.

But the island would find some way to break that tranquility. As far as he knew, it always did.

"Spike has...returned to the island. He might not be the same Spike that you remember."

[unbound_vala]

"Xander told me. I felt it was best not to trouble him with any of this," I said, reaching up to cradle William's head.

"As you said, it's not as if he'll remember. The burden would just be...well, we have Daniel and Spike doesn't know. He wasn't the one who was here through it all. I doubt it will mean much to him."

That sounded awfully altruistic of me.

"Besides, it's not as if we were together. He was with Xander."

[todoright]

"I'm sorry." he'd like to tell her that it would mean something to Spike, but he doesn't know. Ten years ago - or hell, even up to Angel's present day - he probably wouldn't have. Things have changed. But the thought was knocked completely out of his mind by the second surprising piece of information in approximately five minutes.

"Spike and Xander? Are you sure we're talking about the same person here?"

[unbound_vala]

"Spike and Xander, yes," I nodded. It was something so normal to me that I didn't think anything of it. Spike had made things very clear. He told me who his heart belonged to.

"I understand that things here are nothing like they were back in Sunnyvale or wherever he came from. I assume you're from there, too? You seem to know him well."

[todoright]

Now he was confused. Whatever happened to the Xander who hated vampires? Or maybe he was just making an extra special exception just for him. Considering how things had gone down in Sunnydale, Angel wasn't sure that exception was undeserved.

But still. Spike? How the hell had things changed so much in four years?

"I lived in Sunnydale for a while. But I never thought...what's your son's name?"

[unbound_vala]

"William," I replied, smiling as though I couldn't help myself.

"WA!" he added, knowing his name, among the many sounds he babbled. Some of them meant something, I was aware.

"What is it you never thought?"

[todoright]

"William. It's a good name. Strong. It means 'protector'." So maybe he was a little bit biased about it, seeing as his human name, Liam was the Irish form of the name. He hadn't been able to take it back after being turned - not even after gaining his soul and his mission. He simply wasn't that person anymore, despite the ironic fact that two hundred years later he was finally living up to its meaning.

He smiled at the boy, although still inwardly unnerved by the striking physical resemblance he had to Spike. "It's nothing." Angel said absentmindedly wiggling his fingers for the baby. "He's a handsome boy."

[unbound_vala]

"Of course he is. He's my son," I said without thinking. Perhaps it was Daniel's influence that made me think the moment after I spoke. I shook my head.

"I mean...thank you. I think he's adorable. But I'm biased."

[todoright]

"It's alright to be biased." Vampires can't have children, which made the idea that he was looking at Spike's child even more strange. Angel had also thought about it from time to time in the past - and it was one of the reasons why he'd left Buffy. She would want children in the future and he couldn't provide that for her.

Not that he was thinking about it at the moment. But he could live vicariously when it came to things like this. "How old is he?"

[unbound_vala]

"Nine months. Just. He's grown so quickly I can hardly believe it," I told him. I could talk about William all day, which was, honestly, an amazing thing. It was unusual that I'd want to talk to anything other than myself. But, really, William was an enormous part of me now, so it was almost one and the same.

"You haven't been here long, have you?"