A few hours later Angel lay on Buffy’s bed with her. They were talking about happier times as children.

“Do you remember that awful party dress my mom got me?”

Angel smiled at the memory. “How could I not?”

“God, I looked like the Pillsbury Dough Boy in pink.”

“You always looked gorgeous.”

“Liar… but Go on.”

“You know you were gorgeous. No one ever held a candle to you, even if you did look like the dough boy.” He smirked.

Buffy hit his arm playfully. “That’s just mean.”

Buffy’s smile faded. “We had some great times didn’t we?”

“We did.”

“I missed you after you left.”

“I missed you too. Every day. Sometimes the only think that kept me going was the memory of our last night together.”

Buffy remembered. The night before he had been due to leave she had gone to his apartment to tell him she understood. They had talked for a long while, they had kissed for even longer. Somehow they ended up in bed together.

Buffy had never regretted that night but she had always wondered if Angel had. She was relived to hear it was as special to him as it had been to her.

“I love you.”

Angel kissed her forehead. “I love you too.”


Willow and Xander came by later with Cordie in tow. They hadn’t told her why she was needed, just that she had to come.

“What’s this about?” she asked Angel as she opened the door.

“Cordelia, good to see you.”

“Good to see me my ass. They pulled me out of a meeting with a very up and coming artist for this. He’s never going to let me sell his pictures now!”

Buffy came to the door to see what the commotion was. “Hey Cordie.”

“Oh my… That’s… Your.” Cordie looked around from willow, to Xander to Angel, seeking conformation from each of them. Finally realising it was real she barged past Angel and hugged her. “Buffy!”


Cordelia was quickly brought up to date on the facts, along with Willow and Xander on the more recent developments. Angel explained everything to them, Buffy sat quietly, not speaking.

“I’m expecting the criminal records and history’s to arrive soon. Mel called an hour ago to say they were being couriered over.”

“What are we looking for?” asked Willow.

“Anyone with a record for violent assault, they could be a suspect. With Dr Lansing, he just tweaks my antenna, I don’t trust him.”

While they waited for the files to be delivered Angel made coffee and everyone chatted. The conversation was slightly stilted but Buffy enjoyed it. It was normal. And that’s what she wanted to be. Normal again.

The doorbell went and Angel answered it. He signed for the papers and everyone took a stack to check through.


“Umm.” Said Lorne.

“What?” asked Angel.

“This Doctor, he doesn’t have a history. There is a Dr Lansing listed as attending Chicago med school but he’s 75.”

“Where does Landsing say he went?”

“Chicago.”

“So he’s probably using this guys ID. How far back can we trace him?”

Lorne flicked through. “We have employment records going back 8 years.” He checked again. “Nothing before that.”

Angel pondered that, was he even a real doctor?

“Cordie, where are we on the records?” Cordie looked up and collected the notes from Willow and Xander. “Well our year wasn’t good for the crime stats that’s for sure. We have two convicted of armed robbery, three for theft or shoplifting. One convicted of fraud. Five have relatives with convictions, but no one here with any sexual assault.”

“What about the relatives?”

Cordie checked again. “Um, Graham Palmer, brother Jason, theft. Gary Cooper, stepbrother of Christine Cooper, um convicted of breaking and entering, Sally Mayer, sister of Colin convicted of DUI and Martin Lockwood and Peter Lockwood, brother and father respectively of John. Father was convicted of assault with intent to kill, brother, attempted rape.”

“Let me see those.”

Cordie put her pad down and began rifling though the files. She pulled out two photocopied sheets and handed them to Angel.

He looked at them and his face turned ashen. He handed them to Lorne.

“It was John’s party Tyler took me to.” Buffy said quietly.