SUMMARY: Set in the early summer of 2007, Buffy has died and Angel has to fight to save their daughter from icky, evil Riley. Seriously.
SPOILER: Minor S4
DISTRIBUTION: Sandee, of course - My site - - Crystal and Butterfly if they want it - A Soul's Redemption - Anyone else - sure, just email me & lmk where it's going - I like seeing my name in print =)
RATING: TV-PG
DISCLAIMER: Annalee is mine, but the other characters belong to Poophead Joss. I didn't come up with that name for him, but it's *so* true.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This is a response to Garnet's challenge, and I sort of bent the rules a bit but not really. She didn't say Angel had to *not* know about the child, only if Buffy was alive did she specify that, and Buffy is dead. Sniff, sniff.
NOTE TO BA_FLUFF - I sent this 'cause of the challenge, but it's NOT fluff.

"Annalee!" Willow called. "Annalee, lunch is ready."

The six year old walked slowly into the kitchen and sat at the table with her Godmother, not looking at her or the food.

"Annalee, I know you're upset, but you should eat."

"I can't," she pushed the plate towards Willow. "I don't wanna eat. I want Mommy back."

"I know, sweetie." Willow stood up and took the child into her arms, smoothing her hair as she cried. "I know you miss her, I miss her too. But you'll be okay. Your daddy will be back from Italy next week and--"

"He's not my daddy." she said firmly. "Daddy's in LA."

"I know, but--"

"Can I go see Daddy?" she asked. "Please, Will."

Willow sighed. Things had been difficult the past few months, since Buffy died. Angel had fought like Hell to get custody of his daughter but in the end, Riley got her. The judge said that even though Annalee knew Angel, Riley had raised her and would keep her in the house they'd lived in with Buffy. The judge didn't take into account that Riley went overseas for months at a time with his military workings and that Willow or Anya and Xander were constantly watching the little girl.

"All right," Willow said. "We'll go tomorrow morning. I should call your--Riley and tell him."

"No!" Annalee shouted. "No. Not Riley. Please, Will. Please."

Willow studied her Goddaughter and saw fear in her eyes. She couldn't figure out why, but she knew eventually, the truth would come out. It always did.

"All right. I won't tell him. Do you wanna eat now?"

She shook her head, her curly hair bouncing around.

"Okay, let's go read a book." Willow suggested. Annalee bounced out of her arms and ran to get her favorite book, an old collection of Irish fairy tales that Angel had given Buffy when she told him the baby she was carrying was his and that she wanted him to be a part of their child's life even though she was marrying Riley anyway.

Halfway through one, Annalee looked up at Willow and asked, "Can I have Cherry 7Up?"

"No, you didn't have any lunch yet." Willow replied.

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?" she looked up at her with her big brown eyes and Willow sighed.

"All right, but half a glass."

Annalee jumped around happily and Willow got her the pop, plus an orange which they shared. At least it was some food in her stomach.

They were about to sit down and watch the Little Mermaid when Riley burst in.

"Hi," Willow said. Annalee stayed on the couch, not wanting to go near him. "You're home early."

"Yeah, and I need to talk to Annalee so you can go home now." he said firmly.

"No," Annalee whispered from the couch, clutching a pillow.

"Yes." Riley said firmly. "What did I tell you about disobeying me?"

"She didn't do anything wrong, Riley." Willow said, trying to be helpful.

"Don't tell me how to raise my kid!" he snapped. He went into the kitchen, got a beer and popped it. "I told you to leave." he said, glaring at Willow.

She looked back at Annalee, then at Riley, and wondered what she should do. Then she remembered that Buffy had assured her before she died that Annalee would be all right with Riley if Angel didn't get her, but Willow had never been so sure. Still, Riley *did* have custody of her and was trying to adopt her. She looked at the little girl who so resembled her best friend and sighed. She walked over to her and hugged her.

"Don't go," she moaned.

"You'll be okay," Willow said. "I'll still take you to see your daddy okay?"

Annalee nodded and Willow just hoped the little girl wouldn't hate her for lying. She grabbed her things and left.

"You!" Riley pointed at Annalee. He threw his beer can against the wall, making her jump and hug the pillow tighter. "I told you not to leave those toys out front. I nearly blew a tire on my truck."

"I-I-I," she trembled.

"You what? You're just like your mother, you know that? You think you can do anything you want. Well you can't! She couldn't and neither can you! Get out there right now and pick the toys up or I'll throw them out."

Annalee was sobbing now, so Riley just went outside and slammed the door. Annalee went into her room, closed the door and crawled into bed, hugging a picture of her mother and a Barbie doll, sobbing into her pillow. She heard Riley enter the house but thankfully, he stayed out of her room. She fell asleep and when she woke up, it was dark in her room.

She carefully crept out of her bed and put her light on. She studied the digital clock on her nightstand and figured out that it was twenty after seven at night. She took her phone out from under her bed and wished on every star she could see outside her window that Riley hadn't unhooked it. Her mom had set the phone up for her when she was four and learning about emergency numbers. It had nine big pictures, one each number, one of them being a picture of Angel. Annalee bent down and kissed the small picture, then picked up the phone and pressed the number, waiting.

*****

Willow got home as soon as she could through afternoon traffic and flew to the phone. She would've called Cordelia earlier but of course, the battery on her cell phone was dead.

She dialed the supermodel's cell phone and waited for the security prompt. She entered the code and then heard it ringing.

"Hello, Cordelia Chase's phone," Wesley answered.

"Wesley, it's Willow." she stated. "Is Cordy around?"

"Hello, Willow, how are you? I'm sorry she's not, she's at a shoot and I'm waiting for her with the limo."

"Could you please give me Angel's number then? I know it's supposed to be a secret but I'm worried about Annalee. She's terrified of Riley."

"Who wouldn't be?" Wesley asked. "Oh, right, of course. Um, I don't have it on me, but I know Doyle does. Can you wait just a minute?"

"Sure."

Willow heard him put the phone down, ask for some peanut M & Ms and then Doyle came to the phone.

"Hello, doll," he greeted her.

"Hey."

"You don't sound like yer happy self." he observed.

"I'm not. I'm afraid there's something going on with Riley. I mean, I think he might be hurting her or something like that. I hate to assume with this but she was *so* scared when he got there today. Doyle, I think she was trembling. She told me not to go, and I stupidly went anyway."

"I'm calling Angel." he said and hung up.

*****

"Some assistants Cordy and Doyle and Wesley are," Angel remarked as the phone rang. "I get to do my job and theirs." he sat on the edge of his desk and picked up the receiver. "Hello?"

"Daddy!" Annalee cried. "Oops, I mean, Daddy."

"Annalee, what's wrong?" Angel asked, instantly sensing she wasn't okay.

"Riley's here," she whispered. "And Mommy's gone. Daddy, I need you. Riley was bad."

"Annalee, listen to me. Did Riley hurt you?"

"He was bad," she repeated.

"I'm on my way." Angel slammed the phone down and grabbed his cellular on his way out.

He sped through the streets of LA, not a smart thing to do but what did he care? He opened his phone and dialed Cordy, who was busy, and Doyle, who didn't answer, and finally Wesley.

"Wesley Wyndam-Pryce speaking," he answered.

"It's me," Angel said. "I'm on my way to Sunnydale. Annalee called me and--"

"We know. Willow called here, she was very worried."

"Meet me at the house." he closed the phone and put his foot on the gas.

*****

Annalee was still crying when she heard something hit her window. It took her awhile to realize what it was, and finally she went over to it and peeked out.

Her father was down on the lawn, waving.

She pressed the button to open the electronic windows and stuck her head out. "Hi, Daddy!" she whispered.

He came over to the window and lifted her out. "Come on, baby."

"We goin' to LA?" she asked, hugging him so tight it was a good thing he didn't need to breathe.

"No, we're going to the police, then we'll go to LA."

"'K." Nothing mattered unless she was safe in her father's arms.

*****

Two weeks later......

"I've talked to many people on this case," Judge Carson took her glasses off and stared at Angel. "I've heard many different things and I have to say I was impressed to see Detective Lockley write a letter in your favor. She's a well respected member of our police force and I trust her judgment. I'm also taking into account the fact that the child described abuse and that a friend of the family witnessed it."

In his chair, Riley began to squirm. He squeezed the armrests so hard one came off. He tossed it to the floor and looked at the judge in disgust.

"I suggest you seek some anger management treatment, Mr. Finn." she said firmly. "And I will see you pay the clerk for the costs to replace my chair. As I was saying, I have four children myself and I often think how I might judge or want my case judged were I in this situation. I always feel a child is best with its birth parent or parents first, and that is why I'm ruling that Angel McCauley get custody of Annalee Summer McCauley."

In the back of the small courtroom, Cordelia and Doyle, and Wesley and Willow hugged. Xander and Anya just smiled.

"Congratulations, Angel." Wesley said when he approached the group. "Justice prevailed after all."

"Come on. I can't wait to tell her."

*****

"And then you stab it through their heart," Giles showed Annalee how to stake a vampire using a Ken doll and a toothpick.

"Why?" she asked curiously.

"Because, you're going to be a Slayer like your mother and the earlier I train you, the better you will be."

"Why?" she asked again.

"Slayers must be extremely sharp and ready at anytime for anything." he told her, wondering why she cared so much at such a young age.

"Why?" she asked again.

Sighing, he told her, "Z."

"You're funny," she said, giggling.

"Thank you, Annalee." he took his glasses off and placed them on top of the television for safety. "Now, let's go back to the staking. You simply aim and--"

"Daddy!" she sprinted to the door as her father entered and hugged his legs.

"Hi, baby." he picked her up and kissed her. "Guess what?"

"I'm yours?" she guessed.

"Yep! You and I are gonna be together forever." he carried her over to the couch and laid her down, tickling her, causing her to giggle madly.

"Daddyyyy!" she squealed, but the giggles didn't stop.

"So, he got custody?" Giles asked Willow. She was standing in the doorway with the guys and Anya.

"Yeah. Riley won't even get visitation, as though he'd deserve it. Isn't this great?"

"I'm very happy for them," he watched them playing together. "I only wish Buffy were here to witness it."

"She sees them," Willow said, smiling. "I can feel her presence."

Giles looked at the smile on Angel's face and thought maybe, just maybe, he felt it too.

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