Serafina
Serafina prowled through the hotel, her hurts of last night almost forgotten except for the occasional twinge in her wrist. She sat and licked at it for a second, before continuing on. Hmmm. She slipped into a room, and her eyes went wide as she cocked her head to the side. Paper! Lots and lots of paper. Her eyes narrowed, then she jumped onto the desk, sending the paper flying. Wheee! A container of pens fell to the floor with a crash. Serafina was too involved in batting the computer mouse across the desk to notice.
Angel
Angel heard rustling from downstairs, so he went to find out what it was. He walked slowly, careful not to disturb anyone who might be awake, and went into his office to find Serafina.
"Serafina?" he said softly.
Serafina
Serafina whirled, her paws scittering on the wood and the paper and looked at Angel. Well, he didn't seem mad. She huffed softly, debating whether she wanted to turn human so she could have a hug, or stay cat so she could keep playing. Hug. Play. Hug. Play. Play won, so she stayed kitten shaped, and pounced fiercely on the computer keyboard. It made odd noises, so she jumped off again and eyed it suspicously. A little paw darted out to touch it again, and the odd ticking noise started again. She backed away, then toppled over the edge of the desk.
Angel
"Serafina, what are you doing?" Angel asked gently.
He walked over to retrieve the kitten.
Serafina
Serafina looked up at him, and yawned, before shifting into human. "I was bored. Everyone's asleep. Just playing."
Angel
Angel bent down and picked her up.
"Well... do you feel like going for a little walk? We have a few hours before sunrise."
Serafina
Serafina hugged him. "Yes please! Unka Wes never wants to go *anywhere*." She pouted.
Angel
"Alright."
Angel set her down for a second and shrugged his coat on, then took her hand and led her from the hotel.
"Would you like to go to the boardwalk?"
Serafina
"What's a board, walk?" She tested out the words carefully. Frowned slightly, annoyed at her own ignorance, then turned a beaming smile on Angel. Outside! Yay! She caught a flicker of movement from the edge of her eye, and classified it as notenemynotallyprey. It was interesting...but not enough so that she was going to go chasing after it.
Angel
Angel smiled slightly and lifted the girl up and placed her delicately onto his shoulders.
"Just a place with rides and games," he replied.
He walked down in the direction of the boardwalk.
Serafina
"Sounds fun." Serafina held onto Angel, a little scared but more happy that she was so high up. She could see so many things! "High, high, high," she sang quietly to herself. "High to touch the sky..."
Angel
They reached the boardwalk and Angel lowered Serafina so she was resting aainst his chest, hitched onto his hip.
"Would you like an ice cream?" he asked.
Serafina
"Please!" Serafina nodded vigourously, brown hair bouncing. Her head twisted as she looked around. It was all so bright, so many things to look at, so much to smell, cascading sensation... but as long as she was with her Da, it would be alright.
Angel
Angel walked over to the vendor and bought her a chocolate ice cream in a cone. He paid the vendor then handed let Serafina slid slowly to the ground, taking her hand and giving her the ice cream.
"What do you say, we explore?"
Serafina
"Mmmhmmm..." Serafina was getting stuck into the icecream cone, chocolate already coating her face. Angel hadn't learnt *not* to give small children anything chocolate. Vanilla comes out of clothes so much easier.
Angel
Angel pulled a tissue from his pocket and gently wiped her face. He looked at her clothes and shrugged. Cordelia usually took their things to the dry cleaners once a week, so it wasn't his problem.
Serafina
Serafina grinned up at him, then gave her hand a lick. It was still coated in chocolate, so she cleaned it off with dainty little flicks of her tongue as she looked around. "What's that?" She asked, pointing at a merry-go-round.
Angel
"Come, I'll show you."
Angel led the little girl over to the merry-go-round and paid for a ride. He lifted the girl onto a horse and stood by her as the ride began to start.
Serafina
Serafina squeaked in surprise as the horse started to move, then giggled in delight. "Fun!" She declared, kicking her heels against the painted wooden sides of the horse. The horse lifted up and down as the ride turned around slowly, music playing just another noise lost in the cacophony of sounds just outside the ride itself.
Angel
Angel let out a laugh in spite of himself. This was his daughter, and hopefully, if nothing went wrong, he cpuld actually raise her, so she'd turn out... well not like Connor.
Serafina
Serafina beamed at Angel, having the time of her short life. When the ride was over, she giggled, slightly dizzy as they got down off the platform. "Ohhh, everything's spinning!" She said in glee.
Angel
Angel let out a laugh.
He reached down and lifted Serafina, once more, onto his shoulders. He pointed at the ferris wheel.
"How about it?"
Serafina
"Okeydokies!" Serafina said happily. This was fun! "Love you, Da," she said, before she got distracted by something else. "Ohh, shiny." The lights dazzled her eyes and she blinked hard.
Angel
Angel smiled.
"Love you too, Serafina."
He pulled her down from his shoulders and tossed her gently into the air, catching her easily. He made his way over to the ferris wheel, bought the tickets and sat in the chair next to Sera, holding her hand.
Serafina
Serafina bounced, then squealed as the chair started to move upwards. "Ohhhh," she said quietly, looking over the side. "We're so high..." Her voice was full of wonder and just a trace of fear. When the ride jerked to a halt for a bit to let more people on into the carriage below them, she squeaked and hid her face in Angel's side.
Angel
"Hey, hey, it's ok, Sera..." Angel soothed.
He leant down and kissed the top of her head.
"Look, you can see the ocean."
Serafina
Serafina dared to look, and was soon bouncy and giggly again. "Pretty...looks like mama's hair. So dark...with stars shining in it." She sniffed in the cold night air, smelling the scents that wafted upwards from the boardwalk, smelling people, and heat and just a touch of salt air from the sea.
Angel
Angel smiled and nodded, leaning back in the seat, still holding onto Serafina's hand.
The ride ended and he picked her up and put her on his shoulders.
"Anything you feel like doing?"
Serafina
"Mmmm...home now? 'M tired." Serafina yawned widely. Then her head came up and her eyes narrowed. "There's something bad out there..." Her eyes flickered into gold as she stared into the darkness beyond the boardwalk. A little hiss came out from between her fangs. "Stinks like the mean lady."
Angel
Angel slid the girl down to his hip, and headed quickly for the hotel. The sun was going to come up soon, why hadn't he paid more attention to it?
"It's ok, Daddy's here. The mean lady isn't going to get you."
Serafina
"I know. That's why mama left me here." Serafina smiled serenely at Angel, before her eyes darted to the shadows again. She could see it there, creeping along. "Grrr...dark nasty thing. Go home to the mean lady and don' come back!" She saw it flinch and she hissed at again, the enraged noise of a cat, hoarse and angry.
Angel
Angel sighed as they reached the hotel.
He took Serafina up to her room and opened the door, laying her carefully on the bed, and tucking her in.
"Night, Sera," he whispered, kissing her head softly.
He turned to leave.
Serafina
"Night, Da," Serafina called sleepily after him, before turning over and snuggling into the covers. Her eyes closed drowsily, and soon she was asleep.
Angel
Angel closed her door carefully and headed back to his room. He saw Connor's door slightly ajar and looked in. His son was sleeping, holding his crossbow as usual. He shook his head, and quickly caught the bolt that Connor had shot at him.
Connor sat up. "Oh... it's you," he said.
"Yeah, night son," Angel said, throwing the bolt down lazily and heading for his room again. He got onto his bed and went to sleep.