TITLE: New Birthday
AUTHOR: Ragna (writinggoddess@aol.com)
RATING: FRT
CLASSIFICATION: Spike/Buffy, Faith/Robin, Dawn/Connor and Xander/Rona.
SUMMARY: After Spike and Angel Shanshu, they celebrate the new birthdays they missed.
SPOILERS: Post-NFA.
DISTRIBUTION: Any sites with my fic up; you all have unspoken permission. I write it, you can post it. Everyone else just keep my name on it and let me know.
DISCLAIMER: If you don't recognize it, chances are it's my own creation. If you do, I don't own it. Joss Whedon, Kazui Sandollar, The WB, UPN, et. al. most likely do.
FEEDBACK: Please send it offlist and let me know it's feedback; I do rapid delete on my account due to a lot of spam
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Happy Valentine's Day! The trilogy I sent out was old, and so here's a new fic.
FICATHON ANSWERED: The Birthday Ficathon. My assignment:

- Writing for: Kristi
- Character having the birthday: Newly human Angel
- Three birthday guests: Buffy, Willow, Oz (Whole Scooby/AI party is fine too)
- Starting point (season or episode): Post NFA please
- Object to be given as gift: A palm pilot
- Highest rating allowed: R
- One character not allowed: Andrew
- One villain: Ethan Rayne
- Quote: "Too much of a good thing can be wonderful." - Mae West

***

It wasn't surprising that Angel didn't remember his human birthday anymore. After all the years, all the time spent trying to distance himself from the lecherous man he had been, he had forgotten more about his first life as a human than he remembered. He knew where he had born, and what year, but not the day.

It didn't matter, now. There wasn't too much to celebrate this year: almost everyone he cared for had died. Even some of those he didn't care for much had died. And it wasn't just those who had stood by him in Los Angeles, either.

Of those he had fought his final battle as a vampire with, only Spike, Gunn and Connor survived. Spike had lost his hand, the one that had been cut off by the insane Slayer, and Connor had his throat slit. The eerie resemblance between Connor's scar and the one Wesley had jolted Angel every time he looked at his son.

Thankfully, Connor healed well and Spike lost the hand before he and Angel Shanshued. He didn't bleed out, and Spike was probably more glad about that then Angel, though Angel was glad Spike was still alive. He was family, after all. Gunn was hurt the worst; he was paralyzed from the waist down. There was no fixing that problem, but Gunn made the most of it.

The four had trooped to England. Angel had figured going to Giles first would be better than going to Rome. After the Watcher spent hours letting his jaw hang down at the two new humans, he called those who survived the last year to England to reconvene.

Willow arrived, not bringing the girlfriend she had mentioned when she came to Los Angeles to restore Angel's soul but instead happily dragging Oz along. It turned out the Kennedy had died in a vampire fight and weeks later Willow had run into Oz while in Nepal.

Xander came. He and Spike traded quips about missing body parts. Whatever animosity had been between them when Sunnydale existed was gone now. He brought one of the Slayers from the fight, Rona. They had been traveling in Africa together, and had recently started dating.

Both former vampires were nervous about the Rome contingent, but there was no need to worry: After a few moments of shock, Buffy, Dawn and Faith bounced on the two men. There were tears and gasps and exclamations of joy, but no angry words.

It was also clear that Buffy's feelings for Angel had dissipated but her feelings for Spike had stayed strong. Strangely enough, Angel felt no pain, no hurt, not even a tremendously empty feeling.

What did amuse him, however, were the looks Dawn kept throwing to Connor, who had pushed his way into the background and let the others swarm around his father and his newly minted uncle. Angel spent time shaking his head, wondering just how much his son would be able to handle a Summers woman.

And when the celebrations died down, details from both sides were asked for. Xander cried when he learned about Cordelia's death. It had been over a year since she had died, and it still hurt Angel to talk about it. He could only imagine how it felt for Xander, who had probably been her first love. He never got to say good-bye.

He spent so much time thinking and letting Gunn and Spike talk that when Faith snapped her fingers in his face he jumped.

"So, Angel, when did you Shanshu?"

He shook his head to clear his thoughts and shrugged. "Not sure. During the fight the sun didn't shine so it was hard to tell when one day ended and another began."

"Valentine's Day," Gunn chimed in. "I was keeping track of the days."

"Did you Shanshu at the same time?" Dawn asked Spike.

Spike shook his head. "I went first, probably the end of January. Don't really know, Nibblet. Maybe Gunn does."

Gunn shut his eyes and thought for a minute. "I think the 25th or 26th."

"I like 25, so we'll just say the 25th." Spike grinned. "Guess that means I can disregard the birthday in June now, can't I?"

"I don't even remember my old birthday," Angel said, shrugging. "Been too long."

"Well, anyone have a computer?" Willow asked brightly.

"What for?" Xander asked.

"New identities," Oz said before Willow could open her mouth. "I know the way you think, Will."

She grinned. "Yeah, you sure do." She nodded to Gunn as he handed the laptop he'd managed to keep safe from Wolfram & Hart's offices to Angel to give to her. "Nice. Where'd you get it?"

"Let's just say working at an evil law firm had a perk or two," he said, winking.

"You never really did say what it was like working for that firm," Giles said. "Andrew wasn't much of a help in telling us what really happened on his visit."

Dawn made a sour face. "At least he's gone."

"Gone?" Spike asked.

"Dead, more like it. Pissed off Buffy's ex one night. Ended his life and their relationship."

Spike grinned. "Pardon me while I celebrate."

Buffy slapped his shoulder. "That's just mean, Spike."

"So? The git was the one who helped cause me to lose my hand in the first place." He shrugged. "But that's my problem, love, not yours."

Angel watched his friends banter, and leaned over to Faith. "You know, we all missed a lot. If Spike considers his Shanshuing his new birthday, then that means all four of us haven't celebrated our birthdays."

"What do you want to do?"

"Celebrate. Gunn's 26, I think. Connor's 19, and I suppose Spike and I should just pick up where we stopped aging." He cleared his throat and looked at Willow. "I'd be 35 now if I hadn't become a vampire."

"I'd be 26," Spike said simply. "Oh, Willow?"

"Yes?"

"Please, whatever you do, don't leave my first name William. It's a name attached to a past that I would rather forget."

"What name do you want?"

"How about Randy?" Xander asked, and those who had been in the magic shop under Willow's spell started laughing.

"I don't get it," Connor whispered to Dawn.

"Inside joke. I'll explain it later."

"How about Robert?" Xander suggested when the laughter died down.

"Robert...I like it. Robert Wesley..."

Angel perked up. "Thought you didn't like Wes."

"Then you'd be mistaken. Now I just need a last name."

"Summers," Dawn said. "You're going to marry Buffy, right?"

Spike swallowed. "Hadn't thought that far yet, love," he said, throwing a glance at Angel.

"Why not?" Angel said. "It'll solve a problem or two for you."

Buffy got up and hugged Angel. "I thought you'd get so angry."

Angel hugged her back. "Haven't I always told you I wanted you to be happy?"

"What about you, Angel?" Willow asked.

Angel thought hard as Buffy let go and went back to Spike. "I don't really know. I want Doyle as part of my name, though. Last name, maybe?"

"What about Riley as your last name?" Connor asked. "That way..."

"We'd have the same last name," Angel finished, and them nodded. "I still can't think of a first name, though."

"What was it Darla used to call you, when you were pretending to fit in with the upper crust?" Spike asked.

"Richard."

"Then why not Richard Doyle Riley?"

"I like it...Dad," Connor said.

"Then that's the name I'll take. But, please, call me Angel. I'm so used to that name."

Faith threw her arm around his shoulders. "Okay...Richard." She leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Everyone's leaving Saturday. Let's party on Friday. Robin should be here by then. You can meet and approve."

"Robin?"

"My...boyfriend. Maybe more. I have no clue." She pulled back and grinned. "You're like my family, you know? You should get to interrogate."

"Count on it."