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A/N This is a little different from anything I’ve written, but I’m proud of it, so I hope you like it. Throughout the course of the story, there will be a few mentions of the Slayer- Lucy Hanover (brownie points if you remember her). She (for the most part) lived the life of the Buffy we know. There will be a few differences, but not many (the main difference being- she was never resurrected after the occurrences of The Gift) and since the pregnancy storyline of Angel takes place during season 6 of Buffy- this story picks up at that time. Some of the dialogue in chapter one belongs to Joss Whedon and Tim Minear.
Chapter 1 – Daughter of Destiny
“You’re gonna be okay,” Angel whispered, crouched next to Darla’s huddled form and holding her hand in his.
“No,” Darla said tearfully. “No, I don’t think so. Once she’s gone, I won’t be okay. I won’t be okay at all…I don’t know what I’ll be.” Seeing the rain running off Angel’s face representing the tears that he obviously wanted to shed, she suddenly felt the panic run through her. “Angel,” she whispered. “Our baby is gonna die right here in this alley.” Feeling a sense of peace as she looked at him, she smiled at the memory. “You died in an alley…remember?”
“I remember,” he said in a choked voice.
“I want to say I'm sorry,” she whispered, staring at her protruding stomach. “I want to say it and mean it, but…I can't.” Pausing for a moment, Darla let an unsure smile play on her lips. “Aren't you gonna tell me it’s okay?”
Considering her for a brief moment, Angel shook his head.
“No.”
“No,” she repeated in understanding. “It’s really not, is it? We did so many terrible things together. So much destruction, so much…pain,” she said with a gasp as another contraction ran through her. “We can’t make up for any of it. You know that, don’t you?”
“Yeah,” Angel replied after a moment.
“This child…Angel, it’s the one good thing we ever did together.”
Choking back the tears, he slowly lifted Darla’s hand to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss to the back of it.
“The only good thing,” she continued as Angel dropped his eyes, pressing his forehead to her hand as he tried to keep his tears under control.
“You make sure to tell her that.”
Hearing a gasp, Angel felt his throat close up as the hand he was holding suddenly disintegrated to dust. Looking where Darla was laying just a moment ago, his eyes widened when he saw the tiny baby girl, lying in the rain, crying to be safe and warm as she was just a moment ago.
Staring at the newborn with a sense of wonder, Angel carefully picked up the baby and wrapped her in his coat, drying her off and keeping her warm.
* * * * *
“Everything seems to be in order,” the nurse said with a friendly smile, looking from Cordelia to the baby girl. “We just need a name.”
“Elizabeth,” Angel said with a smile as he walked into the area. “Her name is Elizabeth.”
“Elizabeth Angel. Very well. Congratulations Mr. Angel,” the nurse said, making a note on her clipboard and walking away.
Picking up his daughter, he felt a sense of relief go through him that she was finally safe. The demons had been taken care of and nothing was left to threaten his little girl…for now.
* * * * *
“Angel, can we talk for a moment?” Wesley asked, poking his head out of the office as he watched the other man talk to his daughter.
“Yeah,” Angel replied, walking over to Cordelia and handing her the tiny bundle. “There you go,” he said in a soft voice, making sure the baby was safe and secure before he walked toward the office. “What’s going on, Wes?”
“You may want to sit down,” Wesley said quietly.
His face turning into a cold mask, Angel sat in the seat across from him. “What’s going on?”
“We need to talk about Elizabeth.”
“What about her? She’s happy, she’s healthy. She’s a normal baby girl.”
“Aside from barely being a month old and having a list of enemies,” Wesley replied.
“What are you saying?”
“I have no doubts that you can and will go to any lengths to protect her…but I think it’s time to discuss alternative measures for her.”
“Meaning?”
“I don’t think she’s safe here.”
“So we’ll move,” Angel replied, already standing up from his chair. “We’ll go somewhere and she’ll be safe.”
“You’re misunderstanding me,” he said with a shake of his head. “I don’t think she’s safe with you.”
Seeing the closed off expression come over Angel’s face, Wesley felt slightly alarmed but stood strong. He loved that little girl and he refused to back down from what he felt was right, even though he knew that Angel wouldn’t willingly part from her.
“What do you expect me to do, Wes?” he asked, his voice rising in anger. “Send her off to the nearest orphanage and hope that she doesn’t get taken in by an abusive or neglectful family?”
Ignoring the sarcasm that was laced through his tone, Wesley shook his head and handed Angel a piece of paper. Knowing that they could be monitored right now, he wasn’t about to be too cavalier in the information he was handing out.
Covering the paper with one hand, Angel looked at it, his frown deepening when he saw the simple letters.
R.G.
Motioning toward the door Angel practically stormed through the hotel with Wesley right behind him, earning a strange look from Cordelia as they passed.
Walking into the courtyard, Angel ran a hand over his face, trying to control his raging emotions. “What are you telling me to do?”
“Call Rupert,” Wesley said in a soft voice. “See if he would be willing to take her in or find a place for her to stay safe…change her name…sign over all rights.”
Feeling his chest tighten, Angel crumpled the note in his hand, closing his eyes as he tried to control his emotions. “And you think this will keep her safe?”
“I think it will keep her alive.”
Glancing through the doors of the hotel and seeing Cordelia walking the lobby with the little bundle in her arms. The bundle that he would do anything to protect.
“Make the call.”
* * * * *
Angel felt as if his heart was breaking. Looking around the room at the compassionate faces, he felt as if he was hyperventilating, shaking his head at the ridiculous thought.
“We’ll take good care of her, Angel,” Willow said with a gentle smile, walking over to the other man. “It’s what Lucy would have wanted.”
Closing his eyes at the mention of the Slayer he still loved, Angel nodded, choking back his emotions as he tried not to think of her taking the leap off the tower. Trying not to feel guilt at the fact that he should have been there.
Clearing his throat, Angel looked around the room, seeing everyone watching him- some compassionate, some indifferent, and more than one filled with pure hatred.
“What’s going on?” Angel asked, looking over at Giles. “Wesley didn’t fill me in on all of the details. He thought it would be safer if you did it.”
“Her last name is Summers for all medical and legal purposes,” he said, looking at the sleeping baby. “She will be living with Willow, Tara, and Dawn at Lucy’s…at the Hanover residence. Dawn has full ownership of the house, and Willow and Tara are the strongest ones to protect her if something should decide to come after her. The formal story is that she’s my sister’s daughter and I’ve passed her off to my own daughter to raise.” Giles gestured to Tara. “Tara’s not from Sunnydale, so it’s more believable that she would be a part of my family. Oh…and her name is Buffy,” he finished, suppressing the urge to roll his eyes at the ridiculous name that all of the women had picked out for the baby. He had easily lost the argument when they’d all ganged up on him, explaining that Buffy was derived from the name Elizabeth and she should have a name that was close to her own.
“Buffy,” Angel repeated with a nod, swallowing the lump in his throat as he handed her to Willow. “Take care of her.”
“We will,” she said with a smile, cooing at the baby as Tara, Dawn, and Anya crowded around her.
“Wes said it’s not safe for me to check on her too much,” Angel said to Giles, trying to choke back the tears. “There’s a cell phone number in her bag for emergencies only. I’ll come to town to check on her as much as I can, but that probably won’t be too often.”
Giles nodded, seeing the other man look longingly at the baby girl. He didn’t like Angel. He had good reason not to, considering he was nearly tortured to death at his hands, but he knew the pain of losing a child. The pain of losing Lucy was still too fresh in his heart and it had been nearly a year. He had tried to go back to England and was actually making the arrangements the day Wesley had called with the revelation that two vampires had managed to create a human baby girl. Knowing that he couldn’t turn down the opportunity to keep the baby safe, Giles had agreed to formulate a plan to get her to Sunnydale.
Angel tenderly kissed the top of his daughter’s head, whispering a tearful goodbye before turning to face the rest of the room, his gaze soon turning to the blonde vampire watching the entire interaction as he leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest with a bored expression on his face.
Summoning everything that he used to be, Angel stood straighter, calling on his presence as a Master Vampire, soul or no soul, as he pointed at Spike and then the door. With a heavy sigh, Spike pushed away from the wall and followed his grandsire outside.
“What is it, Gramps?” Spike asked, lighting a cigarette as soon as the night air hit his face.
“I don’t expect you to understand what I’m going through. I don’t expect you to know what it’s like to give up someone you love so much. To love someone enough to do anything to keep her safe-”
“Stop right there,” Spike growled, standing up straight and advancing on the other man. “I know exactly what it’s like, so don’t think for a second-”
“I’m not talking about Lucy,” Angel said, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m talking about my daughter. I trust her with everyone in that room, and although I don’t trust you…I’m trusting that you’ll keep her safe.”
“What, you think just because I’ve done a couple of good deeds I’m all soul-having now?”
“No,” Angel replied, shaking his head. “But believe it or not, I’m actually trusting you to take care of her…at all costs.”
Spike sighed before nodding. “Consider it done.”
* * * * *
Buffy – Age 1
“Sp…Spike,” the little blonde announced proudly as she pointed at the vampire sitting in the chair, looking around the shop.
The rest of the Scoobies, dispersed around the Magic Box, stared in shock at the baby before they all turned their gaze to Spike.
“Please tell me that Captain Peroxide’s name was not Buffy’s first word,” Xander begged as Spike looked around the room with an amused expression.
“Who would have thought it, whelp?” Spike replied with a chuckle. “A one year old was able to learn my name before you. What’s that tell you about your brain function?”
* * * * *
Buffy – Age 5
“But I don’t wanna go to school,” the little girl whined with a winning pout. “Why can’t I just stay with Spike during the day? He’s fun and he can teach me things.”
“I’m sorry, Buffy,” Giles said with a shake of his head. “It’s non-negotiable.”
“What does non-nag-o-table mean?” she asked, her pigtails tossed to the side as she tilted her head to study her Uncle Giles.
“Good job, Watcher,” Spike muttered from his place in the corner. “She hasn’t even started at the bloody school and you’re already teaching her the wrong vocabulary.”
“You said bloody,” Buffy said with an adorable giggle.
Spike ducked his head as Giles shot him a scathing glare while Buffy sang in the background.
“Bloody, bloody, bloody school. I’m not going to the bloody school.”
* * * * *
Buffy – Age 7
“Please, Spike,” Buffy begged with a falsely sweet grin.
“Not leaving this house, Princess,” Spike replied, shaking his head, his arms crossed over his chest.
“But you pwomised,” she said with wide eyes, her mispronunciation appearing even more adorable as a result. It still wasn’t enough to crack Spike’s defenses.
“I did no such thing. Have Red go with you.”
“She went last year,” she said, looking over at Willow and Tara, who were trying not to laugh at the flustered vampire. “And that’s because you pwomised you would go with me this year.”
Hearing a small sniffle come from her, Spike looked over, feeling his resolve fading away as he looked at her watery eyes, watching as she toyed with the hem of her little green dress. “Fine,” he muttered. “Let’s go.”
“Yay!” she cheered, the tearful eyes mysteriously disappearing as soon as she got her way. “Willow made you a costume, too. It’s in the bedroom.”
“I don’t think so,” he said, shooting Willow a deathly glare.
“But Spiiiikke,” Buffy whined. “I’m Tinker Bell, and if we’re going trick-or-treating, you have to be Peter Pan.”
“Bloody hell,” Spike muttered, his face dropping into his hands in defeat.
* * * * *
Buffy – Age 10
“Daddy!” Buffy cried, flying into Angel’s arms as soon as he stepped out of his car. “You’re late,” she said in a mock scolding voice.
“Sorry, sweetheart,” Angel said. “I got held up and couldn’t make it out of town until a few hours ago.”
“Vampires?”
Angel sighed, wishing that his ten-year-old daughter didn’t know the evils of this world at such a young age. “Yeah,” he said with a nod, seeing the entire gang walk out of the house.
“How’d you kill ‘em?” she asked, her natural curiosity shining through.
“I, uh, I don’t think I should be telling you.”
“Oh, it’s okay,” Buffy said with a dismissive toss of her hand. “Spike’s teaching me how to fight. He says I’m a natural at shooting the crossbow.”
Angel’s expression immediately darkened. “SPIKE!”
Nothing was visible, except the flash of blonde hair and the sound of laughter hanging in the air.
* * * * *
Buffy – Age 13
“Where are you going, Princess?” Spike asked, looking her up and down when she answered the door.
“School dance,” she replied, smiling at Spike as he walked through the house and sat down on the couch.
“Is that a fact?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Yep,” she replied, following him into the living room. “How do I look?”
Taking in the simple pink dress that fell to her knees and gave her a more innocent look with the capped sleeves, Spike shrugged. “You look good, pet.”
A sad look seemed to cross her face before she quickly turned away. Spike was about to comment when Willow walked into the room.
“Hey, Red,” he said with a smile.
“Hi, Spike,” she said with a friendly smile before turning to Buffy. “Are you ready? He should be here any minute.”
“Yep, ready to go.”
“Wait,” Spike said in confusion. “He?”
“Yeah,” Willow said with an excited hop. “Buffy has her first date.”
“And why wasn’t I told about this?”
“Because we knew you’d go into overprotective mode, like you are right now,” Dawn said with a smile as she walked into the room.
“She’s only thirteen,” Spike continued indignantly. “She’s too young to date.”
“Exactly- thirteen!” Buffy replied, her arms crossed over her chest. “As in teenager. I was asked to a dance and I’m going.”
“And who is this ponce?” he asked, standing up and walking over to her.
“His name’s Trevor,” she replied, fixing her make-up in the small mirror on the wall.
Hearing the knock on the door, Spike’s vampiric speed sent him flying across the room, pulling open the door to reveal a nervous-looking boy, clutching a box in his hands.
“Who are you?” he asked, knowing exactly who this boy was but wanting to scare him all the same.
“T-Trevor.”
“What are your intentions?”
“Spike!”
Hiding the cringe as three irritated voices sounded off behind him, Spike shot a glare over his shoulder before turning back to the boy and letting his voice drop to a whisper. “You do anything to her and you’ll have to deal with me,” he said softly, briefly letting his demon face flash to the surface and smiling as the boy jumped. He could almost see his mind wondering if what he had just seen was his imagination.
“Bye,” Buffy called to the women in the house before pulling Spike’s arm to get him to drop the intimidating stance. Walking past him, she smiled at Trevor and gratefully accepted the box that was now dented from the pressure he was putting to it.
“Who’s that?” he whispered to Buffy, taking a step back when Spike’s vampire hearing picked up on the statement and he took a step forward.
“Who, Spike? He’s no one,” she replied dismissively, shooting him a look as the warning growl rolled through the air. “I’ll meet you at the car,” she said with a smile, flinching when Trevor took off at a run before turning to face Spike. “Well?” she asked. “Aren’t you going to tell me to have fun?”
“Why?” he asked, crossing his arms as he looked at her. “I’m no one, remember?”
Closing the distance between them, Buffy gave him a winning smile before standing on her tip-toes to kiss his cheek. “You know I love you,” she said with a soft smile before her thoughts drifted. ‘You just don’t know how much.’
A/N This was simply the setup- starting with the next chapter, Buffy is 17 and things get a little more interesting ;-)
