It wasn’t entirely successful, but only Angel had to know that. A floor rug and the artful arranging of furniture covered the scorch mark from his return from Hell. No amount of scrubbing would remove that, it seemed, and he wasn’t going to pay the money to replace the floor. Beyond the main room with its large windows the mansion was still dark. That could not be helped, but the decor made it more welcoming.

That and the streamers, balloons, flowers, Christmas tree…the group of people hiding behind the couch…. Buffy’s friends and family were lying in wait to throw the new mother a welcome home party. A calm party (Angel insisted on Buffy’s behalf) was planned for when Buffy and the newest addition got out of the hospital. It was also a sort of a housewarming, since this would be the day Buffy officially moved into the mansion. Everyone wanted to spend time with Buffy and the new baby outside the hospital.

Angel smiled at the expectant gathering as he placed Buffy’s bag down on the couch. Buffy was still outside. He turned back around to accompany her and their newborn daughter into the house. He gently took Ailia from Buffy’s arms so that she could properly greet everyone when she got inside. The baby was sound asleep at the moment (thankfully) and Angel felt himself getting caught in her beautiful peaceful face. She was so tiny and perfect…he was constantly amazed. Angel had never spent much time around children; an infant was an entirely new experience.

He was drawn back to his surroundings by Buffy’s gasp of surprise. She was standing just inside the door, grinning wildly. Angel couldn’t be sure if her reaction was for the renovated mansion or the party, but it pleased him nonetheless.

Buffy turned to him in the doorway and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Thank you," she breathed in his ear, then turned full of smiles to say hello to everyone. Even Cordelia and Wesley were there, having closed the office in L.A. to get their first glimpse at the boss’ new baby.

As Angel watched Buffy fell into familiar patterns of interaction, laughing and talking with her long time friends. Her laughter warmed the previously cold stone room, making the mansion a home for the first time. Rarely had things felt so right.

Ailia began to fuss then, the voices having woken her. Angel rocked her in his arms and was about to go into the next room to try and quiet her when Joyce appeared at his side. "Hand me my granddaughter," she said gently. Angel did so, and Mrs. Summers held the newborn to her shoulder and rocked on her feet like someone very used to holding babies. After a couple of moments Ailia quieted and Joyce smiled. "I never thought I’d be a grandmother so soon," she said with a slight laugh. "Watch out. Everyone’s going to spoil her."

"Even you?" Angel asked, smiling.

"Of course. Especially me. To spoil children is a grandmother’s job," she replied. She paused for a moment, shifting Ailia slightly in her arms. "Do you mind if I take her around to meet everyone?" she asked politely.

Angel nodded. "Go ahead," he said, and went back to watching the gathering at a distance.

Several minutes later Cordelia came to join him at the back of the room. The year in L.A. had matured her and instead of giving one of her usual biting comments she smiled sincerely. "She’s beautiful, Angel," she said.

"Thanks," Angel replied, then smiled. "I thought you didn’t like babies."

"Hey, as long as I’m not the pregnant one they’re cool," Cordelia defended herself. "Or changing their diapers, or cleaning their drool, or waking up in the middle of the night for them…which all falls to you. Good luck – I don’t envy you that." She paused for a second. "Speaking of, and I know this isn’t really the time for that, but what are you going to do about the business?"

"I don’t know," Angel explained. "I’m still thinking about that."

"Okay then, I’ll leave you to thinking," Cordelia said. She only took a couple of steps, though, before she turned to speak to Angel again. "Don’t you want to join the party?"

Angel hesitated. "I…"

"What? You’ve been perfecting your imitation of a wall for so long you’ve forgotten how to socialize?" She took Angel’s hand then, and drew the new father into the party.

Buffy was chatting animatedly with Xander on the couch. Giles was looking awkward holding Ailia under Joyce’s supervision. Willow was sitting next to him, grinning from ear to ear and waiting to see the baby. Wesley looked out of place, but not as out of place as Angel felt. Buffy, however, had never looked happier, and Angel was happy for her.

"Hey guys!" Cordelia called, drawing everyone’s attention. "Look who I found brooding in the corner."

"I wasn’t brooding," Angel defended himself as he sat opposite Buffy.

Cordelia shot him a ‘who do you think you’re kidding’ look, and Buffy laughed slightly.

Xander stood up. "Well, now that Dead Boy’s joined us the party can really begin," he said with only a touch of expected sarcasm. He disappeared from the room and returned a moment later with a pile of presents.

Buffy’s eyes went wide. "You guys!" she said. "You didn’t have to do this."

"Nonsense," Wesley exclaimed.

"Absolutely," Willow agreed. "Sort of think of this as a combined house warming, baby shower, and early Christmas party. There must be presents!"

Buffy wasn’t one to protest that, and another phase of the party began.

When the guests finally left, Buffy sighed and sank back in the couch wearily. "It’s not that I don’t love them," she said after a moment, "but I’m glad they’re finally gone so we can spend some time alone."

Angel nodded, closing the front door. The house seemed so silent in everybody’s wake. He came to sit beside Buffy, Ailia cradled in his arms sound asleep. She’d been remarkably well behaved, only fussing a couple of times. Angel was sure she’d be making up for it later.

Buffy smiled. "The place looks great," she said. "All that work paid off, huh?"

"Yeah." They sat together for a moment in silence. Angel looked at their Christmas tree, adorned with garland and a ‘baby’s first Christmas’ ornament with Ailia’s picture on it. There was now a significant pile of presents underneath. Angel chuckled. "Your mother said Ailia’s going to be spoiled," he said.

Buffy followed his gaze and nodded in agreement. "She’s probably right." She leaned into Angel’s shoulder then, wrapping her arms around his waist and gazing at their daughter. After a moment she tensed. "Angel?" she asked very oddly.

He turned his head to look at her with bewildered eyes. "What is it?" he asked softly, concerned.

"Are you breathing?" she asked just as softly.

Angel grinned then. "Yeah." And he was, very slowly because he didn’t need much in the way of oxygen, but he had needed it to a degree for the last couple of days. Most definitely breathing.

Buffy’s eyes went wide. "How long?" she asked.

"Since Ailia was born," Angel answered. That was the exact truth; father and daughter had taken their first breaths together.

Buffy’s tone went angry and began to rise. "Three days and you didn’t tell me?"

Angel smiled, trying to placate her. "I wanted to see how long it would take you to notice."

"Why…you…"

"Shhh," Angel said softly. "You’ll wake the baby."

"If you weren’t holding her right now, I’d hit you."

"No you wouldn’t," Angel replied certainly.

Buffy fought a smile and failed. "You’re right," she agreed finally and kissed him on the cheek. She reached up and placed a gentle hand against his neck. "So you breathe, but you don’t have a heart beat," she said after a moment.

"Yeah."

"Weird."

Angel laughed slightly. "Buffy."

"What?"

"Don’t worry about it."

"I’m not worried. I think it’s neat."

Angel chuckled then. With one hand around his love’s shoulder and the other cradling his newborn daughter, the three of them fell into a contented sleep.

I can tell by the way you’re walking,
you don’t want company
I’ll let you alone and I’ll let you walk on
and in your own good time you’ll be
Back where the sun can find you,
under the wise wishing tree
And with all of them made we’ll lie in the shade
and call it a jubilee

An infant’s wail interrupted the still night. It shattered the silence, echoing off the lonely mansion’s walls.

Angel blinked in the darkness. Buffy’s arm lay across him and her breath whispered in his ear. "Your turn," she murmured sleepily and rolled away from him.

Careful not to disturb her too much as he climbed out of bed, Angel moved the blanket aside and reached for his robe. He shrugged into the black silk as he walked from the room. He made his way with certainty in the dark, his night vision still as good as ever. Plus he knew this track now too well.

Angel entered the nursery quickly. The room didn’t look like it belonged in the rest of the house. It was brightly furnished, filled with stuffed animals and child’s toys. Ailia’s crib stood against one wall. She’d managed to get out of her blanket and even now she kicked her feet angrily as she cried. Angel scooped her up gently, rocking her to calm her. When that didn’t work on its own he carried her with him into the kitchen.

Several minutes later, happily sucking on her bottle, Ailia calmed. Angel smiled slightly. Her amazingly tiny, perfect hands clasped at the plastic bottle. He rocked her slightly and began to hum. It took him a moment to recognize the tune. It was a lullaby, one he vaguely recalled his mother singing to his younger sister. He didn’t remember the words at all. It hurt sometimes that memories became so vague over time. He wanted to remember the words that his mother had sung.

This time, though, the memory that the tune recalled did not pain him. Sure, the guilt would always be there, but now there was something to balance that guilt. Now there was something of his family that would continue on. Looking at his infant daughter, falling asleep again with her lips still moving on the bottle, Angel saw a glimpse of his long deceased sister in her face. He may have only imagined it, but it made him smile nonetheless. It meant his family hadn’t died with him.

Family. Yes, Angel did have reason to smile these days. He lifted his tiny daughter to his shoulder and thought about the woman who slept only a few rooms away. Even though he and Buffy had been together all through Buffy’s pregnancy and they’d been spending nearly every moment together for a few months now, it still felt strange to him. Of course, his whole life felt strange at the moment. For once there were actually decisions to be made that weren’t going to be made for him by events beyond his control.

There was room in his life for hope now.

Ailia continued to sleep soundly as he put her to bed, a stuffed animal larger than she was tucked into the crib next to her. Looking at her sleeping, Angel yawned and remembered how tired he was.

Buffy woke slightly when Angel climbed back into bed. She rolled over once he lay down, snuggling back into his side. She kissed him lightly and, fully awake, Angel returned it. Her arm snaked around his neck to bring him as close as possible as the kiss heightened in passion.

Suddenly she chuckled into his mouth.

"What?" Angel asked curiously.

She held up a damp hand to him. "Baby spit ruins the romance."

Angel smiled and, kissing her softly, climbed out of bed again to clean off his shoulder. When he returned, Buffy was sound asleep, her head on his pillow and her arm across his side of the bed. Angel slid into bed beside her, shifting her gently so that her head and arm rested on his chest. Laying there with her, together, he let the sound of her heartbeat follow him back into sleep.

"Wakey, wakey!"

Angel lifted his head from off his desk. "Huh?"

Cordelia looked at him in irritation. She was standing in the doorway of his corner of the office, her hands on her hips. "You know, if you’re going to make us put together those files on every case, the least you could do for me is not drool on them."

Angel sighed slightly and wiped his eyes sleepily. "Sorry," he muttered.

Cordelia didn’t stay annoyed for long, but smiled as Angel yawned. "Baby keeping you awake?" she asked.

But Cordelia knew that wasn’t the truth. Angel had responsibilities in L.A., and that meant he’d been splitting his time between there and Sunnydale. For the first time since Ailia was born, he hadn’t seen her nor Buffy for several days. He hoped that they weren’t staying in the mansion all by themselves. "I haven’t been sleeping well," he muttered, looking at the photograph that sat on his desk. It was taken of Buffy holding Ailia only a week after Ailia was born. He smiled slightly at the look on Buffy’s face. She looked amazed.

"Uh huh," Cordelia replied with a knowing look on her face. "I thought you were used to sleeping alone."

"I got un-used to it," Angel replied. He looked at Cordelia oddly. "What do you want anyway?"

"Kate’s here."

Angel blinked at her in surprise. "She say what she wanted?"

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "No. But I figured I’d come and wake you up before I let her in here."

"Thank you," Angel said briefly, and Cordelia smiled slightly. She left him then, passing Kate in the doorway.

She stood there for a moment, looking uncomfortable. "Hey," she said.

"Hey," Angel replied. The silence stretched on for a moment. "It’s been a while."

"It has," Kate acknowledged. "Several months at least." Her gaze went to the windows, the shades pulled up to let in the bright sunlight. She looked at Angel with questions clear in her gaze.

Angel ignored them. He was tired of explaining anyway. "What can I do for you?" he asked.

Kate looked confused but seemed to shake it off. "There have been a series of murders lately and I was hoping that you could tell me whether they’re, you know…."

"Demon related?"

Kate nodded.

"I probably would have heard about them before now if they were, but I’ll…."

Angel was interrupted by the exterior door of the office opening and a familiar voice. "Angel!"

Completely forgetting Kate and his recent fatigue, Angel jumped up from his desk. He rushed out of the room to find Buffy grinning from ear to ear, baby carrier in her arms. She put down Ailia just as Angel scooped her up in a hug, then gave her a quick intense kiss.

She laughed as he put her back down. "I’m happy to see you, too," she said with a grin.

Angel smiled. "What are you doing here?" he asked, pleasantly surprised.

"Mom had something to pick up for the gallery, so Ailia and I decided to tag along," Buffy replied.

"And how is Ailia?" he asked, scooping up his daughter from the carrier and cradling her in his arms.

"Just like me. She misses her daddy."

Angel kissed her softly, then placed a kiss on Ailia’s forehead. "I’m sorry," he said to the two of them earnestly. "I’m trying to work things out here. Really I am."

"I know," Buffy said with a nod. They stared at each other in silence, and then Angel was lost in her eyes.

A pointed cough sounded behind them, and Angel turned to face a very wide-eyed Kate. "Oh, I’m sorry!" he said, almost startled by her presence. "I’d forgotten you were here."

"I…noticed," Kate said dryly. She looked rather shocked. She looked from Angel to Buffy and then to Ailia as a strange silence filled he office.

Buffy nudged Angel in the side and gestured to the female cop, her eyes questioning.

"Oh!" Angel got the hint. "Buffy, this is Kate Lockley, my contact in the LAPD. Kate, this is Buffy, my…." He faltered, trying to find the words to describe what Buffy meant to him. My sunlight? The love of my life?

"Serious girl friend," Buffy finished for him, holding out her hand to shake the police detective’s. She smiled very slightly.

"I see," Kate replied in a strange tone of voice. "It’s…a pleasure to meet you."

"Same here."

"And this," Angel said suddenly, unable to resist showing off his daughter, "is Ailia Rose." He glowed with paternal pride.

Kate smiled at the happy baby for a moment. She looked at Buffy. "Your daughter?" she asked even though it was obvious.

"Our daughter," Buffy clarified pointedly.

Kate paled, but recovered quickly. "She’s beautiful," she said, then looked back at Angel. "Will you look over those papers I brought for you?"

"Of course. It was nice seeing you again."

"Likewise," Kate replied. She didn’t get to say anything else, though, or ask her gnawing questions, for Angel’s attention was on Buffy again and didn’t look like it would be returning to her anytime soon. "I’ll just see myself out," she muttered, and left.

Buffy chuckled slightly. "I think you broke the cop-lady’s heart," she said with false sympathy.

Angel looked at her blankly. "What?"

"Kate has a thing for you."

Angel shook his head with a slight laugh. "No she doesn’t."

Buffy looked at him pointedly and nodded.

"Buffy, she ran me through with a 2x4. That’s hardly a sign of affection." Buffy’s eyes went wide and Angel was quick to explain. "She knew it wouldn’t kill me-that I was a vampire. She’d just found that out. She was getting the vampire behind me."

"So she decided to go through you?"

Angel nodded.

"What is it with you and dangerous women?" Buffy said, amused. "You have to come back to Sunnydale. I want to be able to keep an eye on you."

And I can tell by the way you’re talking,
that the past isn’t letting you go
There’s only so long you can take it all on,
and then the wrongs gotta be on its own
And when you’re ready to leave it behind you,
you’ll look back and all that you’ll see
Is the wreckage and rust that you left in the dust
on your way to the jubilee

The End