destructo-girl.com

Author: Michelle
Email: michellabella52478@yahoo.com
Dedication: To Amanda, whose challenge made me want to write B/A fic again after my decision to retire from fanfic.
Notes: // \\ denotes flashback

"So, tomorrow is the big day," Xander Harris commented as he and his friends sat in a secluded, quiet corner of the Bronze. He cuddled up next to his girlfriend Cordelia Chase.

The wealthy brunette raised her eyebrows, questioning his statement. "What are you talking about?" she asked him.

Five feet away from him, Buffy Summers rolled her eyes. "Please don't remind me. I hate my birthday, you guys know that."

Sitting to Buffy's left, his right arm draped across her shoulder, Angel Williams laughed. "Except that it's 2003."

Xander groaned. He disliked Buffy's boyfriend with every fiber of his being. Ever since Buffy and Angel started going out back when Buffy started school at Sunnydale High her freshman year, Xander had been hoping against hope that they'd break up so he'd have a chance with her. And he thought for sure that as soon as Angel began attending UC Sunnydale that Fall he'd find someone else. But no such luck. The couple was just as much in love with one another as they had been two-and-a-half years earlier.

"Thank you, Mr. States-the-Obvious. What are we doing? Are we talking party?" he wanted to know. "Renting a hall, booking a band? What's the sitch?"

"The Dingoes are free," Daniel "Oz" Osborne chimed in. "We'll volunteer our services for Buffy's party."

Buffy slammed her fists against the cushions of the couch she and Angel sat on. "No party! I mean it, guys. I want a nice, quiet birthday this year. Pretend it's just another day of the week."

"Except that it's not," Willow Rosenberg argued. "Tomorrow is your seventeenth birthday. We have to do something special to mark the occasion."

Cordelia was tired of the conversation revolving around Buffy Summers. "Look, if she doesn't want a party, stop bugging her about it. Besides, it's not like her birthday is a national holiday or something. Let's just forget it and move on with our lives."

While the other four people changed the subject to their second semester classes, Angel squeezed his girlfriend's shoulder. "Just ignore her. She wouldn't know how to be nice if someone hit her over the head with a friendly stick."

Buffy rested her head on Angel's upper arm, feeling completely comforted. "Yeah, I know. I try to take everything Cordelia says with a grain of salt. Her snide remarks don't even hurt anymore. I'm immune."

She looked up at him. "Are you saying if she threw herself at you and begged you to take her to bed you'd turn her down?"

"Yes. I've both been there and done that with her. Well, you know what I mean. Remember when you guys started high school? Cordelia kept trying to ask me out and I always said no to her," Angel reminded her. "Do you know why?"

"Well, yeah. That and I only have eyes for you. Buffy, I fell for you the minute I saw you standing in front of my locker."

He chuckled. Their first meeting was a running gag between the couple. He'd been on his way to his locker the first day of his junior year of high school when he saw the tiny blonde girl standing in front of it. She was struggling with the combination when he walked up.

Her back to him, Buffy shook her head. "No thanks. I'm fine. I just can't get this damn locker door to open. The combination doesn't work," she complained.

When the blonde turned around, Angel's breath caught in his throat. The girl was probably the prettiest he'd ever laid eyes on. Her light blonde hair cascaded past her shoulders and down her back. She was new; he'd have remembered her piercing green eyes. They looked right through him and into his soul. With one look, Angel Williams was in love for the first time in his sixteen years.

"No way. This is my locker. Number 657 is assigned to me. It's right here on my schedule," she stated.

"I'm afraid it's mine. I've had this locker since I was a freshman." To prove his point, Angel entered his combination and the locker opened immediately. Seeing the pictures he had left hanging on the door from the previous school year, his cheeks blushed and he ripped them down in embarrassment. He didn't want her seeing the pictures he'd put up of girls in bikinis. "See? Mine."

"Ugh!" Buffy whined. "Why did they write it down as my locker? God, I hate this school."

Seeing the angry tears forming in her beautiful green eyes, Angel's heart went out to her. "Maybe it was just a misprint. Why don't you try 658."

Heeding his suggestion, Buffy tried the combination in the locker to the right of Angel's. Much to her surprise, it worked. "How did you know?"

"Yes and no. It's actually written all over your face. You have that 'deer caught in the headlights' look going on," he teased. "I had the same look my first day here."

"I figured you weren't a freshman." 'Duh, Buffy, just take a look at him. Of course he's not a freshman. No freshman guys look *that* good.'

"You haven't told me what you want for your birthday," Angel reminded his girlfriend. "I've got less than twenty-four hours to pick out the perfect present for you."

Craning her neck upward, Buffy planted a feather-light kiss on Angel's lips. "I just want you. Nothing else."

On the front porch of her house, Buffy and Angel lovingly kissed one another, neither wanting to let go. Her curfew was midnight on school nights, and at eleven fifty-five, the two tried not to let a single moment slip by them. Their time together had been limited since Angel started at UC Sunnydale; they weren't able to see each other every day between classes or right after school as they had been when he still attended the high school.

"Hmm..." Buffy moaned when she pulled away from the kiss. She cursed her need to breathe, hating that they had to break away to do it. "That was nice."

"That it was," her boyfriend agreed. "You know, you still haven't answered my question from earlier."

Buffy looked at him, not understanding what he meant. "What question are you talking about?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I thought I already told you. No parties; just a quiet night out with my perfect, smart, handsome boyfriend. Think you can swing that?"

"I think it can be arranged. But are you sure that's all you want? Something you can keep and say 'Hey. Angel bought me that' maybe?" he asked her.

Before Angel could reply to her request, the porch light was turned on and the front door opened. Mrs. Summers' head poked out. "Buffy, it's midnight. Say goodnight to Angel and go to bed. You have school tomorrow morning."

Angel glanced from the door to his girlfriend. Midnight had come entirely too quickly. "Guess that's my cue to head home."

"I don't want you to leave yet." She pouted, hating this part of the night. "This is getting too hard, you know? I hate saying goodbye to you, it gets harder and harder every time I see you."

He leaned down, touching his forehead to hers. "I know; it's just as hard for me as it is for you. One of these days, hopefully, we won't have to say goodbye to each other. We'll be able to wake up next to one another."

Buffy smiled at the thought of waking up in the arms of her boyfriend. 'Bad Buffy!' she chastised herself when she tried to picture him first thing in the morning, his dark hair tosseled from sleep and dressed only in a pair of tight black boxer shorts. "Promise me it'll be soon."

"No way am I waiting that long, Angel Williams!" Buffy exclaimed. "I fully intend to wake up next to you long before I start college."

"Assuming your mother ever lets you stay overnight," he pointed out. "Doesn't seem like she trusts us very much. We can keep our hands off of each other; nothing has to happen. We can just sleep."

Angel mocked hurt. "That's not very fair. I've been nothing but a total gentleman around you."

"Cool. If she ever makes a comment about me and my raging hormones, though, tell her I have them under control. I've waited this long, I think I can hold out a little while longer," Angel stated.

"Let's hope she doesn't ask. The less my mom knows about my sex life, the better off we all are. Even if we don't have one."

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow," Angel said reluctantly. "I'll pick you up at seven-thirty; I've got the whole night planned."

He shook his head; he wasn't about to ruin the surprise. "Nope. You'll just have to wait until tomorrow like a good girl. 'Night."

Bending down, Angel captured his girlfriend's lips in one final kiss. "I love you, too."

She waited until he had reached the sidewalk before entering the house. Sighing heavily, Buffy closed the front door behind her and leaned her back against it. Lost in her own thoughts of what her boyfriend had planned for her birthday, Buffy never saw her mother looking expectantly at her.

"That pitiful, why-did-you-make-my-boyfriend-leave look. I know it all too well. Heck, I invented it when I was your age."

"Nothing too exciting. We hung out at the Bronze with Willow and Oz, and Xander and Cordelia. Kinda like a triple date only...not. You know?"

Mrs. Summers nodded her head. "Yes, I know. This may come as a shock to you, Buffy, but I was sixteen once, too."

"Seventeen, thank you very much. I've been seventeen for three minutes." Buffy glanced down at her watch. "Make that four minutes."

"And a smartass. You definitely take after me. So, what's on tomorrow's agenda? Are you and Angel doing anything special?" she asked.

"I wish I know," Buffy answered. "Angel's got the whole night planned for us, but he won't tell me anything. All I know is that he's picking me up at seven-thirty."

"Uh-huh. Angel Williams: International Man of Mystery. I'm clueless as to what we're doing. Unless you know something and you won't tell me," the teenager prodded.

Mrs. Summers shook her head. "I don't know anything. Honey, I'm just as in the dark as you are. But whatever it is, I hope you have a good time."

"Where are you taking me?" Buffy asked her boyfriend the following evening after he picked her up for their date.

Angel smiled to himself. Buffy didn't have a clue as to what he had planned for her birthday, and he preferred to keep it that way. The less she knew, the better. "You'll see."

She huffed. He knew how much she hated surprises, why was he doing this to her? 'I'm never going to forgive him for this,' Buffy thought. "You're a jerk, you know that?"

"So I've been told." It was an old routine. Whenever Buffy didn't get her own way, she always called him a jerk. It never failed, though he never took it personally. "Just relax. Trust me, you are going to enjoy yourself." 'I hope.'

They drove in silence for the remainder of the trip. A pin drop could have been heard in the car; the only sounds were those of the motor and their breathing. Angel knew his girlfriend wasn't angry with him, just annoyed at being out of the loop. The couple told one another everything.

When they reached their destination, Buffy narrowed her green eyes. "The Bronze? You're taking me to the Bronze for my birthday? What happened to a quiet evening, just the two of us?" Buffy had been hoping for a romantic, candelit dinner for two at a fancy restaurant followed by cuddling in Angel's apartment.

"I told the gang we'd make an appearance," Angel said. "It's only for a few minutes."

The two walked into the club, finding it empty. No band was playing, couples were on the dance floor, all the tables were empty and no one stood behind the bar to serve drinks. The whole scene seemed a little fishy to Buffy. "What's going on, Angel? Where is everyone?"

At that exact moment, her closest friends jumped out from behind the bar, wearing decorative hats and throwing streamers at her. "Happy Birthday!" they all shouted.

In absolute awe at the sight before her, Buffy slowly turned her head to the left to look at Angel. He wore a guilty smile on his lips as he donned one of the cardboard hats. "You planned a surprise party for me?" She snapped the rubber band from his hat against the underside of his chin.

It stung for a few seconds. "I take it you don't like my little surprise," he deduced.

"Are you kidding? I love it!" Throwing her arms around him, Buffy placed a soft kiss on his lips. "Thank you so much."

"I'm a bit confused now," Angel started when his girlfriend let go of him. "You must have told me at least half a dozen times you didn't want a party."

"And you didn't listen to me. It just proves you know me better than anyone in the world."

Angel's brown eyes widened in total confusion. "You mean you really *did* want a party?"

Her friends made their way over to the couple. "Just so you know, this is all Angel's idea," Cordelia told the birthday girl. "So when you go all postal over this, toss your temper tantrum his way."

"I'm not gonna go postal, Cordy. I'm thrilled. But how did you guys do it?" she wanted to know.

"Angel did most of the work," Willow informed her. "He rented out the Bronze for a couple hours, bought all the food and hooked up the sound system. Oz helped him with that, though."

"All we had to do was supply the decorations and bring ourselves," Cordelia said. "And bring you a present, of course."

Buffy burst out in a happy smile. Her friends and boyfriend had made her birthday the best one ever. "Thank you, guys, so much. This is absolutely perfect." She turned her attention to her boyfriend. "And you most of all. I can't believe you went to all this trouble for me. It must have cost you a fortune to pay for all this stuff."

"I just called in a few favors. And saved my money for a while. But it's worth it, seeing the look on your face."

"What are you and Angel doing for the rest of the night?" Willow wanted to know. "He was only able to rent out the Bronze until ten o'clock."

Buffy shrugged her shoulders. "I have no idea. We'll probably go back to his apartment and watch a movie or something. I have a strictly-enforced midnight curfew."

"Possibly?" the redhead questioned, unconvinced. "Oh please. I think we both know there will be major kissage going on between you two. I mean, he put this whole party together for you."

She nodded her head. "I know he did. And he didn't have to, which makes it all the more amazing." Buffy sighed heavily.

Willow's eyebrows raised in interest. "Oh no. Are you and Angel having problems? Whatever it is, I know you can work through them. You two love each other so much; you're meant to be!"

"Having to say goodbye to him every night. It gets more and more difficult every single night. God, Willow, if I don't get to be with him soon, I'm going to explode," explained Buffy.

"Be with him? What do you mean?" Off the look on her best friend's face, Willow understood. "Oh. Oh! Really?"

Buffy nodded once again. "Yep. We sorta talked about it last night. Not in minute detail, mind you, but we kind of discussed it in a roundabout way. He agreed with me. So I know he feels the same way I do. But part of me is afraid that if I don't do it with him soon Angel will find someone else to do it with."

"No! Never! Buffy, you know that's never gonna happen. You're, like, the only thing Angel thinks about. Trust me, I've know him for most of my life. He's had girls throwing themselves at him since junior high and I've never seen him look at any of them the way he looks at you. Angel could be in a room full of naked Playboy Bunnies and he'd never look twice at any of them."

"Of course I am. I lived next door to him my entire life. Well, until his parents moved to Florida and he got his own apartment. What I'm trying to say is that you have nothing to worry about."

"Thank you, Angel," Buffy said as they left the Bronze at ten o'clock. "The party was a lot of fun."

"I'm glad you had a good time. Truth is, I wasn't one hundred percent sure you'd enjoy it. I know you wanted to do something with just the two of us tonight."

Buffy shook her head. "Don't worry about it. Besides, we have two hours until I have to be home, we can still do something together."

They walked in the direction of Wetherly Park. A light drizzle had begun to fall not a minute into their walk. "It's gonna pour," Buffy remarked, holding out her hand to catch some of the larger drops before they had a chance to reach the ground.

"Do you want to head back to the car?" Angel had left it parked in the alley near the Bronze.

It took ten minutes for them to reach the park. As expected, it was deserted; not that many people frequented the park at quarter after ten at night. Angel said a silent prayer that the rain would hold out until he did what he wanted to do.

"Another one?" she asked incredulously. He'd already bought her a gift certificate to her favorite store. "You didn't have to."

"I wanted to. And I couldn't give it to you in front of everyone back there. You know how much I love you and–"

Before the rest of the words could leave his mouth, the skies opened up and rain poured down on them in buckets. Buffy and Angel were soaked to the bone almost instantly.

Angel took off his leather coat and placed it over his wet girlfriend's head. "My apartment is only a block away. We can stay there until the rain lets up."

Buffy shivered as Angel fumbled for his keys outside his apartment. It had taken them three minutes to run from Wetherly Park to his place. The rain still beat down on them the entire way, effectively soaking them to the bone. Even the leather coat Angel had held over her head during their mad dash for shelter wasn't enough to shield her from the torrential downpour.

When he finally managed to open the door, Angel could hear his girlfriend's teeth chattering from the cold. "Come on, get in from the cold." After Buffy walked through the door he flicked the switch to turn on the lights but nothing happened. "Looks like the power is out."

"Apparently not. Why don't you get out of those wet clothes and take a hot shower to warm up," Angel suggested. "I'll start a fire and call your mom on my cell phone to let her know you're gonna stay here until the rain lets up. And I'll make us something to eat, too."

She sniffled, colder than she'd ever been in her entire life. "Okay. But what am I going to wear? It's not like I have a change of clothes here just in case of emergencies."

"I'll leave a change of dry clothes in the bathroom. Just go warm up, I'll take care of everything else," he told her.

Twenty minutes later she walked back out in the living room in a baggy sweatshirt and a pair of Angel's sweatpants, her feet bare. The power still hadn't come back on, her boyfriend having lit several candles so that they'd have some light aside from the fire. He'd placed a blanket on the carpeted floor in front of the couch, several sandwiches and glasses of soda sitting on it.

"I left you some hot water," Buffy stated, announcing her presence. "The shower's all yours if you want one."

Angel stood up from the couch, having changed into a dry pair of jeans and a t-shirt. "I'm fine, I'll take one after I drop you off at home later tonight. Come here and sit down with me in front of the fire." He dropped himself on the blanket, patting the empty space next to him.

Nodding her head, liking his suggestion, she made her way over and sat down next to him on the blanket. She picked up a sandwich and took a bite of it. "Did you call my mom?"

"Yep. I told her we got stuck in the rain and about my car still being at the Bronze. She said not to worry about it and to just bring you home when it stops raining. I have to admit, I was surprised she took it so well. I thought for sure she'd come pick you up right away."

Buffy finished eating the sandwich, famished from her shower. "When we were outside before you were starting to tell me something. What was it?"

It had almost slipped his mind. "I was going to give you your other birthday present. Do you still want it?"

Angel chuckled at her obvious answer to his stupid question. "Okay. Well, I started to say how much I love you. I think that's fairly obvious. I've never felt even a fraction of this for anyone else in my life, Buffy. And I would like to think you feel the same way about me." He reached into his pocket, pulling out the silver ring he'd bought for her the week before. "This is a claddagh ring, it's a symbol of devotion to the Irish people. The hands represent friendship, the crown loyalty and the heart...well, you know."

Taking Buffy's left hand, he placed it on her ring finger. "Wear it with the heart pointing in. It means you belong to someone." He lifted his left hand to show her the nearly identical ring he wore on his ring finger. "Like this."

Buffy stared at it; the ring was the most precious gift she'd ever received. "It's beautiful. Thank you so much, Angel. I'll never take it off."

She leaned over, touching her lips to his in a tender kiss. What began as an innocent embrace grew more passionate as Buffy wove her fingers through Angel's still-wet spikes, holding him close to her. There was no way she was going to let him go now, not after the beautiful gift he'd just given her. It was time to give him a gift; one she could never get back.

Angel noticed the urgency in her kisses, the rapid heartbeat through the sweatshirt she wore and her attempts to tug off his t-shirt. "Buffy, maybe we should stop now," he said after tearing himself out of her arms.

But she brought her pointer finger to his lips. She knew exactly what Angel was trying to do, but she didn't want to hear it. He'd always been the rational one in their relationship. This time, she didn't want him to be rational. She just wanted to be with him. "Don't. Just kiss me."

So he did, with all the passion and desire he felt for her. He knew what Buffy wanted – he wanted it, too – and also he knew there would be a point where they wouldn't be able to turn back. Angel had to be one hundred percent sure before they crossed that line. "Are you absolutely sure about this?"

She nodded her head. "I'm sure. I've never been more sure or wanted anything more in my entire life. Make love to me, Angel." To emphasize her point, she lifted his bulky sweatshirt over her head.

Any protests he might have had left his mind when he saw his girlfriend sitting in front of him wearing nothing but his sweatpants. All the blood in his body rushed to his groin, making his pants seem about two sizes too small for him. Words wouldn't even form in his mouth, all he could bring himself to do was stare at her lovely body. He didn't think he could even touch her out of fear she wouldn't be real and the whole scene would turn out to be another one of his wet dreams.

He shook himself out of his reverie. "Sorry. I'm gonna ask you this again. Are you positive?"

Accepting her decision, Angel removed his t-shirt, desperate to feel her warm flesh against his. He took her in his arms, crushing her breasts hard against his chest, feeling the hardened pebbles of her nipples press into him. It was going to be hard to take it slow, especially when all he wanted to do was bury himself inside her wet heat until they both were able to forget about the raging storm outside.

Buffy threw her head back as her boyfriend's lips moved down her neck to her collarbone, his hands untying the drawstrings of the pants she wore. She was only slightly disappointed he hadn't used his hands to explore her body, not that she particularly cared. They'd have plenty of time for that later. Hell, they had forever to worship each other. She could wait.

She shook her head. "Right here is perfect. Let's make love in front of the fire. It's more romantic that way. We can do the bed next time."

He agreed with her, it was more romantic. While he worked on removing her pants, her hands busied themselves by unbuttoning and unzipping the fly of his jeans, stroking his already erect member through his boxer shorts. Angel moaned, finding it hard to concentrate on anything but the feel of her hand on him. It was a dream come true.

Knowing he wasn't going to be able to hold himself for much longer, he hoisted Buffy to her knees, taking one her pert nipples in his mouth while pushing her pants down and finally off. She held his head in place, using him as support when she felt her knees start to buckle from the pleasure of his oral ministrations. When he moved his attention to her neglected breast, she finally did collapse to the floor.

Angel took the opportunity to shed his jeans and boxers before positioning himself above his girlfriend. He kept his weight off of her while his hips were cradled between her bent knees. The head of his cock teased her opening, and he looked lovingly at Buffy before making any attempt to enter her. She nodded her head, giving him the invitation he'd been seeking.

They made love tenderly, Angel very careful not to cause his love any more pain than necessary. The first time was almost always painful for the female from what he understood, and he did his best to go slow for her. He could see the look of pain flash in her green eyes moments after he'd pushed his way inside her tiny body. But he had waited until Buffy was ready before he began a gentle rhythm that had them both moaning and crying out for one another in minutes.

He watched in awe the first time Buffy climaxed. Her head rolled from side to side on the carpet, her blonde hair fanning out around her like a halo, lit up by the flames of the fire behind her. She called out his name over and over again, scraping her long fingernails down his back all the while bringing her hips up to meet his thrusts.

Being one with her was everything Angel expected and more. Buffy felt like heaven around him, he thought he would surely melt from the heat she radiated. Her soft body perfectly complimented his hard one, and Angel surveyed the supple curves with his right hand. He knew they'd have plenty of time for that later, though at that moment he needed to touch her more than he needed his next breath. It would be a sin not to.

Once he'd brought his love to two more furious peaks, Angel was nearly spent. Snaking his fingers between their slick bodies, he pounded into her with reckless abandon, giving her clit a sharp pinch. She exploded around him again, only this time he joined her in the act of orgasm.

"Happy birthday," he told her after he'd spilled the last of his seed inside her womb. "I hope you liked your presents."

Mrs. Summers sat in the living room when Buffy walked in the door after Angel dropped her off at twelve-fifteen. The teenager expected her mother to start yelling at her for being late, despite the fact that Angel had called earlier to let her know. The last thing Buffy wanted was to get a lecture from her mother on her birthday.

Her mother put down the book she'd been reading and smiled at her daughter. "That's okay, it was coming down pretty hard outside. So I understand why you're late. Angel said you two got caught in it."

"Yep. We were walking through Wetherly Park when it started to downpour. And since he only lives a block away we decided to run for it instead of going back to the Bronze for his car. Then when we got there his apartment didn't have any power," Buffy explained.

"So what did you two do for the two hours you were there?" Mrs. Summers wanted to know.

Buffy had to think fast. She couldn't very well tell her mother the truth. 'Gee, Mom, Angel and I had something to eat and then we had sex. Uh-huh, I see that going over *real* well with Mom. I'd never be allowed to go out with Angel again!' "Nothing major. I was absolutely freezing in my wet clothes, so I took a hot shower, Angel built a fire and made us something to eat. We pretty much hung out and talked for most of the night."

"How did you know about the party?" she questioned her mother. 'Don't tell me she knew all along and didn't even drop any hints.'

"I have my ways," Mrs. Summers teased. "No, actually Angel told me about it when he called to say you'd be late. He said you were really surprised."

She nodded. "I was totally surprised. After all the hundreds of times I told them not to throw me one, they did it anyway. I fully expected a romantic dinner with Angel at an expensive restaurant."

"You know, I think I made out the best with the surprise party. Not only did I get to spend my birthday with my friends but I got some quality time with my boyfriend. It was the best of both worlds."

"What did Angel get you? I understand he went to a lot of trouble to get you something special."

'Did he ever!' Buffy had to hide her smile. Her mother would be suspicious and she didn't want to rouse her suspicions. "It was definitely special. He got me a gift certificate to Lindstrom's in the mall and this ring." She held out her left hand to show her mother.

Mrs. Summers was quite impressed. 'I guess Angel really is serious about her,' she noted. "It's beautiful; a claddagh. You know what they symbolize, don't you, Buffy?"

She nodded her head again. "Trust me, I know. That's why I'm wearing it on my left hand. I'm kind of hoping it's a pre-engagement ring."

'After Angel and I made love tonight, and all the things he said to me, he'd *better* marry me!' the teenager thought. "I'm going to spend the rest of my life with him, Mom. This ring just proves it."

"Okay, why are you so happy today?" Willow asked her best friend the next afternoon at school. The two sat in the library studying for their History mid-term. "That smile looks like it's plastered to your face."

Buffy couldn't stop herself from grinning wider. She knew it was only a matter of time before Willow noticed her constant state of happiness, and its cause. "If I tell you, do you promise not to tell anyone? That includes Oz."

The redhead wasn't the least bit offended by Buffy's comment. Granted, she didn't have the greatest track record when it came to keeping secrets, but she could keep one if it might cost her their friendship. And this sounded like one of those secrets. "I won't tell anyone, Buffy. What's the big secret?"

Leaning forward across the table, Buffy whispered, "I slept with Angel last night."

Standing inside the book cage, Mr. Giles – the school librarian – poked his head out the door to make sure everything was okay. "Buffy? Willow? Is something wrong?" he asked them.

"We're fine, Giles," Buffy replied. She especially didn't want him to hear them because he would certainly relay the information to her mother. The two had been dating for several weeks. "Will! Keep your voice down!"

"Sorry," Willow apologized. "What happened? How did it happen? Where? Was it romantic? Did you guys plan it or were you completely surprised? Come on, I want to know."

"It wasn't planned at all, which I think made it even more romantic. We got caught in the rain after we left the Bronze, so we made a mad dash to his apartment. Angel set up a picnic and candles and a fire in the living room while I was showering. We ate, we talked, and then one thing led to another." She sighed. "Will, it was everything I expected and so much more."

Willow stared, wide-eyed. "Wow. I hope my first time is just as romantic as yours was. You're so lucky."

"Why is she so lucky?" Cordelia wanted to know, setting her books on the table next to Buffy.

"I was showing Willow the claddagh ring Angel gave me last night," the blonde lied. "It's a traditional Irish wedding band."

Cordelia glanced at the silver ring Buffy wore. "It's cute. Doesn't look all that expensive for a wedding band, though. I figured Angel would have spent more money on you."

"Trust me, he spared no expense on my birthday. It's not always about how much money you spend, Cordy. It's the thought that counts."

The brunette shook her head and rolled her eyes. "That's what poor people tell each other to make themselves feel better. You know all about that, don't you?"

The next five weeks passed by rather uneventfully. Buffy and Angel continued their secret rendevous, her mother not suspecting anything out of the ordinary going on between them. When they wanted to make love, they'd go to his apartment, drive into a secluded spot in the woods, and one night Angel even went so far as to rent a hotel room when Mrs. Summers was out of town. Willow always covered for her when Buffy asked her to, and the couple was most grateful for her help.

But the Friday before UC Sunnydale began their spring break things started to go awry. Buffy had been walking on eggshells all day long. She hadn't been feeling well and feared she knew the reason why. When the gang met up at the Bronze that night, Buffy was quieter than usual.

"Fine," Buffy lied, not ready to reveal what was bothering her. "Just thinking."

She shook her head. There would be no reason to tell Angel what she suspected until she had confirmation either way. "Nothing. Don't worry about it."

"Are you sure?" Angel wasn't one hundred percent convinced. He knew his girlfriend well enough to know when something was on her mind. "You know you can tell me anything."

"Look, I'm worried about you. For the last few days you haven't said more than five words to me. I just wish you would tell me if something's wrong. I love you and I want to help you in any way I can."

Part of her wanted to tell him, wanted to throw herself in his arms and hear him say that everything would be all right. But a larger part of her simply wasn't ready. After all, she didn't know for sure and didn't see any sense in upsetting her boyfriend if she turned out to be wrong. "Thank you. That means a lot."

"Are you thirsty? I can get you a Coke or something if you want one," offered Angel.

She smiled at him, loving how he was always so concerned that she needed something. Angel really was the perfect boyfriend. "Would you mind getting me a bottled water?"

The redhead sitting across the table from his shook her head. "I'm fine. But thank you, Angel."

Bending down, he gave his girlfriend a kiss on the forehead and headed for the refreshment counter.

"Okay, I know something is wrong," Willow stated. "You can lie to Angel but you can't lie to me. What's going on?"

Buffy took a deep breath. She knew she could tell Willow, they told one another everything. "If I tell you, you have to promise not to tell anyone. Not your parents, not Oz, not Xander and especially not Angel."

Making sure no one was listening to their conversation, Buffy looked her best friend dead in the eyes. "I'm late, Will." Seeing the blank expression on Willow's face, she elaborated. "I haven't had my period in nearly eight weeks, and I should have had it the week after my birthday."

"I think so. And I've been sick lately, throwing up and stuff. What am I going to do? I can't have a baby, I'm only seventeen. And Angel's only eighteen," she pointed out. "We're too young to be parents."

Willow bit her lip. It killed her to see her best friend in so much trouble. "You guys didn't use protection?"

"Not the first time. It came as a surprise, neither one of us planned on doing it that night. After that we did, but that first time...we weren't exactly thinking about it."

"You heard him a couple minutes ago. Did it sound like he knew I might be pregnant? No way. He doesn't know, doesn't even think it might be a possibility."

The blonde closed her eyes in an effort to hold her tears back. When one escaped, she viciously wiped it away with the back of her hand. "I don't want to upset him. Not when I don't know for sure. I don't even know how he'd react. Will, I don't want to lose him over this."

"You won't lose him. Angel loves you; god, you're all he thinks about, all he has ever thought about since he first saw you. If you*are* pregnant, he'll be right there every step of the way. Trust me, I've known him my whole life."

"I'm so scared. Will you go with me tomorrow to get one of those home pregnancy tests?" she asked. "I don't want to go alone, and I can't very well ask my mom."

Willow couldn't say no, not when her best friend looked to be one the verge of a nervous breakdown. "Sure. And I'll be there when you take it, too, if you need me to be." She glanced up, seeing Angel walking back to the table with Buffy's bottled water. "Angel's coming back. Better wipe your eyes."

As Angel sat back down, Willow couldn't stop herself from closely scrutinizing him. The handsome man across from her – the boy she grew up next door to – might be a father in eight months. It was hard for her to imagine the little boy who used to play Transformers and G.I. Joe in her basement as a dad. The mere thought of it boggled her mind.

The two teenage girls stood in front of the shelves in the pharmacy Saturday afternoon. In front of the them were dozens of different home pregnancy tests. Buffy stared wide-eyed, fear gripping her heart and leaving her stomach in knots. The reality of the situation was beginning to set in.

Willow shrugged her shoulders. "You're asking me? I have no clue. If it were me, I'd go with the name brand. You know, one of those ninety-nine percent accuracy tests. They say they're supposed to be more reliable."

The blonde nodded in agreement. "That makes perfect sense." Scanning her choices, Buffy grabbed a box. "EPT - The Error Proof Test. I can only hope. Come on, I want to get out of here before anyone sees us."

When they reached the checkout counter, the cashier gave Buffy a funny look as she scanned the pregnancy test. Though she desperately wanted to make a snide comment, Buffy bit her tongue. The last thing she wanted to do was draw any attention to herself. Handing the middle-aged woman her money, she took the bag from the lady's hand and practically ran out of the store.

In the parking lot, Willow reached into the paper bag and pulled out the box. "Um, Buffy, did you read the back of this before you bought it?" she wanted to know.

"What?" Snatching the box from her best friend, Buffy read the directions. And Willow was right. "Oh god. How am I supposed to wait until tomorrow morning to do this?"

The next twelve hours were pure torture for Buffy. Even with Willow there to keep her company and offer her support, she still couldn't stop thinking about it. There was a strong possibility she could be pregnant. With Angel's child. While that thought comforted her, it also frightened her beyond belief. Were they ready to be parents? Could they really support a child if she was, in fact, pregnant? Buffy wasn't so sure.

She turned her head around to face her best friend. The two of them sat on her bed watching an old movie on television. Too afraid to face Angel, Buffy had lied to him, telling him her mother wouldn't let her go out with him that night. "Sure, I guess."

"Have you given any thought about what you'll do if you're...you know, pregnant?" Willow wanted to know.

Buffy shook her head. Truth was, she hadn't thought about it. She figured she'd cross that bridge if and when she came to it. "Nope. I mean, I know I should be thinking about it. But I'm trying not to, you know? Thinking positively and hoping I'm not pregnant is all I've been doing since I suspected I might be."

"I haven't asked you this question, and you don't have to answer it if you don't want to," Willow started. "Do you want to have a baby?"

The blonde-haired girl closed her eyes, hanging her head. That question never crossed her mind. 'Do I want a baby?' she asked herself. "Someday, I guess. I do want children, but I don't know if I want them now. I always saw myself having kids when I was older. Much older; like, in my late-twenties. Not now. And I am pretty sure Angel feels the exact same way."

Willow couldn't stop herself from chuckling, despite the severity of the situation. "I spent a lot of time last night trying to picture Angel as a father. Just remembering him as a kid made me laugh. God, he was such a little brat."

"I wish I could have known him back then. I never got to see what he was like when he was a kid; I only know the charming, good-looking man he grew up to be," Buffy mused. "You're lucky you got to witness his transformation. I hope our child is just like him."

"If I take that test tomorrow morning and it comes back positive, I'll figure out what to do then. Right now I'm trying not to think about it. Because constantly dwelling on it just makes me want to cry," she admitted, trying to bite back tears.

At nine o'clock Sunday morning Buffy walked back into her bedroom. She'd just finished taking the home pregnancy test and had to wait ten minutes for the results. The night before she had gotten very little sleep, her mind wrapping itself around the idea of possibly being a mother in eight months. Between that and her nerves, Buffy had gotten about two hours of restful sleep.

Willow noticed how pale her best friend looked when she entered the room. She wanted to tell Buffy that Angel should be the one to go through this with her, but knew it would be a futile effort. Buffy was as stubborn as the day is long. Nothing she said would change the blonde's mind; Buffy was determined to face it alone.

"Moment of truth is nine-and-a-half minutes away," the girl muttered. "I don't know how I'm going to wait that long. I feel like my insides are going to burst."

Buffy glared at her. "Says those whose whole future *doesn't* rely on the results of a home pregnancy test at the age of seventeen. Will, I feel like I'm going to throw up."

"It's just nerves. Everything's going to be fine. Try to think happy thoughts," suggested Willow.

Dropping herself on the edge of the bed, Buffy tried to do as she was told. In her mind's eye she pictured Angel from the night of her seventeenth birthday. She could see him smiling nervously at her as he showed her the claddagh ring he'd bought her. His eyes were so full of love, she had known at that moment they would spend the rest of their lives together. She only hoped she was correct in that assumption.

Unconsciously, she began twirling the ring around her finger. "How many more minutes?"

"The longest five minutes of my life," Buffy said. "I am so scared. If I could go back to the night of my birthday, Willow, I'd do everything so differently. I wouldn't have pushed Angel into having sex. If I had only ignored my raging hormones, we wouldn't be here right now, I would not be taking a stupid home pregnancy test. If only I'd said no."

Willow put her arms around Buffy, trying her best to make her feel better. "There's no point in second guessing yourself, Buffy. You can't turn back the hands of time and change your actions."

"And I'm learning firsthand that all actions have consequences. Let me tell you, if that test comes back negative I'm never having sex again," Buffy swore.

"Never?" her friend questioned, her eyebrows raised in disbelief. She'd heard Buffy's stories about how wonderful it was, and how much she was missing by not having sex with Oz.

"Okay, maybe not *never*. But I'll wait until I'm married. And if Angel doesn't like it...well, too bad. I can't put myself through this again. Not for anyone, not even for him."

"I'm sure he'll understand. Angel loves you, he adores you. I have known him forever and he's never looked at any other girl the way he looks at you. He lives and breathes for you, I know he will wait until whenever you are ready."

They sat in silence, staring at the clock beside the bed. Every second seemed to drag on for hours, the waiting nearly driving the two of them insane. When the clock finally read nine-ten, Buffy started to tremble. It was the moment of truth.

Pursing her lips together, the blonde nodded once again and stood up. "As ready as I'll ever be."

As they reached the doorway, the two girls were greeted by a fuming Mrs. Summers. In her hand she held the white stick containing the results of Buffy's pregnancy test. "Would one of you please explain the meaning of this?" she demanded.

Buffy's face paled to a ghostly shade of white when she saw her mother standing in front of her holding the pregnancy test in her hand. 'Oh god oh god oh god,' she thought. 'That's it, my life is officially over. I'm dead, so dead.' "Mom, I-I can explain."

"This had better be one *hell* of an explanation," Mrs. Summers stated, glaring angrily at her teenage daughter.

Feeling uncomfortable, Willow shifted her weight from one foot to the other. In the back of her mind she knew she should stay and support her best friend, but her better judgement told her to leave. Willow did not want to face the wrath of Mrs. Summers. "Buffy, I think I-I'm gonna leave you two alone. I'll talk to you later."

"If I'm not grounded for life," the blonde mumbled. "Thanks a lot, Will. You being here means more than you know."

Willow smiled and grabbed her overnight bag before silently heading out of Buffy's bedroom. She didn't say a word to Mrs. Summers as she left, afraid of stirring up more trouble for her friend. She was in enough already.

She bit her bottom lip. "It's not what it looks like," she tried to explain lamely. But she knew her mother wasn't going to buy it.

Mrs. Summers raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Really? So you mean to tell me this isn't your pregnancy test? Is it Willow's?"

"Oh, so this is a school experiment, I take it. For Health class, possibly? Take a pregnancy test and see it turn out negative?"

"Not exactly, Buffy. I'm assuming this plus sign is an indication of pregnancy if that box in the garbage is correct," her mother told her. "Which begs the question of how it happened. Exactly why is my seventeen-year-old daughter is taking pregnancy tests?"

Looking down, Buffy felt ashamed. She never wanted to let her mother down, and it seemed as though she had. The test came out positive; she was pregnant. The one time she wanted the ground to swallow her whole and it wouldn't. She placed her palm flat on her stomach, which was now confirmed to be carrying her child. "I'm sorry. I didn't want you to find out this way."

"And Angel?" Mrs. Summers asked. "Why isn't he here instead of Willow to find out the results?"

Buffy frowned. "He doesn't know. I didn't want to freak him out if there was a chance I could be wrong. He'd have been so worried and stressed out about it."

"Was he the first?" she wanted to know, sitting herself on the bed next to her shell-shocked daughter. "Never mind, I don't want to know the answer to that. At least I don't think I do."

The teenager glanced up. "Yes, he was the first. The only. I could never imagine being with anyone else. We love each other, we waited for each other."

"And now you're going to be parents," the older woman said softly. "I'm gonna be a grandmother. Didn't you use any kind of protection when you were together?"

"We did, but not the first time. It was totally unplanned, neither one of us expected it to happen that night."

"A mother can tell these things, Buffy. There was something written on your face that told me my little girl wasn't so little anymore. Naively, I thought it was the ring Angel gave you. But now it seems he gave you more than a claddagh ring that night."

With all that had been revealed to her mother in the span of twenty minutes, Buffy fully expected to get the lecture of a lifetime. But Mrs. Summers was taking the news fairly well. "So does this mean you're not mad at me?"

"I wouldn't go that far. You...I don't expect you to tell me everything that goes on in your life, but some things are too important to keep to yourself. You're seventeen years old and having sex, you need to be more responsible. Don't you realize what could have happened to you? There are all kinds of diseases out there, Buffy, including HIV. Did you give that any thought?"

"It wouldn't have made a difference, Mom. Angel's never been with anyone else, and neither have I," she argued. Wasn't it a little late for her mother to be giving her the safe sex talk?

Mrs. Summers groaned in frustration. "That's not the point. It seems as though you didn't think things through. All actions have consequences, as I'm sure you're well aware of now. I'm very disappointed in you."

"I'm sorry," she apologized again, tears welling up in her green eyes. "I never wanted to disappoint you, but I can't do anything about it now. Like I told Willow Friday night, if I could take it back I would in a heartbeat. I can't and now I'm pregnant." Buffy paused, the realization of the situation finally setting in. "Oh god, I'm having a baby. Angel's baby."

She shrugged her shoulders. "I haven't given it any thought yet. I was hoping and praying I wouldn't have to tell him anything."

"Sounds like you haven't thought about a lot of things You two have some tough choices to make," her mother informed her. "I suggest you tell him soon before your options start to dwindle."

"Options? Are you talking about giving up my baby? Or having an abortion?" Buffy asked incredulously. It astounded her that her mother would even bring it up. "No way, Mom. I could never in a million years kill my baby, or hand it over to some stranger to raise. No. Not mine and Angel's baby; I love it."

"I'm not telling you to have an abortion, or to put this child up for adoption," Mrs. Summers clarified. "But you should give it the consideration it deserves. Buffy, you're only seventeen, and Angel's not even nineteen yet. Whatever you decide to do, it will be tough sledding. Having a baby is difficult and life-changing at any age, I can't imagine what it must be like for a teenager."

"Angel and I will find out together," Buffy swore. "We'll make it work, don't worry."

"Angel, can we talk?" Buffy asked her boyfriend cautiously on Sunday morning as she sat on the couch in his living room. Her boyfriend took a seat next to her, a look of concern playing upon his handsome features. He knew his girlfriend well enough to know something was bothering her.

"Sure. Is something going on? You're wearing dire face," Angel told her.

She frowned, her heart pounding so loud it sounded like a freight train running through her chest. The next few minutes were going to be the hardest of her life thus far. "I think maybe you'd better sit down for this."

"I'm already sitting."

"Oh. Then maybe you should get yourself something to drink," she suggested.

Angle gave her a strange look. "Okay, Buffy, now I know you're stalling. Spill. What is it?"

"I have something important to tell you, something that'll change both of our lives. And I don't know the right words to say it, so bear with me."

"Just say it."

She looked down, garnering the strength to tell him her important news. "Remember the night of my birthday? When we came back here and we...we made love?"

He smiled, recalling the night they lost their virginity to one another. "Of course I remember, Buffy. I'm not likely to forget that night anytime soon."

"Well, it seems you gave me an unexpected present that night. Angel, I'm pregnant."

"What?" he questioned. "How in the world is that possible?"

"I think we both know how it's possible. We didn't exactly use protection that first time. It wasn't as if we planned on doing it," she explained. "It just sort of happened."

Angel shook his head in disbelief. "You're pregnant. Are you absolutely sure? You didn't make a mistake, maybe?"

"I'm one hundred percent positive, Angel. I took one of those home pregnancy tests yesterday and it came back positive. And I haven't had my period since before my birthday. There's no mistake."

"So what are you going to do about it?" her boyfriend wanted to know.

"What?" Buffy asked. "What are you talking about?"

"I asked you what you're gonna do about it. This is your problem, not mine."

Buffy couldn't believe Angel was saying these things to her. Didn't he care that she was pregnant with his child? "This is your baby, too. We have to make this decision together."

"Do whatever you want to do, Buffy. I don't particularly care."

Tears threatened to fall from her green eyes; his reaction was like a nightmare come to life. "How can you not care? This child I'm carrying is half you, half me. You can't just toss off of the responsibility on me. I can't do this alone, Angel."

He sighed. "Look, it ain't my fault you got pregnant. You're the one who pushed me to have sex; I wanted to stop but, you were *so* insistent. So don't go blaming me for this, or expect me to take care of everything for you. You're a big girl, you can make your own decisions."

"Why are you being so mean?"

"I'm not being mean, I'm being realistic. Come on, are you really ready to have a kid?" Angel asked her. "Be completely honest."

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. But we can do it together, I know we can. I want to have this baby; it binds us together forever."

"Did you ever think maybe I don't want to be bound to you forever?" Angel demanded. "Think about it. What good are you going to be when you're as big as a house, barely able to wobble through the front door? Face it, Buffy, a kid at our age is way too much trouble."

"What are you saying? You want me to have an abortion?"

"Do whatever you want. Just keep me out of it," he told her. "I don't want anything to do with this."

Buffy woke up in a cold sweat. She glanced around the room, the first rays of sunlight beginning to stream through her bedroom window. 'It was only a dream. I really bad dream verging on a nightmare,' she thought. But that realization didn't make her feel any better.

She'd never given any consideration to the possibility of Angel breaking up with her over her pregnancy. No, she figured he would be shocked at first, but then would grow to love the idea of them having a baby together. Like she did. There was no way Buffy could live with herself if she terminated the pregnancy. She loved hers and Angel's baby.

'He's going to tell me to have an abortion, I just know it,' Buffy said to herself. 'I can't do it. I can't. Not even for him. But what he doesn't know won't hurt him.'

"Buffy!" Mrs. Summers called, knocking on her daughter's bedroom door. It was ten in the morning and the teenager had yet to make an appearance. "Come on, sleepy head, wake up. If you don't get up now you'll never get to sleep tonight. And then you'll be cranky tomorrow."

No answer. Rolling her eyes and sighing, she opened the door to look in on Buffy. What she found nearly gave her a heart attack � an empty bedroom. Her daughter's belongings were strewn all over the floor and bed, dresser drawers wide open and clothes laying in piles on the carpeted floor. An envelope on the bed caught Mrs. Summers' attention.

Making her way over to the bed, she avoided tripping. With a shaking hand she picked up the envelope and opened it, finding a handwritten letter inside.

I'm sure you're wondering what's going on. And to tell you the truth, I'm not even sure. I don't know. One thing I do know is that I've disappointed you; I am not the daughter you wanted me to be. You deserve better than a pregnant seventeen-year-old. You deserve a daughter like Willow, not me.

So I'm leaving. I don't know where I'll go, but I'll let you know when I get there. Maybe I'll be back. I haven't decided yet. I just need some time to clear out my head, think things through. One thing I am sure about is that I am keeping this baby. Nothing could keep me from having Angel's baby. Nothing.

I'm asking you to do me one favor. Please, whatever you do, don't tell Angel. I'm not ready to face him yet. Or ever, possibly. He'll just try to convince me to give it up, or get rid of it. I couldn't do that. The last thing I need is someone else pressuring me and telling me what to do. I have enough to worry about.

Tell people I ran away; tell them I went to live with some relatives on the other side of the country. I don't care. Just don't tell them about the baby, not even Willow. She'll only tell Angel, and he'll only hate me. It's better this way, trust me.

I love you, Mom. And if you ever want to see me again (and your grandchild), you won't tell anyone my secret.

"What do you mean she ran away?" Mr. Summers demanded when his ex-wife called him an hour after she discovered Buffy had run away. "Are you sure she isn't just with her boyfriend? Or with one of her friends?"

"Well, Hank, let's weigh the evidence, shall we? Her clothes are gone and so is Mr. Gordo. None of her friends have heard from her since yesterday and, oh yeah, she left a note saying she'd run away. What do you think?"

"You need to calm down and breathe. It's probably just a ploy to get attention. Remember when she was eight and she tried to run away? She made it as far as the playground at the end of the block."

Mrs. Summers rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. "Buffy's not eight years old anymore, she's seventeen. Trust me, she means business this time. She's gone."

She couldn't get over how unconcerned her ex-husband sounded. Didn't he care that their daughter had taken off to parts unknown? "No, we didn't have a fight! Why do you automatically assume the worst of me?"

"Yeah, whatever you say. At least I have a relationship with our daughter. Look, Hank, now is not the time to be picking a fight with me over trivial matters. I called you because I had a feeling Buffy might have contacted you, or come by."

"Well, I haven't heard anything about this," he answered. "And she certainly hasn't tried to call me."

"How can you be so cavalier about this?" she practically yelled into the phone. "This is our daughter we're talking about! Buffy is out there, alone, with no one to take care of her."

He shook his head and rolled his eyes. As usual, his ex-wife was overreacting. "Did you try to get in touch with her boyfriend?" Mr. Summers wanted to know. "From what I understand, those two are always together."

"Why not? Did you call him and find out for a fact? Or is he the reason she took off?"

"Pregnant!" he exploded. "She's seventeen years old, Joyce! How in the world could you let something like this happen?"

'The nerve of him!' she thought angrily. "How could I let this happen? Excuse me, but am I supposed to have her under watch twenty-four hours a day? I can't. I have to work to support the two of us because someone neglected to pay child support for the last three months! So don't you *dare* blame this on me."

"Gee, did you give any thought to maybe her running off with her boyfriend? For all you know, they could be halfway to Mexico to get married."

Mrs. Summers groaned. "I wish you'd show some concern for our daughter's well-being. And no, she didn't run off with Angel. He doesn't even know about the baby. Buffy was afraid to tell him."

"You weren't here when she found out, Hank. I brought up the subject of abortion and she freaked. No, Buffy wouldn't terminate her pregnancy. And she left specific instructions not to tell Angel about it. She ran off to raise the baby by herself, I just know it. We have to find her; she can't do it alone," Mrs. Summers argued.

"Joyce, she'll come back. Pretty soon she will realize the mess she got herself into and walk through that door with her tail between her legs. Don't worry about it."

"I should have known you'd react like this. Just call me if you hear from her." Without bothering to say goodbye, she hung up the telephone.

At noon, the sound of the doorbell caused Mrs. Summers to jump from the living room couch excitedly. It was Buffy; it had to be. She'd been gone for hours; hadn't called home or any of her friends. Mrs. Summers wanted it to be her daughter at the door, and pushed all bad thoughts out of her head. Her baby was fine, she was coming home.

Who she found on the other side of the door disappointed her. It was not Buffy, but her boyfriend. "Angel." She tried not to sound surprised. 'Why am I surprised? He's Buffy's boyfriend. The father of her baby. Her baby. I can't tell him about the baby,' she reminded herself.

Angel smiled at her. "Hi, Mrs. Summers. I'm sorry for not calling before I came over, but I wanted to surprise Buffy. I was hoping to take her out for lunch."

Mrs. Summers couldn't take it any longer. Tears finally made their way down her cheeks like water from a dam. "I don't know w-when she'll be coming back. O-Or if she's *ever* coming back." Her legs began to crumble beneath her.

Angel managed to catch his girlfriend's mother in his arms before she fell to the ground. He guided the older woman into the living room, where he gently sat her on the couch. "Do you want something to drink?"

"No. I just want my baby back. Angel, I'm so worried about her. What if something bad happened to her? What if someone tried to hurt her?"

"Wherever she is, I'm sure she's fine. You and I both know how tough and stubborn she can be. But what I don't understand is why Buffy ran way," Angel stated. "Everything seemed to be fine. I know she hasn't been feeling like herself lately, but I never thought she'd run away from home. Mrs. Summers, what happened?"

'You got my daughter pregnant! That's what happened!' she thought. As much as she wanted to scream and yell at Angel for getting her teenage daughter pregnant, Mrs. Summers couldn't get the words out of her mouth. In the year-and-a-half he and Buffy had been dating, she thought of the eighteen year old as the son she never had. She couldn't bring herself to blame him for Buffy running away from home. It was solely her choice. He didn't have a clue as to why. And per Buffy's instructions, he wasn't to know. She wasn't about to risk never seeing her daughter and grandchild again. "She was okay yesterday. We had a talk and I know she was going through some personal stuff, but it never crossed my mind that she'd run away over it. When I w-woke up this morning, she was gone."

Mrs. Summers nodded. "It said not to look for her; that she'd call me soon and let me know she's okay. God, I'm so scared. I might not see her ever again."

"I'm sure she's fine. Did you call her father? Maybe she went to Los Angeles to stay with him."

"I called him, not that it did any good. He hasn't heard from her. I'm sure he'll call me when he hears anything."

Angel wasn't one to sit around and wait for things to happen. He'd always been a man of action. So he got up and headed for the front door.