Author: Michelle
Email: michellabella52478@yahoo.com
Notes: Check it out, another AU fic from me! Surprise surprise. A big
thanks to Jo, Pamela, August, Carrie, Shannon and Krystal for being my unoffical
beta-readers.
When the doorbell rang at quarter to three, Margaret Brennan practically jumped from her position on the couch to answer it. "That must be Angel and his date. I wonder who he brought with him."
"Has he been seeing anyone recently? I know he hasn't been doing much dating since he and Drusilla broke up," Alexis commented.
"Not that I know of. I'm just happy he's putting himself out there again." She walked over to the front door and opened it, seeing her only son standing on the other side. "Hiya, honey. I thought you were going to be here half an hour ago."
"Sorry," Angel apologized. "We were running a bit behind."
"Who is your date? We've been sitting here in suspense since Friday afternoon."
Angel smiled at his mother and moved to the left to reveal his date. "I think you already know her."
Mrs. Brennan stood with a shocked expression on her face when she saw the blonde woman standing at the door. "Oh my lord. Buffy Summers."
"Hi, Mrs. Brennan. It's nice to see you after so many years," Buffy greeted.
"Same here. Please, come in." After Buffy entered, Mrs. Brennan grabbed her son's arm as he was walking through the door. "Angel? Care to explain?"
He gave his mother a kiss on the cheek. "I will. Don't worry, I'm not setting myself up for a fall. I know what I'm doing, Mom."
"Who's that?" five-year-old Steven asked, pointing at Buffy.
"That, Steven, is my girlfriend," Angel answered his nephew. "Her name is Buffy."
'Hell hath frozen over,' Alexis thought. 'Buffy Summers is back.'
Edward Brennan got off his chair and ran over to hug the young woman. He'd always thought of her as a second daughter, and knew she thought of him as the father she never had during the four years she and Angel dated. "Buffy. You look lovely."
"Thank you. You look great yourself."
"You and Angel are seeing each other again?" he asked.
Mr. Brennan's questions seemed to put her at ease. She knew he wasn't trying to pry and was genuinely happy to see her; she didn't get that feeling from Angel's mother or sister. "You could say that. We reconnected at the reunion a few weeks ago and I'm in the process of moving back here."
The tall, dark-haired man sitting next to Alexis stood up and extended his arm toward her. "We haven't met before, but I've seen pictures of you. I'm Brad Nelson, Alexis' husband."
Buffy shook his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Angel's told me a little bit about you."
"Speaking of husbands," Alexis began, speaking for the first time since her brother arrived, "don't you have one?"
"Lexie…" Angel warned.
"Yes, I do. We're separated at the moment and I have filed for an annulment. Griffin isn't the same man I married six years ago. Shortly after the reunion I realized how much I still love Angel and how unhappy my marriage was. I made a mistake and now I'm fixing it."
Sensing a bit of underlying hostility between Alexis and Buffy, Mr. Brennan thought it best to change the subject. "It's a beautiful day outside. Why don't we all sit in the backyard," he suggested.
"Angel, I need your help with the hot dogs and hamburgers," his father said to him shortly before dinner was to be served.
Angel got up, heading to the grill where his father stood preparing the family's meal. "No problem. What do you need me to help with?"
"Nothing really. I just wanted to talk to you in private."
Rolling his eyes, he flipped a hamburger. "Let me take a wild guess here. You want to talk to me about Buffy. Well, get in line behind Mom and Lexie." Angel glanced back at the other family members, seeing Steven sitting on Buffy's lap. "It looks like Steven's taken a liking to her. Did you hear him ask if he should call her Aunt Buffy? I thought Lexie's eyes would fall out of their sockets."
"She's the one, isn't she, Angel?" Mr. Brennan started. "Buffy is your married woman."
"What?"
"You heard me. I can put two and two together. You told me you slept with a married woman a few weeks back, now out of the blue Buffy Summers is back in your life. And she's separated from her husband, no less."
Angel sighed. "Yes. It was her. It happened after the reunion. She and her husband got into an argument and he left here there. I offered to let her spend the night in one of my spare rooms. It wasn't something I planned; we got to talking, one thing led to another and we slept together. Buffy told me she was leaving her husband, but she sent me a letter a few days later telling me she'd decided to give him a second chance. I figured that was the end of it until she showed up at my door Monday night."
"I don't mean to sound harsh, but what makes you think she will stay this time?" Mr. Brennan wanted to know.
"Because I've given her every opportunity to go back to Griffin Montgomery and she hasn't. This is it, Dad. Buffy and I are in it for the long haul."
"Edward and I were very saddened to hear of your mother's death," Mrs. Brennan said to Buffy while her husband and son were flipping the hamburgers and hot dogs. "We were in Florida at the time and didn't find out until we returned a month later."
Buffy solemnly nodded. "Thank you, Mrs. Brennan."
"Please, you have known me for fourteen years, Buffy. I think it's time you started calling me Margaret. I have a feeling you'll be a member of this family if my Angel has anything to say about it."
"I hope so."
"Now, I don't recall Joyce ever mentioning she was ill. She had a brain tumor, correct?" she questioned. "Her obituary said it was a short illness."
"Uh-huh. It happened really quickly. She found out just weeks before I got married and passed away a few months later. Mom had had surgery to remove the tumor and we all thought she'd be fine. Then I got a call saying she'd suffered an aneurysm. The doctor said it happened so suddenly that he doubted she felt any pain whatsoever."
Mrs. Brennan patted her knee. "You don't have to talk about it if it hurts too much."
"It does still hurt. Mostly because she was so young when it happened…and I never got a chance to say goodbye to her."
"Dinner's ready!" Angel announced.
Everyone got up and filed to the grill, Buffy and Alexis bringing up the rear. "What's your game this time, Buffy?" the older woman demanded.
"What game? I don't know what you are talking about, Lexie."
"The game you are playing with my brother. Is toying with Angel's heart your idea of fun?"
"Of course it isn't. I love your brother more than anything."
Alexis gave her a sarcastic smile. "Yeah, sure. You may have him fooled, but not me. I can see right through you. Don't you dare break his heart again. You don't know what he was like last time; I do. I was the one left picking up the pieces."
"I am not going to hurt Angel. You have my word," Buffy swore.
"Your word, that's really comforting. Let me make one thing very clear, Buffy. You and I aren't friends, we'll never be friends again after what you did. I don't trust you. And if you hurt my little brother this time around, I'll make your life a living hell."
Sunday afternoon rolled around much too quickly for Buffy. After spending Friday night and most of Saturday morning in bed with Angel, she felt as if she could conquer the world. But as soon as she woke up on Sunday, a sense of dread filled her. She was going to be re-introduced to his family as the woman in his life, and she feared their reaction given the circumstances of their breakup ten years earlier. Would Angel's parents hold her responsible for him leaving only days after graduation? Would they blame her for his unhappiness that first year of college? Or would they simply slam the door in her face?
Angel walked into the room he'd converted into an office, finding Buffy staring at the computer monitor. "I was wondering where you went to."
"I wanted to start working on my column for next week. I promised Beth I'd fax a copy to her by tomorrow afternoon so it'll be ready for Thursday's edition," she told him.
"You know, we never really talked about what you'll do about your writing once you finalize the move out here," he said.
She nodded, agreeing with him. "I know we haven't. Angel, I love my job and I don't want to quit."
"You know I'd never ask you to do that. But don't you think it'll be difficult to write for the Wichita Press when you live in Sunnydale, California?"
"I don't think so. My weekly column is about life. No necessarily about my life, but how I see things and the world around me. I have a pretty loyal fan base and I'm sure they'll love reading about life in Sunnydale."
"For your opening line you can tell them there isn't any corn," Angel suggested.
Buffy groaned at him. "That is such a big misconception. Kansas is not the corn state, Nebraska is. I thought you passed History and Geography."
"I did. But that was over a decade ago. I'm lucky I remembered that Kansas is one of the ones in the middle."
"Very astute of you." She stood up and smirked at him.
"Are you ready to go? We were supposed to be at my parents' house twenty minutes ago," he told her.
Her face fell and her heart pounded with nervousness. "Maybe you'd better go without me. I've got a lot of work to do if I'm going to have this article written by tomorrow afternoon. I still have to write the first draft, edit, revise, proofread…"
"Forget it, Buffy. Nice try, but you're still coming with me."
"I can't. I-I'm not dressed for it."
Angel took a hold of her hand, rubbing it reassuringly. "What you're wearing is fine; it's not a black tie event. Now let's go."
Swallowing her pride, Buffy nodded slowly. "Okay. But I'm scared."
"Don't be scared. They loved you ten years ago and they'll love you again today."
When the doorbell rang at quarter to three, Margaret Brennan practically jumped from her position on the couch to answer it. "That must be Angel and his date. I wonder who he brought with him."
"Has he been seeing anyone recently? I know he hasn't been doing much dating since he and Drusilla broke up," Alexis commented.
"Not that I know of. I'm just happy he's putting himself out there again." She walked over to the front door and opened it, seeing her only son standing on the other side. "Hiya, honey. I thought you were going to be here half an hour ago."
"Sorry," Angel apologized. "We were running a bit behind."
"Who is your date? We've been sitting here in suspense since Friday afternoon."
Angel smiled at his mother and moved to the left to reveal his date. "I think you already know her."
Mrs. Brennan stood with a shocked expression on her face when she saw the blonde woman standing at the door. "Oh my lord. Buffy Summers."
"Hi, Mrs. Brennan. It's nice to see you after so many years," Buffy greeted.
"Same here. Please, come in." After Buffy entered, Mrs. Brennan grabbed her son's arm as he was walking through the door. "Angel? Care to explain?"
He gave his mother a kiss on the cheek. "I will. Don't worry, I'm not setting myself up for a fall. I know what I'm doing, Mom."
"Who's that?" five-year-old Steven asked, pointing at Buffy.
"That, Steven, is my girlfriend," Angel answered his nephew. "Her name is Buffy."
'Hell hath frozen over,' Alexis thought. 'Buffy Summers is back.'
Edward Brennan got off his chair and ran over to hug the young woman. He'd always thought of her as a second daughter, and knew she thought of him as the father she never had during the four years she and Angel dated. "Buffy. You look lovely."
"Thank you. You look great yourself."
"You and Angel are seeing each other again?" he asked.
Mr. Brennan's questions seemed to put her at ease. She knew he wasn't trying to pry and was genuinely happy to see her; she didn't get that feeling from Angel's mother or sister. "You could say that. We reconnected at the reunion a few weeks ago and I'm in the process of moving back here."
The tall, dark-haired man sitting next to Alexis stood up and extended his arm toward her. "We haven't met before, but I've seen pictures of you. I'm Brad Nelson, Alexis' husband."
Buffy shook his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Angel's told me a little bit about you."
"Speaking of husbands," Alexis began, speaking for the first time since her brother arrived, "don't you have one?"
"Lexie…" Angel warned.
"Yes, I do. We're separated at the moment and I have filed for an annulment. Griffin isn't the same man I married six years ago. Shortly after the reunion I realized how much I still love Angel and how unhappy my marriage was. I made a mistake and now I'm fixing it."
Sensing a bit of underlying hostility between Alexis and Buffy, Mr. Brennan thought it best to change the subject. "It's a beautiful day outside. Why don't we all sit in the backyard," he suggested.
"Angel, I need your help with the hot dogs and hamburgers," his father said to him shortly before dinner was to be served.
Angel got up, heading to the grill where his father stood preparing the family's meal. "No problem. What do you need me to help with?"
"Nothing really. I just wanted to talk to you in private."
Rolling his eyes, he flipped a hamburger. "Let me take a wild guess here. You want to talk to me about Buffy. Well, get in line behind Mom and Lexie." Angel glanced back at the other family members, seeing Steven sitting on Buffy's lap. "It looks like Steven's taken a liking to her. Did you hear him ask if he should call her Aunt Buffy? I thought Lexie's eyes would fall out of their sockets."
"She's the one, isn't she, Angel?" Mr. Brennan started. "Buffy is your married woman."
"What?"
"You heard me. I can put two and two together. You told me you slept with a married woman a few weeks back, now out of the blue Buffy Summers is back in your life. And she's separated from her husband, no less."
Angel sighed. "Yes. It was her. It happened after the reunion. She and her husband got into an argument and he left here there. I offered to let her spend the night in one of my spare rooms. It wasn't something I planned; we got to talking, one thing led to another and we slept together. Buffy told me she was leaving her husband, but she sent me a letter a few days later telling me she'd decided to give him a second chance. I figured that was the end of it until she showed up at my door Monday night."
"I don't mean to sound harsh, but what makes you think she will stay this time?" Mr. Brennan wanted to know.
"Because I've given her every opportunity to go back to Griffin Montgomery and she hasn't. This is it, Dad. Buffy and I are in it for the long haul."
"Edward and I were very saddened to hear of your mother's death," Mrs. Brennan said to Buffy while her husband and son were flipping the hamburgers and hot dogs. "We were in Florida at the time and didn't find out until we returned a month later."
Buffy solemnly nodded. "Thank you, Mrs. Brennan."
"Please, you have known me for fourteen years, Buffy. I think it's time you started calling me Margaret. I have a feeling you'll be a member of this family if my Angel has anything to say about it."
"I hope so."
"Now, I don't recall Joyce ever mentioning she was ill. She had a brain tumor, correct?" she questioned. "Her obituary said it was a short illness."
"Uh-huh. It happened really quickly. She found out just weeks before I got married and passed away a few months later. Mom had had surgery to remove the tumor and we all thought she'd be fine. Then I got a call saying she'd suffered an aneurysm. The doctor said it happened so suddenly that he doubted she felt any pain whatsoever."
Mrs. Brennan patted her knee. "You don't have to talk about it if it hurts too much."
"It does still hurt. Mostly because she was so young when it happened…and I never got a chance to say goodbye to her."
"Dinner's ready!" Angel announced.
Everyone got up and filed to the grill, Buffy and Alexis bringing up the rear. "What's your game this time, Buffy?" the older woman demanded.
"What game? I don't know what you are talking about, Lexie."
"The game you are playing with my brother. Is toying with Angel's heart your idea of fun?"
"Of course it isn't. I love your brother more than anything."
Alexis gave her a sarcastic smile. "Yeah, sure. You may have him fooled, but not me. I can see right through you. Don't you dare break his heart again. You don't know what he was like last time; I do. I was the one left picking up the pieces."
"I am not going to hurt Angel. You have my word," Buffy swore.
"Your word, that's really comforting. Let me make one thing very clear, Buffy. You and I aren't friends, we'll never be friends again after what you did. I don't trust you. And if you hurt my little brother this time around, I'll make your life a living hell."
"What do you make of this new turn of events, honey?" Mrs. Brennan asked her daughter while they were cleaning up the dishes after dinner.
"You mean Buffy and Angel?" Alexis wanted to know.
"Of course! What did you think I meant?"
Alexis shrugged her shoulders. "I was hoping you were talking about something else, like maybe the events in the Middle East."
Sighing, her mother dropped the cup she was holding into the dishwater. "Okay, I'm sensing you aren't happy that your brother and Buffy have worked things out. You used to be their biggest supporter."
"'Used to be' being the operative phrase there, Mom. Yes, I wanted them to get together; hell, I practically pushed Angel to ask her out. I loved Buffy like a little sister and I saw how Angel felt about her. And then she broke his heart in a million pieces. I'm sorry, but I will never be able to forgive her for that," she explained.
"It was ten years ago."
"I'm aware of that. I've never been one to forgive and forget." She shook her head. "Don't you remember what Angel was like when he got home that night? Or the days following? He was devastated that she didn't want to marry him."
"Yes, I remember. But try to look at it from Buffy's point of view."
Alexis glared out the kitchen window, watching Buffy braid Emily's hair. It made her sick to see her act as if she were a member of the family. "Truthfully, I don't want to see things from her point of view. There's no excuse for what she did."
"She was only eighteen, Alexis Jane," Mrs. Brennan reminded her thirty-year-old daughter. "Not everybody is ready for marriage right out of high school. Your brother overreacted when she said no; he took off without waiting for an explanation."
"You're taking her side? What kind of a mother are you?" Alexis demanded, her brown eyes wide and her hands on her hips.
"I don't appreciate that tone of voice. You may be the mother of two, but I won't hesitate to take you over my knee in front of them," she warned.
Rolling her eyes, she let out a deep breath she'd been holding. "Sorry, Mom. But I still don't understand why you're taking Buffy's side over your own son's."
"This isn't about taking sides; I happen to know what she went through when Angel proposed because I went through the same thing. We were the same age, fresh out of high school. Do you think I said yes to your father right away? No. It took me days to finally say yes. I wasn't sure if I was ready and your father was kind enough to give me the time I needed. Now I can't speak for Buffy, but I can guess she knew she wasn't ready yet. That doesn't mean she didn't want to marry him eventually. Your brother jumped to the wrong conclusion when she said no, and took off. He made a mistake."
"No. Marrying her will be his biggest mistake."
Mrs. Brennan frowned at her daughter's remark. "Alexis, Angel is old enough to make his own decisions. I haven't seen him this happy in ten years. Allow him his happiness."
"Mom, can Steven and I sleep over Uncle Angel's house tonight?" Emily asked at eight o'clock when Buffy and Angel were getting ready to leave.
"I don't know, Em. Your uncle might have other plans."
She shook her head vigorously. "Oh no, he already told us we could. And Aunt Buffy said she'd give me a makeover. Please, Mom?"
'I don't want Buffy anywhere near my daughter. It's bad enough she's got Emily calling her Aunt Buffy,' Alexis thought. "Maybe some other time."
"Lexie, it's fine with us if Emily and Steven sleep over. I was actually hoping they would," Angel told his sister.
Brad came up behind Alexis, putting his arms around her. "Aren't you the one who's always complaining that we never get any time alone? Just let the kids stay over at your brother's place. Besides, you know how much they love it over there. And they'll just whine if you don't let them."
Seeing the pleading gazes in her children's eyes, she relented. "All right. But you two better be good for your uncle and his…and Buffy. If I get one bad report, that'll be the last time you stay over there. No more sleepovers ever."
Cheering, the two kids went running down the hall to the bedroom they were sharing. "They'll be fine at my house," promised Angel. "They always are."
"Yeah, I'm sure they will be. They have certainly taken a liking to Buffy."
Having heard Alexis' comment, Buffy stated, "I'm glad. I love kids, and it'll be fun having a few around tonight."
"If you love kids so much, why don't you have any with your husband?"
"Alexis!" Brad exclaimed, shocked by her question.
"No, it's okay, Brad. You want to know why Griffin and I don't have any kids? Because he didn't want any," she answered shortly, not liking Alexis' tone. "Is there anything else you want to know about my marriage while we're on the subject?"
Alexis took a step toward her. "As a matter of fact, yes there is. What's the real reason you're getting a divorce?"
"Stop this right now," Angel demanded.
"Angel, you don't have to stick up for me," Buffy told him. "First off, I'm not getting divorced, I'm having my marriage annulled. There *is* a difference. And I left him for personal reasons I don't care to get into right now."
"What? Fidelity became too hard?"
"Because he hit me!" she blurted out. "Are you happy now, Lexie? Does that bring a smile to your face? Does it brighten your day?"
The revelation surprised Alexis; it was the last thing she expected to hear. She couldn't imagine Buffy letting any man hit her. "I didn't know. I'm sorry, Buffy."
"I hope so," growled her brother.
Buffy placed her hand on his arm, hoping to calm him down. "Angel, please. Not here, not now. Besides, I just want to go home."
"Okay."
Emily and Steven ran into the room, each of them carrying a duffel bag.
"Ready!" they shouted.
Angel knelt down to their level. "Do you two monsters have everything you need? Toothbrushes, underwear, first aid kits?" he asked.
Watching the exchange, Buffy smiled to herself. 'He is so great with kids. I'm sure he'll want a whole brood of them. Little Angels running around…now there's an image.' "First aid kits? Am I missing something here?"
"For the pillow fight to end all pillow fights," Angel informed her. "I'm the reigning champ."
"No way!" Emily argued. "I'm gonna beat your sorry butt this year."
Buffy laughed. "Hey, Emily, how about we make it boys against girls this year. I think the two of us can give those two losers a run for their money."
"We're not losers!" complained Steven. "Are we, Uncle Angel?"
"Nope. We're gonna wipe the floor with them."
"Yeah!" Steven shouted.
Emily looked at Buffy and grinned. "I'm in. Can we go now?"
"Sure. Say goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa first."
After the kids said their goodbyes, Mrs. Brennan approached Buffy, handing her a piece of paper. "Here's the phone number for my doctor, just like you asked. She's excellent, but you should give her a call first thing tomorrow if you want an appointment anytime soon. Dr. Valenti gets very busy."
"Thank you so much, I'll be sure to call tomorrow. It's been so long since I've had a physical, now is as good a time as any."
The next morning, a very tired-looking Emily shuffled into the kitchen, her light brown hair rumpled from sleeping. Buffy laughed when she laid eyes on the little girl. "You look awfully tired this morning, Emily. Didn't you sleep well?"
"No, not really."
"Don't tell me you're still afraid of this house. It's not really haunted, you know," her uncle teased as he cooked their breakfast.
Emily shook her head and scrunched her nose. "I don't believe in ghosts, Uncle Angel. Mom told me there are no such things. She says you made it all up to scare me."
"And to think your mother used to be fun," he said with a light-hearted laugh. "I think you're old enough to hear what your mother used to do to me when *I* was nine."
With a roll of her eyes, Buffy sighed. The last thing Emily Nelson needed to hear were horror stories about her mother. "Angel, don't. She's too young. In ten years she'll still be too young." She turned her attention to the nine-year-old sitting across the table from her.
"How come you didn't sleep well last night? Did your brother keep you up?"
"No. I couldn't sleep because it was loud."
"Loud?" Angel repeated, confused by her answer. "Is your little brother a snorer?"
Emily giggled. "Nuh-huh, Uncle Angel. It was loud in your room. You guys sleep really loud. Were you having a bad dream? 'Cause that's what Mommy says is wrong when she and Daddy are really loud at night."
Buffy and Angel exchanged embarrassed smiles. 'Dammit,' she thought to herself. 'I knew we shouldn't have made love last night.' "That's it exactly, Emily. I had a bad dream. And when I have one, I like to toss and turn a lot."
"Oh, okay. Do you have any Pop Tarts?" she wanted to know.
"Sorry, we're all out," her uncle answered. "But I think I might have some Cocoa Krispies left. You don't want any eggs?"
"No thank you. I've tasted your eggs. I think I'll stick with cereal." With mock hurt, Angel tossed a towel at his niece's head.
"Angel, I want to apologize for Alexis' behavior yesterday evening," Brad started later that day when he stopped by the house to pick up Emily and Steven. "She had no right to say those things about Buffy."
"Don't worry about it. Lexie hasn't exactly been Buffy's biggest fan over the past decade. You'd figure by now she would be willing to forgive and forget. I guess not."
Brad laughed at the comment. "You got that right. Believe me, that woman knows how to hold a grudge. But the thing is, I don't understand why she's so upset about Buffy returning. The way she tells it, they were the best of friends in high school."
"Yeah, they were. When Buffy first moved to Sunnydale, the two of them hit it off immediately; that entire summer the three of us were inseparable. In fact, Alexis knew how I felt about Buffy before I even did. She convinced me to act on my feelings and ended up being our biggest supporter. If it wasn't for her, I doubt Buffy and I would have ever gotten together."
"And then you two broke up and she blamed Buffy for it," he deduced.
"Yep. The breakup was due to my own stupidity, I know that now. But I don't think my sister thinks of it that way. She put all the blame on Buffy when it really belonged on me. I was the one who walked away, and when I couldn't deal with the prospect of seeing her, I ran away."
Frowning, Brad nodded in understanding. "You were only eighteen, it isn't like you knew any better at the time."
"Exactly. I've put the past behind me. Now I hope Alexis can do the same."
"She will. Just give her some time."
"Well, she had better. Because as soon as those annulment papers are finalized, I plan on asking Buffy to marry me. I'm hoping she'll say yes this time around," Angel said.
"I think that woman out there knows how lucky she is. I can almost guarantee she'll say yes. I don't see Buffy as the string 'em along type," Brad commented.
Angel smiled. "No, she's not."
Two weeks later, Doctor Sheila Valenti sat in the examining room with Buffy. It was the woman's first visit and they were going over Buffy's family history prior to her physical.
"Any history of heart or lung disease?" the doctor wanted to know.
Buffy shook her head. "Not on my mom's side. I don't know about my dad's side. Hell, I don't know much of anything about my father's side of the family."
"How come?"
"It's kind of a long story. The shorter version is that I only met my father twice – once when I was a kid and again five years ago when my mother died. The only thing I know about him is his name," she explained.
"I see. You said your mother died; how? She wasn't very old, was she?" She looked down; talking about her mother's illness was never easy for her. "She was in her early forties. She had an aneurysm as a result of a brain tumor."
Scribbling on her sheet of paper, Dr. Valenti nodded. "I see. How long as she ill for?"
"Six months at the most. It happened very suddenly. I consider it to be a blessing that she went quickly and painlessly."
"Sometimes it is a blessing. Well, I think I have all I need for now. Your former physician in Wichita is forwarding your file to me; if I have any further questions I will call you. But I do need some blood work."
"Why?"
"I require all of my new patients to have complete blood work done. That way I can run any necessary tests at once. We can do it right now or wait until tomorrow morning, it's up to you," the doctor told her.
Buffy shuddered, imagining the needle she'd be pricked with. "I guess now would be a good time to mention my fear of needles."
"Don't worry. I'll make it as painless as possible."
She took a deep breath. "Okay. Do you mind if I ask what kind of tests you'll be running?"
"Just the usual. Trust me, Buffy, it's nothing to be concerned about. If there is anything out of the ordinary, I'll let you know right away."
"Did your doctor's appointment go well?" Angel asked Buffy when she returned home an hour later.
Shrugging her shoulders, she made a beeline for the refrigerator and pulled out a can of Diet Pepsi. She opened it and took a swig. "It was okay. I don't love doctors any more than I did before. But it didn't kill me. Dr. Valenti seems like a nice lady."
"She is. Mom has been going to her for years and swears by her." He noticed a bandage on the inside of Buffy's right elbow. "What's that?" Buffy groaned. "I had to get blood work done."
"And I'm sensing by your tone of voice that you still hate needles," Angel noted. "But everything's okay, right?"
"Yeah. Dr. Valenti said it's standard procedure, not that it made me any happier about it. Oh well. At least it's over. No more doctors for quite some time."
Later that night, the two of them sat on the couch watching television. They had been watching a show on Channel 7 when all of a sudden Buffy turned it off. "What did you do that for?" Angel complained. "I was watching that."
"It was a repeat. Besides, I think right now would be a good time to talk," she told him.
"About what?"
"I don't know. Anything. You know, we never really talked about what happened to each other in college. Now might be a good time."
Angel's pulse quickened; the last thing he wanted to talk about was college. "Buffy, maybe that's not such a great idea."
"Why not? Come on, don't be such a baby, college wasn't that bad, was it? I'll even start. Ask me anything."
Against his better judgement, he gave in. 'I know this is going to come back and bite me in the ass. But I guess Buffy will find out eventually. The sooner the better.' "Okay. Willow mentioned a little bit about freshman year while we were at the reunion. Some guy you dated named Parker…I'm curious about what happened between you two."
"Ugh," she moaned in disgust. "Do I really have to talk about Parker Abrams? Getting involved with him wasn't one of the brightest things I've ever done in my life."
He could see the flicker of pain as it flashed across her face. "He hurt you, didn't he?"
Buffy nodded her head. "Big time. He was the first guy I went out with after we – after you left town. At first he seemed like a really great guy: friendly, funny, sweet, good-looking…he reminded me of you in a lot of ways. Parker even looked like you, with his dark hair and dark eyes. But he wasn't you, and he demonstrated that to me. Anyway, we went out on a few dates, had fun…and then I slept with him."
"H-He was your first," Angel assumed, practically choking on the words as they left his mouth.
"Yeah. I mean, he was so much like you that I wanted to believe he *was* you. And I also wanted to prove to everyone that I could move on with my life even though I really didn't want to. I knew I'd never get over you , and the only thing I was capable of doing was going through the motions." Buffy paused, gauging his reaction. "Does that make any sense?"
"Believe it or not, it does. I went through almost the exact same thing at UCLA. But go on, continue."
She swallowed the lump that had formed in the back of her throat. "Well, I woke up the next morning alone in his bed. He'd gone out for coffee and came back a few minutes after I'd woken up. When I left, Parker promised to call me, and I sat in my room for two days waiting to hear from him. But I never did. Finally, I confronted him about it and do you know what he told me? He said it was fun. He never cared about me; all he wanted to do was get me in bed. Apparently he suffered from intimacy problems, and the problem being that he couldn't get enough of it."
"God, Buffy, I'm so sorry. I had no idea."
"Forget it, it's of the past. A few weeks later I met Griffin. After the way I'd been burned by Parker, I was determined to take things slowly. Part of me figured if I kept dating guys who looked like you, I'd always end up hurt or disappointed. Griffin was your polar opposite." Buffy laughed shortly. "In every way."
Angel looked away. "I think I know how the story goes from here on out."
"There's not much left to tell. We dated, he proposed in November of 1995 and we got married shortly after graduation."
"Yeah, I know. Alexis decided to torture me by sending a copy of your engagement announcement. And I took the news rather hard," he informed her.
"I can imagine. If the roles had been reversed, I probably would have gone off the deep end myself."
He gazed at her, a sad look on his face. "Looking back, I think I did go off the deep end. I did things I never would have done under normal circumstances."
Buffy was intrigued. Something had happened to him, something bad he found difficult to talk about. "Feel up to telling me about it?"
"Not particularly. But since you shared with him, I should extend the same courtesy. When I left Sunnydale I didn't head straight for Los Angeles. I spent most of the summer driving around the West Coast; I went to San Francisco, Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, etc.. That entire summer was spent thinking, second guessing myself and wondering what I could have done differently. And in the end I came up with nothing.
"My first year at UCLA wasn't nearly as eventful as yours. I spent the majority of it studying or spending time with my new friends. Spike was my roommate and he dragged me to every frat party on campus. It took me until sophomore year before I felt ready to date again. Even then it was only a few girls, nothing really serious. I graduated, went to USC for grad school and moved back here to teach."
"Is that where you met Drusilla? At USC?" she wanted to know.
"Uh-huh. First year. We had Psychology together."
'At least he's opening up. I just wish he'd tell me what *really* happened at college that upset him.' "Can I ask you a personal question?"
Angel shrugged his shoulders. "Sure."
"Who was she?" Your first, I mean. I'm going to go out on a limb and assume it wasn't Drusilla."
He inhaled sharply. It was the question he'd been dreading. The last thing Angel wanted to do was hurt Buffy. "I don't want to talk about it, Buffy."
'A-ha!' "What is it? Angel, don't clam up on me now. Believe me, it can't be anywhere near as bad as mine."
"Care to make a wager on that?" he asked. "I would rather forget about it. I wasn't in my right mind at the time."
"What do you mean? Were you drunk?"
He shook his head. "I wish I had been, at least then I would have an excuse for what I did. My first time was a lapse in judgement that I regret. Moreso now than ever because you're back in my life."
"Spill. It'll feel better once you talk about it," Buffy reassured him.
"You don't want to hear it. If I tell you, it will only hurt you."
Buffy gazed at him with questions in her green eyes. "Hurt me? What are you talking about? How is it going to hurt me?"
"It just will. But if you really want to hear about it, I'll tell you."
Angel paused, taking a deep breath in preparation. "I was a senior and it was late November; I'd just gotten a copy of your engagement announcement. Needless to say, I did not take the news very well. For three years I held on to the hope that maybe – just maybe – you and I might get back together. Reading that announcement basically shot all my dreams to hell.
"Spike saw how upset I was and forced me to go to this party a friend of his was having. So I went and I was determined to try to forget what I had read. I ran into a girl I knew, we talked, went back to my dorm room and slept together. End of story."
She was confused by his story. "Okay, I don't understand. How would that have hurt me? It's better than what happened to me."
"It's not *what* happened. It's *who* it happened with."
"Who?"
He looked away once again, ashamed. "Cordelia."
It took several moments for the weight of Angel's words to sink in. A bevy of emotions flowed through her. "Cordelia? As in Cordelia Chase?"
"I'm sorry."
"You had sex with Cordelia Chase?" she demanded, not doing a very good job of hiding her anger.
"I know what you're thinking, Buffy, but –"
"Do you?! You had sex with the one girl I hated for most of high school! You know the hell she put me through when she made it her life's mission to steal you from me. Cordelia did everything in her power to take you away from me."
"I know that. And that's the reason I regret it."
"And she got you."
"No. No she didn't. I'm with you, not her. Look, when I realized what I'd done, I regretted it instantly. And I haven't seen or spoken to Cordy since," he explained.
Buffy bit her lip. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?"
"That's why I didn't want to tell you, because I knew it would hurt you. Besides, you slept with that Parker guy, and you only knew him for a few weeks. I've known Cordy since grammar school."
"That's completely different, Angel. You didn't know him like I knew Cordelia. You're not going to be the one imagining it tonight. You've got it easy, you'll be thinking of me with a nameless, faceless guy. I'll see you with Cordelia Chase. It makes me sick. Right about now, so do you."
Without another word, Buffy stood up and walked into the bedroom they shared. Hurt and betrayed by Angel's confession.
The phone rang the next afternoon. Closing her laptop, Buffy reached over to answer it. "Hello?…Yes, this is Buffy…Hi, Dr. Valenti…You got my blood work back? Is something wrong?…What?…No, thank you for letting me know…Goodbye."
She hung up the phone, staring at the receiver. "Oh my god."
"Nice hit, Maggie!" Buffy heard Angel compliment the redheaded girl up at the plate during softball practice.
The teenager smiled shyly at her coach as she walked back to the bench. Buffy saw her and thought, 'That Maggie seems to have a crush on my Angel. I'd recognize that look anywhere. I had the same expression on my face for about three months before he and I started going out.' Not wanting to interrupt the practice, she stood several feet away from the field.
She watched for about five minutes before anyone realized she was there.
"Are you here to pick someone up?" one of the girls on the team asked her. The girl had seen Buffy while she was up to bat.
Buffy shook her head. "No. I'm just watching. Well, I'm actually waiting for Angel – Coach Brennan."
"Are you his girlfriend?"
"Something like that. What time is practice over?"
"In about ten minutes, we're working on our hitting. Do you want me to tell Coach Brennan you're here?" she wanted to know.
"That's okay. I'll wait here until he's done," Buffy told her.
The girl shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever." She went back to the bench where the rest of the team sat. "Coach's girlfriend is here. Check her out."
All of them turned around to see Buffy. Maggie's face fell when she gazed upon the older blonde woman. "Why couldn't he have an ugly girlfriend?" she whined.
"Like you have a chance with him," one of the girls said.
Seated to Maggie's left, Melody Kendall got up and made her way to Buffy's side. "Aren't you Buffy Summers?"
"Yes I am. Do I know you?"
"Not really. We only met a few times and I was only four at the time. I'm Melody Kendall, you used to be friends with my sister Harmony," Melody explained. "But I won't hold it against you."
"Oh my god, I can't believe it. It *has* been a long time. You were so little, how do you remember me?" questioned Buffy.
She laughed. "My sister's yearbook. I used to love going through it, and I remember seeing pictures of you and Coach Brennan on every other page. You haven't changed a bit. But I thought you lived in another state with your husband."
"I did. It's a long story, Melody."
"Did you and Coach Brennan get back together?" 'It's so romantic. High school sweethearts finding their way back to one another after years of being apart.' Melody was a hopeless romantic at heart.
"Sort of. I'm ending my marriage and I'm staying with him until everything is finalized."
"Girls, team meeting!" Angel called form the pitcher's mound.
Melody sighed; she wanted to get the gossip on Buffy and Angel's relationship. "Dammit. I gotta go. It was nice seeing you again, Buffy."
"Same here, Melody."
The girls on the team ran onto the field, surrounding their coach.
"Okay, ladies, great job today. I want you here at six-thirty on Friday night so we can have a quick practice before the game. Wear your blue uniforms and white socks. If you can't make it, give me a call. See you later," Angel told them.
"Hey, Coach Brennan, your girlfriend is here to see you," Maggie informed him, pointing in Buffy's direction.
Angel looked over, seeing Buffy standing near the players' bench. After their fight the previous evening, Buffy was the last person he expected to see. They hadn't spoken the entire morning, only exchanging quick, silent glances. He was sure she was doing her best to avoid him. Not that he blamed her, but he figured given the proper amount time she'd forgive him.
He walked over to her, wearing an unsure look on his face. "Hi, Buffy," he greeted tentatively.
"Hi. I didn't want to interrupt your practice, so I just watched for a little while."
"I'm glad you came," he said, giving her a half-smile. "Look, about last night–"
Buffy lifted her hand to silence him. "Angel, it's okay. Really. I didn't come here to talk about it."
"Can I at least apologize? I am sorry that it hurt you the way it did. I didn't want you to find out like that. I had sex with Cordelia and it meant nothing to me. It happened six-and-a-half years ago. If I could take it back I would in a heartbeat. It was a mistake, a huge mistake and I don't want to lose you over it," he stated.
Buffy nodded her head. She took his hand and slowly led him to the bench, where they both sat down. "I know. And I had no right to treat you the way I did last night. I did some pretty stupid things myself while in college. We all make mistakes, and I guess I can't hold your mistake with Cordelia against you. But that's not why I came here."
"Then why are you here?"
"Dr. Valenti called me about an hour ago. She got the results of my blood work back."
Angel's heart pounded, almost afraid to ask his next question. "Is there something wrong with you?"
"That really depends on how you look at it. I'm not dying or anything like that, but it's something that'll change our lives – or at least my life – forever."
"What are you talking about?" he wanted to know. Buffy's cryptic explanation wasn't doing anything except confusing him.
She took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant."
An uncomfortable silence followed. Angel didn't know what to say, or if anything would come out if he tried. The news came as a complete shock to his system. Buffy was pregnant?
"Angel? Did you hear me? I said I'm having a baby," Buffy repeated.
"I-I heard you."
She didn't like it. His reaction – or lack thereof – frightened her to no end. 'Come on, please say something. Anything.' "And?"
"And I think I need to sit down."
"You are sitting down," she reminded him.
"Oh" was all he could muster. "Good."
"Are you okay?"
He nodded in response. "I think so. How-how far along are you? When is the due date?" Slowly but surely, the news was beginning to sink in. 'Buffy's pregnant. She's going to have a baby.'
Buffy shrugged her shoulders, happy that Angel hadn't yelled and screamed when she told him the news. If anything, he seemed calm. A bit dazed, but calm. "I don't know yet. I made an appointment with an obstetrician Dr. Valenti recommended. It's next week, so I probably won't know until then." She paused, taking a deep breath. "Are you okay with all this?"
"Yeah. I am okay. You're having a baby."
"Looks like it."
Ignoring the fourteen teenage girls watching them from ten feet away, Angel pulled Buffy into his arms, giving her a soft, loving kiss. 'I'm going to be a father,' he thought. 'Buffy and I are going to be parents. Life doesn't get better than this.'
Buffy was still sound asleep when Angel awoke the following morning. The sun had just risen above the horizon, but he wasn't ready to get up yet. No, all he wanted to do was lay in bed for a little while longer and watch her sleep. The sight before him was so peaceful, so serene that he couldn't bear to disrupt it.
She slept on her back, the blankets only covering her up to her chest. On her face she wore an expression of contentment, a glow that he knew could only accompany her pregnancy. His sister bore the same look when she announced her pregnancies with Emily and Steven. And the image of Buffy – eight months pregnant with his child – brought a tear of happiness to his eyes.
Angel pulled the blanket down and placed his ear to Buffy's flat stomach, listening carefully. Somewhere inside of her their baby was growing. The mere thought of it astounded him. The one thing he'd always dreamed of was having a family with the woman he loved. For so long he feared his dream would never come true, but now it was finally becoming reality. He and Buffy were going to be parents. Together they'd created a new life.
"Hey, little baby," he murmured to the child growing inside of his sleeping love. "I'm your daddy. And I'm gonna teach you everything you need to know. First thing you should know is that my name is Angel and your mom is Buffy. And I love her very much." He laughed softly. "I guess I don't need to tell you that. You're here because I love her. Just so you know, your mom and I are going to be the best parents in the world. Or we'll try to be the best parents. I can't think of anything else right now. I'll see you in a couple months."
As silently as possible, Angel climbed out of bed, put on a pair of sweatpants and went into the kitchen to begin cooking breakfast.
It wasn't much past nine when Buffy finally woke up. She opened her eyes and smiled when the aroma of frying bacon and toasting bread reached her nose. "Mmm…" she moaned, hearing her stomach growl. "Angel?"
"Wait in there!" he called.
With a shrug of her shoulders, Buffy did as she was told. Besides, she felt too tired to argue with him. They'd stayed up late celebrating her pregnancy. "Whatever your daddy is up to, it certainly smells delicious," she said, rubbing her belly.
Three minutes later Angel walked back into the room carrying a tray of food. "Good morning," he greeted cheerfully.
Buffy grinned when she saw the trouble he'd gone to in making her food. "What's all this for?"
"For you." He placed the tray on the bed in front of her, pulled a shirt from the back of the chair and put it on her. "I made you breakfast in bed. You are eating for two now, you know."
"You are so amazing, you know that?"
Angel cocked his head from side to side in amusement. "It's often been said. Now eat."
"There's so much food here!" Buffy exclaimed. "Are you trying to make me gain all my pregnancy weight in the first few months? You made enough here for an army! Eggs, bacon, toast, fruit, hash browns…are these the same hash browns that have been in your freezer since last year?"
He laughed at her question. "No. I threw those out right after you moved in. And I'm not trying to make you fat, Buffy. Not at all. I just want to make sure you're eating healthy things and that our baby is healthy."
"Promise that's the reason?"
"Promise. How did you sleep last night?" he wanted to know.
She took a forkful of eggs and put it into her mouth. They practically melted. "Pretty good. Which is fairly surprising considering that you kept me up later than usual."
"Hey! We had to celebrate the good news."
Buffy put her arms around him. "I'm not complaining about it, Angel. Believe me, I'm not."
"Good. Now, I want you to eat everything on that tray," he ordered. "Not one scrap of food is to be left."
"Yes, *Dad.*"
"I have to get in practice."
He watched her eat for a few minutes. It was hard to get over the fact that she was carrying a child inside of her. His child. The sight was more beautiful than any he'd ever seen. "When are we going to tell everyone the good news?"
Buffy looked up from her eating. "T-Tell everyone?" she stammered.
"Yeah," Angel replied with a nod. "I mean, it will be pretty obvious in a few months, so we will have to tell my family and our friends."
"I hadn't really thought about that."
"Is something wrong?" Her tone troubled him; something was definitely amiss with her.
"No, not really. I guess I haven't really thought much about telling everyone. Or maybe I have and I'm afraid of what your family will think of it."
Angel leaned over and gave her a kiss on the top of her head. "Who cares what they think. I certainly don't. This is our baby, not theirs."
"But I'm still married to Griffin," she reminded him.
"Not for much longer. I'll call Spike and have him rush the annulment. That way you can be rid of that man forever. And we can begin our lives together. Just the three of us."
"Have you been suffering from morning sickness?" Dr. Albertson asked Buffy the next week during her first pre-natal visit.
She laid down on the table, lifting the paper robe over her belly. "Not much. A couple days ago I did, but nothing really bad. It's not as bad as I thought it would be."
"Morning sickness differs with every patient. Is this your first pregnancy?"
"Yes. I was so thrilled when I found out last week. I've wanted a baby for a long time," Buffy told her.
The doctor smiled. "It's always nice to hear that. So many people these days don't want children, or see them as a burden. And how about the father? Was he as thrilled as you were?"
"Most definitely. He's the fathering type, you know I mean? He's great with kids. Just seeing him with his niece and nephew told me how great he'd be with his own."
"Are you two married? I'm sorry, that was very personal, you don't have to answer that."
"Don't worry about it. It really depends on how you define married. I'm in the middle of getting my marriage annulled. The baby's father is my high school sweetheart. We're going to get married after the annulment is finalized."
"Good for you. Let's have a look at your baby."
Dr. Albertson applied the jelly along Buffy's stomach. She waited a few minutes for the wand to heat up before rubbing it around. "Buffy, I'm going to do a sonogram so we can look at the baby. You'll be able to see everything on the screen right next to you. I want to determine how far along you are." She pointed to the screen. "There's your baby's head."
She stared in awe at the screen. 'My baby. That's my baby.' Tears burned her eyes just thinking about it. "Can you tell what the sex is?"
The doctor shook her head. "It's too soon to tell. In a couple months that'll be very apparent. From what I can tell, you're due date should be around the end of March."
"That means I'm…"
"About seven weeks along. My educated guess at this moment would be that the baby was conceived around the end of June. Probably within the last two weeks. But I'll be able to give a better estimate once the pregnancy progresses."
Buffy's heart nearly stopped. 'June. End of June. Oh my god. That means – that means the baby might not be Angel's after all. It could be Griffin's.'
She drove aimlessly around Sunnydale for an hour after leaving Dr. Albertson's office. Buffy was in a state of shock – literally. She didn't know what to think or feel, or how to process the information she'd received. If the doctor's calculations were correct, she was seven weeks pregnant, with a good possibility she carried another man's child.
Buffy feared Angel's reaction to the news. For the better part of a week he'd been the happiest she'd ever seen him. If it were possible, she'd even say he glowed. The prospect of impending fatherhood seemed to keep a perpetual smile on his face. The last thing she wanted to do was burst his bubble. But she couldn't hide it from him forever.
Twenty minutes later she found herself in front of Restfield Cemetery, the very place she buried her mother five years earlier. Buffy stepped out of the car and made her way to her mother's grave. When she found it, she saw it overwhelmed with weeds and leaves. Biting her lip, she cleared them away in silence.
"Hi, Mom. Bet you're surprised to see me here," she started after she'd finished, bending her knees and holding her weight in her ankles. "I know it's been a long time since I've visited you, and I'm sorry. It's just so hard to think of you as being gone. Even after five years. There have been so many times I've needed a mother to talk to and I'd pick up the phone to call you, only to realize as I dialed your number that you aren't there.
"And boy, do I need you now. Guess what? Buffy screwed up again." She laughed shortly. "Although I'm sure you know all about it already. I know how much you disliked Griffin for moving me halfway across the country, not that you were his biggest supporter before that. You pretended to be happy for me on my wedding day, but I know you secretly wished I'd married Angel instead. And you know I was wishing the exact same thing.
"I'm so close, Mom. So very close to making my dream come true. Griffin and I are over; I'm back together with Angel and everything was going along so perfectly. But now I am pregnant. Under normal circumstances I'd be thrilled beyond belief. Well, I *am* happy to be having a baby except for one little thing: it might be Griffin's."
Buffy took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. If telling her mother was this hard, she could only imagine what telling Angel would be like. "I want him out of my life, but how can I do that if this baby could be his? The annulment should be finalized in a couple of weeks and, in theory, that part of my life will cease to exist. But this baby changes everything.
"And then there's Angel. God, I love him so much; I never stopped, even when I thought I had no chance of a future with him. He tells me how wonderful our life will be; all the things we'll do, places we'll go and so on. And I believe him. Life with him is almost as great as I dreamed it would be. My god, Mom, the sex…I can't even begin to put into words how amazing it is. If I had known that ten years ago, I probably wouldn't have said no when he proposed.
"Anyway, he is so happy about my pregnancy. Just yesterday he came home with a book of baby names, gift-wrapped with a blue bow. I think it was his way of telling me he wants a son." She brought a hand to her eyes and wiped away her tears. "I don't want to hurt him. But I know it'll kill him to know this baby might not be his. You don't need to tell me there's always the opportunity to have more babies; I'm well-aware. But there is something about this baby – maybe because it's my first – that makes me want it to be Angel's so badly."
With a sniffle, Buffy looked towards the sky. "Help me, Mom. Tell me what to do. Tell me how to tell him without breaking his heart."
"How's the annulment coming along?" Angel asked Spike while he waited for Buffy to return home from her doctor's appointment.
On his end of the phone, Spike sighed heavily. It was the third time his friend had asked in the past week. 'I wonder what is making him so anxious. Besides the obvious.' "Same as the last time you asked. It's coming along smoothly. No major snags. Montgomery is being surprisingly cooperative."
"How long until it's finalized?"
"You in a big hurry or something?"
"Kinda. Come on, Spike."
"Fine. A month, tops. Of course, that's barring any complications," Spike informed him. "To sign the papers, both Buffy and Griffin will need to be there."
Angel narrowed his eyes. "Why?"
"Distribution of property and other things."
"Oh." He heard the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. "I think Buffy's home. I'll give you a call later this week. Bye, Spike."
"Bye."
Once he'd hung up the phone, Angel headed into the garden patio in time to see Buffy walked down the stairs. "Hey," he greeted with a smile on his face. "You're awfully late."
All the color left her face the second she heard his voice. "Yeah, I know. After I left the doctor's office I drove around for a while. Needed to think."
"Oh. Is something wrong with you? With the baby?" Given her tone of voice, he naturally assumed the worst.
Buffy shook her head. "No, nothing like that. Baby and I are physically fine. According to Dr. Albertson I'm about seven weeks along. I'm due at the end of March."
"That's great."
"Let's sit down," she suggested, tugging his hand and leading him to the stone bench near the fountain. "There's something we need to talk about; something that could change everything."
Angel looked at her suspiciously. "Sounds ominous."
"I am approximately seven weeks pregnant. Do the math, Angel." He thought for a few moments. "That's around the last week or so of June. That's no reason to look so depressed, Buffy."
Buffy closed her eyes and swallowed the giant lump in her throat. "The first time you and I were together was the night of the reunion. June twenty-first, seven weeks ago. You already know that. But what you don't know was what happened the next day when I returned to Kansas."
"It's not important; it doesn't matter."
"Yes it does!" Tears began to stream down her cheeks, and she didn't bother to wipe them away. "It matters because I slept with Griffin the next night."
Not a word came from him. Angel just sat there and looked at her.
"We used protection, we always used protection. He was so adamant about not having children that Griffin *always* wore a condom whenever we made love. That night was no exception. And even though you and I didn't, there's a good chance…Griffin could be the father."
She paused, awaiting Angel's reaction. When he didn't give one off, Buffy feared the worst. "I love you, Angel, not him. I want to be with you, not him. And I want you to be this baby's father, not Griffin. If you want, we can have a paternity test done to find out for sure. You deserve that much." She stopped long enough to finally wipe her tears away. "I'm so sorry. I never wanted this to happen. Say something. Please."
But he didn't say anything right away. Instead, Angel slid off the bench and perched himself on one knee in front of her. "Will you marry me?"
"W-What did you say?" Buffy wanted to know. She'd heard Angel ask her the question but wasn't certain she'd heard correctly.
"I asked you to marry me," he told her, still kneeling down in front of her. He dug into his pocket and pulled out a diamond ring. It glinted in the midday sun.
She nodded. "That's what I thought you said."
Angel raised his eyebrows expectantly, awaiting her answer. When, after another ten seconds of silence, she didn't give him one, he began to worry. "Buffy?"
"What?"
"Well? Will you marry me?" he asked again.
It felt like deja vu all over again. There they sat, in the exact same places they had ten years earlier when he'd first proposed, with her sitting on the stone bench and him facing her with a diamond ring in his hand. The only difference being that they were an entire decade older and the ring he held was bigger than its predecessor. And, of course, Buffy's pregnancy.
"Yes," she whispered, almost inaudible. "I'll marry you."
Brimming with happiness, Angel took her left hand and placed the ring on its rightful finger. "Now it's official. As soon as your annulment is final, we'll get married."
"Is this what you really want?" Buffy had to ask him. "To marry me, that is."
"Of course it is. I wouldn't have asked you if it wasn't, Buffy."
"But I told you there's a chance this baby might be Griffin's. And you're taking it way too well. Why would you want to marry me if I might not be carrying your child?"
Angel smiled at her. "Because I love you. And I love that baby growing inside of you. It doesn't matter to me who his or her biological father is, I want to be a father to it."
"It won't bother you?" she asked incredulously. This was all too good to be true.
"I don't see it. To me, it's like entering into a marriage with you if you'd already had children. I wouldn't love them any less because they belonged to Griffin; I'd love them because they were yours. Buffy, I'm going to be the only father that child knows. Maybe down the line, if he or she wants to know, we can find out. But right now, he or she is mine. From this moment on, that child is a Brennan. And you know what? Even if he or she isn't my child by blood, we can always try again. And again. And again. Practice makes perfect, after all."
"Angel, what's so urgent that you had to come over right away?" Mrs. Brennan questioned her son when he and Buffy sat down on the living room couch shortly after arriving. She'd gotten a call a little after dinner from Angel saying he had to come over and talk to them.
Angel glanced back and forth from his mother to his father. They both looked at him with confusion in their eyes. "Well, Buffy and I have some good news. And we wanted you to be the first to know it."
"What is it?" Mr. Brennan asked. Although he had an inkling he knew what the good news was. He recognized the gleam in Angel's eyes; he'd seen it there once before, about ten years ago.
Taking a deep breath, he grasped Buffy's right hand in his. "Buffy and I are getting married."
His mother rubbed her eyes upon hearing the news. It was the last thing she'd expected to hear, given the circumstances. Buffy was still a married woman in the eyes of God. It also seemed so sudden, seeing as she'd just returned to Sunnydale a little over a month before. Mr. Brennan, on the other hand, couldn't have been more pleased with the news. He saw how happy Buffy made Angel, and how miserable he was without her.
"Congratulations," he said to the newly-engaged couple. He got up to embrace his son, then hugged his future daughter-in-law.
"Mom?" Angel started. "Aren't you going to say anything?"
She broke from her shock-induced reverie. "That's great news. Sorry, I guess the news came as a bit of a surprise. I'm happy for both of you, of course. It's been a long time coming."
Like her husband, she hugged her son and Buffy. She couldn't believe it; her baby boy was getting married. Granted, Angel was no longer a baby, but to her he'd always be the seven pound eight ounce little boy she gave birth to twenty-eight years before.
"Welcome to the family, Buffy," she said.
"Thank you, Mrs. Brennan. It means a lot to hear you say that," Buffy replied.
"Well, if my son loves you, you *are* family. Now let me see your ring."
Buffy lifted her hand so that Mrs. Brennan could inspect her engagement ring. It wasn't a huge, flashy ring that stood out, but a small, simple diamond in a gold setting. The size of it didn't matter to her, just the fact that it came from Angel.
"It's beautiful," Angel's mother complimented.
"Thank you." She looked over at her fiancee. "Should we tell them the other good news?"
He nodded. "Might as well. Mom, Dad, Buffy and I are having a baby."
Once again, they were overcome with shock. While Mr. Brennan had suspected the engagement, the news of Buffy's pregnancy took him by surprise. "I…um, I guess congratulations are in order once again."
"Thanks, Dad."
'My baby is going to be a father,' Mrs. Brennan thought. 'I just can't believe it.' "How far along are you, Buffy?"
She grinned with delight. "The doctor seems to think I'm about seven weeks along. My due date is around the end of March."
"Is that the reason for the engagement?" she asked.
Angel couldn't believe his mother had asked that. "Mom!" he exclaimed. "How can you even ask that?"
"I'm sorry, Angel. I know you love her, and that she loves you. But I thought maybe Buffy's pregnancy precipitated the engagement."
"No, it didn't," he answered. "I bought the ring a few weeks ago. I'm not marrying Buffy because she's pregnant. I'm marrying her because I love her."
"We know you do, son," Mr. Brennan reassured. He wanted to change the subject in hopes of relieving some of the tension between his wife and son. "Have you two set a date yet?"
"As soon as possible," Buffy told him. "We have to wait until the annulment goes through first. And as soon as I'm a free woman again, we're getting married. Spike is handling all the legal stuff for me and he thinks it should all be over in another month or so."
Mrs. Brennan couldn't stop herself from wondering something. "Wait a second. How is it possible for you to be seven weeks pregnant with my son's child? You just moved back here a month ago."
Buffy was afraid of that question, but Angel wasn't. "Easy, Mom. We slept together the night of the reunion. Seven weeks ago. Are you doubting Buffy?"
She shook her head. "Not at all. I didn't know that-that you two got together that night. Buffy, I'm sorry," Mrs. Brennan apologized. She felt ashamed to have doubted her and embarrassed for her son having to share intimate details of his sex life with his parents.
"It's okay. I just hope you're happy for us."
"I'm thrilled." She looked at her husband. "We both are. We can't wait to be grandparents again."
"What are you going to be doing all day today?" Angel wanted to know three weeks later as he was getting ready for work. It was the first day of classes and he worried that Buffy would be bored being home all alone for ten hours.
"I thought I'd catch up on some of my shopping," she informed him. "It's been so long since I've been to Los Angeles, I think I might go there."
Angel raised his eyebrows at her answer. "You are driving two hours to L.A. to go shopping?" It didn't make much sense to him.
"Yes. I'm starting to show, Angel. Not a lot, but things are beginning to fit a little too tightly around my waist. I need some maternity clothes. And what better place to shop than L.A.?"
He shook his head in amusement. "Okay. Just promise me you'll be careful. There are a lot of crazy people up there."
"Will do. Now go to school."
After the two hour drive, Buffy arrived in Los Angeles. She was a woman on a mission, but not for maternity clothes. That had been a lie to keep Angel from stopping her. No, Buffy had a different agenda in mind as she pulled into the NBC parking lot. She wanted answers that only one person could provide her with.
She made her way to the front desk inside the main doors of the studio. The woman seated behind the desk smiled at her when she approached her.
"Welcome to NBC," she greeted. "Are you here for the tour? If so, it doesn't start for another half-hour."
"No, I'm here to see one of the actors who works on Days of Our Lives. Cordelia Chase," Buffy told the woman.
"I'm afraid Miss Chase is not expecting any visitors today."
"She'll know who I am. Please, I just need to talk to her."
The woman shook her head. "I am sorry, but without her permission, I can't let you inside the set. NBC has installed tight security measures since the attacks last year."
"Call her. Miss, I drove two hours to get here. Tell her Buffy Summers is here and I have something important I need to talk to her about," Buffy pleaded. "We're old high school friends." When the woman gave her a doubtful look, Buffy added, "Look, if she says no, I'll leave without incident."
She relented. She could see how determined the young woman before her was. 'Well, she doesn't look like a raving lunatic. I suppose it won't hurt to call.' The woman picked up the phone and dialed the direct line to Cordelia Chase's dressing room. "Good morning, Miss Chase, this is Miranda at the front desk. I have a young lady down here who would like to speak with you…No, I don't believe she's a cop. She said her name is Buffy Summers; that you'd know her…Yes…Yes…Very well."
The woman hung up the phone. "You may go up. Fifth floor. Miss Chase will meet you at the elevator."
Buffy gave her a smile. "Thank you."
While on the elevator ride, Buffy's heart pounded. She was suddenly overcome with nerves. In another minute, she would be face-to-face with Angel's former lover, and her former friend. Her stomach churned and she felt as if she would throw up.
"Not now," she commanded her stomach, praying she'd be able to keep her composure.
The doors opened. Standing on the other side was Cordelia Chase; one of the first friends she'd made at Sunnydale High and her biggest competition for Angel's love. Even though Buffy knew she'd won in the end, her contempt for her rival remained strong.
"Buffy Summers," Cordelia began, tossing her long brown hair over her shoulders. "When Miranda called and told me you were here I couldn't believe it. It's been far too long."
She didn't know how to react when Cordelia hugged her. "Yeah. Way too long. Ten years."
"Come on, let's go talk in my dressing room."
Buffy followed Cordelia through the hallways leading to her dressing room. She'd met plenty of famous people while writing for the Wichita Press, but she couldn't help but be star struck when Deidre Hall walked by. 'Oh my lord, that was Marlena!'
"Have a seat," Cordelia offered, waving toward the loveseat inside her dressing room. Once Buffy had sat down, she took the seat across from her. "How have you been?"
"Fine. You?"
She shrugged her shoulders. "Surviving. I've been on the backburner lately, which kills my chances for an Emmy nomination next year. So, I'm not too thrilled."
'Sounds like the Cordy I knew and despised,' Buffy thought. "Sorry to hear that."
"Whatever. What's the real reason you're here, Buffy? I know it's not to play catch-up with me, considering the fact you and I didn't get along. Last I heard you were living in corn country with your farm boy husband."
"Kansas is not corn country and Griffin is not a farmer," she replied defensively. "I'm separated from my husband and living in Sunnydale once again. And Angel and I are involved."
Cordelia caught sight of the diamond ring on Buffy's left hand. "I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say you two are more than just 'involved'. That's a hell of a rock you've got on."
"We're engaged as of three weeks ago, but that's not the point. You wanted to know why I came here; fine, I'll tell you. I want to know what happened between you and Angel."
"Buffy–"
"Don't. Angel already told me."
She glared at the engaged woman. "If you already know the story, then why are you here?"
"Because I want to hear your side of the story. Look, I drove two hours to get here. I want the truth. I have a feeling Angel might have left some things out to spare my feelings."
"What's the difference? It was six years ago, practically ancient history to me. Besides, you obviously won. Who cares?"
"I care. Please, Cordelia."
The actress sighed heavily. Discussing her one-night fling with Angel Brennan was the last thing she wanted to do. "Fine. It was November of 1995 and I was invited to a friend's party at one of the UCLA frat houses. Naturally, being me, I had to make an appearance. So I got there around nine and did the mingling thing for a while.
"Then I saw him. He was sitting in the corner all by himself, drinking shots of vodka like they were water. I went over there to say hi. I'd heard that you two broke up right after graduation, but I had no idea he was still harboring feelings for you. When he told me why he was there, I realized he was nursing a broken heart. Poor Angel was drinking himself into oblivion because he found out you had gotten engaged.
"So we talked for a few hours, drank until we were flat-out drunk. Well, I was probably more sober than he was. We went back to his dorm room and slept together. End of story. Haven't seen or heard from him since."
Buffy nodded her head. "That's pretty much what he told me. Except for the drinking part. He said he was sober."
"He drank so much that night I doubt he remembers most of it. He probably thinks he was sober. Trust me, he wasn't."
"Did you know you were the first?" she wanted to know.
"Was I? No, I had no clue." Cordelia paused for a moment. "Wait a second. You mean to tell me that you two never did it all those years you dated?"
"We didn't."
A knock sounded at the door. "Cordelia, you're needed in makeup in five minutes!" someone called to her.
"Okay!"
Buffy stood up. "Well, I should leave now. I've got some important shopping to do while I'm here. Thank you very much, Cordy, for your honesty."
"I had nothing to hide. I wish you two the best of luck. And congratulations, you got the catch of the century. I'm jealous."
"Thank you." She made her way to the door.
"Buffy?" She stopped and turned around. "Just so you know, Angel may have been with me that night, but it was your name he was whispering in my ear. You're the only thing on his mind. Anyone can see that. Angel Brennan loves you. Don't screw up this time by letting him go."