"Take My Breath Away"

Author: Michelle
Email: michellabella52478@yahoo.com

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"I hope everything's okay with Buffy," Willow commented shortly after her best friend left the Bronze. During the entire time the blonde had been there, Willow could tell something was on her mind. Buffy had been quieter than usual.

"M-Maybe she was tired. Or stressed out with the sh-show tomorrow," suggested Willow's girlfriend. "She h-has a lot on her p-plate right now."

Willow nodded. "Yeah, she sure does."

Across the table from them, Anya Emerson rolled her eyes and sighed. "Oh please. She's probably sexually frustrated. I bet she hasn't had any orgasms since Riley dumped her."

"Anya!"

"What? It's the truth. Maybe if she has some good sex it'll push out the stick up her ass." She smiled wickedly. "If I were her, I'd jump all over Angel. He's awfully large and glowering. He probably gives great orgasms. Multiple ones."

The redhead's eyes widened at what Anya had said. Granted, she knew her stepbrother was good-looking and popular with the ladies, but she didn't feel comfortable discussing him as a sexual being. "I didn't need to know that."

"Th-They *have* been spending an awful lot of time together r-recently," Tara pointed out. "With the show a-and everything. S-Something m-might be going on and n-none of us know about it."

She shook her head in disagreement. "No. No way. If something was going on between Buffy and Angel, I'd know about it. I'd be able to sense it. Nuh-huh. She doesn't feel that way about him anymore. Buffy's over him and Angel would've told me if something happened."

Xander sat quietly and bit his tongue. 'If only they saw what I saw a little while ago. Wouldn't they be surprised to know Buffy and Angel are screwing like bunnies,' he thought to himself. "Stranger things have happened, you know. They could be keeping it a secret until they're ready to go public."

"I highly doubt it," Willow disagreed. "It would be great if they got together, though. I always thought they'd make the perfect couple. And I think Angel might have had a little crush on her back in high school. He never told me about it, but there was definitely something there. I wish I knew if it was still there."

Anya chuckled. "We can find out tomorrow. See if there's any sexual tension between them."

"You guys are awful," Willow stated. "There is absolutely nothing going on with them. Nothing."

Angel added another log to the fire, making sure that the flames could sustain themselves for the next few hours. He'd seen the way Buffy had been gazing at Bliss earlier that day and wanted her to experience it the way he had in his dream. He wanted to share that intimacy with her, show Buffy he was in this for more than the conception of a child. And a romantic interlude in front of the fireplace was a good place to start.

The doorbell rang as he finished plumping the pillows he'd placed on the carpeted floor in front of the fireplace. He glanced around to see if everything looked the way he wanted it to. It did. Getting up off the floor, Angel walked to the front door. When he opened it, he smiled upon seeing Buffy standing on the porch. She had changed out of her skirt and blouse and into a pair of blue jeans and a black top. But he thought she looked just as sexy as she had in her club clothes earlier that evening.

"Glad you could make it," Angel said, holding the door open for her. "I was hoping you'd show up."

"I told you I'd be here." Her green eyes caught sight of the fire glowing in the fireplace, along with the blanket and pillows set up a few feet in front of it. "Okay...what's going on? Did I come at a bad time? Do you want me to leave until you get whoever she is out of the house?"

Angel laughed at her naivete. How could Buffy even think he had some other girl stashed away? He was all hers, had been from the time he hit puberty. "Very funny. This is the surprise," he told her, closing the door behind them.

She let it sink in before the reality of it finally hit her. He had recreated the setting of his painting. "Oh my god. You did all this for me? The fire, the candles, the pillows...it's like a scene out of your painting."

"Bingo. I know how much you like that painting, so I thought I'd bring it to life for you," Angel explained. "You know, do something special as a thank you for all the hard work you've put into tomorrow night's show."

"You don't have to thank me, Angel. It was one of the terms of our agreement." She turned around in a circle, her mouth open in awe. "I can't believe you did all this for me."

He wrapped his arms around her. "Not just for you, Buffy. For us. I told you before, I never made love to someone in front of a roaring fire before. So, for tonight at least, you and I are the Lovers. We can bring the painting to life."

Buffy gazed into Angel's soulful brown eyes, feeling herself falling. "There's something I need to tell you. Something really important."

Bending down, Angel pressed his lips to her forehead, untucking her shirt from her jeans. "Can't it wait until we're done?" he asked.

"It can't." She wanted to tell him she'd bought an early response pregnancy test and that she felt fairly certain it would come out positive when she took it first thing in the morning. But the feel of his hands rubbing her bare back made Buffy change her mind. If she told him, he might not want to make love to her after all. And she desperately wanted to be with him tonight. Especially after all the trouble he went to. "Xander knows about us."

"How much does he know?" Angel questioned, trailing his lips across her cheek to her jaw. Inside her shirt, his hands unclasped her bra. "Does he know we're trying to make a baby?"

"No."

"Then he doesn't know anything."

She sighed when she felt Angel's large hands cup her breasts, his thumbs teasing her hardening nipples. "Angel, h-he saw us having sex at the Bronze tonight."

"Good for him," he responded, uninterested in anything but Buffy and her responses to his touch. "I certainly hope he enjoyed the show."

"What if he tells everyone about us?"

"We tell them the truth. That we're working on conceiving a baby."

Buffy closed her eyes, dropping her head back to expose the column of her throat to him. "Is that all it is, Angel? Is that all that's going on between us? Because I'm not so sure anymore."

"Neither am I," Angel agreed, lifting his head to look into her eyes. What he saw there was longing and desire. "All I'm sure about right now is that I want to lay you down on that blanket over there and make love to you until we both fall unconscious. Think you can handle that?"

With a nod, forgetting all of her previous concerns, she yanked her shirt over her head and took her bra along with it. Her small breasts bounced tantalizingly in front of him. "I think I can handle that just fine."

Neither one of them were patient enough to take their time in undressing. All they wanted was to be surrounded by each other, feeling one another's hands on them. So they both tugged at their own clothing, not wanting to waste a single moment they had together. Their jeans were thrown to the side, their shoes tossed out of the way and Angel's shirt had landed on the armchair across the room. Without saying a word, Angel picked Buffy up in his arms and carried her to where he'd placed the blanket and pillows.

Softly caressing her cheek, he gazed lovingly into her emerald eyes and situated himself above her. "What do you want? Tell me and I'll do it," he said.

// "He doesn't want you; he doesn't need you. And he sure as hell doesn't love you." \\

Xander's words haunted her, repeating over and over again in her head. She wanted to believe with her whole heart and soul that Angel *did* want her. "Just tell me that you want me. Say that you need me."

"I do."

Buffy shook her head. "No, Angel. I need to hear you say the words."

Reaching behind him, Angel brought her long legs around so that they were wrapped around his waist. Positioning himself at the entrance to her body, he slowly pushed his way inside. This time wasn't going to be like every other time they'd had sex. No, this time he'd make damn sure their coupling was slow and tender; he wanted to make love to her.

Angel kissed a line from Buffy's cheek to her earlobe. "I want you, Buffy. I want you so badly." He began an excruciatingly slow rhythm, with each thrust designed to put pressure on her most sensitive nerve endings.

"I need you," he continued, planting a kiss on the tip of her nose. "I've always needed you. Always."

Lowering his head, he pressed his lips softly to hers. One of their unspoken conditions was that they would never share a kiss on the lips. So, in the dozens of times they'd been together, they had never truly kissed. Beyond caring at that moment, Angel took a chance.

Buffy was surprised to feel his lips on hers. Angel kissing her was more than she ever dreamed of. Before, their sexual encounters had been more business-like, something she thought he felt obligated to do. But now that he'd kissed her, it added a new dimension to it. Tonight wasn't just part of their business agreement or a quick fuck to get her pregnant; tonight was a leap toward becoming full-fledged lovers. It was a leap Buffy felt confident enough to take with him.

When he felt her responding to the kiss, Angel increased his thrusting, pushing his tongue past Buffy's lips. She sucked on it greedily, scratching her fingernails up and down his smooth back while pushing her hips up to meet his. Every thrust brought her closer to the edge, but never quite there. She tried to increase the friction between them by grabbing onto his hips and leveraging herself; unfortunately it didn't work as well as she had hoped.

Sensing her need, Angel tweaked her clitoris until she screamed out her climax. She was still flying high when he toppled over the edge himself. Taking the opportunity, he whispered almost inaudibly in her ear, "I want you. I need you. I love you, Buffy."

Several hours later, Buffy awoke to the strangest feeling of a hand roaming over her warm skin. The sensations made her shiver as she slowly opened her eyes and moaned. She was still in the living room of Angel's house; the fire illuminated the couch to her right and the armchair to her left. Turning her head, she saw Angel laying on his side next to her, his right hand tracing the subtle curves of her naked body.

"Hey," he greeted, smiling at her adoringly. "Hope I didn't wake you up."

Stretching her stiff muscles, Buffy shook her head. "Don't worry about it. It's nice to wake up with someone next to me. That hasn't happened in a long, *long* time." She yawned. "What time is it, anyway?"

"A little before one."

"I should get going," she said.

Angel brought his lips to hers, cupping her cheek with the palm of his hand. "Don't go. Stay here tonight. Let me make love to you again. And again."

Part of her wanted to say no, tell him she needed her sleep because of the busy day ahead of her. But as soon as she felt Angel's lips on hers, any thoughts she might have entertained regarding going home flew out of her mind. Buffy wanted him so badly, more than she ever wanted anything in her life. She didn't think it was possible to want him more than she had back in high school, but she did.

Her arms wrapped around his neck, digging her fingers into his thick, dark hair. She threw her left leg over his hip, feeling his already-hard member pressing against her thigh. Sliding her hand down his neck and back, Buffy brought it to his cock and rubbed it gently before bringing it to her entrance.

Angel pulled his lips away and stared deep into her eyes. He was overcome with the need to tell her how he felt about her. Though he'd said it earlier, he'd be willing to bet his inheritance Buffy hadn't heard him. He loved her, and had to let her know it before they made love a second time. "Buffy, I need to tell you something."

She continued to stroke him, readying him for their next round of lovemaking. "Can't it wait 'til we're done?" she asked, mimicking his words from earlier that evening. "I want you so bad..."

"Not this. It's too important, it's probably the most important thing I've ever said in my whole life."

"All right. What's so important that you'd rather tell me than make love to me?"

He reached down and removed her hand from his straining erection. It was hard enough for him to get the words out without having her touching him. "I...I love you," he choked out. He felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders when the words left his lips.

Buffy stared at him for several long moments, trying to determine whether or not he was kidding. His brown eyes told her he wasn't. "Oh my god. You – You love me? Are you serious?"

Angel caressed her cheek. "I'm very serious, Buffy. I love you. I've felt this way for the longest time, way before I left Sunnydale all those years ago."

"This really isn't a joke, is it?" she asked.

"Not even close. This has been going on, festering inside of me for over a decade. I've been in love with you since before I was in high school," he told her.

"Why didn't you tell me this before now?"

"I never had the courage to say it until now. Part of me was afraid you'd think I wanted something from you, not to mention what it would do to our friendship. And I didn't know how you'd feel about dating your best friend's big brother."

"Obviously it wouldn't have bothered me too much, since I'd had a huge crush on you since I was a little kid. Angel, you had to have some kind of clue how I felt about you, especially the night of my graduation. I asked you to make love to me and you shot me down. Why did you say those awful things to me when you felt the same way I did?"

He shook his head, feeling like a jerk. "Because I didn't want to hurt you, Buffy. I loved – *love* – you so much, I couldn't bear hurting you." When she opened her mouth to speak, Angel pressed his pointer finger to her lips to quiet her. "And I said those things because I was afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

"Of being with you. I knew if I gave in to my feelings for you and made love to you that night, it would have been a mistake. It was easier for me to say those things to you than to leave you the next day. I had no intention of staying in Sunnydale; I was going back to Los Angeles the next morning, no matter what. And I couldn't hurt you by using you. You deserved more than just one night."

"You wouldn't have been using me, Angel," Buffy said. "I never asked for more than that night from you. I just wanted to know what it felt like to be with you."

"But I wanted more than just that one night. It wouldn't have been fair to either of us, we deserved much more than a quick one-night stand. I wanted a lifetime with you, Buffy. That's why I jumped at the chance to father your child. I knew it was the perfect opportunity to be with you the way I always dreamed. And I knew that given enough time, I'd be able to tell you how I feel and hope you still feel the same way you did before."

Tears burned Buffy's eyes at Angel's confession. "I do. I do still feel the same way, Angel. You never forget your first love, and I sure as hell never forgot about you. Trust me, I tried. But it didn't work. I love you, too," Buffy admitted. "Now, will you please make love to me?"

He leaned down to kiss her. "I'm going to make love to you the way I wanted to the night of your graduation. There's one more thing I want to tell you, something I have to get off my chest. We are The Lovers, Buffy, you and me. The couple in all those paintings is us. I started painting the series right after I returned to L.A.. When I saw you connect with Bliss the way you did, I needed to make it come true, just like in the painting and just like in my dreams. This – right here – is a dream come true. You and me. And now I'm gonna expand on it."

Rather than capturing her lips, Angel suckled on her neck and cupped her left breast with his right hand, gently kneading it. Slowly he began to trail his mouth from her neck to the column of her throat before delving into the valley between her breasts. After spending long minutes attending to her breasts, Angel traveled lower until he was situated between her thighs.

"What do you want me to do, Buffy? This is about you, about what you want. Tell me. Tell me and I'll do it," Angel told her.

Buffy inhaled and exhaled heavily. "Keep doing what you were doing. Put your lips on me and make me come until I scream." She couldn't believe the words that came out of her mouth. Never in her twenty-three years had she ever said anything so brazen.

"Your wish, my love," he said. "Anything you wish."

"Just show me how much you really love me."

He traced her clit with his tongue, sending shockwaves throughout her body. "How about I do both?"

The following morning after returning home from Angel's house, Buffy ran straight into the bathroom. She gripped the box containing the pregnancy test tightly in her hand, trying her best to keep from trembling. Despite all their admissions the night before, and the number of times they'd made love in front of the fire, Buffy couldn't bring herself to tell him. Not until she had proof.

She read the instructions on the back of the box, all the while knowing the next twenty minutes would be the longest of her life. But at the end of it, Buffy felt confident she'd have what she wanted – a family. She'd have the baby she wanted with the man she always loved. Her life would finally be perfect.

"Angel, wow," Willow commented when she found her stepbrother at the gallery that evening. As promised, she and Tara came to show support for his work. At seven-thirty, the gallery was already packed. "Everything looks great."

"Yeah," Tara agreed. "Y-Your work is amazing."

Angel nodded. "Thank you. And thank you for coming tonight. I wasn't expecting a very good turnout, so it's great to have you guys here to support me."

"As if we'd be anywhere else. Besides, look how many people are here! You are going to sell a ton of paintings tonight." She looked around the showroom for her best friend. "Have you seen Buffy anywhere?"

"I'm sure she's around somewhere," he answered. He hadn't seen her since about seven o'clock, when the people started coming in. Though he wished he could find her; all the attention he'd been getting was starting to make him uncomfortable.

"If you don't mind, I'm gonna go find her," Willow said. "Say hi, tell her what a great job she did. You know, stroke her ego a bit."

Angel watched as his stepsister took Tara's hand and went off in search of Buffy. He'd have given anything to be with Buffy right now, instead of standing alone in a corner, listening to people he'd never met judge his work. There was nothing he hated more than his art showings. The only reason he made it a term of their agreement was so that he'd have an excuse to spend more time with Buffy.

"You look lonely, Angel," a female voice purred to his right.

Turning his head, the dark-haired artist saw Cordelia Chase standing next to him, a flirtatious smile painted on her lips and a silver sequined dress covering her curvaceous figure. "Cordelia. I never expected to see you here."

"What can I say?" she drawled, running her hand up and down his silk-covered arm. "I read you were having a showing and I just had to come."

"That's nice of you."

Cordelia let her eyes casually graze over his body. The red silk shirt he wore didn't hide the muscles of his arms or the smoothness of his chest, and his black leather pants made her mouth water. "You look great. The years have definitely been good to you."

"And you, too," he complimented. Even though he didn't want to admit it to himself, Cordelia Chase was just as beautiful as she'd been when he dated her in high school. Her skin was perfect, her shoulder-length chestnut hair neatly curled, her silver dress clinging enticingly to every curve. She had only one major flaw – she wasn't Buffy.

"Are you doing anything after the show?" she wanted to know. "You could come over to my apartment and we can get reacquainted."

Angel shook his head. "I'm sorry, Cordy, I'm afraid I can't do that. I'm seeing someone."

She shrugged her shoulders. "So? I am, too. We're not serious or anything."

"Well I *am* serious. I love my girlfriend."

"If she loves you as much as you love her, she'd be here right now holding your hand. If you were my boyfriend, Angel, I wouldn't let you out of my sight for a second."

The moment Buffy walked into the main showroom and saw Angel talking to Cordelia, she felt a jealous tug at her heart. Why couldn't she keep her hands off the men Buffy loved? It seemed to the blonde that her high school nemesis was on a one-woman mission to destroy her love life. First Riley, now Angel. Buffy began wondering what Cordelia had that she didn't.

She made eye contact with Angel, then turned to enter the Monet Room. It was empty, not being open to the public until eight-thirty. The Lovers Series wasn't being unveiled to the public until halfway through the showing. Once inside, Buffy stood behind the door so that nobody would bother her. The last thing she wanted was for perfect strangers to see her crying.

Excusing himself, Angel made his way into the Monet Room. He wanted to talk to Buffy, wanted to be alone with her for a few minutes. "Buffy?" he whispered loudly into the dimly lit room. Looking around, he didn't see her anywhere.

"I'm here."

Stepping inside, Angel softly closed the door for privacy. Closing it revealed his love standing in the corner wiping what he thought were tears from her green eyes. "What's the matter? Why are you crying?"

Buffy shook her head. "It's so stupid. Nothing, forget it."

Angel lifted his thumb to her cheek, wiping away a stray tear. "Was it Xander? I saw him out there, did he say something to you?"

"No."

"Then tell me. I won't think it's stupid, I promise."

She took a deep breath, trying to keep her emotions under control. The past twenty-four hours had probably been one of the most emotionally draining of her life, not far behind the day she buried her mother. "It w-was seeing you with Cordelia. I was afraid..."

"Afraid of what?"

Her lower lip quivered. "That she'd take you away from m-me like sh-she took R-Riley," Buffy admitted.

Angel pulled her into his arms, gently stroking her blonde hair. How could she have even considered Cordelia to be competition? "Nobody could take me away from you. I love you, Buffy. And that's what I told her when she asked me to come over tonight. I told her I have a girlfriend whom I love very much."

She lifted her head and gazed into his brown eyes. They told her how much he loved her. "Really? You said that to her?"

He dropped his forehead to hers. "Really." Resting his palm on the back of her neck, Angel brought his lips to hers in a sensual kiss. Their tongues danced together, engaged in an erotic mating ritual of thrusting and retreating. The kiss held the promise of what was to come later that night.

"Have I told you how absolutely beautiful you look tonight?" he asked her.

"You don't look so bad yourself," Buffy replied breathlessly.

"I'd kill to make love to you right now."

Their eyes met once again. "Then why don't you?"

Those words were all he needed to hear. The desperate need to be with each other was too great to bother with the pleasantries of foreplay. Not to mention the dozens of people outside wanting to see them; there simply wasn't time. While Buffy pushed down her panties and hiked up the skirt of her dress, Angel unzipped the fly of his leather pants. His rock-hard erection sprang to life before him. Grabbing Buffy about her hips, he held her tight as she wrapped her long legs around his waist. He pushed her against the wall and thrust himself into her hot, wet, inviting body without prelude.

The two moaned the moment they were joined as one. Neither felt complete unless coupled with the other. They were completely still for several long moments, and Angel whispered in her ear, "I promise I'll make love to you all night tonight and all day tomorrow if you just let me fuck you senseless right now."

The feel of his cock inside her combined with the soft leather of his pants against her thighs was slowly driving Buffy insane. "I don't care what you do, Angel. Just hurry up before I scream."

Buffy held on for dear life as Angel pounded relentlessly into her. His thrusts weren't soft and loving as they usually were, but hard and brutal like that of a man desperate for release. In all the times they'd been together, he'd never shown this side of him before. It aroused her to see him, to feel him being so carnal and animal-like that it catapulted her into oblivion.

When he felt her walls clenching around him, Angel pressed his lips to hers and thrust into her with wild abandon. Moments later he toppled over the edge into his own orgasm. He remained inside of her, looking deep into her green eyes and pushing a stray hair out of her face. "I'm sorry that didn't last longer, Buffy. I'll make it up to you later."

"We didn't have the time to make it last longer."

"I didn't hurt you at all, did I?"

Buffy shook her head. "No. It felt good. Really good."

Xander watched with interest as Buffy exited the Monet Room. Her blonde hair was tousled, her dress slightly wrinkled and her face flushed. When Angel stepped out thirty seconds later with a satisfied smile on his face, he knew exactly what had been going on in there. He followed Angel to the Men's Room, making sure there was nobody else in the room before he began speaking.

"You've got this thing about having sex in public places, don't you, McCoy?" Xander asked.

Angel shot him a dirty look. He and Xander had never been close; throughout high school Angel merely put up with him for Willow's sake. "Drop it, Xander."

"I just hope you're not using Buffy because you're desperate to get laid. I'd hate to see you break her heart again. I know all about what you did to her on graduation night."

"Keep your comments to yourself. Buffy told me what you said to her last night at the Bronze," Angel stated. "Unless you know what you're talking about – which, by the way, you don't – I wouldn't be mentioning it in mixed company. What Buffy and I choose to do behind closed doors is our business, nobody else's."

"You're using her."

Angel smirked and looked Xander up and down. Despite his outward appearance, the young man hadn't changed from the jealous high school boy he remembered. "Buffy's white knight," he chuckled. "You're still in love with her. It must just eat you up that I got there first. But I'll be sure to let her know how concerned you are tonight when I see her."

After locking the gallery doors at ten-thirty, Buffy sighed and turned to face the remaining people in the building. It was her, Angel, Sheila and Ira Rosenberg, Willow and Tara. "That's it. That's the last of them."

"It was a great showing," Ira complimented. "Almost everyone I spoke to had nothing but wonderful things to say about your work, Angel."

He gave a shy smile. "Thanks. All in all, I think the night went fairly well."

"Just about everything sold, too. Peggy told me your entire Lovers series was sold within an hour of the unveiling," Buffy said. She couldn't help feeling a pang of disappointment that Bliss had been sold to a perfect stranger. That particular painting held a special place in her heart, especially after Angel brought it to life for her the night before.

"I can't believe it."

Willow put her arm around her stepbrother's waist. "I can believe it. You're very talented, Angel."

Buffy poured six glasses of champagne for them. "I second that." She handed a glass to each of them, then held hers out. "Let's have a toast. To a successful evening and an exciting beginning to Angel's career in Sunnydale."

As they all clanked glasses, Buffy made eye contact with Angel and smiled slightly when she brought the glass to her lips. While everyone gulped theirs down, she only pretended to. Buffy wasn't about to take any risks. Angel had his eyes on her the whole time, but if he noticed anything he didn't mention it.

"Well, with this being such a big night and all, why don't we move the celebratory party to our house?" Angel's mother suggested. "That way everyone can have as much as they want to drink and not have to worry about driving home. We've got more than enough room."

"Oh, thanks but no thanks," declined Buffy. "I still have a ton of work to do around here before I'm allowed to go home. But thank you very much for inviting me."

"Angel?" his mother asked.

"I can come by for a little while, but not too long. I'm seriously exhausted."

Mrs. Rosenberg put her glass down. "Okay. Buffy, thank you for a wonderful evening. Do you need any help cleaning up?"

Buffy shook her head. "No, I think I've got it covered. It'll only take me an hour or so to straighten up. Go on, have fun."

She waited a full ten minutes before leaving the gallery. Her excuse about needing to clean up had been just that – an excuse. The truth was she'd hired a cleaning company to come in the next morning and pick up, with Nina there to oversee it. Buffy had every intention of relaxing in bed with her lover all day long.

Once she returned home, the blonde sprinted around the house to clean up. The last two days had been too hectic to bother with little things like dusting and sweeping. Now with Angel coming over, she wanted the place to look perfect. Like a bat out of hell, Buffy cleaned. A job that normally took her an hour only took half as long. Impressed with her speediness, she clapped her hands together for a job well done and bounded upstairs to take a shower before he arrived.

When Angel did arrive at midnight, the house was completely dark. Pulling out the key Buffy had slipped him earlier that evening, he unlocked the front door and closed it tightly behind him. He squinted in the darkness in search of Buffy. "Buff?" he called.

"Upstairs," she responded.

He climbed up the stairs, suppressing the urge to take them two at a time. Ever since their rendezvous in the Monet Room during the showing, he couldn't get her out of his thoughts. All he'd wanted to do was drag her into another empty room and take her again and again until his desire for her was quenched. Now that they were finally alone, he had every intention of doing so.

The second floor was just as dark as the first with the exception of the first bedroom on his right-hand side. He could see the flicker of candlelight, which led him to assume he'd find Buffy there. When he entered her bedroom, he felt all the air leave his lungs. Buffy lay on the bed, propped up on her elbow wearing a silky black negligee. Suddenly, Angel's leather pants were far too constricting.

"Hi," Buffy greeted, smiling seductively at him.

Angel gulped audibly. "Wow. You really went all out for this."

Effortlessly, Buffy slid off the mattress and stood on the carpeted floor. It seemed to him she floated to his side like she was an angel. "It's a night for celebrating, Angel. And believe me, you and I have quite a bit to celebrate."

"We do?"

She nodded, slowly unbuttoning his crimson silk shirt. Once she successfully unbuttoned it, Buffy ran her hands along his smooth chest, feeling the hard muscles rippling beneath the skin. Licking her lips, she left a trail of kisses from his collarbone to his navel. Buffy then stood on her tiptoes to press her lips to his.

"We have two things to celebrate tonight," she told him, locking her gaze on his. "First being the enormous success of tonight's show. You're going to make a killing in the art world very soon. I couldn't be happier or more proud to have played a small part in it."

Angel wrapped his arms around her slim waist, his fingers pushing the hem of her short negligee upwards. "You played more than a small part. What's the second thing we're celebrating?"

"Our possible success in getting me pregnant."

His brown eyes widened into saucers. "What? You're pregnant?"

"I might be. I was supposed to have had my period over a week ago and I haven't gotten it yet. So this morning I took one of those new-fangled home pregnancy tests that detect the pregnancy hormone. It came out positive."

"You're pregnant?"

"Well, it's not doctor verified yet, but all signs indicate I am." Pressing her palms flat against his chest, Buffy pushed him back until the backs of his knees came into contact with her bed. "Now, have a seat and let me thank you properly."

Angel did as he was told. He knew that whatever his love had planned for him, he would enjoy it immensely. Sitting at the edge of the bed, he watched as Buffy placed her hands on his knees and spread his legs apart. She dropped to her knees between his legs and stroked his thighs through the leather before removing his belt and unzipping his fly. She caught his eye when his erection was freed and standing proudly between them.

The anticipation was slowly killing him. He thought he'd die if she didn't touch him soon; and the moment he felt her hot lips circling his member he thought he'd explode right then and there. Her talented mouth took his entire length in, her tongue swirling around it like a popsicle, effectively driving him to the edge of insanity. None of his lovers had ever made him feel that way before. It took all of his willpower to keep from grabbing the back of her head and holding her in place while he thrust deep into her throat.

After several long, excruciatingly pleasurable minutes of feeling Buffy's mouth around his cock, her teeth scraping his sensitive skin as she took more of him in, Angel leaned back and rested his weight on his elbows. He was close, so close. "Buffy...oh god..." he moaned.

"Hmm..."

The vibrations of her humming became Angel's undoing. He didn't even have the chance to warn her before he came, shooting his seed into her throat. When he opened his eyes and looked down at her, Angel found her still holding him in her mouth, a look of contentment and satisfaction in her emerald eyes.

"Did you like your present?" Buffy wanted to know, releasing him.

He nodded. "Very much so."

"I did it right, didn't I?"

"Why would you ask that?"

She looked away shyly. "Because I've never done that before. I wanted to do something I never did with Riley; you know, do something extra special for the man I love. For the father of my baby."

Angel was shocked by her admission. He never would have guessed Buffy had never given a blowjob before, not by the way it felt. "If you hadn't told me, love, I wouldn't have guessed. I've had...what I want to say is that you put every other woman to shame."

"Really?"

He smirked, hoisting her up until she lay on top of him. "Really really. Now, if I recall, I owe you a night of lovemaking. Are you up for it?"

"I'm definitely up for it. Make love to me, Angel. And don't stop until the sun comes up."

"Your wish is my command."

Angel held her to him, loving how it felt to hold his love in his arms as she slept peacefully next to him. They'd made love for an hour straight, each taking turns pleasuring one another until their bodies gave out. And each time was different; every touch, every kiss, every murmur and sight brought them deeper, closer to where they wanted to be. Angel knew they were meant for each other – he'd known it since he was fourteen – but now it was a matter of proving it to Buffy. From her reactions to him that evening, it wouldn't take much convincing.

Propping himself up on one elbow, he contented himself with watching Buffy sleep. She rested her head on his upper arm, using it as a makeshift pillow despite the one dangling off the edge of the bed only a foot away. Their latest round of lovemaking had been so raucous, so desperate that the pillows and sheets hadn't survived it. They either lay tangled at the foot of the bed or on the floor below. The thought of it made him smile.

It was then that he came up with an idea. With a mischievous smile playing upon his lips, Angel felt himself becoming aroused yet again, turned on by the idea in his head. Ever so gently he pulled his arm out from under Buffy's head, careful not to wake her. He then carefully positioned himself over her vulnerable body. He didn't want her to wake up, not yet anyway. No, Angel wanted her completely open to him so he could touch and taste her without her being aware of it.

He pressed his lips to Buffy's, leaving only a feather-light kiss in his wake. With watchful eyes Angel made sure she was still asleep. As discreetly as he possibly could he moved down her delicious body, taking the time to feast on her perfect breasts before leaving butterfly kisses where it was quite possible their baby was growing. That much he couldn't believe – that he and Buffy would be parents someday soon. The thought of it boggled his mind.

Then he reached his target, the downy hair covering her most delightful treasures. Angel could spend long hours just touching and tasting her there, inhaling her musky scent. She drove him wild with desire he'd never felt for anyone else in his entire life. Feeling her shift when his lips suckled on her clit, Angel knew she'd been born just for him. And he silently thanked whatever god was in the sky for giving her to him.

Buffy felt her orgasm coming long before she woke up. She'd been having the most intensely erotic dream of her life, where she and Angel were on a beach in Jamaica, making love on the sand as the sun set in the west. She clung to him tightly as both the waves from the ocean and the waves of her orgasm crashed over her. And when she exploded, she rode out the waves of pleasure, calling out Angel's name as if saying it was the only thing that would keep her from drowning.

The feeling of wholeness as she felt him moving inside of her was so incredible she almost didn't want to open her eyes. But knowing she wouldn't be disappointed, Buffy did open them, only to find what she'd been feeling hadn't just been a dream. She lovingly stroked Angel's face as he pushed himself in and out of her slick center.

"Angel," she said, smiling up at him.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to wake up," he told her. "Part of me was afraid you'd sleep right through it."

Buffy tossed her head from side to side, her blonde hair fanning out across the mattress. Another crisis was approaching and she began bucking her hips upwards to meet his. "I was having the best dream. But this is so much better. You should have woken me up sooner."

He bent down to kiss her, snaking one of his hands between their pivoting bodies to bring her to completion. "And miss out on waking you up with an orgasm? I couldn't resist."

She wanted to respond, but his nimble fingers pushed her over the edge. Arching her back like a bow, Buffy shouted her release, gripping her lover about the hips for dear life. "Oh god...don't stop...right there...Angel!"

While Buffy was still in the throes of her orgasm, Angel pulled himself out and turned her over so that she lay on her stomach. Not wanting to waste a single moment of their night together, he sat back on his knees, pulled Buffy up onto hers and plunged back inside once she was straddling him. This new position allowed him to fill her more deeply, as well as allowing his hands to busy themselves with her soft, creamy flesh.

Dropping her head back to rest it on his shoulder, Buffy set the pace this time. She made it an unrelenting one, lifting herself up and dropping back down onto his erect member. He went deeper than ever before, touching the mouth of her womb with the tip of his cock. Sex with Riley never made her feel this way – sexy, wanton and *complete*. With Angel, Buffy was comfortable enough to be vulnerable yet assertive at the same time. He was willing to try different things. She'd never felt comfortable doing certain things with Riley, even after four years together. But after two-and-a-half weeks with Angel she could do just about anything and not have to worry about what he'd think about her afterwards. Angel had proved to her over and over again how much he loved her.

His two pointer fingers drew lazy circles around her abdomen while his lips found the tender flesh of her neck. God how he loved this woman, words couldn't begin to express it. She molded so perfectly to him, like their bodies were built to compliment each other. He was hard and lean and full of muscle. She was soft and demure and tiny. They contradicted yet completed each other.

When his hands made their way to her breasts, Angel couldn't stop himself from kneading them. They barely filled his hands, not that it mattered much to him. Buffy was everything he wanted and needed in a lover, and she was perfect in every possible way. He slid his palms downward to cup her breasts while his thumbs and forefingers twisted her nipples into hardened nubs.

Angel felt his climax approaching, though he wished he could hold off a little while longer. She was quivering for his intimate touch, wanting release just as much as he did. He slowly built her need until she was begging him, using words he never thought would come out of her mouth. Rubbing her over-sensitized bundle of nerves harshly between his fingers, Buffy shattered all around him. He took the opportunity to grab her hips and thrust into her until he came as well.

Laying down on the bed, both exhausted and out of breath, Angel spooned her into his embrace. "Gonna tell me what you were dreaming about?" he wanted to know.

Buffy moaned. "Paradise. You and me on a beach, making love at sunset with the waves crashing over us."

"It does sound like paradise. Especially the making love on the beach part. We'll have to do that sometime."

"I'm ready whenever you are."

The shrill of the telephone woke Buffy up from one of the most fitful sleeps she'd ever had. Opening her eyes and rolling out of Angel's embrace, she looked at her alarm clock. It read eight forty-five. Whoever was calling her at that ungodly hour had better have a good reason or there would be hell to pay. She reached over and picked up the telephone. "What?" she answered unhappily.

Buffy heard a laugh on the other end of the line. "Ooh, someone's cranky this morning. What's the matter, Buffy, were you up too late partying last night?"

She yawned. "Dawn? Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"It's quarter to twelve here in New York, which makes it quarter to nine in Sunnydale. Shouldn't you be up and dressed by now anyway?" her younger sister asked.

"The gallery's closed today, Dawnie."

"Yeah, I know. That's why I called you, aside from interrupting your sleep. I wanted to see how Angel's showing went last night. Did he sell a lot of paintings?"

Next to Buffy, Angel opened his brown eyes and stretched. He'd heard her answer the phone, and the sound of her thoaty voice sent waves of lust throughout his body. He needed to make love to her again. So he nuzzled his face in her neck and teased her nether lips with his fingers. "I want you, Buffy. Now," he whispered.

"Yeah, Angel sold a lot of paintings last night. He was a huge success." Buffy tried her best not to moan as her lover's fingers entered her wet heat. The last thing she wanted was for her eighteen-year-old sister to know what going on.

"And how is Angel doing these days?" Dawn wanted to know. "Still as hunky as he was back in high school?"

The blonde didn't know how much more she could stand. The combination of Angel's lips on the nape of her neck and his fingers thrusting in and out of her was driving her closer and closer to the edge. "He's not bad. Look, Dawnie, I'm really tired. Can I call you tomorrow?"

"Sure. Have fun."

After hanging up the phone, Buffy twisted them until she straddled Angel's thighs. She stroked his manhood teasingly, feeling him grow harder by the second. "What did you think you were doing just now?" she demanded.

"What did it feel like I was doing?"

"I was on the phone with my sister!" Buffy exclaimed.

He rubbed the pads of his thumbs over her pebbled nipples. "So, how is Dawn doing these days? How's New York?"

"I didn't exactly get a chance to ask her before you started...started doing what you were doing to me. That was evil, Angel. Evil."

"Evil, yes. But it got you off the phone, didn't it? Mission accomplished."

"I thought you were on the phone," Dawn's roommate Kathy said when she came back into their dorm room. "Didn't you call your sister?"

Dawn nodded her head. "Yeah."

"And you're done already? Was she not home?"

"No, she was home all right."

"Then why aren't you still on the phone with her?" Kathy questioned.

"Because I think I interrupted her having sex," Dawn explained.

Her roommate chuckled. "That's gotta be pretty embarrassing. Did you hear all kinds of moaning in the background?"

"No. But she definitely got off the phone in a hurry. And I think I heard someone in bed with her. That's not like Buffy at all." Dawn smiled thoughtfully. "I wonder who he was. After Riley, my sister needs a guy to treat her right. Hell, right about now she just needs a guy to have sex with."

"The show was a huge success!" boasted Nina the following Monday morning when she and Buffy were getting ready to open the gallery for business. The two hadn't spoken since the night of Angel's showing.

Buffy nodded in agreement. "It certainly was a success. Almost everything sold, which is pretty impressive for a relatively new artist. Angel must have really struck a cord with the people of Sunnydale. We're already planning a second show on New Year's Eve."

"Well, he definitely struck a cord with me. Did you see what he was wearing on Friday night? It should be illegal to look that good in a pair of leather pants."

"Angel's not hard on the eyes, I'll grant you that. He never was," the blonde gallery owner mused. "He was always a looker; always had a ton of girls clamoring for his attention."

"That's right," Nina began. "I forgot you used to know him when he lived in Sunnydale before. He told me the first day he came in here. Tell me, was he born that good-looking?"

She laughed. "I've only known him since he was nine, but yeah, he was that good-looking even then. Every girl at Sunnydale High wanted him. I'll admit I even had a thing for him."

Nina caught the look in her boss' eyes. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. "Did you two ever...you know, hook up?"

"Me and Angel? No, I wasn't that lucky back then. Don't get me wrong, Nina, I had a huge crush on him all through high school, but nothing ever happened between us. We were friends, that's all he wanted to be with me. He's Willow's stepbrother. Not to mention I always thought he saw me as Willow's annoying best friend."

"Did he?"

"You'd have to ask him that, not me."

"But you know him pretty well now, right?" Nina questioned.

Buffy nodded. "You could say I know him pretty well." 'Better than you or anyone else could possibly imagine.'

"Good. Because I need your opinion on something, an Angel opinion to be exact. Do you think, if I asked him out, he'd say yes?"

She blinked, trying not to show her surprise at her employee's question. Buffy knew Nina had a little thing for Angel, but jealousy flared up upon hearing of Nina's interest in Angel. Not that she thought Angel would ever cheat on her. "Uh, Nina, I don't think that's such a good idea. He's sort of seeing someone," Buffy informed her. "I'd hate to see you get hurt."

"He's seeing someone? He never mentioned it before. Is it serious?"

"From what I understand, it is. It's new, but Angel's trying to keep it on the down-low, with his soon-to-be celebrity and all. He wants the focus to be on his artwork rather than his personal life. But he says he's in love with her."

Nina understood. "I get it. Angel's off the market. Too bad, though. And too bad for you, too. You two would have made a cute couple."

"What makes you think that?" Buffy wanted to know.

"You'd have to be blind not to see the sexual chemistry between you guys. There's definitely some unresolved sexual tension there. Not to mention the looks factor. He's tall, dark and handsome. You're small, blonde and beautiful. You just fit so well together."

"Okay...I was under the impression you wanted him. Why are you pushing for me to hook up with him all of a sudden?"

"I'm not. I was just making an observation, that's all. You need to find someone, you're all alone. Your mom's gone, that jerk Riley's with Cordelia and Dawn's in New York. I'm just afraid of you being alone, Buffy. Me and Peggy, we care about you and we only want you to be happy."

Buffy smiled. "I am happy, Nina. I'm the happiest I've been in a long, long time."

It was seven-thirty before Buffy got home from the gallery. She was exhausted from redecorating the showroom following the show, and all she wanted to do was eat a quick dinner and soak in a hot bubble bath. So when she opened the front door, Buffy was more than a little surprised to see Angel sitting on the living room couch, holding a glass of sparkling cider.

"Rough day at the office, honey?" he asked with a smile.

Buffy placed her purse on the end table and gaped at him. "Yeah, it was really tiring. What are you doing here? Did we have plans and I flaked on them?"

Angel shook his head, stood up and handed her the glass. "Nope, you didn't flake on anything. I thought I'd be the dutiful boyfriend and do something nice for you after a hard day at work. Besides, I have a big surprise waiting for you."

"A surprise?" she repeated. "What kind of surprise?"

"The kind of surprise I know you'll like."

"Okay..."

He took the glass back from her, put it down on the table next to her purse and covered her eyes with his hands. "Trust me, you'll love it. Now, can you see anything?"

Buffy laughed and shook her head. "No, Angel, I can't. What are you doing?"

"You'll find out in a minute. We're going upstairs, love, so you have to be careful so you don't trip," he told her.

"All right," she agreed.

He nudged her to get her moving, turning her body in the direction of the staircase. Carefully, he guided her up, step by step, staying behind her to make sure she didn't fall. Once they reached the top of the steps, Angel led her to her bedroom. He opened the door and removed his hands from her eyes. "Here we are," he announced.

Buffy cocked one eyebrow upwards. "The surprise is my bedroom? I don't know if you remember, but we already did it in my bedroom, Angel. Many times over the weekend."

"Making love to you isn't the surprise I had planned for you. Don't get me wrong, though, I love your idea. I want you to take a closer look around. Notice anything different?"

Stepping into her room, the blonde looked around for Angel's surprise. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary at first glance, at least not until her eyes reached the wall behind her bed. Where there used to be pictures of ice skates and ribbons from the competitions she won, Buffy found Angel's painting. Bliss. She turned around to gaze at him.

"Angel, what's going on?" she questioned suspiciously.

"You saw the painting, right?"

She nodded. "I saw it. But I guess I'm still a little confused. Why is it here?"

"It's yours."

"Mine? How? Did you paint another one?"

Angel laughed at her. She was so cute when she was perplexed. "No, I didn't paint another one. This is the only copy. Buffy, this is our painting. When I saw how you responded to it, I knew there was no way I could sell it to a virtual stranger. It's too personal. So the other night at the gallery I bought it. The only person who knows is Peggy. She thought I was insane for buying my own painting, I could see it in her eyes. But when I told her I wanted to give it to the woman I love, she caught on. And now it's where it belongs. With you."

"Wow. I can't believe...just wow. Angel, this is amazing. I love it, thank you so much." She stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I knew there was a reason I loved you."

"I also made dinner. Roast beef and rice with vegetables," Angel let her know.

"Sounds great, but I'm not hungry. Well, not for food anyway," she said suggestively. "Right now I just want to take a hot bubble bath. Care to join me?"

"What about dinner?"

"That's why man invented the microwave. Are you coming or not?"

He grinned. "It's the best offer I've had all day. Not to mention I'm still dirty from working on my new painting."

"I guess I'll have to help you with those hard to reach places."

It was three weeks before Buffy was able to get an appointment with her doctor for a pregnancy test. She spent the time walking around on pins and needles, despite feeling almost one hundred percent certain she was pregnant. Angel, on the other hand, acted cool, calm and collected, trying his best to soothe her frazzled nerves. She couldn't believe he was the same guy she knew from high school who went through women like underwear and had broken her heart in a million pieces. The man who once told her he wouldn't have sex with her if she was the last woman on earth was about to find out if he was going to be a father. A father to *her* child. It still blew her mind.

So she threw herself into her work the day of and the day after her doctor's appointment. He had promised to be in touch with her within twenty-four to forty-eight hours with the results of her pregnancy test. Angel did his best to keep her mind off of it the night before, but it wasn't so easy at work when he wasn't there to distract her. Buffy re-filed her paperwork, wrote out her bills for the rest of the month and took stock of the gallery's inventory. It was while she stood in the storage room that the phone call came.

"Buffy!" Peggy called, opening the storage room door. "You have a phone call. It's Dr. Blakely's office."

Buffy nearly dropped her pen and clipboard on the box in front of her. It was the call she'd been waiting for; the one that could possibly change her life forever. "Thanks, Peggy. It'll take it in my office."

Her employee watched with curious eyes as Buffy practically ran out of the storage room. She worried that something might be wrong with her boss, given her mother's illness and sudden death earlier in the year, but didn't feel it was her place to ask. If Buffy wanted to tell her what was going on, she would share when she felt ready to.

Once inside her office, Buffy closed the door and sat down at her desk. Taking a deep breath, she picked up the receiver. "Hello, this is Buffy Summers," she said.

"Hi, Buffy. This is Dr. Blakely," the voice on the other end of the line told her.

She swallowed audibly. 'It's the moment of truth,' she thought. "Good afternoon, Dr. Blakely. I've been waiting for your call. Is everything okay?"

"Well, I'll skip the formalities since I know how anxious you are to find out the results of your blood work," he stated. "I hope I give you the news you want to hear."

"I hope so, too. You have no idea how much I want to be pregnant," Buffy told him. "Well, Doctor, am I?"

"Congratulations. The blood work came back positive. You're pregnant, Buffy."

She sighed heavily, trying to keep from squealing with glee. She'd gotten the news she wanted to hear. They'd succeeded; she and Angel were going to have a baby. "Thank you, Dr. Blakely. You just made my entire lifetime."

"I'm glad I was able to tell you what you wanted to hear. I suggest making an appointment with an OB/GYN as soon as possible."

As soon as she hung up the phone, Buffy reached for her jacket and grabbed her purse off the shelf next to the desk. It was two-thirty; Peggy and Nina could handle the rest of the afternoon without her there. She needed to tell Angel the good news right away. She couldn't wait until dinnertime to share it with him.

"Guys, I'm heading out for the rest of the day. I've, um, got some errands to run," Buffy fibbed to her two employees. They didn't need to know she'd be celebrating her pregnancy with Angel. The two of them would know soon enough about her condition when she started showing. God, she couldn't wait for the whole world to know.

"Hey, are you doing okay?" Nina wanted to know. Peggy had told her that Buffy was on the phone with her doctor, and she sincerely hoped everything was all right. She'd come to think of her boss as an older sister.

Buffy nodded and grinned. "I couldn't be better. If you have any problems, call me on my cell phone. Bye!"

When she got to Angel's front door, Buffy didn't bother knocking. He had long since given her a key, telling her it was much easier than having to knock every time she wanted to come in. The house was quiet when she entered, but his truck was parked in the driveway, so Buffy safely assumed Angel was home. He often worked in complete silence, and she wanted to surprise him. She thought he'd come out when she closed the door, but he didn't.

"Angel?" she called out.

Still no answer. She climbed the stairs, figuring she would find her lover in either his studio or his bedroom. His bedroom door was open and she saw no trace of him. Buffy peaked her head in his studio and found it completely empty as well.

"Angel!"

Outside on the back patio, Angel thought he heard someone calling his name. Putting down his glass of water, he got up off the chaise lounge and walked back inside the house. When he heard his name once again, he immediately recognized Buffy's voice. "Buffy?" he responded.

She ran to the stairs and looked down at him. One look in Angel's chocolate orbs and all she wanted to do was throw herself into his arms. "Angel! Where were you?" she asked.

"Outside. What's going on?"

"Come up here and I'll tell you."

Angel did has he was told. Upon reaching Buffy's side, she wordlessly took his hand in hers and led him to his bedroom. There she sat down on the bed, where he followed in suit. "Dr. Blakely called the gallery a little while ago. The results of my blood word came back," she told him.

Angel widened his eyes. The expression on Buffy's face wasn't giving away anything. "And? What did he have to say? Are you pregnant?"

She coyly bit her lip. "Uh-huh. We're having a baby."

"You're pregnant."

"No, *we're* pregnant," Buffy corrected him. "How does it feel knowing you're going to be a father in about seven months?"

He didn't need to think about his response. "Feels pretty heady. Great, though. I can't believe we did it. Buffy, we made a baby."

She took his hand again, only this time placing it on her still-flat stomach. "We certainly did. Do you want to celebrate our accomplishment?"

"Can we? I mean, is it safe?"

Buffy nodded her head. "It's perfectly safe, Angel, trust me. I need to be with you, feel you, touch you. We created a life together, and we should celebrate it. Please make love to me."

Angel awoke an hour later from their "celebrating." The pure intensity of emotion from his and Buffy's lovemaking drained him of nearly all his energy, and given Buffy's sleeping form, it had done the same to her. As stealthily as possible, he rolled out of bed and threw on the jeans and t-shirt he'd been wearing earlier that day. The sight of his lover laying asleep, a contented smile playing upon her beautiful face, was almost more than the artist in him could handle. He wanted – no, needed – to put that beauty on paper.

He quickly made his way to his studio, grabbing his drawing pad and several pencils. Once back inside his bedroom, Angel settled himself on the armchair and went to work on sketching her. Each line he drew was done so with total love and reverence. He knew he could never fully replicate Buffy's beauty on a mere piece of paper, but Angel was determined to give it his level best. If he wasn't able to translate it to paper, the least he could do was capture the innocence and ethereal glow of the pregnant woman sleeping in his bed.

When Buffy began to rouse from her sleep at four o'clock, Angel was so intent in his drawing that he didn't notice. The image of her asleep had been burned into his mind; he no longer needed to look at her in order to draw her. She opened her eyes and saw him sitting across the room with the sketchbook in his lap. Clutching the silk sheet to her chest, she sat up.

"Angel?" she asked.

He lifted his head, noticing for the first time that she's awakened. "You're awake. How long ago did you wake up? I didn't even notice, sorry."

"Just a minute ago. You looked like you were really concentrating on whatever it is you're drawing," Buffy commented. "Do you mind if I take a look?"

"Of course you can. I was drawing you."

She slipped out of bed, gliding over to his side to see his drawing of her. What she saw, however, nearly caused her jaw to drop. Angel had drawn her so reverently, so lovingly she doubted it was even her. "Are you sure that's me?"

Angel nodded his head, dropping the pad on the floor. "Positive. I saw you sleeping and I couldn't help it. You looked so peaceful, so beautiful that I just had to get it on paper," he explained.

"You're giving me way too much credit."

He stood up and placed his hands on either side of her face. "*You* don't give yourself enough credit, Buffy. You've been my favorite subject since I hit puberty. And now that I've got you here, there's no way in hell I'm letting you go. Especially now that our child is growing inside of you."

"I never imagined you would be so happy about having a baby," Buffy admitted. "When I saw you in the gallery that afternoon, I knew you were the one. It was a sign. I was so afraid to ask you, though; so afraid you'd say no and laugh in my face like you did the night of my graduation."

Sighing heavily, Angel stroked her cheeks with his thumbs. The pain and fear in her green eyes told him everything he needed to know. After all the years that had passed, his rejection still stung . "I'm sorry I hurt you that night, Buffy. At that time, it seemed like the right thing to do for both of us. Look, I know I've told you this before, and it's a matter of too little too late, but I didn't do it to purposely hurt you. I wanted to make love to you so badly that night; wanted to give myself to you in a way I'd never given myself to anyone. It would have been my first time, too. But it would have only been that one night, something we both deserved better than.

"When I came back to Sunnydale in September, it was with every intention of making up for my past mistakes. I wanted to woo you, sweep you off your feet, and then when the time was finally right, tell you how much I've always loved you and show you just how much. So when you asked me help you conceive a child, it was like a dream come true. And you have my word that I will never hurt you like that again."

"Just do me a favor and promise you'll never make a decision like that without consulting me first," Buffy stated.

He dropped his forehead to touch hers. "Not a problem. Besides, there are two things you and I need to discuss together. Important things. When we're going to tell everyone about the baby and when we're going to tell everyone about us. Because frankly, I'm ready to tell the world."

"Not yet, Angel. We can announce it all at the same time, but I'd like to wait until after my first obstetrician appointment. Part of me doesn't want to jinx it. Are you okay with waiting a little while?"

Angel slid his hands from her face to the top of the blanket she wore to hide her nakedness. "I can wait a little longer. What I can't wait for, however, is to be inside you again. Any objections to that?" he wanted to know.

Buffy shook her head, bringing her hands to his loose-fitting jeans in an effort to remove the offending clothing from his body. "Not one." To prove her point, she unbuttoned his jeans and pushed them down his body. She raised her eyebrows at his impressive erection. "Been ready for a while, huh?"

"Ever since you woke up." He tugged at his t-shirt before lifting it over his head. Without further adieu, Angel yanked the silk sheet from his lover's body. "You are so beautiful. I don't know how I got so lucky."

Angel scooped her into his arms and their lips fused together in a passionate kiss. He led them to the bed, where the sheets were still tangled from their previous romp. Neither took the time to care, both wanting desperately to be with the other. Buffy scratched her fingernails up and down Angel's back, bucking her hips upwards trying to entice him to hurry up and enter her.

But he was having none of it. Despite his desire to pound himself home and feel her tight walls clenching around his member, Angel was determined to pleasure her first. He pried his lips from hers and trailed them down her neck to the valley between her breasts. Capturing one pert nipple between his lips, Angel suckled on it the way their child would be doing in eight months. That thought alone nearly made him come, as did the mental image of Buffy nursing their child. He released the one nipple before moving on to the other.

"Angel..." Buffy moaned, grabbing clumps of his spiky hair with her fingers. Her entire body was on fire, screaming for him to take her. She didn't care about foreplay, she only wanted to feel her soulmate imbedded deep inside her where he belonged. Angel's teasing was driving her to the brink of insanity.

Smirking against her milky breast, Angel trailed his hand down her stomach to the juncture of her thighs and slowly inched one single finger inside her center. She was hot tight around him, welcoming the invasion. It pleased him when she arched her hips for more, so he gave it to her, beginning a languid thrusting pace as he added a second digit.

No longer content with her lover's fingers, Buffy mustered all of her strength and flipped them over by hooking her left leg over his right one and twisting their bodies. Angel removed his fingers, knowing something better was to come instead. He brought his large hands to her breasts, kneading them gently so as not to cause her any pain. He'd read that pregnancy caused a woman's breasts to be extra-sensitive, so he tried not to cause Buffy any discomfort.

Wrapping her hand around his turgent length, Buffy positioned it at her opening and slid down on it, taking him to the hilt. They both groaned when he was seated fully inside of her. Placing her hands flat on Angel's chest, she set a furious pace. He watched through clouded eyes as she bounced on top of him, his penis appearing and disappearing back inside of her. Sex never felt so good as it did when it was with Buffy. Nobody else even compared.

He dropped one hand to her stomach. Even in the throes of one of the most intense sexual encounters he'd ever experienced, Angel still found time to be amazed that she was carrying his baby. If he'd thought it impossible to love Buffy more, his feelings grew even stronger. She wasn't just his love, or his lover; now she was the mother of his child. Keeping his hand on her stomach, he brought the other one to the point where their bodies met and began to pleasure her with his thumb and forefinger.

The first touch of his fingers on her clit sent Buffy over the edge of her first orgasm. She cried out his name and set an even faster pace. She'd enjoyed sex with Riley, but lovemaking with Angel went beyond simply fun and enjoyable. It was intense and mind blowing; a near holy experience. He ruined her for other men, that she knew. No other man would ever be able to evoke the same kind of reactions from her. Then she exploded again before she even came down from her first climax.

By the time she calmed from her second peak, Buffy found herself on her back underneath Angel. Their lips met as he pounded into her relentlessly. She arched into him, stroking his back with one hand while tickling the fine hairs on the back of his neck with the other. Meeting him thrust for thrust, Buffy let him take the lead, wanting to be sure he achieved the same kind of passionate heights she had. And when he did, he made certain she joined him.

He buried his face in her neck as his flacid member slipped out of her. It was the only part of their lovemaking he didn't like – when he was forced to leave her body. "I love you, Buffy. I love you and our baby. I'm never leaving you. Never," he promised.

"Good. 'Cause you're stuck with us now. And we love you, too."

"Angel, you haven't called us all week long," his mother commented at dinner that Saturday night. "We were beginning to wonder if you were okay."

He finished chewing the hamburger he'd taken a bite of before his mother began talking to him. "I'm fine, Mom. This week has been really crazy, sorry. I've been trying to get some pieces together for my next showing."

"When will you be having it?" his stepfather wanted to know.

"New Year's Eve. Buffy and I thought it would be a good night to have the second showing. I know she wants to do something special for it, but she decided to keep me in suspense," he said. "Gotta say, I'm looking forward to it. Even though I was scared to death about the first one. Hopefully I won't be so nervous this time around."

From across the table, Willow eyed her stepbrother. Over the past few weeks she'd been giving more and more thought to the possibility of something going on between Angel and her best friend. Several times she had driven past his house and seen Buffy's car parked in the driveway. And when she called him early last Saturday morning, she could have sworn she heard Buffy giggling in the background. If something was happening between the two of them, they weren't making it public knowledge.

"We're looking forward to it, too. I'm still getting compliments about your work," his mother told him. "It seems as if you managed to strike a cord in the people of Sunnydale. The newspaper called your work a breath of fresh air."

"Sometimes I find it hard to believe they're talking about me when they print stuff like that," Angel stated.

"Don't be so modest," his mother admonished. "You've been given a wonderful talent and you know it. There's no point in denying it. Don't you agree, Willow?"

The redhead nodded in agreement. "Definitely. I wish I had half of Angel's artistic abilities. I'm lucky I can draw a straight line with a ruler."

Angel picked up a second hamburger, squirting ketchup and mustard on it. "Thanks, Will."

Mrs. Rosenberg watched as Angel took a big bite out of his hamburger. "Um, Angel, I hate to be a nag, but are you remembering to eat every day?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Real food?"

He sighed. "Yes, Mom, real food. I just happen to be really hungry today." Angel knew he couldn't tell her he'd been burning a lot of calories at night with Buffy.

"Just checking."

The four ate the rest of their meal without mentioning Angel's increased appetite, mostly focusing on Willow and her new job at a local computer company. Angel was grateful the heat had been turned off of him, at least for a while. Sometimes he'd catch Willow looking at him and wonder if she suspected anything. He and Buffy had been so careful not to get caught until they were ready to announce their relationship – and her pregnancy – to the world.

After dinner, Willow pulled her stepbrother into the library to talk privately. She was determined to find out the truth. "Angel, can I ask you a question?"

The dark-haired man shrugged his shoulders. "Sure. What do you want to ask me?"

"Is there something going on between you and Buffy?" she asked him.

He visibly paled and his heart pounded nervously in his chest. "W-What makes you think that, Will?"

"You two have been spending a lot of time together. And I know how you used to feel about her, and how Buffy used to feel about you. Not to mention there was this electricity...this vibe going on between you guys at your showing. Everyone noticed it. I wondered if you were seeing each other," Willow explained.

"If there was something worth telling, I'd have told you already."

Her face lit up. "So there *is* something going on!"

"You're reading too much into it. Working with her on my showings has brought us closer, yes. But there's nothing between us other than friendship. Buffy's a great girl, but that's the extent of it. Sorry if you thought otherwise."

As he left the room, Willow remained standing there. Not for one second did she buy his "we're only friends" explanation. From the way all the blood drained from his face, she was convinced he was lying to her. That's when she decided to ambush Buffy in the hope of getting some real answers.

Peggy glanced up when she heard the bell above the door ringing, signaling the arrival of a customer. Seeing that it was Angel, she smiled at the handsome young artist. He'd become a regular fixture at the gallery, often joining herself and Buffy for lunch at the Expresso Pump. If she didn't know any better, she'd swear he and Buffy played footsie under the table.

"Hi, Peggy," Angel greeted. "How's business today?"

"Pretty steady. And I've had three people ask me when we'll be having another showing of your work. What should I be telling your anxious public?"

He flashed her a lopsided grin. "We're looking toward New Year's Eve, if all goes according to plan. And as long as I remain inspired. My muse tends to be a bit on the temperamental side."

"Well, keep your muse happy. A contented muse for you means a happy Buffy and a pleasant work environment for me and Nina."

Angel chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind. Where is the slave driver?"

"In her office. Do you want me to go get her?" Peggy asked.

"That's okay. I've got some polaroids of my newest paintings, and I want to show them to Buffy before I submit them in the showing."

"Go right on back. I'm sure she'll be happy to see you."

Angel sauntered down the hallway to Buffy's office. Through the window he could see her sitting at her desk, sifting through several sheets of paper. He tapped on the glass and smiled lovingly when Buffy made eye contact with him. Angel couldn't recall how he made it through a single day without seeing her smiling face.

Buffy opened the door for him to enter. Once he walked through the threshold, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her soundly. Pulling out of his embrace, she looked at him with wonderment in her green eyes. "What on earth did you do that for?" she questioned.

"Do what?" he asked innocently.

"Kiss me with Peggy standing right out there! She could have seen us, which means the whole town will know in less than twenty-four hours," Buffy stated. "I love her to death, don't get me wrong. But that woman is a major gossip."

"Sorry, I just couldn't help myself. Call me crazy for wanting to kiss the woman I love. Besides, Peggy's back is facing us, I highly doubt she has eyes in the back of her head and saw us kissing. What's wrong with you today?"

Buffy shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. "Just cranky, I guess. I've been feeling kinda weird all day today."

"Is it morning sickness?" he wanted to know. Buffy had told him she hadn't come down with any symptoms of it, despite the progression of her pregnancy. With her feeling strange, he thought she might have started coming down with it.

"I don't think so. It's more like the occasional twinge in my stomach. Nothing I can't handle, though. Now, do you want to tell me why you're gracing me with your presence today? I thought you were going to concentrate on working all day long."

He pulled the polaroids out of the inside pocket of his leather duster. "I wanted your opinion on some of my new paintings."

She took the pictures from him, studying them one at a time. The first was of two children on a swingset with their parents pushing them, smiles playing upon their happy faces. When she went to look at the next picture, a searing pain cut through her abdomen, like somebody had shoved a knife through it. Dropping the polaroids, Buffy placed her palms flat on the desk in front of her.

Angel saw her double over in pain and gripped her upper arms to hold her upright. "Buffy? What's wrong? What is it?"

She tried to choke the words out, but the pain was too much for her to handle. Her knees buckled as she struggled to catch her breath. She felt Angel catch her before she fell the floor, and she looked up at him with tears of pain in her eyes. "Hurts..." she mumbled.

"I'll call 9-1-1," he told her.

As he reached the telephone on her desk, Buffy brought her hands to her abdomen. She knew innately what was happening to her, and her fears were confirmed when she saw the blood on the floor where she'd been standing only moments before. Her dream was shattered.

"Angel!" Willow called, running into the waiting room of Sunnydale Memorial Hospital. She saw her stepbrother sitting in one of the chairs, his elbows resting on his knees and his head buried in his hands.

He looked up when he heard his name, seeing Willow headed in his direction.. "Wills? What are you doing here?"

She sat down next to him. "I stopped by the gallery to take Buffy out for lunch. When I got there, Peggy told me she'd been rushed to the hospital and that you'd gone in the ambulance with her. What happened?"

"I don't know," Angel answered, shaking his head. "We were in her office looking over some pictures for my next show when she just doubled over in pain. So I called 911 and I've been here ever since. Nobody knows anything. It's been over an hour; I want to know what's wrong with her."

Willow could easily see that her brother was on the verge of freaking out. The look of abject fear in his eyes and on his face, as well as the tone of his voice, told her how worried he was about Buffy. "Did she say what was wrong with her?" she wanted to know.

Angel sighed heavily. He remembered seeing blood on her thighs and on the floor when the EMTs arrived and lifted Buffy onto the stretcher. It had something to do with the baby, that much he knew from the way she'd been clutching her stomach on the ride to the hospital. But he didn't want to think about something being wrong with the baby. No, that would be too cruel. Figuring it was only a matter of time before she found out, he decided to tell his stepsister the truth.

"She's pregnant, Will," Angel admitted.

"What?"

"Buffy's having a baby. She just found out about a week ago; she's seven weeks along."

Before Willow could respond, a doctor entered the waiting area. "Summers?" he called out, looking around the room.

Angel jumped out of his seat and made his way to the doctor. Willow trailed silently behind him. "I'm Angel McCoy, I came in with Buffy Summers. Is she okay, doctor?" he questioned.

"Are you family?"

"I'm her fiancé," he fibbed. "And this is my sister. How is Buffy?"

The doctor looked at him warily but didn't question him. "I'm afraid your fiancee suffered a miscarriage, Mr. McCoy," he told him. "Had she been in to see an obstetrician yet?"

He shook his head. 'Oh god, she lost the baby. Our baby. Buffy wanted this child so much and now it's gone. Why? Why is this happening?' "No, her appointment wasn't until next week. Why?"

"Hers wasn't what you call a normal pregnancy. Have you ever heard of an ectopic pregnancy?"

"What's that?"

"In a normal pregnancy, the fetus develops in the woman's uterus. In an ectopic pregnancy, the fetus grows in the fallopian tubes. Unfortunately, that's what happened in Buffy's case. Since there's not enough room for development, most ectopic pregnancies result in miscarriages."

"Most of them?" Willow asked. "What about the ones that don't? Do they survive?"

"I'm afraid not," the doctor answered. "If Buffy hadn't miscarried, she would have had to abort the pregnancy. Carrying the child for an extended period of time would very well have killed her."

Angel ran his hands through his short brown hair, trying his best to process the information. Their child wouldn't have survived, no matter what. And he could have lost Buffy as well. "Does Buffy know?" He tried to keep his voice from cracking as he choked back the tears. "Can I see her?"

"I just told her before I came out here. Right now, though, she's resting. You can go in and see her in an hour," the doctor suggested. "I'm keeping her overnight for observation."

Willow watched as her brother slumped down into a nearby chair. "Thank you, doctor," she said. Once he was gone, she sat down in the empty chair next to Angel. "It's okay, Angel."

"No it's not!" he exclaimed. "It's not okay, don't you understand that? She lost the baby. Do you have any idea how much she wanted this child?"

"Yes, I do. Buffy told me how much; she asked me for ideas and opinions when she first decided she wanted a baby. She missed having someone to rely on her. Mrs. Summers' death, Riley leaving her and Dawn going away to college really broke her heart. Having a baby was her way of mending it," Willow said.

"You don't know how happy she was when she found out. Losing this baby is going to kill her," he stated.

She put her arm around her stepbrother's shoulder in a show of comfort. "You and Buffy can comfort each other. She isn't the only one who lost this baby. You lost it, too."

He glanced at her with questions in his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"You can't lie to me, Angel. You never could, even when we were kids. Besides, it's written all over your face. Buffy was pregnant with your baby, wasn't she?" Willow wanted to know.

Seeing no point in lying to her, Angel slowly nodded his head. "Yes. The baby was mine."

"Do you mind if I ask how it happened?"

"Do you want to know about the conception of mine and Buffy's child?" he asked incredulously. "How can you even ask me something like that after what just happened?"

"That's not what I meant. I want to know how it came about that you're the father."

"Buffy asked me to be the father and I agreed. She got pregnant almost right away."

She nodded in understanding. "And somewhere along the line you fell in love with Buffy again," the redhead surmised.

"No," Angel disagreed. "I was always in love with her. I never stopped."

Angel carefully opened the door to Buffy's hospital room. He didn't want to make too much noise in case she was still sleeping. Poking his head inside, he found her sitting up in her bed staring at the television.

"Buffy? Do you mind if I come in?" he asked.

Turning her head, she looked into Angel's brown eyes and nodded. Buffy didn't want to be alone; she wanted to grieve for her unborn baby with the only other person who could possibly understand her loss. "Hi," she said.

"Hi. How are you feeling?"

"Like crap. Did the doctor tell you – the baby..."

"He told me," he said solemnly. "I wanted to see you right away but he wouldn't let me. Willow's out in the waiting room. She sends her love."

"Thanks."

Angel stopped inside and sat down in the chair next to the bed. He took her hand and pressed his lips to her palm. "I don't know what I can say to make you feel better. I know how I feel, but I know it can't even compare to your pain. You wanted this baby more than life itself."

"So did you, Angel."

He swallowed the lump in his throat. "At first, all I wanted was to be with you, to give you the baby you wanted. I used your desire to get pregnant to get close to you. I didn't want you to get pregnant right away. Buffy, I thought I'd lose you if that happened; that you'd have what you wanted and leave me behind. But then when you told me you might be pregnant, I couldn't have been happier with the news. And now...now it feels like I lost a piece of myself. And a piece of you."

A tear fell from the corner of her eye. It was the first tear she'd shed for her lost child. "I feel like I let you down. Like it's my fault. If I'd done things differently, our baby would still be growing inside of me."

"This isn't your fault. The miscarriage was nature's way of fixing things. I could have lost you if you'd carried the baby much longer. And I don't know what I would have done without you. You're my whole life, Buffy. Maybe this wasn't meant to be right now. But we'll have other babies. We have our whole lives for that."

As he got up and gently embraced her, Buffy rested her chin on Angel's shoulder and bit her lip. 'Maybe this whole thing wasn't meant to be at all. None of it. I'm not meant to be a mother. Maybe I'm not even meant to be with Angel. Maybe I'm supposed to be alone in the world,' she thought.

"I love you," Angel told her.

Buffy couldn't bring herself to say it back.

 

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