She quietly shut her daughter's door and headed downstairs. Picking up the phone, she decided that it was time to call Giles and inform him that Buffy was home.

Buffy was dreaming. She was in a large white room void of doors, windows or furniture.

"Hello?" She looked around. "This must be one of those weird pregnancy dreams."

"The baby's gotten so big."

The voice came from behind her. She turned quickly. "Angel?"

There was no one there.

"Great, now I'm hearing things."

The voice spoke again. "I'll find my way back. I promise."

Buffy shot up out of bed. "Angel!"

Her entire body was trembling. She had been dreaming about Angel throughout her pregnancy, but this one felt different.

Joyce and Giles were sitting on the couch in the living room when they heard Buffy cry out.

They ran up the stairs to the slayer's room.

"Are you okay? What happened?" Joyce asked her daughter.

Tears were streaming down Buffy's face. "I want Angel!" She looked at her watcher. "Giles, it was like he was trying to tell me something."

"Buffy, with what your mother told me about what happened, it's highly unlikely."

Buffy scooted back on her pillows. "Explain Hell to me."

Joyce looked uncomfortable. "Why don't I go fix some tea?"

"That would be lovely." Giles replied.

Joyce left the room and Giles sat on the edge of the bed.

"What do you want to know?

Buffy was running her hands over her belly. "Is it like all fire and brimstone? Is he being tortured?"

Giles removed his glasses, cleaned them with his handkerchief and put them back on. "From the few accounts I've read, Hell is your worse nightmare coming true over and over again. It replays itself for eternity."

The baby moved and she began patting her stomach.

"May I?" Giles asked, pointing to her belly.

"Sure."

The moment he laid his hand on her the baby kicked, hard. "That's quite extraordinary. How far along are you?"

"Seven months next week. Don't change the subject Giles. I want to find out how to get Angel back."

Giles shook his head. "Buffy, I don't know if there *is* a way. I'm sorry."

"Call the Council then. Surely they would know something." Buffy was crying again. "Giles, I can't do this without him."

"I'll see what I can do."

Angel sat on the floor of a small square room. Every wall appeared to be Buffy TV. This was his Hell. He was able to see his love, but was not able to be with her. He felt her sadness, her loneliness and her guilt, but could do nothing to ease her pain.

He refused to let the despair get to him. He knew that if he did, he would go insane. He would not let his soul be tortured like that. But his heart ached seeing their child grow inside Buffy, knowing that he would not be a part of its life.

Willow and Buffy were sitting in the living room of the Summers' house.

"I wish you would have told me Buffy. Didn't you trust me?" Willow was somewhat upset with her friend.

"It wasn't like that, Will. We were just waiting for the right time. The next thing I knew, Kendra was dead, you were all unconscious, the police were after me and oh, did I mention the part about me driving a sword through the father of my unborn child and sending him into Hell?!!!" Buffy was a bit agitated.

"I'm sorry about that Buffy, I am. But do you have any idea what we went through?! Your mother called us every day in tears hoping that one of us had heard from you!" Willow shot back at her.

"Why are you attacking me?! You don't know what it was like for me!"

"Because you didn't give us a chance. You just ran away."

Buffy began to sob. "I just ... I didn't know what to do. I needed to protect my baby. Willow, it's the only part of Angel that I have left." She completely broke down. "I am so sorry ... for everything I put you through. But especially for not telling you that I was pregnant."

Willow hugged her best friend. She to was crying. "I was so lost with you not here. Promise me that, no matter what happens, you won't run again."

"I prom..." Buffy suddenly felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. "Will, I think I need to get to the doctor." The pain hit her again. "NOW!"

Angel watched in horror as he saw and felt her pain. He got to his knees and prayed.

"Please God, please don't let her lose our baby. She deserves happiness. This baby is everything to her. I know I have no right, but I beg of you..."

His body suddenly felt as if thousands of burning hot needles entered his skin.

"I guess talking to God is not allowed here. Well, you know what? I don't give a damn!"

The walls went black.

 

The End