"My Way - Chapter Thirty-Eight"
Author: Sydnie
Email: sydniep@hotmail.com
It was two days before Thanksgiving. Buffy nervously awaited for a knock on the door or the doorbell to ring.
"Baby, calm down. It's just your grandmother." Angel said as he tried to calm his wife down.
She shook her head. "No, this is Virginia Summers. She's scarier than any demon we've EVER faced."
Angel laughed. "I love you and that's ALL that matters." He kissed her hand.
Meghan entered the room by doing what Angel called her baby bear impression. She would crawl, but instead of being on her hands and knees, she'd be on her hands and feet. When she reached where parents were sitting, she pulled herself up to a standing position.
Buffy looked down at her happy baby and smiled. "I can't believe that in less than a month, my baby's gonna be a whole year old. You're growing up so fast."
Angel cocked an eyebrow at her. "Well, you know, we can ALWAYS make another baby."
She gave him an excited, but sarcastic look. "And you're gonna carry it and give birth, right? Because number one: I am SO not ready to get all fat again, number two: I do not want to be nineteen years old with a baby on each hip and number three: we promised my parents we'd wait until I graduate. After which time, you are more than welcome to impregnate me to your hearts content."
Angel feigned being disappointed. "Okay. But can we practice ... a lot?"
Buffy smiled and nodded. "Oh, we'll definitely have to practice."
She leaned in and kissed him. They broke apart when they heard Meghan making kissing noises.
"You want some kisses too, my beautiful baby girl?" Angel picked her up and started kissing her all over.
Meghan squealed in delight.
Then, the doorbell rang. Buffy got up to answer it.
She slowly opened her front door. Standing before her were her father and her grandparents.
As they walked in the door, Buffy gave her grandfather a shocked look.
"Grampy, I didn't think you were coming. I thought you were out of the country?" She hugged him.
"Your father convinced me that my company wouldn't go belly up if I took a few days off." He winked at her.
Buffy smiled at her father. She knew that as big of a workaholic he was, Arthur Summers was a much bigger one.
"Could we sit down? I've had a long trip." Virginia sighed.
Buffy looked to her grandmother. "By all means, please. Let's go into the living room.
Angel was bending over, Meghan's little hands were clasped around his index fingers. He was helping her walk around the room.
"Look how big Granddad's girl is!" Hank said.
Meghan tried to change directions and go to her grandfather. With Angel's help, she made it.
Hank picked the baby up and then shook Angel's hand. "How's it going, Angel?"
"Everything is great, sir."
Buffy was smiling. "Grandmother, Grampy, this is my husband, Angel Cleary and our daughter, Meghan."
Virginia sat on the couch. "What kind of name is Angel?" She asked in a snooty tone.
"It's just a nickname that my sister gave me a long time ago that stuck, ma'am. My actual name is Liam." Angel informed her.
Arthur sat next to his wife. "Well, Angel, by the looks of this house and the cars in the drive, you must be one heck of a business man."
"I do alright." He looked at Buffy and smiled. "Of course, my first priority is my wife and daughter."
"Has the child been baptized?" Virginia changed the subject.
Buffy made a low growling noise that only Angel heard. "Yes, Grandmother, she's been baptized."
Hank interjected. "Hey, why don't you show your grandparents around this beautiful home?"
Buffy mouthed 'thank you' to him.
"That's a great idea." Arthur said.
"Why don't you and Hank go with the husband and the child. Buffy can show me up to where it will be that we'll be sleeping." Buffy's grandmother ordered.
Hank and Arthur did as she said without questioning it. Angel looked at Buffy. She nodded and gave him a fake smile.
'Shit' Buffy thought.
Joyce stood in her kitchen at the sink washing vegetables that she had picked from her small garden in the back yard. Giles entered the backdoor carrying a grocery bag.
"Did you get everything?" She asked.
He kissed her cheek and set the bag down on the counter. "I believe so, yes."
One of the vegetables slipped from her hand and hit the floor.
"Dammit!"
"It will be okay, Joyce. You can wash it again."
She picked the vegetable off of the floor and threw it into the sink.
"It's not the damn vegetable. It's just ... thinking about having to spend time with Hank's parents. Arthur I can handle, but Virginia ... Rupert, the woman is impossible!"
Giles wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. "You are not her daughter-in-law anymore. She doesn't have that power over you."
"You'd think that, wouldn't you? ... I'm so glad that you and my parents will be there." She caressed his face.
He smiled. "Yes, well, you know that I'll always be here for you. I-I love you, Joyce."
Joyce looked into his eyes. "Oh, Rupert, I love you too."
Virginia sat on the king-size bed in one of the guestrooms, voicing her opinions.
"The moment you burned down that gym, they should have sent you live with us. We would have straightened you out properly. Instead, your mother leaves your father and the two of you gallivant off to this little town. What happens then? You meet a man much too old for you, get pregnant, have a baby and then get married." She shook her head. "I expected more from you, Buffy."
Buffy felt like she was five years old and was being scolded for wearing her Virginia's rosary around her neck pretending to be Madonna.
"Grandmother, I've got a really good life now. I graduated from high school, I'm going to college, I'm a wife and mother and I'm Angel's business partner. I'm insanely happy. Isn't that what matters?"
The elder woman continued to shake her head. "If only your parents had stayed together..."
"Then there'd be three MORE people in LA in a big house that we're miserable. Mom and Dad have separate lives now, and they're happy. They've moved on."
"Divorce is wrong, Buffy!"
Buffy was getting a headache. "I'm not a big fan of it either, but Grandmother, you didn't live in that house. If they weren't arguing, they were ignoring each other ... or me. Mom and I moving to Sunnydale was the best thing for everyone. If I hadn't come here, I wouldn't be the person I am today."
Virginia looked at her granddaughter pointedly. "A teenage mother?"
Buffy was about to apologize for being a disappointment, but then she decided not to do it.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I'm going to find my family."
She left her grandmother sitting on the bed.
Angel found Buffy sitting on the couch in the office. She was crying.
"Buffy? Honey, what's wrong?"
She wiped her eyes and sniffed. "Um ... my grandmother's a total bitch. ... She thinks I'm just this huge loser."
"Did she say that?"
She shook her head. "No. It's just that she doesn't approve of the choices I've made ... ever."
He held his arms out to her and she stood and flew quickly into them. She continued to cry.
"Oh Buffy, please don't let her do this to you. You are a strong, vibrant, intelligent woman."
Buffy shook her head against his chest. "She makes me feel five years old."
They heard Meghan crying.
Angel kissed the top of his wife's head. "You stay here and pull yourself together and I'll see what Meghan needs."
Buffy nodded. "Okay."
Angel left the room.
When he got to the living room, Virginia and Arthur were seated on the couch, Hank sat in a chair trying to get Meghan's attention by waving to her and Meghan was sitting in the middle of the room on the floor crying at the top of her lungs.
Angel looked at the adults in the room and then to Meghan. "Why are you crying, babygirl?"
Meghan looked at her father. Her bottom lip was pouted and she had big tears running down her red face. "Da da." She said reaching for her father.
Angel walked over to his daughter and bent over to pick her up.
"Don't touch that child!" Virginia ordered.
He picked Meghan up and gave Buffy's grandmother a cold stare. "Excuse me?"
"She will never learn if you coddle her."
Angel was getting annoyed. "Learn what?"
Virginia sighed like Angel was bothering her. "Self reliance. Independence."
Meghan put her head in Angel's neck and continued to sob.
"She's only eleven months old, for God's sake!" Angel said loudly.
Virginia shook her head. "You obviously know NOTHING about raising children! You can't let them get too attached."
Buffy entered the room unseen.
"Too attached? What the HELL are you talking about?"
The elder Summers woman could not believe that he was speaking to her like this. "You should speak to your elders with respect."
Buffy bit her lip when she saw the laughter in Angel's eyes. Knowing full and well that her husband had a lot of years on her grandmother. She decided to join in the fun.
"Respect is something you earn, Grandmother. Why is my child crying?" Buffy asked her.
Virginia was too shocked at the tone of Buffy voice to speak.
"Daddy?" Buffy looked to her father. "Why is Meghan crying?"
Hank went to speak, but stopped when he saw his mother shake her head. His eyes went to the floor not wanting to look in his daughter's eyes.
"Hank, don't look to your mother for permission! Tell us why YOUR granddaughter is crying!"
Hank saw Meghan's sad face.
"Gnda." Meghan said as she reached for Hank.
He rose from his seat and stood next to his daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter. Meghan's big brown eyes pleading with him. "She was using you grandmother's purse strap as a teething toy. Mother yanked it from her mouth and then popped her leg."
Buffy checked Meghan's mouth. There were four small scrapes and blood on the inside of her lips from the sharp edges of the purse strap.
Angel was going to say something, but he knew this was Buffy's moment.
"Her mouth's bleeding! How DARE you lay a hand on MY child!" Buffy yelled at Virginia.
Virginia stood up and looked down at Buffy. "You will not speak to me in that manner, young lady!"
Buffy didn't back down. "I'll speak to you anyway I damn well please! This is MY house and you will not come into my house and be rude to my husband, belittle me and you sure as HELL will NOT hit my daughter!"
Virginia shot a look to Hank. "Henry, I blame you and Joyce for Buffy's rudeness!"
"And I blame you for my father not being able to express his love for me like a normal father! What happened to you for you to be such a cold, heartless BITCH?!"
Virginia was outraged. "I do NOT have to stay and have you speak to me like this! Arthur, get our bags! We're leaving!"
"No." Arthur said in a calm, even tone.
Everyone turned to look at Arthur sitting on the couch. No one had EVER heard him tell his wife no.
"What did you say to me?" She asked, not sure she heard what she said.
Arthur stood up, looked his wife in the eye and spoke to her without raising his voice. "I said no, Virginia." He walked over to Buffy and Angel. "It's about time someone stood up to you. What makes you think you're above everybody else?"
"Arthur, what are you doing?" Virginia was tapping her foot.
He shook his head and smiled. "Something I should have done years ago. I'm leaving you."
"What?!" Everyone said in unison.
Virginia stood alone with a shocked looked on her face.
"Let me tell you something, Buffy. You too, Hank. If Virginia hadn't hadn't said she was pregnant at the time, I'd never woulda married her."
"Arthur!"
"You see, she came from what would now be called a dysfunctional family. Her father ran out on her mother when she was four."
"Arthur, stop this!"
"Her mother basically turned into the town whore. She would bring one man home after another. Sleeping with them and then taking their money."
Virginia sat on the couch and stared straight ahead.
"I met Virginia when she was sixteen. I was twenty. I rescued her from some high school boys that was giving her trouble. She thanked me and offered to buy me a soda." He smiled. "Later that night she showed me just how grateful she really was. She kept coming around after that. Hanging out at the bookstore I worked at to pay for my college tuition. My friends asked me what was up with her and being a guy, I told them. They suggested that as long as she was willing to put out, I might as well keep her around."
"Dad." Hank said calmly trying to stop his father from going farther.
"Three months later, she came to me in the bookstore. She asked me when my break was. She said she had a little something for me. Ten minutes later, I was fucking her in the backroom."
Buffy's eyes grew wild at her grandfather's language.
"When it was done, she told me she was pregnant. The one thing my father taught me was that you take care of your responsibilities."
Hank interrupted. "I wasn't born until Mother was twenty-three."
"Yeah, well, turns out, she lied."
Buffy spoke in a small voice. "Why did you stay with her?"
"Because he's Catholic. Divorce is frowned upon in the Catholic church. Back then it would have disgraced his family." Virginia spoke up. "You see, I knew that he once he got married, it would be for life. I could have whatever I wanted and he'd get it for me. And for the last forty-three years he has." She stood up and grabbed her purse. "I'm taking the car Arthur. You and your son can find your own way back."
Angel handed Meghan to Buffy. "I'll get your luggage." He headed out of the room and up the stairs.
"I'll wait on the porch." Virginia walked out of the room and out the front door.
"Dad? Are you okay?" Hank asked his father.
Arthur nodded and then hugged his son. "I should have done that when you were younger. Maybe you would have been there more for Buffy and Joyce."
"Is Mother going to be okay?"
"You know your mother, Hank. She's emotionally incapable of letting this get to her. She'll be slightly embarrassed but once she gets half of my assets, she'll be fine."
Buffy was holding Meghan close to her, kissing her forehead. "I just didn't want her hurting my baby. I didn't mean to cause a divorce."
Arthur brushed Buffy's hair out of her eyes and rested his hand on the back of her neck.
"You didn't cause this Buffy. If anything, I owe you and Angel a debt of gratitude."
Buffy looked at him confused. "For what?"
"For standing up to your grandmother. I never did. But hearing you do it ... I don't know, it was like a light went on and it was just time."
Angel came down carrying Virginia's bags. "She leave already?"
"She's waiting on the porch." Buffy told him.
That night, Buffy was cuddled up to Angel in bed.
"I haven't figured out if what happened today was a good thing or a bad thing." Buffy said as she drew circles on her husband's chest.
He kissed her forehead. "What do mean?"
"What my grandfather did took a lot. Him standing up to her ... I'd never seen him do that before. And I'm happy for him. But then all of the things he said about my grandmother, I mean I know she's a heinous bitch, but all I can think about is how alone she must feel."
Angel's arms tightened around her. "That's because you're a caring person, Buffy."
Buffy sighed. "This Thanksgiving is not getting off to a good start."
"Everything's going to be fine, Sweetie. At least now your mom will be more relaxed.
"Thank God for that."
She closed her eyes and let slumber take her.
Buffy woke up early the next morning. She was in the mood to workout.
She quietly grabbed her clothes and left the room without waking Angel. After she changed, she headed for the basement gym.
When she got down there, she was surprised to see both her father and grandfather already on a couple of the machines.
"Looks like I need a membership to workout in my own gym." Buffy said with a smile.
The two men looked over to her.
"Buffy, you do realize that it's five o'clock in the morning?" Hank asked his daughter.
She cocked her head to the side and looked at him. "Very funny, Daddy. Meghan will be up in about an hour and I wanted to get my workout out of the way."
Hank laughed. "I remember when you wouldn't get out of bed until noon."
Buffy sighed. "God, I haven't done that in over a year. Meggie LOVES her early morning playtime."
"Speaking of early mornings..." Angel said as he came down the stairs carrying Meghan.
"MaMa!" The little girl yelled and then proceeded to babble as if she were starting a conversation.
Buffy nodded. "Um hmm. I see. But why are you up so early?" She tickled the baby.
"Morning, my love." Angel greeted her with a kiss. "Feel like sparing?"
"Uh ... company?!" She reminded him that her father and grandfather were in the room.
He winked at her. "We'll keep it low key." He kissed her again and then took Meghan to her play area. He walked over to the mat and began stretching. Buffy joined him.
Both Hank and Arthur were amazed at their flexibility.
"You ready?" Angel asked her.
Buffy shrugged, looking innocent. "Warm-up?"
He gave her a crooked smile. "Can you control yourself?"
She simply smiled at him.
Hank watched his daughter and son-in-law perform a kata that appeared to be a beautiful dance between the two.
When they finished, Buffy's father was shocked when Angel tried to knock her to the ground by sweeping his leg under hers. She jumped in the air and stuck her tongue out at her lover.
"Think you can take me?" Angel asked in a manly voice.
Buffy got in his face. "Without even breaking a sweat."
Hank and Arthur looked at each other with confusion on their faces. Before they could say anything, the couple were matching each other blow for blow.
After quite a while, Buffy flipped Angel to the ground and sat on his chest. "You give?" She asked.
He was breathing hard. "Give."
She leaned forward, kissed him and then got up. She helped him up and noticed her father and grandfather were staring at them.
"What?"
"That was amazing, Buffy." Arthur told her.
"Do you two do that often?" Hank asked.
Buffy looked at Angel and smiled. "Once or twice a week. I think it's one of the reasons that we don't argue that much. We get out all of our aggressions."
"Well, that was impressive, honey." Hank told her.
She wiped her forehead with a towel. "Thanks Daddy."
Buffy looked up at Angel. "Watch Meggie while I go shower?"
"Of course." He smiled and kissed her sweetly on the lips.
"I won't be long." She said as she bound up the stairs.
When she was gone, Hank spoke to Angel. "Do either of you ever get hurt doing that?"
Angel rubbed the towel over his face. "She takes it easy on me. Believe me, if Buffy was pissed, I'd still be on the floor."
Arthur chuckled. "I find that hard to believe. She's a tiny, little thing."
"Don't let her size fool you. Buffy's as strong as I am if not stronger. Her size is an advantage." Angel told him.
"I never knew she was into that." Hank said, somewhat sadly.
Angel picked Meghan up out of her play area. "There's a lot about your daughter that you don't know, Hank. Maybe after everything that we found out yesterday, it will be easier for you to get a chance to know Buffy."
Joyce and Hannah were in the Revello house kitchen discussing what Buffy had told her about Virginia.
"Well, your father called it. He said that she probably had a past." Hannah sighed. "I hate it when he's right."
Joyce laughed. "I'm just happy that we won't have to put up with her for the rest of the week."
Hannah noticed happiness radiating off of her daughter. "What else, besides the end of Virginia's reign of terror, has you so happy?"
"Whatever do you mean, Mother?" Joyce asked with a huge smile.
"Sweetheart, I haven't seen you this happy since ... well, I can't remember when."
Joyce beamed. "Rupert told me he that he loves me yesterday."
Hannah hugged her daughter. "Baby, that's wonderful! I take it the feeling's mutual."
"Very much so. I never thought that it was possible for me to love a man like I love Rupert."
Her mother held her face. "You deserve it. ... So, how's the sex?"
"MOTHER!"
"Are you sure you can't come?" Buffy said into the phone. ... "Well, you're more than welcome to bring them. ... Okay, if you're sure. ... I'll see you Monday." She hung up the phone.
"Who's not coming?" Angel questioned.
"Riley. His parents surprised him, and his mom's making dinner for the guys who are still at Lowell."
"Jeez, I'm upset." Angel said sarcastically.
Buffy stuck her tongue out at him.
"Who's Riley?" Hank asked from where he sat on the family room floor playing with his granddaughter.
Before Buffy could answer, Angel did. "Riley's Buffy's boyfriend."
Hank gave his daughter a curious look.
"He's my Psych T.A., Daddy. He asked me out at the beginning of the semester before he knew I was married. We've since become friends. Angel likes to tease me."
"Buffy, he's stalking you. You're just too nice of a person to realize it. He still has the hots for you." Her husband argued.
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Whatever!"
"You see, Hank, what my dear wife refuses to realize that, he still wants her! Married or not." Angel told his father-in-law.
Buffy got right in front of Angel and stood on her tip toes. "And I told you that you're just jealous. He's harmless. He's just a nice guy. ... And if you don't stop picking on me, I'm gonna kick your A-S-S!"
Angel put both of his hands up. "Fine. Fine. I won't bring it up again ... this weekend."
She scrunched her nose at him and he leaned down and captured her lips. She quickly opened her mouth to deepen the kiss. Which he did.
Hank watched the couple and then turned his attention back to Meghan.
She was sitting on the floor, looking at her parents. She pulled herself up with the aide of the chair beside her and had a determined look on her face.
On very wobbly legs, she began walking to her parents.
"Uh ... Buffy." Hank said trying to get her attention with no luck. "Angel! Buffy!" Still no luck. "Your daughter's walking!"
They separated quickly. "What?!"
They watched their daughter slowly, but surely, take her first steps.
Buffy immediately dropped to her knees and held out her arms. "Come here, baby! Come to Mommy!"
Meghan squealed and tried to go faster, but her balance wasn't quite that good yet and she landed on her cute, little tush.
Angel walked over to her to pick her up, but she pushed his hands away.
"UH!" She scrunched up her little face and quickly got to her hands and feet. Then she grabbed Angel's pant leg and stood up to continued to her mother.
Buffy had a huge smile on her face and tears in her eyes. When Meghan reached her, she hugged and praised her daughter. "Oh! You're such a big girl! Mommy's so proud of you!"
Meghan was bouncing up and down and laughing.
That night, Buffy and Angel were lying in bed. She was rubbing her hand over his smooth, bare chest.
"Our baby's walking."
He kissed the top of her head. "I know."
She snuggled closer to him, kissing his chest. "In a few weeks she'll be a year old."
"I know." He said, stroking her long, blond hair.
"It's going by too fast."
"I know."
She scooted herself to lie on top of her husband, resting her head on his chest. "I feel old."
Angel couldn't help but laugh.
"It's not funny." Buffy said pinching his side.
"Ow! ... Buffy, you're eighteen years old. You're hardly over the hill. Hell, you've barely started your climb."
She sighed. "Well, I feel older."
He grabbed her by the arms and pulled her up so her face was over his. "Young or old, you're incredibly sexy!"
Angel pulled her mouth to his and began to devour her.
After a few minutes, Buffy pulled away from the kiss and smiled down at her lover. "Mr. Cleary, you do realize that your father-in-law and grandfather-in-law are just down the hall?"
He gave her an evil grin. "I can be quite if you can."
She sat up and pulled her nightgown over her head. "Screw being quiet! We're married. We have sex. They'll have to get over it."
Hank was sitting in the kitchen drinking a cup of coffee. He couldn't help himself from yawning.
Joyce, Hannah and Jacob entered the kitchen carrying bags of groceries.
"Morning, Hank." Joyce greeted her ex.
Hank yawned again. "Morning. ... Excuse me."
Hannah put her bag down. "Did Meghan keep you up last night?"
He shook his head. "Buffy and Angel. They were very ... vocal last night."
Jacob laughed. "I remember those days. Married less than a year, not able to keep your hands to yourself." He looked at his wife. "And it keeps getting better."
Buffy and Angel walked into the room, their arms wrapped around each other's waist.
"Good morning all." Angel said.
"Whacha talkin' 'bout?" Buffy asked.
Joyce smiled at her daughter. "Your sex life. Your father was just telling us about it."
"Yes, well..." She looked longingly at her husband. "...he WAS incredible last night." She scrunched her nose and then kissed her embarrassed husband.
Angel blushed and buried his face in his hands.
"Oh, how cute. He's embarrassed." Hannah teased.
"Excuse me as I go dig a hole in the back yard and bury myself." Angel said as he left the room, bumping into Arthur.
"Pardon me."
Arthur patted him on the back. "No problem. ... Oh, by the way, nice stamina."
The entire kitchen erupted into a fit of laughter as Angel left the room shaking his head.
Angel hung up the phone with a very disappointed look on his face.
"What's wrong, Angel?" Joyce asked her son-in-law.
"That was Rosie. She and Ryan are volunteering at a shelter serving Thanksgiving dinner to the homeless. They're not coming today."
Joyce smiled. "That's Rosie. Always taking care of somebody less fortunate. ... So how many people are going to be here now?"
He counted out loud. "Buffy, myself, you, Giles, Hannah, Jacob, Hank, Arthur, Xander, Willow, Cordelia and Meggie. So that's twelve.
"Okay. I'll start setting up the dining room."
He stopped his mother-in-law. "I'll do it. You've been in the kitchen all morning cooking, it's the least I can do. ... Plus it gives me a reason to avoid Hank. I'm gonna get Buffy for last night."
Joyce started laughing. "Just make sure you keep it down this time ... when your GETTING her."
Angel shook his head. "Hey, I was just showing my wife how much I worship her. Is it my fault that I make her scream like a wild woman?"
The smile on his face was priceless.
"I'm impressed. Think you can give Rupert some pointers. Lately it's been..."
"Joyce, I agree with Buffy when she says that talking about her mothers sex life is just ... EWW."
Angel than excused himself and went to set the table.
The dinner itself was perfect. Four generations of women had a hand in it. Well, technically, that was true. Buffy was holding Meghan when she was mashing the potatoes and the baby girl grabbed a handful.
Angel smiled at his wife as she fed their daughter. Meghan was trying to exert some independence and grabbed the spoon from her mother.
Everyone couldn't help but laugh at her unsuccessful attempts. Angel finally got the spoon away from the little girl's steel grip and tried to feed her. Unfortunately, she would have none of that.
"Dada NO!" She said puckering her lips tightly.
Hank laughed. "Joyce, does she remind you of anybody?"
Joyce was laughing and pointed to her daughter.
"Uh! Are my parents saying that I was a stubborn baby?"
"And child and teenager..." Joyce started.
"And woman." Angel finished.
Buffy glared at him in mock anger. "Well, I see how it is. I sure hope you enjoyed yourself last night because it'll be a cold day in H-E-L-L before you get this again."
"Good. Maybe I can get some sleep during the rest of my visit." Hank laughed.
Xander looked up from his plate. "Why haven't you been sleeping?"
Willow rolled her eyes. "Jeez Xander, even I got that one."
"You forget Willow, Xander's not skilled in that area." Cordelia zinged her ex-boyfriend.
"Hey!" Xander retorted.
Buffy suddenly put her hand to her head.
"Are you alright, baby?" Her husband asked.
"Yeah. I just got dizzy for a second. I think everything's catching up with me and I'm getting tired."
When dinner was over, Buffy looked around the table and laughed at the condition of her friends and family.
"I think even Megg over ate." She picked her sleepy baby up. "Let's go get you cleaned up and than Mommy will lay down with you."
Angel slowly pushed away from the table. "I'll start putting the food away."
Buffy took her daughter into the kitchen and sat her by the sink. "You sure look like you enjoyed your first Thanksgiving, babygirl. I think you ate more than Daddy."
Angel entered the kitchen carrying what was left of the turkey. "I doubt that." He placed the platter on the counter and then gave his girls each a kiss. Next, he unbuckled his belt and untucked his shirt.
"If you unzip you pants, I swear I'll..." Buffy's hand flew to cover her mouth. "Hold Megg!"
As Angel placed his hands on their daughter, Buffy flew into the half bath by the kitchen. Once there, she emptied the content of her stomach of everything that she had eaten in the last ... what felt like a month.
After he finished cleaning his daughter up, he took her to Joyce and then went to his wife's side. "Baby, are you okay?" He held her hair and she threw up again.
She leaned her head against the toilet. "Where the hell did that come from?"
Angel opened the drawer beside the sink and took a hair band and pulled Buffy's hair into a ponytail. Then he got a wash cloth from the cabinet and ran it under cold water and began wiping her face and neck.
He flushed the toilet and then sat on the floor, pulling her into his lap. "Feel any better?"
She leaned her head on his shoulder. "A little. I'm just so tired now. I hope I'm not getting sick. I have finals coming up in a few weeks."
He moved her off of his lap, stood and then picked her up. "I'm putting you to bed. You're exhausted. You need your rest."
Buffy fell asleep immediately. She woke two hours later, still feeling groggy and queasy.
Her eyes grew wide and she sat up. Then she crawled over to her nightstand and opened the drawer to retrieve her calendar. She tried to steady her breathing so her heart wouldn't beat so rapidly. It wasn't working.
With her hands shaking, she opened the book and began to count. "Thirty-eight, thirty-nine, forty." Her head fell into her hands. She then began talking to herself. "I'll just get Willow to go to the 24 hour pharmacy and get one for me. ... No, I can't do that. I have to talk to Angel first ... but what is he going to say?" Tears trailed down her face.
As if he knew something was up, Angel walked through the door, closing it behind him.
"Buffy, why are you crying? Do you still feel sick?"
She gave him a weak smile and patted the spot on the bed next to her. "I think you need to sit down."
He immediately did as she requested, but didn't speak.
She was flipping her thumb through the calendar. "Um ... I ... um..."
He took the book from her and held her hands. "Tell me." He said gently.
She took a deep breath. "I'm ... I'm 12 says late."
Nothing registered in Angel's mind. "For?"
Buffy looked deep into his gorgeous, brown eyes. "Angel, I think ... I think I might possibly be ... pregnant."
She started to worry. He wasn't reacting to what she had just told him. He was simply staring at her.
After what seemed like an eternity, she spoke. "Angel, you have to say or do something."
He brushed her hair from her eyes and then his lips melded to hers in a searing, passionate kiss. When he pulled away, he had tears in his eyes. "I love you so much, Buffy."
A smile was struggling to form on her lips. "You're not upset?"
He looked at her with pure love. "How could I possibly be upset? You know how much I want us to have a big family. I realize that the timing's off, but... God has given me so much that I don't deserve. If we're supposed to have this baby now, than I will do everything in my power to make you happy."
Buffy stroked his face. "I don't know for sure yet. I still need to get a test."
"Then we'll get one. There are one's that you can take at any time of day, right?" ANgel said excitedly.
She nodded.
"Good, put some shoes and a jacket on and we'll go get it."
"Angel, we have a house full of friends and family downstairs." She reminded him.
He shook his head. Our friends went home an hour ago, Megg's still napping, you father, grandfathers and Giles are asleep in the family room and your mother and grandmother are having dessert and coffee in the kitchen."
Buffy's hands began to shake again. "I'm scared, Angel. I mean, I want to have another baby, but I'm not even 19 yet."
"Look at me, baby. If we are pregnant, I will make damn well sure that you get all of the help you need. These are my children as well."
"I love you, my Angel." She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.
The End