Angel sighed as he pulled into the parking lot. "I keep telling you, Buffy!"

"Angel, you are going to be in *New York*! It's not like if I go into labor and page you, you will be at the hospital in fifteen minutes. All it will succeed in doing is making you go crazy because you are stuck there and I am here." Buffy reasoned.

"Buffy, if you go into labor, I want to know. I can at least get on the first flight home. You think I won't mind not seeing our child for a few days because I am working? I can't wait for the baby, I want to see him or her the first humanly possibly second I can."

Buffy smiled. "That's so sweet."

"Besides, you could be in labor for much longer then the six hours it takes to fly here." Angel added innocently.

Buffy glared at him, her hormones making her mood swing swiftly. "How can you say that? If I have a long and exhausting labor now, it's your fault!"

"I'm sorry, Baby." Angel replied, rolling with her erratic moods expertly. "I didn't mean it like that... I was just saying... that is something that does happen."

Buffy nodded, pulling out a handkerchief and dabbing her eyes. "S'okay."

Pulling into a spot, Angel turned Buffy's car off. He'd decided that since she would be making the trip home alone, it would be best if she didn't have to drive his SUV. Besides, she had a hard time climbing into it without help, now that she was in the later stages of pregnancy.

He reached over and gently grabbed her chin, turning her face so she looked him in the eyes. "Don't be sad, Buffy. You know I hate it when you cry."

Buffy sniffled and smiled weakly. "Okay."

"You're not going to cry anymore, right? If your father sees that, he'll kill me." Angel joked.

Buffy laughed. "I'll try not to."

"Good." Angel replied, leaning over and giving her a kiss before getting out of the car and helping Buffy out of her seat.

Hand in hand, they made their way into the hotel with the restaurant Hank had decided they should meet for an early dinner. Buffy took a deep breath as they entered the restaurant, since the last time she'd seen her father she'd been yelling at him for blaming Angel for the wreck. Hopefully the past would stay in the past.

"Princess!" Hank greeted cheerfully, standing up as soon as he saw his daughter and her husband. He hugged her as tightly as he could. "Good Lord, I can barely get my arms around you."

Angel shook his head back and forth rapidly. That was the worst thing to say to Buffy.

"I'm so fat!" Buffy exclaimed, tears springing from her eyes.

"You aren't fat, Baby." Angel reassured, holding out a seat at the table so she could sit down. The two men nodded civilly at each other before sitting down as well.

"So, have you decided on any names?"

Angel closed his eyes. He was so tired of that question. Everyone asked it, right before they gave them their own ideas... and their name was always mixed in there somehow. He always had to smile and think of something nice to say... rarely what he truly felt. It didn't help that Buffy was obsessed with the idea as well. At least she had a good excuse. It was *her* baby and she wanted it to have the perfect name. This is why she considered every name she read in a book, saw on TV, or heard anywhere.

Buffy shook her head. "I never realized how many ex-boyfriends, or friends that died, or enemies I had with cute names. That gets rid of a lot of them."

"Well, you know, I had always dreamed you might name your baby Henry after your daddy, Buffy."

Angel had to fight hard to resist the urge to roll his eyes.

"Of course it could be a girl. Henrietta?"

Buffy giggled. "For some reason, that name reminds me of a chicken."

"You'll page me, right?"

Buffy nodded and kissed her husband. "I promise... even if it is silly."

"Take it easy... don't overwork yourself, Buffy." Angel ordered, hugging her, kissing her on the forehead, then heading off to board the plane.

Buffy stood back and waved. She really was going to miss him and was terrified she would go into labor in the four days he would be gone, but she didn't want him to know that.

As an afterthought, Angel turned back to his wife. "Please don't let Spike talk you into any names for the baby?!"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Angel... you're going to miss your plane!"

Angel sighed and waved before continuing to board the plane.

"Aww.. come on, Luv... you know you want to name the baby Spike."

Buffy laughed. "Spike... Angel has to agree with the name!"

"Screw him!"

"I already did. How else do you think I got in this position?" Buffy joked.

"Pet, you have a filthy mind!" Spike acted shocked before grinning. "I love it!"

"I think I get it from you."

"Anyhow, as I was saying... who is the one who has to gain twenty-five pounds? Who has to lie in a certain position when they sleep? Who has swollen ankles?" Spike persuaded as he rubbed Buffy's feet.

"That's true."

"And it gives you more say when it comes to things like naming the baby."

"Spike, darling, there is no way in Hell Angel will go for Spike. Even my saddest look won't convince him. Besides, I am against naming children after other people. My baby is it's own person."

"All right." Spike sighed. "Want to see my list?"

At Buffy's nod, he pulled out a folded up piece of paper and began to read it to her.

Buffy was awakened at three in the morning by the telephone ringing. She rubbed her eyes as she picked it up. If it was Angel checking to see if she'd gone into labor, she'd kill him.

"Hello?" She yawned.

"Buffy! Oh I'm so glad you're home."

Buffy wanted with a retort about where else would she be, but refrained. "What do you want in the middle of the night Cordelia?"

"Did, I wake you? I'm sorry... I'm just having a crisis."

Buffy really did adore her best friend. She was a great person. However, her priorities could be a little screwed up. "Did you get a zit?"

"No... Edge and I broke up!"

"You did? Why?"

"Can I come over?"

Buffy wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep, but Cordelia sounded so lost and sad. "Sure... just let yourself in with your key, okay? You'll find me asleep in my bed."

"Come on, Buffy, admit it, you would have a problem with it too." Buffy sighed as she attempted to straighten up the kitchen. Her mother would be over in an hour with Toby so that Giles could visit with him and the last thing Buffy needed was a mother nagging about her lack of housekeeping skills. At least Cordelia had been so tired whenever she had gotten over that she'd just fallen asleep instead of waking Buffy up. She'd awakened about an hour after Buffy and had driven her friend crazy ever since.

"No, Cordelia, if I really felt for someone, I wouldn't care about their name."

"If Angel was been named Dumbass you still would have married him?"

"Nobody is named Dumbass!" Buffy argued, but then sighed. "Yes, I would have. Edge was not that horrible of a name."

"You have no idea how shallow I felt when I said 'my boyfriend, Edge' to people!"

Glancing around the kitchen and finding everything in place, Buffy sat down at the kitchen table and laughed. "I can't believe you dumped your sweet, hottie boyfriend because his name was weird!"

Cordelia sat next to her and frowned. "Wanna binge on Ben & Jerry's?"

"I'm always down with that!" Buffy replied cheerfully.

"So before Angel left for New York, you two had dinner with Daddy?" Joyce asked as she sipped her coffee.

Buffy nodded, bored out of her mind. Why did *she* have to keep her mother company while Giles spent time with Toby? It drove Buffy insane. Joyce refused to just drop Toby off for a while, but she wouldn't be in the same room as him either. Buffy found the whole situation tiring. Joyce just didn't want to swallow her pride and forgive Giles for something Buffy- the one person who really had a right to be angry- wasn't even angry about. Besides, the accident had been an entire month earlier!

"Why do you have to repeat everything I just said? I just told you exactly what I did last night, so why do you have to go back and ask about it all when you know the answers?"

"Well, you certainly are in a mood today!" Joyce remarked.

"I'm sick of this, Mom! Grow up!" Buffy knew she was being bitchy, but she was huge, she was achy, she couldn't get comfortable, and she missed her husband. The last thing she needed was her mother whining. "I'm serious! How can you possibly still be angry with Giles for what happened? *I* don't blame him, how can you?"

"You're very forgiving, Buffy. Too forgiving."

Buffy shook her head. "You don't seem to mind when it's you I am forgiving. Look, I'm not going to let you screw things up for Toby. Giles is a great dad and he deserves that. I know that you still love him and that you two can work it out, but you need to just give it up. Everyone thinks you are insane for this!"

Joyce looked away. "It doesn't matter what you say... Friday morning I went and saw a lawyer... I'm going to begin divorce proceedings."

"What are you on?!" Buffy exclaimed in disbelief before getting up from the kitchen table as fast as she could in her condition and storming out of the room.

She went up to her bedroom, deciding a nap would be a good idea. She got tired so easily lately. However, when she lay down she couldn't sleep... instead she thought about poor Giles. He'd do anything to get Joyce to forgive him, but her mother didn't want to forgive him, so he didn't stand a chance. He didn't deserve this... and he didn't deserve to lose his son.

Twenty minutes later, Buffy heard Joyce's car leave and footsteps on the stairs. There was a small knock on the door.

"Buffy, are you awake?" Giles called quietly, so as not to wake her in case she was sleeping.

"Yeah... hang on." Buffy answered as she half rolled out of the bed. Moving around sucked.

She opened the door and found Giles peering at her with concern. "Your mother said you didn't seem well... are you alright?"

Buffy burst into tears and hugged him as well as she could. "Oh God... you're so sweet to me.. you're like a dad! A really great, sweet dad!"

Giles gently patted her back as he looked down at the top of her head in confusion. "Well, thank you Buffy."

Buffy continued to cry. "You don't deserve this!"

Giles sighed. "She told you about the divorce?"

Buffy looked up at him. "You know?"

Giles nodded sadly. "She's been threatening to file for quite a while. I kept asking her not to... and then she got me upset the other day and I told her she was just using it as something to hang over my head. I'm afraid she's just trying to prove a point. And now I might lose my son."

Buffy lay her head against his chest. "I won't let that happen. You'll get visitation rights."

Giles chuckled ruefully. "Oh like Hank had for you? And how often did he get to see you?"

"That was *his* choice." Buffy admitted sorrowfully.

"Oh, Buffy... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..."

"It's all right.. I always had you." Buffy looked up at him and smiled.

Giles returned the look then got an idea. "How would you feel about going out for some ice cream? We still have several hours until dinnertime."

"I'd feel pretty good about that." Buffy quipped, feeling like she just might survive until Angel arrived home Tuesday after all.

"Mr. McKellen!"

Angel turned and saw a middle aged man heading towards him in the large room of the hotel. It was a cocktail party, and as much as he hated the events, Joyce insisted he go.

The man held out his hand and smiled. "I'm Jack Finley, a friend of Joyce's. You *are* her art buyer, Angel McKellen, right?"

Angel smiled politely and shook his hand. "Yes, I am."

"Good, I thought I recognized you." Jack answered the explained at the confused look on Angel's face, "She sent me a wedding picture of you and Buffy."

"Oh, I see."

"How is the little princess, anyway? I hear she's about to make Joyce and Hank grandparents?"

Angel smiled proudly and nodded. "Yeah, she's due December 12^th. And right now she's twenty-five pounds heavier, with extreme mood swings, swollen ankles, and some frighteningly bizarre cravings."

Jack laughed. "I remember those days... sometimes even fondly, believe it or not."

"Oh, I cherish it." Angel replied. "I never thought that I would get to be in this position."

Jack sighed and shook his head. "I can't believe it... little Buffy having a baby of her own. I've known her since she was a baby herself. I actually was in college with Joyce."

"Oh... do you have a gallery too?"

"Yes, in Maryland, where I've lived for ten years... plus I have an extensive private collection as well. I decided to come for the auction tomorrow as a sort of vacation. My wife loves the city. I did bring my art buyer as well. I trust *her* more than I trust myself." Jack grinned. "Oh here she is now. Yvonne!"

A woman with long, curly red hair approached the two men. "Hi Jack."

"Yvonne, this is Angel. He's the art buyer for a good friend of mine in California."

"Hi, how are you doing?" She greeted, shaking Angel's hand.

Angel smiled cordially. "Very well, and you?"

"Am I gross?"

"Absolutely not! I've never seen you look more lovely." Spike replied as he picked out a crayon to use in his coloring book at the kitchen table.

"Are you just saying that to be nice?"

"Pet, I never say anything to be nice. I'm not nice. I'm a bad man!" Spike replied with a grin.

Buffy laughed. "I'm serious! When Angel called earlier he was talking about some chick that works for my Uncle Jack... do you think he'd ever cheat on me? I mean, if she was pretty and stuff? After all, she and he have a lot in common. She's an art buyer too."

"Luv, you have *nothing* to worry about! If Angel has half a brain than he knows it's amazing he found a woman like you." Spike replied. "And if he did cheat on you, you can bet I would rip his bloody balls off and shove them down his throat!"

"Eww... that's gross!" Buffy commented, wrinkling her nose.

Spike smiled and began coloring.

"Spike?"

"Hmm?"

"You promise you would do that?"

Angel glanced at his watch. It was almost five. Maybe when he got back up to his hotel suite he could call Buffy. It was two in the afternoon there, so she should probably be home. He headed out of the banquet room of the hotel where art sale had been held, glad to be done with the work. He wanted nothing more than to go home and be with his wife.

"Angel!"

Angel turned to see Yvonne half running over to him. He stopped to wait for her.

"Hey... what's the rush?" She asked as she smiled at him.

Angel smiled back at her. "I was just going to go back to my hotel so I could order myself some dinner and call my wife."

"Boy, you sure are the party animal, aren't you?" She teased.

"I have an early flight... besides, I really am not one who enjoys a night on the town." He told her as they walked through the lobby of the hotel.

"A homebody." Yvonne replied. "I totally relate. However... I do appreciate a good dinner in a nice restaurant with someone that appreciates art. What do you say?"

"I don't know... I really need to get to bed early tonight."

"We could go in an hour... give you time to call your wife and me time to get something more comfortable on." Yvonne reasoned. "Come on... it's a really great restaurant... specializes in Tuscan cuisine."

Angel sighed. "I guess that sounds good."

Yvonne grinned before adding as she winked suggestively. "And I promise you'll be in bed by eight."

Angel, however, was oblivious. He just wanted to get to his hotel room to call Buffy. He was sure she'd made plans with Cordelia to do something that afternoon.

They walked out the doors and found plenty of cabs waiting in front of the hotel. Before the parted, Yvonne pulled out a small pad of paper and began scribbling on it.

"Alright, it's Notaro's on 2^nd between 34^th and 35^th." She said as she handed Angel the paper.

Angel nodded and put it in his pocket. "Okay."

"Six o'clock. Don't be late!" She grinned before getting into a cab.

Angel got in his own cab and headed to his hotel, hoping he'd be able to get ahold of Buffy. He had the strangest feeling that something was about to happen.

"Cordelia, how do you feel about infidelity?"

Cordelia gave her friend a strange look. "Um... I guess I think it sucks?"

"Well, I mean, do you think that in certain situations if someone were to cheat on... oh, let's say... their spouse... but that spouse was incapacitated at the time... would that mean that the non-cheating spouse really should forgive and forget?"

"Oh, my God! Are you and Spike... you know?!" Cordelia exclaimed as she drove the both of them to the pizza parlor.

"No, of course not!"

"Oh, good, because, no offense, that is the NASTIEST idea, like... EVER!"

"Thanks so much Cordelia." Buffy replied sarcastically. "It's nice to know I am revolting."

Cordelia gasped. "Did you mean Angel?!"

Buffy sighed sadly. "He met this girl in New York. She's an art buyer too. He told me how they really hit it off and that they both just love art so much and how much he loves talking about it with her. He can't talk about art with me because I know nothing!"

"Buffy, I have one word for you. Simone."

"I'm not overreacting this time, Cordy! He called me earlier and the two of them are going out for dinner. Alone. Together."

Cordelia shrugged. "So... she and Angel have something in common.. she's a friend."

"A friend who has the same passion as him. A friend who is female and is not as big as a house."

"You don't know that! She could be huge! I bet she is huge. I mean, what self-respecting attractive woman would want to look at boring old paintings all day? Besides, Angel's passion is *you*, Buffy."

Buffy took a deep breath and nodded, trying to reassure herself. Cordelia was probably right. As far as Angel was concerned, she was the only woman in the world. Wasn't she?

"I would have to say, the most famous painting in the world is probably The Mona Lisa."

"How do you figure that?!" Yvonne exclaimed.

Angel smiled. "I just mean that everyone has seen it and actually knows its name."

"That's true." Yvonne replied. "You're such a smart man."

"Tell my wife that, would you?" Angel chuckled. "She never listens to *anything* I say."

Yvonne shook her head. "You must be kidding... if you were my husband I would obey each and every command you gave me."

Angel was taken aback, if he didn't know better, he'd think she was hitting on him. "Well, I happen to like my women feisty, so it works for us."

Yvonne reached across the table and placed her hand atop his. "Why don't we not talk about her anymore? Kind of spoils the mood."

Angel looked at her strangely and pulled his hand away, using it to pull the napkin from his lap and set it on the table. "The mood?"

"Yeah.." Yvonne grinned. "The 'you and I are all alone with your wife thousands of miles away and not having a clue what the hell is going on' mood."

"Oh... well I was thinking more along the lines of the 'it's past eight and I really need to get up early tomorrow so that I can be on time for my flight home because I am dying to see my wife, who happens to be *much* more beautiful, smart, kind, and desirable than any other woman I have ever met, so cheating on her with you would be pretty moronic' mood." Angel replied, throwing a hundred-dollar bill down on the table and leaving a stunned Yvonne behind.

"Buffy!" Xander exclaimed as he entered the pizza parlor where Buffy and Cordelia stood, waiting to order. "I just saw you guys as I was walking by... and figured I might join you for pizza!"

Buffy smiled as Cordelia shot him a dirty look.

"There goes my appetite." Cordelia quipped.

"Oh good... you can pig out with me. You know Cordy... she's having a salad." Buffy replied

Xander shook his head in disgust at his former girlfriend. "You cannot possibly be American."

Buffy truly was happy to see Xander; she knew she could now totally forget her worry over what Angel might be doing because seeing Cordelia and Xander toss derogatory remarks back and forth sounded really entertaining.

They ordered their food and sat down. Buffy sat at the table and watched with amusement as Xander mocked Edge one more time. Apparently, he knew that since Cordelia had dumped him, there was now a limited amount of time he could get away with venting his jealousy in comedy without being completely transparent.

As soon as their food came, Buffy tore into it. She always seemed to get ravenous around six at night, and it was getting close to seven. Cordelia watched the other two with disgust as they just shoved the pizza down their throats.

After four slices, Buffy didn't feel so well. Her stomach seemed to contract and all her insides were squashed together. A part of her screamed that it was a contraction, but she brushed it off as first time mother paranoia.

"What's wrong?" Xander asked her.

"Stomach pains."

"It's probably from all that food you just shoveled in your mouth." Cordelia told her.

"I hope it is."

"Oh no... you don't think you're in labor, do you?" Xander asked nervously.

"I don't know, maybe!" Buffy replied, her voice growing panicked.

"We have to get her to the hospital!" Cordelia shrieked, not caring about all the attention she was getting from everyone else in the restaurant.

Xander helped Buffy out of her seat and walked her to the door as Cordelia paid the bill. Buffy leaned against Cordy's car, trying not to panic while Xander paced in front of her.

Cordelia rushed out, digging the keys out of her purse. "Okay, this is cool. We're fine. We'll just get you right to the hospital.... oh and do you think you could maybe try to not have your water break in my car? I hear the stench of that is Hell to get out!"

"Cordelia would you please let her in the car before she has her baby in the middle of Main Street?!" Xander shouted.

As the two of them bickered, Buffy tried to tune them out. She *really* needed Angel.

"Oh boy! We have faced some really scary things... like... death! Why is Buffy having a baby so much more terrifying?!" Cordelia cried as she and Xander paced the hospital's waiting room.

They had just arrived a few moments earlier. They had taken Buffy to a hospital room right away. The slayer had never looked more frightened. At least *she* had an excuse.

"Okay, we have to thing rationally. What can we do to help Buffy?" Xander said.

Cordelia smiled victoriously. "We should call her mom and Giles."

"What about Angel?" Xander asked.

"Oh yeah! He went and got a pager and everything... Buffy said he made her promise to page him if she went into labor." Cordelia told him.

"Even though he's in New York?"

Cordelia nodded. "You're forgetting how... protective of Buffy he is."

"You're right." Xander agreed. "Okay, so we need to call Mrs. Giles and Giles, then page Angel."

Cordelia put her hand on her forehead. "Of course, we don't have his pager number."

"What should we do?"

"Okay... I know. He's staying the Hotel Wellington... I have my calling card so I will call there and try to get his room. You make the other calls." Cordelia ordered.

"Sounds good to me." Xander replied before they rushed over to the pay phones.

The incessant ringing of his telephone rudely awakened Angel. He glanced at the clock and saw it was eleven at night as he picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Angel?!"

"Cordelia? What do you want?" He asked groggily.

"Buffy is in labor!"

Angel sat straight up. "What?!"

"Okay, we were out having dinner and she started having contractions." Cordelia explained.

"How far apart were they?" He asked, panicking.

"How should I know? I was kind of busy with the whole driving to the hospital thing!" She replied.

"Okay.. I need an earlier flight."

"Angel, I doubt you are going to be able to get on a flight much earlier than the one you already have."

"Cordelia, my wife is having our baby, I need to be there for her!"

"Oh great, manly needs." Cordelia replied sarcastically.

Angel sighed. "I'm going to call the airlines, and see if there are any flights I can take right away. If anything happens, call me! Even if nothing happens, will you call me back in half an hour so I can let you know what's happening?"

"I guess." Cordelia answered.

"Thank you. Tell Buffy I love her."

"Okay."

"Bye."

"Bye Angel." Cordelia replied before hanging up the telephone.

"Is he completely wigging?" Xander asked as he hung up the pay phone he'd been using.

"Major understatement." She answered.

"Both her mom and Giles were freaking out so I'd hate to see what a basketcase Angel must be."

The former couple went and sat in the waiting room. They managed to enjoy a few moments of silence before Joyce bustled in with a sleeping Toby in his baby seat.

"Have you heard anything?" She asked, looking very pale.

Cordelia shook her head. "No.. but maybe they'll talk to you since you are her mother. Want me to watch the baby?"

"Oh, thank you." Joyce replied, setting the baby carrier on the floor in front of Cordelia and handing her his diaper bag. "I never should have sent Angel to New York this close to Buffy's due date. She needs him."

"Well I called him and he is trying to get an earlier flight." Cordelia told her.

"Did anyone call Rupert?" Joyce asked, forgetting she was supposed to hate him. "He'd want to be here for Buffy."

Xander nodded. "Right after I called you. He's on his way."

As if on cue, Giles rushed into the room, followed by Spike.

"Has anything changed?" He asked, then gestured to Spike. "He insisted on coming with me."

"Well it *is* my little sibling that's making an appearance." Spike explained.

"It is not!" Xander argued.

"Would you two please just not do that?" Joyce scolded.

Both males shut up, crossing their arms over their chests indignantly.

"What's going on, Joyce?" Giles asked, forgetting their divorce proceedings as well.

"I don't know, I just got here myself. I was going to go try and see if I could get her doctor to talk to me." She told him.

"Why don't I go with you?" Giles suggested before the two of them headed off to the admittance desk.

Spike sat down on the other side of Cordelia and gestured to Toby. "I was thinking.. in a way he's my uncle."

"That's insane." Cordelia told him.

"Well, when you consider how much older I am then Buffy and she's my step-mum, eighteen more years for my uncle to be younger than me is no big deal."

"I think you spent too much time hanging out with Drusilla." Xander commented.

"You shut your bloody hole!" Spike shouted, earning dirty looks from everyone else in the room.

"Dr. Williams?" Joyce asked, as she and Giles approached a man a bit older then they were.

"Yes?" the doctor asks.

"We were told you were the acting as our daughter's doctor. Buffy Summers-McKellen?"

"Ahh, yes... it was her room I just came out of. She and you will be greatly relieved to know she was just suffering a case of Braxton Hicks. We just need to get the results back from a test, to be sure. However, she should be ready to go home in half an hour. She told me that her husband is out of town... does that mean she is home alone? Because, this late in her pregnancy, I really wouldn't recommend it."

"Oh, don't worry, I have been staying with her." Giles told him, smiling in relief.

"Very well." The doctor answered. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to attend to another patient.

"Thank you." Joyce told him, grateful her daughter was okay. She headed over to Buffy's room to check in on her daughter. "Hey, sweetie, can we come in?"

Buffy smiled at her mother, glad to see her with Giles. "Sure."

"Are you feeling alright, Buffy?" Giles asked as he followed Joyce into the room.

"Well, I was pretty scared, but now I feel kind of... giddy that I don't have to do this alone."

"Cordelia called Angel... he's trying to get on an earlier flight." Joyce told her.

"Well if she talks to him again, tell him it's not necessary. I so don't need him freaking over every little thing I do!" Buffy told her. "Is she still here?"

"Yes, she's watching Toby in the waiting room." Joyce informed her daughter.

"Xander and Spike are with her. You had us all quite worried." Giles smiled.

"Why don't you guys send them in. The doctor says I have to stick around for half an hour, so maybe you two could get some coffee before taking me home." Buffy suggested.

Her mother and stepfather looked at each other before they both nodded.

"That sounds good to me... if you're sure, Buffy." Joyce replied.

"I'm sure." Buffy grinned.

"No... Angel... just go ahead and wait for the flight you were supposed to take... I'm fine!" Buffy told her husband from her hospital telephone. "I love you too. No, I *will* pick you up tomorrow! Angel, everything is fine. Yes it is, this is so way normal!"

Her friends waited impatiently until she finally had calmed her husband down sufficiently and hung up the telephone. When she finally did, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay, I think Angel's head might not explode now." She joked.

"Well, he had better he upset. It is his duty to take care of you and our little one and I don't see how he can do that from New York."

"He had to go there... if you want to complain to anyone, yell at my mom for sending him!"

"What do you mean 'our little one'?" Xander asked. "When will you learn, it is Buffy's baby, it is Angel's baby... you don't figure in!"

"Can I kill him?" Spike half begged.

"No." Buffy told him firmly.

"You're slick." Cordelia complimented her friend. "Even from a hospital bed after almost having your kid a month early... you're playing matchmaker."

Buffy smiled wickedly before giving her an innocent look. "Who me?"

As soon as Angel saw his wife when he got off the plane, he ran over to her, lifting her in his arms and kissing her fiercely.

"Don't *ever* scare me like that again!" He scolded, setting her down.

Buffy grinned adoringly up at him, wondering how she ever could have doubted his devotion to her. "Don't yell at me... yell at the baby... it's the drama queen."

Angel bent so that he was eye level with her belly. "Don't do that to Daddy... you almost gave him a heart attack!"

Buffy laughed. "Let's go... I am dying for some Krispy Kreme doughnuts."

"Okay." Angel agreed, taking her hand and walking through the airport with her. "I bought the baby something."

"You did?" She asked.

Angel smiled and proudly pulled a tiny shirt out of his carry on bag that had something about being Mommy's little darling, along with the standard comment about the Big Apple.

"Oh that is so sweet!" Buffy gushed.

"Well, it was the strangest thing.. I couldn't sleep at all last night, so I had plenty of free time." Angel smiled. "What do you say you and I go stay at that cute little bed and breakfast on the beach tonight?"

"Oh... sorry sweetie, but I have to say no."

"You do? Why?"

"Well, I kind of agreed to baby-sit Toby tonight and I doubt my mom or Giles will be happy if we leave him with Spike."

"Neither your mother or Giles can watch him?" He asked, finding that very strange. Giles rarely went out anymore so he had no problem watching his son himself on the nights Joyce had to work.

"Nope." Buffy replied vaguely, with a mischievous smile on her face.

Angel noticed that and raised an eyebrow. "Why not, Buffy?"

"Because they will both be sharing a romantic dinner together tonight." She told him.

"You got them back together?" He asked in disbelief. He never thought they would be able to swallow their pride to do it.

"Thank the baby." Buffy answered, patting her belly. "Last night is what did it. Giles is moving back into their house tonight and they're going out."

"That's great." Angel replied, putting an arm around her as they got in the elevator. He leaned down to whisper in her ear so the entire elevator wouldn't hear. "Now if I could only get rid of Spike... then I can have my wicked way with you anytime, anywhere."

The sound of Buffy giggling left little doubt in the minds of the rest of the elevator occupants as to what Angel was talking about.

The End

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