"Jealousy"

Author: Pamela
Contact: destructo-girl@cox.net

"Are you *sure* I don't look gross?"

"Positive! You look gorgeous." Angel reassured his wife as they walked into the gallery.

Several of Joyce employees smiled when they saw their boss's daughter for the first time in a month. Beverly, an elderly woman that worked as Joyce's secretary, walked up to them. "Buffy, you look so wonderful!" She had noticed how uncomfortable the young woman was as they came in so she thought she'd help make her feel at ease.

"Oh, I don't... I'm fat." Buffy replied shyly.

As Angel rolled her eyes, Beverly gave the girl a look of disbelief. "Tell me you are kidding! Why, you're glowing! And, Honey, for as pregnant as you are... you're tiny. Get big so you can make Angel here cater to your every whim!"

"I do that anyway!" Angel argued.

"Oh, I have to run! Looks like Mrs. Jeneau is having a problem again... it's best to attend to her before she fusses too much." Beverly smiled before rushing off to an elderly, and obviously rich, woman about twenty feet from them.

Letting Angel lead her to a table with food laid out, Buffy tried to convince herself that not everyone was staring at her. She felt like she had her first day of high school. At least she had Angel.

Buffy looked at all the people around the room; they varied from artistic deep types to rich people that wanted to be artistic and deep. They made an interesting bunch.

"Now I want you to eat every crumb of this, you refused to eat a snack and we won't get out of here for at least three hours, so I can't take you to eat until then." Angel directed.

Buffy looked over at her husband, seeing him filling a plate with food for her. She was about to complain, but saw he was getting all really delicious looking food, so she kept her mouth shut. He found her a chair and set her down with the food and a bottle of water. Before she could protest, he was kissing her on the cheek and off to look for her mother to see if he needed to schmooze.

Sighing, Buffy took a bite of her pasta salad and continued her observance of the room. She found it amusing that half the people were in their glory and the other half were trying to act like they were in their glory. Human nature really was an interesting thing. Buffy shook her head and realized she'd turned into Ms. I Like To Stand In A Corner And Watch Life Pass Me By. She used to be one of them, but now she was... a blob stuffing her face in a corner of an art gallery.

But had she any choice? No, she might as well have her food before some annoying person came and bugged her. She remembered how her mother's events went. All Joyce's friends would come over squeeze her cheeks, and act disappointed about her grades in school.

As she finished her last quiche, Buffy heard a squeal.

"Buffy!"

Looking up, Buffy saw her mother's long-time friend Simone Duponte coming at her. The woman was as fake as they came. She kissed your ass to your face, and then as soon as you were out of earshot she tore you apart. Buffy had always hated her.

"Hi Simone." Buffy smiled politely, fearing her mother's wrath if she told one of her friends off. Setting her plate down, she stood up.

Simone gasped as she reached her. "Your mother told me, but I could *not* believe it! I can't believe you're having a baby! I remember when you were a baby!"

"Well... I'm not anymore!" Buffy replied with a fake smile.

"Not at all! I hear you just got married last month."

"That's true."

"Wow, I guess I missed a lot in LA! Your mother and I were just talking about how we need to get back to talking on a weekly basis! Between your step-father and brother and my fourth divorce we've been so busy!"

"Did you finish eating?" Angel asked as he rushed over to Buffy.

"Angel!" Simone greeted enthusiastically.

Angel looked over at the older woman and smiled politely. "Hello Simone." Seeing that she had indeed cleaned her plate, Angel put his arm around Buffy.

"Oh... is Angel your husband?" Simone asked.

Buffy nodded. "The one and only."

Simone glanced at Angel's hand. "I didn't even notice the ring! You just seemed like you weren't the marrying type."

"Well he is." Buffy replied a little too quickly as jealousy burned inside her. She knew Simone's tricks. She'd eavesdropped on Joyce and Simone several times and the woman had no problem with adultery. Buffy doubted that just because her mother was one of Simone's best friends it would stop her from trying to sink her claws into Angel.

"And to little Buffy! How did you two meet? I mean, Buffy is barely out of high school, and Angel..." the woman rambled as she looked Angel up and down, obviously liking what she saw, "well, I'd say you haven't been in high school for a while."

Angel smiled politely, having only paid half attention. "I tutored her."

"Oh Buffy!" Simone teased, smiling conspiratorially. "We all have crushes on our teachers, but most of us don't carry it out!"

Seeing the slimy smile on Simone's face, Buffy wrinkled her nose. "Angel, I don't feel so well."

"Hmm?" Angel replied, looking at her with concern.

"Simone, there you are!" Joyce called, as she walked over to them. "There is this up and coming artist you *must* meet! Oh, and Angel, you should take Buffy to meet Lance. It's his show, and it would only be polite."

As Joyce dragged her friend off, Angel looked back down at Buffy. "You okay? We can leave if you need to, your mother will understand."

Buffy shook her head and smiled innocently. "I feel fine now, must have been a momentary thing.. something I ate."

"So do you have any plans for tomorrow?" Angel asked as he got into bed next to his wife.

"Nothing, really. I told my mom I'd watch Toby. She's too busy to bring him to work and Giles has some kind of all day teacher's meeting. I might go shopping... we need more towels." Buffy told him as she rubbed baby oil over her belly to avoid stretch marks. "What about you?"

"Not much... I might have some extra work to do because of the show last night, but that's it. Maybe I'll even get home early."

"Oh good. I am taking Toby home around four when Giles should be home, but after that, I'll be here." Buffy smiled as she put her lotion away. She wanted to interrogate him about Simone but feared that her hormones were in overdrive and he'd only laugh.

Instead, she settled for curling up in his arms after he'd turned the light on his nightstand off. Feeling safe, she fell asleep forgetting all about middle-aged-husband-stealing-ho's.

Buffy walked out of the store pushing Toby's stroller in front of her. Stopping on the sidewalk, she managed to get the bag with the towels to hang off it without toppling it over. Now she wouldn't have to do laundry every day. She'd first gone shopping for towels with Cordelia and Willow and the three of them severely miscalculated how much linens the couple would need.

She walked up the street, figuring since she wasn't tired and Toby was sleeping peacefully that if she did a little window shopping it would be okay. She stopped in front of a baby store, admiring the beautiful crib in the window. She and Angel had decided to go shopping for all the baby stuff together, so she knew she better not go in. If he came home and found the nursery done he'd be less than pleased.

Feeling the familiar rumble in her tummy, she decided to head home for lunch. As she turned the stroller and headed back towards the car, parked just past the linen store, something caught her eye.

Across the street there was an Italian restaurant with outdoor seating. And Angel was sitting at a table.

With Simone.

Buffy felt a sharp pain in her chest. She couldn't believe her Angel would do this to her. But there he was, with the tramp. She had no idea how long she stood there, stunned, but eventually it seeped in that she had to do *something*. She debated marching right across the street and screaming so that everyone on the whole street would see that Angel was a *married* man with a *pregnant* wife, and he was having lunch dates with other women. But then Toby began to fuss so she decided to head home and talk to Angel later. Besides, she needed time to be sure to say everything the perfect way when she confronted him.

Mechanically, she pushed the stroller down the street, trying to keep it together. She had to get them in the car, she had to take care of Toby, and then, and only then, would she think about Angel. She managed to put her brother in his car seat in the backseat, relieved that he was back asleep. She expertly folded the stroller up and placed it, along with the bag of towels, in the trunk.

She got in the driver's seat and placed the key in the ignition. And then she broke. Sobs began to erupt deep in her throat. She placed her head on the steering wheel and poured her heart out. Her world was falling apart. Angel was having an affair... but the Angel she knew would never do that. If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes she never would have believed it. Her husband, her baby's father... she didn't even know him. What did she have left?

Herself.

She wiped the tears from her eyes. Since when could she not live without a man? She could do it! She could take care of herself and her baby. She didn't need someone who would cheat on her.

She started the car and determinedly drove home. She managed to grab Toby, his diaper bag, and the bag from the store and headed into the house. After she'd fed the infant he fell asleep and she got some time to think.

She paced the length of the living room, trying to decide what an independent pregnant woman with a cheating husband should do. And then it hit her. Call her best friend. As she picked up the phone and began dialing, she didn't even realize that instead of calling Willow, she entered Cordelia's number.

"Hello?"

"Hi Cordy."

"Oh, hey. What's up?"

"You will not believe what I saw today."

"Ummm... Elvis?"

"No! I'm serious!" Buffy scolded then took a deep breath. "Okay, it all started last night, when I had to go to that opening at the gallery. My mother's old friend Simone, who is known for sleeping with married men, was there. And of course she saw Angel, and boy did she notice him! But I tried to not let it bother me. After all, my Angel would *never* do that to me. So when I was on Main Street today, shopping, what do I see? *MY* husband having lunch with that.... slut!"

"Well, maybe it was a business thing?"

"No, no way. Because he is an employee of my mother and my mother insists that her friends not be involved with her business. Anyway, Angel is the art buyer, and he's been helping out with my mom's clients trying to find certain styles or whatever... but there is no reason for he and Simone to have lunch."

Cordelia contemplated it for a second. "It's just... Angel, like, adores you. No, he *worships* you. He is the last guy in the world I would ever imagine cheating."

"I know, and if I hadn't been standing across the street watching it happen I'd never believe it."

"Men suck!"

"Yes they do... but now I have to figure out what to do. I don't think I want to talk to him tonight, I need to get my thoughts together, otherwise I'll end up crying and I so don't want to cry right now. So I guess I should pack some stuff and stay elsewhere for the night."

"Where are you going to go? Your mom's?"

"Probably."

"Okay... well if you don't want to stay with them, you can stay with me, I'm sure my parents won't care.... or even notice."

"Thanks Cordy." Buffy smiled sadly.

"Hey, what are friends for? If you need anything at all, just let me know!"

Giles put his key in the door and walked into the house. After the long day filled with tedious meetings, he was glad to be in his home it seemed so cozy as the warm afternoon sun only lighted it. It was half past three... He could have half an hour to himself before Buffy came with Toby. He pulled off his jacket

"Giles?"

Stunned, Giles whirled around to find his stepdaughter sitting at the kitchen table. "Buffy... you startled me... what are you doing here.. is Toby all right?"

Buffy smiled sadly. "He's fine, he's napping in his crib."

"Are you okay?" He asked quietly, knowing the answer but only wondering if she'd answer him honestly as he sat in a chair across from her.

She did, shaking her head as she fought back the tears. "No... I'm not okay.. I mean, health-wise, the baby and I are perfect, but... Giles... I found out Angel is having an affair."

Giles' mouth dropped open; the information being the last thing he'd ever expect to hear. "Buffy, Angel would never.."

"Never do that?" Buffy interrupted. "Never go off and have a relationship with another woman while I was pregnant with his kid?"

"Pregnant or not, Angel would never have a relationship with another woman, Buffy! As far as he is concerned, you are the only woman in the world."

Buffy took a deep breath. "Okay, I know everyone thinks I am just this big insane pregnant person, and I know I haven't exactly been the most sane person lately... but I never hallucinate. And I am positive I saw my husband having lunch with Simone."

Giles raised his eyebrows. "Simone?"

"Yeah... she sees no reason not to go after married men."

"I know." Giles replied.

"She hit on you too?!" Buffy exclaimed.

"Well, she tried, but I suppose your mother could tell and made sure not to leave me alone with her for too long. So I do believe that *she* would go on a date with Angel... But I just can't imagine Angel wanting her back."

Buffy shrugged. "I feel like there is whole other Angel I don't know. Why would he go to lunch with her for any other reason? They don't have anything in common! I mean it's not like he just goes on friendly lunches with females... He never does lunch with Cordelia!"

"Buffy there has to be another explanation."

"Come on Giles, just because my hormones are a little... out of synch... you don't believe me when I tell you I saw something with my very own eyes?"

"I'm sorry Buffy. It has nothing to do with your pregnancy. Trust me, even if you weren't pregnant and anyone, even your mother, told me that she saw Angel on a date with another woman... I'd have a hard time fathoming it."

"Is it all right if I stay with you guys for a few days?"

"Of course, you know your room here is always ready for you."

Buffy smiled, still trying not to cry. "Thank you Giles."

"Your mother will be home in a few hours... why don't you go take a nap before supper? It'll make you feel better, I'm sure."

Buffy nodded before getting up from the table and trudging up the stairs. Giles sat in silence at the table for a moment before putting a kettle on the stove to fix himself some tea. It always helped him think.

Angel frowned as he pulled into the garage. It was after five and Buffy's car wasn't there. He had figured she would be, since he said he'd be early. However, he was later then he usually was when he left work on time. The two-hour lunch had set his whole afternoon off.

He walked into the dim house, wondering where his wife might be. Maybe getting something for dinner. Walking into the kitchen he found a large bag with a note attached. Picking up the paper, he read the letter from his wife.

Angel,

Here are some towels, hopefully you and Simone will like them. What's for dinner? Whatever the hell you want. You don't have to worry about eating whatever I crave because I am out of your life. Pretend I never existed!

Buffy

Bewildered, Angel stood in the kitchen with his mouth wide open. What was going on? And what did Simone have to do with it?

He decided to find Buffy. Where would she go? To her mother's? Cordelia's?

He tried calling Joyce's, but the phone was busy, but he managed to get through when he called Cordelia.

"Hello?"

"Cordelia."

Cordelia took a deep breath. She'd been expecting this. "Hi Angel."

"Wh... have you seen Buffy?"

Cordelia bit her lip. He sounded really desperate to talk to her friend. She knew that Buffy was convinced something had happened, and she had to admit it didn't add up that he would eat lunch with that woman... But cheat on Buffy? Never. But if she told him where Buffy was... wouldn't that mean she was betraying her friend?

"Seen her? No..." she replied vaguely, hoping he'd just give up.

No such luck. "Please, Cordelia, I am begging you. I know that she would probably talk to you, so if you have any idea at all where she is... Please tell me!"

"I don't know... she didn't tell me... she was just really upset and was trying to decide what to do." Cordelia closed her eyes. She couldn't leave it like that. It was one of those times that to be a better friend... You have to be a worse friend. "She said she'd probably go to her mother's."

Angel sighed with relief at knowing where she was. "Thank you."

"I really want to believe I am doing the best thing for her, Angel. If I find out that you really are cheating on her, you'll be sorry."

"Cheating on her? What are you talking about?!"

Joyce walked into her home with her arms filled with Chinese take-out, curious as to why Rupert wanted an extra order of fried rice and moo shoo chicken. She had been on the phone with an important customer from Santa Barbara on her way out the door when Rupert had called and just left the message with Beverly.

"I'm home..." she called, heading to the living room where she heard the news on the television. When she saw her husband sitting on the couch beside her very upset looking daughter she knew something was wrong. "What's going on?"

Giles looked cautiously at Buffy as the girl gave up holding her feelings in and began to cry. He got up and took the bags from his wife. "Why don't you two talk while I take this to the kitchen and get ready for us to eat?"

Joyce watched her husband go, confusion etched on her face, before sitting down next to her daughter and taking one of Buffy's hands in her own. "What's the matter Sweetheart?"

"Today, I was out shopping..." Buffy explained, sniffling, "when I saw Angel and Simone... on a date at that Italian restaurant on Main Street."

Realization dawned on Joyce. "Oh you think that he and she are having an affair? Hon..."

A frantic knocking at the door interrupted her. Worried it might be an emergency; she got up and rushed over to the front door, opening it to find a stressed out looking Angel.

"Is Buffy here?"

Joyce nodded with a small smile. "Do you know why she's upset?"

Angel walked through the doorway. "Yeah, but you know it's not true."

"I do, and we'll tell her."

Buffy looked to the foyer with interest. She wondered whom it was that her mother was talking so softly with. When she saw it was Angel as the two of them entered the room, she felt an ache in her stomach before she moved her eyes down to her lap.

"Buffy I was so worried about you." Angel told her, hoping she'd look at him, praying she'd believe him.

"Am I supposed to feel bad?" Buffy replied, refusing to look at him.

Joyce sighed, then sat back down next to her. "Buffy, Angel and Simone are *not* having an affair. The only reason he had lunch with her was because Simone and I were going out to lunch and I invited him along."

"Then why did I see just the two of them sitting there? You weren't at the table!"

"Maybe it was when you used the ladies room?" Angel piped in.

"That's right, I did... You just had a case of terrible timing, Buffy."

Buffy looked at her mother, trying to see if she might be lying.

Knowing what her daughter was thinking, Joyce told her. "Buffy, you are my only daughter. You know I love you... I'd do anything for you. You know I wouldn't lie to you, especially about something like this. If Angel cheated on you I'd be first in line to kill him!"

Buffy nodded slightly. "It just seemed... I mean, I didn't see you and why else would they be eating together."

"It's understandable." Joyce smiled, kissing her daughter on the forehead before standing. "Now that we have extra rice and moo shoo chicken I have to insist you two stay for dinner. I'm just going to go help Rupert set the table, we'll be ready in a couple minutes."

When the woman was gone, Angel knelt in front of Buffy. She let him hold her tiny hands in his large ones, but still kept her eyes down.

"You okay, Baby?"

Buffy nodded and laughed wryly. "Except for feeling like an ass."

Angel smiled and released one of her hands so that he could tilt her head up and look her in the eye. He started wiping the tears from her cheeks as he told her. "You know, if I saw you eating lunch with some guy, not Xander or Giles or someone I could reason you just having a friendly lunch with, I would have lost it. And a lot worse than you did. Especially knowing that the guy was hitting on you the way Simone has been to me. I would have stomped right up to the table and ripped his head off."

"I'm so sorry I doubted you. I can't even blame my hormones on this. This is me, Buffy the psycho."

"Buffy you saw me eating lunch with a woman that I had no reason to be eating lunch with other than I was having an affair... Or that I was with your mother AND her." He reassured, smiling up at her.

Buffy reached forward and hugged him. "I love you... And I'm sorry I called you a bastard."

"When did you call me a bastard?" Angel asked as he hugged her.

"Umm... nevermind."

"I'm a nut, aren't I?"

"Well you *did* think that I would cheat on someone as gorgeous and brilliant and perfect as you with someone like *Simone*... That means you do have sanity problems, but I find it endearing." Angel smiled as he slid his arm behind his wife's back as they sat in the living room of their home.

Angel had opera music blaring on the stereo because he had heard it would be good for the baby and Buffy was enjoying just sitting with her husband in her pajamas as he listened to the music and read the newspaper. She had a plate of brownies that she didn't really know what to do with. Buffy really didn't have a lap anymore, but her stomach wasn't protruding enough to hold it there, so she alternating between balancing it on her thighs and holding it in her hands.

A few moments later, Angel finished an article about troubles in the Middle East and looked over at his wife. She was sleeping peacefully with her head on his shoulder. Smiling, he picked up the brownies off her thighs and set them on the coffee table. He deftly carried her up the stairs to their bedroom and lay her down, tucking the covers in around her as she settled in, not waking up. After he had gone back downstairs and put the brownies away and turned the lights off, he joined her, curling up against her sleeping form and falling asleep instantly.

"Hey Baby." Angel greeted his wife as she entered his office. He immediately got up from his chair and encompassed her in a hug, kissing her passionately.

"How's your morning been?" She asked as they stood with their arms around each other and her head against his chest with his chin on the top of her head... their special embrace.

"Fine... I'm going to have to go to Boston next week. Will you be okay?"

"Yeah... I'll just miss you lots."

"I'll miss you more."

Buffy giggled, she loved this game, even if it did tend to make those around them violently ill. "I'll miss *you* more!"

"Hi Buffy... what's going on?" Joyce asked as she stuck her head in the room.

"Arguing about who will miss who more next week." Angel explained as the couple released each other.

"He's going to miss me *way* more!" Buffy joked.

Joyce smiled, happy to see things were happy once again after the fiasco the day before. "You two going out to lunch?"

"Yeah, wherever Buffy wants." Angel answered.

"Do you think you could just come look at this painting I just got really fast?" She asked.

Angel looked at Buffy, who nodded. "I can wait a few minutes, I had a late breakfast. Where's Toby? I'll go see him."

"I just dropped him off at the front desk with Beverly." Joyce told her.

"Okay... I'll wait for you there." Buffy smiled and kissed her husband on the cheek before heading back out towards the entrance to the gallery. "Hey Beverly." She called.

"Oh hi Honey... How are you feeling?" The older woman greeted warmly as she tickled Toby's belly as he lay in his carrier on her desk.

"Pretty good, just missed my little brother." Buffy grinned as she looked down at him.

"Would you mind watching him for a few minutes while I use the ladies room?" Beverly asked.

"Of course not, go right ahead." Buffy told her, picking the baby up and holding him against her chest.

"Hello Buffy." Simone oozed as she walked in the doors.

Buffy gave her the most obviously insincere smile she had. "Simone."

"Buffy are you... Upset with me?"

"Upset with you? What would I have to be upset with you about?"

"I suppose you heard about Angel and I having lunch yesterday."

"I did hear about you and Angel and my mother having lunch, yes."

"Worried?"

Buffy smiled mockingly. "About what? That my husband is going to cheat on someone as young as I am for a middle aged woman who had been around the block many many times?"

"Well, Sweetie, you're pregnant. In a few months you'll be as big as a house. And yeah, Angel is one of those husbands who find that beautiful or at least just feel too guilty about making your body one swollen mass to even think about his own pleasure... But that kind of weight usually doesn't fall off."

"Don't worry... I'm young. Just accept it, Simone. This time, you've messed with a man who has a wife you will never compare to."

"I'd have to agree with that!" Angel grinned as he walked up behind Buffy, having heard the tail end of their conversation.

Buffy turned and smiled at her husband. Beverly also returned to the desk right about then, without even acknowledging Simone. Buffy placed her brother back in his carrier, told him and Beverly goodbye, then walked arm in arm out the door with her husband.

Buffy won.

The End

 

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