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"Morning," Buffy smiled as Riley joined her at the dining room table, then cringed when she took in his appearance. It was obvious that he'd had a rough night patrolling, since the day before all they'd done was hang out in their new home and go grocery shopping, "Is everything okay?"

Riley nodded as he poured himself a bowl of cereal, "Sorry, I'm just still tired. We caught this new demon last night… we don't have any idea what it is yet, but it sure put up a fight. My body feels like one huge bruise, plus I didn't get in until three because I was filling out paperwork."

"Oh," Buffy sighed, feeling sorry for him, "Why don't you just go back to bed? We don't have to go today… or we can go in the afternoon."

"No, it's fine, we'll get our books this morning just as we planned," Riley replied firmly.

"If you're sure," she said, looking back down at the newspaper as she'd been doing before he'd emerged from his bedroom.

Riley took a mouthful of cereal and watched as Buffy circled something on the newspaper, "What are you doing?"

"Well, nothing to get excited about, but there are a few openings. If I can get a job at one of the major department stores at the mall, then I can hopefully get a raise after a few months," Buffy said optimistically.

"You know that you can just take the money they are giving me for my wife and child and not have to have a job," Riley pointed out. Just because Buffy was insisting on this didn't mean he had to agree and not try to persuade her to change her mind.

Riley grabbed the sports section and read about the upcoming Superbowl while he finished his breakfast. Buffy remained silent, either because she was busy concentrating on the want ads, or she was annoyed. Riley wasn't sure, but he was feeling rather cranky, so he wasn't too concerned.

Once he was done eating, Riley stood and put his bowl in the kitchen sink, telling her "I'm going to go shower."

Riley was walking out of the kitchen when the phone began to ring. He stopped and turned towards Buffy who was looking up from the paper. "I got it," he told her, grabbing the handset from the counter, "Hello?"

"No… err, well, yes, I would like to talk to her, but I did want to speak with you as well," Giles told him.

"Okay," Riley said, waving his hand at Buffy who was giving him a questioning look. Deciding the phone wasn't for her, she went back to her want ads- and praying that amid all the minimum-wage, no-respect job openings, there was her dream job just waiting for her.

"I am not sure if you were aware, but Wednesday is Buffy's nineteenth birthday," Giles said from his end of the phone.

"No, I would really appreciate it if you came," Giles insisted, "Buffy is very important to me. She's… well, she is like the daughter I never had. And now you are a very big part of her life. Even if you are her husband in name only… well, you're important to her. I would like if the two of us had a chance to get to know each other."

"Okay… if that's what you want, it sounds great to me. Just tell me when and I'll be ready to go," Riley replied.

"Splendid," Giles said, "I assume as far as you know, Buffy has no plans for the evening?"

"No… I just wanted to check first. You can go ahead and put her on," Giles told her, "Thank you, Riley."

"Okay," she frowned, wondering what Riley and Giles had been talking about, "Hey Giles."

Chuckling, Giles assured her, "Everything is fine. I was just asking Riley about his schedule."

"Because Wednesday is your birthday and I would like to take you two out for dinner."

Buffy grinned, elated to hear that Giles had remembered. She'd been very busy as of late and hadn't had much time to think about stuff, but of course she'd remembered that her birthday was coming up and she'd feared it would pass by unobserved by anyone. "That would be so cool!"

"Good, then it's settled. Would it be okay if I picked you two up at your place at six-thirty?"

"It's a date," Buffy replied happily. She had figured it would be one of her usual birthdays- a long, painful experience that resulted in being heart broken, but now she began to wonder if things might be different this year. After all, what could go wrong having dinner with Giles?

She admitted to herself that a whole lot could go wrong, not only with that, but there were about a million other wretched things that could occur that day. Buffy steeled herself, resolving to deal with whatever might happen when it happened… and to try and enjoy her birthday.

Giles talked to her for a while more before they hung up and Buffy decided to do the breakfast dishes since she was all ready to go. Despite the fact that Riley constantly assured her this was not a fate worse than death, she still felt obligated to make herself useful… earn her keep… all that stuff.

Buffy had washed, dried and put away all the dishes and had begun watching The Price Is Right when Riley came out of his bedroom. After his shave and shower, he felt like a new man. Plus, he was now eagerly anticipating her birthday… something he viewed as another occasion to win Buffy's heart.

Buffy nodded and turned off the TV before getting up and following him out the door and across the patio to the door that led to their own private garage. It was a feature of their apartment that had been a pleasant surprise to Riley, since his jeep could be easily stolen and he now had the added security of being able to lock it up in their private garage. Plus, if Buffy got her own car, he wouldn't have to worry about her walking far in the dark when she was further along in her pregnancy. The fact that she was a slayer really didn't seem to sink in for Riley when it came to Buffy's safety.

As Riley pulled out of the apartment complex and out into the street, he noticed a grin on Buffy's face and asked "What are you thinking about?"

"Oh, I just remembered the last time I got my books for school. It's when I met you."

"Ah, yes, the great headache of '99," Riley joked, "I'd actually forgotten about that."

"You probably blocked it because the memory was too painful," she said, winking at him.

He nodded, "I was just about to say that. I'll make a point to give you a lot of space."

"Well, I have a bad record with birthdays," she informed him, wrinkling her nose.

"I wish," she sighed, "Well, I told you about what happened on my seventeenth birthday. Angel and I… consummated our relationship, he lost his soul and broke my heart… for the first time. Then on my eighteenth birthday there was this test thing I had to do… it's a stupid tradition for slayers. Giles had to drug me without me knowing and it made me lose all my powers temporarily. I ended up having to save my mom from this totally wacked vamp and got my ass totally kicked. So my goal for the big one-nine is to survive."

Buffy waved her hand, "Don't worry about it. I mean, they sucked monumentally at the time, but it's over and done with. I can't change it and pouting about it won't help me one bit. Besides, I need to focus on other things now," she added quietly, stroking her hand over her belly.

"This year's going to be different, Buffy," Riley swore, "We're going to break that streak."

Buffy just smiled at him, not really giving what he said any merit. He'd learn… after Wednesday he would see that the fates loved screwing Buffy Summers over and it was better just to brace yourself and try to endure the storm than fight it.

"Are you sure you don't want me to go in with you?" Riley asked as he pulled to a stop in front of Sunnydale General.

"Positive," Buffy replied, grabbing her purse and opening the passenger door, "I'm fine, Riley. Besides, you have your meeting."

Buffy gave him another smile as she shut the door behind her. Riley waited until she walked into the front doors of the hospital before pulling the rest of the way around the circular drive in front of the hospital and heading towards Lowell House so that he could go down into the headquarters for what was sure to be a long, boring meeting.

He wished he could instead go with Buffy for her appointment. Unfortunately, the meeting was required so he couldn't get out of it. Besides, despite the fact that he was her husband and they were growing closer and closer… asking to go with her to see the doctor might be a little intrusive.

Sighing, he got his mind back on his work and mentally prepared himself for the meeting. They were going to go over all the statistics of captures, kills, and costs for the past year. Despite the fact that the Initiative was definitely one of the most unusual in the U.S. Government, there was still the bottom line. That meant there would probably be several more of these meetings over the next few months until they'd created a sort of criteria for efficiency in time and costs in order to reach their goals.

As much as he loved his job when he got to capture a demon and save lives… he hated the paperwork aspect. Still, knowing now that he wasn't just doing this because it went along with the job, but he was doing it so he could provide for his wife and child… even if his wife wasn't really his wife and his child wasn't really his child, they still needed him… and it made it all worth it.

Riley glanced at his watch as he walked in the door of their apartment Wednesday afternoon, wondering how long he had to shower, dress and make sure the apartment was ready for Willow to come in and set everything up. He'd spent the past several hours running all over town and buying party supplies before meeting with the redhead at the coffee shop so that they could make their final plans.

Buffy would look back on this day and smile for many years to come if it killed him.

He was walking past Buffy's bedroom door towards his room when he heard a soft sobbing. Pausing, he listened more closely to confirm the fact that Buffy was indeed crying in her bedroom. He told himself to leave her alone, that he would always be there for Buffy and she knew that, but that if he didn't let her come to him she would feel suffocated. She was in her own bedroom and not on the couch, so he had to assume she wanted privacy.

It didn't stop him from slowly opening the door and stepping inside, however. He couldn't bear the thought of Buffy being so upset today of all days. She'd been so happy that morning when Xander had picked her up to take her to apply for jobs at the mall. Xander had shared in her enthusiasm as he had ushered her out the door while winking at Riley, since he knew he was also doing him a favor by getting Buffy out of the apartment for a few hours.

Seeing Buffy on her stomach on the bed, her face in a pillow as her shoulders shook with her sobs, Riley quickly walked over to her, kneeling beside the bed and gingerly reaching his hand over to touch her back. As soon as he made contact Buffy jerked and looked at him in surprise, obviously she hadn't noticed that she wasn't alone in her room.

Buffy forced herself to stop crying as she sat up. Wiping her face with her hands, she said, "I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm just disappointed, but I normally don't let it get me so upset."

"Hey, you have that whole hormonal thing going on and remember your doctor told you about the mood swings. What was the disappointment?"

Looking down in her lap, she said, "I went and applied at a whole bunch of stores. A lot of them didn't seem too interested when I turned it in… so I don't expect calls. But at one of the places, they looked at it right away. They weren't too crazy about the fact that I can't work until the middle of the afternoon because of school. She said they needed a morning person. Plus, I don't have a car… I'm planning on walking, but they want someone to be able to come right away… a car person, basically."

Buffy nodded, "I have no choice. See, it's not just the disappointment. I *need* a job so badly."

"You know you don't," he insisted before sighing since he knew she was too stubborn to agree, "But I'll talk to the guys. Someone will be able to help, I'm sure of it."

Buffy touched the side of his face and smiled up at him, "You're so good to me."

She began crying again, but Riley wasn't sure if it was because she was still upset or just overwhelmed by how 'good' he was. Instead, he just embraced her and remained silent until Buffy grew quiet.

"You know," Riley said, "it's five o'clock. That means you could go take a nice long bath and relax and still have plenty of time to get dressed for dinner before Giles gets here to pick us up."

Riley nodded and released her, then stood up, "I'll leave you alone so you can do that."

He began walking to the door, but stopped and looking back at her disheveled, tear-stained, absolutely gorgeous form and smiled, "Try not to worry, okay?"

Her words warmed his heart and made him grin as he left her alone in the room and shut the door. With an extra bounce in his step, he headed off to take his own shower. Giles would be there in an hour and a half and he still had a lot of work to do.

Riley guiltily looked over at Buffy as she stood in the doorway of his bedroom, watching him straighten the pillows and comforter on her bed to look like nobody was sleeping in there on a regular basis.

"Just straightening up," he lied. Seeing that she didn't believe him, he tried to change the subject, "You look beautiful."

There, that wasn't a lie. He'd sneaked into her bedroom while she was in the bathroom doing her hair and make-up and the results were quite outstanding. She was wearing just a simple black dress and heels with her hair curled around her face… and Riley had to resist the urge to grab her and hold her to him while he kissed her until the need to breathe made them stop.

"Thank you," she replied, letting it slide that he was actually in her room, touching her stuff… and she didn't for a minute buy that he was straightening up. "You look really nice. I like that sweater."

Riley looked down at the dark blue sweater his mother had told him really brought out his eyes and smiled sheepishly, "It was a Christmas gift."

He was desperately trying to find a way to get them out of her room and forgetting about this whole thing when he was saved by a knock at the door.

"Yeah, I just need my coat," Buffy told him, going over to her closet and opening the door.

Riley held his breath as she walked inside to retrieve her coat, praying she wouldn't notice that he'd taken a few of her dresses and a couple pairs of shoes. She stepped out a few seconds later and looked at him with concern.

Riley nodded fervently, realizing she had no idea anything was missing, "Just hungry."

Buffy gave him a strange look before leaving him alone in the room to go answer the door. Riley followed, glancing around the apartment and looking for anything suspicious. He knew Willow intended to do the same, but she had a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it, so the more he had done already, the better.

"Hello Buffy, happy birthday," Giles replied, stepping inside the apartment, "Hello Riley."

"Actually," Giles answered, watching as Riley jerked his head towards the door, trying to tell him he needed him to get Buffy out of there, "we have reservations. How about you show me after? I wanted to show you something outside, in fact."

"Okay, that's fine," Buffy replied, sliding her coat on with Riley's gentlemanly assistance.

Giles held out his arm and Buffy gleefully took it, happy to be spending the evening in his company.

"Uh, I forgot something," Riley blurted out when the two of them were out the door.

Before Buffy could follow Riley back inside, Giles led her away, "We'll wait for him by the car."

"Do you recall telling me several years ago when we were hurrying somewhere and my Citrëon wasn't quite cutting it that I needed a 'grown-up' car?"

"Not specifically, but I certainly believe your beloved Citrëon not cutting it and telling you so," Buffy quipped.

Nodding, he pointed at a shiny, red, convertible BMW, "Behold my new automobile."

Buffy walked over to the car, stunned, "Wow, this is *nice*! Not just nice in comparison to your old hunk of junk… it's really nice!"

"I'm glad you like it," Giles replied, "If it didn't meet your standards, I would have been grossly disappointed."

Riley rushed through the apartment, making sure that by all appearances to anyone who wouldn't open the closets and look in drawers that he and Buffy were a normal husband and wife. Satisfied that everything would be okay, he picked up the cordless phone in the kitchen and dialed Willow's phone number.

She was obviously waiting for his call and picked up on the first ring. Knowing time was of the essence, Riley ominously told her it was time before hanging up and heading out the door. He locked the door and quickly headed out to Giles' car.

He'd never seen the watcher's vehicle, but Riley never would have guessed that Giles would drive the convertible that Buffy was currently sitting in the driver's seat of, babbling about the wind in her hair and driving to the beach in the summer.

Seeing Riley approach, Giles gave him a questioning look and received a nod in answer. Turning back to the birthday girl, Giles said, "Riley's here, time to go, Buffy."

Buffy sighed and climbed out the driver's seat, "You totally should teach me how to drive now, Giles."

Giles took the seat she had vacated, "Actually, I would say that would have been a much better idea when I drove the banged up old car."

Riley smiled and climbed in the backseat so that Buffy could sit in front with Giles, "I'll teach you how to drive, Buffy."

Buffy grinned at Giles as she slid into the passenger seat and put on her seatbelt, "He's so cool, isn't he?"

"One could use that choice of words," Giles replied, "My own personal preference is 'insane'."

Buffy rolled her eyes and settled into her seat as Giles backed out of his parking spot, "Did you drive over here with the top down?"

"No, I took it down for you to see it in all it's glory. I figured this is California, so it's not too cold to go without it, even if it is January."

Buffy and Riley nodded in agreement. They weren't wusses, a little chilly weather was no big deal.

They were almost out of the complex when Giles stopped the car, "It may be California, but it's *January*. Who else wants the top up?"

When Buffy walked into the Italian restaurant with a handsome man on either side of her, she felt more special than she had in a long time. For the first time that day, she wondered if Riley might really be right. Maybe this year would be different after all.

They were soon led to a small table where a waiter held the chair out for her. The last time she'd been in such a nice restaurant, Buffy remembered, had been when her parents had informed her of the divorce. She mentally scolded herself for thinking about something so negative. This was a happy occasion and Giles wasn't using a nice restaurant as a way to spring some news on her while keeping her calm because they were in a public place.

"I have a bit of an announcement," Giles informed them, frowning when he saw all the color drain from Buffy's face, "Are you feeling okay, Buffy?"

She nodded and gave him a serious look, "I just want you to know that if I feel outbursty, I'll do it, regardless of how nice the restaurant is."

"So if you think you can tell me something horrible that you think I'd scream and cry about in private, but be cooler here… you're wrong."

"Well, I should hope that you won't feel a need to scream and cry," he replied, "You could say that, like you, I am making a lot of changes in my life. The new car… and a new occupation. I was quite happy to stop being a school librarian, but being a… man of leisure really didn't fulfill me. So… I purchased the magic shop."

"The one where all the owners die?" Buffy asked without thinking, then slammed her hand over her mouth, "Oh! I didn't mean that in a negative way! This is so great, Giles. I'm happy for you."

Giles saw the way she was smiling and knew her words were genuine. Grinning, he continued on with the rest of his announcement, "I also had an idea. Buffy, you told me the other day you were going to look for a job. I'm going to need someone to help me out. At the very least help me keep an eye on the store for a part of the day, especially afternoons. Someone I could trust. If you were willing to work for me, I could give you the hours you needed so that you could work around school, plus I have been looking at the sales records for the store and I can give you a very competitive wage."

Riley smiled, happy to hear that Buffy's job search was ending. Now he knew that she wouldn't have one of those bosses that took advantage of their employees, keeping her working late and underpaying her. He could see that Giles loved Buffy, he'd treat her very well.

"I don't know," Buffy sighed, "I feel like I'm taking advantage of your generosity."

"You aren't," he insisted, "Please, Buffy, it would make me happy if you agreed to work for me."

Riley felt so happy for her right then. Finally something was working out for Buffy. She certainly deserved it, especially considering her run of bad luck as of late.

Giles told Buffy about all his plans for the magic shop and she animatedly gave her input and shared ideas with the man. Riley could tell that with the two of them working on it, the shop would certainly be remarkable.

After the waiter reappeared and took their orders, Riley asked, "Think it's time for Buffy to open her presents?"

Buffy rubbed her hands together and grinned as Riley retrieved a small box from his pocket and Giles lifted a small gift bag she hadn't even noticed him carry in to the restaurant. Giles handed her the bag first, so she set it in her lap and stuck her hand inside, digging around for her present. Finding something, she pulled the object out and found a vanilla scented candle inside a glass votive, "Ooh, this is beautiful! I love these!"

"Yes, Willow told me you enjoyed candles… she helped me pick out your presents. She said you'd like some candles to put in your room?"

Reaching back inside the bag, she pulled out a copy of 'What To Expect When You're Expecting,' and looked up at Giles with tears in her eyes, "This is so great. I… I need this. It was so sweet of you to think of this!"

Giles smiled timidly, "Well, you know how I feel about books… and I suspect you know how to read, so I thought it was a good idea."

"You're very welcome. I was worried you might be rather annoyed that I gave you more of a baby gift when it's *your* birthday."

"No way! For one thing, *I* need the book, not the baby. And for another… I'm in this phase where I love anything baby-related. You could have given me those teeny baby shoes and heard me squeal," she informed him, then took the box Riley handed her. She unwrapped it and found a jewelry box. Opening the box, she found a silver heart-shaped locket inside and gasped, "Riley, it's beautiful."

Riley grinned, "It opens up… I was thinking you could put a picture of the baby in when the time comes."

"That's a wonderful idea," she replied as she leaned over to him as she had done to Giles, but she kissed Riley on the cheek.

Riley tried to play it cool, but Giles noticed that the man who allegedly was only married to Buffy as her friend looked far too happy to be hugging her tightly. Smiling, he knew that without a doubt, Riley felt a lot more for Buffy than he was admitting.

"How about you give me the grand tour now?" Giles suggested as he and Buffy followed Riley to the door of their apartment after their filling meal.

Buffy smiled proudly, anxious to show Giles all that she'd done in her first place of her own, "You got it. Just remember, we just moved in and I haven't had a chance to do all the little details I want yet."

Riley opened the door and loudly said, "It's so good to be home, isn't it Buffy?"

As planned, the lights flipped on and they were greeted by two dozen of their closest friends crammed into the living room with smiling faces, with the exception of Forrest, who stood off to the side. He'd only come out of obligation to Riley, who had only invited him out of obligation to Forrest. Since they were best friends, there were certain rules of etiquette that defied logic.

Shocked, Buffy stood open-mouthed in the doorway, staring at all the people who were apparently there for her party. Slowly, Giles led her inside, giving her a chance to let it soak in. Within a few seconds she was grinning and hugging Willow, Xander and many of the guys from Riley's fraternity.

Riley and Giles were soon left alone as Buffy's attention was taken by the guests at her party, especially the guys who were originally his friends. Giles moved next to the soldier so that they could have a more private conversation.

"Well, she went to the doctor yesterday and they said she's doing great. I mean, she still has morning sickness, but that's normal. She even got to hear the baby's heartbeat at her check-up, she was so excited," Riley told him.

"Emotionally… for her situation I think she's doing great. I mean, what she's going through is really hard and it's only normal for her to be a little… unsettled. But she loves this baby and I don't think there is any part of her regretting her pregnancy. I think she's okay with the marriage too. In fact, it gives her a sense of security. She doesn't have to worry about having the necessities. She was pretty upset earlier because she applied for jobs this morning and it didn't go well, but thanks to you she has a job now. I really think she's going to be fine."

"She seems to be looking forward to working and the baby and this home," Giles observed.

Riley sighed, knowing she'd gotten that ability from constantly *needing* to bounce back. If he had any say, she'd never have a reason to bounce back from anything again.

"I'm so glad to see you're happy. After our lunch today…" Xander told Buffy as he gave her another hug, referring to the fact that she was nearly in tears during their 'birthday lunch' that Xander had insisted they have since he'd told her had to work that night as part of the story he, Riley and Willow had made up.

"I'm very happy. I don't think I should tell you exactly why, though. It's Giles' news to share," she explained.

Xander raised his eyebrows, "I'm definitely going to have to go pump Watcher Guy for info."

Buffy laughed as her friend walked away and headed over to Giles, leaving her alone with Willow. Turning to her friend, she said "This is so amazing. It must have taken a lot of work. Thank you so much!"

"I don't get all the credit," Willow told her, "Riley's the one who had the idea. He called me up Monday and told me he wanted to do this. I helped him plan it, but he's the one who spent hours today going around and getting the plates, decorations, balloons, ordering your cake… all that. He called me when you guys left for dinner and I came in and set it up."

"He did all that for me?" Buffy asked, astonished. She honestly didn't understand why Riley continually went out of the way to make her happy.

Buffy took it the wrong way and rolled her eyes, "Of course he likes me! He *married* me to help me out. Riley's a true friend… and we get along great."

Willow just smiled at her friend, wondering when Buffy would realize that Riley wanted their relationship to be a lot more romantic than platonic. It seemed pretty obvious to everyone besides the slayer!

Just as Giles was walking into his apartment, the phone began ringing. He hurried over and picked it up, cheerfully greeting, "Hello?"

The voice on the other end of the phone immediately made Giles forget what a good mood he'd been in after Buffy's birthday party. Sighing, he replied, "Angel."

Giles wasn't sure how to respond to that, because he didn't really know how he felt about Angel. One on hand, he loved Buffy and Angel had really messed up her life so many times, but now was the worst. He'd gotten her pregnant and left her… because of him, Buffy was a single, teenage mother. Because of Angel, her life was destined to be hard. Giles felt a lot of anger towards Angel for that. On the other hand, Giles knew what Angel was saying. He couldn't be a father, and all his reasons for leaving were still valid.

"I don't hate you. I don't like the situation Buffy is in, which you are partially responsible for," Giles answered, "I know she is as well, but since she is the one who must deal with the situation, it's easier to be more forgiving towards her."

Giles debated about whether or not he should give Angel all the details of Buffy's life. She'd never told him he couldn't tell Angel. Then again, she probably hadn't expected Angel to call him. Besides, he probably wouldn't react well and the last thing Buffy needed was dealing with Angel voicing his disapproval. Making his decision, Giles sat down on his couch and said, "Buffy's doing very well. She is in perfect health."

Angel released an unneeded breath, "That's great, thank you so much for telling me. I've been worrying about her constantly ever since… she told me."

"Really? That was hard to tell, considering you haven't tried to contact her for a month and a half," Giles replied, then sighed, since he wasn't sure Angel *hadn't* tried calling Joyce's to talk to Buffy, "I'm sorry."

"No, you're right. I was a coward. I hate the fact that I told Buffy that I won't be there. I hate that I won't get to know this child, that they might feel rejection because they won't have a father. But Giles… I can't. As much as I don't think it's fair to stay away from this child, it's even more unfair for me to be in it's life, to tell it I am their father, but I can't do a lot of what the other fathers do," Angel explained sorrowfully, "And most of all, if I were to be there… I'd put that child at risk, along with Buffy and everyone else. I just can't do that."

Giles nodded, "That's a very good point and I agree with you. I would be lying if I said I was perfectly content with the idea of Buffy raising a baby alone, especially when she is so young, but I do know that you are right. She insists on keeping this baby, so this is for the best."

"I want to help, though. The only way I think I can, at least for now, is financially," Angel told him, "I've been looking into things and I know that most insurance companies will not cover costs when the teenage daughter of one of their customers gets pregnant. I am not sure which company Joyce uses, but if they are like that, Buffy's going to rack up a lot of very expensive bills."

Giles had to stop himself from giving into the guilt of almost lying and confess that Buffy's medical costs would be completely covered by the military. Instead, he said, "That may be true, but we both know Buffy and she isn't likely to let you give her money. She's too proud for that."

"I know… that's why I called you and not her. Buffy listens to you, you have influence."

"Angel, I'm not sure I like the idea of conspiring behind her back. I'm sure you remember how angry she was the last time we did that."

Angel sighed, "I know that, Giles, but you know that she won't *let* me help her, even though she really should. It's for her own good."

"It was last time as well," Giles reminded him, "It didn't make Buffy feel any less betrayed."

"This time even though we will be talking and planning behind Buffy's back, it won't be keeping a secret from her. I'm not asking you to give her money from me and tell her it's from you. I just want you to act as a go-between and convince her to take my money. Could you at least try it? For Buffy's sake?"

Giles closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead, "Alright, but I am only doing this because it will help Buffy."

"So how are we going to do this?" Giles asked, leaning forward. Hopefully Angel had a really good, persuasive plan.

Buffy moaned and put her feet up on the coffee table as she relaxed on the couch. As proud as she was of the tremendous job she and Giles had done with the magic shop over the past three weeks, it had left her aching and exhausted. At least they were finally finished, with their grand opening the next day. That thought made her a little nervous- she prayed things would go well, not only because then she'd have a job for sure, but more importantly to her, so that Giles wouldn't have to be disappointed.

Over the past few years, she'd always considered herself close to her watcher, but after all the time they had spent together getting everything ready… Buffy knew Giles was her *real* father. He loved her and he would love her child. She'd always be able to count on him and Buffy had to prove he could rely on her as well.

Sighing, Buffy grabbed her English Literature textbook and prepared to read the story the professor had assigned the day before. It was two weeks into the semester and so far she had been able to keep up her schoolwork while juggling the work at the magic shop and everything else she had to deal with in her new life with relative ease. Still, she had no idea how she was going to be able to handle it when she had the baby. If she was tired now, another human being needing her for everything was going to be killer.

She was just getting interested in the story when the telephone began to ring. Glancing at the clock as she reached for the phone on the end table next to her, she saw that Riley was due home in a while, so maybe he was calling to see if she'd like him to pick up dinner. He'd done it a lot lately, which she really appreciated, since she was too tired to cook anything for herself and would be happy to skip meals, only it would be bad for the baby.

"Hello?"

"Oh, hello," a woman replied on the other end, "Is Riley there?"

Buffy was taken aback that a female was calling, since Riley didn't seem to be attempting to date like she'd insisted he could. Then again, if one could judge age by voices, this woman was not college-age. Clearing her throat, she replied, "No… he's not. I'd be happy to take a message for you, though."

"That's very sweet," Claire Finn purred on her end of the line. Obviously she was speaking to the famous Buffy she'd been so dying to learn any details about. She'd known that if she had pushed Riley to let her speak to her new daughter-in-law, even if she wasn't *truly* Riley's wife, he would have forbade her… but here she was on the phone with the object of her curiosity… wouldn't it be rude not to make an attempt to get to know her a little? Smiling, she continued, "I don't suppose you're Buffy."

Buffy's eyebrow quirked as she wondered just who she was speaking to, "Actually, I am."

"Oh, I'm so excited! I'm Claire Finn, Riley's mother," the older woman exclaimed.

Grinning, Buffy replied, "Mrs. Finn, I'm so happy to get to talk to you. I didn't feel right asking Riley to let me, since it's sort of impeding on his space, but I really wanted to tell you in person.. sort of… how grateful I am for your help with the furniture… and for understanding about what Riley did."

"Honey, I just received your letter last week. I'm sorry I haven't gotten a reply off to you yet, but we've all had the flu here," Claire informed her, "It was such a lovely thank you, it just proves I was right when I decided you must be a darling girl."

"You are so sweet, even more than I had thought. I hope Riley knows how lucky he is," Buffy sighed, amazed at how she was opening up. She would have assumed that if she was talking to the mother of the guy that had married her because she'd gotten herself pregnant with *another* guy's baby, she'd feel at least a little awkward.

"Well, you'll find out soon enough that children rarely ever see their parents as the most wonderful," Claire smiled, "By the way, how are things with the baby?"

"Everything is great," Buffy answered, happy that she actually seemed interested in the baby… without frowning about how wretched the situation was. She was treating her like a normal new mother, which only Riley had come close to doing. As much as she loved Giles and he was trying to accept the baby, he always had a sad look in his eyes when he was reminded of Buffy's condition. Patting her still-flat stomach, she added, "I have to go in for a check-up in a week and a half and then they will do a bunch of tests, but so far everything appears absolutely perfect."

"That's wonderful," Claire responded, "And you're feeling alright? No symptoms?"

"Well, I had morning sickness every day or so for a while… but I haven't even been nauseous for a couple of weeks now. I think I may get tired easier now, but I'm not sure if it's just not that I've been so busy."

"Oh, yes, Riley told me that you just started a new job."

"A friend of mine… well, he's kind of like a father to me… he just bought a store and we've been working hard getting everything arranged… we're actually opening for business tomorrow."

"That's so good to hear, about the store and about you having a friend who is so close to you. Please forgive me if I am overstepping my bounds… but Riley told me how your parents didn't take the news about you being pregnant so well… I feel just sick about that, but it makes me happy to hear you have someone in your life who means so much to you."

"That's fine," Buffy assured her, "Giles.. that's his name… he didn't really love it when I told him I was having a baby and keeping it at first… but he has accepted it."

"That's wonderful, Darling. I also want you to know that even though nobody could ever replace your mother, you can always give me a call if you have questions, need reassurance or just want to talk. I remember what it was like, especially when I was pregnant with my oldest, and there are some times when you're just scared."

Buffy felt tears well up in her eyes, "I can't believe how sweet you are! I mean, when Riley told me about you, I knew you were cool, but I had no idea you were this great!"

She was so caught up in her conversation with Claire, that Buffy hadn't even heard Riley come into the apartment. He walked into the living room and found her wiping tears from her eyes on the couch while she spoke on the phone.

Buffy looked up and saw him standing there, then gave him a brilliant smile and said into the phone, "Oh, guess who is home?"

Riley frowned, wondering who she was talking to as he pulled off his coat and flung it onto the recliner while Buffy said goodbye and held the phone out towards him, "It's your mother, she wants to talk to you. I'll go start dinner… how does pesto sound?"

"Good," he nodded numbly, taking the phone from her, rather confused. Since when were Buffy and his mother the best of friends?

"Hey, check this place out," Xander exclaimed as he and Anya made their way to the counter in the crowded magic shop.

Buffy thanked the person she was ringing up and grinned at her friend, "I know, isn't this amazing? When we opened up, Giles and I were both completely nervous, but about half an hour later, someone came in and we've had customers since."

"That's great," Xander replied, "We would have come by earlier… but we got sidetracked."

"Xander's parents are out of town, so we had sex in their bed," Anya informed her.

Buffy nodded, a disgusted look on her face, "Didn't want to know that."

Blushing, Xander extracted her arm from around his, "Honey, remember our privacy discussion?"

Anya rolled her eyes, "Whatever… I just figure if Buffy's not having sex with anyone, especially since she is married, she might enjoy living vicariously through me."

"I wouldn't," Buffy quickly informed her.

"Good Lord," Giles lamented as he tiredly leaned against the counter. He'd spent the past few hours helping people find various books and other ingredients for spells. As exciting as it was that business was going well so far, he was completely overwhelmed.

"Here, come look in the cash register, it'll make you feel better," Buffy suggested, hitting a button so the drawer popped out.

Giles walked around the counter and looked down at the drawer that was nearly filled with bills, "Oh my… money."

"Money from all the people who have been here and liked what we have. Isn't it great how stores work?"

"Yes, very," Giles nodded.

"So then I had to listen to my mom talk nonstop about Buffy for half an hour," Riley told Graham and Forrest as they walked down the street.

"Oh, I can't imagine how awful it must be to have someone go on and on and on about Buffy forever and ever," Forrest replied wryly.

Ignoring him, Riley continued, "Now they are like best friends. I have to hear my mother say that Buffy's the daughter-in-law she always dreamed of, and Buffy tell me how lucky I am to have a mother like mine. You know, I can believe that Buffy is completely innocent in this, but I can't shake the feeling that my mother is trying to persuade me into considering Buffy as… a real wife."

"Of course, that's ridiculous. You hardly know Buffy's even female," Forrest replied sarcastically.

Riley glared at his friend, despite the fact that Forrest was right. He certainly did feel more than just friendship for Buffy, but there was no way he would admit that to his friend. Forrest's head would inflate to five times it's normal size in a matter of seconds and Riley would never hear the end of it. Sighing, Riley said, "Forrest, I know how you feel. You think I am getting in way too deep with Buffy, and you absolutely do not approve of this marriage. Now, I want you to understand that I know you feel that way and it does not change things at all. Can you please keep those comments to yourself?"

"Just… stop talking about Buffy and I will attempt to refrain," Forrest answered, giving Graham a dirty look for the way he smirked at him.

"So how are you doing keeping up with your TA work?" Graham asked Riley.

"Fine," he replied, "My new… living arrangements… haven't hurt any of my responsibilities. If anything, living off campus helps me to focus more on my work and less on partying."

"Man, college is all about partying. Now you have the studying and crappy parts of school and none of the fun parts," Forrest told him, "Then again, you were always a weird one."

Riley smacked him on the back of the head, grinning. This was when he liked Forrest- when they were buddies. It was just like old times… before he started really falling for Buffy. Not that he regretted that. Buffy had changed him so much… she's made him see and feel things differently. It was like Buffy had brought a new knowledge of life to him.

A big red sign caught his eye and Riley stopped in his tracks, "Guys, can we *please* drop in there?"

Graham followed his friend's stare and frowned upon seeing a magic store, "Since when are you into that stuff?"

"Yeah, you're the last person I would ever imagine digging any voodoo crap or crystals," Forrest agreed.

"That's where *Buffy* works," Riley explained, heading off to the store, "It's their opening day, what kind of friend would I be if I didn't go visit?"

Graham smiled and followed while Forrest stood still and shook his head disdainfully and murmured, "Probably the type who isn't *in love* with the girl."

Buffy finished putting all the customer's merchandise in the bag and handed it to her with a smile, "Have a great day!"

The girl smiled and walked away, revealing Riley behind her, "Hey!"

Surprised, Buffy grinned, "Hi, Riley, what are you doing here?"

"I came to see you… you know, check things out. Looks like business is going great!"

"It is," Buffy nodded, "Giles will be so psyched about it if he can make it through the day without having a nervous breakdown."

Riley glanced over at the older man, "Yeah, he looks a little bewildered."

"He'll be okay, we just have a few more hours until we close."

"Oh yeah, what time do you get off again?" he asked, knowing full well that they were closing at five, then she and Giles would take an hour to count the money and clean up, so she would be home at around a quarter after six. Still… he liked to play it cool and act like it wasn't as important to him as it really was.

"About six… Giles will drop me off at home, so I should be there about six-fifteen. Will you be home?"

"Yeah, I'm off work tonight."

"And it's not like you'd ever want to go out like a normal unattached guy," Forrest said quietly from behind him.

Without acknowledging him, Riley asked Buffy, "How about I make you dinner to celebrate?"

"Macaroni and cheese?" Buffy asked, since that was the only think besides cereal and microwaveable foods she had ever seen him make.

"I know how to cook… I just don't do it normally. Trust me, you'll love it. Is it a deal?"

"Sure," she replied, nodding before another customer approached with several books and she began ringing them up. "Sorry, Riley, things are just so busy."

"It's fine, we need to get going anyway," he replied, backing away, "See you later."

"Bye," she called after him as the three guys walked out of the store.

Forrest was determined not to say a thing about what had just occurred and instead walked determinedly towards the sports store where they had originally been heading. The other two guys followed silently, Graham being his usual quiet self, and Riley deep in thought.

They entered the store and Forrest was choosing a new Dodger's baseball cap when Riley exclaimed, "What am I going to make?"

Forrest gave him a confused look while Graham asked, "What are you talking about?"

"Dinner! She was right, I don't know how to cook anything that requires more effort than adding two or three simple ingredients like a cup of milk. I have to make Buffy something very special and I have no idea how."

"Do you even realize that you *obsess* over this girl? I don't know why I bother worrying about you being lovesick… I should worry about her. A year from now you'll be stalking her and she'll have to take out a restraining order."

"Shut up, Forrest, this is important. Do either of you guys have a clue what I can make?"

"Order pizza," Forrest told him as he took the cap to the register.

Riley rolled his eyes, "Girls don't think ordering pizza is romantic. Besides, I told her I would *make* something."

"Ha!" Forrest shouted, pointing at Riley, "You just said romantic! See, I knew it. You aren't just Buffy's best bud, you want her!"

"Okay, fine, I want to be more than friends with Buffy," Riley confessed, "I think I might not mind it if we didn't ever get divorced, but that's getting ahead of myself. Right now, I'm just… wooing. Now, part of this wooing is making a romantic meal and I am going to need help."

Forrest pulled out his wallet and paid the cashier, trying to feel satisfied that he was right, but he couldn't feel anything but frustration. Riley now knew and admitted he was gaga for Buffy, but that didn't change the fact that Forrest was positive the girl just thought Riley was some sweet guy who was a little wacky because he was willing to go so far to help her. She was still going to want a divorce and Riley was going to end up all heartbroken.

Deep inside, though, he feared that he was wrong about her. She might love what Riley is doing so much that she'd go along with the whole 'staying married' thing. He knew girls, especially teenage girls. Riley was her knight in shining armor and if he offered her a fairy tale life, she'd take it. They'd stay married, have sex, maybe have some more babies… but then in a few years things would be a mess. Forrest thought the both of them were way too naïve and had no clue what they were getting into. He, on the other hand, knew all too well. His parents had gotten married young when his mother had gotten pregnant with him. Five years later they'd finally divorced, but it left all of them in a lot of pain. He certainly didn't want his friend to be that way.

And he wasn't going to sit idly by and let that happen to Riley.

"I must admit, I am shocked," Buffy said as she took a sip of the apple cider Riley had chosen for their meal, as opposed to champagne. "Even when you told me you *could* cook, I didn't really believe you."

Riley shrugged, "This really isn't anything."

"No, it's very good," she insisted, making him blush.

Riley felt rather guilty, since he'd used Prego for the spaghetti sauce. However, he *had* made the garlic sauce to put on the french bread and bake into garlic bread, so he supposed he deserved points for that. Actually, Graham deserved major points for helping him out by coming up with the idea for dinner and going through the grocery store to help him pick out ingredients while Forrest sulked. They'd decided not to push it and had just picked out strawberry ice cream for dessert, but Riley was planning on putting the jar of hot fudge into the microwave, so that was something else that took effort.

They finished their meal with only light discussion about Buffy's customers and how high their sales had been, as well as Riley's story about a demon he and the guys had captured the night before on patrol. As Buffy finished her second slice of garlic bread and patted her stomach contentedly, Riley began picking up the dishes and shook his head firmly when she tried to help.

"I sure hope you have room for dessert."

"Dessert?" Buffy asked, then decided she wasn't too full for something sweet. She'd had a major sugar thing going on as of late. "I think I can make room."

Riley smiled as he carried the dishes into the kitchen, "Good… I think you'll like this."

Buffy tried to stop grinning like an idiot while Riley was out of her sight in the other room, since he'd closed the shutters separating the kitchen from the dining room so that he could surprise her with all the different foods. He was so sweet… she couldn't help but wish the circumstances were different. But it's wasn't to be and she reminded herself that if she ignored that fact she'd only end up hurt again… and if there was one thing Buffy absolutely refused to do, it was allow another man to break her heart.

"Ta da!" Riley announced as he emerged a moment later with two bowls of ice cream topped with fudge a moment later.

"Ooh, yummy," she smiled, taking the bowl from him, "Thank you *so* much, this is the kind of stuff I've been dreaming of for a while now."

"Hey," Riley said, swallowing his first spoonful of ice cream, "just so you know, I would be ever so happy to be your little cravings runner. No matter if it's day or night, rain or snow, I'll do it."

"I know that, but I would never ask you," she replied.

"Buffy!"

"Riley, come on. Everyone knows that the only guy who should be tortured by going out in the middle of the night to pick up wacky foods is the fool who gets the craver pregnant. It's sort of a twisted punishment God came up with. I'm saving up for my car, so hopefully I'll have enough money to drive myself to the store to get food when the time comes," she informed him. "Of course, I don't know how I'm going to learn how to drive to get my *license* but I think I can weasel Giles into teaching me."

"I'll do it," he volunteered, "I'm better, because I promise not to yell at you. I can tell, Giles is the type to scream his head off."

"That's true… are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

"It's a deal," she declared, then reached over the table to shake his hand.

Riley took her smaller hand in his and caressed it for a few seconds before giving shaking it. Their hands lingered, not wanting to let go of each other, for a moment before they both awkwardly pulled away. Noticing some fudge had ended up next to her mouth, Riley picked up his napkin and leaned across the table to wipe it off. Buffy sat perfectly still as Riley gently rubbed his napkin over his skin, long after the fudge was gone. They looked into each other's eyes and Riley found his head moving closer to hers so that their mouths would meet.

When they were mere inches apart, he froze. Buffy's eyes moved down to his lips and back up to his eyes as she tried to process what was happening. Riley caught himself and pulled back before he made a mistake and kissed her, most likely too soon. He knew that Buffy would need a lot of his patience and he was more than willing to give it.

Clearing his throat, he said, "When's your next day off?"

Her voice husky, she replied, "Tuesday."

Nodding, he said, "I don't go in to work until seven that night. Maybe we can go practice driving then."

"Okay," she said, forcing herself to smile. Why did she feel like she was far beyond the point where she could save herself from heartbreak?

"I'm very proud of you, Buffy," Giles smiled as he stocked some books about reading tarot cards on the shelf. It was still early on a Saturday morning, so things weren't too busy. They'd been open for business for three weeks and business was still doing great, but they rarely got very busy before the afternoon, and only had big rushes on the weekends.

"Well, to be fair, Riley is, like, a saint," she told him as she dusted off some crystal balls, "Who else could, without raising his voice once, teach me how to drive well enough to get a license in two and a half weeks?"

"That's a good point, but Riley tells me you already weren't that bad at driving. He insists that the accident you got in when your mother and I were… under the influence… was most likely completely not your fault."

"That's what I told you guys back then, but did anyone believe me?"

"I apologize profusely," Giles joked, walking back over to the counter to grab more books to stock.

"Well, you know, if you want to give me an apology gift… letting me borrow your car every so often would really *prove* how sorry you are."

"I feel that my word is enough."

Buffy rolled her eyes, "Fine… Riley will let me drive *his* jeep."

"Are you still saving up? That jeep will be completely useless once you have the baby. Definitely not safe."

"I know," she replied, "Besides, when the baby is about five months old, Riley's gone, so I can't rely on him for rides and stuff. I just don't know what I should do. Am I really going to be able to save up enough for a decent car as well as all the stuff I'll need for the baby before my kid is… oh… *eighteen*?"

Giles stopped what he was doing and turned to her, "Buffy, you know that if you need money, I would be more than happy to help."

"That's okay, I told you guys that I would do this myself and I will. I already have a major advantage over most girls in my situation thanks to Riley. I'll make it work," she told him, looking down. "I'm just not sure if I should buy the stuff for the baby before buying my car. I need to sit down and figure out how much income I have."

Giles nodded, knowing that Buffy's pride would never allow him to pity her. "I'm sure it will work itself out," he said, before returning to his task.

Buffy nodded, then moved over to the cash register to ring someone up.

"Hey!" Riley greeted as Graham approached him in the deserted basketball court.

Graham smiled at his friend as he caught the basketball Riley tossed to him. Taking in the fact that Riley's shirt was off and he was getting sweaty, he asked, "How long have you been here?"

"Half an hour," Riley replied, "I dropped Buffy off at work and figured if I went home I'd just have to head back out in ten minutes, so I came straight here."

"How did things at the DMV go?" Graham asked, making a shot and missing.

"She passed," Riley answered proudly, "Buffy's so excited."

"That's great for her, tell her I said congratulations."

"I will," he replied, grateful that at least once of his best friends was supportive.

"Oh yeah, Mike told me to tell you that they are planning a big party for Joseph's birthday in two weeks and they really want both you and Buffy there."

"That should be fine. Giles always closes at five on Saturdays, so she should be off by six. What time does the party start?"

"Seven, I think."

"Yeah, we can make it. Buffy will like that, I think she enjoys hanging out with the guys."

"Good… I'll tell them you two are in. Now maybe they'll leave me alone. You wouldn't believe how much they adore her," Graham said.

Riley smiled, "Oh, I think I can."

"Man, you have got it bad," Graham laughed.

Sighing, Riley knew he was right, "I do… I can't help it. If I could choose, I don't think I'd pick someone who was having a baby by some other guy and had only married me to help the baby… it would be a lot easier. But I can't choose and Buffy's the one… she's definitely worth the effort."

Graham nodded, "I'm happy to hear that. For what it's worth… I think you'll get the girl."

Giles sipped his tea and turned the page in the book he was reading on demonology, enjoying a quiet night at home after a long day at the store. He was quickly realizing that they couldn't keep this up much longer. He was at that store from early morning to evening most days, except for the weekends when Buffy didn't have school and could open on her own, and it was taking a toll on him. He insisted on only making Buffy work five days a week and her hours were much more decent, but with school and the fact that she was pregnant, he knew she was exhausted as well. They needed *help*.

The phone rang, disrupting his calm atmosphere. With a sigh, he picked it up, "Hello?"

"Hi Giles, it's me."

Giles closed his eyes, really not needing yet another phone call from Angel telling him how imperative it was for him to tell Buffy about the checking account he had opened for her, "Hello Angel."

"Is everything okay? You sound… well… not well."

"It's fine, I'm just tired from work. I told you about my new business."

"Yeah… it's doing well?"

"Extremely, Buffy and I are both being run ragged."

"Giles, in her condition, that's not a good idea," Angel said.

"Don't worry, you know very well that I would never overwork Buffy."

"I know… did you tell her yet?"

"The right time just hasn't come up yet. I know that she is not going to be too pleased when I tell her… I'm probably going to have to argue with her about it, and it's the sort of thing I will have to keep pushing. We won't resolve it in a day. And it seems that every day she is already in too bad or too good a mood for me to bring something up that will most likely make her angry with me."

"I know what you're saying… it's just that she needs this money and you have to tell her sooner or later," Angel reminded him, "How is she doing?"

"Quite well, actually. Today she was in high spirits because she got her driver's license," he said proudly.

Angel smiled, remember the times Buffy had lamented to him that her mother was determined to make Buffy a lifetime pedestrian, "That's good for her."

"Well, she's going to need to be able to drive, especially once the baby comes and she has to take it all over town. Besides, none of us really like the idea of her walking all over when she is far along in her pregnancy," Giles told him, "Now it's only a matter of her saving up for a car."

"What about Joyce's car? She won't let her borrow it?" Angel asked.

Giles closed his eyes, knowing this was yet another time he would have to out and out lie to Angel, "I'm not sure… but Buffy needs her *own* car, so that she can go when she needs to."

"That's true," Angel agreed as the wheels in his head began turning. Buffy needed a car… if he could help her get one, it would be for the good of both the woman he loved and his unborn child. This was definitely something he could work on...

Angel knocked loudly on the door to the dark apartment. It had taken him three days of hard work to find this low-life, but if he could catch him now and get the job done, it would be worth it.

The door opened, revealing a Skulter demon on the other side of the threshold. The creature gave him a cautious look and said, "Yeah?"

Angel had the feeling that if he tried doing this the civil way, he'd find himself chasing this demon all over the city, so there was really only one way to go. Reaching out, he grabbed the demon by the throat and shoved him back against a wall just inside the apartment.

The demon began shrieking, "What? What do you want? What?"

Angel gave him an icy glare, "I'm here to remind you of your debt."

"H-Hamil sent you?"

"Friend of his," Angel responded, not letting go, "You owe seventy-five grand… and if you like not being a hood ornament, you'd better pay up within the next twenty-four hours, or I'm coming back."

"I-I don't got that kind of money!" the demon protested, shaking with fear so badly that his antlers began tapping loudly against the wall.

Angel looked him in the eye and knew that he didn't have to worry about hurting some fool that had gotten in over his head, "Oh, I think you do. Now, if Hamil doesn't have his money by this time tomorrow, he's going to give me a call. If I get that call… well, I'm not going to be happy. I'm going to come and hunt you down. Even if you run… I'll find you. I found you here, didn't I?"

The creature nodded frantically, "I'll pay him, I swear it!"

"Good, that's what I want to hear," Angel replied slowly, then shoved the demon back into the wall as one final warning.

He released the demon and turned around and walked briskly out of the apartment and through the building so he could get in his car, drive home, and try to repress the fact that he had ever sunk so low.

Still, if he got his payoff, it was worth it.

"I feel it is important for me to discuss this with you before I take any action because you are a vital part of our company," Giles began as he paced in front of Buffy, who was sitting on a chair in the office of his store looking perplexed

"What company?"

"The Magic Box! We are a small company, but a company nonetheless."

"Oh, okay," Buffy replied, hoping he was leading to announcing it was time for a company picnic or something. She really wanted to get home and have dinner, but Giles had insisted it was important she drop by after the movie she and Willow had gone to that afternoon.

"As I was saying… you have been there since the beginning. You worked just as hard as I to get the store open, so I feel it's important that I share things with you as opposed to just make decisions and inform you of them," he continued, then took a deep breath, "I have decided that since we are so busy, I will be hiring someone else to help out. That way you won't have to work as much, especially when you get… further along… and we will have another set of hands on the busy days. Plus, I am hoping after some time we will be able to leave this person in charge of the store, so when you have school, I don't have to be working."

Nervously, he looked at Buffy, waiting for her reaction. He'd thought long and hard about his decision, since he had gotten the idea that perhaps Buffy might not like having someone else in 'their' store. He feared that she might view the other employee as someone encroaching on her territory… and in his heart.

Buffy's eyebrow quirked as she wondered if that was the big news, "Okay, sounds cool."

"Yes?" he gasped.

She nodded, "Sure, I'd dig having someone else there. I mean, I need hours still, but you're right… when I get all big and gross, it'll be harder for me to climb on ladders to stock… or even be on my feet all day. Plus, if you keep working as much as you're working, you're going to kill yourself."

Giles grinned in relief, "You're absolutely right!"

"You know, you never say that enough," Buffy quipped, before standing up and heading out of the office.

"Perhaps next week you and I could interview people together?" he asked, wanting her involved. Ever since the pregnancy, he'd felt a need to spend time with her and let her know he cared.

Buffy gave him a strange look and shrugged, "If you want."

Giles followed her out into the store, about to offer her a ride home since it was near closing time anyway, and he absolutely didn't want her walking in the dark, when he saw Riley waiting around.

"Hey," the younger man said, smiling at Buffy, "I ran into Willow… she told me you were here and I was wondering if you needed a ride home… since I'm heading that way anyway."

"Absolutely," Buffy grinned, slipping on her coat.

Riley looked up and nodded at Giles, then asked them both, "Is everything okay?"

"We're hiring a new employee," Buffy informed him in mock seriousness, "It's possibly the biggest day of our lives and I know *I* am incredibly moved, but I should be okay."

Giles rolled his eyes at her mocking of him and grabbed his keys, intent on locking up after them, "Drive carefully… I'll see you tomorrow, Buffy."

"You got it, bye Giles," she smiled, then walked out the door.

"Bye," Riley said, following the slayer.

Giles locked the door behind them and watched through the window as Riley held the passenger door of his jeep open for Buffy. As he watched the way she looked as she told Riley something and laughed, he couldn't help but notice how perfect they seemed for each other. Anyone who didn't know the real reason they married would think they were an adorable young couple, just starting out on what was sure to be a long, happy life together.

Shaking his head to stop his thoughts from proceeding any further, Giles walked back to the cash register and began counting money. Hopefully he could get done quickly, so that he could go home and collapse.

Angel walked quickly up the path to the door of the lavish two-story home, relieved that this would be over with. He hated what he'd had to do, but he really hadn't had another choice. He rang the doorbell and began waiting when he felt a presence.

Abruptly, the vampire walked back down the path and reached behind a tall bush to drag out Wesley. The former watcher was caught off guard and gave Angel a frightened look.

"What are you doing here?"

"Seeing what *you* are doing here," Wesley answered, "You have been acting so strange, Angel, I had to see what was wrong."

"Nothing is wrong, would you just-"

Angel was interrupted by the front door opening and the man who could best be described as Eddie's butler standing there.

Sighing, he said, "Eddie's expecting me."

"Yes," the man replied, "And your friend?"

"Just tagging along. Don't worry about it," Angel said as he walked back to the door.

The man reluctantly allowed them in and led them to a large room down a hall where a man who almost looked human, except for the fact that he appeared hairless and had a slight green tinge to his skin was waiting.

"Ah, Angel, how good it is to see you," Eddie said jovially.

Angel nodded, "Eddie, this is Wesley."

The watched politely shook Eddie's hand, all the while wondering exactly what he was.

"Hey, I'm Eddie, The Favor Man," Eddie said proudly.

"The Favor Man?" Wesley inquired.

"Yeah, you need a favor, you come to me. I specialize in trading them."

"Oh," Wesley replied, his eyebrows raised as he grew more curious.

Eddie nodded, "Take your friend Angel, here. He comes to me, says he needs a car. I get him to tell me exactly what kind he wants… you know, sports car, family car, whatever, and then I see who else needs a favor that might be able to help Angel get his car. Well, there's a certain fellow who owns a car dealership, and *he* needs someone to chase down this jerk who owes him quite a bit of money. Since I *am* the favor man, I get Angel to do the favor for Hamil, and then Hamil does the favor for Angel. Hamil's got his money, Angel… you've got your car."

Angel had been trying to think up a convincing lie until he noticed Eddie holding up a set of keys. Wordlessly, he took the keys and nodded, "Thank you."

"No, thank you," Eddie grinned, "You're very… persuasive. Hamil was quite happy with the results. Now, shall we go see your new car?"

Angel and Wesley followed as Eddie led them down a few halls and out a door to the back of the house where there was a private driveway. Parked in the driveway was a brand-new blue Honda Civic.

"As you can see, it has four doors like you wanted. It's an automatic, CD player, alarm… and Hamil assures me it's good for someone with a child. Are you pleased?"

Angel nodded and walked closer to the car, deciding it would definitely work, "It's perfect… thank you."

Seeing how satisfied Angel was, Eddie decided to take a shot at getting Angel to work with him again. After all, Hamil was one of his wealthier customers and his commission had been quite ample. If he could get him to work for him more often, it would definitely be good for business.

"I want you to know that if you ever need a favor again, I am more than eager to help you out. Anything you need, I am sure I can get you."

"Uh, that's okay, I don't really need anything anymore."

"No? You know, I don't just have to give you objects as a favor… I can do you the favor of getting you money. You're very good at what you do, Angel, and I have a lot of customers who wouldn't mind… donating funds."

Angel thought it over for a moment. As much as he hated being a goon, it was a very profitable job. This car alone had to be worth a whole lot more than what he'd make working on a case. And even though his 'day job' was a more dignified, he'd been letting Cordelia get him jobs that focused more on getting paid so that he could make more money for the baby, and he hated it. At least this way he could make a lot more money a lot faster. Hell, after one job he would have enough to pay all her medical bills for the pregnancy.

"I'll let you know if I do," he finally told Eddie.

"Excellent," Eddie grinned, then withdrew a paper from the inner pocket of his silk suit jacket, "Now, there is just the matter of the proper paperwork. Angel, I realize I don't know your last name."

"Actually… can you put the owner's name down as Buffy Summers?"

Wesley gave Angel a look of shock. He'd been quietly observing the exchange up until then, and had a lot of questions already, but now he was dying to ask Angel what on Earth was going on. He used his self control, though, and waited while Eddie filled out the papers and gave them to Angel, then left the two of them alone.

"Angel… what is going on? Why do you need this car? Are you giving it to Buffy?"

"The short story is Buffy's pregnant, the baby is mine, but I'm not going to be involved in it's life. She needs a car, though, so I came to Eddie because I knew he could get me a good one a lot faster than if I saved up for it working through the agency. Oh, and *please* keep this between us. I don't want anyone to know… especially not Cordelia."

Wesley stared at him, openmouthed, before replying, "I really think I need the long version of the story."

Angel nodded, "Tell you what… I need to drive this to Sunnydale. Take my car there too so that I can have a ride home and I'll use the two hours it'll take us to get back here to tell you everything… with the agreement that it stays between us."

Wesley nodded, knowing he really didn't have any choice. After hearing what he had… there was no way he could go on not knowing all.

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