*****

Buffy looked at the warehouse as they approached by foot. With each step closer, the more her stomach felt like it was going to rebel on her. She hadn't been this nervous since she'd faced the 60 foot snake that the mayor had turned into on Graduation day. The group of five following her and Angel were all quiet, each one most likely going over the plan of action they'd decided on earlier.

They'd found out that Phoebe and Erinne were being held in a cage suspended by chains from the steel beams overhead, protected by 20 odd vampires and a few demons milling around the warehouse floor. Deciding that surprise was the best option, they'd gone from there. Angel and Buffy were to be the first wave, the first ones in, the last ones out. They'd be doing the main bulk of the fighting. Piper and Pru were both armed with crosses and stakes, just in case, but Buffy had told them specifically to do no more but to protect their sister and her daughter. Piper had offered to freeze them all, but Buffy had informed her that it might proove too long a rescue and that an final solution had to be made. Cordelia, Doyle, and Kate were the back-up; Doyle in demon form, Cordelia armed with a crossbow, and Kate with stakes and her gun.

With a start, Buffy realized that they had stopped outside the entrance they'd enter through. It was the least gaurded, and the one vampire gaurding the door was dust before he could alert his friends.

"Ready?" asked Angel, looking back at the rest of them.

"Everyone be careful," cautioned Buffy, stepping to the door beside Angel. She turned to look at her two friends. "Protect Erinne, no matter what. If something happens to me, you know who she goes to. Allright. Let's do this."

As one, Buffy and Angel kicked the door open, Angel going in first, stake in hand, Buffy fast on his heels. Knocking away any opponents in their path, they halted as they reached the open area of the warehouse floor, where the vampires and demons had suddenly turned and paused. Buffy fell into a fighting stance, taking a moment to check on her daughter.

"MOMMA!" Erinne's cry was almost one of relief.

"Momma's here, baby," she replied as out of the corner of her eye she saw Pru and Piper edging their way unseen to the floor beneath the cage. "Release them now."

"Where's my dagger?" asked a ugly looking vampire, as he stepped from the group. Buffy was taken back for a moment. Waves of power radiated off of him; not as much as the two masters she'd killed, or even Angelus, but it was enought to make her wary. Angel sensed it too; she was aware as his form stiffened, and she heard the low growl emitted from his chest.

"Oops, I knew we'd forget something," quipped Buffy. "Guess you're going to have to settle with us."

That seemed to be the signal for all hell to break loose. A groupf of vampires rushed them, and Angel and Buffy fought, back to back, falling into the same rythymn lost for almost seven years. The two fought, switching opponents, knowing exactly where the other was at any given point in time. They barely saw the blue headed demon that was taking down other demons with ease, nor was any attention paid to the bolts that Cordelia was aiming into the fray with deadly aim, or the detective, sometime demon hunter, taking out fleeing vamps. They were concious only of each other, and their main objections; to take down the master vampire, and to keep them all away from the cage.

Almost half an hour later, the air was thick with the wafting dust of disintergrated vampires, the floor scattered with the bodies of demons, their blood making a swirling mass of wild colors on the cold concrete. Buffy and Angel stood, facing the only remaining vampire, the master, who was looking at them with something akin to respect.

"Looks like you lost," said Buffy, her breathing heavy.

"What kind of odds are these Slayer? Can't you face me by yourself? Lost your touch in retirement?"

"I think the piles of dust are testiment that I haven't. All right. You want to fight me, fine. Let's do this."

"Buffy," warned Angel, his hand grasping her forearm.

She shook it off, looking at him. "I have to do this Angel. He stole my baby. I'm *so* going to wipe the floor with him."

She went the few feet to stand before him. Her frame was loose, but alert for any movement. The grin on his face was feral as he suddenly lunged, giving her only a half-second warning as his weight shifted. She dodged his movement, her fist jamming itself into his stomach, and spinning to face him just as he recovered and came at her again, this time getting a shot in. His arm came out again, and she took firm hold on his wrist, twisting it to breaking point before she was suddenly laying on her back, the wind knocked out of her. Thinking she was down for the count, he went for her then, jumping back in surprise as a her legs spun her up and onto her knees, swiping his feet out from under him in the process.

Buffy reached for her stake, moments away from plunging it into his unbeating heart, just as he rolled away, coming quickly to his feet. She rose, wary, waiting for his next move. He didn't let her down. Proving to be somewhat unoriginal, he lunged for her again, seemingly in desperation, as if he knew his second death was moments in coming. She was ready for him then, and stepped into a side kick, her leg connecting with his chin as it went up to form an almost perfect 180 degree angle. The vampire was thrown backwards, but before he could stand fully, the retired Slayer was upon him, this time with a roundhouse kick, finishing it with a stake as he fell to the floor again, this time not moving.

Buffy stood over the pile of dust that had once been the vampire that had taken her child. Her breathing was labored, heavy with emotion. Tears of relief clouded her vision, and Angel was suddenly beside her, placing a gentle hand upon her shoulder. With a sob she turned, gratefully accepting his embrace. His hands smoothed her long hair, which had come loose during the battle. "You did it Buffy. Everything is all right."

She rested against his broad chest, taking long deep breathes to steady herself, unaware that the others were lowering the cage and releasing its prisoners, until a tiny voice cried out, followed by running footsteps. "Mommy!!!"

Buffy swung from his embrace, laughing as she kneeled, as the bundle of energy rushed her, nearly knocking her off balance as her arms flung around her neck. Buffy's arms went immediately around her, hugging her tightly as if to asure herself that it was really her. "Oh, Baby, thank God!" She pulled back slightly, studying her daughter, assuring herself that she was all right. Her gaze fell on her dark brown hair, which was currently styled in a multiple number of braids. Her hands ran over them, as she looked at Phoebe, who had come over to them, along with the rest. "What did you do to my child's hair?"

"It kept her mind off things," replied the witch with a smile and a shrug. "I'm sorry..."

"Phoebes, it wasn't your fault. Thank you for taking good care of her." Buffy smiled at the witch, before her gaze drifted to Angel slightly before going back to Erinne, who was smiling at her, her dark brown eyes that were so much like her father's lit up with happiness. "Angel, I need you to meet someone," she said, positioning the 5 year old on her hip, easily carrying the weight as she straightened. "Angel, this is Erinne. Our daughter."

*****

Angel's heart probably would have stopped, if it had been beating, as Buffy's words sunk in. "Our daughter". Somehow he knew, even without questioning, that she was. Amazed, a shaking hand reached out to touch her soft cheek, not caring that those who had helped in the rescue were quickly and quietly leaving the two alone. His daughter. "How?"

Buffy shrugged, an awkward movement with the child still in her arms. "I think from the day you were human."

"But time was folded back, it couldn't..."

"It did Angel. I don't know how, or why. But Erinne is yours. I've known since the day I found out I was pregnant. That was also when I remembered our day together." Her voice faltered then. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, really. There hasn't been a day that goes by that I don't regret taking her away from you. But I knew that if I told you, that you would do the honorable thing and come back.

"I couldn't do that to you. You were so set on trying to find your redemtion. And so set on trying to make my decisions for me. A part of me wanted to hurt you, to punish you, for leaving me, and taking away our chance together." She shifted Erinne then, even with her superior strength, the weight of the child was heavy after such a long battle.

"Let me take her," he said softly, his hands out stretched.

"Um, all right." She handed Erinne over, who had begun to fall asleep on her shoulder, worn out from the excitement. A pang went through her heart then, as he held her, the two dark heads close to one another.

Erinned stirred slightly, and looked up at Angel, a slightly confused look crossing her features. "Are you my daddy? Momma says that my daddy fights the bad guys and that he couldn't be with us. Can you be with us now?"

A large hand came up, cradling Erinne's head. "Yea sweetheart, I'm your Da. And I'm not going anywhere." His voice was soft, serious, and though he was speaking to the sleepy child on his shoulder, his gaze was intense as it locked with Buffy's.

"What? I had to tell her something, and its never to young to learn....Are you really staying?"

"We really need to talk, but I've missed enough of her life. We'll figure something out. I love you."

Buffy thought her heart was going to burst with happiness. She felt a wide smile grace her lips, as she took his outstretched hand, and snuggled into his chest, one hand wrapped around his narrow waist, the other resting lightly on her daughter's back.

Somehow, she knew everything was going to be all right.

******

Epilogue...
A few months later:

"Here you go ma'am," said the guy behind the counter, handing over the double scoop ice cream cone.

Buffy smiled at him, taking the cone and taking a taste as she turned to gaze out the large window, into the large crowd that was lining Main Street, their heads tilted up to look into the sky, where brightly colored fireworks were blasting in the air. Moving through the people waiting in line in the ice cream shop, she made her way outside, looking over the crowd, smiling when she spotted who she was looking for. Erinne was seated on Angel's shoulders, both of their heads tilted up, smiles gracing both of their faces.

A smile appeared on her own face then, as it often did lately when she was watching him and their daughter together. It had been five months since Erinne had been kidnapped and she had told Angel the truth. Absently licking the dripping cone, her smile got wider if it was at all possible. The past 5 months had been incredible. There had been some tough times, sure, for instance, going back to Sunnydale and reuniting with her friends. She sombered somewhat at that memory.

It had been tough trying to explain her reasoning. They had all been hurt, but they had been happy that she wasn't dead, like they had thought she'd been. Things had been rough at first, but they were slowly getting back on track. Even though they'd wanted her to, she'd refused to move back to Sunnydale. She had moved from San Francisco though, moving to a small town between Los Angeles and Sunnydale, sharing the house that her and Angel had boughten when they'd been married.

Yes married. She could barely believe that everything that she had ever dreamt and wished for them had come true. They had planned on being married anyway, after talking long and hard about Erinne. They'd been prepared to just be together, wanting to be together, not caring, well, not all that much, that they could never be *truly* together, when the Halliwell sisters had given them somewhat of an early wedding present. They'd given him his humanity, while allowing him to keep his strength and healing abilities.

So they'd been married, in every way, making a home in the large house they'd bought, with a swing set in the back yard, and a swing on the porch that she and Angel would sit on during the day when he was home, or to watch the sunset together. He was still running his detective agency, and she had given up her appraising, especially after her last appraising disaster, and was working part time at the high school as a self-defense instructor.

She approached him then, still nursing the ice cream cone, stepping into his embrace as he smile at her approach, reaching out an arm, wrapping it around her shoulders. "Did I miss anything good?"

"Just some of the fireworks and tinkerbell, right Erinne?" he replied, twisting his head to look up at his daughter.

Erinne smiled down at her father and mother. "It was sooo cool...she flew down from Cinderella's castle and everything, Momma! Didn't she, Da?"

"I'm sorry I missed that, Baby. I hope you're having a good birthday." Her remark went unheard however, as another series of fireworks was set off, and Erinne's attention was drawn back to the sky.

"So what flavor did you get?" asked Angel.

Buffy held up her ice cream cone, offering him a tasted. "Pistachio and Cherries Jubilee. Want some?"

A disgusted look crossed his face briefly. "Um, no thanks. I think I'll pass."

Buffy laughed. "I know it sounds nasty, but I can't very well control my cravings. Things have been tame compared to when I was pregnant with Erinne."

"Maybe I should be somewhat glad that I missed that then," he replied, his hand wrapping more fully around her ever growing waist, to touch her slightly bulging stomach.

"I'm sorry about that, but I'm glad you're here with me now."

"So am I, my love, so am I."

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