DISCLAIMER: Believe it or not, I only own the child Liz. (insert pause for the shocked gasp and quiet whispering among crowd... okay among the one person reading this... do multiple personalities count?) Cause unless *the* Liz is a daughter of Buffy and Angel...
TIMELINE: Futire-ish
SPOLIERS: I don't think so.
SYNOPSIS: A summer day for Buffy, Angel, and their daughter.
DISTRIBUTION: Those who have, take again. Those who actually want, take, then link me please.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey Liz! Happy Birthday girl! I know I am no Doc, but hey, I tried with this one! I hope your day is filled with many happy thoughts!
FEEDBACK: Pretty please?
RATING: PG - PG13

"Look mommy look!"

Buffy laughed slightly hearing a faint child screaming from outside her window. Both windows were open and all the scents filled the room, creating a mixture that was purely summer. Buffy filled her lungs with this air, breaking apart the smell of fresh cut grass, clean air, morning dew, and a light floral array.

There was not a cloud in the sky, and the sun shone brightly into the upstairs bedroom. Buffy could hear a lawn mower pushing its way to clip long strands of grass while she dropped the laundry basket on the small table that lay at the foot of the bed.

The sunlight filled the room with life, animating the pictures on the walls and various surfaces. Every picture contained one or more people laughing, a twinkle of light always shining in his or her eye. Buffy walked over to one and picked it up.

A group of people laughing on the steps of the moonlit Summers home. Xander, Cordelia, Willow, Oz, Buffy, and Angel all scrunched together on the first step to enter the home. Buffy sighed, thinking back to that time of innocence. Back when the biggest problem was a test or boyfriend problems or an apocalypse. Though she really didn't have anything to complain about now, now did she?

Buffy smiled then sighed as she placed it back in its rightful position next to a picture of Angel on the beach. He was much paler in that picture; it was taken right after he became human. He was shirtless (even as human he kept the same sculpted body) and smiling, his eyes held a hint of suggestiveness that only Buffy could fully appreciate. His weight was braced on his arms as he looked into the camera.

Buffy finished making the bed, hoping to squeeze in a few more chores before Elizabeth woke up. Just thinking about the thought of her little girl Buffy smiled, remembering Angel's face when she told him about the pregnancy. His eyes lit up and he picked her up twirling her around then he stopped, thinking he might be hurting the baby lay within her.

"Mommy!" Elizabeth screamed.

Buffy sighed; it was only 9:15. When I was her age I was sleeping way part eleven o'clock, she thought.

"I'm in my bedroom honey," Buffy called out.

Buffy heard the little feet pattering into her room and watched as Liz crawled onto the freshly made bed. Oh well, Buffy thought. The little girl's pajamas were simple, an old shirt from the Angel Investigations days. It was too large for the girl, but she did not seem to care. The letters A.I. were printed on the left front breast, and a picture of the angel that had once been described as an owl or lobster was drawn on the back of the shirt.

Liz lay on her side her tiny fingers clutching a stuffed stake uniquely named Mr. Pointy, a present from Spike when Liz was born. It was basically a cloth stake stuffed with poly filling.

Liz had been given a set when she was first born. A stuffed stake, vial of holy water, cross, and garlic. It had been a joke, but after Liz had the chance to realize that Spike, one of her favorite uncles, had given it to her, she never parted with it. In fact it turned out that instead of having tea parties with her dolls she would rather keep the company of objects to ward off vampires.

"Mr. Pointy says hi," a very awake Liz told Buffy.

"Well tell him I say hi, will you?"

"Uh huh."

"So what are your plans today?" Buffy asked her daughter.

"Daddy said he and Uncle Gunn were going to take me shopping for a slip and slide and a new sprinkler."

"Did he?"

She nodded her head, "Yep."

"Well did daddy say what time he was going to take you?"

"Nope, daddy what time are we leaving?" Liz said to Angel who was behind Buffy. He had crept up behind her, and had put a finger to his mouth, hoping to quiet Liz down, but it did not seem to work.

Buffy caught on to the glance the child threw in Angel's direction. She turned around, allowing a squeak to come from her lips and Angel pulled her to him. He kissed her neck and she smiled kissing him on the forehead, or at least as high as she could get, being petit was really a drag sometimes.

"Daddy!" Liz shouted out after a few minutes of kiss-age.

"Yeah, baby?"

"What time are we leaving?"

"Uhh, soon maybe, well..." Angel said, trailing off after Buffy started scratching his back, that feel really good.

"Daddy!" Liz brought him back to her again.

"Oh, later?"

"Daddy," Liz sighed.

"Okay, uhh eleven o'clock?" Angel suggested.

Liz looked at the clock. It read ten thirty. She ran out of the room, ready to get dressed. Buffy noticed Mr. Pointy still on the bed. She and Angel locked eyes and counted on their fingers. Five... four... three... two... one.

Liz ran back into the room, two different colored socks on, "I forgot Mr. Pointy!"

The little girl reached for the stake and shoot right out of the room again. Both parents could hear the little girl opening and closing doors, looking for an outfit. Just as Angel was about to leave the room Buffy sneaked an arm around his waist and brought him back into the room.

"I don't think so, mister."

Angel's eyebrows went up, "What did I do?"

"I need someone to help fold some clothes, and guess who that someone is?"

Angel looked around the room and after a moment spoke to the only other person in the house, "Liz, mommy needs some help folding clothes!"

Buffy playfully glared at him.

*~*

"Come on daddy," Liz hurried her father.

She threw a dark brown curl behind her ear, and grabbed his hand once again. After several attempts at many different outfits, Liz eventually gave up and Buffy came in and helped the girl get dressed.

Liz wore a yellow tank top with khaki shorts. Her yellow jellies were already on her small feet. Her hair was all around her, probably knotted already, even though Buffy had just combed through it. Liz had her power puff girls purse on her shoulder and you could hear a few coins rattling around in it.

Angel finished reading a page from his book and put it back on the shelf. He reached down and picked her up, placing her on his hip. After picking up his wallet that as usual was next to the phone in the kitchen, he placed her down.

"Alright, let's go goose."

Liz smiled and walked with her dad to the car, "Daddy, can I sit up front with you?"

"No, Liz remember when you get older."

"Pleaseeee?"

"No, Liz, do you remember what you mom and I told you? What the air bags could do?"

Liz nodded her head, obviously having heard this before, "But then you will just drive extra slow and careful."

"I always do, but what if someone else doesn't drive slowly and carefully?"

Liz shrugged, speechless.

"See, now don't forget that Uncle Gunn is coming with us, and he will be sitting up front."

Angel's daughter just pouted, "But--"

"No buts, get back there goose."

Liz climbed into the back seat, and buckled her seatbelt.

As soon as the car was turned on music blared out. Angel winced; people actually call that music, he thought. You must be nuts. How are any of those singers respected? All they do is sing songs that others wrote for them, and dance on stage. They could at least play instruments while they perform. He quickly switched the radio.

Beatles, at least they were respectful, now why can't Buffy be interested in them? Because they are old, she once told him. Some things they would never agree on. But that is why I love her, he thought.

"Daddy could you change the station?"

"To what?" he asked.

"94.7"

It was a station that Angel had never heard of. When he reached a stop sign he fiddled with the knob until 94.7 came on. He shook his head, this is 80's music, he thought.

"Sweetie, are you sure this is the station you want?"

"Uh huh, whenever I stay at Auntie Willow and Uncle Oz's house they are always listening to this."

"Okay," he shrugged.

They reached the Gunn residence and Angel honked the horn. Gunn came out after waving a goodbye to his son, Eddie. He opened the door and sat down.

"Hey monkey," he greeted Liz.

"Hiya."

"Bangles, good choice."

Angel stared at him, "What?"

"Music choice, dude."

"Oh, okay. Liz picked it."

Gunn turned and gave thumbs up to Liz. Liz smiled back.

*~*

"Okay, so your slip and slide has been bought, are you hungry?" Angel asked his daughter as they exited he store.

"Uh huh."

"Okay, what restaurant do you want to go to?"

"I don't know... Oh daddy, last week when I went over to Eve's house they had their slip and slide out and we played there and they had a..." Liz continued on, just remembering a story that she had meant to tell him earlier.

*~*

"Hello, how are you all today?"

"Fine," Liz said for the three people sitting in the booth at the restaurant.

"Good," the waitress smiled, "My name is Lorelai, can I get you all some drinks?"

Gunn smiled, he loved it when people asked this question, "Well this little girl is in desperate need of water."

The waitress smiled, not exactly getting what he was going for, and then looked over at Liz. The little girl was making fish lips, and giggling half way through. She used her small arms to act like fins and was moving them back and forth. Lorelai laughed and then took the real order.

After she left Liz started giggling even more.

"Gunn, why did you do that?"

"Because, man, it's funny."

*~*

"We're home!" Angel shouted when both people were back home.

Buffy was on the couch watching TV and reading a book. She got up and kissed Angel on the check, "How was shopping?"

"Just fine, how was reading?"

"Just fine, so, I see we have a girl who wants to get wet with her new toy."

"It's not a toy mom," Liz said sighing.

Buffy looked surprised, "Then what is it?"

"It's a slip and slide!"

Buffy cracked a smile, but then went back to her 'serious' face, "Okay then, do you want to set it up?"

"Yeah!"

"Okay, let mommy have something to drink and then I will."

"No, now!"

Buffy winked at her daughter and head to the back of the house where the kitchen was. She filled a glass of water and took a gulp.

"Liz, why don't you go and change into your swimsuit?" Angel suggested.

"Okay daddy!" she shouted as she ran up the stairs.

Buffy finished her water and smiled up at Angel.

"So how was shopping?"

"Like I said, just fine. We ate lunch afterward, Gunn and Liz did their fish act."

Buffy chuckled at that, "I bet they did."

"Well, it looks like after we get this thing set up Liz will be occupied for a while," he smiled.

"I am sure," Buffy said sarcastically.

"What? Why wouldn't she be?"

"Cause she is a little girl with a small attention span."

Angel brought her to him and kissed her lightly on the lips, "I love you."

"I love you too," she smiled, loving her life. Finally she and

Angel were able to do all the things they couldn't do before. Before when life was revolving around the night, when there were too many obstacles into between them.

*~*

"And we are all set up!" Angel announced a short while after set up was completed.

"Yeah!" Liz jumped up and down. "Turn on the hose!"

Buffy walked next to the knob and turned it. Water spurted out near the beginning. Liz jumped again and back up, ready to run through it. Just as she was about to hit the yellow slide Angel picked her up.

"One second goose, it needs to get wet all the way down, see, there, the water is now all the way down. Go ahead."

Liz ran back again and once the beginning of the yellow strip was at her feet she slid on her stomach. She laughed and slid all the way down. Buffy smiled, she and Angel were on their deck, watching the girl as she slid over and over.

"Daddy, mommy, come on!"

"Sweetie, mommy and daddy don't have their swim suits on!" Buffy told Liz.

"So go get them on!"

"That's okay sweetie, we will watch you," Angel declined.

"Are you kidding? I am going to change right now!" Buffy smiled a grin lighting up her face.

Angel grinned, "Well then how could I resist? My beautiful wife in a swimsuit?"

Buffy lowered her voice, "I do believe you have seen me in less..."

"Yes, but that is not an option right now, is it?"

"Nope," Buffy grinned.

Angel leaned over and kissed Buffy, a sweet kiss, reminding her of all the beautiful things that had come their way in just a few short years. When the kiss ended Buffy sighed and sat on his lap. She leaned back against him, closed her eyes, and breathed in the fresh air. She could hear Angel's human heart beating, the sound of Elizabeth's laughter and birds chirping. And for not the first time, all was well with the world.

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