31

Buffy made it home from L.A. by four o'clock. She had decided to make the most of her trip by actually doing some maternity shopping. That way, if Angel asked, she would have proof she'd gone there to shop. Not that she expected him to suspect anything different.

She was cooking dinner when he returned home from work shortly before five. Angel walked into the house wearing a smile on his face. "Hey, sweetie. How was your day?"

"Uneventful, just like always. How was yours?" Buffy asked.

"Pretty good. I love the first day of school. I get the biggest kick out of watching lost freshman try to make their way around the school," Angel laughed. "Reminds me of myself at that age."

"Yeah, you always were kind of a nerd when you were in high school," she teased. Off his offended look, she added, "But you were my nerd. How are your classes? Any of your students give you a hard time?"

He shook his head. "Not one. But it was only the first day, it usually takes a week or so for the memorable students to make their presence known."

"Like me. I was every teacher's worst nightmare back at Sunnydale High."

"Yeah, you definitely were a handful. One thing I have to say about your antics back then, you certainly prepared me for becoming a teacher," he told her. "Now I know what to do with the social deviants I teach."

Buffy playfully swatted him with the towel she held in her hand. "Real funny. You'd better watch it, Mr. Brennan. This social deviant can make your life miserable."

"Okay, okay. Did you have fun on your shopping trip?" he wanted to know.

"Yep. You know me, I love to shop. Although I'm not a huge fan of shopping by myself, so I didn't buy a lot of stuff. I mainly just walked around and did some window-shopping."

"You should have invited Willow or Anya to go with you so you'd have some company," Angel suggested.

'That would have gone over real well,' she thought. 'Not with what I did today.' "Should've, could've, didn't. Besides, you know how busy Willow is with work, and Tara and all that stuff. And Anya? No way. She may be Xander's wife, but she's a little too out-there for me. We didn't even get along that well in college, much less now."

He wrinkled his brow in confusion. "I don't get it. The two of you always seem to get along really well when she and Xander come to visit."

"We fake it really well. Something about her just rubs me the wrong way. Some people aren't meant to be bestest buds, I guess."

"You don't have to tell me. So, what did you get during your little shopping spree?"

"Just some blouses and a pair of pants. Everything is on the bed if you want to take a look," she said, stirring the now-boiling pot of spaghetti.

"Maybe I will. I have to go in there and change my clothes anyway. I hate being forced to dress like some guy who just walked out of the pages of GQ Magazine."

"But it looks so good on you," she complimented. "I'm sure you broke the hearts of every one of your female students."

Angel made his way into the bedroom they shared, Brandy trailing behind him in hopes of some one-on-one time with her owner. As soon as the door was opened, the dog made a beeline for the bed and hopped on top of Buffy's denim jacket.

"You'd better get off there, Brandy," Angel admonished. "I don't think Buffy wants you shedding on her jacket."

But the dog didn't move. With a groan, he grabbed a hold of the jacket and yanked it out from under his pet. Brandy growled at him.

"When did you suddenly become Buffy's dog instead of mine?" he asked, petting Brandy's head. "I guess I know who your favorite is."

He placed the jacket on a nearby chair, bending down to pick up a piece of paper that had fallen out of the pocket. When he read where the paper originated, his curiosity was piqued. Wanting answers, Angel walked back toward the kitchen to his fiancee.

Buffy looked at him with questions written all over her face when he came back into the room, dressed in the same clothes he'd left in. "I thought you were changing your clothes."

"What did you do while you were in Los Angeles today, Buffy?" he demanded.

"Huh? I already told you, Angel, I went shopping," she answered. "Didn't you see the clothes on the bed?"

"Oh, I saw them all right. But I also saw this." He held up a visitor's pass for the set of Days of Our Lives, her name written in black marker on it. "I thought you were going shopping."

She swallowed hard. 'So much for Angel not finding out.' "Where did you find that? Were you going through my things?" she accused. "Because Griffin did that, and that's part of the reason why I left him."

"I wasn't going through your things. It fell out of your jacket pocket. What were you doing on the set of Days of Our Lives today?" He shook his head, coming to a realization. "Never mind, don't answer that. I think I already know the answer. Cordelia works there; you went to see her."

"I had to. I needed to know what went on with you two," she started to explain.

"Why? I told you what happened that night. Why didn't you believe me?" Angel questioned.

"I did believe you. I mean, I *do* believe you."

"Then why did you have to drive two hours to L.A. to talk to Cordelia Chase? You don't see me hunting down that Parker guy to find out what happened between you two the one time you slept together," he stated. "I slept with Cordelia Chase one time six years ago. It's so in the past, it's ancient. And I've never regretted it more than I do at this moment."

Buffy sighed; she knew she'd hurt him by visiting his former lover. "It's not easy to explain why I did it. On second thought, it's not hard. I went to hear her side of it. Angel, I felt like you were hiding something from me, holding something back or trying to protect me or something."

"I didn't hold anything back," he informed her.

"I know you didn't. Cordelia told me the exact same thing you did. I guess a part of me was afraid," she admitted.

"Afraid of what? That something more happened?"

She nodded her head. "Yes. I was afraid that maybe that night Cordelia might have…might have gotten pregnant."

"That's absurd!"

"No it's not. It can happen; hell, it happens all the time. Angel, it happened to us. I'm pregnant."

"I know it happened to us, but it doesn't happen to everyone. There are no babies with my DNA running around in the world. I'd stake my life on it."

"I had to find out for sure. I wish you'd understand it."

"I do. But I can't help wishing you had told me what you were going to do. We can't keep secrets from each other. It's not healthy."

"Got it."

Angel smiled at her, relieved that they'd made it past this roadblock. "Do you feel better now that you know?"

"Yeah, I do. Cordelia even told me it wasn't her you were making love to that night. She said you were saying my name, not hers. That makes me feel much better."

"No way. That can't be true."

"What does she have to gain by lying?"

He turned a bright shade of red. "Oh my god. How embarrassing."

With a smirk, Buffy made her way to his side. "I don't think it's embarrassing. I think it's sort of sweet. And very sexy. And quite a turn-on."

***

32

Before classes began two Mondays later, Drusilla Martin poked her head inside Angel's classroom. She found her former boyfriend standing in front of the chalkboard, writing problems on it. With a hesitant sigh, she knocked on the door.

Angel looked over, seeing Drusilla in the doorway. Despite their breakup, the two remained friendly. "Morning, Dru."

"Hi, Angel. How are you doing?" she asked in her faint British accent. She'd lived in England until she turned ten years old, and hadn't fully lost her accent.

"I'm doing great. How about you?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Not bad. Although I can understand why you're great. I read about your engagement in the paper this weekend."

"Oh, really." Angel was afraid Drusilla had come to demand an explanation. After all, they had broken up over his refusal to get married.

"That's why I stopped by; to congratulate you. Your fiancee must be very special if she changed your mind about marriage."

Drusilla harbored no ill will towards Angel. She long-ago accepted that he didn't want to marry her. He'd told her how he'd proposed to his high school sweetheart and she'd turned him down. Given the circumstances, she understood his hesitation to go down that road again.

"She *is* special. And I love her a great deal."

Nodding her head, she smiled. "I'm glad to see you happy. I always sensed you were still in love with Buffy while we were together. It's about damn time you two figured it all out."

"How did you know…?" he questioned, his face contorting with confusion.

"About Buffy being your high school sweetheart? I read the article, Angel. It said that you two have known each other since high school, and I put two and two together. Believe me, I'm not upset," she said, seeing the look of dread on his face. "I am thrilled for you. We were never meant to be together, I know that. And I knew if I lost you to anyone, it would be her. On that note, I wish you two all the happiness in the world."

"Thank you. It means a lot coming from you."

"Have you set a date yet?"

Angel shook his head. "Nothing written in stone. It'll probably be soon, though. We're waiting for her annulment to be finalized. Once that's done, it will be full steam ahead."

"Not going with a big wedding, are you?" Drusilla deduced.

"Nope. Buffy and I decided on a small, intimate gathering of family and close friends. She already had a big wedding, and I don't really have any desire for one. We contacted St. Joseph's chapel and they have the next three Saturdays available for the ceremony."

"Will they be holding those three Saturdays for you?"

He laughed. "I wish. We have to let them know by tomorrow which Saturday we'll need. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for this Saturday. Buffy is supposed to be signing the final annulment papers this afternoon."

Drusilla frowned, knitting her eyebrows together. "Isn't that awful short notice? Doesn't leave a whole lot of time for preparation."

"We have everything already. Buffy has her dress, I've got my tuxedo. The reception is at the mansion and my mom is making the cake. Willow is the Maid of Honor, Tara is her only bridesmaid. Xander is my Best Man, and Spike is my groomsman. Emily and Steven will be Flower Girl and Ring Bearer."

"Sounds like you two *are* ready," she noted.

Angel nodded. "Trust me, we are. So try to keep this Saturday open if possible."

"You're inviting me?" she asked incredulously.

"Buffy's dying to meet you. Of course you're invited."

"In that case, I'll be there. Just let me know when."

Several students walked into the classroom. One of them, Anthony Nelson, smirked at his Math teacher and gave him the thumbs-up sign. "I saw your picture in the paper on Saturday. Way to go, Mr. B. You nailed yourself a hottie."

Exchanging amused glances, Angel and Drusilla laughed.

***

Buffy paced back and forth in Spike's office while she and Angel waited for her lawyer to enter. They'd been waiting for five minutes, every additional second making her more antsy for his arrival.

"Buffy, would you please sit down?" Angel requested. "If you keep pacing the way you have been, you'll wear a hole through the carpet."

"I can't help it. I'm nervous," she admitted quietly.

He shook his head at her. "You have nothing to be nervous about. Spike said that this meeting is just a formality."

"Griffin will be there. What if he changes his mind?"

"He won't," Angel promised his jittery fiancee. "Griffin Montgomery has had numerous opportunities to change his mind, and he hasn't. We're in the clear. He's not going to stop this from happening."

Buffy bit her lip. "I suppose you're right." She pulled at the hem of her skirt. "I look like a cow in this."

"You do not."

"Yes, I do. Griffin is going to take one look at me and know I'm pregnant," she said.

"Stop worrying so much," he ordered. "You aren't showing that much, Buffy. You're only four months along. He will never know."

Before Buffy had a chance argue with him, Spike walked into the room. "Sorry I'm so late," he apologized. "How are you guys doing?"

"I'm nervous," Buffy told him.

"Don't be, Pet. This is the last leg of it. By the end of this meeting you'll be a free woman."

"Promise?"

Spike held up his hand. "Scout's honor."

Angel lifted his eyebrows. "You were a Boy Scout, Spike?"

"No, but I could have been if I'd had any interested in that outdoors-y stuff. Are you ready, Pet?" he wanted to know.

Gulping, she nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be. Let's go."

Angel stood up, walking them to the door. "I'll wait here until it's over. Good luck." He leaned over, giving Buffy a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks."

Closing the door behind them, Spike led his client to the conference room. "I don't think I've told you how smashing you look today."

"Really? I don't look enormously pregnant?" Buffy asked him.

"Not at all. You'd never be able to tell."

"Good. Spike, I don't want Griffin to know." She knew Angel had told his friend the whole story behind her pregnancy.

He nodded. "I know. Angel already filled me in. Okay, let's do this."

Griffin and his attorney got up when Spike and Buffy entered the room. Buffy avoided making direct eye contact with her estranged husband; she hadn't seen him since the day they met in the park. But Griffin did the exact opposite; he looked her up and down. He noted her slight weight gain, and the diamond ring on her left hand. It wasn't his. Inside, he fumed.

"Good afternoon," Spike greeted Edmund Parsons, Griffin's attorney. "How was your flight?"

"Fine. I believe I speak for my client when I suggest we skip the small talk and get straight to business. Mr. Montgomery isn't contesting Ms. Summers' demands. This should be a quick meeting," Mr. Parsons stated.

"The quicker the better," Spike agreed. "Let's begin with the distribution of property."

***

After an hour of bargaining, Buffy and Griffin signed the final annulment papers. Neither of them looked at one another during the meeting, but couldn't keep themselves from watching the other sign the papers. While Spike and Mr. Parsons shook hands at the end of it, Griffin glared at his ex-wife.

"I see it didn't take you long to find someone new," he commented, pointing to her engagement ring. "Let me guess…a gift from Angel?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but yes."

"Tell me, Buffy, did you screw him while we were still together?" he demanded. "The night of the reunion, I'm guessing."

"Yes, I did."

Griffin shook his head. "I knew it. This is all his fault. If he hadn't been at that fucking reunion we'd still be together."

"No, Griffin. Don't go blaming this on Angel. If you hadn't hit me, we *might* still be together. You treated me like an object, and I don't think I could have stayed with you for much longer, even if I hadn't met Angel again. You have no one to blame but yourself."

***

33

The wedding was set for Saturday at one o'clock in the afternoon. As soon as Buffy and Angel left Spike's office they called St. Joseph's and reserved the chapel for the ceremony. They spent the rest of the night calling family and friends, informing them of the date and time. On Monday night, their wedding day seemed like a lifetime away. And before they knew it, it was the day before the wedding.

Friday evening they had the rehearsal dinner at the Brennan's home. It was an intimate gathering for family and members of the wedding party. Alexis and her family flew in from Oregon on Friday morning for the nuptials, Willow and Tara took off of work and Spike postponed an important trial date Friday afternoon to make his final tuxedo fitting.

After the rehearsal dinner, Angel returned to the mansion alone. Mrs. Brennan insisted that it would be bad luck for Buffy to spend the night with him the night before the wedding. The bride-to-be agreed to sleep over his parents' house, sharing a room with Emily.

"Can I ask you a question?" Emily asked Buffy shortly after Angel left. The remaining family members - Mr. and Mrs. Brennan, Steven, Emily, Buffy, and Alexis and her husband - sat in front of the television.

"Sure, Emily. What do you want to know?"

"Well, you're gonna be marrying Uncle Angel tomorrow," she said. "That means you'll be my aunt. And Steven's, too. Do you want us to call you Aunt Buffy now?"

Buffy saw the expectant looks on Angel's niece and nephew's faces. "You know what? Only if you want to. Actually, I think it'll be pretty cool if you call me that. I've never been anybody's aunt before."

"Really? You haven't?" she asked, surprised by Buffy's answer.

"Nope. When I was married to the other guy before your uncle Angel, his sister was really young and didn't have any children. And I'm an only child, so you and Steven will be my only niece and nephew."

"Wow. We're special."

She smiled at the nine-year-old. "You bet you are. I think I'm going to like being your aunt. And just think, in a couple of months you'll have a new cousin to play with."

Alexis dropped the newspaper she'd been reading when she heard what Buffy had told her daughter. "What did you say, Buffy?"

"You mean they haven't told you the good news yet?" Mrs. Brennan asked her daughter. "Buffy is pregnant."

She raised her eyebrows at the news. "Really? I didn't know."

"Congratulations," Brad told the expectant mother.

"Thank you." It didn't come as a surprise to her that Alexis did not offer her congratulations.

Emily jumped up and down with excitement. "That is so cool! I get to be a cousin again. When is the baby gonna be here?"

"The doctor says by the end of March."

'The end of March?' Alexis asked herself. 'That means she got pregnant around the end of June. Hmm…'

"Are you gonna have a boy or a girl, Aunt Buffy?" Steven wanted to know.

Buffy shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, Steven. The doctor can't tell yet. I have to wait a little while longer."

"Do you plan on finding out?" Mr. Brennan asked.

"Angel and I haven't given much thought to it. I never really saw myself having children, at least not with my ex-husband; this is all sorta new to me."

Steven pointed to her belly. "Is the baby in there?"

Emily slapped her younger brother on the arm. "Of course it's in there, you dork. I told you where babies come from."

He looked at his soon-to-be aunt with a quizzical look on his face. "It doesn't look like there's a baby in there. How does it fit?"

"Well, Steven, the baby is still growing. I only got pregnant almost four months ago. Here, give me your hand." He gave Buffy his hand just as she had asked and she placed it on her slightly-protruding stomach. "That's where my baby is. In a few more months, I'll be really big and he or she will start to kick."

His face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Cool. Will I be able to play with your baby?"

"You bet. But we have to wait until the baby is big enough."

Alexis was getting sick of hearing about the baby; it was a subject she definitely need to have a talk with her brother about. "Okay, guys. I think it's time for bed."

"Aww…" the two complained in unison.

"Whining isn't going to work tonight. We all have a big day tomorrow and you have to get up really early in the morning. Now say good night to Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Buffy."

Pouting, the two did as their mother told them to.

"You know, Alexis has the right idea," Buffy stated. "I'm beat. Bed sounds like a good idea to me."

"It's only nine-thirty," Brad pointed out.

"Yeah, but I need my beauty sleep. And I'm exhausted. This has been a very stressful week. Night, everyone."

***

The wedding went off without a hitch. The weather was sunny and warm, and Buffy and Angel couldn't have asked for a more perfect ceremony. St. Joseph's chapel barely held the fifty people who were in attendance, including friends and family. The only disappointment for Buffy was the absence of her mother. Instead, she had asked Angel's father to walk her down the aisle.

"Well, little brother, you did it," Alexis said as everyone stood outside the chapel after the ceremony concluded.

"It's about time," he agreed. "I've only been looking forward to this day for fourteen years. And now it's finally here. I can't begin to tell you how overwhelming it is."

"I understand Buffy's pregnant."

Angel nodded his head. "You understand correctly. Her due date is at the end of March."

"Yeah, so I heard. You know, I was doing the math last night and determined that she must have gotten pregnant around the end of June. Wasn't she still married to her ex-husband at that time?" she asked pointedly. "Interesting, isn't it?"

"What are you getting at, Lexie?" he demanded through gritted teeth. He didn't like what she was implying.

"Oh, I think you know what I'm getting at. The kid isn't yours, is it?"

He gave her an icy glare. "This isn't the time or place for this. I just got married."

"I was there, remember?" she reminded him sweetly. "Which is a nice segue into my next question. Is that baby the reason you married Buffy? Is she trying to pawn her ex's kid off as yours?"

"Go to hell, Alexis."

"It's an honest question. Look, I don't want you to get hurt by her. All Buffy has ever done is hurt you."

Grabbing his sister's wrist, Angel yanked her away from the rest of the guests so that they couldn't hear them. "I want you to listen to me. This is my wedding day and I won't let you ruin it by making accusations about my wife. The child she is carrying is mine; I don't care if my blood is running through its veins or not. He or she will be raised as a Brennan and you will treat the child as such. If you have a problem with that, tough shit. Get over it."

***

34

The wedding reception was in full swing by the time Xander stood up to make his toast. When he clanked his fork on his champagne glass, everyone looked at him and sat back down in their assigned seats.

"As best man, I'm told that one of my duties is to give a speech," he began. "God only knows why the bride and groom are letting me do this, since I suck at giving speeches. But for Buffy and Angel I'll muddle through it.

"What can I say about these two crazy kids that everyone here doesn't already know? They've been in love since they were fourteen years old, which is half their lives. And they have waited until now to finally make it official. Buffy, Angel, I think I speak for everyone here when I say it's about freaking time.

"I've known Angel since I was five years old. We met on the first day of kindergarten and we've been the best of friends ever since. We've told each other everything, including some things we wished we'd kept to ourselves. But one conversation sticks out in my mind. It was the day after our freshman Homecoming Dance and Angel told me about this date with Buffy. It was their first official date, and I remember his excitement when he talked about their first kiss on her front porch after the dance ended. That was the day Angel told me he was in love. One look in his eyes and I knew he was gone.

"Now here we are, fourteen years and hundreds of broken hearts later. Despite ups and downs, heartbreaks and long separations, the two of them are husband and wife. Congratulations and best wishes."

***

Buffy and Spike were standing off to the side of the garden - which was serving as a makeshift dance floor - when Alexis approached them.

"Hi, Spike," she said to her brother's college buddy.

"Lexie," he drawled, looking her up and down with appreciation. "You get more gorgeous every time I see you. When are you going to dump your husband and run away with me?"

She laughed at the banter they'd shared over the last ten years. "You're beneath me, William."

He clutched his heart in mock pain. "You're breaking my heart."

"Sorry. I love my husband. Besides, you're way too young for me and too much a pain in the ass."

"Now I'm hurt."

"You'll get over it in a few minutes, I'm sure. Do you mind if I steal the bride for a little girl talk?" she asked sweetly. "Sister-in-law stuff."

Spike shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever floats your boat, Lexie. Buffy, congrats."

"Thanks, Spike." Buffy turned her attention to her new sister-in-law. "What's up, Alexis? I love your dress, by the way."

"Yeah yeah. I didn't come over here to make idle chit chat, Buffy. I came to warn you not to hurt my brother."

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "Again? I figured you would have come up with something more original than that. So, what did I do this time?"

"If I have to tell you, you're not as smart as I thought."

"I've had a stressful week. Humor me."

Alexis chuckled, but there was no humor in it. "Yeah, I can see how your week might have been quite stressful. Getting divorced from one guy and marrying another, and being pregnant on top of that. What a rough week for Buffy."

"What are you getting at?"

"Oh, I think you know what I'm getting at. Whose baby are you carrying? Or aren't you sure yet?"

"It's Angel's baby," Buffy stated, her heart pounding from the confrontation.

"Are you one hundred percent sure about that?" Alexis asked. "Because I was doing the math last night and something just doesn't add up. If you got pregnant at the end of June, then it could be your ex-husband's baby, isn't it? You and Angel didn't get back together until early July."

"I know when I got pregnant, thank you. The night of the ten year reunion, my ex-husband left me there because he was jealous; upset that he'd seen me with Angel. Your brother was kind enough to let me stay with him after Griffin abandoned me. I'm not gonna go into all the details, but we *did* sleep together that night. Angel is the father of my baby. I can feel it in my gut."

Her sister-in-law smirked. "Unfortunately, gut feelings aren't quite as scientific as a DNA test."

"Thank you for stating the obvious. If you think you're telling me something I don't already know, you're wrong. Angel and I have already been through this. We are going to raise this baby as if he or she is his. Down the road, if our child wants to know for a fact, we'll find out."

"Ignorance isn't always bliss, sweetie. It'll kill him if that kid isn't his," Alexis told her.

"I hate to say this, Alexis, but Angel had a choice. He could have told me to take a hike when I told him he might not be the father. But he didn't. He agreed to love this child like his own. And not just because of me. Because he loves the baby I'm carrying; because he wants to be a father to it. Believe it or not, I've given him every opportunity to leave and he hasn't."

Alexis shook her head. "What happened to that sweet little girl fourteen-year-old girl my brother used to be in love with? The one who was so concerned about not turning out like her mother. The one who wanted my little brother to be her one and only."

Buffy looked her dead in the eye. "She grew up."

***

"We are out of champagne," Angel said to his new bride. "I'm going to the store to get some more."

Buffy grabbed the keys from him. "You stay. I'll go get more booze. I have to get some candles for tonight."

"Buffy…"

"No arguing with me. It's my day and what I say goes. Go inside and start shooing away some of our guests so we can celebrate in private."

He kissed her gently on the lips. "Okay. But you'll have to take my car; it's blocking yours in."

"I don't mind. See you in a little while."

She walked into the garage and got into Angel's car. The liquor store closest to the mansion was three miles away. Hating to drive in silence, she turned on the radio and sang along to the song that was playing.

"Come one, come on, come on, come and take it. Take another little piece of my heart now, baby. Break another little piece of my heart now, baby. Break another little piece of my heart now, darling. Have another little piece of my heart now, baby."

Buffy was so engrossed in singing that she never saw the other car run the STOP sign until it was too late. She screamed when it barreled into the driver's side door.

***

35

Angel ran into the hospital like a bat out of hell, followed closely by his parents, sister and Spike. By the time he reached the Nurse's Station he was out of breath. He waited until he could breathe again before speaking.

"My-my wife was just admitted about twenty or so minutes ago," he said to the attending nurse. "She was in a car accident. Where is she? Is she okay?"

Spike put his hand on his friend's arm. "Calm down, man. Let the nurse answer your first question before tossing more her way."

"Spike is right, Angel," Alexis agreed. She saw how upset her brother was, and knew of his tendency to act rashly when upset or angry.

They'd all been celebrating when the phone call from the Sunnydale Police Department came in, advising Angel that his wife had been in an accident. Millions of thoughts ran through his mind during the ten minute ride to the hospital, none of which he liked. All of them showcased Buffy in a severe amount of pain, or worse. It was something Angel didn't even want to think about. He couldn't stand it if she had been fatally injured. He couldn't lose her, not so soon after getting her back.

"Are you talking about Buffy Summers?" the nurse asked.

"Yes. Buffy Summers-Brennan," Angel replied shortly. "The police called me and told me she'd been sent here after the accident. Where is she?"

The nurse looked over her charts. "I'll call Doctor Zimmerman for you."

"What's wrong with her that you can't tell me yourself?" he demanded.

"I think it might be better if the doctor talks to you rather than me," she told him. Instead of calling for the doctor over the intercom, the nurse went off in search of him.

Angel's lower lip trembled and he felt his knees buckle from under him. Spike and Mr. Brennan saw him falter and they helped him to the waiting area. Alexis sat next to him, gripping his hand while their mother poured him a cup of water from the nearby fountain.

"She's going to be okay," Alexis promised him. "That girl is tough. And there is no way she'd wait ten years to marry you and leave you like this."

"You hate her. You probably hope she doesn't make it," he muttered spitefully.

She shook her head. "No way. I may not like some of the choices she's made, but that does not mean I hate her. I can't hate someone you obviously love beyond reason. She makes you happy, even I see that. I'd never wish harm upon her."

Mrs. Brennan handed her son the water she'd fetched for him. "Here, honey. Drink this. It'll make you feel a little better."

With trembling hands, Angel took the cup from his mother and brought it to his lips. Unfortunately, the cold water did nothing to soothe him. "Thank you."

"Buffy is going to be fine, Angel," his father reassured. Even though Alexis had told him the same thing only minutes before, he knew his son needed to hear it again.

"The baby," he choked out. He hated the thought of even saying what he was about to say next. "What if the baby doesn't make it?"

They all looked down, unable to make eye contact with him. None of them wanted to think about the possibility of it being true. It would break Angel's heart.

Dr. Zimmerman walked into the waiting area, seeing the five people sitting near one another. Looking at the shell-shocked man in the tuxedo, he knew exactly who he needed to talk to. With a frown, he approached the group. "Summers?"

Angel immediately jumped up, even though his legs felt like they'd give out at any given moment. "I'm Angel Brennan, Buffy's husband. How is she?"

"Your wife is a very lucky woman. Thanks to the side impact air bags in the car she was driving, she suffered only minor injuries. Some bruised ribs, a bump on the head and a sprained ankle. Given the damage done to the car, it could have been much worse," Dr. Zimmerman informed him. "She never even lost consciousness. Which is a good sign. She'll be fine a few weeks."

He breathed a sigh of relief; his wife was okay. But it was time for the hard part. "Doctor, Buffy is pregnant. What about the baby?"

"She told me of her pregnancy and I have already examined the fetus, and everything appears to be normal. Of course, we can't be a hundred percent sure until the pregnancy progresses further. I'd suggest a sonogram and an ultrasound at your wife's next appointment."

"Can I see her?" Angel wanted to know.

"Go ahead. I want her to stay overnight for observation. With her pregnancy, it's only a precaution."

"I understand." He turned to his family. "She'll be okay, guys. I'm going to visit with her for a little while."

"We'll wait here," Spike said to him.

Leaving his family in the waiting room, Angel followed Dr. Zimmerman down the hall to Buffy's room. His heart thumped upon seeing her sitting in bed, machines hooked up to her.

"Not too long, if you don't mind," the doctor requested. "I realize it's your wedding day, but Buffy needs her rest."

"Okay. Thank you, Dr. Zimmerman." Angel took a step into the room. "How are you feeling, Buff?"

She glanced up, seeing her husband standing in the doorway. "Angel," she whispered. "I thought I'd never see you again."

He walked over to her, gingerly wrapping her in his arms and kissing the top of her head. "I'm right here, baby."

"I was so scared. The car came out of nowhere, I didn't even see it. Then I heard crunching metal and glass breaking and I thought for sure I was a goner; that both of us were."

"You're a trouper, Buffy. It's part of the reason I love you. And if our son or daughter is anything like you, that kid will be one tough cookie."

Buffy took a deep breath and wiped the building tears from her eyes. "This is all my fault."

"No it's not. It was an accident; some idiot wasn't watching where he or she was going and ran a STOP sign. That isn't your fault."

She shook her head. "But it wasn't an accident, Angel."

"What are you talking about?"

"He admitted it; said he did it on purpose."

"Who?" he asked.

"Griffin."

***

"He's in the last cell on the right," the police officer directed Angel an hour later.

"Thank you."

"You got five minutes, buddy."

Angel frowned, gritting his teeth in anger. "Five minutes is all I'll need with that son of a bitch."

The officer made a face but didn't say anything. The angry-looking man in the tuxedo looked like he was out for blood. Not that he cared, as long as no blood was shed during his shift.

Angel moved swiftly past the other men in their cells, ignoring the various names they were shouting in his direction. He was a man on a mission; a mission to get to the bottom of his wife's attack.

"Montgomery," he said venomously when he reached the cell holding his wife's ex-husband. Seeing him, Angel had the sudden urge to slam another door into his nose.

Griffin turned his head, seeing Angel Brennan standing on the other side of the metal bars. 'I knew he'd show up eventually.' "What do you want?"

He glared at the man responsible for putting his wife in the hospital. Angel had never hated anyone before, but he hated Griffin Montgomery. Hated him for marrying Buffy; hated him for hitting Buffy; hated him for trying to kill her; and hated him for possibly being the father of her unborn child. The child he would raise as his own. Red-hot rage ran through his veins instead of blood. Controlling it would be very difficult.

"Oh, I think you know why I'm here. And let me say that you are damn lucky these bars are separating us, or I'd kill you with my bare hands."

"This is all your fault," Griffin accused. "You know that?"

Angel raised his eyebrows in interest. "My fault? You run down my wife and it's my fault? That's some seriously twisted logic you've got there."

"Everything was perfect until you came along!" Griffin yelled. "You had to be at that damn reunion and steal Buffy away from me. You always were a ghost in my marriage; she never forgot about you. Do you know what it's like to compete with a memory? It's next to impossible."

"That gives you the right to try to kill her?!" Angel raged, grabbing a hold of the bars separating them and shaking with all of his might.

"I wasn't trying to kill Buffy. I was trying to kill you!"

If he weren't so angry, Angel would have laughed at Griffin's outburst. "What did you think? That you'd get rid of me and Buffy would come running back to you with arms wide open? Nice try. You should try pleading insanity, you've got a really good shot at it."

"Go to hell," Griffin spat.

Angel smirked. "See you there."

Go to Part 36