Part Four

"Once more you ooooopen the door," Willow sang at the top of her lungs to the CD player as she sprinkled seasonings into the stewpot on the stove. "Okay, are the vegetables ready?"

"Carrots and potatoes chopped," Tara grinned tossing them into the pot.

"Onions and celery diced," Buffy replied, wiping her eyes on a paper towel. "And you owe me one."

"Okay," the red-head laughed as she added them to the meat and water. "Mmmm....okay. Now we add the tomato sauce and let it simmer."

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Buffy asked teasingly. "I mean, this isn't going to make us float around the room or anything if it's not mixed right is it?"

"I don't think so," Willow joked back. "But it might make us expand if ingested in large quantities."

"Then I don't think it'll effect me much," the Slayer replied, straightening her shirt so it fell properly around her stomach. "At least no one would notice. How long til it's ready? I'm starving!"

"It needs to simmer for about thirty minutes. Then I add the green beans and let it cook another twenty minutes or so," Willow replied as she put the seasonings back in the cupboard. "I'm going to start cleaning up this mess. Someone needs to set the table." In all reality, the table was a wide counter that cut across the front of the kitchen, separating it from the living room. It had six bar stools set around it for sitting on.

"I'll do it," Buffy said pulling the plates out of the cupboard by the sink and placing four on the table. She went to get the glasses, which were up higher, and found herself stretching to reach them. "Okay, who was the Amazon who's brilliant idea this was?" she asked, leaning farther over the counter, her stomach resting on it just slightly.

"Sorry," Tara blushed and got them down for her. "That was the only place left for them."

"That's okay," the lighter blonde replied. "How about you get the silverware."

"Sure," she smiled.

Dinner was almost ready when the door opened and Anya stumbled in with two bags loaded down with books for her first semester of college. She was straining under the weight as she dropped them on the couch. "Why can't school books be made of something lighter than paper...like feathers," she complained.

"Because then it would be too easy for students to say their books floated away," Willow replied walking over to her. "What are you taking anyway?" She pulled out the first book in the stack. "Survey of World Plagues? That's a course?"

"Yeah," Anya pulled out her schedule. "It counts as a history course."

The witch shook her head and pulled out the other books. "Women in History, Women's Literature, Freudian Psychology. These sound really...interesting."

"Fascinating," Buffy nodded, hiding the sarcasm in her voice.

"They'll be fun," Tara agreed. None of them wanted to hurt Anya's feelings. This was a weird collection of classes. But then, this was Anya.

Willow pulled out the last book. "The Philosophy of Sex."

"My elective," Anya replied. "I flipped through the book earlier. It looks really interesting. If anyone wants to borrow it feel free. We're reading the Kama Sutra later in the semester."

The other girls just looked at each other.

"Thanks," Willow said, putting the book back down. "Umm...dinner's ready."

"Great!" Anya smiled. "I haven't eaten since I saw Xander earlier and I'm famished!"

No one bothered to ask what she and Xander had been doing. Instead they just sat down to what turned out to be a great stew and hot garlic bread. After they finished, Anya and Buffy washed the dishes while Tara dried and put them away, and Willow put what little food remained uneaten in the fridge. "What's on tonight?"

Buffy grabbed the TV Guide and started flipping through it. "Well, let's see. Angst. Romance. Angst. Angst. Bad comedy. Angst. Romance. War Documentary."

"Doesn't sound very exciting," Anya commented.

"Monty Python marathon," Buffy read.

"It's weird," Willow nodded. "There's lots of amusing views on magic and religion."

"And funny," Tara agreed. "I love the parrot sketch."

"It'll have plagues and sex," Anya looked happy.

"And it's British comedy," Buffy finished. "Perfect. We've got ten minutes. I'll make the popcorn! Will, get the sodas." Riley's not here. I'm going to eat what I want if it kills him.

Nine minutes and forty-three seconds later all four college girls piled in front of the television on the couch or floor in their pajamas with snacks to watch the most amusing works of popular culture on the planet. They laughed through the "Search for the Holy Grail," "And Now for Something Completely Different," and "The Life of Brian." They chuckled, groaned, and made dirty jokes through "The Meaning of Life," and half-watched half-slept through an episode of "Flying Circus" before they all finally fell asleep right there in the living room with the television on. They were all exhausted, but it was the perfect way to celebrate the end of their summer.

"They okayed it," he replied, holding up an opened envelope. "The apartment's mine, and so's the office as soon as they finish remodeling it."

"That's great!" she yelped grabbing the envelope from his hand and running back inside. "Wesley did you hear that?" she called into the kitchen.

"Yes, it's wonderful," he replied with a smile. "I was just getting a drink. Want anything?" he asked his boss.

Angel, still smiling, nodded. "Sure. How about orange juice."

"Branching out and trying non-animal products are we," Cordelia teased. "How adventurous."

"I thought so," the vampire replied with a mostly-straight face. The news was good, and after months of frustration he found that the positive news made it impossible for him to do other than smile. He took his juice and took a seat on the couch.

Cordelia held up her glass. "To Angel Investigations and its new home."

They all clinked their glasses together.

Angel set his cup down on the end table. "So Cordelia, how's your latest job coming?"

The budding-actress's face dropped a little. "Well, I went to the call-backs, and I read for them. I...didn't get a part."

"Well, better luck on the next one," Wesley patted her shoulder. "It's their loss."

"You still have the modeling job," Angel added.

Cordelia shook her head. "Actually, there's something I need to talk to both of you about."

"What?" The two men eyed each other. Cordelia wasn't usually this serious.

"I'm... thinking of going back to Sunnydale."

Angel was stunned. "Why?"

Cordelia smiled nervously. "Well, you may find this hard to believe, but I'm not a very good actress."

"But why go home?" Wesley asked gently. "You can always find another job."

"I'm going to enroll in the university and get a degree in acting," she continued. "And if I find I'm really really bad at it...well then I'll try something else."

Angel was quiet for a moment. "I think it's a good idea Cordelia. And I want you to have the opportunity to do what you really want."

"Really?" she looked dubious.

"Really," Wesley cut in. "We only want you to be happy."

"Oh good," she breathed a sigh of relief. "I was afraid you'd be disappointed."

"Well, we will miss you," Angel smiled. "Who'll do the filing?"

"Oh, I think Wesley can learn that," Cordelia smiled. "It doesn't require too much skill."

"I resemble that remark," the Brit hid his smile behind a sip of iced tea. "When would you be leaving?"

"That's just it," Cordelia said. "I'd have to call and confirm my enrollment tomorrow. And school starts next week."

"That only leaves you a few days to move," Angel commented. "We'll give you all the help we can."

"Thanks you guys," she smiled. "Now, we need to get down to business."

"Which business were you thinking of?" Wesley asked.

"Well, I was thinking of a forest green motif for the main office. It's so...strong yet calming..." and she was off like a rocket on the colors and furnishings for the new office and Angel's new apartment.

Angel got another glass of juice. It was going to be a long day.

It irked her to no end that four months ago she'd been kicking demon butt, and now, thanks to a night of frantic sex, she had enough trouble bending over to tie her shoes. And she was huge! At least, she felt huge. When she went in for her appointments the other women who were four months pregnant were often only half her size, or even less. A couple of them were barely beginning to show only now.

Riley wasn't helping her feel any better either. Sure he was just trying to be a good lover and father, but more often than not he ended up bugging her with his constant bad jokes, health reminders, and overprotectiveness. She must have tried every kind of salad and health food in creation. But they hardly handled the strange cravings and increased hunger that had come with her second trimester. At least she'd been lucky enough to have hardly any morning sickness during the first three months.

She was a little over halfway back to the dorm when the attack came from the side, knocking her into a tree. Recovering quickly, the Slayer pulled a stake from the large pocket in her pants and faced her opponent. She was surprised to see it was a lone Vei-rogk demon. Her next thought was oh, shit! as it attacked her. While it wasn't very strong, it was more than a match for Buffy in her present condition and without magical aid. Moving as quickly as she could, the blonde moved away from the trees and shrubs into an open area where the demon couldn't throw anything and she wasn't likely to trip. "Come on, I've got stuff to do. Let's get this over with."

"You are dangerous, Slayer. You must be gone," replied the Vei-rogk before lunging. It refused to speak as they continued to battle. It ducked her swings and came back, hitting fairly effectively. Buffy was rather annoyed, and a little panicked, as she realized that she was tiring. Her new shape had thrown her sense of balance completely off in the manner of fighting, which was something she hadn't done lately. So her dodges and leaps became a bunch of near misses and almost-didn't-make-its. The demon fought her back to the edge of the lawn and pinned her against a tree. "Now, you die."

In a moment that Buffy would never be able to forget, she felt pure fear, and a scream echoed so loudly through her head that she was sure the whole campus could hear it. In that last moment she jabbed with the stake, which slipped easily between the demon's ribs. She yanked it back, stunned. It was glowing. *Willow?*

*I'm here,* came the reply. *Your spirit screams quite loudly.*

*I'll remember that,* Buffy replied as she continued to stab the still fighting demon. He staggered once more and fell to the ground, clutching at the grass and pulling itself towards her. She took a step backwards.

"Slayer, will destroy," it croaked. "Must kill..."

"What do you want with me anyway?" Buffy asked, getting awkwardly to her knees both to look the demon in the face and because she could hardly stand she was panting so hard.

"Gnak'thoh," the Vei-rogk replied as it expelled it's last breath.

"Well that's helpful," the Slayer sighed. *Did you get that word, Will?*

*I did. Are you okay?*

Buffy carefully got to her feet and dusted herself off. *More or less. This shirt's covered in grass stains, I'm panting like a long distance runner and I've got a couple of cuts and bruises. No biggie.*

*What about the baby?*

*I have an appointment in the morning. We'll know then. Can you sense anything?* Buffy asked, suddenly worried.

Willow seemed to be pondering. *Well, nothing has a feeling of wrongness. It feels like the baby is the same as it was before. That should mean that she's fine.*

Buffy smiled to herself. All her roommates were placing bets as to the gender of the baby. Willow was sure it was a girl. Both Anya and Tara were betting it was a boy. *Thanks, Will. I'm almost home.*

*I can meet you halfway. It's probably better if you don't walk alone. If there was one demon their could be more.*

The Slayer felt a twinge of stubbornness at the though of needing help, but forced it down with a little common sense. She wasn't in any shape to fight off another one of those things. For small, fairly weak demons, they were still big enough to be trouble. *Sure. I'll see you soon.*

By the time Buffy got to the corner where Willow was waiting, she was glad she has agreed to her friend's request. She still hadn't gotten her full wind back, and her body hurt from the bruises and stinging cuts. Willow helped her home and upstairs.

A few swabs of betodyne and a couple of band-aids later, Buffy felt a lot more like herself. She had gotten home later than she had planned, and Tara was already in her room reading, and Anya had claimed the television. She turned down Willow's offer of a game of spit and decided to turn in for the night. Her bed felt extra soft after the pounding she had taken, and she couldn't help but relax even as she felt embarrassed at how incapable she was at taking on something as physically unintimidating as a Vei-rogk. The shock had shaken her up more than she realized, and she worried about her child as she fell asleep.

"That is extremely odd," Giles replied. "Why would it attack you by itself?"

"Because I'm clumsy and helpless?" the Slayer quipped. "He wanted to kill me. He's a demon. The reason is pretty clear to me."

"It's said Gnak'thoh as it died," Willow cut in before the Slayer and ex-watcher could get into a battle of words. "Does anyone know what that means?"

All eyes turned to Tara. "What?" she looked around, confused.

"Well, you keep having all the answers," Xander replied. "Do you have one this time?"

"Well, not yet," she smiled, abashed. "I found the word in a book. But it's in a language I don't understand very well, and I can't make out the context."

"Let me see," Giles took the book she held out to him. "Here it is. This appears to be an old Declathan dialect. It just so happens that I picked up a dictionary of demon tongues the other day, and I believe Declathan is one of the ones included."

"I don't believe this," Xander shook his head. "Isn't that just a *little* coincidency?"

"Is that a word?" Anya looked at her boyfriend. "Cause I don't think so. I mean, I know English is like my fifteenth language, but I'm pretty sur--"

"Anya, hush," Xander exclaimed, kissing her quickly to shut her up. "It doesn't really matter does it?"

"No, I suppose not," she replied, cuddling even closer to him.

"Well," Giles cleared his throat. "I suppose it is rather strange, but things like this *do* happen. This is a very useful book. Here's the word. It means.... "swarm."

"As in bees?" Willow asked.

"Apparently. There isn't much else here."

"Great," Buffy threw up her hands. "We're back where we started. I-- Giles, your phone is ringing."

"I'll get it," Willow bounded up and grabbed it. "Hello? Oh, hi Cordelia."

"Cordelia? What does she want?" Giles asked.

"Mmmhmm," Willow nodded. "She's moving back to Sunnydale to attend the University," she said to the gang whose eyes were all riveted on her expectantly.

"Wow," Xander commented. "The Queen returns."

"Oh, hush," Anya smacked him in the arm.

"Yes, dear."

"And no sarcasm."

"Yes, dear."

"She's coming back in two days and wants to know if there are any apartments available," Willow continued over the lovers' quarrel.

"Well, we could use someone else to help with the rent," Tara said. "I can share a room with somebody."

Buffy and Willow shared a glance. Room with Cordelia? Willow just shrugged. "We've got room," she said into the phone. "And the rent's pretty cheap. You will? Great. Okay, see you tomorrow." She put the phone down with a click. "Looks like we have a new roommate."

"This is going to be interesting," Xander chuckled.

"That's an understatement," Buffy commented blandly.

"Oh, come on," Willow chided. "She's not as bad as she used to be. You said so yourself."

"I know," the Slayer replied. "At least we'll have one more person to patrol."

"Speaking of," Giles looked at Buffy. "You look a little the worse for wear today. How did your appointment go this morning?"

Buffy smiled smugly. "Oh, that. The baby's fine and so am I. Don't worry so much. I told you I could handle myself."

"We didn't doubt your abilities, Buffy," her former watcher assured her for the umpteenth time.  "But you said yourself that your sense of balance is off because of the change in your center of gravity. You weren't used to fighting in this condition and it nearly got you killed."

The petite blonde wanted to disagree, but she had made that comment, and it was true. Even with her Slayer strength and agility she almost hadn't gotten out of there. It was the residual path between Willow's mind and hers from the telepathic link they had used several months earlier that had allowed her mental cry for help to reach Willow as quickly as it had. That and the fact that Willow now knew the spell were all that had saved her from being a splatted pancake on the campus grounds. "You're right," Buffy sighed. "This is really starting to irritate me."

"Only starting?" Xander asked, eliciting a small smile from the Slayer. "You could do something other than bitch about the fact that we're doing all the slaying. Like, oh, teach us a few moves so we aren't so completely inadequate."

"Only if you'll play Slayer test dummy for me," she replied, smiling again.

"Oh," suddenly Xander wasn't smiling quite as much. "Sure. Just, don't really stake me. I've been told that hurts."

"Why would we ever want to stake you, Xand?" Buffy smiled innocently. "We need comic relief, or the demon-fighting gig would get super-dull really fast."

"I'm sure all the violence and adrenaline must get pretty boring after a while," he quipped. "Somehow, I just don't see it."

"This banter is all very fun and good," Giles cut in. "But we must get back to the topic at hand."

"Which was?" Xander looked at him.

"Bees," Anya said helpfully.

"This swarm thing," Willow said a moment later. "Do you think it might refer to an invasion or plague of some sort?"

"I hope not, but it is possible," the Brit sighed. "Willow, I want you and Tara to look through the books I just picked up yesterday. I'm going out to hunt down some more. When you're finished with those, find another way to track the Vei-rogk. Obviously they are aware that someone could track the minions they collect. So we must find a way to track them, or they will continue to sneak in one at a time. As we've discovered, this is not something we want to happen."

"Right," Buffy nodded. "And I want to work with Xander and Anya on a few moves before patrolling tonight. I think I've worked up a couple of new moves that might be more effective."

"Wonderful," Giles nodded his agreement. "Just don't push yourself too much."

"Don't worry," Buffy chuckled as she and the love birds headed out the door. "I won't."

The other four girls smiled. This was going to be much more pleasant than they had originally thought. Cordelia was an extremely different person from the one who had left Sunnydale over a year earlier. Things had been a little awkward for the first few minutes, but her friendly, completely non-snobby manner was a nice surprise.

"You'll be in the first room on the left," Willow said as they entered. "Tara moved into my room last night."

"You're sure you don't mind?" Cordelia asked Tara. "I don't want to kick you out."

The shy witch smiled. "It's okay. I really don't mind."

"Thanks," the actress-in-training smiled warmly. "I'll put this stuff in there and then go back for the rest."

"How much help do you need?" Willow asked.

"Oh, I'm fine," Cordelia replied. "I don't have much. Just this bag and two more. I–ah!" she doubled over suddenly, falling against the couch. The others crowded around her in surprise and concern. What was going on?

"Anya, call the emergency room," Willow ordered.

"No...no," Cordelia waved her hand at them. "I'm...okay now. You have an aspirin?"

"I'll get it," Tara darted into the bathroom. When she returned with a glass of water the dark haired girl downed them, sighing in relief as they took effect.

"Thanks. I'm fine. It's just. I get these obnoxious visions from the Powers that Be, and they show me when someone's in danger. I saw a bunch of girls, freshmen in high school maybe, being attacked by several ugly demons -all the same kind- and a few vampires." She paused for a moment. "They were near the Bronze."

"Let's go," Willow motioned to Anya and Tara. "I'll call Xander," she pulled out the cell phone as they ran out the door."

Buffy looked at Cordelia. Cordelia looked at Buffy. Both girls were a little apprehensive at finding themselves alone together so suddenly after their less-than-friendly past.

Cordelia managed a small smile. "I think...I need to sit down. These visions are a real pain."

Buffy smiled back. "I can imagine. You want anything to drink?"

"Sure," the other woman nodded. "Ice water will be fine."

Buffy got them both drinks and sat down on the couch next to Cordelia. She looked at the woman who had worked for Angel for a year. "I'd like to...apologize for the way I acted the last time I was in LA. I had no business stepping in and trying to tell any of you what to do. I'm not in charge of anything outside of Sunnydale."

Cordelia looked a little startled at the apology, then nodded. "You're not," she replied in her usual blunt manner. "But I can see why you felt like it was your duty to do so. I've never been very nice to you. Not when we were in high school. And definitely not after the way you treated Angel. That was really spiteful."

The Slayer blushed slightly. "I know. We talked about it when he came to apologize. Did he tell you about that?"

"He did," Cordelia smiled a little. "He said he didn't much care for Riley."

"That's an understatement," Buffy smiled. "They were at each others throats in a ridiculous display of testosterone. How is he?"

"Much better these days," the darker woman replied. "He's not brood boy as much anymore. He's got a new apartment finally. Wolfram and Hart blew the old place up right before summer started, tried to kill all of us. Really no fun. And he smiles more than he did when he first got to LA by a long shot."

Buffy couldn't help but smile at the thought of Angel happy. While at times her heart ached for the days when she saw him nightly, she knew now that those days were long over and would never return. Though she still hoped that someday their pain would fade enough for them to be friends. "Angel never did smile very much, except sometimes when we were alone. I...I want to say thank you."

"For what?"

"For taking care of Angel," she took a sip of apple juice. "He tends to forget to do things like eat when he's depressed. If he's happy then it makes me feel better about his leaving. Maybe it was better for him this way." Her voice was twinged with a slight sadness.

"What about you?" Cordelia asked. "I know I didn't exactly approve of you two as a couple, but it hurt so much to see him hide away in his apartment all day in the dark. And I can understand why you loved him so much. I love him like I would a brother," she admitted. "He's been there every time I've needed him. And it hurts so much when he's in pain. You can see it in his eyes, like a hurt puppy, and you melt....but then, you know all about that."

Buffy chuckled. "I do. He has that vulnerable side that he tries to hide, but always fails miserably. And then sometimes he's impossible to read." She paused. "Does he know...about this?" she motioned at her stomach.

"No," Cordelia shook her head. "I didn't even know til I got here, and no one's told me anything. When did....maybe I shouldn't ask...if it's private I mean," she stumbled over the words, trying her best not to fall back into her former patterns of communication.

"It's all right," Buffy replied. "It's not like it's something I can hide. Four months ago. There were these sexually repressed ghost children who were getting revenge for the cruelties of the woman in charge of them in the house. Anyway, the sexual energy took over the house during a frat party, and the gang had to fight it because it was feeding of Riley and I while we....you know," she smiled, abashed. She'd never thought she'd be having this kind of a real conversation with Cordelia Chase. "Anyway, I didn't know about it when I was in LA, or when Angel came here. I didn't even find out until I was injured by the first Vei-rogk and his minions we came across. It's the weirdest feeling I've ever had."

"I can relate," Cordelia smiled, and proceeded to tell Buffy all about her experience with the five demon babies.

"You win," Buffy laughed at the end of the tale. "One human is definitely not as bad as five demons, and I've never had a craving for blood."

"Be grateful, it's really gross," the actress replied. "Angel and Wesley were wonderful though. Even Dennis was nice."

"Dennis?"

"Oh, did I forget to mention my house ghost?" Cordelia looked surprised, and related the entire story of how she got her lovely, possessed apartment. "He's not so bad except that he gets jealous of any men that enter, even Wes and Angel. The woman who took the apartment is, fortunately, the owner of the local occult bookshop, so she didn't mind too much."

"Things have been very interesting for you since you left," Buffy noted. "You've changed."

"Angel said the same thing," Cordelia smiled. "I was a royal bitch before I had to try and make it on my own. I never realized how much pain and suffering there was, or how much you go through fighting to keep the people who can't defend themselves safe."

They continued to talk through the afternoon. Cordelia related the last year in LA, telling almost everything. She didn't mention the prophesy. That was Angel's to tell to whom he wished. Buffy related the entire school year from the first day, meeting and dating Riley, discovering the Initiative and defeating Adam. Slowly they poked and prodded each other with words, as strange animals might with noses, and found each other to be vastly different from who they had been at their last meeting. Both found the other to be much less grating on the nerves, and tempered by time and experience.

At last Buffy looked down at her watch. "Shoot! I have a date with Riley in less than an hour and I haven't even showered."

"Oh! Well then I should probably let you get ready," Cordelia stood. "I still need to get the rest of my stuff, and then I'll head over to Giles' and see what happened with those demons I saw."

"Great," Buffy smiled. "Giles could probably use some help with something. He always does." She stood and walked toward her room, stopping just before she entered. "I'm glad you're here."

Cordelia smiled. "Me too."
 

Buffy had settled on what was really only one of two maternity dresses she had. This one was simple and deep green, matching her eyes. It fell to just above the knee, hanging loosely over the bulge of her abdomen in a way that flattered, rather than accentuated, her condition. This nagging feeling of being self-conscious about her appearance was really starting to annoy her, but there seemed to be nothing she could do about it. She missed her body, and she missed being able to fight! She noticed Riley looking at her with a look of concern. "What?"

"You scared me," her boyfriend replied. "When I found out about the attack I wanted to kick myself for not being their to protect you."

"It wasn't like it was your fault," Buffy said to him. "There was no way we could have known. Can we please just have a nice evening?" she asked, knowing that this was heading toward another argument and trying to divert the conversation onto something different.

"But you shouldn't have been out alone," Riley continued, seeming to not have heard her request. "It's dangerous, and it keeps getting more so. Please, give it up."

"Give it up?" Buffy stared at him as if he were some alien creature. "How?"

"Just do it," the tall blond replied. "Everyone else is doing just fine. You don't have to slay anymore. You can quit, raise the baby in safety. He or she will never have to know the fear of losing their mother."

Buffy couldn't believe she was hearing this domestic drivel from Riley! "I can't quit. It doesn't work that way."

"And why not?" Riley asked, his brow furrowing in frustration. "I can take care of you. Of the baby. Of all of us. I've still got my job as a TA next year, and the stipend is bigger. I can get another job too. It'll be enough for both of us. You can finish school, get a job. We can be happy."

Buffy did not like the way this conversation was going. "Riley, please, don't ruin a lovely evening with this."

"I don't intend to ruin it," he replied, standing. He came around the table and knelt at her side, taking one hand. "Buffy, I know the last few months have been hard on you. But I want you toknow you're not alone in this. We made a mistake, but there's no reason to suffer for it. Buffy," he pulled out a small box.

Oh, shit! Buffy's mind screamed as she recognized this scenario straight out of any romantic movie. And his words enraged her. "Riley...I,"

"Buffy," Riley continued right over her objections. "Will you marry me?"

The Slayer stared at him for a moment, then tossed her glass of water in his face. "How dare you!" she screamed, not caring that she was making a scene. "A mistake? You call this a mistake?" she pointed at her stomach. "A mistake. Hard on me? What would you know of how hard this has been for me? And I can't quit my duty. It's not possible, and not a job to be quit when I get bored or tired of it. It's a part of who I am! And I am the only person who can do it when it comes right down to it, even if I need help." She stood, causing him to back up and stand or crane his neck to look up at her. "And how dare you suggest that I become some domestic little housewife just to satisfy your need for clean honor and your stupid Iowa dream-world delusions! I am not going to spend my life as some brood sow to a man who can't appreciate what I am and who I am!"

Riley backed up, hands up defensively. "Buffy, I--"

"Shut up, Riley Finn," the blonde continued moving forward. Riley backpedaled to avoid accidentally impacting her stomach and possibly harming the child within. "I've put up with your smothering for months now and I'm not going to take it anymore. At first I thought you were just over concerned because I was injured, and because I'm carrying your child. But you just kept getting worse. Study sessions, health food, and all the other crap I've put up with just to save your feelings from getting hurt. Well you know what," her voice dropped to a low, threatening half-whisper. "I don't need you! I haven't felt so stifled in years, and that is not the environment I want my child raised in. I should have realized this a long time ago, but I was too busy trying to have a nice normal relationship. But you didn't even trust me to go to LA without having sex with my ex. You know the meaning of ex don't you, Riley? Because it now applies to you. Welcome to the real world, fish-boy.  Hope you don't mind being a little lonely."

With the last snarled remark she spun around, dropping her napkin at his feet, and marched out of the restaurant.

Riley just stood there, mouth gaping open like a stuffed trout.

Go to Part Five