DISCLAIMER: Buffy and Angel belong to Joss!! (The baby is mine)
RATING: PG
TIMELINE: About a year after the end of both shows
SYNOPSIS: A sweet little ficlet - Buffy and Angel spend a moment with their daughter as they contemplate where they are in their lives
SPOILERS: None
DISTRIBUTION: Take it. Just let me know first!
AUTHOR’S NOTES: This is just a sweet little story that I had to get out of my head.
FEEDBACK: A must have! Please ...
E-MAIL: angelic_wicca@hotmail.com

"There you are."

Buffy smiled as she felt two strong arms encircle her waist. Instinctively, she leaned back into his embrace, molding herself into his body. She was a perfect fit for him.

"What are you doing?" Angel asked, placing a kiss on the top of her head. He inhaled deeply, taking in her familiar scent. She smelled clean and pure. Like vanilla.

"Just making sure she’s real."

Angel smiled and tightened his grip on his wife. As one entity, they moved closer to the pale pink crib that stood near the middle of the room. There, curled up safely in a bundle of blankets, lay a beautiful baby girl. At only six weeks old, she had a full head of dark brown hair and when her eyes were open, they were the same brilliant blue-green as Buffy’s. Kayleigh Lyn was a miracle. It had been a year ago to the day that she was born that Buffy had received the news from LA. The Hellmouth had just been closed and the potential Slayers released on the world. Buffy was preparing for a new life. She was moving on. Then she had received the phone call that would change her life forever. Angel was human. No curse, no clause, no strings attached. Just human. A regular Joe. From that day on, life had been perfect. Well, as perfect as life would ever get for the Slayer. Angel may have been human but she was still a Slayer. She still had obligations - her sister, the potentials and the odd demon here or there but after all they’d been through, Buffy and Angel weren’t about to let anything keep them apart any longer. The day they had reunited, Angel wasted no time telling Buffy how much he loved her and how he couldn’t live without her. He proposed that day. It took Buffy mere milliseconds to reply. She must’ve said ‘yes’ a hundred times. Their wedding day had been magical. Surrounded by family and friends, Buffy and Angel had professed their love to one another, vowing to be together forever. Two months later, Buffy found out she was pregnant. Buffy was ecstatic and when she told Angel, he had broken down, he was so happy. Nine months later and here they were. Buffy smiled fondly at the memories. She reached out and gently caressed her daughter’s head.

"She’s so beautiful," she whispered.

"Just like her mother," Angel replied, his breath tickling her ear. She loved the sensation. Human for a year and Angel was still getting used to the whole breathing thing. Buffy was still amazed by it. Sometimes at night she would lie awake, listening to the steady sound of his breathing.

"And her father," Buffy said, her voice quiet. Kayleigh stirred slightly at her mother’s touch. "Look at what we did Angel." Buffy’s voice was soft and filled with emotion. Angel smiled and placed a kiss on his wife’s shoulder. Buffy took Angel’s hand and led him to a nearby rocking chair. The chair had been a gift from Xander after Kayleigh had been born. He had crafted it himself. Buffy pushed her husband down into the chair and she followed suit, positioning herself on his lap. He instantly wrapped his arms around her waist, one hand resting on her stomach. She was still carrying some baby weight and Angel loved the way her body looked. Her breasts were fuller and her natural curves enhanced. She looked womanly, healthy and happy. Buffy raised a hand and ran her fingers through Angel’s hair. His deep chocolate eyes met hers.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked. Buffy smiled wistfully.

"You, her, us." She glanced at the crib, then back at her husband. Angel knew more was coming. He could read her like a book. "Do you ever think about how we got here?" She asked. Angel gazed at her intently. He knew what she meant by here.

"Sometimes," he replied. He shrugged slightly. "I try not to."

"Why?" Buffy asked quizzically. Angel loved that about her. She was never afraid to ask questions.

"Well," Angel began, "I guess I don’t like to think about the pain and the loneliness that both of us went through." Buffy nodded in silent agreement. She glanced back up at the crib where their daughter lay sleeping.

"I have to wonder if all that pain and loneliness contributed to where we are now."

Angel smiled softly.

"Everything we do today determines our future," he reasoned. Buffy grinned.

"Well we must’ve done something right in the past," she giggled. Angel reached up and held her face so she was looking him directly in the eyes.

"I know what I did right," he whispered.

Buffy’s breath was taken away at the love she saw shining from his eyes. She leant forward so that their foreheads were touching.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you," Angel replied before capturing her lips with his. Buffy smiled softly against his mouth. Just as the kiss deepened, a small cry came from the crib across from them. Buffy reluctantly pulled away from her husband.

"Looks like someone wants some attention," she said, smiling. Angel grinned and placed a whisper soft kiss on Buffy’s nose. He stood, with his wife in his arms and together they moved towards their daughter. When Buffy and Angel reached the crib, they were greeted by a pair of beautiful blue-green eyes.

"What are you doing awake?" Buffy asked her baby girl. Kayleigh simply smiled up at her parents. Buffy laughed softly. Angel gently poked his wife in the ribs.

"What’s so funny?"

"She has your smile," Buffy replied, grinning.

Angel was confused. "Why is that funny?"

"She smiles like she knows something we don’t." Buffy gazed up at Angel. "When we first met you were all mysterious. The first time you smiled at me, I knew that there was more to you then met the eye."

Angel nodded, averting his gaze.

"You weren’t wrong," he said, his voice quiet. Buffy could tell she’d hit a nerve. Gently, she placed a hand on his cheek and forced him to look at her.

"I knew that you were different ..."

"Buffy ..." Angel said, trying to interrupt. Buffy placed a finger over his mouth to silence him.

"... And I knew that you would change my life forever." She smiled up at him as she lifted his hand and lightly placed it over her heart. "You captured my heart in that first smile and you never let go."

Angel looked at her in awe. In all the time that he had known her, she never ceased to amaze him. They had both grown in so many ways since that first meeting all those years ago. Buffy raised herself up on her tiptoes and kissed her husband. The kiss was sweet and chaste and spoke volumes about the love that they shared for one another. Buffy pulled away slightly and looked down at their daughter. She was once again sleeping soundly, a look of absolute peace on her face.

"It was all worth it," Buffy whispered. Holding her tightly against him, Angel rested his head on top of hers, relishing in the feel of her silky golden hair against his skin.

"What was love?"

"All of it," she replied, shifting slightly so she could look up at him. "The pain, the loneliness, all of the anger and loss. The hell that we went through. All of that is what got us here. I’m thankful for what we have now. For you and our girl."

Angel smiled softly. "We’re blessed."

Buffy returned his smile and laid her head on his chest, reveling in the sound of his steady heartbeat. Minutes passed, maybe hours, as they stood there, watching their baby girl sleep. As she stood there enveloped in her husband’s strong arms, Buffy thanked the Powers That Be for giving her everything her heart had ever desired. She thanked them for her soulmate, her beautiful baby girl and for moments like these.

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