Part 11

The phone ringing woke Angel. Buffy still slept cuddled next to him. He picked up the phone before it rang again, not wanting for it to wake his love. "Hello?"

"Angel, hello." It was Buffy's father. "Did I wake you?"

"Yeah. It's okay." Angel answered quietly, but Buffy awoke. She smiled at Angel, and started tracing patterns on his bare chest.

"Can I talk to my daughter?" Mr. Summers asked.

Angel handed the phone to Buffy. "It's your father."

Buffy took it from him, "Hello."

"Hi honey."

"Dad, hi. Why are you calling?" she questioned.

"You don't sound too happy to hear from me."

"No, don't think that. The phone woke me up, that's all."

"Okay then. I was just wondering if Angel and you would like to come to dinner with Mr. Callahan and I. You could also invite Riley."

Buffy agreed, "Sure. What time?"

"Could you meet us at the Olive Garden at let's say 6 o'clock?"

"That would be fine. We'll see you then."

"Just one more thing, Buffy. When I called, Angel said that he had been sleeping. You said the same thing. It only took Angel a second to give you the phone. How's that?"

"Umm..." Buffy trailed off, she couldn't think of an explanation.

"Well, I'm going to let you go. Bye sweetie."

"Bye Dad," she hung up the phone. She laid her head against Angel's shoulder. "We're meeting our dads for dinner at the Olive Garden."

"Fun." Angel replied sarcastically. He left a trail of kisses on Buffy's neck. "I wanted to spend the entire day with you."

"We still can." She pulled Angel's head away from her neck, and up to her lips.

They arrived at the restaurant fifteen minutes late. Both of them were so distracted by each other, that they lost track of time. Angel guided Buffy over to their table, his arm casually around her waist.

Angel pulled out a chair for Buffy. "Sorry we're late," he greeted.

"Don't worry about it." Angel took a seat next to his girlfriend. "Buffy, I thought you were going to ask Riley to join us?" Mr. Summers inquired.

Buffy shrugged, "He had umm.... papers to grade. He's a TA and all."

"He'll just have to come another time. I'd really like to get to know the guy who captured my daughter's heart," Hank Summers stated.

"Dad," Buffy warned. "It's not that serious between us." She looked at Angel's hurt face. She couldn't bear it. "Actually dad, I broke up with Riley." Her new love gave her an encouraging glance. "He wanted me to move out of the apartment. He didn't trust Angel. I said that if he couldn't trust me then to stay out of my life."

"He was just jealous."

"He insulted both me and Angel."

"I still think you shouldn't have been so hard on him." Hank argued.

Mr. Callahan joined in; "He had a problem with my son. I don't think she was too hard on Riley."

Angel stopped the conversation from continuing, "Buffy can make her own decisions. She doesn't need you two arguing over what was best."

Buffy shot him a smile, "Yeah, I didn't love Riley or anything. Can we talk about something else now?" She opened her menu, "What's good here?"

They sat in silence waiting for their food to get there. Angel held Buffy's hand under the table. When their meal finally arrived, the tension at the table started to lessen.

"I'm sorry honey." Hank said. "It's your life. If you wanted to end things with Riley, then it's okay with me. I shouldn't have acted like I did."

Buffy nodded, "It's okay. I know you just want what's best for me." She took a bite of her spaghetti, managing to get sauce on her chin. Unnoticed by Buffy she continued, "This is good."

"Buffy, you have a little," Angel touched his own chin. Buffy wiped her face with her napkin, missing the sauce. "Here let me get it." He took his napkin, and gently wiped her face. "It's gone."

"You wanna know something? You and me are very good at getting things on our faces. We're very sloppy eaters." Buffy said.

Angel chuckled, "We are."

"What is going on between you two?" Hank demanded.

Buffy looked at him with wide eyes, "What do you mean?"

"First, when I called this morning, you were both asleep. It didn't take very long for Angel to give you the phone. Leading me to believe that you were in the same room already. Then I find that you broke it off with Riley. Now, Angel's hear wiping sauce off your face, like you're the only person in the world. So what is going on?"

"Nothing." Buffy started. "I...I-"

Mr. Callahan interrupted, "I believe her. Angel just met someone that he cares about very much. He says that she could be the one." The realization hit him, "Oh, he could be talking about Buffy."

Buffy shook her head; "We are just friends, nothing more. Tell them Angel."

"I can't lie to them Buffy." Tears shone in her eyes threatening to fall down her face, when Angel said this. "We're not just friends. We are good friends." Buffy let out a sigh of relief. "Don't get me wrong. Mr. Summers, I like your daughter very much, but we both agree that we should remain friends."

"So nothing is going on between you two then?" Hank persisted.

"Right," they both answered at the same time.

"Sorry for jumping to the false conclusion. I'll believe you. Just answer this question for me. What was going on this morning?"

"I had a nightmare." Buffy started.

"I heard her scream, and ran into her room. She was frightened."

"I asked Angel to stay with me, and he agreed to."

"I slept in the chair in her room. Buffy was still asleep when the phone rang, so I answered it. That's what happened." Angel finished their lie.

"That's understandable." Hank agreed. "You always did have some scary dreams. Ever since you were a little girl."

"That's life." Buffy stated. "You learn to live with your destiny."

Hank gave his daughter a confused look, "Okay. How about we get back to this delicious looking food?"

Everyone nodded. Buffy glimpsed at Angel. He was looking at her. She felt bad for not telling their fathers the truth. But she just couldn't bear what would happen if her father found out about them. She squeezed Angel's hand. "I love you," she mouthed. He mouthed the same to her. Buffy continued to look at Angel, longing to kiss him. She couldn't wait to go home.

Part 12

"Angel, what is the matter?" Buffy asked when they arrived at the apartment. "You haven't said a word the whole way home."

"I'm sick of lying," Angel snapped. "Why can't we just tell them about us?"

"You didn't have to lie, but you did."

"You were already lying to them, if I told them the truth, you'd be mad."

"But now you're angry with me."

"Yeah. Why would it be so awful if your father found out? My father would be happy for us."

"I told you before, he'd make me move out. I don't want to have to leave."

"Buffy, you're nineteen. He can't make you move if you don't want to." Angel stated.

"He can stop paying the rent. And then where would we be?" Buffy questioned.

"I'd take care of us. My job at the museum will bring in a lot of money. Plus I could start working on my art again, and sell it. If I had to, I could dig into my savings." Angel answered.

"I don't want you to have to spend all of your money on me." Buffy said. "It just makes everything easier not to tell them."

"They're suspicious about us. Do you really think they are going to keep buying our lame excuses?" Angel argued. "It's not going to work. It would be better to just tell them. The longer we wait, the worse it'll be when they find out. What? You are ashamed of me, aren't you?"

"Why would I be ashamed of you? I have no reason to be. And how will they find out? If we don't tell them, they won't know!" Buffy exclaimed.

"What if when we're out on a date we run into them, or someone they know? What are we just going to stay in? They're not dumb! They'll figure it out sooner or later."

Buffy threw her arms up in the air, "Forget it Angel! If you want to tell them go ahead. And while you're at it, you can tell them that it's over between us. I don't know what I ever saw in you. I should have stayed with Riley." She stormed towards her room.

"You don't mean that." Angel called after her, hurt.

"Yes, I do!" Buffy slammed her door shut.

Angel went into his room, he felt like slamming his door. But he reframed himself from doing so. He took a deep breath, and unclenched his fists. He lay on his bed, and thought about Buffy. 'I was too hard on her. I shouldn't have gotten so upset. I told her I understood about her not wanting to tell her father about us, and then I go against it. It's over between us. But it was just a little fight. No, that would be a big fight. Our first fight. I refuse to give her up just like that. I love her far too much. I'll give her some time to calm down, and then I'll try to talk to her.' He grabbed a book off his nightstand and started to read, trying to keep his thoughts off of Buffy. He read for a couple of hours, every time he would stop, his thoughts would roam to Buffy. So he kept reading. A burst of lightning startled him. A loud crack of thunder followed. 'Buffy's afraid of lightning, maybe I should go see her. No, she might be still angry. Just let her be.' He continued to read, as it started to rain. It sounded like one hell of a storm. For some reason, when another stroke of lightning lit the room he looked up at his doorway. He saw a small figure there, which jumped as a flash lit the room again. "Buffy?"

She quietly walked over to his bed, with wide eyes. She looked terrified. Thunder sounded, and Buffy jumped into the bed, and clung on to Angel. "I'm scared," she whispered.

He kissed her forehead, "You're safe with me."

She looked at him with tear filled eyes, "I'm sorry. I don't want us to be over."

"Don't worry about it. If anyone is at fault, it's me. I shouldn't have been so upset with not telling our parents."

"It was my fault. I don't like lying to them either. I want to tell them, I do. But can we just give me some time to get the courage to-" Lightning flashed, and Buffy shrieked.

"Shh, you're okay. I won't let anything happen to you." Angel kissed her lips gently. He pulled her quivering body closer to him. The passion between them grew fast. The kiss became fiery. Angel started to unbutton her shirt, but he stopped himself. "Sorry, I shouldn't have-"

Buffy held a finger up to his lips. She climbed on top of Angel. "I don't want to stop this time." She leaned down, and kissed Angel.

He pulled away, "I don't want you to feel like you have to do this."

"No, Angel I don't have to do this. But I want to. I'm ready." She kissed his neck, "I love you."

"I love you," Angel replied before lifting her head, up to kiss his lips once again. The kiss's intensity continued to grow. More lightning illuminated the room, but Buffy remained calm. It was if she didn't notice it anymore.

They both made love for the very first time.

Part 13

Angel kissed Buffy's neck, awaking her from her slumber. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"Believe me when I say I don't mind." She smiled at Angel. She looked so beautiful in the sunlight that entered the room. Her blond hair shone around her bright face. She seemed so happy. "Angel, last night-"

He didn't give her a chance to finish. "Do you regret it?" She shook her head. He gave a sigh of relief, "Good, because I don't."

"What I was about to say was last night was perfect. I don't remember when I ever felt so protected and loved." She gave him a small smile. "I wouldn't take it back for the world."

He returned her smile, "It was unforgettable."

She started to lay kisses on his bare chest. "You know, I could use a repeat of it right now." She kissed him hard on the lips.

He pulled away, "Not now."

She gave him a pouty look, "Why not? Don't you want me?"

"Of course I do. It's just I have to get to work. I don't think being late on the first day will look very good."

Buffy looked disappointed, "What am I going to do by myself the whole day?"

"You could have your friends over." Angel left a gentle kiss on her shoulder. "Then when I get home, we're going to go out."

"Out where?" Buffy asked.

"You'll see." Angel replied.

Buffy shoved him, "Tell me." Angel shook his head. "Okay then, but it better be good."

"It will, I promise."

When Angel left for work, she called Willow, and she agreed to come over. The two girls sat in Buffy's room, flipping through magazines.

Willow looked at Buffy; she had a far off dreamy look on her face. "What are you so happy about?"

Buffy shrugged, "Nothing."

"Oh come on. You can tell me. It's Angel, isn't it? Things are going great between you two." Buffy nodded. "I'm your best friend, you can't hide anything from me."

"Angel and I had a huge fight yesterday."

"And you're happy about that?"

"No. We fought over whether or not we should tell our parents about us. He wants to, but I don't. My father would probably kill Angel, if he knew that we were a couple. You know cause Angel's way older and we live together. Well anyway, I said some things I didn't mean, like that I wish I was still with Riley."

"Okay, you know you are making no sense. How does this make you happy?"

"I was in my room, crying. I felt terrible for hurting Angel. Then the storm came in."

"You're scared of lightning. Oh, I see. You went to Angel for comfort." Willow concluded.

"Yeah, we apologized for our fight. Every time there was a stroke of lightning, I jumped. Angel and I started kissing, it started leading to..."

"You and Angel had sex. Am I right?"

Buffy nodded, "I was ready. Willow, it was so perfect. And I wasn't scared any more of the storm. It was like; I can't exactly explain it. It was as if I knew, I was safe with Angel."

Willow's smile faded from her face, "That reminds me, you were safe. Weren't you?"

Buffy gave her a confused expression, "What do you mean?"

"You were careful. Even though this is both your first times, there is a chance that you could become...pregnant."

The color drained from her face, "Uh oh. I didn't think of that. Oh God, Will. What if I get pregnant? I'm not ready for a baby."

Willow embraced her friend, "Don't worry, Buffy. I'm sure everything will be okay. Talk to Angel, I'm sure he'll understand."

"I can't. I don't want to worry him about this, unless I am pregnant."

Willow smoothed Buffy's hair, "Okay. Wait a couple of weeks, and if you're late or anything, we'll get you one of those home pregnancy tests. I'll be there for you."

"Please don't tell anyone. Not even Tara. Please?"

"You're secret is safe with me. Maybe you should tell Angel though. You have told me before that you felt like you could tell Angel anything."

Buffy shook her head; "I wouldn't know how to tell him. Besides, I might be worrying about nothing. It'll all be okay won't it?"

"Yeah." Willow agreed, although she wasn't sure if Buffy was right.

Buffy pulled herself together before Angel came home. She forced herself to smile. "God Buffy, you're making a big deal out of nothing." She heard the door open, and she went to greet Angel. She flung herself into his embrace, "I missed you."

He kissed her, "I missed you too." He looked at her forced smile, "Honey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she answered as she started to kiss him again.

"Something is bothering you. I can tell."

"Nothing," she repeated. "I just can't wait for whatever you have planned for tonight."

"Well, maybe we should get going then." He started to lead her out the door.

"Wait. I was thinking, maybe we should pick up some, well you know, in case we..." she trailed off.

Angel nodded, "That's probably a good idea. I'll stop at the drugstore on the way. I should have thought of it myself."

Buffy sat in the car, as Angel ran into the store. 'Pull yourself together,' she thought to herself. She saw Angel heading back to the car. She gave him a smile.

Angel drove them to a small clearing overlooking the beach. There was a picnic set up. Buffy gasped, "When did you do this?"

"After work. I usually won't be home so late. I just wanted to do something special for you."

The nervous pit in Buffy's stomach started to disappear, "It's wonderful. Thank you."

They fed each other the food, which Angel had prepared for them. Buffy was enjoying herself, she forgot all about her worries. Angel pulled Buffy into his arms, as they watched the sun set. It set gorgeous colors out on the ocean. The last rays of the day, soon were gone, letting night set in. Buffy snuggled closer to Angel, as she felt a chill run through her body.

"Are you cold?" Angel questioned.

"A little. But I know a way to warm me up." She gave him a kiss. It sent a spark through their bodies. "I want to make love to you again."

"Here?" Angel inquired.

Buffy pointed to the sky, "Under the stars. It's romantic." Angel leaned down to kiss her, but Buffy stopped him. "You did bring the umm..." Angel opened his jacket to reveal the package. "You were planning this to happen all along."

Angel gave her an innocent look, "Who me? I wouldn't dare..."

She giggled, "Just kiss me." He did as she wanted.

Part 14

The next few weeks passed quickly. Buffy had started her second year of college, and found herself actually enjoying her classes. Angel worked at the museum, but somehow he managed to get home a little after Buffy. There was no more talk about telling their parents about them, and she started to warm up to the idea now that there was no pressure. Her happy world came crashing down, when her period was a week late. It had been a month since the first time Angel and her had made love, and she was scared. Willow bought her a pregnancy test and they were awaiting the results.

Willow had her best friend locked in a tight hug, "It'll be okay, Buffy."

Buffy shook her head, "No it won't. I know I'm pregnant. How am I going to tell Angel? What will he do when I tell him? What if he leaves me?" She burst into tears.

Willow stroked her hair; "He wouldn't do that. Angel loves you. Besides, you might not be pregnant. Let's just wait to see the results."

The ten minutes they had to wait were long and agonizing. Finally the timer went off.

"I can't look, Will. You have to do it." Willow unwrapped her arms from around Buffy, and walked over to where the test laid. Buffy looked at her eagerly, "What does it say?" The look in Willow's eyes said it all. "I'm pregnant."

Her friend nodded, she enveloped Buffy in another hug. "It'll be okay," she whispered. "Do you want me to come with you when you tell Angel?"

Buffy's face was streaked with tears, "Please come. I can't do this by myself."

Willow took Buffy home; Angel was already there. He smiled at the two of them, until he saw Buffy's distraught face. "What happened?"

Buffy's eyes filled with tears again. She looked at Willow for help. "Angel, she has to tell you something. You might not like it." The two girls sat on the couch and Angel kneeled in front of Buffy. "Go ahead, it'll be okay." Willow urged.

"What is it, honey? Are you okay?"

"I'm not sure," Buffy answered uncertainly.

Angel put a comforting hand on her own, "You can tell me. I promise whatever you say, it won't upset me."

"I'm pregnant," she murmured barely audible.

"Did you just say that you're pregnant?" Angel asked. Buffy nodded, her eyes filled with fear. He pulled her close, and hugged her.

"Are you upset with me?"

"Why would I be? This isn't your fault. If it were anyone's fault it would be mine. I should have thought to use protection."

"No, Angel, don't say that. I don't blame you."

"We have options, we could-"

"No, I won't have an abortion. I won't," she repeated.

"Okay, I don't want you to have one either. I just wanted you to know that you had a choice."

"Are you going to leave me?" Buffy questioned in a scared voice.

He kissed her hair, "I will never leave you. I'm not going anywhere. Ever."

"You mean that?"

"Yes, I do. Don't worry. You're not alone in this. You have me." He looked over at Buffy's best friend; "You have Willow and your friends."

"I guess now would be the best time to tell our parents about us. If we wait any longer I think they'll suspect something, when they see my stomach."

"I'll be there with you every step of the way. We're going to do this together." Angel confirmed.

Willow put a comforting hand on her shoulder, "When ever you need me, I'll be here. You know I will."

Buffy nodded, "I'll have to tell the whole gang. What will they think of me?"

"We are your friends, Buffy, we won't change our opinion of you. Don't worry about telling them yet. You should tell your parents first." Willow gave her a hug. "I better get going, Tara will be home soon."

Buffy nodded again, "I'll call you tomorrow. I will have everyone over, and then I'll tell them."

"Okay." Willow let herself out.

"You were probably right in that we should have told our parents about us. This wouldn't be such a shock, if they knew we were together." Buffy said.

Angel sat next to her, "That's the past, we didn't know this would happen. Who do you want to tell first?"

Buffy thought for a moment, "My Mom. She might offer to help tell my father. Since I haven't really spoken to her, it's not like I lied to her about you."

"You think she'll understand?"

She shrugged, "I don't know. I hope she does. I think I could really use my Mom right now."

"When do you want to tell her?" Angel asked.

"Now, before I lose my courage." Buffy replied. "I'm just so scared, Angel. I'm still young myself. I'm not ready for a baby."

"We both aren't. But together we will take care of and love this baby." Angel pressed his lips against her forehead. "I love you."

Buffy leaned into him; "I love you too. We'll be okay, won't we?"

"We will," he promised.

Part 15

Buffy knocked at her mother's door with a shaking hand. Angel put a comforting hand on her shoulder, as she trembled.

Her mother opened the door, with a bright smile on her face. She gave Buffy a hug; "It's about time you visited. I haven't seen you since you moved into that apartment of yours." She looked at Angel, "And you must be Angel." She held out her hand.

Angel shook it, "It's nice to see you again, Mrs. Summers."

"Please, call me Joyce," she said. "Well, don't just stand there, come in."

The couple followed her into the house and took a seat on the couch. Buffy forced a small smile.

"So, how is everything going?" Joyce asked. "Are you two getting along?"

Buffy took a deep breath, "We're pretty good, and we get along very well."

"That's great!" Joyce exclaimed. Buffy's smile had vanished. "Is something wrong?"

"Mom, I have to tell you something."

"What is it? By the look on your face it seems like it's bad."

Buffy clasped Angel's hand, "Angel and I, we're kind of a… umm…couple."

"A couple." Joyce repeated.

Buffy and Angel nodded. Angel spoke, "Joyce, I just want you to know that I care about your daughter very much. I wouldn't ever dare hurt her."

"What about Riley?" she questioned.

"Things weren't working. It turns out that Riley doesn't trust me. And what kind of relationship would that lead to?" Buffy answered.

Joyce's expression softened, "I understand that. As long as you're happy, Buffy, I'll support you."

"I'm very happy, Mom. In fact, I love Angel." Buffy told her. "I know what you are thinking, I barely know him. But Mom, I've never felt this way in my life. I love him, and you should respect that."

Her mom gave her a smile; "You don't have to explain. I know what is was like to be young and in love. Why didn't you tell me about this sooner? Or did this just happen?"

"Everything is still new, but we have been together for over a month." Buffy replied.

"I don't know why you were so worried about telling me this. It doesn't upset me at-"

Buffy cut her off, "That's not all I have to tell you."

"Honey, what is it?" Joyce inquired.

Buffy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Angel put his arm around her shoulders, trying to give her courage. Her voice came out sounding like a scared child. "I'm pregnant."

"I must be losing my hearing. I could have sworn you just said that you were pregnant," said Joyce.

"I did."

"You're pregnant! How did this happen?"

"Mom, how do you think it happened?" Buffy snapped.

Joyce stood up, "Don't get smart with me young lady! You're nineteen. What were you thinking?"

"I didn't plan this. It just sort of happened."

"You didn't think. Is that it? I know you are not a child anymore, so I guess I have to expect that you would be having sex. But I thought you would be smart enough to be careful."

"It was only one time that we weren't careful. I didn't think that I would get pregnant."

"It only takes one time." Joyce glared at Angel. "Is this your doing? Or is it Riley's? Or someone else?"

"I'm not some cheap slut!" Buffy yelled.

"I am the father." Angel answered her question. "I should have used protection, but it all happened so fast."

"You think I don't know that? You have barely lived together for six weeks." Joyce clamored.

"It's not like we had condoms just lying around the apartment!" Buffy argued. "It was the first time for both of us."

"That's some pick-up line, Angel. I bet it had worked on a lot of girls. Them being your first."

Angel began to get angry, "It's not some line, I used to get Buffy into bed. It's the truth."

"Oh, I'm sure." Joyce uttered.

"Mom, stop it!" Buffy shouted. She burst into tears. "I'm so scared. And I thought that maybe you would be there for me. I need you."

The stern look left Joyce's face. She sat next to Buffy, and pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry. It all just came as a shock."

Buffy laid her head down on her mother's shoulder. "I know you're disappointed in me, but I can't change the fact that I'm going to have a baby."

"I could never be disappointed in you. Don't think that. I'll be there for you." She ran her fingers through her daughter's long hair. "Does your father know?"

Buffy shook her head, "No. He doesn't know about Angel and I either. We kind of lied to him when he suspected that we were more than friends."

"Tell you what. I'll go with you two to explain this. You're going to need someone that is on your side."

"Thanks Mom." Buffy wiped her eyes. "I love you."

"I love you too, honey. It's going to be all right. I'll set up a doctor's appointment for you. To make sure everything is okay with you and the baby."

Buffy nodded, "That would probably be a good idea."

"Should we tell your father now, or do you want to wait?"

"I think now would be better. Waiting just seems to cause more problems."

The three of them left for her dad's house in L.A. Her mother drove silently. Buffy cuddled up next to Angel. 'It wasn't so bad. Who knows, maybe my dad won't take it as bad as I thought.' She closed her eyes, and soon fell asleep.

Part 16

The three of them arrived at Hank Summers' house. Joyce stopped the car, and turned to face Buffy and Angel. "We're here," she announced.

Angel gently nudged the sleeping Buffy. She murmured something but didn't wake up.

"Buffy, honey, time to wake up," her mother spoke.

"I don't want to go to school," Buffy muttered incoherently. Angel gave Buffy a tender kiss on the lips. Her eyes shot open. "What?"

"We're at your father's," Angel answered.

She gave a small yawn. "Why didn't you just let me stay sleeping? This is going to be hell."

"You have to do this." Joyce told her. "It was either now or later, and you chose now."

"I changed my mind, I choose later."

Angel opened the door. "Let's go." He helped the reluctant Buffy out of the car. "It might go better than you think."

"I doubt it." Buffy argued.

Joyce knocked on the front door. A couple moments later a befuddled Hank opened the door. "Why, what are you doing here? Hello Joyce," he acknowledged his ex-wife.

"Dad, I need to talk to you about something." Buffy said shyly.

Hank nodded, and let the small group in. They sat on the couch, Buffy between her mother and her lover. She gave her father a meek smile.

"What's wrong?" Hank asked concerned.

Buffy looked at Angel. He nodded. "We haven't been completely honest with you. Well, Angel wanted to, but I was afraid of what you think. So I made him promise to not tell you. And I see now that he was right, and I made a mistake in not wanting to tell you. I know that-"

"You're rambling. Get to the point. What were you two hiding from me?" Hank urged.

"Angel and I are more than friends." She looked at Angel for help.

He continued for her, "We have become involved romantically."

Hank sat silently letting the information sink in. Finally he spoke, "So you lied to me? When I asked you two if something was going on you told me there wasn't. I believed you, I trusted that you were telling the truth."

"I was just scared that you would want us to stop seeing each other, or make one of us move out." Buffy stated.

"So it was alright to betray me?" Hank questioned. "You are right. Buffy, I want you to move out."

Joyce joined in; "She doesn't have to. I think that they make a sweet couple."

He glared at his former wife; "You're okay with this? What's to stop them from being impulsive? They could easily have sex."

"She's nineteen, Hank. She's not a baby anymore. She can make her own decisions. If she wants to have sex, she's going to. Even if they're not living together." Joyce replied.

"And you're okay with that?" Hank snapped.

"Dad, please!" Buffy yelled. "Mom just came here to support me. She has nothing to do with this. I wanted her with me because I couldn't do this alone." She took a deep breath, "Dad, I'm pregnant."

"You're what?!" He shouted. "Pregnant! I cannot believe this." He looked at Angel. "You did this to her? Didn't you?" Angel nodded. "How dare you touch my little girl."

"Dad, I'm not a little girl. It's not like he forced me to have sex with him. I wanted to. It was my decision. Mine, and no one else's. He didn't do this to me on purpose, it is just something that happens. I'm pregnant, and there's nothing you can say or do to me that will change that fact."

Her father stood in front of Angel, "I don't want to ever see you near my daughter again. I can't believe I listened to your father when he suggested that you and Buffy share an apartment."

"Didn't you here anything that I just said?" Buffy questioned. "He's not going to leave me Dad. I love him. And you will not take him away from me!"

"Buffy, he's not good for you."

"I'll be the one to decide that. He's perfect for me. He cares about me, he loves me, and he's never going to leave me."

"Sure he does now. But what about in two months from now? Or two years from now? Who's to say that he still will want to be with you?"

"Who's to say that he won't?" Buffy refuted. "You're not going to get me to change my mind."

"Mr. Summers, I have no intention of ever hurting your daughter. I love her more than life itself." Angel stood up for himself. "I'm going to stick by her through the whole thing. I don't want to ever lose her. I would just die if I did. She's my soulmate." Buffy smiled at his words.

Hank on the other hand didn't look so pleased. His stern expression just appeared to get even harder; "I don't trust you. I never will. If this is what you two want, then fine. But look for any help from me. I won't even recognize this child as being my grandson."

"How can you say that?" Buffy asked through sniffles. Her face was drenched with tears.

"I just did. Get out!" he commanded.

"Hank, I think you're making a mistake." Joyce told him.

"I don't. If she wants to be a little whore, then let her."

Buffy stood up, "Dad?" She quickly ran out of the house, with Angel close at her heels. Hank and Joyce heard the door shut behind them.

"Why did you say that to her?"

He shrugged, "It's the truth. I will not have anything to do with her ruining her life."

"That's right, Hank. Her life. Not yours. She can do whatever she wants. You haven't been around for her that much in the past couple of years. Now that you bought her an apartment, you think you can just take over her life?" She turned to leave. "And sometimes I wonder why we got divorced. Now I remember. You are such a pigheaded man, who needs things to go his way." She left.

Joyce joined Buffy and Angel outside. Angel had her daughter wrapped in a tight hug. She cried into his shoulder. He whispered sweet words into her ears, trying to calm her. When they realized her presence, they got into the car. They drove back to Sunnydale in complete silence.

Part 17

Joyce dropped Buffy and Angel off at their apartment. Buffy wordlessly sat down on the couch. Angel joined her, and put his arm around her. He pulled her close, offering her comfort. She let the tears flow freely. How could her own father have been so cruel to her?

After what seemed like hours, Buffy finally was able to talk, "We still have to tell your father."

"I know. But don't worry about it now. It can wait." Angel caressed her smooth skin.

"No, it can't wait. I told my mother and father. My Dad pretty much disowned me and the baby. You are not going to pull this I'll tell him later routine. That's my job. You're the one who wanted to tell our parents in the first place."

"I'll call him, and ask if he would come over." Angel walked over to the phone, and dialed his father's number. He exchanged a few words with him, before hanging up. He stood behind Buffy on the couch; leaning down he left a kiss on the top of her head. She turned to face him. "He'll be here soon."

Buffy nodded, "Good." She tugged at the sleeve of Angel's shirt. "Hold me until he gets here." Angel quickly made his way around the couch, and took his love into his arms.

An hour later there was a knock on the door. Angel disentangled his arms from around Buffy. He opened the door, to his very worried father. He motioned for him to come in.

Ryan Callahan took a seat in the chair opposite the couch. He looked at Buffy; her eyes were red from crying. He glanced back at his son, fearing the worse. "What happened?"

Angel returned to his place beside Buffy. He clasped his hand around hers. She gave it a tiny squeeze of encouragement. "Dad, I have something to tell you."

Ryan saw how Angel was acting towards Buffy, he came to a conclusion. "You two are more than friends." His son nodded. "She's the one that you mentioned before. The woman you want to spend the rest of your life with."

"She is." Angel answered.

"Why didn't you tell me before? I suspected it. You were just denying the truth, when Mr. Summers and I confronted you with it?"

"It's not his fault. I was scared of what my father would say. I made him lie to you. He wanted to tell you so badly, but I wouldn't hear of it. Don't be angry with him, you should be mad at me." Buffy stated.

Ryan grinned, "I'm not upset with you at all. I do know how your father is. I've known him for years, and he can be intimidating. I understand. I'm just happy that you two have found each other."

"You might not feel the same way, when I tell you the next part." Angel said.

His father shook his head, "I still will. My only son has found love. It only took him twenty-seven years."

"Dad, Buffy is pregnant. And I am the father," he said hurriedly in one breath.

His father sat silently, letting the new piece of information sink in slowly. Then a smile crept across his face, "Congratulations!"

Buffy's eyes were wide with surprise, "What?"

"I mean it. Congratulations! I thought that with the way Angel has been with women so far, never really having a steady girlfriend, I would never get to have a grandchild."

"So you're happy for us?" Angel asked.

"Extremely. I can't believe it. In less than a year, I'll be a grandfather." My. Callahan said excitedly. "If you ever need anything at all, I'll be glad to help out. You name it, and I'll see what I can do." Then he looked directly at Buffy. "Have you told your father?" She gave a small nod. "How'd he take it?"

"Not so good," she replied. "He doesn't want anything to do with me."

"I'll talk to him, see if I can knock some sense into him."

"Don't." Buffy told him. "I want him to decide to support me on his own. I don't want this to be something he was forced into doing. Plus I don't think he's too happy with you right now either. Seeing as it's your son, who is the father. He was angry with you, for suggesting that Angel and I move in together. He also insisted that I now move out. When I said no, that's when he really blew up. If he makes the decision to be there for me when I need him, then I'll accept that. But I could never really feel worthy around him, if he doesn't really want to help me."

Ryan agreed, "I won't talk to him. I also won't do what he has done to you two. This isn't really my place to say this, but I think what he has done is completely wrong. Buffy, you deserve to be happy. And he has no right to take that away from you. I know I'm not really impartial because he has probably said some things against my son, but I wish Angel and you the best."

"Thank you, Dad." Angel said.

Another thought occurred to Mr. Callahan, "What about your mother? Does she know?"

"We told her before my father. She was upset at first, but then she told me that she would be there for me. She even helped us tell my father." Buffy explained.

"That's good."

"Angel, what about your mother? Shouldn't we tell her?"

Ryan looked at his son, "You haven't told her?" He nodded his head at Buffy.

"Told me what?" Buffy asked.

"My mother passed away over five years ago."

She gave him a hug, "I'm so sorry. I had no idea. I shouldn't have brought it up."

He hugged her back; "It's okay. There's no way you could have known, unless I told you. I would have before now, but it just never was an appropriate time to tell you."

"Here I was bitching and complaining about my family, when you don't even have a-"

Angel held his finger up to her lips, "It's in the past. I'm all right with you talking about your family. You learn to move past it. And remember the good times that you have with the deceased."

"You know what?" Ryan said. "I think maybe I should get going. I have a feeling that the two of you may want to be alone."

They said their good byes, and soon Buffy and Angel were left alone.

Angel sat with Buffy in his lap. Buffy put her head on his shoulder, "What was she like, Angel? Your mother."

"She was a great woman. My father and I loved her very much. She is the reason that I waited for the right person, before I made love. I saw how much she and my father were in love, and that was what I wanted. I didn't want a substitute for it. So I waited till I found you, the one I love, because I knew that I'd spend the rest of my life with you." He kissed Buffy's cheek. "You're everything I have ever dreamed of and more."

"I think we had the same dream. I always dreamed that I would find you, but I thought with me being the slayer I might die before hand. But now I know that's not true. You and me, we're going to be a family. We are going to raise a beautiful son or daughter, together." She stifled a yawn.

"Are you tired? We can go to bed." He made a move to get up.

"I'm not tired." He relaxed back into the couch. "But I didn't say that I didn't want to go to bed," she teased.

Angel quickly scooped her up into his arms, and carried a giggling Buffy back to his bedroom.

Part 18

Buffy called her friends and asked them all to come over. Buffy made sure that they would be there in the afternoon. She didn't want to have to deal with Spike. She knew he would probably drop by sooner or later. She just wasn't prepared to undergo his musings.

When they arrived, Willow gave her friend an encouraging smile. She had kept her promise, and had not told a single soul, living or otherwise. Tara even was still in the dark about what was going on.

"I want to thank all of you for coming." Buffy said.

"What is this some kind of meeting?" Xander asked. "Oh! Is there some kind of big you know?" He glanced at Angel, not wanting to let out Buffy's secret.

"He knows about me being the slayer. Giles, before you ask me why I told him that I'm the slayer. Let me just answer that for you. I didn't want to keep it a secret from him, I trust him with the information. Besides, he lives with me. He'd be bound to suspect something was up when I go out on late outing with a wooden stake. And no, there is no evil. At least that we know of."

"Then may I ask why you have called us all here?" Giles inquired.

"Yeah, get to the point. Xander said that he would take me out to dinner. Then we were going to light some candles and have sex by them." Anya quipped.

"Anya…" Xander chided.

She shrugged, "What?"

"Anyway," Buffy continued. "I…we have to tell you all something. All I ask of you is to please let me finish before you comment on any of it. Do we have an agreement?" Everyone nodded. "Okay then. Angel and I are involved with each other."

"Tell us something we didn't already know." Cordelia said.

"We didn't know that." Xander argued.

"Well us girls did. Buffy told us over a month ago." She snapped back.

"You guys promised to keep quiet until after I finished what I had to say." Buffy reminded them.

"Fine." Cordy replied.

"We'll be good." Xander agreed.

"You better." Buffy went on. "This next part you are probably not going to like. In fact I know you won't. Angel and I are very serious about each other. And I just found out that I'm pregnant. Don't say anything yet. I just want to say; that whatever you want to say to me won't change that fact. We love each other, and if you don't want anything to do with me, then I understand. I already have faced the rejection from my own father." Willow gave her a sympathetic look. "Now you can go ahead and yell at me or whatever."

The group remained silent. Finally Anya decided to say something, "So Angel knocked you up?"

"Anya, that wasn't very nice to say." Xander warned.

"What? It's true. I thought I was supposed to tell the truth."

"We have already had this discussion. That is very rude to say to someone. You were getting so much better at the politeness thing."

"I still don't see your point." Anya said.

Giles spoke up, "A pregnant slayer. That's something that has never happened before."

"We have to decide what we are going to do about the whole slaying thing. I don't think fighting while I am pregnant would be a smart thing to do."

"You're right. It wouldn't be safe for you or the baby. I'm not sure what we will do." Giles stated.

"With Faith out of the loop. I'm the only slayer that still slays well demons and vamps."

"I was thinking." Tara said shyly. "You have been telling us that the demonic population has been down lately. Do you think maybe something is up?"

Willow agreed, "You know, Tara is right. Ever since the destruction of the Initiative we have had little evil to fight."

Buffy turned to Giles; "Do you think that they have something to do with this? Like maybe it's up and running again."

"You could ask Riley." Xander pointed out.

Buffy shook her head, "No, I can't. We had a major fall out. I dumped him, I don't think he'll want to answer our questions."

"We might be worrying about nothing." Willow explained. "It could just be that vampires and the like have found a new favorite town away from Sunnydale."

"Either that, or they could be planning something." Giles concluded.

"Which would make us lead to the scared." Xander said. "Anyone else not liking that idea?"

"I for one am not." Cordy stated. "I say we find Faith wherever she is, and ask her to protect us."

"That's like hiring a homicidal maniac to be your best friend. Can we say dead?" Xander uttered.

"Maybe Cordelia is right." Everyone looked at Buffy like she was crazy. "She might consider to help us. When we last saw her, she seemed scared. You never know, she could help us."

"Yeah, Buffy, she was so scared." Willow said sarcastically. "That's why she slept with Riley, and then tried to skip town in your body."

"See, she was scared. She tried to leave town. And she knew that she couldn't do it as Faith. I think she could be looking for a new life. You know a new start at things. We could give her that. She always complained that she was living in my shadow. That every time she did something good, I would get the credit for it. But now she would be the one in charge. Things could be different. You never know. Plus, remember that she was going to skip town, but she went to that church where people were being held hostage by vamps first. She helped out, and then she skipped town. And not in my body, I might add." Buffy finished. "So what do you think? Do we find her or not?"

Angel joined in, "I don't know this Faith at all, but it seems to me like Buffy is right. She might be willing to take over as slayer here, until Buffy has our baby."

"I still say we go with plan B." Xander said.

Anya asked, "What's plan B?"

"I don't know yet. But it'll be better than the plan to ask a psycho killer to come back into our lives."

"I must say that I agree with Buffy." Giles told the group. "Faith might be willing to get another chance."

"And if not?" Willow questioned.

"We run and hide?" Xander answered.

"Listen we don't even know if we are going to need her or not. Let's just wait and see what happens here, and if some big evil comes to play, we find her. Deal?" Buffy explained.

"Hey, Spike could always help out," stated Cordelia. "He can fight demons."

"Because he's Mr. Reliable? I think not." Xander retorted. "I think he would rather see us all dead."

"Let's just forget about this, unless we need someone to fight." Giles replied.

After awhile everyone left, leaving Buffy and Angel alone.

"They took it pretty well." Angel said as he wrapped his arms around Buffy.

"Yeah, it was more about what are we going to do with the Hellmouth. Which was good."

"Who is this Faith person anyway?"

"She's a rogue slayer. She's kind of killed a few human beings, but I think that she wants to change."

"Maybe, and who is Spike? I believe you have mentioned him before."

"He's a vampire, but he has this chip in his head and he can't kill or even hurt a person. He can only hurt vampires and demons."

"Okay. You do have the weirdest friends."

"I know." Buffy pulled him down for a kiss, "But I have the best boyfriend."

Part 19

"Angel, we have to go shopping." Buffy stated matter of factly.

He gave her a dumfounded look, "Why? We have enough groceries to last another week."

"Not that kind of shopping silly." She took his arm and pulled him into her bedroom. "We have to turn this into a baby room."

"We have another eight months." Angel pointed out.

She begged, "Pretty please? If you think about it, it is a lot of work. We have to move my stuff into your room. And then we have to convert this room into the baby's room."

"How much is this going to cost me? Because I'm pretty sure I'm paying all the rent on this place now."

"It won't cost that much, I swear." Buffy promised.

They decided to go to Babies 'R Us.

"Okay, we need a crib, a highchair, a stroller, a playpen, a car seat, clothes, toys-"

Angel interrupted her, "Hold on just a second. We don't need to get all those things at once. Let's just get a few things for the room. That should be the first thing we worry about, then we'll go from there."

"What do we need for the room then?" Buffy asked.

"A crib, a mobile, baby monitors, some toys, and maybe a few outfits. I figure you can put your clothing in my dressers and we can use the ones you have now for the baby's things." Angel replied.

Buffy grabbed a cart; "We're going to need this."

They found a crib, some blankets for it, a Sesame Street mobile, and baby monitors. And then it was time for what Buffy called the "Fun Stuff."

She picked up a giant teddy bear, "Isn't this adorable?"

Angel looked a the price tag, "Not for ^75 it isn't."

She reluctantly returned the bear, "What about this?" She held up a pink bunny rabbit.

"It's cute. But what if we have a boy? All the other stuff is pretty boy/girl oriented." Angel explained.

"You have a problem with a boy having a pink stuffed animal? Since when were you Mr. Masculinity?"

"I don't have a problem with it. It's just I think we should pick out something that's more suitable for a boy and girl."

She showed him a tan puppy, "How's this?"

"Perfect." Angel agreed with her.

They chose a few more stuffed animals before heading to the clothing department.

"Honey, keep in mind that the clothes we pick out-" Angel started.

She finished, "Have to be for a boy or girl. I know."

"We should also be sure that we get some things for a young baby, not just an infant."

"What do you mean?" Buffy asked.

"You know, little outfits that aren't too complicated. Stuff that's for when he or she is just born."

"Oh." Buffy replied. "Look at this." She pointed to a precious little pajama set, complete with booties. "We totally have to get this."

Angel took it from the rack, and placed it in the cart, "It's so cute, and tiny."

"Babies are tiny," she reminded him.

"I know, it's just so unreal." He placed a hand over Buffy's stomach. "It's hard to believe that a baby is growing here inside of you. Someone that we created together. It's amazing. You're amazing."

Buffy smiled as she brushed away tears, "You're making me cry."

"I didn't mean to upset you."

"I'm not crying because I'm sad. I'm crying because I'm so happy."

Angel cupped Buffy's chin in his hand, "I love you."

She leaned closer into his hand. Her hand traveled up his side to the back of his head. She pulled him down for a kiss. They quickly forgot where they were, and became completely engrossed in it.

"Excuse me." A voice told them.

They reluctantly broke apart to face a sales clerk. Both of their faces were blushing madly.

"You two are not showing appropriate behavior for a place like this." She motioned around. "There are children here. It is obvious how she got pregnant, when you can't keep your hands off each other in public."

"We're sorry." Buffy apologized.

"It won't happen again." Angel said.

"If it does, I will be forced to ask you to leave the store. You have been warned," she informed them before walking away.

"Maybe we should pay for this stuff then get going." Angel said.

"Yeah. Oh wait. We have all this stuff, but we're forgetting the obvious. Diapers and bottles."

"We still have time for those things." Angel replied.

Buffy nodded, "I guess you're right. I just want to be prepared."

"We will be."

The next day, Angel took the day off, not informing Buffy. While she was at class, he set up the crib. He transformed Buffy's bedroom into the baby's room. When she arrived home, Angel told her he had a surprise. He led her into the room.

"Surprise!"

"It's beautiful," she hugged him. "I can't believe you did this without letting me know. Everything is so perfect. Thank you."

Then she saw it, "Oh my god! You got the giant teddy bear!" she shrieked. "When?"

"Today. I couldn't resist. And the expression on your face is well worth the expensive price."

She kissed him, "That's why I love you so much."

"Because I buy pricey things?"

"No. Because you are so thoughtful." She placed another kiss on the corner of his mouth. "Believe me when I say you will be greatly rewarded for this later on tonight."

"Why do I have to wait till later?" Angel whined.

She pulled him out of the room, and continued to his bedroom, "You know what I can't wait either."

*

Later in the evening there was a knock on the door. Angel opened it to a man that looked about his age.

"Can I help you?" Angel asked the man.

"Does Buffy live here?"

Angel surveyed him up and down taking in his platinum blond hair, "Are you a friend of hers?"

"Name's Spike," he answered.

Part 20

"So you're Spike." Angel commented.

Spike nodded, "I guess she told you about me then."

"Not very much." Angel told him. "Would you like to come in?"

"Spike, what are you doing here?" Buffy said from farther inside the apartment.

"I came to see you. Xander said you had some big news to tell me. So I figured I'd come see you about it, and if he lied to me I'll-"

"You'll what Spike?" she said as she stood next to Angel. "It's not like you could actually hurt him."

He shrugged, "Well do you have big news?"

"I do, but it's not like I'm going to tell you." Buffy started to shut the door. "I'll never invite you in."

Spike stopped her, "Too late, Peaches here already invited me in."

"Angel…" Buffy grumbled. "You shouldn't have done that."

"Why?" he questioned.

"Because I'm a big bad vampire." Spike informed him.

Angel's face paled, "Buffy, you never told me that Spike was a vampire. You said he was your friend."

Buffy chuckled, "He's not really my friend, hence how much I can't stand him. And Spike, you are not a big bad vamp."

"I am so." Spike retorted.

"Oh yeah? Why don't you bite me?" Buffy asked. Spike just stood there. "See?"

"Well, I still am evil. If it weren't for that commando boyfriend of yours, I wouldn't have this bloody chip in my head. And you slayer would be dead."

"Do you know how many times I have heard that before? And plenty of them have came from you. You never could kill me when you didn't have that chip in your head." Buffy pointed out. "Or I'd already be dead. FYI, Riley and I are over."

"Have you finally come to your senses? That man, if you can even call him that, was a giant poof. If you ask me you are too good for him." Spike stated.

"Well, I didn't ask you. Did I? Wait a second, did you just say I'm too good for him? Since when did you start caring about my relationships?" she questioned. "Nevermind, I don't really care. So what brings you here anyway?"

"Like I said before, Xander told me you had some big news."

"It isn't any of your business." Buffy snapped.

"He told me that you might need my help." Spike said.

"That would never happen. Me counting on you for help? Uh-uh not going to happen."

"I could surprise you. Do you need my help with some kicking of demon ass?" Spike grinned, "Cause I'd be glad to help you with that."

"Let me get this straight," Angel joined in. "You're a vampire, but can't hurt people because of some chip in your head. So you want to help slay your own kind. Am I right?"

"When you put it that way it gives me a bad reputation. I just like to fight. So is that what you need my help with?" Spike inquired.

Buffy sighed, "Well, I guess there's no point in not telling you the truth. Seeing as you'll probably figure it out sooner or later. So I'm just going to say this and get it over with. Angel and I are a couple. I'm now pregnant, and can't fight. So if some big evil brews up, someone is going to have to take care of it."

"Aren't you a couple of little devils." Spike looked at Angel, "She's been living here for less than two months and already you knock her up."

"Do you and Anya, trade lines?" Buffy asked.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"She said almost the same exact thing. Do you two take classes for rude remarks and impoliteness?"

"Bug off slayer. Do you want me to help patrol and take over slaying or not?"

"I guess. It was either you or Faith. And seeing as we don't know where she is, or if she's homicidal or not, it looks like you're our only hope. God, I can't believe I just said that."

"I'll take care of it on one condition." Spike told her.

"What's that?"

"I can stay here if I need to. It's not always going to be safe for me to stay out on the streets, if I'm killing demons. So I want an open invitation to crash here."

Buffy looked at Angel, he nodded. "Fine, but once the baby is born, you won't be able to. And it won't be all the time. Deal?"

"Deal. Now about this other slayer. Do you want me to find her? In case of an emergency where we need her help."

"What makes you think that you can even find Faith?" Buffy questioned.

"I have my connections." Spike explained. "Besides you've said before that she's not exactly low profile gal."

"If you can find her, okay. But we still don't know if she'll be sane or not."

"Even better."

"Spike, be nice for once." Buffy cautioned.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm going to go, I'll be seeing you around." He turned to leave. "Oh, and when I'm staying over, I'd appreciate it if you two don't shag. It can make a guy nauseous." He closed the door behind him.

"I don't like him." Angel stated.

"No one does." She sat next to Angel on the couch. "But he's willing to help us."

"But we have to let him stay here once and awhile."

"At least we don't have to pay him or anything." She snuggled into Angel. "This is nice."

"It is." Angel agreed. "How about I make us some dinner?"

"How about we go out to dinner? We never got a chance to celebrate the baby."

"I thought that we already did a couple of times." Angel said remembering them making love.

"I didn't mean that kind of celebrating. So do you want to or not?"

He smiled, "Of course I do." He kissed her lips gently. "Get ready to go. Since this is a celebration for something very special, I think we should go someplace very nice. Which means that we should-"

"Dress up!" Buffy exclaimed.

Buffy changed into a pale blue strapless dress. Angel put on his best silk shirt, and pants.

"Wow, you look absolutely breathtaking." Angel noted.

She wrapped her arms around him; "You're not so bad yourself." She kissed him.

Angel pulled away, "We better save that for later, or else we'll probably never make it out the door."

"You're probably right." She agreed. "Let's go."

Go to Part 21