Disclaimer: Characters are property of Joss. If I owned them Buffy & Angel would be happily together
Rating: PGish I guess.
Distribution: My site . If you want it take it, and tell me where it's going.
Spoilers: Up to IWRY
Authors note: This is kinda a response to Krissy's Challenge to use Carol's soulmate speech from ER. This is my 5th attempt at fanfic so be nice
Authors Note 2: Basically the plot is this: Buffy became pregnant after her trip to L.A. She doesn't remember the forgotten day. Riley has been helping her raise the baby (Well actually twins). The story takes place a little over a year after IWRY
Feedback: Please, Pretty Please!! With a cherry on top?!

Part 1

Buffy awoke to the sound of crying. "Not again," she muttered. It was the fourth time this night that either Britney or Kari had started wailing.

She walked into the girl's rooms seeing that Britney was the one making all the fuss. Buffy picked her up, and tried to soothe her. "Shh. Shh. You don't want to wake your sister up."

Buffy carried her into the kitchen, where she made her a bottle. Britney finally calmed down, and fell asleep in her arms. Buffy yawned. She hadn't gotten much sleep, since the twins were born. Her mother and friends, especially her boyfriend Riley, tried to help out, but they weren't enough. She was staying at her mother's until she could afford a place of her own. Buffy had been surprised at how helpful everyone was being. They all had felt sorry for her when she had became pregnant. They thought it had something to do with the Hellmouth, but Buffy had other ideas. Riley was always trying to assist her, but she felt as if he was starting to get in her way.

Buffy took Britney back into the girls' room, then headed back to bed herself. She was finally able to sleep through the last hour of the night.

In the morning, Riley arrived to cook them breakfast. Buffy insisted that he didn't have to, but he did anyway. Joyce had once liked Riley, but soon became annoyed by his frequent visits. She told Buffy to go lay down for awhile on the couch, and she would clean up the girls.

Buffy soon fell asleep on the couch, where she had a dream. It felt so real. Her and Angel happily together. She called out his name in her sleep, catching Riley and her mom's attention. She woke up with them standing over her.

"Who's Angel?" Riley asked.

"Uh…" Buffy didn't know want to say. She hadn't realized she had cried out Angel's name.

"You said his name in your sleep."

"Buffy, what was your dream about? Angel?" her mom asked.

"Who is Angel?" Riley questioned again.

All of a sudden Buffy knew she had to see him. She had to know if he still loved her or not.

"Angel. I have to go see him." Buffy said.

"Buffy, do you think that that's a smart idea?" Joyce asked.

"I have to go find out if he's still in love with me, because I am still in love with him. I am. I've been in love with him since I was 16 years old. He's everything to me. He's my life. I feel complete when I am with him, and I feel empty when we're apart. He's the father of my children and he's my soulmate."

"The father of your children?" Riley inquired.

"Angel can have children?" Joyce asked. "I thought this was just a Hellmouth thing."

"Well, it isn't. I know it isn't. The dream. I know he's the father."

"But Buffy, how can you be sure?" said Joyce.

"I don't know. I just…I just have to go see him."

"What even makes you think that he can be the father? Wouldn't you remember sleeping with him? And how come you've never mentioned him?" Riley joined in.

"I never mentioned him to you because he doesn't have anything to you. And for your information I do remember making love to him, just not the time I became pregnant. But I did see him around the time I conceived them, so maybe something happened. I can't explain it, but I know he's the father. And I'm going to go see him."

"Buffy, you will not go and see that vampire." Joyce commanded.

"That *vampire* is the father of my children. Your grandchildren. And I think that I owe it to him, to let him know that he has children."

"Vampire? You had sex with a vampire? And are in love with him?"

"Riley, get over yourself and leave me alone. In fact go. I don't want you around me or the girls anymore. It's over."

"Buffy-"

"Go!"

Riley left rather reluctantly.

"Mom, please watch the girls for me. I have to know if this feeling is true. Please."

"I will, but on one condition."

"What?"

"That I and the girls come with you. If he is that father, like you say, he'll want to see them."

"Okay. Let's get ready."

Part 2

Once they arrived in L.A., Buffy felt unsure of what to do next. She didn't know how she could tell Angel. He would probably be mad at her for keeping this a secret from him. But she gathered up all the courage she had and went to see him.

She saw him and Cordelia through the door of his office. They didn't notice her. She stepped into the room, catching Cordelia's attention.

"Hi! We help the hopeless," she realized it was Buffy dropping off at the end.

Angel looked up, "Buffy."

Both of them stood there looking at her waiting for her to speak, for her to explain her presence. Finally Angel broke the silence, "Is something wrong? Are you all right?"

"I'm not sure. I just really need to talk to you." She glanced over at Cordelia. "Alone."

"Okay. We can use my office." He showed her into his office, closing the door behind him.

"Angel, I have some things to tell you, that you may or may not like. Don't say anything, just let me get this off my chest, then you can ask questions. Okay?"

He nodded, urging her to continue. Buffy took a deep breath, wondering how to start. She had practiced this speech a million times in her head, but now that the moment was upon her, she completely forgot everything. At last she reached into her pocket and pulled out her wallet. She took out a picture, and handed it to him. "This is Britney and Kari…my daughters."

His head shot up. "You and the father must be pretty happy. They're beautiful, like their mother. Who is the father anyway?"

"That's the thing. I don't know. All that I know is that they were conceived around Thanksgiving."

"Maybe it's a Hellmouth thing…" He trailed off realizing that Buffy and him had made love around that Thanksgiving. But it didn't make any sense the day had been erased.

"Angel, what is it? Do you know something?"

"It can't be."

"Can't be what?" she demanded.

"My daughters."

"Your daughters? We didn't sleep together. Not then anyway."

"The day was supposed to be erased. But I guess that not everything was." He said pointing to the girls.

"What do you mean?"

"When you came to L.A. you weren't just here for five minutes. You were here for a whole day. I was human, and we were happy."

"What changed?"

"I couldn't protect you as a human. So I asked the oracles, or the 'Higher Powers' to change me back. They agreed, but only I would remember the day. You would forget."

"How could you do that? Why do you keep making decisions about my life? My life, Angel. Mine. Not yours. I'm a big girl. I can make decisions on my own. And why the hell do you think that I need to be protected."

"Buffy-"

"No Angel. I don't need you to protect me. I can fend for myself." Tears started forming in her eyes. "I know how to take care of myself." She broke down in sobs.

Angel wrapped her small body in his arms. "I know you're mad at me. I know that I shouldn't have made that decision without you, but it was for the best." He kissed her hair. "I'm sorry. And I'm sorry that I wasn't with you when you needed me most. When you were pregnant. I should be helping you raise your our babies."

She pulled away from him. "I'm sorry."

"For what? You don't have to be sorry for anything."

"I kinda already thought that Britney and Kari were yours. And I kept it from you. You weren't there for some important moments in their lives, like their birth, because of me."

"I don't blame you." She looked into his eyes and he continued, "I could never blame you."

He leaned down and kissed her lips. It made an unspoken pact that he would stay with her. That he would be there for her and the girls. When they broke apart he gently cupped her face in his hand and asked, "Can I see our daughters?"

Buffy smiled, truly smiled, for what seemed like the first time since Angel left her. "Our daughters. You don't know how glad I am to her you say that. They're with my mom, and I think that it is about time they meet their father."

He smiled at her, and started to lead her out of the office, when he suddenly stopped. "I just have to tell you one thing."

"What's that?"

"I love you."

Buffy had longed to hear those words for so long. "I love you," she replied.

With those three simple words they started their new life together. It would be hard, they both knew, but it would be worth it. They were soulmates, meant to be together for eternity, and they would be.

Soulmates were forever.

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