Disclaimer: Lemme think...um, no!!! I own Jersey.
Spoilers: All of BtVS and Angel.
Summary: A child shows up in Sunnydale.
Timeline: Beginning of season five of BtVS and season two of Angel.
Author's Note: There is no Dawn and Buffy's Mom is not sick. Gunn is a member of the LA Gang.
Dedication: Kasiya, Sara-Lee, Ryan, and Shannon who *always*always* send me feedback and encourage me to write me. *MWAH* Ya'll are the best!! Thanks so much!!!
Feedback: Please!! I'm on my knees. (Seriously, though. I really am on my knees.) Besides, you want more of the story? You must send feedback. Threats *always* work!! < g >

The sun was shining as Buffy Summers walked through the courtyard of UC Sunnydale. The grass was cut perfectly and the weather wasn't too hot, nor was it too cold; it was perfect.

The Slayer had been sleeping late, due to not having classes that day, when she received a phone call from her ex-watcher, Rupert Giles.

He informed her that there was an emergency that needed to be taken care of now. She asked if she could take care of it over the phone, but he had become serious and requested that she come to his apartment immediately.

After making her way through the college campus, she made the walk to his apartment complex. She knocked on the door and was greeted by Giles.

"Buffy, do come in," he smiled.

"What's the big emergency?" she asked. "Is the Hellmouth going to be reopened by an evil demon?"

"It has nothing to do with a demon, but I'm afraid it has a much bigger importance in your life," he explained.

"I don't understand."

Giles exited the room, walking into his bedroom. A few minutes later he returned with a small child, who seemed to be about two or three years old. She hid behind his legs, not saying a word.

Buffy gasped, "Is this your grandchild or something?"

"Actually, she is your daughter," he replied in almost a whisper.

"My, my daughter?" She couldn't believe it. How on earth did she have a daughter?

"Yes. Her name is Jersey. This morning a young man by the name of Kevin dropped her off, telling me that she was the daughter of the Slayer and the cursed Vampire, whom I assume to be Angel," Giles explained

"How is she my daughter? And Angel's daughter for that matter?" she asked, disbelieving Giles' explanation.

"Kevin talked of something called the 'day that was not.' In order for things to be the way they are meant to be, Jersey had to be brought to Angel and yourself. The two of you must take care of her and raise her, together."

"The 'day that was not?' What's that supposed to mean? Giles, I don't understand any of this."

"Its rather blurry to me also, Buffy," he informed the young blonde.

"I'm too young to be a mother. I don't know how to raise a two year old," she sighed, frustrated. Buffy fell back into the couch, running her fingers through her long blonde hair.

"Three," Giles corrected.

"What?"

"She is three."

"Whatever. The point is, I can't do this. Besides, Angel and I are no longer together. He made it clear that he didn't want to be with me."

"Buffy," Giles said, raising his tone. "This child needs a home. If you are supposed to be her mother and Angel is supposed to be her father, the both of you shall. I will not let you refuse you responsibilities because of issues that you have with Angel."

The Slayer looked up, shocked at Giles' tone. He had never taken a loud tone with her before.

"Tonight," he continued, "you will take Jersey to LA and explain to Angel the situation. The two of you will work things out so this child will have a proper family like she deserves."

"Giles," Buffy started.

"No, you are not getting out of it. She may be important to the world, being part Slayer, part vampire. But that is beside the point, no matter how important she may or may not be, you have been given this responsibility and as your watcher I will make sure that you follow through on your duties."

"You're not my watcher anymore," Buffy stated.

"I don't care. You heard what I said. Go pack. While you are getting ready, I will call Angel and inform him of your trip."

"Fine," she huffed.

The Slayer grabbed her purse from the coffee table and walked out the door, slamming it shut.

******************************************************************************

On Buffy's way back to her dorm, she began to think about the mysterious child that was her and Angel's daughter. < Maybe I'll be a good mother, > she thought.< And Angel I will be back together, he can't argue with this one. Jersey is an adorable child. I noticed she had Angel's dark eyes and blonde hair like me.>

She arrived at her room, packed herself a bag, and wrote Willow a note, informing her of the Slayer's trip. Buffy left out the part about Jersey, she didn't want to worry her best friend.

******************************************************************************

Buffy arrived at Giles' and didn't bother knocking. She walked into the apartment to find Jersey sitting on the couch, watching cartoons. Giles seemed to be elsewhere.

"Hi," she greeted the child, crouching down in front of her.

"Hi," Jersey replied, shyly. "Are you my momma?" she asked.

"Yeah." Buffy brushed a lock of blonde hair out of the child's eyes.

"Buffy, I see you are here," Giles announced, walking into the room. "Are you ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," she answered. "I thought about this while I was packing. The situation isn't bad. I'm sorry for acting like such a child; I guess it just caught be by surprise. I mean, it's not everyday that I wake up and find out I have a daughter with the man I love, but can't love."

"I understand. Call me when you arrive."

"Bye, Giles, " Buffy called out as Jersey and her walked through out the door with the blond child's hand clasped tightly in Buffy's grasp.

*******************

"Where we goin'?" Jersey asked Buffy as they made their way to LA.

"We're going to visit your daddy," the Slayer answered.

"What's he like?" Jersey was smart for her age, Buffy noted. She had most of her syllables and word sounds down. She sounded like an adult.

"A million words describe him, sweetie," Buffy began. "He's kind, gentle, loving, a great drawer, very noble. I'm sure he will love you as much as I do already. He broods sometimes too, but that's what make him Angel."

"My daddy's name is Angel?" Jersey asked.

"It sure is."

"Is he an angel?" For a three year old she sure did ask a lot of questions.

"Definitely," Buffy smiled. "We're here."

Buffy helped Jersey out of the car and they walked into the Hyperion Hotel, hand in hand.

******************************************************************************

"Cordelia, you can leave now. I have patrol un- Buffy," Angel stated as the blonde Slayer and Jersey walked through the doors. "I didn't expect to see you so soon."

"Buffy," Cordelia greeted. "What are you doing here?" Noticing the little girl holding her hand Cordelia rephrased her question. "What are you doing here and how did you get a little girl?"

"I need to talk to you," Buffy said, looking at Angel. "It's an emergency."

"Sure," he replied, walking up the stairs, motioning for Buffy and Jersey to follow.

*******************

"I don't know about you guys," Cordelia said to Wesley and Gunn. "But I'm sticking around to see what all this is about."

"It is odd," Wesley agreed. "How on earth did Buffy get a child?"

"So, that's Buffy? Man, he knows how to pick 'em. She sure is a hottie," Gunn replied.

*******************

"Here we are, " Angel stated, closing the door.

"Yeah," Buffy agreed. Jersey hid behind the Slayer still grasping her hand.

"You said we needed to talk, it was an emergency."

"Right," Buffy took a deep breath. "OK, I don't really know how to tell you this, but," Buffy motioned to Jersey. "She is our daughter. Before you start asking questions, let me explain. A man named Kevin brought her to Giles' apartment. He said that she was the outcome of the 'day that was not.' That part I'm still not understanding. Anyway, we are supposed to raise her because she is ours. If we don't raise her then something is going to go wrong in the world or something like that, I don't really know. All I know is that we have to raise her as a family."

Angel sat down on the bed. He had a kid, that he is supposed to raise with Buffy, from the day the he erased, that was a lot to take in. Seconds of silence turned into minutes of silence.

"Angel?" Buffy finally asked. "Are you OK?"

"Yeah," he replied. "It's just a lot."

"Tell me about it. Giles had to practically yell at me to get this whole thing into my brain."

"I have something to tell you," Angel stated.

"What is it?" Buffy walked over to the bed where he was seated. She sat next to him with Jersey next to her, still holding her hand.

"I know what he meant by the 'day that was not.' Please don't ask any questions until I am done explaining."

She nodded her head in understanding.

"You remember when you came to visit me during Thanksgiving, right?" he asked.

She nodded again.

"When I killed that demon, it was the second time."

"What?" she interrupted.

"No questions, remember?" he smiled.

"Sorry," she apologized.

"It was the second time. The first time it came through the window and got away. We went to look for it in the sewer. Halfway into the sewer you decided to look for it above ground while I stayed below. I found it after we parted and killed it, some of its blood mixed with mine from a wound. The blood made me mortal, it has regenerative powers."

"You were human?" she whispered.

"Yes, I was. I found you on the-"

"Pier," she filled in for him. "We went back to your apartment and decided to take things slow. Of course, knowing us, when our hands touched we jumped each other. Then, Doyle came and found you. He told you that the demon wasn't dead. You went to fight it and almost died. I saved you. You and your noble self went to the Oracles and asked them to take your humanity back for my life."

Angel stared at her in disbelief. "How did you know?" he asked.

"I started having dreams a few months after I came back, I thought that was all they were."

"I'm so sorry," he apologized noticing that she had tears forming in her eyes.

"Its OK. I'm not angry."

"You're not?" he asked.

"No. You just made me fall in love with you all over again," she replied, tears cascading down her face.

"I love you." He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer, and brushed his lips against hers.

The kiss ended when Jersey started pulling at Buffy's arm.

"Sorry," she smiled at Jersey. "Angel, this is Jersey, our daughter. Jersey, meet your daddy."

"Hi," the small blond said, rushing to greet her dad in a hug.

Angel placed a kiss on her crown. "I want to raise her with you," he said to Buffy. "I want us to be a family."

"I love you," Buffy replied. Another batch of tears began to form in her eyes. "We can make this work, right?"

"We can," he agreed.

**************************************************************************

Angel, Buffy and Jersey descended down the stairs and into the lobby.

"We're going to Sunnydale," Angel anounced, grabbing hold Buffy's hand. Jersey trailed behind.

Within seconds, they were out the door, not stopping for Cordelia's complaints and questions.

"Well, I don't know about you guys," Cordelia told the two remaining men. "But I'm going to Sunnydale, too. I want answers."

"I never pass up a good trip," Gunn agreed. "Wes?"

"Sure. It would be nice to visit Sunydale," the ex-watcher said.

"Then let's go. AH!!" Cordelia screamed, grabbing her head.

Immediately, Wesley helped Cordelia to the couch and Gunn ran for advil.

"What did you see?" Wes asked when she had calmed down.

"Angel," she breathed. "He's, he's going to be human."

"Where?"

"I have no idea. I couldn't recognize the area. Advil!" she screamed to Gunn.

"Got Advil," he anounced.

Cordelia downed the advil. "Now, let's go," she said.

*******************

"Momma?" Jersey asked as the three made their way to Sunnydale. "Where are we goin' now?"

"Sunnydale," she answered, smiling at Angel.

His smile soon turned into a groan of pain. "Buffy, stop the car," he managed to squeeze out.

He began to groan louder, his eyes turning yellow. Angel stumble out of the car door, still groaning.

"Angel," Buffy asked, concern evident in her voice. "Are you OK?"

Another groan made it's way through his throat and he fell to his knees. His eyes flashed yellow once more and then he collapsed, panting, struggling for breath.

"Angel," she said again. "What's wrong?"

Still struggling for breath Angel answered. "I'm alive, Buffy."

"What?" she asked in disbelief, tears forming in her eyes.

"My heart is beating, I'm breathing. I'm human."

Shocked, overjoyed, happy, Buffy ran to Angel, crying.

"I love you," she whispered. "This is perfect. We're together, you're human, and we have a daughter."

"I have everything I've ever wanted plus me," he agreed on the brink of tears as well. "I love you."

The two leaned in for a kiss, but were interrupted.

"Daddy," Jersey cried with tears in her eyes. "Daddy." She ran to him and jumped into his arms. "Daddy."

A new batch of tears formed in Buffy's eyes. < We're a family > she thought.

"Its all right," Angel whispered into Jersey's ear, running a hand along her back. "I'm OK, sweetie."

"We better get going," Buffy anounced. "We're causing a scene."

When Angel tried to put Jersey in the back seat, she clung to him.

"Sit with me, Daddy," she pleaded.

Instead of sitting in the back with her, Angel gathered her into his arms and sat in the front with her in his lap. She curled into a ball and fell asleep.

*******************

"What do you mean they aren't here?" Cordelia yelled. "They left before us."

"Cordy, they never said where in Sunnydale they were going," Gunn suggested.

"Yes, Cordelia," Wesley jonied in. "They could have gone to Buffy's dorm room."

"But Angel always comes HERE before he goes anywhere else in Sunnydale," she yelled again.

A knock interrupted her ramblings. She quickly ran to the door.

"Buffy, Angel," she screamed. "Finally, you two are here."

"We had a little problem on the way over, which we will get to later," Buffy anounced. "But we're here now."

"I see you worked out everything," Giles noted looking at Buffy.

"Yes, we did," Angel answered, smiling.

"Good, " he replied.

"Will someone please let me in on everything?" Cordelia said. "I need to know what is going on here. I mean, Buffy just shows up and then they leave to come here. Plus, she has a little girl with her! What is going on?"

"Giles, can you call the gang and ask them to meet us here tomorrow around 10:00 AM and we will explain everything, at once," Buffy asked.

Her ex-watcher nodded and walked into the other room.

Buffy continued, "Cordelia, we will explain everything, when the gang gets here. I promise."

"Fine," Cordy huffed and plopped herself down on the couch.

"Giles, we're leaving now," Buffy yelled, but not loud enough to wake up Jersey.

"Wait, Angel where are you staying?" Cordelia asked.

"I still have the mansion," he replied.

"We'll stay there," Buffy said. "Giles has two guest rooms and a couch. Ya'll can decide who sleeps where. Bye!"

Buffy pulled Angel out the door.

*******************

The family arrived at Angel's mansion shortly after leaving Giles' apartment. Amazingly, the mansion was still clean and had very little dust. It seemed someone had been keeping it clean.

"I would've thought there would be more dust," Angel commented.

"I," Buffy started. "I come here a lot, to think. About you."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Leaving you, " he confessed. "Everything I did to hurt you."

"I'm not. Without it, we wouldn't have Jersey. We wouldn't have this chance to be together."

"I still wish it could've happened without a little less pain."

"Pain is good sometimes." Buffy yawned. "I'm tired."

"Then I suggest we sleep," Angel joked.

"Hmm. I like that. When you make jokes," Buffy smiled.

"Me too."

Angel, carrying Jersey, and Buffy walked into one of the rooms and put the small girl in bed.

"Momma," Jersey cried on their way out. "Will you and Daddy sleep with me?"

Buffy looked to Angel and he smiled. "Sure, sweetheart."

The two lovers climbed in bed with their daughter. Angel wrapped his arm around Buffy's waist, pulling her to him and the Slayer rested her head on his chest.

******************************************************************************

The next morning the Scooby Gang plus the Angel Investigations gathered at Giles' apartment. Apparently, something important was going on. Everyone was in the dark about what could possibly be happening. Mostly, they thought it had something to do with demons and such, but boy were they wrong when Buffy and Angel walked into the apartment, Angel carrying a little girl.

"Sorry we're late, " Buffy apologized.

"What's *he* doing here?" Xander asked, referring to Angel.

Buffy ignored his question and continued. "Angel and I have some news for everyone. First, we want to let everyone know that no matter what each of you say or do to protest against our decision, it has been made and we are not going to change our minds."

"This is Jersey," Angel explained, "Buffy and I's daughter. She is the outcome of a day that I had turned back. I became human and couldn't protect Buffy, so I talked to the Oracles and they agreed to take the day back. Everything that happened didn't. No one would remember the day except for me."

Angel glanced at Buffy's, signaling that he needed for her to continue. "Yesterday, Giles called me and informed me that I had a daughter with Angel from the 'day that was not.' I went to Angel to tell him the news and he told me about the 'day that was not."

"On the way to Sunnydale last night, something unbelievable happened, I became human," Angel told everyone. Gasps rang throughout the room.

"I had a vision," Cordelia interrupted. "That you were going to be human, that's why we came here."

"Angel and I have decided to get back together and raise Jersey," Buffy said.

Everyone had shocked looks on their faces. Angel was a vampire turned human and Angel and Buffy had a daughter from a day that didn't really exist.

"Is everyone all right?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah," Willow said. "Its just, wow. You have a daughter and Angel's human. I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks." The two friends embraced.

"Well, I guess I can't call Angel dead-boy anymore, " Xander joked. "Congratulations you two."

Everyone told the couple congratulations when Anya ruined the moment.

"What about Riley?" Anya asked. "Isn't he your boyfriend right now?"

"Oh God, I forgot," Buffy realized. "I guess I should tell him that we're not dating anymore."

"Yes, I think that would be along the lines of what you're supposed to do," Cordelia said sarcastically.

"I'm going to go talk to him. I'll be back later, bye," Buffy yelled, running out the door.

*******************

Riley was sitting in his room correcting papers when he heard a knock on his door. He was hoping that it would be his girlfriend. The last time he saw her was 3 days ago and she wasn't on patrol last night.

"Buffy," he smiled when he opened the door.

"Hi, Riley. Can we talk?" she asked.

"Sure." He leaned in for a kiss but she sidestepped him.

"Riley, I came here to talk, remember?"

"Right," he reminded himself. "What did you need to talk about?"

"Us," she said. "It's not working." What was she supposed to tell Riley? That Angel came back and she has a three year old daughter that is a miracle? Don't think so.

She lied, but it was only for Riley. Buffy didn't want to hurt his him and make him think that he was just a distraction while Angel was gone.

"It is," he argued. "It is. I love you."

"I can't return the feelings, Riley. I'm sorry," she apologized. "Please, don't make a big deal out of this. Let us part as friends not enemies."

"I guess I should have been expecting this. Angel and you, it was real love; I never should have thought that I could have held a candle to him," he paused. "Is that why we're breaking up? Because of Angel."

Buffy looked down at her hands. "Riley, I'm sorry. He's human now, we really have a chance."

"I understand."

The Slayer look up at him, thanking the powers he didn't make a huge deal about this.

"Thank you," she told him walking to the door.

*******************

"I'm back," Buffy yelled as she entered the mansion.

"We're in the kitchen," Angel yelled back.

"Hey," she said kissing him.

"Hi, how did it go?"

"Amazingly, he took it pretty well."

"That's good," he smiled.

"It is," she agreed. "Where's Jersey?"

"Taking a nap."

"I wonder what we could now that we are alone?" Buffy asked smiling.

"I wonder." The two lovers ran for the bedroom. Giggles could be heard throughout the house.

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