What A Year!
Month 3
Third Month, One Day: Knock on the Head...
After telling Buffy firmly to leave over four weeks ago, Angel was surprised to find another visitor when he walked into his L.A. apartment. He politely glared a greeting at her. "How did you get in?"
"I picked the lock," she said as she rose from her seat. She rubbed her fingers together. “A bit messy, and I think that plate near the bar just moved.”
"It's a nice...if barren place, you got here Angel. Needs work, kinda like you," she said as she roamed around the room. She studied each piece of artwork that was on display. “So this is your new work, good colors. Unusual subjects, but very, very dreary.”
His head still spinning that she was here, Angel frowned as he threw the keys on the counter. "Looking for something? A way out perhaps?"
"The painting of Buffy. Where is it?" "Why?"
"Because." "Then will you leave?"
"Yes, or maybe not," she said calmly. Angel looked at her then went to go get the painting from his armoire.
"You're sounding like her," he commented. She gave a snort of disbelief as she carefully took the painting from his hands. She was quiet as she looked at it. When she looked at it objectively, it was beautiful. The play of lights and darks that he used to create it was wonderful, the textures and the colors that he used perfectly evoked the feelings that his subject aroused in a person. When she looked at it as a mother, she saw an artist that was deeply in love with her daughter and a man that understood her well.
Joyce Summers handed the precious painting back to Angel. "So after painting that, why are you being an idiot?"
"Beg pardon?" Angel said as he carefully placed the painting back into its place. Hiding it from the light. Joyce glared at him.
"Why are you being an idiot? Why are you staying away from Buffy when she clearly loves you and you love her?" she demanded.
"To keep her alive, "Angel gritted out. He did not appreciate to be called an idiot. "To keep her from being harmed."
"How?" Angel looked at Joyce as if she lost her mind. "What do you mean how? By staying away from her! By making sure that she doesn't get hurt by me because I can't defend myself! By having her not worry over me!"
Joyce stared at Angel. "You really are an idiot male from back when."
Angel glared at her. She glared back. "So let me get this straight...You are staying away from my little girl, making her miserable, because you believe that you're going to get her killed because you can't defend yourself. Is that it? You really are an idiot! And an egotist!"
Angel's jaw hardened. "Are you done?"
"No! If you think that you're going to kill Buffy by having her worry over you, then you're stupid," Joyce said flatly. "Because she'd worry over you even if you had the common cold!"
"My daughter, Angel, is a worrier," Joyce said as she took a step towards him. "She would worry about you even if you did know how to fight. She worries about me, her father, Rupert, Xander, Willow, Oz, even Cordelia! What makes you so special?"
"I love her," Angel said deperately. "I don't want to see her hurt!"
"What do you think you're doing to her now? You're making her miserable!" Joyce shouted as she poked him in the chest. She looked at Angel's miserable mien. Joyce took Angel's miserable face between her hands. "And you’re miserable. If you don't want her to worry about you so much, then learn to defend yourself."
Angel stared at her. "What?"
"I said, learn how to defend yourself, like I did," Joyce repeated with gentleness.
"You...know how to fight?" Angel asked stunned. Joyce rolled her eyes at him.
"Why do you think that I know how to hold an axe? I learned from Rupert. After a little persuasion, he taught me," Joyce said with a grin. Then grew serious again. "I'm like my daughter, Angel. A worrier. I couldn't bear that my little girl would go out one night and never come back. Not without me trying to help. So I made sure, after I learned how to research, I learned how to fight, so that I could take care of myself against the terrors of the night, and help Buffy not worry about me."
"But a man shouldn't be the source of worry. He should be-"
"The protector?" Joyce finished for him. She shook her head at his masculine pride. "If you wanted to be a protector, then you shouldn't have been involved with my daughter, who is the Slayer. You know the one girl in the world that protects the people of this world from the terrors of the night? Even if she wasn't the Slayer, my daughter can take care of herself, since we really didn't have a man, with us."
"It's not right that Buffy should defend herself and me," Angel insisted. Joyce rolled her eyes again. “I-I’m supposed to be her protector, her defender.”
"Angel, wake up. It's not the 1700's anymore. It's past the year 2000. Women can do anything they want to do, be all they want to be. We can even learn how to defend ourselves, not to the extent that Buffy can, but we can fight beside our man. If there is one."
Joyce gathered her bag to leave. She deliberately didn't look at him as she faced the door. "My daughter inherited another trait from me that you might not like, Angel."
She waited until she felt his gaze on her. "Given enough time, she'll do what she has to make sure that she survives, no matter how much it hurts. She proved it once, when she stopped Acathla. It would wound her deeply to lose you, but she can do it. And you only have nine months left of being human with her, Angel."
"She doesn't need me as a human," Angel whispered. "She needs me as a vampire."
Joyce turned around to look at him sharply. "Don't be an idiot! She doesn't need you as *anything*! Human or vampire! You just have to be there for her. That's all she needs. All she ever wanted."
Joyce walked towards the door, then stopped. "Three years ago, Buffy ran away from home for three months after Acathla. I was nearly insane for that whole time, and I spent long days and nights wondering, worrying about her. Knowing that I failed her and myself. Loving my child wasn't enough, Angel. I wasn't there the way she needed me to, and I blamed myself for it."
"You never knew that she was the Slayer. She kept it from you," Angel protested. "Right or wrong, she was protecting you."
Joyce nodded. "And she suffered for it. I was a liability that wasn't there when she needed me the most, and she suffered for protecting me. Do us all a favor, to make her stop hurting Angel. Either get out of her life or don't become a liability like I was."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Third Month, Four Weeks Later: Definitely Human...
It was a clear moon lighted night as Angel let out a flying back kick in the vampire's face, sending it sprawling to the ground. He then quickly staked it. After a quick look at Buffy, he then ran towards the vampire that was giving Willow a hard time. He held it still as Willow staked it, then they both ran towards a fallen Xander.
The vampire that was about to bite his neck, heard a whiz, then suddenly combusted. Angel scanned the area to see where their mysterious aide was, but the playground had too many trees to cover the helper.
"Whoa! What hit me?" Xander groaned. Willow helped him up as Angel let out a roar. Both looked as Angel raced towards the sandbox where Buffy had been fighting. Then ran towards it. Buffy was on the ground, with the vampire looming over her.
Angel felt his heart stop as he realized that he was too far from Buffy. To far to stop the vampire from ripping out her neck. “Nooooo!”
"Lith sends her regards," the vampire growled as it came closer to Buffy's neck. Buffy opened her mouth to say a scathing retort when her stomach heaved something out. The vampire sprung back, disgusted. Buffy got up again quickly, and was about to grab for her stake, when her stomach heaved again, and her dinner landed on the vampire again.
"Ugh! I'm gonna-"the vampire shouted, then it combusted. Then Buffy dropped to her knees, and proceeded to empty the rest of her dinner on the dusted vampire. Angel rubbed her back as she continued to throw up. She leaned heavily on Angel's broad shoulder when she was done.
"Well, that was a new way to stop a vamp from biting you, just yak on it," Xander said admiringly, then winced when Willow smacked him in the arm. “You okay, Buffster?”
"I am *so* embarrassed," Buffy's muffled voice came out. Willow bent over to feel her friend's head. “I am never going to live this down.”
"You feel clammy. Are you sick?"
"I was fine before,” Buffy mumbled. "I just had the urge to yak. Maybe it was something I ate."
"You were sick this morning and yesterday, Buffy," Angel said worriedly. "And you had that apple before dinner. Maybe we should take you to the hospital for a check up."
Buffy lifted her head up to glare at him, then stood on shaky legs. "I am fine! See! I can stand!"
Then promptly fainted.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Buffy!" Joyce screamed when she saw Angel carry her daughter in his arms. "Buffy! What happened?!? Angel!"
Giles came racing out of the study. "Joyce? What the-Buffy!"
"I'm fine," Buffy said petulantly from Angel's arms. "You can put me down now, Angel."
"She fainted," Angel said curtly as he made his way to the couch and sat with her on his lap. With one arm securely wrapped around her waist. "And she won't go into the hospital."
"She also feels clammy, and she threw up in the playground," Willow informed Giles and Mrs.Summers as she came in. “She also looks real pale now that she’s in the light.”
"And she yaked on the vamp she was fighting, too," Xander added, his voice mixed with some admiration and amusement. Buffy groaned in embarrassment and buried her face in Angel's shoulder. Joyce leaned over to feel her daughter's head, worriedly.
"She...lost her supper a vampire?" Giles said delicately. Xander nodded his head happily.
"Yep, she tried a new method of stopping vamps. Called it the Throw Up the Meal Method."
"Shut up Xander before I really hurt you," Buffy grumbled, then she imperiously commanded Angel. "Angel, put me down now."
After a quick look at Joyce, Angel gently placed her on the armchair as Joyce went to look at her daughter's face. "Honey, we may have to go-"
"No, hospitals. Hate 'em. Feelin' better," Buffy pouted as she got off of Angel’s lap and sat on the armchair. Her mother sighed. Then she looked at Angel for support.
"You need to go to the hospital, Buffy. You threw up the past three meals I made for you at my place," Angel started. Buffy pouted, but he ignored that. That close call with the vampire chilled him to the bones. "And you fainted this time. Just when a vamp was about to kill you."
"Maybe it's your cooking," Buffy quipped. Angel gave her a look, and she added defensively, “It’s possible, ‘cause I really didn’t like all that vegetable lasagna. And chicken cutlets.”
Then Willow spoke. "But Buffy, you've thrown up the meals that my Mom and yours made, too. And you've gotten dizzy several times at school."
"Maybe it's a bug that's going on," Buffy grumbled as she crossed her arms. “A stomach virus.”
The Giles's stern voice had to be heard. "And you've been entirely lethargic in the afternoons, and you won't get up in the mornings. Buffy, I think that you must-"
"Wait! Wait a minute," Joyce said as she looked at the people around her. "Let me get this straight. Buffy has been throwing up, getting dizzy, lethargic, unable to get up in the morning? And NO ONE TOLD ME?"
"Well...uh, I never knew about the yaking at Angel's place until now," Willow offered meekly, then she threw Angel to the representation of maternal outrage. Joyce glared at Angel.
"Never knew about the dizzy spells or anything else until now," Angel admitted, his face growing red under Joyce’s heated glare. He manfully met the narrowed look she gave him and threw Giles at her. “But Giles never mentioned that she was feeling lethargic.”
He and Joyce glared at Giles who stifled an urge to tug at his shirt collar. He gave Angel his own good glare, then took refuge in his ‘I am so offended that you would think that of me’ look. Joyce ignored it as she crossed her arms. “Well?”
"I only knew about her lethargic state, and marked it down as it being her not wanting to practice moods," Giles said with a sniff. Joyce was still glaring at him, so he added defensively. “She does do that on occasion, you know, more often than not these days. Even Xander knows that she does this. I’m surprised that Xander didn’t notice anything.”
Then everyone looked at Xander, who shrugged. "I only found out about everything just now."
Joyce glared at her daughter. "And when were you going to tell me that you weren't feeling well, young lady?"
Buffy pouted. "When I was I wasn't feeling *really* well? Honest, Mom, I'm a lot better now. I'm only throwing up in the mornings and night, but I'm putting that all down to my weird cravings for green apples, Sprite, black olives and strawberry ice cream."
Joyce's eyes widened. "Green apples, Sprite, black olives and strawberry ice cream cravings?"
Making a face, Buffy nodded. "So I'm fine. But now that I think about it, that mix sounds really, really gross."
"And these cravings started when?"
"About a week ago. Why?" Buffy asked after she thought about it. Then a strange look passed on her mother's face. "Mom?"
"Buffy, honey, I think that we may have to take you to the hospital after all," Joyce said gently as she placed a hand on Buffy's abdomen. Tears started to fill her eyes, causing Buffy to look at her with alarm. She smiled as she sniffed again. “I guess you did get some part of me after all, so we’re going to see the doctor tomorrow.”
"Why?"
A glowing look came on Joyce's eyes as she smiled at her daughter. "Because I think that virus you have is of the nine-month kind.” Buffy gave her a blank look. “I think that I'm going to become a grandmother."
A stunned silence exploded in the room. Buffy's mouth dropped open, a wide smile exploded from Willow's face, Giles stared at his Slayer and Angel stared at Buffy. Joyce sniffed again.
"Mom, I can't be..."
"So then who's the father?" Xander demanded. He looked at Angel. "It can't be you 'cause you're a vampire. And it would have been pretty stupid of Buffy to have, well, you know. Especially after last time!"
Buffy turned red and Angel kneeled to look at her. "Buffy...did you hate me so much that you..."
Buffy gaped at him. “Angel! I didn't! You're the only one that I ever had..."
"But I can't father children, Buffy,” Angel said gently. "I'm a vampire."
"Not for another nine months, Angel," Joyce reminded them. Angel and Buffy stared at her. Then they looked at each other, wide-eyed. "Or are you saying that you never even had sex with my daughter?"
Willow let out a strangled sound as Xander glared at Angel. “You had sex with Buffy? Again?"
Angel ignored Xander's glares and looked at Buffy's pink face. His baby? She was carrying his baby? In that tiny body, she was carrying his baby. “Buffy-“
"Mom!" Buffy said, her face flushing again. "It's none of your-"
"I'm your mother, and this makes it my business. Angel?"
Angel's eyes went down to Buffy's flat waist. His hands trembled as they ran through his hair. "I-We...did, but that was about two months ago. When I was in LA when-"
"When Buffy went to see you," Giles finished. Angel nodded. Then the implications of what was happening went through him. He stared at Buffy, his words tripping over themselves. "Good Lord, a pregnant Slayer! I have never...there's no record of..."
"A baby," Willow said dreamily. "Wow! And I thought *I* was going to be the first one with kids! Boy or girl, Buffy? We can start shopping for the baby as soon as you get over your morning sickness. Do you want a boy or a girl?"
"I-I don't know. It's all so sudden," Buffy stuttered. She looked at Angel, then at Willow. "Anything, I guess." The flash of a little boy with Angel’s dark eyes flashed through her mind. ”A boy would be nice. Not that I don’t like little girls, since I’m a girl.”
The thought of a little girl with Buffy’s smile flashed through Angel’s mind. “Buffy-“
“I think we still have your christening clothes in a special box, with your little blanket I made when I was carrying you and the little booties your Nana made,” Joyce said dreamily as she grew pink at the thought of having a grandchild. “And I think that I can knit a new one for the baby. You’re going to love being pregnant, I know I did. Fat ankles and all.”
"What about a name? What’s it gonna be? I like Willow Anne Summers. Has a nice ring to it," Willow asked excitedly. Angel's head shot up. [Name? Summers?] “Or William, but that kinda reminds me of Spike. How about Daniel?”
“I think the name Xandra Anne Summers sounds better or even Xander if it’s a boy,” Xander grinned. He looked at Giles, the man was still looking stunned. He elbowed him cheerfully. “You get to be Grand-Watcher, Giles. What’s your name for the kid? You want Ruperta, Giles? Or Gillia? Or something else?”
[A Grand-Watcher? Him? A baby? Buffy was about to have a baby?] Giles stared at Xander blankly. ”Not Ruperta, I think. I’ve always liked the name Rebecca and Gregory. But Rebecca Summers and Gregory Summers-”
"We're getting married," Angel announced. "Tomorrow. And the baby’s last name won’t be Summers. It’ll be Sutherland."
"What?!?" Buffy shouted. She stared at Angel. "What did you say?"
"We're getting married tomorrow," Angel stated again. "You're carrying my baby."
"That does *not* mean that I'm going to marry you!" Buffy shouted. “I can have a baby without marrying you!”
“Yes, you are,” Angel countered as he glared at her. "Yes-it-does mean that we’re getting married!! Tomorrow!"
Joyce looked at the people around them, and shoved them towards the kitchen. "We'll leave you two to discuss this!"
Angel and Buffy barely acknowledged the group leaving. Buffy struggled to get out of her seat. "I am not marrying you, Angel."
"Yes, you are, Buffy. There is no question about this,” Angel warned her as he pinned her to the chair. "We are getting married, and that's final, Buffy."
Buffy looked at his resolute face, and burst into tears. Alarmed, Angel looked frantically for tissues as he gathered her into his arms, then saw Giles and Joyce race into the room. "Tissues! Then go!"
Giles gave a handkerchief to Buffy as Joyce found then threw a box of Kleenex at Angel. Both left the room quietly. Angel quietly dried her tears. When she was down to sniffles, he lifted her face up to his, forcing her to look at him. "Why won't you marry me, Buffy? Is it because I'm going to a vampire again?"
Buffy shook her head violently. "That you think I'd be a bad father?"
Again Buffy shook her head. "That you don't love me?"
"I love you,” Buffy said quietly. So quietly, he had to strain to hear it.
"Then why won't you marry me?" Angel asked, genuinely puzzled. Her face crumpled again, tears running down her cheeks.
"You didn't ask. You-you just said that we're getting married," she cried. A sob caught in her throat. "An- and because of the baby. You never would have asked me if there wasn't a baby."
Angel looked at her stunned. Then he kicked himself mentally. He looked at the person he loved most in the world, and hugged her to him. He closed his eyes as his throat tightened.
"Why do I keep on hurting you?" he whispered. "I'm always hurting you, and it's the last thing that I ever want to do."
He looked down at the sobbing girl in his arms. The one that he loved above all else in the world. The one that he always managed to hurt without even trying. “Buffy-“
"Buffy, look at me. It's true that I never thought of marrying you," he measured his words carefully as he held her small face in his hands. She started to pull away, but he wouldn’t let her. "But only because I love you. In the four years we've known each other, I always considered you loving me a gift I never truly deserved. And I had...fully planned to die with you when you were...gone."
Buffy looked at him with her wide hazel eyes. "Then, up until three months ago, I was a vampire. I considered that a miracle in itself, but temporary. Spending time with you, in the sun, gives me a feeling that there are no words for. Then in the space of an hour, I found that I'm going to be a father, by the woman I love. I don't deserve you, Elizabeth Anne Summers, but I do love you. Down to the very depths of my soul. And I promise to always love you and cherish you, with or without a baby. Marry me, please?"
Tears were in Buffy's eyes as she whispered her answer. Angel kissed them away, then laid his head down on her flat waist as his arms pulled her close to him. Buffy's hand stroked his hair as he concentrated on listening to her heart beating, and imagining he could hear his baby’s heart beat as well. [A baby…] "Are you happy about the baby?"
"If it's a girl, I want her to be just like you,” Angel said as he kissed Buffy tenderly. "And if it's a boy, then he'll be just like you, too."
"Well?" Xander's voice shouted from the kitchen. "What's her answer? Are you gonna get married or live in sin? OW!"
