What A Year!
Month 5
Month 5, Day One: After the Honeymoon...Return to Home
“Mom! Dad! Giles! Willow!” Buffy screamed as she raced through the airport to leap into her mother’s arms, leaving Angel with all the luggage. Laughing, Joyce Summers caught her daughter and gave her a hard hug. Buffy then was passed along to her father, and Giles. After she hugged Willow, they all started babbling in a happy confusion.
“Welcome home, Angel,”Giles greeted quietly as he helped Angel with the various amounts of luggage.”What’s all this? You were only gone for a month!”
“Yeah. And Buffy certainly knows how to shop,”Angel drawled.”Those two big bags there are for the baby, the two there are presents, and the rest are clothes that Buffy fell in love with.”
Staring at the eight huge suitcases, Giles gaped.“What did she buy?!?”
“It feels like all the things in the countries we went to,”Angel drawled, he then smiled as Buffy gave another squeal of delight.”So how was the Hell-, uh, Sunnydale?”
“Sunnydale was just fine, Angel,”Hank said as he took two suitcases from Angel.”It’s a nice quiet town. How was Ireland?”
Angel gave his father-in-law a quiet smile.“It is as it once was. Green, beautiful. Home.”
“Giles! Look at what I got for you from Uncle Walt!”Buffy said as she pulled out a black cap with two round discs atttached to it. Giles stared at it in incomprehension.”Isn’t it pretty? Why don’t you wear it now?”
Giles took the small cap delicately, as if it was going to explode.”You got me...a hat?”
“Not just *any* hat,”Willow said solomnly as her eyes twinkled.”It’s a genuine Mickey Mouse Club Ears. Otherwise known as-”
“I am quite aware of what it is, Willow,”Giles said as he looked at it as if it was going to bite him, then at his Slayer.”I thank you for it, but-”
“You aren’t going to wear it?”Buffy pouted, her lower lip quivering a sheen of water in her blue-green eyes. With a good amount of caution Giles, sighed as he put the Mickey Mouse Cap on.
“How does it look?”Giles asked, resigned. His eyes dared *anyone* to snicker at him.
Struggling to not laugh at poor Rupert, Joyce cleared her throat.”It looks...ah, Buffy? Why doesn’t he wear this later?”
“But Mom, it looks good! I even got Dad a Goofy Cap! Here, Dad! Can you wear it? Hey Giles, looks great!”Buffy smiled brightly at him, then at her father who put his cap on. She then frowned at Angel.”Angel, where’s yours?”
Angel sighed, and took his hat out of his jacket pocket. Giles stared at him as Angel simply shrugged.”She said that Donald Duck looks better on me. And it honks, too. Beats getting her upset at this time.”
Giles nodded as he, Hank Summers and Angel started walking through the airport, pushing the luggage along, with their Disney hats on.
*****
“Buffy? Ready for bed?”Angel asked as he pulled back the covers of their bed. Buffy came out of the bathroom, smiling as she headed towards Angel’s open arms. He kissed the top of her head, then bent down as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He lifted her, then slid her into the bed as she giggled. She smelled like heather and lilacs.
“I liked all the places we went to, Angel. And Ireland’s beautiful, we should go again. But it was nice to come home, Angel,”Buffy said as Angel loomed above her and she stroked his face. Angel caught her hand and kissed it.
“It certainly is, love. But I’m not so sure that your dad and Giles were happy to wear those hats through the airport,”Angel said as he kissed her tenderly. Buffy simply giggled.
“I *told* you that I could get them to do it. So you had to wear yours,”Buffy smirked. Angel chuckled as he imagined the sight the three of them made.
“Those eyes and that little pout of yours ought to be registered as lethal weapons,”Angel chuckled as he gathered her in his arms. He kissed her tenderly, then his head moved to the top of her stomach.”And how was your day, darling? Did you enjoy the plane ride?”
Buffy laughed.”Well, your son didn’t make me lose my lunch this time. I guess he loved the soda bread with butter.”
“Told you that she would love it,”Angel smirked as he kissed the small mound that was starting.”Daddy knows what you like, doesn’t he, princess? And this is the last plane ride for you, me and Mommy. At least until you can get comfortable with it.”
Buffy rolled her eyes.”I think that your son is objecting to that statement, ‘cause he’s giving me indigestion again, Angel. Wait, now he isn’t. When’s the doctor’s appointment again? I forgot.”
“In a week,”Angel said as he kissed Buffy’s rounding stomach again.”Good-night, sweetheart. We’re going to bed now.”
Buffy giggled.”You’re going to feel foolish when this baby’s going to be born, Angel. I’m telling you that it’s a ‘he’.”
“And I still say that baby’s gonna be a ‘she’,”Angel argued back happily.”You want anything before I turn out the light?”
“What a loaded question,”Buffy murmured as she pulled Angel closer to her. Angel managed to turn off the light several hours later.
*****
Month 5: Doctor’s Surprise...
“Hello, I’m Dr. Felipe. Your mother called and made an appointment with me, Mrs. Sutherland. It says here that Dr. Ryan, before he went on vacation and before you went on your honeymoon, that you took a sonogram and that it was on your third month.My nurse is getting those right now. Now, how do you feel?” he asked as he sat on the edge his desk. Buffy and Angel looked at the man. He was in his sixties, with a shock of white hair and kind brown eyes. He spoke in a slightly accented voice that seemed to sooth Buffy’s nerves.
“Oh, I feel hungry all the time. I have these terrible mood swings, and I feel strong,”Buffy commented.”I also eat the wierdest things in the wakiest combinations.”
The doctor chuckled.”That’s a bit normal for a pregnancy. What have you been eating? Exscuse me. Oh thank you, Nurse Wellings. Hmm.”
“Are those my pictures?”Buffy asked eagerly. The doctor simply made that ‘Hm’ sound again. then rotated it. Angel and Buffy looked at each other, then at the doctor.”Doctor?”
“Doctor Felipe? Is anything wrong?”Angel asked worriedly as he gripped Buffy’s hand. He rose from the chair slowly as he prayed feverently, [Let there be nothing wrong with my baby. Please, Lord!]
The doctor looked at the couple seriously.”Nothing’s wrong with the baby. Except for this one thing...”
*****
“How’s your head? Did the stitches hurt?”Buffy said as she drove to her mother’s house. Angel touched his forehead and groaned again.”Angel?”
“I’m fine. I can’t beleive that I did that,”Angel groused. He saw from the corner from his eye Buffy bite her inner lip.”Don’t laugh at me.”
Buffy cleared her throat as she turned into the driveway.“I’m not laughing at you. Here we are!”
Angel glared at her as he slowly made his way out of the car. Buffy kissed him as she wrapped her arm around him. When they entered the house, they heard shouting.
“I cannot believe that you would even *think* of going!”Giles said through gritted teeth as he glared at Joyce. Buffy looked at Angel in puzzlement.
“And *I* cannot believe that you of all people would presume to tell me not to!” Joyce retorted back as she gave him one of her own glares. Then she poked him with a finger. ”Furthermore, I think that it certainly is *not* any of you business! It’s not as if we’re involved romantically or anything like that! Besides, I’d like to have a nice normal dinner, maybe with some dancing and wine, with a nice normal man and have some fun for once!”
Giles’s face reddened as he glared at her in silence.”If you wanted to have-”
“Hi Mom! Giles! What’s going on?”Buffy asked as she sat down on the couch. Joyce simply waved a hand.”Why are you yelling at my mom, Giles?”
“It’s nothing, honey. How was the doctor’s appointment?”Joyce asked, ignoring the glare from Giles.”It’s all settled. I’m going out on a dinner date with Franklin Warren. The arguement’s over. How was Dr.Felipe?”
Joyce ignored Giles as he growled,”Joyce...”
Buffy beamed at her mother.”Oh, he’s really nice! Did you know that he’s been a practicing obsterician in Sunnydale for the past thirty years?”
“That was why I picked him. He was highly recommended by several of my customers and co-workers. Plus he gives out those little lollipops that you like, did you get me one?”Joyce beamed. Buffy nodded enthusiastically as she passed over a red lollypop to her mother. At another growl of her name from Giles, Joyce turned to glare at him.” The arguement’s over, Rupert. Deal with it. I’m going. Angel! What happened?”
“This is *not* over, Joyce,. You’re not going,”Giles stated adamantly, then he looked at Angel.”Good Lord! What happened to you, Angel? Where did you get that black eye? And are those stitches near your temple?”
“Yeah,”Angel asnwered curtly, then smiled sheepishly at Buffy. Willow and Xander cautiously entered the room.
“Is it safe to come out now? Hiya, Buffy. Angel,”Willow asked.”Are you still going on your date, Mrs. Summers?”
Xander offered,“Cause if you are, we can like check him out and see if he’s a normal guy for you. Not like Ted or Jeremy or-”
“Thank you, Xander. I know that Franklin’s a normal guy. I’ve known him since college,”Joyce said stiffly as she ignored Rupert’s growl.”Buffy, the appointment?”
“It was great,Mom. And I found out why I’ve got the really weird food cravings,”Buffy dimpled.”I’m having twins! And no, we still don’t know what they are.”
There was absolute silence, then Willow squealed with joy as she leapt towards Buffy. Xander pounded on Angel’s back as Giles and Joyce sank on to the couch in unison.
“I’m gonna be a double god-mother!”Willow squealed happily.”I can’t wait to tell Oz!”
Xander looked at Angel and beamed.”Two for the price of one. You’d a thunk it?”
“Twins...”Joyce said weakly, her eyes shining, her hand at her heart.”Oh, my...”
“Twins....’oh my’ indeed,”Giles echoed, his face pale.
Buffy looked at the pair and giggled.”You two are taking it better than Angel did. He fainted right on top of Dr.Felipe and hit his head on the wooden arm rest. That’s how he got the stitches. Then the doctor gave him a special tootsie roll because he was so brave when he stitched him up.”
“Ya know, Angel, seems like you had a better constitution when you were a vampire,”Xander drawled.”All this fainting, I dunno.”
Angel rolled his eyes then ignored him.”All I can say is that we’re going to have to have more of everything now for my daughters.”
Buffy snorted.”Not if your sons will have anything to say about it,Angel.”
“Let’s not start this arguement again,”Xander groaned again good-naturedly.”I’d rather hear your Mom and Giles fight about her date with this Franklin-from-college-guy.”
Giles glared at the boy.”What date? She’s not going.”
