Uncursed

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 6-7 & Angel Season 4 A.U.

Author's Note: I've been working on this for quite a long time. I found the general idea on a website (though I can't remember which any more so if you recognize the plot idea let me know), really liked it, and decided to put my own spin on it. I've got four chapters done so far and I've got tons of free time coming this week (so far) so I'm hoping to update a lot of my fics. The timelines are pretty much the same . . . the only thing that's changed is the whole 'Cordelia as a higher being and coming back as evil-Jasmine.' Otherwise everything is the same. Buffy was dead but Willow, Xander, Anya, and Tara brought her back. The 'let's meet at the beach' thing between Angel and Cordelia never happened either. Darla staked herself to give birth to Connor, Connor was kidnapped, and is now a broody teenager who still doesn't trust Angel. Any other timeline stuff'll be mentioned at the beginning of the chapters.

With that said . . . let the games begin . . .

Prologue

"What am I gonna do?" Buffy said to herself for the tenth time that day. She lay on her bed on her back, looking up at the ceiling. One of her hands gently rested on her tummy, lazily tracing circles over and over. The positive pregnancy test was in her free hand, and she was twirling it.

She didn't even know how it was possible that she was pregnant. She hadn't had sex since before Riley left. And that was well over a year and a death ago! She'd only been back from said death for a little over than a month. It just wasn't possible. Okay, apparently it *was* possible, but it still didn't make any sense.

She looked at the pregnancy test again, as if seeing it a twelfth time would make the result any different. It didn't. In fact, it just made her cry again! Thankful no one was home but her, she put her face in her pillow and screamed. It really wasn't a very adult thing way to deal with her problem, in fact it was very childish, but made her feel better. When she had had enough, she pushed her long blonde hair out of her face and wiped her eyes. She took a deep breath and stood up.

Dawn would be home from school in an hour and Willow would be back from class in two and half hours. Suddenly a thought struck her: If I'm pregnant I can't protect Dawn anymore. But if I'm not here at all, Willow, Xander, and Anya can protect her. That's it! She would leave Sunnydale until if was safe and come back with the baby.

Energized now that she had a plan, Buffy jumped up and went to her closet. Grabbing a duffel bag, she began to pack all the things she'd need: Clothes, toiletries, make-up, Mr. Gordo, stakes, crossbows, holy water, garlic, and her favorite fighting axe. She also grabbed the money she had planned on saving up so she could back to college. However, the money would be needed for other more important things; diapers, baby clothes, food, clothing, housing, bills . . . everything that came with living on one's own with a child. In total she had eight hundred dollars. It wouldn't be near enough to the amount she'd actually need but she figured she'd just get a job as a waitress like she'd done the last time she ran away.

She also needed a place to go and thought she had the perfect place, Los Angeles. She had no plans, however, to go to Angel. She had heard that him and Cordelia were together and that Angel had a son. She didn't want to screw things up for him or them. No, she'd stay out of their way and live on her own.

Packing the last of her things, she went to her desk and picked up a pen and paper. Hurriedly scribbling, she wrote a note to Dawn and Willow telling them *most* of what was going on. She slung her duffel bag on her shoulder and went down the stairs. She put the note right by the front door in the key plate and put on her coat. It was still bright outside as she hurried down the sidewalk and to the bus station. L.A., here we come, she thought, rubbing her tummy.

~*~

"Buffy! Dawn! I'm home!" Willow shouted as she opened the door and her keys on the tray. She took off her coat and hung it on the hook. "Guys? Anyone?" She went into the living room and . . . saw Dawn. The teenager was sitting on the couch, her eyes brimmed with tears and her lip quivering. "Dawnie, what's the matter? Where's Buffy?"

Dawn looked up, her eyes puffy and red. She held out her hand and Willow saw a note. She took it and sat down. The note read:

Dawnie & Willow,

I'm gone; I left while you were both out. Don't worry, everything's fine. Honest. I just . . . I have something to deal with. I'll come back, someday. Just, don't come looking for me. Please, don't worry,

Buffy.

Willow looked up from the note and looked at Dawn, "When did you find this?"

"When I got home," Dawn sobbed, "It was on the key plate."

"So Buffy wasn't here when you got home?" Willow asked.

Dawn shook her head. "What are we going to do? We can't just leave her out there, all alone. We have to go find her."

"No, Dawn," Willow said, "She asked us not to. We just have to wait for her to come back on her own time."

"But I need her! I need her, but she just keeps leaving. Doesn't she realize that I need her!?" Dawn shouted.

"Dawnie, obviously she has something she needs to deal with. We have to just let her alone. She'll come back when she's ready," Dawn nodded, sniffling.

To Be Continued . . .