Five months later…
Buffy circles the cemetery for the tenth time tonight. She's exhausted. Walking these days could better be described as waddling. Buffy stops suddenly in her tracks and listens. It may just be my maternal instincts kicking in but I swear I feel like I'm being watched. Maybe it's Angel…she let herself think for a moment. No, he made it pretty clear last time he was here that he didn't want to see me. Even after he found out I was pregnant. I should have gone to see him like Willow suggested. She still kicks herself over that. It wouldn't have changed anything. I have to remember that. I just have to forget about this whole nightmare as soon as it's over.
The baby sends a swift kick to Buffy's ribs and she braces herself for a minute, resting her hands on her knees. "Sorry baby." She says gingerly. "I didn't mean it like that. You are the most precious thing I have in this world. I wish with all my heart and soul that I could keep you." But I can't keep you sweet baby. I have found you a nice normal family far away from the Hellmouth. Far away from any danger.
Buffy thinks back to the day the oracles summoned her…
Every night Buffy has had the same dream. I know pregnancy has been known to give you intense dreams but these…these are beyond that. Almost like a memory. It always starts with Angel's face in the shadows…and then it happens. He walks out of the darkness and into the sunlight. He doesn't burn…but he smiles. He smiles this gorgeous gleaming from ear to ear smile! It's radiant and I feel a smile creep upon my face too. The dream starts to flash at that point, like a slide show of pictures moving quickly across my mind. All of Angel and myself together...and I mean, together-together. The table, the bed, table again…Oh my. And then I feel a sharp stabbing pain in my heart that sucks all the air from my breath…and just like that I'm awake. The dream is over and I am awake and alone in my bed.
Buffy didn't know what to make of her dreams but night after night they persisted. As she does every night, she climbs in bed awaiting the same dream. Little does she know, tonight is different. As she closes her eyes, there is a loud sound that resembles a popping balloon. Reflexively, Buffy's eyes spring open and she has to shield her eyes from the bright white light that surrounds her. In front of her, there are two beings of teal and silver coloring. One a woman, one a man. They are dressed in what appears to be togas, like in greek mythology.
"Chosen one." They greet in unison.
"How did I get here?" Buffy questions.
"We summoned you, Chosen one." The female says, monotone.
"We have used a great deal of magics in doing so. It has taken some time." The male follows.
"My dreams…" Buffy guesses. Where is this going?
"We have been waiting for you for nearly three months." The female says, impatience high in her voice.
"Is this about my baby?" Buffy asks, clutching her slightly rounded belly protectively.
"We are the oracles. Messengers from the Powers that Be." The man states.
"We have been told that the prophecy has begun. The prophecy of the Golden one."
"The Golden one? Is that what this is?" Buffy asks, looking down miraculously at her belly.
"It is." Says the male.
"In order to understand the importance of this prophecy you must first see something…" The female says as she holds both of her metalic shimmering hands out to Buffy, palms up. Reluctantly, Buffy places her hands over the oracle's and in an instant she is transported to the dream she's been having but this time in real-time and she can feel every emotion and every touch, taste, and smell. I can feel his heart beat…His warm skin on mine…
Buffy gasps as the vision is pulled away from her and she is back in the brilliant white light where the oracles stand.
"You see, Chosen one, why this child is such a precious gift." The female says.
"Are you saying that this child in inside of me…is Angel's?" Buffy asks incredulously.
"That is exactly what we are saying." They say in unison.
"And this prophecy…" Buffy ponders.
"This child will be a great force of good in the world. Evil will seek to destroy it. This child will yield a great deal of power, more than you could even imagine."
"How-" Buffy starts to ask as suddenly she is in darkness. She looks around frantically and she realizes she is in her bed. Tears prick the corners of her eyes as she begins to wrap her head around what has just happened. These last two months I had assumed Parker to be the father of my child…and this whole time…this little person growing inside of me belongs to Angel. A product of love not lust.
Buffy rubs her belly fondly and starts to drift off into a dream she knows so well now…a dream she can now understand and cherish every night. A dream where a beautiful girl and a perfect human man spend a day of pure bliss with not a care in the world…
Just as Buffy approaches the far end of the cemetery she is snapped out of her memory of the oracles as a vampire is climbing from his grave. Doing the best she can at this stage in her pregnancy, she hurries to catch him off guard but fails miserably. He gets the upper hand on her with a backhand to her jaw sending her ass to the ground with a thud. Shaking it off, she struggles to get up. Her heart starts to pound as he lunges toward her again when all of a sudden he bursts into dust over her. When the dust settles, Angel is standing before her. He extends a hand to her and she takes it.
"Angel." She says as he hoists her up onto her feet once again.
"Buffy," he says monotone. "Something's happening."
Buffy's face falls. She's far too big and far too sore for something to be happening. Other than this baby. That she would gladly welcome right about now. Her giant baby belly is really getting in the way when it comes to slaying.
"What is it Angel?" Buffy asks, returning his business-like demeanor with one of her own.
He tries not to stifle a grin. "A great force of evil is coming into town."
"What else is new? That's not much different than any other day Angel."
Angel pauses for a moment. "They're coming for the baby."
Time stops as Angel's words register within Buffy. They're coming to take my baby. Why do they want my baby? Leave me baby alone!
"Buffy we need to go somewhere safe. Now." He said, taking her hand and ushering her out of the cemetery.
They arrive in the abandoned run down warehouse. It's cold and dark. Quite frankly, it's really creepy. Angel pulls her into the shadows, out of the light that shines in the window from the streetlamp. Every now and then Angel peers out the window. He looks down at Buffy and a glimpse of a smile appears on his face.
"You look beautiful as ever, Buffy."
Buffy's cheeks flush. "Stop it." She says, smacking him on the shoulder.
"I mean it." He whispers and she smiles at him.
"Angel-"
"Quiet!" Angel says abruptly as Buffy speaks. She quiets immediately and listens. She tries to look out the window and see what Angel is seeing but he holds her behind him and away from the window. There is a knock on the door and both Angel and Buffy still immediately. After the knock there is a loud crash and Angel rushes over to the heavy steel door where the crash came from and the window next to the door is smashed out.
"Stay back!" Angel demands, holding his hand up to Buffy as she tries to follow him. The large garage type door in the front end of the warehouse begins to left up and as the door lifts it is obvious that whoever is lifting it is strong, very very strong. But before she can see who is on the other side of the door, Angel slams it back down, trapping the person or thing's hands under the door. They scream a bloodcurdling scream and Angel winds some sort of rope around a lever and it seems to hold the door from lifting.
"Angel!" Buffy screams, ushering him to stay away from the door.
"Buffy I have to fight them off!" Angel yells back in a panic.
Them?! There's more than one. How many people are after my baby? And then, when you think it just couldn't get any worse…I feel like I just peed. I look down and even in the dark lighting of the warehouse I can see that my water has broken. I'm in labor.