Chapter 12: Being Home

"Is he okay?" Buffy asked when she saw me, her eyes ringed with tears she'd tried to conceal. She had changed into a fluffy robe, making me wonder if there was anything underneath. Thinking of the reason she must have changed, I looked down, noticing how damp my shirt was after Angel had hugged us.

"Getting there, princess," I said as I peeled out of my shirt. "It'll take awhile."

I heard her suck in a breath when she saw me, so I smiled back at her appreciation. "Maybe later," I told her as I found a dry shirt on the floor and yanked it on. "Did you pull out anything for him to wear?"

She nodded, pointing to a pile on the bed. "Right then, luv," I said, kissing her cheek before I grabbed up the clothes. "We'll be back out in a jiffy."

In the bathroom, Angel was sitting on the edge of the tub, resting his head in his hands. When he heard me close the door, he looked up. Again, there were tears staining his face. I knelt before him, sweeping the tears away with my fingers. "You're turnin' into quite the crybaby, aren'tcha luv?"

He laughed shortly, almost humorlessly. "At least until I remember how to deal with all this pain." Angel tilted up my face with a finger on my chin, kissing me lightly, his face and lips still damp with tears. "Is the girl upset?" he asked.

"She's just worried about you," I insisted. "Here. She picked you out some clothes." I handed him the underwear first, backing up and turning so he could put them on.

He stayed still for a few moments before he sniffed and I heard him stand, rustling the cloth. "Okay," he whispered. When he turned, he was standing there in his boxers, looking vulnerable and arousing in his almost nakedness. I gave him my seductive smile as I handed him the pants, soft loose dark jeans.

Angel shook his head as he took them from me, stepping into them one leg at a time. I watched the muscles of his abdomen and shoulders ripple over one another as he donned them, murmuring appreciatively. I stepped forward, pushing the dark green sweater over his head and arms, pulling it down over his chest. I let my hands linger there, slipping around his waist to his back to pull him into an embrace. Angel's arms enveloped my shoulders and he pressed his face against my hair, inhaling.

"Mmm," he whispered. "You smell like…the only word I can think of for it is 'home'."

"We're family," I explained. "You're my grandsire. Your blood gave me life after death, Liam. I belong to you."

"Grandsire?"

"You made Drucilla into a vampire, you sired her. Then she sired me."

"Where is this Drucilla?"

"Well, she doesn't have a soul, like we do. She's still evil and I haven't been keeping track of her for a few years, so she could be anywhere."

"Do I love all the vampires I've made?"

I laughed. "Hardly, mate. I'm the only one."

"But they would smell like home?"

"Somewhat. We've also been sharing a bed for over a year, so I smell a lot like you, which helps cement that feeling of belonging."

He inhaled again, relaxing in my arms. Finally Angel drew back. "Let's go talk to Buffy."

"Sure. If you want to keep hold of my hand," I said, giving it to him, "the contact helps keep you calm."

"Thank you," Angel squeezed my hand and let me lead him out into the bedroom, where Buffy was sitting on the bed, still wrapped in her robe.

Looking up, she smiled. "That's much better, sweetie." Buffy stood up, coming to stand before us. "How are you?" she asked softly.

"Crappy," he said with a slight smile. "Wondering why I can't remember you." He reached out toward her distended belly tentatively. "May I?"

Buffy nodded, taking his hand and placing it over her womb. He jumped a little and they shared a look, the girl smiling serenely. "Baby missed you, too," she said, rubbing the underside of her belly.

"Do we know whether it's a boy or a girl?"

"No, mate," I said. "We didn't want to know ahead of time."

"So it will be a surprise?"

"Yeah," Buffy said, clasping his hand carefully. "Maybe we can sit down? And I can tell you about us?"