This chapter takes it's name from an Alison Krauss cover. Credit where credit is due. Now, onto the story.

Chapter 11: Baby, Now That I Found You

Buffy and Lindsey stood in the doorway leaning on each other. Buffy broke the silence.

"We'd like to go outside for a bit - get some air."

Wesley sighed. "I must discourage it, for your safety of course." Seeing their disappointment, he hurried to find an alternative. "But if it's air you're after, you're welcome to go up on the roof."

He was rewarded with Buffy's deeply grateful eyes - as if he'd offered them the world instead of a rooftop. Leading them to the elevator, he noticed Lindsey leaning against Buffy's petite form.

"Do you need help?"

"No, I got it." She spoke softly with a kind look. "Thanks Wes."

"Of course."

When their eyes met, he felt they finally understood each other. Earlier slights and tiffs aside, they were close allies, and in the end, that was all that mattered.

As the elevator ascended, Wesley pinched his nose trying to keep his tears at bay. So much pain . . would there ever stop being so much pain?

Buffy helped Lindsey sit down, but he kept leaning back until he could stare up at the stars. She curled up next to him and for a while, they just lay like that: gazing at the sky and taking comfort in the other's presence.

When Buffy spoke, her voice trembled. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come for you. I shouldn't have-."

"-I love you." He stroking her hair, he continued, "Annie, when you came bursting through my office doors, I've never loved you more. You did nothing wrong -just the opposite. I am exactly where I want to be."

She pressed herself closer to him and began to cry. She didn't need to be the slayer in his arms; she could just be his Annie.

She spoke up softly, "One week till perfect happiness . . . that's what we said."

"Seeing you when I never thought I would again: it's pretty damn close for me." Lindsey turned to kiss her.

Resting his forehead against hers, he grinned. "Exactly how did you burst through those doors?"

She smiled. "It's a long story."

"I've got time." He had been trying to keep things light, but the comment brought the reality to the fore of both their minds. The truth was, he didn't.

With a sigh, Buffy pulled back. "Ever heard of vampire slayers?"

"One girl in all the world - yadda yadda. You're not gonna tell me you're her are you?"

"Uh huh."

He kissed her again, but froze against her lips. "You mean, I hired a vampire to protect a vampire slayer?"

She giggled at the irony, "Actually, you hired an ex-boyfriend to protect your wife."

"You and Angel?" She nodded tentatively unsure of his reaction.

She breathed a sigh of relief when he merely chuckled. "I imagined some crazy things about your past, but never this crazy."

Lowering her eyes, she asked, "Any regrets?"

"About you?" Sensing her anxiety, Lindsey nuzzled close. "Never."

When she met his gaze again, she found a loving smile. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

She whispered, "Lindsey, attorney for evil."

Lindsey moved to lie on his back bringing her with him. She snuggled into his side waiting for him to sort through his thoughts. "It's hard to picture you comprehending what evil is. There were a lot of reasons I never told you about my job, not the least of which was I didn't think you'd understand . . . I didn't want you to understand."

She fiddled with a button on his shirt. "I may be familiar with what you represent, but I don't get why you represent them."

"I'm good at it, and I was trying to prove something."

She looked at him curiously. "To who?"

"I don't know. Myself, maybe."

Lindsey became still. "Now that you know, any regrets?"

"We love each other and have been happy together since the day we met. What's there to regret?"

Instead of relief, she saw sorrow in his eyes.

"I'm sorry I lied to you and disappointed you. I'm sorry I won't be there when our boy comes into this world."

They'd both been so excited about starting a family. From doctor's appointments to nurseries, they'd treated it like their own private adventure. It was too soon for it to be over.

As soon as he mentioned their son, Lindsey began to sob.

"Shhh. We'll be fine. And I promise, he'll know how much you love him; I'll make of sure it." Lindsey scooted down and pressed his head against her baby bump. She stroked his hair and caressed his shoulder knowing that he needed this time to grieve. She would be strong for him now like he'd been for her.

He lay quiet against her stomach for a few moments trying to sort through it all. "How did we get here?"

She continued stroking his hair. "Beats me."

Now it was his turn to sound small. "One week till perfect happiness. . . ."

Such a simple phrase, yet it always produced the worst of consequences. Once again, Buffy felt the weight of all her past decisions. Maybe this was her fault, maybe she could have stopped it . . . . or maybe, just maybe, all love spelled its own doom. Perhaps tragedy is in love's nature and avoiding one would mean rejecting both.

Keeping one hand on her stomach, Lindsey scooted back up to lay by her side. Buffy pushed aside all her memories and focused on the man beside her. For a few hours more, she wasn't alone. Neither were particularly strong, but they would keep each other from crumbling.

They stared at the stars and listened to each other's breathing letting the life beside them quiet their souls.

When Lindsey spoke, it wasn't more than a whisper. "Where I grew up, the stars are so bright, you feel like if you reach out, you can touch them. That was the first thing I noticed when I moved here: how distant the stars are."

At his words, Buffy tried to picture the night sky of Sunnydale. "I can't remember what the stars look like at home. Never spent much time looking up I guess."

"Well, vampire's typically rise from graves, right? So, you being destined to dust them had to keep your eye on ground. Now, if vampires fell from the sky . . ." She couldn't help but laugh with her husband. That was her Linds - his weird jokes and comforting caresses keeping her sane.

Snuggling a bit deeper in his embrace, she mumbled, "Next time, a demon species gets created, you can be in charge of specs, but we have to accept vamps as they are."

"Well, you know Wolfram and Hart does have-"

She cut him off with a playful slap to the chest. "Shush you."

She looked up to see him smiling and felt herself smiling back. For a few more hours, he would be her Linds and she would be his Annie. Bringing her lips to his, she lost herself in their love.

For a few more hours . . .

An hour before dawn, Angel returned. Seeing him enter, Wesley put his book aside.

"Anything?"

"It's can't be undone."

"Not everything can."

Angel leaned against the wall. "Where are they?"

"On the roof. They should be down in a few minutes. She asked me to drive. We'll probably stop near downtown: somewhere safe where he'll be found soon."

"And after?"

Wesley looked towards the creaking elevator. "I suppose that's up to her."

Nodding, Angel turned around. "I'll be downstairs."

They came out of the elevator just as Angel disappeared down the stairwell. Supporting Lindsey, she whispered, "We're ready now."

As Wesley drove, the couple held each other in the backseat. Glancing at the rearview mirror, he noted that they didn't appear frightened or hysterical- even depressed. They just looked tired and nervous. Other emotions had come and gone. For Buffy, they would certainly return. But for the moment, all deeper emotions were put on hold.

The sky began to brighten as she helped Lindsey out of the car. Wesley offered his assistance, but she politely declined. He watched the pair limp down the sidewalk a little ways. Seeing them stop, he looked away to give them privacy.

After she helped him sit back against the wall, she noticed him drifting off. Sitting on her heels, she leaned in to kiss forehead. Barely awake, he reached out for her. "Stay with me. Please, until I fall asleep."

Nodding, Buffy curled down beside him so he could put his arm around her. Listening to his breathing steady, she closed her eyes and fought sleep.

Buffy opened them a few minutes later to see a brightening sky reflected in the office windows. Pinks and pale blues told her it was time. She gently pulled herself from Lindsey's embrace and noticed him stirring.

His eyes fluttered open. "Buffy, what's going on? Where are we? . . . I don't remember." The familiar words left her speechless. When she didn't answer, he focused his eyes a bit more. "What's happening?"

The fear in his voice pulled her from her daze. She stroked his face, whispering softly, "Don't worry about it." She knew they didn't have much time left, so holding back tears she pressed her forehead to his. "I love you."

He breathed deep and caressed her arm. "I love you too."

With all the love in her heart, she kissed him, and he returned it with all the love in his. Running her fingers through his hair, she tried to surrender and savor simultaneously. It was a kiss that should have lasted forever but ended in a moment.

As the sky grew brighter, his memory grew dimmer, and Buffy knew she had to leave before it went completely dark. With mussed hair and glassy eyes, she finally pulled away. Stroking his face with one hand, she held both of his with the other. "Close your eyes." Seeing them close, she leaned in for one last kiss.

Pulling back, she nuzzled both his hands before letting go. Then she stood up, stepped back and walked away . . . never noticing the figure in shadows watching from across the street.

As the sun's first rays hit the car, Wesley noticed Buffy walking towards him. It was obvious she'd been crying, but her eyes were dry when she entered the car. He waited before starting it.

"Can we wait? Just for a little while?"

"Of course. I didn't mean to rush you."

"I just want to make sure he's okay."

"We don't have anywhere to be."

As Buffy gazed at her husband, Wesley tried to keep from staring. She wasn't weeping, but her eyes showed so much emotion it was a difficult not to watch. After forty minutes, someone finally stopped to help. Buffy heard the stranger calling an ambulance and laid her head back against the seat.

"I'd like to go to the shelter now."

"Are you sure you wouldn't prefer to go home or back to the office perhaps? Some rest would do you good, then maybe later-"

"I don't want to go back there, and I don't want to go home . . . not yet."

"Alright." As they pulled away, an ambulance sounded in the distance. Wesley didn't slow, and Buffy didn't ask him to.

Upon reaching the shelter, they sat in silence for a few moments. "Buffy." While he didn't have anything to say, he felt something should be said. He settled on a quiet, "Stay safe." She nodded and got out. It wasn't until the door closed that he began his drive back to the office.

Buffy walked down the halls slightly dazed. To the kids, she looked purposeful, but to Sunny, she appeared distant as if she was focusing on something no one else could see. She found herself on the threshold of Lilly's office. "Lil."

When Lilly turned around, she was shocked to see Buffy in ripped and bloody clothes. What frightened her more though were the tears in her eyes. "Buffy. What happ-" Buffy cut her off by falling her feet. "Oh God."

Lilly didn't ask questions or offer words of comfort. Honestly, her mind couldn't think of any. The strongest person she'd ever known lay at her feet, and she was helpless to make it right. All she could do was hold her as she shattered.