Buffy was nervous as she sat in the office of Lindsey McDonald, Angelus' associate, and lawyer. She was glad that it was winter, and she could wear a coat. That no one would look at her wondering if she were crazy. Buffy knew that Lindsey would run back and tell Angelus the moment that he found out or even worse, her sister, and that was the last thing that she wanted to happen. Angel was going to raise her son. Angel was going to be her son's father, and no one was going to be none the wiser, especially Angelus. He could never know that the little boy growing in her belly was his son. Buffy was startled when the door opened, and Lindsey walked in with his briefcase. Angelus was not in attendance due to the plea deal that was arranged and the protection order. Buffy looked at Lindsey with all the disgust in the world until she felt her lawyer, Wesley, tapping her on the shoulder.
"Hello again Buffy." Lindsey said smiling.
"Hello Lindsey." Buffy replied, rolling her eyes.
"So, as discussed in the agreement between you and Mr. O'Connor, Ms. Summers would receive half of everything. Ms. Summers will still be able to receive alimony from Mr. O'Connor until she gets remarried. The vacation homes in Los Angeles, New York, and Paris as well as the house in Sunnydale will belong to Ms. Summers as well as her car. The only thing that Angelus requests is that you visit him one last time and then he will sign the papers." Lindsey stated, reading the divorce agreement.
"Absolutely not! The last time he saw her, she was raped and beaten down! There is a protection order in place!" Wesley yelled.
"That is the only request he has, Mr. Price. She visits and he will sign the papers. No more hesitation. No more continuances. Your lawyer can even be in attendance to make sure nothing happens if that would make you feel better, Buffy." Lindsey stated.
"I will do it, Wesley." Buffy said.
"Buffy, you don't have to do this. We can find another way." Wesley reasoned with her.
"I want to do this. If it will get Angelus to leave me alone and give me some peace, I have to do this." Buffy said looking at her lawyer.
"We will contact you with a date and time. In the meantime, I need you to sign these papers." Lindsey stated pointing at the divorce papers. Handing the papers to Wesley, Buffy was relieved. She was halfway done with this part of her life and could finally move on to the next phase. Her son. Wesley nodded and Buffy signed at the appropriate parts before they left the room.
"He can never find out about this baby, Wesley. He will hurt my baby." Buffy whispered.
"We won't let that happen, Buffy, most importantly Angel will never let that happen." Wesley said as they descended in the elevator.
***Two weeks later**
Meanwhile in a prison in the heart of the city, Angelus laid on his bed reading a book when he heard the guard slamming his nightstick against the bars.
"O'CONNOR! YOU HAVE A VISITOR!" the guard yelled. Angelus glared at the guard before making his way to the visitor's room. Sitting in the corner with Wesley hovering nearby was his wife. Angelus smiled before making his way over to the table and sitting down.
"You can leave now, Wesley. This conversation is between me and my wife." Angelus stated, coldly, before watching Wesley walk over to a chair by the window.
"How are you doing?" Angelus asked his wife.
"Are you serious? You are really asking me how I am doing. Why haven't you signed the papers, Angelus?" Buffy asked.
"Why are you rushing this divorce so bad? So, you could go live happily ever after with my brother? It sure didn't take you long to get into his bed, did it?" Angelus stated angrily.
"Angelus, you hurt me. You know what you did. There is no need for us to rehash this out. When I married you, you promised me that you would never hurt me. You promised me that I would be safe. I have not felt safe for the last year of our marriage. I took a chance on you. I loved you and you broke me. You turned me into a victim. One of your victims from your sick, twisted fantasies!" Buffy said as tears rolled down her eyes.
"Buffy, please. I am very sorry about what I did to you during our marriage. What I did was wrong, but I did those things because I love you, Buffy." Angelus said.
"Love? That is how you show a woman that you love them? Is that how you treated Darla? Is that how you treated Drusilla?" Buffy asked, crossing her arms.
"Here you go again with this bullshit. Why do you always have to compare yourself to those bitches, Buffy? They are whores. Whores that I used to satisfy my needs when you were not available. No, it was not right, but it was also not fair for you to throw my brother in my face every chance you got either." Angelus said.
"When did I ever throw Angel in your face? I gave us a chance. I gave you a chance. I wanted our marriage to work but you could not be faithful. You left me home alone for most of our marriage and your brother was a friend who listened to me vent. That is all. I never stepped out of our marriage, you did. Why are we talking about this? Just sign the damn papers, Angelus. Sign the papers and we can go our separate ways." Buffy stated, getting fed up with his excuses.
"A deal is a deal. I will sign the papers, Buffy. Just promise me one thing." Angelus said.
"VISITING HOURS ARE OVER! LET'S GO PRISONERS!" a guard yelled.
"What?" Buffy asked.
"Promise me that you will be happy. Promise me that you will have a good life. Buffy, I really am sorry for what I did to you." Angelus said remorsefully.
"O'CONNOR, LET'S GO!" the guard yelled. Angelus walked out the visiting room with a glance back at his wife. He vowed to himself that when he got out, he was going to get her back. He was going to win her trust and get her back. Later on that week, Angelus was in the visiting room again with his lawyer signing the divorce papers. He would adhere to what she wanted now, but when he was released he was getting his wife back. After getting back into his dorm room, Angelus laid down on the bed as he reminisced about the day he married Buffy. That day was the happiest day of his life.
***2 Years Ago***
The day had finally come for Angelus to marry the love of his life. They were in the most beautiful Catholic church in the heart of Los Angeles when the doors of the catholic church opened and one by one Buffy's bridesmaids walked down the aisle. Willow, Cordelia, Faith, Kendra, Fred, and Anya were all dressed in a black and blue ombre spaghetti strapped dress with a silver sequin belt around the waist line. Walking down the aisle behind the women was Alexis and Alex Jr., Anya and Xander's children, and Allison, Fred and Wesley's daughter, spreading beautiful blue flowers. Last but not least, the doors to the church opened behind the children and the most beautiful sight was standing there with her father. Angelus couldn't stop the smile from his face when he saw Buffy, who was dressed in an elegant strapless white dress covered in lace with a white veil covering her face, walking down the aisle with her father, Hank Summers. Buffy had the biggest smile on her face and she felt as if it took forever until she reached the altar. Everyone took their seats and then faced towards the priest.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the relationship of Elizabeth and Angelus and to be witnesses and supporters of the commitment they share with one another. Together, we are a group of the most important people in their lives and they have brought us here to publicly recognize that we have all played some special part in the love they share today. Elizabeth and Angelus wanted me to thank you all for being here and to recognize how important each and everyone of you are to their relationship. Speaking of important people, there was none more important in influencing the lives of Elizabeth and Angelus than their parents. With that being said, who gives Elizabeth away in marriage to this man?" the priest said.
"Her mother and I do." Buffy's father, Hank said, before joining his daughter's hand with Angelus' warm one and they turned to face the priest once again. The priest waited until Hank was sitting down before continuing the service. Buffy passed her flowers over to Willow, her maid of honor, before turning to face Angelus with a smile on her face.
"Marriage gives permanence and structure to a couple's love. It's a way to tell one another that no matter how much you snore or how much you spent while out at the shopping mall, we're still in this together. Marriage is telling the person you love that you are not going anywhere and that's a powerful commitment for two people to make to one another. A good marriage must be built on the foundation of this commitment. It is never going to sleep angry. It is standing together and facing the world. It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways. It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner. The road that has brought Elizabeth and Angelus here today has not been an easy one. It has been filled with challenges they were not necessarily prepared for. Together, they have taken each one on and have used those experiences to strengthen, not weaken their love. Elizabeth and Angelus wrote their own vows. Elizabeth?" the priest said.
"Angelus, I admire you. Simply because of your kind soul, tender heart, and positive mindset. I especially appreciate your endearing sense of humor. I am ever so grateful for your love and selflessness. In return, I offer these promises. I promise you my everlasting devotion, my loyalty and my respect. I promise to love you unconditionally and to grow with you in mind, body, and spirit. I promise to pray with you, to dream with you, to build a family with you and to encourage you. I promise to share in your joys and sorrows and all that God has to offer us. You are my forever, my best friend, my dream come true and now my husband. With these words, and all the words of my heart, I marry you and bind my life to yours. Forever and always. I love you, Angelus." Buffy said teary-eyed.
"Buffy, you have been my best friend, mentor, confidant, and my greatest challenge. But most importantly, you are the love of my life and you make me happier than I could ever imagine and more loved than I ever thought possible. You have made me a better person, as our love for one another is reflected in the way I live my life. I am truly blessed to be a part of your life, which as of today becomes our life together." Angelus said.
"Elizabeth and Angelus will now exchange rings to symbolize their love and commitment to one another. Angelus, please repeat these words. I give you this ring, as a symbol of our love, for today and tomorrow, and for all the days to come. Wear it as a sign of what we have promised on this day and know that my love is present, even when I am not." The priest said.
"I give you this ring, as a symbol of our love, for today and tomorrow, and for all the days to come. Wear it as a sign of what we have promised on this day and know that my love is present, even when I am not." Angelus repeated as he put the two-carat diamond ring on Buffy's hand.
"Elizabeth, repeat after me. I give you this ring, as a symbol of our love, for today and tomorrow, and for all the days to come. Wear it as a sign of what we have promised on this day and know that my love is present, even when I am not." The priest said.
"I give you this ring, as a symbol of our love, for today and tomorrow, and for all the days to come. Wear it as a sign of what we have promised on this day and know that my love is present, even when I am not." Buffy repeated as she put the gold band on Angelus' hand.
"Elizabeth, do you take Angelus to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to love him, cherish him, comfort him, honor him, and keep him, in sickness and in health; and forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?" the priest asked.
"I do." Buffy said with tears rolling down her face.
"Angelus, do you take Elizabeth to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to love her, cherish her, comfort her, honor her, and keep her, in sickness and in health; and forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?" the priest asked.
"I do." Angelus replied.
"It is my great honor and privilege to be the first to present to you Mr. and Mrs. Angelus O'Connor!" the priest said loudly as Angelus removed Buffy's veil from covering her face and kissed her so passionately that they could hear the guests laughing. They were married. Buffy was an O'Connor now. As she danced the night away with her husband, there was nothing that could take the laughter out of her voice or remove the smile off of her face.
Angelus looked at the picture of Buffy that was on his wall in his cell. He missed his wife. He missed his life. Even though he knew his job was not going anywhere, he was stuck in a cell for seven years. Meanwhile across town in a beautiful home in a town a few hours away, Buffy walked in the house with her hand on her belly.
"How did it go?" Angel asked sitting in the living room with his best friend, Spike.
"He agreed to sign the papers finally." Buffy said and she sat next to Angel.
"Great. Now you and Peaches can get married and wait for the little one to arrive." Spike said, taking a sip from his bottle.
"Did he suspect anything?" Angel asked.
"No, not a thing." Buffy said. "Today has just been a long day."
"Well, Angel, I will catch you guys later. I got a hot date to get ready for with my girl." Spike said.
"You mean to say that Faith finally said yes. Good for you. I hope you know what you are in for." Buffy said laughing. One of her best friends, Faith, was from a different breed. They were meant for each other. Bad girl attracts the bad guy. Buffy shook her head as Spike left out the door.
"Faith is going to kill him." Angel said laughing.
"Yeah. She is. So, what do you want for dinner?" Buffy asked.
"You cooking? If so, I think I will pass." Angel laughed.
"Oh you got jokes? Well, I guess I will be the only one eating from that new Thai restaurant then." Buffy said laughing.
"Aw, come on babe. I was just playing." Angel laughed. Buffy smirked as she grabbed the phone to order their food while Angel went to get another beer. Angelus wanted her to be happy. Buffy can really say now that she is very happy.