A couple of weeks later she watched the rain splatter against the windows of Angel's Jaguar with a frown. It was just her luck Snyder was having the Bronze fumigated over the weekend, and she had the free time for their third 'date'. She frowned and glanced sideways at the guy driving before turning back to the window gloomily. "You know... tonight's kind of big-time, maybe you should have found someone you liked a little more than me to go with."
"Too late now," he answered before glancing at her. She didn't look at him, and he turned back to the road. He knew exactly what was bothering her. Tonight it wouldn't just be his friends she'd be facing, but most of the powerful people in Sunnydale. It wasn't her type of function or her type of people. He was well aware her dress was the same one she'd worn to the charity two years ago, and unless he missed his guess, they would know it as well.
His jaw clenched with annoyance that he even cared as he thought over his problem again. All he wanted was to move on, and so far everything he'd tried had only made his need for her worse. Maybe, he mused, he needed more, something closer to what he thought he'd had with her... Not that it could ever be the same, but still... His eyes narrowed. "I imagine Sunnydale's elite won't care for the weather we're having."
She turned to look at him, but he didn't return the favor, and she glanced back out the side window. "No. I doubt they will."
Silence fell as he made the last turn toward the Sunnydale Country Club. The red Jaguar purred up to the canopy, and one of the waiting valets hurried toward Buffy's door only to stop when she opened it herself and stepped out without thought. Realizing only after the fact what he'd been trying to do, she gave him an apologetic smile. She hadn't even stepped into the building and was already making mistakes. The valet bobbed his head before hurrying to move the car as Angel walked up to stand beside her. Instead of ushering her into the building though, he hesitated and met the second valet's eyes. "Looks like we're in for a storm."
Surprised at the small conversation, the man smiled and nodded. "If the weather stations are accurate, they're predicting anywhere from two to three inches."
Angel nodded and turned to meet Buffy's wary green eyes as she studied him. "Ready?"
She turned toward the building with resignation, and he placed a hand on her lower back and guided her to the waiting doorman before entering the carefully maintained corridor that followed.
"I'll need your reservation card, sir," an elegantly dressed woman smiled up at Angel from her seat behind a small lace and satin covered table. He handed it to her, and she looked it over before informing him where he was to be seated. "Have a pleasant evening Mr. McCormick."
He nodded as he and Buffy began to make their way through the crowd. "Angel, Angel McCormick, is that you?"
Angel slowed before turning to the middle aged woman that had called to him. "Hello, Mrs. Chambers."
She beamed. "It's so nice to have you back in town." He gave a faint smile, and she leaned closer. "I do hope that you," her eyes slid over Buffy disapprovingly before turning back to him, "find someone suitable to settle down with and make your uncles proud. Why it was just the other day I told Darla how I hoped she'd find me a nice son-in-law to bring over for Sunday luncheons."
"I'm sure she can have just about any man she wants at her feet," Angel murmured with amusement as he looked at the polished woman.
"Yes," she agreed with satisfaction. "Darla is a wonderful beautiful girl. I'm sure the man she chooses will be blessed. Isn't that right Harold?" Her husband didn't answer, and she scowled as she turned to look for him. "Honestly I almost think he disappears on purpose sometimes."
"I believe he's at the refreshment table," Angel answered, and she turned to look.
"Yes... and he's drinking more wine." She hesitated before turning back to the brunette. "If you'll excuse me, I should probably collect my husband and find our seats."
"Of course," he agreed, and watched as she took off in Harold's direction.
The night was every bit as tedious and miserable as Buffy knew it would be. The only thing was... she glanced at her date as he spoke to Lindsey, Angel was oddly protective of her tonight. He wasn't as protective as he'd once been, he let some things through, but he also let it be known within fifteen minutes of joining their table that she was off limits, at least for the larger stuff.
A loud boom of thunder ran through the room, and she felt some of her languor fall away before glancing at her watch. It was almost nine, and she took a sip of her drink before setting the glass back on the table.
"I can't believe this weather," Dru murmured. "It's a shame the storm had to come tonight."
"I think I felt the room shake with that last bit of thunder," Lilah spoke up.
"Well if it would knock out the lights, at least we wouldn't have to look at Mrs. Jenkins anymore," Cordelia mock shuddered. "That green and purple pantsuit she's wearing is right out of the seventies."
Dru laughed, her gaze flying to Buffy. "At least it's quality clothing, not like some of the... cheaper outfits."
Buffy was suddenly the center of the girl's attention, and she looked at them uncomfortably. It was true her dress was two years old, but it was also true she'd spent close to two hundred on it, it was hardly cheap, and she forced herself to relax as she met their eyes. "I've always liked the classics myself," she murmured. "Not that there's anything wrong with being a fashion follower. It's just that, you know, following," she finished the sentence as she knew Willow would have.
A soft deep laugh reached her, and she glanced over to see Angel had turned away from Lindsey to look at Cordelia. "I seem to remember a few *fads* you went through Cor."
Cordelia turned to him with a scowl. "High fashion is not a fad Angel, and you well know it." She turned to Buffy and gave a shake of her head. "And wearing cheap ratty clothes has very little to do with classics or class."
"And by the same token," Angel murmured, "class is not always tied to how much money you have."
"No," Spike broke in, his sharp blue eyes on Angel, "in fact, money sometimes attracts people that don't have any class at all."
Angel glanced at him, his expression unreadable. "Let's just say it's a matter of taste."
"Taste," Lindsey scoffed before he shrugged. "To each his own then." He held up his glass and met Angel's dark eyes. "Shall we drink to slumming?"
Buffy tensed, her face flushing as she followed Angel's gaze over to his friend. They'd been picking on her off and on all night, and Angel had been sniping back with a casual ease that left her in awe. Up until now though it hadn't been nearly as confrontational. She shifted uneasily as he turned to look at her, his glass in his hand. "What do you say? Shall we?" He held his glass out to her, and it took her a moment to realize what he was asking before she reached out to pick up her glass and lightly touch it to his.
"To slumming," she murmured as their eyes locked, his cautious, and hers grateful.
"And now that we've drank to the toast," he set the glass on the table, glanced at his watch, "I believe Buffy and I will be leaving before the storm gets worse... unless of course, you have an objection." He turned to her and raised an eyebrow when she looked at him with surprise.
"No. No objection," she answered with a cautious smile.
"The auction hasn't started yet," Cordelia huffed as she watched them get to their feet.
"I'll make a donation before leaving." Angel shifted to Buffy's side before beginning to propel her toward the exit.
Relief flooded her as they made their way through the room, and she stopped at Angel's side as he wrote a check and handed it to a beaming middle aged woman. The uniformed man in the hall brought them their coats before they headed out to stand under the canopied archway. Lightning flashed, thunder rumbled, and she took a deep breath of the cool fresh air as Angel dealt with the valets.
"Are we the first to leave?" he asked the man that had stayed under the canopy.
"No. You'd be the third sir." The brown haired man glanced over the dark shapes of the swaying trees. "The weather seems to be causing some concern."
Headlights flashed through the darkness moments before the Jaguar purred up to the canopy, and Angel nodded to the man he'd been talking to before walking over to slide into the driver's seat. Buffy joined him before fidgeting in the silence that followed. "Why?" she asked as the car started to pick up speed.
"Why what?"
"Why the change of..." she broke off. She'd been about to say heart. She took a breath. "Why the change of attitude?"
His eyes narrowed and he tensed before forcing himself to relax. "We had something... or at least I thought we did." Sadness washed over her and she couldn't stop from looking at him helplessly. He glanced over and saw the look before taking a breath and trying to control his building anger. "I want to find out if it's still there, and how much of it was real."
She looked away and absently noted the few sprinkles dotting the windshield. "Why do you think I signed the papers?"
"It's fairly obvious isn't it?"
She gave a regretful shake of her head. She'd never even considered that he would think that. Angel was gorgeous, bright, and fun. How could he think she married him for his money, especially when she'd insisted on working her way through college? "No," she stated firmly. "It's not obvious." Silence fell, and she broke it. "I needed you to *talk* to me Angel, and you left."
"What good would it have done? I mean, whatever your reason, I could never be certain could I?"
"I guess not," she answered with an aching heart.
He glanced at her before turning down a wooded lane. "I'm still mad Buffy... You'd be making a huge mistake if you thought different... but like I said, I want to know if it was real and if it's still there."
She stared out the window and felt a slow curiosity grow. "I think I'd like that."
"Thought you might," he muttered as he pulled the car into a paved parking area before shutting off the engine and turning toward her. "Walk with me?"
She gave a slow warm smile. "It won't ruin my outfit, but what about yours?"
"I'm not going to lose anything I'm not prepared to." He opened the door before turning back. "Coming?"
"Yeah." She got out and walked around the car before giving a cry of surprise when he picked her up and started jogging toward the small gazebo. They had just reached it when a loud boom shook the little building, the rain fell harder, and Buffy tugged his mouth down to hers.
"Do you think she'll be okay?" Willow asked as she held the flashlight steadily on the steering column so Oz could slide the key into the ignition. The power had gone out about half an hour ago and had yet to come back on.
"Buffy's tough Will. She'll be fine."
The van roared to life, and Willow switched off the light and stared into the darkness with a worried frown. Buffy had brought Angel home with her... and she'd been happy and soaked, and Willow hadn't wasted any time in pulling her into the kitchen to talk. The redhead wasn't entirely happy with the answers she'd got. How could Angel have done a 180-degree change in direction? Was he playing a game, or had he really decided to give Buffy another chance? She glanced sideways at Oz. "You don't think she told him about Liam do you?"
He stopped at a dark intersection before driving through it. "Don't think so. She would have said something."
Willow chewed on her lip thoughtfully before a loud clap of thunder made her jump, and she ran a hand through her hair before looking at Oz. "They're not going to get a lot of alone time tonight. Liam doesn't like storms."
Oz smiled and glanced at his highly intelligent fiance. "Liam's not the only one that doesn't like storms, Will."
"I like storms... just not the loud... bangy kind," she defended as she crossed her arms and scowled over the darkness covering Sunnydale. It was eerie, and she didn't like it. She glanced back over at Oz and saw his faint smile from the lights on the dash before another clap of thunder cracked loudly making her jump again.
It was almost 7 am when Tara tiredly walked into the house and started toward the stairs.
"Oh hey," Buffy walked into the living room. "I thought I heard something."
"Um... yeah." The blonde looked at Buffy before looking at the man standing behind her. "I was just getting ready to go to bed." Her face flushed as she wondered what she'd interrupted.
"If you've got a minute I can introduce you to Angel." Buffy met her eyes deliberately before turning to look at him. "And Angel, this is Tara. She started a job at the Quick Mart a couple of months ago." She glanced back at her housemate with a smile. "How did it go last night with the power outage?"
Tara shook her head. "It was fun... I had to call my boss to find out what to do, and ended up closing the place down for a couple of hours... not that there were a lot of customers," she added with a frown... "And then my replacement didn't show up, so I ended up working about five hours of their shift..."
Buffy grinned. "So I take it you probably had some trouble staying awake."
"Oh yeah. I mean it was dark, and there wasn't even a radio..." she broke off and looked at Angel as if she'd just remembered his presence. "Well... I'm a little tired so I'll talk to you later." She shot a shy smile at the brunette. "And it was nice to meet you, Angel."
"You too," he answered as she headed up the stairs. He glanced at Buffy. "She seems nice."
"Yeah," she agreed. "She's studying to be a doctor, and I'm pretty sure she'll be one of the best." She walked back into the kitchen and reached for a box of cereal before taking it to the table. "UCLA offered her a partial scholarship a few days ago, and I'm really going to miss her if she takes them up on it."
He watched as she poured cereal before shaking his head when she offered him some. "How long have you known her?"
"It was um..." she broke off and studied the bowl before turning to the refrigerator to get milk. "It was... um... a few months after you left."
"It must be hard on her to be a single parent and still go to college." He couldn't help eyeing Buffy with suspicion. He knew she'd wanted to go to school, and she hadn't explained yet why she hadn't.
"Um yeah... that would be hard." She glanced at him uneasily before walking back to sit at the table and concentrate on pouring milk into her bowl.
"So... what happened to your plans?" If he ever found out she was playing him in any way...
"College?" she asked nervously.
"Yeah."
"Well... when... when mom died, there were bills to pay, and I thought I could always go to college later..." she broke off and stared at her cereal before cautiously looking up at him. "I just thought it would be best to get a job for a while before trying to figure out what my plans were."
He took a sip of orange juice as he studied her. It explained why she wasn't in college... but didn't explain why she had such a large mortgage on her house. His eyes narrowed before he closed them and took a deep breath. Her mortgage didn't matter as long as she didn't try to get him to pay it, until then it wasn't his business. He opened his eyes and watched as she ate her cereal. "Have you figured out what you're plans are?"
She looked up before giving a faint smile. "I'd like to reopen the art gallery sometime. I mean, it won't be anytime soon, but I know something about running one, and I think it would be kind of cool to follow in mom's footsteps."
He nodded as silence fell. "I'm sorry about your mother. I didn't know she'd died."
"Thanks... it was just really sudden." She hesitated, looked up. "At least she didn't suffer."
He nodded as another silence fell before glancing at his watch. "I scheduled in a couple of meetings today, so I guess I need to go to the office."
She turned to look at the clock. "I've got a six hour shift at Homestead."
Brown eyes looked at her searchingly for a few seconds before he nodded and got to his feet.
"Hello, Hendrich. It's good to see you again." Angel got up and shook hands with the older man before sitting down and watching as Nest did the same. "Uncle Rupert thought you would be the one to call for help with the L.A. police department."
"I believe I can be of some use," Nest stated as he settled into the chair. "Of course I'd need to know the particulars... and there would have to be money involved."
Angel nodded before walking over to hand him a thin folder containing a Los Angeles address along with pictures of the Kline family. "We've recently purchased a property with the idea of buying 3 of the surrounding houses. They aren't for sale, but we're hoping our renters will take care of that for us."
Nest smiled as he looked at the photo. "And I take it there have been complaints about your renters?"
"Yes, and we were hoping you could help us keep them out of trouble for a while."
Nest laughed before closing the folder. "My friends at the LAPD specialize in doing favors like this. The cost would be $400 per call... or $3,000 for a month of calls."
"Check or cash?"
"Cash is good. Wouldn't want a paper trail my boy."
Angel nodded and moved to a safe that he quickly opened before pulling out 60 one hundred dollar bills. "We'll start with a couple months of protection and go from there." He locked the safe and handed the cash to Nest, and Nest counted it before writing a quick receipt and dropping it on Angel's desk. "Tell me, Angel, how's Ripper?"
"He's fine, but hasn't been around Triad as much as he used to be."
"I'd heard he took over a book store." He gave a shake of his head. "It seems like a waste of good talent."
"You can't go in there Sir," the loud cry carried through the closed door and into the room. The door clicked open, and Spike came to a stop in the doorway.
"Perhaps I should come back later," he murmured as he glanced from Angel to the older man that was a major client for his family's bank.
"No need," Nest answered pleasantly. "Our business here is concluded... very satisfactorily I might add." He looked meaningfully at Angel before moving toward the door, and the bleached blonde standing in it. "And how are you today William?"
"Good," Spike answered as he moved out of Nest's way. "And yourself?"
"I'm fine my boy." Nest looked at the nervous secretary. "I believe your job is safe my dear. This young man was simply a trifle impatient, as the young can sometimes be."
"Yes sir," she agreed as she looked worriedly toward Angel.
He nodded. "It's fine Ms. Cranshaw. You can go back to your desk now." She moved away from the door, and Nest turned back to wink at the younger men. "You two boys be good now."
"Of course," Angel answered as Spike threw in an, "Always".
Nest chuckled as he shut the door, and Angel turned to Spike. "You're here... why?"
Spike rolled his eyes before walking over to take a seat. "I merely wanted to see if you'd lost your mind, but then I see someone of Nest's caliber in your office and have to wonder if Daniel and Rupert haven't lost theirs." He cocked his head at Angel as he leaned back in the comfortable chair.
"Just because your family won't allow you to deal with the clients, doesn't mean my family feels the same." Angel glanced over the signed receipt Nest had left on his desk before sliding it into a folder and looking back at the bleached blonde. "Now why are you here?"
Spike eyed him before leaning forward. "Your behavior at the charity event was worrying mate. We couldn't help but notice you were cross with us... Now tell me, why would that be?"
Angel raised an eyebrow. "I believe you were attacking my date. How did you expect me to react to that Spike?"
"Are you kidding me?" Spike's blue eyes locked on Angel before he broke off. "Please tell me you're not falling for her again."
"How can I when I never got over her in the first place?" the brunette asked, his irritation evident, his eyes flashing angrily before he hesitated and gave a shake of his head. "I *used* her Spike. I held her up for ridicule. I treated her no different than any other girl from the wrong side of the tracks, and you want to know where that got me? Exactly nowhere. She's in my blood, in my thoughts, and I don't know how to get her out."
Silence fell, and Spike looked away. It had surprised him when Angel started dating Buffy, and it had blindsided him when he had married her. Angel had been happy though, and he'd been willing to overlook his reservations... at least until she'd signed the annulment. He turned back. "Holtz gave her the options of staying married to you without your cash... or dissolving the marriage. That she chose to get the hell out of dodge should give you a clue what she was after."
Angel gave a lopsided smile that didn't reach his eyes. "And she says she signed because she didn't think she was worth my fortune."
"Well... she was right about that," Spike muttered with a roll of his eyes.
The brunette frowned before rubbing at his forehead. "I can't be sure why she did it, but if I can recapture... at least some of what I had with her, maybe I can..." he broke off before looking at Spike with bleak eyes. "Do you think she'd give me an heir if I set her up in an apartment?"
Spike snorted before sighing. "Have you mentioned any of this to Daniel and Rupert?"
"No, but I don't see where they can object..." he paused thoughtfully. "At least Holtz probably wouldn't. Rupert might."
"I don't know," Spike drawled, "Holtz has kept women before, but he's never had a child with one of them. I mean, what if you decide you want to get married? How would your wife feel about having to deal with the kid?"
"I think my having a child with an ex would be perfectly acceptable to any woman I'd consider giving a ring to," Angel growled menacingly.
Silence fell. "Are you sure this is what you want?"
"No, but it's all that's left."
Spike got to his feet. "You do realize the girls will be beyond angry with you don't you?"
"I figured they might be."
The bleached blonde glanced over the office. "Yeah well... I guess I'll be leaving now."
"Spike," Angel stopped him as he was heading for the door. "We're not going to have problems are we?"
"Not from me mate." He turned back and held up his hands. "But I think you should keep an eye on her... and if she gets pregnant, I'd have a paternity test." He studied his friend intently before turning to leave.
Saturday afternoon:
Harmony looked over the stacks of paperwork with a frown. The merger between the hospital and the Sunnydale Clinic was finalized and the records would have to be typed into the database. The takeover of the small operation would expand the hospital's reach and do away with the last alternative health care option Sunnydale had.
"This is going to take hours," Sunday stated with annoyance.
"Yeah, but the sooner we get started the sooner we can get done."
Silence fell, and they began typing names and patient records into the computer system.
It wasn't until near the end of the shift Harmony found a paper that made her eyes widen before she looked at the girl working next to her. "Did you know Buffy Summers had a baby?"
"Buffy does?" Sunday glanced at the paper before giving a shake of her head. "I don't remember anything about it."
Jennifer Chambers stopped in the hall before heading into the room where the 20 year olds were working. "Let me see that," she ordered as she held out her hand. Harmony handed her the paper, and she read through the file with narrowed eyes.
Saturday night:
It had been a long day, but after working six hours at Homestead and then working for another two hours to try to fix a leaky faucet, Buffy took the boxed pizza Angel handed her with a feeling of relief before flipping it open and picking up a slice.
"Good?" he asked as he watched her take a bite and close her eyes with appreciation.
She looked up with a shake of her head. "I had a bowl of cereal for breakfast and a cup of coffee for dinner. This is heaven."
He rolled up his sleeves and sat on the floor with the box between them before picking up a slice. Having Buffy in his life again was nice. She was quieter than she used to be, a little more unsure of herself and their relationship, but she was still the same girl he'd married... the same one that had signed the annulment. He glanced away from the tv when he felt resentment and anger start to build, and he took a breath as he tried to control it.
"Don't like the show?" she asked quietly.
"What? Oh... It's fine."
"You're sure?"
"Yeah."
She uneasily turned back to the tv. They might be spending time together, but it wasn't the same as it used to be. He didn't trust her, and could she blame him? She glanced down at the pizza that suddenly didn't look as appetizing as it had and took a deep breath. She didn't know how to make it right, but he was the only man she'd ever loved, the only one she'd had sex with... and he was Liam's father. "Angel," she murmured quietly. "Thank you."
"For?"
"For doing this."
He took a moment, stared blindly at the wall before turning to meet her eyes. "I'm not okay with it Buffy... not even close to it... but, *maybe* we can work something out."
Tears started to gather and she turned back to the show. "I guess if we can't, we should just stay away from each other right?"
He shot her an unreadable look. "I'm pretty sure that's a given... but it doesn't mean we can't try. Not that it can be like before. I mean, we can't..." he broke off when his cell rang and he took it out of his pocket, punched a couple of buttons, put it to his ear. "Angel." He went silent for several seconds before abruptly getting to his feet and walking away, stepping into her kitchen, moving out of sight.
He came out ten minutes later and stared at her for almost half a minute with something in his eyes she couldn't name.
She got to her feet. "What happened?" He didn't reply, and she took a step toward him. "Angel?"
"You don't have a clue who you're playing games with do you?"
She gave a slow shake of her head. "I've never played games with you."
"I've got friends that work at the hospital Buffy, how long did you think you could keep Liam Summers a secret?" Tears gathered in her eyes, and he looked into them coolly. "Is he mine?"
"Yes."
His lips twisted into a cynical smile. "You can bet there's going to be a paternity test Buff, but... if he's mine... you've got to tell me something... You cut me loose because you didn't want me to be poor, but don't seem to have a problem with raising my son that way. Tell me, lover, why is that?"
"Angel..." She broke off. "It... It's not the same. I'm his mother. He needs me."
He took a menacing step toward her. "And you don't think he needs a father?"
She took a breath before swallowing thickly. "I didn't think you'd want to be one."
Silence fell before he gave a shake of his head. "I'm tired of doing mental gymnastics to understand your point of view," he hissed. "Maybe it's time you understood mine. You took my marriage away from me, and then you took my son. With what you've done to me, you'll be lucky if I allow you visitation." He started toward the door before turning back. "And just between you and me, I wouldn't pay for legal counsel. It'll just be money out of your pocket." He cocked his head and studied her with icy eyes. "But then again, you like to wallow in your poverty... so maybe you should go all out. What would that be for you Buff? Maybe a couple hundred?" He turned away before walking out the door.
"He wants full custody?" Xander asked a few days later.
"Yeah." Buffy nodded before wiping at tears.
Willow looked at the papers on the coffee table, one was the results of the paternity test, and the other was a contract promising 2 days a month visitation if Buffy signed Liam over to Angel. She took a breath. "Have you tried to talk to him?"
She nodded. "He's so angry Will."
Tara glanced at Willow before looking sympathetically at Buffy. "There's no way a judge is going to take Liam away from you." She hesitated... tucked hair behind her ear. "When's the hearing?"
"N... next Tuesday," Buffy answered before pulling more tissues out of the box.
It was only a week later that she watched the judge look over the canceled checks, the bills from the clinic where Liam had had his checkups. "I took him in on their schedule," she stated quietly. "He's up to date on his shots and healthy."
The judge nodded before looking at her coolly. "Do you have anything else to show me?"
"Um... yeah," she slowly handed over more papers, the bills from the hospital in L.A. where he was born, the mortgage she'd taken out on her house. "I've never missed a payment."
"These bills seem excessive," the brown haired woman murmured as she looked them over.
"There were complications." Buffy stared at the blue and white photo album in front of her before pushing it toward the woman listening to her case. "I love my son," she stated as she looked up. "I would never hurt him, and I'm more than willing to share custody with Angel."
The judge turned to the man sitting on the other side of the table with a slow knowing smile. "Is that acceptable Mr. McCormick?"
"No."
She nodded. "I have to admit I think you can do better myself."
Lee McDonald smiled as he settled back in his chair. "She does seem rather naive doesn't she?"
Buffy listened to the judge's agreement before getting to her feet and looking at Angel. "Really?" she asked with understanding dawning.
"Really," he confirmed before meeting her eyes. "Today was for entertainment more than anything Buff... Well, that, and to make it legal."
The polished lawyer at his side pulled a paper from his briefcase and slid it across the table. "You have two choices. You can willingly sign Liam over to his father, and possibly have visitation rights, or you can let my sister-in-law give him full custody and forfeit any chance of seeing him."
Buffy took a breath before slowly sinking back into the chair and wiping at tears. "Besides visitation... what's the difference?"
"Signing the paper will make it binding. If Diane rules, it could be reopened at a later time. Not that it would do you any good of course," he added casually.
She turned to look at Angel with sick green eyes. "And if I sign, I'll get visitation?"
"Once a month at my home and at my convenience," he answered with satisfaction.
"The papers said two times a month."
"Yes," Lee McDonald agreed, "and you *didn't* sign them."
"It... It's not enough," she answered before pulling a wad of tissues out of her coat pocket and wiping at her nose.
"Then why don't you tell us what you had planned for the father?" Diane McDonald broke in coolly.
"Angel was out of town for months," she stated, "and... he told me he wasn't interested in having a child with me. Maybe I should have..." she hesitated and stared at the tissues before wiping at tears. "But this... this is... I mean..." She broke off when Lee pushed a pen across the table before lifting her head to look into Angel's unreadable eyes. "I hope you're not just doing this to hurt me... because he deserves to be loved."
"Really Ms. Summers, the only thing being determined today is whether you'll get visitation. If you want it, then sign for it. But either way, the child will be expected to be delivered to Mr. McCormick's house by four this afternoon."
Buffy took a breath and looked down at the paper before picking up the pen and signing her name. It wasn't on the signature line. It was signed jerkily off to the side and the paper tore about a quarter of an inch at the end from the weight she put on it. A moment later, she awkwardly gathered the items she'd brought with her before almost running out of the building.
"Oh, Buffy..." Willow watched as she cried into Xander's shirt. "He'll come around. He's just upset now."
"I'll talk to him," Xander broke in. "He doesn't have the right to..."
"Xander... I did... didn't tell him about his son. Why..." she broke off and fought to get her voice under control, "why would he care how I feel?"
Tara gently touched Xander's arm when he started to protest. "I'm staying," she told Buffy quietly. "I'm not accepting the scholarship."
"No," Buffy's voice was muffled. "It's all you've w... wanted... and I'll be fine. I mean, it's not like I have to worry about formula, diapers, and babysitters anymore."
The three grew silent as Buffy cried. All of them uncomfortably aware it was her decisions that had caused the pain between her and Angel, that he wasn't willing to give an inch had only added to it.
"I'm su... suppose to have Liam at Angel's by four." Silence fell as she took deep shuddering breaths.
Willow glanced at her watch before looking at Buffy. "We've got time to walk there," she stated quietly before looking at Xander. "We can put him in the stroller and just... walk."
Xander looked at Willow through a veil of tears before nodding. "Want to go for a walk Buff?"
"A walk?" she asked before lifting her head.
"A slow one," Willow answered.
She pulled away from Xander before walking over to pick up Liam. "Alright," she agreed.
Angel answered the door and only glanced at Xander before crouching down to get a closer look at his and Buffy's son. He reached out to skim fingertips over a soft pink cheek and watched as Liam looked at him with bright curious eyes. The anger he felt at her betrayals was blinding, but the child in front of him was part of a dream fulfilled.
"Buffy said you can pick up his things tomorrow."
"I don't need them," he answered.
Xander glanced over to where Lindsey was watching from the doorway before taking a breath and looking back at Angel. "She... um... wants to know when she can see him again."
"I'll let her know." He didn't bother to look up as he lifted Liam out of the stroller before standing and turning toward the house. A moment later, he turned back. "Tell her not to worry about our fourth date, our son more than covers it."
Xander watched as Angel carried Liam inside and closed the door before slowly starting to push the empty stroller back to the corner Willow, Tara, and Buffy were waiting on.
A day later:
"You've got to be kidding me," Cordelia breathed as she stared at Lindsey with disbelief. "That bitch has Angel believing her brat's his?"
He shrugged. "Liam *is* his son Cordelia. The tests were conclusive."
"And he wants the little bast..."
"I'd advise you not to use that word in his presence," he cut her off with amusement. "I was at his place last night, and that kid has him wrapped around his little finger."
Darla frowned with irritation before looking at Cordelia. "At least he's not trying to *date* her anymore." A silence fell before she turned narrowed eyes back on Lindsey. "Is he?"
"Not as far as I can tell. He's got full custody of Liam, and has pretty much cut her off from seeing him."
Darla got to her feet and fluffed her hair. "Well, I think I'll go see if I can help him find a nanny." She smoothed hands over her skirt. "I'd hate to see him in over his head with the little... darling."
Lindsey watched her. "I'm warning you, Darla. If you go over there you'd better play nice."
She turned back, smiled. "I'm just trying to help. And who knows... maybe he'll even be grateful enough to thank me properly."
He rolled his eyes as he watched her leave. "Alright then," he muttered dryly before noticing the thoughtful look Cordelia was giving the door. He gave a shake of his head before finishing his drink.
tbc Annulment part 2