Author's Notes: This fic is now definitely AU (Andra's Universe). I'm going
to try something with this and the next chapters which a lot of people will
probably dislike, but I had a creative vision about this scenario, which I
had to act on it. Now, before you read this, I am asking all of you to
have an open mind. Please read and enjoy!
Buffy awoke to sunlight creeping through the drapes and sprawling itself across her bed. It felt warm and cozy, and Buffy didn't really want to leave it. But it was a new day, and lying in bed during it would get nothing accomplished, not that she was going to get anything done in the first place.
/ I might actually go and rent a movie, sit around and watch some more TV, or maybe go to the grocery store. Yup, that's it. I will go get some food.some real comfort food, packed with tons of calories, fats, and sugar. /
Buffy got ready and headed out. Cordelia called and said she wasn't coming home the night before, she was staying all night at work. She walked up and down the isles, picking up some popcorn, frozen pizza, and Ben & Jerry's.She passed by the baby food isle, and thought she saw somebody she knew. She glanced back and eyed Gunn, carrying a basket of baby supplies. She walked up to him to see him trying to pick out diapers.
"Hey Buffy." He said with a cool smile on his face, even though she could tell he had no idea what he was doing.
"Need some help?"
"Yeah, I'd love some. I didn't realize that there were this many different kinds of diapers."
"I know. Wide varieties, huh? They've got them with aloe, Sesame Street characters, lotion, and ultra absorbent, you name it, and they've made it. So anyway, who's the little baby?"
"It's for Darla's upcoming baby boy. We figure that she's going in to labor sometime soon, so you gotta be prepared, ya know?"
What Gunn wasn't prepared for was the look on Buffy's face- a look of surprise and utter shock.
"You mean. the baby's.. human?"
"Oh God, Buffy, you didn't know? I'm sorry, I figured that Angel or Cordelia told you. Well, I suppose you were bound to find out anyway. The baby is human. It's a little boy. We saw him on an ultrasound."
He tried to make his voice as comforting as possible.
"Angel tried to tell me, but I sorta wouldn't let him in. It's. human? How is that even possible?" She was more stunned now than she was when she saw Darla a few days ago.
"Yeah, he told us about you not inviting him in. But we don't know how they had a baby. That's what we've been trying to figure out. reading through scrolls and old dusty books. But no one knows how two vamps can make human baby. It's mentioned in this big ole prophecy thing, but we still don't understand it."
Buffy hadn't noticed that she dropped her basket of food, which Gunn gathered up for her.
"I think I need to talk to Angel." She and Gunn walked to the checkout line. She didn't buy any comfort foods, she left them sitting in the baby isle. She left her car in the parking lot and drove back to the Hyperion with Gunn.
As soon as she entered, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at her, just like the last time she was there. This time, though, the everyone didn't include Angel.
"Hey guys. Buffy needs to talk to Angel." Gunn announced.
"Hey Buff. I thought you were going to chill at home? Anyway, Angel was pretty tired this morning, so he's upstairs sleeping. I doubt he'll be down for a while." Cordelia walked over and helped Gunn with the bags of baby stuff.
"Okay, I'll wait. What are you guys doing?"
"Well, we're trying to translate an ancient Nyazian scroll in an attempt to calculate the precise time of the birth of Darla's baby, among other things," Fred voiced from behind a book.
"In other words, it's research mode." Cordy said so at least she could understand it.
"OK. I can help. I used to be a very proficient research mode girly." Buffy tried to put on a half-smile, and almost succeeded.
With everyone around her's head buried in an old book, it started to remind her of high school, everyone sitting around the table in the library racking their brains.
After countless hours of flipping through old, moldy books, they were all startled by the presence of Angel.
/She came. She came here. /
"Hey."
"Hey Angel."
"Buffy, we need to talk."
"I know. Gunn has told me some stuff already."
"Sorry, man. She saw me at the store buying diapers." Gunn interjected.
"That's ok. I should've told her already. We can go downstairs."
Leaving the group took away a slight safety net the two had. They would have been more careful about their words with others around.
Once downstairs, Buffy decided to start the conversation.
"I already know that the baby is human. What I don't know is how that's even possible."
"I don't know either. I knew that something was different about it, other than the fact that a vampire birth is unprecedented, when I could see Darla's maternal instincts kicking in. I didn't even know she could care for something like that."
"So are you going to take care of him?"
"Of course I am, what other choice do I have?" Angel started getting defensive. How could Buffy even ask if he was going to take care of his baby? Because of him he's got a child, so he can't just neglect its well- being.
"I don't know, none, I suppose. But.how did you not lose your soul?"
"Because I didn't experience a true moment of happiness, like I had with you. With Darla it was empty, utter despair."
"Oh." Buffy really wasn't sure what to say next. She didn't want to say something she would regret. She didn't have to worry about that, though, because they were promptly interrupted by Wesley.
"Wes, we're kind of talking right now." Angel wanted to continue to talk to Buffy, to tell her how he didn't enjoy one moment of being with Darla.
"Yes, I know, but I've discovered something. Something you DEFINITELY need to know." Wesley's voice sounded urgent.
"OK. What is it?" Wes had caught Angel's attention.
"You might want to come upstairs and sit down."
Angel and Buffy followed Wes quickly up the stairs. Fred, Cordelia, and Gunn were already on the couch.
Wes began to address the group.
"Well, I've discovered something. Something quite startling actually." Everyone could sense that Wesley was about to start rambling about something that probably didn't matter.
"Just tell us Wesley!" Cordy grew impatient.
"Alright, I will. It turns out that the Baby isn't yours and Darla's after all." Wes motioned toward Angel. "It's Buffy and Angel's."
The shock of Wesley's last words was radiating out of the room. Some many questions.
/Mine and Buffy's? How is that feasible? The baby is IN Darla's stomach. Besides, we haven't had since I was human, and that doesn't even count, since it was all reversed by the Oracles. /
/How can I have a baby? Does Wesley not see the whole lack of pregnancy thing surrounding my relatively flat stomach? /
Everyone went to ask Wesley questions, but he stopped them before they could.
"Yes, I know you all have many questions, but just wait and let me finished." The entire group shut up quickly. "A child was created by the Powers That Be when you to first.um.had sex, which I suppose was about four years ago, when you lost your soul, Angel. Well, they created the baby, but they didn't have anyone to implant the child with. They couldn't give the baby to you, Buffy, because they needed you to continue your slaying duties. They needed a carrier who could protect it more- someone who was immortal. So when you had sex with Darla, the child was implanted in her, to be carried to term like a normal infant. Nevertheless, it's not a normal infant in any sense of the word. A child between the Slayer and the Vampire with a Soul is even more unfathomable than between two vampires. I haven't yet deducted what the destiny of the child is, all I know is that it must have quite a future in store for the Powers to go to this length to conceive it."
"Oh. My. God." Cordy could be counted on to say something at a time like this, even though it usually wasn't quite appropriate. But this fit.
/Buffy. I'm having a baby with Buffy. /
/I'm going to be a mom. I am going to be responsible for two lives now? Dawn and the baby? /
All thoughts were halted by Darla coming down the steps, finally awake.
"Hey. What's the little pow-wow about and why wasn't I invited?" She asked, being as nosy as possible.
"Darla, there's something we.no, I need to tell you." Angel was afraid of what her reaction might be, so he decided to tell her as gently as possible.
He pulled her over to the side and told her everything that Wesley had just told him.
"So what am I? Just the UPS service for the Powers That Be or something? This is bullshit Angel. I did not and am not going through all this damn pain just so I could carry your and Buffy's love child!" She was so furious all she could think of was killing that baby in her stomach.
Angel could sense that. "Darla, you know that you can't hurt the baby. You've tried, and it doesn't work. The Powers are protecting it. You know that I didn't do this to you on purpose. I didn't know. You didn't know. Know one did."
"Damnit Angel!"
She turned to run away from Angel and the hotel, but he grabbed her arm and wouldn't let her leave.
"I know you don't want to do this, Darla, but you're going to stay here and have this baby."
He took her upstairs and tied her on top of the bed. He'd decide what he was going to do when she went into labor later. Meanwhile, the rest of the gang tried to ingest the new information. Buffy was going to be a mom to Angel's baby.
**More Author's Notes: Yeah, Yeah, you can start with your 'Constructive Criticism' anytime now about how 'unlikely' this is, but please, no hurling of tomatoes this way! And for all you non B/A shippers, you'll be fine too.
Buffy awoke to sunlight creeping through the drapes and sprawling itself across her bed. It felt warm and cozy, and Buffy didn't really want to leave it. But it was a new day, and lying in bed during it would get nothing accomplished, not that she was going to get anything done in the first place.
/ I might actually go and rent a movie, sit around and watch some more TV, or maybe go to the grocery store. Yup, that's it. I will go get some food.some real comfort food, packed with tons of calories, fats, and sugar. /
Buffy got ready and headed out. Cordelia called and said she wasn't coming home the night before, she was staying all night at work. She walked up and down the isles, picking up some popcorn, frozen pizza, and Ben & Jerry's.She passed by the baby food isle, and thought she saw somebody she knew. She glanced back and eyed Gunn, carrying a basket of baby supplies. She walked up to him to see him trying to pick out diapers.
"Hey Buffy." He said with a cool smile on his face, even though she could tell he had no idea what he was doing.
"Need some help?"
"Yeah, I'd love some. I didn't realize that there were this many different kinds of diapers."
"I know. Wide varieties, huh? They've got them with aloe, Sesame Street characters, lotion, and ultra absorbent, you name it, and they've made it. So anyway, who's the little baby?"
"It's for Darla's upcoming baby boy. We figure that she's going in to labor sometime soon, so you gotta be prepared, ya know?"
What Gunn wasn't prepared for was the look on Buffy's face- a look of surprise and utter shock.
"You mean. the baby's.. human?"
"Oh God, Buffy, you didn't know? I'm sorry, I figured that Angel or Cordelia told you. Well, I suppose you were bound to find out anyway. The baby is human. It's a little boy. We saw him on an ultrasound."
He tried to make his voice as comforting as possible.
"Angel tried to tell me, but I sorta wouldn't let him in. It's. human? How is that even possible?" She was more stunned now than she was when she saw Darla a few days ago.
"Yeah, he told us about you not inviting him in. But we don't know how they had a baby. That's what we've been trying to figure out. reading through scrolls and old dusty books. But no one knows how two vamps can make human baby. It's mentioned in this big ole prophecy thing, but we still don't understand it."
Buffy hadn't noticed that she dropped her basket of food, which Gunn gathered up for her.
"I think I need to talk to Angel." She and Gunn walked to the checkout line. She didn't buy any comfort foods, she left them sitting in the baby isle. She left her car in the parking lot and drove back to the Hyperion with Gunn.
As soon as she entered, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at her, just like the last time she was there. This time, though, the everyone didn't include Angel.
"Hey guys. Buffy needs to talk to Angel." Gunn announced.
"Hey Buff. I thought you were going to chill at home? Anyway, Angel was pretty tired this morning, so he's upstairs sleeping. I doubt he'll be down for a while." Cordelia walked over and helped Gunn with the bags of baby stuff.
"Okay, I'll wait. What are you guys doing?"
"Well, we're trying to translate an ancient Nyazian scroll in an attempt to calculate the precise time of the birth of Darla's baby, among other things," Fred voiced from behind a book.
"In other words, it's research mode." Cordy said so at least she could understand it.
"OK. I can help. I used to be a very proficient research mode girly." Buffy tried to put on a half-smile, and almost succeeded.
With everyone around her's head buried in an old book, it started to remind her of high school, everyone sitting around the table in the library racking their brains.
After countless hours of flipping through old, moldy books, they were all startled by the presence of Angel.
/She came. She came here. /
"Hey."
"Hey Angel."
"Buffy, we need to talk."
"I know. Gunn has told me some stuff already."
"Sorry, man. She saw me at the store buying diapers." Gunn interjected.
"That's ok. I should've told her already. We can go downstairs."
Leaving the group took away a slight safety net the two had. They would have been more careful about their words with others around.
Once downstairs, Buffy decided to start the conversation.
"I already know that the baby is human. What I don't know is how that's even possible."
"I don't know either. I knew that something was different about it, other than the fact that a vampire birth is unprecedented, when I could see Darla's maternal instincts kicking in. I didn't even know she could care for something like that."
"So are you going to take care of him?"
"Of course I am, what other choice do I have?" Angel started getting defensive. How could Buffy even ask if he was going to take care of his baby? Because of him he's got a child, so he can't just neglect its well- being.
"I don't know, none, I suppose. But.how did you not lose your soul?"
"Because I didn't experience a true moment of happiness, like I had with you. With Darla it was empty, utter despair."
"Oh." Buffy really wasn't sure what to say next. She didn't want to say something she would regret. She didn't have to worry about that, though, because they were promptly interrupted by Wesley.
"Wes, we're kind of talking right now." Angel wanted to continue to talk to Buffy, to tell her how he didn't enjoy one moment of being with Darla.
"Yes, I know, but I've discovered something. Something you DEFINITELY need to know." Wesley's voice sounded urgent.
"OK. What is it?" Wes had caught Angel's attention.
"You might want to come upstairs and sit down."
Angel and Buffy followed Wes quickly up the stairs. Fred, Cordelia, and Gunn were already on the couch.
Wes began to address the group.
"Well, I've discovered something. Something quite startling actually." Everyone could sense that Wesley was about to start rambling about something that probably didn't matter.
"Just tell us Wesley!" Cordy grew impatient.
"Alright, I will. It turns out that the Baby isn't yours and Darla's after all." Wes motioned toward Angel. "It's Buffy and Angel's."
The shock of Wesley's last words was radiating out of the room. Some many questions.
/Mine and Buffy's? How is that feasible? The baby is IN Darla's stomach. Besides, we haven't had since I was human, and that doesn't even count, since it was all reversed by the Oracles. /
/How can I have a baby? Does Wesley not see the whole lack of pregnancy thing surrounding my relatively flat stomach? /
Everyone went to ask Wesley questions, but he stopped them before they could.
"Yes, I know you all have many questions, but just wait and let me finished." The entire group shut up quickly. "A child was created by the Powers That Be when you to first.um.had sex, which I suppose was about four years ago, when you lost your soul, Angel. Well, they created the baby, but they didn't have anyone to implant the child with. They couldn't give the baby to you, Buffy, because they needed you to continue your slaying duties. They needed a carrier who could protect it more- someone who was immortal. So when you had sex with Darla, the child was implanted in her, to be carried to term like a normal infant. Nevertheless, it's not a normal infant in any sense of the word. A child between the Slayer and the Vampire with a Soul is even more unfathomable than between two vampires. I haven't yet deducted what the destiny of the child is, all I know is that it must have quite a future in store for the Powers to go to this length to conceive it."
"Oh. My. God." Cordy could be counted on to say something at a time like this, even though it usually wasn't quite appropriate. But this fit.
/Buffy. I'm having a baby with Buffy. /
/I'm going to be a mom. I am going to be responsible for two lives now? Dawn and the baby? /
All thoughts were halted by Darla coming down the steps, finally awake.
"Hey. What's the little pow-wow about and why wasn't I invited?" She asked, being as nosy as possible.
"Darla, there's something we.no, I need to tell you." Angel was afraid of what her reaction might be, so he decided to tell her as gently as possible.
He pulled her over to the side and told her everything that Wesley had just told him.
"So what am I? Just the UPS service for the Powers That Be or something? This is bullshit Angel. I did not and am not going through all this damn pain just so I could carry your and Buffy's love child!" She was so furious all she could think of was killing that baby in her stomach.
Angel could sense that. "Darla, you know that you can't hurt the baby. You've tried, and it doesn't work. The Powers are protecting it. You know that I didn't do this to you on purpose. I didn't know. You didn't know. Know one did."
"Damnit Angel!"
She turned to run away from Angel and the hotel, but he grabbed her arm and wouldn't let her leave.
"I know you don't want to do this, Darla, but you're going to stay here and have this baby."
He took her upstairs and tied her on top of the bed. He'd decide what he was going to do when she went into labor later. Meanwhile, the rest of the gang tried to ingest the new information. Buffy was going to be a mom to Angel's baby.
**More Author's Notes: Yeah, Yeah, you can start with your 'Constructive Criticism' anytime now about how 'unlikely' this is, but please, no hurling of tomatoes this way! And for all you non B/A shippers, you'll be fine too.
