Part 4 …
The nameless Ritual hadn't quite worked as planned. Odd, how things never happen the way they're meant to, Buffy thought, watching the child kick, gurgling to herself and waving her fat arms around, reaching for the mobile above her. She lifted her gently from the cradle, wincing but smiling as a handful of hair was grabbed in a chubby fist, bouncing her gently as she left the room and headed through the apartment. She rubbed her face against her daughter's soft, downy skin, breathing in the scent of baby powder. She paused and closed her eyes, smiling. Who'd have thought she could ever be so happy? She had everything she wanted. Well, almost…
Angel wasn't – entirely human. He was a mix of vampire and human. Half of each. He could walk in the sunlight now, but he still craved blood. Sometimes he could control it better than others. He had a reflection, for the first time in two centuries. She smiled slightly. And there were other – improvements. The human part of him made sure that he would never lose his soul again, but the vampire part – well, there good days and bad days. Today had been one of the bad ones, where the demon had taken over and he'd slept, till sunset. She knew he struggled sometimes, to control it. She could hear him moving, now. He'd want blood again. Didn't happen very often, was getting rarer now, but she kept a supply in the fridge, just the same. The memories were always worse on a bad day as well. The things he'd done. They haunted him, and he couldn't escape them. The screams of his victims and their pleas for mercy, from the monster that he'd been…… But he was dealing. Slowly.
The other side affect of the spell – had been her. She'd gone back to being entirely human again, but – she wasn't growing older. In any way. And she was still the Slayer – which had been an awkward one when she'd been pregnant. But they'd got round it. Giles and the others had "Slayed" and she'd kept pretty much out of the way and shouted instructions whilst clutching her enormous belly. Angel had tried to forbid her to go, but – well, he was wrapped round her little finger. Always a good thing. He couldn't refuse her anything, so he'd gone with them and helped, protecting her, making sure she was safe.
Giles hadn't been able to come up with any explanation of why the Ritual hadn't worked. Sometimes she thought she could see something in his face. That he knew – knew why it hadn't worked, knew why the gypsy had died. She thought he'd just about forgiven her for asking to be made a vampire. She tried not to think about that, that she'd asked to become something that she'd always feared. Becoming a vampire had been a secret nightmare for years. But it hadn't seemed to matter, not if she could be with Angel. Sometimes, though, there was something in Giles' face when he looked at her…… She didn't care, anyway, not now. She and Angel were together and nothing else mattered. They had their daughter and nothing could tear them apart.
She'd asked Willow and Giles to find out what their daughter was. Just in case. There was always the chance that she'd inherited more than her wide, dark eyes and hair from her father. And the news had been good – the spell had revealed that she was entirely human, though Giles had been heard to wonder if Slayer abilities could be passed down. Another unknown, since no other Slayers had children. And certainly none fathered by a half-vampire. And, Buffy reflected, living with a half-vampire wasn't so bad. Better than a vampire who could lose his soul at any moment of
happiness……
* * * *
Angel's eyes were dark with pain as he emerged from the bathroom, trying to block out the memories in his head. His face brightened, the pain receded slightly from his eyes and his mouth curved into a gentle smile as he saw Buffy and their daughter, waiting for him. In one hand she held a mug, steaming gently. His nostrils flared as he inhaled the scent of blood, his body crying out for it, demanding that he feed. Firmly he shook his head, forcing back the Change that was trying to happen. He gritted his teeth. "No. I don't want it. Not tonight. I have enough control………I don't need it."
Buffy came forward, setting the mug to one side, smiling as Angel took the squirming weight of their daughter from her, laughing as she pulled his hair. Angel took her hand and she leaned up to kiss him gently, blue eyes sparkling as she looked at him. "Angel? I love you." she said softly. "It will get easier. Perhaps, one day, you'll be entirely human. Giles thinks it could happen. We just have to wait, is all. And we're all here for you. Even Xander, this time."
Buffy stepped back and smiled. "Come on – it's Slayer duty time. Mom's babysitting tonight, though Willow wanted to…… Let's go see Giles and the gang." She laughed and tugged him forwards. "After all, wouldn't want them to think we're too busy to go save the world - again."