Out of Reach
By Ayisha
Disclaimer: The only thing I own is Yna and Jen. The rest belongs to Joss Whedon. By the way, the title is a song from the soundtrack of Bridget Jones's Diary and it was sung by Gabrielle.
Author's Notes: Ridgemont is a fictional place. Oz didn't leave and Doyle's alive.
"Miss, wake up." Someone was hovering over her and shaking her gently. Slowly, she opened her eyes. Her vision was hazy and she felt herself falling off again into a sweet slumber. But before she could actually close her eyes, she felt a mild slap on her face.
"I'm sorry I had to do that," the voice said. Slowly, she looked up and saw a man who was about 40 years old with grayish white hair staring at her sympathetically.
Wide awake now, she sat up straight and looked around wildly. Everything was unfamiliar. She didn't remember where she was and what she was doing there. "Where am I?" she asked him.
"You're still on the bus." The man answered. "You fell asleep and now you're the only one left here."
Suddenly, she remembered everything that happened that day. It came rushing back to her so fast that she felt her mind was going to blow. She gave a little shout.
"Miss, are you alright?" the man asked her as he held her. "Do you want me to help you?"
She shook her head no. "I'm fine," she managed to say. "I just had a minor headache."
The man didn't look convinced. But he said, "Well, if you're fine, I have to ask you to get out. This is our last stop and I really have to go back to LA."
Standing up slowly, she got her knapsack and wallet and was about to take a step when she felt herself faltering. The man held her steadily and asked again, "Are you sure you're alright?"
This time, she didn't answer. She just nodded her head as he guided her out of the bus. As soon as she stepped out, a brush of cold wind swept up at her.
Shivering slightly, she turned to the kind man who had helped her. "Can you tell me where I am?"
"You're in Ridgemont." At the look of confusion on her face, the man explained. "It's a town an hour away from Nevada."
"Thank you." She heard herself saying. "I meant, for waking me up and everything."
"I was just doing what was needed to be done." He looked at her closely. She was about 19 years old and she was very pretty. Her long golden blonde hair shone brightly in the luminescent moon and her hazel green eyes were expressive. She was petite and had a slim figure. Her face complemented her features well and she had a creamy and milky complexion. All in all, she was one of those girls that could've had their faces posted on magazines all over the place if she had wanted to. And she was old enough to be his daughter.
She hesitated. "Can I ask you a favor?" she finally blurted out.
The man shrugged. "I guess so." He looked at her expectantly.
"If…if anyone asks about a Buffy Summers or if you see a picture of me, please don't tell them where I am." She looked at him pleadingly.
He was moved with pity at what he saw that he nodded his head without a word. "I can do that." He looked at her and then smiled. "I'm George, and you are?"
She heard the catch in his voice. "My name's Victoria," she said it slowly, running the name on her tongue. "Victoria Summers."
They stared at each other in silence, until George said, "It was nice meeting you, Victoria."
"So what do you think?" Jen asked her as soon as she entered their apartment. They had been roommates for almost eight years now and Jen trusted her very much.
Buffy read the letter again. She couldn't quite grasp what the letter was trying to tell her but she knew that every single word was true.
"Tory?" Jen said her name. Buffy didn't respond. "Tory, are you all right?"
Buffy nodded her head slowly. "Yeah, I am. I just got out of it, that's all." She said dismissively.
Jen looked at her quizzically but didn't question her. She knew Tory well enough and knew there were still some things she wasn't telling her about her past. She knew she was the Slayer; she knew she lived in Sunnydale; she also knows Victoria wasn't her real name. But she doesn't know what her real name was and Tory doesn't speak much about her past and the people in it.
"So what do you think?" Jen asked her again. "Should I take the offer or not?"
"I think you should." Buffy replied. "It would be a great opportunity for you as a wedding planner."
Jen sighed. "It is, isn't it?" she asked her. "I mean, one of the most well-known couples in Los Angeles, California is getting married. The guy is a respected detective and the girl is a good policewoman." She beamed. "Aside from the fact that they're the most beautiful couple I've ever seen on television!"
"They are, aren't they?" Buffy murmured, staring out the window. Angel Jensen and Kate Lockley. The two of them were known all over the state as the people who toppled Wolfram and Hart, a highly respected law firm who had committed a lot of crimes not only in LA, but also in the whole of California.
"So I'll take it!" Jen said brightly. "And I want you to come with me to LA as my assistant."
At that, Buffy snapped back to reality. She shook her head vehemently. "No, I won't do that, Jen."
Jen's eyes narrowed. "Why not? You have nothing to do here in Ridgemont. It's summer vacation and you don't have any offers or deals for three months. You're a photographer and you know that in every wedding there's bound to be one. So, you can earn money and help me plan the wedding at the same time. You know you're the only one I can actually ask help for because you have such good taste."
"I do have photography deals and offers. I just didn't accept them because I wanted to spend time with Yna this summer." Buffy replied.
Jen rolled her eyes. "You're always spending time with Yna. But I won't blame you. In fact, I think it's a pretty good reason for you to come to LA. Consider it a vacation with your daughter."
"Really, Aunt Jen?" Out of nowhere, Yna came running into the living room where Buffy and Jen were having their conversation. "Are we really going to LA?"
Jen looked at Yna adoringly. Her 7-year-old godchild was adorable. She had long blonde hair like her mother and dark soulful brown eyes. She had an angelic face and her complexion she had gotten from Buffy. Kristina Angelica Summers was such a beautiful girl.
"No, we're not, Yna." Buffy said firmly. "Aunt Jen is going to plan a wedding but we're not coming with her." She looked at Jen. "And that's final."
But Jen just grinned. "I think the decision was taken out from you." She motioned for Yna to sit at her knees which she did. "Do you want to go to LA, Yna?"
Yna nodded. "Yup. I wanna go to Hollywood and Disneyland." She looked at Buffy pleadingly. "Please, Mommy. I really want to go."
Buffy sighed. When it comes to her daughter, she couldn't say no. "All right, we're going with your aunt to LA."
"Yippee!" Yna yelled. She ran to her room. "I'm going to Disneyland! I have to tell Lisa all about it." Lisa was one of her best friends.
Laughing, Jen turned to Buffy. "I told you the decision wasn't yours."
"I guess you're right." Buffy slumped to her chair. "It was bound to happen sooner or later, anyway." She muttered.
Jen's eyes narrowed. "Why are you so reluctant to go to LA? Is there a reason you shouldn't?"
Buffy turned away and stared listlessly at the window. Finally, in a soft voice, she answered, "Yna's father is in LA."
"Angel!" Cordelia hollered. "Phone!"
Angel stepped out of his office and got the receiver out of Cordelia's hands. "Hello?"
"Hi, Mr. Jensen. This is Jennifer Fields." There was a pause. "I just want to tell you that I'm accepting the offer to be the wedding planner for your wedding." She added, "Ms. Lockley told me to call you as soon as I decide."
Angel remembered vaguely that Kate wanted a wedding planner for the wedding. "Um, sure, Ms. Fields." He said on the phone. "But I have to tell you, I'm not really the one hiring you. Kate is so you better call her."
"I'll do that." Jennifer replied. "I just want to ask you when I should go to LA to plan the wedding." There was another pause. "I'm bringing a friend of mine. She's going to be my assistant."
"I'm sure Kate would love to see you as soon as possible for the wedding." Angel replied. "And she wouldn't mind it if you bring along an assistant."
They talked a few more minutes until Angel convinced her that she and Kate should be the one to work out the details since he's not particularly involved with the wedding preparations. And with that, Angel hung up.
"So, Ms. Bitchley did something again behind your back?" Cordelia asked him sarcastically with raised eyebrows.
Angel sighed. He knew that Cordelia didn't like Kate very much and even if she did, she had nothing to say good about her. "Cordelia, that's not very nice."
"But it's true!" Cordelia insisted as she followed Angel to his office. "She's always doing what she wants and you always give in to everything she does." She rolled her eyes. "I don't even understand why you agreed to marry her."
"Because I love her." Angel said. "And besides, it's time I settle down and have a family and a normal life."
Cordelia snorted. "As much as I want to believe that crap, you know I wouldn't. Angel, you've been human for what? One, two years? Then Kate just pressured you in agreeing to marry her since she knows you're not going to propose to her. Ever."
Angel covered his face with his hands. "I don't want to argue with you again, Cordy."
"Oh come on, Angel. We both know that if Buffy hadn't left you'd want your life to be with her!" Cordelia finally said. She noticed the pained look on Angel's face. "And I'm not going to feel guilty about saying it because we both know it's true. Kate can do everything she wants for all the world and you wouldn't even care."
"But if you're with Buffy, I just know that you're going to be with her every step of the way. You always wanted what was the best for her and you always made sure she got it. And I'm sick and tired of you not talking about her as a human being because, damn it, she was my friend too! I also lost her! Not just you, Giles, or everyone else. I lost someone I trust and respect and I couldn't get over that." Cordelia said quietly. "In fact, I wouldn't get over it."
And with that, she went out of the room, almost banging to Doyle who was entering. "Whoa." He said as soon as he saw Angel's face. "I guess this might not be a good time but I had a vision."
Buffy was staring listlessly out the window of her suite. It had been a week after Jen had accepted the offer and now here she was. She was in LA. A place she, herself, hasn't been in for almost eight years.
"Why didn't you tell me, Tory?" Jen asked her quietly. "You could've told me before I persuaded you to come."
Buffy turned around and Jen saw the tears streaming down her eyes. "What would be the point, Jen? It wouldn't make a difference if I was here or not. Angel would still get married and there's nothing we can do about it."
"It could have saved you a lot of pain if you didn't come here." Jen said sadly. She looked at Buffy. "Does Angel know?"
"You mean about Yna?" Buffy shook her head. "No, he doesn't. If he had, he wouldn't be getting married right now. He would be with me and his daughter."
"So why didn't you tell him?" Jen asked her. "If I was pregnant I would've wanted for the father to know."
"And what? Ruin his life by giving him a responsibility that should've been erased because it never actually happened?" Buffy asked her. "I saw him, Jen. He was happy here. I couldn't ruin that. I wouldn't, even if I had wanted to. He had a family here. He knew he was needed and he made a difference. I can never take that away from him. Ever."
"But you could take that away from yourself?" Jen answered. "The chance to be with the man you love and have a family?"
"I did what I had to do." Buffy replied. "And I wouldn't change anything if I had to do it all over again. I love Yna more than anything and I'll do everything to protect her."
"Would you tell Yna that her father is here in LA?" Jen asked her.
Buffy sighed. "I don't know the answer to that, Jen. All I know is that Yna deserves to know about her father." She looked at Yna who was busy playing with her toys on her room and was oblivious of the conversation. "But I don't think I have the courage to do it."
"What?" Giles looked at Angel. "But that's impossible!" They were all in Angel's office.
Angel sighed. "I know. But it's true. Doyle had a vision about it."
"Then your friend must be nuts." Xander muttered under his breath. But Doyle heard it.
"Hey!" Doyle exclaimed. "I am not nuts. I saw what I saw."
Angel looked at Giles. "Doyle get visions from the Powers that Be. If that's not enough proof then I don't know what is."
"But it just doesn't add up." Willow said. "You said this Lothos guy was trying to revive the Master, right?"
Angel nodded. "Yeah, that's what I'm trying to say."
"But they're both dead!" Cordelia exclaimed. "How can that be done?"
"Oh, bloody hell." Spike muttered. He looked at all of them. "I'm sure that all of you knows that can happen. How many times have you defeated someone who wanted to raise something?"
Giles sighed. "Spike is right. It can happen."
"I know I've heard of the Master." Oz said. "Willow told me all about it." He frowned. "But this is the first time I've ever heard of Lothos."
"Lothos was a very powerful vampire." Giles answered. "He was last seen in LA."
"Who killed him?" Oz asked. "And why would he want to raise the Master?"
Giles and Angel looked at one another. Giles took a deep breath. "The one who killed Lothos was the same one who killed the Master."
Willow gasped. "You mean Buffy?" Giles nodded.
"So is it safe to assume that Lothos is planning to get back at Buffy?" Doyle asked. "I mean, it seems to me that he wants to raise the Master because of that fact."
"Yeah, I guess it is." Angel answered.
"But Buffy's not here." Xander pointed out. "We don't even know where she is so how are they going to get back at her?"
Everyone of them looked at each other. Then Spike said, "Bloody hell."
Buffy stepped out of the cab and looked at the tall building in front of her. For the umpteenth time, she wondered if she was doing the right thing coming here.
She had left Yna with Jen and told them she would be home for dinner. She stared at the building in front of her for a few more minutes. Then, taking a deep breath, she walked into the building.
She had no idea what she was going to say when she saw him. All she knew was that she had to talk to him. Buffy didn't want to cause a scene at the restaurant that they were going to meet in tomorrow. She had to let him know she was in town and that she would be helping plan the wedding.
It pained her to know that she was going to see Angel for the first time in almost eight years. But it was nothing compared to the fact that Angel was going to be mad at her if he ever found out about Yna. And that was something Buffy knew she couldn't take even if she tried. Telling Angel she was in LA was one thing. Telling Angel she was in LA with their daughter, was another.
Yna doesn't know who her father was. Buffy doesn't talk much about Angel and Yna wasn't asking any questions about him. But Buffy knows that her daughter was growing up and pretty soon, she was going to have to answer questions that she wasn't sure she herself, have the answer.
And the fact that Angel was going to get married soon is one of Buffy's many worries. She didn't want Angel to give up the life he had wanted. He was going to have a family and he was finally going to be happy. He was human, that much she knew. And if there was one thing Buffy couldn't and wouldn't ever do, it was to stand in the way of someone else's happiness. Especially that of Angel's. She had done it once, and she can do it again. No matter how much it hurt her.
She doesn't want to lie and hurt the two people she loved most in the world. But she would also be selfish if she didn't give Angel and Yna a chance to know each other.
With this thoughts running in her head, she started to reach for the knob. But before she could open the door to Angel Investigations, her hand froze. From inside, she could hear voices.
"So, if Lothos is planning to resurrect the Master and he doesn't know where Buffy is, that means he's going to be targeting us, right?" Xander asked them.
"I think that would be most accurate." Giles replied. "Lothos may not know us but I'm sure he will dig deeper into Buffy's life and figure out just who we are."
"And that's bad for us." Willow said. "Because then, maybe he'd do just what the Master's followers did to us."
Cordelia paled. "Oh god. That's horrible. I don't want to go through that again."
"But what are we going to do?" Oz asked them. "We don't know where Buffy is."
"We don't know if Buffy is alive or dead." Xander said bluntly.
Spike snorted. "And even if she was still alive, I'd think twice before we ask for her help. She has the tendency to run when we need her the most."
Angel shot Spike a deadly look. Then he turned to Doyle. "Are you sure there's nothing else in that vision of yours?"
"Like if Buffy is still alive and where she is?" Willow piped up. "Because we can't do this by ourselves."
Doyle was deep in thought for a moment. Then he shook his head. "Nope. There isn't anything else. And I don't think the Powers that Be would actually tell us if the Slayer is still alive. They're the kind of people that leaves out a lot of things that they think isn't important."
"So, I guess we go back to Oz's question." Angel said. He looked around. "What are we going to do?"
"How about if I just find Lothos and kill him?" A new voice suggested.
All of them turned around. Buffy was standing there, with hands folded across her chest.
"Buffy." Giles said her name as soon as he recovered from his shock. "How long have you-?"
"Long enough to know that Lothos has gone back from the dead and that he was planning to revive the Master." Buffy answered. She stared at Spike. "And also to hear what you have to say about me."
She tried to keep her emotions at bay. She knew she couldn't risk them knowing what she was feeling. If Lothos was alive, there was a possibility he would get back at the only person that mattered. And that person was Yna. Buffy was not going to let that happen.
She looked at all of them. "Why is it that all of you look like you've seen a ghost?" She hadn't meant to enter the office when she heard everyone's voices. But when she heard about Lothos, she knew she had to do something.
Then all of a sudden, Willow was hugging her. "Buffy, where have you been? We were all worried about you." Her voice broke. "I thought you were dead."
"I'm not, Will." Buffy tried to console her. "I'm here now." She looked at all of them. "I'm sorry." She said quietly. "I didn't mean for all of you to worry. I just needed time to sort things out."
"Where have you been, Buffy?" Xander asked. "We looked all over for you."
"I've been staying nearby." Buffy answered. "I've never left California."
"I hate to burst your bubble, but what are you doing here, Buffy?" Oz asked her. "Not that I'm not glad you're here. I am. It's just that I think it's strange that you came here at the same time we were talking about Lothos."
"It's okay, Oz. I understand what you mean." Buffy looked directly at Angel. "I came here by coincidence. I just wanted to let you know I'm in town." She paused. "And that I'm Jennifer Fields' assistant."
Cordelia gasped. "You mean you're Victoria Summers? The one who called here yesterday?"
With that, everyone gave her a sharp look. "Well, I didn't know it was Buffy." Cordelia said sheepishly. "And besides, she called yesterday to tell Angel they were already here." She looked at Angel apologetically. "I guess I forgot to tell you."
"Does that mean you're going to help plan Angel's wedding?" Doyle asked.
Buffy nodded. "Yeah, I am. That's why I came here. So that you wouldn't be surprised when you see me tomorrow."
"This is interesting." Spike said. "The wedding planner's assistant is your ex-girlfriend? Man, this is better than Passions."
He was rewarded by a glare. Buffy turned to Angel who was still staring at her. "Are you okay?"
Angel didn't say anything. He couldn't. Buffy had grown prettier than ever. Her golden blonde hair had red highlights that made it shine even more. It reached her shoulders where its ends curled. Her hazel green eyes were sparkling and her complexion the fairest he had ever seen. She had a gorgeous tan and her face was still the same. Angel wasn't seeing the cute 16-year-old he had fallen in love with. He was now seeing a heavenly vision; a goddess.
Buffy couldn't help but take in Angel's appearance. He was still the most beautiful man she had ever seen in her entire life. Now that he was human, she knew he was spending time in the beach. It showed by the tan he had which looked good at him. His face was angelic as ever but now there was color in his cheeks. He was still tall, dark and handsome. And he was more gorgeous than ever.
"Are you all right with the fact that I'm going to help plan your wedding?" Buffy asked him.
Angel nodded. "Of course I am. In fact, I'm glad. Now I know the wedding's in good hands."
Buffy smiled. "Thanks, Angel." She looked at her watch. "Um, listen, I better go. It's already late and I have to meet my friend for dinner." She turned to Giles. "I'll help you in anyway I can. Lothos wants me so he'll just have to face me."
Giles smiled then shook his head. "You never change, Buffy. Very well, why don't you meet us here tomorrow afternoon? You can help with the research."
Buffy made a face. "Uh, Giles, I don't do research. I hunt and I slay but I never do research. Remember?"
Giles sighed. "I know. But I was hoping that part of you changed."
"Then keep right on hoping." Buffy retorted lightly. Then she looked at Angel. "I'll see you tomorrow." She opened the door and stepped out.
"Buffy." Angel said. Buffy stopped and looked inquiringly at him. "It's nice seeing you again."
"It was nice seeing you too." With that, she closed the door behind her. And as she did, she wondered how fate could be so cruel to her.
As soon as she shut the door of their suite closed, Buffy suddenly couldn't take it anymore. The tears came hard and fast and before she knew it, she was seating on the floor, crying her heart out.
"Mommy!" Yna cried out, running to her, followed by Jen. "You never guess what happened!"
Buffy quickly wiped away her tears and looked at Yna, who was grinning from ear to ear. "What, honey?"
"Aunt Jen and I went shopping!" Yna exclaimed. "We bought a lot of toys and she got me presents to give Lisa when I come home."
Buffy smiled. "That's great, honey."
But Yna was not paying attention. She was looking worriedly at Buffy. "Mommy, are you crying? What's wrong? Did something bad happen?"
Buffy shook her head. "No, Yna. Mommy's not crying. I just got something on my eyes, that's all." Her voice almost broke when she said it.
"Um, listen Yna. I think your mommy's tired. Why don't you go to your room and play with the new toys I bought you?" Jen suggested. "I'll just call you when we're going to eat dinner."
Yna nodded. "Okay." And with that, she went out of the room, whistling happily.
After Yna had gone, Jen looked at Buffy. "I hope you didn't mind that I took Yna out. She was so bored here in the suite and I thought she needed to have some fun."
"It's all right." Buffy replied. "That's why we came here to LA. For Yna to have some fun."
Jen sat down on the floor beside Buffy. "So how did it go?"
Buffy looked down. "It went fine, Jen." She told her all about what happened that afternoon. "So I guess I have to spend a lot more time hunting Lothos than helping you plan the wedding." She looked at Jen. "Sorry about that."
"Nothing to be sorry for, Tory." Jen said. She frowned. "But I'm worried. You haven't exactly been hunting and slaying for the past eight years. So what are you going to do? And I thought Angel's now human."
"He is. But he still has his supernatural strength so that he can help the Powers. And actually, I'm not out of practice." Buffy replied. "Unknown to you, I'm always slaying at night when you and Yna were already asleep." She grinned sheepishly. "So I guess I can still hold my own since I'm still here, alive and kicking."
Jen gave her a disapproving look. "As much as I want to scold you and warn you that you could've gotten yourself killed with all that sneaking around, I won't." She sighed. "You're 27 years old, Tory. You're the only one who can make your own decisions."
"But there are still some decisions I can't make." Buffy said. "Like what to do about Angel."
Jen gave her a funny look. "Is this about the wedding or Yna?"
"I don't know. The wedding. Yna. Both." Buffy sighed. "I'm really confused, Jen. I know I should tell Angel but if I do, he's going to be mad at me for hiding Yna after all these years. But-."
"But?" Jen persuaded her to continue.
"But if I don't, Yna would never have the chance to know her father and that's unfair. Not only for her but also for Angel." Buffy finished. "I don't want to be selfish but I also don't want to be the one to resurface old pains that have long been kept hidden." She looked at Yna's room which was closed. "I just don't know what to do when it comes to Angel and Yna."
"It seems to me you're so bent up on doing what is right that you haven't ask yourself what you want." Jen mused. "Don't get me wrong, Tory. I know you want to do the right thing but what about what you want? You make a decision about this but what if that decision would hurt you? You think so much about what would be good for Angel and Yna but what about for your own good? For your happiness? Don't tell me it's not important. Because it is. You're the one who's going through a lot of pain right now, not them. How many times have you cried out at night because of this?"
"But you're not giving yourself a chance to speak out what's really inside your heart. What you feel. And that's the worst part of it all. You're the one making the decision and yet you're the one who doesn't have a say to it." Jen took a deep breath. "So I guess instead of asking what you think is right, ask yourself what does your heart say. What do you really want?"
There was silence. Then in a soft voice, Buffy said, "I know what I want, Jen. I just don't think it's the right thing."
"Nobody really knows what the right thing is when it comes to the people we love." Jen replied. She stood up. "Dinner's ready half an hour ago. Maybe we should eat. I'm gonna call Yna."
"Jen." She stopped and looked at Buffy expectantly. "My name? It's Buffy. My real name's Buffy Anne Summers."
"Buffy." Jen smiled. "I like it." And with that, she called Yna out for dinner.
"Oh good. You're already here." Kate Lockley said, looking at her watch. "We've been waiting for about half an hour now."
"We're sorry." Jen replied. "But it was rush hour and we had a hard time getting a cab."
Kate just gave them a funny look but didn't say anything. Instead she said, "Why don't we all sit down and get this done and over with?"
Jen shrugged. The truth of the matter was that they had a hard time getting someone to look after Yna. Buffy didn't want Angel to see Yna and start to ask many questions about her. So they put Yna on a day care center near their hotel.
As Buffy sat down, she could feel Angel's eyes watching her. She gave him a little nod. "This is Victoria Summers, my assistant." Jen introduced her to Kate Lockley.
Kate looked at her then she turned to Jen. "I don't mind if you brought along an assistant to help you with the wedding. As long as you know what you're doing, that's fine with me." She looked at Angel and almost purred. "Right Angel?"
Angel nodded. "Of course Kate." Kate gave a smile and kissed Angel passionately.
After they both separated, Kate grinned. "See how we love each other?" she said this while cuddling closer to Angel. "That's why we want to have the wedding as soon as possible."
"And we're going to make sure you get it." Jen replied, glancing at Buffy. Buffy was averting everyone's gaze, especially Angel's.
Kate turned to Buffy. "So what do you do for a living? Are you just an assistant?"
Buffy shook her head. "No I'm not. I'm a photographer. I just came here to help Jen."
Kate replied thoughtfully, "In that case why don't you be the official wedding photographer? It would save us a lot of time and energy since you're already here."
"I don't see why not." Buffy replied. "Just tell me what you want and we'll work something out."
Kate looked at Angel. "See? I told you I can do it."
"I didn't say you couldn't." Angel said. "I just told you that it would take a long time to do it."
Kate pouted. "But you were worried about me handling all of this, weren't you?"
Angel just chuckled. "You never change Kate." He took her hand then kissed it. "Yeah, I was. But you did a very good job. I'm proud of you."
Kate squealed in delight. Before anyone knew it, Angel and Kate were making up heavily on the restaurant. And they didn't care who saw them.
Jen looked at Buffy. The pain in her eyes was unbearable. She turned to look at Kate and Angel who was busy on what they were doing. "Um, we're going now. We'll just meet you again tomorrow." But they didn't hear her.
Jen left and after one last look at the couple who was still at it, Buffy followed without a word.
"Buffy, if you don't want to do this you don't have to." Jen said as they started to walk up their way to the day care center.
Buffy sighed. "I'm fine, Jen. I can handle it and besides, this would be good for me."
"How can it be good for you if you're hurting?" Jen asked her.
"It would be a good wake-up call for me that Angel is not mine and that he doesn't love me anymore." It pained her to say it but after what she had just witnessed, she knew it was the truth.
"Again, as I've done over the past eight years that I've known you, I won't question what you said." Jen paused. "I've learned not to deal with your past. It's really complicated."
Buffy laughed. "Tell me about it." She said dryly as they stepped into the day-care center.
As soon as they stepped in, they were met by Yna. "Mommy! Aunt Jen!" she yelled, running toward them.
Buffy smiled. "Hi, baby." She took Yna's hand. "How was your day?"
"I'd say it went great." A voice behind Yna said. Buffy looked up. "Hi, I'm Sandra Potter. I run this day-care center."
"Victoria Summers." Buffy said. She decided to keep her pretense name than the real name to be safe from anyone who actually knew about her being the Slayer. "Thank you for taking care of my daughter."
Sandra shrugged. "It was nothing." She looked at Yna. "I must tell you though, you have a very beautiful child. Her father must be very proud of her."
There was silence. "Um, I think we better go." Jen said. She looked at Sandra. "Thank you for taking care of Yna. How much did we owe you?"
As Jen was paying Sandra, Buffy and Yna waited and sat on the bench outside of the center.
"Mommy?" Yna suddenly said.
"Yes, baby?" Buffy replied, looking down at her.
"Who's my daddy?" The question threw Buffy back. "How come he's not here? Does he hate me? Is that why he doesn't come and see me?"
Buffy slowly shook her head. "No, honey. He doesn't hate you. Your daddy doesn't hate you." She took a deep breath. "In fact, he really loves you, Yna. It's just that he's busy and he never really have the chance to talk to you or see you."
"Does he miss me?" Yna asked her.
Buffy's heart almost broke. "Yes, he does, honey. He always do."
"Then how come he's not with us?" Yna asked again.
"Because he has responsibilities that he can't abandon. He helps people who need his help. He fights off bad guys and save people." Buffy tried to explain as hard as she could.
"So my daddy's a cop?" Yna asked her.
Buffy smiled. "He's like a cop and we should be proud of him although he's not here to be with us." She looked at Yna. "Your daddy is a wonderful man. He's a really great person. I'm sure that if he sees you, he'll be proud of you and he'll love you as much as I do."
"Mommy?" Yna said. Buffy looked at her expectantly. "I know."
"You know what, honey?" Buffy asked her.
"I know daddy's here in LA." Yna answered. "And that he doesn't know I'm here." She looked at her mother. "Is that why he's getting married? Because he doesn't know that we're here?"
Buffy was surprised. "How did you know all this, honey?"
Yna shrugged. "I've heard your conversations with Aunt Jen. You always cry whenever you mention his name. His name's Angel, right? My daddy's name is Angel."
Buffy nodded. "Yes, hon. His name's Angel. And I'm sorry if I kept it from you. Your daddy's not a bad guy. I just never told him about you."
"It's okay." Yna told her. "I love you, mommy. And since I also love daddy, I'm not mad at him."
"Oh, baby." And with tears streaming down her face, Buffy hugged her daughter tight.
Unknown to them, across the street, Rupert Giles had witnessed the whole scene.
And unbeknownst to the three of them, another man had watched the scene unfold and had started to make his plans.
"You what?" Cordelia exclaimed. "I can't believe you, Angel!"
Angel cringed. "Believe it, Cordelia. It's true."
"So you actually kissed Kate in front of Buffy?" Doyle asked him. When Angel nodded, Doyle just shook his head. "You are really a complicated man."
"I, for one, can't believe that you did that." Willow spoke up. "I thought you loved Buffy, Angel."
"I did." Angel replied. "And I still do. It's just that-."
"What, former ex-Dead Boy?" Xander challenged him. He couldn't believe that Angel could be so insensitive towards Buffy.
"I wanted to convince myself that I'm over her." Angel confessed.
"Now, why on earth would you do that, Peaches?" Spike asked him mockingly.
"Maybe because I know that she doesn't love me anymore." Angel answered. "I saw it in her eyes. She couldn't have cared less if I was getting married or not."
Oz frowned. "But there must have been one thing that got you clued in that she didn't care anymore."
Angel sighed. "She agreed to be the wedding photographer." He looked at all of them. "Now tell me if that wasn't proof enough that she was over me."
"I don't think that anything we say to you would change the fact that you did what you have done." Giles said. "But if I were you, I wouldn't trust what I see. Buffy's been gone for almost eight years. A lot can happen during that time." Including raising your daughter.
Xander looked at Giles in amusement. "Am I actually hearing this? Giles gave Angel advice." He shook his head. "I never thought I would see that moment."
"You just did." Angel said. He looked at Giles. "And I guess you're right, Giles. I have no idea what Buffy's life has been ever since she left so I really can't judge her because I don't know her that well anymore."
"Too bad, Peaches." Spike mused. "Because we'd really like to know."
"So why don't we just ask Buffy?" Doyle suggested. Everyone stared at him. He shrugged. "It was just a suggestion."
"Ask me about what?" Buffy asked suddenly appearing out of nowhere.
"Geez, Buffy." Cordelia said. "If you'd do that skulking thing again, please remind me so that I won't have a heart attack."
Buffy sighed. "I was not skulking, Cordy. I just came here without anyone noticing." She looked around. "So what were you going to ask me?"
"Nothing." Angel replied. He looked at her. "By the way, thanks for agreeing to be our wedding photographer."
Buffy shrugged. "It was no big deal. Consider it as a favor for a friend." She didn't notice the pained look on Angel's face when she said it.
"Buffy, are you sure you want to do this?" Willow asked her, changing the subject. "You've defeated Lothos once but can you defeat him again?"
"I guess I just have to try, Will." Buffy said. "This isn't the first time I have to kill a vampire like him."
"A vampire whom you killed by sticking a pencil through his chest." Giles pointed out. "And you never actually thought that would've worked."
"Okay, so I just got lucky." Buffy conceded. "But I know I can defeat him."
"I hate to break this up, but time is running out." Oz said. He looked out the window. It was near dusk. "A lot can happen during the night."
"Oz's right." Buffy said. "We should get started." She looked around. "Did anyone find out something while I was gone?"
Giles was about to tell Buffy what he had found out when Jen suddenly burst through the door of Angel Investigations. Her face was very pale and she was gasping for breath. Buffy instantly knew that something was wrong.
"Jen!" Buffy cried out, running toward her. "What happened? Is everything alright?"
"Buffy-." Jen gasped. "It's Yna." As soon as she said it, she fainted right in Buffy's arms.
And with that two words, Buffy's world as she knew it came tumbling down.
"Okay, tell me again why we're worrying?" Xander asked Buffy. Since Jen came an hour ago and told them that someone named Yna was missing, Buffy had gone in full worry-mode.
"Are you sure you didn't see who took her?" Buffy asked Jen who was sitting quietly on the couch and drinking a glass of water. Thankfully, Jen was fine.
"All I remember was someone breaking into our suite. They were vampires. I tried to fight them off but-." Jen shook her head. "It was too late. Their leader got Yna." She looked at Buffy. "I tried stopping them, Buffy. But-."
Buffy signaled her to stop. "I don't blame you, Jen. Vampires are strong and I should've anticipated this. What with Lothos and all-." She looked at the others. "Lothos."
"You think Lothos took Yna?" Angel asked her.
"I don't think so!" Buffy exclaimed. "I know so."
"Why Buffy? Why are you so sure that Lothos took Yna?" Willow asked her quietly.
Buffy looked at her. "What do you mean by that Will?"
"Simply that we don't know who this Yna is." Xander said. "And this is the first time we've heard of her ever since you came back."
Oz nodded. "It is kind of strange. Even if you're right, why would Lothos take Yna?"
"Unless the bloody Slayer is not telling us everything." Spike finished.
"Yeah." Cordelia agreed. "It's not like you were straight with us Buffy since you came back."
"And why are you so bent-up in saving Yna?" Doyle asked her. "Unless she's important to you."
Giles looked at her. "Buffy?"
Buffy looked at Jen. Jen just gave her a half-smile. "It's your choice, Buffy. But they deserve to know."
Buffy sighed. "You're right." She told her quietly. Then she turned to the others. "The reason I left all those years ago is because of Yna."
"Why Buffy?" Angel asked her gently. "Who is she to you?"
Buffy took a deep breath. "Yna's my daughter."
"What do you want to talk to me about Giles?" Buffy asked her former Watcher. They were at Angel's private office. As soon as Buffy told her friends who Yna was, all of them were so surprised and shocked that no one could utter a word. It was only a Giles who had seemed to come out of it and wanted to talk to her.
"It has something to do with Yna's father." Giles replied.
At the mention of the word father, Buffy grimaced. "I am not going to tell you who Yna's father is, Giles."
But Giles just looked at her questioningly. "Are you going to tell Angel that Yna is his daughter?"
Buffy froze out cold. "How did you know that, Giles?"
"I saw the two of you awhile ago." Giles answered. "I just left the magic shop which was a few blocks away from the day-care center and I saw the two of you. Actually, I heard your conversation with your daughter."
Buffy sighed. "All right, Giles. You got me on that one." She looked at him. "I don't know what I'm going to do. Now that I've told them about Yna, I'm pretty sure they're going to ask who her father is. And I'm not sure I can tell them." She sighed. "Can you help me evade their questions?"
"Alright, Buffy. I'll help you. But we have to save your daughter. Time is running out and we should do something."
Buffy flashed him a grateful smile. "Thanks, Giles, for understanding me."
Giles only nodded then returned back to the gang, who has obviously snapped out of it and was now trying to think of where Lothos was hiding Yna.
Buffy soon followed Giles and was surprised when she saw everything back to normal. She looked at Jen who just shrugged and gave her a smile.
All of them were trying to figure out where Yna was when Buffy slammed down the book she was reading. "This is not getting us anywhere."
"Buffy is right." Giles said. "Nothing in these books can help us."
"But what are we suppose to do?" Oz asked. "This is the only way we can ever find Yna."
"Maybe if-." Doyle started to say when a headache came over him.
"What's happening to him?" Xander asked in wonder.
"He's having a vision, idiot." Cordelia answered as she went over to Doyle.
"Oh, someone's touchy." Spike muttered as Cordelia passed him.
"Are you going to be all right?" Willow asked as soon as Doyle's vision had gone.
"Yeah, I'm going to be all right." Doyle answered. He grimaced. "I just need an aspirin."
"Here." Jen offered. Doyle took the aspirin gratefully.
"What did you see?" Angel asked him.
Doyle looked at him. Then at Buffy. "You have to take Buffy to the Host."
"I have to what?" Buffy yelped.
The Host grinned. "Sing, milady. You have to sing."
Buffy turned to Angel. "And you didn't see it fit to inform me that in order to know where my daughter is, I have to sing."
Angel shrugged. "It was a small catch if you will know where Yna is."
"Small?" Buffy asked. "You must probably think that the sun is not the biggest star in the galaxy."
"Actually, it isn't." Angel answered. At Buffy's look, he smiled. "Lighten up, Buffy. It's not going to be the end of the world."
"Yeah." The Host agreed. "I mean, you can't be as bad as he is at singing."
Buffy turned to look at Angel. "He's that bad?"
The Host grimaced. "Oh yeah."
Buffy sighed. "All right, I'll sing." She glared at Angel. "You're going to pay for this, Angel."
Angel laughed. Even if some things in Buffy's life have changed, it was a good thing that Buffy is still the same. It was still a bit of a surprise to find out that Buffy has a daughter. Angel doesn't know who the father was but from what Jen told him awhile ago at the office while Giles and Buffy were still talking, Buffy didn't want to tell the father about Yna.
But even if Buffy's not telling them everything, Angel knows that what he feels for her would never change. He would still love her and since he can see in Buffy's eyes that she really loves her daughter, Angel just knows that he would also love Yna as much as he love Buffy. He already loved Yna as a daughter as soon as he found out who she was in Buffy's life. That's how much he love Buffy. No matter if he was going to get married to Kate, he still love her.
His thoughts were cut short when the Host sat beside him and looked up on stage. "She's special, Angel. Why did you ever let her go?"
"Maybe because I don't deserve her." Angel replied. "I couldn't give her everything she wants."
"But that was the past. What about now? You can give her everything." The Host said.
As Buffy was singing, she couldn't look at Angel. The Host had told her to choose a song but since she didn't know which song, she just picked the first song she knew.
The Host was looking intently at Buffy and was quite surprised at what he saw. He quickly wrote what they needed on a piece of paper and gave it to Angel. He then continued to look at Buffy who was close to crying.
Buffy felt tears streaming down her cheeks.She looked at Angel and suddenly, she knew she would always love him. No matter how much she tells herself otherwise, she knew that her feelings for him would never change. But Angel was getting married. To Kate. And what about Yna? If Angel knew about her, would he even consider marrying Kate and getting the life he had always wanted?
Angel know that now, he and Buffy have a chance. He was now human and he can give her everything she wants. He love her, that much he had admitted to himself. But things were different now. He was getting married and she has a daughter. There was nothing he could do about it.
Quietly, Angel and Buffy made their way to the old warehouse. Since they've returned from The Caritas, they haven't really talked that much. But it was a good thing in a way. At least, Angel wasn't asking questions about Yna.
Angel looked at Buffy. "Are you sure about this?"
Buffy nodded. "He wants me, Angel. So, he'll get me." She turned to the others who were behind them. "You know the plan, right?"
"Yeah, we do." Willow replied. She looked at Buffy. "Don't worry, Buffy. Everything's going to be alright."
Buffy just sighed. "I hope you're right, Will."
Spike suddenly appeared behind Cordelia that caused her to give a little yelp. "Spike, you almost gave me a heart attack!" she hissed.
Spike just smirked then looked at Buffy. "They're expecting you. The front door's already open and from what I've seen, I'd count that there are more or less 50 vampires."
"I suppose most of them are the Master's followers." Giles replied.
Buffy looked at all of them. "Are you guys all ready?"
"Ready as we'll ever be." Oz said.
"Then let's do this." And with that, they all entered the old warehouse.
As soon as Buffy entered, the first thing she saw was her daughter, tied up to two posts. "Yna!"
"Mommy!" Yna cried out.
"Well, well, well." A voice suddenly said out of nowhere. "I had a feeling you would come."
Buffy steeled herself as she looked at the face where the voice had belonged to. "Lothos."
"Slayer." Lothos said. "I see now that you have changed." He looked at the others. "And I see that you've brought the people we need to revive the Master." He snapped his fingers.
Sure enough, as Spike had said, more or less 50 vampires surrounded them. "Uh, Buffy." Xander whispered. "This might not be the time but I have a feeling they're going to raise the Master now."
"What?" Buffy hissed.
"Xander's right." Giles said. "They're going to revive the Master tonight."
"Then let's just get this done and over with." Buffy said. And with that, she staked the first vampire that attacked her.
As soon as the attacks had started, Angel made his way to where Yna was tied up. He could see the scared look in her eyes as he went closer to her.
"I'm not going to hurt you." Angel said softly as he untied the girl. As soon as he brought her down, he smiled at her. "Hello, you're Yna, right? I'm Angel."
She looked so much like Buffy, Angel mused. But he couldn't help the feeling that he should know her.
Yna's eyes grew big and she couldn't make out a sound. Angel held out his hand. To his relief, Yna took it.
"Let's get out of here," Angel whispered. But before they could take a step, Lothos was already in front of them.
"What do you think you're doing?" Lothos demanded.
Behind Lothos, Angel saw Buffy. "What do you think?" Angel asked him.
Lothos growled but before he could lunge at Angel, he was dusted. When the remaining vampires saw that their leader was dead, they ran out of the warehouse, leaving the Master's bones in Doyle's hands.
Doyle smiled sheepishly. "I think I got it to whack a vampire in the head."
"Are you alright?" Angel asked Buffy.
Buffy smiled. "Yeah, I am. But I still don't get how Lothos had come back to life."
"I think I know." Giles said. "Lothos was an old and very powerful vampire, Buffy. And according to legend, he had to be defeated twice in order to die."
"You mean Buffy didn't really kill him that first time?" Willow asked.
"No, she didn't." Giles answered. "Maybe because she used a pencil to defeat him that first time."
"How come you didn't tell me that sooner?" Buffy demanded.
Giles looked sheepish. "I only remembered it now, Buffy."
Buffy suddenly felt someone tug her hand. It was Yna. "Are you alright, sweetie?"
Yna nodded. "Yeah, mommy. I am."
Buffy hugged her tightly. "I thought I'd lost you, Yna." She felt the tears streaming down her cheeks. "God, I thought I've lost you."
"I still don't think this is a good idea, Buffy." Jen said as she followed Buffy out of their hotel. It was weird hearing herself call Tory her real name. But then, she was starting to get used to it.
Buffy held Yna's hand tightly as she hailed a cab. She looked at Jen. "I don't want to do this, Jen. But let's face it. It's better this way."
"But what about you being the wedding photographer?" Jen asked. "I thought you didn't want to be unprofessional when it comes to your job."
Buffy sighed. "I've already talked to Kate and recommended someone who's better than me to take the job. It wasn't really hard to convince her considering that she's already seeing the tension between me and Angel."
Jen frowned. "And what are you going to do about that, by the way? This past week Angel and Yna are really starting to get along. And you still haven't told him he's the father."
It had already been a week after everything that had happened. Yna and Angel had grown to like each other and he even took Yna sightseeing. In fact, the two of them along with Buffy went to Disneyland together. Aside from spending time with Yna, both of them were also busy planning the wedding with Jen. Angel's wedding to Kate. And that's partly the reason why things haven't been too good between Angel and Buffy.
Her friends had also grown to like Yna as well. All of them never really asked her who the father was and that was a good thing. Even though Buffy had already told Giles everything, she still didn't want anyone to know about Angel being the father. It was also a good thing that Angel wasn't asking any questions about Yna; she wouldn't have known what to say to him.
A cab suddenly stopped before them and as they got inside, Buffy knew that Yna would miss her father very much. It pained her daughter not to call Angel 'daddy' but as Buffy had explained to Yna, it was better that way.
"Are you all right?" Buffy asked her daughter.
Yna nodded. "I'm going to miss daddy, that's all." She looked at her mother. "Even if he doesn't know I'm his daughter. I love him, mommy. I really do."
"Oh, honey." Buffy hugged Yna tightly. "I'm sorry if I'm making you do this."
"It's okay, mommy. I know you want him to be happy. And I do, too." Yna said.
The cab driver had just finished putting their things in the trunk and was now pulling out of the hotel. "Where are you going?" he asked.
"To the bus station." Jen told him.
And as they made their way to the bustling streets of LA, Buffy wondered how her friends were going to take it if they found out that she left them again without any explanations.
"Where have you been?" Kate asked Jen impatiently. "We've been waiting for you for hours!"
Jen had just arrived at the restaurant where she should've met Kate and Angel an hour ago. She gave them an apologetic smile. "I'm really sorry. It won't happen again."
Kate just bristled. "Let's just get started, okay?" Soon, they started talking about the things still needed for the wedding.
Angel then wondered where Buffy was. He hadn't seen her with Jen and he was beginning to get worried. Not that he would've talked to her, anyway. Things had been uncomfortable between them this past week that it was a surprise that he had grown close to Yna without Buffy getting mad at him or even snarling at him.
He really love Yna; Angel knew that much. But what he didn't understand was why he had grown to love the girl to the point that he felt like a father to her. Maybe it was because he love Buffy or maybe it was something else entirely. He never really had the chance to ask Buffy about the father. Things were so uncomfortable between them that it was hard to ask her about a delicate topic like that.
His thoughts were interrupted when Kate asked him something. "Um, what did you say?" he asked her. "I didn't quite get it."
Kate's eyes flashed. "I was asking you if you wanted the cake to be single-layered or not." Suddenly, Kate was very angry. "Angel, we're getting married in a month! And you seem not to care about all of this."
"I'm sorry, Kate." Angel said. "I've just been thinking about something too much lately."
"Thinking about what?" Kate demanded. "Or should I say thinking about who?"
"What are you talking about?" Angel asked her timidly.
"I saw you Angel!" Kate accused. "I saw the way you look at that wedding photographer of ours. Victoria. You look at her the way you never looked at me." Kate snorted. "It was a good thing she quit this job."
"She what?" Angel asked feeling like his heart had just broken into a thousand pieces.
"She quit, Angel." Kate said. "It was a good thing, too seeing that's she's such a slut. Having a daughter and not even knowing who the father was."
"How did you know about that?" Angel asked her.
Kate snorted. "Since I saw your interest in her, I checked the things about her. And you know what? There was nothing good about her, Angel. In fact, Victoria wasn't even her name. Her real name's Buffy Anne Summers. And what kind of a name was that anyway? Did you know that she got pregnant at the age of 19? 19, for chrissake! And she didn't even know who the father was! Maybe that was because she had slept with so many men that she couldn't keep count. See how much of a slut, she is?"
Hearing all of this, Jen couldn't take it anymore. She slapped Kate. Hard. Kate gave a shout and was about to slap Jen when she caught her hand.
"I've had enough." Jen said calmly. "First of all, Buffy is not a slut. She haven't even slept with any man in the eight years that I've known her. And you're wrong, Kate. Buffy knows who the father of her baby is. She just doesn't want to tell him because she thought she was doing the right thing."
Jen laughed at that. "I guess she was wrong about that one, seeing how much of a bitch you are."
"What are you talking about?" Angel asked her.
Jen took a deep breath then looked at Angel straight at the eyes. "Yna's your daughter, Angel."
"What?" Kate shrilled. "That's impossible! Don't believe anything she says, Angel. She's a liar!"
Jen looked at her. "Shut up!" She then turned back to Angel. "It's true, Angel. I mean you must've felt some connection when you saw Yna."
Angel was too stunned to speak. "But how could that happen?"
"Does the words cookie-dough-fudge-mint-chip ice cream mean anything to you?" Jen asked.
Angel paled. "You mean-."
Jen nodded. "Yep. She remembers, Angel. And that was the day you got her pregnant." She said. "She wanted you to be happy, Angel. She didn't want you to be burdened with the responsibility of something that should've been erased because it never actually happened." Jen took a deep breath. "So she left. Without telling anyone she was pregnant. She started a new life at a new town with her daughter. She gave you up, Angel, just like she's doing now."
"She left awhile ago, Angel. To Ridgemont. She thought it would be best to just leave and not burden you with a responsibility since you're getting married." Jen said. "She loves you, Angel. She really does not like this woman in here."
"And what do you mean by that?" Kate asked her sharply.
"Only that if you really had loved Angel you'd be letting him go." Jen replied. "Since it's obvious he doesn't love you."
"Why you-." Kate started to say when Angle cut her off.
"She's right, Kate." Angel said evenly. "I don't love you and I never will. So let's just stop this thing, okay?"
"But, Angel-." Kate said.
"Wedding's off, Kate." Angel said simply. He then looked at Jen. "Where would I find Buffy?"
Jen scribbled the address on a piece of paper then gave it to him. He then looked at Jen. "Thank you."
Jen shrugged. "It's nothing. Consider it as something I want to do for a friend."
Angel flashed her a smile. "Thanks, anyway. And please tell the others where I'm going." He said as he got out of the restaurant and quickly hailed a cab.
"Will do," Jen muttered. She then turned at Kate who had her mouth hung open. She smiled sweetly. "I guess you're going to have to fire me as your wedding planner."
"Justa sec!" Buffy called out as she made her way to the door. They had just arrived that afternoon. It was already evening and Yna was already fast asleep in her room. After the trip, it was no surprise that they were both tired.
Buffy, in fact, was exhausted. She had just spent an hour unpacking and cleaning the house. She had already changed to her nightgown and was about to go to her room when the doorbell had rung.
She wondered who it was as she opened the door. To her surprise, it was him. "Angel." Buffy said. "What are you doing here?"
But Angel didn't say anything. He just leaned down and kissed her. Buffy was too shock and startled to register that Angel was kissing her, but she also kissed him back.
"What was that for?" Buffy asked him as soon as they broke apart.
Angel smiled. "I'll tell you when we get in."
"Oh yeah. Forgot about that." She motioned Angel inside and closed the door behind them. "Sorry about that. But we have to be quiet. Yna's sleeping in the next room."
She looked at Angel as he sat down on the sofa and realized that he looked tired and ragged. "Are you alright? Can I get you anything?"
Angel nodded. "Just a glass of water and I'll be fine."
"I can handle that." Buffy said as she crossed the living room to the kitchen.
"And, oh, I'd feel much better if you tell me how you remembered the day I was human." Angel added.
Buffy stopped in her tracks and turned around. "Who told you that?" she stammered.
Angel just looked seriously at her. "Jen. And don't blame her, Buffy. She was just doing what she thought was right."
Buffy just stared at him. "Why didn't you tell me, Buffy?" Angel asked her as he started to stand up from where he was seated.
"Tell you what?" Buffy asked him.
Angel stepped closer to her. "That Yna was my daughter," he said seriously. "I had the right to know, Buffy. I'm her father."
Buffy swallowed hard and looked down. "I wanted to tell you, Angel. I really did. When I found out I was pregnant, I had no idea who the father was."
"But just then, the Oracles came before me," Buffy continued. "They let me remember the forgotten day."
"They showed me your life here, Angel. And I never saw you so happy before. Your guilt because of what you had done as Angelus was wearing off and you were starting to form a family here with Cordelia and Doyle."
"And then I saw Kate and how much you seem to care for her. When she was in trouble, you were always there to help her just like you were there to help me." Buffy said. "And it just brought me to my senses. I want you to be happy and I didn't want to ruin that."
Buffy took a deep breath. "So I made a deal with the Powers. If they make you human and retain your vampire strength, I'd stay away from you. After all, I figured I was the one who was putting your life and your soul in danger."
"And they agreed since it was written in a prophecy that you would become human when you get your redemption. So I left and started to build a new life on my own with Yna." Buffy shrugged. "I guess I just never thought that I'd see you and everyone else again after so many years."
Finally, she found the courage to look up. Angel was walking towards her. "You did all of that for me, Buffy?"
Buffy nodded. "I figured it was time that I sacrifice something for you since you've literally given up your life for me more times than I could count."
Angel looked straight at her eyes. "Do you know what I felt when Giles told me you left Sunnydale without a trace?"
Buffy shook her head. "I felt hurt, Buffy. And worried that something bad has happened to you. That you were dead. And there wasn't a day that passed by that I didn't think about where you were and how you were doing."
"And at night I dreamed about you, Buffy. It was always you. I dreamed that we were together and we were happy. And when I wake up, I look up at the sky and wish that you would come back. And that if you would, I would never let you go again."
Angel then got out a ring. Buffy gasped. "That's not my-."
Angel nodded. "It is, Buffy. Do you still remember? The hands represent friendship, the crown represents loyalty, and-."
"When you wear the heart pointing towards you, it means you belong to someone." Buffy finished her eyes filling with tears.
Angel nodded. "Like this." He showed her his hand. He was wearing his Claddagh ring. And the heart was pointing towards him.
"Where did you found it?" Buffy asked him.
"At the old mansion," Angel answered. "When I returned back from Hell." He then knelt down and put the Claddagh on Buffy's hand. "Marry me, Buffy. I love you and I want to spend my life with you and my daughter." He looked at her with such love in his eyes. "I want the three of us to become a family."
Buffy was crying. "I love you too, Angel. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you. But what about Kate?"
"I broke it up with her, Buffy." Angel said seriously. "She was just at the wrong place at the right time."
That was all the answer Buffy had to hear. Before long, she was kissing him again.
"I'm not going to let you go again, Buffy." Angel murmured. "I promise."
"Just kiss me, Angel." Buffy said.
And Angel obliged as he kissed her again. This time, they both knew that their new life with each other is about to begin. A life filled with happiness and love.
And unknown to them, Yna was in the next room, smiling as she watched her parents kiss. "Finally!" she whispered to herself as she climbed back to her bed and went back to sleep.
THE END
You like it? I know it's stupid, but what can I say? I'm a sucker for stupidity and fluff. :-)