Author : Wild-Melody

Disclaimer : I don't own it though I wish I did.

Warning : None

Chapter 3

Buffy groaned, the pain becoming unbearable. *Who would've thought childbirth would be this bad? Hadn't women been doing it for like eternity or something?* Buffy wondered to herself in between contractions. *If I ever see Angel again, I'll kill the bastard!* Was the thought that entered her mind as another contraction grabbed her weary body. Another contraction far stronger than any of the previous boughts of pain. *If I ever see the bastard again, it'll be to soon!* Her mind screamed. *I swear I'm going to kill him!* Her mind caught up with her, reasoning coming back as the shroud of pain slipped away for a few more seconds. *You can't kill something that's already dead.* Her mind reasoned. *Oh shut up!* She told herself, *So I'll just turn the bastard into dust, that's all.*

*Whatever.* Her mind replied.

She gritted her teeth as yet another pain, far worse than any others grabbed her body and wouldn't let go. She bore down, preparing to push the baby's head out, but Giles told her to wait, it wasn't time yet. "Why the hell didn't I go to a hospital?!" She screamed, fighting down the panic that was starting to rise up in her chest. "At least there I could've gotten something for the pain."

"You know very well why you couldn't go to the hospital," Giles said, looking up at her.

She suddenly felt very exposed having Giles down there, seeing every bit of her. *Talking about embarrassing moments,* her mind quipped. *Shut up!* She told herself, for what seemed the hundredth time. Another contraction seized her, she bit her lower lip, trying to clamp down on the scream that was lodged in her throat. *I guess it's a good thing Angel isn't here.* Her mind said. *Shut up!* She screamed at herself again. *FINE!* Her mind yelled back. Buffy actually smiled, in spite of the pain.

"Are you alright Buffy?" Giles asked, seeing the strange smile playing across the Slayer's face.

"Yes," She bit out between contractions. They were right on top of each other now, coming one after the other. There was no rest now in between them. Her body was weary and she just wanted to get the whole damn thing over with. "Can I push yet?" She hissed between clenched teeth.

Giles head ducked down and Buffy felt herself grow hot with embarrassment. "Alright," Came the Watcher's British accent. "On the next one, push."

The contraction started out painfully, Buffy gritted her teeth against the harsh sensation, biting her bottom lip until she felt warm blood trickle down her chin. "Easy," Giles said, "Count to ten slowly and as the contraction approaches it's end push. I'm going to pull the baby's head out, or try to at least." Giles chuckled, trying to make lite of the situation.

Buffy just glared at him. "You better get this kid out of me or I'm walking to the nearest hospital. Understand me?"

Giles turned wide eyes to the Slayer. "Um, yes of coarse."

Buffy bore down, tensing her body with the contraction and pushing as she counted slowly to ten and just near the end of the contraction she pushed with all her might, which considering who she was, was quite a lot. "Easy now," Giles said, poking his head back up. "Just relax and rest for a few moments until the next one."

The door to the house opened and Willow poked her head in. "Everything OK?" She asked, walking in and closing the door silently behind her.

Buffy grunted as another contraction started. "Does it look like everything's alright?" She bit out.

Willow looked away, instead turning her gaze on Giles. "How are things going?" She asked.

Giles met her troubled eyes. "Long," He said, "Alright Buffy, push ." He instructed. "Try to push this kid out to me." He looked back towards Willow as Buffy strained and groaned in pain. "She's been at this for the last ten or so hours. I hope it comes soon."

"Child birth can last for a day or more, depending on the mother." Buffy grated out. "And the baby." *I hope this doesn't last much longer or I'm going to find Angel when this is all over and done with and personally de-ball him myself!* She thought evilly to herself, a wicked grin spreading across her sweat drenched features. *This isn't his fault, and you know that.* Her mind said. *I thought I told you to shut up!* Buffy shouted back. *Talking to yourself, that's a scarey thought.*

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Buffy shouted out loud.

"What?" Giles asked at the same time Willow asked "Who?"

"No one." Buffy said, glaring at both. "I was talking to myself."

"That's not a good thing, is it?" Willow asked, looking over at Giles than over at Buffy. "Have you thought of a name yet?" She asked, trying to steer the conversation onto a better topic.

"Yeah," Buffy answered, huffing as the pain lessened in between contractions. "Damn, I wish this kid would hurry up and get the hell out here and get this thing over with."

"So," Willow asked, looking cautiously over at Giles. "What names have you come up with?"

"Um…" Buffy broke off as another contraction grabbed her stomach and twisted her innards. She gritted her teeth together, cursing Angel seven ways to Sunday and then some. Willow raised an eyebrow and looked at Giles amused.

"She's been doing that since about four hours into the labor. It's a good thing he isn't here, I don't think he would've lived through the delivery." Giles said, trying not to smile.

"Actually he's technically not alive…" Willow said absently, watching Buffy as she strained to deliver the child she carried that just shouldn't be. *Could things possibly get any stranger?* She wondered.

Buffy suddenly sat up, her hands gripping either side of her extended abdomen. "NOW!!" She yelled, looking at both of her friends, he eyes clear and bright, no sign of the pain she was feeling. "GET HER OUT NOW!"

Giles quickly grabbed hold of the baby's head and as Buffy forced the child from her body, he gently twisted the child's small body until her head was out followed by her neck and then shoulders. "Ok, take it easy Buffy, with the next contraction push the baby fully out. Do you understand me?" He looked up into the Slayer's sweat sheaned face.

She simply nodded her head, taking quick shallow breaths.

"Good, now get ready to push. When I tell you to push, I want you to with all your strength-" He suddenly looked her straight in the face "Er, forget that. Just push her the rest of the way out."

Willow laughed.

Buffy grunted and pushed with the next wave of contractions. A sudden shrill cry filled the dark house. "Congratulations," Giles said smiling, wrapping the crying infant in a clean towel and sitting her on her mother's chest. "You have a beautiful baby girl."

Buffy looked down at her daughter, smiling at the small miracle she never would have been able to make if it hadn't been for Angel. She almost wanted to tell him then, but knew he didn't need to worry about a child, not right now. The child turned dark hazel eyes up to her mother and cooed. Buffy smiled at her and gently kissed the downy forehead.

The child's small fists flailed around, the fingers trying to wrap themselves around Buffy's hair. The baby squinched her nose, as if some bad odor had crossed her sense of smell. Buffy laughed at her and the sound caught the child's attention, she turned her hazel eyes inquisitively up towards her mother.

"Hi there little one." Buffy said, smiling down at her daughter. The child just cooed up at her.

"What are you going to name her?" Willow asked, coming up to stand next to mother and daughter.

"Angel Starr," Buffy answered, looking up at Willow. "She's my little Angel, my miracle, sent down from the stars above."

Willow smiled. "Angel huh?" She said. "Would that be after a certain dark, brooding vampire we happen to know that lives just a few hours drive from here?"

Buffy turned her hazel gaze up to Willow then looked back down to her peaceful daughter. "Could be," She said quietly. "Very well could be."

X x X x X x X x X x X

"Did you see Angel?" Willow asked as Buffy walked in through the door, Xander walked closely behind her, and following them in was Awnya (spelling ?). Starr came running out from the kitchen, throwing her tiny arms around Buffy's legs. "Momma!" She cried. "Did you bring me anything back?" Her pale hazel eyes went from her mother over to Xander and lastly and very briefly over Awnya. "Did you?" The girl's excitement brought a smile to the Slayer's lips.

Joyce Summers walked out of the kitchen and stared at her daughter. "How was your trip?" She asked. "Did you see him?"

"Yes," Buffy answered, looking her mother straight in the face. "I saw him and told him nothing of his daughter. He doesn't need a child thrust upon him right now. It's the last thing he needs." Buffy's voice was quiet but firm, brooking for no argument.

Mother and daughter stared at one another for a few moments, a few heart pounding moments. "It wouldn't hurt for him to know. He could at least pay you child support or something. Anything to help you out…" Joyce trailed off at the look on her daughter's face. "It was just a thought."

"Mom, Starr is something strange, out of the ordinary. He doesn't need her thrust into his life right now. I don't need him in my life right now. I won't do that to him, it'll be to hard, on the both of us." Buffy turned away from her mother, looking instead at Willow and Tara…*When had Tara gotten here?* Buffy wondered to herself. "Besides, weren't you the one who wanted him gone?" Buffy asked, her voice braking. "Now with Starr around, you suddenly want him back to help out with her…I can't have him here Mom, it brings back to many memories and the fact of what can't be. I didn't want to tell you about her but realized it was unrealistic of me to keep her from you. Angel doesn't need to know, not as long as I'm alive."

"But what if your not always around to protect her?" Her mother asked, coming up behind her daughter and granddaughter. "What if something should happen to you and she's left all alone? Shouldn't she have her father then?"

"If that time comes I'll worry about it then, not now…." Buffy turned to look over at her mother and her best friends. "If something should ever happen to me, then Angel will be told about her, not ever before."

Buffy looked down at her daughter and smiled. *Mommy will protect you no matter what.* She silently said to the young girl hugging her legs.