As it turned out, pretty much the entire gang slept poorly. Cordelia was plagued by nightmares about Buffy and Angel getting married, while Giles tossed and turned and ended up spending most of the night poring over reference material. An oblivious Willow and Dawn were the only occupants of the house who rested relatively well. The one good thing was that it was a Friday night so no one had to worry about school or work the next day.
Though it was late in the morning, Buffy was the first to rise. She checked on Evan, closed all the curtains, and finally wandered into the kitchen, only to find the place deserted. So she fixed herself breakfast and tried to figure out the best way to approach the troubling situation with Angel and Evan.
She knew Angel would probably choose to leave again for what he thought for her own benefit. Why couldn't he see that even just having him in town was better than never seeing him? Would Evan's existence make any difference at all this time around?
She was still trying to think of a way to convince Angel to see things her way when Dawn bounced into the kitchen. "Hey, Buffy! Tara just told Willow and me what's going on. Isn't it great? So, are you and Angel going to get back together?"
"No." Buffy crossed to the sink to rinse her plate. "He and Cordelia showed up for an entirely different reason."
"Oh, yeah, I forgot about Cordelia being here." Dawn wrinkled her nose. "Don't blame that one on me. I wasn't messing around with magic or anything and I sure didn't wish her here."
"I think it's safe to say none of us did," Buffy informed her sister as she jammed the plate into the dishwasher. "Cordelia had a vision about a demon, so you're off the hook."
"Yeah, well, she always treated me like I was a baby," Dawn recalled.
"I doubt she'll stay long," Buffy optimistically offered. "I can't picture Cordelia wanting to hang around Sunnydale when she could be in Los Angeles." 'Except that Angel's here,' a little voice in her head reminded her. Buffy tried to shake the thought away. True, she didn't like the Angel-possessive vibes she'd gotten from Cordelia the previous night but she might have misinterpreted the signals in all the confusion.
As Buffy considered this possibility, Anya's voice drifted down the hall toward them. "Cordelia was talking about your tongue being in her throat in the janitor's closet. Why have we never done that? Because it was so wonderful for you and her that you're not interested in doing it with me?"
Buffy and Dawn exchanged glances. It sounded like a fairly typical Xander/Anya discussion, jump-started by Cordelia's throwaway comment of the night before. Sure enough, a few seconds later Xander stepped into the kitchen carrying Evan. "Good morning and excuse us. Anya and I have to go out and find a janitor's closet to kiss in so she can be sure I love her. And here's Evan. He just woke up."
"Thanks." Buffy nodded a goodbye to Xander and settled her son into his high chair. She was feeding him a spoonful of baby food when Cordelia walked in.
"Good morning. Hi, Dawn. The last time I saw you, you were in--what grade? Fifth? Hey, Connor." She leaned toward Evan and began making baby talk. Evan obviously did not like it, as he instantly started wailing. Cordelia backed away. "I don't get it. Why does he cry every time I even look at him?"
"Because he doesn't like you," Dawn blurted.
"Dawn, that was rude," Buffy scolded halfheartedly as she distracted the baby with a fresh spoonful of food.
Cordelia retreated to the corner chair. "Maybe I'd better stay away from him if I have that sort of effect. I can't understand why. He used to love being around me. So...." She cast about for a topic of discussion. "My visions don't usually come with a long tape delay. Why hasn't that demon attacked yet?"
"Buffy!" Giles' voice came from the front of the house and saved her from having to make conversation with Cordelia.
"Go on," Dawn encouraged her. "I'll finish feeding Evan."
"Thanks." Buffy left the kitchen and headed to the living room, where Giles' call had sounded from. He and Angel were standing in front of the fireplace in deep discussion.
As soon as he caught sight of her, Giles urged, "Sit down, please." He waited until Buffy and Angel were both ready, then proceeded. "Buffy, I've done some research and concluded that it is theoretically possible you conceived the baby while Angel was human for that day in 1999, yet Darla carried it to term in 2001. At least, it's no stranger a thought than the idea of two vampires conceiving a child together. Of course, considerable outside interference must have occurred, similar to when Angel was returned from hell. That event was never fully explained and it is possible the complete story behind Evan, or Connor, never will be either."
"Well, The Powers That Be *have* been manipulating my life a lot lately. I wouldn't put this sort of interference past them," Angel offered.
Buffy nodded. "I knew that was always a possibility. And it doesn't matter how Evan came to be. Nothing could make me love him any less."
"I didn't think so." Giles cleared his throat. "To touch on another issue, I managed to identify the demon Cordelia saw in her vision. It's a rare type called a Gezora demon. They are very dangerous fighters and are usually found alone. They have extremely thick hides, squirt poison when wounded and have two tails. You should remain at a safe distance yet use a sharp weapon that can penetrate their skin, so swords are perhaps the most effective choice. Now if you will excuse me, Tara and I are going to engage in some research we hope may be of benefit to you."
"Okay. Thanks, Giles," Buffy said as he left the room.
She and Angel sat in awkward silence for a moment before he spoke. "I'm sorry you're so upset I turned out to be your baby's father. I mean, you obviously don't want me involved at all."
"No," Buffy corrected, "It wasn't that I didn't want you to be his father. It's that I didn't want to get my hopes up."
"You really weren't disappointed?"
"Of course not. The subject of Evan's paternity has been bothering me ever since I learned he was mine. The fact that you're his father is actually a huge relief."
"I guess Connor's going to be the subject of the day. We have some important decisions to make about his future," Angel said.
"Exactly." Buffy nodded. "This situation isn't just about the two of us. We have a child to think about now and his needs come first."
"I agree," Angel said.
"I don't suppose you'll move back to Sunnydale," Buffy said hopefully.
Angel looked pained. "You know I can't do that."
Although she'd expected that answer, Buffy couldn't help feeling the sting of disappointment. "So what are we supposed to do? Share custody? Trade our son off on weekends and holidays?"
"Or I could just disappear from your lives for your own good like I did when I went to Los Angeles in the first place," Angel suggested.
"Oh, *that* was a big success," Buffy sarcastically cheered in response to the one comment she least wanted to hear. "My life went down the toilet at right about that point. Then things got so we stopped phoning each other or even communicating at all. You know, if we had kept in touch, I would have known about the day you were human and about Darla and about your having a son. Then this whole mess would never have even happened."
"And I would have known about you and Spike," Angel fired back. "I wonder if you're keeping any other secrets about your new life?"
Buffy sighed, the anger draining out of her. "The me and Spike thing would be the biggest. And you really can't understand the circumstances unless you've died and been dragged out of heaven."
"Buffy, I'm sorry," Angel apologized. "I know this is hard for you. It is for both of us. Forgive me?"
Buffy took his hand. "Of course I do."
Cordelia watched from the doorway, seeing her dreams shattering right before her eyes. Whenever Buffy was in the room, no one else existed for Angel. It was just like being back in high school. Why couldn't he see that she was better for him than Buffy was? Cordelia braced herself and resolved not to give up so easily. All wasn't lost yet. She pasted a bright smile on her face and strode into the room, saying cheerily, "What are you two talking about so seriously?"
Angel and Buffy jumped at the sound of her voice, their privacy shattered. "We're deciding what we should do about Connor," Angel explained.
"Stay here," Buffy again suggested. "Be near your son and me. I never wanted you to leave in the first place."
"You can't be with Buffy!" Cordelia protested. "Remember? Happiness clause? Mean Angel in leather pants?"
"Cordelia has a point," Angel admitted. "No matter what I think we're always going to come back to this issue. If I'm perfectly happy, I lose my soul. I lose my soul, Angelus comes back. It's too risky and too much of a strain on both of us."
"How do you know your soul isn't bound already?" Buffy asked desperately. "Maybe it happened after you came back from hell and you just never realized it. I mean, most people consider the birth of a child to be one of the happiest moments in their lives. So shouldn't you have lost your soul when Connor was born, if it ever was going to happen again?"
Angel shook his head. "No, I don't think so. The circumstances surrounding his birth were so bizarre I didn't have a chance of feeling perfect happiness. And ever since then, I've been too busy dodging enemies and wondering where Connor was to feel a moment of peace. Even when I found him with you, I was too busy trying to figure out how it was even possible."
"Don't decide yet," Buffy offered. "Spend a few days with me and Evan--Connor. Just a few. That can't do any harm, can it? Then see how you feel."
Angel considered her suggestion and finally replied, "All right, I'll give it a few days. But I'm not promising anything."
While his answer wasn't all Buffy had hoped for, it wasn't the worst thing Angel could have said and she held onto the possibility that he would decide to stay permanently.
*****
Throughout the next week, Giles and Tara continued their heavy duty research. Anya and Xander even pitched in on occasion but whenever Buffy or Angel offered to help they were instead sent off to spend time with their son, which they were only too happy to do. As for Cordelia, she said she didn't want to leave Sunnydale until Angel did. In the meantime, she got in touch with Wesley to let him know what had happened. He and the others were thrilled to hear that Connor had been found, confused by the circumstances, and anxious to see him again as soon as they had enough free time to come for a visit. They encouraged Angel and Cordelia to stay in Sunnydale as long as he wanted and sent their best wishes.
Buffy couldn't help feeling jealous whenever she watched Cordelia interact with Angel. The proprietary air the other woman displayed, the inside jokes the two shared, and the obvious affection between them bothered her despite herself. Cordelia and Angel had bonded while in Los Angeles, and Buffy was envious. She'd been left to live without Angel while Cordelia had had him for three years. She had to wonder exactly what had gone on between the two in all that time, but she couldn't quite work up the nerve to ask. Despite that problem, she and the other woman were getting along all right. That was helped by the fact that they didn't spend much time together. They hadn't had a whole lot in common in high school and even though they still both fought evil, matters hadn't improved a great deal.
After Angel had been in Sunnydale almost a week, Buffy began to get her hopes up about the possibility of him staying long term. He hadn't said anything one way or the other in all that time and she decided not to press the subject for fear of driving him away. He would soon see on his own that he was meant to be with her and their son.
*****
Connor was growing before his eyes and Angel drank in every second, acutely aware that every moment they spent together might well the last. Several times he found himself teetering on the verge of forgetting, of falling into perfect happiness as he dreamed he and Buffy and Connor were a real, normal family. Each time, he jerked back just in time to realize with horror how close he had come to ruining things for all of them. He kept vowing the next night would be the one he would leave, but so far he hadn't been able to tear himself away.
That moment finally came one evening when he and Buffy were playing with Connor in the living room. They were alone, since Cordelia was out with an old friend, Anya and Xander had gone to a movie and the others were involved in various activities around the house.
Up to then, Buffy had been alternating between calling the baby "Connor" and "Evan" and she finally brought up the subject to Angel. "We have to settle on what his name should be or he's going to grow up really confused. He was named Connor first. I think we should keep that and use Evan as his middle name. Connor Evan." Buffy tested the name out loud. "What do you think, Angel?"
"I guess it's really your decision, Buffy."
"No, it isn't. You should have equal say." Buffy looked at Angel but he refused to meet her eyes and that was when she realized what he was thinking. "Oh, no. You're trying to tell me you're leaving again, aren't you? You can't. You've been happy this past week. I know you have. We all have."
"Buffy, that's the problem. I *have* been happy, and I can't risk that. This week has shown me how easy perfect happiness would be. I've come so close to slipping into it. It isn't safe for me to stay here any longer."
"Your son is walking and talking. Do you want to miss all the other milestones that are coming up?"
"You know I don't. But would you rather have him dead and be dead yourself? Because that's what will happen if I don't leave soon." Angel instantly felt guilty for his angry words when he saw Buffy flinch. He gentled his tone. "I'm sorry. That was too harsh. But you have to understand how I feel about what might happen. The danger of Angelus coming back is too high. I always have to have my guard up. I see the absolute joy you take in being with Connor and I envy you that because I can never feel it. It would be so easy to let myself go and I can't. I won't. I'm sorry, Buffy. I have to go back to Los Angeles tonight. I know Connor will be safe with you."
"Is that good enough for you?"
"It's going to have to be."
Tears welled up in Buffy's eyes as she realized there was nothing she could say to change Angel's mind. She would have to watch him walk away from her again.
They were interrupted by the sound of Xander's car roaring up in the driveway and his hurried entrance into the house with Anya. "You know that demon Cordelia saw in her vision?" Xander greeted them. "It just showed up."
As Buffy and Angel collected an array of weapons, Xander reported the circumstances surrounding the demon sighting. They had been driving home and Anya had spotted the monster in a park. It was too big and powerful-looking for them to take on alone and unarmed, so they had decided to hurry home and get backup.
"Angel and I can handle it," Buffy informed Anya and Xander as they headed toward the car.
"One of us has to show you exactly where the demon is," Xander pointed out. "You'll save time."
"Fine, Xander, you can come," Buffy relented. "But you have to stay back if possible and not get involved in the fight. I don't like the fact that you appeared in Cordelia's vision."
The three loaded the weapons in Xander's car, jumped in and sped off in pursuit of the latest evil to turn up. Within minutes they reached the park and Xander directed them to the spot where Anya had seen the demon. It was no longer there but a trail of glowing slime provided ample evidence that it had recently been in that location. It also made it easy to track the creature. The three located the huge demon just as it was about to attack a group of children playing kickball.
"Hey, ugly! Over here!" Buffy yelled.
The startled Gezora demon turned to assess the threat, which gave the children a chance to run to safety. Buffy and Angel quickly fell back into their old pattern and worked as an efficient double team. One would distract the demon while the other attacked from the back or side. Despite their team work, though, the very tough Gezora held its own against them, moving with surprising grace and speed for such a large and unwieldy looking creature.
Finally Xander unwittingly provided an end to the long battle. He had stayed out of the way during most of the fight but failed to move fast enough when the demon looked his way and the Gezora homed in on him as a threat. The demon snapped its teeth and lashed out with both tails, coming within inches of striking Xander in the face. As Xander scrambled back out of range, Angel saw an opening, leaped forward, and plunged his sword into the demon's torso. A burst of blue liquid spurted from the wound as the creature roared and fell to the ground to lie motionless.
"Well, that was gross," Xander observed from a safe, dry distance.
"The important thing is that it's dead," Angel replied. He glanced at Buffy. "Guess we have to bury this one, huh?"
She nodded. "I hate it when they don't dissolve or turn to dust. I think they do it just to inconvenience me."
They all took a few moments to rest before they set about the annoying task. Fortunately, it was far from the first time they'd have to bury an opponent so Buffy had had the foresight to load a few shovels into the car. Even then, considering the size of the demon it took even longer than the fight had lasted to dig a hole big enough to conceal the carcass.
Almost sorry to be done, because the activities had at least delayed Angel's departure, Buffy dumped the last scoop of dirt on the grave and dropped her shovel. "Giles did say they usually travel alone, right? 'Cause I'd hate to run into another of these things anytime soon. They take forever to kill and forever to bury."
They threw the tools and weapons back into Xander's car and drove home in almost total silence. Even though Xander didn't know Angel had told Buffy he was leaving, he seemed to sense something was wrong between the two and refrained from making one of his usual smart-mouthed comments.
When they arrived back at the house, Angel turned to Buffy. "I'm going to go upstairs and pack. It won't take long. I only have my travel bag."
He disappeared up the stairs and Xander looked at Buffy. "What was that all about? Angel's leaving? When did he decide that?"
"I think from the very beginning." Buffy shook her head. "I'm sorry, Xander, I can't talk about this right now. Can you let us say goodbye alone?"
"Yeah, sure." He squeezed her hand and left her in the living room.
A couple of minutes later, Angel came downstairs with his packed bag. "I guess this is it. I'm all ready to leave. I guess Cordelia is still out. Maybe Xander can give her a ride home tomorrow."
"Don't you want to say goodbye to Connor?" Buffy asked, hoping the sight of his son would make Angel rethink his decision.
"No. I should just go now. You can tell him and the others what you think is best."
Angel's hand was on the door knob when Anya, Tara, Willow, Giles, and Xander came hurrying in from the back of the house. "Angel, wait!" Tara called. "You can't leave now! I have wonderful news. Giles and I have been working all week and we finally put together a spell that should bind your soul."
Angel shook his head. "We've tried this before. We never found anything suitable in the past."
"That was then. This is now," Anya insisted. "We've looked harder, spent more time and tracked down very scarce ingredients. If there are ways to curse vampires with souls and also steal those souls back then there must be ways to bind them."
"You know I approach involvement in the black arts with the utmost caution," Giles added. "But considering the circumstances, I believe the benefits outweigh the risks, which we have minimalized as much as possible."
"You'll try it, won't you, Angel?" Buffy begged. "Please?"
"I really, honestly think everything's fine," Tara offered. "We wouldn't even have mentioned the spell in the first place if we didn't believe we could pull it off."
For long seconds Angel remained silent. Buffy held her breath in anticipation, while everyone else waited eagerly to hear his decision. Finally he nodded. "I'll try it."
*****
Giles reported that there was no compelling reason to delay so they could go ahead with the spell that night. Dawn volunteered to watch Connor in a separate room while the work took place. With that matter settled, Giles, Tara, Anya, and Xander carried the necessary materials down to the basement. Angel, Willow, and Buffy followed and observed the set up. Aside from Dawn and Connor, only Cordelia, who had not yet come home, was absent.
Buffy studied the array of supplies. "So that's what you guys have been working on all week. No wonder we barely saw you some days."
"Yeah, we have all sorts of stuff." Tara held up a black rock. "Like a Cimmerian crystal, a Sphere of Dagnom, a pinch of werebane, and even the tooth of a Froar demon. Spike got that one for us."
"And Anya called in an old favor to get the sphere," Xander said. "The spell took tons of referencing and cross-referencing and following leads, but we think we got it all together."
"I'm not involved in the magic end of this deal," Willow added as she sat down next to Buffy. "I'm just here for moral support."
"We can use all of that we can get," Buffy assured her friend.
"Angel, you hold this crystal and sit there." Giles handed him the item and pointed to the middle of the room. "Tara and I will be over here. Everyone else, stay behind us."
They all took their places and the ceremony began. Tara handled the spell ingredients, while Giles recited a chant in a strange, flowing language no one else understood. For several seconds after he finished speaking, nothing happened. Then a golden light filled the room. It gradually lessened until it shone only around Angel, then it seemed to become absorbed by his body until it completely disappeared.
"Is that it?" Anya loudly whispered. "Can we move now?"
"I think so," Tara volunteered. "We did everything the instructions said."
"Did it work?" Xander asked. "How do we know?"
Giles looked at the vampire. "Angel? What do you think?"
"I think...." Angel stopped and started again. "You all know I've been involved in things like this before--spells, curses, whatever. I remember how I felt when I was cursed the first time. It didn't just happen and I felt nothing, it was a physical sensation that was impossible to miss. Same thing when my soul left and Angelus came back. And again when Willow restored my soul to me. I felt something like that just now."
"Which means?" Buffy pressed.
"I'm sure it worked," Angel told everyone.
Buffy threw her arms around him in a hug. "There's no way you can still want to leave after all that."
Angel shook his head. "I think I'd be lynched if I did. Even Xander seems to want me to stay."
Xander shrugged. "Well, I kind of got used to having you around. Don't get too excited. It's not like we're going to be best friends or anything. You know, you're almost like another piece of furniture around the place."
"Thanks, all of you," Buffy told her friends. "We really appreciate everything you've done for us."
"More than we can express," Angel added.
"You know we were happy to do it," Giles reminded them. "And with this business taken care of, perhaps we can also finally have some peace for a little while."
"I guess you guys will want a little time alone. We'll tell Dawn the good news," Willow volunteered as she and Tara started up the stairs after the others.
Alone, Buffy turned to Angel. "I can't believe it's all over. Well, not everything and not forever, but this is a pretty big event for us. So you really are going to stay now?"
"Yeah. I really am."
"Thanks, I just needed to hear it one more time. Only...." Buffy paused. "I hate to bring the subject up now, but what about Cordelia?"
"What about her? I guess she'll go back to L.A. Maybe get more heavily into acting again, or she can always work with Wesley and the others."
"No, I mean you might not be romantically interested in*her*, but she definitely is in you," Buffy clarified.
Angel looked her in the eye. "Cordelia and I are just friends. I know it might be hard for you to understand that we're even that much, but you haven't really spent any time with Cordelia since high school and you don't remember her in the best light. I've been around her pretty much every day for the past few years and she's grown as a person. She was genuinely concerned about me when the whole Connor situation came up. Okay, I have to admit sometimes her concern got on my nerves, but she meant well. And I did do things that led her on during an extended period while my brain was out to lunch. I'll be honest, I really can't blame Cordelia for getting the wrong idea about my feelings toward her. It's partly my fault."
Buffy nodded. "Have you told her any of this?"
"Not in so many words," Angel admitted. "But I promise, I'll talk to her again and make sure she understands once and for all that I consider her only a friend."
"Okay, that's fair." Buffy took his hand and they went upstairs.
Anya looked up as they exited the basement door into the kitchen. "That was quick. Cordelia is back and Xander just told her the news."
Angel and Buffy exchanged glances. "Now's as good a time as any to talk to her," Angel decided. He and Buffy only had to check a few rooms on the ground floor of the house before they found Cordelia alone in the living room.
"Hey, Cordy," Angel greeted her.
Cordelia jumped. "Oh, you scared me! I was lost in thought." She smiled at him. "I heard what happened. I'm happy for you, really."
"Yeah, I know. Thanks." Angel hesitated, then continued. "Cordelia, I've made some plans. I'm going to stay in Sunnydale with Buffy and Connor. You, Wesley, Fred, and Gunn should be able to run Angel Investigations without me. If you really need my help I'm just a phone call away. In fact, Buffy, Giles, and the others would be willing to pitch in too."
"You're staying with Buffy," Cordelia repeated. "No. It isn't fair. I've been working with you for years and Buffy has barely spoken to you in all that time. It isn't right that you spend less than a week in town and not only is your son here, living with Buffy, but she turns out to be his mother, *and* your soul gets bound, *and* you reconcile with her. Why is it that Buffy ends up with everything and I have nothing? Angel, you're making the wrong choice. Face the facts: You've never really been able to be yourself with Buffy but you don't have that problem with me."
Buffy opened her mouth, but Angel held up his hand. "No, Buffy, let me handle this." He turned to the other woman. "Cordelia, I do love you." Buffy frowned, while a hopeful smile tugged at the corners of Cordelia's mouth. Angel went on, "I love you like a sister."
Cordelia's jaw dropped. "Sister!?" That word was the kiss of death to any potential relationship between her and Angel. Any time a guy viewed you as a sister, it was next to impossible to change the image that had affixed itself in his mind. "Okay, it's *so* not happening between us. Got it. You don't have to tell me twice. For your information, I didn't want it to anyway. I was just playing along because I thought you were in love with me and I didn't want to disappoint you so soon after you lost Connor. Because *you're* like a brother to me. If I had a 200-something year-old brother who's a mopey vampire!" She turned on her heel and stalked away.
"Cordelia, wait!" Angel called, but she ignored him and stormed out of the house.
"Think she was just a little upset?" Buffy observed.
"But I didn't even get to finish," Angel protested.
Buffy shrugged. "You can't please everyone all the time."
And the truth was, they were too happy finally making plans for their future together to give Cordelia more than a passing thought.
*****
Note: This could be considered the end. If you don't like Cordelia then you might want to read the very short epilogue I posted as "Chapter 4"; otherwise, just stop here.
*****
Challenge elements:
(I didn't follow all of them to the letter but came pretty close.)
1) Buffy doesn't know about Darla or that Connor exists.
2) The representive tells Angel that they are taking Connor to his mother, saying that Darla was not Connor's mother but only the one to carry the child. Because he's half brain dead since he started sniffing after Cordelia, he doesn't even think about Buffy being Connor's mother (the child was created during IWRY).
3) Angel dumping Cordelia, becoming his brooding self again, and going back to work on his redemption.
4) The Representive taking the baby to Buffy and telling her that the baby is her child, so she takes the baby and gives him a new name. Buffy doesn't know that Angel fathered the baby, and the Representive doesn't tell her.
5) Buffy dumping Spike because she's a mother now and she needs to focus on her family. She no longer needs Spike to make her feel something; she has the baby.
6) Hank (her father) dies shortly after TPTB gives Connor to Buffy (let's just say that TPTB give him a little help crossing over) and she inherits his estate along with his life insurance policies, so she doesn't have to worry about money anymore.
Optional: Buffy uses part of the money she inherits and buys the Crawford Mansion and she, the baby, Dawn, Willow, Tara, Xander, Anya, and Giles live there.
1 to 2 years later
7) Cordelia gets a vision that they have to go to Sunnydale (TPTB decide it's time to let Angel see his child).
8) Angel meeting Buffy & her child and knowing instantly that it's his missing son.
9) Angel & Buffy's child does not like Cordelia.
10) Angel, Buffy, and their child becoming a family.
11) Willow & Tara fixing the curse so that Buffy & Angel can be together.
13) Giles came back from England after Buffy was given the child, and is the child's official grandpa.