2002

Sunnydale

Yet another interesting gathering at Buffy's house. This time, the Souled Vampire, the Seer, the Genius, the Street Fighter, the ex-Watcher, the Slayers, the Chipped Vampire, and the Key. Oh yes, and the vampire's son. Not to mention that one Slayer was pregnant (by the way, the father's a vampire). Buffy whimpered inwardly. This was all too strange, to anyone who wasn't *her*, that is.

"Come in, everyone." Buffy said, recognizing the two newcomers as Gunn and Fred, who Angel had told her about over the phone. The baby, although she had been filled in, fascinated the blond Slayer. She looked from Angel to the tiny bundle in his arms with wide eyes.

Cordelia shot everyone as wide smile, "Hi everyone."

Dawn immediately grabbed Cordelia's arm, "Oh my gosh, Cordy, you have to see these jeans I bought yesterday. I've been dying to show them to you..."

The seer was dragged up the stairs to Dawn's room. Buffy shrugged, "Dawn always did like Cordelia for some reason...So, sit down you guys, make yourselves comfortable."

After a few moments, everyone who didn't know eachother was introducing themselves, save for Spike, who was scowling blankly into space. Buffy offered Angel a tiny smile, "Hi."

"Hi." He returned the smile, "You look good."

"So do you." She replied, looking down at Connor's sleeping face, "He's beautiful."

"I know." Angel murmured, gazing with adoration at his son. Buffy smiled and took him by the elbow, pulling him into the living room with everyone else, just as Dawn and Cordelia came back downstairs.

Faith shifted uncomfortably as things quieted down and eyes started turning to her. "Um..." She shuffled a bit and scanned Cordelia's and Angel's faces. They both looked...accepting, she guessed. But Wesley refused to look up and meet her eyes. *What did you expect?* she thought, *A warm welcome? Yeah right*.

"So, what's new in Sunnydale?" Cordelia asked loudly, pulling some of the attention away from Faith, and for the first time she found herself *liking* the former May-Queen.

"A lot, actually." Buffy said, "You know about Xander getting married, and all. But Giles just got in from England, and he's staying for a while."

"Really?" Angel looked up, "Why?"

Buffy glanced over at Spike, "Well, there's a few things you guys should know." She forced a smile, trying to make herself tell Angel what she had been too chicken to do over the phone, "Spike and I are together."

Shocked silence. Buffy paused and continued, "There was an incident about two months ago with an Arg Iav demon and I got pregnant. We're getting married in three weeks."

"Wow, congratulations." Fred said sweetly, and Buffy smiled gratefully.

"Huh. That's...different." Cordelia commented, glancing over at Angel, who had yet to react to the news.

He didn't. Instead, Angel turned to Faith, "How are you?"

"I'm OK. Little shaky, still. But Buffy has helped a lot." She glanced at the blond Slayer, "Actually...I'm gonna go patrol."

"I'll go with you." Buffy volunteered, but Faith shook her head.

"Now freakin' way." She protested, "You could get hurt."

"I'm pregnant, not unable."

Spike put a hand on her arm, "Stay?"

Buffy searched his eyes and found a tiny flicker of insecurity. She realized quickly that he didn't want to be alone with Angel there, "OK. I'll stick around."

Faith shrugged and grabbed her jacket before hurrying out.

2003

Sunnydale

Spike let out a long shuddering breath as another vision faded away and his body stilled on the floor. He was covered in a fine sheen of sweat, and bruised from head to toe. He struggled to stand, but his joints and muscles were so weak he could hardly lift his head.

"Almost over." He groaned, "I hope."

In the past five hours, Spike had been plagued with flash-backs of his past. Killings he had once been proud of, his life before becoming a vampire, and everything that had happened in Brazil had repeated like fuzzy movies, not to mention the hallucinations and physical pain. If it had been Drusilla who had sent the curse, which he was certain it was, she had meant for him to feel pain.

"Good show, Dru." Spike managed to murmur, before he was hit with another jolt of pain and a vision seared behind his eyelids.

{Munich, Germany--1898}

"So. Grandsire's got 'imself a soul." Spike shrugged, "And?"

Drusilla practically swooned in Dalton's arms, "My poor...poor Angelus."

Dalton cleared his throat nervously and looked over at Spike, "Uh, I found out very little about the situation...Angelus was cursed by Romanis, that's all I know." *Please don't hurt me* he added under his breath. Spike smirked and cracked his knuckles.

"Yeah. Thanks for the news." He pulled at Dru's arm, yanking her away from Dalton. Her eyes turned on Spike and she looked at him through tears.

"My Angelus is gone." She whispered, then dissolved in a heap on the floor. Spike sighed and picked her up.

"It's alright, Princess." He murmured, "He'll...be fine."

The final words came out through clenched teeth and Drusilla ripped away from him, "You don't even CARE!" She snapped, "My Angel is gone forever and it doesn't matter! Ohhhh, the moon will be VERY angry with you, William. Angry indeed."

Spike watched as she stomped up the stairs of the house they'd recently moved into. He turned to Dalton and narrowed his eyes "Thanks again, mate."

"So, uh...She was real attached to Angelus?"

"Like bloody *glue*." Spike growled, kicking at the table and overturning it with a resounding crash. Dalton jumped back.

"I-I-I should go..."

Spike took no notice and sunk into a nearby chair, one hand dragging through his sandy brown hair. And that was the first time he realized that Drusilla would *always* choose Angel over him. A chair flew across the room and shattered against the wall as the scene faded away.

2002

Sunnydale

The group started to disperse after Faith left. Dawn went to the kitchen to grab food for everyone, and Spike wandered off in search of more cigarettes.

"Hey," Buffy tugged on Angel's arm, "Can we go talk somewhere?"

A mute nod was all she got. Cordelia took the baby and sent Angel a pointed look before he and the Slayer disappeared out onto the front porch.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you when I called." Buffy said immediately, "I didn't feel right saying it over the phone."

Angel sighed, "I didn't tell you about Connor, so we're almost even."

"Are you OK with me and Spike, though?" She asked softly, "I mean, does it bug you?"

"Yes." He replied honestly, "But I'm not going to stop you from being happy. If my idiot of a childe--"

"Hey!"

"Sorry...If Spike makes you happy, then...I won't ruin that." He smiled at her, then glanced over to the side of the house, where Spike was coming around, cigarette held up to his lips, "Speak of the devil."

Spike glanced up and rolled his eyes when he noticed his sire, "Has he convinced you to ditch me yet?"

"No." Buffy replied, shaking her head at him, then glanced to Angel, "I'm gonna go in. You two talk. Be *civil* both of you."

After the Slayer disappeared inside Spike glared at Angel, "I hate you."

"Good."

"If you mess this up for me I swear, I will rip every strand of your poufy hair out and feed it to you."

"You do that." Angel said. Then in a low voice, he added very succinctly, "If you hurt her I will make damn sure you suffer."

"If I hurt her, you won't have to."

"And why is that?"

"Because I'll stake myself first."