Chapter 6
"Come on Willow! Hurry up!" Dawn said as she hung another decoration on the wall. "They'll be here any minute!"
"I know this Dawnie. I'm going as fast as I can!" Willow exclaimed.
"Tara, do you have the presents?" Dawn asked as she walked into the dining room.
"Yup! They're all stacked here on the table." Tara answered.
"You know, I can't believe that when Buffy told us she was pregnant seven months ago, we didn't even consider throwing her a baby shower." Willow said walking in from the kitchen with a bowl of punch.
{Di-ng do-ng}
"Uh oh! They're here!" Dawn said frantically.
"Dawn, I don't think that Buffy or Angel would ring the doorbell to their own house." Tara said as she opened the door. "See, it's just Xander, Spike, and Faith."
"Yeah, thanks for that marvelous intro Tara! It's just! Pft!" Spike huffed.
"Shut up Spike! Hey guys! We have presents!" Faith said as Tara led them to the dining room.
"Just stick them on the table with the rest of 'em." Dawn said.
"Are they here yet?" Xander asked.
"No, but they called about 15 minutes ago and said they would be here soon." Tara informed. "It was Dawn's idea to throw them the shower."
"Yup! I even BOUGHT some presents for Buffy and Conner." Dawn said.
"Goody for you!" Spike said.
"Spike! Geez, can't you say anything nice today? He's been in a grouchy mood all day today and I have no clue why." Faith said, whacking Spike in the stomach.
"Bloody hell woman! You do have some strength in you, don't direct it all to me!" Spike said.
"Well, shut up and be nice. You're embarrassing me. I don't want you upsetting Buffy. Angel called yesterday and said she was very touchy feely in the emotions department. If you do anything to make her cry or get upset in any way, I am personally picking you up with a dust buster."
"I know all that. Why would I do anything to upset Buffy? Do you think I want the Big Poof wailing on my ass for upsetting his WIFE?"
"I should certainly hope you wouldn't. Four days in the hospital and you know Buffy has got to have more post-birth depression stuff going for her." Willow said, glaring at the vampire.
"You stay outta this Red."
"You know what? Bite me! Oh wait! You can't!"
"Oh, go kiss a guy! Oh wait, you can't!"
"Oh ouch! Boy, am I reeling from THAT one!"
"Guys! Shut up!" Xander and Dawn yelled.
{Di-ng Do-ng}
Dawn shoved past Spike, Faith, and Willow to open the door. Cordy, Gru, Fred, Gunn, Wesley, and Lorne were all on the doorstep.
"Hey Dawnie!" Cordy said.
"Hey Cordy! Hey guys. Come on in." Dawn said stepping back to allow them to enter. "Presents on the table, Buffy, Angel, and Conner should be home soon."
"Cool. And look, refreshments!" Fred said.
"That's my girl, always headed towards the sweet stuff!" Gunn said following Fred to the punch bowl.
"Should we hide?" Lorne asked.
"Why?" Tara inquired.
"Because they just pulled up."
"Oh, quick everyone get into place!" Dawn said diving in the corner behind the door while everyone else found a place nearby to hide.
The doorknob rattled and then the door swung open.
"Dawn? Willow? We're home." Buffy called, moving Conner to the other shoulder so she could shut the door. She turned to the dining room and saw the presents stacked there. Then she noticed the movements around her followed by the, "SURPRISE!" and the bodies of her friends jumping out from everywhere. Buffy's eyes widened as her hand shot to cover Conner's ear that wasn't against her shoulder.
"Shh! I swear to God, if you people make him cry I'm going to put you all in the hospital at the same time!" Buffy said in a voice barely above a yelling whisper.
"PLEASE don't make him cry!" Angel said. "He is so hard to get quieted down and we just now got him to stop from the car ride."
"And you were sure it was just Buffy with the depression touchy feely stuff, right?" Spike asked Willow.
"What's going on?" Buffy asked as she cooed at her son.
"Baby shower." Dawn said. "I planned it just for you. Angel helped some."
"Angel?"
"Yeah, he got you the best present of all though."
"Dawn asked me if it would be ok and I said yes." Angel said gently to Buffy.
"As long as you people keep quiet and don't wake him, I'm ready for presents." Buffy said.
Dawn led her and Angel over to the head of the table and they sat down. Dawn slid a present over to Angel since Buffy was holding Conner. As quietly as he could, he opened the present. It was a Winnie the Pooh baby comforter and matching PJs.
"Awe, that is so cute Dawn! Thank you." Buffy said.
"You're welcome. Oh, here. Don't forget the card." Dawn answered. She opened it and handed it to Buffy to read.
"Now that you have a new baby, you must learn all the nursery rhymes. Here's a classic: Twinkle, twinkle, little." Dawn helped Buffy open the card. "...Go to sleep!" Buffy read. "Thank you Dawnie. That was. sweet."
"Now mine." Willow said, sliding a big box over towards Buffy. Angel stood up and walked to the present. He opened it and inside was the cutest baby stroller Buffy had ever seen.
"Willow! This is so beautiful! How did you pay for this?" Angel asked.
"Mom and Dad helped. When I told them Buffy was pregnant, they insisted that they help me pay for the cutest present for the baby. They also sent this." Willow said, handing a light yellow card to Angel.
"Congratulations on your new bundle of joy." he opened the card. "You're going to learn a whole new meaning of 'night life.'" Buffy and Angel burst out laughing as quietly as they could. Then as the rest of them got what they were laughing at, they joined in too. They already had a new meaning of "night life."
45 minutes later and 13 presents later, Angel was ready to show Buffy his present.
"Come on." He led Buffy upstairs and then to a door between his and Buffy's bedroom and Dawn's bedroom.
"Well, this is new." Buffy said. Angel opened the door and Buffy gasped. It was a little nursery painted blue and decorated with sports memorabilia.
"Dawn agreed to give up part of her already big room for the baby. I paid some contractors to come and build a wall and a couple of doors in to make this room." Angel said.
"'A couple of doors'?" Buffy asked. "Yeah." He led her over to another door on the left side of the room. When he opened it, it led to Buffy and Angel's bedroom. "I figured we could leave this door open at night so we could get to Conner easily."
"Angel, it's perfect!" Buffy said as she hugged him. Suddenly Conner squirmed and started to cry out in protest at being caught between Buffy and Angel's bodies. "Shh. It's ok. Shh. We're sorry." Buffy cooed. Angel had one arm around Buffy's now smaller waist and the other stroking Conner's shiny blond hair.
They went back out in the hall where their friends were all crowded trying to peep into the new room. Buffy shooed them all downstairs and then followed them down.
"Angel, can you take him?" Buffy asked.
"Of course." Angel took Conner and gently laid him down in his arms. Buffy loved that sight. Angel looked 100 times happier than she had ever seen him when he was holding Conner. There was something about Conner that just made Angel glow with love.
Buffy shook her arms out to allow the feeling to return to them, but never left Angel's side. "He gets kind of heavy after a while."
"Can I hold him?" Dawn asked.
"No." Buffy and Angel answered at the same time.
"Why not?"
"Because, he's tired and he wants his mommy and daddy." Buffy said.
"Dawn, give it up. Those two will never give that baby up to anyone. Their dreams have finally come true and they ended up making a baby together. Trust me, you are never gonna get to hold that baby for at least another 10, maybe 12 years." Cordy said as she looked at the couple. They were standing face to face and Buffy was caressing Conner's soft hair and kissing his forehead while she had her arm around Angel's back playing with his shirt. Angel was holding Conner in one arm and Buffy in the other. It was definitely a Kodak moment. They were all looking at the three.
"Definitely 12 years." Cordy repeated.
It was a few hours later and Buffy and Angel were in bed. They were both worn out from the party and tending to Conner. Neither of them had ever been this tired in their entire lives. Buffy looked at the clock on her nightstand. 12:28. She was drifting and she could tell Angel was already fast asleep. She smiled at the little room with its soft night light glow coming from it. Her baby was in there in his big white crib. Correction: her and Angel's baby. She loved the sound of that.
Just as she started to fall asleep, the scream came. She bolted up and fell on the floor flat on her butt. As she was getting up, Angel was bolting up too. She stood and walked into Conner's room. He lay there staring up and crying. Buffy picked him up and rocked him, but he didn't stop crying. So, she checked his diaper. It was dry.
"Buffy?" Angel asked from the doorway.
"I think he's hungry." Buffy said, turning to the shirtless Angel in the doorframe.
"I'll go make him a bottle."
"I'll come with. No need to make us stay up here and let him cry. He'll wake up the whole house."
They headed down the stairs, Buffy rocking Conner in her arms and purring at him to try and quiet him down just a little. Angel flipped on the kitchen light and headed towards the cabinets. He opened it up and pulled out a pot, filling it with water, and then putting it on the stove. Buffy sat down and watched Angel work. He walked to another cabinet and pulled out a baby bottle, the plastic bag-like thing that held the liquid, and a canister of baby formula. He then proceeded to mix the formula and stick it in the bottle, then the bag thing, then he stuck it in the water. After finishing that, he put the formula away and sat down beside Buffy. She had finally got him quiet but he was still letting out grunts and small cries of displeasure that his food wasn't on its way as fast as he'd hoped.
"Hey there little guy. You're good at that screaming thing, aren't you?" Angel cooed.
Buffy looked over at Angel and then lay back on his broad chest. "I'm pooped!"
"Me too. I didn't know that it was going to be this much fun. And you know, I'm a vampire. Aren't I supposed to be the one awake at all hours of the night?"
"It's the gem. You're spending too much time with me. You're body is getting used to the schedule that I'm on."
"I told Doyle that I should have destroyed that thing. But he insisted that we put it away for safe keeping."
"I'm glad he talked you into it."
"Yeah, I am too. You know." He got up and walked to the bottle and tested it. Finding the temperature just right, turned the stove top off and dumped the water in the sink.
"Do I know what?" Buffy asked as Angel brought the bottle over and gave it to Conner. He insisted on trying to feed Conner himself, so Buffy handed him over to Angel.
"Just that, there's only one thing missing to making me fully human."
"What's that?"
"A beating heart. If I didn't know any better, I would say I've shanshued. Or at least come as close to it as I'll ever get. I mean my soul is bound, I have a wife, a son, and both of whom I can go out in the sun with."
"You know what? Maybe that beating heart thing wouldn't be the best in the world. It could make you fully human, then you wouldn't be able to watch out for your family. You wouldn't have the strength."
"You're right."
"I know."
"You wanna take Conner back upstairs?"
"Sure. It's no use trying to put him to sleep down here. If and when we succeed, he's just gonna wake up while we climb the stairs. Better to have him by his bed than anywhere else."
They headed back upstairs and into Conner's room. Angel sat in the rocking chair and handed Conner over to Buffy, who then sat in Angel's lap.
"I'm not singing, just to let you know this." Buffy said.
"Neither am I."
"We need to make shift's out of this."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, whenever Conner cries, we'll take turns coming in to check on him."
"Oh. Well, you get the dirty diapers. I don't know how to change them."
"I showed you at the hospital!"
"So?"
"So, you should know how to do it."
"I need supervised practice."
"Maybe. Depends on how tired I am."
"I'll just have to get you up then."
"Like hell you will."
"I will."
Buffy rolled her eyes and looked down at their son. His eyes were drooping and he was fighting the fast coming sleep. Buffy gently stroked his back and purred at him. As he finally fell back to sleep, Buffy stood up gently and carried him to the crib. Angel kissed Conner's head and then Buffy placed him in the crib. They stood there and stared at their miracle baby. That's what Buffy had come to call him: their miracle baby. After all, his parents were supposed to be infertile and then he almost didn't make it through the birth.
"We're going to have to start that baby book that Faith got for us." Buffy said quietly.
"First thing in the morning."
"Mmm, ok." Buffy murmured. She was falling asleep herself while she stood there and watched Conner sleep. Next thing she knew Angel was picking her up and carrying her to the bed. He gently laid her down and covered her with the comforter. She was fast asleep by the time the clock read 1:25.
Angel was having an extraordinary dream about Buffy, Conner, Dawn, and him. They were all on a picnic in a field full of flowers and butterflies. Buffy was holding Conner and talking to him. Conner was smiling up at her and talking back in his cooing, gurgling baby talk. Dawn was off trying to catch butterflies to bring back to the house. Angel was standing over Buffy and watching her and Conner "talk" to each other. Suddenly he realized that Buffy was staring up at him and saying something. He couldn't understand her, but by the look on her face, it was clear that she was getting agitated that he hadn't been listening. He looked at her in confusion as she opened her mouth and screamed. It wasn't Buffy's voice though; it sounded like a baby's voice. He looked over at Conner to see if he was screaming because his mom was, but he was still staring at his mom and "talking." Then Buffy stopped and smiled a cruel smirk up at him. He looked at her in horror. The face she was making twisted her features and made her look evil and gruesome.
"You don't deserve this." She said. "Not after what you did to me. I'll take this all away from you, just like you took it from me."
"Buffy, what are you talking about?"
She didn't answer though, she just started screaming again.
Angel bolted upright in bed and stared around the dark room. He looked over at the spot where Buffy was supposed to be. She wasn't there. Angel started to panic. Conner was screaming in the other room and Buffy was missing. He shot out of bed and darted into Conner's room. Before he could get there, a small figure appeared in the doorway holding Conner. Angel stared in horrified silence at the figure holding his son. Then it spoke.
"Angel? Angel, are you ok?"
It was Buffy. He ran to her and tossed his arms around her and his son. Conner squealed at the sudden pressure pinning him there to his mother's chest and he started to struggle.
"Angel, get off! You're hurting Conner!" Buffy cried.
"Are you two ok?" He managed.
"We're fine. The question should be: are YOU ok?"
"Yes and no. What are you doing?"
"Conner was screaming because he had a wet diaper. I came in and changed it, but he didn't stop crying. Now I'm trying to calm him down, but you didn't help that any by squashing us like that!" Buffy replied angrily.
"I'm sorry. Don't be angry."
"Well, just don't do that again!"
"How long has he been crying?"
"About thirty minutes now."
"Thirty minutes?"
"That's what I said."
Angel turned and looked at the clock. It read 3:56. Less than two hours ago, they had been up feeding Conner, now he was crying for no reason. Buffy had already changed his diaper, so that ruled it out.
"Did you feed him?" Angel asked.
"I tried, he didn't want it."
"Let me see him."
Buffy handed Conner over to Angel and he gently rocked Conner.
"Shh, don't cry, daddy's here. Shh."
He kept crying.
"Buffy, bring me a stuffed animal."
Buffy went into her room and came back with Mr. Gordo. Angel took it and started to dance it around in front of Conner. He didn't get anything but more crying out of it. He tried it again and got the same.
"We may have to resort to singing." He stated.
"Oh no. Not me." Buffy said backing away.
"Yes you. I'll help." He grabbed her arm gently but firmly and pulled her towards him.
"Hush little baby don't say a word."they started. Conner only cried more.
"Conner, we've tried everything! What do you want from us?" Buffy asked.
"We haven't tried everything."
"What do you mean?"
"This is the only thing that we haven't tried." Angel looked at Conner and morphed into his vamp face. Conner stopped crying and stared at Angel. Then, Conner's eyes brightened and he gurgled at his daddy. "You like that? Wow. I didn't think that would work."
"Angel! What the hell are you doing?" Buffy cried.
"It shut him up didn't it?"
"Yeah, but he's too young for that!"
"Buffy, look. He likes it."
Buffy stared at Conner then looked back up at Angel's vamp face. Conner was still gurgling in appreciation at his father and was now flailing his arms wildly.
"Yes you do. You like this don't ya?" Angel was cooing.
Buffy laughed and kissed Conner's head. "That was the weirdest thing I have ever seen, but you have baby duty from now on. If you need me for anything else, I'm at your service. You just found the quickest way to make a baby quit screaming."
"And go back to sleep." Angel said. He was right; Conner was fast asleep in Angel's arms. He morphed out of vamp mode and put Conner back in his crib. "What would you have done without me?"
"Not had Conner." Buffy answered very seriously.
"Oh yeah. Well, I'm glad we have each other."
"Are you going to tell me why you were so freaked a few minutes ago?"
"In the morning love."
They got back in bed and fell asleep. Conner only cried four or five more times after that. After the second time, both Buffy and Angel realized that the parenting thing was going to be much harder than they anticipated. Still, they were the only ones allowed to hold Conner. Both were afraid that someone might hurt Conner if they took him out of his mother or father's hands. Especially Angel. That dream had him constantly on the lookout for dangers that could hurt his family. Little did he know that the danger was to come from someone he thought had died almost 100 years ago.
"Come on Willow! Hurry up!" Dawn said as she hung another decoration on the wall. "They'll be here any minute!"
"I know this Dawnie. I'm going as fast as I can!" Willow exclaimed.
"Tara, do you have the presents?" Dawn asked as she walked into the dining room.
"Yup! They're all stacked here on the table." Tara answered.
"You know, I can't believe that when Buffy told us she was pregnant seven months ago, we didn't even consider throwing her a baby shower." Willow said walking in from the kitchen with a bowl of punch.
{Di-ng do-ng}
"Uh oh! They're here!" Dawn said frantically.
"Dawn, I don't think that Buffy or Angel would ring the doorbell to their own house." Tara said as she opened the door. "See, it's just Xander, Spike, and Faith."
"Yeah, thanks for that marvelous intro Tara! It's just! Pft!" Spike huffed.
"Shut up Spike! Hey guys! We have presents!" Faith said as Tara led them to the dining room.
"Just stick them on the table with the rest of 'em." Dawn said.
"Are they here yet?" Xander asked.
"No, but they called about 15 minutes ago and said they would be here soon." Tara informed. "It was Dawn's idea to throw them the shower."
"Yup! I even BOUGHT some presents for Buffy and Conner." Dawn said.
"Goody for you!" Spike said.
"Spike! Geez, can't you say anything nice today? He's been in a grouchy mood all day today and I have no clue why." Faith said, whacking Spike in the stomach.
"Bloody hell woman! You do have some strength in you, don't direct it all to me!" Spike said.
"Well, shut up and be nice. You're embarrassing me. I don't want you upsetting Buffy. Angel called yesterday and said she was very touchy feely in the emotions department. If you do anything to make her cry or get upset in any way, I am personally picking you up with a dust buster."
"I know all that. Why would I do anything to upset Buffy? Do you think I want the Big Poof wailing on my ass for upsetting his WIFE?"
"I should certainly hope you wouldn't. Four days in the hospital and you know Buffy has got to have more post-birth depression stuff going for her." Willow said, glaring at the vampire.
"You stay outta this Red."
"You know what? Bite me! Oh wait! You can't!"
"Oh, go kiss a guy! Oh wait, you can't!"
"Oh ouch! Boy, am I reeling from THAT one!"
"Guys! Shut up!" Xander and Dawn yelled.
{Di-ng Do-ng}
Dawn shoved past Spike, Faith, and Willow to open the door. Cordy, Gru, Fred, Gunn, Wesley, and Lorne were all on the doorstep.
"Hey Dawnie!" Cordy said.
"Hey Cordy! Hey guys. Come on in." Dawn said stepping back to allow them to enter. "Presents on the table, Buffy, Angel, and Conner should be home soon."
"Cool. And look, refreshments!" Fred said.
"That's my girl, always headed towards the sweet stuff!" Gunn said following Fred to the punch bowl.
"Should we hide?" Lorne asked.
"Why?" Tara inquired.
"Because they just pulled up."
"Oh, quick everyone get into place!" Dawn said diving in the corner behind the door while everyone else found a place nearby to hide.
The doorknob rattled and then the door swung open.
"Dawn? Willow? We're home." Buffy called, moving Conner to the other shoulder so she could shut the door. She turned to the dining room and saw the presents stacked there. Then she noticed the movements around her followed by the, "SURPRISE!" and the bodies of her friends jumping out from everywhere. Buffy's eyes widened as her hand shot to cover Conner's ear that wasn't against her shoulder.
"Shh! I swear to God, if you people make him cry I'm going to put you all in the hospital at the same time!" Buffy said in a voice barely above a yelling whisper.
"PLEASE don't make him cry!" Angel said. "He is so hard to get quieted down and we just now got him to stop from the car ride."
"And you were sure it was just Buffy with the depression touchy feely stuff, right?" Spike asked Willow.
"What's going on?" Buffy asked as she cooed at her son.
"Baby shower." Dawn said. "I planned it just for you. Angel helped some."
"Angel?"
"Yeah, he got you the best present of all though."
"Dawn asked me if it would be ok and I said yes." Angel said gently to Buffy.
"As long as you people keep quiet and don't wake him, I'm ready for presents." Buffy said.
Dawn led her and Angel over to the head of the table and they sat down. Dawn slid a present over to Angel since Buffy was holding Conner. As quietly as he could, he opened the present. It was a Winnie the Pooh baby comforter and matching PJs.
"Awe, that is so cute Dawn! Thank you." Buffy said.
"You're welcome. Oh, here. Don't forget the card." Dawn answered. She opened it and handed it to Buffy to read.
"Now that you have a new baby, you must learn all the nursery rhymes. Here's a classic: Twinkle, twinkle, little." Dawn helped Buffy open the card. "...Go to sleep!" Buffy read. "Thank you Dawnie. That was. sweet."
"Now mine." Willow said, sliding a big box over towards Buffy. Angel stood up and walked to the present. He opened it and inside was the cutest baby stroller Buffy had ever seen.
"Willow! This is so beautiful! How did you pay for this?" Angel asked.
"Mom and Dad helped. When I told them Buffy was pregnant, they insisted that they help me pay for the cutest present for the baby. They also sent this." Willow said, handing a light yellow card to Angel.
"Congratulations on your new bundle of joy." he opened the card. "You're going to learn a whole new meaning of 'night life.'" Buffy and Angel burst out laughing as quietly as they could. Then as the rest of them got what they were laughing at, they joined in too. They already had a new meaning of "night life."
45 minutes later and 13 presents later, Angel was ready to show Buffy his present.
"Come on." He led Buffy upstairs and then to a door between his and Buffy's bedroom and Dawn's bedroom.
"Well, this is new." Buffy said. Angel opened the door and Buffy gasped. It was a little nursery painted blue and decorated with sports memorabilia.
"Dawn agreed to give up part of her already big room for the baby. I paid some contractors to come and build a wall and a couple of doors in to make this room." Angel said.
"'A couple of doors'?" Buffy asked. "Yeah." He led her over to another door on the left side of the room. When he opened it, it led to Buffy and Angel's bedroom. "I figured we could leave this door open at night so we could get to Conner easily."
"Angel, it's perfect!" Buffy said as she hugged him. Suddenly Conner squirmed and started to cry out in protest at being caught between Buffy and Angel's bodies. "Shh. It's ok. Shh. We're sorry." Buffy cooed. Angel had one arm around Buffy's now smaller waist and the other stroking Conner's shiny blond hair.
They went back out in the hall where their friends were all crowded trying to peep into the new room. Buffy shooed them all downstairs and then followed them down.
"Angel, can you take him?" Buffy asked.
"Of course." Angel took Conner and gently laid him down in his arms. Buffy loved that sight. Angel looked 100 times happier than she had ever seen him when he was holding Conner. There was something about Conner that just made Angel glow with love.
Buffy shook her arms out to allow the feeling to return to them, but never left Angel's side. "He gets kind of heavy after a while."
"Can I hold him?" Dawn asked.
"No." Buffy and Angel answered at the same time.
"Why not?"
"Because, he's tired and he wants his mommy and daddy." Buffy said.
"Dawn, give it up. Those two will never give that baby up to anyone. Their dreams have finally come true and they ended up making a baby together. Trust me, you are never gonna get to hold that baby for at least another 10, maybe 12 years." Cordy said as she looked at the couple. They were standing face to face and Buffy was caressing Conner's soft hair and kissing his forehead while she had her arm around Angel's back playing with his shirt. Angel was holding Conner in one arm and Buffy in the other. It was definitely a Kodak moment. They were all looking at the three.
"Definitely 12 years." Cordy repeated.
It was a few hours later and Buffy and Angel were in bed. They were both worn out from the party and tending to Conner. Neither of them had ever been this tired in their entire lives. Buffy looked at the clock on her nightstand. 12:28. She was drifting and she could tell Angel was already fast asleep. She smiled at the little room with its soft night light glow coming from it. Her baby was in there in his big white crib. Correction: her and Angel's baby. She loved the sound of that.
Just as she started to fall asleep, the scream came. She bolted up and fell on the floor flat on her butt. As she was getting up, Angel was bolting up too. She stood and walked into Conner's room. He lay there staring up and crying. Buffy picked him up and rocked him, but he didn't stop crying. So, she checked his diaper. It was dry.
"Buffy?" Angel asked from the doorway.
"I think he's hungry." Buffy said, turning to the shirtless Angel in the doorframe.
"I'll go make him a bottle."
"I'll come with. No need to make us stay up here and let him cry. He'll wake up the whole house."
They headed down the stairs, Buffy rocking Conner in her arms and purring at him to try and quiet him down just a little. Angel flipped on the kitchen light and headed towards the cabinets. He opened it up and pulled out a pot, filling it with water, and then putting it on the stove. Buffy sat down and watched Angel work. He walked to another cabinet and pulled out a baby bottle, the plastic bag-like thing that held the liquid, and a canister of baby formula. He then proceeded to mix the formula and stick it in the bottle, then the bag thing, then he stuck it in the water. After finishing that, he put the formula away and sat down beside Buffy. She had finally got him quiet but he was still letting out grunts and small cries of displeasure that his food wasn't on its way as fast as he'd hoped.
"Hey there little guy. You're good at that screaming thing, aren't you?" Angel cooed.
Buffy looked over at Angel and then lay back on his broad chest. "I'm pooped!"
"Me too. I didn't know that it was going to be this much fun. And you know, I'm a vampire. Aren't I supposed to be the one awake at all hours of the night?"
"It's the gem. You're spending too much time with me. You're body is getting used to the schedule that I'm on."
"I told Doyle that I should have destroyed that thing. But he insisted that we put it away for safe keeping."
"I'm glad he talked you into it."
"Yeah, I am too. You know." He got up and walked to the bottle and tested it. Finding the temperature just right, turned the stove top off and dumped the water in the sink.
"Do I know what?" Buffy asked as Angel brought the bottle over and gave it to Conner. He insisted on trying to feed Conner himself, so Buffy handed him over to Angel.
"Just that, there's only one thing missing to making me fully human."
"What's that?"
"A beating heart. If I didn't know any better, I would say I've shanshued. Or at least come as close to it as I'll ever get. I mean my soul is bound, I have a wife, a son, and both of whom I can go out in the sun with."
"You know what? Maybe that beating heart thing wouldn't be the best in the world. It could make you fully human, then you wouldn't be able to watch out for your family. You wouldn't have the strength."
"You're right."
"I know."
"You wanna take Conner back upstairs?"
"Sure. It's no use trying to put him to sleep down here. If and when we succeed, he's just gonna wake up while we climb the stairs. Better to have him by his bed than anywhere else."
They headed back upstairs and into Conner's room. Angel sat in the rocking chair and handed Conner over to Buffy, who then sat in Angel's lap.
"I'm not singing, just to let you know this." Buffy said.
"Neither am I."
"We need to make shift's out of this."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, whenever Conner cries, we'll take turns coming in to check on him."
"Oh. Well, you get the dirty diapers. I don't know how to change them."
"I showed you at the hospital!"
"So?"
"So, you should know how to do it."
"I need supervised practice."
"Maybe. Depends on how tired I am."
"I'll just have to get you up then."
"Like hell you will."
"I will."
Buffy rolled her eyes and looked down at their son. His eyes were drooping and he was fighting the fast coming sleep. Buffy gently stroked his back and purred at him. As he finally fell back to sleep, Buffy stood up gently and carried him to the crib. Angel kissed Conner's head and then Buffy placed him in the crib. They stood there and stared at their miracle baby. That's what Buffy had come to call him: their miracle baby. After all, his parents were supposed to be infertile and then he almost didn't make it through the birth.
"We're going to have to start that baby book that Faith got for us." Buffy said quietly.
"First thing in the morning."
"Mmm, ok." Buffy murmured. She was falling asleep herself while she stood there and watched Conner sleep. Next thing she knew Angel was picking her up and carrying her to the bed. He gently laid her down and covered her with the comforter. She was fast asleep by the time the clock read 1:25.
Angel was having an extraordinary dream about Buffy, Conner, Dawn, and him. They were all on a picnic in a field full of flowers and butterflies. Buffy was holding Conner and talking to him. Conner was smiling up at her and talking back in his cooing, gurgling baby talk. Dawn was off trying to catch butterflies to bring back to the house. Angel was standing over Buffy and watching her and Conner "talk" to each other. Suddenly he realized that Buffy was staring up at him and saying something. He couldn't understand her, but by the look on her face, it was clear that she was getting agitated that he hadn't been listening. He looked at her in confusion as she opened her mouth and screamed. It wasn't Buffy's voice though; it sounded like a baby's voice. He looked over at Conner to see if he was screaming because his mom was, but he was still staring at his mom and "talking." Then Buffy stopped and smiled a cruel smirk up at him. He looked at her in horror. The face she was making twisted her features and made her look evil and gruesome.
"You don't deserve this." She said. "Not after what you did to me. I'll take this all away from you, just like you took it from me."
"Buffy, what are you talking about?"
She didn't answer though, she just started screaming again.
Angel bolted upright in bed and stared around the dark room. He looked over at the spot where Buffy was supposed to be. She wasn't there. Angel started to panic. Conner was screaming in the other room and Buffy was missing. He shot out of bed and darted into Conner's room. Before he could get there, a small figure appeared in the doorway holding Conner. Angel stared in horrified silence at the figure holding his son. Then it spoke.
"Angel? Angel, are you ok?"
It was Buffy. He ran to her and tossed his arms around her and his son. Conner squealed at the sudden pressure pinning him there to his mother's chest and he started to struggle.
"Angel, get off! You're hurting Conner!" Buffy cried.
"Are you two ok?" He managed.
"We're fine. The question should be: are YOU ok?"
"Yes and no. What are you doing?"
"Conner was screaming because he had a wet diaper. I came in and changed it, but he didn't stop crying. Now I'm trying to calm him down, but you didn't help that any by squashing us like that!" Buffy replied angrily.
"I'm sorry. Don't be angry."
"Well, just don't do that again!"
"How long has he been crying?"
"About thirty minutes now."
"Thirty minutes?"
"That's what I said."
Angel turned and looked at the clock. It read 3:56. Less than two hours ago, they had been up feeding Conner, now he was crying for no reason. Buffy had already changed his diaper, so that ruled it out.
"Did you feed him?" Angel asked.
"I tried, he didn't want it."
"Let me see him."
Buffy handed Conner over to Angel and he gently rocked Conner.
"Shh, don't cry, daddy's here. Shh."
He kept crying.
"Buffy, bring me a stuffed animal."
Buffy went into her room and came back with Mr. Gordo. Angel took it and started to dance it around in front of Conner. He didn't get anything but more crying out of it. He tried it again and got the same.
"We may have to resort to singing." He stated.
"Oh no. Not me." Buffy said backing away.
"Yes you. I'll help." He grabbed her arm gently but firmly and pulled her towards him.
"Hush little baby don't say a word."they started. Conner only cried more.
"Conner, we've tried everything! What do you want from us?" Buffy asked.
"We haven't tried everything."
"What do you mean?"
"This is the only thing that we haven't tried." Angel looked at Conner and morphed into his vamp face. Conner stopped crying and stared at Angel. Then, Conner's eyes brightened and he gurgled at his daddy. "You like that? Wow. I didn't think that would work."
"Angel! What the hell are you doing?" Buffy cried.
"It shut him up didn't it?"
"Yeah, but he's too young for that!"
"Buffy, look. He likes it."
Buffy stared at Conner then looked back up at Angel's vamp face. Conner was still gurgling in appreciation at his father and was now flailing his arms wildly.
"Yes you do. You like this don't ya?" Angel was cooing.
Buffy laughed and kissed Conner's head. "That was the weirdest thing I have ever seen, but you have baby duty from now on. If you need me for anything else, I'm at your service. You just found the quickest way to make a baby quit screaming."
"And go back to sleep." Angel said. He was right; Conner was fast asleep in Angel's arms. He morphed out of vamp mode and put Conner back in his crib. "What would you have done without me?"
"Not had Conner." Buffy answered very seriously.
"Oh yeah. Well, I'm glad we have each other."
"Are you going to tell me why you were so freaked a few minutes ago?"
"In the morning love."
They got back in bed and fell asleep. Conner only cried four or five more times after that. After the second time, both Buffy and Angel realized that the parenting thing was going to be much harder than they anticipated. Still, they were the only ones allowed to hold Conner. Both were afraid that someone might hurt Conner if they took him out of his mother or father's hands. Especially Angel. That dream had him constantly on the lookout for dangers that could hurt his family. Little did he know that the danger was to come from someone he thought had died almost 100 years ago.