Buffy listened through the stethoscope to the baby's heartbeat. A huge
smile covered her face and she absolutely beamed with radiance and
happiness. "Angel, come here and listen!" she said excitedly. He smiled
and took the stethoscope from her. The longer he listened, the broader his
smile got.
"There's nothing like two incredibly happy parents listening to their baby's heartbeat for the first time." Dr. Mehta said. "Well, then there's nothing like watching the parents' faces when they see their child for the first time either."
Buffy laughed. "Are we happier than other couples? Cause, you know, Angel is supposed to be infertile."
"You are definitely one of the more happier couples I've seen in a while. So, I'm going to subscribe some iron, folic acid, calcium, potassium, and vitamins D and C."
"Why?" Angel asked.
"They're prenatal supplements. All mothers-to-be have to have them. Now Buffy, you have to stay on a strict diet. Since your husband here was infertile, I'm going to keep an eye on your case. We wouldn't want anything happening to this little miracle. You can pick all these up as soon as you leave. The directions will be on the bottle. Once we enter your second trimester, then we'll see how you're doing and maybe take you off some of those drugs."
"Sounds great to me." Buffy said.
"Is there any way you can tell when the baby's due doctor?" Angel asked.
Dr. Mehta smiled. "Well, I could do some calculating here. You're about eight weeks along, and there is an estimated 42 weeks in a normal pregnancy.. So you have about.. 34 weeks left give or take a few. I'd say late June early July."
"Um, can I ask you a question?" Buffy asked.
"Of course."
"Am I supposed to feel so.. Bloated?"
Dr. Mehta laughed. "It's pretty common through the first trimester. Don't worry if you get a little indigestion. It's just your digestive process slowing down to absorb the nutrients that get passed to your baby."
"Is there anyway I can ease it up any?"
"Um, wear baggier clothes, eat small but frequent meals, chew your food thoroughly, and try to avoid high fat foods."
"Does he feel any of the pain I feel?"
"He? You're wanting a boy I see."
"Yeah. It's a hunch. Kinda runs in the family: the hunches."
"No, the baby doesn't feel any pains you do. In fact 'he' should start moving around this week."
"Will I feel it?"
"No, but the first time you do it'll feel like bubbles."
"When will that be?"
"Usually sometime in the fourth month."
"Thank you Dr. Mehta." Buffy said, sliding off the table. Angel helped her into her coat and took the prescriptions from Dr. Mehta. They left the maternity ward of the hospital and headed back to their car. Instead of going home, they went out to a little restaurant to celebrate.
Once they got home, Buffy picked up the phone.
"Who're you calling?" Angel asked.
"Sam. I thought she'd like to know. I mean, she is still technically my boss."
"And friend."
"That too."
"Hello, Sam? HEY! Oh my God you will never believe where I have been today! NO! The OB-GYN's office. Yeah, I'm pregnant! Um, I'm only eight weeks along. We're both hoping it's a boy. Of course I'll continue to write the column. No, I'll stop once I go into labor. I don't need maternity leave because my work is right here at home. Of course we'll come visit once the baby's old enough. What? Oh, sure. I'll talk to you later then. Oh, don't forget to tell your mom. Bye!" Buffy hung up. "Sam says hey."
"Buffy?"
"Yeah?"
"I think you need to call Sunnydale."
"Why?"
"They're still your friends Buffy."
"I know, but what if they ask where we are?"
"Don't tell them. Change the subject."
"Well, who do I call?"
"Giles would be the best. He can gather them all and tell them the news."
"Yeah.. Ok." Buffy picked up the phone and slowly dialed the number that she could never forget. It rang a few times before someone picked it up.
"Hello?" Giles asked.
"Giles?"
"Buffy!? Is that you?"
"It's me."
"How are you? Where are you? Is Angel ok? Are you ok?"
"Whoa, slow down. We're both ok. Actually, we're better than ok. Now before you shoot off more questions which I know will come after I tell you the news, let me actually tell you the news." There was a long pause. "Ok, I was at the doctor's earlier this week. I'd been puking almost non-stop for two weeks. It's not so non-stop now, but it still happens. So, Angel finally made me go. The doctor asked me a few questions and then made me pee in a cup. When she came back, I found out nothing was wrong with me.."
"Then what was it?"
"I'm, uh.. I'm pregnant." The line was silent for the longest time. Buffy started to fidget and get really nervous. "Giles? Say something."
"I.. Whose is it?"
"He's Angel's baby."
"That's impossible."
"Yeah, well.. You can thank the Powers."
"The Powers That Be?"
"The exact ones. The Oracles said that the Powers were pissed that Angel and I quit slaying and this is one big ploy to bring us back to the fight. Our baby is supposed to be one big warrior that will fight alongside Angel and I in the End of Days battle. Apparently, I'm not going to be aging for a while. It's a reward for being the longest living Slayer ever. I didn't want it, but the Powers changed it a little. If we win the End of Days battle, I get to age again along with Angel. He'll be human."
"Are you coming back to Sunnydale then?"
"No. Our son isn't going to be a warrior. I was put through hell for seven years and there is no way Angel and I are putting our own flesh and blood through that."
"I understand. I'm proud of you Buffy. I'm proud of you both. You kept to your word and that's the most honorable thing I have ever been witness to."
"You don't care that we quit?"
"Honestly, no. I wish that you hadn't left Sunnydale, but I understand your reasoning behind it. If you had stayed, you would have been forced to fight. You deserve your lives. It's time for Lita to stand up and take charge of the Slayer role."
"How is she doing?"
"The world's still here, isn't it?"
Buffy smiled. "Good. Well, I have to go now Giles."
"Oh, um, all right. Congratulations Buffy. I'll tell the others your happy news."
"Thank you. I'll, uh.. I'll try and call you later." She hung up without saying goodbye. She hated to say goodbye. It meant you would never see them again.
"How is he?" Angel asked.
"He's.. He's proud of us. He knew that one day I would quit and be able to do it."
"Sounds like Giles."
"Yeah, it does."
"What did he say about the baby?"
"Congratulations and he'll let everyone else know about the little guy."
"We need to pick a name for him!"
"We have seven more months to decide on a name."
"We have to be completely prepared for this! We'll change the guest bedroom that's right across the hall from us into the nursery. Since we already know it's a boy, we can paint it blue. Of course we'll have to get rid of the furniture in there. I can sell it and use the money to put it in the bank and get a bank card."
"What for?"
"To buy baby things on the internet. I want the best for our son."
"Angel?"
"Yeah?"
"I wanna move back."
"What? Move back where? Sunnydale?"
"No. I want to go back to New York. It's too quiet here in Ireland."
"You want to go back to the penthouse."
"And my job and your shelter. I love Ireland, don't get me wrong, but I want to raise my son in the US."
"You do?"
"It's where I was raised by my mother. I want to raise our son there."
"Are you positive?"
"Yes. And I want to talk to my friends again. They can't make me slay, but I can't do this without them."
"Then why don't we go back to Sunnydale?"
"Because that would mean slaying. Killing. Not being able to hide those evils from our son."
"All right, we'll go back to New York. I'll start making arrangements tomorrow. Right now you just need to get some sleep. We both do." Buffy nodded and went to the kitchen instead. Angel followed. "This isn't the bedroom last time I checked."
"Insta-craving." Buffy moved around the kitchen gathering different types of food. Ice cream, chocolate chips, peanut butter, raisins, strawberries, peaches, and blackberries.
"What are you going to do with all that food?"
"Oh, I'm not eating it all silly. I'm going to make a sundae."
"Out of all that!?"
"Yeah silly. What else did you think I was going to make with it?"
"I thought you were just going to eat all of it."
"Lord no! I may be pregnant, but there's no way two people could eat all of that!"
"And you're actually going to make a sundae and eat it right before you go to bed? Baby, you still have morning sickness. Won't this make it worse?"
"No, it'll make it better. If I eat, then I'll be able to throw up something other than stomach acid."
"Ok, whatever. This is going to get weirder by the day and I'm just going to step out of the way and let you eat what you want. Unless it's blood. That's where I'm drawing the line."
Buffy smiled at him and Angel's heart just melted. Since she had found out she was pregnant, all she did was glow. She was even more beautiful than before, if that was even possible. As soon as she finished eating, she hopped into one of Angel's shirts, just like she always did and got into bed. He climbed into bed with her and sighed.
"You know, in a few months, not even my shirts are going to cover your stomach." Angel said.
"Mmm, don't remind me." She snuggled closer to his side, burying her face in his chest.
"And you won't be able to get this close to me either."
"You're going to make me cry. I'm highly emotional right now and I will be for a while."
"Sorry lover. Go to sleep." Angel kissed her hair and turned off the bedside lamp.
"Buffy's pregnant!?" Willow asked. She, Giles, Lita, Spike, and Xander were all at the Magic Box after Giles had asked them to meet there.
"Apparently." Giles said.
"And it's Angel's?" Lita asked.
"Of course. Who's else would it be?" Xander asked. Then he paused, realizing what Lita meant. "It's Angel's?!"
"Yes. It seems that the Powers are angry with them for quitting." Giles said.
"Then why send them a baby?" Willow asked.
"The child will be a warrior. Or so the Powers say."
"Buffy won't let that happen. Will she?"
"No. And I'm not going to intervene in her choice."
"What about Angel?"
"It's mutual. Neither of them want their son to be a warrior."
"Of course not." Xander said. "I mean, I saw the things that Buffy went through for six years. I would never wish that on my worst enemy."
"I wish we could see her." Lita said.
Giles smiled. "We all do. And hopefully we will soon."
"What do you mean?" Spike asked.
"Buffy called me about a week ago and said that she and Angel were moving back to New York."
"Moving back? She left? She was in New York before?" Willow asked.
"Yeah. I called her when I was there. I promised I wouldn't tell anyone where she was, but she sort of freaked out and hung up." Xander said.
"That doesn't sound like Buffy."
"Oh, it is. It's the mentally destroyed Buffy. Will, she lost her sister and her mother. Her dad had.. Has no clue what she is and he's hardly ever around. Sure, he acts like a loving father and maybe he is in some respect, but let's face it: he has a life of his own and Buffy doesn't fit exactly perfect into it."
Willow nodded. She could relate to the unhappy home Buffy had lived in most of her life. Her family wasn't exactly Utopia material. Her mother was always gone and in the land of denial and her father, well.. Just like Buffy's dad, he had a life of his own and Willow had never exactly fit into the cookie cutter lifestyle he wanted. Same with Xander. Except that his parents pretty much never talk to him anymore. Ever since he moved out of the basement and into the apartment, he and his parents had lost all contact. Before that, Willow wasn't even sure you could call Xander's family a family.
"Where does Buffy live in New York?" Lita asked.
"I don't know, but I bet it's somewhere swanky. She's high society over there. She has an advice column in the New York Herald and Angel runs a teen homeless shelter. Both are really successful. Angel can get funding from pretty much any company he wants and Buffy's a celebrity. Her picture is in the paper right above the column." Xander pulled a paper out of his briefcase. He had been on his way to a meeting with some clients because he was one of the top carpenters in Sunnydale. Holding up the paper to prove his point, Xander pointed to Buffy's picture. It was obviously professional because Buffy never wore that much makeup. Her hair was longer, but she was still the same beautiful and strong willed Buffy they all knew and loved.
Willow took the paper and read one of the letters and then the advice Buffy gave the person. "Wow, I always knew she gave good advice."
"She's been through a lot, I think she qualifies perfectly to give advice."
"You think we'll get to go to New York?" Lita asked. "I've always wanted to visit."
"It's not all that impressive." Spike said. Everyone stared at him. "Well, what do you expect? I'm 125 years old. Been there plenty a'times."
"Save it Spike. There are others here who would love to see it."
"So, when is she going back?" Willow asked, steering the conversation back to Buffy.
"They're waiting for their furniture to be switched. The bed is the last thing to go and that won't be until a few days from now."
"Where are they living right now if they're not in New York?" Lita asked.
"Ireland. They're keeping their home there, but moving back to New York."
"And she wants us to know that? She wants us to be in her life, their lives again?" Willow asked excitedly.
"Well, yes."
"When is the baby due?"
"Late June."
"Does she know what it is?" Spike asked.
"It's a boy. The Oracles told her it was."
"Have Buffy and Angel picked a name?" Lita asked.
"Not that I know of. Now, you all need to get back to what you were doing. We all have lives to attend to."
They all nodded and said their good-byes to one another. Spike and Lita left through the sewers because it was daylight outside. Xander left through the front door and Willow stayed to help Giles at the Magic Box since she worked there now.
"There's nothing like two incredibly happy parents listening to their baby's heartbeat for the first time." Dr. Mehta said. "Well, then there's nothing like watching the parents' faces when they see their child for the first time either."
Buffy laughed. "Are we happier than other couples? Cause, you know, Angel is supposed to be infertile."
"You are definitely one of the more happier couples I've seen in a while. So, I'm going to subscribe some iron, folic acid, calcium, potassium, and vitamins D and C."
"Why?" Angel asked.
"They're prenatal supplements. All mothers-to-be have to have them. Now Buffy, you have to stay on a strict diet. Since your husband here was infertile, I'm going to keep an eye on your case. We wouldn't want anything happening to this little miracle. You can pick all these up as soon as you leave. The directions will be on the bottle. Once we enter your second trimester, then we'll see how you're doing and maybe take you off some of those drugs."
"Sounds great to me." Buffy said.
"Is there any way you can tell when the baby's due doctor?" Angel asked.
Dr. Mehta smiled. "Well, I could do some calculating here. You're about eight weeks along, and there is an estimated 42 weeks in a normal pregnancy.. So you have about.. 34 weeks left give or take a few. I'd say late June early July."
"Um, can I ask you a question?" Buffy asked.
"Of course."
"Am I supposed to feel so.. Bloated?"
Dr. Mehta laughed. "It's pretty common through the first trimester. Don't worry if you get a little indigestion. It's just your digestive process slowing down to absorb the nutrients that get passed to your baby."
"Is there anyway I can ease it up any?"
"Um, wear baggier clothes, eat small but frequent meals, chew your food thoroughly, and try to avoid high fat foods."
"Does he feel any of the pain I feel?"
"He? You're wanting a boy I see."
"Yeah. It's a hunch. Kinda runs in the family: the hunches."
"No, the baby doesn't feel any pains you do. In fact 'he' should start moving around this week."
"Will I feel it?"
"No, but the first time you do it'll feel like bubbles."
"When will that be?"
"Usually sometime in the fourth month."
"Thank you Dr. Mehta." Buffy said, sliding off the table. Angel helped her into her coat and took the prescriptions from Dr. Mehta. They left the maternity ward of the hospital and headed back to their car. Instead of going home, they went out to a little restaurant to celebrate.
Once they got home, Buffy picked up the phone.
"Who're you calling?" Angel asked.
"Sam. I thought she'd like to know. I mean, she is still technically my boss."
"And friend."
"That too."
"Hello, Sam? HEY! Oh my God you will never believe where I have been today! NO! The OB-GYN's office. Yeah, I'm pregnant! Um, I'm only eight weeks along. We're both hoping it's a boy. Of course I'll continue to write the column. No, I'll stop once I go into labor. I don't need maternity leave because my work is right here at home. Of course we'll come visit once the baby's old enough. What? Oh, sure. I'll talk to you later then. Oh, don't forget to tell your mom. Bye!" Buffy hung up. "Sam says hey."
"Buffy?"
"Yeah?"
"I think you need to call Sunnydale."
"Why?"
"They're still your friends Buffy."
"I know, but what if they ask where we are?"
"Don't tell them. Change the subject."
"Well, who do I call?"
"Giles would be the best. He can gather them all and tell them the news."
"Yeah.. Ok." Buffy picked up the phone and slowly dialed the number that she could never forget. It rang a few times before someone picked it up.
"Hello?" Giles asked.
"Giles?"
"Buffy!? Is that you?"
"It's me."
"How are you? Where are you? Is Angel ok? Are you ok?"
"Whoa, slow down. We're both ok. Actually, we're better than ok. Now before you shoot off more questions which I know will come after I tell you the news, let me actually tell you the news." There was a long pause. "Ok, I was at the doctor's earlier this week. I'd been puking almost non-stop for two weeks. It's not so non-stop now, but it still happens. So, Angel finally made me go. The doctor asked me a few questions and then made me pee in a cup. When she came back, I found out nothing was wrong with me.."
"Then what was it?"
"I'm, uh.. I'm pregnant." The line was silent for the longest time. Buffy started to fidget and get really nervous. "Giles? Say something."
"I.. Whose is it?"
"He's Angel's baby."
"That's impossible."
"Yeah, well.. You can thank the Powers."
"The Powers That Be?"
"The exact ones. The Oracles said that the Powers were pissed that Angel and I quit slaying and this is one big ploy to bring us back to the fight. Our baby is supposed to be one big warrior that will fight alongside Angel and I in the End of Days battle. Apparently, I'm not going to be aging for a while. It's a reward for being the longest living Slayer ever. I didn't want it, but the Powers changed it a little. If we win the End of Days battle, I get to age again along with Angel. He'll be human."
"Are you coming back to Sunnydale then?"
"No. Our son isn't going to be a warrior. I was put through hell for seven years and there is no way Angel and I are putting our own flesh and blood through that."
"I understand. I'm proud of you Buffy. I'm proud of you both. You kept to your word and that's the most honorable thing I have ever been witness to."
"You don't care that we quit?"
"Honestly, no. I wish that you hadn't left Sunnydale, but I understand your reasoning behind it. If you had stayed, you would have been forced to fight. You deserve your lives. It's time for Lita to stand up and take charge of the Slayer role."
"How is she doing?"
"The world's still here, isn't it?"
Buffy smiled. "Good. Well, I have to go now Giles."
"Oh, um, all right. Congratulations Buffy. I'll tell the others your happy news."
"Thank you. I'll, uh.. I'll try and call you later." She hung up without saying goodbye. She hated to say goodbye. It meant you would never see them again.
"How is he?" Angel asked.
"He's.. He's proud of us. He knew that one day I would quit and be able to do it."
"Sounds like Giles."
"Yeah, it does."
"What did he say about the baby?"
"Congratulations and he'll let everyone else know about the little guy."
"We need to pick a name for him!"
"We have seven more months to decide on a name."
"We have to be completely prepared for this! We'll change the guest bedroom that's right across the hall from us into the nursery. Since we already know it's a boy, we can paint it blue. Of course we'll have to get rid of the furniture in there. I can sell it and use the money to put it in the bank and get a bank card."
"What for?"
"To buy baby things on the internet. I want the best for our son."
"Angel?"
"Yeah?"
"I wanna move back."
"What? Move back where? Sunnydale?"
"No. I want to go back to New York. It's too quiet here in Ireland."
"You want to go back to the penthouse."
"And my job and your shelter. I love Ireland, don't get me wrong, but I want to raise my son in the US."
"You do?"
"It's where I was raised by my mother. I want to raise our son there."
"Are you positive?"
"Yes. And I want to talk to my friends again. They can't make me slay, but I can't do this without them."
"Then why don't we go back to Sunnydale?"
"Because that would mean slaying. Killing. Not being able to hide those evils from our son."
"All right, we'll go back to New York. I'll start making arrangements tomorrow. Right now you just need to get some sleep. We both do." Buffy nodded and went to the kitchen instead. Angel followed. "This isn't the bedroom last time I checked."
"Insta-craving." Buffy moved around the kitchen gathering different types of food. Ice cream, chocolate chips, peanut butter, raisins, strawberries, peaches, and blackberries.
"What are you going to do with all that food?"
"Oh, I'm not eating it all silly. I'm going to make a sundae."
"Out of all that!?"
"Yeah silly. What else did you think I was going to make with it?"
"I thought you were just going to eat all of it."
"Lord no! I may be pregnant, but there's no way two people could eat all of that!"
"And you're actually going to make a sundae and eat it right before you go to bed? Baby, you still have morning sickness. Won't this make it worse?"
"No, it'll make it better. If I eat, then I'll be able to throw up something other than stomach acid."
"Ok, whatever. This is going to get weirder by the day and I'm just going to step out of the way and let you eat what you want. Unless it's blood. That's where I'm drawing the line."
Buffy smiled at him and Angel's heart just melted. Since she had found out she was pregnant, all she did was glow. She was even more beautiful than before, if that was even possible. As soon as she finished eating, she hopped into one of Angel's shirts, just like she always did and got into bed. He climbed into bed with her and sighed.
"You know, in a few months, not even my shirts are going to cover your stomach." Angel said.
"Mmm, don't remind me." She snuggled closer to his side, burying her face in his chest.
"And you won't be able to get this close to me either."
"You're going to make me cry. I'm highly emotional right now and I will be for a while."
"Sorry lover. Go to sleep." Angel kissed her hair and turned off the bedside lamp.
"Buffy's pregnant!?" Willow asked. She, Giles, Lita, Spike, and Xander were all at the Magic Box after Giles had asked them to meet there.
"Apparently." Giles said.
"And it's Angel's?" Lita asked.
"Of course. Who's else would it be?" Xander asked. Then he paused, realizing what Lita meant. "It's Angel's?!"
"Yes. It seems that the Powers are angry with them for quitting." Giles said.
"Then why send them a baby?" Willow asked.
"The child will be a warrior. Or so the Powers say."
"Buffy won't let that happen. Will she?"
"No. And I'm not going to intervene in her choice."
"What about Angel?"
"It's mutual. Neither of them want their son to be a warrior."
"Of course not." Xander said. "I mean, I saw the things that Buffy went through for six years. I would never wish that on my worst enemy."
"I wish we could see her." Lita said.
Giles smiled. "We all do. And hopefully we will soon."
"What do you mean?" Spike asked.
"Buffy called me about a week ago and said that she and Angel were moving back to New York."
"Moving back? She left? She was in New York before?" Willow asked.
"Yeah. I called her when I was there. I promised I wouldn't tell anyone where she was, but she sort of freaked out and hung up." Xander said.
"That doesn't sound like Buffy."
"Oh, it is. It's the mentally destroyed Buffy. Will, she lost her sister and her mother. Her dad had.. Has no clue what she is and he's hardly ever around. Sure, he acts like a loving father and maybe he is in some respect, but let's face it: he has a life of his own and Buffy doesn't fit exactly perfect into it."
Willow nodded. She could relate to the unhappy home Buffy had lived in most of her life. Her family wasn't exactly Utopia material. Her mother was always gone and in the land of denial and her father, well.. Just like Buffy's dad, he had a life of his own and Willow had never exactly fit into the cookie cutter lifestyle he wanted. Same with Xander. Except that his parents pretty much never talk to him anymore. Ever since he moved out of the basement and into the apartment, he and his parents had lost all contact. Before that, Willow wasn't even sure you could call Xander's family a family.
"Where does Buffy live in New York?" Lita asked.
"I don't know, but I bet it's somewhere swanky. She's high society over there. She has an advice column in the New York Herald and Angel runs a teen homeless shelter. Both are really successful. Angel can get funding from pretty much any company he wants and Buffy's a celebrity. Her picture is in the paper right above the column." Xander pulled a paper out of his briefcase. He had been on his way to a meeting with some clients because he was one of the top carpenters in Sunnydale. Holding up the paper to prove his point, Xander pointed to Buffy's picture. It was obviously professional because Buffy never wore that much makeup. Her hair was longer, but she was still the same beautiful and strong willed Buffy they all knew and loved.
Willow took the paper and read one of the letters and then the advice Buffy gave the person. "Wow, I always knew she gave good advice."
"She's been through a lot, I think she qualifies perfectly to give advice."
"You think we'll get to go to New York?" Lita asked. "I've always wanted to visit."
"It's not all that impressive." Spike said. Everyone stared at him. "Well, what do you expect? I'm 125 years old. Been there plenty a'times."
"Save it Spike. There are others here who would love to see it."
"So, when is she going back?" Willow asked, steering the conversation back to Buffy.
"They're waiting for their furniture to be switched. The bed is the last thing to go and that won't be until a few days from now."
"Where are they living right now if they're not in New York?" Lita asked.
"Ireland. They're keeping their home there, but moving back to New York."
"And she wants us to know that? She wants us to be in her life, their lives again?" Willow asked excitedly.
"Well, yes."
"When is the baby due?"
"Late June."
"Does she know what it is?" Spike asked.
"It's a boy. The Oracles told her it was."
"Have Buffy and Angel picked a name?" Lita asked.
"Not that I know of. Now, you all need to get back to what you were doing. We all have lives to attend to."
They all nodded and said their good-byes to one another. Spike and Lita left through the sewers because it was daylight outside. Xander left through the front door and Willow stayed to help Giles at the Magic Box since she worked there now.
