Part 4. Old Friends.
It was getting late and Buffy Summers knew that it wasn't safe on the streets of Los Angeles after dark. She knew that she had stayed at Rosalia's too long, and she also knew that the others would be worried by now.
She had parked her car several streets away from Rosalia's, and walked from there. As she looked around her she became nervous. She wasn't supposed to be out after dark, and she wasn't supposed to exert herself. She reached down to rub her swollen belly, before picking up her pace as much as she could. Her car couldn't be too much further away.
As she walked a sharp pain pierced her belly, before passing through her entire body. She stopped and gasped. Something told Buffy that her baby wanted out.
As Buffy stood there, recovering from the contraction she failed to register the sound behind her.
Before she could do anything she felt herself shoved to the ground, and her purse wrenched out of her grasp.
She stayed down, it was the safest thing to do. Her purse wasn't important, everything in it could be replaced.
She listened to the sound of footsteps running away, and waited until they were gone before struggling to her feet.
Great, she thought, this is turning into my best day ever. But she was jolted out of her thoughts as another contraction wracked her body.
She looked around and noticed a large building with a couple of cars parked outside. The front steps were only a few meters away. Maybe she could ask to use the phone there.
Slowly she made her way to the steps and began to climb them. Halfway up another contraction hit, forcing her to grip onto the railing until her knuckles turned white.
Finally she made it to the door, opening it slowly.
The interior was dark, lit with lamps and various desk lights. The brightness from computer monitors also helped to light up the room, but much of it was still in blanketed shadows.
"Hello? Is there anyone here?" she called, hoping for a reply.
A young woman, with long brown hair emerged from what appeared to be a storeroom.
"Welcome to Angel Investigations. How can I help you?" the woman asked her.
"You're joking right?" Buffy asked her, how many places called Angel Investigations could there be, even in LA?
The woman shook her head, as Buffy doubled over in pain.
"Are you okay? Here sit down." The woman guided her to a chair.
Once the contraction passed and she was able to talk again without screaming Buffy answered her. "I went into labor maybe fifteen minutes ago, right after that I got mugged. I was just going to ask if I could use your phone, so I can call someone to pick me up."
The girl smiled, "Sure you can use the phone, my name's Fred by the way."
Buffy smiled, before she could answer she heard her name called out, and in a blur Cordelia was moving in to hug her.
"Take it easy." Fred admonished her, as Cordy flung her arms around Buffy.
Her eyes widened in surprise as she realized the size of Buffy's stomach. "Oh god, when are you due? You're pregnant, oh my god."
Buffy tried to smile, "I was due about two and a half weeks ago. I'll be so glad once it's over."
"So what are you doing traveling in your condition, and to LA of all places?" Cordelia asked,
sounding somewhere between excited and surprised.
"I'm having to see a specialist who works in LA so I've been stuck in LA for three weeks. Giles and Willow came with me in the beginning, but now everyone's here, or rather-" she stopped as another contraction passed. "They're back at the hotel, and they're probably frantic." she finished.
Cordy smiled sympathetically, "Why didn't you come and see us before then silly?" Buffy almost couldn't believe what she was hearing, this was far removed from the Cordy she'd gone to school with. Before she could answer several people entered the room.
One of them, a tall black man looked their way curiously, "What's going on?"
Angel looked at her, strangely not surprised at seeing her there. "How are you?"
"In excruciating pain. You?" Buffy answered, wincing.
Wesley looked on, an expression of interest on his face. "It's nice to see you again Buffy." His voice still carried the clipped British accent.
"It's nice to see you again too." she answered tightly.
"What's wrong?" Angel asked her, sounding confused.
She laughed, "I'm maybe two hours away from having a baby. Contractions are a hell of a lot of fun."
"You're pregnant?" he still sounded confused.
"No, I swallowed a beach ball." she answered sarcastically. "I'm sorry, I'm not much fun to be around when I'm like this."
"You've been pregnant before?" Wesley asked.
"No, Braxton-Hicks contractions. False labor. I've been taken to hospital four times with them,
and I swear that it hurts more every time."
"So you think this is false labor?" the black guy asked.
"This is Gunn by the way." Cordelia chipped in helpfully.
"I don't care what this is. If I'm not in labor now then I'm having a C-section." she groaned.
Fred held the phone out, "Do you still want to make that call?"
Angel looked at her curiously, "I got mugged okay? God, I hate not being able to take care of myself, and I was supposed to be back about three hours ago. Everyone's probably frantic."
Angel took the handset from Fred, "What's the number?"
"3-3-0-1-4-5-8-6-4-2-8." she answered softly.
While he waited for someone to pick up the other end he turned back to Buffy, "Are you sure you're okay?" She nodded slowly.
"Hi, Dawn? It's Angel. Can you put Giles, Willow or Xander on please?" he paused. "Hi, it's Angel. Yeah, she's here. She seems okay, she's not very happy though. No she-" Buffy shook her head at him wildly, "What, oh sorry, she says to tell you that she's in labor. No don't bother,
you'll have to come all the way across town and she's not in the best mood. I'll put her on."
Silently he handed the phone to her. "Hey, I'm okay. Yeah, put her on. Dawnie? I'm gonna be fine, you know that right? Are you sure? I'll see you soon then." She handed the phone back to Angel. "Giles said he'd call my obstetrician and I get the feeling that they were already half way out the door."
"Which is where we're going. Can you walk?" Angel asked her.
She looked at him, "What?"
"I told Giles I'd drive you to the hospital, everyone will meet us there. Can you walk?"
"What kind of a stupid ass question is that? Of course I can walk." she stayed on the couch, "I just can't get up." she said sheepishly.
Angel shook his head, laughing. She glared at him. He simply scooped her up off the chair and began to move towards the door.
"Stop it. Put me down, I'm too heavy." Buffy protested.
"Don't be ridiculous. I've carried you before and you had no problems. You barely weigh anything, so relax." he tried to reassure her.
----------------
Hours later Willow walked into the hall, carrying a small bundle. Everyone stood up, bombarding her with questions.
"Buffy's fine, she's tired, but she's fine, she has a gorgeous baby girl. She wanted me to bring her out to meet you guys and she said to tell you that her name is Elissa." Willow said, answering all of their questions at once. "She wants to see everyone, but the doctor wanted to give her a proper check up."
15 minutes later.
Buffy smiled as Willow re-entered the room carrying her baby daughter, everyone else followed after them. She smiled, "Hey, how's my princess?" she asked Willow as she placed Elissa in her mother's arms.
"She's beautiful." Giles congratulated her.
"What's with..." Xander gestured to the drip in her arm.
"Oh, my doctor says I lost a lot of blood, so she insists that I have a transfusion. It's nothing. It doesn't even hurt." she answered him as he presented her with one of his traditional 'balloon bouquets.'
Everyone smiled as baby Elissa began to cry.
It was getting late and Buffy Summers knew that it wasn't safe on the streets of Los Angeles after dark. She knew that she had stayed at Rosalia's too long, and she also knew that the others would be worried by now.
She had parked her car several streets away from Rosalia's, and walked from there. As she looked around her she became nervous. She wasn't supposed to be out after dark, and she wasn't supposed to exert herself. She reached down to rub her swollen belly, before picking up her pace as much as she could. Her car couldn't be too much further away.
As she walked a sharp pain pierced her belly, before passing through her entire body. She stopped and gasped. Something told Buffy that her baby wanted out.
As Buffy stood there, recovering from the contraction she failed to register the sound behind her.
Before she could do anything she felt herself shoved to the ground, and her purse wrenched out of her grasp.
She stayed down, it was the safest thing to do. Her purse wasn't important, everything in it could be replaced.
She listened to the sound of footsteps running away, and waited until they were gone before struggling to her feet.
Great, she thought, this is turning into my best day ever. But she was jolted out of her thoughts as another contraction wracked her body.
She looked around and noticed a large building with a couple of cars parked outside. The front steps were only a few meters away. Maybe she could ask to use the phone there.
Slowly she made her way to the steps and began to climb them. Halfway up another contraction hit, forcing her to grip onto the railing until her knuckles turned white.
Finally she made it to the door, opening it slowly.
The interior was dark, lit with lamps and various desk lights. The brightness from computer monitors also helped to light up the room, but much of it was still in blanketed shadows.
"Hello? Is there anyone here?" she called, hoping for a reply.
A young woman, with long brown hair emerged from what appeared to be a storeroom.
"Welcome to Angel Investigations. How can I help you?" the woman asked her.
"You're joking right?" Buffy asked her, how many places called Angel Investigations could there be, even in LA?
The woman shook her head, as Buffy doubled over in pain.
"Are you okay? Here sit down." The woman guided her to a chair.
Once the contraction passed and she was able to talk again without screaming Buffy answered her. "I went into labor maybe fifteen minutes ago, right after that I got mugged. I was just going to ask if I could use your phone, so I can call someone to pick me up."
The girl smiled, "Sure you can use the phone, my name's Fred by the way."
Buffy smiled, before she could answer she heard her name called out, and in a blur Cordelia was moving in to hug her.
"Take it easy." Fred admonished her, as Cordy flung her arms around Buffy.
Her eyes widened in surprise as she realized the size of Buffy's stomach. "Oh god, when are you due? You're pregnant, oh my god."
Buffy tried to smile, "I was due about two and a half weeks ago. I'll be so glad once it's over."
"So what are you doing traveling in your condition, and to LA of all places?" Cordelia asked,
sounding somewhere between excited and surprised.
"I'm having to see a specialist who works in LA so I've been stuck in LA for three weeks. Giles and Willow came with me in the beginning, but now everyone's here, or rather-" she stopped as another contraction passed. "They're back at the hotel, and they're probably frantic." she finished.
Cordy smiled sympathetically, "Why didn't you come and see us before then silly?" Buffy almost couldn't believe what she was hearing, this was far removed from the Cordy she'd gone to school with. Before she could answer several people entered the room.
One of them, a tall black man looked their way curiously, "What's going on?"
Angel looked at her, strangely not surprised at seeing her there. "How are you?"
"In excruciating pain. You?" Buffy answered, wincing.
Wesley looked on, an expression of interest on his face. "It's nice to see you again Buffy." His voice still carried the clipped British accent.
"It's nice to see you again too." she answered tightly.
"What's wrong?" Angel asked her, sounding confused.
She laughed, "I'm maybe two hours away from having a baby. Contractions are a hell of a lot of fun."
"You're pregnant?" he still sounded confused.
"No, I swallowed a beach ball." she answered sarcastically. "I'm sorry, I'm not much fun to be around when I'm like this."
"You've been pregnant before?" Wesley asked.
"No, Braxton-Hicks contractions. False labor. I've been taken to hospital four times with them,
and I swear that it hurts more every time."
"So you think this is false labor?" the black guy asked.
"This is Gunn by the way." Cordelia chipped in helpfully.
"I don't care what this is. If I'm not in labor now then I'm having a C-section." she groaned.
Fred held the phone out, "Do you still want to make that call?"
Angel looked at her curiously, "I got mugged okay? God, I hate not being able to take care of myself, and I was supposed to be back about three hours ago. Everyone's probably frantic."
Angel took the handset from Fred, "What's the number?"
"3-3-0-1-4-5-8-6-4-2-8." she answered softly.
While he waited for someone to pick up the other end he turned back to Buffy, "Are you sure you're okay?" She nodded slowly.
"Hi, Dawn? It's Angel. Can you put Giles, Willow or Xander on please?" he paused. "Hi, it's Angel. Yeah, she's here. She seems okay, she's not very happy though. No she-" Buffy shook her head at him wildly, "What, oh sorry, she says to tell you that she's in labor. No don't bother,
you'll have to come all the way across town and she's not in the best mood. I'll put her on."
Silently he handed the phone to her. "Hey, I'm okay. Yeah, put her on. Dawnie? I'm gonna be fine, you know that right? Are you sure? I'll see you soon then." She handed the phone back to Angel. "Giles said he'd call my obstetrician and I get the feeling that they were already half way out the door."
"Which is where we're going. Can you walk?" Angel asked her.
She looked at him, "What?"
"I told Giles I'd drive you to the hospital, everyone will meet us there. Can you walk?"
"What kind of a stupid ass question is that? Of course I can walk." she stayed on the couch, "I just can't get up." she said sheepishly.
Angel shook his head, laughing. She glared at him. He simply scooped her up off the chair and began to move towards the door.
"Stop it. Put me down, I'm too heavy." Buffy protested.
"Don't be ridiculous. I've carried you before and you had no problems. You barely weigh anything, so relax." he tried to reassure her.
----------------
Hours later Willow walked into the hall, carrying a small bundle. Everyone stood up, bombarding her with questions.
"Buffy's fine, she's tired, but she's fine, she has a gorgeous baby girl. She wanted me to bring her out to meet you guys and she said to tell you that her name is Elissa." Willow said, answering all of their questions at once. "She wants to see everyone, but the doctor wanted to give her a proper check up."
15 minutes later.
Buffy smiled as Willow re-entered the room carrying her baby daughter, everyone else followed after them. She smiled, "Hey, how's my princess?" she asked Willow as she placed Elissa in her mother's arms.
"She's beautiful." Giles congratulated her.
"What's with..." Xander gestured to the drip in her arm.
"Oh, my doctor says I lost a lot of blood, so she insists that I have a transfusion. It's nothing. It doesn't even hurt." she answered him as he presented her with one of his traditional 'balloon bouquets.'
Everyone smiled as baby Elissa began to cry.