CHAPTER 7

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, although I wish I did because I'd find a way to put Angel and Buffy back together; where they belong. You will also notice that I've snagged some lines from a few episodes on either Buffy or Angel.

Summary: What if the Oracles had in fact restored Angel to his vampire state instead of taking back the day (In "I Will Remember You" on Angel) so that a prophesized miracle could occur?

Historical Note: This trilogy takes place between the fourth and fifth season of Buffy, and between the first and second season of Angel. You may also notice some of the later elements are from later seasons of either show.

Author's note: this trilogy will go back and fourth between Sunnydale and L.A. More so in this first series. The second there isn't much crossover's going on, there may be a few though. I really tried to keep to both shows storylines as much as possible. Some events (The Glory bit in season 5 on Buffy for example) will be either pushed back or taken out in general. These events may have been important on the shows, but not in this story.

"Where are you two going?" Cordelia asked a little while later as the two of them headed down the stairs into the main lobby and grabbed their coats.

"Cordy, would you mind handling things here for a few days?" Angel asked.

"Sure, but why?" She asked confused.

"Buffy and I have to go take care of some things back in Sunnydale. We shouldn't be gone for more than a few days," He explained.

"Alright," Cordelia said not exactly understanding, but when it came to Angel's requests she didn't usually ask questions.

"Thanks," Angel said as he and Buffy headed out the door into the night.

In Sunnydale...

As Angel pulled into Buffy's neighborhood, he felt kind of weird being back in Sunnydale. The last time he had been here, it was to help Buffy fight the Indian spirits. The two had a lot of history here. This was the town where they had first met, where they had first kissed, where they had first...

"Angel?" A voice asked from the side of him; bringing his focus back. He looked at Buffy as he put his hand on hers. "Are you alright?" She asked, as she looked at him concerned.

"Why wouldn't I be?" he asked.

"You know, we can wait to tell my mom until tomorrow," Buffy assured him. Angel shook his head.

"We might as well get it over with," Angel told her before he opened his door.

"You're right," she agreed as she got out of the car. They walked up the walkway side by side. Buffy could since Angel's discomfort, so she gave Angel's hand a loving squeeze before she reached into her pocket with her other hand and searched for her key. Just as she located her key, the door opened in front of them.

"Hey mom, I was just..." Buffy began.

"What's going on?" Joyce asked before Buffy was able to finish.

"Mom, would you just let us get in?" Buffy asked. Joyce moved out of the way as Buffy and Angel entered the house.

"I see you've finally told Angel about his child" Joyce noted as she closed the door. Buffy then led Angel into the living room. Buffy then sat down on the couch. Angel then carefully sat down beside her.

"I have, and we've decided to get back together," Buffy began. Joyce sighed.

"I figured you two would, although I'm not sure if that's such a good idea," Joyce explained. Buffy looked at Angel quickly before looking back towards her mother.

"Mom, I know you don't think it's a good idea, but we-"

"Mrs. Summers, we've talked about all of the possibilities, and we've both agreed that it would be safer if Buffy moves in with me in L.A.," Angel explained taking over. He wasn't going to let Buffy go through something alone; again.

"What?" Joyce asked surprised.

"Mom, I know you don't want me to leave, but at least in LA Angel's already got a place."

"What's the problem with the two of you staying here if you two are going to get back together," Joyce asked quickly.

"Mom, we can't all stay here. I mean, what are we going to do when the baby's born? It's going to get a little crowded in my room with the three of us sleeping in there," Buffy pointed out.

"Buffy, I think you should stay close by. I mean what are you going to do about slaying after the baby's born? You'll be in L.A.," Joyce asked.

"Mom, we'll be alright," Buffy assured her.

"This would have never happened if he had left when I told him to and never came back," Joyce said under her breath. Buffy looked at her mother shocked.

"How can you say that?" Buffy asked shocked as she got up.

"Well it's true," Joyce answered. She then looked at Angel. "Didn't you leave so that she could have a normal life?" Joyce asked.

"Mom!" Buffy exclaimed. Angel reached for her hand.

"No, Buffy, she's right," he told her as he looked at Joyce. "I did leave; because I love her so much and I wanted her to have a normal life. I didn't mean for this to happen, but obviously it did, and I can't take back what happened between Buffy and I, even if I wanted to," Angel explained. The room fell silent as she looked at the two. Buffy could almost swear she saw her mother's features soften.

"Come on, let's go," Buffy said as she grabbed Angel's hand and walked to the front door. She turned around quickly and looked at her mother.

"We'll be by tomorrow night to pick up my stuff," Buffy explained before they left.

Joyce watched as they got into the car, and left. She stood in the doorway for a few more minutes after they left before closing the door.

"I'm loosing her," Joyce said to herself as she climbed up the stairs into her room.

* * *

Buffy looked over at Angel and noticed his facial expression seemed to have saddened. And she knew exactly why.

"Angel I'm so sorry for what my mom said," Buffy apologized.

"No Buffy, she was right to have said what she said. You would have been better off if I hadn't come back to protect you. Then there you wouldn't have followed me back," Angel said in a saddened voice.

"No Angel, if it wasn't for you backing me up, I could've been killed," she told him. Angel shook his head.

"Buffy, you deserve more. I mean, you had something good going on in your life," Angel explained as his voice lowered." Before I messed it up, again," Angel added. Buffy put her hand on his as she began to comfort him.

"Angel, you're still the only thing in my life that makes since to me. You didn't ruin anything. You made my life better; you gave me the best thing you could ever give me," Buffy told him honestly.

"My mom will just have to get used to you and I again," Buffy told him.

"I just can't help but think if you hadn't gotten pregnant, you'd be living a better life right now," Angel said as he looked over at her.

"I couldn't have gotten a better life than this. Angel, were back together, and in three months we'll have a baby in our life. What could be better than this?" she asked. Angel looked over at her again and smiled.

"I still can't believe were going to have a baby and he or she'll be here in only three more months," Angel said as he turned a corner.

"I know, I can't believe it either. It just seems so unreal. In three months were going to be parents," Buffy admitted as she smiled at Angel; he then put a hand on her stomach and smiled at her. They drove that way in silence for a few minutes before Angel asked,

"Where are we going anyways?" Angel asked.

"To the dorm. It's Friday night. Willow and the gang are they're hanging out," Buffy explained.

"To the dorm it is, but where are we going to stay tonight?" Angel asked.

"Unless you have another place in mind, or you feel uncomfortable I'd say we should just crash there," she explained.

"Alright then, we'll sleep their tonight," Angel agreed as he headed for her dorm room.

* * *

As Buffy opened the door, her friends greeted her with smiles and happy faces, except for Xander of coarse, who just looked surprised.

"Buffy you're back! - When'd you get back?" Willow asked as she shot up from the floor and hugged her.

"Hey Will," Buffy said as she hugged her friend back.

"Angel," Xander said as Angel walked in and shut the door. He looked over at Xander and couldn't help but grin. It had been a while since he'd last seen him, and back then, Xander despised him; not that he despise him any less now, Angel thought to himself.

"Xander," he said, acknowledging him.

"I see you brought dead-boy along with you," Xander noted purposely calling him that knowing Angel hated it.

"Could you not call me that," Angel asked hoping Xander would someday stop calling him that. He had been given that nickname a few years ago, after he had first met Buffy, but he was not able to shake it. Xander shook his head.

"Sorry, I can't. Although I was thinking I should change it to 'Daddy dead-boy' or something to that effect. I haven't fully worked out a new name yet," Xander explained.

"Great," Angel said knowing Xander hadn't changed since he'd first met him four years ago. Although, he was not sure if he still liked Buffy or not. He stood there beside Buffy and watched her friends greet her happily as he held her overnight bag in one hand.

"I can take that," Buffy said as she took her bag and tossed it onto her bed.

"So how have you guys been?" Buffy asked as she pulled Angel over to her bed with her and sat down.

"How have we been, how have you guys been?" Willow asked. "I mean the last time I saw you Angel, you were here protecting Buffy," Willow added.

"Hey, is it true Cordy works for you?" Xander asked curiously.

"Yeah, she's working for me now," Angel confirmed.

"Wow. Cordy's working; imagine that. How can you stand her?" Xander asked as he remembered how Cordy had been when she lived in Sunnydale.

"She's really changed. You wouldn't believe it," Angel explained.

"It's true," Buffy said backing Angel up. She herself had been shocked on how different Cordy had become. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Willow quickly looked at Buffy, who was about to get up.

"It's ok, I'll get it," she said as she got up and walked over to the door.

She then opened the door, only to find Parker Abrams on the other side of the door.

"What do you want?" Willow asked trying to sound polite.

"Is Buffy here?" he asked. Willow looked back over to Buffy, who was looking their direction with a curious expression.

"Um Buffy, it's for you," Willow said as she opened the door further so that Buffy could see who it was.

"Parker," Buffy said shocked as she shot up from the bed and over to the door. "What are you doing here?" she asked as she pushed him out into the hall and shut the door after her.

"Who was that?" Angel asked curiously.

"Um, that was..." Willow began not sure if Buffy told him about Parker or not.

"That was Parker. He and Buffy dated for a while in the beginning of the school year," Xander explained. Angel's gaze was still fixated on the door.

"So that's Parker. What happened?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" Xander asked.

"Why'd they break up?" Angel asked wanting to know. Buffy had never told him.

"Oh. Well, he used Buffy making her another bedded conquest before kicking her to the curb," Xander filled in. Willow glared at him.

"Oh," he said plainly.

"But don't worry. I think the reason why Buffy slept with Parker was to try to prove to us that she was over you; in which she wasn't," Xander added quickly.

"Why, are you jealous?" Xander asked curiously; his tone seemed to be challenging him.

"No. I was just curious," Angel explained. "Besides, Buffy had already told me about her and Parker. She just didn't tell me why they broke up," he told them as his gaze quickly went back to the door.

* * *

Outside the room, Buffy looked at Parker angry and confused as she walked a little farther away from her room.

"What are you doing here?" Buffy asked. Parker looked down at her stomach as she folded her hands over her chest.

"I just wanted to know if the baby was mine," Parker said. Buffy almost wanted to laugh at the thought of him being the father. "Cause we were careful that night; really careful. I made sure of it," he added quickly.

"You? What makes you think your the father?" she asked curiously.

"Well it's just the word on campus is that you got pregnant after we were together," Parker explained.

"Well, I'm not. It just so happens my boyfriend; the father of the baby; is just inside the other room," Buffy explained.

"Boy, you are fast aren't you?" Parker said grinning.

"What?" Buffy asked shocked.

"It didn't take you too long to find someone else now did it? Well, it's good that I'm not responsible for this, because that'd ruin my rep on campus," he said.

"What that you sleep with any girl you can get?" Buffy asked. She could feel her anger rising.

"Hey, be careful how you say it. It wasn't too long ago that you were the lucky girl," Parker reminded her.

"Get out, and don't come back," Buffy told him between clenched teeth. Parker looked at her and grinned.

"It was fun seeing you again, although you don't look so hot. You should go lie down or something," Parker shot back before he turned around and left.

* * *

Buffy walked back into the dorm and slammed the door behind her. She couldn't believe how Parker had acted.

"Buffy are you alright?" Angel asked concerned as he walked over to her.

"Yeah, he was just a jerk," Buffy explained.

"Parker a jerk? What are the odds?" Xander asked sarcastically. Buffy looked over towards Willow and tried to smile.

"He said that everyone on campus thinks the baby's his," she explained.

"That's crazy, you were only with Parker once!" Willow exclaimed. She then looked around the room and noticed everyone was looking at her. "I mean, he's just a big jerk person," Willow added, her voice lowered a few notches.

"I just can't believe he'd come here and ask me that," Buffy admitted as she walked back over to her bed. Angel walked over as well and sat down beside her. He then looked up at her.

"He's not though," Buffy assured him.

"I didn't say he was," Angel said. Anya began to stare at Angel as he and Buffy continued talking.

"So this is Angel. I never saw him close up, but I must say; he's sexy looking up close. No wonder Buffy's crazy over him," Anya sighed as she looked at Angel.

"Ah, thanks," Angel said as he scratched his head embarrassed. Xander put his arm around her.

"Honey, Angel and I don't exactly have the chummiest track record between us," Xander explained.

"Don't worry, you're still like a Viking in bed," Anya assured him. Angel cough.

"Anya. Private moments...remember?" Xander asked sounding a little embarrassed.

"Sorry, I was just saying-" Anya explained.

"So Buffy, what brings you two here?" Xander asked changing the conversation.

"We came here to see everyone, and to crash here," Buffy explained. She looked at Angel who gave her a look. "And to pack my things," she added.

"Buffy are those pesky hormones of yours that out of balance?" Xander asked. Buffy shook her head.

"Angel and talked about it, and I've decided to move to L.A. with him," Buffy explained. Willow looked at Angel then back at Buffy.

"But Buffy; what about slaying? I mean, I know you really can't anymore, but what about after the baby's born?' Xander asked reminding her about her sacred duty.

"I also thought about that, and I've decided that once the baby's born I'll come by every weekend or week, or something and pick up the slack. I haven't quite figured out all the kinks yet," she admitted.

"Have you told Giles about this yet?" Willow asked. Although she'd miss her friend; she was happy for her. Buffy shook her head.

"Were going to stop by tomorrow. We've already told mom," she added.

"Oh boy, How'd that go?" Willow asked worriedly knowing how Joyce would most likely react.

"Not as well I hoped it would, but I think she'll cool down a little before we go over there tomorrow night," Buffy explained.

"Wow, so that's it; Buffy's back with dead-boy," Xander noticed out loud. Willow shot him a stern look.

"But Buffy, what am I going to do without you?" Willow asked. Buffy smiled at her.

"Will, I'll only be two hours away. Besides, you can always call me," Buffy explained.

"Ok. Who's up for a board game?" Oz asked as he walked over to the corner of the room, and walked back over with a hand full of board games.