Disclaimer: I do not own Skylar, her powers, or her backstory. They are the property of gidgetgirl who made them up for Ivorycat, and who agreed to lend them to me. Ivorycat's and my stories are completely unrelated.

Disclaimer no.2 : The name 'Skylar', the powers created with her, and her backstory are NOT Ivorycat's. They were made up by gidgetgirl, even if she was not properly credited in Ivorycat's series. I however am crediting gidgetgirl.

A/N: A chapter of little Skylar, then a couple of years on from now, and then Skylar Angel, big with the 'why?'

A/N mark two: I actually wrote this chapter a few weeks ago, but have only just found it. Ergo, update. Enjoy.

"What do I do?" Angel asked, his voice rising desperately as the tiny baby lay on his bed, screaming her little head off, surrounded by the wreckage of a dozen diapers. Not only did he have no clean ones left but in addition, Skylar did not appear to be happy about it, or him.

Awkwardly, but extremely carefully, the vampire slid his hands underneath the naked child, and lifted her against his chest, one hand cradling her head, the other her tiny bottom. She frowned, her eyes sliding in and out of focus as she tried to concentrate on this intruder on her screaming. Skylar was only two weeks old, but her lungs must have been the size of a fully-fledged six month old, by the amount of use she was getting out of them.

"Okay," he said under his (non-existent) breath, holding her close, "Okay. Skylar, please be quiet. Please?"

If the baby had shot him a superior look, and laughed derisively, as if to say 'fat chance', at this point, Angel wouldn't have been surprised. Sighing, he searched his small apartment to find something to cover the baby with. Shifting her to one arm, he pulled a hand towel from beside the basin, laid it over the bed, and then gently placed Skylar on top of it. He folded it neatly over her bottom half, and tucked it in, so the makeshift diaper was snug around her.

"You're not hungry, because I fed you," he informed her, as if the newborn actually understood him. "And you're not wet, because I just cleaned you. So you're screaming because-"He broke off, defeated. "You just want to send me insane," he finished his sentence.

Skylar blinked, yawned hugely, then fell silent, as if tired of hearing the sound of her own voice. Angel stared at her.

"Now you're quiet? Now? When you've been yelling for the past twenty minutes?" he demanded. If the baby could have given a tiny shrug, she would have done.

Scooping her up, he fitted a tiny romper suit over her little limbs, wrapped a blanket around her, and carried her toward the door, his wallet securely in his pocket. He was a vampire on a mission, haunted by the faces of past victims, to protect the world from evil for his redemption.... And occasionally, pick diapers up from the Seven Eleven.

He opened the door, and stopped, as Buffy stood there, one hand raised to knock. She blinked, pushing golden blonde hair out of her eyes, startled.

"Wow. Way with the promptness," she commented. She frowned, her eyes falling on Skylar. "And the baby... Angel, what's going on?"

There was a split second where neither of them spoke, Angel searching through his mind for a response not including formula, diapers, spit up, or stopping would be baby-stealers-homeless-vampires from taking Skylar. It had been a long two weeks.

"She's not mine," he assured her. "She's the daughter of-"he paused, thinking of how best to phrase it. "Someone I killed. When I was Angelus."

Buffy's hand went to her mouth in shock, staring at Skylar, her eyes filling with tears.

"Her mother was a vampire," he said quietly. "And I saved the baby."

"Angel, this is a newborn," Buffy lifted her eyes to meet his. "I can tell from the frog-look she has."

"Skylar doesn't look like a frog," he defended the little baby, holding her more protectively.

"Listen to yourself. Angel, you were Angelus eight months ago."

He shook his head, and stepped back into the apartment, Buffy following him in.

She sat down on the bed, her coat spilling around her.

"Skylar was born two weeks ago, Buffy," he said gently. "Her mom was a vampire, and pregnant." Buffy's eyes widened, surprise and shock flitting across her face.

"But.. you said vampires can't have children," she said slowly, raising her eyes to his for confirmation. He nodded, shrugging, wishing he could say something clearer.

"I don't know why it happened, Buffy. I just know it did, and Skylar's alive. I have to protect her," he finished, his jaw set. "I didn't protect her mother."

"Pretty name," Buffy offered, still stunned by the news. "She's really cute, Angel." He smiled slowly, allowing himself to take pleasure in the little newborn. She bit her lip, and looked up at him, a strange emotion in her clear green eyes, something he couldn't read. "Can I hold her?"

Gently, he laid the tiny baby in Buffy's arms. Skylar batted her arms about a little, as if to protest a bit against the abrupt move, and then settled down, trying to focus on Buffy. She sighed a tiny baby sigh, and her eyes fluttered closed, asleep finally.

"How did you do that?" Angel asked, unable to stop himself. The baby tended to wail herself to sleep normally, passing out exhausted against his chest after hours of walking her back and forth across his apartment. Buffy met his eyes, her face glowing.

"It's the heartbeat, Angel," she answered, her voice low, but her eyes sparkling. "Their moms' heartbeats can be heard while they're being carried. You don't-"she broke off, uncomfortable.

He nodded silently. "I'd better take her. I've got to go and pick a few things up." Buffy glanced over the bed, covered in the wreckage of the diaper session, and began to laugh.

"Okay, I'll go," she reached up and kissed his mouth, passing him back Skylar, who didn't make a sound.

A/N: Okay, if you want to see cute-baby Skylar, then let me know.

Review!!