Disclaimer: I am not Joss or anyone else.. Just lil' ol' me.

Author's Note: Sorry about this taking so long to update, but as you can see I have! Finally! Let's see, I have a new beta! And I'm so excited about this! I wanna thank her for doing this! So.. thanks Buffy2theSlayer! Thank you! Thank you! THANK YOU!

So.. I wanted to update this the other day, but Kate (my car, named after Kate in the 'Taming of the Shrew') decided that the transmission in a car was unimportant and that I didn't need it. By the way the car is an automatic, figure that one out! So I threatened her with a tow truck and a moose! She got me home and that's what counts.. lol

Chapter 17

Angel was the first to wake the following morning, he felt more content then he had in a while and he wanted nothing more than to stay with his arms wrapped around Buffy, but he could hear the house awakening around him. He could hear the people slow down outside of their door and he realized with a start, that they needed to get a place of their own or a bigger place, so that he could sleep all day with his mate or he would be a very cranky vampire. Pulling her closer, he buried his face in her neck and breathed her scent in, loving the way she smelled. He loved the way she looked in the morning, he could watch her all day and he had. Shifting up on to his elbow, he watched her awaken, wondering if he would ever get used to seeing her like this in the morning light.

Buffy woke shortly after Angel, studying him as he contemplating something and it was entirely too early to be that deep in thought. She wasn't sure what was going on in his head, but he got this cute little burrow when he was thinking hard, right between his eyes, which would always take on this far away look, as though he weren't in the room with her. She stroked the side of his face lovingly, without even realizing what she was doing, bringing Angel's full attention to her, his eyes lighting up when he realized she had woken up without him realizing it. He leaned down and gave her a lingering kiss, which she returned full heartedly, opening her mouth under his and allowing him a deeper entry, a deeper connection.

"Good morning." He said softly, as though they were the only two in the world, even though they could both hear everyone in the house moving about. One of the many things that super natural powers brought, enhanced hearing. They could hear Dawn and Spike talking heatedly in the kitchen, while Cordy and Doyle were reaffirming their relationship in the bathroom. Xander and Anya were at the door, Giles and Wesley were discussing the various demons that they had encountered, Lorne, Fred, and Gunn were listening to all the conversations trying to figure everything out and how they fit into it all. Willow and Tara were in their room, discussing various spells, in between kisses, of course.

"Morning." She replied, leaning up and kissing him again sending his world back into motion with a single kiss, "Remind me not to use the bathroom until it's been disinfected." Angel gave a small laugh at this response, nodding his head in agreement. She shifted on the bed trying to get off, but entice him to follow her at the same time, falling off as she attempted, "we need to get a new bed." Angel was beside her in a flash, making sure that she was okay and that no serious harm or anything had come to her or their child.

"I'm okay." She assured him, as she sat up, "a small bruised ego, but nothing that can't be fixed." Angel's anxiety leaked out of him and he took a look around the room, adjusting everything and trying to fit in a new bed. Everything he was trying was not working, until he realized that he had a possible solution, if Buffy was willing.

"Yea," Angel replied helping Buffy to her feet after reassuring himself that she was okay to get up, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth at the sight of her, "a bigger bed." Angel wanted to be sure that there would be enough room for the two of them and being a vampire, he was used to a certain amount of space. He also wanted to be sure that Buffy had everything that she could possibly need during her pregnancy. Shaking his head, he brought himself back to the conversation at hand and a way to bring up moving to Buffy, without her crying. This was an extremely difficult task, now that she was pregnant, just about everything made her cry and it didn't matter if it was a happy cry or a sad cry, because each tear tore at his heart.

"Can't get much bigger," Buffy replied, eyeing the tiny space that they had never noticing the calculating look that was in Angel's eyes, "it would never fit in the room." Buffy studied the room that she had, had since she had moved to Sunnydale and so many memories flashed through her mind, the good along with the bad. She remembered the first time that she kissed Angel and smile tugged on lips. She also remembered the heart ache that was brought when Angel became Angelus and her mom died. After her mom died, Buffy just couldn't bring herself to change anything in the house, including her room, every little thing was an intact part of her past, a tie that connected her to her mother, and after she died, the gang refused to change anything about her room.

"Then we'll just have to get a new room." He replied and tears began to form around Buffy's eyes. Angel reached up and brushed the tears away with his fingertips, before leaning down and kissing her gently, "With a wardrobe large enough for the two of us and some mirrors for you." A soft smile graced her face as the tears slowly began to fall; Angel caught each one, stroking the side of her face softly, "I was paying attention, I just wasn't ready yet." He caught her in a tight hug, murmuring soft words of love, as her tears wet his shirt. He tried to calm her enough so that she wasn't crying, but she cried for a while longer, the two of them entwined in the middle of her bedroom, light and shadow as the morning light filtered in through the windows surrounding them.

"And you are now?" she asked when she was finally able to speak, her voice hitching, because she was still waiting for the other shoe to drop, for Angel to tell her he was leaving and he wasn't sure where he was going yet. She still was hurt when he had left her without any indication of where he was going or calling when he finally found a destination. She was hurt that he had made more decisions for the two of them without ever consulting her. She knew that they had talked things through and this was a sure indication that he had been listening, but somewhere in the back of her mind, Buffy was thinking that he would leave her, it was only a matter of time.

"I'm very sure." He replied catching her in another kiss, this one meant to soothe her fears away. Angel knew, partially, of what was running through her mind and he knew that only time, with him in her life, would soothe away her fears, well that and constant reassurance that he wasn't going to leave her, "I thought we could move into the mansion. There's a lot more space and everyone can have their own room, so no more sleeping on the couches and floor."

"What about vampires?" Buffy asked, her voice partially muffled, because her head was buried in his shirt, her arms tightly wrapped around him hold him to her, as though he wanted to be anywhere else.

"Well," Angel said, "I thought that if I signed it over to you, then it would be your residence, so there would be a living person living there," Buffy nodded slowly, questioning whether this would work or not and deciding that she would ask Giles, he would know. She wasn't sure how she felt about having Angel sign something worth so much over to her, but shrugged it off it would be for the baby and the group after all, "So Spike and I would need to be invited in, of course." Buffy nodded once again, accepting the answer, still surprised that he was getting along with his childe so well. But considering Spike wasn't after his daughter and had been talked to about his mate, everything was going smoother so far.

"My mother told me not to invite strangers into my house though." Buffy said in a little school girl voice as she looked up at Angel, her green eyes alight in mischief.

"How can I convice you that I'm not a stranger?" Angel asked his voice low and husky and his eyes darkening as lust swept through his body, sending shivers down Buffy's spin.

"I think a kiss should do it." Buffy said and Angel leaned down, quickly kissing her on the mouth. "I think you can do better."

"I can?" Angel asked innocently, "Why don't you show me?" Buffy caught the challenge in his voice and laughed, they had never been able to do the teasing thing. When they had first started their relationship everything was too new and rushed and then after the entire Angelus fiasco everything was try not to think about sex.

"Gladly," Buffy responded pulling his head down to hers and capturing his lips. She allowed him to tease her for a minute or two, before she parted her lips, her tongue tracing the seam of his mouth. Angel parted his lips and allowed her entry both of them groaning as she boldly entered his mouth, her tongue exploring every texture that she found.

Angel let her lead the kiss for a while, teasing their senses, until he couldn't take it anymore. He took control of the kiss, deepening and pulling her closer, his hand slipping beneath her top and skimming the silky skin that he found beneath it. He let a moan out as she did the same for him, exploring the hard planes of his chest, her fingers plucking at his nipples. Bent on returning the favor, Angel slanted his head so that he could get an ever deeper kiss, as his hands cupped both of her breasts, her hard nipples aching more under the contact. Hearing a crash sounding from the kitchen the couple sprang apart both breathing heavily as they looked at each other and sighed, their moment had been interrupted, but there would be more. From the sounds of the argument that was going on, a little intervention would be needed

Kitchen

"You can't have sex in public places!" Dawn muttered as Cordy and Doyle came down the stairs with a satisfied smile on their faces leaving no doubt on anyone's mind what they had been up to, not that there had been any doubt. Dawn and Spike had stopped fighting as they heard Cordy and Doyle start down the stairs. It wasn't as though they were having a lover's quarrel or anything like that, but it was more of who was right. They had been arguing about the prophecy concerning Buffy and her child, both had read separate prophecies out of the different books, speaking of the vampire with a soul and his child and what said child would do for the world. Dawn brought herself back to the present when Spike gave a muffled laugh as Cordy and Doyle turned bright red, they hadn't thought that they were being as loud as they apparently were, forgetting that almost everyone had supernatural hearing or where right down the hall from the bathroom.

"Well you can, but you should be quieter." Anya replied, not even looking up from the bowl of cereal that she was eating at the moment. Xander spit up the coffee he had been drinking, flushing bright red, as everyone turned their attention to Xander and Anya, trying to figure out where they had sex and wondering if they really wanted to know. For the most part the group decided that they did not want to know where those two had sex, but the others wanted to know so that they could stay out of the rooms or disinfect them.

'The better question is where they haven't had sex.' Buffy thought with a snort, looking at Angel who was apparently thinking the same thing judging by the smile on his face. They wondered if they could sneak back to their room without being noticed and pick up where they had left off.

"And you woke up Angel and Buffy, too." Spike said, a small smirk hidden behind the coffee mug that he was lifting to his mouth, knowing that he was the only one to hear them come in and it looked like they were about to leave anyways. Everyone turned to watch Buffy and Angel enter the room, various greetings being made.

"Good morning." Angel and Buffy replied together.

"Who wants pancakes?" Angel asked looking around at the large group assembled in the tiny kitchen.

"Depends," Cordy replied, her embarrassment forgotten for the moment, "whose making them?"

"Me." Angel replied and there was a chorus of "yes's" from the group. Angel smiled as he set about making breakfast, not really listening to the conversations going on around him, but knowing that his team and the Scooby gang were hitting it off. Various discussions where being made, best stories where swapped, what weapon should be used when killing what demon, and the watcher's where talking adamantly about various demons. This might seem strange anywhere else, but Angel could get used to it, his entire family was assembled and everyone was getting along he wouldn't ask for more.

Later: Kitchen

"So," Buffy began nervously as breakfast began to wind down, Angel clasped her hand, trying to comfort her as everyone's attention focused on the two of them the idle chattering dying out, "We have something to tell you."

"You're pregnant!" Anya shouted, giving a squeal of delight about to rush forward and give Buffy a congratulatory hug. Buffy gave her an exasperated look, pointedly looking at her already showing belly, Anya looked down and a wave of remembrance crossed her face as Cordy gave into what she really wanted to say.

"Uhmm.." Cordy began, "She's already pregnant, you can't get much more pregnant than that!" Anya processed this and then pouted looking at Xander for comfort, causing everyone to laugh.

"No," Buffy replied, "I'm not anymore pregnant than I was earlier." She looked at Angel who squeezed her hand lovingly, "What we wanted to discuss was moving."

"Moving!" Dawn exclaimed her voice rising an octave higher than any human's should go, including the Key's, "I'm not moving. I still have to finish high school and slayer and Hellmouth!" Dawn had finally settled into her friends, she had memories since childhood, but she had only known them for a couple of years. She had found out who her real friends where shortly after her mom died and she didn't want to start fresh somewhere else, she had finally gotten comfortable around them.

"Not out of town." Angel replied and Dawn calmed down. "Just to a bigger place," Dawn nodded slowly if they weren't moving then she wasn't as concerned, "where there is enough space for everyone." The group looked around, wondering where there would be enough room for everyone. Angel paused for a moment, realizing that he hadn't given anyone the opportunity to back out and leave the Hellmouth, "That is if everyone is staying here on the Hellmouth. I am not going back to Los Angeles."

"We didn't really expect you to Angel-cakes." Lorne replied, "Besides this town could use a good demon karaoke bar." Everyone gave a shout of laughter at this announcement. The Sunnydale group flashing to Willy's bar, laughed even harder, wondering how Willy would hold up to the competition.

"And someone needs to guide the younger Summers slayer." Wesley said and Dawn looked at him in shock. She had assumed that Giles would be her watcher too, but it would make sense if she had her own watcher and Wesley had changed since he had last been in Sunnydale, for the better.

"And someone needs to make sure that you guys are getting enough of those vamps." Gunn put in and everyone smiled.

"And to make sure that you are filing correctly." Cordy said and Angel and his crew laughed at this, because they remembered how Cordy filed and where still trying to figure it out for the most part.

"And someone has to connect you to the PTB." Doyle replied and everyone gave a smile. No one would be out of a job and there would be plenty to go around.

"But this is mom's house." Dawn said quietly as the group talked animatedly about where they could go and who would be doing what, tears already forming in her eyes as Buffy rushed to hug her sister, even as tears filled her eyes.

"I know, but there are too many of us living here and we can't fit, especially with a baby coming." Buffy told Dawn, her voice husky with the emotions that were running through her body that were even more stronger, because of her pregnancy, "We can keep it, if you want and we can have sleepovers and the works later on." Dawn nodded, while Buffy brushed the tears from her eyes. They hugged for a long while, both of them trying not to burst into tears anymore than they already had, because their mother was gone.

Angel watched as his mate and his daughter hugged the conversation dying down as everyone witnessed the emotional scene before them. Angel wanted to drag them into another room where they wouldn't be scrutinized, but these were their friends, their family, so he settled for wrapping his arms around Dawn and Buffy. Willow was the first to join in, followed by Xander and then Tara. Everyone looked around the room trying to figure out who would be the next to go, when Cordy rushed forward, dragging Doyle with her. Giles was the next to join in, followed by Anya, leaving the AI team wondering what they should do. Buffy answered this for them by offering a hand out to them, and the team jumped on the chance, everyone rushed forward as one, joining in the group hug.

"I would never ask you to give up the house." Angel whispered to Dawn, "Maybe when you are older you could move back in." Dawn nodded in agreement, bumping into Buffy and Angel. Buffy moved back only to run into Willow and Tara. Everyone laughed as they realized that they wouldn't be able to move without running into someone. The group quickly dispersed leaving Angel with one arm wrapped around Dawn and the other arm wrapped around Buffy, the girl's hands clasped behind his back. Angel felt more content than he had in a while it was a good thing that his soul was bound to him.

"Although I don't think we should just leave Los Angeles, because Wolfram and Hart are located there." Doyle said when he realized that the touching moment was winding down. The group thought for a moment, trying to figure out what they could do, because they knew that LA would need to be protected also, but none of them wanted to leave. They all had their reasons to stay, but the most important one was that they had all become a family. A very large and dysfunctional family, but a family nonetheless and they wanted that family to thrive.

"Maybe I can help." A voice said from the doorway. Everyone responded differently to the voice, mostly everyone grabbed a weapon, but Buffy moved forward and wrapped the girl in a hug, while Angel moved forward to shake her hand. "I have found that fighting evil makes you hungry." A slight smile appeared on the face of the woman before them.

"Hello Faith." Buffy said warmly pulling back to look at the dark haired slayer, leaving a shocked group before her. "Aren't you dead?" Buffy mentioned, almost as an after thought.

"Aren't you?" Faith replied with a grin that for the first time, reached her eyes, Buffy smiled in return, raising an eyebrow as she waited for Faith's story. "The rumor of my death was highly over exaggerated. I was brought back on the table, they managed to stabilize me and with the help of my slayer healing here I am."

"Wait, why did they need to put you on the table in the first place?" Buffy asked and a dark, angry look flashed across Faith's face.

"The watcher's council decided they needed another active slayer." Faith replied hurt in her voice, "So they had someone or paid someone, to come into my cell and suffocate me in my sleep." She raised a hand when Buffy would have spoken, "The person was a demon, stronger than a human, so at least they learned." She joked and Buffy shot her a sour look that told Faith that Buffy did not appreciate Faith's humor.

"And how did you get out of jail?" Angel asked breaking the intense showdown between the slayers and Faith's grin grew causing Angel to groan. "You didn't break out did you?"

"Course not, A." Faith replied, the grin of hers still growing with each passing second, "It's like this, I was supposed to serve until I died." She replied and he nodded, he remembered the hearing. "Well I died, so I got a lawyer and he got me out of jail, because technically I served my time." Angel and Buffy laughed while the others looked on unsure of what was going on.

"Maybe she hit her head." Xander said to the Scooby and AI teams, sword held before him as everyone took in the sight of Angel and Buffy having a friendly conversation with Faith, "This is Faith, the rogue slayer. The one who poisoned Deadboy and tried to kill you? Stole your body? Ringing any bells?" Buffy laughed and Faith followed suite. What no one knew was that Buffy had been visiting Faith when she could and they two had been corresponding. They had worked through their differences and while they weren't sure they could work in the same town, they were sure that they could trust the other person to cover their backs. When Buffy had died and come back, she hadn't started writing to Faith again and wasn't even sure that Faith knew she had died and been brought back, until Faith joked about the death thing.

"It's okay." Buffy said, "I remember what she did." Faith looked down guiltily she had done a lot and had a lot to atone for and she didn't need someone constantly rubbing it in her face, "But we have already worked through this and we both forgave each other." Faith looked up and grinned at Buffy, it was obvious that the older slayer wasn't against Faith taking up Angel's work in LA. It was obvious that Buffy was on very friendly terms with the dark slayer and they had worked out their aggressions.

Flashback

"Faith," the burly guard said, "you've got a visitor." Faith looked out the window and noticed it was high noon, what was Angel doing out there so late? Following the guard to the room, she looked around for Angel, but couldn't find the dark vampire.

"Where is he?" Faith asked, wondering what type of joke was being played on her, Angel was the only one to visit her and probably would always be the only one.

"I never said it was a guy." The guard told her and Faith looked about ready to punch him.

"I'm hurt." Buffy said, "You don't recognize me." Faith let out a startled gasp, whirling around to face her sister slayer.

"B." Faith squeaked out, dropping into the chair as dizziness swept over her.

"Hello Faith." Buffy replied eyeing the older slayer. It had been one month since Faith had been in jail, a month of Hell for Buffy. Everything from highschool had come back to her and she had been plagued with thoughts of the other slayer.

"What are you doing here?" Faith asked finally, wondering what Buffy wanted from her, probably to gloat.

"I have one question and then I'm gone." Buffy replied and Faith nodded, "Why?"

"Why?" Faith asked, "you had everything! The perfect boyfriend, friends, watcher, mother! You had everything."

"But you had the freedom of life, you could do anything." Buffy replied, the two of them sharing a look, before they burst out laughing. They realized that they had been jealous of what the other slayer had and not fully realizing what they had in front of them. They had talked for hours, until the guard forced Faith away. The first letter arrived a week later.

End Flashback

"And speaking of lawyers." Faith said, her hand going behind her, clasping onto another one and then pulling them into the room. "This is mine." She told the group as she pulled an attractive man into the room, he had dark brown hair and startling eyes. "Lindsey MacDonald."