Title: A Model Romance
Author: Ashley K.
Disclaimer: I own nothing BTVS or A:tS.
Chapter Five:
Four Months Later…
Buffy winced as she slowly stood up. At six months pregnant, Buffy had long since lost her normal grace and svelte figure, but was completely happy about her child. She hadn't seen Angelus since that night at her apartment, something that she was glad for. At least that's what she kept telling herself.
Angelus, as it were, had been keeping busy. It seemed, to Buffy, that every week he had a new girlfriend. All of his girlfriends were beautiful, intelligent, and came from equally wealthy and powerful backgrounds as Angelus himself. There was Darla, Drusilla, Harmony, Cordelia (something Buffy was a bit bitter over; Cordelia had been her high school friend), Kate, Gwen, and some foreign girl with some strange foreign name that Buffy could never pronounce. Buffy smiled ruefully; it would appear that Angelus was on the market for a wife.
Quickly finishing the rest of her food, Buffy absently reminded herself to thank Giles for sending her food all these months. It was a gift that she definitely put to use the past months.
Struggling with her zipper, Buffy frowned at the dress she was wearing. She had long since came to the conclusion that the same people who made circus tents designed all maternity clothes. "Ow," Buffy complained, rubbing her lower abdomen. Her stomach had been hurting on and off all night. Buffy shrugged; it was probably just Junior kicking. She still made a mental note to call up Wesley. "After Willow's wedding."
She smiled. Her friend's wedding was in a few hours. Luckily, because she was six months pregnant, Willow, for the most part, had left her alone. Just as she thought that, Buffy's phone rang. "Hello?"
"Buffy, where are you? Are you having car problems? Oh, Buffy, what if he says 'no'?" Buffy smiled at Willow's frantic voice. "Or what if they mix up the flowers? Or worse, what if I forget what to do and fall on my face?"
"I'm at home, I'm leaving in two minutes. Will, he'll say 'yes.' Your flowers will be the right ones. And you won't forget what to do," Buffy interrupted her friend, "Now, take a deep breath, put on your underwear, take off your ugly bathrobe, and relax. I'll be there in fifteen minutes."
Buffy didn't even wait for Willow's reply, choosing to hang up the phone instead. She knew that Willow wouldn't listen to any of her advice, but Buffy still hoped. Double-checking her purse contents, Buffy walked out of her apartment.
Shifting uncomfortably in her chair, Buffy listened to the best man's toast. The wedding had, as Buffy predicted, been perfect and now Willow and Oz were married. Wincing again, Buffy pressed a hand to her stomach, the initial tinge of pain she had felt that morning advancing to something almost unbearable. Half-heartedly toasting, Buffy stood; ready to give her toast. She was a terrible public speaker and had found a wedding toast online that she liked.
"Good health to you, and wealth to you, and the best that life can give to you. May fortune still be kind to you, and happiness be true to you, and life be long and good to you, is the toast of all your friends to you," Buffy recited, lifting her glass of water up in the air. Taking a sip of it, Buffy sat back down, watching her friends kiss sweetly. Excusing herself, Buffy slowly walked towards the bathroom.
Suddenly, the pain in her abdomen overwhelmed her and Buffy blindly sat down. "Ow," she muttered, face screwed up in pain.
"Miss? Are you alright?" some kindly stranger asked. Buffy went to nod her head, when a streak of extreme pain flashed through her body. Unable to handle it any longer, Buffy's body shut itself down.
"If she dies, I'll never forgive you!"
Disorientated, Buffy slowly opened her eyes and immediately regretted it. She was obviously in a hospital room. Buffy hated hospitals ever since her cousin, Celia, had died in one when they were both seven. But the fact that she was in a hospital wasn't the worse part. Her mother, Giles, and Angelus were all standing around her bed.
"Buffy?" Joyce asked, tearful. "Honey?"
"Hi Mom," Buffy croaked out, desperately trying to remember the events that had led her to the hospital room. She remembered passing out at Willow's wedding and had vague recollections of riding in an ambulance. Suddenly remembering the all-encompassing pain she had felt prior to her passing out, Buffy placed a frantic hand on her stomach, almost crying with relief when she encountered the bulge that was her child. "What happened?"
"You had a severe case of appendicitis," Giles answered, slowly, "They had to operate immediately."
"And my baby…?" Buffy asked, wanting to be reassured that her child was fine.
Biting her lip, Joyce winced before answering; causing the slight relief Buffy had felt to disappear. "It…Buffy, you know that surgery in this stage of your pregnancy is dangerous…but…" Joyce trailed off.
"Your child is fine," Angelus finished. "It was touch and go for a while."
"Why are you here?" Buffy asked, curious.
"Willow and Oz were married today," Angelus simply stated. Buffy's heart sank. She knew that Angelus had assumed that Oz was her unborn child's father and, given the fact that she had not been romantically attached to anyone else since Italy the likelihood of him guessing the true paternity of her child was great.
"It's not your's," Buffy quickly denied, ignoring the stunned look her mother threw her.
"Buffy Anne!" Joyce snapped, "How dare you!"
"Mom, please," Buffy pleaded, eyes darting from person to person. This was not how she wanted Angelus to find out. Hell, she never wanted Angelus to find out.
"Joyce, Dad," Angelus interrupted, "Would you mind?"
"Not at all, Angel," Joyce answered for both of them, shooting Buffy a glare. Buffy fought the urge to roll her eyes. She watched as her mother and Giles walked out of her private room, gently shutting the door behind them.
"You could have died," Angelus hoarsely whispered, his back turned away from Buffy. "If you were at your apartment today, you would have been alone," he thought out loud, whirling around to face her. "And you would have taken my child with you."
"Yes," Buffy quietly answered, knowing that denying the paternity of her child was pointless now. She watched, apprehensive, as Angelus walked the six feet to her bedside. Tensing, she was shocked when he knelt next to her bed.
"Marry me."
Author: Ashley K.
Disclaimer: I own nothing BTVS or A:tS.
Chapter Five:
Four Months Later…
Buffy winced as she slowly stood up. At six months pregnant, Buffy had long since lost her normal grace and svelte figure, but was completely happy about her child. She hadn't seen Angelus since that night at her apartment, something that she was glad for. At least that's what she kept telling herself.
Angelus, as it were, had been keeping busy. It seemed, to Buffy, that every week he had a new girlfriend. All of his girlfriends were beautiful, intelligent, and came from equally wealthy and powerful backgrounds as Angelus himself. There was Darla, Drusilla, Harmony, Cordelia (something Buffy was a bit bitter over; Cordelia had been her high school friend), Kate, Gwen, and some foreign girl with some strange foreign name that Buffy could never pronounce. Buffy smiled ruefully; it would appear that Angelus was on the market for a wife.
Quickly finishing the rest of her food, Buffy absently reminded herself to thank Giles for sending her food all these months. It was a gift that she definitely put to use the past months.
Struggling with her zipper, Buffy frowned at the dress she was wearing. She had long since came to the conclusion that the same people who made circus tents designed all maternity clothes. "Ow," Buffy complained, rubbing her lower abdomen. Her stomach had been hurting on and off all night. Buffy shrugged; it was probably just Junior kicking. She still made a mental note to call up Wesley. "After Willow's wedding."
She smiled. Her friend's wedding was in a few hours. Luckily, because she was six months pregnant, Willow, for the most part, had left her alone. Just as she thought that, Buffy's phone rang. "Hello?"
"Buffy, where are you? Are you having car problems? Oh, Buffy, what if he says 'no'?" Buffy smiled at Willow's frantic voice. "Or what if they mix up the flowers? Or worse, what if I forget what to do and fall on my face?"
"I'm at home, I'm leaving in two minutes. Will, he'll say 'yes.' Your flowers will be the right ones. And you won't forget what to do," Buffy interrupted her friend, "Now, take a deep breath, put on your underwear, take off your ugly bathrobe, and relax. I'll be there in fifteen minutes."
Buffy didn't even wait for Willow's reply, choosing to hang up the phone instead. She knew that Willow wouldn't listen to any of her advice, but Buffy still hoped. Double-checking her purse contents, Buffy walked out of her apartment.
Shifting uncomfortably in her chair, Buffy listened to the best man's toast. The wedding had, as Buffy predicted, been perfect and now Willow and Oz were married. Wincing again, Buffy pressed a hand to her stomach, the initial tinge of pain she had felt that morning advancing to something almost unbearable. Half-heartedly toasting, Buffy stood; ready to give her toast. She was a terrible public speaker and had found a wedding toast online that she liked.
"Good health to you, and wealth to you, and the best that life can give to you. May fortune still be kind to you, and happiness be true to you, and life be long and good to you, is the toast of all your friends to you," Buffy recited, lifting her glass of water up in the air. Taking a sip of it, Buffy sat back down, watching her friends kiss sweetly. Excusing herself, Buffy slowly walked towards the bathroom.
Suddenly, the pain in her abdomen overwhelmed her and Buffy blindly sat down. "Ow," she muttered, face screwed up in pain.
"Miss? Are you alright?" some kindly stranger asked. Buffy went to nod her head, when a streak of extreme pain flashed through her body. Unable to handle it any longer, Buffy's body shut itself down.
"If she dies, I'll never forgive you!"
Disorientated, Buffy slowly opened her eyes and immediately regretted it. She was obviously in a hospital room. Buffy hated hospitals ever since her cousin, Celia, had died in one when they were both seven. But the fact that she was in a hospital wasn't the worse part. Her mother, Giles, and Angelus were all standing around her bed.
"Buffy?" Joyce asked, tearful. "Honey?"
"Hi Mom," Buffy croaked out, desperately trying to remember the events that had led her to the hospital room. She remembered passing out at Willow's wedding and had vague recollections of riding in an ambulance. Suddenly remembering the all-encompassing pain she had felt prior to her passing out, Buffy placed a frantic hand on her stomach, almost crying with relief when she encountered the bulge that was her child. "What happened?"
"You had a severe case of appendicitis," Giles answered, slowly, "They had to operate immediately."
"And my baby…?" Buffy asked, wanting to be reassured that her child was fine.
Biting her lip, Joyce winced before answering; causing the slight relief Buffy had felt to disappear. "It…Buffy, you know that surgery in this stage of your pregnancy is dangerous…but…" Joyce trailed off.
"Your child is fine," Angelus finished. "It was touch and go for a while."
"Why are you here?" Buffy asked, curious.
"Willow and Oz were married today," Angelus simply stated. Buffy's heart sank. She knew that Angelus had assumed that Oz was her unborn child's father and, given the fact that she had not been romantically attached to anyone else since Italy the likelihood of him guessing the true paternity of her child was great.
"It's not your's," Buffy quickly denied, ignoring the stunned look her mother threw her.
"Buffy Anne!" Joyce snapped, "How dare you!"
"Mom, please," Buffy pleaded, eyes darting from person to person. This was not how she wanted Angelus to find out. Hell, she never wanted Angelus to find out.
"Joyce, Dad," Angelus interrupted, "Would you mind?"
"Not at all, Angel," Joyce answered for both of them, shooting Buffy a glare. Buffy fought the urge to roll her eyes. She watched as her mother and Giles walked out of her private room, gently shutting the door behind them.
"You could have died," Angelus hoarsely whispered, his back turned away from Buffy. "If you were at your apartment today, you would have been alone," he thought out loud, whirling around to face her. "And you would have taken my child with you."
"Yes," Buffy quietly answered, knowing that denying the paternity of her child was pointless now. She watched, apprehensive, as Angelus walked the six feet to her bedside. Tensing, she was shocked when he knelt next to her bed.
"Marry me."