Nothing's Ever Easy
NOTE: Angel and Buffy are Whedon's property, but this story is mine.
A/N: This story takes place after New Way of Life. If you haven't read that story then it would be best if you find it otherwise this story will most likely confuse you. Here's hoping you enjoy this.
CHAPTER 4
"Baby?" Gunn choked out, pointing a finger at Gwen's stomach. The girl nodded. "In that oven?" he received another nod. "My baby?" On the final nod Gunn said in his most vivid of voices, "Now would be a good time to catch me."
"Gunn," Buffy said, taking hold of him before he could faint. "Now is not a good time for a black out." Without Gunn saying a word, the Slayer helped him over to the couch.
"How did this happen?" Gunn asked, more to himself than to Gwen. "Well, damn, I know how it happened."
Gwen rubbed her stomach tenderly. "It's always the guy you lose your virginity to."
"What if it's not Charles' baby?" Fred suddenly piped up, getting all eyes on her.
"Right," said Gwen, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "Even though he's the only guy I've ever done it with."
Fred scoffed. "Somehow I find that very hard to believe."
"And just what are you trying to say, Fred?" Gwen asked, folding her arms in front of her chest. "That everyone who isn't a sweet little stick figure has to sleep with every guy she's ever met?"
"OK," Buffy interjected before Fred could retort. The Slayer stood and said, "See, I can tell that everyone here is kind of stress-y. Why don't we all just pan out a little? Gunn, you and Gwen here should make with the talking in private. Say the kitchen?"
"Cool," Gunn nodded a little absent mindedly. "Let's do that." He got up from where he sat and took hold of Gwen's hand, guiding her towards the kitchen.
"Fred," Angel acknowledged, noticing a huge angry flare in Fred's usually gentle brown eyes. "When did you get here?"
"Um, today," Fred replied, shaking her head. She turned to the door before saying, "I better go check into a hotel."
"No," Buffy said, going to shut the door before Fred could get out of it. "Come on. You're staying here with us. I really, really insist."
"All right," Fred nodded. "Charles and I did already bring my stuff in."
Buffy barely knew Fred, but if there was one thing the blonde could sense almost as well as a vampire it was another's woman's pain. Buffy put her arm around Fred's shoulder and guided her upstairs, telling her they'd figure out sleeping arrangements later. Angel stayed behind and watched them go, smiling a little at Buffy.
In the kitchen, Gwen sat at the kitchen island, playing with the salt and pepper shakers while Gunn stood at the refrigerator, simply refusing to make eye contact with her.
"What do you feel like?" Gunn asked her, his head practically coming at one with the inside of the refrigerator. "We got three day old pizza, two day old hot wings, and something that looks like it came with the fridge."
"Delicious," Gwen remarked sarcastically. She turned to look at Gunn, who just stood drinking a juice box, looking quite jittery. "Planning on looking at me any time soon?"
Gunn sighed and pulled up a stool across from her at the island. "I still don't get it. I know we stole that device, mini robotic thing, but that's strong enough to protect a baby?"
"Must be," Gwen replied. "Doctors say it's healthy."
"I still can't believe this," Gunn said, taking another sip of his juice box. "Just five minutes to get my mind of that damn apocalypse and I start popping babies."
Gwen scoffed lightly, shaking her head. "Five minute break, huh? So what was it? Use and lose electric girl?"
"That is not what I meant," Gunn defended himself.
"Yeah, I really got that from the many times you didn't blow up my answering machine." Gunn said nothing, having no idea how to reply to that. "Look, it was probably a mistake for me to come here to begin with." Gwen stood from her chair and started to say, "I'll just— Oh, God!"
"Gwen," Gunn nearly exclaimed, grabbing the girl before she could topple over. "What is it? Are you OK?"
"Fine," Gwen breath, rising up. "These cramps are really becoming a bitch."
"It's OK," Gunn assured her. "I don't really know what to do here, but we are going to figure out something until—"
"Is everything all right in here?" Angel asked, entering the kitchen.
"All good and stable," Gwen replied then turned to Gunn. "Can we finish this later? After you point me towards a bathroom?"
"In the hall in the living room," Gunn told her.
"The door on your right," Angel added.
Gwen nodded at them both before leaving out of the kitchen.
Angel turned to Gunn and stared him over for a moment.
"What?" Gunn asked, once the staring got creepy.
"You're going to be a father," Angel stated, a light smile making its way to his lips.
Gunn smiled himself for a moment before forming a worried frown, saying, "Oh, damn. Catch me again."
Angel caught Gunn in his arms before he could really fall over and released a chuckle. He remembered the fainting father-to-be feeling more than anyone could or would ever know.
Dawn pouted deeply as she followed after Kit, who seemed to move much faster than she did. Apparently, the girls Kit had been telling Dawn about lived a very long walking distance from school and if there was one thing Dawn hated to do too much it was walk for an excessive amount for long.
"There," Kit finally said, pointing upward.
Dawn stopped walking and glanced up at what Kit was talking about, getting a quick memory of when Willow and Kennedy had brought the gang to their new house. What Dawn saw was a large, crème like colored house with short black gates. She looked around to see that most of the houses on the block resembled the one she and Kit stood in front of.
"This is the big club?" Dawn asked, a look of uncertainty crossing her face.
"Yeah, what'd you think it was going to be?" Kit asked. "Some huge black manor on a hill top?"
"It's just that this place…" Dawn looked the block up and down again. "It's a little on the upper middle class side."
"Just come on," Kit directed, opening the gate and walking up to the house's front door.
Dawn sighed before following after her.
Kit rung the doorbell and a few seconds later a woman appeared at the door. She had short blonde hair and looked to be in her thirties or a bit later.
"Can I help you?" the woman asked.
"Yeah," Kit replied. "We're looking for Andrea."
"Oh, you're friends of hers," the woman realized. "I'm her mother, Mrs. Kilter." She looked at Dawn, who remained perfectly quiet. "Is there something wrong?"
"No, no," Dawn said immediately. "It's just that you don't have an accent."
Mrs. Kilter smiled and said, "We're not really Italian. You see my job transferred me here a couple years ago."
"Oh," Dawn nodded, smiling a little.
"Andrea, you have company," Mrs. Kilter called up the stairs then turned back to the girls. "I have to run to a meeting. Why don't you go on upstairs and find Andrea?"
Dawn's smile increased. This woman seemed very nice and obviously very trustworthy. It sort of reminded Dawn of the way her mother used to be.
Mrs. Kilter let Dawn and Kit inside before she left and the two headed upstairs.
"Andrea?" Kit called once she and Dawn had reached the top of the stairs. "Hey, Andrea?"
"In here," a girl's voice called.
Kit and Dawn exchanged a look before following the voice towards the end of the hall to an ajar door. The pair of girls entered the room to see a healthy sized teenaged girl laying stomach down on her bed, curly black hair tied up in a tight ponytail.
"Andrea?" Kit addressed.
"That's me," the girl said, looking up. "You're Kit, right? Yeah, you're cousin told me I might see you today." She glanced pass Kit and noticed Dawn. "Oh, hi? Who are you?"
"Um, Dawn," she replied. "Dawn Summers. I'm a friend of Kit's… obviously."
"It's nice to meet you," Andrea said, flipping her legs over the side of the bed and standing up. "I'm Andrea Kilter."
"Do you go to our school?" Dawn asked her.
"Oh, no," Andrea replied. "I used to go there, though. Now I'm a freshman at the college nearby."
Dawn eased a little. Kit had made it sound like Dawn would be walking into some type of secret government trap or something. Both Andrea and her mother were very polite and everything seemed normal.
"I bet I know what you guys are here for," said Andrea. She looked pass both the younger girls at her bedroom door. "Oh, brother." She wiggled her fingers a little and said, "Get closed." In that instant, the door shut with a slam. "Hmm, got to work on that."
Dawn looked at Andrea, eyes wide. "OK… what… what was that?"
Andrea looked at Kit and said, "You didn't tell her I was a telepath?"
"Forgot?" Kit shrugged. "Besides I figured she'd guess when we got here."
"Wait a minute," Dawn said, turning to Andrea. "Are you telling me you can move things with your mind?"
"Pretty much, yeah," Andrea responded casually.
"OK then," Dawn said with a nod, heading for the door. "Guess it's time for dinner at my place."
"Dawn, wait," Kit said, pulling her friend back. "Come on. This is why I didn't tell you because I didn't need you freaking. Besides what's your deal? Like your sister didn't save us from dead guys in a basement?"
"Kit," Dawn hissed, rolling her eyes towards Andrea to remind her someone else was in the room.
"Dead guys in a basement?" Andrea repeated. "Always in the basement."
"What are you about?" Dawn asked, getting to the point.
"Relax, Dawn," Andrea said comfortingly. "I'm not all dark and mysterious or whatever. You can totally trust me."
Dawn's anxiousness suddenly returned. Trusting people with unexplained powers? That never seemed to work out to well for her.
A/N: Sorry I cut it there. OK, I'll admit, not that sorry. I have to go to bed for work in the morning. While I'm snoozing you guys should be reviewing please.