Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I claim all rights to characters of my own creation.
A/N AU after Buffy sent Angel to hell. She didn't leave right away. Also in my story the whole thing with Angelus only took three months to come to a head. You'll see why soon. I humbly request you give this story the benefit of the doubt for at least the first few chapters.
Willow Rosenburg considered herself a peaceful person, or at least a person that was usually frightened of confrontation, but if Xander made one more comment about how things had worked out for the best, she swore she was going to hit him. Every time he made one of his cracks within Buffy's hearing Willow could see her best friend wilt just a little more.
Giles wasn't helping either. Willow knew he was still grieving for Jenny, but for close to a month he hadn't looked Buffy directly in the eye. He never really talked to them much anymore either. Oh, there was research, and he was still training Buffy, but it wasn't the same. He often came to school with blood shot eyes, and just last week she'd called him around eleven to ask a question about the demon of the week and he'd been drunk. Willow had heard Xander's dad intoxicated enough to know what somebody sounded like when they were three sheets to the wind. Giles was hiding something. She was almost sure of it.
So was Buffy for that matter. Willow couldn't count the nights she'd held Buffy as the girl cried herself to sleep, and she couldn't count the times Buffy had refused to answer her questions. She'd been pushing harder lately despite the increased risk of getting pummeled. Buffy had refused to go home after her battle with Angelus. Apparently she was staying in an apartment downtown, or at least what passed for downtown in Sunnydale. She wasn't talking to her mother, but the woman was paying the rent because she didn't want Buffy on the streets, and she was afraid if she pushed Buffy would leave altogether. Not to mention, last week, Buffy had asked her several questions about reasons for missing your period and what caused miscarriage. Buffy told Willow it was for a class project, but Willow knew every class Buffy had, and none of them were health.
It was 8:05 in the morning on June 1, and Willow was just setting down to breakfast when there was a knock on her door. It was Buffy. For the rest of her life Willow would remember the exact time and that Buffy she wore a dress with cherries on it. A white summer dress with red cherries on it.
"I'm pregnant," Buffy said without preamble. For perhaps the first time in her life Willow was left absolutely speechless. When Buffy turned to walk away Willow still couldn't get her vocal chords to function, but she did reach out and grab the oddly docile slayer who allowed herself to be dragged into the living room.
"When, how... Well I mean I know how..." Willow began to ramble as her voice returned.
"I'm gonna leave Willow," Buffy said studying a stain in the carpet.
"Leave? Why? You can't leave."
"I can't stay. I can't let my mom keep paying my rent. She can't afford it. Besides she doesn't want me here. She'll probably disown me when she finds out about the b... about this."
"Your mom loves you. Every day she calls me to make sure your okay because you won't talk to her. Why won't you just go home?"
"I told you I can't."
"Why?"
"Don't push me Will."
"Buffy," Willow sighed, "You just told me your pregnant. The time for secrets? Kinda past."
"She told me if I walked out never to come back. Happy now?" Buffy snapped standing up to pace the room like a caged animal.
"Oh, Buffy," Willow said standing as well, "I'm sure she didn't mean it. I mean she couldn't of right?"
"She thinks I'm some kind of freak. Maybe I am."
"None of that missy," Willow shook her head, "Your the slayer, your Buffy, your my best friend, your beautiful, and smart, and strong."
"Thanks, but you have no idea what you're talking about."
"Don't make me use the resolve face," Willow replied attempting to joke but failing miserably.
"What am I gonna do, Willow?" Buffy asked collapsing back onto the couch.
"First, your going to tell me exactly what's going on because you lost me at I'm pregnant. My brain kind of went mushy after that."
"You think I know?"
"Okay we'll start off easy. Who's the father?"
"That's not easy, Will. That's the complicated part."
"It's okay, I understand that you were hurting. You were vulnerable. Witness the lack of judging. I'm non judgy girl."
"Seriously on the wrong track, non judgy girl. Although I appreciate that. You're the only person who'll look me in the eyes these days."
"He's just grieving. It's not about you."
"Whatever."
"So, who's the father? It's not Xander is it?"
"Oh God no!" Buffy exclaimed.
"Come on who is it?" the red-head demanded, "You're killing me here. Okay not literally killing me, but you get the idea."
"Angel," Buffy whispered so softly Willow barely heard her.
"Whoa, wait a minute. Did you just say Angel? You couldn't of just said Angel. That's impossible. It is impossible isn't it? Of course it's impossible, but you just said Angel. It is Xander isn't it? It's Xander and you're to ashamed to admit it."
"Stop!" Buffy said cutting through Willow's rant, "It's not Xander! It's Angel, and I know it's impossible, but he's the only person I've ever slept with. Ever."
"And you're sure you're pregnant?"
"I'm sure," Buffy sighed suddenly sounding defeated, "I went to the clinic in Sunnydale, and two in L.A. I kept telling myself it couldn't be true, but I'm starting to show, Will."
"What about all those fights with Angelus? There's no way a fetus could survive that."
At this point Buffy burst into tears. At first Willow was completely caught off guard, but after a moment she slowly sat down next to her friend on the couch, and put her arms around her.
"I..I think.. the... it's protected somehow," Buffy sobbed, "I tried... they gave me drugs, and they didn't work... and...and.
"Whoa, drugs? What happened Buffy? What did you do?"
"I have to go," Buffy sprang up suddenly. She was out in the driveway before Willow caught up with her.
"Buffy, I said I wouldn't judge. I didn't mean to accuse you of anything. Just come back inside. I'll make waffles, and we'll sit down with waffles and hot cocoa, and we'll talk about it. Please?"
"I tried to have an abortion, Willow," Buffy hissed, "I tried to take an innocent life. I should be shot."
"Just come inside," Willow pleaded, "Just come inside."
"You don't hate me?" Buffy looked like a lost little girl again. Willow's head was spinning trying to keep up with the mood swings, but hell she'd probably be having them to if she was pregnant with a dead man's child.
"I could never hate you. Now, come inside before somebody sees me."
Buffy looked at what Willow was dressed in for the first time. Blue silk shorts, and a camisole top with lace, and no shoes was what Willow was standing in her front lawn in broad daylight wearing.
"I always thought of you as more the flannel type," Buffy said with an arched eyebrow.
"Oh shut it," Willow scowled leading them back into the house. Her choice of undergarments wasn't really the highest on her list of important things at the moment. Buffy being pregnant with a vampire's child was just about took up items one through 1,999. What with it being totally impossible and all.
