Chapter Four

"I promise you. Angel still suffers. And he makes amends for his evil. He saved my life," Jenny said.

"So you just forget that he destroyed the most beloved daughter of your tribe? That he killed every man, woman and child that touched her life? Vengeance demands that his pain be eternal as ours is! If this, this girl gives him one minute of happiness, it is one minute too much!" Enyos raged.

Jenny downed her head, properly chastened. "I'm sorry…I thought…" she trailed off and glanced back up at her Uncle through narrowed eyes. "Wait a minute, you said if she gives him one minute of happiness…what happens?"

Enyos shook his head. "Nothing. It is merely one minute too much. He is a monster. He does not deserve to have a moment of perfect happiness."

Jenny shook her head. Her Uncle was visbly shaken now. "No, there's something. You just said perfect happiness, before it was merely happiness. Is there something wrong with the curse? I haven't seen you since I was assigned to follow Angel here and now all the sudden you're visiting. I know the curse holds right now, but is there a danger of it being lifted? Can Angel lose his soul?"

Enyos grumbled and muttered to himself in Romanian, finally he nodded. "Alright Janna, I will tell you. The curse is actually the combination of two spells, one to ensoul Angelus and the other a loophole that we were unaware of until several decades ago when an Elder's journal was discovered. If this vampire experiences one moment of perfect happiness, his soul will be released into the ether and Angelus will be back to wreck vengeance on us all."

Jenny felt ice trickle down her spine. She swallowed hard. Oh God, I've got to tell Rupert.

"Okay, so perfect happiness…that's…kinda rare, isn't it?" Buffy asked.

Giles, Jenny, Angel, Willow, Xander and Buffy all sat at the library table. Jenny had just finished telling them what she'd found out about Angel's soul, revealing that she'd been sent here not only to serve as a computer science teacher, but to monitor Angel and ensure that he was still paying for his sins.

Jenny nodded. She caught Angel's eye. "I'm so sorry."

He shook his head. "No, if the gypsies hadn't cursed me…I can't even imagine the death count Angelus could have tallied up."

"I'm going to see if I can't get into Enyos' office, maybe find some books about the curse. I'd like to fix this if I can." Jenny glanced from Buffy to Angel. "I know…" she fixed her eyes on Angel. "I know she makes you happy, obviously it's not perfect happiness. I can only imagine what it will be like, worrying about your soul. I'd like to take that worry away if it's possible."

Angel reached across the table and took Buffy's hand. "She does, but now that I know about the loophole I can keep an eye on it, make sure I don't approach that forbidden threshold. I've certainly got enough sins in my past to bring down anything."

"I'll keep researching, see what I can come with," Jenny promised.

"As will I," Giles said. He couldn't help but think it would be an excuse to get close to Jenny, to spend nights researching together, a prospect he found delightful.

Angel nodded. "Thank you for telling me, and for continuing the research."

Jenny nodded.

"On to other things, Buffy how did patrol go last night?" Giles asked.

"It was okay, pretty quiet which is actually kind of wigging me out," Buffy admitted. "I keep expecting Drusilla or Spike to jump out at me from the shadows."

"Buffy, you dropped an organ on them and then burned the church down around their ears," Angel reminded her.

Buffy grinned. "Well, they hurt my boyfriend."

Angel chuckled. "The point is, their both gone. You don't have to worry about them anymore."

Buffy nodded. "I know…I just feel weird."

"Weird how?" Giles asked.

"Restless, jumpy…I don't know."

"All those things are often related to pregnancy," Angel reminded her. He'd been reading books on pregnancy, trying to learn everything he could to help Buffy.

"Alright, Mr. Mom," Buffy sighed. "I don't know, maybe Angel's right. Maybe I'm just being pregnant." Her hand fell to her belly. There was just a slight swell there. She was still wearing all of her old clothes, but they'd gotten tight and she tended to wear sweatpants more than anything. She was beginning to deal with it. There were fewer nightmares and crying fits, which was an improvement. Angel told her that after her first trimester, she should start feeling better. She was ready for that. Buffy literally pushed herself out of her chair and to her feet.

"Okay, so let's go wrap up tonight's patrol before I fall asleep on my feet," she said to Angel.

He got up taking her hand in his. "How about I walk you home, tuck you in bed and then go patrol."

Buffy wrinkled her nose. "I'm the one who's all destiny burdened."

"And I'm the one who doesn't mind," Angel said, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes.

"Alright, if you're sure you don't mind."

"Not in the least." Angel turned to Giles and nodded. Once he walked Buffy home he was supposed to come back to the library and help plan Buffy's surprise seventeenth birthday party. They were determined she have a good one regardless of circumstances.

"Ooooo," Drusilla giggled and spun in a circle in the factory. "Slayer has a secret, slayer has a secret," she chanted.

"A secret, Luv?" Spike rolled his wheelchair up beside Dru. He pulled her down into his lap. "What is it then. Pet?"

"Shhh you mustn't tell anyone, it's a secret. Slayer has porcelien dolly. Want to make it go crack?"

Spike laughed. "You know I do, Luv."

"Alright, Cordelia is getting the chips and dip, Willow is getting the cake, Xander balloons and I'll get ice cream," Angel said, finalizing the plans for Buffy's birthday. He looked up at Giles. "You've rented the Bronze out for the evening right?"

"Indeed. It will be ours for the entire night."

Angel nodded. "Alright and Jenny is supposed to make sure she gets there."

Giles nodded confirmation. "I believe everything is ready. Jenny and I are going over there after school to decorate. I've arranged to have a meeting here with Buffy just after sunset. Jenny will meet her and tell her that plans have changed."

"Okay, I need to get her patrol done then and go tell her good night. She'll wonder if I don't show up pretty soon," Angel said.

"How is she handling things?" Giles asked. The vampire spent more time with Buffy than anyone and he suspected that Angel was the only one Buffy truly let down her defenses with.

Angel shrugged and took a deep breath. "She's better now. She still has nightmares, but not as often. I wish she wasn't so dependant on me, not that I mind, but I think it'd be better for her if she wasn't. Physically she seems to be doing wonderful. She went to the doctor the other day and everything is textbook. Emotionally, I worry about her. She's trying to be strong and trying to keep everything the way it was before this and it wears on her."

Giles nodded. He had determined as much for himself. "I'm glad you're there for her, Angel. It makes all the difference."

"I hope so. I just want her happy."