Disclaimer: See ch.1
My new apartment was above the office, it was a lot bigger than my old basement in LA and more homey. I closed all of the curtains before showering and sliding into bed. My alarm clock awoke me.
"6:30." I mumbled "Wonderful."
I turned it off and slid out of bed. I was tired and still droozy. But thanks to a spell by Willow and her coven was able to go out in the day and make love... and apparently have children.
I knocked on Buffy's door. She answered.
"Hey." She said, giving me a quick kiss "Jason's home...so..."
"Uh huh."
I kissed her again for longer this time.
"Why don't you meet him, break some ice?"
"Sure..."
"Sweetie!" she called up the stairs "I want you to meet somebody!"
Jason quickly popped his head down the stairs and then came down.
"Jason this is Angel, Angel this is Jason, my husband."
"Hi, how ya doin'?" Jason asked me
"Fine, nice to meet you."
"So you and Buffy are going out today?"
"Yeah..."
"So how do you two know each other?"
"We're old friends... go way back."
"Interesting..."
"Well Angel, we better get going... beat traffic." Buffy interrupted, pushing me towards the door.
"Nice meeting you anyway." I called
We drove in silence, Angel's hand resting on my belly. I began to think back to how we got into this predicament in the first place. And like a wave all the memories just rushed over me. Jason and I had had a fight and I couldn't take being in the house anymore. So I left, and went over to Angel's. And Angel, being the gentleman that he is, let me in and let me stay the night. He was supposed to stay on the couch while I took his bed but somehow it didn't work out that way. We both somehow wound up in bed. And we made love. I didn't think much of it, and in the morning we simply acted like it never happened.
It was fine. I moved on and told Jason that I had stayed the night at a friends house. And all was well, up until I started feeling sick... I threw up a lot and finally went to see a doctor.
"Mrs. Matthews, you're pregnant."
I was scared at first, I couldn't remember the last time Jason and I had made love. And I was afraid he would figure out that I had cheated, but none the less I told him and he was so excited that he didn't even bother to put two and two together, one, we hadn't had sex in like weeks and two, we always used protection. But, he was so happy, making plans and naming names that I couldn't bear to tell him the truth.
After I told Jason, I went to Angel's, scared out of my mind. He let me in and we sat down, me sipping on tea in order to calm my nerves.
"I have something I need to tell you."
"What is it? Is something wrong?"
"Sorta... Angel... what we did... when we... I'm pregnant."
"You can't be."
"I am... and Jason and I haven't made love in so long..."
"You can't be. I'm a vampire..."
"Angel, I am... and I'm so scared. And that look in your eyes isn't really helping me out very much. So I just need you to hold me."
I began to bawl and Angel swiftly took me into his arms.
"Shh. Rest... get some sleep. We'll figure out what to do, I'll take care of it okay... just get some rest... it's gonna be okay."
And I believed him. I wasn't exactly sure why. But I did. It's weird, I've been lied to so many times, even by him, but at that precise moment, I believed him, I just knew that his words were true and right. And that he would fix everything. He just had to fix everything. And he did... sorta.
"You okay?" He asked me
We had parked and I wasn't moving. I was just staring blankly out the window.
"I'm fine."
He helped me to my feet.
"So... what do you think we should name her?" I asked him
"We aren't even sure it's a her yet."
"I am."
Angel scoffed. I liked times like these. When Angel, the baby and I could be alone, sorta like a family.
"Buffy. How are we going to tell him?"
"I will... I'm just not sure how."
There was a silence.
"So, back to names... how about ... Eve? Or Jamie? Or Madision? Or Chasity?"
"I'm not sure."
I smile up at him.
"Well we have time to think. So lets shop."
I raided pretty much every store I could think of, we pigged out and Angel bought me several slurpees.
I walked into the house that night with a feeling that something was wrong. It was quiet, too quiet, and the front door was open.
"Hello?" I called "Jason? Honey?"
No answer.
"Is anyone home?'
Still no answer.
"It's Buffy..."
I walked down the hallway to find a sight. Jason lay, blood oozing from his neck, in the middle of the hallway. I screamed and dropped my bags.
"JASON!" I screamed
I check his pulse, there was none. And he wasn't breathing.
"Jason wake up!" I yelled
I grabbed the phone and called Angel.
"Hello?"
"ANGEL! Something happened... Jason... he's hurt..."
"Slow down. What's going on?"
"Just turn around... God I need you."
"I'm coming. Call 9-11."
I obeyed, pulling Jason into my lap.
"9-11 what is your emergency?"
"Hi, my name is Buffy Matthews, I live at 1400 Sanderson Avenue. Something's wrong with my husband."
"Okay, what's going on?"
"I came home and he's bleeding. He lost a lot of blood."
"Is he conscious?"
"No. He wasn't when I found him... God, I don't know what to do!"
"Is he breathing?"
"No. And there's some cut or something in his neck..."
"Put pressure on the wounds, do you know CPR?"
"Yes..."
"Do that, help is on the way. Stay on the line."
I grabbed some kitchen towels and held them to his neck. A moment later Angel burst through the door to me.
"Buffy! Are you all right?"
"I'm fine Jason..."
I didn't realize that I had been crying. He instructed me to do CPR while he applied pressure to his neck. The door opened.
"Move out of the way."
The paramedics had arrived, they quickly placed him on a gurney.
"Is he going to be all right!" I yelled " Is he..."
"Are you Mrs. Matthews?" A man asked me
"Yes..."
"I'm Detective Darves. I need to ask you a few questions."
"Is he going to be all right?"
"I don't know. But right now you need to come with me."
I turned to Angel who was talking to another detective.
"Angel!" I yelled reaching for him
He took my hand.
"It'll be all right. Just go with the detective... It'll be all right I promise."
And once again I believed him. Something told me I shouldn't but I just did. Angel rode in the ambulance with Jason while I went down to the police station.
"So... you want to tell me what happened again?"
I had been sitting in an interrogation room for about two hours. I was tired and nervous and this didn't seem to be coming to an end.
"For the fifth time. I went shopping with a friend. When I came home I found the front door open, I called and there was no answer. So when I walked into the house... I found him on the ground..."
"And I got a copy of your phone records."
"And..."
"And it says you called an Angel ... er... Jones before you called 9-11."
"I guess I did. He's a really old friend of mine. We go way back. I guess I just panicked and called him. He has a tendency to help me through everything ya know?"
"But most peoples instinct is to call 9-11. Why would you call a friend who was probably no where near here before calling actual help?"
" I don't know. Angel ... he's like my first instinct. When things go wrong I still tend to run to him. I guess, I just had to call him."
"Huh..."
He looked over a long list of paper.
"You also called Angel numerous times through out this month."
"We're good friends."
"At 1:30 and later."
"He keeps bad hours."
I was shaking.
"Is Jason going to be all right?"
"We haven't received word yet."
"Listen is this going somewhere?"
"How was --"
"Is."
"Is your marriage?"
"Fine... it's good."
"Really? No arguments? No yelling or fighting?"
"Not really no... I mean we have the occasional argument... but nothing big."
"Arguments over what?"
"Just stupid stuff, his job... stuff like that."
"Uh huh..."
I rubbed my belly.
"So everything was going all right? He never made you upset or anything?"
"No."
"Did you know of anyone who would be looking to harm Jason in anyway?"
"No. He got along with everyone he met. Everyone liked him."
"Did Angel know Jason?"
"He knew of Jason... he just met him today..."
"And did Angel seem to like Jason?"
"Yes... I guess. He didn't say to much about him after we left."
"Left?'
"Yes, he was who I went shopping with."
"Really?"
"Yes. And when he dropped me off I found Jason. I panicked and called him."
"Tell me more about Angel."
"We met a few years back. Dated for a while. It didn't exactly work out, we broke up, but we still stayed close. Now he's like my best friend."
"Really?"
"Yeah..."
"You two dated. Why'd you break up?"
"Not sure... it just didn't work out..."
He looked up at me. I knew what he was thinking.
"You think I had something to do with this don't you?"
"I never said that."
"You don't have to."
"Listen, it just seems a little suspicious, a woman calling her ex-boyfriend late at night. They go out and that day the husband winds up dead."
"You think Angel had something to do with this?"
"Did he?"
"Of course not. Angel would never, could never harm anyone. He just met Jason today."
"Did you try to kill your husband?"
"NO!"
The baby pushed. I screamed in pain.
"Mrs. Matthews? Are you all right?"
"I'm fine... I just need some water..."
I needed Angel. And I needed to know if Jason was going to be alright. Darves left the room and when he returned, carried a bottle of water. I took a swig and pulled on my shirt.
"Is that everything? I just want to get to the hospital and see my husband."
"All for now..." He said "You aren't planing to leave town or anything right?"
"For Gods sake Sherlock! My husband is in the hospital, I'm pregnant and am suspected of murder. But no... I'm not planing to leave town."
"Good... I'll call you if I need anymore."
I stood up and walked out of the room. I was driven to the hospital where I found Angel, sitting in the ER waiting room. He noticed me and stood up. He fidgeted around nervously.
"Hi."
"You okay?" He asked me
"I'm fine. Where's Jason?"
"He's uh..."
"Good... I'm just so tired, all those questions and ..."
"Buffy... Jason is..."
"I mean he was so rude! He so thought I tried to kill Jason..."
"What? Anyway... Buffy listen to me."
"What? What is it?"
"Sit down."
"I'm comfortable how I am."
"Just do me a favor and sit down."
"Why?"
"I just need you to sit down."
I took a seat.
"Okay... I'm about to tell you something... I just need you to remain strong for me okay?"
"Alright..."
"Jason is dead. DOA. He was probably too far gone when you found him..."
"No..."
"Yes..."
"He can't be dead!" I screamed "He can't be."
"I know... I understand that you're hurting... but there's more that I have to tell you."
"What?"
"The wounds to his neck... his neck Buffy..."
"Huh?"
"Listen to these words, see if you can put two and two together... wounds... to... his ... neck."
I wasn't comprehending all of this.
"I don't ..."
"Buffy. You're the vampire slayer... generally vampires would want to hurt you..."
"How do they know..."
"I'm not sure. But Buffy... you have to go."
"No, I need to see him."
He looked up at me.
"Are you sure?"
"I didn't get to say good-bye."
He slid his hand in mine and walked me to his room. There he lay, eyes closed, dried blood still on him. My knees went out. I collapsed in Angel's arms and he carried me out of the room. I began to sob and I fell to the floor.
"It'll be okay..."
I don't remember much after that, next thing I know I was in a nighty on Angel's bed.
"What happened?"
"You passed out at the hospital."
"Jason... is he really..."
"Yes."
I took a moment to deal with this. It was like there was this huge hunk of my heart being ripped off.
"Buffy, this goes beyond that. If vampires know who you are then you aren't safe here... so I need you to leave..."
"Where? Sunnydale?"
"I was thinking further than that."
"Where?"
"I have a friend... he lives in New York..."
"Angel..."
"Don't worry. It'll only be for a few weeks. I'll meet you there okay?"
"No... Angel I..."
"Buffy, they already killed your husband... think about our baby."
I paused and rubbed my belly button.
"It's a girl. I know it is."
He smiled.
"I believe you. So, I need you to get dressed and hurry up. Dawn's coming up and I want you to be on that plane pretty soon. I already have your things packed."
"Angel ... how long do I have to wait ... for you?"
"Only about a week or two. But don't worry. It'll be all right. You'll be safe."
The plane ride to New York was long and dreary. It was weird. I wasn't even supposed to leave town but I had to. Angel promised he would take care of all the police reports and all, and once again I believed him. What other choice did I have?