Her nerves were shot, one minute she would find herself sobbing uncontrollably, completely convinced that he was dead in a ditch somewhere. The next she would be fuming with anger, how dare he just run off like this. It would be one thing if he went for a drive, or took a trip to the store to blow off some steam, but it had been hours. It wasn't until the clock began to approach midnight that she started to think he might really not be coming back.

"Buffy? Why don't you try to eat something?" Cordy suggested again, as she tried to dial Angel one more time.

She just shook her head, the mere thought of food made her stomach roll. There was no way she would be able to keep anything down right now, it was hard enough to force the small sips of water she'd been drinking.

Curled up on the corner of the couch, she didn't want to go to their bed without him, she didn't want to talk, she just wanted him home. Their argument playing on a steady loop inside her mind, she kept dissecting every little detail. Sure, it had been their first fight since they got back together, but in the grand scheme of things it wasn't even that bad. They were both just so stressed, she'd been worried he was going to get hurt. She hadn't meant the words she'd yelled at him, she hadn't even meant to yell at him.

She'd just assumed he would be here, downstairs when she got out of the bath, she thought they would laugh and apologize, maybe figure out what they wanted for dinner. She had no idea he would just take off for the night, what if something happened. It's not like he was answering his phone to anyone. She was pregnant for crying out loud, god forbid something happened and she had to be rushed to the hospital, he wouldn't even know… and there that anger was bubbling its way back to the surface.

"Look, it's late," she huffed standing up. "He's obviously found somewhere or someone to stay with. Y'all should go, get some sleep, I'll be fine here." She knew Darla was still a threat but at this very moment she didn't give a damn, she just wanted to be alone in her own home. She needed time to process everything, and she couldn't do that with Cordelia and Xanders constant reassurance that everything would be fine. Everything was far from fucking fine.. fine flew out the fucking window sometime Friday.

"I don't know Buff, I promised Angel I wouldn't leave you alone."

She rolled her eyes, if the asshole was so worried about her being alone, then he shouldn't have disappeared. Hell maybe the last few months were all a big fucking game to him, maybe he never stopped seeing Darla. It would explain a lot honestly, why the bitch was still so obsessed with him for one thing. He could be with her right now, and she wouldn't be the wiser, no one would.

Attempting to push those dark thoughts from her mind, she tried to remind herself that he would never do that… but this whole running out thing was throwing her. Reminding her far too much of the last time he had walked out of this house and out her life. "I'm going to call a few of the local hospitals again, and the police station. Just to make sure that he hasn't been in a wreck or picked up for something. But really, you two should go. I'll be okay for the night, besides you got all the cameras working so I doubt Darla would try anything here. Unfortunately she's not that stupid."

"Well you're not going to hear any objections from me," Cordy said, jumping up from her seat.

Xander wasn't sure what to do, he'd promised Angel, but then again Buffy was right, he'd gotten all the cameras up and running. Also he really didn't want to be here when Angel returned, something told him it was going to go one of two ways.

Either they were going to rip each other to shreds, or there was going to be a lot of makeup sex involved, neither of which he really wanted to be witness too.

"Buffy, are you sure?"

Nodding her head, she once again picked up her shattered phone. The screen was completely black, but the back light came on, that was something. Hopefully she could take it to one of those tech stores tomorrow, if they couldn't repair the screen, she hoped they could at least figure out a way to transfer the data.

Cordelia gripped Xanders arm, her nails digging slightly into the skin of his bicep. "She said she's fine honey, now let's go," she gritted out, not wanting to be stuck here any longer. It wasn't that she didn't want to help Buffy, she just happened to prefer her own bed to someone else's lumpy couch. Of course there was always the guest room, but that was entirely too much clutter for her to relax around. Besides, when she peeked inside it earlier she was pretty sure she'd spotted blood on the sheets… shuddering she didn't even want to know.

OoOoO

Lindsey blinked his eyes open, he'd crashed as soon as he got home from the airport. Noticing the red blinking light on his phone, he picked it up to see the fourteen missed calls from Angel, along with a voicemail.

His heart dropped into the pit of his stomach, he'd seen the first couple of calls come through this morning, but he had blown them off. Telling himself that he would call him later, after he'd made the asshole sweat for a while, though now he was worried something more serious had happened.

Dialing his voicemail, he held his breath as he started to listen to the ladies' voice explain he had unheard messages and then pushed the right button for them to begin playing. He knew from the moment Angel's voice came on through the other side that something was very wrong and had some shitty flashbacks of his own run through his mind. He knew that tone too well and not once in the many years they'd know one another had it meant anything good.

After it ended, he tried to call Angel back but found no answer and Buffy's went straight to voicemail. Lindsey tried both of their numbers several times before starting to contact their friends back in Sunnydale, he knew it was late but thankfully a very groggy sounding Willow answered. She'd been his second call and she was half asleep through their short conversation and all he'd gathered really was the two lovebirds were having some huge fight and Angel had taken off hours and hours ago.

He said his apology to her for waking her up before letting her get back to sleep and jumped on his laptop and dialed another number to see if he could call in a favor to track the asshole down. Hopefully he'd used a credit card or something lately.

OoOoO

Loud pounding on the door had him bolting upright, and then it took all his willpower not to spill his guts everywhere once he did. He closed his eyes and willed everything he was feeling right now away for another moment before he went toward the door, the pounding having come and gone two more times. He swallowed hard, his eyes squinting as he looked out into the hallway as the young man who's checked him in earlier stood on the other side to tell him he needed to answer his phone.

"What?" he asked, trying to process words.

"There's a man who's been calling and very insistent that we get you to answer your phone." One good look at the kid and he could guess who was behind this. It didn't surprise him one bit about Lindsey being able to find him. He nodded and shut the door before making his way back to the bed. He put one hand to his pounding temple and the other dug around until he found his phone again that must have slipped out into the bed at some point in the last several hours he'd been passed out.

"I'm gone for not even a day and all hell is breaking loose?" was Lindsey's way of greeting him.

"Apparently I didn't get all of my frustration out on your ugly ass face."

"Don't be jealous because I'm prettier than you. Now... what'd you do? Why are you off at some hotel instead of being at home with your pregnant ass wife?"

Angel sighed, falling back onto the bed. "I don't know. The day was fine and then it just... wasn't. I was hurting and tired and I just wanted to get the fucking security stuff put together. I couldn't concentrate on it to even fucking do it and then she kept pushing for me to call Xander. And that would make sense, I know that, but it wasn't about the cameras and all that shit."

Lindsey sighed as well. "It was about that you want to be able to protect her."

"Yeah," he breathed out. "And feeling like I am failing at that entirely. I was pissed off about Darla and not being able to do something as simple as install the damn thing because my mind wasn't there and she just kept standing right fucking there and going off... and I was worried I'd faint off the thing or it'd fall somehow or something would get knocked down on her and was-"

"Acting like an ass?" he offered.

"Little bit." He sighed again. "She called Xander and I got pissed... somehow fighting about him with her... and you... and then somehow that I was jealous," he muttered, trying to remember what all that had happened and was said. "And then she just got that look on her face like she couldn't stand anything about me and said she was done... done, done with the whole thing, done with me... she stormed off..."

"It's just a fight, Angel."

He shook his head a little. "The last time she screamed at me that she was done with me-"

"I know," Lindsey cut him off. "But things are different. They're just words and people often say them when they are upset. I highly doubt Buffy meant it in the way you're taking it."

Angel closed his eyes. "I'm sorry I started shit with you. You didn't have to leave."

Lindsey chuckled a little. "I'll live. And yeah, I did. I couldn't stand being in that hell hole any moment longer."

"I'm sorry," he repeated.

"How about you just go apologize to that beautiful wife of yours who is probably worried sick about you and we just call it even?"

"What if she is better off without me, Linds?"

"She's not."

"She wouldn't have any of this to deal with. She could move on with her life just as she did before."

"You weren't better off without her, Angel. You were a walking fucking disaster holding on by a thread."

"I'm not worrying about me, Lindsey."

"Yeah, but I am. I'm worried about both of you."

"She'd be happier, safer..."

"Darla was following her around any damn way."

"Yeah, but she was safer. Darla wasn't fucking off her rocker just with Buffy out there in the world like she apparently is with us trying to be together. And it's not like it's going to work out. She may not pull off the same shit as last time but she's going to drive a wedge between us with this so it doesn't really matter."

"Angel, you two are going to get through this. You had a fight, couples do that... You have a fucked up situation with the Darla shit and I can't tell you any different about that but you're going to figure out how to get her out of your lives. It's not worth throwing it away over. Despite all the odds you two found your way back to one another and that means somethin'. You got married, you have a damn baby on the way."

"Who's also probably better off without me."

"Don't make me jump right back on a plane and come back there just to fucking hit you again."

OoOoO

Buffy had been so relieved to see him, to know that he was alive and home... and the words she meant to say to him were so far from the ones that came flying out of her face. As soon as her mouth opened snide comments about him and Darla came pouring out on their own and she regretted them as soon as they were said.

He looked like he was going to throw up. He laid his phone down on top of one of the dressers. "In case something happens you should have a phone on you," he barely managed to get out.

"Angel-"

"I know how this argument ends, Buffy."

"You've been gone for nearly two days," she choked out, her voice heavy both from sleep and the tears that she held back.

Angel shut his eyes as his head fell forward in defeat. After he had spoken to Lindsey, he checked out of the hotel, but he still felt like he needed time to clear his head, he didn't want to return home before she had had time to cool off either. He didn't want to fight anymore, yet here they were, just like before, she really was going to win again.

"I know. Xander was supposed to be here, he wasn't supposed to leave you alone."

Throwing the covers off her, she stood, crossing her arms she stared at his sunken shoulders. "Xander," she deadpanned. "Please, if it came down to an attack we both know I would be the one saving him."

"Look, Buffy-," he began to explain but was cut off by another one of her tangents.

"You left me. You left us. You wouldn't answer your phone. Anything could have happened, and no one would have been able to get ahold of you." Her voice continued to rise, she had replayed him walking through that door hundreds of times throughout the day and last night, she imagined jumping in his arms, telling him how sorry she was how much she loved him… but when the sun began to set on the second day, her anger once again began to rear its ugly head. "Not to mention, that I had no idea where you went. You just left! I spent hours calling hospitals, checking jails, I didn't even know if you were okay," she paused, her voice softening slightly, "So eventually I started to think maybe you were with her," the tears that had been threatening to spill finally began rolling down her cheeks as she collapsed back onto the bed. Clutching his pillow to her, she began to sob as her body finally gave into all of the stress over the last few days.

Angel felt like his knees were going to give out from under him, the last two days had been nothing more than a nightmare and he had no idea how to pull himself, or them, out of it. Turning towards her, his heart felt as though it was shattering inside his chest. How had they gotten to this point, slowly walking towards her he knelt beside the bed, "Buffy," he whispered gently as his hand reached out to touch her.

"Don't," she choked out between sobs.

Pulling his arm back as though it had been scalded, he sighed, getting back to his feet. Walking the few steps back over to the dresser he pulled out a clean pair of boxers, "You told me you were done with me, and you said it just like you did before… when you wanted a divorce," making his way to their bedroom door, he paused just before stepping out to the hallway. "I was in some motel off the PCH, I went to a bar. I got shitfaced, I couldn't get ahold of Lindsey, and I thought you were safe. I just wanted to give us both some time to cool down. The receipt to the motel is on the dresser, and so is a box of matches from the bar. I would never see Darla behind your back Buffy, all I want is for you to be safe."

"The only time I feel safe is when I'm with you, and you walked out of that door, just like before. Just like you're about to do again."

He was exhausted, and he knew she was too. He didn't even want to think about that level of stress the baby had been forced to endure the last few days. Briefly he wondered if they should call in to see if they could schedule a visit just to check on things. "I'm not leaving you Buffy, I'm going downstairs to the couch. I think we both need a little more time, I don't want to argue with you, you're pregnant and you look exhausted."

Gripping his pillow, she turned and chunked it blindly towards him. "Fine, just go," she huffed before laying back down to face away from him. Knowing she would really lose it, if she had to see the look on his face.

The filter between her brain and her mouth must be having a malfunction. She hadn't meant to say all of those hateful things to him, but she had just been so fucking scared. She hadn't even realized that the words she spoke to him, had been the same ones she'd said the night he'd finally given up and left her before the divorce.

Her hand went down to softly rub the curve of her stomach, their baby once again seemed to be just as upset as she was, kicking and rolling around just as she had when they fought before. "Shh, I know you don't like it when we fight… me and your Daddy just have some stuff to work through, but he loves you so so so much, and we're going to get this figured out, everything will work out soon."

Surprisingly, her words seemed to calm them both down a bit. At least she no longer felt as though she was carrying around a gymnast inside of her, and her breathing was starting to return to normal. Staring at the clock on Angel's side of the bed, she watched the minutes tick by one by one. Hearing him exit the shower in the hall, she wondered if he really planned to sleep on the couch, fighting or not she hated sleeping without him next to her.

OoOoO

Angel didn't even bother turning the television on downstairs, he had bypassed the guestroom knowing the awful memories it held of him sleeping in there alone. Tossing his pillow down on one end, he grabbed a blanket out of the closet downstairs. Grabbing his boxers, he didn't dare enter their room again, instead he took a quick shower in the guest bath before returning to the couch.

Flopping down on it, he stared at the ceiling above him as he tried desperately to clear his mind. He didn't want to think about anything that happened this last weekend, and he certainly didn't want to think about his heart broken wife crying upstairs. He wanted nothing more than to go crawl into bed behind her, and make her forget every single thing about the last three days, but he didn't want to fight and he knew venturing back up there was risking it.

He wasn't sure how, but he must have drifted off at some point. The next thing he knew, he was being woken up by Buffy's warm body slipping underneath the small blanket that covered him. Neither of them said a word as he turned to his side, making room for her. Sliding next to him, she scooted as close as she possibly could to him, letting out an audible sigh when she felt him finally relax, spooning his body around her small frame.

His hand immediately trailed up her bare thigh, under the shirt she wore, and around the small bulge of belly to rest atop of where their daughter lay growing inside her.

Closing his eyes once more, Angel said a silent prayer for a better tomorrow. He prayed for forgiveness for these two, as well as one for some answers on how to fix the mess that they were in.

OoOoO

As she had slept, Buffy found her dreams turning into a slideshow of memories from some of the worst fights she and Angel had raged through years ago in similar fashion. Ending on the memories of him walking out and how it set off the next many events of their downfall and divorce, Buffy felt as though she was reliving it all over again... her stomach felt like it had dropped out of her body, her throat ached as though she'd been screaming for hours, the panic and fear gripping her all over again.

Finally opening her eyes and coming back to the present, Buffy felt a rush of relief flood through her as she realized where she was and as she felt Angel's warm hand still on her lower stomach, his body pressed behind her.

Taking a few deep breaths to calm down some, she slowly turned in his arms to face him and nearly winced as she really took in the sight of him. She knew he had showered last night but he still looked ragged and exhausted, even as he slept. His poor face looked worse than it had days ago, nasty yellow and green colors had taken over for most of the dark bruising from his and Lindsey's dumbass fight.

Buffy scooted as close as she could to him, her nose brushing up against his.

Last night she had berated herself endlessly after managing to calm down more. She'd laid there with her hands still rubbing over her stomach as she stared up at the ceiling, replaying the look he had given her when she had started yelling at him about Darla, or afterward when she was crying at him confessing how her thoughts had even gone there time and again... that there was a possibility he was with her.

She'd angrily tossed that around while he was away so many times in her head and to anyone who'd listen and then it finally caught up to her of how low of a move that really was.

It had been so easy to just fall right back into that habit, into that line of thoughts as soon as something was amiss between them. She hadn't taken the time to really care at the time, but it had been written all over his face how much her accusing him about this ripped through him. The more she replayed it, the more he was having the past flash right over his face and how it drained the life force out of him trying to imagine having those same arguments with her until it broke them made her feel sick.

Buffy silently yelled at herself that this was exactly what Darla wanted, that this was exactly what had broken them apart in the first place, this was one of his greatest fears about them, it was what she had swore to him she'd not do again... and here she was.

Wiping her face once more, she'd crept downstairs with intent to apologize to him but he was already asleep. She couldn't fathom walking back up to their bedroom and sleeping alone yet another night so she crawled up on the couch with him. She half expected him to turn her away, ask her to leave him alone, so she kept her mouth shut when he did stir and moved to allow her more room beside him and just waited for sleep to come.

Buffy was so caught up in her thoughts and feeling the effects of the nightmares that she hadn't even noticed he'd woken up at first and nearly jumped back into the floor when she realized dark brown eyes were staring holes in her.

His sudden movements nearly made her fall back as well as he pulled her even closer to him, his mouth slotting on top of hers with punishing force. Sliding up his body, her hands came to rest on either side of his handsome face, lightly scratching at the stubble that had taken up residence.

Angel's firm hand massaged down her back pressing her closer to him until his fingertips brushed against the curve of her ass. The tiny slab of fabric was easily ribbed away from her body, Buffy let out a little gasp as those talented fingers found their way back to her, teasing against her slick slit. Her head fell back as one digit entered her and she begged for more...

Buffy's hands came to rest on his shoulders, her whole body nearly jumping up and down to ride his fingers pumping in and out of her. "I missed you," she panted, her head falling backward some.

Angel shook his head as his lips pressed against her exposed throat and she knew he wasn't ready for that part of the apology process yet, words weren't needed right now. Angel's lips teased her throat before finding her mouth once more.

Suddenly empty, she began to protest but found herself being pulled on top of him. Angel now laid flat on the cushions of the sofa, pushing his boxers out of the way. Buffy reached between her legs to grab him, her small hand stroking him twice before she began to lower herself down on the angry rod. She began to move up and down him only a few times before he gripped onto her hips and began thrusting up into her. Buffy's body fell forward, bracing herself the best she could against his chest as he fucked her.

She wasn't surprised by the fact neither of them lasted long like this. The world started to spin and one hand shot out to grab the arm of the couch while the other began massaging her clit, her body moving erratically against him, against her teasing fingers until little dots of color started to take over her vision and pleasure took over every inch of her body.

OoOoO

Angel's eyes were still closed, his breathing slowly getting back to normal as he whispered out that he was sorry. "I didn't mean to snap at you, Buffy. I'm sorry that I took all that shit out on you like I did. I'm sorry that I took off and made it worse, I wasn't trying to scare you or make you worry. I'm sorry that I don't know how to keep you safe, that everything will be going fine and then Darla decided to pop back up. I'm sorry that I somehow made you think I was off doing whatever with her." He rubbed his eyes and sighed loudly. "Even after everything she has done and threatened to do to us you still believe I'd even want anything to do with her and I don't know what in the hell to do with that, Buffy."

Her heart felt like it was ripping apart by the tone he took and she wished she knew how to explain it her own self. Tears filled her eyes once more and he pulled her down to lay on his chest, her face resting against the crook of his neck, her breath tickled his ear as she spoke. "I don't really think that you would ever have anything to do with Darla. I'm not even sure why my mind went there, I think it was all just too much. Too familiar. You were right, I fell right back into old habits, and I had no right too."

Shifting so that she was once again sitting atop him, her glossy eyes slowly drifted to his own. What was left of her own heart was completely demolished at the sight of the silent tears escaping his closed lids. Leaning forward, she used her fingers to gently brush away the wetness from the side of his cheek, as she pressed her lips to his once, twice, three more times, before breaking away to make eye contact with him once again.

Holding her breath, she waited for him to open his eyes before speaking, "I'm so sorry Angel. I hate her, I hate her so much. I hate that she still poses such a threat to us, and I hate how helpless I feel. I was so scared when you didn't come home, you've only ever not come home once, and that time resulted in our divorce.".

Angel watched her work her bottom lip between her teeth, it was a habit she always had when she was nervous. "When you told me that you were done, you had that same look you did that night. Like you just couldn't stand the sight of me, logically I knew you didn't mean it, but I don't know, I guess the fighting, and hearing those words from you just triggered something in me. But you were right I never should have left you, especially not with Xander… not with anyone."

His hands slowly drifted from their perch on her thighs to her t-shirt clad stomach, splaying one hand across the bump, his thumb began rubbing small circles over its expanse, feeling the movement under his palm brought the first smile to his face in what had felt like weeks. He'd felt the baby move at the cafe that morning, but those small movements were nothing compared to the ones that he felt now.

She watched him experience the somersaults of their little girl for the first time, and couldn't help but grin at the look of absolute wonderment he had. Leaning back further, she shifted her hips slightly, allowing his recovering member to fully sink back inside of her. Sliding her hands over the top of his, she used her hand to press his into her just enough to garner another reaction from the wee one. "She doesn't like it when we fight," she breathed out, getting lost in the feeling she was creating with the slight rotation of her hips.

Angel felt as though all of the oxygen was slowly being sucked out of the room, her warmth surrounded him. His cock now aching inside her warm depths, craved friction, but he was too delighted in the feel of her to rush anything right now, he just needed to feel her. To feel them. "We're not fighting," he managed, his eyes falling closed once more as his hands traveled under the shirt she wore to rest on her bare skin.

Continuing to circle her hips, she tormented them both, she could feel him pulsing inside of her, grinding her hips for just a moment, she couldn't stop the moan that escaped her swollen lips.

Leaning forward, she once again used the armrest of the couch as leverage, nudging his nose with her own, her lips hovered just above his, as she looked deeply into his eyes and took on a serious tone once more, "I could never be done with you Angel. I love you more than anything on this Earth, and I don't ever want to fight like that again. That time that you were gone, was more time than I ever want to spend apart again.".

Using her hair to pull her completely to him, he poured all of his apologies, his sorrow, and his love into that kiss. She was right, he never wanted to spend that much time away from her again. He'd felt like a piece of him was missing the entire time he was gone, being one with her, having her surround him was the balm he needed to soothe his soul.

His hands drifted from their perch on her stomach to the sides of her hips in an effort to guide her along his throbbing cock, but she wouldn't budge, it was clear that she wanted to be in control of this situation. He attempted to thrust up into her only to have her lift her hips, thwarting his efforts.

Her hands braced on either side of him, she kept an achingly slow pace, so slow he wasn't even sure she was moving at times, and it was driving him absolutely fucking insane.

She kissed him until both of them were breathless, gasping for air yet again, and then still unrelenting began leaving a blazing trail of hot open mouthed kisses down the side of his neck, to his shoulder, and across his chest. Basically anywhere her lips could reach, she tasted his flesh, as she upheld her tantalizing rhythm, loving the way it seemed to be driving him insane. His hips circled, rotated, moved in whatever direction he thought might cause the most friction, as he became a trembling mess overcome with his need for her.

Gripping the hem of her shirt, he pulled the offending piece of material off the top of her head, tossing it blindly off the couch. His hands instantly went in search of her perfect globes, his thumbs circled her peaked nipples, as she returned to her grip on the couch. Her stomach pressed into his own, the evidence of their baby firmly between them, had him nearly tipping over the edge as though he were some teenage school boy.

She adored the way he lost control, it wasn't often that she was able to turn him into such a mess, but each time she did, she made sure to savor the moment. She couldn't even make out all of the words that escaped his mouth, he went from inaudible moans, to begging her, gripping her waist in an effort to drive his angry shaft into her, to simply repeating how much he loved her.

He couldn't remember a time when he had ever been this out of his mind with want or need for her. The culmination of the last few days, leaving her, thinking they were done, thinking he might never have her like this again was doing him in. He knew she wanted to be in control, and damn was he trying to let her be, but there was only so much he could take.

His hands moved along her body, in an effort to touch her, to guide her to strengthen her touch. Knowing he was slipping, she had mercy on him, lifting her hips just a fraction of an inch before dropping them back down on him. The otherwise subtle movement left him chanting her name, a round of "pleases," and some "oh, Gods" in the mix. She gave a sly smile that was full of wicked intent as she continued to enjoy her new form of torture for him just a little while longer. When it looked as though his eyes were about to cross and gloss over, she bit back a strong bubble of laughter and dropped her head to kiss him swiftly before finally giving in to their combined desperate need for more friction between their two bodies.

Still teasing him as the mood struck, which just happened to be as they were both edging closer to that state of bliss, Buffy turned her pace back into an achingly slow ride against him. Angel let out a string of curses under his breath at her and she shot him an innocent look. "What's the matter?" she asked, nearly coming to a halt as she fought her own desire for release.

She yelped as she found herself nearly flying in the air as Angel flipped her over and took back control, she chuckled against his shoulder as he muttered more about how much of a devil she was.

Angel moved her once more to lay on top of the coffee table as he pounded recklessly into her. She panted out that she was sure they were going to break yet another one but he held her tighter and promised whether it cracked under them or not that he had her.

OoOoO

Entering the bedroom, Angel groaned as he heard his phone vibrating. He finished toweling off his wet hair as he picked it up and groaned some more as he saw the latest flood of missed calls, voicemails and text messages from everyone he thought he must know. Finding some clothes he got dressed before heading back to the bathroom where Buffy had switched out the hot shower to turn it into a bath, he added some bubbles to the running water as she laid back to get more comfortable. He texted Lindsey real quick then flashed the screen toward her.

"Guess we have a brigade of phone calls to make to let everyone know all is well again."

After they got dressed and finally got some food into their system he figured they might go look at getting her a new phone since the other was shattered. He didn't like the thought of her not being able to call for help if she needed it or of her being unreachable. If it hadn't been from the endless string of her friends trying to get in touch with him and leaving him messages he probably would have been too terrified to attempt to give them space after the fight.

He laid his phone down so she could call Willow or Xander if she wished from his phone and asked her what she wanted to eat. She made a comment that she had better call before they made their rounds stopping by, not that she minded seeing them, but it just had been a hell of a few days.

Seeing some movement, he smiled and leaned down to place a hand on her stomach and felt another round of rolling and kicking from the little one. "I missed you, Peanut," he whispered. "Missed your mama, too."

Buffy's hand came to rest on top of his. He still felt so drained over the fight and being stressed out and didn't want to deal with it any longer. He just wanted to mark it down as it happened and that was that.

OoOoO

Buffy winced more and more as she listened to her inbox full of messages, all but two of them were from Lindsey. A couple of times Angel would glance over at her as she held the phone away from her ear as he would gone off, though most of the messages were short one sentence statements about how he was still waiting for her to call him back. The last was full of threats that "he knew where her ass lived and he wasn't above flying right back out to Sunnydale" so she deleted it as it ended then cautiously pulled up her contacts to face the music.

The rest of the drive back home was spent dealing with the angry best friend in law but by the end of it he was relaxed enough to ask her if she was alright, how the baby was, and sneak enough flirtation in that Angel had taken the phone from her and told him off before hanging up on him so she hoped things were a little more back to normal.

Along with the new phone, they had also found some more baby items while browsing through the mall and she was excited about getting those squared away as the car pulled back into their driveway. She unbuckled and turned in the seat, pulling one leg up against her body. For a moment she wondered how much longer she'd be able to do that and move in a number of other ways she was used to, she was already feeling small differences in her every day routines and movements with the weight of their little girl. "Are we okay?" she questioned. They'd kind of danced around bringing the fight or anything up all day since making up this morning.

Angel nodded, his hand coming out to brush her cheek. "We're bound to fight or wind up in an argument sometimes, Buffy. But I am sorry for how I handled everything."

Her head turned so her lips could brush against him. "I know. And I know we can't always have flowers and rainbows but it doesn't mean that I like it."

"We're going to get this under control and get her out of our lives... I'm just not entirely sure on the how yet. But I'm not going to stop until I know we're safe and clear from Darla and all of her bullshit. I don't want it taking over our lives though either. Obviously that doesn't help us."

ButImBroken:

Cowritten with Scribes1015!