A/N: Hey everyone. Soooo sorry it's been taking me a while to post but I've been really busy lately. It's midterm's week at my college and most of the professors don't usually have they're midterms on time so midterm's week usually lasts about two weeks. But anyway…hopefully next week I'll be able to post more frequently but for now just bear with me. Thanks so much to everyone who has read and reviewed this story. I hope you all continue to enjoy it.

Warning: This is a pretty sappy and emotional chapter. I was thinking about not even writing this chapter but I just had to. I have to admit…I like the sappy stuff sometimes. Enjoy!

Comforting

After Lorne had confirmed that all of this was real and that it was really going to happen the girls were feeling a little shocked and helpless. Everyone was being nice and saying comforting words but it wasn't really helping all that much.

Buffy and Dawn were sitting on the steps by the front door. "It's going to be ok Dawny," Buffy comforted. "Believe it or not teenage girls become mothers more often then you might think."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Yeah but that's usually because they were irresponsible, had sex too young, didn't use protection or something like that. I didn't do anything wrong."

This made Buffy's heart melt. Dawn was right. She didn't do anything to deserve this. She hadn't even had her first kiss yet, or at least she was pretty sure she hadn't. "I'm sorry Dawny. You're right. You didn't do anything wrong to deserve this but maybe if we start thinking of this as more of a blessing then a curse it might make things a lot easier." Dawn just glared at her. "I know that isn't easy. But I'm here for you. We're all here for you."

"I know," Dawn admitted, "But you guys are all going to be going through the same thing."

"Exactly," Buffy exclaimed, "We'll all be raising these kids together. As much as you might not think so I think that will make things easier. When they get older they won't have to worry so much about making new friends because they'll each already have seven other kids their age that they'll be friends with. And once they get to a certain age we won't have to worry so much about always keeping them entertained because they can entertain each other."

Dawn gave a half smile. "That's true I guess."

Buffy smiled back at her. "It's all going to work out Dawny. I can feel it."

Anya was sitting on the other side of the steps that Dawn and Buffy were on. Xander was standing at the bottom of the stairs talking to her. "Yah know," he started, "I think this is actually going to be nice. I mean we're getting married already anyway and now we're going to have a kid." He smiled at his beautiful fiancée. "I'm actually kind of excited about this."

Anya smiled back at him. These were the words that she had been waiting for ever since she told him that she was pregnant. "Really?"

"Yeah," Xander responded. "I love you and I know I'm going to love this child just as much."

Anya's smile grew even brighter. "So even though you're not the technical father, considering this is just a mystical pregnancy and all, you're still going to treat it as your own?"

"Of course," Xander responded.

"Good!" Anya said as she leaned in and kissed Xander softly, "Because I don't think I can do this without you."

Xander kissed her again and then just smiled at her for a moment. "You won't have to. We're going to do this together."

Willow and Tara were on the steps going to the upstairs. Willow was one step higher then a very nervous looking Tara stroking her hair. "It's going to be ok baby. It's just like what Angel said…we'll get through this together," Willow said comfortingly.

Tara turned to face Willow and forced a smile. "I know. It's just all so overwhelming. I mean first of all…me…a warrior for good? How did that even happen?"

Willow smiled at her self-conscious girlfriend. "You mean you don't know? You're one of the best people I know. You do more good everyday then you can even imagine. You help us with the magic's, with research, and most of all…you keep me going. I could never do all I do without you."

This time Tara's smile didn't have to be forced. "What would I do without you?"

Willow smiled back. "The same thing I'd do without you…be lost."

"How do you always do that?" Tara asked.

Willow looked at her with slight confusion. "Do what?"

Tara smiled. "Make me feel like nothing can go wrong as long as I'm with you."

Willow smiled back and kissed her lightly. "Magic."

Faith, Fred and Cordelia were all sitting on the round couch in the middle of the lobby staring out into space deep in they're own thoughts.

Angel, Wesley, Gunn, Giles and Lorne were all standing by the office watching the others. "I think its damage control time boys," Lorne said to the others.

"What do you mean?" Gunn asked. Just as he said this they watched Buffy walk out into the garden.

Lorne continued, "Alright…It looks like Xander is taking good care of Anya over there and Willow and Tara are looking like their taking pretty good care of each other over there. The other five aren't looking so good though. Five of us…five of them…its comfort time boys."

"I'll take Fred," Wesley and Gunn said at the exact same time. They looked at each other and then shrugged their shoulders. "Rock, paper, scissors?" Gunn suggested.

"Right," Wesley said as they both got into position. They counted it out and then held out their hands. Wesley had paper and Gunn had rock. The former watcher smiled triumphantly as he walked towards Fred.

Gunn just shook his head in disappointment. He looked around and before he could say anything Lorne stepped in. "I'm going to go talk to Cordelia. That poor girl looks so down in the dumps. Maybe I should bring her a sea breeze."

The other three guys gave him a disapproving look. "She's pregnant Lorne," Angel reminded him.

At first Lorne wasn't sure what he was trying to say by repeating something that he already knew but then it hit him. "Oh…right…alcohol's probably not a very good idea then. Good thinking."

Since Cordy was going to be Gunn's second choice he shrugged his shoulders and started to walk towards Faith. "Guess I'll take Faith then."

Angel was starting to get nervous. Things were weird between him and Buffy but he wanted more then anything to be the one to comfort her. But on the other hand he was scared out of his mind to even talk to her.

Giles could see in Angel's eyes that even though he was scared he really wanted to be the one to talk to Buffy. "I'm going to go sit with Dawn then," he said to Angel with a smile and a pat on the shoulder.

Angel watched Giles walk towards Dawn. He took a deep breath and walked towards the door that led outside where Buffy was in the garden.

When Wesley got to Fred he smiled at her and sat down on the couch next to her. "How are you doing?"

Fred forced a smile back at him. "To be honest…I'm terrified. I just got out of a hell dimension not even five months ago. I haven't even fully gotten back into the routine of normal life and now I'm going to have to raise a child."

Wesley put his hand on her back and rubbed it comfortingly. "I can only imagine how scared you must feel. It's not fair. This whole situation is all so sudden and none of us really know what to expect. But…I'll always be here for you…we all will." Fred turned to him and smiled. "No matter what it is, no matter what you need…I'll be here for you," he added.

"Thanks Wesley," Fred said as she brought him into a tight embrace. "That really means a lot to me."

When Gunn approached Faith she smiled a little. "Got stuck with me huh?" Although she was feeling a little overwhelmed and dejected she had noticed the boys talking and then all dispersing to each of the girls.

Gunn just shrugged his shoulders. "I don't like to think of it that way."

She got up out of her seat and walked to a pillar and leaned against it. "It's ok," she said with a smirk, "You don't have to come over here and say some nice words to comfort me."

Gunn walked towards her and faced her about five feet away. "I don't have to do anything. Did you ever think that I might just wanna come over here and talk to you?" Faith just gave him a look. "Ok, ok…we all decided we should talk to you guys a little. Say some comforting words, yada yada yada."

"And you're the lucky one that got stuck with yours truly."

"On the contrary," Gunn said with a smile. "Getting stuck with you would imply that you were the last pick…and I picked third."

"Third huh? Better then I expected," Faith said as she nodded her head with approval. "So is this the part where you tell me that your here for me if I want to talk and that everyone's here for me on this?"

Gunn nodded his head. "Pretty much." He walked over to the pillar next to hers and leaned up against it. "Look Faith, I'm probably not the best person to be comforting you because I'm going to tell you how it is strait up. I know you think that everyone here doesn't like you and that they don't trust you…and I'm not going to lie to you…your pretty much right. But what I can do for you is tell you that I don't go by what people tell me about what happened with you in the past. I wanna get to know you first and then we'll see how it goes from there. And…I can also tell you that the others will come around."

Faith smiled a little. She liked Gunn. He seemed to be the only one around here that would tell it like it is. "You think so?"

"I do," he responded. Angel says you've changed and weather its now or later…people are going to realize it."

Faith smiled slightly and nodded her head. "You know…you're not as bad as you think at this comforting thing."

Gunn smiled back. "Why thank you."

"Hey there sunshine," Lorne said as he sat down next to Cordelia on the couch.

Cordy forced a small smile his way. "Hey, Lorne."

"Honey I can sense the mood on you from a mile away. Nervous about the baby aren't you?" he asked, as if he didn't already know the answer.

"Do the words, 'hell yes,' sum it up?" she answered in a bitter ton.

"Oh come on sweet cheeks…you don't have to worry so much," Lorne said with a soothing ton. "Weather you like it or not we're all here for yah and we're not going anywhere. We're all in this together."

"I know," Cordelia admitted. "It's just that…I remember how I felt when this happened to me before. When I got impregnated by a freakin demon…well…before we knew it was a demon. I saw so scared. I didn't know what I was going to do, how I was going to raise a child when I'm not really finished growing up myself. I know you guys are all here to help but…I just don't know if I'm ready to be a mother."

Lorne gave Cordelia a very comforting hug. "Cordy I don't know what you're talking about. I think your more ready then you think. You're a sweet, caring, loving woman and you're going to be a wonderful mother."

"You really think so?" Cordelia asked sincerely.

"Cordy honey…I know so," the green demon responded with a cheery smile.

Giles walked to the stairs and sat down on the step next to Dawn. She was staring strait ahead almost as if she was focusing on something. She didn't turn to look at him but she knew it was him. "So…I guess you're pretty much going to be like these kids grandpa," she said as she started to smile.

Giles looked at her and smiled back. "Well I never really thought about that…but I suppose so."

Dawn turned to face him. "You know…you've always been like a father to me and Buffy…especially after mom died. Heck…you've been more of a father to us then our own dad. I just want you to know how much we appreciate that."

Giles almost started to cry and Dawn's kind words. He wasn't expecting that. He was supposed to go over there and comfort her but instead she was making him feel like a million bucks. "Thank you, Dawn. It means a lot to me that you think that." He continued to try and hold his tears. "And here I thought I was supposed to be the one comforting you," the watcher joked with a small laugh.

Dawn laughed a little back but then her face turned very serious. "What am I gonna do?"

Giles gave her a half smile and brushed away some hair from her face. "You're going to be brave and get through this…just like you always do. We can get you home schooled."

Dawn was trying to fight back the tears as well now. "I don't know…I was thinking that maybe I should just get my GED. I always thought I was too smart for high school anyway," she added with a small laugh.

Giles smiled. "I'd have to agree. You are a very smart young woman Dawn and despite your age I know your going to make a wonderful mother."

Dawn smiled as a few tears started to fall and wrapped Giles in a big hug. "Thanks Giles."

As Angel walked outside into the garden he tried to figure out what he was going to say. He wanted to hold her in his arms and tell her that everything would be ok, that he would be there for her no matter what, and that he would be with her forever. But he knew he couldn't. "Hey Buffy," he said as he walked up behind her in the moon light. "Is everything alright?" As soon as the words came out of his mouth he wished he could take them back. Of course everything wasn't alright.

Buffy was looking at some flowers. She turned around with a look of despair. "I don't know what to do here Angel. I'm supposed to be the leader, the strong one that always knows what to do…but I'm not…and I don't. Vampires, demons, monsters I can handle…but this…this is something that will affect our lives forever. And the funny thing is…I haven't even had the time to think about the mystical part of this. All I've been able to think about is how are we going to afford this? What are we going to do about Dawn and school? How is a vampire slayer going to raise a child?"

Angel walked towards her. "Buffy…those are all completely normal things to be worrying about."

"I know but this isn't normal and these aren't the only things we need to worry about," she asked as she looked at him for conformation.

"No," Angel agreed with a look of sorrow on his face, "I don't think it is. I'm not going to lie to you Buffy if the prophecy is right, others will find out about this. Forces of evil will find out and they'll try and destroy the babies. The prophecy says that these kids will be big players in the fight for good. When evil finds out…they'll do anything and everything they can to stop them."

Buffy sat down on a ledge and buried her face in her hands. "Great."

Angel sat down next to her. He felt really bad. This probably wasn't the time to tell her that. He was doing a really crappy job of comforting her. "Buffy…it really is going to be ok though. We're all here for you and I promise you…I won't let anyone hurt you or your child." She lifted her head and gave Angel a half smile. What he was saying felt comforting to know. "I've actually been meaning to talk to you about something," Angel added.

"What is it?" Buffy asked with a concerned look on her face. The look on his face told her this wasn't going to come out easy.

"I think you should stay," Angel said after some hesitation, "All of you. The prophecy is about all of you together and I think you should stay together. I have the space here and we're all stronger together then we are apart."

Buffy didn't really know what to say. She wasn't expecting this. He had a very good point but this was a lot to ask. Leaving her home, asking her friends to leave home, moving in with her x-lover that left town because he couldn't stand to be near her without being with her. It was a lot to ask. "I umm…I don't know," she responded.

"You don't have to give me an answer now," Angel said quickly to make sure she knew he wasn't trying to pressure her. "I know that Sunnydale is your home and it would be a lot to ask you to leave and there's your slayer duties with the Hellmouth and all. I think we could work things out though. Just take some time, think about it, talk to the others and give me an answer whenever you're ready."

Buffy sent him a small smiled. "Ok. That sounds fair."

Angel smiled back. "Now what do you say we go back in there and I take everyone out to dinner?"

"Dinner huh?" Buffy said with a smile, "Only one problem with that idea."

"What's that?" Angel asked.

"You don't eat food," Buffy reminded him.

Angel laughed slightly. "Don't worry about that. I know a place that serves food and pigs blood."

They both got up and started walking inside. "Sounds charming," Buffy said sarcastically.

Angel just held out his arm and smiled. She took his arm in hers and they walked back inside.