Reunited

Angel knew it was risky. It was almost too risky, but it was the only choice he had. He was thinking on the spot and a better plan wasn't coming to mind. He couldn't risk losing them again.

When the man and the doctor turned around to acknowledge Spike's presence, Angel took the opportunity to take action. He stealthily ran up to the man and wrapped his arm around his neck so that he wouldn't be able to move. At the same time he kicked the doctor square in the face sending her flying backwards into the wall of the corridor.

As the doctor flew backwards into the wall she held onto the child in her hands tightly instead of bracing herself for the fall. Her master had told her that their number one priority was to keep the children alive. Even if they were unable to bring them to him right away there would still be room for a second chance, but if any of them were to be killed his plan would be ruined.

When she hit the wall she cracked her head against it. As she slid down the wall and began to lose consciousness her grip on the child began to loosen. Spike was right there as soon as the doctor hit the ground. He caught the child moments before the doctor drifted into complete unconsciousness, arms limp at her sides.

"Spike hurry and put her down safely, this guy's gonna start passing out real soon," Angel yelled anxiously.

Spike quickly but carefully placed the baby girl on the ground and then ran as fast as he could to the man trapped in Angel's grip. He placed his arms under the baby boys and waited for the man's arms to loosen. It didn't take long. Within a matter of seconds the man was unconscious and the babies were safely in Spike's arms.

When Angel was sure the man was completely out he loosened his grip on him and let his limp body fall to the ground hard.

"Bloody hell Angel!" Spike yelled angrily. "Are you bloody insane? You could have killed the little ones!"

"I played my odds," Angel responded.

"Well how the hell did you know they were going to hold on so tight?" Spike asked, still angry, as Angel knelt down and scooped up the baby girl. "That doctor could have let little red there go and braised herself. And this ass hole could have just dropped the boys and tried to pull you off of him."

"They needed the babies alive," Angel responded. "If they wanted them dead they would have killed them already."

"Well that was just a little too risky if you ask me," Spike lectured. As the two vampires began to walk back to the entrance they stopped.

"What are we going to do about those two?" Spike asked.

"Nothing for now," Angel answered, "they'll be out for a while. We need to get these babies back to their mothers and we need to get the others and get the hell out of this hospital. Who knows who else could be in on this whole thing."

XXXXXX

Willow turned to Tara and an enormous smile appeared on her face. "They have them!" she yelled with excitement. "Angel and Spike…they have Emma and the boys! Wesley, Fred, can the two of you meet them in the lobby? Angel is going to bring Buffy's son to her and Spike is going to bring Faith's to her. Could you guys…?"

Before Willow could continue Wesley interrupted her, "Of course Willow. We'd be happy to go bring you your daughter."

Willow smiled at them. "Thank you."

Tara smiled back at her brightly. "Oh thank God they've got them. Any word from Giles?"

Willow's smile faded a little. She knew that Tara was excited that Emma was found but it was hard for her to be so excited when Hailey wasn't with them. "Not yet baby but don't worry…Giles would never let us down. He'll bring her back."

Sure enough, no more then a minute after Wesley and Fred left the hospital room, Giles walked into the room with Tara's daughter wrapped tightly in his arms. Tara covered her mouth as she started to cry tears of joy. Giles smiled at her brightly and walked the child to her mother. The baby was crying a little but as soon as she was in her mother's arms she stopped.

For a moment Tara just laid there smiling at her daughter. Then she looked up to a very proud looking Giles and said, "Thank you Giles. Thank you so much."

"I don't break my promises," Giles responded with a smile.

"How did you get her back?" Willow asked with a few tears of joy threatening to escape her eyes.

"It's an interesting story actually but I'm afraid it's best kept for later," he responded. "Have you heard anything more from Angel and Spike?"

Willow smiled proudly. "They've got them…all three of them. I just sent Wesley and Fred to meet them so they can bring her back to me. Angel and Spike are going to bring the boys back to Buffy and Faith."

"That's wonderful," Giles responded beaming from ear to ear. His smile didn't last long, however, as he began to realized that they were not out of danger just yet. "We need to think of a plan and we need to think of one fast. Lord knows how many people in this dreadful institution are in on this little baby napping scheme. You said that Dawn is in labor now along with Anya?"

"Yes. Her water broke no more then ten minutes ago," Willow answered. "Buffy's with her."

A confused look appeared on Giles' face. "But she was drugged…I thought she couldn't get up. I mean you yourself can barely move."

"You know Buffy, she doesn't exactly go by the rules," Willow pointed out with a small smile.

Giles smiled slightly in return. "Good point. When she wants something she's not going to be held back."

"So what are we going to do?" Tara asked breaking into the conversation. "I mean we can't just leave with Dawn and Anya in labor and Cordelia and Fred won't be too far behind them."

"I'm not sure but I have a feeling the doctors aren't going to give up," Giles answered.

Before they could continue their conversation Wesley and Fred walked in with Willow's daughter in Fred's arms. "Emma!" Willow said lovingly. The tears threatening to fall earlier were now slowly flowing down her cheeks as Fred handed the baby to her and she was able to hold her child for the first time.

"Thank you," she said happily. Then she looked up to the ceiling and the others all knew exactly what she was doing. 'Thank you Angel! Thank you Spike!'

XXXXXX

'You're Welcome,' Angel responded telepathically to Willow's thanks just as he was about to walk into Dawn's room.

When he opened the door he saw a very nervous looking Dawn lying on the bed with Connor by her side holding her hand. The drugs still hadn't warn off yet so the walk to Dawn's room took a lot out of Buffy. When Angel walked into the room he found Buffy lying on the bed opposite Dawn with her hand rubbing her forehead.

Angel walked up to Buffy's bed and smiled down at her. "Why don't you hold this for me and I can do that for you."

The sound of his voice startled her at first but when she took her hand away from her face and opened her eyes an immediate smile creased her features. She had never been more relieved in her entire life. The sight of Angel holding her son was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen.

Angel handed Buffy her son and then sat down on the bed next to her. She sniffled as she tried to fight back the tears of joy that were inevitably going to fall.

"Hey there little guy," she said through her sobs. "I'm your mommy."

Angel put his arm around Buffy's shoulder and pulled her close to him. "I think he knows."

Buffy turned her gaze to Angel and smiled at him as tears of joy rolled down her cheeks. "Thank you," she said through her sobs.

Before he even got the chance to say you're welcome she leaned in and kissed him with the kind of passion that he had missed so much for the past few years. It was the perfect kiss, at the perfect moment, for the perfect reason.

They're kiss was interrupted by a sobbing Dawn. "Aww…it's just so beautiful. You guys look just like…a family."

Buffy and Angel looked back at each other and smiled as they rested their foreheads against one another's.

"We are," Angel responded. Then he looked back at Connor and Dawn and added, "We all are. And we're going to get through this together."

"So have you thought of a name yet?" Connor asked Buffy.

She looked down at her son and smiled. "Zackary," She responded, "Zackary Ryan Summers."

XXXXXX

No one had ever seen Faith with a bigger smile on her face then the one she had when Spike walked into the hospital room with her son in his arms. Gunn shook his head in disbelief and smiled at the vampire. "I've gotta say I'm impressed."

"Thanks Charley boy…I'll take that as a thank you," Spike responded as he handed the baby to Faith.

"Thank you Spike," Faith said as she stared lovingly at the beautiful baby boy in her arms. "I can't even find words to tell you how grateful I am," she added as she gave him an extremely appreciative smile.

"Don't mention it," Spike responded, "Really…I don't do thanks. The smile on your face is thanks enough for me."

Faith looked back up at him and smiled at him quickly and then put her gaze back on her son as if she was afraid he would be gone again if she wasn't watching him.

Cordelia and Lorne walked up to Faith and joined her in watching the child. "He's beautiful Faith," Cordelia said with a bright smile.

"He really really is isn't he?" Faith said as her smile brightened as well.

"Hey there little nipper," Lorne said to the child, "I'm your uncle Lorne. I know I may look a little different then your mom and your other aunts and uncles but I assure you, I love you just as much."

"Aww, that was cute Lorne," Cordelia said.

"I can't believe it," Faith said as they all continued to watch the baby as he finally began to drift off to sleep, "I'm a mother." This was a big step in her life and it was changing her entire attitude completely. She was already turning into a big softy.

"This baby is mine," she continued to say with a smile. "This is my son. Brandon Matthew Lehane. He's a part of me. He has my last name and everything. He's all mine. I'm a mother."

XXXXXX

"The babies are all ok," Xander said with a smile.

"How…do…you…know?" Anya asked between her breathing exercises.

"Willow told me?"

Anya looked around the room as if she was lost. "Willow isn't here Xander…she hasn't been here at all."

"No she told me in my mind," he corrected.

Anya scoffed. "I hate it when she does that. If I can't be in your mind I don't want her in there either." Xander simply rolled his eyes and smiled at his beautiful wife.

A few moments later Dr. Parker walked into the room with two nurses and locked the door behind her. Anya's doctor was Dr. Matthews but they knew that Dr. Parker was Cordelia and Fred's doctor which meant that she was just as dangerous as Dr. Matthews.

She walked in with a sinister smile on her face. "I'm afraid Dr. Matthews couldn't make it Mrs. Harris," the doctor said. "But don't worry," she started to say. Xander walked up to her, his anger building but before he could reach her he was hit from behind by a nurse.

"Xander!" Anya yelled as she watched her husband fall to the ground.

"I'm afraid we're going to have to perform an emergency C section Mrs. Harris," Dr. Parker said with the same sinister smile on her face. "Don't worry though, I'm not going to knock you out like we did to your husband. No…you're going to feel every little bit of this surgery," she continued as one of the nurses walked up behind Anya's bed. "And the best part is," she said as the nurse gagged her, "No one will be able to hear you scream."