The Pianist's Touch: Thanks for the review! But... ah... yeah... the father... I'm afraid the guy isn't very important to this story, except for his - um - DNA contribution. Sorry?

PART FOUR

Angel thought he'd save time by using the underground parking place below Buffy's building.

He shouldn't have bothered.

"I'm not going."

The last time he failed this badly at changing a woman's mind, Drusilla brought Spike home to stay.

"But –"

"I have things to do, Angel." Buffy has her back to him, busy measuring the tiny guestroom and jotting down the numbers on a purple little notebook. "And I have to do them while I can still carry furniture from one end of the room to another." In a corner of the emptied room, there is a box with a huge picture of a crib on its side. Next to it, various other unopened boxes: changing table, stroller, bassinet, Moses basket….

This will not be a guestroom for long.

"You are not safe here," he reasons.

"The last time I felt safe…." Her shoulders stiffen and she lowers her measure tape. "Never mind. I've lived on Hellmouths since I was fifteen, and one of them didn't survive me." She looks over her shoulder, smiles at his serious look. "I'll be fine if you leave."

There's something about the way she says it…. "I'm coming back."

She shrugs. "Sure you are."

He wonders whether there really was a time when she trusted him. "Jesus, Buffy. Is that it? Did you think I'd get you to my city and lock you up until your due date?" Even as he says it, Angel knows the thought would have crossed his mind ten years ago, if they'd been in this situation. Even now, it doesn't sound that bad an idea, though he knows better than to voice that aloud. "It's just one day. Maybe two."

"The nursery won't furnish itself." Shaking her head, Buffy walks over to the furthest corner and refocuses on her work.

Angel cannot follow her, trapped by the sunlight poring through the window. She took everything down before starting her redecoration project, even the curtains. "I'll help you out, once we come back."

Pen and notebook clatter to the floor; the shock on her face doesn't wear off even as she awkwardly crouches down to pick them up.

He lifts his shoulders, his offer sincere though he's just as surprised by it as she is. "I have some experience putting baby furniture together."

When Buffy doesn't react to that bit of information, Angel is sure of something he'd only suspected.

She knows about Connor.

Figures. If he knows his son, Connor himself was the one to make the introductions. Ever since Faith was comfortable enough to tease about his past with Buffy (about ten hours after her arrival), Connor has been curious about his ex. Add Spike into the mix, and his son's inexplicable camaraderie with the other vampire, and it was a matter of time for Connor to take the first opportunity to talk Spike into bringing him along.

If Angel had known his son would be lured by mischievous troublemaking, he would never have allowed Spike to take up permanent residence in L.A. Where, it dawns on him now, Spike will still be tomorrow. It almost makes him reconsider taking Buffy with him, but he knows he won't be able to focus if he leaves her here.

"Think about it." He gestures to the whole room. "You'd still have this ready this weekend, and you get a road trip on top. Deal?"

When Buffy stares down at her hands, he knows that she'll refuse.

"Why not?"

He watches her bite the inside of her cheek, and remembers it's her telltale for when she's phrasing something he won't like hearing into something he'll have to agree with. "I… I think this is why I called you." Her eyes fix on a point on the wall behind him, as if she can't look at him while she gathers these thoughts. "I knew you'd sweep in and try to solve all my problems. Which is nice -" She frowns. "- or it should be."

"I've been nice," he defends, having the feeling he's been on the other side of this conversation.

Add a sewer, and the feeling would turn into a conviction.

"The definition of niceness," she agrees. "I've had a great time, better than anything I expected. But –" She takes a deep breath and moves forward, coming so close that their eyes must meet. "I haven't had my problems solved for me in… ever. I'm not a victim. I'm not some damsel in distress. I'm the problem-solver, and I think… I think that now I like it when it stays that way."

"Buffy…." He reaches out, meaning to put a hand on her shoulder. A supportive gesture, nothing more. He yanks the arm back when his skin meets sunlight, and sighs. "You didn't mind when I offered to paint this room."

"I was baiting you. I didn't think you'd agree."

By the way every new piece of baby furniture is ready to be placed, he realizes that she never intended for him to keep his promise.

He realizes something else. "You didn't think I'd come at all."

Her silence confirms it.

Who is this woman, who knows him so little? Who has he become, that she thought he'd leave a call for help unattended?

"Where else would I be?"

Her eyes threaten to water, but he doesn't know if it's because of the situation he's managed to put them in, or hormones, or a combination of both. "I'm sorry, Angel," Buffy says softly. She used the same tone of voice when she asked him to close his eyes. "You don't need to be here."

Of course he doesn't.

That was never the point of it.

"Fine," he grinds out, stepping back from her. "I'll go. You stay."

He doesn't realize how rough his voice has become until she flinches at it.

A part of him wants to apologize for hurting her, however tiny the wound is. Another part, the more irrational one, maintains that he's the wounded one and wants nothing but to lash out.

He settles for setting off for L.A.

"You know, we were better than this. What happened to us?" Without waiting for her answer, he pivots around and marches over to the front door. His hand hovers on the door knob for a long second. "Right," he mutters, unsure whether he means for her to listen. "We don't need each other's help anymore."

But even as he takes the elevator down, stalks through the parking lot, and sinks down behind the wheel, Angel still has no idea how she could have believed he'd be anywhere else.

TBC...