"Liam!" Buffy found her son alone on the swing set on the opposite end of the recreation center.
"Go away!" Liam cried. He wanted to be left alone to his thoughts. He needed time to think and wrap his head around everything before returning to the reception.
Buffy sat on the swing next to Liam and rubbed his back before her jerked away from her touch. She realized she screwed up, big time. "Okay, let me have it."
"Why didn't you tell me? Didn't you think I could handle it?" Liam asked. His mother and him never kept secrets from one another, and the fact that she kept one of this magnitude from him broke his trust more than the truth itself.
Taking a deep breath, Buffy admitted, "I don't know, Liam. I was a scared, sixteen-year-old kid who found herself pregnant with the one guy she hated more than anything else in this world. It wasn't just you I didn't tell. I didn't tell anyone. No one knew. At least they didn't know until that video. He wanted nothing to do with me, but for some odd reason I couldn't just ruin his life. So we agreed to keep the paternity a secret. I thought I was doing the right thing."
"What about dad? Did he know?" His dad, well if he could call Riley that now, was the typical American dad. He did everything dads did with their sons like going fishing, playing catch, and taking him to baseball games.
"No. I met your dad, Riley, senior year of high school. You had just turned one and he was a freshman at UC Sunnydale. He tutored me in History and Psychology and we sort of just fell in love. After six months of dating, he told me that no matter what happened between us, he would always be there for you and if I would allow, he would be your dad." Buffy remembered that day quite well. It was one of the happiest days of her life besides Liam's birth being number one. She found someone who loved both her and her child. When Liam was born she thought her dating days were over, but then Riley came along and swept her off her feet. "You have no idea how much that meant to a single mother at eighteen. From that moment on Riley was your dad and we didn't think anything else. I didn't even tell him about Angel. I'm so sorry, we-I mean I should have told you sooner. I just did what I thought was best for you. That's all I've ever done."
Liam sat in silence listening to his mother. He knew she loved him. There was no doubt about that. Everything she's done the past twelve years was for him. Finishing high school and college was not at the top of her bucket list when Liam arrived, but her mom convinced her that to be a good mother for her baby she needed an education. "Thanks."
"For what?" Buffy cocked her head. Liam should be angry at her, not thanking her. If their roles were reversed, she would be pissed and refused to speak to anyone.
"For telling me the truth," Liam smiled.
"Always." Buffy kissed Liam's head and tousled his hair. How did she end up with such a sweet kid?
"Mom," Liam looked up at Buffy. "We're gonna have to go back there, aren't we?"
Buffy set her sights back on the recreation center where many of the mourners had started to trickle out. "Yeah...but I got you, you got me. You're all I need to get me through this. It's been you and me since day one and will continue to be, always and forever."
"I can't believe this! I come back for a funeral and everything is ruined," Cordelia complained to her friends who sat back rolling their eyes. "Guys, listen to me. First, I this mud puddle comes out of nowhere and ruins my brand new Louboutins. Then, Xander runs into me, spilling his drink and cake all over my one-of-a-kind Versace dress. Why can't you guys be more sympathetic?"
"Princess, I don't think now is the right time," Doyle said to his wife. Cordelia groaned and continued to wipe the icing off her dress whilst Doyle placed a kiss on her head.
Buffy and Liam made their return to the reception hall where all their friends and family remained. Everyone else had left following the video; they didn't even bother for a slice of cake much to Dawn's displeasure.
"Buffy!" Xander cheered. "Hey guys, Buffy's back! And she brought Liam! Yay! You know guys, I'm hungry. Are you hungry? I'm going to get you guys some cake." Xander walked away towards the cake with a maniac smile plastered on his face.
"How long has he been like this?" Buffy asked. Occasionally, Xander would get stuck in these moods where he break down when trapped in an awkward situation. He'd been like that since grade school and Willow and Buffy were still unsure how to break him out of his fits. Usually, it fixed itself within an hour.
"Since the video," Dawn admitted stroking her stomach. There was no way to avoid the mention of the video. It was out in the open, everyone now knew Buffy's secret. All they were left was with the "why" of it all. "So when were you going to tell us?"
"Dawn," Willow warned. Though Willow was unaware of Buffy's reasoning to keep Liam's biological father a secret, she knew Buffy. And if Buffy didn't want to tell them, then there was a good reason why she didn't. Buffy had a good heart and it was always in the right place. Of this Willow was sure. "Buffy will tell us when she's ready."
"And I will," Buffy assured her friends and family as she held tight onto Liam's shoulders. "Just not today. This was supposed to be mom's day and that's all I want to think about. We can deal with the other stuff tomorrow."
"Buffy?" A meek voice called her attention. Buffy found herself speechless for the second time today as the Giles family approached her. "May we speak?"
"Giles, now is not a great time," Buffy explained. Giles understood Buffy's choice. Joyce's funeral was not an appropriate venue to discuss familial issues. Although, discovering that Joyce's grandson was also his and Jenny's grandson through an old videotape was not ideal either.
"I see," Giles smiled. "We'll we'd-"
"We would like to invite you to dinner," Jenny jumped in. She had watched Liam grow up before her eyes and never once realized that it was her own grandson. Seeing him now in this new light was emotional for her. "You, Riley, and Liam. If that's okay with the three of you."
Buffy looked back to her husband for reassurance. He nodded his head not minding the meeting. Riley had figured this would happened soon or later, but he had hoped that it would have been the latter.
"Mom, it's okay," Liam said. He liked Jenny and Giles. They lived right next door to his Grandma his entire life. It was strange to think of them as Grandma Jenny and Grandpa Giles, yet Liam thought the adjustment would be an easy one to make.
"Would Saturday work?" Buffy offered.
Jenny grinned ear to ear, eager to spend time with her grandson. "Of course, we have a lot to discuss. We'll see you then." It didn't take long for Jenny's demeanor to change once her attention focused on her son. Angel tensed up when his mother glared at him. "As for you mister, you have a lot of explaining to do."