Hello all,
Credit to Douglas Petrie for the some of the dialogue FROM YOKO FACTOR
Credit to Tim Minear and Joss Whedon for some of the dialogue FROM SANCTUARY and to Buffy vs Angel website for the transcripts of both episodes.
There has been a time skip, this is for a reason! Also Angel has entered the chat room...enjoy ;)
This is unbeta'd so any mistakes are my own
4 months later - May 2000
Buffy stares at the phone as it rings, she knew it was him. Expecting him to eventually call her after what went down in Los Angeles. Taking a deep breath grabs the phone answering it, this wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation in the slightest. She knew from Giles that he was pissed that she…they had tried to interfere. Not that they were, they just wanted to bring Faith back to Sunnydale so that they could deal with her. After everything that she put her through, what she almost did…she deserves that.
Buffy lets out another breath.
"Buffy." Hearing his voice after months of not talking to one another. Buffy sits down on the end of her bed, her knees suddenly feeling like jello. After all these months he still had an effect on her.
"Angel." She answers automatically.
"Wanna tell me why Giles turned up to my office earlier on today hell bent on bring Faith back to Sunnydale."
"Angel…you don't know what she did to me…what she tried…" Buffy stops a hand going to her mouth to stop herself from sobbing aloud. You're okay. She told herself; the hand that was at her mouth moves down to the growing bump in her midsection. Feeling the baby kick she smiled. He's okay.
She hears Angel letting out a sigh, "Buffy, this wasn't about you! This was about saving somebody's soul. That's what I do here, and you're not a part of was your idea, remember? We stay away from each other."
She swallows the lump that forms in her throat, it hurts even speaking to him. He has never spoken to her like this. "I thought you were in danger, I couldn't leave Sunnydale at the minute, so Giles offered to go for me."
"I'm in danger every day. You sent Giles because of Faith. You were looking for vengeance and who better to give you it than Ripper."Angel snaps at her, hitting a low.
Even though the vampire couldn't see her, Buffy's eyes narrow at his accusation. He always seemed to know how to push her buttons, her blood to boil. "I have a right to it and that's not fair. Giles was going to bring her back." She argues to him, standing up and starts to pace the length of her bedroom.
"Not in my city."He snarls down the phone to her, Buffy moves the handset away from her ear and looks at it in disbelieve. He didn't seem like the same man that she once knew, instead he seemed colder than ever before.
She places her hand onto her stomach, "I have someone in my life now. That I love." She hears deep breathing coming down the phone. It was low and petty, she knew that, but it still didn't stop her from telling him. From twisting the truth, a little bit. She wants him to feel the misery and grief that she feels every single day without him.
Angel lets out a sharp breath, "That's great. It's nice you moved on. I can't. You found someone new.I'm not allowed to remember? Every time your name is mentioned, it cuts me up inside and the person I share that with is me!You think by Giles coming here that I might fall back in line. You don't know me anymore. So don't get one of your followers to come down here and expect me to do things your the hell out of my business and city!"
All that follows that speech was the dial tone. He hung up on her. She all but collapses onto her bed, she didn't even realise that tears were streaming down her face until one fell onto her arm.
She hates this. Hates them becoming strangers, of being apart. Them arguing and not knowing what was happening in one another lives. Granted she could tell him, and they would be in one another's life again. But what would the point be, he would do the righteous thing by wanting to be there for her and the baby. Not because he loves her or wants her. He would do it for the baby. She didn't want that at all.
She wanted him to want her and love her like he used before everything changed. Before they said that they would forget.
Buffy feels her throat restricting, she rises quickly from the bed and rushes out of her room into the bathroom throwing the door open. Thankfully, the toilet seat was up still from her last bout of sickness. Buffy collapses on in front of the bowl and heaves into it. She feels tears still streaming down her face, the burning sensation of her throat. Her back constantly ached; her breasts were sore. Everything hurt.
Pregnancy wasn't her friend at all. She had hoped the sickness would have disappeared by now, unfortunately she has become one of the unlucky few to be stuck with it throughout her whole pregnancy.
All she wants is Angel, to hold her to experience this blessing with her. But she knew in her mind it was better this way. It had to be. He decided without her, now it was her time to decide for him.
Buffy paces back and forth in the apartment of one Rupert Giles, anxiously waiting for her ex-watcher to walk through the door. After her conversation with Angel and self-wallowing for a few minutes, she had headed to Giles' apartment, waiting for him to arrive from LA. So that they could discuss the damage of Faith and their next steps with Adam.
"Buffy…he'll be here soon. Why don't you sit down?" Willow asks her with a weak smile.
"I can't just sit-down Will. I knew I should have gone there myself."
"What would have done there? Oh, I know, waddled into Angel's apartment and been like 'oh hey Angel, yeah we're having a…" Xander mockingly says, rolling his eyes before the rest on over at the slayer. Buffy glances over at the only male in the room and glares at him. "Sorry, I'm not helping am I…"
"Not particularly, you're not."
"Sorry…" Xander mumbles, he and Willow share a weak smile from across the room as Buffy continues to pace as she begins to grow even more agitated the longer it takes for Giles to arrive.
"He should be here by now." Buffy states just as the door opens. All three teenagers look up as Giles strolls through the door. He lets out a tired sigh and closes the door, he heads over to the liquor cabinet. Grabbing a glass and a glass bottle of bronze liquid, pouring a generous amount, he brings it up to his mouth taking a long sip as Buffy comes over to him.
"Giles, I'm so sorry." Buffy apologises, her pitiful sorrow eyes looking at him.
Giles lets out a sigh and looks at his charge, "it's alright Buffy and Faith didn't say anything about the baby." He tells her.
"Good and thank you." Buffy gives him a small smile; he returns before going over to the couch to have a seat. Buffy stays standing, unable to sit still for too long anymore. Now that she was slaying less, she has a lot of pent-up energy all time.
Giles looks at his glass and points out, "he was slightly angry that you weren't there though."
"I know…" Everyone's eyes landed on her, Buffy shifts uncomfortable at their gaze. "He rang, cussing me and to tell me that I should stay out of his business and his life." Buffy blinks rapidly trying to stop the tears that were beginning to form.
"Oh Buffy…" Willow stands up and goes over to her, wrapping her arms around her emotional best friend.
"I get it I do, but still, it hurts you know?" Wiping the rogue tear away from her cheek. Pregnancy was making her more emotional than normal; she hated it and the feeling of being weak. It didn't help that every time she thought about Angel all she was doing was cry.
"Maybe if you just tell him…" Willow tries.
"No Will…I can't." Buffy's eyes widen as she shakes her head looking at the witch.
"Yeah, who knows what would happen if he found out. For all we know, perfect happiness could happen and then bam. We're all being tortured and then we're vampire food." Xander mentions sarcastically, clapping his hands when he says 'bam.' All three heads turn to face him each scowling at him.
"Xander, you're not helping." Giles speaks up then takes another large sip of his drink draining the glass. He huffs; he needs another one. "Buffy, I know you don't want to say anything but if we told him, it means more people could help in finding out more about your son and how he came to be. There must be a reason."
"I know how he came to be Giles. I was there and there doesn't have to be a reason." Buffy bites out, she moves out of Willows arms beginning to pace once again in front of the gang. Willow moves out of her way and sits on the arm of the chair that Xander sits.
"Yet, the day was swallowed by the Oracles. If that is the case then in theory, the child shouldn't be here." Giles disputes with her, standing up wandering back of to get some more alcohol. His head was beginning to pound listening to the same excuses every single time.
Buffy stops her pacing and faces her mentor, eyes glaring angrily at him. "Excuse me?"
"He's a blessing Buffy. But we should know more about him, of what to expect. That's all I'm saying. I just find it odd that he has come into existence when that day hasn't technically happened. Angel and his team might know something we don't or even be able to find out for us, Buffy."
"Yeah, for all we know he could be part vampire and is supposed to be part of some sort of prophecy." Xander says shrugging his shoulders. Willow slumps down, shaking her head. It seems like Xander is determined to piss off the pregnant slayer, she is certain of it.
The boy has a death wish.
Buffy's vision turns to Xander, eyes narrowing at him. "He's not part vampire. He's human, I can feel it." Xander shifts uncomfortably at her gaze.
"He is right Buffy, we don't know that."
"I do! Do you not trust my judgement?" Buffy asks, she looks around each of them in disbelieve.
It is Xander who speaks up. "It's not that we don't trust your judgement Buff…but when it comes to Angel or the baby…"
"You're blinded." Willow finishes cautiously, biting her lower lip. Her eyes never leaving Buffy's form trying to gauge the slayer's reaction.
Buffy lets out a small laugh and shakes her head, "excuse me." Her eyes glowering at the three of them.
Giles lets out a huff, placing his glass onto the table. He turns his back onto the room and speaks over his shoulder. "Buffy, you don't exactly think straight. We have spent the last 4 months trying to find out why you're pregnant when the Oracles swallowed the 24 hours up." The older gentleman turns to face the slayer, "meaning technically you shouldn't be pregnant, yet you are." Giles gestures to her growing stomach. Buffy frowns, her hands instinctively going over to the area trying to protect it. "We are no closer to finding anything how this came to be. Telling Angel and his team means more eyes, more minds in trying to figure this out or even know if the child is human. While Angel might have been human when…but we don't know if his vampirism is passed down to the child."
"I can't believe this…how about trusting me and my gut." Buffy counters back to him, she could feel herself beginning to shake from both the angry and dejection of them not trusting or believing her. Once again…
"Not when it comes to Angel and that child. I don't trust you." Giles barks out as he glares at the blonde.
Buffy's breath hitches, she feels tears threatening to come to surface as she looks between Xander, Willow and Giles. Xander avoiding her eyes, Willow looking at her with pitiful eyes and Giles continuing to glare at her. "Oh…"
"Buffy, we get it…it's just…" Willow stands up, trying to reach for Buffy who deflects away from her, throwing her arms up in the air as she moves around the wicca. She moves towards the door; she turns round looking at each of them with sorrow in her eyes. Buffy opens to the door and walks out of the apartment, away from them, she doesn't want to argue with them.
She just doesn't have the energy for it right now. She knew her emotions would get the best of her; it doesn't take a lot for her to burst into floods of tears these days.
She loves her friends but sometimes she could really do with their support and understanding without there having to be a reason or the world happens to be ending. She has saved them repeatedly, but would it hurt for them to trust her judgement, to trust her instincts and gut.
Buffy slowly walks away from the apartment that held her friends, she didn't pay much attention to her surroundings or where her legs were taking her when a sound was heard behind her. Buffy whirls around quickly as Forrest Gates jumps out from his hiding place, he points his blaster at her, Buffy eyes widen, and she raises her arms up to show that she means no harm.
"Don't shoot." Buffy states.
Forrest narrows his eyes at the slayer, "give me a reason not to?"
Buffy arches an eyebrow, "you're killing humans now?"
Forrest continues to glare at the blonde, then lowers his blaster. "Not yet, however if it wasn't for your condition." He says in disgust looking her up and down. "Beating you senseless would've been fine too."
Buffy puts her hand over her bump protectively and expression showing her hatred for the man before her. "Here's a plan, you go your way, and I'll go mine. Sound good? Perfect." Buffy then looks around her, noting that she is now in the woods right by a cave. She walks towards it, her spidery senses going into overdrive. Something evil was happening in there, she draws away from it only to step into a solid body from behind.
Buffy spins around again, seeing Forrest still directly behind her. She opens her mouth, yet nothing comes out.
"You should get out of here." Forrest orders her, she frowns. Part of her knew that she should however another part of her, the slayer part, screamed at her to check the cave out. The mother in her won out. Forrest walks around her and heads into the cave.
"You're heading in there alone." Buffy says
Forrest stops just before the entrance of the cave and answers her without turning around, "we're spread a little thin, so yeah. Family's tearing apart."
Buffy lets out a sarcastic laugh, "family. What kind of family are you? Corleone's."
"We weren't until you and your groupies showed up." He says turning his head slightly, Buffy could see his glare.
Buffy shakes her head at him, "what? No girls in the club?" Buffy pouts her lips a little.
Forrest turns to face her, scowling. "You think you're the first girl that Riley's taking an interest in? Such a big head on that skinny little body." He shakes his head at her, "No. You're just the first one to get him to commit had a a future till he met you. And, yeah, I got a problem with that."
Buffy scoffs, "a future?A future doing what? Illegal experiments. Torture. Murder. I guess killing someone isn't really a problem for you."
Forrest begins to walk towards her, leaving the cave entry. "Less and less. And why don't you get the hell out of here before I…" He takes another threatening step to her.
Buffy steps back away from him. "Touch me and you'll find out what Slayer strength is like."
"In your condition. I would love to see that happen." Forrest taunts at her. Buffy narrows her eyes at him and turns around walking away from the solider.
Buffy hasn't gotten far when she hears gun shots from behind her in the distance, her eyes grow wide when she realises that Forrest could potentially be in danger. Without weighing up anything Buffy turns around heading back towards the cave as quickly as she could.
Finally making it to the entrance to the cave, she walks into the cave to see Forrest charging at Adam. The demonoid cyborg greets him with his skewer, shoving it through Forrest's chest.
Buffy's eyes widen, without even thinking she shouts. "NO!" She sees Forrest going limp, Adam tosses Forrest's body to the side, his body sliding off the skewer and hitting a large boulder. He turns to the slayer, an evil smirk on his face, bending down his picks up Forrest's forgotten blaster.
"Oh, God." Buffy gulps, her arms wrapping around her baby bump. She quickly turns bolting for the entrance. Adam fires the blaster at her, it barely missing her blowing apart a huge chunk of the cave walk.
Buffy stumbles outside of the cave, her legs trying to give way, but she kept pushing through. Picking up speed as she runs down the hill away from the danger, from Adam and the dead body of Forrest. She risks a glance back over her shoulder, Adam doesn't seem to be after her but that doesn't stop her from continuing with her desperate need to escape the dangers. She wasn't looking where she was going when she loses her footing on the edge of the steeper slope, Buffy tumbles down.
Buffy rolls down the incline and is stopped by a large rock sticking out of the ground, she hits her head hard causing her to grow dizzy. She could feel blood slowly pouring out from the gash on her forehead. Both of her arms instinctively cover her stomach, she barely acknowledges a glow forming around her when she loses consciousness.
Buffy slowly walks into her bedroom; she switches on the main bedroom light. She winces as the light is too bright for her. She wanders over to the bedside table leaning down she switches on the lamp. She goes back over the main light switch and turns it off, a soft glow fills the room making it less painful for the slayer.
Buffy heads over to the mirror and looks at herself, she first takes in her ever-changing form. Her hands run along the slight swell of her stomach. She gives it a soft smile that grows slightly bigger as she feels a flutter coming from there.
"Someone's awake." She whispers to herself, her fingers caressing against the bump. The love she feels for this tiny little miracle, it was overwhelming. She thanks whoever it is that he is okay even after her fall from early. She then looks over the gash on her forehead, wincing as she touches it lightly with her fingertips.
A knock is heard throughout the house, Buffy frowns not expecting anyone and knew her mother was out of town for the week, something to do with the gallery, she hadn't really been listening all that much when her mother mentioned it to her. She makes her way down the stairs and to the front door opening it up.
Her eyes widen as the land onto the dark chocolate eyes of her ex-boyfriend, his own widening as he takes in her own appearance. Buffy bites her lip and places her hand gently onto the 6-month-old baby bump. "Angel." Her heart begins to speed up as she takes him in.
Angel takes an unnecessary breath and clears his throat, "hi. Can I come in?"
"I guess." She answers softly.
Angel frowns and hesitates, "Uh, I need a little more than that." It's been nearly a year since he has stepped foot in the Summer's household, invitation that previously allowed him to enter has since been revoked.
" . . . come in." Buffy steps aside, Angel walks inside past her. Buffy closes the door and her own eyes trying to gain courage along with attempting to stop the vibrating of her body humming in his proximity. The beating of her heart speeds up, taking a breath she turns to face him.
He gazes at her for a long while, taking in everything about her. His eyes keep going back to her growing stomach. Buffy shifts slightly, she makes her way to the living room where she sits down on the couch. Her feet are beginning to kill her, Angel hovers near the door frame uncomfortably. His eyes never leaving her form, he could hear her heartbeat along with the fetus inside of her. It was strong.
"You're hurt." He says, wanting desperately to reach up to take her pain away but he restrained himself from touching her.
"I'm fine." She answers, shifting around on the sofa uncomfortably at his proximity. He nods his head with a frown. Silence follows the pair as they both don't know what to say to the other. A moment later, they both open their mouths at the same time, Buffy quickly closes hers and gestures for Angel to continue.
"I came to apologise for what I said on the phone and for hanging up on you. I assume this" He waves his hand in her direction, acknowledging the small bump. "Was why Giles came to Los Angeles regarding Faith instead of you, even if you did block up my phones all the time Giles was there."
"Well, I didn't want to see you." Buffy responses bluntly, she was tired off holding back her true feelings. It was always him that she took it out on; to be fair the vampire deserves it this time round.
"Gee, thanks Buff. Nice to know I mean so much to you." Angel rolls his eyes at her.
Buffy glowers at the vampire and bits back angrily, "I obviously didn't when you gave up your humanity."
Angel's eyes widen, he opens and closes his mouth for a couple of seconds. "What are you talking about?" He asks nervously, his eyes refusing to meet hers. Buffy feels her heart sink, part of her hoped that it was just dreams but seeing him, his behaviour confirms that it wasn't.
Attempting to keep her emotions in check Buffy stands up, cradling her bump. "It's funny being a slayer, sometimes I get prophetic dreams or visions as someone might say." She begins and shrugs her shoulders. She starts to pace the room, unable to stop herself she says, "and well, just before I found out about this little one, I kept getting repeats off a certain day, a day that I'm supposed to have forgotten." She turns to look at him, her eyes hardening at him. "So, here's my theory, junior here didn't want mummy to forget that daddy is a blundering idiot." She could see the hurt in his eyes, but she didn't care or acknowledge it.
She is hurting too.