Tiny Miracles
By Jessica

SPOILER WARING: This contains spoilers for my story Sleeping In Innocence, you should read that first before starting this one.
RATING: PG-16
CONTENT: Basically this is about Buffy and Angel's first child.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the Buffy characters. They belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy (Grrrr, Argh!), and 20th Century Fox Television.
NOTE: I know it's been revealed that Angel cannot have kids, but this is my fan fiction, and so in this story I say he can. Also, don't ask me how, but in my world Joyce knows about Buffy and Angel, Buffy's destiny, and so forth. It's my fanfic and that's how I needed it to be.


Buffy looked into Angel's eyes. They were sitting together in Angel's apartment in a chair. A few hours ago they had learned that the impossible had happened-- Buffy was pregnant with her and Angel's child. Their child had been conceived upon their first night together a few days ago. They had agreed to have the child and raise it, now there were only a few problems, mainly finding a way to tell everyone.

"Angel, how am I supposed to tell my mother?" Buffy asked. "And what about Giles and Willow, and Xander?" "Well, I guess you should just come straight out about it," Angel replied. He looked at Buffy and smiled. Telling everyone
was not on his mind, he was on cloud nine. The woman he loved more than anything in the world was pregnant with their child. That was special in itself, he was a vampire and not supposed to be able to have children.

After just being in each others arms for most of the remainder of the night, Angel carried Buffy to his bed and gently laid her down. He couldn't help but stare at her beautiful face, he could see it was glowing with happiness as she slept. No doubt it would be hard to tell everyone, but it would work out eventually, it had to.

**********************

The next morning, Buffy groggily woke up. She looked next to her and found a sleeping Angel there. She smiled. Soon that smile faded when she felt sick. She ran to the bathroom and promptly threw up whatever it was she ate last night. Buffy had decided it wasn't going to be too hard to tell her mother, Giles would be a little harder, but she felt she could do it. After Buffy was finished in the bathroom, she took a shower and got dressed.

She had a doctor's appointment, her physician had recommended an obstetrician for her to go to. When she stepped out of the bathroom, dressed, she found Angel was up.

"How do you feel?" he asked her.

"Like I'm pregnant," she answered with a small grin on her face.

Angel looked at her and couldn't help but smile. "So what are you doing today?" he asked. "Well," she said, "I'm going to school first, I'll tell Giles and everyone to come to my house today at like 7:00. We're gonna tell them. But first after school I have a doctor's appointment." "I'm assuming doctor's appointments are normal when one has a baby, right?" asked Angel. "You got it," she replied. "Well, I'll see you later," he said. Angel gave Buffy a kiss and went back to bed. Buffy then left for Sunnydale High.

Buffy made her way down the halls of the only high school in Sunnydale, she attended her classes as usual, but she had butterflies in her stomach, she wasn't sure if they were from being nervous about telling everyone, or the obvious. After her last class for the first half of the day was over, Buffy wearily gathered up her books and headed over to the library where she had no doubt she would find Giles, Xander, and Willow.

To her surprise not only did Buffy find Giles, Willow, and Xander in the library, she also found Cordelia and Oz with them too. She wasn't sure if she wanted Oz to know, considering she really didn't even know him, Cordy, well, Cordy could know. "Hey guys, what's up?" Buffy asked, making her entrance. The Scooby Gang looked up, "Nothing much, Buff," Willow said with a smile greeting her friend. "Yep, there's not even a new prophecy tonight!" Xander joked with a smile. Cordy nodded to her and Oz said hi. "Guys, Angel and I have something we...need to tell you, can you all be at my house at seven?" she bluntly stated as fast as she could. She felt that somehow they could see right through her and knew what she was hiding. The rest of them looked at each other, and they all replied that they could. But they couldn't help wonder, exactly what Buffy and Angel had to tell them. They hoped it was nothing serious.

After school, Buffy told Willow she had someplace to be, to get out of walking home with her so she could go to her doctor's appointment. She walked to the building, which was thankfully in town, and walked through the door. The waiting area was cozy, and Buffy found that she was the only one there with another very pregnant woman who was sitting in an arm chair reading the latest issue of Vogue. Buffy signed herself in and sat down, waiting for her name to be called. She picked up a copy of Seventeen magazine she saw lying on a table. After about ten minutes her name was called, and she went into an examining room for her first check up with Dr. Stevens.

Afterwards, it was 6:00, she went over to Angel's apartment and found him still sleeping. She smiled as she walked in the door. She went over to where his sleeping form was on the bed and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. His eyes fluttered open, and smiled when he saw who it was who had woken him up. He sat up in bed and asked, "How was your doctor's appointment?" "I'm normal, healthy, everything is fine so far," she said sitting down next to him. "Are you ready to tell everyone?" she asked him. "Yeah, did you tell everyone to come tonight?" he replied. "Mission accompolished," she said with a grin. She sighed and lay her head on his chest, "I'm so scared of what they'll think of us," she said. "Shhhh, they're your family and friends, if they love you as much as they say they do, then they won't think any less of you, as for me..." he trailed off. "Angel! They're your friends too! Even Xander knows it, only God knows he doesn't show it, so don't talk like they hate you or they'll degrade you or something," Buffy lectured. Angel sighed and held her. He wondered if this was right, that he was 242 and she was 16 and they were going to have a child. He prayed that everything would turn out okay.

***************

At ten to seven, Angel and Buffy left his apartment and headed over to her house to tell everyone that they were going to have a child. Buffy had been feeling sickly all day, her new doctor said that was due to morning sickness, but she held it together. She and Angel walked up to her door and she let them both in, there she found her mother waiting for her, as Buffy had asked her to when she called after school. Willow and Xander were there, and they could see Giles and Cordy pulling up the driveway. Buffy gave her mother and hug and a kiss, and Angel shook hands. Buffy and Angel sat on a sofa opposite of the one Willow and Xander were on. They all exchanged smiles and hellos, well all except for Xander and Angel, who exchanged glares. Cordy, who was with Oz were let in by Joyce and were followed by Giles. They all sat on chairs in the living room, facing Angel and Buffy. They were ready.

Angel and Buffy sat down on on the sofa that was opposite to the rest of them. Buffy took a deep breath, "Should we start?" she whispered to Angel. He nodded, the sooner the better. "Well, okay, Angel and I have something we need to tell you all, and there's no easy way to say this, so I'll come straight out......I'm pregnant, Angel and I are going to have a baby." The rest of them stood (or sat) in silence, they looked stunned.

"Oh, Honey, that's wonderful!" Joyce exclaimed being the first one to recover. She ran over and scooped her daughter up in a hug, before giving Angel a hug too. Buffy beamed, it had gone over well with her mother. Willow also recovered and she ran over to give both Angel and Buffy a hug. Oz and Cordy both just smiled at the both of them and told them congratulations. Giles cleared his throat before speaking, "Buffy, I am so happy for you both, believe me, but I have to say, you are the first slayer EVER to....well have a child." "I kinda figured that one out, Giles," Buffy said gently. The Watcher went over and gave his Slayer a hug.

Buffy then refocused her faze on Angel, who she found to be having some sort of face-off with Xander. Xander shifted his gaze upon sensing Buffy was watching them. "Ok, Buff, I wanna know when," he said coldly. Buffy stared at him, and then to his surprise, smacked him across the face. "God Xander! I....." she quivered then she lost it. She broke down on her mother's sofa. Angel immediately was at her side. The others who were talking amongst themselves about how wonderful their news was, noticed she was crying. Willow knew right away who must have upset her. Her gaze focused on Xander who sitting on the other sofa, with his arms crossed and a glare smeared on his face.

Willow decided that right then wasn't a good time to smack some sense into Xander. She had noticed that red streak across his face, and knew that either Angel or Buffy must have taken care of that. If Willow knew her best friend, Xander needed to come to terms with this on his own. Meanwhile, Buffy had calmed down, and murmured something about hormones.

Angel stood up and announced that he and Buffy better leave. Buffy would be staying with Angel for awhile, until they found a better solution, if there was one. The two walked out of Buffy's house and headed for Angel's apartment. Soon after Xander left, then Giles followed by Oz and Cordy. Willow lingered for awile and helped Joyce clean up the little mess that was there. Then after a quick hug good-bye, Willow also left. Joyce on the other hand made herself a cup of tea and went to bed.

Back at Angel's apartment Angel helped Buffy inside and into her nightclothes. They got into bed and fell asleep in each other's arms, Angel's arm resting on Buffy's stomach.

*********************

The next morning was Saturday, which meant Buffy didn't have to go to school. She sat up slowly in bed, not sure if she'd be sick like yesterday. She found that while she felt queasy, she didn't need the services of the bathroom. Angel, who was next to her, stirred. He sat up and instantly gave her a kiss good morning. She smiled and returned the greeting. "So how's my favorite mother-to-be?" he said, before getting up to make sure the blinds were shut, tight. "She's fine, queasy, but otherwise fine," Buffy replied. Angel looked worried for a moment then remembered what Buffy had said about the stages of pregnancy. The two lovebirds spent a quiet day in Angel's apartment in front of the TV, watching Jerry Springer. Because they just *loved* trash TV.

Meanwhile at the Harris residence, Xander was having a debate with himself. He knew he had hurt Buffy, badly. But he also was so..jealous. He realized he was so upset with the news that Angel and Buffy were expecting because he was jealous. Xander looked at the picture of him, Willow, and Buffy on the playground, the picture was taken a year ago. He then turned his gaze to a more recent picture of Cordelia, on the bench outside the school. She looked gorgeous, he also realized. He then, in that moment, grew up. He came to terms with the fact that Angel and Buffy loved each other and were going to have a child because of it. He also discovered he loved Cordy. In his own way he loved her, and he knew she loved him too, in her own special way. He picked up the phone and called Willow to see what she was doing that day. He made a mental note to apologize to Buffy, and as much as he hated to, Angel.

******** 5 months later **********

Buffy walked down the steps from her obstetrician's office and hopped into Angel's car. They had been living together for the past five months, that was the arrangement they had agreed on, and after their child was born, they would probably look for another place, Angel had the money. Buffy was 5 months pregnant and it was showing on her thin, petite body. Her abdomen was well rounded, and was getting bigger as the months passed.

"So how'd it go?" Angel asked. "Fine, as usual," Buffy replied rather perkily. They grinned at each other, as Angel pulled into his tiny apartment's single garage. Angel got out of the car and opened up the passenger's side door for Buffy and helped her out. She did not like not being able to do the things she used to do, like patrol at night. Angel had taken over that for the time being, since Kendra was back home. They walked in the apartment and Buffy plopped down on the sofa, that was another thing. Being pregnant made her extremely tired, they had decided to do what they had been doing for a long time, they were going to stay in and watch a movie. Buffy was sick and tired of romantic comedies, especially ones where babies were involved, so she had happily agreed to an action flick Xander had recommended.

Xander had, four months ago, apoligized for his behavior when Angel and Buffy had first told everybody they were going to have a baby. He had since, with Cordelia, been what help he could. That night after the movie was over, Buffy and Angel climbed into bed, andslept in each others' arms. It was just like any other night.

******* 4 months later*******

Buffy was sitting in the library, looking up vampire stuff in books, since she was incredibly bored and unable to fight vampires, since she was nine months pregnant, and her stomach was the size of a beach ball. It was then, that night, when she felt a strange sensation in her lower back. Thanks to lamasse classes she right away knew that it was time, she had gone into labor.

"Um, Angel?" she said sitting up in her chair. "Yeah?" he replied as he walked in the door from his patrol that night. "Yeah, I think it may be that time," she said, her voice rising with fear. This was her first child, and she was terrified at what she knew she was going to have to do. "Are you sure?" Angel asked, rushing over to her side. She nodded weakly. The others in the library finally realized what was going on and ran to Angel, and helped him get Buffy to his car. He thanked whatever God he prayed to that this had happened during the night, and he could be there for it. Angel hopped in and sped off towards Sunnydale General Hospital. Willow, Giles, Xander, Oz, and Cordelia, who had been in the library called Joyce and followed them to the hospital. This was it, Buffy and Angel were going to have a baby.

********************

Willow, Joyce, Giles, Xander, Cordelia, and even Oz paced around Sunnydale General's wating room. Angel and Buffy were in a delievery room doing what you'd expect.

"Come on, Buff, push!" Angel whispered in his girlfriend's ear. She was drained of all energy, just by riding out contractions. Her doctor said she was completely dialated and it was up to her to finish. Buffy looked up at Angel. "I love you," he whispered, doing the one thing he knew would help. Buffy's eyes were bright with unshed tears, a nurse helped her sit up, and she pushed. "Okay, I have the head," the doctor said, "Now all I need is one more big push from you and it'll all be over." Buffy took as deep a breath as she could muster and gave one big push before collapsing on the bed.

The doctor held up in his arms a squirming infant. Even though it had yet to be cleaned, it still looked beautiful to the new parents. Angel held Buffy's hand. "Do you want to cut the umbilical cord?" the doctor asked Angel. He went over, took the scissors from the doctor's hands and cleanly sliced through the cord, separating it from Buffy. Angel looked on anxiously as the newborn was cleaned, wrapped in a blanket, and placed in Buffy's waiting arms. The doctor and nurses left the room for the time to inform the others of the success and to give Angel and Buffy time alone with their new baby boy.

Angel sat on the bed next to Buffy and wrapped his arms around her as he watched his son in his girlfriend's arms. It was a beautiful sight, mother, father, and child all together. They were a family. There was a knock on the door, and Joyce stepped in, and almost cried upon seeing her grandson. She rushed over and kissed both Angel and Buffy before Buffy allowed her to take the child in her arms. "Have you two decided on a name?" Joyce asked softly. Angel and Buffy looked at each other and shrugged. "We really couldn't think of any," Buffy confessed. Joyce looked long and hard at the newborn in her arms before responding, "I don't know either, but I suggest you come up with one," Joyce handed the infant back to Buffy, and left the room. Buffy had told her that everyone else could see the baby after she got back home.

Buffy then handed the baby to its father, who had not yet held it. She watched silently as Angel tenderly held the newborn in his arms and gently caressed the boys calm face. "I like the name, Mark," he replied suddenly. Buffy thought for a moment before nodding, the name was perfect. Angel handed the baby back to Buffy just as a nurse walked in to take the baby back to be checked for health problems. After she left, Angel and Buffy spent a long time holding each other, marveling in the fact that they had a family.

*******************

Epilogue:
A day later, Buffy and Angel walked proudly into Angel's apartment to be greeted by Xander, Giles, Joyce, Willow, Oz, and Cordelia. They all passed around baby Mark until the infant had fallen asleep.

A few days later after Buffy and Mark were allowed to come home, Buffy and Angeldecided to live in Angel's apartment for the time being. They had plans to later find a bigger, and less dreary place. Buffy, Angel, and their son Mark were all very happy, as they all deserved.

The End!
Feedback, please!

Author's Note: Like I said, I'm no expert on pro-creation in today's world. Don't get mad if something's wrong. I'm also aware of the fact that Joyce and the others might not have taken the news as well as they did. Work with me. Also, forgive any bad grammar.