disclaimer on first part.
((note: If you are familiar with the musical "Into the Woods" parts of this will make more sense than if you are not. But, even if you aren't familiar with it, or haven't even heard of it, it'll still be funny, and this is a vital part of the story, so...read it anyway. ))
After staggering out of the bathroom, much to the astoundment of Riley, Spike, Xander, and Giles, Buffy picked up the phone. She had to call.
"Hello?" Answered Cordelia's ever chirpy voice. "Angel investigations, we he--"
"Cordelia." Buffy cut her off. "It's me. has Angel left yet?"
Cordelia was in shock for a moment that Buffy had the gall to try and shut her up, before she calmed down enough to answer, "Yeah, like a half-hour ago. Why, what happened?" She sounded worried. That was a new thing for her. Buffy was mildly surprised.
"Have you made him get a cell phone yet?" Buffy had a strong feeling Cordelia would make Angel carry a phone. Cordelia grinned.
"Yeah. you can call him ,if you need to get in touch. His number is..uh, hold on..." Buffy heard her putting the phone down and shuffling through some papers. "464-854-9454. Okay?"
Buffy nodded, and got her blonde moment of the day, and then answered, "Yeah, thank's Cordelia. A lot. For everything." And she hung up.
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Angel couldn't stand it any longer. He had to have some sort of music to listen to, or he would go insane. But the only music that was in his car was Cordelia's 'Into the Woods' cd. With song titles like "Maybe they're Magic" and "I know things now", Angel wasn't sure that he really *wanted* to hear it. But, the radio would only pick up static, and him singing just wasn't an option. So in the cd went.
He almost burst out laughing when he first heard it. It was hard enough to imagine Cordelia auditioning for a musical, but she had gotten the role of Cinderella, and she assured him that it was a major character. So he sat listening to the cd.
"He's a very smart Prince." sang Cinderella's character. "He's a Prince who prepares. Knowing this time I'd run from him, he spread pitch on the stairs. I was caught unawares. And I thought: well, he cares-this is more than just malice. Better stop and take stock while you're standing here stuck on the steps of the palace."
By the end of the song, Angel found himself humming the tune. Laughing, he continued driving back to his old life, as the next song picked up.
"Ever after!" Cried the Narrator's voice.
"Ever after," sung back the cast.
"Journey over, all is mended, and it's not just for today. But tomorrow, and extended ever after." sung the deep voice of the Narrator, and the cast echoed his ever after again. "All the curses have been ended, the reverses wiped away, all is tenderness and laughter for forever. After."
Angel found himself not just smiling, but grinning, now, as he listened to the words the Narrator sung.
By the next few lines of the song, he was singing along.
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Buffy dialed the phone number hastily, hoping Angel had remembered to turn the phone *on*. It rang a few times before she decided to just hang up.
At the last moment, Angel picked. "Hello?" He asked harshly. It could only be Cordelia calling to berate him. But when the person on the on the other end sighed, he knew who it was.
"Hello," she did a perfect imitation of his greeting, "to you, too. Look, we need to talk." He could practically hear her hoping he'd be there soon.
Very suddenly, a loud chord clanged on the cd, and the women sung "To be happy, and forever, you must see your wish come true." The men joined in. "Don't be careful, don't be clever, if you see your wish pursue! It's a dangerous endeavor, but the only thing to do--" Angel quickly hit the stop button the the cd player. Buffy laughed.
"What was that?" Angel could hear her smiling, it was in her voice. He could tell that, even for just this moment, she was not bitter.
"Cordelia got a part in a musical called 'Into the Woods'. That was the act one finale. Or, part of it." He paused. He felt compelled to comment on how it sounded like their life, but restrained himself. If she did, that was one thing, but if he did...
Bringing him out of his thoughts, Buffy asked, "Think she can get me a great seat?"
He smiled. "Sure. You can go with me." then he realized how that sounded. "If you want." He added.
She laughed. "Sure, Angel. No hard feelings, eh? We can be friends. Right?" She added the last word quickly, unsure of herself.
It was his turn to laugh. "Of course, Buffy" < No, we can't be friends, I'm still in love with you > He added to himself.
Her thoughts were similar. < Great, friends. I don't want to be friends. I want you. Whoa! I'm dating Riley. I'm over Angel. Aren't I? Riley and I are dating, not Angel and I. And, you know, Riley's human. Man, I'm confused. >
Suddenly, needing to fill the silence between them, Angle spoke up. "I'll be there in about 20 minutes" And, to both their surprise, he hung up.
Buffy turned around, stunned. "What was that?" she repeated. She shook her head to clear it of the confusing thoughts she was having. She remembered Xander informing Willow once "you have too many thoughts". She smiled, understanding the true meaning of it.
All the men looked at Buffy with concern, except Spike, who looked at her with disgust. It was, surprisingly, Anya who broke the silence.
"She's pregnant."
The collective "What?!?" overwhelmed her.
She continued. "Look, that was morning sickness. I was a demon for hundreds of years, and pregnant little whores who wanted revenge on their men came to me often. I recognize morning sickness. Then she caught the look Buffy was sending her. No offense, of course.
Xander voiced the general consensus among the men folk. "But, Anya, it's not morning." He nodded for emphasis.
She shook her head in disgust. "Doesn't have to be. But, then, fine, we can call her case...Late evening sickness. Whatever. "Cause that's what it is. No doubt in my mind. And she'd have to be about...oh...two months pregnant for that to start."
Buffy looked more and more disturbed as this continued. Parker had been 4 months ago, and they had used a condom. All three times. And Riley was brand new. The only thing that stuck out in her head from 2 months ago was her visit to Angel. But she didnt voice this, as Willow all ready was, so she went to the couch to sit down. Riley came over, and placed his hand on hers. But she pulled away.
He assumed it was from shock. It wasn't.
She was thinking of Angel.
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The vampire in question drove up to Giles's house about 10 minutes later. He knocked politely.
Giles ran to the door, unsure who it might be this time. But it was only Angel, whom he admitted quickly and with out comment. Angel took in the scene.
Buffy was crying on Giles couch. Willow was trying to comfort her best friend. Xander and--Angel had to stop himself from staking him that moment--Spike were staring at them like they were crazy. Oz was no where to be seen. Giles looked preoccupied, and the former demon, Anya, looked half confused, half angry. And then Angel saw Riley. He saw the way he looked at Buffy. And it was all he could do to not die right then and there.
With one smooth motion, ignoring everyone else, Angel walked over to Buffy. He lifted the stunned, and still crying, girl into his arms and carried her to Giles's room, intending to lay her on the bed. Though surprised to see a girl who looked familiar, he did not take the time to try and place her, he just turned back, and lay her down on the bed in the guest room. He kissed away her tears before he realized what he had just done, and let out an internal groan.
Buffy looked stunned. And very pleasantly surprised. Angel was just happy the others were giving them this space. He had to give her it now, he might never get this perfect a chance again. So out of his pocket came the bottle.
Buffy stared at it in wonder, just as Angel had when he first received it. She took it from him, turning it to watch the colors change, like a child with a kaleidoscope for the first time. But this was so much better than a kaleidoscope.
"Drink it." He urged. She looked like she was going to burst.
"Angel, I'm pregnant." She blurted, and then had an inward groan. She had not mean to be so blunt. To her surprise he groaned aloud. "What? Not happy, 'cause, you know, *you* left *me*."
He shook his head. "Drink that. Then you'll understand."
And Buffy unscrewed the stopper, and drank the contents in one sip.
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Disoriented, and scared, Paige stood up. She had been sure. After rebraiding her hair quickly she walked out of the room. She looked around, and then she saw them. The blonde, things inside her screamed her mother, was being rocked gently by someone with dark hair. He looked up.
And for the second time that day, Paige fainted.
Angel looked at the girl who had just fainted with mild surprise. He thought of going to help her, but then remembered that Buffy was in his arms, and she had just learned the truth from her visit to LA. And that she had accepted it better than he'd hoped, because he wasn't a pile of dust yet. But something stuck out oddly about the girl.
She looked into his eyes, her own red, and her face tear streaked. "How?" She sounded like a lost little girl. It brought back memories of when she had been an 18th century noble woman. She searched his eyes, looking for the answer to all her questions.
He couldn't stop the reply that came out of him, quiet like hers had been, but determined. "Because, I love you. And, if I know my fairy tales, when two people love each other, they always end up happy. Together." He smiled sadly at her.
She only half smiled back. "Angel, this isn't some made up fairy tale. This is real. I am carrying your baby because some higher power thought it'd be funny. I can't even kiss you now, because we both know what will happen. How is this going to be okay?" She looked at him, daring him to tell her again that it would be fine.
But he didn't. He smiled more. "Buffy, we will make this work. I-I don't know how. But it has to. We were stuck together from the beginning, Buffy. I loved you the first time I saw you. And I've never once stopped since then. So, we will raise the baby. We'll give her, him, it, a normal life."
Buffy wanted more than anything to believe that. But she just couldn't. It was too perfect.
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Willow and the others stood in Giless living room, wondering what to do. They had heard Buffy's harsh sobs, but none had gone to see her. They heard her quiet down, and then the sobbing again. And then a few angry cries from Buffy. And then a loud thud, much like when Paige had fainted earlier. But they kept their distance respectfully.
For about a second.
Willow was the first to take in and comprehend the sight: Paige laying on the floor, having fainted again, and Buffy and Angel in each other's arms, rocking back and forth. She let out a low groan when she saw it all as Riley skidded to a stop behind her.
He barely kept quiet, and only after a very determined glare from Willow. She was not letting her friends moment be ruined. Now now. They deserved each other. However, Spike didn't catch that look, nor did Xander. They both took one look at the pair, and burst out.
"What the Hell?!" yelled Xander.
At the very same moment, Spike yelled, "Angelus and the *slayer*?!?" Then he smirked. "Told you." Then he walked back into the living room, muttering something about love, blood, and brains.
Riley, at this cue from the others, yelled too. "Buffy!" However, being used to being yelled at by Spike and Xander, it took this cry from Riley to stun Buffy enough for her to look up.
The revised Scooby Gang was unprepared for the look they got from Buffy. It wasn't anger or pain. Nor was it despair or anything of the kind. If they had seen Cordelia when she was pregnant, they would have recognized the look. Determined.
This scared them. Angel tried to smile at them remorsefully, but he couldn't make his mouth work when he saw Riley. Who happened to be the next to speak.
"Buffy! Who is that, and what are you doing?" He looked hurt beyond where pain should be able to go. She couldn't offer him any consolation.
"Riley, this is Angel. My...husband" And, in Sunnydale California, the world stopped turning.
TBC