Life's Scares
by Caela

Disclaimer- I own Jena, Danielle, Feyrin and the name O'Hailey.

The room spun for a few minutes, it was so very hot in the warehouse she had led the "soilder boys" in. A fernace in all four opposite corners of the room didn't help much with her attire, pants and a tight black shirt. Buffy knew that she had to keep these guys busy until she could talk to Angel about what to do about Jena. She knew exactly why they had stormed into their house unwelcomed when they were just starting to fix lunch. There was nothing she could except for divert them to follow her instead of getting their hands on her very special and unique daughter.

Jena was the heir of a great prophecy; the daughter or a souled vampire and the slayer. Although Angel was turned human when Jena was about the age of one, almost two years ago, he was only human for a day until he feared Buffy's life with his vulnerability and had the Oracles reverse time and make him the same old "vampire with a soul," therefore Jena was a miracle and yet an accident to her parents and the world.

Everyone wanted their hands on Jena, "the Profited one," as they called her. Buffy and Angel both knew that the Initiative would find out who she belonged to sooner or later. They just didn't want it to, nor did they want to deprive her of having a normal childhood. They didn't want to have to keep her inside at all times just because there might be someone who would take her, which wasn't new for any parent. They wanted Jena to have fun and breathe fresh air every once in a while.

Buffy noticed them come in, she had been running them into circles for almost an hour now. She was able to take small breathers while she watched them track EACH OTHER down thinking that it was the Slayer. *Pffff....yeah right!* Buffy thought to herself. Even when she was pregnant with Jena she was still faster than they were. Of course...That WAS the main reason why Jena was born early. Buffy shook that out of her mind and went on with her thoughts of where to take them next. Angel would soon know what was going on and find out what to do. She knew it. She had to believe it was possible, for if he didn't she would have no choice but to either kill off everyone who if looking for her daughter to take as a prize or to keep running from them. Keeping Jena inside at all times. Moving every other month. Using fake names and pasts. Buffy gave a small heartaching sigh as she thought of these possibilities. Buffy knew that she would be more than willing to kill anyone and any number of people for her baby girl, but Buffy also knew that that would be difficult and dangerous.

Buffy perked up from her hiding place between the barrels that were stacked next to the right wall as she heared one of them speaking loud enough for her to hear what he was saying.

"Lilac, she's been leading us in circles!" The man seemed to be speaking to no one, his gaze was focused on the surroundings of the warehouse while he watched for any movement. The man put his hand to his ear and tilted his head a bit, pressing against his hand, as if he was trying to push something further into his ear drum.

Buffy knew who "Lilac" from her memory of when she was apart of the Initiative. The Initiative was taken over after her freshman year, by a man called Aaron Jackson, a rebelious General of the United States Army. He was official, but he protested against the agreement to dispose of the program of the HTPs' captures and studies. He wanted to know more. He wanted to have more knowledge of the world that he lived on. He wanted power. He wanted to kill every living THING that possesed something different and mystical or demonic. Buffy was on his number one list. Riley had gone back with the Initiative, hoping that it's goals had changed, plus the fact that he could keep Buffy from being hunted or suspected. But that wasn't exactly on his number one list once she told him that she was pregnant with her ex-boyfriend's baby and not his. Riley couldn't handle this, he rarely spoke to her, the day that she gave birth to Jena is when Riley came to visit and to give Buffy his own solem vow that Jena's originality would be held secret from his part at least, as a friend to Buffy.

Given, Buffy rarely talked to Riley, but she knew that he felt that Buffy's safety was a must to the good of man kind as well as those with a good demonic heart. She had thought that Riley was there, since she had heard his code name, Lilac, in the house when they first showed up on her "front door step." But now, Buffy was sure that he hadn't been there at all. Riley was apparently JUST being informed on the subject.

"Sir, I-" The man was cut off as the other person in his "head" took over the radio. The man listened intently and Buffy saw his expression fall from between a crack of two barrels. The man's eyebrows grew cross and crunched together as his lips persed together as he contemplated what his comanding officer was telling him.

"But Sir, she's here, we just-" Again, "Lilac" interupted the boy. When "Lilac" was finished speaking the man listening replied, "Yes, Sir. Yes, Sir. Over and out." He took his hand from his ear and took a deep breath and took a look around him at his crew. Announcing, "Lets get out of this fernece!" He gestured with his gun to his men to head for the door. They all turned to each other in bewilderment and headed for the door as ordered.

Buffy took a deep breath of relief. She leaned against one of the barrels and closed her eyes, trying to relax. Then, as the door shut her heart started up it's racy beat and her breathing pattern was deeper and stuttered.

Jena.

Buffy began to climb the stack of barrels that were against the wall behind her and climbed out of a broken window. After hopping down from the sill she turned her head rapidly, looking to see if any of the guys had seen her coming out, she didn't want to take any risks or make any mistakes. She ran back home, slower this time, pushing her body to live for just a few more minutes until she got home.

* * *

Angel had fallen asleep on the couch with Jena in his lap, she had slept the whole day, since eleven thiry that morning and until the early afternoon, he thought for sure she would have woken up at one o'clock since she had missed lunch. But she hadn't even opened her eyes to see all the people come into her home. She was so tired, Angel thought that it was just because of the action of the swimming, let alone the event of her mother "walking" away from her earlier, leaving her all alone. Angel knew that Buffy would never do something like that unless Buffy thought that Jena's life was at stake or that it was something planned out in order to keep her daughter safe. Buffy was an excellent mother and Jena loved her so much, which was a mutual feeling of Buffy to her daughter. Buffy didn't even like the idea of having Jena sleep in her own room. But then again, she was always reasoned with the thought that if Jena was in the same bed as them they would never have any personal time to themselves. Buffy didn't think she could live without that. She had resolved in just letting Jena come in if she had a bad nightmare during the night. Which, it seemed, was often, almost every couple of days. Buffy knew that her baby girl had inherited her ability to dream of things that were to happen or had happened in the past. This was probably one of the things that Buffy felt sorry for every day to her little girl. She felt responsible for giving her this much pain. No one should have to see the things that Buffy had seen in the past, as well as the future if what she sees makes her cry each night she has them.

But Jena was surprizingly strong when it came to her nightmares, she would only get her parents' attention if she had accidently screamed in her sleep. If she had a choice on it she would keep her mouth shut and not tell them. Which they were fully aware of. Angel and Buffy were not giving her very many ways out, they would constantly pressure her into telling them what was the matter, sometimes they would push too hard for Jena to understand and would end up making her cry. But she would always be picked up and rocked with whispers of love and soothing lyrics to songs.

Angel was soothed in his own sleep by the soft heartbeat that beat against his own. Angel woke up by the sound of a car driving past their house on th street and rubbed at his eyes, adjusting them to the light in the room. He could hear Giles and Anya in the room next to them, the kitchen, thinking of people to talk to, on whether they should just wait or not. Angel sighed, trying to relax, it only helped a little, with the weight of his offspring on his chest and looked down to her head. He peered forward, just to make sure she was still sleeping soundly. Sure enough, her eyes were closed heavily while her hand was in a lose fist placed inches from her face on his chest as well. The other hand was to her side and held his shirt tightly. She was still aftraid in her sleep that he would leave her alone. Angel knew that as soon as Buffy returned she would be ok. Thats all she needed, was the assurness that her mother was safe and well.

Angel held onto her back and bottom as he got up and walked with her still in his arms to the kitchen. Jena moved her body to the shift of sleeping situations, from horizontal to vertical place on her father's body. Her head switched sides as she scooted up and put her head on his shoulder. Angel hefted her up a little more to help himself and her be more comfortable. She was stirring softly to being awake, he knew, but he didn't like to wake her up uncomfortably.

Her eyes opened and just kept a stare at his necklace; a dagger about two and a half inches long, with celtic designs placed onto the curface of the blade as well as the handle. Her hand found the carved piece of silver and grasped it into her closed fist. Angel knew she was awake now and kissed the top of her head. "Hi, Love." He whispered only loud enough for her to hear. She kept her eyes on the now covered by her own flesh necklace that Angel always wore. Jena like to play with it when she was being held by him, she liked the way it felt in her hand, she called it, "MY necklace!" When Angel would put it on. Angel would laugh and reply reassuringly, "Yes, YOUR necklace. What was I thinking?!" He would play along with the little thing she had for it. He didn't understand why exactly she was so attached to it. He once had to used it to keep her quiet when she was 4 months old. Ever since then she didn't like being held by him if he didn't have it.

"Hi, Daddy." She whispered, barely breaking out her voice. She turned around again so that she was chest to chest with him and put her chin on his shoulder while her arms wrapped around the other shoulder and neck. He approached the two at the kichen table and put his hand on Giles' shoulder, giving a smile of encouragment. Giles' returned the smile and continued to talk with Anya, only softer so as to not ruin Jena's uneasy mood about just waking up.

Angel poured himself a glass of chilled water from the jug in the fridge and sat himself at the table. He pryed Jena off of his chest so that she would sit on his lap and face to his side with her legs dangling over his thigh. She was reluctant at first, it meant that she would have to let go of the necklace that she adored, but she gave in after a seconds battle with her much bigger father. He handed her the glass of water after he had taken a sip himself and nodded to her, refering her to take a drink of it. She did as she was "told" and returned the glass to him, he took another sip and handed it back to her. She gave him a look that meant that she was just about to complain and whine about what he was "making" her do, but Angel gave her a stern look with a slight cross of the brows and she swollowed all protests that were in her mind and took another sip and began to place it on the hardwooden table when Angel spoke loud enough for everyone at the table to hear.

"All of it." Jena placed the glass on the table and crossed her arms, giving a pouty look that Angel knew so well but could not see at the moment do to the way she was twisting her body to him. "Jena Anne-Marie O'Hailey, drink it all." She knew what that meant; she was in no man's land. She took the glass in her hand once again and began to sip away at the cold water. "Both hands please." Angel got a coaster and placed it infront of where they sat so that she could put the glass down upon it without ruining the furniture. Jena placed her other hand with the other. "Thank you." He kissed the top of her head.

Buffy burst through the door, frantic for breathe, and looked around the room. Everyone was startled and entered the living room in a bunch and were joyed with the sight that they found. "Jena..." Buffy released through her desperation of oxygen.

"Mommy!!!" Jena squirmed her way down from Angel's grasp and ran to her mother, where she was picked up in a heartbeat by. Buffy inhaled that familiar smell of her daughter's hair and kissed her cheek and neck and head and check again.

"Oh, thank the gods." Buffy whispered to herself. She watched Angel walked up to his family and hugged them both as Buffy held their daughter still. He kissed her on the lips and then her forehead before he guided her head to rest on his chest. "I'm sorry. I didn't have a choice, I didn't mean to put her in any danger, I thought-" Angel bent down his head as Buffy started to look at him and kissed her harshly on the lips so as to tell her that she was stupid for even thinking that Angel would not understand what she had done. He pulled away and watched as Buffy stroked Jena's hair, whispering all the while, "I'm so sorry, baby. I will never leave you on purpose, you know that. Mommy loves you. I'm so very sorry, Baby."

Part Four

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