By: Jaide
Joyce was worried. She'd let Buffy off the hook when she had stayed inside and done what was asked of her, but she was gone again. No doubt with that boy, Angel. *College student my Ass!* Joyce thought bitterly. The guy was at least 24, probably older. And, he'd had sex with her daughter! If she ever saw that boy around her house, she'd call the police. It was against the law to sleep with a minor, which is exactly what he'd done. Still, Buffy's words echoed in her mind. "It was my decision."
Buffy arrived home to find her mother once again pacing the hallway. She rolled her eyes heavenward. "You were with Him again, weren't you?" she asked flatly, saying the word him as if it were roadkill.
Buffy fought the urge to scream. "His name is Angel, and yes. I told him it was twins."
"And what did he say? Has he told you it won't work out? Showed any signs of leaving, yet?" Joyce asked sarcastically.
"No! Actually, he fainted. When he came to, he was excited," Buffy told her coldly.
Joyce sighed. "I know these kind of guys, honey. I don't want you to be hurt. I'm trying to protect you."
"Angel isn't like that, Mom. You've met him. Perfect gentleman."
Joyce looked her daughter in the eyes. "Tell me this; he didn't try anything, you, know, that you didn't feel comfortable with?"
Buffy shook her head. "No, he even said we shouldn't. Like I said, it was my decision."
She turned away from her mom and went to her room.
Angel decided he needed to make peace with Joyce Summers. Buffy had been telling him for the past 6 weeks how difficult she'd been. He headed over to her home early at 8. He bravely knocked on the door, secretly hoping Buffy would answer. No such luck.
Joyce looked shocked to see him, then her expression turned to hate. Angel smiled politely.
"Ms. Summers. Hi..." he was cut off.
"If you're looking for Buffy, she's unavailable tonight."
"No, actually, I wanted to see you," he said, surprising her even more.
Buffy stood at the bottom of the stairs, watching the whole ordeal. Angel noticed her.
"Hi Buffy," he said politely.
Joyce curtly invited him inside. "Buffy, may I see you in the kitchen?" she demanded.
They both headed into the kitchen. "Buffy, what in Hell is he doing here?"
"I don't know, he never said he would stop by, let alone want to talk to you," she told her frantic mother.
Joyce ran a hand through her hair. "I really don't like him."
"Mom, please! Give him a chance. He's a really nice guy, please?"
Joyce slowly nodded. "I'll give him one chance, but if anything seems funny about him, he's gone, got it?" Buffy nodded warily.
Angel stood from the couch as the two entered the room. Joyce took the chair a ways away, but Buffy settled down next to him.
"Well, I suppose you two are going out from the fact you have slept with my daughter," Joyce said gritting her teeth.
Angel was actually afraid of this woman. He contained himself from running out of the door. "Oh, um, yeah."
"This is the part where I get to ask you personal questions. Are you really a college student?" Angel shook his head.
"No, never been, never will go. I do know my history, since I've been there," Angel decided her mom must know the entire truth. The whole vampire/slayer demon business.
Buffy realized what he was saying. She looked at him, shocked. "She needs to know, Buffy. You can't hide it anymore."
"Oh, no. Another surprise. Let's hear it," Joyce said, sarcastically.
"Well, ask me any question, I'll answer it as best I can," Angel told her.
Joyce gave him a look. "How old are you?"
Angel looked down to the ground. "Mom," Buffy started. "You don't want to know."
"Late twenties?" Joyce guessed. Angel shook his head. "Thirties?" she asked even more hurriedly. Buffy buried her head in her hands. Angel again shook his head. "Forties!?" she squeaked.
Angel unneccesarrily took a deep breath. "I was born in Galway, Ireland, in '56."
"You are 42??" Joyce yelled standing up.
"Mom, he means 1756. He's 242."
Joyce almost threw a book at her daughter. "Buffy, this is no time to joke around!"
"She's not joking," Angel spoke up. "I'm a vampire."
Joyce was pissed. "Get out of my house, now," Joyce said.
"Show her, Angel," Buffy said.
"Ms. Summers, watch my face."
Joyce looked at him. She screamed when he put on his game face.
Giles had finished telling Buffy's mom about slayers, watchers, vampires, and other demons. Joyce seemed a little calmer. They had explained about Angel, and how he and Buffy had met. She was a little angry when they told her he wasn't exactly good yet. He still occasionaly fed off humans, but for Buffy's sake was trying to quit.
Giles also told her something Buffy and Angel didn't; the immortality.
"Absolutely not!" was her response. She did not want her daughter around that vampire any longer.
Buffy looked up at Angel. They were lying in his bed at his apartment. Buffy was exhausted. After telling Joyce about everything, they'd sent her to Giles who could finish it. Then, they came here and crashed.
"How mad do you think she'll be?" Buffy asked softly.
"Don't worry. She'll com around. Buffy let him raise her shirt just a little to feel her somewhat enlarged belly, which he did quite often.
At The Bronze the next night, Willow was telling everyone about her discovery. "Angel will be good, Buffy will be immortal, and they can be together. I also had another idea," Willow told them.
"What?" Oz asked.
"Well, I was thinking, maybe we could all becoma immortal. Live forever, never grow old, and wrinkly, and smelly. Well?"
Cordelia thought for a second. "Never grow old, huh? I think we should!"
Xander nodded. "Yeah, that would be awesome!"
Oz laughed. "Why not?"
"Why not what?" Buffy asked coming behind them. Angel was behind her.
"Oh, Buffy, hi," Willow said nervously.
"Come on Willow, spill," she said sternly. Angel raised his eyebrows.
"Well, uh, I sort of found something Ms. Calendar had been working on," she looked at Angel.
"The curse," he finished for her bitterly.
"No!" Willow said. "Not the curse. It would give you a soul, but it's not meant to cause you grief. Plus, you could go in the sunlight, and crosses, garlic, holy water, churches wouldn't hurt you. And there was something else."
"What?" Buffy demanded, very excited about the news.
"It tells how to make a human immortal. And, well, we all want to become immortal, and you should, too," she finished.
"You'll never get wrinkles!" Cordelia broke in.
Buffy looked at Angel, who stared at her in return. He shrugged. "Like Oz said, why not?" Buffy nodded. It was set. They would all live forever. Now, they had to get the items to perform the ritual, behind Giles' back.
Buffy was 5 months pregnant and huge. She looked like she was 7 months. It was time for another check-up, and it was schedulked at night so Angel could come, too. He was going to see his babies on the ultra-sound for the first time.
"Lay right here, Miss Summers," the doctor instructed. She did as was told, and soon they had everything set up. Angel watched at the whole proces intently.
"Are you the father?" Dr. Jameson asked, startling him. He nodded. She looked at the two, noticing the age difference.
Angel reached out and stroked Buffy's cheek with his finger, brushing away stray hairs. Dr. Jameson shrugged and got back to work.
When the image came up on the screen, Angel was glued to it. Buffy saw his expression and laughed. He'd never seen an ultra-sound before, so he didn't know what to expect.
"What is that?" he asked, pointing to the screen.
"Those are your children," the doctor said, tracing the outline of their bodies. Angel put a hand on the side of Buffy's stomach and felt a little movement. He was intrigued by the whole thing.
"Angel, will you stop pacing about? You're making me dizzy," Buffy told him teasingly as she watched him explore everything in the room.
He smiled nervously. "Sorry."
He stopped at a small glass jar that held sharp needles. He visibly shuddered.
The babies were due on December 13th. Buffy was 7 months pregnant, and school was in motion. She was excused from PE and anything laborous, which meant she got all the boring classes. Now, she had a free. She was lying down In Giles' office, not feeling well at all. She had been sick the entire week, and was pretty sure she had a fever.
"Buffy?" Giles asked, coming into the office. "Are you all right?"
She shook her head and moaned. "Giles, I feel weak."
He frowned. "I was afraid of this. 1 child you could handle, but two?" he shook his head, taking her temperature with his hand.
"What do you mean?" she asked warily.
He sighed. "The twins were concieved from a slayer and a vampire, obviously. They have great strength and require much energy. Your energy. A normal human couldn't handle it, but a slayer could slip by, with one child. You are having two."
"What's that mean?" Buffy asked meekly.
"Quite frankly, it's killing you."
Angel stroked her hair as she lay in the hospital bed, unconscious. She'd been getting worse the whole day. He knew how to save her, but Giles would not allow it.
"You cannot make her immortal, Angel. I will not allow it!" Giles told him.
"She'll die! It's the only way. Unless, of course, you want her to become a member of my undead family?" he questioned sarcastically.
"It'll kill the twins!" Giles shot back.
"If we don't make her immortal, all three will die," Angel said, his voice cracking. "You can't stop me, Giles. It will happen. Tonight," Angel threatened.