Chapter 2. Buffy was nervously sitting on the edge of the bathtub, tapping her feet on the floor. She hadn`t even taken off her jacket. She had just rushed in there, before her mom could notice her. The feelings she had been feeling lately, the nausea and the fatigue. It had all come after the day she had spent with Angel. The day she was never meant to remember. The thought sparked anger in her. How could he not have told her? That day was the best day of her life. They had been together that day, really together. She hadn`t thought about protection. Who thinks about protection when they`re having sex with their 200 odd vampire turned human, boyfriend? "Beeeep." The sound sent a chill down her spine. It came from a small alarm clock situated on the edge of the sink. Oh God, this was it. She had never been so nervous in her life. She took a deep breath, walked over to the sink and picked up the test. Her whole body started to shake. She took another deep breath before daring to look down. A pink line was visible in a small window on the test. Then she realized she didn`t know what it meant. She scrambled with the box and looked for the answer, and there it was Pink line means positive Buffy stared blindly at the word. Her body turned numb, and she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She was pregnant...with Angel`s baby. _______________________________________ The next few days went by so fast. Everyone was researching the demon Buffy had fought, thinking it was the reason for the nausea and fatigue. But Buffy knew it wasn`t. She was now sitting at the hospital, alone, in a crowded waiting room. Her eyes wander to all the expecting mothers, and the parents with their babies. It made her sad to see so many happy couples. She spotted a young couple sitting together. The man was lovingly caressing the woman`s swollen belly. Buffy fantasied about her and Angel, and in the fantasy he was lovingly caressing her stomach, and they were both all smiles. "Buffy Summers?" a voice called out, pulling her back to reality. She took a deep breath, stood up, and walked toward the woman. She was tall, average built, with dark hair and dark eyes. She looked quite friendly, Buffy thought "Hello, I`m Dr. Samuel," the doctor smiled, and held out her hand. Buffy shook it, and gave a small smile. They entered a lit corridor, and walked past several doors before the doctor stopped and opened one. "It`s right in here." Buffy walked into the room. There were posters on the walls, showing different stages of pregnancy. The doctor sat down at her desk and gestured for Buffy to take a seat opposite her, and she did. Buffy had her head down, staring at a small spot on the floor. "So what can I do for you today, Miss Summers?" the doctor asked. Buffy lifted her head, and looked at the doctor. "I think I might be pregnant...uh I took a test...it was positive...and I`ve been feeling...weird lately." She lowered her head again finding the same small spot. Doctor Samuel asked Buffy a bunch of questions, and Buffy answered, not really registering all of it, just staring at the spot on the floor. Then the doctor asked, "and the father?" She felt her heart skip a beat, then looked up "uh...well he`s..." she turns sad. "He`s not in the picture" "Okay...what about a family member...or a friend?" The doctor seemed concerned. "I haven`t told anyone." "Miss Summers, it is of course not my place to tell you how to handle this. But having a child is a huge responsibility, especially for someone as young as you. You are going to need support." Buffy simply nodded her head. The doctor decided not to push, seeing that it made her uncomfortable. Instead she asked if Buffy would like to see the baby now. They moved toward a steel table. Buffy lied down and lifted up her shirt, revealing her bare, and still flat, stomach. The doctor sat down in a chair next to the table. She picked up a tube of gel and put some across Buffy’s stomach. Buffy flinched a little from the cold and the doctor apologized. She picked up the probe, and held it against Buffy`s skin, moving it over her stomach. Buffy stared blankly up at the roof, Everything was silent for a few minutes. Then she heard it. It was the most amazing, strange sound she had ever heard. She turned her head towards the screen "There is your baby...and there is the heartbeat," the doctor pointed at the screen. Buffy felt a sudden rush of worry wash over her. Even though Angel had been human during the time of conception, he had been a vampire for over 200 years. Was it even possible that the child could be normal, she mustered up the courage to ask "Is it..okay?" "Yes everything looks good, strong heartbeat...which is uncommon this early in the pregnancy." Buffy looked nervously at the doctor "But everything is normal?" "Yes, everything is perfectly normal," the doctor gave her a reassuring smile. and Buffy breathed a sigh of relief. She turned her attention back to the screen. There was her baby, her normal, human baby. The baby she and Angel had created. _______________________________________ Buffy arrived home to an empty house. She felt so tired, her head was pounding. The past few days had felt so unreal. She walked into the living room and sat down on the couch, curling her feet under her and resting her elbow on the armrest. She pulled out the ultrasound picture from her side pocket. She couldn`t stop thinking what everyone would say when they found out. How was she going to explain everything? She quickly hid the picture when she heard the door open. Willow entered, looing excited, holding a piece of paper. "Look, Buffy. I found the demon. Fits your description and symptoms perfectly." She sat down on the couch next to Buffy, holding up the paper with the demon. "Is this it?" Buffy looked at the paper, and nodded silently. Willow pulled out a bottle. "I whipped up a little antidote for you, so you should be feeling better in a jiffy." Buffy took the bottle and looked at the thick sticky substance, the smell alone made her feel nauseous. "I know it looks gross, but you`ll feel better after you drink it." Willow sounded more concerned now. Buffy placed the bottle on the table and leaned back on the couch. She could feel Willow`s eyes following her. She lowered her head and brought out the ultrasound picture. She handed it to Willow who glanced at it before lifting her head to look back at Buffy, her face showing her confusion. Buffy met her eyes, and said in a soft voice, "I`m pregnant Will." Willow`s eyes widden in shock. "What?" She quickly picked up the paper with the demon on it. "I didn`t read anything about the demon being able to do that, I can check again...we`ll figure it out Buffy." She stood up and walked toward the kitchen. Buffy realized that Willow thought the demon had impregnated her. She sighed, "it`s Angel`s." Willow stopped dead in her tracks; she turned to look at Buffy with a disbelieving look. Buffy looked up, her lips quivering as she fought back the tears. She picked up the ultrasound picture that Willow left on the couch. A tear fell down on the picture and she wiped it away with her finger. Willow walked over, and sat down next to her. Buffy didn`t meet her eyes, she just continued to look at the picture. "I`ve been having these dreams lately, strange dreams...about Angel...so I did a spell to figure out what they meant...I saw myself...in LA..." her tone turned soft, "with Angel...we were together for a whole day...really together" She looked at Willow with swimming eyes. "He was human Will," her voice cracked. "Oh Buffy," Willow said sympathetically. Buffy looked away again. "But it didn`t last. Time was turned back, and I was never meant to remember." Willow touched her friend`s hand, and looked at her. Buffy met her eyes, then started to sob. "I wish I never remembered, I wish it never happened...it hurts so much to...to think about everything we could have had." She looked down at the picture again, tears running down her cheeks. "I can`t tell him that I know...I can`t tell him about the baby," she said, pulling herself together. "What are you gonna do?" "I don`t know...we can`t be together, that`s why he left...and nothing`s changed." she stopped and looked down at the picture again. Chapter 3 Back to This Woman`s Work