Xander walked into the high school library and sat down at one of the tables in an exasperated slump. It had been a long day and Xander’s body ached in places that it shouldn’t be aching. He seemed to be having lower back pain, and he kept feeling rather nauseous. He hated to think that he was coming down with something; he wouldn’t be able to help the others in their demon slaying, and there was no way that he could go to the hospital to see what was wrong. His father would only get angry with him for creating another bill. He put his hand over his face and closed his eyes, waiting for the others to get there too.The office door in the library opened and Giles walked out to find Xander apparently snoozing in a chair. ‘He must have had a rough day today.’ He thought. He sighed, walked over to the table and gently put the rather large text he was carrying on the table. “Xander?” He said softly, hoping not to startle the poor boy awake. When no response came he tried again. “Xander?” Louder, “Xander.” He sighed and walked over to him. He shook him by the arm and tried again. “Xander!”
“What?!” He startled awake. Looking around, he remembered that he was in the library. “Oh…Hey, G-Man.”
“Hello.” Giles said, straightening his glasses. “I tried not to startle you, Xander, but it was difficult to wake you.”
“Really?” He asked. Giles nodded. “Wow, that’s...weird.”
“And why is that?”
“I’m usually a really light sleeper. I wake up at anything…especially now that I know most of what I feared growing up is actually really real!”
“Yes, I suppose that would make anyone a light sleeper, knowing that ghosts and goblins really do exist.” A voice said from the double doors at the front of the library.
Xander jumped up from his chair and whirled around, facing the tall, dark haired, dark eyed vampire that had just walked in.
“Aren’t you supposed to be in L.A., Deadboy?” Xander squeaked, visibly shaken by Angel’s sudden appearance.
“Cordy had a vision, said I be hear at this little meeting that you’re all having tonight. Said I would discover something interesting…though, what that would be she didn’t really say.” He explained, making himself comfortable in another chair across from where Xander had been sitting. By comfortable, he slid the chair back and propped his feet up on the table.
Giles straightened his glasses again and headed into the back of the library to grab another large text.
“What are you doing here, Angel?” Xander whispered, leaning forward on the table.
Angel removed his feet from the table and also leaned forward. “I told you, Cordy said I should be.” He whispered back.
“You break up with Buffy, leave for L.A. and…no wait…scratch that…back up! You break up with Buffy, seduce me, leave for L.A. and then just waltz back in here like you never left! How can you do that?”
Angel sighed. “You remember that huh?”
“Yeah.” Xander nodded. “How could I not? You were my first gay experience…Hell, you were my first sexual experience.” His whispering was getting a little high pitched and Angel was worried that Giles would hear them.
“Well, you were drunk. I didn’t think that you would remember me seducing you! And keep your voice down, you want Giles to hear you?”
Xander sighed again, then sat heavily back into his chair. He was feeling that nauseous sensation in the pit of his stomach again and had to sit before he ran to the bathroom to hurl. He put his head in his hands hoping that his sudden dizzy spell would go away.
“Xander, are you alright?” Angel asked aloud.
Xander groaned. “Not...really...” He paused. “I don’t...feel well...and I don’t know why.”
Angel stood up and walked over to Xander. Putting his hands on Xander’s shoulders, he gently urged the young human to lean back in his chair. “Giles.” Angel called calmly. “Will you kindly come here and tell me if Xander has a fever or something?” Being dead meant his fingers were always cold, and thereby it was difficult to tell if Xander was hotter than a normal human, or if he only felt hot due to Angel’s own cold fingers.
Giles walked back into the main room of the library and towards the two. “Why? Is he ill?” He asked, absently taking in the sight of Angel rubbing Xander’s shoulders.
Xander groaned and laid his head on one of Angel’s hands. “I don’t feel well at well.” He moaned.
Giles came forward, put the book on the table with the other one, and laid a hand on Xander’s forehead, then both cheeks, and then the back of his neck. He shook his head. “No...he doesn’t have a fever of any sort.” He said. “Perhaps it was something you ate, Xander.” He commented, just as the door opened again and Buffy, Willow and Tara came waltzing in.
“Well, it’s definitely something.” Angel said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Xander sick.”
“What? Xander’s sick?” Willow asked. “Xander, are you okay?”
Xander groaned again. “Why does everyone have to keep asking me that?” He laid his arms on the table and let his head fall forward onto them. Angel took a seat next to him in order to better make sure he was okay, absently keeping his hand on Xander’s arm in an effort to comfort him.
“So, Angel...what are you doing here?” Buffy asked, placing herself in a chair across from him.
“Cordy said she had a vision…said I should be here by tonight. So...here I am.” He explained again, hoping that he wouldn’t have to another time.
“Oh? Why? Did she say why you needed to be here? Did it deal with me?” She asked, trying to be coy.
“Uh...no...no...and uh...no.”
“Oh...” She pouted. “Wait a minute. How do you know it didn’t deal with me if she didn’t tell you anything about it?”
“Because Cordy would have joked about it if it you were, and she was very serious.”
“Ugh...Guys...I hate to interrupt, but I’m feeling really sick here, so I’m just gonna go down the hall to the bathroom...” Xander said weakly, stumbling to his feet and weaving unsteadily as he tried to walk to the doors.
Angel stood to follow him, but took only a few steps before he lunged towards Xander and caught him mid-fall.
“Xander!” Everyone exclaimed in unison.
“Xander!” Angel said, turning Xander over in his arms and looking down at his face. /He’s so beautiful, Angel.\ Angelus purred in the back of his head. /Take him...and run!\ He ordered. Angel shook his head at that. ‘No.’ He thought. ‘I can’t. I have to find someone who can tell us what’s wrong with him.’ “Xander...” He said again, softer this time. “Come on, Xander...Wake up.” He said quietly, the others gathering around them. He put his hand to Xander’s face and gently caressed his cheek.
/Check his scent, Angel...\
‘What?’
/Use our senses and check him. Perhaps there’s something we can detect about what’s making him ill.\
Angel mentally nodded and scooped Xander up into his arms. “We need a place to put him that’s comfortable.” He demanded, looking at the others.
Giles nodded. “I have a cot in my office.” He said turning and heading in that direction; Angel was right on his heals. He waited while Giles unfolded the cot and put a blanket on it. “There, he can lay on that.” Angel nodded and gently put Xander down, laying him on his back. He then stood and turned to the girls who were standing at the door. “Close the door. Giles and I are going to look for anything out of the ordinary, and we may have to strip him a little.”
The three nodded, Tara blushed, and they shut the door, going to sit back down at the table.
“Do we...really need to undress him?” Giles asked.
Angel shook his head. “Only if I can’t smell anything weird on him.” He explained. “I need them gone because one, if not all three, are wearing perfume, and it would interfere with my senses.”
“Ah.”
Angel leaned close to Xander’s face and took in a long deep breath. He didn’t normally need to breathe, really; only when he wanted to smell something, and he could definitely smell something. He moved down Xander’s body towards where the scent became stronger, ending at this mid-section. At first Angel thought it might actually have been something he ate, but after a few seconds, Angel stood, shock showing on his face. He gently put his hand on Xander’s stomach, and traced a little circle there.
“Well?” Giles asked.
Angel swallowed. “Uh...well...There’s...” He paused, collecting his thoughts. “I’m not sure how to say this, Giles. Xander is...”
***** “He’s what?” Buffy asked, disbelieve showing clearly on her face.
“Is...Is that even...even possible?” Tara stuttered out.
“Well, in some cases of demon possession it is...and uh...”Willow stopped for a moment. “And uh...there are some demons that can carry whether they’re male or female...” She explained.
“So wait...is Xander possessed? Or is he a demon of some sort and we just didn’t know it?” Buffy asked, trying to comprehend their new situation.
Giles sighed and cleaned his glasses. “Well, as it is highly unlikely that we just didn’t know of him being a demon of some sort, perhaps he’s possessed.”
Angel, who had been pacing outside the office door, suddenly stepped forward. “No...he’s not possessed. I would have smelled that.”
“Then...is he a demon?” Willow looked like she was about to cry.
Angel shook his head. “No...I would have smelled that too...unless...” He paused. “He could be half demon, and his human smell just overpowers it.”
“Uh...my question is...” Buff started, raising her hand as if she were in class. “How? I mean...who would have gotten Xander pregnant?”
Angel paled…which was quite a trick since he was already pretty pale to begin with. “Uh...well..."
Luckily for him, he was interrupted by Willow.
“I didn’t even know that he wasn’t even a virgin anymore...”
Angel turned back towards the office, hoping no one would miss him if he went inside. Unfortunately, he didn’t get as far as he would have liked.
“Angel?” Giles asked. “Could you tell that by his smell?”
Angel swallowed dryly. Turning around he tried to find the best answer to give to all of them. He put his hand up and rubbed at his mouth as if in thought; which he was.
/Just tell them it’s ours.\
‘Oh yeah, that’ll go over really well...I can just picture how they’d react to that one!’
“Well, uh...” He swallowed. “I um…already know…who got him pregnant.” He bit his lip and waited for the question.
“Well...who?” Buffy asked.
“Uh...hmmm...”
/Just tell them!\ Angelus growled.
“Uh...me...”
***** Xander felt much better now that he had slept, but it was a little strange waking up in the library office...on a cot... What did Giles need with a cot in the office anyway, the old pervert! Oh wait...he probably worked late a lot as he really lacked in the social life department, and rather than going home tired, he just slept here. Ha...like Xander could talk about not have a social life?
He could hear raised voices from the other room and decided that maybe he should go see what was going on. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he could definitely pinpoint shouting. His father did it often enough...
He tiptoed to the door and listened through it. He picked out Buffy, Giles, Willow and Angel. It would figure that Tara wouldn’t argue with them.
***** “How could you have sex with Xander?! I thought I meant something to you!” Buffy yelled.
“Buffy, Angel is a big boy and can make his own decisions!”
“But it’s Xander!” She shrieked.
“Buffy, he was drunk!” Angel countered.
“So you took advantage of him?!” Willow added.
“No!” Angel shook his head.
“Then he was willing?” Giles asked.
“Yes!”
“But it’s Xander!” Buffy repeated.
“And what is that supposed to mean?!” Willow demanded.
“Xander! The gopher...the doughnut boy...the Zeppo...the...icky...thing...that keeps trying to get laid!” She yelled.
“Buffy, How could you say such a thing about him?!” Willow demanded again. “Xander has always been loyal to you and you treat him like he’s filth under your feet to be washed away at the end of the day!”
“I agree with Willow, Buffy.” Angel said softly.
“So you seduce him?”
“Buffy, perhaps you should just calm down.” Giles tried.
“Calm down?! How can I calm down?! I just found out that my ex-boyfriend slept with the little tag along boy who doesn’t know when to give up on women!”
“Maybe he finally did give up on women, Buffy! Maybe that’s why he gave himself to me! Maybe he loves me! Don’t I deserve to be loved?!” Angel cried.
The room silenced for a moment as the rest of the group took in what Angel had just said. He bit his bottom lip and took in a calming breath. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to blow up like that. But don’t you understand that Xander is special?”
“Yeah...special ed...” Buffy muttered.
Angel took two steps and closed the distance between Buffy and himself, back-handing her across the face.
“Don’t...you...dare...ever...say anything like that...again!” He growled, his face rippling into his more vampire side.
Buffy’s hand went to her face and her jaw dropped in shock. “You hit me…I can’t believe you hit me...”
***** Xander listened to the exchange through the office door, and leaned against it in anguish as he heard what Buffy truly thought about him. Tears formed in his eyes and fell down his face as who he thought was a friend belittled him in front of everyone out there. So she really thought that was what he was like. But Angel didn’t seem to. He seemed to think that Xander was worth something...He was about to open the door and walk out when one more sentence caught his attention.
***** “You know what I can’t believe?” Buffy huffed. “I can’t believe you got him pregnant.”
***** Pregnant?! Was he pregnant? How could that be true? But it had to be...they wouldn’t be discussing it if it wasn’t...Was he carrying Angel’s child? But how could that be? Angel was dead...right? Could he get someone pregnant? But who else would Xander be carrying a child for? He had never been with anyone else!
‘Okay...I have to go out there...I have to go out there and see what’s going on. I have to get this straight in my head...I have to have to know if I heard correctly.’
***** The office door opened and the group turned to see Xander walk back out into the library. “Hi.” He said simply. “I uh...heard you guys talking out here.” He started.
“Xander...”
“No, Angel...uh...it’s okay...I think I heard what you guys were saying....Something about me...being pregnant?”
They all nodded, and Angel watched Xander’s expression to see how he would react.
Xander pursed his lips and nodded. “Okay, so I heard correctly. What does this mean?”
Angel stepped towards Xander expecting him to shrink away. When he didn’t, he put his hands on Xander’s arms and tried to comforting.
“I’ll take you to a demon doctor...one who works with these kinds of situations. He can help you decide what you want to do.”
“Decide?” Xander looked up at Angel. “Oh I’ve already decided that I’m keeping the baby. I just...don’t know how it’s going to be delivered...and quite honestly...it scares me.” He admitted looking down again at the floor.
Angel smiled. “Don’t worry, Xander. I’ll be with you every step of the way.” He wrapped his arms around Xander who, in turn, wrapped his around Angel.
“Buffy,” Xander said, his head leaning against Angel’s chest, “I know that you hate me.”
Buffy started to protest, but Xander cut her off. “Willow, I’m glad that you don’t think of me the way that she does...but...” He continued. “I’m going with Angel back to L.A. because...I love him...and I want to be with him...that is...if he wants me...” He looked back up at Angel’s face and stared into his eyes, looking for anything resembling scorn or disgust.
Angel’s smile widened. “Of course I want you, Xander. And yes, I’ll be taking you back to L.A. with me.” He kissed Xander on the forehead, then, for good measure, he kissed him on the lips...not caring if anyone else in the room noticed.