Child Mentality

*~*~*~*

They were all excited. Buffy was deleriously happy with her condition. They had called the doctor back, and he had confirmed her suspicions. Angel was on cloud nine. He had never dreamed that he and Buffy would ever have a child together.

Angelus, of course, was full of himself. I always knew that I was a superior vampire... he bragged.

Hey, it's MY body! Angel informed him.

Buffy groaned, WHAT have I started? "Oh, come one, you guys! Can't you even get along for our baby?"

Both of them were instantly contrite.

"Sorry, baby."

Yeah, sorry Buff.

She glared at Angel, and in doing so, Angelus. She was determined to set them straight. "Okay, here's the deal. This is our baby. Ours, as in, the three of us. The both of you have equal claim, and rights. Neither one of you is going to love this baby more, or take care of this baby more than the other..."

She looked them in the eye, "Do you hear me?"

"Yes, Buffy."

Sure, babe...

"Yeah, right..." Buffy muttered under her breath.

"Come on, Buffy, you can do it! Just a little harder, Baby!" Angel informed her.

She glared at him, "You wanna do this?!?!"

Oh, please, Buff, you're the Slayer, for Christ's sake!

"Will you shut up, Angelus!" And this bloody pipsqueak, know-it-all doctor isn't much better!

"There's only a few more minutes left, Mrs Ryan. You're almost there..."

"Oh, bite me!" Buffy snarled at him.

Hey, that's MY job! Angelus protested.

It wasn't long after, that Catriona Aileen Ryan was born.

Angel sat in the chair by Buffy's side. The doctor had left an hour or so ago, after checking the baby over.

She looks so peaceful, doesn't she? he asked Angelus.

Mmm. You wouldn't think that a couple of hours ago, she was screeching at us...Angelus answered.

Angel chuckled aloud.

She's a wonder, isn't she?

And she's ours...Angelus answered him.

Angel smiled. Yeah, she is....so, you've finally accepted that she's ours, have you?

Yeah, well, Buff just doesn't like us fighting over her, and I have to be the responsible one...after all, I'm a dad now...

Oh, come on! Don't start that again! She's my daughter, too. Angel growled.

Angelus snickered, Sure, Soulboy, whatever you say...

Angelus!

Their arguing had awakened the new mother...

"Oh shut up! I wanna sleep!" Buffy scolded them, her eyes still closed.

Sorry, Buff...Angelus apologized.

"I'm sorry, Baby..." Angel agreed.

Buffy smiled, and went back to sleep...

THE END