*~*~*~*
Catriona looked around the living room. They had all come so far in the last ten years. Her Mommy was learning to control her mental abilities, but only Catriona knew, because her mother wanted it to be a surprise. Grandma Joyce was getting married, but her Daddies were still worried about her Mommy.
Unfortunately, Aunt Faith had died five years ago, just after she had served as bridesmaid at Grandma Joyce's wedding to Grandpa Luke. Grandpa Luke was Grandpa Hank's older brother.
Apart form the birthday girl, there were five others in the room. Her Mommy and Daddies, Grandma Joyce and her Grandpas, Luke and Hank. They always counted Angel and Angelus as one.
Luke and Hank had found out about Buffy just before Joyce had remarried. She had wanted Buffy to be a part of the ceremony, so the wedding had been at Buffy and Angel's place. The celebrant was the only non-family person there, given Buffy's 'condition'.
Everything had been hard on Buffy, with so many people to deal with...
~Flashback~
Catriona sat on the floor with her father(s), playing with some duplo blocks...
Joyce sat in one of the recliners with Buffy in the other, Luke and Hank were seated on the sofa in shock.
Too many images and thoughts ran through Buffy's head. "Ahhhhh! Stop it! You're giving me a migraine!" she screamed.
Luke and Hank stopped suddenly. "What? Huh?"
Catriona got up and went to her mother, giving her a reassuring hug. They don't know, Mommy. They can't help rejecting the truth, or all of the thoughts...
Buffy smiled at her daughter. "I know, Baby. Give Mommy sugars..."
Luke and Hank stared at Buffy like she was mentally unstable. "I'm not as crazy as I used to be..." she laughed. That didn't reassure them.
The two brothers had been stunned to find Buffy living with a man and having a child by him. She hadn't spoken to them since just before the incident with the demon that gifted her with her abilities. They had been even more stunned by Buffy's confession to being the Slayer.
"Buffy, I know that you believe what you say, but maybe you should..."
"...see a doctor...!" Hank finished for his brother.
They all heard the dangerously low growl coming from Angel...
"Oh, oh..." Buffy said as they all turned to Angel, his vampire status apparent by his face.
"What the...???" Hank yelled.
"OH! He's...CRAP!" Luke's eyes widened dramatically.
"Angel!" Joyce scolded gently.
"Daddy!" Catriona giggled. She found the whole thing hilarious.
Angel stopped growling and picked up his daughter, tossing her into the air and catching her again.
"Anyway, Angel's a vampire..." Buffy stated, much like Cordelia would have.
Joyce let out an exasperated sigh at her daughter's tactless comment and Angel's behavior.
"What, are you crazy?!?!" Luke yelled at Buffy. He ran up to Angel and plucked Catriona out of his arms and carried her to the other side of the room. Hank was still standing by the sofa in shock.
The squirming child jumped out of Luke's arms and stomped on his toes. "Leave my Daddies alone!" she yelled at her future grandfather and ran back to Angel.
We could take 'em both, Soulboy. Angelus suggested.
No. This is Buffy's family... Angel protested reluctantly.
They scared Kitten!
I know, but Cat's fine. She's more angry than anything else. Angel rationalized.
Angelus grumbled.
Angel picked up their daughter and held her close. "Daddy..." the five year old sobbed into his chest as she held onto his neck, tight.
Angel closed his eyes and hugged her tiny body. "It's okay, Baby."
"They're mean!" she wailed.
Buffy glared at her uncle in accusation.
Luke tried to defend himself, but just made it worse. "What the Hell is he, Buffy? Just look at him!"
Buffy looked. All she saw was the fathers of her baby girl. She often forgot just how the rest of the world viewed them. Angel's face returned to normal as he calmed down, Buffy smoothing the ridges on his forehead with her loving touch.
Both Hank and Luke calmed down when Angel took Catriona to the bedroom. Buffy turned on them and attempted to explain a few things about her life and love...
~End Flashback~
With instructions from various sources, five year old Catriona had helped her vulnerable mother to build a psychic barrier around her mind. Now, five years later, Buffy, was almost normal and able to go out. It was supposed to be a surprise for everyone.
There wasn't an 'everyone' as a whole, anymore. Ten years had alienated Buffy from her friends. Xander had never forgiven her for Catriona, Giles was busy with his new Slayer, Oz and Cordelia didn't really care either way, but Willow emailed her every week and visited on Buffy's birthday.
Catriona watched her family as they all handed her presents. When she was finished with unwrapping them all, she had a complete computer and all of the other hardware and software that she could possibly need or want in her entire lifetime. Her Aunt Willow had sent her some software that she had created from Giles' books on demonology, as well as a complete guide to Wicca traditions, also on a set of CDs.
She figured that her mother had told Aunt Willow about her gift of telepathy and magick. Aunt Jenny's soul had taught her about the Romany as well as computers. Catriona's head was filled with more knowledge than the average genius.
It was time...
As she sat amid her unwrapped presents, Catriona looked around the room, making eye contact with her family. Mommy, Daddy, Grandma Joyce, Grandpa Luke and Grandpa Hank.
Buffy knew what her daughter was going to do and smiled in support. Both Angel and Angelus could tell that she was about to say something important. They doted on their baby girl and knew her well, just not completely.
"What's the matter, Cat?" Angel asked.
She could hear her other Daddy, too. She'll tell us when she's good and ready, Soulboy. Give the child some space. Stop smothering her!
Angel had gotten used to answering Angelus aloud, so had everyone else. "I smother? What about you?"
Hmmph! It wasn't that I was smothering her! I just needed to give the Slayer some time to recuperate before screwing her again...Angelus said smugly.
Buffy sent him a mock glare, knowing that he didn't mean it that way. She had gotten used to Angelus' form of denial in the ten and a half years he had been around...
Not so her daughter. "Don't talk about Mommy like that!" she yelled.
Angel looked at his daughter in surprise and growing horror.
Fuck! Not her, too!
Buffy smacked him around the head. Angel looked at Buffy and rubbed his head. "Sorry," she apologized. "That was for the insensitive demonic asshole."
Catriona began sniffling, a tear leaked out form her bright, gray eyes.
Angel immediately went to hold her, but she backed away from him.
Kitten! I'm sorry, Baby...
"No, you're not!"
Kitten! Sweetie, you know that Daddy loves you! Angelus was panicking. He didn't want his daughter to think that he didn't want or love her.
Catriona just collapsed in a heap on the floor, sobbing. This'll teach you a lesson, Daddy, she thought.
Why, you little minx, came her mother's amused thoughts...
part 3
Angel and Angelus looked on as Buffy cradled their daughter in her arms, rocking her gently like they used to at night when she couldn't sleep. Catriona had puffy red eyes from her crying jag.
They felt bad, the soul and the demon. They had caused their daughter's heartache and had no idea how to ease it.
It's your Goddamn fault Angelus! Why the Hell do you always have to be such an ass?!?!
Me??? I was just kidding!
Well, she wouldn't have believed it if you didn't do the same thing every single time! You're always having a go at Buffy and Cat!
How the fuck was I supposed to know that she was like Buffy?
We should have considered the possibility when she was born. I think Buffy did and that's why she never let Cat out to play or go to school with everyone else. Just look at her!
Angel sat on the floor, his back against the lounge chair facing Buffy and their daughter. They took in the way Catriona looked, all helpless and vulnerable...
Dammit, Angel! I love her! Why the Hell can't she be like Buffy and just know that?!?!
Both Buffy and Catriona jerked their heads toward him. Angelus had never called Angel by his name, it had always been 'Soulboy'...for ten years.
That's probably all that you're going to get out of them, Sweetie.
I know, Mommy. Catriona looked up at Buffy. You won't tell?
No way! The mighty Angelus, reduced to begging a ten year old, even if it is his daughter is just too funny! Anyway, they both needed taking a down a peg...or two.
Thank you, Mommy! Catriona jumped out of her mother's lap and went crying to her 'Daddies'.
Angel caught her easily and held her close for what seemed like ages.
The child's grandparents were glad to see that Catriona's dramatics were over and the everything was back to normal in the Ryan household. Everyone watched as Catriona curled herself up into a ball in Angel's lap and closed her eyes.
I love you, Kitten. Angelus' voice whispered to her.
"I love you, too, Daddy. But you've never told me that before..." she trailed off with a sniffle.
I'm sorry, Kitten. I used to tell you all the time when you were little, he argued gently.
You ruined my announcement...she pouted in annoyance. The look was completely ruined by her red, tear-stained eyes.
Everyone laughed as Catriona fell asleep in his arms.
