TITLE: Surprises.

AUTHOR: Kelly Rowe

DISCLAIMER: Buffy, Angel and the gang belong to the evil Joss and I only own the characters I make up. In a perfect world however I would own all of them, Buffy and Angel wouldn't have broken up and Riley would never have existed.

RATING: PG

SPOILERS: General (if any)

TIMELINE: Over 17 years after IWRY

DISTRIBUTION: You want you can have it, just tell me where you put it.

Buffy was late, extremely late. It was due to this fact that she was sitting on the edge of the bathtub staring at a box. Buffy followed the instructions and sat waiting for the results, this action got her thinking about the results she got last time she'd taken this particular test, Hope. The truth of the matter was, it was just like last time she didn't really need to take the test to know she was pregnant, she just knew. {Talk about jumping in headfirst} she thought. She and Angel had only been back together for five weeks and they were already procreating. When the time was up, she checked the results which just confirmed her knowledge and she sat there wondering how to break the news to Hope and Angel.

Meanwhile Hope was sitting on her bed with Cookie dough fudge mint chip ice cream, 2 spoons and her best friend.

"Men suck" Hope told Abby between bites.

"Technically it's not men, it's male know-it-all vampires who suck" Abby corrected her.

Hope thought about that for a moment and then agreed. They sat there stuffing the ice cream into their faces. Abby broke the silence by asking, "So when's the big day?"

"Next weekend. Since school has finished for the semester, mom and dad think it's a good time. So we officially have one week to pack up over 17 years of accumulated junk" Hope told her.

"Wow" was all Abby could think of too say. She didn't want Hope to leave of course, but she knew she had to not only because of her parents but because that one Starbucks town wasn't big enough for both Hope and Dev to both live in comfortably.

They were once again in the middle of pigging out when Buffy stuck her head in the door. She said, "I'm going out, I'll be back soon".

"Okay mom" Hope said as Buffy left her room.

Abby looked at Hope confused and asked, "What's up with your mom?"

"Well, let's see...She's constantly throwing up, she just spent an hour in the bathroom for no apparent reason and this morning I heard her make an appointment with Dr. Haslett" Hope replied.

"Oh My God, Buffy's dying" Abby yelled.

"I don't think so. I think that she's like this because my status as worshipped only child will soon be coming to an end" Hope replied happily, she'd always wanted to have a brother or sister.

"Wow, that's so cool. I mean both your mom not dying and the baby news...I'm babbling again aren't I?" Abby said in a rush.

"Yeah, but I don't mind. The baby is good news...as long as I don't have to change diapers," Hope said.

The girls continued to gossip (on another topic) for a few more hours, before Abby left to go home.

After Abby left, Buffy called Hope into the living room for a talk. Buffy sat there nervously across the room from Hope wondering what was the best way to break the news, however Hope made the decision for her.

"So...when's my new sibling due?" Hope asked to relieve Buffy's struggle.

Buffy stared at Hope in shock, "How did you..."

"Mom, it really wasn't that hard to figure out" Hope replied. "I'm happy for you and dad, but I have one thing to say..."

"And what would that be?" Buffy asked as she silently thanked the PTB that Hope was taking the news so well.

"I don't do diapers" Hope told her mother cheekily.

Buffy hugged Hope and asked, "Got any tips for telling your dad?"

Hope looked at her mom for a moment and then said, "Just tell him the truth. Otherwise he'll find out some other way and be totally hurt that you weren't honest with him".

Buffy looked at her daughter in awe and said, "When did you get so smart?"

"I guess I'm growing up" Hope replied getting up.

"So...I'm gonna go to the mall and then patrol, which leaves you time alone with dad. Which might I add is a good opportunity to inform him of your condition".

"Okay, I'll tell him" Buffy promised as she watched Hope leave, and then she began to wait for Angel's arrival.

When Angel pulled into Buffy's driveway, he practically leaped from the car in excitement. He got out his key and checked his pocket for the surprise he'd gotten for Buffy, and then he went inside. He found her in the living room, "Hey" he said.

Buffy looked up, momentarily startled. "Hi, I didn't hear you come in" she told him.

"Well that's because I'm stealthy," he said smiling. "I got you something".

"What?" Buffy asked curiously.

"Close your eyes" Angel told her. When she'd done that, he pulled out a box from his pocket and got down on one knee. "Okay, open them" he said.

Buffy gasped at the scene in front of her, she could hardly believe it was really happening.

"Buffy Anne Summers I love you. I always have and I always will I want to spend the rest of my life and all following lifetimes with only you. I swear I'm not trying to rush you into something you may not be ready for, but I just wanted you to know that I'm never, ever leaving you again. Will you marry me?"

"I'm a package deal," she told him. "Hey, you and Hope are my girls. Where you are I belong" he replied.

"Not just Hope" Buffy told him, hoping he'd get the message.

"Okay, Spike can come too" Angel relented, thinking that this was what Buffy was talking about.

"Not Spike" Buffy said.

"Then what?" Angel asked suddenly feeling extremely stupid.

"I'm pregnant" Buffy whispered wondering about his reaction. Angel took a second to absorb the news, he was going to be a father again but this time he'd be there right from the start. He kissed Buffy and started to jump up and down like a little kid.

"This is so great" Angel told her, "So what's your answer?"

"Yes" Buffy replied jumping into Angel's arms.

Then they went upstairs to celebrate the good news.

The End