AUTHOR: Kelly Rowe

RATING: PG-13 - NC-17.

DISCLAIMER: Buffy, Angel and all other characters (except those I make up) are the absolute property of Joss Whedon, Fox, Mutant Enemy, UPN and Warner Bros (If I owned them, do you think that they would be acting this ridiculous right now).

SUMMARY: Buffy makes a deal that changes her entire future.

SPOILERS: Totally AU - so none.

TIMELINE: Present.

DISTRIBUTION: You want you can have it; just tell me where you put it. Any lists just take it.

PAIRING: Buffy/Angelus

CATEGORY: AU and Romance.

WARNING: Foul language, adult themes.

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Part 1

What did one wear on a date with the devil, or at least a creature as close to the devil as you could get on earth? Buffy didn't know the answer, if she had she would've been ready for her business dinner with *him* by now instead of rummaging through the piles of clothes scattered around her stylish bedroom. Sighing she gave up trying to find something that would impress and settle don something she liked and felt confident in and began to dress.

The bright, cheerful house that she shared with her mother and younger sister in the *good* part of Sunnydale, had been her home for half a decade; since her parents extremely ugly divorce. Due to her father's death in a car accident a few months ago, unfortunately it wouldn't be home for very much longer. Everything that she and her mother could've sold they had and now the creditors were simply waiting for the Summers' girls to declare bankruptcy before sinking their teeth all the way in. If only her father hadn't died and left them with his half of the debts, that could not afford to be paid.

Both her and her mother's credit cards were maxed out and her mother's small art gallery on Sunnydale's main street was mortgaged to the hilt. In less than a week they would have to walk away from their home, take what little the bank would allow them too and try to make a new lives for themselves, ones that would be radically different from all they had known.

Buffy could hardly believe that she was almost twenty-one and about to be tossed out onto the streets. It wasn't pleasant, she'd had to drop out of college and Dawn was now being picked on by the people she'd once called her friends. The only person who hadn't abandoned them in their time of need was her best friend Willow, but the loss of everyone else had caused them all added stress.

This evening's meeting was her absolute last hope, the last chance that she had to save her family from losing everything. Liam Angelus McKenna, known as Angelus to everyone who knew him, was the only person with enough cash and enough clout with the banks to save them. Unfortunately he had absolutely no reason to help them, she was surprised that he even agreed to the meeting. She didn't want to deal with him, but she'd have too. If need be she'd sell herself to the devil to save her family. Buffy had only ever met him once that she could remember, her freshman year at Sunnydale High. He'd been harassing a fellow classmate of her's and she'd told him to drop dead, he was a loser and he always would be. She hoped he didn't remember that.

In truth she was really embarrassed about asking him for a loan, she didn't know him back then and she didn't know him now. She sighed once more and made her way downstairs, relived that Dawn and her mom had gone to the gallery to start packing up things, she didn't want them to know about the meeting - it was just simpler this way. She grabbed her jacket and headed off to meet the man who now, whether knowingly or unknowingly, held her fate in his hands.

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The restaurant that Angelus had picked for their meeting was newly opened and Buffy had never had a chance to eat there before disaster struck. Unfortunately it was also a popular one and Buffy had to park blocks away from her actual destination, consequently she was late for her meeting. That was not such a good thing when trying to make a good impression on a man you hoped might lend you a lot of money. She'd barely walked through the door when someone grabbed her arm.

"Buffy," he said with an unreadable expression on his face.

{Shit. I so don't need to piss him off} she thought. Buffy decided to schmooze a little. "I'm so sorry I'm late. I didn't keep you waiting long, did I?"

"No."

They were shown to their table and the waiter arrived seconds later. Although she wasn't hungry, Buffy ordered as not to offend Angelus. After the waiter had left, they just sat there staring at each other as they awaited who would make the first move.

Buffy was the one to finally break the uncomfortable silence that had descended. "I guess it's no secret why I asked for this meeting..." she began.

"I think we should eat before we get down to business," Angel said cutting her off.

Buffy shook her head, "I'm not here to eat and have a good time. It's not a date. I'm only here to talk business."

Angelus just smirked, "It's a good thing I don't possess a fragile ego."

Before she had a chance to reply their food started to arrive and she forced herself to begin eating. She kept telling herself that she only had to make it through one simple dinner and she'd have her answer, sealing her and her family's fate.

Almost an hour later as the last of the plates were removed from the table, Buffy got straight to business.

"Are you gonna give me the damn loan or not?" she asked directly.

"Why should I take such a risk? Even a *loser* would be smarter than that," he countered, reminding her that he to remembered the encounter in High School.

"I fucking knew that was gonna bite me in the ass," Buffy mumbled. Then she said louder, "Do you want me to beg? Because I will if I have too."

"Maybe I should let you... before I decide."

Buffy couldn't believe she'd been stupid enough to even hope that he'd help. Obviously he just wanted some twisted sort revenge for High School and wasn't at all interested in helping her. She grabbed her bag and got up.

"Where are you going?" he asked watching her.

"Home," she replied, "Tonight has got to be the fucking worst idea I've ever had and I'm leaving."

She couldn't leave, it would ruin his brilliant plan. The one he'd spent so many hours on since he'd first heard about her family's troubles. The one that would get him what he'd always wanted - at least for a while.

He grabbed her wrist and held on tight. "Sit down!" he ordered her.

"It's a waste of what little time I have left."

He tugged on her arm trying to force her to sit. "Sit down!"

"Let *me* go," she countered, stubbornly refusing to do as he asked.

Angelus shook his head, he was just as stubborn as she was. "Not until you sit back down."

She didn't like it or want to do it, but she sat. "What do you want from me?"

Angelus released her, "Actually let's talk about what you need."

Buffy suddenly had a feeling that something bad was going to happen.

"A considerable amount of money to pay of your family's debts, to save your home and your mother's business and of course to buy back what you had to sell. Does that cover it?"

"I know it's a lot of money..."

Angelus just stared at her, "It's over a million dollars."

Buffy scrunched up her face, "What did you do? Take an inventory?"

"Yes."

Buffy paled, shocked by answer. "Why would you do that?"

"I felt like it."

Buffy shook her head in disbelief, "Look Angelus. I may be a blond, but I am not stupid. Why?"

"You interest me."

"With all of California's female population lusting after you. I don't see how that could be possible," she told him.

"No other woman has ever told me I am a *loser*."

"So this is some weird ass form of revenge for pissing you off in High School?" she asked.

Angelus just smirked again, "No. I just find it amusing that neither of us has ever forgotten that day." He went silent for a moment and then continued, "Do you agree that everyone has a price?"

"Just tell me what the fuck you want?" Buffy was growing more and more pissed off as the minutes ticked by.

"I want a child."

Buffy looked at him strangely, "A what?"

"I want a child, one born in wedlock. And of course who better to help with his want than the woman who thinks I am a loser," Angelus told her.

"You're fucking insane," Buffy hissed at him. "If you're so anxious to play daddy, adopt or knock up some stupid bimbo."

"No."

"Why not?"

Angelus grasped her hand and looked into her eyes. "Because every time I picture the mother of my child, I see you. I don't know why, maybe you pissed me off so much that day I want to get back at you; or maybe I think you're the only one who'd actually care about the child. It's irrelevant, it is the price for your family's future. Take it or leave it."

"You bastard. Let me get this straight," she said. "In order to save my mom and sister, I have to marry *you* and have *your* child... then what, walk away?"

"Not until the child is in school."

"School?"

"Elementary," he clarified.

Buffy really wanted to slap the arrogant smirk right of his face, but she restrained herself because the asshole would probably file an assault charge against her.

"That's almost seven years of my life... if I were stupid enough to agree."

"Only if you got pregnant right away," he informed her, "It could take longer."

"No."

"Of course your family will be fine and you will gain the added bonus of being my wife. Allowing your sister access to better everything, from schooling to all the social activities she deserves," he tried to play upon her family loyalty. "Then of course their is the fact you'll be sharing my bed."

"Forgive me if I don't see having to have sex with you as a bonus."

"Don't knock it until you try it," he told her laughing.

Buffy decided to change the subject, "What happens when I have finished my part in your fucking evil scheme?"

"You will not be kicked out of our child's life."

"If and it's a big if. If I do this I wouldn't and couldn't just be a weekend mom," Buffy told him.

Angelus simply ignored her and pulled out a piece of paper. "It's the agreement. I've already signed my section. Read it and let me know your answer in the next twenty-four hours."

"That's impossible," she said. It was such a major decision and to make it in such a short period of time was ridiculous.

"You're not in a position to argue."

Buffy stood up, "I'll let you know." And then she walked out of restaurant.

Angelus sat back with a smirk, he knew that she'd say yes to the arrangement, even if she didn't.

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The next afternoon with only a few hours left until the deadline for her decision, she was still no closer to making one. With the hope of gaining some new perspective, Buffy headed over to her best friend Willow's house. Tara, Willow's life partner opened the door.

"H-hi Buffy," Tara stammered nervously. "I-i'm going to work. W-willow's out back by the pool."

"Hi Tara and thanks," Buffy told her as she passed.

It wasn't that she didn't like Tara or anything like that. She just didn't know her. Tara was a new addition to Willow's life and Buffy was so used to Willow and Oz together, but when Oz had died it seemed like so had Willow... until she met Tara. Buffy was extremely glad her friend had found someone, it was just taking some getting used to Willow's new life-style.

Buffy walked through Willow's comfortable home, only a few short blocks from where she lived - at least for now, and out into the backyard where Willow was sunning herself by the enormous pool.

"Hey Wils," Buffy called out.

Willow sat up and instantly asked, "What's wrong?"

"Where do I start?"

Willow got up and walked over to her friend. "Tell me everything," she said leading Buffy back into the house.

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Half an hour and a cup of coffee later, Buffy had told Willow everything about the night before - including Angelus' so-called bargain. Willow was so shocked she just couldn't say anything, instead she just sat there.

"Say something," Buffy almost begged.

"Wow," Willow managed. "What did your mom say?"

Buffy flushed bright pink, "I can't tell her this, it'll kill her."

Willow looked at her, "Why? Because it's humiliating... or because you're actually considering it?"

Buffy sighed and wished Willow wasn't so insightful. "Both," she admitted.

Willow squeezed her hand in a gesture of support, "What are you gonna do?"

"I dunno."

"Well, the way I see it. You're pretty much screwed either way," Willow told her. "Either you, Dawn and Joyce lose everything, or you marry and get knocked up by Satan himself."

"Gee Wils, when you put it that way..."

Willow smiled and then turned serious, "You know that no matter what you decide - I'll be here."

"Thanks," Buffy said hugging her.

"So have you decided?"

Buffy took a deep breath, "Yeah. I think I have."

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Part 2

Buffy returned home from Willow's and barely said two words to either her mother or Dawn before she rushed upstairs to the privacy of her room. She had just enough time to make the phone call to Angelus and knew that if she had stopped to chat she would never make the deadline imposed upon her. She was shaking in terror when she lifted the receiver to call him and give her humiliating decision, their was a part of her who still couldn't believe that she was actually going to agree to this insane arrangement. If she'd had any other choice... but she didn't and her mother and Dawn needed her to help and by golly she was going to save them. The worse part and the only thing she felt guilt over was the fact that she would be involving, eventually, an innocent child in Angelus' depraved scheme. As the phone on the other end began to ring she waited impatiently for him to answer. When someone did pick up it wasn't him, but his secretary.

"Mr. McKenna's office."

Buffy swallowed around the large, painful lump in her throat. "I'd like t-to speak to Mr. McKenna. My name is Buffy Summers."

"Please hold."

Before she even realised it she was speaking to the devil.

"You're late," he said his voice typically devoid of emotion.

Buffy scowled to herself, "Sorry if I inconvenienced you. Unfortunately I take deciding my future kinda seriously."

"And your decision is?"

Buffy sighed, but did not waiver. "I agree," she whispered.

"What?"

Knowing that the bastard had heard her and was just trying to humiliate her made it all so much worse, but she repeated her answer. "I'll marry you."

She could almost hear the cruel self-satisfied smile in his voice. "You need to sign the contract. Be at Lindsey McDonald's office tomorrow at nine o'clock."

Buffy didn't even pretend not to know who Lindsey McDonald was. He was the top attorney in the state of California and one of Angelus' best friend's in High School. So instead she went for her usual flippancy, "What? I agree to give *you* a significant portion of my life and all you say is be at my lawyer's!"

"What should I say," Angelus replied coldness seeping into his voice. "Congratulations on catching one of California's most eligible bachelors. We both know it was I who caught you and somehow I don't think you want to celebrate that. Just be at Lindsey's tomorrow." He then hung up on her without waiting for her reply.

Buffy just sat there for a moment in shock. It was the first time she'd been subjugated to Angelus' mean streak, even when he'd delivered his ultimatum from Hell he hadn't been that cold and unfeeling - or at least he hadn't seemed that way. He'd just seemed like a total asshole. She replaced the receiver and lay down on her bed and began to seriously wonder what she'd just gotten herself into.

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After he had hung up on Buffy, Angelus sat back in his chair and contemplated his victory, small though it was. He was now one step closer to complete his plan, he had finally managed to get Buffy. Ever since he had first seen her walking down the halls of Sunnydale High, he had wanted her. Unfortunately back then she'd been way to young and had seemed to hate him for no reason and after he had graduated he had lost track of her. Actually if he was truthful he had pushed her to the back of his mind as he'd pursued more mature women. He had just been thinking about disposing of his latest companion when he'd heard of Buffy once again. This time it was through gossip about what her father's untimely death had done to her and her family. When he heard that he just knew that it was his big chance to get closer to her. He was interrupted when someone barged into his office.

"Angel. I thought we were heading home."

"I told you I had to wait for a phone call, Kathy," he told his younger sister.

"Well, Janice said the call came. So can we go now?"

"Sure," he said smiling at her.

As Angelus starting grabbing what he needed to take home Kathy looked at him. "Who was the call from?"

"Buffy."

"Ah... the mysterious Buffy," Kathy replied giggling. "You've been talking about her for ages. When am I gonna get to meet her?"

"Soon."

"That's what you always say."

Angelus grabbed his briefcase and put his free arm around his sister. "This time I promise."

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Buffy awoke the next morning feeling like she was going to throw up and wishing she could just lie in bed all day. She slowly climbed out of bed and padded downstairs towards the kitchen, putting on her cheerful face when she heard her mother and Dawn's voices coming from there.

"Morning," she told them as she wandered in, pretending that nothing but the usual was actually wrong.

"Morning honey," Joyce replied from where she was making breakfast.

Dawn mumbled something around her mouthful of scrambled eggs.

Buffy sat down next to her baby sister and tried to clam down. No one suspected anything was wrong, to them it was just another day and she was acting paranoid for no reason.

Joyce handed Buffy some breakfast and took a seat. "So what's everyone doing today?"

"School," Dawn answered scowling.

"Job hunting," Buffy said quickly.

A sadness seemed to overcome her mother as she said, "I'm going to start to pack up the gallery. So later on I am going to need both of your help."

"Whatever," Dawn said stuffing the remainder of her breakfast into her mouth. "I gotta get to school," she said grabbing her things and rushing out.

Making sure her sister had actually left, Buffy turned to her mom. "Are you sure you wanna pack up today? Maybe you should wait until tomorrow?"

"Buffy," Joyce began. "I can't just keep putting it off. It's over and the longer it goes on the more painful it will be, for all of us."

Buffy wished she could tell her mom that everything was going to be okay and how it would be, but she knew that she'd stop her and she couldn't let that happen.

"If you're sure..."

"I am," Joyce replied hugging her.

Buffy grasped onto her mother like it was the final part of her innocence. Eventually she had to let go even though she really didn't want to.

"I have to be at my interview at nine, so..." Buffy said uncomfortably. "I should go get ready for it."

"Good luck," Joyce told her sincerely.

Buffy nodded stiffly, "Thanks."

She rushed from the kitchen and barely made it up to her room before she lost it and the tears started to fall.

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"Shall I tell you how stupid I think you are?" Lindsey said to Angelus as they were sitting in his office waiting for Buffy.

"No," Angelus answered dryly, "You've told me that enough times since I asked you to draw up the contract."

"If you want a child so badly, marry some bimbo," Lindsey told him. "It'll cost you way less than this deal will."

Angelus shook his head stubbornly, "It has to be her."

"Why?"

"If you had ever seen her you wouldn't have to ask," Angelus said hoping that answer would satisfy his friend.

"Hell Angelus," Lindsey replied ruefully. "Sunnydale's a small town - I know who she is. I even asked her out once."

Angelus glared at him, "You did?"

"She didn't go anywhere with me. Gave me some lame excuse about dating someone," Lindsey said. He saw the tension leave his friend's body and had a shock realisation, "Tell me that you don't have any feelings for that girl?" Angelus couldn't meet his eyes. "Fuck it, Angelus. You're even more stupid than I fucking thought. She's gonna put you Hell by the time this is over."

"I won't allow her too."

"Shit," Lindsey said shaking his head in disbelief. "You can't control everything. When are you gonna learn that?"

Angelus didn't get a chance to answer, Lindsey's intercom went off and his new secretary's sarcastic voice was heard.

"Buffy Summer's is here."

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At the last minute Buffy decided against taking her car, she just didn't feel well enough to drive. Instead she had Joyce drop her off a few blocks away from Lindsey's office, as to not draw any unwanted suspicion. She walked there lost in thought and changed her mind a dozen times, but each time she did so the image of her mother's sad face reversed her decision.

Five minutes later she walked into Lindsey's modern office and gave her name to the receptionist, only afterwards did she realise who that was. Harmony Kendall, Buffy hadn't seen her since Graduation when she and Cordelia Chase had taken off for LA to become stars. She hadn't changed, she was even sarcastic when announcing Buffy's arrival, probably wondering what crime Buffy had committed.

"Show her in," came Lindsey's familiar voice.

Harmony reluctantly rose from her seat and forcibly dragged Buffy down a short hallway. "There it is," she said pointing at a door.

"Gee Harm, I see just how much your people skills have improved since High School," Buffy replied sarcastically as she went to move past her.

"I hope that whatever you did gets you life, Summers," Harmony answered flouncing off towards her desk.

Buffy knocked on the door once and entered the room, unsurprised when she saw Angelus sitting at Lindsey's desk, she had expected him to be lurking nearby.

"Buffy," Angelus acknowledged.

"Ms. Summers," Lindsey said formally, "Please have a seat."

"Thank you," Buffy said politely as she sat down, shooting Angelus a suspicious glance.

"Have you read the agreement?" Lindsey asked her, hoping that he wouldn't have to explain Angelus' weird-ass agreement.

Buffy removed the agreement from her purse and replied, "It was clear... despite the spelling errors."

Lindsey flushed bright red with embarrassment, "New secretary." He then turned serious once more, "Are you *both* certain about entering into this agreement?"

"Yes," Angelus replied immediately, no hesitation and no regret in his voice.

Buffy on the other hand hung her head in shame. "Yes," she whispered barely audibly.

{This is definitely one of Angelus' more stupid ideas} Lindsey thought looking at the couple. "In that case, if Buffy would sign the document; I will witness it. Then it will be all done."

Buffy took the pen Lindsey offered with a shaking hand. She signed her name, all the time thinking she was signing every bit of dignity and pride she had ever had away.

Angelus watched her sign the document in relief, now she couldn't change her mind and destroy all his careful planning.

She watched Lindsey sign his name to the agreement and a feeling of dread settled into the pit of her stomach and she began to wish she was at home so she could be alone and cry. It was done. She now owed her life and the life of her first born child to this man that she truly believed in the depths of her soul was the Devil. She only hoped that things couldn't and wouldn't get any worse.

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Part 3

Buffy found herself rushing out of Lindsey's office as soon as she could. She even ran past Harmony without making some sarcastic comment, all in an effort to get away from Angelus. She knew she was being ridiculous, but it had finally hit her what she had done - that she had signed herself over to a man who did care about her, a man who simply wished to use her for an incubator for his seed. So she'd had to get out of there, away from him, at least for now.

When she finally reached the street outside she forced herself to slow down and tried to calm herself, to get rid of the blinding panic that had momentarily overwhelmed her. She stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and debated whether to head to her mother's gallery and deal with her mother's probing questions or to head home and deal only with an empty house. Buffy hadn't had a chance to decide when she found herself spun around and facing the one man she could happily never see again, but had to do so.

"We have things to discuss," Angelus said authoritatively.

"So?" Buffy answered feeling the need to be as perverse as possible.

"So... be at my office at three to discuss them," he ordered walking away.

Buffy stood there in shock for a few minutes, unable or unwilling to believe that the arrogant shithead had actually had the nerve to order her to do something already and they weren't even married yet. Deciding that after the run in with her *future* husband that she wasn't in any condition to answer her mother's questions, she headed home. All the time hoping that the peace and quiet of an empty house would help her get her wits back, before the afternoon when she faced the devil once again.

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After an exhausting fifteen minute walk home, Buffy really wished she taken her car to Lindsey's office instead of allowing her mother to drop her off that morning. She had done it to save on petrol money, but now she couldn't help but berate herself for it. Now she had signed her very soul away, it didn't look as though she was going to have to economise any time soon. Also her feet were killing her because of her stupid idea about wearing extremely high heels, so Angelus wouldn't tower over her as much. On the positive side, at least the walk had given her time to cool down and start to think logically once again, if she hadn't been able to do so she would be at a distinct disadvantage when she met with *him* later on.

As she unlocked the door to her home and stepped over the threshold she heard a loud noise coming from upstairs, a noise that sounded suspiciously like crying. She slowly climbed the stairs and walked softly down the hallway until she was outside of Dawn's room. Buffy being Buffy just barged straight in and saw her baby sister lying on her bed crying, instead of being at school.

"Dawnie?"

Dawn didn't even look up, she just said, "Go away."

Buffy ignored her and walked over to the bed, "What's wrong?"

Dawn didn't say anything, she simply lifted her face from her pillow and looked at Buffy. Dawn's left eye was swelling up and a bruise starting to form, together they promised to be one hell of a black-eye.

"Who did it?" Buffy demanded, upset that her sister had been hit by someone.

Dawn was silent for a moment before sighing and then saying, "Sam and Missy. Some great taste in friends I have, huh?"

Buffy sat down and hugged her younger sister to her, not saying a single word. Dawn lay her head on Buffy's shoulder and used her sister's comfort to finish out her crying until eventually there was silence.

A little while later Dawn spoke, "Do we have to tell mom about this?"

"Somehow I don't think we're gonna be able to hide this from her," Buffy replied as she examined Dawn's eye more closely.

"I hate being poor," Dawn sighed wistfully, obviously remembering a time when they were anything but.

"Don't worry. Everything will okay," Buffy whispered to her.

"You don't know that," Dawn answered.

"Maybe I'm psychic."

"More like you're full of shi-" Dawn started to say.

Buffy cut her off, "Dawnie!"

They both started giggling and then Dawn said, "Maybe you're right. As long as you, me and mom stick together... then we'll be okay."

"Yeah," Buffy replied somewhat sadly.

Dawn didn't notice and Buffy was glad, she didn't want to lie to her baby sister and her mom any more than she had to. She couldn't wait for this all to be over, but she knew that it would be a long time coming. For now though she just sat there with her sister and pretended that nothing had changed.

____________________________________________________________

Just before her meeting with Angelus, Buffy dropped Dawn off at the gallery. Dawn was going to tell their mom what had happened and some other things that she hadn't really wanted to talk about but needed too. Buffy wished that she could be there for her sister, but she knew that she had to keep to the agreement and dealing with Angelus now and after they were married was an important part of it all.

Ten minutes later she pulled up in front of a large building, just outside of Sunnydale, that was the headquarters for Angelus' corporate operations. Taking a deep, in part to calm herself and in part to give her courage, she walked towards the building's main entrance and went inside.

The interior of building was just how she had imagined it, cold. Not in temperature or any thing like that, but in atmosphere, just like a corporation should be and exactly like the man who ran it. She moved towards the security desk, where two burly security guards were posted and a pleasant looking older woman carried on about her reception duties.

"Buffy Summers to see Mr. McKenna," she told them, hoping that she had concealed her nervousness about being in the enemy's camp.

"Just let me ring through," the woman told her picking up the phone. Less than a minute later the woman turned back to Buffy, "Take the elevator to the penthouse. That's where Mr. McKenna's office is."

"Thanks," Buffy replied as she walked towards the bank of elevators. She pressed the button for up and waited for one to arrive, growing more nervous and more anxious as the seconds ticked by. When an elevator finally arrived her feelings intensified instead of lessening, because she was getting closer to *him* and to whatever he wanted from her. As the doors closed she got the distinct feeling that the next minutes were not going to be pleasant.

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The second that the doors finally opened, Buffy was shocked to find that Angelus' office wasn't just up on that floor - it was the floor. His desk was in the middle of the room and surrounding it, but hidden by glass bricks, was gym equipment, different types of leisure activities and to her horror there was even a bed. And much to her own personal embarrassment she began to hope the bed was merely for sleeping in when he worked late and not for his *business* meetings.

He looked up and as though he read her mind he said, "This is my private office. All of my business dealings are conducted downstairs."

Buffy wasn't exactly sure what to say, so she went with the obvious, "It's impressive."

As if suddenly remembering that he did in fact have manners, he offered her a seat, which she gratefully accepted. Sitting across from him she suddenly couldn't think of a thing to say, sarcastic or otherwise. All she did know was that sitting there in total silence with him staring at her was driving her nuts.

"So... you wanted to talk to me..." Buffy said then cringed as she realised just how silly it sounded.

"Yes," he replied as stone faced as ever. "There are several details that need to be worked out. The actual ceremony and what to tell everyone for a start."

"Everyone?"

"The general public, my share holders and of course our respective families," Angelus informed her. At the look of surprise on her face he continued, "Did you think I appeared out of thin air? I do have a family."

"I..." Buffy immediately began to feel guilty. This man that sat before her was the cause of her degradation, of her losing most of her own self-respect and now he dared to make her feel something for him, even if it was only guilt. Sure she'd pretty much figured that he was the son of Satan or some sort of cold-blooded monster. The truth was she'd never given much thought to where he came from, or if there was already more than one of him.

"Well," Angelus finally said, exasperated by her silence. "What shall we tell the world? Shall we say that I bought you, or maybe we should say that it is a marriage and not a form of legalised prostitution."

"You fucking bastard," Buffy yelled finally losing her temper with him. "I can't believe that I almost felt sorry about some of the things I'd thought about you. You know what I wasn't even thinking evil enough - you aren't the spawn of Satan, you're the fucking devil himself."

"You should never underestimate a person," Angelus told her dryly. Then he continued on as if nothing had happened, "I think we should have the wedding next week at my mansion - it would be the best time for me."

"Next week?" Buffy squeaked out in a mixture of terror, anger and panic. "How am I supposed to explain it to *my* family? Shall I say, oh by the way next week I'm marrying Satan?"

"I'd suggest telling them that we'd been seeing each other secretly. It does sound so much more plausible," he told her.

Buffy looked at him as though he was crazy. "You've got to be kidding? If I tell my mom that I've been dating some guy in secret and we have to get married next week, she'll jump to two conclusions."

"And they are?"

"That I'm ashamed of you and that I'm obviously pregnant," Buffy said with a look of disgust.

Angelus smirked, "Part of our agreement pertained to pregnancy. Do you really find it so distasteful?"

"No," Buffy sighed, wondering why he always felt the need to twist her words around. "I have nothing against it. I've always wanted children. I just don't want my mom to think I'm some sort of giant slut."

"You're an adult. Why do you care what she thinks?"

"She's my mom," was all she said. "Don't you care what yours thinks?"

"My mother is dead."

"Oh."

"And even when she was alive, she cared more about drinking than she did about me or Kathy," he told her.

"Kathy?" Buffy asked curiously.

"My sister," Angelus informed her. "I have full custody of her."

"Your dad let you have her?"

Angelus stared at her, his eyes meeting hers. "Let had nothing to do with it. He's in jail and even if he wasn't I would not have allowed him to keep her."

Sensing that the subject was now closed, Buffy changed topics. "So what are you going to tell her about this?"

Angelus knew that he wouldn't have to explain his decision to marry Buffy to Kathy, she'd pretty much suspected it for a while.

"Never mind what I tell my sister," Angelus told her.

"Then never mind what I tell my mom. It is after all *my* business."

"It might be your business now, but soon everything about you will be *my* business."

Buffy simply stared at the man across from her, trying to figure out if that was a promise or a threat.

____________________________________________________________

Part 4

At dinner that night Buffy was so quiet that both Joyce and Dawn began to get worried about her. Towards the end of the meal Joyce finally couldn't stand the silence and spoke.

"Buffy. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Buffy mumbled in reply. Although it was clear to all something was up with her, she was pushing all her food around her plate instead of wolfing down as per usual.

Dawn looked at her, "Is what Harmony saying true?"

"Harmony?" Buffy yelped looking up at her family with a mixture of surprise and fear in her eyes.

Joyce had also heard what that vindictive little slut Buffy had gone to school with had said, but didn't believe a word of it.

"She was just..." Joyce trailed off unsure of how to tell her daughter about what was said.

"Just what?" Buffy pushed. She really didn't want to know, but figured she should find out what was being said by the bitch. After all it could ruin the deal and they'd be living on the streets.

Seeing that her mom wasn't going to fill Buffy in, Dawn decided she would.

"Actually Buffy," she began. "She was down at the Espresso Pump telling all her loser friends that you were going to jail. I don't know why, but she insists that it's true and she'd know because she works for the lawyer of the guy who is charging you."

Buffy's fork dropped to the table with a clatter, showing the state of shock Buffy was in. She couldn't believe that the slimy little whore had actually had the nerve to make up malicious gossip about her and spread it around.

"Of course we know it's not true, "Joyce rushed in saying. "You weren't at any lawyer's this morning. You were at a job interview."

Buffy realised that she didn't have much choice, she'd have to fess up that there was no interview and that she had in fact been at Lindsey McDonald's office and why she'd been there.

"Actually..." she started, "I was at Lindsey McDonald's office this morning."

Joyce looked confused, "Your big interview was at a lawyer's office?"

Before Buffy had a chance to set her mother straight, Dawn butted in. "Don't tell me that slime-ball asked you out again? You could do *so* much better."

"Actually," she tried again.

This time she was cut off by the untimely ringing of the doorbell, causing Buffy to want to tear her hair out in frustration. She stood up and marched over to the door ready to destroy whomever was there, only changing her plan when she opened the door and found Willow there.

"Hi," Willow said.

Buffy moved out of the way and let her friend inside, "What's up?"

Willow hurried inside, "I did try to call, but your phone's been disconnected. I just wanted to know how today went."

Suddenly Joyce's voice drifted through, causing Buffy to swallow her answer. "Who is it?'

"It's just me, Mrs. Summers," Willow yelled back. "I just need Buffy for a minute."

"Okay," Joyce replied. "Are you sure you don't want some dinner?"

"I'm sure."

They waited a moment and when they heard nothing more they continued with their conversation.

"So? How did it go?"

Buffy sighed, "It was... okay."

Willow was overcome with sympathy, "That bad, huh?"

Buffy moved closer to Willow, who draped a sympathetic and comforting arm over her shoulder.

"It could've been worse," Buffy finally whispered.

"How?"

Buffy fell silent once more, trying desperately to blink back the tears that were once again threatening to fall. She was hesitant to tell Willow about what went on earlier, knowing that she'd only try to talk her out of the deal she'd made; but she knew that no matter how tempting the offer it was an impossibility. Not only because of Angelus' iron clad contract, but also because she wouldn't and couldn't allow anything to happen to her family.

"Nothing," she replied harshly. Then apologetically she looked at her one true friend, "I'm sorry Wils... I just can't talk about it now."

Something in Buffy's voice told Willow that her silence on the matter had more to do with her embarrassment over something that happened, rather than the fact that either Joyce or Dawn may overhear.

"It's okay, Buff," Willow told her. "I'd better get home, Tara has made plans for us."

"I'll see you later," Buffy answered. "I'll also tell you everything."

"I'll hold you to it. Good night," Willow said letting herself out.

Buffy made sure the door was firmly shut and locked and then leaned back against it, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. When she figured that she was calm enough she headed back to the table and her waiting inquisition.

"Did Willow go?" Joyce asked as Buffy sat back down.

Buffy shook her head, "She and Tara had plans."

"T-that's too bad," Joyce stuttered. She still wasn't completely comfortable with Willow's alternative lifestyle, in fact she still believed that it was some sort of silly phase and that she'd grow out of it.

"What were we talking about?" Joyce asked suddenly forgetting all the questions she'd had planned.

Buffy almost sighed in relief, "I can't remember."

"I think we were discussing why Buffy was in a lawyer's office," Dawn piped up.

"Thanks so much, Dawnie," Buffy replied through clenched teeth as she glared at her younger sibling.

"Well?"

Buffy gulped nervously as she searched her brain for the words to explain, but none came. How could she explain anything without telling the sordid truth? Suddenly Angelus' idea came rushing back to her and it seemed as a good an explanation as any.

She took a deep breath, "I met someone."

"Please let it be a guy," Joyce muttered under her breath.

At the exact same moment Dawn yelled, "Not Lindsey McDonald. Tell me you have better taste than that."

Joyce returned to reality and silenced Dawn with a glare. "Did this *someone* get you into some sort of trouble?"

"No, he didn't."

"Then why..." Joyce began.

Buffy lowered her eyes and whispered, "I was signing my prenuptial agreement."

It was Joyce's turn to drop her fork in shock, although she also looked as though she was going to fall off of her chair.

"I hope it's not Lindsey," Dawn muttered.

Buffy looked at her younger sister, "What's it with you and Lindsey?"

"I just don't like the guy..."

Joyce recovered and cut Dawn off, "You're getting *married*?"

"Yeah."

Joyce looked destroyed, "I didn't even know..."

"Know what?" Buffy asked gently.

"That you were seeing someone," Joyce replied. "What kind of mother doesn't realise her little girl is dating? That her little girl is dating someone seriously enough to think about marriage?"

"Mom..." Buffy wanted to say something to make it better, but couldn't think of anything.

"Are you pregnant?"

"NO!" Buffy yelled back.

"Who is it?" Dawn asked suspiciously. She didn't buy Buffy dating someone in secret, she usually told them everything. Hell, she'd even told them she was dumping that Riley Finn guy before she'd even told him.

Buffy cleared her throat nervously, "Angelus McKenna."

Dawn was the one who finally fell off of the chair. "The billionaire?" she called out from her position on the floor.

Buffy ignored Dawn, but she couldn't ignore her mother.

"You're not doing this because of us... are you?" Joyce asked her.

Buffy conjured up all of her drama skills to say what she did next.

"No mom," she said plastering on a fake smile. "I wouldn't marry some guy to starve off bankruptcy. What kind of marriage would that be?"

Joyce relaxed somewhat with that answer, but not totally. She didn't want her daughter marrying anyone at her age. Buffy was only twenty-one and probably thought marriage was some fairytale, but it wasn't.

"Do you love him?" Joyce questioned looking at her.

"Of course I do," Buffy lied once more.

Dawn finally picked herself up off of the floor and butted right back into the conversation. "Why didn't you tell us about him?"

"Yes," Joyce joined in with her youngest. "Why didn't you?"

Buffy thought quickly and came up with an answer, "I was going to when we first started dating... but then came that whole mess with dad and I-i guess that I just didn't want you to think I was after his money."

"Honey," Joyce said. "I'd never ever think that."

Buffy smiled sadly, knowing that her mother probably did think that and she was just trying to be nice about it.

Dawn glared at her, "Well, I think that and so will the rest of Sunnydale."

"Dawn!" Joyce warned her.

Dawn just stood up and ran upstairs.

Buffy just sat there shocked. She had expected that kind of reaction from all those losers in town, but not from her sister. It both confused and hurt her, those emotions combined with the intense guilt were driving her towards a nervous breakdown.

"I'm sorry," apologized for Dawn. "I'm sure that deep down she's happy for you."

Buffy looked at her mother, "Are you happy for me?"

"I'd like to say I am, but there's just so many unknowns. I guess you'd say a surprise factor," Joyce joked lamely. "You never spoke of him, I've never met him... it just all seems so sudden."

"Sudden?" Buffy squeaked. {If mom thinks that is sudden... wait until she hears the rest of it.}

Joyce smiled weakly at her daughter, "I guess I'll have plenty of time to get used to it. I mean it's not like you're getting married right away or anything."

{Oh fuck} Buffy thought.

Noticing her daughter's silence, Joyce spoke, "Buffy?"

"Mom... Angelus wants to get married rather -uh- quickly."

A look of suspicion crossed Joyce's face and her brow wrinkled as she drew her eyes closer together and stared at Buffy.

"How quick is quickly?"

"Next week," Buffy answered so softly that it was barely audible.

Joyce paled once more and shouted, "Oh God, you are pregnant!"

"No," Buffy denied. "Angelus and I... well, we've never..."

Catching Buffy's meaning Joyce became even more confused. "Then why the rush?"

"He's a very busy man," Buffy fudged up and explanation. "It's the only time he has available."

"He's treating his wedding like a business appointment? Did he treat your dates this way?"

Since she'd only had a few meetings with him she decided to go with the near-truth. "Sort of."

Joyce just shook her head and tried to tell herself that Buffy would come to her senses. "Are you sure he's the right one for you?"

Considering the situation there was only one possible answer to that question. "I'm sure he is."

Sighing in temporary defeat, "Okay then. When do I get to meet this man who stole my daughter's heart?"

"Soon."

"I hope it's before the wedding," Joyce said as she began to clear off the table. Her hands doing the mundane task and her mind working on a plan to rid her daughter of this *Angelus'* influence.

Buffy was none the wiser. She just watched her mom do her everyday chore and decided to go to bed. For tomorrow she was going to have to face *him* again and plead for him to spare her family's feelings, hopefully with no extra payment required from her.

____________________________________________________________

Part 5

Early the next morning Buffy snuck out of the house, climbed into her aged and temperamental car and headed off once more to Angelus' office. The only difference was that this time she wasn't being ordered by the big bastard to go there, this time she was going there to beg him for a favour and she was sure that his so-called help was going to cost her even more.

Before she knew it she was once again pulling up in front of the building which housed his offices. She quickly climbed out and headed for the entrance, hoping that he was there and that he would consent to see her, instead of tossing her butt out onto the sidewalk as a test of his ultimate power.

As she walked inside she noticed a stylish blond woman arguing with the security at the desk. Buffy was shocked at the open aggression the woman displayed in trying to get her way. Buffy made sure she stood well away from the woman and jumped when someone called out her name.

"Ms. Summers?"

It was the secretary at the security desk and Buffy wondered what she'd done wrong.

"Yes?" she answered cautiously.

"Mr. McKenna said to tell you that you are free to go up there without checking in here."

Speechless and shocked, Buffy thought she may have murmured thank you before moving towards the elevator bank. As she moved the blond woman grabbed her arm viciously.

"Ah, the new play thing," the woman said bitterly, her face contorting into an ugly scowl. "Don't get used to this sweetie, none of you last very long and I'll be waiting in the wings."

Buffy pulled her arm away from the woman just as one of Angelus' security guards grabbed her and went to remove her from the building. Still shaking from the altercation, Buff stood there for a moment until she had regained her outward composure and she simply continued onto the elevators.

As soon as she stepped into Angelus' office she came face to face with him. It was then she realised that someone downstairs had called him and told him what had occurred.

"I'm fine," she told him before he could say a word. "She didn't scare me away, so your precious little agreement stands."

Covering up his immense relief at her words, he simply walked away from her over to his desk. He sat down and stared at her until she moved towards him.

"Why are you here?" he asked her coolly. It was a coolness he didn't feel, he had been worried ever since the night before when he had called and found the phone disconnected. His imagination had taken off and he had imagined that she had come to her senses and ran away from him.

"I need a favour," she said quietly.

"What sort of favour?"

Buffy took a seat across from him and started, "My mom... she... uh..."

"Spit it out."

"She wants to meet you."

"She can meet me at the wedding," he replied.

Buffy sighed, she should've known he'd be a giant asshole over this. "That's not good enough."

"Sorry, but I am not here to pander to yours or your mother's emotional needs."

Buffy got pissed. The bastard had pushed her into marrying him quickly and now he didn't wanna deal with the fall-out. Buffy decided for once to do the mature thing and not call him every swear word she'd ever learned, instead she got up and went to walk out.

"Where do you think *you're* going?" Angelus yelled after her.

"Anywhere that's away from you," Buffy yelled back as she stepped into the elevator.

Angelus simply stared at the spot where she had been standing only seconds earlier and smiled. It seemed to him that she hadn't changed much since High School and he was pleased, it meant deep down she was still the girl that had captivated him all those years ago. There was also the added bonus of her passionate nature, if she was this passionate over their frequent fights, in public no less, then in the bedroom they would be unforgettable. Still smiling he returned to his work, all the time anticipating his next meeting with Buffy.

____________________________________________________________

Buffy practically ran out of the building, cursing her stupidity for thinking that *he* might even lower himself enough to help. She climbed into the car and lay her head against the steering wheel, silently continuing to berate herself. Unsure of what to do or where to go, she probably would've stayed in the car park all day if she wasn't sure that *he* would eventually come out.

She slowly drove out of the parking lot and began to wonder where she should go. She really wanted to talk to Willow, but Willow had classes at UCS all day and she didn't relish the idea of traipsing all over campus and running into her ex-friends and/or her pesky ex-boyfriend.

So instead she chose to return home and sulk in her bedroom, over her situation and her soon-to-be partner in life, Angelus.

When she got there she grabbed the mail - all collection notices - and went inside. Settling herself down on the couch she attempted to flip on the TV, only to find the phone wasn't the only thing that had been disconnected, the power was off too. Sighing she headed up to her room and flopped down on the bed. Instead of rolling over and going to sleep as she longed to do, she forced herself to lay there and think. She needed to find a way to stop Angelus from getting to her and making her lose her temper with him, but even she knew that her quest was in vain. He did get to her the way no one had ever been able to do and it confused her. As she lay there her eyes gently drifted closed and she fell into another fitful slumber, dreaming of the dark-haired devil.

____________________________________________________________

It was nearly six when Angelus allowed himself to be pulled away from his work by Kathy. They were almost across the lobby when they were approached by an older woman.

"Mr. McKenna?" the woman asked.

"Yes. How may I help you?"

"I'm Joyce Summers," the woman told him.

Angelus smiled, incorrectly guessing that Buffy had sent her mother to see him. "Nice to..."

Joyce cut him off, "I want you to stay away from *my* daughter."

"Excuse me?' Angelus said not believing what he'd just heard.

"You heard me," Joyce said scowling at him. "Stay away from Buffy."

Angelus found his voice, "No."

"No," Joyce echoed in disbelief. "Why not? What could a sweet girl, like my Buffy have that would interest a man like *you*?"

Kathy spoke up in her brother's defence, "Angel loves Buffy. She's all he ever talks about."

Joyce turned her gaze onto the younger girl, "Who are you? His bit on the side."

"She's my sister," Angelus said tightly, very close to losing his temper.

"I doubt that would stop you."

Before Angelus could reply a guard came over. "Is everything okay, Mr. McKenna?"

"Fine," he replied. "Everything is fine." When the guard walked off he turned back to Joyce, his face a mask of pure rage. "Listen to me. I *am* going to marry your daughter, whether you like it or not and there is not a single thing you can do about it. And if you mess with *my* family, present or future, I will make your life a living Hell. Do you understand me?"

Joyce swallowed nervously, "I understand."

"Good," Angelus said grabbing Kathy's arm. "Have a pleasant evening Mrs. Summers."

He walked away dragging his younger sister behind him and leaving a shell-shocked Joyce standing in the middle of the lobby contemplating his words.

____________________________________________________________

Part 6

Almost exactly one week to the day of Angelus' and Joyce's confrontation, Buffy found herself standing at Angelus' side exchanging her wedding vows. The small, simple ceremony taking place within Angelus' garden was far from the dream wedding she had imagined when she was younger, but then Angelus wasn't exactly the groom she'd envisioned either. At least she was thankful that he'd managed to keep the press away from the ceremony, if some stranger had started yelling at her and taking pictures... well, she just knew she would have completely lost it.

The past week had been a horrendous itself, between the legal formalities surrounding her father's debts, Dawn and Joyce's relentless bitching about Angelus and how he was just using her (like she hadn't figured that out) and playing the blushing bride who was cheerfully planning her nuptials she was teetering on the periphery of lunacy. The only reason she wasn't at this moment checking herself into 'Sunnydale Hills Home For The Mentally Ill' was because of Willow, whom had been forced to play the roles of best friend, confidant and amateur psychiatrist.

Buffy was suddenly jolted from her thoughts as she felt Angelus take hold of her hand and slide the cool metal of her gold wedding ring onto her finger. She hadn't even noticed how far along they were in the ceremony, surely she would've heard her mother or Dawn voice their obvious objections by now, but they had not caused a fuss and was shocked to find her part was next. Almost without thinking the words flowed from her mouth, echoing those of the celebrant and then she slid a identical wedding band onto the hand of her tormentor.

"You may now kiss the bride."

Buffy had known this moment would come, the moment when she and Angelus would share their first kiss as husband and wife - their first kiss as anything actually. She experienced a moment of panic as his lips descended towards her own, but it was over almost as soon as it had began. In a way it was like it had not even happened, it had been barely a touch and had left her feeling sadly deprived of something, of what she did not know. The only proof that she had that his lips had actually touched her's, was the fact that her's were still aflame from the fleeting exchange.

Like the blushing bride that she was supposed to be, she plastered on her newly perfected fake smile and the words of congratulations from the celebrant and the hug from her now sister-in-law.

Faced with the situation ahead she suddenly began to wish she could just wake up and realise this whole mess was a nightmare. She surveyed the guests and found exactly what she had suspected all along. Her mother and sister were glaring at Angelus, as if they could some how mentally get him to confess he was using her or something. Willow and Tara were standing by in support mode in case she should need a little (or a lot of) consoling. Lindsey McDonald stood in the back, drinking heavily. The only smiling face (at least genuine smiling face) was Kathy's, she actually seemed glad that Angelus was getting married - like it was real or something.

Instead of a reception, Angelus had arranged a buffet lunch for everyone, the food looked fantastic the only problem was that no one was actually hungry. The unfortunate side effect of this was that everyone was sat around trying to make polite conversation to stem the tides of antagonism and puzzlement scattering throughout the room. Buffy was suddenly glad that this was not some mockery of her dream wedding or she knew that she would've been in tears by now. As it was she was she was sat in a chair next to her *husband* wondering what her mother and sister were up to and panicking over the time when the tension got to much and the guests left her alone with Angelus. A man she hardly knew and one who now had rights to her and her body, rights she had never given anyone before.

____________________________________________________________

It was night time before the last of the guests, namely Willow and Tara, left. By the look on Willow's face, Buffy knew that they were departing only because Angelus had made it clear that they had outstayed their welcome. With one final supportive hug, Willow finally permitted Tara to drag her away from Buffy and towards their car.

As soon as he had closed the door on the couple, he moved closer to Buffy. Lightly he ran his fingers down her arm, "Since we have to get up early tomorrow, I think an early night is in order. Let's go to bed."

At the predatory look in her new husband's eyes, her apprehension increased significantly. She knew part of her wanted to just climb up those stairs and let him introduce her to the numerous of passions he so obviously knew, but the better part of her wanted to run and hide until he had forgotten she existed. Why on earth did she have to sign that damn contract and martyr herself for her family? Why hadn't she simply excepted what life had handed her and lived in squalor? She knew why, she wanted more for Dawnie than a life working at Happy Burger.

"Shouldn't we clean up first?" she asked nodding towards the exceedingly messy dining room.

Angelus just shook his head at her, "Buffy... we have servants to do that."

"Naturally," Buffy muttered sarcastically. "How about we watch some TV?"

Angelus simply stared at Buffy, confused as to why his new bride would rather watch the idiot box than go to bed with him.

"Why are you acting like some stupid, shy little virgin? It's our wedding night for fuck's sake!" Angelus snapped at her.

Buffy suddenly stared at him, her eyes flashing and her skin turning an angry red. "Maybe because I am a stupid, shy little virgin," she told him furiously. At the stunned look on his usually arrogant face, she continued to deride. "What? Did all your little investigators miss that juicy tidbit. Sorry I'm not quite the whore you envisioned marrying."

With that she marched past him, up the stairs and towards the bedroom. All the time hoping that his conscious (if he had one) would keep him away for the night so she could deal. Unfortunately she had the feeling she hadn't seen the last of him.

____________________________________________________________

A virgin. Angelus had not expected that, after all she was a beautiful, passionate young woman. However it wasn't a turnoff, in fact it had the opposite affect on him - he wanted her more than ever now. He slowly moved towards the bedroom, it was after all his wedding night and if his sweet, pure little bride had any thoughts about denying him... well, he'd simply change her mind.

When he entered the room he saw her sitting at the dressing table, brushing out her long blond hair and wearing the most hideous flannel 'granny gown' ever designed by man.

She sighed when she spotted him in the mirror, "Somehow I just knew that I hadn't seen the last of you tonight."

"Well... it is *our* wedding night."

Buffy stood up and moved a little towards him, "I guess I did agree to... uh... sleep with you."

Angelus looked at her, "I assure you, it won't be that bad."

"How do you know? Did you have you... uh... *friends* fill out review cards?" Buffy replied.

"No, but I haven't had a complaint yet," he told her laughing softly. "Don't worry love, I'll be gentle."

Before a word could be uttered, he was kissing her. He thanked the powers that be when Buffy didn't fight him, in fact she was to his surprise actively participating. He kept his hands moving, exploring her body through the hideous nightgown, trying to go slowly and not scare her, but finding it difficult to restrain himself - all he really wanted to do was toss her down on the king-sized bed and show her whom she belonged too.

He gently began to undo the buttons that graced the front of her gown and slowly removed the unsightly barrier from her body. He sucked in a deep breath when he caught sight of her, she was everything he had imagined and more. He realised he was embarrassing her when she tried to pull the gown back up to hide herself from his gaze and he simply removed her hands from the gown so it fell to the floor.

"Don't," he whispered.

She didn't reply or move and Angelus used the opening to kiss her once more and slowly maneuver her towards the bed. He lay her down on top of the silken duvet and hastily removed his clothing, shocking her into even more silence at the sight of his form. He soon lowered himself onto the top of her, supporting his weight on his elbows and allowing her to grow accustomed to the feel of his body next to hers.. Shifting slightly he began laying kisses along her collar bone and downwards until he arrived at her breasts. He stopped momentarily to look at then, before grasping one perfect nipple with his mouth until he felt her begin to wither with need beneath him.

She was pushing him to the limits of his control with her movements, but he would not and could not rush her. This first time had to be pleasurable for her or she'd simply tolerate him from then on and he wanted a willing bedmate and not an icicle.

Angelus ran his hands down the length of her body, feeling what would soon belong exclusively to him. He also was relieved when he felt her heart rate escalate and her breath catch in her throat as her excitement mounted and nervousness waned. Meeting her eyes, he slipped his hand between her thighs causing her to gasp as he pushed her legs further apart.

Heat began to radiate more intensely from her skin, partly due to embarrassment and partly because she did like what he was doing to her. She stilled when she felt him touching her and slipping one of his fingers inside of her, he knew it was because no one had ever done this to her and he secretly rejoiced as he coxed her body to comply. As soon as she relaxed he began to nudge against her with his erection and she once more tensed, as though her body knew there would be some pain involved despite the pleasurable feelings.

"It'll be okay," Angelus whispered to her.

As to prove it he began to gently manipulated her clit. As he felt the first rippling of Buffy's orgasm, he used it to break through her virginal barrier. He felt her tense beneath him as the pain became evident, but she soon began to relax as her body became used to his invasion.

After a few moments he began to move within her, slowly and gently at first. However it soon escalated into something quick and passionate, something that Angelus nor Buffy had ever expected. It wasn't very long before Angelus felt himself nearing completion and he once again stroked Buffy's clit causing her to come for a second time, but this time he joined her.

He rolled off of her and pulled her into his arms, neither of them speaking, both simply trying to catch their breath and make sense of what had just happened.

"Are you okay?" he managed to whisper a little while later.

"Yeah," she breathed back. She lay there in his arms for a few more minutes and then finally asked, "Was I okay?"

Instead of a reply, all she got was a snore and when she looked at him she found him asleep. Unsure of what she should do she simply lay there until sleep overtook her.

____________________________________________________________

Part 7

It was a peculiar sensation waking up next to a man for the first time, especially after being so intimate - so exposed - with him. However part of it was because of who he was to her, Angelus - enemy, husband and now her lover. Lifting her head from her pillow, which she was shaken to find was his chest, she stretched and started to arise from the bed. At least she did so until she realised one thing, she was naked. Even though she had allowed him to see everything that there was the night before, she just could not bring herself to walk across the bedroom naked.

Grabbing the silk sheet from the bed, she pulled it as far as it would extend and picked up the closet item of clothing she could get, his shirt. She took a split second to enjoy the feeling of the luxurious material against her skin and then - against her better judgment - she inhaled the scent of him that lingered on the fabric. Deciding that she was going insane, she made herself stop the ridiculous behaviour and marched off into the oversized bathroom that adjoined the bedroom.

Once she had enclosed herself within the confines of the bathroom, she took a good look at herself in the mirror, trying urgently to find something that would elucidate the way she had acted the night before. Something that would explain to her why she had given and allowed Angelus to take what she had been saving all these years to give to the man that she eventually would fall in love with. However as she looked closely at her reflection she was forced to come to a most unwelcome conclusion - that even though she didn't like him, she did want him. And the most distressing of all, she couldn't imagine not wanting him or wanting anyone else with this intensity.

Quickly turning away from the mirror, she moved over to the monster-sized bath tub and began to run the water, adding some of the bath salts she found by it's side. Waiting until the water had reached a few inches deep, she shed Angelus' shirt and sank down into the warm, fragrant water; letting it soothe her tired, sore muscles and ease her troubled mind - at least temporarily.

Although her solace did not last for long. It seemed like only a small amount of minutes had past when Angelus barged in, causing her to retreat further under the water in a non-sensical demonstration of modesty.

In response Angelus simply smirked at her, "It's not like I haven't seen you naked."

Buffy sank down lower - to almost beneath the surface, wishing that she could simply hide under the water until he disappeared.

"What no scathing comeback?"

Buffy groaned, "It's way too early. If you want me to snipe at you, you'll have to wait until after my morning cup of coffee."

"In that case, I may have to rid the house of all caffeinated beverages," Angelus replied.

"What do you want?" Buffy asked trying to distance herself from him.

"Just a friendly reminder that Kathy will be back from her friend's house soon and I still need to use the bathroom."

"It's a big house - in fact it's a damn mansion. So I'm pretty sure that there's more than *one* bathroom," she told him rolling her eyes.

"But none of the other one's have my personal items in them," he answered.

Buffy looked at him and sighed, "I guess I could... uh... leave."

"Or," Angelus began as he let his robe drop to the floor, "I could join you."

"I g-guess you c-could do t-that," Buffy stammered, her mouth going dry at the sight of him naked.

With a total lack of modesty, he crossed the room to the tub and climbed in, causing water to overflow and spill across the floor. He reached out and pulled her close to him, so that she could feel his erection pressing into her. Before she had a chance to even gasp at the sudden contact, he was once again kissing her - overriding her senses. A moment later they sank under the water.

____________________________________________________________

"Hello?" Kathy called out as she slowly entered her home. She restrained herself from rushing inside, because she was uncertain of what she might walk into. After all it had been her brother's wedding night and who knew what he might be doing and in what room he might be doing it in.

"Hey kid," Angelus' voice came from the study on the ground floor.

Kathy shook her head as she walked in that direction. If Angelus was in the study it definitely meant that he was working and not spending time with his bride. Only her brother would be insensitive enough to work on his so-called honeymoon.

"Hi Angel," she said looking at him, "How did everything go?"

"Your too young to hear about that."

"And you have a dirty mind," Kathy replied pulling a face. "I was only trying to see if you and Buffy had, had a fight or something."

Angelus finally looked up from his work, "Why?"

"Well, why else would you be working and not spending time with the woman you *just* married?"

Angelus had the good sense to look embarrassed, " It had to be done by tomorrow... besides Buffy understands about work."

"Then she must be a saint, because if I ever married someone who pulled this shit on me... well, let's just say I'd kick his face in," Kathy told him as she left the study and headed up to her room.

____________________________________________________________

Angelus couldn't help but stare at his younger sister's withdrawing form. Partly because she was correct about how he should be with Buffy right now and partly because it was the first time she'd actually stood up to him and said what she thought. He was also ashamed of himself about hiding away from Buffy, but he had come to close to showing her his true feelings and he couldn't do that, he couldn't give her that much power over him.

He pushed himself away from his desk and stood up, stretching his knotted muscles and then went off in search of his bride.

Although it was a fairly large mansion, it didn't take every long to find her. It was probably because she hadn't moved from where he had left her a few hours earlier, the bed. Looking down at her he resisted the urge to wake her once more, instead he simply sat down on the bed and proceeded to watch her.

A moment later she stirred, "Hi."

"Good afternoon."

"Afternoon?" Buffy asked sitting up. "Is Kathy back?"

"Yes, she came home a few minutes ago," he answered staring at where the sheet had slipped exposing Buffy's bare breasts.

Buffy noticed where Angelus' eyes had wandered and pulled the sheet up to cover herself. "I guess I should get up then?"

"There's no hurry," he murmured as her looked at her with a lust filled gaze.

"B-but your sister's home."

Angelus chuckled, "And sooner or later she is going to figure out that married couples have sex."

"And you prefer she figure it out sooner rather than later?"

Before Angelus could even move a voice yelled from down the hall. "Since you're not doing anything, I could use some help with my homework Angel."

Angelus' face fell and suddenly it was Buffy's turn to laugh at him. "I guess it will be later after all."

He got up from the bed and left the room scowling and muttering under his breath, leaving a laughing and somewhat relieved Buffy behind him.

____________________________________________________________

Part 8

Within a insignificant amount of weeks after that farce of a wedding she had endured, Buffy saw things settle into an exceedingly monotonous and to some extent lonesome routine. Angelus left a good number mornings earlier than she awoke and didn't come back until after midnight most nights, in fact some nights he even stayed at his office and Buffy attempted to refrain from thinking about what he could be doing those nights. When he ultimately did come back home early on or leave behind schedule as it was, it was as it seemed only to work on the communal element of their covenant.

Unsurprisingly her sister, Dawn and her sister-in-law, Kathy were both at school. In actual fact they were both at the same school now, as Angelus had shortly after their wedding and with Joyce's reluctant approval, removed Dawn from Sunnydale High and sent her to Kathy's school, Kent Academy. She wasn't even able to spend a moment in time with Willow, since her best friend had classes all day long and when she was off she was with Tara for some alone time.

So with her days free, she had of course logically tried to be of help to her mother at the gallery - putting it all back together. She had barely been there one solitary day, when Joyce told her to go home and only come back to visit. It turns out she was thinking she was helping out, but she was only hindering her mother's struggling small business. Although Buffy was sure part of it was because Joyce still resented Angelus' help and his so-called - by her - seizure of her eldest daughter.

So subsequent to facing a few additional long and lonesome days at home unpacking her few lingering personal items, an initiative came to her. Essentially the idea only came to her because she had come across one of her old college text books, one of the few she hadn't had to sell. All of a sudden picking up a couple of classes here and there didn't sound like such a ghastly idea. After all she would be nearer to getting her degree, she'd get out of the deserted house, fill up the endless days and best of all, get to spend time with her best friend Willow.

After at long last getting Angelus to take a seat and listen to her idea, he had agreed that it sounded like an ideal resolution for her - at least until the agreed child came along. Buffy was excited, she hadn't even minded his watchful phraseology of the situation and had without delay called Willow, who told her that her timing was just right as applications for the new semester was scheduled shortly.

After applying to the college once again and having an interview session with some college career councilor, Buffy was readmitted to UC Sunnydale for the new semester. For a celebration party Willow, Tara, Dawn and her mother came over and brought with them a cake that said 'Nice One Buff'. Angelus was of naturally working late and missed the party, but Kathy was there and Buffy was happy when she saw how Dawn and Kathy were now getting along. When Angelus in due course did return, they unsurprisingly celebrated in his usual fashion - not that she of course minded that one little bit.

____________________________________________________________

A few weeks prior to when college was due to start and Willow was on vacation, Buffy was headed over to her friend's house so that they could pick classes together. She grabbed her shoulder bag and unbolted the weighty front door, just as somebody was about to knock. To Buffy's instantaneous revulsion the individual standing before her was that blond from Angelus' office, the one who had attacked her before the wedding. Buffy could do nothing but gawk at the woman whom she had hoped in no way to lay eyes on again.

"You!" the woman yelled, noticeably just as stunned to see Buffy there. "What are *you* doing here?"

"I live here," was all Buffy could manage to say.

The woman's face distorted in fury and resentment, "Impossible. He would *never* let one of his women move in. That would be a commitment."

Buffy smiled evilly at the woman, "Well, I'm not just *one* of his women."

"What in the fucking hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means," Buffy told her still smirking, "That I'm his wife."

She hadn't wanted to believe it, she had of course heard the rumour that Angelus - the perpetual bachelor - had gotten married. Now she was being confronted by the proof of it, his wife. After three years of telling her that he would on no account say "I do", he had turned around and within a year married somebody else. The nastiest element of it all was that he had married that little girl she had seen at his office building and what was she all of twelve?

All of a sudden she grew enraged, "You fucking little whore. How did you do it? Did you get yourself pregnant or something?"

"No, but don't be flabbergasted if you're made aware of the pitter patter of tiny feet coming from here in the near future," Buffy told her, slamming the door in the woman's face.

____________________________________________________________

Angelus was in a fantastic mood, he'd completed all his obligatory formalities and had decided to head home and spend some quality time with Buffy, before Kathy got home from school. He figured that Buffy might be feeling neglected, with him constantly at work and used, because all they seemed to do together was well an indoor sport to say the least. Besides in a few short weeks she'd be starting her courses and he'd never get the chance to sneak home and be with her again.

His excellent mood faded as he pulled into the elongated curving driveway of his home and practically ran headlong into someone that he had hoped had vanished from his life eternally. The ex-bitch Darla Carlton. A scowl replaced his striking smile as he realised that Buffy would've had to deal with that putrid bitch from hell. The scowl grew more prominent as he watched Darla climb out of her sports car and slink towards him and his new BMW.

"What do *you* want, Darla?" he asked with irritation, as he tried to reign in his legendary bad temper.

Putting on her pouty face she said, "What? I can't visit an old friend?"

"We were never friends."

Darla merely smiled at him, "I beg to differ with you. I do believe that we were once really close *friends*."

"That wasn't friendship, Darla. That was convenience."

Darla reeled back as though he had slapped her, "You bastard. You owe me, I wasted three years of my youth on you and then ditch me to marry some fucking twelve year old Barbie Doll."

"Come off of it, you were scarcely young and if you'll recollect I never ever promised you anything," he told her.

A realization dawned upon Darla, "It was her wasn't it?"

"What was?"

"The explanation why I was strung along for years," Darla spat at him. "You were waiting for an opportunity to get at her." When Angelus didn't answer, Darla grew even more offended, "You fucking asshole. You're going to pay for this."

Angelus watched wordlessly as Darla went back to her own car, climbed in and drove away at a tremendous speed. When he was sure she had gone, he drove up the rest of the driveway and parked his car. Climbing out he spotted the heavy drapes at one of the living room windows moving and realized that Buffy must have been watching his difference of opinion with Darla. Sighing he headed inside, knowing that he was going to have an awful lot of explaining to do.

____________________________________________________________

As Buffy moved away from the window, she tried to tell herself that it was disgust she was feeling and not jealousy. That the way that blond bitch had been acting had only made her want to scratch her eyes out because of the way it portrayed women as gigantic sluts and not because she had feelings for her husband in any way, shape and/or form.

She sat down on the leather sofa and watched for him to come inside. Part of her was wanting an explanation for what had gone on in the driveway, but a larger part of her was scared. Scared that he'd admit the truth, that he was messing around on her because she just wasn't enough to satisfy him. Even though it wasn't supposed to be a *real* marriage, she didn't think that she could handle him telling her that. If she was truly honest with herself, she would have to admit that her fear came from her unacknowledged feelings for him, feelings that were growing and that had been doing so since the first time she had met him - way back in high school.

Buffy looked up as he entered the room and she just stared. She watched as he placed his briefcase by the door and took off his Armani jacket and sat down next to her. They just sat in silence, both wanting to talk but neither knowing what to say.

Eventually Angelus spoke, "There's nothing between Darla and myself anymore. It was over before I married you."

Buffy looked into his eyes and for the first time saw sincerity there, "Okay."

"You believe me?" he asked her in surprise.

"Yeah," Buffy said blinking back some irrational tears that suddenly were threatening to fall.

Angelus wasn't sure what to do, he had never really comforted a woman unless you counted Kathy as one and as far as he was concerned his younger sister was still a little girl and wouldn't be a woman until she was at least forty.

He put an arm around her, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Buffy?"

Buffy reluctantly pulled herself from his arms and got up, "It's just that... If you need more than I..."

Angelus figured out what Buffy was trying to say and immediately cut her off, "Never. Buffy if I'd wanted more than you could give, I wouldn't have married you."

Ignoring him, she once again grabbed her things, "I'm due at Willow's."

"Buffy," he said. "You're all I want."

When she reached the door, she turned to face him, "You know something? Sometimes I think I could almost like you."

He watched her go and then whispered to himself, "That's a start."

____________________________________________________________

Part 9

Even after Buffy had began her college classes, the previous routine that Angelus had set for them didn't alter much - except for he fact she now spent her evenings between Kathy retiring to bed and Angelus ultimately coming home doing her homework. There was also the tiny fact that Angelus was at present spending more verbal communicating time with her, meaning instead of rushing her off to bed whenever they were alone he made an effort to ask her opinions on things and ask her how her day was. Not that they didn't exhaust an exceptional amount of time working on their mutual endeavor. And much to her own horror, Buffy found her feelings towards Angelus were growing stronger, no matter how hard she fought against them or tried to push them from her mind.

Joyce was naturally jubilant that Buffy had returned to college and was getting an education, so that she would not be dependant upon Angelus for anything. Plus Joyce figured that being around young and carefree people would force Buffy to rethink her hasty marriage. Not that she didn't owe Angelus, he had in fact saved her gallery and her home. Plus he had removed Dawn from Sunnydale High and placed her in the confines of the influential Kent Academy. Joyce just basically thought that Buffy was too young and emotionally stupid to make a life altering decision such as marriage. After all marriage wasn't some fairytale where everyone lived happily ever after, it was hard work. Also she didn't want Buffy to go through what she had with Hank - trapped within a loveless marriage she wasn't ready for and then before she knew it there were children involved in the mess.

As a consequence of her mother's relentless criticism of her, Angelus and their marriage, Buffy rarely saw her mother and when she did visit her it was only for fleeting periods of time. Even Dawn - the most stubborn teenager ever born - had revised her opinion of her new brother-in-law, she thought he was okay and no longer a giant asshole. Plus Dawn's new friendship with Kathy allowed Buffy to spend time with her little sister without having to deal with Joyce's criticism.

At least Buffy was enjoying her college experience this time around. That was of course until the impossible occurred and she spotted her old boyfriend Riley Finn walking around campus - it was impossible because because last she had heard he had moved back to Iowa, but that had been two years earlier. Not wanting to have to deal with any of the crap from the past, she avoided him like he had the plague. Unfortunately she had the bad feeling that she'd be seeing him again.

Her bad feeling was unfortunately correct. When she and Willow walked into their abnormal psychology class, they came face to face with him. Both girls were naturally flabbergasted because it had been so out of the blue, but Riley was now their new TA because their old one had been expelled for suspected drug dealing. Not knowing what else to do they took their seats, but as the lecture droned on Buffy found she couldn't concentrate on it. All she could think about was escaping the class without talking to Riley - an impossible task.

As soon as the class was dismissed Buffy's already upset stomach filled with butterflies of doom. She was of course only nervous because she and Riley hadn't parted under the best of circumstances - he had proposed and she had told him she didn't love him, that she never could love anyone and that she never intended to marry and yet here she was a married woman who had the sneaking suspicion that she was in love with her fake husband. She and Willow slowly and cautiously made their way to the exit and they were almost out when they heard their names being called.

"Buffy... Willow."

"Hi Riley," Willow said trying to smile at him and failing.

"Hey," Buffy replied semi-scowling at him.

Riley ignored Buffy's expression and stepped towards them, "It's great to see you guys. How is everything?"

Willow nodded, "Fine... I'm still a lesbian."

"Great. How about you Buffy?" Riley asked staring at her.

"I'm okay," she said reluctantly. "Wils, we have to go now."

"See ya," Willow yelled as Buffy dragged her away. They were halfway down the hallway when Willow spoke again, "That was rude."

"I just didn't want to talk to him."

Willow forced Buffy to stop and then asked, "Why? You and Riley dated for over a year."

"It's hard to explain..."

"Try," Willow demanded.

"I just feel... it's like I'm doing something wrong. Like I'm doing something behind Angelus' back," Buffy said walking off.

Willow simply rolled her eyes and followed Buffy down the hallway. The more time she and Buffy spent together the more that she could see Buffy's feelings towards her husband change. If she could see Buffy was totally nuts in love with him, then why couldn't he?

____________________________________________________________

Buffy was stunned to find that Angelus was home when arrived back from her class, it was the first time he had been home early since his altercation with that bitch Darla. She merely stared at him for a few moments and tried not to snigger at the way his brow furled with concentration as he worked on his latest project. Leaving him to his work, she headed upstairs to their bedroom to dump her school work and climb into a hot, relaxing bath.

Running the water and dumping into the tub a good half a bottle of her favourite bubble bath, she slid into the large tub. Leaning back, she closed her eyes and tried to forget about her troubles at college and her growing feelings towards a certain brooding husband. Buffy must have fallen asleep because the next thing she knew she was being jostled as Angelus climbed into the tub with her.

She opened her eyes a fraction, "Do you have a thing about smelling like a girl?"

"Not as long as that girl is you," Angelus replied as he lowered his hands beneath the water and rubbed his hands down the length of her legs.

Buffy tried to shift away from his wandering hands, "Not right now. I'm too tired."

"But..."

They were interrupted by a knock upon the bathroom door. "Buffy, I'm home," Kathy called through the door to her. "Have you seen Angel? His car's here, but..."

"I'm sure he's around," Buffy cut her off as she put her hand over angelus' mouth.

The scam didn't work, "Well can you tell him to come and help with my homework... once you two have finished playing, that is."

As soon as Kathy had gone, Buffy tried to climb out of the tub and away from her husband.

"Where are you going?"

"Kathy's home and wants you to help her," Buffy hissed back at him.

"So? She can wait," he told her, pulling her towards him.

"Angelus?"

"Just shut up," he told her as his mouth claimed hers and they sank beneath the layer of bubbles.

____________________________________________________________

Riley Finn was depressed. He had spent the last two years of his life trying to move on back in Iowa - hell he had even married his old high school sweetheart - but he just couldn't get over Buffy. So when the TA job came up he jumped at the chance to return to Sunnydale, giving him time away from his failing marriage and also to see if Buffy had changed her mind since he had been gone. However if their meeting today was any indication of her feelings towards him, he really should just pack up and head back home to his wife.

He wandered around Lowell House - where he was rooming with Forrest - and slumped down into an old chair. He was still there sulking when his friend's, Forrest and Graham wandered through almost an hour later.

"Okay, what is wrong with you?" Forrest asked staring at Riley.

"Buffy."

Graham rolled his eyes at him, "Ri. You are a married man, don't you owe it to your wife to keep away from your ex-girlfriend?"

Riley shrugged, "But it's Buffy..."

Both Forrest and Graham exchanged a look of disgust. They had assumed that Riley wouldn't be able to stay away from his obsession. However they had hoped that he would have finally gotten some common sense on the matter.

"Ri... we need to tell you something," Graham said.

"Yeah, what?" Riley asked curiously.

Graham stuttered, "W-well..."

"The Buffy-bitch is married," Forrest told him.

"WHAT?!" Riley screamed. "When she broke up with me she was all 'I'm never marrying' and now she's married!"

"Jeez, Ri. You're also married," Graham pointed out.

Forrest nodded in agreement, "Forget the bitch, Ri. Move on from it."

Riley didn't answer either of them, he just sat there feeling hurt and betrayed by the woman whom he had considered the love of his life, his soul mate. Then suddenly a thought occurred to him, what if Buffy had married for the same reason he had? To help to get over the other. That had to be what had happened, so because of that it was his duty as Buffy soul mate to rescue her from the sham of a marriage she found herself within. Riley was so caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't notice his friends walk away with looks of disgust and pity on their faces.

____________________________________________________________

Part 10

Angelus was not focused on his multi-million dollar multinational dealings as he ought to be, as an alternative he was thinking - as was customary - of simply one solitary thing, his wife. He was at a complete loss by her current conduct. For the last couple of weeks she had been acting erratic, like she had some secret she didn't want him to know about and it wasn't that she was pregnant, because she would have told him - he knew she wouldn't be able to suppress her own anticipation - in one of their many tête-à-têtes she had divulged to him how much, growing up she had wanted to be a mother. He just wished he knew what the hell was wrong.

Needing to get both his private and professional lives back in picture perfect - or as near as it got these days - accord, he decided to astound Buffy by personally picking her up after her final class and treating her to a romantic afternoon. If by good fortune he should happen to ply her with an adequate amount of wine to relax her tongue on what was bothering her then all the better.

Leaving the workplace much, much earlier than he ever had previously, he drove to the UC Sunnydale college grounds and arrived a few seconds after Buffy's very last lecture was programmed to conclude. Walking over to where Willow had parked her vehicle, he sat down on the hood to await the girl's appearance. A few minutes later on he caught sight of Buffy and Willow approaching the parking vicinity and smirked at the way the two women were so occupied talking that the whole world passed them by without them even noticing. He watched as they made it to the periphery of the parking lot and were approached by a young blond man, judging by his wife's change in expression she wasn't pleased to talk to whomever this man was.

Angelus started to move towards the group unhurriedly, but increased his pace when he saw the man grab Buffy's arm. Ignoring the others standing there, he swooped in and kissed Buffy passionately. Finally he spoke, "Hi Willow and... uh... Darling, aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?"

"He's not my friend," Buffy muttered underneath her breath as she glared at Riley.

Willow decided that now was a very opportune time to butt into the conversation. "I'll make the introductions. Angelus McKenna meet Riley Finn, he's our psych TA."

"And you are?" Riley asked irritably.

Angelus held out his hand, "Didn't Buffy tell you? I'm her husband."

Riley paled, he hadn't anticipated stumbling upon his rival quite so rapidly. "N-nice to meet you..." he ultimately managed to articulate, but he didn't shake Angelus' hand. Ignoring Riley, Angelus brought Buffy's hand up to his lips and kissed it gently. "Are you ready to go my love?"

"Never been readier," she replied quickly. She turned to Willow and said, "I'll call you later."

"Okay, bye Buffy," Willow answered.

As soon as Buffy and Angelus had walked away, she told Riley adieu and rushed away as rapidly as she possibly could. It wasn't that she didn't like Riley, she just figured that he was being an idiot over the Buffy thing and wanted get away before he asked any dim-witted, uncomfortable questions. When she tossed a swift glance back over her shoulder he was still standing there watching Buffy's retreating figure.

____________________________________________________________

The students hanging in the region of the periphery of the college grounds weren't the only one's to observe the exchange between Angelus and Riley. Darla had been probing the campus looking for scandal on Angelus' miniature Barbie Doll and had been coming up empty - every person who met the little bitch seemed to like her for some unspecified reason. Then she had been walking to her sports car when she spotted Angelus and the boy. She merged into the crowd until Angelus and his so-called spouse had departed and then she approached the young blond man.

"Hello cutie," she said to him.

Looking around Riley become conscious that she was talking to him. "Uh... hi."

Darla smiled her most charismatic and calculating smile. "I'm Darla and I think I can help you."

"Help me how?" Riley asked confused by this woman's sudden appearance.

"Well... what's your name?"

"Riley Finn."

"Well, Riley Finn," Darla said. "You want that Buffy person and I'm interested in her husband. If we work together to split them up, then we both will get what we want."

"I don't think anyone can split them up, they seemed pretty *together*," Riley said dejectedly.

Darla shrugged her shoulders, "Angelus disclosed to me that he wasn't contented. That Buffy wasn't happy either. In fact they are only together because neither wants to admit that they made a terrible mistake rushing into a marriage."

Riley looked at her suspiciously, "They looked happy enough to me."

"Are you willing to let your friend Buffy stay in an unhappy marriage? How will she feel when she finds out that you could've helped her to escape from it?"

Riley had been thinking since he had met Angelus and saw how Buffy lit up around the guy. She didn't seem unhappy or depressed in fact she seemed happier than he'd ever seen her. She looked like she was in love, a look she had never given to him. He needed time to think things through.

"Sorry... uh... Darla. I can't help you," Riley said walking away from her.

Darla felt the rage boil up inside of her, how dare this asshole deny her. "You'll regret this you blond weenie!" she yelled after him. "No one tells me no."

____________________________________________________________

"So would you like to let me know what is going on?" Angelus requested as he drove towards their home. He had decided to forgo the passionate afternoon until an alternative time.

Buffy heaved a sigh, "It's nothing. Riley and I dated at one time... it was years ago."

"And?" Angelus pressed intolerantly, not looking forward to what her response might be.

"And... he seems to have a *minuscule* crush on me still," Buffy revealed fairly unenthusiastically.

Angelus didn't respond as he pulled into their driveway and turned off the engine. After a few seconds he asked, "D-do you still have feelings for him?"

Buffy gave Angelus a strange look, "No. I didn't really even have those sorts feelings for him when we dated, if I had then you wouldn't have gotten yourself a virgin bride. I don't mean I didn't like or care about him... he just wasn't the one for me."

Buffy's words lifted Angelus' spirit inside and he couldn't stop himself from leaning over and kissing her. She was obviously surprised, it was the first time he had done something so spontaneous, not that she was complaining. A bereft feeling overcame them both when he pulled away from her.

"Why didn't you just tell me that he was bothering you?"

Buffy could still scarcely inhale, nevertheless think. In the end she managed to reply, "I thought I could handle it."

"Alone?"

"I've always handled it alone," Buffy acknowledged. "I've always had too." She climbed out of the car as speedily as she could and crossed the threshold into the mansion.

A few moments later Angelus followed her in and spotted her marching up the staircase. Sighing he followed her and eventually cornered her in their bedroom, "Buffy... I know we don't exactly have the most conventional marriage in the world, but I just wanted you to know that you don't have to handle everything alone anymore. I'm here to help."

{For how long?} was the unbidden thought that popped into her mind at his words. "Thanks," she muttered as she sat down on the silk duvet.

Angelus crossed the room and sat next to her, "I'm not just saying it, Buffy. I do mean it."

"I know," she answered as she leaned her head onto his broad shoulder.

He looked down at his wife snuggled into his chest and gently kissed the top of her head in a gesture of comfort. A second later he found her lips pressed against his own and he was pushed down onto their king sized bed. Angelus was surprised because he had always had to take the lead with their love making, Buffy had never once even initiated it and now she was straddling him as she roughly plundered his mouth with a built up passion. He felt her rub her diminutive body against his to arouse him - not that she hadn't already succeeded - and to give contact between their bodies.

Not able to take it anymore he flipped her onto her back and rained kisses along her body, starting at her neck and moving down it. He undid the miniature row of buttons on her satin blouse exposing her tanned flesh to his lust filled gaze. Trying not to make any awkward movements, he wanted to make sure he brought her such an intense pleasure that all memories of dating that Riley person would be erased and he would be all she could imagine. He didn't even realise what a primitive thought that was, as though he was branding his life mate.

He paused temporarily as he toiled to strip off the jeans from her body. Finally he managed to remove them from her body and he gazed at his wife laying there half beneath him in nothing but the sexiest underwear he had seen her in. "I bought it for you," he heard her speak softly. He almost combusted on the spot, but he pulled himself together and set about removing the scraps of silk and lace that she wore. As soon as he had her naked, he moved away - despite Buffy's passion filled protests - and removed his own clothing, returning swiftly to his wife.

Buffy moaned as she tried to move against him, but he wouldn't let her, his control was hanging by a thread and he wanted to make it last more than three seconds. He moved to her nest of curls and breathed in the scent of her, uniquely Buffy - an uncommon mixture of vanilla and what he guessed was her own scent. He placed his tongue along edge of her lower lips and licked along them, before thrusting his tongue between them and exploring her deeper regions. Feeling that this was driving her insane with want, urged him on more - his tongue moved within her, in and out, up and down slowly exploring, tasting and savoring her.

Angelus brought her to the brink of her first orgasm before removing his tongue from her inner regions, ignoring her whimpers from the loss of contact. He shocked when his tiny wife tossed him onto his back, so that she could have her own way once more. Buffy straddled Angelus and guided his jutting erection into her throbbing core. She stilled the second he filled her, she set the slow pace and thought of nothing but the moment. The pace eventually increased and as she neared orgasm, Angelus reached down and flicked his thumb across her clit and sent her into a blissful spiral and a few moments later he followed, calling out her name as he made his final thrust.

She lay on top of Angelus and wondered what had come over her, she had never acted that way - or thought of acting that way - before. Not that she regretted it, it had been the most intense love making session she and Angelus had ever indulged in. Feeling the rhythmic rise and fall of Angelus' cheat beneath her she simply lay there as sleep claimed her, unwilling and not wanting to break the connection they had made.

____________________________________________________________

Part 11

The weeks began to fly by exceptionally speedily and between Buffy's classes, a fairly active social life and Angelus' business dealings, the moments that the couple in reality managed to spend with each other outside of their bedroom diminished to roughly nothing. However even with the lack of time that they spent together, things seemed to coast along just as they always did in the household.

Kathy began to spend more and more time over at Joyce's with Dawn. And divergent to Angelus' belief, she wasn't spending time with the woman that he despised more than life itself to piss him off. Angelus knew deep inside that Kathy was purely fascinated to Joyce's mothering; since she had missed out in that department. It absolutely hurt him that the one thing his baby sister wanted was the one thing that *he* couldn't personally supply her with - no matter how good a brother he was. By the time mid-terms whirled around catastrophe struck. Willow and Tara had a colossal fight which accumulated in Tara moving out for the interim into a motel and Willow spending infinite hours crying her eyes out and being comforted by Buffy, Angelus and an assortment of other family and friends. In a extreme way it reminded Buffy of how Willow had been after Oz's unforeseen death and it was a side of Willow that she had hoped never to see again, but sometimes there was just no way to escape heartache.

So Buffy herself was fairly stressed out by time vacation rolled around. Having to deal with an exceedingly emotional best friend and being semi-stalked by her ex-boyfriend had added to all the usual stressors that exam time always brought. That's why when she was late - to the point of it didn't even arrive - the first month she simply chalked it up to stress. The second month in a row however she couldn't do that and combining the fact with the other symptoms that she had been experiencing - nausea, dizziness and complete lack of energy - added up to the inkling that ultimately the first part of Angelus' marriage agreement was on its way.

After calling the family physician to schedule an appointment for the next day, she found she couldn't wait to know for sure. So leaving Kathy and Dawn at the mansion, Buffy journeyed downtown to the local drug store to buy a home pregnancy test.

The entire trip took her less than ten minutes, but by the time she returned home she was a collection of nervous tension. In a way she wasn't sure she wanted to know now. After all if she was pregnant there would finally be a time limit put on her marriage and she could admit privately to herself that, that fact alone bothered the hell out of her. It was all well and good to form an agreement and marriage for business reasons, somewhere along the line she had forgotten that humans had feelings and that she was a human as the next woman.

Heading to her and Angelus' private ensuite with the all crucial container in her hand, she closed the door and tried to soothe herself. After a few minutes she yanked the box from the plastic bag and read the instructions over and over until she virtually had them committed to memory. At long last she followed through on the test and when she was finished she sat herself down on the corner of the tub, took a few deep breaths and began to wait for the two minutes to be up. Opening her eyes around two minutes later she had her answer, there was a tiny pink plus sign in the window. It was true phase one was on its way to completion. Sinking down from the edge of the tub to the cool tiles below she couldn't help but feel conflicted. Part of her wanted to shout out with excitement, she was pregnant and a different part just wanted to cry over the insecurity that this new condition was going to bring.

She wasn't quite sure how long she sat there on tiled floor lost in her own thoughts, but she all of a sudden became alert to the fact that she wasn't alone. Looking up she saw both Dawn and Kathy standing in the bathroom doorway with looks of apprehension etched across both of their young faces.

"Are you okay, Buffy?" Kathy asked her.

Buffy couldn't help but smile at the concern her young sister-in-law was showing her. "I'm fine, just a little tired."

"Okay... is it all right if I go over to Dawn's?"

Buffy switched her gaze over to her too quiet little sister. "What did mom say?"

"She said it was fine," Dawn replied rolling her eyes. "She'll be here to pick us up in a minute. Can Kathy spend the night?"

"Dawn!" Kathy interjected.

Buffy heaved a sigh, "It's a school night, so it's up to mom."

"Okay," dawn told her as a horn blared from outside. "See you later," Dawn said kissing Buffy quickly on the forehead.

"I'll probably be home late," Kathy said tagging along behind Dawn. Buffy sighed in reprieve and smiled at having the mansion to herself, not having to deal with anyone until Angelus got home. She slowly got up from her place on the floor and grabbed hold of the incriminating package that had been lying halfway into the sink. Moving towards the door she tossed it into the small trash can that was located in the bathroom. Then she simply went downstairs to the kitchen to see what she could nuke in the microwave for dinner.

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Angelus was impatient to get home, his business transaction that he had been working on for over a month had at long last been accomplished and with luck his little sister was over at the witch's house, so he and Buffy could spend a little alone time together. He hustled up the driveway and more or less hopped out of his car before he had even pulled to a stop. As he crossed the threshold into the mansion he could hear exceptionally flamboyant cursing coming from the direction of the kitchen and became conscious that if Buffy was in reality in there he should probably call the fire department incase she started a fire like she had last time she had tried to cook for him.

"I'm home," he called out as an alternative, giving her the benefit of the doubt.

Buffy stopped whatever the hell she had been doing and stepped into the vestibule. "Hey," she replied apprehensively.

"What's wrong?" he asked, alarmed that she'd wounded herself with what she had been up to.

"It's really nothing," she told him. "I just sort of... exploded dinner."

Angelus threw down his coat and attaché case near the front door and meandered over to Buffy, kissing her swiftly on her enticing lips. "I guess that means we'll just order in."

"Chinese?"

Angelus kissed her all over again, "Anything you want."

A split second later, after Buffy's nod of ascension, he headed over to the touchtone phone and dialed the only Chinese delivery place in Sunnydale and gave them their habitual order.

Turning back to his wife he said, "I hope Kathy's hungry."

"She's at my mom's."

"Really?" Angelus replied trying disastrously to hide his wolfish excitement. Pulling Buffy into his arms and leaning in for another kiss, he whispered, "Good, we've got some time alone."

Buffy leaned into her husband's kiss, but her mind was spiraling with more than the standard baser emotions. All she could think about was how she was going to tell Angelus about his impending fatherhood.

"It's a pity we only have thirty minutes until the food arrives," Angelus said as he pulled away allowing them both to absorb precious oxygen.

Buffy heaved a sigh, "That's not much time."

Angelus all of a sudden looked profoundly into her eyes, "I could do thirty minutes."

"Point of order, honey," Buffy answered him smirking. "That really isn't a selling point."

Angelus smirked back, but not at her endearing little observation, but at her use of the term 'honey'. Before he had a chance to reply the phone rang and he sighed. "Sorry baby, but I am expecting an important call."

"It's okay. You deal with your business and I'll call you when dinner arrives."

"All right. I won't be long."

Buffy stared at him as he rushed off to his den and heaved a sigh. It was then that she resolved that no matter what, as soon as dinner was over she was going to tell him of her pretty much confirmed suspicions.

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In the interim across town at the Summers' residence, Dawn, Kathy and Joyce were eating their dinner in absolute silence. It was disconcerting to Joyce because typically both girls would on no account shut up.

However tonight the only dialogue that went on at the table was between Kathy and herself and then only when she asked Kathy a question.

In the end she couldn't take it anymore. "Okay, what's going on?" Kathy just shrugged, as confused as Joyce was with the situation. However when she looked in Dawn's direction, she noticed a guilty look flash across her daughter's face.

"Dawnie?"

"Nothing," Dawn answered quickly. She knew something all right, but was uncertain whether or not to tell her mother what she knew. If she was mistaken about it Buffy would without a doubt kill her and if she was accurate, her mom might kill both her and Buffy.

"Dawn Summers?" Joyce said looking at her closely.

Dawn took a deep breath, "I think Buffy's pregnant."

Joyce dropped the utensil she was using and stared off into the distance in shock. The kind of shock that could actually kill a person if they didn't have a healthy heart.

"Mommy?" Dawn questioned. "Are you okay?"

Joyce didn't answer, she simply picked up her fork and began to eat once more. It was as if she could actually pretend that Dawn hadn't spoken if she ignored her.

"Mommy?"

"You're obviously mistaken, Dawn," Joyce finally replied. "Isn't she, Kathy?"

"I know nothing," Kathy uttered, not wanting to get involved. Joyce put her fork down and pushed herself away from the wooden dining room table. "Dawn, could you please call your sister and let her know that Kathy will be spending the night. I suddenly don't feel well enough to drive."

"Mom?"

Kathy laid a hand on Dawn's arm, "I think she needs some time to herself."

Dawn sighed, "I think I should've kept my big mouth shut for once."

"Yeah, you should have. Regrettably you didn't and if it's true what you said, I think she in all probability would've taken it better coming from Buffy and Angel."

Dawn smashed her head into the table and wished for once she could have restrained her mouth. Because she all of a sudden had the feeling that once the astonishment or whatever had worn off, her mother was going to be pissed and Buffy would be the first target.

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When the food ultimately arrived, Buffy positioned it all on the hearth rug in the living room and went to collect Angelus. She found him still in his den, just hanging up the phone from his call.

"I'm ready," he told her as he got up from behind his desk.

Buffy didn't reply, she merely offered him her hand and led him towards their living room. Angelus was taken aback to see what Buffy had done to the ordinarily sparse room. The cream colored walls twinkled with the flames that the substantial number of candles she had lit emitted, romanticizing the atmosphere. Their recently arrive food was spread across the furred rug that lay in front of the copious fireplace and was encircled by velvet cushions that beckoned you to lean upon them. As he surveyed the scene, Angelus couldn't help but smirk at the thought that his sweet little wife had planned his seduction.

They sat down and began to devour their dinner, all the time they were doing so Angelus kept sneaking looks at Buffy and waiting for her to make her move. Eventually he realized that she wasn't going to do so, at least as long as she was stuffing the sweet and sour pork into her face, so he decided to make the move for her.

"Buffy?" he whispered leaning towards her.

Buffy stopped eating momentarily and looked up at him, "What?"

Angelus leaned in even closer and pushed the remaining food containers out of his way. Lifting his hand up he stroked Buffy's cheek and pushed a stray strand of hair out of her eyes, then he kissed her softly on her lips. Pushing her gently down among the cushions, he moved over her and kissed her more passionately.

Buffy found herself being swept up in the emotions of the moment and although she didn't want to she forced herself to withdraw from the moment. "Angelus... wait."

Angelus moved away to some extent, "Are you okay?"

"We should talk."

"So talk," he told her, not moving from his position. Buffy didn't quite know what to say, all of things she had rehearsed had flown from her head the minute that he had laid his hands on her.

"I... uh..." Buffy muttered quietly. Meeting his eyes and seeing the unadulterated distress for her in them, she heaved a sigh. "I think I'm pregnant. In fact I'm pretty sure I am."

Buffy watched as the distress in his chocolate colored eyes turned into amazement and then an emotion that she infrequently saw reflected in them, unqualified pleasure.

"We're... pregnant?"

Buffy nodded and bit her lip waiting for his verbal rejoinder. Even though she had seen his eyes and his face form an representation of his feelings, she really needed to hear him say the words.

Angelus kissed her ardently and when he at long last pulled away, he smirked down at her and positioned one of his huge hands over her still flat abdomen. "Wow."

"So I guess this means that you're happy?" Buffy asked him now that the fear of his reaction had lessened.

"I'm thrilled," he told her. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," she replied. On the other hand she wasn't absolutely sure that she was fine, but for her own sake and the baby's she was going to put her and Angelus' stupid agreement out of her mind. And pretend that she was in an nice normal marriage and that her baby was not the signal of the beginning of the end.

Angelus pulled away from her and stood up. Offering her his hand, he said, "Let's go upstairs."

Buffy took the hand he offered and once she was on her feet, he swept her up into his arms and carried her off towards their bedroom.

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Part 12

The subsequent morning Buffy was brusquely awoken by a relentless ringing noise. Lifting her head ever so slightly from it's resting place upon Angelus' chest, she fleetingly wondered what on earth was making the truly aggravating noise. Ultimately realizing that it was the touchtone phone on Angelus' side of the colossal bed, Buffy reached across her slumbering husband and picked up the receiver.

"Hello?" she managed to murmur drowsily. All she sought was a little more sleep, after all it was not like she had gotten much the night before during Angelus' epic we're having a baby observance.

"Hey Buffy," Willow's much too chirpy voice came down the line. "Is there a reason you haven't picked me up for class?"

"Oh fuck!" Buffy shrieked, inadvertently waking her snoozing husband.

"Sorry Wils, Angel and I spent the evening celebrating and we... well, I didn't get much sleep."

"I can speculate why with Mr. Tall, dark and studly, just why you didn't get any sleep... but what were the two of you celebrating? Your mom's still alive right?"

Buffy was wordless for the split second, part of her sought to keep quiet about the baby; but Willow was her best friend in the entire world and she should know. Besides sooner or later she was going to have to tell everyone anyway.

"I'm pregnant."

Willow squealed in evident delight, "Congratulations, Buffy." Then her tone sobered up and she asked quietly, "It is congratulations, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is," Buffy reassured her. "On the other hand I don't think I'm going to go to class today, even if it is first day back."

"I absolutely identify with and I'll even let you copy my notes on the lecture," Willow replied still hyped from the news she had received.

"I'll call you later and you can tell me everything. Bye."

"Bye Wils."

Just as she completed putting the receiver back into its cradle, Buffy felt Angelus take hold of her diminutive wrist and found herself suddenly flipped over until she was lying trapped beneath his hard body.

Looking up into her husband's self-satisfied, smirking face she couldn't help the giggle that erupted from her.

"What are you doing?" she asked him as she tried to stop the overflow of laughter.

Angelus nuzzled his face into her neck and began to lay demonstrative kisses from just below her earlobe to across her collar bone. "I assumed it was reasonably apparent," he muttered against her soft skin.

Buffy's chuckles turned into a gasp when Angelus moved his exploration down to her sensitive breasts. "What? Wasn't last night enough of a celebration for you?" she managed to hiss a few moments later.

Angelus pulled away from her body and looked deep into her eyes, "Never." Before she had a chance to respond to his statement, Angelus captured her lips with his own effectively cutting off verbal communication as he began the celebration all over again.

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Joyce intolerantly waited outside of the Kent Academy gates after classes were over for the day, anxious to collect both Kathy and Dawn as they came out of the school. For once she was glad that it was her turn to pick the two teenagers up, this way she could confront Buffy over Dawn's allegation when she dropped Kathy home, instead of waiting for another time. The instant that both girls had climbed into Joyce's vehicle she sped off towards Buffy and Angelus' home, hell bent on getting to the bottom of the so-called situation.

Less than ten minutes later Joyce screeched to a halt outside of the mansion where her eldest daughter now resided. Taking a deep breath she climbed out of the automobile and walked rapidly towards the weighty wooden front door, entering milliseconds after Kathy had managed to unlock it. Stepping into the copious, spacious entrance hall she heard what sounded like giggling coming from the living room; wanting to see what was going on, she barged straight in. She found - to her surprise - her daughter and the evil bastard she'd married sprawled across the plush white leather couch.

"What is going on here?" Joyce demanded instantaneously.

Angelus looked up and removed Buffy from his body, uncomfortable with the position they were caught in, in front of Joyce. "Nothing much. Thank you for bringing Kathy home."

"That's not what I am talking about. I am talking about the rumor that I am about to become a fucking grandmother."

Buffy paled apprehensively, "Who told you that?"

"Dawn did," Joyce replied without blinking, concentrating all her energy on her daughter and son-in-law.

Angelus put his arm around Buffy securely, in a gesture of support. Clearing her throat she began, "Congratulate us... it's true."

"What? Are you stupid or something?" Joyce screamed at the top of her lungs. "You are way too young to be having a baby and if you think for one microsecond that Mr. I'm-so-rich is going to hang around and help you to change the diapers, then you are wrong. Men like him and your father aren't in it for the long haul."

Buffy shook her head in utter disbelief. She hadn't expected her mother to be thrilled with the news, but she had at least expected some sort of support. "I can't believe you just compared Angelus to daddy. If daddy had been even half the man Angel is then... he would have made sure that Dawnie and I would be okay, not left us destitute and out in the streets."

"Buffy..."

"No mom, it's you who doesn't get it. Angelus and I are having this baby regardless of your *objections*. Now you can either deal with the situation, or not be in *our* child's life. I refuse to put up with this crap any longer."

Buffy got up and marched straight out of the room, past both her sister and her sister-in-law without uttering a single word. Making certain that her daughter was well out of earshot, Joyce turned to Angelus.

"I know all about you, McKenna. You can't possibly want this child," Joyce said to Angelus. "For all our sakes, convince Buffy..."

"If I were you, I wouldn't even dream about finishing that sentence," Angelus told her, his voice chilling her to the very bone. "I want this child very much, as does Buffy. If you don't, then I suggest that you keep out of *all* our lives from now on."

Joyce perceptibly was shocked by Angelus' attitude and words. Without uttering a mono-syllable she turned around and walked out of the mansion with an extremely confused and upset Dawn trailing behind her.

Closing the door on his evil bitch mother-in-law, Angelus sighed and tried to reign in his anger, so he wouldn't further upset Buffy in her condition. Once he was certain that the effects of Joyce's visit were under control he went off in search of Buffy. It didn't take long to find her; she was sitting by the colossal in-ground pool, wading her shapely legs in the cool, clear blue water. Without speaking Angelus removed his hand-crafted Italian leather shoes, designer socks and rolled up the legs on his Armani trousers, before he joined her. Not knowing what else to do, he put his arm around her and held her as she sobbed her heart out over her mother.

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The next few weeks were hard on Buffy - both physically and emotionally.

The emotional was naturally due to the tension between her and Joyce over the baby, plus the added stress of the extra coursing through her body because of the pregnancy. The physical stuff was mostly due to the subtle changes occurring in her body not that at this early stage of her pregnancy there was much going on - besides morning sickness. The appalling bouts of morning sickness had come on out of the blue and contrary to its name, it didn't simply strike only in the morning hours.

It had been so dire at one point that Angelus - after seeing her wretch her guts out for virtually a two days without break - had dragged her off to the emergency room of Sunnydale General, only to be told by the overworked and underpaid physician on duty that this happens to some women. Then concerned for a second opinion, he dragged her off to the family doctor, who offered as a last resort medication and once that was rebuffed, simply told her to take it easy.

Consequently she ended up missing a few classes here and there. After she missed three psychology classes in a row, Riley confronted Willow about what was going on and if Buffy was all right. Dependably her best friend told Riley nothing but to mind his own business and to stay away from Buffy. Alas when she finally did return to her classes Buffy had, had to give explanation as to why she had been missing and the psychology professor informed Riley of his ex-girlfriend's pregnancy. Accordingly a few days later, Riley offered Buffy his earnest congratulations and left her alone, forever out of reach.

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"So you actually did it!" Lindsey acknowledged as he eyed his long time friend warily. "You managed to knock up the ice queen, Buffy Summers."

"That's Buffy McKenna to you my friend. Besides my wife never was an ice queen - trust me on this."

Lindsey merely shook his head, "You are *so* screwed."

"Linds, shut up. You don't know what the hell you are talking about," Angelus replied brusquely, as he sipped the expensive scotch that his friend had poured him.

"Angie, it's you who doesn't have a fucking clue. Buffy has got so wrapped up around her little finger that if she wanted you to, you'd wax your ass and streak through O'Brien's Tavern during Happy Hour."

Angelus couldn't help but snigger at his friend's portrayal. "One, my ass does not need to be waxed - unlike yours. Two, O'Brien's went out of business years ago and three..."

"Yeah... and what?"

"She can't have me wrapped around her little finger because she has absolutely no idea of the power that she has over me," Angelus sighed. "Buffy doesn't know a thing about my feelings."

Lindsey felt the utmost empathy for his friend's predicament, but didn't show it. "Angelus, it's better for the sake of your contract that she doesn't know."

"But how is she supposed to want to stay if she doesn't?"

Lindsey slammed the crystal scotch glass down onto his mahogany desk, leaving a slight dent. "I fucking knew it, you are an idiot. Buffy doesn't love you; you're a business arrangement to her - nothing more. Do you honestly think that Buffy's going to pop out Angelus junior and suddenly proclaim her undying love and devotion? Well, do you?"

Angelus didn't answer him; instead he put down his glass and stood up. "I'd love to stay and talk, Linds; but I have to pick Buffy up from her class. I'll see you later."

Lindsey followed his friend and client out into the outer office area, ignoring his silly little secretary. "Angie, I do mean this. Congratulations to you and to Buffy... on the baby."

Angelus left the office with a nod of acknowledgement and Lindsey headed back into his private sanctum, neither of the two men had noticed Harmony Kendall absorbing every word that was said, her mouth hanging open in a permanent state of shock.

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After he had finished up his work for the day, Riley Finn headed over to the campus tavern for a beer before he headed home and did some of the pile of marking that had accumulated on his desk. He had been there a little while and was nursing his one indulgence and contemplating calling his wife back home in Iowa and begging for another chance, when someone sat down next to him.

"Hello again."

Riley heaved a sigh, but didn't take the trouble to look. "Get lost."

The bartender walked over and Darla gave him her order. When he was gone she spoke again, "Look, I'm going to give you one more opportunity to help me."

"No thanks," Riley replied instantly. "I can't do it, it's wrong to mess around with other people's lives, Doris."

"My name is *Darla*. And it's not messing with their lives; it's saving them from a mistake."

Riley shook his head, "It's never a mistake when there's a child involved."

"A what?"

"They're pregnant," Riley informed her as he stood up and left a few bills on the bar as payment for his drink. "Why don't you just leave them alone?"

Darla simply sat there and sipped the drink that had finally arrived as Riley walked away. She was imagining the possibilities that she could use this tidbit of information she had been given. Maybe if she planted the seed of doubt, Angelus would toss Barbie back out onto the street where she belonged and put Darla back in her rightful position.

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Angelus had made a swift stop by his office before he went to pick Buffy up and now was impatient to see her, even though he had called her a myriad of times throughout the day. He just wasn't going to be satisfied that she was fine until he could see it for himself. Exiting his office building he headed towards his motor vehicle and received a repulsive surprise waiting for him. Darla was sitting on the hood of his car with an evil smirk lighting up her face.

"Angelus... I hear best wishes are in order for you and your little Barbie Doll."

"Fuck off, Darla," Angelus said removing her from his car and unlocking the driver's side door.

"Angelus, Angelus, Angelus," Darla answered shaking her blond head at him. "Always working - did you ever stop to think that maybe Barbie's brat isn't actually yours? She does seem to spend an awful lot of time with all those college guys, especially... Riley Finn."

Angelus tossed his briefcase inside the car and turned to Darla, his eyes flashing with only just repressed anger. "You manipulative little bitch. Do you honestly think that I would believe the lies you tell? Buffy is my wife, my love, my life and the mother of my unborn child. If I were you I'd leave town for awhile, because if I was to find out that you were hanging around spreading rumors about *my* family... well, let's just say they would *never* find the body."

Darla stood there in shocked silence as he drove away; when he was gone she slowly made her way to her own vehicle and got inside. Once she was in the safety of the car she gave into the fear coursing through her body and began to shake. She had never seen Angelus so angry - especially never directed at her - and decided that his suggestion might be a good idea. She would leave town for awhile and let him cool down before trying again, after all Europe was always beautiful at this time of year.

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Part 13

College finals came around speedily that semester and Buffy was thoroughly comforted that the semester was ultimately coming to a denouement and that she would now have time to focus on the changes occurring in her life and her body. There would be no more classes, homework or last minute study sessions with Willow; she could just take it easy. At least she could do that as soon as she accomplished her last examination, psychology.

Sitting in the congested lecture theatre next to Willow, she apprehensively awaited the appearance of the question paper. Her stomach was filled with butterflies and she felt like she was going to throw up, even though it possibly might be morning sickness rather than nerves. Before she knew it the paper was in front of her and she was hard at work answering each question printed. Three arduous hours later the assessment was at long last over and she was free once more.

As she and Willow went to make their way out of the lecture theatre, they were stopped by a withdrawn looking Riley Finn. Just wanting to get away from him as soon as they possibly could without making a scene, both Buffy and Willow agreed to listen to whatever he had to say to them. Grudgingly the two girls followed him to his office and sat down to wait for any impending information. They didn't have to wait long because once he was seated Riley began to speak in earnest.

"First of all," he started apprehensively. "I immediately want to make an apology for any difficulty or distress I may have caused you, your friends or your family. The reality of it is I was living in some fantasy world because my life hadn't quite worked out the way I had planned. I idealized the time that we dated, Buffy and in actuality looking back on it now, it wasn't so fantastic."

"Agreed."

Ignoring Buffy's sardonic interruption, Riley continued, "I thought I'd just let you know that you don't have to be concerned about me hanging around anymore. I'm heading back to Iowa and I'm going to beg my wife to give me another chance. Good luck with your life Buffy... and you too Willow. Goodbye."

Buffy and Willow rapidly bid their goodbyes and rushed from his office, flabbergasted at the abrupt turn of events and an ending to an distasteful circumstances that was not in the slightest unpleasant. By the time they reached Willow's motor vehicle in the student parking area, the relief had well and truly set in and both girls felt the need to commemorate the occasion. Since Angelus was out of town - much to his own rampant discontentment - and Kathy was spending the night at a friend's house, they headed over to Buffy's to do the girl bonding/celebration thing.

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The next few weeks sped by so hurriedly for Buffy that they were more or less a blur. Not that they didn't contain some tremendously remarkable moments, like the week Angelus took off from work and they spent the time fooling around and decorating the room across the hall that was to become the nursery for their firstborn in a mere four months. It wasn't the stunning room that they had created for their child that she'd remember but the being together, Angelus relaxed and smiling which were indeed very rare things.

Dawn still came over to the mansion to visit with Kathy on a regular basis, but things were to some extent strained between her and Buffy and in all probability this would continue to be so until the situation with Joyce was at long last resolved. Kathy on the other hand was exceptionally propitious, neither Buffy nor Angelus had asked her to choose a side in this dispute or stipulate that she stop visiting the Summers' household.

Willow used the start of her vacation to do a little soul searching, to come to a decision about what she wanted out of life and love. After numerous days and an extensive heart-felt discussion with Tara, the two reciprocally decided not to get back together. They were simply meant to be friends and not lovers at this time in their respective lives. So Willow started dating again - and much to her parents relief the bulk of the dates were men - but still hadn't found anything even close to what she was looking for in a partner.

A pleasurable incident also occurred and it was the arrival of an old friend to Sunnydale. Rupert Giles had been the high school librarian at Sunnydale high while Willow and Buffy had both attended there. He had been not only a mentor to the girls, but also a surrogate father to Buffy before he had returned to England after the girls had graduated.

Now he had returned and was taking a position as a History and English professor at UC Sunnydale. Both Buffy and Willow helped him move his countless belongings into his brand new office and Giles had been staggered - to say the least - that his almost daughter was now not only married, but about to become a mother herself.

Nearing the end of July, Sunnydale was struck by a heat wave - which was insufferable for a five and half month pregnant Buffy - and an extraordinary instance was scheduled to transpire; her and Angelus' first anniversary. It also brought about an additional bout of ambiguity for Buffy; was she supposed to arrange something? Angelus had not even mentioned it or hinted around the event. In the end she simply settled on getting him a small gift and letting the rest sort itself out.

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The morning of her first anniversary as a married woman dawned much like every other day, with her husband already left for work and her sister-in-law out with friends. Buffy nevertheless wished that she did not feel the disenchantment over Angelus' absence, after all their marriage was simply a business arrangement they had agreed to and was not real - no matter how much she had come to wish it were so lately.

Just because she had developed feelings for her wayward husband did not mean that he would do the same for her. Consequently Buffy spent the entire morning moping around the bedroom in her pajamas. At least she got away with doing so until noon when Willow showed up out of the blue and insisted that they go shopping at the town's most recent mall. Powerless to resist spending money, Buffy ultimately got dressed and headed out with her best friend. It was only after they arrived that Buffy began to grow skeptical over the redhead's out of character behavior, Willow was hell-bent on convincing Buffy to clothes shop and had totally ignored her favorite store's new home.

However it didn't take long for Buffy to get caught up and push aside any reservations she had about her best friend's motives. By the time she finally arrived home in the early hours of evening she was weighed down by the many packages she had purchased, things not only for herself but also for both Kathy and Angelus. Willow helped her to carry the many purchases into the mansion's foyer, but declined to stay citing a family dinner as the reason for her hasty departure.

Heaving a sigh at the contemplation of another evening - especially this particular evening - alone, she picked up s few of the lighter parcels - leaving the rest for her absent husband to carry - and slowly climbed up the staircase. Upon entering the master bedroom she gasped in astonishment, dropping her purchases onto the emerald green carpeting.

Laying across the black velvet duvet was the most striking blood red silk dress that Buffy had ever laid eyes on. She walked over to the bed and sat down, all the time staring at the dress, it was then that she spotted the note laying next to it.

Dearest Buffy,
I am so sorry that I could not be there when you awoke this morning, but an emergency arose at work. Please put on this dress and meet me in the foyer at eight o'clock and I will endeavor to make it up to you.

Angelus

Buffy smiled at the note and tenderly touched her fingers to the delicate fabric of the silk dress. All of a sudden a proposal sprung to mind that she hoped would knock Angelus senseless and allow her a little payback for all the times that he had done it to her in their year of marriage. Without stopping scrutinize her motives for such an action, Buffy picked up one of her shopping bags and headed towards the ensuite bathroom to prepare for the evening ahead.

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At eight o'clock sharp Angelus walked through the front door of the mansion and tossed his leather briefcase aside, uncaring about what may happen to it. The only thing that he cared about was the same thing that had consumed most of his thoughts since high school, Buffy - his wife. He was in reality panicky about how she would respond to his surprise, because even though he had Willow's reassurance that Buffy would adore the evening he had planned, he needed to see it for himself.

Hearing a noise coming from the top of the stairs, Angelus slowly looked up there and what he saw almost made him swallow his very own tongue. In the store the dress he had chosen - with a tiny bit of help from Kathy - had seemed merely beautiful, but now that his wife was actually wearing it he had to revise his opinion to spectacular. The blood red silk hung to just above her knees, skimming he shapely thighs and emphasizing all of her curves. As an added bonus - and to his absolute delight - it also showed the gentle swell of her abdomen, where their unborn child rested.

"Wow," was all that he manage to mutter, his tongue refusing to cooperate with speech as it was still drooling over her.

"I could definitely say the same about you," Buffy replied as her hazel eyes took in every inch of his tuxedo clad body. "Did you feel like wearing something new to work?"

"I - uh - changed at the office," he offered lamely. Buffy didn't retort to his rejoinder, so as an alternative he watched her as she unhurriedly and with poise descended the stairs to the foyer and paused diametrically in front of him. Unable to be in command of his impulse any longer, Angelus gave into it and dragged Buffy into his arms and kissed her until they both needed to surface once again for air. As this happened he let her go resolved that they were not going to spend their entire first anniversary in their bedroom, he was going to take her out and show Sunnydale what a lucky guy he was.

"We should go... or I'm just going to drag you upstairs," Angelus whispered huskily, audibly showing her the powerful effect that she had on him.

To his surprise and relief Buffy's breathing was also labored, "Okay. I'll just grab my coat."

A few moments later Buffy returned with her jacket and Angelus helped her to put it on. Once she was ready Angelus held out his arm to her and when she took it they headed off on Angelus' surprise anniversary adventure.

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TBC...

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