"Tell me the truth."

With those four words, Angel knew that if he’d needed to breathe, he would have had a problem. Immediately he began assuring himself that she had no idea, that it was entirely impossibly for her to have the slightest idea of what had occurred. Still, Angel felt paralyzed with fear; a fear that had evolved deep inside of him from the day it had happened.

The day they had taken away.

It had been four weeks. Four weeks of feeling regret and anguish over what he had given up. But he had also felt a near sense of pride because he alone carried the weight of the burden that was the memory of that short time he and Buffy had been blissfully happy. It was because of that pride that the fear had started to manifest. A fear that the secret that was his burden would not remain a secret. A fear that Buffy would find out what *really* happened and he would have to deal with her feelings about his actions. Her pain and sense of loss. Her feelings of betrayal.

"Tell me, Angel."

Angel finally stood up from the chair behind his desk that he had been sitting in when she had burst into his office mere seconds before. It was only eight-thirty, too early for Cordelia to have been manning the desk outside and give him warning that they had a visitor. "Uh… what are you talking about, Buffy? What are you doing here?"

"Don’t play stupid, Angel," Buffy replied, her voice quiet but full of anger. "You *know* why I am here. Something happened the last time I came and it was a lot more than just the argument with you and that demon attacking. I’ve been having dreams…."

"Dreams?" Angel asked, concerned, as he moved around his desk towards her.

Buffy nodded her head, softening a bit. "Dreams that I know aren’t really dreams at all. They are memories… of you and me, but they aren’t memories of anything that’s ever happened or… that I know happened… I don’t know. It’s just… I keep seeing you and me and.. this place that I somehow know you live in and… um… we make love."

Angel closed his eyes and stiffened when the unexpected and unwanted images invaded his mind. Images of taking her on the kitchen table until it collapsed under their hard use of it, of carrying her to his bed and thoroughly loving her there, of their playful conversation when they had their snack, of being powerless when battling the Mohra demon, of the moment it all really hit him what it would mean if he was human and weak and Buffy was left alone to fight, of that last moment with her sobbing in his arms over what they were losing.

"I’m not wrong, am I?" Buffy questioned. "There is something more to it."

Still not looking her in the eye, Angel nodded. "You were never supposed to know. I don’t understand how this happened."

"Know what? I need answers, Angel!"

Angel nodded again, this time in agreement to tell her. "The last time you came, you’re right… a lot more happened than us arguing and that demon attacking. The first time, I didn’t kill the demon, he got away."

"This first time?"

"Yes, you see, the Mohra demon has special blood. It’s very powerful and it has strong healing abilities. The first time, it got away and you and I went looking for it together in the sewers. Then you decided to go look above ground for it and I looked for it on my own in the sewers. I found it and fought it. I managed to kill it- I thought- but when I was fighting it, I cut my hand and my blood mixed with the Mohra demon’s… next thing I knew, it had ‘healed’ me… and I was human."

Buffy gasped, "Human… oh God, and I was at the beach and you came… I felt you even before I saw you… and you came up to me and just kissed me… like I’ve never been kissed before."

Angel couldn’t stop the small smile from gracing his lips and the fond memory. "And then we came back here and talked about it. We decided to take things slow, but then we…"

"Couldn’t keep our hands off of each other," Buffy concluded.

"Yeah," Angel responded, his voice soft as they both remembered all the times they had made love.

After a moment, Buffy looked up at him, her eyes full of the tears she was fighting. "But what happened, Angel? What happened to make us not be together for this past month? What made you not human anymore? What made me forget all of this?"

Angel sighed and his shoulders drooped as he recalled all the not-so-fond memories. "That night when you were asleep, Doyle came to me and told me that he’d had a vision- the Mohra demon wasn’t dead like I had thought. I decided to battle him without you because if I was going to be human and still helping you, I knew I had to learn how to fight while being weaker. But… I was just too weak. He would have killed me, but you came and you managed to kill him. As it was, he nearly killed you. I realized that while me being human and being able to be the man to take you in the sun, to marry you, to father your children and grow old with you was everything the both of us had dreamed of… reality would never allow that to happen. Because you’re the slayer… and I hope to God you can have all of those things, Buffy… but the only way that’s going to be possible is if you have as many warriors on your side as you can. And that includes me. I realized that me being human may make the both of us happy, but it was going to result in tragedy. It could get me killed, you killed… maybe even the entire human race."

"So you went and got it taken away. They took back the day and the memories of it from everyone but you so that we could relive it, but you would know how to not let the Mohra demon make you human again," Buffy said as the memories flooded back to her.

"It was the hardest thing I ever did," Angel told her.

"So why didn’t you share it with me? Why didn’t you tell me?"

"Because, Buffy… do you think it’s easy knowing what we had every day and living without it? I love you so much… if I can save you the slightest amount of pain, I’ll do it."

Buffy sat down in a chair on the other side of Angel’s desk and tried to put everything he had told her together. It was so incredibly overwhelming.

Angel got himself back in control and pushed back all the feelings he had about what had occurred. It wasn’t safe being like that. Being calm and rational was the only way he could handle this. He began to pace back and forth in front of his desk. "What I don’t understand is how you are remembering this. Even in dreams… I mean, for all intents and purposes, it never happened."

"Maybe my subconscious is trying to make me remember," Buffy suggested, looking up at him.

"Yeah, but how would your subconscious even know?"

"Well, there’s more," Buffy said, wringing her hands in her lap. Taking a deep breath, she just spit it out. "I’m pregnant."

Angel froze; his body and mind both in shock. "Pregnant?"

Buffy nodded and looked down at her hands. "I’m two weeks late. I tried to ignore it, but I’ve been having all these dreams for the past four weeks and I just knew something was going on. I bought a pregnancy test and took it yesterday. I spent all day worrying about it and I *knew* I had to see you, so I got on the first bus here this morning. I’m pregnant, Angel. With *your* baby. This doesn’t make sense."

"It’s not possible, Buffy. If we… made a baby… the day we made it is gone. The baby would be gone too."

Buffy shook her head. "Angel, I *know* I am pregnant and I *know* that you are the father."

Angel crouched in front of her. "How do you know that, Buffy? Maybe… this is someone else’s baby?"

Buffy stood up and glared down at him. "How dare you say that?! What, you think I found out I was pregnant and decided it was the perfect way to trap you so I came up with a whole big scheme to trick you? Or maybe I just went and got pregnant on purpose! Any way I can force you to be with me, right Angel?"

"That’s not what I meant," he protested as he stood up as well. "It’s just that… well I know you were with someone else a while ago, Spike told me… and I know that you aren’t *with* him… so perhaps you are having his child but you’re afraid of that and so you need to believe it’s my child because you know I love you."

Buffy couldn’t believe her ears. Angel, her Angel, was accusing her of something like this…. it was as though her world was crashing down around her. She forced herself to calm so that she wouldn’t sound hysterical and shriek at him "Yes, I slept with someone else. No, we are not a couple. It was a one-time thing. Yes, the actual truth of it is he used me just for sex and dumped me after he got what he wanted. But that was in October. I got my period in November. It was after I slept with *you* that I skipped a period and took the pregnancy test. It’s *your* baby, Angel."

"Oh Buffy, I’m so sorry," Angel replied, not really being clear with her or himself whether he was sorry about what he had accused her of, or because of the fact that a boy had mistreated her so.

Buffy just shrugged her shoulders and shook her head slightly, trying to brush off the pain of his allegation. "Angel, all that matters right now is I am pregnant and we have to figure out what to do."

"You’re only a month along, so you can still have it… taken care of," he told her in a voice so low, she had to strain to hear it.

Buffy looked at him with utter shock. "You want me to have an abortion?"

"I’ll pay for it and take you and everything," he replied.

Buffy glared at him again. "There is no way in Hell I am having an abortion. This baby is a miracle, Angel. I never would have dreamed I could have your child, but now I can. There’s no way I am going to *kill* it!"

"Do you think I really want you to? Do you think the thought of the two of us having a baby together doesn’t make me want it so very much?"

"I don’t know! I would have thought you’d be so happy about it before, but now you are saying you want to kill it."

"Because it’s not that simple, Buffy. You can’t just have a baby and we can’t just get a place and marry each other and live happily ever after. The baby is going to be a target for every demon out there. And how are you supposed to slay? You certainly can’t do it while you’re pregnant, and afterwards you run the risk of leaving your child without its mother."

"I can’t believe you’re telling me to take this gift we have been given and to throw it away," Buffy said. "There is no rhyme or reason for why I am pregnant with this child. I have to believe that it’s something more than science. It’s something to be cherished."

Angel sighed and looked down. "I can’t be a father, Buffy. I don’t age, I can’t go in the sunlight… Hell, if I get too happy I become homicidal."

"I’m keeping this baby," she replied firmly.

"Okay," Angel nodded, knowing she wouldn’t change her mind, and a small part of him rejoicing in the fact that she wouldn’t. Even though he knew that logically this baby was a bad idea… it was his child… a combination of he and Buffy… the result of their love. That part of him couldn’t help but be happy about that.

Taking a step closer to him, Buffy lightly touched the side of his face with her hand. "We’ll work it out somehow."

Angel shook his head. "There can’t be a ‘we’ anymore, Buffy. I can accept that you want to have this baby, but I can’t be a part of it."

Buffy looked at him with disbelief. "You aren’t going to be a part of our baby’s life?"

"I want to, so much, Buffy, but I *can’t*!"

"Yes you can! We will figure something out. We always do, Angel."

"Not this time. I am a vampire, I have to stay that way. As long as I am a vampire, I cannot be a father."

Numb, Buffy sat back down in the chair and tried to fathom the meaning of what he was saying. She was going to be a single mother. She was eighteen years old, carrying the man she loved more than anything’s child, and he was telling her he refused to be a part of it.

"I’ll help you, of course. I will give you all the money you need. But I can’t be there. You’ll have Giles and your friends and your mother, of course. I know it’s not the same, but…"

"You can keep your money and shove it up your ass. If you don’t want to be my baby’s father, you won’t. From this point on, you won’t hear another word about him or her. You won’t have to give me any money. I will take care of them without you."

Angel studiously avoided looking her in the eye. "You have to start thinking differently if you’re going to be a mother, Buffy. You can’t be rash and stubborn because it could be at the expense of your child."

"Oh great, now you are going to bestow upon me some of your great wisdom. Well, if you don’t want to give me your support, I want nothing from you. Not your money, not your opinions and not your advice!" Buffy yelled at him, standing up from the chair, the sadness inside her replaced by anger. "You don’t have to worry, if I have to eat a cracker a day and wear rags, my baby with have food and clothes and somewhere to live."

"Buffy, please…."

"Please what? Please don’t be mad at you because you’re making yourself the martyr again and I’m not making it easy?"

"It’s not like that! I love you!"

"Yeah, well I love you too, but that really doesn’t matter anymore, does it?" she said quietly, before turning and walking out of the room.

Angel suppressed the urge to chase after her and grab her to beg her to take him back. To tell her he was so happy she was having his baby and she was right, that they could find a way to make it work. It was better this way. He wished she had agreed to let him help her financially, but he supposed after she cooled off, she might change her mind. Even if she never wanted to ask him for it, he could always go through Giles.

It was for the best, it had to be.

"Buffy!"

Buffy turned around and was surprised to find Riley Finn at the Sunnydale Bus Depot. She’d arrived back in town moments earlier and had been trudging through the terminal so that she could head home for Christmas Eve with her mother… at which some point she would have to inform Joyce she was going to be a grandmother.

"Riley, what are you doing here?"

Riley walked up to her with a warm smile on his face. "I was just dropping off a friend so that they could be home with their family in Sacramento tonight."

"I’m surprised to see you still in town," she replied, forcing herself to return the smile, even though hers was on the weak side.

"Well I’m actually heading to LAX now. My plane for Iowa leaves in two and a half hours," Riley explained. "When I get to Iowa it’ll be seven, so I will be home in time for the traditional eight o’clock dinner."

"Sounds great," she replied. "I always used to yearn for a huge family at Christmas, but I’ve grown to like quiet Christmas’ with my mother."

"So you aren’t going out of town? I mean you never said anything before, but I figured you might be going somewhere since you were here."

Buffy shook her head. "I actually just got back into town. I was in LA just for a little while this morning."

"Wow, you must have left early," Riley replied, noticing that Buffy seemed preoccupied.

"Yeah, first thing this morning. It was just something important that I needed to take care of."

"And you did? Take care of it, that is."

"Yeah it’s… settled," Buffy answered quietly.

"Well that’s good. Hey, because of the Initiative I can’t stay in Iowa for long. I’ll only be gone for less than a week. Want to go out to dinner when I get back?"

Buffy took a deep breath and shook her head. "I don’t think it’s a good idea, Riley."

"Okay," Riley replied, trying not to look disappointed. "Maybe some other time when you aren’t too busy."

"No, Riley, I don’t think I can ever have dinner with you. I don’t think we can see each other anymore."

"Oh," said Riley. He was caught completely off guard. When Buffy had first found out that he wasn’t completely normal, she had tried to push him away, but he had thought that they’d moved past that, that Buffy was willing to try to have a relationship with him.

"Believe me when I say it’s not you, Riley. It’s me," she assured him, then sighed. "I might as well tell you, because you’ll find out anyway. The real reason I can’t see you anymore is… I’m pregnant."

"Pregnant?"

"Yeah," she nodded.

"Are you and the father… I mean… is the father a part of your life?" Riley asked, still shocked at her announcement.

Buffy shook her head. "No, he’s not at all going to be involved with me or the baby. He’s not why I can’t see you. You’re a great guy, Riley, but I still could never expect you to want to date a girl who is having someone else’s baby. I don’t want you to feel bad about saying it, so I am not going to make you. To be honest, right now I think a relationship is the last thing I need."

"I can understand that," Riley responded.

Buffy gave him a wistful smile. "Riley are you all right?"

"Yeah, you just caught me off guard," Riley answered. "Listen, I really like you, Buffy. Not just as a girl I would like to date, but as a person. I would like it if I could at least be your friend now. I want to be there to offer you support or help or whatever you might need."

Buffy was surprised at his offer. She’d half expected him to be mad. Most guys probably wouldn’t take the news all that well. "I would love that. I can always use a friend."

"Good," Riley grinned. "Man, I wish I could take you to go talk or something right now, but I need to get on my way or I will miss my flight."

"That’s fine, Riley. I need to do some thinking right now anyway."

"Want me to give you a ride home?"

"No, you need to get on your way. The airport is going to be a mess. Besides, it’s not that far and a walk sounds nice."

"All right," Riley replied, reaching down to grab her hand and give it a gentle squeeze. "No matter how bad you may feel… try to have a nice Christmas, okay?"

"I will," she promised. "You have a good time with your family."

"I always do," he grinned.

"Bye."

"Goodbye Buffy," Riley replied before turning and heading in the direction of his jeep.

"Oh, and Riley," Buffy called, giving him a genuine smile when he turned around. "Don’t forget you promised me dinner next week."

Chuckling, Riley nodded. "You got it."

***

"Are you okay, Honey?" Joyce asked her daughter, concerned at how quiet Buffy had been all evening.

Buffy nodded and smiled reassuringly at her mother. "I’m just tired."

"Oh, what time did you get up today?" Joyce before taking a bite of mashed potatoes.

Buffy’s little trip to Los Angeles had luckily gone unnoticed since her mother had been on a buying trip in Seattle and hadn’t gotten home until early that afternoon- late enough for Buffy to get home and change into some sweats. Joyce hadn’t suspected a thing.

"About nine, I guess. I think I’m still just tired from school and that whole apocalypse thing," Buffy replied.

Joyce nodded in agreement and patted Buffy’s hand. "Well, you have a nice long break before school starts back up again. You can get all caught up on your rest."

"Definitely," said Buffy as she tried to decide if she should tell her mother now. It seemed like a really good time. It was just the two of them and Joyce was in a good mood…. Although she really preferred her idea to tell her mom while they were in a restaurant since she was less likely to kill her in public. Besides, it was Christmas Eve, why ruin the holiday by dropping a bomb like impending grandparentdom on Joyce? It was definitely *not* going to be a Hallmark-happy moment and she really shouldn’t spoil Christmas for the rest of both their lives by creating bad memories. She had eight more months to tell her, what was another few days?

***

"Good God, that has to be the most disturbing thing I have ever seen!" Giles exclaimed as he watched Xander do his Snoopy dance.

On the couch beside him, Buffy and Willow were trying not to laugh out loud. In the chair, Spike was looking at Xander with complete disgust. Even Anya looked displeased with her boyfriend as she stood staring at him with her arms crossed over her chest.

Hearing a timer go off, Buffy got up to go check on the chicken in the oven. After the fiasco on Thanksgiving, they had all decided to try to do the big holiday meal together again. Joyce hadn’t minded, since a friend of hers from the gallery was having a get-together, so she wouldn’t be home alone on Christmas Day.

"Hey Buff, need a taste-tester?" a hopeful Xander asked as he walked into the small kitchen.

"That’s quite all right," she laughed. "I’d like to have some left for everyone else."

After she was sure the chicken was thoroughly cooked, Buffy got started on setting all the food out on the table with Xander’s help. She loved to cook, even though she was pretty new at it. Suddenly it hit her that pretty soon she would *have* to start cooking a lot… theoretically, anyway. Her baby would want solid foods at some point.

Her baby.

The thought made Buffy feel a bevy of different emotions at once. Fear, excitement, despair, happiness and most of all- uncertainty. It was all so confusing and daunting. She had no idea what she was going to do.

"Buffy… earth to Buffy…"

Buffy was startled out of her contemplations by Willow’s playful teasing. With an embarrassed smile, she asked her friend "Sorry, what were you saying?"

"Where’s the pepper shaker?"

"Next to the stove," Buffy answered immediately, then focused on making the green salad look really pretty before handing it to Anya to put on the table.

Giles came in to the kitchen and began filling glasses with ice. Not looking at her, he asked, "Is everything all right, Buffy?"

She noticed that he kept his voice down despite the fact that everyone else besides Spike was playfully fighting. The vampire himself was engrossed in something on television, but they had no audience and Giles obviously wanted to keep it that way. Her body stiffening with the strain she felt for lying to everyone she loved, Buffy nodded her head. "I’m great. I don’t seem great?"

Giles shrugged. "You appear distracted."

"I’m just busy focusing on making dinner," said Buffy before grabbing several bottles of salad dressing and quickly leaving him alone in the kitchen. She felt really bad about it since he was truly concerned about her, but Buffy didn’t want to deal with everyone’s reactions to her pregnancy that night. For the fifteenth time in the past three hours, she reminded herself that it *was* Christmas after all.

Giles let it slide with just a look as they all sat down at the table full of food, Spike included- since he told them all in a put-off voice that just because he didn’t *need* food didn’t mean it wasn’t nice to eat sometimes.

"Xander if you get a belly I am not sure I will want to have sex with you," Anya remarked, eyeing all the food Xander was consuming.

Willow, Spike and Giles got disgusted looks on their faces as they usually did when Anya discussed her sex life with Xander in front of them. Used to his girlfriend’s candidness, Xander took it all and stride and just shrugged his shoulders.

"It’s all Buffy’s fault. Besides, wouldn’t you like more of me to love?"

"No," Anya answered sharply. "Damn you, Buffy!"

"Huh?" Buffy asked, startled that Anya was yelling at her all of a sudden.

"Buffy, where are you? You have been in another world all night," Willow commented, a worried look on her face.

"I just have stuff on my mind," she answered lamely, not liking the looks on everyone’s faces. They all seemed to be in agreement with Willow, even Anya.

"Buffy it appears that whatever on your mind is quite serious. Perhaps you should talk about it with us," Giles suggested.

"Yeah," Xander agreed. "We’re your Scooby buddies, if you can’t talk about your problems with us, who can you talk with."

Buffy sighed, knowing denial was useless. They were her best friends and they knew her like the backs of their hands. Well, not Spike, but he seemed to be able to read anyone like a book. "Fine, something *is* going on, but I don’t want to discuss it tonight. It’s Christmas, let’s just enjoy it."

Willow gasped and looked around at everyone with despair on her face. "Oh no! That means it’s bad!"

"Buffy you have to tell us what it is now! You can’t just say ‘yeah, something big, something bad, tell ya about it later!’ and expect us not to wig," Xander informed her.

Giles gave Buffy a gentle look. "Buffy you have us very worried. Even if your news is terrible, please share it with us so at least we know *what* we are worrying about."

Buffy looked down in her lap and fought the tears that quickly welled in her eyes. Ever since her little meeting with Angel the morning before, she had yet to shed a tear. Crying would only lead to self-pity, and that was something Buffy had neither the time nor energy for.

Taking a deep breath, she decided just to get it out there. No amount of preparing them was going to help. "I’ve just discovered that I am pregnant."

It was almost comical watching the five jaws drop. It was probably the last thing they had expected her to say.

After a few moments of silence, Anya finally smiled. "Well, I think it’s safe to say that Xander and I both feel it’s better you than me."

"Anya," Xander said sharply, giving his girlfriend a look.

She shut up.

Buffy bit her bottom lip and waited for some other response. They were all looking away from her, except Spike.

With a smirk, the vampire asked "So who’s the daddy?"

"Spike, knock it off. You know it’s Parker, the rat bastard!" Willow replied.

"Actually, it’s not," Buffy said quietly.

"It’s not?" Xander asked, shocked.

Willow frowned. "Wait a second, you slept with someone else? You didn’t tell me?"

"I.. I didn’t know until yesterday," Buffy told them, then continued when she saw how confused they all were. "You see, ever since I went and saw Angel about him coming here, I have been having these dreams. You all don’t need the details, but they aren’t normal dreams.."

"Buffy, you and I both know that your dreams are often quite important. I am sorry if you think it will embarrass you and I know I am no longer your official watcher, but I feel it would be best if you shared these dreams with me so that we can work together to determine their importance," Giles interrupted.

"Giles, please let me finish," Buffy pleaded, very close to tears.

Seeing how upset she was, Giles nodded. "Go ahead."

"The dreams… they were more than just dreams, but it didn’t make sense. It was like they were memories… but the things in them never happened."

"Were they sex dreams? Because I have those all the time and I don’t think that’s unusual at all," Anya assured her. When she saw Buffy blush, she smiled triumphantly and turned to Xander. "I knew it!"

"Anyway," Buffy continued, "I had dreams of a certain nature that Angel appeared in. But like I said, I knew it was more than just simple dreams. So when I found myself pregnant and I knew that it was impossible that Parker is the father and since I haven’t been with anyone since him, I knew that Angel had the answers. I knew that he knew the truth behind my dreams, so I went to see him."

"When?" Willow asked.

"Yesterday morning. I took the first bus I could to LA," Buffy answered. "He told me that my dreams were actually memories. You see, when I went to LA last month, I didn’t just go see him for a few minutes and head to my dad’s like I thought. What actually happened is that originally this demon attacked us, a Mohra demon. It got away, but Angel and I went after it. At one point we split up so that I could look for it in the sunlight and Angel would look in the sewers. He’s the one who found it. Angel killed it, but while he was doing so their blood got mixed together and stuff and something weird happened…."

"It possesses the ‘blood of eternity’," Giles said, earning looks from everyone at the table. Shrugging his shoulders, he explained "I read it in one of my books and that stuck out to me. Quite a fascinating demon. The blood has regenerative powers…. Oh…"

"Yeah, oh…" Buffy replied. "When the blood mixed with Angel’s, it made him human."

"Human?" Willow asked, bewildered.

"Yeah," Buffy said quietly.

Spike scoffed loudly. "I swear it is just my luck! Could a bloke ever have a *bigger* poof for a sire? It’s bloody humiliating!"

"So, Angel’s human, the soul is not an issue… that was a month ago, and now you’re pregnant," Xander concluded.

Buffy nodded. "I’m having Angel’s baby."

Everyone was silent for another moment until Willow sat up a bit straighter. "Okay, there’s more to this story, right? Because I don’t understand why Angel’s still in LA if he’s human and why it is you forgot all this."

"There’s a lot more," Buffy told her. "Like Xander said, the soul was not an issue, and I don’t think I need to tell you guys what happened next."

"I’ll say it," Anya grinned at them. "They fucked like bunnies!"

Buffy’s face turned bright red, but she continued on as though Anya hadn’t said anything. "We found out later that Angel hadn’t killed the demon like he thought because you have to bust this jewel thingy in it’s forehead. He went out to kill it dead while I was asleep because he decided that he was going to have to learn how to fight as a mortal in order to help me. The demon almost killed him but I showed up and managed to do it. As it was, I had a hard time myself. Angel decided that his being human made him a liability. He decided as much as he wanted to be human and do all the normal life stuff with me, it wasn’t worth possibly getting me or him or anyone else killed, so… somehow he got things reversed so that the entire day disappeared. Only Angel remembered it so that he could stop things from happening exactly the same way."

"So that’s why you didn’t remember," Willow concluded.

"Is anyone else sick of the ‘I’m a martyr, poor me’ crap?" Spike asked.

"So the day disappeared and became Angel’s secret… only I had the dreams… and this baby," Buffy said as her hand absently moved over her stomach. "I know it makes no sense at all. I think it’s nothing short of a miracle."

"What does Angel think?" A quite perplexed Giles asked her.

"Angel doesn’t know how to explain it," Buffy answered quietly, dreading the coming questions.

Willow gave Buffy a small smile. "So is he coming to Sunnydale soon?"

Buffy shook her head and looked down at her lap. "As far as I know, he has no plans to leave LA."

Xander was confused, "Does he want you and the baby to move there? Because Sunnydale is a lot worse than LA. We need you here."

"Angel doesn’t want any part of the baby’s life. Well, that’s not true; he offered to give me money for things I will need," Buffy informed them. "Actually, he wanted me to get an abortion, but I refuse."

Willow couldn’t believe her ears at first, but the more she thought about it, the more sense it made. "Because he’s a vampire and that kind of makes it hard for him to be a dad?"

"That’s what he says."

"Buffy, I know that you love Angel and I know that you see carrying his child as something truly special, but have you tried looking at it from another angle? You’re only eighteen years old. You’re in college and you have no job. Furthermore you are the slayer and if you are pregnant that is going to severely hinder your ability to perform your duties."

"Giles, I can’t believe you’re saying this," Buffy gasped.

"Well, he’s not really wrong, Buffy. I understand that you *want* this baby, but look at the whole picture. If you have it, what are you going to do? Even if you can figure out what to do about slaying, what about school? You may be able to stay in the dorms while you’re pregnant, but what about after you have the baby. And what are you going to do with it while you’re in class?" Willow asked, giving Buffy a sympathetic look.

Buffy stood up from the table, her body shaking with hurt, fear, but most of all anger. "I can’t believe you guys. I need your love and support more than ever right now and I get *this*! I know that there are a ton of reasons not to have this baby, but there is one very important one. I love it. I’m tired of giving up the people I love for the good of everyone else. I’m not killing my baby!"

They all watched in stunned silence as Buffy stormed from the apartment.

"You two really mucked that up," Spike remarked.

Nobody yelled at him- they knew he was right.

"Honey?"

Buffy turned her head away from the television to look at her mother. "Yeah?"

"How does pizza sound for dinner?" Joyce asked with a smile. "I don’t feel much like cooking and I am really craving something greasy."

"Sounds great," Buffy replied.

"Mushroom and olive sound okay?"

"Yeah, make sure they give us some of that garlic sauce with it," Buffy reminded her.

For the first time since she had told her friends about the baby, she actually had an appetite. Luckily Joyce had been so preoccupied with a New Years gala she had coming up at the gallery that she hadn’t noticed her daughter had been eating like a bird for the past four days.

Once her mother had disappeared back in the kitchen, presumably to call for the pizza and continue doing paperwork for the gallery, Buffy tried to get back into the local news show, but found herself once again dwelling on the baby. Every day she got up and swore that this was the day she would tell her mom, but every night she went to bed sighing that she’d never had the nerve to do it. There just had never been a good time to tell her. Buffy wasn’t sure what a good time to tell someone that their unmarried teenage daughter was having a child of her own was, but it certainly wasn’t when her mom was overworked and mega-stressed about a huge event for her gallery.

***

Twenty minutes later, the doorbell rang. Realizing it was probably the pizza, so her mom would have to pay and she really didn’t feel like getting up if she didn’t have to, Buffy acted as though she didn’t hear it and continued half-watching the TV.

Sure enough, it was the pizza delivery boy. Joyce paid him for the pizza and walked into the living room. "How about we eat in here tonight, Honey?"

"Sounds fine with me," Buffy replied, perfectly happy to stay just where she was.

"Good," Joyce said as she set the pizza box down on the coffee table and went back into the kitchen. A moment later she reemerged with two plates and cans of Diet Coke in hand.

Buffy eyed the sodas and wondered if drinking anything with caffeine was a good idea. She knew she had to limit her intake, but wasn’t a little bit allowed? After all, pregnant women ate chocolate. Deciding it wouldn’t hurt the baby; Buffy popped open the can and took a sip while Joyce served her a slice of pizza.

"Thanks," she smiled, picking up the plastic cup of garlic sauce that came with the pizza, pulled off the lid and dipped part of the crust in. "God, I love this stuff."

"This is so nice, just my girl and I," Joyce grinned, patting her daughter on the knee. "I’m sorry I haven’t been around much, Sweetie. It’s just that this gala is so important to me. After Friday night you and I will have a *lot* more time together. Maybe we can even take a little trip. Just the two of us. How’s that sound?"

"It sounds really nice," Buffy replied, smiling up at her mother. It suddenly hit her how much she’d missed her presence the past few months. Ever since she had started college, they’d hardly had any time together.

"Good, because I think we really *need* some bonding. I almost feel like I don’t even know you anymore," Joyce sighed.

Buffy gave her a strange look. "Of course you know me, Mom. I mean, I may be a *little* different now, but you know me."

"I feel like there’s this whole other side of you, Buffy, that I know nothing about. Not just since you started college, but for so long. This whole slayer thing is a part of you, and I really don’t know that much about it," Joyce explained, then tugged Buffy up against her when she saw the sad look in her eyes. "Hey, let’s not get all melodramatic now. Instead, let’s get caught up with each other’s lives. How about all those handsome young men at your school? Are you dating anyone?"

Buffy looked down in her lap, knowing that if she told her mother about Riley it would lead to trouble. She’d want to know why they weren’t dating now and that would lead right into the pregnancy category and she didn’t want to go there. Of course she *needed* to go there.

Taking a deep breath, Buffy looked her mother in the eye. "I’m not dating anyone, Mom, and I don’t plan on doing so anytime in the near future."

Joyce frowned and said, "Well why not, Buffy? Is it because of Angel? Honey, he left you over six months ago, don’t you think it’s time to *try* to move on?"

"Well, it is because of Angel, but not what you think," Buffy began, then slowly began to recount her tale to her bewildered mother. From the events when she had first visited Angel to her strange dreams she’d had ever since and finally the discovery that she was having a baby. After she had told her everything, Buffy looked at Joyce and braced herself for her mother’s reaction.

After being silent for a moment, Joyce shook her head and quietly said, "I just can’t believe this is happening. You’re just eighteen years old and now you’re going to be a mother? Oh God, what about college? What are we going to do?"

"Mom, please calm down," Buffy begged, although grateful that at least she wasn’t screaming at her.

"What about Angel? Does he know?"

Buffy nodded and looked back in her lap. She’d learned to hate discussing Angel with her mother. "I told him last Friday morning."

"And what does he have to say about this? I guess he’s forgotten all about the whole reason he left town and he’s coming right back now?"

"No, he’s staying in LA. He says he can’t be a father because he is a vampire and… you know all the reasons why that’s a bad idea. Plus, he’s afraid of losing his soul," Buffy said wearily. "He actually wanted me to have an abortion."

"Well, at least it appears he finally has his head on straight," Joyce remarked.

Buffy shook her head furiously, "Mom, there is no way I am having an abortion."

"Buffy, I know you think babies are cute and sweet and so much fun, but they are hard work, and they take money and if you have one now, your life is over. What about school?"

"I can go to school and have a baby. Millions of women have jobs and kids and they can make it work, why can’t I?"

"I knew the moment I saw that boy.. man… whatever he is… I knew he was trouble. Look what he’s done now, gotten you pregnant, come up with the most noble excuse not to be responsible for the baby. He’s a vampire, he can’t be a father, and he might lose his soul. Well, how is his business doing? I’m sure he has no intentions of *paying* for this baby," Joyce ranted.

Buffy looked down again; "Actually he told me that he’d give me all the money I needed."

"Oh really?" Joyce asked, her eyebrow quirking in surprise.

"Yes really," Buffy replied indignantly, then continued in a quieter voice, "But I told him I didn’t want any of his money. I’m not going to let him alleviate his guilt by throwing a little money at me."

"Are you insane?" Joyce yelled, standing up from the couch, her hands on her hips. "Buffy, do you have *any* idea how much babies cost? I assure you, your allowance is not *nearly* enough. So you decide to make a point to Angel, but at the cost of your baby? That’s who is going to suffer. See, this is why you can’t be a mother; you don’t have the maturity."

Buffy looked up at her mother, her eyes watery with tears. "I’m *not* killing my baby."

Joyce sighed and ran her hand through her hair. "Well, have you considered adoption? That way you won’t be killing the baby and you can still have a life. Plus, that way the baby is going to have a better life. *Two* parents who are adults and have the maturity and money to care for it."

"I will do everything for my baby. It won’t want for anything. I already love it," Buffy declared.

"Are you listening to what you are saying?" Joyce screamed. "*You* are planning on doing all these things for your baby, and how? You think you’ll do it with *my* money? You don’t have any, so I guess that’s what you’re planning."

"I’ll get a job or something," Buffy answered quietly. "Don’t worry, you won’t have to pay for *my* mistake."

"Oh that’s for sure. I *refuse* to take care of this one, Buffy."

"I didn’t ask you to," said Buffy, before standing up and giving her mother a cold look. "In fact, I’d rather die than lower myself to asking for help from you. You’ll probably always hate your own grandchild because you can’t stand Angel for some reason."

"You had better watch yourself, young lady. You’re under *my* roof!"

"Not necessary by choice!" Buffy retorted.

"Oh? Well, you’re free to leave anytime," Joyce told her. "In fact, why don’t you go? You don’t need me; you don’t need Angel, why don’t you just go get started on this wonderful life you’re planning on creating all by yourself. I’d hate for you to feel lowered by remaining in my presence."

Buffy’s heart ached as she was torn between storming out the front door and falling to her knees to apologize and beg her mother to help her. Instead, she slowly walked to the front door and opened it, then halting to look at her mother.

"Just remember that everyone makes mistakes."

She left before Joyce could answer.

"Hey man!"

Riley grinned as he entered the front hall of Lowell House and found Forrest standing there. "Forrest! Have you been standing at the window, waiting for me?"

"You’re freaking hilarious," Forrest replied, rolling his eyes. "So how was Iowa? From the looks of your belly, Mama cooked you up some good meals."

Riley mock-glared at his friend; he’d gotten used to Forrest’s constant jeering of Iowa in the two years that they’d been friends. "Just because I had a few days with good food and relaxation doesn’t mean I can’t take you down."

"Yeah, all you’d have to do is sit on me and you’d win," Forrest laughed as he followed Riley up the stairs to his room.

"How’s everything going around here?" Riley questioned as he dropped his luggage on the floor and took off his coat.

"Quiet as can be. The guys have done minimal patrols as Walsh ordered for the past few nights, but they haven’t seen a thing."

"Jonesing for a capture?" Riley asked, knowing that catching HST’s was like an addiction for Forrest.

Forrest grinned at him, "You know me so well."

"All right, give me five minutes to change, and we can go patrol."

***

"I can’t believe this," Forrest lamented. "What, did all the vampires head out of town for the holidays? It figures they’d do it now, when there aren’t any great parties we’d be missing if it was busy."

Graham chuckled at his friend’s logic. "Look on the bright side, Forrest, our New Year’s party Friday night is going to be a hit."

"Yeah, but by then something *huge* will be happening, I just know it," Forrest replied.

Riley smiled and tried to tune out their banter so he could once again focus on their as yet fruitless patrol. They’d been out for an hour and had yet to encounter *anything*- not even any humans. Then again, they’d spent most of their time on or around the school grounds, which were mostly deserted since all the dorms and administration were closed until the following week.

"Why don’t we start heading home, guys? We can go the other way, past Walker and Stevenson and make sure everything is okay around there too," Riley suggested. He wondered if he ought to call Buffy. Glancing at his watch, he saw it was already past eleven and decided that was a bad idea. Even though she’d told him she was a night person, he doubted her mother would appreciate such a late call. He was rather surprised they hadn’t run into her doing her own patrol, but perhaps since she was smaller and all alone, she was just quieter than they were and had chosen not to let them see her.

Or perhaps in her condition she wasn’t patrolling anymore.

Riley sighed as he was reminded of Buffy’s situation. Despite finding out that she was about to be a mother, or already was in a way, Riley couldn’t let go of his infatuation with her. All throughout his short visit home, he’d mentioned her when talking to his family members. He hadn’t really noticed it until the day after Christmas when his mother had smiled and asked him whom the infamous Buffy was that he’d talked nonstop about. Ever since he had been aware of every time her name had slipped from his lips; and that had number had been high.

However, in his explanation to his mother, Riley had informed her that Buffy was just a freshman in one of his classes that he sometimes talked to at parties. He’d made it clear that while she was sweet girl, he had absolutely no romantic interest in her. Riley wasn’t sure if his mother had bought it, but since Buffy definitely didn’t want a boyfriend and he wasn’t sure he could handle dating someone with a child, she would never find out that they had been anything more than friends.

"I can’t wait until Friday. Nicole is coming back into town that afternoon… we have that party… don’t expect to see me until next Wednesday, gentleman," Forrest announced.

"Nicole?" Riley questioned Graham, since he had no clue what Forrest was talking about.

"Forrest’s new main squeeze," Graham smiled.

Riley’s brow furrowed in confusion. "But I thought he said he could spent at the very least months with ‘Kimberly and her long legs’?"

"You must have missed it, but Nicole has longer legs and she doesn’t talk as much," Graham informed him with a wry smile.

"Kimberly was a momentary distraction; Nicole is… well she is damn fine, she’s smart without being too smart and she’s fun," Forrest told them in all seriousness.

"Plus Nicole didn’t run off to Aspen with one of the quarterbacks on the football team like Kimberly did," Graham added.

Forrest opened his mouth to retort, but was halted by Graham holding up his hand as he noticed something on the body heat tracker. Riley moved closer to look over Graham’s shoulder. "What do we got?"

"Looks like a civilian- 98.6 degrees. It’s heading east near Stevenson," said Graham.

"What are they doing there? Think it’s someone trying to break in?" Forrest wondered aloud.

"I don’t know… they aren’t mobile anymore… just staying still," Graham replied.

Riley started heading towards Stevenson. "Let’s check it out, guys. Even if it’s just someone trying to break in, we can call the police."

The three of them briskly headed over to the building through the woods so that they could remain unseen. If there was a burglar, they didn’t want that person to inform the police that there were men wandering around in strange uniforms; no need to bring any unneeded attention to themselves.

Instead all the found was a small figure huddled in front of the doors to Stevenson Hall. It took Riley a few seconds, but he soon recognized that it was Buffy that was on the ground with her knees pulled to her chest and her arms wrapped around her legs. She was shaking slightly like she might be crying.

"Is that…" Forrest began.

"It’s Buffy," Riley answered before stepping out of the shadows of the trees and walking towards her.

Forrest and Graham reluctantly followed. Riley had told them that Buffy knew about the Initiative, but that didn’t make them any more comfortable walking right up to her while in uniform.

Not wanting to startle her too much, when he was still a few yards away, Riley called softly, "Buffy, what are you doing here?"

Buffy lifted her head sharply in surprise and instantly began wiping her face, trying to hide the evidence of her tears. "Riley, this is a surprise."

"Yeah, it really is," Riley replied, crouching down next to her.

The other two men hung back, knowing something was wrong, but that this was not the time to start asking questions.

"The dorm is closed, I forgot," Buffy told Riley.

Riley nodded and looked at her worriedly. "They won’t open again until next week. Why aren’t you at home?"

"My mom threw me out," Buffy answered, averting her eyes. "I told her tonight… about the baby… she was furious and she told me to leave, so I came here and…" she paused, trying to calm herself since her voice was growing hysterical, "I was going to just stay here until I could figure something else out, but they’re closed and all my friends are upset about this so I can’t go to them. I don’t know what I am going to do, Riley."

He didn’t think it possible, but Riley managed to feel blinding anger and overwhelming sympathy at the same time.

The idea of throwing one’s own daughter out on the streets because they had made a mistake was unfathomable to him. Sure, his parents had always put an emphasis on good morals and not having sex until getting married. They would have been far from happy if Riley’s sister had come home and announced she was pregnant when she had been Buffy’s age, but they would have supported her. As for her friends, Riley didn’t know any of them besides Willow all that well, but they appeared to truly care for Buffy. He didn’t understand how they could let their personal feelings about her actions outweigh the fact that she *needed* their love more than ever. Clenching his fists, Riley tried to calm himself down.

His heart was breaking at the sight of her trying so hard not to show that she was terrified. She had no idea where she was going to sleep, how she was going to eat; she didn’t know how she was going to live. But still, Buffy wanted to show him that she was brave, that she was a survivor and he needn’t worry about her. Riley would have found it rather admirable if he weren’t so overcome with the desire to pull her into his arms and swear to take all her troubles away.

"Come on," he said, standing and holding his hand out to her. "You’re coming home with me. Our frat house is open."

Forrest shot Graham a questioning look, but knew it was useless; the other man has as little idea what was going on as he did. They hadn’t been able to hear much, so all they knew was Buffy was having some sort of problem and Riley was taking her home with them.

Buffy looked up at him in surprise. "Oh no, I couldn’t."

"Yes, you can," Riley assured her. "Come on, it’ll be fine. Besides, it looks like it’s your only option."

Buffy shook her head. "I can probably get Giles to let me stay with him. At least for a night; then maybe I can find somewhere else to stay tomorrow. I don’t want to get you involved in my mess."

"And I don’t want you out here any longer tonight. You don’t even have a coat and despite this being California, it’s chilly out here."

Buffy sighed and tried to decide what to do. She had lied about going to Giles’; he probably would let her stay with him, but Buffy *really* didn’t want to have to ask. It was humiliating, and hadn’t she already embarrassed herself enough in front of Riley and his friends?

Taking Riley’s hand, she used his help to pull herself to her feet. "All right, but just for tonight."

Riley gave her a small smile of triumph. "Don’t worry, Buffy, we’ll figure something out." Turning to his friends, Riley said "Guys, you remember Buffy. Buffy, you know Forrest and Graham."

Buffy gave the guys a small, embarrassed smile as they both nodded to her. She couldn’t believe the turn her life had taken in the past week. She’d gone from a normal college freshman… except for the slayer thing, of course… to one of those movie-of-the-week girls. The question was- would she have a happy ending?

***

"Okay, *what* is going on?" Forrest asked as he started putting his weapons in the locker alongside Graham and Riley.

Riley took a deep breath; it wasn’t exactly his place to tell people, but if Buffy was going to stay at Lowell House for a little while, people were going to ask. He had to be able to tell them something. Maybe he and Buffy could concoct a story if she wanted. For the time being, he trusted Graham and Forrest. "Okay, let’s keep this between us, though, all right?"

"You got it," Graham replied as he and Forrest nodded.

"Buffy’s pregnant," Riley explained.

Forrest’s eyes widened in shock. "What? I thought it was a miracle when you finally kissed her! When the Hell did you get a chance to get her knocked up?"

Riley frowned at Forrest’s choice of words. It just wasn’t very respectful, and when it came to Buffy, Riley liked people to speak respectfully. "It’s not my baby, okay?"

"Oh…"

"So that’s why you two stopped dating," Graham mused.

"How did you know that?" Riley asked; he hadn’t told either of them a thing about Buffy since he had returned home, and he hadn’t talked to them since before he had dropped Kevin off at the bus station and found out the news from Buffy herself.

Graham shrugged, "You haven’t mentioned her all night. Normally we would have heard you overanalyze your relationship with her for the entire patrol."

Forrest doubled over laughing and smacked Riley on the arm. "Man, he is *so* right!"

Riley rolled his eyes and ignored their teasing. "Anyway, she’s pregnant and her mom kicked her out. Her friends don’t approve so she can’t go to them. I can’t very well leave her on the streets, can I?"

"Wow, that’s pretty harsh," Graham commented, sober once again.

"Yeah," Forrest agreed, "So what’s Parker going to do about this?"

"Parker?" Riley asked, thoroughly confused.

"Yeah, well you know how he and Buffy hooked up a few months ago and- besides you- I haven’t seen her with anyone else," Forrest explained, then smiled, "And trust me, I’ve paid attention."

Temper once again flared inside Riley as he was filled with rage against the boy he had never been a big fan of. His fists clenching, he ranted, "Son of a bitch! I never even thought of that!"

Seeing how angry his friend was growing, Graham gently laid a hand on Riley’s shoulder. "Calm down, Riley, this is Buffy’s business, not yours."

"Not my business? Graham, this is about the woman I.." Riley halted, not really sure what he had wanted to say, "I really like Buffy.. more than that. I admire her, I respect her and yes, I really think I could fall in love with her. Parker’s going to hear from *me* about this!"

Their weapons were all in their respective places, so the three soldiers turned and started heading towards the elevators so they could head back up to Lowell House where they’d dropped Buffy off before going underground to check back in after their patrol.

Shaking his head in disapproval, Graham looked at Riley and said, "Look, I can understand your desire to make Parker pay. Hell, I wouldn’t mind punching him myself. But there’s something else you have to consider- how is Buffy going to feel about it? She doesn’t even know that you know she slept with him, and I bet she feels pretty embarassed for falling for his act. Now she’s pregnant and if you retaliate against Parker again and she hears about it this time, you might just make things worse for her."

"Damn, he’s right," Forrest sighed, "Way to suck the fun out of things, Graham,"

Knowing Graham was indeed right, Riley nodded his head, "I know.. I won’t go after Parker… for now. But if he provokes me…."

Once in the elevator, all three were silent, each in deep thought about one thing or another. When the elevator doors opened and they stepped out in the hallway of Lowell House, Graham looked at Riley once again.

"So what’s next?"

Riley shrugged, "For now all I can do is be there for her. Maybe I can help her find a more permanent home."

"I don’t believe it," Forrest exclaimed, looking at his friend in disbelief, "you are still crazy for her, aren’t you?"

Riley looked away, not wanting to face his friend and show him that he was so clearly right. "It doesn’t matter what I feel for her anymore."

***

Gingerly, Riley knocked on his bedroom door with his free hand. The other was holding a sleeping bag under his arm. "Buffy, is it okay if I come in?"

"Yeah, I’m dressed," was Buffy’s muffled reply.

Opening the door, Riley found her sitting on the edge of his bed in the oversized gray t-shirt he had found for her to sleep in. She was just staring at the wall, looking more depressed and lonely than Riley had ever seen her- a lot worse than when she’d been dumped by Parker. He wished he knew something, anything that he could say and make her feel at least a little bit better, but there was nothing. He didn’t have any answers to reassure her and make her feel less scared.

Buffy looked at him all of a sudden, her wide eyes filled with despair. "Do you think they are right, Riley? Am I being selfish and immature for not… having an abortion?"

Riley sighed deeply and sat down next to her, shaking his head. "I don’t believe in abortion. I mean, I patrol every night and work so hard to save lives. I know the value of human life. I don’t oppose women having the right to have an abortion, it’s just that if I ever… got a girl in that situation… I am fairly certain I would do all I could to come up with another answer."

"That’s how I feel too! This baby may not have come at the best time, and I may not be in the best situation, but it’s here. I honestly believe it’s a gift sent to me and I should cherish it," Buffy replied, then smiled sheepishly. "I know that sounds corny, but I love this baby already, Riley."

Riley beamed at her, feeling things for her he knew he really shouldn’t. "I don’t think that sounds corny at all. I’m not at all surprised that you feel this way, it’s part of the reason I like you so much."

Buffy let herself enjoy the tender moment before standing up and pacing in front of the bed. "I feel so bad for putting you out like this, Riley. I swear, I will figure *something* out as soon as possible, and be out of your hair."

"Don’t worry about it, I really don’t mind," Riley assured her, then bit the bullet and asked what he’d been wondering all night. "How about your father? Do you think perhaps he might react better?"

Buffy turned to him with such pain etched on her face that Riley instantly regretted his question. He’d just hoped that perhaps if he reminded Buffy of her father, she might be a little happier. He didn’t know all that much about their relationship besides the fact that her parents were divorced and he lived in LA, but her eyes had lit up the one time she had mentioned him.

"Um, no.. I don’t think it would even be worth the effort to call him," Buffy said quietly. "You see, when I was fifteen and my parents were fighting like crazy, I didn’t want to be around my house all that much. So I went out with my friends a lot… and I spent a lot of time with this guy I was dating, Tyler. The relationship was mostly based on everyone else’s opinions of us, but my dad worried about how much time I spent with Tyler…. I’ll never forget when I came home really late one night and he was ranting and raving… he told me that I had better not ever come home pregnant because he would disown me."

"Maybe he didn’t mean it? Parents will say all sorts of things in anger, but when it comes down to it, the threats are just that- threats," Riley suggested half-heartedly.

Buffy nodded unenthusiastically and sat back down on the bed. "Yeah, you could be right. But I had always thought that if I was ever in this situation, my mother would be the one I would go to and you saw how well *she* reacted."

"That’s true."

"I just don’t know if I can handle another person that I love telling me to kill my baby or that I am being selfish," Buffy sighed, then looked at him and felt guilty. "But you know what? I have to find somewhere to stay, so I’m going to call him first thing tomorrow." Hopefully she had sounded really believable; she had no intention of calling her father because she knew how he was; Hank Summers would not deal well with hearing his teenage daughter was becoming a single mother. However, she couldn’t let Riley help her any more than he already had. He was a nice guy and he didn’t deserve her mess. She’d have to find somewhere else to go the next day, then lie to Riley about going to her dad’s. That was the only way to be fair to him.

"If that’s what you want," Riley nodded, then stood up and began rummaging around in his dresser. "I’m going to go change, if you want to get in bed."

"Sounds good," Buffy replied, rolling out the sleeping bag on the floor. "I’m pretty tired."

"Don’t worry about that, I can make it when I get back in here. You take the bed, get some rest," Riley told her.

Buffy shook her head, "Riley, I have already inconvenienced you enough, there is no way I am kicking you out of your own bed. The floor is fine for me."

"Buffy you know I can’t let you do that," Riley protested, "I’m…. old fashioned. I can’t sleep in my bed while a woman sleeps on my floor. Especially a pregnant woman."

"Riley, I’m not *that* pregnant," Buffy laughed, "It’s not like I am so huge I can’t see my feet anymore. I’m still in my first trimester."

"Humor me," Riley replied.

Buffy sighed and nodded, "You’re making me feel very guilty, you know."

"Yeah, I know," he grinned, "I just love having a beautiful woman indebted to me."

Buffy smiled shyly at him, "Beautiful? Even when my face is red and puffy from crying, my hair’s messed up and I am wearing your t-shirt?"

"Always," Riley replied softly, feeling desire course through him. Nobody had ever driven him as crazy as this girl. Feeling a little silly, Riley grabbed the clothes he’d pulled out of his dresser and headed to the door. "You can go to bed now if you want. I’ll be quiet when I come back."

"Okay," Buffy nodded, "Goodnight, Riley."

"Night Buffy," he said, opening the bedroom door.

"Riley?"

"Yeah?" he asked, turning to look at her.

Buffy gave him a small smile, "Thank you so much.. for everything."

Riley returned the smile. "Anytime."

***

"What did she say?"

Riley turned sharply to look at Forrest sticking his head in the bathroom where Riley was changing. "What are you talking about?"

"About Parker… did Buffy say if she’d told him or not? I mean, I’d be beyond shocked if she told him and he wanted to take responsibility, but I guess you can’t kick his ass unless she *has* told him and he *has* flaked on her," Forrest said.

"Yes I can," Riley disagreed.

Forrest smirked and lifted himself up so he was sitting on the counter. "Okay, you can, but it’s a lot more gratifying if it’s for a really good reason."

"I have a really good reason," Riley replied, pulling a shirt on over his head, "He used the innocence of a young girl to get what he wanted from her and didn’t care what the results were, the pain he left her in."

Forrest looked at his friend in astonishment; "This is unbelievable! Look, Ri, for your own good, forget this girl. I mean, this is an honorable and totally *you* thing to help her, so find a place for her to live and get her out of this place."

"What are you rambling about now?" Riley chuckled, shaking his head at his friend.

"You and your… obsession with Buffy. Look, she’s a nice girl, and more than nice to look at, but she is *pregnant* and it’s with another guys’ kid. Are you planning on playing ‘Daddy’ now?"

"Yes, I have feelings for Buffy, but I also like her a lot, Forrest. I consider her a friend and I am there for my friends," Riley protested.

Forrest nodded his head slightly and slid off the counter. "Think of it this way, Ri: even if you don’t mind tying yourself down, Buffy’s not much more than a kid. If you play the knight in shining armor, she might think she’s in love with you. That might be all fine and good for a while, but sooner or later the fantasy will end and you might really regret it."

Riley didn’t respond, just contemplated Forrest’s words as the other man left him alone in the bathroom.

***

As quiet as possible, Riley opened the bedroom door, hoping he wouldn’t wake Buffy if she was already sleeping. Seeing his bed empty, he frowned and looked to see where Buffy might be in the dark room. His search ended a few seconds later when he found her in the sleeping bag. She certainly was stubborn; he’d give her that.

Setting his dirty clothes in the hamper, Riley walked over to her sleeping form and crouched beside her so he could lift her in his arms. Pleased that she didn’t wake up, Riley carried her to the bed and set her down, pulling the bedcovers over her. Buffy smiled in her sleep and he couldn’t help but return the smile as he gently stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. She was so beautiful, both inside and out… she meant so much to him… touched him in ways no other girl had done. It really wasn’t fair.

With a sigh, Riley turned and walked back over to the sleeping bag, climbing inside it. Buffy really was a remarkable girl. She’d managed to completely turn his life upside down in the space of two hours. But still, he didn’t regret it, not for a second. He’d help her, any way he could. Hopefully in the morning the answers would be a little easier to come by.

"I just can’t believe it, you know? It’s not like Finn."

Graham looked up as two of his fellow soldiers and housemates, Nathaniel and Thomas, entered the kitchen. Wondering what they were saying about Riley, he asked, "What’s not like Finn?"

Thomas grinned as he poured himself a bowl of cereal. "Nathaniel says some chick was blowing chunks in the bathroom and she’s Riley’s guest. I thought you guys went patrolling last night? When did Ri get a chance to pick up some wasted chick?"

"Yeah, and since when is it his style to go for that?" Nathaniel added, "Riley’s really not the type to take advantage of an intoxicated chick and this one is young. I sure hope she’s legal."

"She’s legal, don’t worry," Graham replied quietly.

"So you know the her? What’s the story then?" Thomas pressed for an answer.

Before Graham could figure out what to say since he wasn’t sure Riley and Buffy wanted everyone knowing the truth, Forrest walked into the room. "What’s the story about what?"

"Forrest, you’ll tell us! If Graham knows, you’ll know," Thomas said, "Where did Riley pick up a drunk girl last night? You guys go partying?"

"What drunk girl?" Forrest asked, confused. The only girl he knew about that Riley had picked up the night before was Buffy.

"Blonde, short, pretty cute, despite the fact that she was puking up everything I would guess she ever consumed due to her extreme hangover," Nathaniel replied.

"Oh, you mean Buffy? She’s not hung-over, she’s pregnant," Forrest responded without thinking.

Graham’s eyes widened in disbelief that Forrest had just announced Buffy’s condition. It was a matter of minutes before the entire house knew. Riley was *not* going to be happy.

"She’s *pregnant*?" Thomas exclaimed, "Shit! Is it Riley’s kid?"

Graham simply shrugged, since he had no idea what Riley wanted them to know. He figured Riley probably didn’t want them to know anything at all, but thanks to Forrest, he was going to have to tell them *something*.

"Of course it’s Riley’s! Do you think he’s gonna go out with a girl who is knocked up by someone else?" Nathaniel retorted, then pondered the idea for a moment. "Actually… he just might do that."

"Man, this is unbelievable," Thomas sighed.

Forrest sheepishly sat down next to Graham at the table and poured himself some cereal. Since the other two guys were now talking to each other about this surprising revelation, he said quietly to Graham, "How badly is Riley going to kill me?"

***

"Feeling better?" Riley asked as Buffy walked into his dorm room.

He’d been awakened early that morning by Buffy stumbling through the bedroom. Worried, he’d followed and found her getting sick to her stomach in the bathroom. Riley had held Buffy’s hair back and tried to soothe her, all the while ignoring the bewildered look on Nathaniel’s face that he’d seen when he’d walked in. After all, the last thing the other guy had expected was a girl to run in the bathroom while he’d been shaving.

Buffy smiled and nodded shyly. "I’m fine… just… thoroughly embarrassed."

"Don’t be," Riley replied, "Nobody came in while you were in the bathroom, right?"

He’d put up a note on the door, declaring the bathroom temporarily off-limits while Buffy showered and dressed. If any of the guys desperately needed to relieve themselves, they could use the downstairs bathroom.

Buffy nodded and giggled. "Actually, there was a line when I came out. I got some strange looks too. I think you’re going to have some explaining to do."

Riley shrugged, "Don’t worry, I’ll think of something."

"So… any plans for today?"

"Not really… besides you calling your dad… unless you changed your mind, of course."

"No," Buffy replied, plastering a smile on her face, "I still definitely want to talk to him. Maybe he won’t be mad and then I can stay with him… and deal with this."

"Yeah," Riley agreed, all the while really doubting that was a possibility. Still, it would be nice if *one* of the people Buffy loved didn’t turn their back on her. "So… do you want to go ahead and give him a call, then we can go have breakfast?"

Buffy nodded unenthusiastically, resigned to complete the task… or at least make Riley think she did. Hopefully he’d want to leave her alone for the call and she could just… *not* call. "If you want, you don’t have to wait around. You can go get started and I’ll join you in a few."

Riley sensed her reluctance and, not for the first time, got the feeling that Buffy really didn’t want to call her father. However, if he just ignored the issue, it wouldn’t go away. He had to push it, make her face it. Grabbing cordless phone off his nightstand, he pushed the talk button. "What’s his number?"

"I can dial it," Buffy said, trying to sound offended when she was really close to terrified. She would rather swallow rusty nails than tell her father.

Riley shot her a smile. "That’s okay."

Seeing the wicked gleam in his eyes, Buffy thought he might have known she wasn’t being completely honest… but she didn’t want to swallow her pride and beg him not to make her do this. She was the slayer- she shouldn’t be afraid of anything. "213-524-0101."

Riley quickly dialed the number and handed Buffy the phone. Buffy took it and put it to her ear, praying for the answering machine. Figuring it would only sound normal, she was about to ask Riley for privacy when her father picked up.

"Hello?" said Hank Summers.

"Dad, hi," Buffy replied, her heart pounding.

Riley was about to find something that he could occupy himself with so he wouldn’t *completely* eavesdrop, but still be able to make sure she talked to her father when there was a knock at the door. Sighing, he opened it to find an apprehensive looking Forrest on the other side.

"Can I talk to you for a second, Ri?"

Riley nodded and stepped out in the hallway, pulling the door shut behind him. "What’s up?"

Forrest took a deep breath, "I accidentally told a couple of the guys Buffy was pregnant."

"You what?" Riley replied, his eyes widening. "What possessed you to do that?"

"I didn’t mean to, Man. I just let it slip. I’m really really sorry."

"Did you tell them not to tell anyone else?"

Forrest shook his head, "No, because you know they would have wanted to know why and I don’t know what you want me to tell them."

"I cannot believe you did this… did they ask if I am the father?"

"Well, they *talked* about it… and I wasn’t sure if you wanted them to know it wasn’t your kid since she *is* staying with you. So I basically ignored them."

"As if this wasn’t hard enough for her… now she has to deal with *everyone* knowing!"

"I’m really sorry, Man," Forrest repeated.

***

Buffy took a deep breath, deciding just to get it over with. When Riley had left her alone, she had considered taking the opportunity to not tell her father about the baby, to just lie about it afterwards. However, she also knew that the best thing to do was to tell him and hopefully he could help her. It wasn’t the easy way out, but she was an adult now and she had to act like one. "Dad, there’s another reason I called you."

"Yeah? I figured as much," Hank replied, "After all, it’s been less than a week since we last talked."

Buffy closed her eyes, wishing she could turn back time to the previous Saturday. Even with the knowledge of the baby eating away at her, it was better than this. She had still felt loved.

"It’s not good news," she said quietly, "I’m afraid you’re going to hate me."

"Buffy, I love you. You’re my little girl. I could never ever hate you," Hank assured her.

"Daddy, I’m going to have a baby," she blurted out, tears welling in her eyes.

Hank’s entire body went numb. "What?"

Buffy closed her eyes, letting the tears spill freely down her cheeks. "I’m pregnant."

Hank was silent for a long moment, trying to calm himself down. She’d been doing so well! A few years earlier before Joyce and Buffy had moved, he’d been really worried about how she might end up, but then except for her running away and some trouble with a boyfriend Joyce had told him about, Buffy had really gotten herself together. Earlier that month Buffy had called to recite her first set of grades in college. She had sounded like she was really enjoying herself and Hank had been sure that Buffy would be a success. He’d never seen this coming.

"And the father?"

"He doesn’t want to be involved," Buffy sobbed, knowing her father was going to be so disappointed.

"I see," Hank replied coolly, "And what are you going to do?"

Buffy forced herself to calm down and said, "I don’t know for sure yet, but I think I’m keeping the baby. Dad, I can’t have an abortion and I don’t know if I can give this baby up for adoption. I already love it."

"What does your mother have to say about this?" he questioned. Joyce had always been the soft one, but he couldn’t imagine his ex-wife was too thrilled about this.

"She threw me out," Buffy answered quietly. "I’m staying with a friend for now."

"Oh, so that’s why you were calling me. Mom won’t put up with it, so you want Daddy to take you in, right?"

Buffy sighed, "Dad, believe me, I didn’t *want* to call you. I know how you feel about this and I dreaded having to tell you, but like I said, I am at a friend’s and I can’t take stay here forever because it’s not fair to him. I’m just trying to find someplace to stay and I was just hoping…"

"You can come stay with me, Buffy," Hank said, "On one condition. You have to have an abortion."

Buffy sat down on the edge of the bed and sobbed more loudly. "Dad, I *can’t*!"

"Yes you can. I’ll pay for it myself," Hank assured her.

"I told you, I love this baby," Buffy replied, "Why can’t you and Mom understand? Don’t you remember what it was like when she got pregnant with me?"

"Your mother wasn’t unmarried and eighteen years old. Buffy, it’s bad enough that you chose UC Sunnydale over *Northwestern*, but at least you were going to school. This will completely destroy your future," Hank told her angrily, "I haven’t seen eye to eye with your mother on many things, Buffy, but you can’t have this baby!"

"Dad," Buffy said in a pleading voice, "I *have* to!"

Hank sighed and closed his eyes, wishing just this once she would listen to him. It was probably Joyce’s fault. If Buffy had been living with him for the past few years, she would have better attitudes towards men… and he could have met this boy and gotten Buffy away from him before he’d had a chance to impregnate her.

"If you have this baby, Buffy, you are no longer my daughter."

Buffy pulled herself together and stopped sobbing, just allowing a steady flow of tears to course down her cheeks. "Well then I guess that settles it."

***

Shaking his head at the latest problem they had, courtesy of Forrest’s big mouth, Riley walked back in the bedroom. Buffy turned quickly so her back was to him. He could tell it was because she was crying and she didn’t want him to see.

"I take it that it didn’t go well?"

Buffy shook her head, still not looking at him. "I’ve been disowned."

Riley felt overcome with guilt. He never should have forced her to call her father, especially so soon after her rejection by her mother. "I’m so sorry, Buffy."

Buffy shook her head. "It’s not your fault. At least now I don’t have to worry about telling him."

"For what it’s worth, he’s a fool," Riley replied, moving behind her.

Buffy turned and smiled up at him, but her bloodshot eyes and blotchy face ruined the effect. "I don’t think he would agree with you."

"Well it’s true. He was blessed with an amazing daughter, and if your child is anything like you, a really great grandchild. And he’s just giving that up? Idiot!"

Buffy shook her head and laughed. "Riley, you are undoubtedly the sweetest guy I have ever met."

Riley smiled down at her and gently stroked his hand over the back of her hair, enjoying at its silkiness. "I hate to do this to you now, but I don’t see how we can avoid it… Forrest accidentally let it slip to a few of the guys that you’re pregnant. It’s only a matter of minutes before everyone in this house knows."

Buffy ran her hands over her face and shook her head. "You know what? It’s fine with me. I’m pregnant and I am staying this way because I am *not* having an abortion. So they are going to find out anyway."

"Okay, well I wanted to warn you," Riley said, "And… another thing… it’s a safe bet that since you are staying with me, they’re going to assume I am the father."

"Oh God, Riley… I didn’t even think of this! I’m sorry.. I’ll tell them you’re not."

"No, don’t worry about it. In fact, let them believe I am."

Buffy raised an eyebrow in question.

"For the time being… until we figure something else out. We’ll have fewer problems about you staying here if they think that’s why. We don’t have to announce it’s my baby, but if they assume it we won’t deny it."

"Riley, you have to be the *only* guy in the world willing to allow himself to be called the father of a baby that’s *not* his," Buffy remarked.

Riley grinned as he led her towards the bedroom door. "I’m a strange guy."

***

Buffy took a deep breath as she followed Riley into the kitchen. The rest of the house had been empty, but the voices in this room could be heard from as far away as upstairs. Most of the guys were sure to be there.

Walking in, Buffy immediately felt eyes on her. She stood awkwardly behind Riley as he smiled at everyone and gestured to her. "Guys, this is Buffy. She’s going to be staying here for a while. Please try to be nice."

Buffy was relieved when she was greeted with smiles. She noticed Graham sitting at the table, giving her a friendly look as he showed them that he had two empty seats beside him. Buffy sat in the seat next to him as Riley grabbed two bowls and spoons off the counter.

"Did you just want cereal? We’ve got tons of food. Bagels, english muffins… I could make you eggs," he offered.

Buffy shook her head. "Cereal is great. I don’t want anything too heavy."

Riley sat down beside her and selected his favorite cereal from the various boxes on the table. Buffy took the box after him and poured some in her own bowl while Riley looked for the milk.

"Aw, are we out of milk?"

"Mike, you didn’t finish the milk, did you?" a blonde guy asked as he punched the arm of another man who had just walked in the kitchen.

Mike gave the first guy a strange look. "Since when do you care so much if Finn doesn’t have milk for his Raisin Bran?"

The other guy looked at him like he was a moron. "Buffy needs it! She’s eating for two now and she’s got to have calcium!"

Buffy flushed as most of the other guys in the room started nodding and shooting dirty looks at poor Mike. Riley just chuckled and shook his head before getting up and checking the refrigerator. Sure enough, there was a full gallon of milk.

"Aren’t you loving Forrest right now?" Graham joked quietly to Buffy.

Buffy just smiled.

***

"So where’s your little girlfriend?"

Riley looked up and saw Chris standing in his doorway. He was still amused by the way Chris has attacked Mike about the milk that morning. The way all the guys had seemed to grow almost protective of Buffy and her baby almost immediately had really surprised him.

"She’s running an errand," he answered.

Chris nodded and smiled at him, "You know, I never would have thought that you would get a girl… in this situation. You’re such a perfectionist. I guess accidents happen, though, huh?"

Riley nodded his head, making a point to keep quiet. He had a sneaking suspicion that the purpose of Chris’ little visit was to fish for information.

"So, what are you going to do about this?"

"We’re not sure yet. The news is still… new."

Chris looked surprised at how relaxed Riley was. He would have figured that until everything was taken care of, Riley would be a nervous wreck. He knew if he had knocked a girl up, he would be until she got an abortion or decided to keep the kid. And if they were keeping the kid, he’d probably be in a much worse mood than Finn.

When Chris finally left him alone, Riley found he couldn’t get back into the book he’d been reading. Instead, he started thinking about Buffy. She ought to be back soon, since she’d left over two hours before. He wasn’t sure how he felt about her going to their local Planned Parenthood. Hopefully everything he had heard about them being good about not pressuring a girl to make a certain decision was true. Riley wasn’t sure what decision he didn’t want her pressured into making was, he just felt nervous about it.

Sighing, he set the book down on his nightstand and got up off his bed. He might as well go watch football with the guys. The game was starting in twenty minutes, and if that didn’t distract him from Buffy, nothing would.

***

It was two hours into the game before Riley realized that he still hadn’t seen Buffy. Plus, it was getting dark out and he really didn’t like the idea of her having to fight any HST’s in her condition. He slipped from the living room unnoticed by all the other guys, as they were quite engrossed in the game, and started heading towards the stairs.

He entered his dim bedroom, intent on grabbing his coat so he could try to look for Buffy when he saw her noticed her small form on top of his bed. Moving closer, he smiled as he saw she was sleeping on her stomach on top of the bedspread. There were little brochures scattered around her, so it appeared she had fallen asleep reading.

He was about to creep out of the room so she could continue her nap when Buffy moaned and lifted her head, looking a little confused. Once she remembered where she was and why Riley was in the room with her, she smiled up at him. "I guess I fell asleep."

Riley returned the smile, pulling out his desk chair and sitting down. "You must have needed the rest. How long ago did you get back here?"

Buffy looked at the clock and replied, "About an hour and a half ago."

"Did everything go okay?" Riley asked, trying not to be too intrusive.

"Yeah," she replied, sitting up so she was facing him. "They gave me another pregnancy test, which came out positive, so then I had a blood test, also positive."

"So, you’re definitely pregnant."

"Yup. They also gave me an AIDS test, but I won’t get the results for a while," she added, not really worrying too much. With Parker she had used a condom and Angel hadn’t had sex with anyone besides her for so many years that AIDS hadn’t even been around.

Riley, however, felt a spark of fear. After all, Parker had really gotten around and if he had gotten Buffy pregnant, he could have given her a disease as well. Poor Buffy; she really didn’t deserve any of this.

"I told them that I’m almost positive I don’t want an abortion, so we mostly discussed me raising my baby or giving it up for adoption. I took brochures on everything, though. I want to consider every option."

Riley nodded, "That sounds like a good idea."

"We also discussed financials.. Basically I have no financials, but they still referred me to a doctor and they gave me a bunch of sample vitamins," Buffy answered, then sighed. "I’ve got to get a job!"

"Don’t worry about that right now, just focus on your future," Riley said.

"But that’s something I *do* have to consider. I mean, if I keep this baby, I have to support it. Am I going to be able to make enough money? Sunnydale's not big with the job opportunities, if you haven’t noticed. I have to not only find a job that requires no experience, but one that pays enough to take care of both of us."

Riley nodded in agreement, then gave her an optimistic look. "Hey, I know a lot of people. And as you can see, all the guys here would love to help you out. I’m sure at least one of us has a connection to get you a job."

"Really? That’d be *so* great!"

"Absolutely," Riley responded, then chuckled when he heard her stomach growl. "How about we go grab dinner? We’ve got a ton of greasy foods that are sure to clog your arteries downstairs."

"Ooh, that’s my favorite kind!" Buffy grinned, forgetting momentarily that she had been too depressed to eat much before. Riley had a way of making her feel like everything was okay.

***

"So Riley, I don’t suppose I can assure Nicole that if she brings her cousin, we can hook the two of you up tomorrow night?"

Riley shot a dirty look at Forrest and they patrolled the still-deserted campus. "Not funny, Forrest."

"I wasn’t kidding," Forrest replied, then sighed. "See, I knew this was going to happen. You’re getting all caught up in this Buffy thing."

"Forrest, how do you know that this has anything to do with Buffy? If you’ve never noticed, whenever I was stupid enough to let you set me up, I regretted it."

"Whatever," Forrest retorted. "The point is, your little… obsession… with Buffy is getting you into major trouble. Already, you have no desire to see other girls. You’ll be content playing Candyland in your bedroom and getting her snacks while everyone else parties."

"Parties aren’t everything," Riley replied before marching ahead, hoping Forrest would just drop it. He didn’t think his friend was right… but he didn’t know he was wrong, either.

Forrest smirked at Graham, who had been characteristically silent throughout their conversation, "You notice he didn’t *deny* it."

Graham shrugged, "Riley likes Buffy, and it’s not like she’s not likeable. I don’t see the harm."

"Thank you, Graham," Riley smiled at his friend.

"Yeah, well I *do* see the harm. Riley, you’re going to get all caught up in playing house with her. I know she’s not one of those girls who use guys to get whatever they want… at least, I don’t *think* she is. Anyway, I know how you are and all your good intentions are only going to get you stuck in the same hole she is in."

"Don’t worry about me, I’m a big boy," Riley replied defensively. Normally he could brush of Forrest’s distrust of women, but tonight he wasn’t going to put up with it. There was a girl in his room who was sweet, caring and wonderful. She had been taken advantage of, then tossed aside like trash. And as if she hadn’t suffered enough already, now her life was going to be changed forever, and most likely in a negative way. She certainly didn’t deserve Forrest’s disparaging comments.

Forrest just shook his head, knowing Riley wasn’t going to listen to him. He just hoped that even though it seemed highly unlikely, Parker took responsibility for his actions this time. Then Riley wouldn’t have to be Buffy’s hero.

***

"So, you moving out?"

Riley looked up at Waylon, one of his fellow officers, in surprise. "Moving out?"

"Yeah," Waylon replied, smiling across the table. "I mean, Buffy seems really great. She doesn’t act all high maintenance and all, but this is a frat house- girls and babies don’t live here."

Riley looked down, pretending to check out his hand of cards, "This is just temporary, I don’t know where Buffy’s going to live just yet. She’s got… problems… her mom didn’t take the news all that well."

Another man at the table, Andy, piped in, "Hey, did any of you guys know John Torrey?"

"Who?" Forrest asked as he took his turn. He hoped Andy was changing the topic because he really loved these poker games, but discussing Buffy was only going to get him thinking about what Riley was getting himself into and he really didn’t want to go there.

"He used to live here a while back. I think he left before most of you guys got here. He was transferred to Maryland or something about a year and a half ago. Anyway, I guess it was over two years ago when his girlfriend gets pregnant. John was stuck like you, Riley, because he lived here and you can’t have your girl and your kid staying in your room with you. So he went and talked to his C.O. and they set up this whole arrangement. He married the girl and since we’re top secret and we don’t have regular base housing, they hooked him up with an apartment, rent-free, gave him a big raise to support his wife and kid, they even paid for her to go to a civilian doctor. After all, they really didn’t want her going down in the Initiative and checking out all the HST’s when she went in for her check-ups. Anyhow, they set him up with a place, funds, and the baby would be taken care of for the rest of it’s life."

"All because he married her," Riley said, leaning forward as he thought about it.

Forrest could see the wheels turning in Riley’s head and he really didn’t like it, "Marriage is a big deal, Riley."

"You aren’t kidding," Waylon chuckled, "I’d push for an abortion, myself."

"Riley’s not like you, Waylon," Graham commented.

Waylon nodded, knowing the other man was right. "So true, Graham. For instance, I plan on experiencing a lot of life- namely women- before settling down. I figure I should be thorough… so I don’t plan on shackling myself to a woman for a good twenty years. Forty-five is a good marrying age."

"Sound about right to me," Andy grinned, with Forrest nodding in agreement.

"I thought so," Waylon smirked, "But Riley… Riley views marriage in a different light. He sees it as… well, not death."

The table erupted in laughter at Waylon’s exaggeration. Riley shook his head and said, "You really are extremely over dramatic."

"I’m not," Waylon insisted, "hear me out. When you get married, you are saying goodbye to being a bachelor. It’s the same woman every day for… possibly the rest of your life. It is really the death of your life as you know it."

"You are really disturbing," Riley remarked.

Waylon shrugged, "You were raised in a completely different environment than I was. You have that whole ‘happy family’ thing going. I’m from a broken home- which makes me lack trust in the whole marriage thing."

"What about Buffy?" Andy asked.

"Her parents got divorced a few years ago. She was living with her mom here and her dad lives in LA. Does that mean she’s as wary of marriage as you, Waylon?" he asked, truly curious, even though he knew the mere idea of marrying her was preposterous. As much as he *liked* her, he didn’t love her and that’s what marriage was for. Besides, he was only twenty-two. It would be one thing if he actually was the father of her baby, but he wasn’t. Giving her a place to stay and helping her get on her feet would be plenty.

"Nah, probably not. Chicks who lose their dads tend to really crave male attention. She’ll either go that way or the other extreme- totally not trust any guys further than she can throw them. And she doesn’t seem like that at all."

Riley smiled as he thought about how far Buffy really could throw any guy, "She’s not."

"You’re the psych major, you should be able to figure this out yourself," Andy said.

"Not Buffy," Riley replied, shaking his head, "She’s not like any textbook case. She’s different."

Riley received looks of disgust from every person at the table besides Graham, who simply smiled.

"Man, he is a goner," Andy remarked, shaking his head sorrowfully.

"I am not!" Riley argued, ignoring the amused disbelief on Graham’s face and the look of disapproval on Forrest’s. They were all insane. He just *liked* Buffy! They liked her too- he was just closer to her. So he felt an obligation to take care of her when nobody else in her life would- that didn’t make him in love with her.

When Riley awoke the next morning, he found himself alone in the bedroom. He wondered where Buffy had gone without waking him. She didn’t seem entirely comfortable in the house and generally didn’t go anywhere besides the bathroom without him. Shaking his head, Riley tried to stop himself from worrying that she’d left. Why did the idea scare him so much?

Getting out of his sleeping bag, Riley opened the bedroom door so that he could go find Buffy. His search ended quickly when he found her in the hall, her hand reaching for the doorknob. She jerked in surprise, then gave him a weak smile.

"Did I wake you?"

Riley shook his head. "I don’t think so. I just woke up a minute ago and you were gone." Seeing that she was still in the shirt he’d given her for sleeping and obviously hadn’t showered or anything, he asked, "Were you getting sick?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "At least this time I didn’t scare anyone- the bathroom was deserted."

"Good.. Nathaniel’s going to get a complex otherwise," Riley chuckled. "Hey, do you want some saltines or something? I’ve always heard that helps. My sister had a baby two years ago, and she carried a box with her everywhere."

Buffy shook her head and put her hand over her stomach, "I don’t think I could keep a thing down. I’ll be okay in a little while. I may feel sick as a dog now, but in half an hour I’ll be fine."

"Okay, if you’re sure," Riley said, even though he was concerned.

"I am," she replied, then went and picked up the clothes she had been wearing for the past two days. She wrinkled her nose at the thought of wearing them yet again, but what choice did she have? She couldn’t go buy new clothes with nothing but her good looks…. Which wouldn’t help anyway, because she wasn’t looking too great currently thanks to stress, depression and pregnancy symptoms. At least Riley had thought of washing them last night. She would hate to stink. But still… she couldn’t stay like this much longer. She needed clothing, money, and a home. And she needed it all right away.

***

"Hello?"

"Riley?"

Riley was shocked to hear Willow Rosenberg on the other end of the phone. She was the last person he would have expected to hear from, but at least it wasn’t some ex-girlfriend as he’d feared when Graham had quietly informed him that he received a phone call and it was from a female. He *really* didn’t need to deal with that while he was trying to handle the current situation with Buffy. "Yeah, it’s me."

"Hi, um, I know it’s weird for me to call you, but I was just wondering if perhaps you’ve heard from Buffy in the past couple days?"

Riley quickly tried to decide what to tell her. He wasn’t sure whether or not Buffy wanted Willow knowing where she was. She hadn’t seemed really *mad* at her friend, just abandoned. Still, he knew that even though Willow may have let Buffy down, she probably would change her mind and help her out. And wasn’t helping Buffy the most important thing? She really needed Willow’s support. Sighing, he made his decision and replied, "Yeah, I’ve seen her. I know about the baby and what happened when she told you guys. I assume you know her mother kicked her out?"

"Yeah, you see, I figured Buffy was mad so even though I wanted to call her for several days I gave her space. I was going to see if she wanted to come over tonight for New Years, and then we could talk and stuff, but when I called her mom’s, she told me that Buffy had left… I kind of got the impression her mom told her to leave."

"It went something like that," said Riley.

"So… she’s staying with you?"

Riley closed his eyes, not wanting to give away Buffy’s secret- if it was indeed a secret, but also not wanting to lie. He was very bad at it. "Yeah, she’s here."

"Oh thank God, I was so worried!" Willow exclaimed, "I mean, I know Buffy is strong and resourceful, but how would she get a place to stay and food and everything without any money, you know?"

"Don’t worry, I ran into her the night her mom kicked her out and brought her here. She’s been staying with me so she can try and figure out what she’s going to do."

"Thank you so much, Riley! I can’t begin to imagine what would have happened if you hadn’t helped her."

"I care about Buffy, Willow, there was no way I would leave her out there."

Willow was silent for a moment. "You’re right; what you did was, well, it was something that *I* should have done automatically. I really let her down."

Riley didn’t argue, instead remaining quiet on his end of the phone.

Taking a deep breath, Willow asked "Do you think I can come over?"

***

"I hope you’re not mad, I just didn’t know what you wanted to do, so I tried to do what I thought would help you. At least this way you’ll get some of your stuff," Riley said as he sat down on the edge of the bed and watched Riley as she stood with her arms crossed over her chest in the center of his room. After getting off the phone with Willow, he had come back upstairs to see if Buffy was all done showering and dressing. Seeing that she was, he’d told her that her friend had called and that she was coming over later, hopefully with some of Buffy’s clothes if Joyce let Willow do it.

"Yeah, and I’m not at all mad," Buffy replied. "In fact, I’m not sure what I am when it comes to Willow. I mean, it’s not like she did anything really horrible to me. She just… she doesn’t think that keeping the baby is a good idea. And her reasons for thinking that weren’t wrong. I am young and I have no means of supporting the baby. I suppose you could say that it makes her a really great friend for stating her concerns instead of getting all caught up in how cute babies are and all that. It shows that she *does* care about me."

Riley nodded, "Yeah, she does. But on the other hand, I don’t think it would be wrong of you to feel a little angry. She didn’t support you when you needed it most. She could have set aside her own feelings for a while in order to let you know she was there for you. Even if she had the best of intentions, she screwed up."

"Still, I can’t hate her forever."

"Well I *did* say that you could feel a *little* angry," Riley smiled, "Hating her forever was not at all involved."

Buffy chuckled, then sighed sadly and looked away from him, out his bedroom window at nothing in particular. "I’m just scared."

Riley frowned, "Scared of Willow?"

"Yeah, sort of. Sort of scared of myself too," she replied. "I’m just… so unsure of what I want to do. I feel in my heart like I want this baby. I want to give birth to it and raise it… but in my head…. They’re all right, you know. I’m really not in a position to be a good mom. My head tells me that perhaps I could ignore my heart and have an abortion… or at least give it up for adoption. But I’m not sure I can live with it. My heart may make me feel guilty for killing or giving away my child for the rest of my life. Anyway, I’m just afraid that if *I* don’t know what I want and Willow gives me advice… my decision may not be mine. I may do what’s ‘in my best interest’ and regret it forever."

"So… if Willow starts to try and give her opinion about what she thinks you ought to do, tell her that you need some time to think about it on your own. You still haven’t had a chance to really catch up. Given some time, I think things will become clearer for you. You’ll make some decisions and feel more confident sticking by those decisions."

Buffy turned her head towards him and smiled. "You’re a very wise man, Riley."

"I’ve always thought so," he said, watching her turn her head back towards the window as she became lost in thought. Riley realized he almost felt guilty. Before he had just felt unable to do anything… but now he knew there was another answer. An answer that meant Buffy’s life could be a lot easier than she thought. She could keep the baby and not have to worry about housing or food or anything. But she wasn’t going to get to have that because he was too selfish. No, that wasn’t fair. He was only twenty-two. He had his whole life ahead of him, and besides, this wasn’t his baby. It was not at all wrong for him to not be willing to go that far for her.

So why did he feel so crummy about it?

"Ugh, I *have* to stop moping around like this!" Buffy moaned, walking towards him and sitting down next to him on the bed. "What can we do to occupy ourselves?"

Riley looked over at her face, utterly without guile, and forced himself to ignore the impure thoughts that filled his head. But it was *so* tempting to hold her chin in his had, tilt her face up, and kiss her passionately until they were both naked and quite occupied.

That was very wrong. She was currently very vulnerable. Besides, she was pregnant with someone else’s baby. He was a sick sick man for having sexual thoughts about her! It didn’t matter that he thought she was the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen. Buffy was off-limits.

"Um.. have you picked out all your classes for next semester yet? My schedule is all set, but I can tell you that picking out yours can kill a couple hours."

Buffy looked down at her lap. "I’m not going back to school next semester."

"What?" Riley asked, caught off guard.

"I have to get a job and make money so I can take care of the baby. I don’t have time to go to school anymore."

"But people do it! I know it’s hard, but you can do it all. I’ll help you study and I really think your friends are going to come around… they’ll baby-sit," Riley argued.

Buffy nodded and gave him a weak smile. "You’re right. People do it and I will be able to get help…. But I’m not going to be able to make a lot of money to begin with. It’s going to be hard enough to make the kind of money to have a place to live and food and everything else the baby and I will need. I can’t afford the thousands of dollars it takes to pay tuition and for schoolbooks. My parents paid it before… and they don’t want to have anything to do with me."

Seeing her point, Riley’s shoulders slumped. She was absolutely right. "It’s just that you’re so smart. When you put your mind to it, you learn so much. I just know that given an education, you can go so far. Plus, with any job you choose, you won’t make as much money without a degree. You’ll probably…"

"Struggle all my life to make ends meet," Buffy finished, nodding her head. "But what choice do I have?"

"It’s just… it’s really a shame, Buffy. And it’s completely unfair."

"Hey," Buffy said, reaching over and squeezing his hand. "It’s not that bad. Who knows, maybe I can get some kind of special scholarship. I just have to take some time off to get on my feet and then I can look into that."

Riley nodded, wishing he really did agree with her. As positive as she sounded, and as hard as he knew she could work at getting what she wanted, he feared that Buffy was heading towards a very hard life. But he could easily turn things around.

He could marry her and she wouldn’t have to quit school. She would have a home and food and money and everything… and he just had to do one little thing. It wasn’t even like he hated her; he adored Buffy. He loved spending time with her. She was beautiful. He realized that he had never told himself he would never want to marry her… just that now was a lot sooner than he wanted to marry anyone.

It might not be so bad… and if he did this it would change *everything* for Buffy… and that poor, innocent baby inside her. After all, it would suffer too. He knew Buffy would do anything for her baby, but still… there was only so much she *could* do… unless he married her.

He opened his mouth to tell her about the idea, but stopped suddenly. Marriage was a huge deal. And it was for people who loved each other. To marry her for the wrong reasons… wasn’t that a sin? Even if it was to do something really good, it was not for the reasons he had been raised to believe one should have before getting married. Besides, was he really ready to quit dating? He didn’t know Buffy *that* well. They could end up hating each other after a week.

Riley silently admonished himself for being a coward as he remained motionless next to her. Buffy was quiet as she tried to think of something to talk about or do to take their minds off this. She didn’t need to feel sorry for herself and she wanted Riley’s pity even less.

Luckily, they were interrupted by a knock at Riley’s bedroom door. He jumped up and opened the door, finding Willow, Xander and Anya on the other side. Immediately, he noticed that Willow and Xander held suitcases, which meant that they must have gotten Buffy’s clothes. At least she had that now.

"Hi guys," he greeted, stepping aside to let them in.

"Hey Riley," Willow replied as she walked in. Xander followed, exchanging nods with Riley, before Anya entered the room, without really acknowledging anyone. Riley watched her as she didn’t even look at Buffy, just began examining the room. He wondered why Xander had dragged her along, since she didn’t appear to want to be there.

Buffy got off the bed and stood awkwardly facing her friends. "Hey."

Willow set the suitcase down and wrung her hands nervously. "Hi Buffy."

Xander set his own suitcase down and decided to bite the bullet. Taking a step closer, he hugged Buffy tightly. "Hey Buffster! I’ve been worried about you. You’re not mad at *me*, right? Because, if you didn’t notice, I never said anything bad. I was just shell-shocked. Willow was the evil one this time."

"Xander!" Willow shrieked and slapped the back of the boy’s head as Buffy smiled. It was a genuine smile, Riley realized, something he hadn’t seen too many of from her lately. He was very glad her friends had come, because he loved seeing her happy.

"Hey, I am not wrong," Xander argued, then pulled a king-size Hershey bar out of an inner pocket in his coat. "I also brought this for you to ensure that I have your love."

"Aww," Buffy replied, taking the candy bar and holding it to her chest affectionately. "Okay, I love you forever."

"Buffy, I’m really sorry," Willow apologized, taking a tentative step closer. "What I said… it was wrong. Even if I don’t think keeping the baby is best, if it’s what you want, I support you. I’ll support any decision you make."

The two girls embraced and Riley felt a little more happiness for Buffy. She really needed this. Suddenly, he also felt uncomfortable, like he was intruding on their private reunion.

Moving towards the door he said "I’m just going to go… elsewhere… so that you guys can be alone."

"No, Riley, don’t go, please," Buffy said, giving him a pleading look.

Riley was taken aback, but nodded his head and smiled before going and leaning against the edge of his desk. Relaxing, Buffy sat back down on the bed with Willow and Xander sitting on each side of her.

"Your mom let me get some of your stuff. I got a lot of your clothes, plus your hairdryer and curling iron, all the hygiene stuff, make-up… hopefully everything you’ll need for a while," said Willow.

"Thanks Will, it’ll be so nice to have my own stuff. Poor Riley’s had to lend me his clothes," she smiled. "And I can wear make-up… I am looking especially awful lately, so I would love to cover up."

"Oh please, Buff you look gorgeous as always," Xander argued with a grin. "By the by, I have a proposition for you… I know it’s not the Ritz, but do you want to come stay with me?"

Buffy glanced over at Riley before plastering a smile on her face. "You really wouldn’t mind? I mean, then I could get out of poor Riley’s hair."

Riley tried not to ache at the thought of Buffy leaving. Why did it bother him, anyway? Xander was her friend, it’s not like she’d be staying with some jerk that would try to take advantage of her situation. He realized he just didn’t *want* her to leave…. He’d miss her.

"Absolutely not. You may have to come in the back door, though… my parents probably wouldn’t be thrilled… they might even try to charge me more rent."

"Wait a second, you are going to let *her* live with you?" Anya asked, suddenly interested in the conversation.

"That’s what I said, Anya," Xander retorted.

"Well, no!" Anya protested, "You are *my* boyfriend and if *any* girl stays with you, it will be *me*! Besides, if she is there we won’t have sex. Don’t you remember that one time she was hanging out and I wanted to fornicate, but you said ‘No, Buffy’s here, we can’t do it in front of her’ so I had to wait until she left? It was horrible. I detested it."

"Anya, Buffy needs a place to live, I can’t believe you are putting your own… desires… ahead of that," Xander replied.

"Well, *I* can! What kind of girl wouldn’t mind another girl sharing a room with her boyfriend?" Anya shouted.

Xander rolled his eyes, "It’s not like that!"

Seeing his chance, Riley stepped forward. "You know, I really don’t mind Buffy staying here. And none of the guys have a problem with it. She can keep staying here until we figure something out."

Buffy was torn; on one hand, she didn’t want to cause problems between Anya and Xander, but on the other, she didn’t want to be a burden for Riley. "Are you sure? I feel so bad about doing this to you, Riley."

"I’m absolutely fine with it," Riley assured her, hoping nobody would protest.

"I wish I could offer you my house," Willow said, "But… you know how my parents are."

"Yeah, I understand," Buffy replied, then laughed humorlessly, "Hey, my own parents don’t want me in their homes… I certainly don’t expect anyone else’s to."

Riley remained, for the most part, silent while Buffy talked things over with Xander and Willow. He used the opportunity to once again think over the marriage thing. When he had thought she might be leaving him, he realized that he had been fairly close to distraught over it. It made him see how much he really liked having Buffy around. He enjoyed being with her more than any other person he had ever met, girl or not. And even though marriage was a much bigger step and something he would normally never think of for a much longer time… if she needed it now, he didn’t think it was such a bad idea.

After about half an hour, Buffy’s friends decided to head on their way, promising to give her a call soon. Riley and Buffy were left alone… Riley knew it was his opportunity to tell her about the other option. He just had to work up the nerve…

"Riley, I really am sorry about this. I swear, Monday morning, I will be out applying for jobs," Buffy swore.

"Actually… I have another option," Riley said, "One where you would have a place to live, food, money… everything. This option would mean you could keep the baby and stay in school."

Buffy gave him an incredulous look. "That sounds *way* too good to be true. What do I have to do, sell my soul to the devil?"

Riley chuckled nervously and replied, "Marry me."

"What?" Buffy asked, thoroughly confused.

Taking a deep breath, Riley explained "Last night the guys felt the need to discuss your… our… predicament. Someone mentioned that there was this guy in the Initiative a while back who got his girlfriend pregnant. Anyway, they got married and because the Initiative is top-secret and they want to keep it that way… they hooked them up. They paid for them to have their own apartment, gave them extra money, everything. I am thinking I can get them agree to pay for your schooling for that very reason."

"Oh my God," Buffy gasped, "This is unreal."

"Look, I know it’s not entirely honest, and that bothered me at first too… but this is like one of those gray areas. Sometimes lying can be a good thing, you know? And this way you and your baby will be all set up. I’d say that’s a great reason."

"You’re willing to marry me? This isn’t your baby, Riley. You have absolutely no obligation."

Cautiously, Riley took Buffy’s hand. "Buffy, I care about you. I want to help you out. You’re my friend, you know?"

"Yeah, but this goes far beyond friendship, Riley! Marriage is… big!"

"I know, I’m aware of that. But think about the whole picture. This could make both yours and the baby’s life *so* much better. It’ll be easier on you… and you can give a lot more to the baby."

"I can’t believe you are saying this. Riley… it’s insane. I mean, I know you are a nice guy, but *I* screwed up, not you. And yes, marrying you would be improving my life greatly, but it would screw yours up."

"I wouldn’t say that."

"Oh yeah, getting married young to a girl you just dated for a while who is pregnant to another guy’s kid is a dream come true for you," Buffy replied sarcastically.

Riley sighed, "Buffy, hear me out. I heard about this last night. At first I tried to brush it off for that very reason, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I’ve had quite a bit of time to think about this and I really don’t think it’s a horrible idea. I wouldn’t mind it. Don’t you trust me to make decisions for myself?"

Buffy shrugged her shoulders and looked down. "I’m worried you are getting too caught up in the idea of helping me… and you’re not really thinking things through. Marriage, Riley…. it’s like a lifetime thing."

"It doesn’t have to be," Riley replied. "We could get married for a year or something… agree that when the year is up, we get divorced. You can get full custody of the baby, you know I won’t fight it, of course…. and at the very least you get health insurance and money from the U.S. Military."

Buffy stood up and crossed her arms over her chest as she once again gazed out the window. "You have this all figured out, don’t you?"

"Like I said, I thought this through."

Buffy nodded her head and turned around to face him. "I thank you for your generous offer, but no I won’t marry you."

"Buffy, please be reasonable!" Riley pleaded, standing up and walking over to her.

"You’re telling *me* to be reasonable? You want to get married and we have only known each other for three months! You’re not even romantically interested in me!"

"I never said that."

"Fine, we are not romantically involved."

"I didn’t mean that we had to have a ‘real’ marriage. We can have separate beds and rooms and everything."

Buffy was silent for a moment, trying to come up with an answer. There was no way she would agree to this. "Riley, you may be willing to do this, but I am not willing to let you."

"You know, it’s one thing for you to not want to kill the baby and raise it in a life without a lot of money and everything…. But this is by far not a horrible thing to do. I’m not going to expect you to be a wife to me. I’m not going to try to take your baby away. All I am going to do is help you provide for your baby. *This* is the best thing for the baby. If you’re going to be a mother, you have to start thinking that way."

"You’re saying I’m already a bad mother?"

"No… I’m just saying that you are young and you are acting that way. However, now you have to grow up real fast."

Buffy nodded her head and looked down. "I see. Look, why don’t you keep your wisdom to yourself? I’m not getting married."

Riley watched as she rushed out of the room, shutting the door soundly behind her. He had no idea what to do. He’d figured Buffy would say no at first, since she really didn’t want him to be inconvenienced by her, but she would see what a good idea it was and change her mind. He supposed it was rather pig-headed of him to actually expect Buffy to be full of gratitude towards him. Plus, just because she was pregnant didn’t mean she wanted to give up her life to be married to him any more than he did for her. A commitment like that at age eighteen….. pretty scary stuff.

Instantly, he regretted trying to get her to agree by implying if she didn’t, she was a bad mother. He hadn’t meant it. Riley knew she was scared and confused. But how was he going to get her to see that this was the best thing to do? Well, time had worked for him. Maybe if Buffy could think about it for a while, she would see things his way.

Now all he had to do was find her… before she got herself into even more trouble.

Buffy rushed down the stairs, intent on getting as far away from Riley as fast as she could. She couldn’t bear to deal with his disapproval. Not after all she had gone through with everyone else. He’d been the only one who had understood her, who had supported her without judgement… but now that had changed.

"Hey."

Buffy skidded to a stop to avoid smacking straight into Graham at the foot of the stairs. "Hi."

"Everything okay?"

"Um, yeah…I just need some fresh air," Buffy replied.

Knowing that something was indeed wrong, Graham suggested "How about I go with you? We could take a ride?"

Buffy didn’t really feel up for company at the moment, but then again, Graham didn’t ever give her the impression that he was much of a talker. "Sure."

***

Riley searched through the entire first floor of the house and didn’t find her. He didn’t want to start asking around because he didn’t want questions, but Buffy was gone and he was worried. Finding Mike alone in the kitchen, he decided to take a chance.

"Hey, have you seen Buffy?"

"Yeah, I saw her getting in Graham’s car with him a few minutes ago," Mike answered. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I just had to tell her something before she and Graham went out and I was hoping to catch her," Riley told him before leaving the room. He didn’t want to give Mike a chance to ask *where* his girlfriend and best friend were going without him.

Riley headed back up to his room. As badly as he wanted to talk to Buffy, he’d have to wait. At least he knew she was with Graham. He’d do everything he could to keep her from running off… and he wouldn’t say anything to deter her from marrying Riley. At least he was better than Forrest….

***

"So, what did you fight with Riley about?"

Buffy’s jaw dropped in surprise as she looked at Graham across the table. "How did you know?"

"Well, for one thing, you just told me," Graham smiled, "Anyway, I could tell."

"It’s always the quiet ones," Buffy replied, then took a deep breath. "I guess you know about this whole deal where if Riley marries me, the military will take care of the baby and I?"

"Yeah, I was there when Andy told Riley about it. I take it Riley decided he would go for it?"

Buffy nodded and stuck a french fry in her mouth. "He’s totally nuts. I mean, I’m *pregnant* and it’s not with his kid. He hasn’t even graduated college yet. Why in the Hell would he want to marry me?"

"He likes you a lot," Graham replied, glad that he had gotten Buffy to agree to stopping for lunch at the coffee shop. He’d hoped they could talk things through and it appeared to be working. "If he marries you, this whole pregnancy thing isn’t going to be so hard on you."

"I know… but this is a going way above and beyond what a friend would do. Marriage, Graham! Marriage!"

"Yes, marriage is a big deal. However, Riley decided he wanted to do it. Nobody persuaded him. If he didn’t want to… he probably would have never even told you about it."

"But Riley’s not like most people. He loves to help. I’m just afraid he is getting so caught up in the idea of helping me that he’d not really thinking about what this really means."

"Are you sure it’s just Riley you’re worried about? Maybe you’re a little scared of it yourself?"

Buffy sighed and mulled it over. "Yeah, you’re right. I mean, I’m just eighteen. And I know I don’t get to be a normal teenager now because I’m going to be a mom, but couldn’t getting married without really knowing the other person be just making things worse?"

"Well, yes, but you two get along. And I’m not so sure that Riley really thinks you two are going to be… like most married people."

"No, he said we wouldn’t. He said we could have separate rooms and that after a year we could get divorced. We already would have agreed that of course he wouldn’t try to get any custody and the baby and I would have financial support and health insurance. So, it’s not a real marriage, but… well I always have this idea of what getting married would be like. Riley… well Riley is very possibly the kind of guy I dreamed of marrying, but not under these circumstances."

Graham nodded, "It’s not romantic… but it really is the best thing for you and your baby."

"I just," Buffy started, trying to compose herself. She seemed to start crying at anything these days. "I won’t do this and that’s that."

Graham sighed, not really knowing what to say. How on Earth would they ever be able to convince Buffy to go along with this?

***

Riley was just starting to get into the football game when there was a knock at his bedroom door. Setting down his hoagie, he rolled from his position on his stomach off the bed before standing up and walking to the door. Relief washed over him when he saw Buffy on the other side.

"Hey," she said quietly, granting him a little smile.

"Hi, um… come in. Look, I want to tell you I am so sorry. It was completely wrong of me to say what I said to you. I didn’t mean it and I only said it because I really feel that marrying me would help you so much and it’s worth it. I know I shouldn’t have tried that… but I was desperate."

"It’s okay, Riley. You know, it’s partially true. There are a lot of reasons why I really should do this, but there are several reasons that I can’t."

Riley nodded and sat back on the bed. "I understand that, I do."

Deciding a subject change was in order, Buffy said "So I hear you guys are having a party tonight?"

Riley went along with it, "Yeah, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about it. I figure you probably aren’t in a party mood, so we could hang out up here or I can check and see if we could see a movie or something."

"It’s New Years Eve, the theater closes at six," Buffy said, shaking her head.

"Oh, well I could think of something else to do. Or we could just go to Santa Barbara. They aren’t a small town like Sunnydale, so they probably have more open."

"You just don’t want to go to your party because of me?" she asked.

"Well, like I said, I know you aren’t in the mood," he answered. "And I would rather spend time with you than be at the party."

Buffy smiled and sat down beside him. "You’re a really sweet guy, Riley."

"Thanks," he grinned, then moved back into his position on his stomach with the rest of his hoagie and a bag of chips in front of him. "Want some?"

Buffy shook her head, "I already had lunch. You know, staying with you guys I have realized something. You only eat foods that don’t require utensils."

"That’s right," Riley joked, "then we don’t have to wash nearly as many dishes."

"I figured as much. You know… a party doesn’t sound like such a bad idea."

"Yeah?" Riley asked, surprised.

Buffy nodded and smiled. "Hopefully Willow packed my leather pants."

***

"Thirsty?" Riley asked as he and Buffy slowly walked through the crowded living room of Lowell House. The party had just started a half-hour earlier and already the house was rocking.

Buffy nodded her head and smiled up at him, "That’d be nice."

Riley grabbed her by the elbow to stop her from going over to the punch bowl and instead led her to the kitchen. Seeing her quizzical look, he explained "Just in case the punch is spiked. I know none of the guys who live here would do it and I doubt anybody else would, but I really don’t want to take chances with you… in your condition."

"Good idea," she agreed as they entered the empty kitchen. Buffy hadn’t realized how loud the rest of the house was, but she was really appreciating the quiet.

Riley opened the refrigerator and pulled out two bottles of water for the both of them, then checked out the freezer and looked at Buffy. "Do you *really* want pizza and chips for dinner?"

"What’s the alternative?"

Riley pulled out a Stouffer’s frozen lasagna, "How’s this?"

"Ooh… that sounds really good. How long does it take, though?" she asked. Hopefully it was fairly quick because her stomach was on the verge of growling.

"Well, we could have a snack while we wait. Chips make a bad dinner, but a *great* appetizer."

Buffy laughed and nodded, "It’s a plan."

***

"Riley, there you are!" Waylon exclaimed as he entered the kitchen and found Riley and Buffy rinsing the dishes from their dinner to put in the dishwasher. "Hi Buffy."

"Hi," she replied, giving him a smile.

"What’s the matter?" Riley asked, hoping nothing was broken or anything equally bad.

"We were just wondering where you were. It’s after eleven and you’ve been gone for hours. We were afraid you’d miss the big countdown."

"Don’t worry, we’ll be out of here in a while… we’ll be there for the countdown," Riley answered.

Buffy looked up at him and said, "Why don’t you go ahead? You’ve given up most of your evening to be with me, I can finish this."

"I couldn’t do that, you’re our guest," Riley protested. "I’m not going to leave you here to wash dishes while I party."

"It’s fine," Buffy assured him, "In fact, I wouldn’t mind a little bit of time alone. Plus, there’s not that much left to do. I’ll be out there in a few minutes."

Riley wanted to insist on staying, but he could tell Waylon would make a big deal out of it, some way or another. And he definitely didn’t want to suffocate her….

Nodding, he dried his hands on a towel. "You’re sure?"

Buffy smiled and nodded her head as Waylon led Riley out of the room. She couldn’t believe how late it was, the night had gone by so quickly. It was strange, she never usually let time get away from her like that. The only other times she had done it had been with Angel…

Buffy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She couldn’t let herself do that. Riley was a great guy, but she couldn’t let herself feel for anyone what she felt for Angel. She couldn’t give them the opportunity to hurt her like that. Besides, what were the odds of Riley truly feeling anything romantic towards her now that she was expecting Angel’s baby? No matter what he had felt before, he only felt pity for her now. Getting his feelings confused would only break her heart…. again.

And she refused to do that.

***

"So some of the guys did a patrol, right?" Riley asked Waylon as they drank beers in the living room.

"Yeah, but they didn’t find a thing. I wonder when things will pick up again," Waylon answered. "Not that I am minding the break at all."

"I know… it just makes me feel uneasy."

"Relax… you are one tense Dude," Waylon laughed, "So… you talk to Buffy about tying the knot?"

Riley looked down, "Uh… yeah, but we’re still undecided."

Waylon raised his eyebrows, rather surprised that she hadn’t been jumping for joy. Then again, Buffy wasn’t like most other girls he’d met… so he really shouldn’t be surprised that she wasn’t the type who dreamed of getting married. But it would happen; he just knew it.

***

Buffy sighed and pushed open the kitchen door, walking into the living room that was even more packed with partygoers. She had a feeling this was a fire hazard, but nobody else seemed to mind. After a moment, she spotted Riley on the other side of the room talking to a group of people, but was reluctant to join him. She’d been attached to his hip for the past two days and didn’t want to suffocate him. Buffy had been to many parties before and she hadn’t had a problem socializing.

Putting a smile on her face, Buffy started moving her way through the room, looking for any familiar faces. Almost immediately, a voice behind her called her name. Turning, she saw a boy from her English class smiling at her.

"Hi," she grinned, trying desperately to remember his name, "Kyle?"

"How you doing?" he asked, apparently not having a problem with being called Kyle.

"I’m great… enjoying the time off school. You?"

"Pretty much the same. I was in New York visiting family and I just got back in town yesterday. Were you in Sunnydale the whole time?"

"Yeah, I’m actually from here," she replied, opting not to mention her ‘trip’ to LA. She certainly didn’t want to have to tell Kyle-from-English-class what she was doing there.

"Hey, want a beer?" he asked as he offered her a bottle of Michelob.

"Um.. no thanks."

"Come on, its New Years! The beginning of a new millenium. You gotta celebrate."

"I can celebrate without drinking," Buffy replied.

"Come on, this is college, you gotta…"

"I don’t want to drink!" Buffy repeated more vehemently.

Kyle took a step back, a surprised look on his face. "Okay… sorry."

Buffy ran her hands over her face and sighed. "No, I’m sorry. I’m just… I shouldn’t be here. I’ll see you around, okay?"

Kyle nodded, confused by her behavior. Buffy realized that if couldn’t be like before. *She* wasn’t like before. Even if she was only a month along, she was a mother now. She had a whole new set of problems. She couldn’t drink and have fun like the rest of them because she was carrying a baby. She couldn’t go to school because she needed money. She wasn’t a kid in any way, shape or form anymore.

She started walking up the stairs, hoping to sit around and watch the ball drop in New York from the privacy of Riley’s room. However, she stopped when she heard a voice behind her.

"Hey Buffy, need some company?"

Buffy jerked around to see Parker standing at the foot of the stairs, smirking up at her. She was so shocked that he’d even acknowledged her existence that his words didn’t register with her right away. "Parker?"

"Normally I’m not really down with repeating history, but I’ve been drinking and who knows… the world could end at midnight tonight. Let’s go out with a bang, Buffy," Parker said, before he began laughing at his own joke.

Buffy’s back straightened and her fists clenched in anger. In that moment, she couldn’t believe she had ever fallen for Parker. She was about to march down the stairs and beat the crap out of him, not caring who saw her beating up a guy twice her size, when she saw Riley tap Parker on the shoulder.

Parker looked over at Riley. "Hey man."

"Hey," Riley replied, before pulling his fist back. "Haven’t you done enough to Buffy already?"

Buffy was already rushing down the stairs when Riley’s fist connected with Parker’s face. Parker didn’t know what was going on as Riley grabbed him at the collar with both hands and began shaking him. "You little asshole, you don’t deserve to lick the scum off her toilet! I can’t believe you had the nerve to sleep with her and then treat *her* like *she* is the trash!"

"Riley, it’s okay," Buffy tried calming him, all the while bewildered. How did he know what had happened?

"No, it’s not okay," Riley said, "Not only does he have sex with you and dump you, but then he’s put you and your baby in this situation… and now he wants to sleep with you *again*?"

Buffy was completely confused. How did Parker put her in this situation? "What are you talking about?"

"You don’t deserve her! It’s almost a good thing that you aren’t involved with the baby because it’s *Buffy’s* baby, which means it is too good for you too," Riley told Parker before tossing him against the wall and pulling his fist back again to pummel him. Luckily, Graham appeared and grabbed Riley’s arm, pulling him away.

"He’s not worth it, Ri," he told his friend as he dragged him away.

"Look what he’s done to Buffy!"

"I know, but if you do this in front of everyone, you’ll only make it worse for her," Graham reasoned, gesturing to the small crowd of people staring at him. Luckily, most of the party hadn’t noticed but still… there were quite a few of them.. plus Buffy. She was standing there with her arms hugging herself, looking more hurt and embarrassed than he’d ever seen her.

Riley took a few calming breaths and nodded, letting Graham know he wasn’t going to go after Parker again. He took a step towards Buffy, hoping to apologize, but she turned around quickly and pushed her way through the crowd in an attempt to escape him.

Shaking his head, Riley groaned before giving Graham an apologetic look and heading after her. Not for the first time in his life, he found being large was a burden. Buffy was tiny and was able to push through the people in the house with relative ease, whereas Riley was the exact opposite. It took him a lot longer to move, and he quickly lost sight of her.

Hoping that she’d been heading towards the kitchen door, since that was the closest exit from the house and she seemed to want to get away from people, he went that way. Riley knew he really needed to find her fast; slayer or not, she was far too vulnerable in her mental condition as well as pregnant to be out on her own at night in Sunnydale. At least all the vampires and demons seemed to be on vacation.

At long last he made it to the kitchen, then had to push himself through a crowd of guys who were cheering on a couple of guys playing Ten Shot Drop, but soon found himself opening the kitchen door and entering the cold night. He hated the thought of her being out there and- even worse- the way she was probably feeling.

And it was all *his* fault this time.

***

Buffy walked blindly down the path, not really paying attention to where she was going. She didn’t care where, she just had to keep *going*. At that moment, she hated herself more than anything. Sure, Riley had humiliated her, Parker had treated her like crap and Angel… had made yet another decision with no regard to her feelings… but she had let them. All of them had only been able to do what they had done to her because she had put herself in a position to give them the chance. She’d been too trusting, too pathetic and made bad choices. Now she was going to pay for them.

Noticing a bench a few feet off the path, Buffy sat down and crossed her arms over her chest in an attempt to keep the cold air from bothering her. What was she going to do? She certainly couldn’t spend the night out there, but on the other hand, she was far too humiliated to face Riley and all his friends. Buffy had no idea that he’d known about Parker. He knew what a fool she was… and he thought this was Parker’s baby. It was even worse than she’d originally thought. Riley thought she was some sweet little naïve girl who’d been seduced by the wicked campus sleazebag and gotten herself knocked up. How very pathetic. Of course, the fact that the truth wasn’t *that* far off and was possibly even more pathetic didn’t help matters.

Sighing, she shook her head to stop herself from going over the details of the past few minutes over and over in her mind. It wasn’t going to help her. If she couldn’t go back to Lowell House, Buffy had to figure out where else to go. Xander and Willow couldn’t help her… she didn’t know *what* would happen if she went to Giles… and her mother most certainly would not let her stay at home if she was keeping the baby.

Maybe she should just have an abortion. There were so many problems *because* of the baby… if it was gone, her problems would disappear as well. She could continue on as she had been before. Maybe even her father would forgive her.

As soon as the idea came to her mind, Buffy dismissed it. She couldn’t kill this baby! There was no rhyme or reason as to why she was pregnant…. there was something that wasn’t scientific at work. Besides, she hadn’t lied when she had said she already loved the baby. Buffy had killed someone she loved once before and it had nearly killed her, she doubted she could survive it a second time.

Buffy closed her eyes and tried to get herself together. She was keeping the baby. That meant both her parents were not an option. Xander and Willow did not have the means to put a roof over her head, so they weren’t an option either. That left Riley and…. maybe Giles.

Giles loved her; she was sure of it. Of course, her parents loved her as well… but it was different with Giles. He was better at the whole unconditional love thing. He hadn’t shamed her when she had given her virginity to Angel, or so many of the other mistakes she had made over the years. Giles would probably let her stay with him, even if he didn’t agree with her decision. The only thing was, she’d have to see that look of disappointment on his face. The look that threatened to break her heart every time she saw it. But what choice did she have? It was either Riley’s where she would find humiliation and pity, or Giles’ where she would find immense guilt.

"Buffy!"

Opening her eyes, Buffy jerked her head in time to see Riley break into a run towards her. For a millisecond, she contemplated making a run for it. After all, she was the slayer and could probably leave him in the dust. But why bother? She still wasn’t positive she wouldn’t ended up going back to his place, and if she did decide to go to Giles’, Riley couldn’t stop her.

Out of breath, he knelt in front of her and gently grabbed her arms, as though afraid she would take off. "Thank God, you’re okay, I was so worried."

"Despite popular belief and any impressions you may have gotten over the past few days, I can take care of myself," she replied quietly.

Riley looked down for a second before meeting her eyes once again. "I know that. I’m sorry, I just care about you. Sometimes logical stuff like you being able to kick my ass doesn’t factor into my feelings."

Buffy smiled for a second before feeling anger flare up inside her. "How dare you fight my battles for me! I could have handled Parker! I would have, had you not gone macho man on him!"

"I know that," he said, "He just made me so mad. Parker is a complete asshole and when I heard the crap he was saying to you, all I felt was an impulse to attack."

"How did you know about him anyway?" Buffy asked, the anger slipping away almost completely. It hadn’t really been anger in the first place. It was more embarrassment and the slightest hint of annoyance.

Riley moved around to sit next to her on the bench before answering, "Parker likes to talk."

"Figures," she said, "Look, it’s not how it seemed. When I was… with… Parker… I had just gotten out of a relationship with someone I loved. I had been with him since I was sixteen. He was my first love. I admit that I was rather naïve because my only experience had been with someone who loved me and, for the most part, treated me well. Take that… lack of knowledge about the ways of some men.. and add to it the fact that I was lonely and out of place being a freshman, and I made an idiot out of myself. I’m not some simpering, pitiful female."

"Buffy, there are a lot of words I would use to describe you, but simpering and pitiful you are not. Parker does this to a lot of girls, smart girls who are respectable and not twits or anything like that. He knows how to play you to get what he wants. Don’t be ashamed."

"Trust me when I say I wish I could forget it ever happened."

"Yeah, I guess that’s impossible now… since you’re carrying the result of it," Riley replied mournfully.

Buffy bit her bottom lip, bracing herself for whatever reaction Riley might have to what she was about to say. "Actually, Parker is *not* the father of my baby."

"He’s not?" Riley asked, turning his head sharply to her. "But… who, then? I mean, I know we didn’t really hang out until November, but I don’t recall seeing or hearing about you with anyone else."

"Well, remember the ‘first love’ I just mentioned? He and I… had a… temporary thing… Thanksgiving weekend."

"Oh."

Buffy chuckled, "I guess I burst a few of your bubbles about me, huh?"

Riley pretended to think it over for a moment before shaking his head. "Nah, you’re still caring, sweet, smart and beautiful."

Buffy flushed at the beautiful comment, "You’re a strange guy, Riley. Most men would have run far, far away from me by now."

"I can’t help it… I’m drawn to you like a moth to a flame," Riley responded, then frowned. "I just called myself an insect. An *ugly* insect. Forget I said that."

Buffy laughed softly and Riley allowed himself to enjoy the moment. He just wished they would have more of them, but odds were not in their favor. However, he was feeling himself get caught up in the spirit of the evening and decided to be a little out of character. He wanted to have fun.

"I have something to ask you, but I don’t want you to freak out," he told her.

"Okay…" Buffy replied, unsure of where he was going.

"Will you marry me?" he asked, then smiled as she sighed and opened her mouth to retort. "I’ve decided to ask you every day until you say yes."

Buffy smiled and touched her hand to the side of his face. "You’re truly a remarkable man, Riley."

"Is that a yes?"

"No, my answer is still no," she assured him, "Besides, you still don’t know the whole story. You don’t know about the father… and if you did, you would surely change your mind."

"Why don’t you give me a chance? Tell me about him… unless it’s too hard to talk about."

"If I told you… you’d probably never speak to me again."

"It could never happen. Will you tell me?"

"It could happen. He’s not human."

"Okay, I am still saying if it’s painful this conversation can wait, but the whole ‘not human’ thing is really a cliffhanger, so I really want you to tell me," Riley replied, "Oh no, the father’s not a Prachan demon, is it? Because their babies are *grotesque*! I mean, I guess your baby would be half-human and you know I find no fault in your looks, but with all the slime and those horns…"

Buffy began to laugh and put a hand up, "Riley, stop."

"Oh… sorry."

"The father isn’t human now… but he was when I got pregnant," she explained. "He’s a vampire."

"Oh no… the guy you loved got turned?"

"Not exactly," she replied. "You see… it’s a long story. The gist of it is Angel- that’s the guy’s name- has been a vampire for about two and a half centuries… but, for the last century he has had his soul. When I was sixteen and moved here, he moved here as well to help me. I fell in love with him before I knew what he was…. And by that time it was too late for me. I was lost. We tried to stay away, but it was too hard. Vampire and slayer didn’t matter. We thought that our love was enough to make it work."

"But it didn’t," Riley concluded.

Buffy shook her head and continued, "On my seventeenth birthday, we… um… we slept together. And that soul I mentioned went away. You see, he had gotten the soul back after he killed a gypsy girl and the soul was his curse. Anyway, there was a loophole in the curse and our… consummation… was the key. So he went all evil for a few months. We were able to give him his soul back, though. We spent a year being on-again, off-again, but the fear of him losing his soul was too much for him. He left me because he wanted me to have a normal life with a normal guy and he knew I wouldn’t do that with him around. So now he’s in LA."

"God, Buffy… I’m so sorry," Riley said, pushing aside his feelings of disgust over her being with a *vampire* since all she had gone through had to have been unbearable. He had a new respect for her.

"The day after Thanksgiving I went to see him and he ended up fighting this demon and accidentally becoming human. We still had feelings for each other so… we made a baby, obviously. But Angel realized quickly that if he was human, he was weak… so the got the day taken away. I forgot it… but I started having dreams about it… only I didn’t know… but then when I was found out I was pregnant I just *knew* that they weren’t just dreams, so I went and saw Angel and made him tell me. He did… and I told him about the baby. I thought that because I love him and he loves me we could figure something out. After all, a baby changes everything. But instead he said that he’s a vampire and can’t be a father… and he wanted me to have an abortion."

"I don’t understand," Riley interrupted, "If the day was taken away, how are you still pregnant? It doesn’t make sense."

Buffy shook her head fervently and smiled. "It doesn’t… don’t you see? I shouldn’t be having this baby, but I am… that means something."

Riley nodded, "It’s special… it’s like you were *meant* to."

"Exactly!" she exclaimed. "That’s what I told Angel, but… it didn’t matter to him. He doesn’t want me to keep the baby. But he didn’t pressure me. He just says he can’t be there. He did offer to give me all the money I need, but I refused. It probably makes you want to smack me, right? I know my mom did. I know I am being irrational, especially considering my financial status… but I don’t want him to be able to not feel guilty for abandoning us because he slips me money."

"Buffy, I was raised to have pride. Sometimes pride does get in the way, and perhaps that is the situation you are in… but I understand it. I can’t say if I was in your situation, I wouldn’t have done the same thing."

Buffy smiled sadly at him and said, "You never cease to amaze me."

"Oh! It’s twelve-o-three!" he gasped. "We missed the countdown!"

"I’m sorry, Riley! I ruined the whole… ringing in the new year thing for you."

"It’s fine, Buffy," he assured her. "Believe me when I say that there is no place I would have preferred to be, no person I would have wanted to spend it with more than you."

"I’m a very messed up person," she replied.

"I adore the person you are," he grinned. "It’s Saturday now."

"Yeah?" she asked, unsure of where he was going.

"It’s another day… time to ask… will you marry me?"

Buffy quirked an eyebrow and was silent for a moment. "Okay."

Caught off guard, Riley looked at her more closely. "Okay?"

"Yes," she nodded, "I will marry you."

"Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to hear this… but why did you change your mind all of a sudden?"

Buffy shrugged and smiled half-heartedly at him. "We just made it to the new millenium. The world didn’t end."

"Actually, all this talk of this being the new millenium is wrong. They started at year one, not zero, so therefore the year 2000 is part of the old millenium. 2001 is actually the beginning of a new millenium."

"Damn," she replied wryly. "Here I thought something big had happened… now I have another year of worrying."

Riley smiled and squeezed her shoulder. "Don’t forget, I have seen you avert the apocalypse firsthand. Now tell me why all of a sudden you’re agreeing to marry me."

"You’re right; marrying you is the best thing I could do for myself. Even more important, it’s the best thing I can do for my baby. I have to start thinking in regards to that. It’s just that this is so complicated. I have to consider you and the fact that this doesn’t help you in any way. It actually hurts you because it’s making you lie and move out of your home… even if we aren’t married in every sense of the word, you won’t have the freedom you do now," she sighed.

"Yes, but I *am* an adult. You aren’t deciding for me… I decided for myself."

"I know that, but it doesn’t make me feel any less guilty about it," she told him, "Still… I’m willing to deal with that guilt if you are truly willing to do this."

"I am," he nodded, "So… you didn’t really believe this was the best thing before?"

"No, I did… it’s just that I felt that everything else that wasn’t so great that came along with it made it not worth it," she replied. "I’m going to be divorced at twenty. Hey, if we get married fast enough, I’ll be divorced at nineteen. When I dreamed about getting married, it was a lifetime thing. You know, the big beautiful summer wedding, with me all in white, feeling like the most gorgeous woman on the planet. My dad would give me away and I would be so happy… so excited about spending the rest of my life with the man I loved."

"You can still have that."

Buffy smiled and replied, "Riley I’ll never have that. I probably never would have… being a slayer. But especially now. I mean, I’m going to try dating with a kid. My Mr. Perfect is going to have to not only love me, but my son or daughter."

Riley wanted to grab her and tell her that he could be that guy. He wanted to shout that she made him feel things that no other girl had. He loved children and he wanted to be a father someday. Sure, this wasn’t the way he’d imagined starting a family, but they could make it work.

But that would be bad. Buffy could barely handle a marriage of convenience… if he told her he wanted to have a real marriage… she’d freak. "You’re an amazing person, Buffy. I’m certain that you will be able to find a guy like that."

"I’m not," she sighed. "Look at my track record. Angel- really great love thing going, but major angst as well. I mean, the fates were just laughing their asses off at us during that relationship. Parker- total loser. And you- everything was going great until I found out I’m pregnant with Angel’s baby, got kicked out of my house, and now you’re stuck marrying me."

"They say the third time’s a charm," he said optimistically.

Buffy chuckled, "That’s true. I guess we’ll never know what might have been between us."

"If there is one thing you have taught me, Buffy, it’s never say never. Ever since I met you… the most unexpected things keep happening."

"I have a way of doing that. You can be doing great, enjoying life… and then you meet me and life as you knew it is long gone."

"Can we go home now? I’m cold," Riley grinned.

Buffy nodded and stood up, "Sounds fine with me. Although I must say, I’m not in much of a partying mood."

"That’s fine," he replied, standing up as well. "We can hang out in my room until things quiet down enough for us to sleep. I’m sure we have a long day tomorrow… cleaning up… and making wedding plans."

"Yeah," Buffy said absently as they walked back towards Lowell House. She was actually going to plan her *wedding* the next day. All of a sudden, she felt exhausted. Her life had changed so drastically in the past few days… she dreaded when the realization of what had happened would really hit her.

Riley couldn’t believe he was going to have to think about his wedding the next day either. Even more surprising, though, was the fact that he was almost excited about it. As much as he liked his life as it was… he was looking forward to a new one with Buffy.

Tomorrow was bound to be interesting.

"That’s it!" Forrest exclaimed, "You have gone off the deep end!"

"Shut up, I have not," Riley replied as they tossed the trashbags in the dumpster. It had taken hours of every occupant in the house working hard, but they’d gotten it all cleaned up.

"What is it about Buffy? I mean, you’re a perfectly normal guy until you’re around her and then you lose your mind," Forrest ranted. "I can’t believe you are marrying her."

"Well I am, so I suggest you grasp the idea and fast. We’re going to start getting things together today so that we can get this done as soon as possible. I managed to get Colonel Nichols to agree to meet with me this afternoon. I hope they can set Buffy up with health insurance really fast. You wouldn’t believe all the vitamins and stuff she has to take."

"This is insane," Forrest sighed, shaking his head as they walked back into the house. "Why am I the only one who sees it?"

"Because you have some strange distrust of women. Are you sure you didn’t fall in love with your kindergarten teacher?" Riley joked. Still, he did wonder why Forrest seemed to always think women weren’t to be trusted. He swore up and down that he didn’t have some story of having his heart broken, but Riley didn’t see how he got to be this way. Then again, Forrest was always the cynical one.

"I’m just giving you fair warning: you will learn to regret this and I *will* remind you that I told you so."

"I’m shocked," Riley replied sarcastically.

"Give him a break, Forrest," Nathaniel said as he walked by. "Ignore him, Riley. Forrest is just scared he’s gonna lose his little buddy."

Riley laughed as Forrest glared at Nathaniel. As the two of them started bickering, Riley headed through the house in search of Buffy. He found her sitting at the kitchen table talking to Graham. Upon his entrance, they both looked over at him.

"Hey Riley, can you believe Buffy’s first roommate was a Mok'tagar demon?" Graham asked, clearly impressed.

Buffy shrugged and smiled, "It’s that amazing karma I have."

"Hey, you keep life interesting," Riley replied as he sat down beside her.

"So I’ve been told," Buffy said. "When do you have to go to that meeting thing?"

"Two," Riley answered, "I’m going to want to shower and I have to get in uniform for it, though, so I will probably want to get ready right after lunch."

"Okay, that’s fine," Buffy nodded, "Actually, I was wondering if I could use your computer. There’s some things I’d like to look up on the internet about babies and stuff."

"That’s a great idea!" Riley replied enthusiastically, "After my meeting, maybe we can talk and start making more definite plans, since we know exactly what we’ll need to do."

"Don’t forget that we’re taking you two out to dinner," Graham reminded Buffy.

Confused, Riley asked "What?"

Graham smiled at his friend and explained, "The guys want to take your two out to celebrate your engagement so we’re all going out to dinner tonight. Waylon made reservations and everything."

"You’ve got to be kidding," sighed Riley.

Graham shrugged, "At least we’ve almost talked him out of the bachelor party. Although, it would be fun to see how uncomfortable you would be getting a lapdance." He chuckled as he looked at Buffy and added, "Riley gets *so* embarrassed at strip clubs. He does not like them!"

Buffy quirked an eyebrow and smirked at Riley as he blushed furiously. He really was adorable; definitely a guy she would want to be in a relationship with… a real one. If only…

***

"What am I supposed to do?" Mike hissed.

"Keep them busy," Thomas replied, "I don’t care what you do, just make sure they don’t go upstairs."

Mike sighed, trying to figure out just how he was going to do that. "Do you have *any* ideas?"

Thomas simply shrugged and said, "You’ll think of something."

Reluctantly, Mike turned and pushed open the kitchen door, instantly giving Buffy and Riley his biggest grin. "Hey you two!"

Riley found it strange to see his friend so…. enthusiastic, but ignored it and replied, "Hi Mike."

"Hi," Buffy smiled.

"So, you two looking forward to dinner tonight?" Mike asked as he pulled up a chair. Perhaps this wasn’t his best idea…. they seemed to have been in deep discussion before he walked in. He could have just waited outside the kitchen and if either of them had emerged before the coast was clear he could have stopped them. Oh well, it was too late now.

"Uh, yeah," Buffy replied, looking at him strangely. "I mean… I enjoy food."

"Have you ever been to Armando’s?" he inquired, hoping Riley wouldn’t take notice of how strange he was acting and realize he was doing it to keep them away from Riley’s bedroom.

"No, I don’t think so," Buffy replied. "Where is it?"

"It’s in Oxnard," he replied, "It’s a half hour drive, but it’s the best Italian food in the world, so it’s worth it. All of us really love it, right Riley?"

Riley nodded and stood up, "I better go start getting ready for my meeting."

"No!"

Both Buffy and Riley looked at Mike as though he had grown another head.

Mike tried to calm himself and smiled. "I mean, you have plenty of time, Ri, can’t you sit and talk to us for… oh…" glancing at his watch, he saw that the guys had been in Riley’s room for two and a half minutes, "seven and a half minutes or so."

"Is everything okay, Mike?" Riley asked.

"Fine," he assured them, "I just don’t really know Buffy and she’s going to be marrying one of my friends soon!"

"Well, I’m sure Buffy would like to talk to you… and can do it while I get ready."

"Maybe Buffy feels uncomfortable talking to me alone since she doesn’t really know me," Mike countered.

Buffy opened her mouth to protest when Riley laughed, "Are you serious? Buffy is fine with it, aren’t you Buffy?"

Mike ignored Buffy nodding and said, "Riley you’ll be moving out soon. We should hang while we can. Will… six minutes kill you?"

Sighing, Riley sat down. "Okay…"

"Um… hey, remember that time we captured a Maksaw demon? Tell Buffy about it!"

***

"Jesus," Chris whistled as he held up Buffy’s jeans, "How the hell is someone this tiny going to be able to pop out a kid without splitting in half?"

"Yeah, especially since it’s Riley’s… the kid is bound to be kind of big," Nathaniel commented, still digging around for a suitable top.

Joseph stopped admiring a pair of her lacy black panties and asked, "How do you think they even had sex? I wouldn’t call my experience limited, but I have never had sex with anyone this small. Plus, I’m not as bulky as Finn."

Nathaniel shrugged and settled on a black blouse, "Maybe she’s always on top."

Joseph smiled at the image of that until Chris smacked him on the back of the head. "Let’s get out of here, man. Mike can’t keep them out of here too long."

***

Thomas attempted to appear casual as he strode into the kitchen, slightly nodding at Mike, who breathed a sigh of relief. They were done; his job was over. Of course, he had already made a total ass out of himself.

Not noticing, Riley sighed and said, "Mike, look, we can hang out tonight, okay? I really need to get ready."

"Okay," Mike said calmly, smiling.

Buffy’s eyebrow quirked, but she didn’t comment on the sudden change in Mike.

Shaking his head, Riley shared an amused look with Buffy before leaving her in the kitchen with the other two guys so he could hit the showers.

"So Buffy," Thomas began, taking the chair formerly occupied by Riley, "What’s your style?"

"My style?"

"Yeah, you know… like for dresses. What kind of… cut… do you like?"

"He means, like, do you like empire waist, a-line, capped sleeves, long sleeves, do you like to show some leg or do you prefer long dresses?" Mike told her, than added, "I’m not gay, I just have three sisters and a seamstress mother."

"Oh," Buffy replied, trying to figure out what the hell was wrong with these guys. Something very very strange was going on in this house.

***

"Wow!" Buffy exclaimed as Riley entered the living room in his service dress. "I’m getting ‘An Officer and a Gentleman’ flashbacks!"

Riley blushed and replied, "They were in the *Navy*. I’m a Marine."

"Oops, my bad! Um… ‘A Few Good Men’?"

"I think so," Riley smiled.

"I’m actually surprised that you knew anything about ‘An Officer and a Gentleman’. You don’t seem like you’d like that type of movie," Buffy commented as she turned her body so she was sitting sideways on the couch and facing him.

Riley shrugged and considered sitting down next to her, but decided it was worth it to stand and keep his uniform nice and crisp. "My older sister got the video of it when she was thirteen. I was only ten so she babysat my brother and I afternoons when my mother played bridge and stuff…. we had to endure that film a good dozen times."

"That explains it," she laughed, then added, "You look very nice. The only uniform I have ever seen you in was the whole cammo thing… which isn’t bad, persay… but you look quite… wonderful in this one."

Riley blushed again, "Thank you."

Buffy took a deep breath, "This is really happening, huh? I mean, you’re all dressed in your fancy clothes to go tell some important guy that you got a girl pregnant and want to marry her. You’re going to *lie*, Riley! This could destroy your whole career. I think this is even illegal. We could end up in jail."

"Calm down, Buffy," Riley said, "Everything will be fine. They’ll never know the truth. Besides, if they manage to someday find out I am not the father…. we lie. Look at all those women on talk shows who lie to a guy and tell him he’s the father of their baby when it’s actually some other guy."

Buffy sighed, "I always wanted to smack those women."

"I know… and I would hate pretending that was the truth… but that is our worst case scenario," he assured her. "Now, you aren’t backing out on me, are you?"

Buffy shook her head and stood up, giving him a weak smile. "Thank you, Riley."

"Hey… you know I don’t mind," he replied, stroking her cheek when she stood in front of him.

Standing on her tip-toes, she gently kissed him on the cheek. "You’re positively the most amazing guy I have ever met."

Riley was pleasantly surprised by the kiss, even if it was as chaste as possible. Giving her a confident grin, he took a few steps back. "I’d better be on my way. The Colonel will appreciate me being early. Hey, have you noticed that we appear to be the only people here?"

Buffy nodded and answered, "Yeah, well, I know some of the guys had to go… do their duty thing… and it seems like everyone else just disappeared a little bit after you went upstairs. Nobody said anything to me, so I have no clue where they went."

"That’s odd," Riley commented, then shrugged. Something was up, but it didn’t seem overly evil.

***

"I can’t believe I let you guys drag me here," Forrest complained, "I am not at all involved in this, just so you know. All I am going to do is stand here and look on with disapproval."

"Whatever, man," Thomas replied as he and a group of other guys from Lowell House invaded the clothing store in the mall. They really had no clue what they were doing, but the store had some nice looking dresses in the window, and that’s what they needed.

An overwhelmed salesgirl approached Thomas, since he appeared to be the leader, and said "Welcome to Contempo Casuals, can I help you?"

"Yes!" he replied enthusiastically, holding up Buffy’s jeans and blouse. "I need a dress for a girl who wears these sizes. A wedding dress… so we need white or some other light color."

"Well, this is Contempo *Casuals*," the girl repeated, "We don’t have wedding dresses."

"Yeah, but you have dresses, right?" Waylon piped in, disappointment on his face. They couldn’t fail now, after all they had gone through. "It’s not a big wedding, so she won’t want a really fancy dress."

"Okay, but our dresses are too casual for even a small wedding. Besides, since it’s the middle of winter, we don’t have any light colors."

"But we have to surprise her with a wedding dress!" Mike explained, gesturing towards the clothes in Thomas’s hands, "We stole her clothes to get the right size and everything!"

"Wow, that’s very… cool… I guess," she replied, then felt a pang of sympathy for them. After all, they seemed to be pretty sweet, trying to buy a wedding dress for a girl. Although, she had to wonder why the in the hell a girl would need a bunch of guys to buy her a wedding dress, but still… "Have you guys checked out Windsor?"

"Do they have wedding dresses?" Thomas asked.

She shrugged and replied, "They have a lot of dresses. Nice dresses… maybe they’ll have what you need."

***

"Colonel Nichols," Riley greeted, saluting the older man as he entered the office.

The Colonel saluted as well before taking his seat behind the desk, gesturing for Riley to sit in the chair on the other side, "Special Agent Finn, how are you doing this afternoon?"

"I’m very well, Sir. And you?" Riley replied, trying to appear as calm as possible while sitting up straight and being respectful. No matter how much experience he had at it, meeting with his superior officers always made him nervous as hell.

"I’m doing fine," the Colonel said, "Now, let’s get to the matter at hand. I was quite surprised to hear from you so early on New Years Day, so when you told me you really needed to meet with me as soon as possible, I had a feeling it was something very important."

"Yes, it is," Riley told him, taking a deep breath. "There’s a girl… we’ve been seeing each other for a while. Last night we decided to get married. We want to do it right away because, well… she’s pregnant."

"I see… that’s quite a situation. On one hand I am happy to hear you are taking responsibility. Too many times men stop being men when things get tough. On the other… this is a story as old as time. Are you *sure* you want to marry this girl? I know that right now it seems like the best idea, but if you take an unplanned pregnancy for two young people and add to it a marriage between two people who possibly shouldn’t spend their lives together… it’s just making the situation worse."

"We have both thought about it long and hard and we’ve decided this is what we want. To be perfectly honest, I have always thought she could be the one, I just hadn’t planned on making her the one so soon," Riley assured the older man.

"Okay, well that’s good to hear," Colonel Nichols replied.

Riley nodded and continued, "The reason I am coming to see you about it right away is that this affects my living situation greatly. You can’t have a wife and child in a frat house."

"And you heard that we make accommodations for these circumstances," the man concluded.

"Yes Sir," Riley admitted, "One of my fellow officers told me about it when we were talking about what I was going to do."

"He’s right; we can get you two into an apartment of your own, you will get a raise due to the cost of living with a wife and child and we’ll get her some health insurance- she will have to use a civilian doctor since, of course, we don’t want her coming down here for her check-ups."

Riley leaned forward in his chair and asked, "Another thing, Sir, is that I thought I saw something a while back about a program where the military will fund the education of spouse’s. Some sort of scholarship."

The Colonel nodded and asked, "Your… fiancée is a student at the university?"

"Yes, well she was. If she can get this scholarship she will be still… it’s just that her parents were paying for the tuition and they didn't take the news of her… condition too well. She’s just a freshman… only completed her first semester. She’s doing so well… I would hate for her to miss out on an education, but with the baby, I don’t know if we could afford it."

"I think we could take care of that," the older man said, "Now, why don’t we get started on the paperwork?"

***

"I hurt."

"I hurt more," Nathaniel countered.

Thomas shook his head, "You couldn’t possibly hurt more than me."

"Neither of you would be hurting if you’d just listened to me," Forrest noted.

"Shut up Forrest!" seven of the guys yelled at once. None of them were in the mood for any more of his unsolicited comments about their buying Buffy her wedding dress. They had spent the past three hours going to eight stores and finding only dark colored dresses. Finally they had found a new small shop that specialized in formalwear. The few wedding dresses they had were far too fancy for what Buffy would need in a quickie wedding, but the salesgirl showed them a prom dress that was very simple and came in white. Satisfied that it would work, they bought it before walking back out in the mall and collapsing on the benches that surrounded the fountain.

"You know what I just realized?" Joseph asked no one in particular, "We didn’t get her shoes. Do you think she has shoes?"

Nathaniel frowned, "I can’t believe we didn’t think of that."

"Well, when we stole her clothes I did notice her shoes. She has a ton," Mike told them.

"Yeah, but all girls have a ton of shoes, and they still always seem to need a new pair for every occasion," Chris sighed.

"Well, she’ll deal," Thomas said, "Buffy will be happy we got her the dress…. Right Graham?"

All heads turned to Graham since he seemed to know her better than the rest of them. Besides, since he was quiet, they all pegged him for the sensitive guy. Graham nodded and assured them, "Buffy is going to be thrilled with the dress. We’ll give it to her tonight and if she really needs shoes, we can take her to get some tomorrow morning."

Joseph sat up straighter as he was struck with an idea, "Hey guys, should we go to Victoria’s Secret and buy her something for the wedding night? I know we’re all tired, but the mere thought of it gives me the energy to go on."

Once again, all heads turned to Graham, who replied, "No, I think it would be entirely inappropriate for a bunch of guys to buy their friend’s fiancée lingerie."

"He’s right," Waylon agreed, standing up. "Besides, it’s almost four. We need to get home so we can all get ready to go out for dinner. Then we can give them their presents!"

Enthused, the guys dragged their tired bodies off the benches and headed to the parking lot. It was going to be a hell of a night!

"Okay, so Monday morning, we’re going to have to call and see what we have to do to get the license. There’s no waiting period or blood tests… so then it’s just a matter of getting married," Riley explained.

Buffy nodded, trying not to look scared. After all, they were discussing their *wedding*. "Yeah, and that’s just going to be as cheap and fast as possible… where are we going to do it, anyway?"

"Well, churches are ruled out immediately. They require all kinds of other things, like classes. Besides, you have to book months in advance. I was thinking justice of the peace. You know, a courthouse wedding," Riley replied, "We need to get married as soon as possible, the paperwork is already going through, but nothing ‘official’ can happen until we have a marriage certificate."

"All right… so I guess we should just make a list of things to do and start calling around Monday morning," Buffy said.

"Hey you two!" Waylon greeted enthusiastically as he entered the kitchen and found Buffy and Riley sitting at the kitchen table. Loudly, he added "How nice it is to see *both* Buffy and Riley in the *kitchen*!"

Buffy and Riley exchanged confused looks as they heard the thud of feet going up the stairs. Again, they were reminded that something very odd was going on.

"Where did you guys go?" Buffy asked.

Waylon tried to look casual as he opened the refrigerator door and pulled out a can of coke. "We just had a few errands to run and stuff. Mostly we hung out."

"Oh," Buffy replied, frowning. They certainly were acting like something was going on. Then again, she didn’t know them that well.

Riley was positive that Waylon was lying, but he wasn’t going to push it. He was far more concerned with getting everything taken care of so that they could be married and Buffy could have health insurance as soon as possible. "I wonder how long it takes to go to a judge and get married…"

"Weeks!" Waylon exclaimed before rushing over to the table. "I knew a guy who wanted to get married and the waiting list is weeks!"

Buffy sighed sadly and looked at Riley, "That means it’ll be weeks before we can even get all the paperwork in to get an apartment. We’ll be here for at least a month."

"Don’t worry, we’ll think of something," Riley assured her, "Besides, if we spend the next month here, it’ll be okay. I told you, the guys don’t mind you being here, right Waylon?"

Waylon nodded and gave her a bright smile, trying to cover the guilt he felt. In reality, he had no idea if there was a two day or two *month* waiting list to get married. Even though it had made Buffy sad, it was for her own good. She and Riley would be thanking him for not letting them mess everything up by running off to a lame courthouse later.

***

"Hey Graham, care to tell me what’s going on?"

Graham gave Riley his most innocent look as the rest of their party left them in the foyer of the restaurant while following a hostess who led them to their table. "What do you mean, Ri?"

"You know exactly what I mean! All of you are acting very very weird. Something’s up. Now what is it?"

"All I can say is we’re feeling very festive about your engagement to Buffy. The guys really like her so they are happy for you," Graham replied, "Is that what you mean?"

"No, it’s not!" Riley sighed, "I just hope that you are good enough of a friend that whatever they are up to isn’t bad even if they don’t mean it to be. Buffy isn’t marrying me for anything remotely romantic and I worry that if they make it *seem* romantic it’ll upset her."

"Don’t worry; I *am* your friend and I don’t want to upset Buffy," Graham assured him before hurrying towards the table. He should have known better than to give Riley the chance to try and grill him.

Reluctantly, Riley followed, hoping Graham was right. He knew that Buffy was far from a weak girl, but she’d been through a lot, and he couldn’t help but feel that Angel’s decision not to be a part of her and the baby’s life had left her really vulnerable. The guys might have the best of intentions, but Buffy could end up hurt. Besides, they thought that the two of them were going to be a normal husband and wife, so any little surprises they had in story could be really embarrassing for the both of them.

When he reached the table, Riley took the seat that had been saved for him next to Buffy and tried to look casual and happy. After all, everyone else thought that he was engaged to the mother of his unborn child. In reality, he was scared. Not just scared because he was about to be a *married* man, but scared about what marrying Buffy would lead to. He just wasn’t sure he could live in the same apartment with her for a year, watch her stomach grow as she carried her baby, be there when she gave birth, all without feeling something dangerously deep for her. As it was, he adored her so much that the thought of never seeing her again made his heart ache. How was he going to be able to let go after all that?

"So, are you having any weird cravings? I’d like to know, because if you’re going to order something really strange, I want to switch seats so I don’t have to see it," Chris teased Buffy.

Buffy smiled and shook her head, "Nothing bizarre yet. No pickles and ice cream or anything else. I’m not even hungrier than I was before, so you’re safe."

"I heard one time that some pregnant women crave *dirt*," Waylon commented as he looked through the menu.

Buffy wrinkled her nose, "No, dirt is still… dirt, to me, not food."

"Maybe only women from Georgia or something crave dirt," Nathaniel said, then turned to Chris, "What do I usually get here?"

Chris shrugged, "How the hell should I know? Do I look like your mother?"

Riley dipped his head down so he could whisper in Buffy’s ear, "Do *not* find them cute or in any way endearing. They’re up to something, I can tell. The little disappearance today, and the extremely bizarre way they’ve been acting…. definitely. Don’t trust them."

Buffy smiled up at him and shook her head. "They’re sweeties, don’t be so suspicious."

Riley opened his mouth to swear to her that these were not simply frat guys she was dealing with, but men trained by the best on how to go undercover, military men who were not to be taken lightly…. But he was hit in the head with the wrapper Forrest blew off his straw. Watching his friend laugh hysterically at the look on his face, Riley decided it was probably not the best time to tell her that and expect her to take him seriously.

***

Buffy had to remind herself not to drool as the waiter set the white chocolate raspberry cheesecake in front of her. She’d seen it on the menu when she’d been trying to decide on an entrée. Knowing that she *had* to have it, she’d ordered something light for her meal and politely declined everything the guys had offered her from their own meals.

"Buffy’s in love," Chris teased, "Riley, you should be jealous of that dessert."

Riley chuckled as Buffy blushed, "Leave her alone, Man. She’s eating for two now."

"Riley!" Buffy admonished; even if it was true, she’d made it clear to him earlier that day that she didn’t need to be handled like a fragile flower. She especially didn’t want little comments made constantly about her being pregnant.

"Hey, don’t worry," Chris said, gesturing to the chocolate mousse in front of him, "I have a sweet tooth too."

"I think it’s time we give Buffy her present," Thomas announced.

As Buffy looked stunned, Riley leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. Finally, he was going to find out what the guys were up to.

"You guys got me a present? What did you get me a present for?" Buffy asked, looking around. "You didn’t have to…"

"Stop, you’re ruining the moment," Waylon told her. "We’ve worked really hard for this so let us enjoy our excitement, okay?"

Buffy nodded and smiled at them as she accepted the wrapped box from Thomas. Being a girl, she was careful not to rip the paper and drove all the boys crazy with anticipation for her to see what they got her. Finally, the paper was off and she was opening the box. Pulling out the dress, Buffy gasped in amazement.

"Do you like it?" Chris asked anxiously.

"It should fit you- we stole… er… borrowed some of your clothes to match it up," Nathaniel told her.

"But we didn’t look at your underwear or anything," Joseph assured her, "I swear!"

Riley narrowed his eyes at him while Chris smacked him in the arm, but Buffy was too busy trying not to cry to notice.

"Oh my God, this is a wedding dress, isn’t it?" she asked, overwhelmed by how sweet they were.

Waylon nodded and bit his lip nervously. "We just figured you wouldn’t want a… big wedding dress. The girl at the store said you would probably want this style. Do you not like it? We can take it back!"

Buffy shook her head and smiled at him, "I can’t believe you guys did this. It’s just… amazing!"

"Is she happy or sad?" Mike asked Riley.

"She’s happy," he replied, not taking his eyes off her. Even if this wasn’t a real wedding, Buffy honestly was touched by the gesture, and that pleased him.

"Thank you all so much," she said, giving everyone at the table a grateful smile. "I can’t believe how kind you are. This is so above and beyond anything I could have ever imagined you doing."

"Good, we are very glad you like it," Waylon replied, pleased. "Now, for the rest of your gift. This part is for both of you."

"You got us something else?" Riley asked, stunned. He’d always known that the guys he lived with were true friends, but he’d never imagined them going all out for him like this. Then again, they really liked Buffy….

"Hey, you only get married once!" Graham piped in, grinning shamelessly at the two of them since he knew neither had any intentions of this being their only marriage… or at least a marriage that would last for the rest of their lives.

"First of all, you two have reservations at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas for Monday. We also made reservations for you at Little Church Of The West Monday evening at seven," Waylon informed them. "We’ve done our research and you guys can drive to Las Vegas Monday morning… it’ll take about six hours. We looked into plane tickets, but it was impossible on this short of notice. Anyway, we figure you will get there in the early afternoon. That’ll give you plenty of time to check in at the hotel and get your marriage license. There’s no blood test or waiting period in Vegas, of course, so you guys can go do that in half an hour or so. You two can get married that night and we made the reservations through to Wednesday so you guys can be alone and have a little honeymoon. Oh, and we checked and you can use the hotel’s fax machine to send us a copy of your marriage certificate Monday night and we can get that in to Colonel Nichols so they can get all the paperwork in. This way you get your quickie wedding and some time alone."

"Yeah, and everyone says Vegas is a blast," Mike added as they all waited for Buffy and Riley’s reactions.

"Wow, it’s really cool of you guys to do all this for us… but, I don’t know… I mean Caesar’s Palace is really nice. Are you sure we can afford it?"

"Well, we’re paying for it, of course!" Thomas exclaimed, "That’s our gift to you, not just the arrangements."

"But it’s too much!" Buffy argued.

"It’s nothing," Chris assured her, "For one thing, there is a bunch of us sharing the cost. Plus, Kevin’s cousin works at Caesar’s. He hooked us up with a room for a great price, and he’s the one who set up the wedding for you two," he explained, then added, "It’s a pretty famous chapel. Richard Gere and Cindy Crawford got married there!"

Joseph punched him in the arm. "Dude, they got divorced! I told you that wasn’t a good example! Besides… all that gerbil crap… it’s just a *bad* idea."

Riley looked down at Buffy and sighed. As great as it sounded, it was wrong. He and Buffy weren’t a real couple. They couldn’t do this- the guys thought they were setting up a fun wedding for their friends who were in love. "This is so great of you guys, but we couldn’t…"

Buffy looked up at him and shrugged, "Why not, Riley? We’ll get our marriage certificate a lot faster this way… and it sounds fun. It’d be nice to go experience Las Vegas while I can still see my feet."

Riley could tell that she really meant it and saw her point. Sure, they were only marrying each other to help Buffy out, but why couldn’t they have some fun. Besides, the guys had gone to such great lengths…. it would be rude to say no. Looking up, he nodded and smiled, "We’ll do it."

***

Buffy looked over at Riley and gave him a grateful smile as he pulled up to the curb in front of the coffee shop. "Thanks for the ride, I really appreciate it."

"No problem," he replied, "Are you sure you won’t need a ride home?"

Buffy shook her head, "I’m fine."

"Okay, well call me if you change your mind," he told her as she opened her door and stepped out.

"I will," she promised, then waved at Forrest in the backseat, "Bye!"

"Bye," he replied, waving unenthusiastically.

After Buffy has shut the door and Riley saw her join Willow and Xander at one of the tables, he pulled back out onto the street so he could go run his errands. Forrest remained silent, just making eye contact with Riley whenever he looked in the rearview mirror.

Riley sighed and shook his head, "I don’t want to hear it, Forrest."

"Fine, I won’t remind you that you completely out of your mind and just asking for trouble by letting yourself believe in this little fantasy you created to trick everyone else," Forrest replied, looking out the window. "I’m your friend so forgive me if I am not leaping for joy at the news of your impending nuptials. I *knew* it was a bad idea for you to moon all over a freshman and you know what’s going to happen? You’re gonna have a grand old time being married to Buffy and playing husband and daddy and then a year from now it’s going to be over and you’ll be all depressed. We’ll have to listen to you moon over her even more and then you’ll probably adore the baby too. You are going to want to smack yourself for this colossal mistake for the rest of your life."

"Thanks for not saying anything, Forrest," Riley said sarcastically, "I need all the support of my friends right now so any negative comments right now aren’t appreciated."

"Hey, if negative comments are going to possibly make you see reason, I have plenty more where that came from."

"Keep it to yourself!"

Forrest rolled his eyes, but held his tongue. He and Riley had been friends long enough that he knew when not to push it. He just wished there was something he could do to stop him!

***

"Hey Buffy!" Willow greeted eagerly as the blonde joined her and Xander at the table in the coffee shop.

"Hi Buff," Xander smiled at his friend.

Buffy smiled at the both of them, a nervous smile, but a real one nonetheless. She was so glad to have their support. Even if they hadn’t really backed her at first, they did now and that was important. However, she’d asked them to meet her so that she could tell them she was marrying Riley. Buffy wasn’t sure how they would take it, but if she waited until after she got back and it was all said and done, they’d take it a lot worse.

"Hi guys, thanks for coming," she replied, taking a seat.

"We love spending time with our Buffy," Willow said, then asked "You’re not going to have coffee, are you? Because that would be bad for the baby."

"No, I don’t want anything. I actually wanted to tell you guys something," she said, taking a deep breath, "I’m marrying Riley."

Willow and Xander stared at her with twin looks of shock on their faces. She frowned as she realized that she probably should have worked up to her news just a bit instead of blurting it out.

Finally Xander said, "I think I speak for the both of us when I say ‘huh’? I mean, Buffy, we just found out a week ago that you’re having a baby… then you get kicked out of your mom’s and start staying with a guy you went on a couple dates with… and now you’re marrying him? This is a really big week, even by your terms."

"I know," she laughed, then stopped herself. They were still adjusting to the news and if she did her ‘laughing instead of crying’ thing, they’d probably have her committed. "It’s not a real marriage, not in the sense that we love each other and want to spend our lives together. It’ll be legal and we’ll live together, but we’re getting a divorce in a year."

"But, why?" Willow asked, still stunned.

"Riley found out if he marries me and claims this is his baby, the military will help. I can have health insurance, they’ll pay for an apartment for us and they’ll even pay for school for me. This way I won’t have to quit. I can get a degree and get a good job, so I can have money to give my child a decent life."

"Wow… whose idea was this?" Xander asked.

"Riley’s, believe it or not. He’s actually willing to do this… he doesn’t gain a thing… he’s just helping me out."

"Are you *sure*?" Xander questioned suspiciously, "There’s no catch? You have to admit, this sounds way too good to be true. I know he’s always seemed nice in the past, but you don’t know him all that well. What if he’s got ulterior motives?"

"Like what?" Buffy asked incredulously.

"He’s going to be your hero… he could want to get in your pants! I’m a guy, trust me, we will sometimes go to insane lengths for sex. I slept with *Faith*, if you recall."

"Xander, I am pregnant. That’s like the biggest turn-off in the world to a guy."

"Some guys," he said, "Besides, there are other things. This Initiative thing studies demons and stuff, right? What if they want to use you as a lab rat? Or your baby?"

Buffy shook her head, "No, it’s not that. If they wanted to do that, they could have just taken me down. Sure, I’m strong, but I am way outnumbered by them. They could have tied me up while I was sleeping. Besides… Riley’s not like that. I know you guys think I am being naïve, but I have strong instincts about people and Riley is for real. He’s not doing this to hurt me or to help himself… he’s a nice guy and he’s willing to do a huge favor to really make a difference in my life."

"I’ll say," Willow commented, "For the record; I agree that Riley is a nice guy. I think it’s possible… probable, even, that he’s for real. But if he’s not… I’m busting out my shovel! If he’s messing with you, he’ll regret it."

***

"Forrest, just forget what it’s for and tell me what you think of this ring?"

Forrest looked at the delicate gold ladies wedding band with a small leaf-like design etched in it that Riley was holding up. "It’s very nice, I’m sure Buffy will love it. Hey, why don’t we just go all out? We can catch a plane to New York and pick out something for her at Tiffany’s."

Riley ignored the last comment and told the salesman he wanted that ring and handed him the ring that belonged to Buffy that he borrowed, copying the idea that the rest of the guys had come up with to use something that was already hers to get the size right.

"I know you don’t like this, but it’s happening regardless," Riley told Forrest as they waited to pay for Buffy’s wedding ring and the simple gold band Riley had picked out for himself. "Maybe you’re right and maybe you’re wrong, we won’t know until a year from now. Your sulking isn’t going to make me decide not to go through with this, so will you please just knock it off?"

"I’m sorry, but my best friend is about to ruin his life, so I’m not in the best of moods."

"Why do you think I am *ruining* my life? You act like Buffy’s evil or something. Why do you hate her?"

"I don’t," Forrest argued, "I know that this wasn’t her idea and I don’t blame her for this, not really. I know it’s all you and your stupidity that caused this… but she’s messing everything up."

Riley frowned, "Messing everything up? What are you talking about?"

"Life… less than a week ago, everything was great. All of us were having a great time… being in college, kicking demon ass, partying, drinking, having only cool responsibilities… and then she comes along. Now you’re moving out. We’ll only see you around the school and on patrols. No more hanging out… no matter what you say, I know that you’re not just going to sleep and eat at that apartment and be at Lowell House whenever I look for you. I just know that you’re going to love doting on Buffy."

"Are you jealous?" Riley asked, amazed. "You are! You’re like an only child, upset that your parents are bringing home a little brother or sister."

"That’s ridiculous," Forrest disagreed, "If this was for real… if she was really having your kid and you were going to marry her for the reasons you’re supposed to… I would accept it. But she’s not and you’re not. What you’re doing… it’s not a Riley thing to do. You’re giving up a lot and putting even more at risk for these lies and I’m freaked out. She’d got power over you and she may not even know it, but she does. And a year from now when you two are supposed to just go your separate ways, she may be able to with ease, but you won’t. I don’t want to have to see what you’re going to be like then."

Riley sighed, "Look, you may be right. I may be asking to *really* hurt myself here… but it’s my choice. I’m an adult and capable of making my own decisions. I know the risks and I am willing to do this. Can you please respect that?"

"How’re you doing?" Riley asked his passenger as they headed down US-101. They were an hour into their trip and it had been problem free so far, but he still worried.

Buffy gave him a reassuring smile, "I’m fine… are you worried that I’m going to freak all of a sudden and throw myself from the car?"

"Actually, I was afraid you might be feeling a little ill… you know, morning sickness. But now that you mention it…."

"No freaking here," she replied, shaking her head firmly, "And also, no nausea. I promise to tell you. I won’t ruin your upholstery."

"Well, I figure we’ll get to Barstow in about an hour. Do you think you’ll want breakfast then?"

Buffy nodded, "Most likely, and even if I’m not, we have a ton of food that the guys packed us. I won’t starve."

"Okay… if you’re sure," he said, then tried to think of something else to say. They’d been pretty quiet since they had left the house and the silence was starting to get to him. He wasn’t sure if she was being uncharacteristically quiet due to nerves like he was, or if she was just tired.

"You’ve never been to Las Vegas either?" she asked suddenly, relieving Riley of the chore of starting a conversation.

Riley shook his head, "My grandparents go every year in the spring and I know it’s always sounded fun, but it never even occurred to me that since I was living in southern California I should make the trip. I guess we’re always so busy with the Initiative and school that we never have a few days just to take off. Plus, I usually spend all vacation time back in Iowa. The only reason I came back so soon this time is for the Initiative… I had no idea how slow things get, though."

"Yeah, it’s weird how it happens," Buffy commented, "But a *good* weird."

Riley smiled, "Everyone loves a break every so often."

"Are you going to get in trouble? You didn’t get to give them a lot of notice. Things have been slow, but there is always the chance something big will pop up."

"It’s cool," he replied, "I informed my superiors and under the circumstances, they agreed. Besides, we have a house full of soldiers who don’t have to worry about school or anything else for weeks. They can deal without me for three days."

"Good… I know you told me not to, but I really feel guilty that you’re doing this for me, and I would hate myself if you even got in trouble for it."

"I won’t… and I want you to stop it. Look at it this way, you’re my friend and I care about you. If you’re suffering, it’ll make me sad. By helping you not only do I get to feel good, I also get to make your situation not so bad and see you happier… with makes me feel even better. In a way, this is totally selfish of me."

Riley smiled at Buffy as she rolled her eyes. Little did she know that he truly was being selfish. He wasn’t just doing this to help her… he was partially doing this because a part of him liked the idea of being her husband. For her, this was just a marriage of convenience. She was desperately in need and this was her lifejacket. It sort of made him taking advantage of her… but he insisted to himself that since he *was* helping, and his ‘taking advantage’ was simply mental and he wasn’t going to expect her to be his wife in all senses of the word… there was no harm done.

***

"You okay?" Riley asked as Buffy scooted in to the booth across the table from him.

They’d stopped at an International House of Pancakes in Barstow not a moment too soon. As soon as they’d gotten out of the jeep, Buffy had been hit with a wave a nausea and had made a run for the bathroom inside. Riley was starting to get used to that particular pregnancy symptom, so he took it all in stride, going inside the restaurant and getting a table. Hopefully Buffy would want to eat afterwards, or at least have a drink while her stomach settled. If she could at least stand the sight of food, they could stay…. since he was ravenous.

"Much better," she nodded, "It goes as quickly as it comes on. I’m already hungry."

"Good," he replied, handing her a menu.

Buffy took it, but didn’t look at, instead she stared out the window and sighed. Riley noticed and deduced that she had something else on her mind.

"What is it?"

Buffy turned her head and looked at him in surprise. Realizing he’d seen that she was thinking, she smiled shyly and said, "I just realized… today’s my wedding day. Twelve hours from now… we’re going to be married."

"Yeah, that *is* pretty… wow," Riley replied, fathoming the significance of what she’d said.

"But I’m not saying this is something dreadful or anything… it’s just that it’s a big deal. We’re going to make a huge change in our lives… something that will *always* be there," Buffy explained, "It definitely requires one to sit back and say ‘Hey, look what’s about to happen’."

Riley smiled at her, the woman he could call his wife in the very near future. He was thinking about what was about to happen… and it made him happy.

***

Riley held Buffy’s hand as they walked through the enormous lobby to check in to their hotel room. She’d been pretty quiet since they’d reached the Las Vegas Strip about twenty minutes earlier, when she’d become awestruck by all the lights and buildings and people. Riley had to admit that it was all very impressive… and it wasn’t even nighttime yet. He also feared that since they had reached their destination, any anxiousness she felt about their impending nuptials had multiplied. She probably wouldn’t run off…. but he thought it would be best to hold on to her.

Buffy soaked in her surroundings as Riley talked to the man behind the registration desk so they could check in to their room. She couldn’t believe this was really happening. So recently her life had been absolutely normal, for her, anyway… and now she was in Las Vegas to elope with her Psych TA. Life had a funny way of knocking you on your ass and laughing at the confused look on your face.

"Buffy."

She was jerked back to reality by Riley looking at her with concern, "Huh?"

"Our room won’t be ready for an hour or so. Do you want to just take our bags back to the jeep and go get our marriage license?"

"Our marriage license," Buffy repeated, awestruck, "Um… yeah… that’ll be fine."

"You’re alright, aren’t you?" Riley asked, growing more and more worried about her. Even if getting married was the best thing she could do as far as providing for the baby, and they had come all this way, he didn’t want Buffy pushed into anything she wasn’t ready for.

"I’m fine," Buffy replied, getting herself together. She had stuff to do, and if she was acting like a simpering female it wasn’t going to happen! Taking a deep breath, she reassured Riley that what she said was true with a confident smile. Satisfied, he returned the smile before the both of them headed back towards the parking garage.

***

They found themselves in line at the Marriage Bureau fairly quickly. As they waited, they filled out the required paperwork, neither believing how easy it was to get a marriage license…. Not that they actually had expected some concerned government official to question them until sure they would make a good couple or something. It just seemed odd that something that was such a big deal was so easy to do.

Before they knew it, Buffy and Riley were standing at the counter staring a clerk as she glanced through their paperwork and made sure everything was in order. Looking up at them, she smiled and said, "Looks like everything is fine, just give me a moment to print this out."

Two minutes later, they had a license to get married.

***

"Oh no," Riley groaned, entering their room.

"What?"

"We have one king size bed. I should have thought of this… the guys think we’re a regular couple, of course they’d think we’re sharing a bed," Riley explained as he walked the rest of the way in the room, depositing all the suitcases on the floor.

Buffy followed him in and sighed, "They meant well."

"I know they did, of course Graham could have *attempted* to do something about that," Riley said, then shrugged, "We’ve been doing fine with me sleeping on the floor at home, I can do it here too. Maybe I can order a cot. It’ll look weird, but we don’t care what the hotel people think."

"Yeah," Buffy replied absently, looking around the room. The guys had really been wonderful, it was a very nice room. Across from the big bed was a large screen TV. There was a small table and two chairs in one corner near an honor bar and a mini-refrigerator. On the other side of the room there was a big sliding glass door that led to a balcony with two chairs on it, so the both of them could sit out there if they liked.

"You hungry?" Riley asked her, trying to think of something they could do so they wouldn’t both sit there for hours and think about what they were doing.

Buffy shook her had and looked at him, "Are you?"

"Not especially… I think I’m getting kind of nervous," he admitted.

Buffy moved to stand in front of him, "You know you can back out of this anytime, right? I’ll understand. If you want, you can even tell the guys that we got here and I changed my mind so they won’t give you flack."

"I was just about to tell you that," he smiled.

She laughed, "Well… do you?"

Riley shook his head without hesitation. Sure, he was nervous, and he had his moments of asking himself what the hell he was doing, but he knew in his heart that he wanted to marry her, "How about you?"

"No… I’m nervous, but everyone gets the jitters, right? Even people who have real weddings."

"Absolutely," he agreed, "If you were totally calm about something this important, that would be strange."

Relaxing with the knowledge that he was just as scared as she, Buffy sat down on the bed and picked up the remote, "Think we get any good channels?"

***

Riley sighed and glanced at his watch before staring at the bathroom door, willing it to open. If Buffy didn’t get done soon, they’d be late to their own wedding.

At long last, the door creaked open and Buffy apprehensively stepped out. Riley’s breath left his body as he was taken aback by her beauty. She had her hair loose and cascading over her shoulders like spun silk. The dress that the guys had gotten her fit perfectly, making her look nothing short of gorgeous.

And she was going to be his *wife*.

Of course, he wouldn’t be making love to her on their wedding night, or any other night for that matter. He couldn’t look at her and know that he was the lucky guy who got to be in her bed every night… but he could pretend.

"You look very nice," she smiled, looking him over in his suit.

"Thanks," he replied, "You look pretty good too."

"I can’t believe I took so long, we’re going to be late," Buffy sighed as she saw the clock on the nightstand. She quickly grabbed her jacket and put it on, "I know it doesn’t match my dress, but it’s cold out."

"You still look wonderful," Riley grinned, grabbing his own coat and putting it on. He opened the door for her so that the both of them could leave the hotel and head to the wedding chapel.

***

"I was thinking after this we could go somewhere for dinner and maybe walk around for a while… look at stuff. Unless you want to just go back to the room… and watch TV or something," Riley told Buffy while they drove to the chapel.

Buffy smiled and laughed sardonically, "God, ‘after this’? It’s almost like we’re not getting married, but just running an errand."

"Sorry, I didn’t mean to…."

"No, don’t apologize. You have nothing to be sorry for. It’s just that this whole situation is… almost funny."

Riley nodded slightly, not really knowing what to say. She was scared, depressed and nervous… and so was he. He had no idea how to make himself feel better, so what could he do to help her?

Before they knew it, Riley was pulling into the small parking lot of the chapel. The both of them leaned forward in their seats once he had stopped the car and checked out the site of their wedding.

"Wow, that’s actually pretty," Buffy commented, "I’d pictured some gaudy thing with neon lights."

"Yeah, it almost looks like a church," Riley agreed, then smiled at her, "Maybe if I tell my mom that when I tell her what we’ve done, she won’t kill me quite as much."

"You didn’t tell her yet?"

Riley shook his head, "I don’t know how she’ll react to this. I seriously doubt she will jump for joy, but she may just deal. However, there is the chance she’ll freak and forbid me… so if I were to do this…"

"You would be directly disobeying her, which makes doing this ten times as bad. If you don’t tell her, you’re technically not going against her wishes," Buffy concluded.

"That’s the gist of it."

Buffy grinned, "That’s why I didn’t tell Giles. I figure after we get home I will go over and we’ll have a long talk… clear the air… get him all caught up. I hope he doesn’t hate me."

"He won’t," Riley assured her.

"How do you know?"

"I can’t imagine anyone who knows you finding anything to hate about you. From what you have told me, Giles is a very smart man… he won’t give up his relationship with you."

Buffy smiled at him, wishing things were different. He was so… amazing. She could totally see them getting married… for real… if only they weren’t in this situation.

Riley took a deep breath and said, "Let’s go get married."

***

"Are you okay?"

Buffy nodded, "Just nervous. You?"

"Same," Riley replied, glancing at their surroundings. Everything was happening so quickly. Once they had entered the building, they’d been busy signing papers and showing their license before Buffy had been handed a bouquet and the both of them had been shown to the chapel. Now a minister was preparing for the ceremony and a friendly older woman who was going to act as their witness was sitting in one of the empty pews. This was not at all how he had envisioned his wedding…. but Riley found that when he looked at Buffy… he really didn’t mind it that much.

The minister smiled at the young couple as he moved in front of them. They both looked rather petrified, but he was used to it. He’d been performing ceremonies in Las Vegas for nearly ten years, and he’d gotten to be rather an expert at judging people. Most of the couples he saw were older than these two and had either planned the wedding out before heading to Las Vegas, or had decided to do it once they’d arrived. However, he saw a lot of kids getting married for various reasons… quite often because the girl was pregnant, he suspected. This one wasn’t showing… yet, so he wasn’t sure, but that was very possibly the case. At least they weren’t at each other’s throats or looking like this was the last place they wanted to be…. these two stood a chance.

"Shall we get this show on the road?" he asked, smiling warmly.

The both of them returned his smile, albeit nervously, and nodded their heads.

The minister cleared his throat and began, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God, and in the face of this company, to join together this Man and this Woman in holy Matrimony. Into this estate these two persons present come now to be joined. If any man can show just cause, why they may not lawfully be joined together, let him now speak, or else hereafter for ever hold his peace."

Nobody spoke up, not that they really expected an objection from their only witness, although Buffy did have a daydream of Angel rushing into the chapel after realizing what a fool he’d been and begging her for another chance.

"I require and charge you both, that if either of you know any impediment, why you may not be lawfully joined together in Matrimony, you do now confess it. For be you well assured, that if any persons are joined together other than as these words allow, their marriage is not lawful," the minister continued.

Riley felt blood rush to his face as he listened to the words the minister was saying. He prayed he wouldn’t go to Hell. Sure, this marriage was a lie… but he *was* performing a good deed.

Satisfied that the couple felt they were doing the right thing, the minister said, "Riley, will you have this woman to be your wedded wife, to live together in the holy estate of Matrimony? Will you love her, comfort her, honor, and keep her in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto her, so long as you both shall live?"

Riley swallowed and nodded, "I will."

Turning to Buffy, he said, "Buffy, will you have this man to be your wedded husband, to live together in the holy estate of Matrimony? Will you love him, comfort him, honor, and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto him, so long as you both shall live?"

"I will," Buffy replied quietly.

The next thing they knew, Riley was pulling a couple of ring boxes out of his pocket. Buffy was dumbfounded; she hadn’t even thought about the jewelry that was required. Then again, he was constantly so thoughtful- why should she be surprised?

Holding her hand in his, Riley slid a ring on her finger and said, "With this ring, I thee wed."

He handed her a larger ring, which she soon concluded was to be his. Nodding, she slid it onto his finger, despite her shaking hand, and said, "With this ring, I thee wed."

"Riley and Buffy have consented together in holy wedlock, and have witnessed the same before God and this company, and thereto have given and pledged their troth, each to the other, and have declared the same by giving and receiving a Ring, and by joining hands; I pronounce that they are Husband and Wife," the minister declared, grinning, "Please, kiss the bride."

Numbly, they looked at each other for a moment before Riley dipped his head down and kissed her. He was so… overwhelmed that he didn’t even think about the fact that she wasn’t really his girlfriend… or wife. Riley kissed her like he had before, on that night when they had no voices. Buffy let him, getting caught up in the feelings he invoked in her when their mouths met.

Breathless, they pulled apart and looked each other in the eye as a realization hit them- they were married.

"This is beautiful," Buffy commented as she watched the water shooting in the air. They’d been standing in front of the Bellagio hotel for a while, at first just watching the calm waters and enjoying the serenity, then observing their impressive water show where the water to shot up or sprayed in a certain direction while Italian opera music played in coordination.

"Yeah," Riley agreed, awe-struck as he watched the water shoot several hundred feet in the air.

They had both been very quiet since leaving the wedding chapel, both feeling rather numb and not quite grasping the fact that they were married. Riley had driven them back to Caesar’s Palace, and when they were getting out of his jeep in the parking garage, the both of them had agreed that they’d rather not go back to their room right away. And since neither had an appetite… they were checking out the sights.

As the show came to an end, they looked at each other to decide where to go next, but were interrupted by the cold spray of water that hit them, apparently from the last time the water had shot in the air. Riley gasped in shock while Buffy laughed.

"I wasn’t expecting that," Riley said.

She nodded, "Yeah, it’s cold enough without getting wet. Where should we go now?"

"Well, there’s the Mirage, which has a volcano… and Treasure Island, which has a pirate show. Those are next to our hotel. And *at* our hotel, there’s all those nice shops we heard about," Riley informed her, since he had spent quite a bit of time reading about all the attractions Las Vegas had to offer.

"And the New York one has a roller coaster, right?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, but I don’t think you’re supposed to ride any roller coasters in your condition," Riley replied with a small smile.

"I hadn’t thought of that," she pouted, "Well, what do you want to do?"

"I’m thinking if we go look at those shops, it’ll take hours, and I’m kind of getting hungry. So, if you feel up to it, we can grab some dinner and just check out the volcano and pirate show tonight," he suggested.

"Sounds like a plan, now let’s find somewhere to eat."

"Lets check this place out," Riley said, walking towards the entrance of the casino, "You craving anything? I know how pregnant women are."

Buffy smiled at his teasing, "Nothing yet; pickles still aren’t any more appealing than normal."

After wandering around for a while, finding only bars and really fancy restaurants as well as a buffet with an exceedingly long line, they came across a café with a nice, normal menu. Satisfied, they decided it would suit their needs for their wedding dinner.

Once they were seated, they busied themselves by checking out their menus and deciding on what they wanted to eat. After their waiter had taken their orders, they shared an awkward moment of silence until Buffy thought of something to talk about.

"So, when do you think we’ll get our apartment?"

Riley thought it over, "Well, I am pretty sure Colonel Nichols is going to make things happen as fast as possible for me, so that will help. I’ll fax our marriage certificate to them tomorrow, so as soon as we get back we can submit the rest of our paperwork, which probably involves some things I will need you to sign, by the way, and they can send it back to Virginia so that it can be documented and verified. Then they have to do the paperwork to get the funds for out apartment and put in my pay raise and all that. I think it’ll be the end of next week before that’s done. Odds are, they’ll pick the apartment for us, so I’d give them a week or two to do that… then it’s just a matter of a moving in date."

"So… we’ll probably be in the frat house for another month," Buffy concluded.

He nodded, "You hate it there?"

"Oh, that’s not it at all," she protested, "The guys are so incredibly sweet, it’s just that you have to sleep on the floor in your own room! Plus… as nice as they are to me, I feel like I’m cramping their style."

"Trust me, they all adore you… they don’t mind at all. I’m expecting a lot of phone calls and visits from them after we do get our own place," he told her.

"They are so cute," Buffy laughed. "Do you think they’ll get us a two-bedroom?"

"Yeah, since they know about the baby, they won’t make us spend six months or something in a one bedroom, then move us into a two bedroom. I was thinking I would have one room and you could share the other with the baby… then you’d be close to him or her… and we get our own rooms."

"Sounds perfect," she said, "Oh, but what about furniture? I didn’t think about that at all! I mean, the baby stuff I can worry about later, but I have *nothing*. I could see if my mom will let me have my bedroom furniture, and you have yours from the fraternity… but we need couches and a table and stuff!"

"Don’t worry, I’ve got money," Riley assured her.

"Riley, all that furniture is going to cost us thousands of dollars."

"Well, I have quite a bit of money saved. I get a paycheck for my job, you know. I don’t have to pay rent, or for food or school or anything. I have my jeep all paid off, so I just have minor expenses like gas, clothes and a few other things. Everything else I have made for years has been put into savings."

Buffy shook her head, "Absolutely not! I am not going to let you spend your hard earned money on me. This was my mistake, and my decision to go the difficult route."

Riley smiled, not surprised by her vehement protests, "Look, the furniture in my room belongs to the house, not me. I’m going to have to buy that anyway. Plus, I like sitting on a couch when I watch TV, and eating my meals at a table, so it’s in my interest to buy that stuff anyway. If you’d prefer, it can be all my furniture that I will allow you to use."

Buffy narrowed her eyes, "You’re patronizing me."

"Just a little," he replied with a shrug.

"Fine… we’ll buy furniture… but I will pay you back."

"With what?" he asked.

"I’m getting a job," Buffy informed him.

"Buffy, you don’t need one. I’m getting extra money for you two, and I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t *spend* it on you two. Besides, I *want* to do it."

"I still need a job," she insisted, "It’s just that now I can get a part-time job. I don’t have to worry about paying rent and stuff, and now I can go to school, but babies aren’t cheap. When I was looking on your computer the other day, I found a site with baby furniture and clothes and all the other equipment… it’s expensive. And that’s not including the crib and all that. Plus, after the baby comes, I have to buy diapers and when they are a few months old I am on my own, so it would be nice if I have some savings set up."

"What are you planning on getting a job doing?"

"Well, I’ve waitressed before."

Riley sighed, "Look, right now you are basically just as healthy as before you got pregnant, but in a couple of months you’re going to start showing and getting bigger and bigger and moving around fast is going to be a problem. I… well, I hate the idea of you running around for hardly any money when you are six months pregnant."

Buffy conceded that waitressing may not be the most fun job to have when she was pregnant, "I’ll look around for other stuff. I know you’re very against me working in my condition and you’d like me to let you take care of me, but I can’t. I’m independent… and besides, even though you know everything, I feel like I am taking advantage of you. It’s not like I am telling you it’s *your* baby, but you’re very generous and for me to let you be so generous to me is wrong. You want to give too much and I would feel wretched guilt if I let you. Please, can you just let me do this without arguing?"

Riley nodded reluctantly; knowing this was ultimately Buffy’s decision… and he had seen she could be very stubborn when she wanted. Their food was served right then, so the subject was dropped at they began eating and only conversed about light subjects.

***

Riley stepped out of the bathroom and couldn’t help but take a moment to appreciate how beautiful Buffy was as she sat cross-legged on the bed and brushed through her hair. It was only nine in the evening, but the both of them had been exhausted from getting up early, making the long drive, the sightseeing they’d done after dinner… and of course, their wedding.

Buffy looked up at him and smiled, forcing him to stop staring at her. Awkwardly, he moved through the room and dumped his dirty clothes on top of his suitcase, praying she hadn’t noticed his odd behavior.

"Do you want to sleep right now, or do you want to watch some TV first?" Buffy asked, setting her brush on the nightstand. "Now that I’ve had a chance to get off my feet and take those heels off I feel a lot better… and not really exhausted."

"TV sounds good, anything interesting on?"

"I don’t know… but we have HBO, so maybe we can get some movie our mothers won’t want us watching," she joked.

"Good idea… because they’ll probably be pissed off at us enough as it is with the whole eloping thing," Riley grinned, sitting down at the foot of the bed.

Buffy smiled sadly, "I really hope this doesn’t mess up your relationship with your family."

"It won’t, I swear," he assured her, "My mom would prefer that she actually be present at my wedding, and get to meet my bride before, so she might freak when I first tell her, but she’ll understand after a little time. I’m going to tell her the whole truth, and I really believe that she’ll approve. She’s always raised me to believe that when you see a woman who needs help, you give it to her. This may be a little extreme… but she will accept it."

"How’s she going to feel about a divorce, though? I’ve never been really religious, but I know that goes against the Christian beliefs."

Riley nodded, "I just figure the part where I elope with you will be the big shocker… the divorce will be small potatoes… and kind of inevitable."

"Yeah," she sighed as she picked up the remote and turning on the TV. After a few moments of channel surfing, the two of them agreed on watching The Breakfast Club.

After an hour and a half, the both of them were completely relaxed, sitting side by side with their backs against the sideboard. As the end credits began to roll down the screen, Buffy yawned and Riley realized he was pretty tired himself.

Grabbing two of the pillows, Riley stood up and started walking to an empty spot on the floor to make his bed. Buffy leaned forward and bit her bottom lip as she considered her idea.

"You don’t have to do that."

Startled, Riley looked over at her, "What?"

She shrugged nonchalantly and said, "We’re adults… we both have an agreement that our relationship is purely platonic and the only reason we got married is for the financial help. We know that we aren’t going to have sex or anything… and this is a really big bed. Why can’t we just sleep next to each other? I really see nothing wrong with it."

Riley considered what she said and slowly nodded, "I’m fine with it if you are."

"I am," she smiled, rising to the challenge they had set for each other.

Riley turned around and climbed back on the bed, putting the pillows back before pulling to covers over him as Buffy settled herself on the other side of the bed. Simultaneously, they turned off the lamps on their nightstands.

After a moment of silence in the darkened room, Buffy quietly said, "Goodnight, Riley."

Riley smiled, "Goodnight, Buffy."

***

Riley jerked awake and opened his eyes, finding the room still dark. A few seconds later, he realized why he had woken up in the middle of the night as Buffy once again ran her hand over his chest.

"B-Buffy?"

He could barely make out a smile on her face from a small amount of light filtering in through the blinds covering the sliding glass door that led to the balcony. Somehow, he could also see an almost dangerous look in her eyes… that intrigued him.

"I was having second thoughts," she said, "Maybe being your wife in every sense of the word is a better plan."

"Buffy," he repeated, in a lower voice.

"Shh," she replied, sitting up slightly so that her lips were less than an inch from his.

"Okay," he whispered.

Buffy chuckled before dipping her head down and capturing Riley’s mouth in a searing kiss. Every time their lips met, he was overwhelmed by the sensations that assaulted his body. To him, this girl was more potent than any drug, sweeter than any candy, more wonderful than anything else in the world.

Before he knew it, Buffy had pulled back and was on her knees on the bed, unbuttoning her nightshirt. Following her lead, Riley sat up and pulled his t-shirt over his head and began pushing his sweatpants down his legs. Buffy abandoned her task when only half done with her own clothing and began helping in the effort. Soon both Riley’s pants and boxers were off and he was left nude in the bed with his erection straining against his belly. Buffy smiled serenely down at him and returned to unbuttoning her nightshirt. At long last, she was done, and slowly pulling the two sides down her arms, revealing to Riley the most beautiful pair of breasts he had ever seen.

They weren’t the largest, but she was a very small girl and for her frame… they were quite voluptuous. Perfectly rounded, creamy white and just aching to fill his palms. So he did just that, gently squeezing both with his hands, smiling at the way Buffy’s eyes closed as a moan came from deep in her throat.

"I’ve wanted you for so long, Riley," Buffy sighed, opening her eyes and smiling at him before leaning over to kiss him again.

Riley returned the kiss eagerly, moving his hands to the back of her head, to keep her against him. She always seemed like she was just out of his grasp, all he wanted to do was hold on to her tightly and never let her go. He felt her body move on top of his and moved his hands down to run over her smooth back while he lifted his hips in a silent plea for her to give him permission to enter her.

Buffy broke the kiss and sat up again, but before Riley could protest, he felt her hand grasp the base of his erection and knew it was time. Slowly, she slid down on his length, making him see stars at the intense pleasure of feeling her warmth surround him. For a moment, she remained still, and he went along with it, knowing her experience was limited, and not wanted to hurt her. Instead, he was content to put his hands on her hips and gently caress her skin.

She settled herself back down against his chest and kissed a path over his jawbone as she began rolling her hips back and forth and moaning her pleasure. Riley was lost, only able to thrust his hips up to increase their contact, while grunting and gasping as waves of pleasure swept over him.

As they both grew closer to climax, Buffy pulled them both into a sitting position so that she could move her hips more without losing contact with him. They mouths and hands were wild, moving everywhere over each other’s bodies as they raced to the finish line. Riley was so close… just a few more thrusts and he knew he’d be coming. He wanted her to come with him, so he moved his hand where their bodies met and found her tender pearl. Gently, so as not to overstimulate her, he rubbed it with his index finger, almost immediately bringing her to orgasm. Feeling her strong muscles milk him, Riley let himself go, spilling his seed inside her.

"Riley!"

Riley panted as his body shook with his release, barely registering Buffy as she called out his name.

"Riley," she repeated, and he realized she didn’t sound like she was crying out his name in ecstasy, but was instead speaking in a concerned voice.

Slowly, he opened his eyes and found the room flooded with light and Buffy leaning over him. Her hair was soaking wet and upon further inspection, he saw she was in nothing but a towel, standing beside the bed with her hand on his shoulder.

It had all been a dream.

"Riley, are you okay? I just came out here because I needed my brush and I you looked like you were in pain or something. Plus, your face is all red."

Riley realized how truly naïve she was. She had no idea how a man looked when he was having an orgasm. It made him feel all the more guilty for the dream he’d just had about her… and the evidence of that dream that had caused his underwear to be soaking wet.

"I think my blood pressure is up."

Buffy sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. Riley didn’t dare look down to see if it was possible for her to notice the wet spot. He wasn’t sure it had gone through the bedspread, and she’d freak if she found out the truth. "Is it because you just realized you’re married?"

Riley smiled and shook his head, "I just had a dream. A dream I called my mom, actually."

"Oh… you know, I was thinking about that. Maybe if you say ‘Hey Mom, I just got back from eloping in Vegas with this knocked up freshman, but the good news is it’s not my baby and after a year it’ll be like it never happened.’ she’ll be so relieved by the last part that the first part won’t upset her so much," Buffy grinned.

"I’ll have to keep that in mind," he replied.

"Well, I better go get my hair dry," she said, getting up and walking around the bed to grab her hairbrush from the nightstand. "Are you in a big rush to get in the shower? I can just get dressed and dry my hair out here."

"Okay, that’ll work. Then we can go get some breakfast sooner… I’m already starving," he said, eager to clean himself up. He couldn’t believe he had a wet dream! He hadn’t had one in *years*.

Then again, Buffy had a way of making him do things he wouldn’t normally do.

"Here," Riley said, putting a penny in Buffy’s palm, "Make a wish."

Buffy smiled at his sentimentalism and looked at the fountain, trying to pick just one thing to wish for. When had life gotten so difficult? A year earlier, her choice would have been easy- to spend the rest of her life being happy with Angel. Now it seemed so much less important, something that sounded nice, but wishing her baby would be born healthy and stay that way seemed a lot better. Looking at Riley and seeing how he took everything in with wide eyes, almost like an innocent child at times, yet a man in every sense of the word when it really mattered…. she knew what she wanted. Silently wishing that this whole make-believe life they had created for everyone so that her baby would have a better life would stop being make-believe and start being reality, Buffy tossed the coin into the fountain.

"Nice shot, I bet it comes true," Riley commented, winking at her. "What did you wish for?"

"If I tell you that, it’ll *never* come true!"

"I know… I always have to ask, though. Call me nosy."

"Okay Nosy," she teased, "Want to go check out the record store?"

"Sure," he replied and followed as she led him into the Virgin Megastore. He quickly saw that it deserved it’s name. The megastore part, anyway. It was a lot bigger than most of the other stores in Forum Shops that were a part of Caesar’s Palace. CD’s with headphones lined the walls, so that you could preview before buying, and there were so many CD’s that he wondered if there were any they *didn’t* have… and what they could possibly have on the second floor.

Realizing he’d already lost Buffy, Riley began wandering around, looking for her blonde head. Finally he found her by the wall, with some headphones on as she listened to a CD. Seeing him, she smiled and pulled the headphones down.

"Isn’t this great?"

"I’m amazed, I’ll admit that much. What are you listening to?"

"Dido," she answered, "She is an incredible singer, and I love this CD. My mom actually bought it for me for Christmas, but I doubt I’ll ever see it again."

Riley was quiet as Buffy looked down for a moment and tried not to think sad thoughts. The whole morning they had been wandering around the shops, having a genuinely fun time together, and Riley had been so sweet. She instantly felt bad for spoiling the mood.

"Hey, you hungry? It’s after one, so I’m kinda famished," Riley said, trying to get her mind off things again. He really wanted her to enjoy herself while they were out of town. Once they got back it would be the ‘real world’ again and their lives would most likely be chaotic. Plus, with the whole situation of informing their loved ones about their marriage, getting ready for their apartment, and setting up a life together, Riley was planning on being extremely stressed.

"I could eat," Buffy replied, hanging the headphones back on the hook where she had found them and following Riley through the store. If only she had a credit card… she could do *major* damage in this store.

***

"So, what should we do tonight?" Riley grinned as Buffy practically collapsed into the booth across from him in the Mexican restaurant they had chosen for their dinner.

"I’m thinking sit around and watch my feet fall off. We did a *lot* today," Buffy sighed.

"Too bad we didn’t bring bathing suits or we could go for a swim in the hotel pool."

"Also, it’s forty degrees out," Buffy remarked as she lifted up her menu.

Riley rolled his eyes, "Forty degrees is *warm*! You Californians are wimps."

Buffy lowered her menu and gave Riley a look that would have made him shiver had he not been so amused, "Them is fightin’ words. Don’t tell me you want me to go jump in a pool in my underwear just to prove a point to you."

Actually, the idea of that didn’t sound too horrid to Riley. He didn’t want her getting sick or anything… but the image of her in her underwear was almost irresistible to him.

"I take it back," he finally replied, giving her a smile.

Satisfied, Buffy went back to her menu, while Riley picked up his own and prepared to do the same. He realized that he was rather wishing the guys had booked their hotel room for a few more days… he was having a great time with Buffy. Even when they’d been going through the shops, a pastime Riley had always disliked, he’d enjoyed himself because he had been with *her*.

At least he had the knowledge that they’d be living together for the next year. That was an entire year of seeing Buffy every day. Eating meals with Buffy, talking to Buffy… hanging out with Buffy. He knew without a doubt that he’d enjoy every minute of it. After a year, though….. Forrest was right, in a way, he had gotten himself into a huge mess. But it really hadn’t begun with marrying Buffy… as soon as he’d set eyes on her, he was lost. He might as well have fun with his downward spiral.

***

"So, are you ready to go back to our room?" Riley asked as the two of them walked through the casino in the MGM Grand, having just left the restaurant.

"Sure," Buffy replied, then stopped and picked something up off the ground.

Riley stopped as well, watching to see what she had found. Buffy stood and held up a coin.

Grinning, she said, "It’s a silver dollar."

"Cool," Riley said, "How are you going to spend your fortune?"

She handed him the coin, "I want you to put it in one of these machines."

Riley shook his head, "I’ve never gambled before."

"So, it’s only a dollar! Besides, it’s not really mine since I only found it and if you lose it, I won’t care," Buffy argued, "Maybe you’ll have beginners luck!"

Riley sighed and nodded his head. After all, it was her money, if she wanted him to waste it…

They wandered around for a few moments until Buffy decided on a machine. Riley had no idea how she could tell which one was a winner, but if it made her happy, he’d go along with it. When she directed him to take a seat, he tried to protest because she had picked a dollar machine instead of a nickel or quarter one, so he would only be able to play one hand. Buffy wouldn’t hear of it, though, and Riley found himself wishing she was three years older so she could play the damn thing herself.

Sighing, he put the coin in and pulled the lever. The machine starting dinging and the light above began flashing. Riley’s eyes widened as the credits on the machine went up and up. Turning, he saw Buffy jumping up and down and clapping her hands.

Riley was completely numb to everything around him. Only one fact permeated his brain… they’d won.

***

"Five hundred dollars!" Buffy exclaimed, flopping down on the bed.

Riley just shook his head and smiled down at her before tossing his jacket on one of the chairs.

Pushing herself into a sitting position, she said, "I know it’s not all the money in the world, but to think I just *found* a dollar and we ended up with *five hundred*. Just think, it’s like being handed five hundred dollars for doing nothing, Riley."

"I know," he replied, "So how are you planning on spending it?"

"How are *we* planning on spending it," she corrected, "It’s *our* money. I found the dollar and you played the machine."

"Buffy, it’s okay, you keep the money."

Buffy shook her head, "Riley, it will make me happy and I will feel a little bit better about this whole thing if I can at least share five hundred dollars… and I know the first thing I want to use my 250 for!"

Riley watched her stand up and pick up a twenty from the pile of bills the cashier had given them for the win before walking to the door.

"I’ll be back in a few," she grinned.

"Wait, Buffy…. Let me come with you," he protested.

Buffy shook her head, "I want to surprise you… just hang out here."

Riley reluctantly nodded, letting her walk out the door alone before climbing on the bed and grabbing the remote control. Glancing at the clock, he saw it was after seven and wondered how soon it would be before Buffy went to sleep. Hopefully she’d be conked out early enough for him to sneak out and complete his task, because he was pretty sure they’d be so busy the next morning checking out that he wouldn’t be able to get away from her long enough to do it then.

He’d finally settled on watching ‘Murder in the First’ when Buffy reappeared with two ice cream sundaes in hand. Sitting up, he gave her a grateful smile as she handed him one.

"I like this surprise," he said, "Thank you."

Buffy shrugged and sat down on the edge of the bed, "I know it probably wasn’t the most responsible thing for me to spend my money on, since I am going to need every cent I can get for the baby… but it’s our honeymoon… and it was only a few dollars."

"I don’t think it was irresponsible at all," Riley told her, shoving a spoonful of the delicious treat in his mouth, "Nobody expects you to spend everything on the baby. You *have* to spend it on yourself too."

Buffy nodded, "I know… it’s just that I don’t want my baby deprived of anything."

"They won’t," Riley said confidently, "I know you, and I am positive that you will always put that baby first. It will have everything it needs."

Buffy smiled at him, appreciating his reassurance. He honestly did have absolute faith in her… she really didn’t know what she’d do without him. Everyone else who loved her had doubted her, but not Riley. She scooted up onto the bed and leaned her back against the pillows so she could watch TV with him.

"Ooh, ‘Murder in the First’… I love this movie," she told him.

Riley turned his head and looked at her in surprise, "Really?"

"Yeah.. I’ve seen it a bunch of times, which wasn’t easy because it was rated R and I was only fourteen when that came out," Buffy replied, "But I was in love with Christian Slater, convinced that I would marry him, so I sucked it up and flirted with Franklin Beaderman. He was a total dork, but he had a crush on me and worked the box office at the movie theater in the mall, so it worked."

"Ouch, that was kind of mean of you," Riley teased.

Buffy nodded, "I was seriously a jerk back in the day. I was the popular girl… and I treated all those that were beneath me like dirt."

"Well, we all do things when we’re young that make us cringe later."

"So true… like, the whole Christian Slater thing. Okay, he’s a cute guy, but I was all *crazy* for him."

"Plus, wasn’t he kind of old for you?"

"I guess… he was twenty-six, and I was fourteen," she grinned.

"Were your parents fighting back then?"

"They fought as far back as I can remember," Buffy said, "Now that I think back on it, I’m surprised it lasted so long. It was their fighting that got me all obsessed with ice skating and Dorothy Hamill… basically as a way to get away from reality, and I was only four then."

"Well, even though your father was actually there, you probably liked Christian because you needed a father figure. Since your parents were fighting, you probably had a sense of rejection from your dad."

Buffy wrinkled her nose, "I forgot that you were a psych major."

"Sorry," he apologized, looking down. He tended to do that to people; go from a normal conversation into a psychological analysis and make them feel completely uncomfortable.

"It’s okay… and you’re probably right. I do have a tendency to fall for guys that are way too old for me. Angel’s over two *hundred*."

"Are you serious?!" Riley exclaimed, "I mean, I knew he was a vampire, so there’s the whole immortal thing, but that is really really old."

"Yeah, but he doesn’t *look* that old. Besides… we were in love. Age really didn’t matter," she sighed.

"I’m sorry," he apologized again, "It was just a shocker."

"Hey, it’s okay! I’m fine, see," she said, giving him a big grin for his benefit. "I’ve resolved to stop being The Amazing Hormonal Crying Girl and instead be the girl I have always been- strong and unflappable."

"Unflappable?"

"Okay, I was never unflappable, but I could try!"

"That’s alright," he said, patting her leg, "I don’t want you to hurt yourself."

Buffy gave him a mock glare and grabbed one of the pillows next to her before flinging it at his head and hitting her target dead-on. Riley laughed and put the pillow under his chest so he’d be more comfortable lying on his stomach on the bed.

The two of them paid attention to the movie, in a good mood once again.

***

Riley smiled when he turned around after nearly two hours to find that Buffy had fallen asleep watching the movie. Careful not to shake the bed too much, he got up and moved around to her, pulling the blankets down under her body, praying she wouldn’t wake up. Luckily, she didn’t, and he was able to pull off her shoes and get her all tucked in without causing her to even stir.

He threw away the plastic containers from their sundaes and slipped his coat on. With one quick glance, he crept out the door and prayed she wouldn’t awake while he was gone.

***

"So… you had fun, right?"

"Yes, I did!" Buffy replied, "I mean, when we were coming here, I think we both had the idea that this was just something that we had to ‘get through’ and I hadn’t planned on having anything that resembled fun, but I really enjoyed myself."

"I did too," Riley replied, giving her a smile before returning his focus to the crowded freeway. They’d left the hotel half an hour earlier and hadn’t gone very far. What kind of city had bumper to bumper traffic on a Wednesday? The only excuse he could think of was that the sky was extremely gray and a few drops of rain had sprinkled the road… but it was far from slick.

"So tell me about your family. You know how messed up mine is… I’d like to hear about one that turned out right," she said, "I always wanted a big family."

"Well, that’s kind of funny, because there were quite a few occasions when I wanted to be an only child," he chuckled, "But overall.. well, someday I want to have my own family and I want more than one kid, so I guess that says it all."

"Yeah," Buffy said quietly, imagining Riley playing with three or four little kids…. wishing that they could be *their* kids. But any chance they’d had for that before was gone now…

"I’m one of four kids. I have an older brother, Noah. He lives in Iowa, but in Des Moines, which is just about a half hour drive from our parents’ farm in Huxley, so he gets to be near everyone. He’s a journalist, writes for the Iowa State Daily, which is a big newspaper."

"Wow, that’s pretty impressive," Buffy commented.

"Yeah… we’re proud of him. Of course, Noah still gets nagged by Mom constantly. You see, he just got married and he’s already twenty-eight."

"That doesn’t sound too old."

"No, but he’s had to deal with Mom bugging him about it and trying to set him up with girls for about four years, something I had been dreading, but after this, I think I’m safe," he joked.

Buffy grinned, "Glad to be your hero."

"Unfortunately for Noah," Riley continued, "Now she’s demanding to know when he’s going to give her a grandchild. She’s already a grandmother because of my sister, but she adores babies, and wants as many around as possible."

"Well, better him than you, right?"

"That’s what I always say. Then there is my sister, Rachel. She’s twenty-six, married for six years, and she’s got a set of boy and girl five-year-old twins and a two-year-old little boy. I got to be there when she delivered him."

"Oh, that must have been cool."

"Actually, the first word I use to describe it is always ‘gross’, but since I do tell everyone about that whenever I mention Randy, I have to admit it was cool."

"Your sister was fairly young when she got married too… so maybe it won’t be so bad that we did the same. You are two years older than she was," Buffy commented.

"Yeah… but that was a huge family scandal. Rachel fell deeply in love with one of the junior associates at my dad’s law firm. Brian was thirty- ten years older…. But they accepted her wish to get married when they saw she really did love him and it wasn’t just some schoolgirl thing. I think it’s mellowed them. In fact, when she dropped out of college a year later because she was pregnant, they didn’t even care… they were so excited about the twins."

"Your dad’s a lawyer? I thought he was a farmer."

Riley smiled and shook his head, "Most people think that, to hear me talk… but he’s not. There are two types of people who own farms- those who get up at the crack of dawn and work hard all day long…. And those who buy the farm, pay people, and enjoy the nature. My father *is* a hard worker… but he made his money being a damn fine lawyer."

"Oh, I have no doubt that whatever your father did, he worked hard to earn it. I can tell."

"How?"

"Because I see how you turned out," Buffy answered, "Tell me more."

"Okay, I have one younger brother, Caleb, who is nineteen. He’s going to Iowa State, but it’s only twenty minutes from our house, so he’s back there often. My dad is sort of half-retired. He still works, but not every day. He’ll go in a couple days a week, make sure everything is running smoothly, and occasionally take a case. My mom stays at home and is very active in church and community stuff."

"Wow, you guys are the epitome of the American family, only not really," Buffy said, "I mean… you guys are what everyone *wants*, but most of us are too messed up to actually *be*."

Riley thought her words over. She really was right; he was very lucky for his family. He didn’t appreciate them nearly enough… and yet the next time he talked to his mother, he had to give her some news that was going to blow her right out of the water. He was the world’s best son.

***

Riley wondered if Buffy was asleep. They were on the last leg of their trip, about an hour and a half from home. It had been about half an hour since they’d left the restaurant in Barstow where they’d had lunch and Buffy had been completely silent ever since. He wasn’t sure if she was asleep, but since she’d had a propensity to lapse into spells of deep thought, he figured she probably wasn’t.

Careful to keep his eyes on the road, Riley pulled the CD from where he’d stuck it between the ceiling and visor. He managed to get the case open and the CD out so that he could slide it in the player without getting them in a wreck, something he’d always had a hard time doing.

I didn’t hear you leave,

I wonder how am I still here

I don’t want to move a thing,

It might change my memory

Buffy looked at the CD player in surprise, hearing the song by Dido playing. She recalled how the day before she had told Riley how much she loved it… apparently he had gone and bought it.

Oh I am what I am,

I’ll do what I want,

But I can’t hide

I won’t go, I won’t sleep, I can’t breathe, until you’re resting here with me

I won’t leave, I can’t hide, I cannot be… until you’re resting here with me

Riley blushed at the lyrics in the song; not that they were especially dirty. But they *were* romantic, and while he wanted to say romantic things to her, he didn’t think it would be considered appropriate.

I don’t want to call my friends,

they might wake me from this dream

And I can’t leave this bed,

Risk forgetting all that’s been

"I can’t believe you bought this!" she exclaimed, beaming at him, "You’re so sweet."

Riley smiled shyly, "You seemed like you really liked it. I just thought you might enjoy having a copy of this again, so I snuck out and bought it when you were asleep last night."

"Thank you," she replied, sighing. He was such a great guy… how could she ever repay him for all the wonderful things he’d done for her? Even something as simple as buying her a CD… it was *so* thoughtful.

Oh I am what I am,

I’ll do what I want,

But I can’t hide

I won’t go, I won’t sleep, I can’t breathe, until you’re resting here with me

I won’t leave, I can’t hide, I cannot be, until you’re resting here with me

"So, what’d you guys do?" Waylon questioned as everyone sat in the large dining room of Lowell house.

The guys had all made a huge spaghetti dinner in honor of Buffy and Riley’s homecoming and had forced them not to help, but instead relax after their long trip. They’d gone along with it, since they were honestly exhausted after the past three days.

Joseph snorted and Mike smacked Waylon in the arm, but he just continued to grin shamelessly while Buffy and Riley blushed furiously at his implication.

"Just tell me, did you guys see *anything* unique to Las Vegas other than when you were in the car on the way to the hotel?" Chris asked.

"We saw plenty," Buffy assured him, "There is this really cool water show outside this hotel called the Bellagio… and there was this really nice mall that was actually in our hotel."

"Plus, we watched a pirate show and a fake volcano erupt," Riley added, making a point to leave out quite a few of the places they had gone to so the guys wouldn’t make jokes about Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes actually sight-seeing for his entire honeymoon instead of consummating his marriage with his new bride.

"Oh, before I forget," Nathaniel said, "We got the marriage certificate you faxed us and gave it to Nichols. He wants you down there tomorrow to fill paperwork out… and you guys have to make arrangements for Buffy to sign stuff too."

"Where am I going to do that?" Buffy asked, "They won’t let me go down there."

Nathaniel shrugged, "Maybe Nichols can come up here. All I know is that you have to do it in the presence of him, so maybe he’ll just come to you."

Buffy bit her lip and shared a worried glance. They’d have to start acting like a real couple for an *important* person the next day.

***

"So, do I need to make a point to be here all day tomorrow?" Buffy asked as she watched Riley pull pajamas out of his dresser.

"Well, I’m going to go see Colonel Nichols first thing in the morning. After that, I will be able to tell you when or *if* I’m going to need you to be around," Riley replied, "Did you have somewhere you needed to go?"

"I want to talk to Giles. I need to do it as soon as I can because otherwise I’m going to get an ulcer."

"I know how you feel," he sighed, "And Graham brought up a really good point today. When we moved in here we had to sign a bunch of papers. Among them were agreements about our expectancy of privacy. They have the right to monitor any and all phone calls we make from here, so just in case, I ought to call my mother from somewhere else. I have a calling card from my parents, so maybe I’ll go use a pay phone."

"Yeah, that would be a good idea," Buffy agreed, "The last thing we need is to be convicted of fraud."

Pajamas in hand, Riley walked over to the door, "I’m going to go change, are you going to do the same in here?"

Buffy nodded, "Sure."

Once he was out the door, Buffy grabbed her nightshirt out of the as-yet-unpacked suitcase and tossed it on the bed. She quickly undressed and frowned as she put them in the pile of dirty clothes she was quickly accumulating. She’d have to do some laundry soon.

She had just finished buttoning up the nightshirt when there was a knock at the door. Assuming it was Riley making sure she was decent before coming back in, she said, "Come in."

Instead, Buffy was surprised by Forrest walking into the room, "Riley’s not here?"

"No," she replied, "He’s in the bathroom. He’ll be back really soon, though, I’m sure."

Forrest nodded and started to leave the room, then had a change of heart, "Since we have this chance, I’d like to talk to you."

Buffy nodded apprehensively; she’d always gotten a sense of disapproval about the whole wedding thing from Forrest, so she had a feeling this wouldn’t be a heartwarming talk.

Forrest shut the door so they wouldn’t be overheard and leaned against Riley’s desk. "Look, I don’t think you’re the type to take advantage of a person’s generosity. I know you didn’t convince Riley to do this, he suggested it to you. But for the record, I think it’s a huge mistake. I feel bad for you for what happened…. the guy who got you pregnant is a jerk, and it was wrong of him to just ditch you like that. It was also wrong of you to go along with this. Yeah, Riley is the one who said it, not you, but you didn’t have to agree. Riley’s my best friend and his best interests are what I am concerned about. I know you have a lot of things to worry about these days, but I am damn pissed that Riley’s feelings weren’t one of them."

"I care about Riley," Buffy protested, her voice wavering as her own doubts made her wonder if Forrest was wrong at all. "I don’t want to hurt him and this isn’t going to! He’s just helping me and he swears that it’s not hard on him."

"Riley is, like, the most honest guy I know and because of you he is lying to the U.S. Military! You’d see that if you knew Riley well, but you don’t. All you know is he is some poor sap with a crush on you who is willing to risk everything to help you out after you fucked up," Forrest told her angrily.

Neither had noticed Riley entering the room a moment earlier, just in time to hear Forrest’s angry accusation. "I can’t believe you! Buffy, don’t listen to him, he is delusional. Forrest, stop being an asshole! I can’t believe you are attacking her. This is none of your damn business, but she did nothing wrong. I’m an adult. If you don’t like *my* actions, hold *me* accountable."

Forrest sighed and shook his head, "I don’t know why I even bother."

"Neither do I," Riley replied as he watched his friend leave the room, turning back to Buffy, he could tell by the look on her face that Forrest’s words had done damage and he needed to fix it right away, "Look, he’s wrong. Forrest can’t know me better than I do."

"He doesn’t… but he’s right. Oh Riley, I feel so guilty!"

"Don’t, please… don’t make us go through this again," Riley pleaded, "I know you feel bad, but you shouldn’t. It doesn’t matter anyway, because we’re married. It’s done… no amount of guilt is going to change that. All it’s going to do is make me more angry at Forrest… you don’t want me mad at my friend, do you?"

Buffy shook her head and walked over to the bed. Why couldn’t things be simple for once? Why did she have to get pregnant with Angel’s baby, only to be dumped by him? Why did the way she was able to have a home and money for her baby have to involve hurting Riley?

Riley grabbed a couple pillows to sleep on that night, hoping once she got a good night’s sleep, Buffy would feel better about everything. He couldn’t wait until they got their own apartment… away from Forrest. As great a friend he was… Riley wanted to kill him at that moment.

"Um, Riley?"

Riley looked up to see Buffy sitting on the bed, looking more innocent and damn gorgeous than he had ever seen her.

"Sleep here… like I said the other night, we’re adults. It would make me feel better if you could at least sleep in your own bed," she said, "We know it doesn’t do any harm for us to just share a bed; nothing happened the past two nights."

If she knew about the dream he’d had the first night, she probably wouldn’t have said that, but luckily she didn’t… and Riley enjoyed sleeping beside her far too much to let the fact that he was worried about his subconscious to refuse.

He put the pillows back in their position on the bed and climbed under the covers and Buffy settled in. Riley turned off his lamp and waited for Buffy to do the same, but was surprised when she leaned over and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you," she told him, granting him a smile, before reaching over and turning off the lamp on her side.

Riley was too dumbstruck to reply. Instead he lay still as a statue, staring at the ceiling until he heard Buffy’s steady breathing as she fell asleep. It was then that a giddy smile spread on his face. Sure, she probably only felt gratitude and a friendship towards him… but that was enough for now.

***

Buffy awoke extremely disoriented. She didn’t know where she was… and there was a banging that she couldn’t identify. After a few seconds, she stopped staring at the ceiling and looked around at the room she was in. It was then that she remembered she was in Riley’s room at Lowell House. The banging had apparently been someone knocking at the door, because it was now partially open, with Riley leaning out of the room talking to someone.

She pushed herself up in a sitting position and checked the alarm clock, groaning when she saw it was only half past six. Hopefully whatever was going on wasn’t a big deal so she could go back to sleep.

A moment later, Riley turned around and appeared surprised to see her awake. Smiling apologetically, he said, "Sorry I didn’t get that in before it woke you up. Unfortunately, I need you to get up anyway."

"At this hour?" she asked, in disbelief, "What kind of evil is out there this early? Most of the baddies are night owls."

Riley laughed as he pulled his uniform out of the closet, "It’s nothing like that. Graham just got off his shift and he told me that Nichols just left for Vandenberg a few minutes ago and left me a message that he wants you and I to meet him there to fill out paperwork at 0900 hours. That means we need to leave at about a quarter after seven to be sure we get there on time."

"Forty-five minutes?!"

"Yeah… and make sure you like how you do your hair and everything… because while we’re there, you might as well get your military ID."

Buffy sighed loudly and got out of bed, throwing open Riley’s closet door and looking at the dresses Willow had brought her. For something like this, she was definitely going for mature. Unfortunately, most of her clothes had a more ‘sexy’ emphasis. She barely heard Riley leave to go shower as she let out a whine and tried to figure out what to do.

***

"You look fine," Riley assured Buffy as he started the jeep’s engine.

"You’re just saying that because you don’t want me to hate you for hardly giving me any time to get ready," Buffy argued, frowning at him before taking a mouthful of the donut Nathaniel had shoved in her hand, insisting that a pregnant woman couldn’t skip breakfast.

"I swear, I am not. I would have never guessed that you’d been rushed for time if I didn’t know it," he replied, trying not to smile. She was the most beautiful girl in the world, how could she be so upset that she hadn’t had hours to primp?

"Isn’t Vandenberg an Air Force Base?"

"Yes, but it doesn’t matter for stuff like this. We actually don’t need to fill out the paperwork here, but Colonel Nichols probably wants to make sure you get your ID, so he’s dragging us out here. We can go on any kind of base in the U.S. Military, not just Marine ones."

"Hey, pretty cool," Buffy replied, "I had a friend in high school whose cousin’s father was in the Air Force and she told us about tax-free shopping and stuff."

"Unfortunately since we don’t live near any non-secret military bases, you probably won’t have many chances to frequent base exchanges and commissary’s, but if you go near one, you can shop there."

"Cool."

Riley smiled again, this time amused by how quickly she’d forgotten her ‘trauma’ of the morning. He didn’t know how it was possible… but he found her more adorable every day.

***

"Ugh… I’m full," Buffy moaned, rubbing her stomach.

Everything had gone smoothly during their meeting with Colonel Nichols, and Buffy had been able to get her ID quickly, so as a sort of celebration, the two of them had stopped for lunch so they wouldn’t have to endure a bunch of young men arguing about the balanced diet of a pregnant woman.

"Hey, do you want me to take you to your friend, Giles’, so you can talk to him?" Riley asked, "I was thinking it might help if he met me. I could stay out in my jeep and wait if you want… and if things are going well enough, you can come get me. I know you two will probably want your privacy, so you won’t want me with you when you tell him the news."

"Actually, now that you mention it, I would love it if you came and talked to Giles with me. I’d even like it if you were there when I told him more. I just know if he meets you, he’ll see what a great guy you are… and it’ll help with any reservations he’ll have about it," Buffy replied, "But if you don’t want to, I totally understand. I mean, Giles is really a dad to me… and I would imagine it would be kind of… nervousness-inducing for you."

"No, if you want me there, I am fine with it."

"Great," she grinned, "Oh, and this way, you can use Giles’ phone to call your mom and not have to worry about anyone hearing."

Riley wanted to add that he would only be able to do that if Giles didn’t throw them out after hearing they’d eloped, but Buffy seemed so positive. Besides, Riley didn’t know the guy… maybe he really was better than her parents. Maybe he would accept what they’d done, just because he loved Buffy. Well… one could hope.

***

"Just remember, whatever happens, I am here for you. You have my support," Riley said as he and Buffy approached Giles’ door.

Buffy nodded, trying not to be nervous. She prayed things would go better than the last time she’d sprung big news on Giles. Raising a shaking hand to the door, Buffy knocked and waited for a response.

A moment later, Giles opened the door and was visibly surprised to see her standing on the other side of the threshold, "Buffy… you’re here."

"Yeah," she replied giving him a small smile, "We need to talk… about what happened, and… other stuff."

"Yes, I would have to agree," Giles replied, stepping back, "Please come in."

"Oh, um, this is Riley," Buffy said, putting her hand on Riley’s arm.

"Riley," Giles said, "Buffy has told me a lot about you… and Willow informed me that you were helping Buffy. I want to thank you for that."

The two men shook hands and Riley nodded politely to the man, "Buffy’s my friend… I like helping her."

"Willow told you I was staying with Riley?" Buffy asked, surprised. Willow hadn’t told her that she’d told Giles anything.

"Yes," Giles answered, looking down, "Please don’t be angry with her, Buffy… I felt very guilty for the things I said to you almost immediately after I said it. When I found out you were missing… I was overwrought. Willow *had* to tell me."

"It’s okay," she said quietly, walking into the apartment.

Riley followed and Giles shut the door before heading into the living room, "Would either of you care for tea?"

"No thank you, Sir," Riley said politely.

Buffy shook her head and gave him a small smile, "I can’t."

"Ahh, yes… water or anything?"

"I think we’re fine," she told him, sitting down on the couch.

Riley sat beside her and by the way they were looking up at him, Giles knew they had something to say. Judging by Buffy’s track record, he decided it would probably be best if he sat down.

"I just want to tell you, Buffy, that I am sorry about my… earlier reaction. I only want the best for you, but I didn’t mean to hurt you. I regret making you feel so alienated," Giles said sincerely, "I want you to know that if this is what you want, I will stand by you and help you."

"Thank you," she replied, smiling at him as she reached over to the chair he was sitting in and squeezed his hand, "I hope you’re feeling just as supportive after I tell you… what I have to tell you."

Giles’ heart began beating a mile a minute as he wondered what her news could possibly be. He noticed that she looked at Riley who nodded his head encouragingly. If she wasn’t already pregnant… he would have thought that the two of them were going to tell him she was having their baby.

"You must know that my mom and I had a fight… and I couldn’t stay with her any more," Buffy began, "Well, after what happened with you guys on Christmas, I didn’t feel I could come to you either. I tried to go to my dorm, but it was all locked up. That’s where I ran into Riley. I had already told him the news and he’d been understanding… and he let me stay with him."

When Buffy paused, Riley thought she might like it if he let her take a break, "It didn’t solve all her problems, of course, because she still needed a permanent home, money… everything. I was just going to try and help her get a good paying job so she could get her own place… but she was going to have to drop out of school and I hated that. I think you would agree that Buffy would have a hard life… always struggling… with a small child and no college degree."

"Yes, that is absolutely right," Giles nodded. He wanted to add that he would happily fund her college education, but he thought it best not to interrupt. He could always offer after they were done telling him the news.

"Well, the other guys who live with me think that this is my baby. They found out Buffy was pregnant and just assumed. We figured if they knew the truth, they might not be so understanding about her staying with us… so we let them believe it," Riley explained.

Buffy nodded and picked it back up, "Well, you see, Riley’s not a normal college student. Remember those guys I told you about, all decked out in cammo?"

"Yes," Giles replied quietly, realizing what she was saying.

"The U.S. Military has a secret mission thing going on. Riley’s one of them," Buffy informed him, then added quickly, "But he’s not evil!"

"No.. totally… the opposite of evil," Riley assured him.

Giles smiled, "Okay, that’s good to hear."

"Anyway, we’ll get back to that later," Buffy said, "All the guys in Riley’s house are involved in the military, so it’s no big secret. One of them told Riley how if he were to marry me.. and make people think this is *his* baby… we would get an apartment of our own that they would pay the rent. I’d have health insurance… they’d even pay for me to go to college."

Riley nodded, "Plus, they would give me a cost of living raise because I’d have a wife and baby to support. It’s a lot nicer than most guys who aren’t working on secret projects get since they want us to keep our mouths shut… and it would pretty much take care of all our problems if we…"

For the first time, Giles noticed the gold bands on their ring fingers and concluded, "You two got married."

Silent, the two of them simply nodded, waiting for his reaction. Buffy prayed he would approve… she’d come to realize that Giles was more of a father to her than her real dad had ever been… and she hated the idea of him being disappointed in her.

Giles didn’t know what to say; he was in shock. Buffy was *married*. The young girl that had so exasperated him with her refusal of her birthright less than three years earlier was now someone’s wife. She was so very young… too young to take such a giant step. On the other hand, she was a lot more mature than most other eighteen-year-olds. He had to respect her decision. At least Riley didn’t seem to be of the bad sort.

"Well, this is quite a surprise, to say the least," he remarked, "I… I understand why you did it, Buffy. I wish there had been another option, though… you are both very young."

"I know," she nodded, "But it’s not a real marriage. I mean it’s legal and everything, but we both don’t have any ideas of this being a life-long union."

"We’re just doing it so Buffy and the baby get taken care of. We’ve agreed that we’ll get a divorce in a year," Riley added.

Giles nodded, still not loving what they had done… but he really didn’t want to argue with them. Not only did he not want to make Buffy feel attacked, but logically, it was a good idea. One thing did bother him, though…

"Riley, may I ask, why did you agree to this?"

"Buffy’s my friend and I care about her," Riley answered, "I know this is extreme, but I don’t think it will hurt me. I do enjoy living with all my friends, but there have been many occasions where I have wished I had a little more privacy. Now I can still go to their parties, but when I am trying to study or get some sleep, those parties won’t bother me. Plus, I get an apartment without paying rent."

"And he can still date… he just has to be very discreet about it," Buffy said.

"I would imagine it would have to take a woman with a lot of understanding to not mind her boyfriend being married to someone else… and willing to keep their relationship a secret," Giles pointed out.

Riley smiled, "I know what you’re saying… I’m sure I can hold off on dating for a year."

Giles raised an eyebrow skeptically before he realized the truth- Riley didn’t have a *need* to date and attempt to get laid as much as possible, which was normal for a fraternity boy, from what he’d heard. He thought that just maybe the real reason was that he had feelings for Buffy. A part of Giles was happy knowing that there was a young man who appeared to be upstanding that cared for his slayer… on the other hand… Riley was just asking for a broken heart. Buffy appeared to be oblivious to Riley’s affection for her, at least to the fact that it was more than just platonic. Then again, perhaps she felt something for him as well… or could learn to. A lot could happen in a year.

They made conversation for a few more moments, answering Giles’ questions about their plans, trying to assure him they had thought things through and not just jumped into marriage. Giles found that as the minutes passed and the shock wore off, the whole situation seemed less…. horrible.

Buffy smiled, really smiled, relieved because she knew she had Giles back. He wasn’t crazy about what they’d done, but he accepted it… and that’s all she’d wanted from him. It was then that she remembered Riley’s mom. That would be a whole other story. Giles was *her* loved one… and she was screwed up no matter what. But Riley’s mother had to accept the fact that her son, who had done everything right, had just screwed his life up for no reason other than her. It would be a completely different deal… and the odds of her accepting it with the relative ease that Giles had weren’t great.

"Giles, Riley still hasn’t told his parents… he’d call from Lowell House, but there’s a chance they’ll listen in on his call… and we can’t take that chance. Can he use your phone?"

"Absolutely," Giles replied, gesturing to the phone on his desk, "Feel free."

"Thank you," Riley smiled, "Don’t worry, I have a calling card from my folks."

"You don’t need it," Giles told him.

"I do, trust me. If my parents found out I didn’t use it… they’d kill me."

Giles smiled and nodded at him while Buffy gave him a squeeze on the arm, as if to thank him for helping her out yet again. Riley took a deep breath and walked over to the phone, grateful that at least he didn’t have to *face* his parents when he dropped the bombshell on them.

"The two of you didn’t tell anyone about this beforehand?" Giles inquired, wondering how they had pulled it off… and so swiftly. It had been just over a week since Buffy had moved in with Riley.

"Well, the guys in Riley’s house knew… they actually set us up with a hotel and wedding ceremony in Las Vegas. We left Monday morning, got married that night, and came back yesterday," Buffy explained. "I did tell Willow and Xander first."

"I see," Giles said quietly, feeling rather hurt that she hadn’t felt the need to share something so important with him.

"Please don’t be hurt… I didn’t tell you because I care about you so much. I figured if I told you and you didn’t approve… it would be even worse for me to do this. It would be going against your wishes, and if I didn’t know what your wishes were… it wasn’t as bad. That’s the same reason Riley didn’t tell his parents yet."

Giles smiled and shook his head at their reasoning… which *was* devious… but rather ingenious at the same time. Then again, he really shouldn’t be surprised, his Buffy was always doing things like that. *His* Buffy… Giles was so pleased things were good between the both of them again.

Buffy glanced up and saw that Riley was talking… and didn’t look too strained. Of course, he’d probably just gotten his mother on the phone and hadn’t had a chance to tell her yet. A feeling of nervousness grew in her stomach, almost as bad as the one she’d felt before telling Giles. Waiting while Riley talked was killing her… so when Giles asked her if she wanted to join him in the kitchen while he made himself tea so that Riley could have privacy, she jumped at the chance for a distraction.

"Hello?"

"Hi Mom."

Claire Finn grinned widely as she heard her middle son’s voice on the other end of the phone, "Riley, it’s so good to hear from you. How’s everything going, Sweetie?"

"Good," he answered, swallowing deeply. That wasn’t really a lie… things weren’t bad to *him*. "I just had something I needed to tell you."

"Oh God… is everything okay?" she asked, knowing she really shouldn’t jump to conclusions. It was hard having a son so far away, though.

"Yes," Riley replied, not feeling bad that he was sort of lying. He wasn’t dying or ill or anything along the lines of what his mother was assuming. "I just have something very important to tell you, and I would like you to sit down."

Claire moaned, but sat in a chair at the kitchen table as Riley had suggested. "What is it, Riley?"

Taking a deep breath, he said, "Well, you remember that girl, Buffy, I told you about? I lied about her just being a friend. We dated a few times."

"Honey, if you think the fact that you lied about dating a girl is going to shock me that much, you couldn’t be more wrong! I didn’t believe for a minute that you had no romantic notions towards her."

"That’s not the news," Riley sighed, "The reason I lied is that we only went on a few dates and the day I left for Huxley, she told me we couldn’t see each other anymore because she found out she was pregnant with her ex-boyfriend’s baby."

"Oh…"

"Listen Mom, don’t think bad things about her. You know very well that just because a girl isn’t married and sleeps with a guy it doesn’t make her a bad person," Riley said, knowing that he really didn’t need to defend Buffy… his mother preached abstinence before marriage, but she didn’t hate people who didn’t.

"Okay, she made a mistake," Claire conceded, wondering where this was going.

"Yeah, she did. Anyway, she told me about the baby and that we couldn’t see each other, and I agreed. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t think it would ever matter, but I didn’t want to have to explain the whole story to you. Well, when I came back, I ran into her… Mom, she was thrown out of her own home by her mother and the guy who got her pregnant had told her he wanted no involvement. She had no place to go."

"Oh, that’s terrible!" Claire cried, her heart already going out to the girl.

Riley grinned; his mother was reacting just as he wanted her to. Luckily Buffy couldn’t hear him or she’d freak out. "You always taught me to help someone in need… especially a woman… so I brought her home with me. I was a gentleman, of course, made her sleep in my bed while I slept on the floor."

"Good boy."

"All the guys who live with me found out that she was pregnant right away, though… because she gets sick in the mornings," Riley continued, "And they assumed I was the father of her baby."

"Oh dear."

"Yeah… and I was worried that if I told them the truth, they wouldn’t be cool with her staying with us… I couldn’t let her get thrown out of yet another home. So I didn’t deny it. Then someone told me about something that would solve all her problems. You see, Buffy had a place to stay with me for a while… but she needed a real home. Plus, she doesn’t have a job, so she had no money and babies need that, of course. She’s also a really smart girl and she was going to have to drop out of college."

Claire sighed sadly, "How horrible!"

"I know… but someone told me about a way that Buffy would get an apartment rent free… she’d get some support money… she’d even get a scholarship to pay for her tuition and books," Riley said, closing his eyes and biting the bullet. "The military would pay for all that… if she married me and I said that this was my baby. So we did it."

"WHAT?!"

"We drove to Las Vegas and got married," Riley explained. "Please don’t hate me, Mom."

She was quiet for a moment, getting her thoughts together, "I don’t hate you… I just can’t believe you did this!"

"I know it’s not at all what you had planned for me, but Buffy needed my help. It’s not a real marriage. We’re not in love, we’re not going to share a bed… we’re getting divorced in a year. So I know I’m doing two things you are against- not getting married in a church with no family present and getting a divorce… but I’m doing it so that Buffy has a chance to have a life that’s not incredibly hard… and so her baby… *innocent* baby will be able to have more."

"I know… I’m just in shock, Riley," Claire replied numbly.

"I understand, Mom. I hate to drop a bombshell like this on you, but I couldn’t very well not tell you. I know you don’t like this… I just don’t want you to hold it against me."

"You’re my son and I love you… I don’t know what to say at this very moment… I need time to think."

"Okay… I am calling you from someone else’s home because the phones at home could possibly be bugged and I can get in major trouble for this if the truth comes out. Would you like me to call you back sometime soon?"

"Yes," she replied, "I need to sit your father down and tell him… and we both need to absorb and process this. Why don’t you call us tomorrow night?"

"I’ll do that… I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, Riley," she responded, then realized something, "Wait a second! Why didn’t you tell me *before* you eloped? You just didn’t want to give me a chance to tell you no, didn’t you?"

Riley smiled; he was caught. "You know me so well."

"You little brat!"

***

"So, do you really think she took it well, or did you just say that for my benefit? I need the truth," Buffy said as she and Riley walked back to his jeep after leaving Giles’. She felt a lot better knowing things were okay with Giles again, but she still worried about Riley’s parents. Even if she didn’t know them or have to deal with them… if they were mad at their son it would be because of her and she couldn’t bear that.

"I honestly think that for the news she had to handle… she had a very positive reaction," Riley answered, opening the passenger side door for her. "She told me she needs time to let this soak in, but I think the fact that she didn’t scream at me and demand I get an annulment or anything was very good."

"What about your father?" Buffy asked as she climbed into the passenger seat.

"I’m not sure when it comes to him, he tends to be unpredictable. On one hand, he may be upset because we’re being dishonest and we got married for all the wrong reasons and I’m getting divorced. Those are three things I was raised not to do. On the other… we did all those things for a very good reason, so he might be fine with it," he replied, "I just have to wait and see. Giles says it’s no problem for me to come over again tomorrow to call them back."

Buffy sighed worriedly as Riley shut her door and walked around to his side. She really should have considered this before she’d agreed to marry him. She’d just been so focused on herself… Buffy had never felt as selfish as she did then.

Riley started the car and smiled at Buffy, trying to get her to stop worrying. He knew that even if his father had the worst possible reaction, things would work out. He might be mad at Riley for a while, but he’d get over it. Riley could tell by talking to his mother that Claire wouldn’t let this destroy their family.

"I just want you to know that if he doesn’t approve… we’ll get this annulled," Buffy said quietly as Riley started driving them home.

Riley sighed, "Buffy, I don’t want that."

"I do," she said firmly, "I can do it. You can contest it, but I can file for one and tell everyone I’ve discovered you aren’t the father of my baby. Once they know that, it’ll defeat the purpose of us getting married anyway."

Knowing there was no arguing with her, at least not then. If his father did throw a fit… maybe he could keep it from Buffy. There was no way he’d let her ruin everything. Not after all they had been through.

***

Buffy sighed and turned off the TV, giving up on attempting to pay attention to the ‘Friends’ rerun. It had only been twenty minutes since Riley had left to go on patrol and she was already climbing the walls. She wished she could patrol too… now that she wasn’t quite as depressed and actually had a somewhat certain future, she wanted to get back in the slaying game, but Riley wouldn’t hear of it. The mom part of her agreed that it would be risky to patrol when she was pregnant… but the slayer was dying for a good hunt. They had both agreed that the next day when Riley went to call his parents from Giles’ again, they’d talk to her watcher and get his ‘professional’ opinion.

Meanwhile she had a long night ahead of her. Buffy supposed she could go downstairs and hang out with the guys, but they would unintentionally make her uncomfortable by fussing over her to make sure she was comfortable and not hungry or cold or anything. If they’d just relax and not treat her like she was the baby, she wouldn’t mind so much.

Getting an idea, Buffy picked up the phone from Riley’s nightstand and dialed Willow’s number, praying her friend would be home. They’d hardly had a chance to talk since going back home for winter break and Buffy wondered how Willow was faring with her mother.

On the third ring, Willow picked up the phone, "Hello?"

"Hi, Will!"

"Buffy! Back from Vegas?"

"Yeah," she replied, "We got back yesterday evening. Sorry I didn’t call you then, but we were exhausted… and I had to get up at the crack of dawn today to go to an Air Force base with Riley so we could sign paperwork and get my military ID."

"It’s okay, I understand," Willow said, "Wow, you’re a married woman now."

"Yup," Buffy remembered what Riley had said about the phone conversations possibly being listened in on and realized she shouldn’t take any chances. "Hey, you know how I hate talking on the phone?"

Willow frowned, wondering what Buffy was talking about. As far as she could tell, Buffy adored the phone. They spent many hours on the phone with each other on boring weeknights throughout high school. Then it hit her that Buffy was hinting at something… and she’d better play along. "Of course I know that… did you want to talk in person?"

Buffy smiled, silently cheering for Willow, "That would be great. Riley’s out so I am all alone and kind of bored. Want to hang out?"

***

Buffy gave herself the once-over in the mirror and decided she was satisfied with her appearance. After all, just because she was married- with the wedding ring on, of course, so that none of the guys could notice anything amiss- and pregnant didn’t mean she shouldn’t be attractive. She was young, and tonight she was partying with her friends.

Grabbing her purse and jacket, Buffy opened the door and walked out into the deserted hall of Lowell House. Most of the occupants were gone- either patrolling, partying or hanging out at the few other spots Sunnydale offered for fun on a Thursday night. She made her way down the stairs so that she could wait on the porch for Xander, who was driving over to pick her up so that they could meet Willow at the Bronze… and Buffy and the baby wouldn’t be risking it with the vampires.

"Hey now, looking good!" Thomas grinned, looking Buffy up and down in her red leather pants and black halter top as he stood at the foot of the stairs, "You going out?"

"Thank you," she smiled as she continued down the steps, then replied, "Yeah, I’m hanging out with a couple of my friends tonight. One of them is picking me up any minute now."

"Good, because if I let you walk anywhere, Riley would have my ass in a sling."

"Speaking of, if he gets back before me, would you let Riley know I’m at the Bronze?" she asked.

"Sure… how late are you planning on being?"

"Not very… I just have no idea when Riley will be back and if he comes home and can’t find me… he’ll freak."

Thomas nodded and began walking past her, up the stairs, "I’ll be sure to let him know. Have fun… and remember you’re married."

Buffy laughed at his teasing and waved before walking towards the door. As much as she was looking forward to moving into an apartment… she’d miss the guys.

Xander pulled up right as she opened the front door so she rushed to go get in his car, eager to have a night with her friends. She *so* needed to get her mind off things for a little while, or else risk going insane from worry and guilt.

***

"So you mean to tell me you don’t have sex? Any kind of sex at all?"

"No, Anya," Buffy sighed, hoping her friend’s girlfriend would lay off. Ever since Xander had left the two of them at a table while he got beverages, Anya had been questioning her about her relationship with Riley. The girl just couldn’t fathom the idea that they weren’t having sex… or maybe she was just obsessed with sex. Buffy wasn’t sure, but she was growing extremely tired of the conversation.

"I do count oral as sex," Anya told her. "You know, like, do you give him blow jobs? Does he eat you out?"

Buffy was shocked by her language and gave her a look that told her so, "No, we haven’t! The most we ever did was kiss and that was a while ago.. before I found out I was pregnant… and, of course, a kiss when we got married. I can’t believe I’m even telling you this. It’s really none of your business."

Anya smiled and punched her on the arm, mimicking a move she’d seen some buddies do in a movie. "We’re girlfriends! Not lesbian girlfriends, of course, but we’re…. girls… and friends… and we read Cosmopolitan magazine and talk about things like make-up, our breasts, kissing, sex and the size of penises."

Buffy looked around desperately for any sign of Xander or Willow. She needed help and fast!

"Have you seen his penis?"

Buffy’s eyes widened and she shook her head quickly.

"I bet it’s big. He’s big, I would think all his parts are big," Anya mused, then asked, "Tell me, would you guess that Xander has a big penis?"

"I have never thought about it and I don’t want to!"

"Good… because you can’t have him! He’s mine!" Anya declared, "But just so you know, Xander has a very nice-sized penis."

"Oh God," she whined, rubbing her temples. What had she done to deserve this?

"Since we’re such close friends, could you do me a favor and ‘accidentally’ walk in on Riley in the shower?"

Xander walked up in time to see Buffy giving Anya an appalled look. He’d worried something would happen while he was gone, but he couldn’t very well insist Anya come with him because she wasn’t to be trusted to have a normal conversation with his friends…. then again, she *couldn’t* be trusted, so maybe he should have insisted.

"Ladies," he said smoothly as he handed Anya her soda and Buffy her bottle of water before sitting down at the table with them. He noticed Buffy looked relieved and Anya appeared to be thinking about something.

"Thanks, Xander," Buffy said as she smiled gratefully at him, which made Xander wonder if she was thanking him for the water or for coming back.

"No problemo," he replied, trying to think of something else to say. He certainly wasn’t going to ask what they’d been talking about. Anya sure could suck the fun out of an evening. "So you guys are getting your own place, huh?"

Buffy nodded, "Yeah, this morning I had to go meet this Colonel with Riley and we filled out a bunch of paperwork about us being married. They have to send it to their headquarters in Virginia and someone has to approve it or whatever. I’m looking forward to it. The guys are all really nice but things are kind of cramped."

"Plus, living in your own place is going to be cool. No rules, plenty of space… no insane parents screaming at all hours of the night," Xander commented.

Buffy nodded and patted his hand affectionately, "You can come visit me."

"Buffy!" Willow squealed as she rushed over to their table and pulled her friend into a tight embrace. She pulled back and looked closely at the blonde and shook her head.

"What?" Buffy asked as Willow took the seat beside her at the table.

"I just thought you would maybe look different."

"Pregnant different or married different?"

"Either. Hi Xander," Willow said, then frowned and added in an unenthusiastic voice, "Anya."

"I guess you won’t do it, right?" Anya asked Buffy, not paying any attention to Willow.

"Absolutely not," Buffy replied.

Willow opened her mouth to ask what they were talking about, but was halted by Xander squeezing her arm and shaking his head, "Please, don’t make us go there."

"Okay…" Willow said, "So Buffy, tell us all about Vegas."

"Yes, is there really a casino with bronze ass statues in the front of it?" Anya inquired, getting strange looks all around.

Ignoring her, Buffy told then all about everything she and Riley had seen, their wedding, and the big jackpot they had won. She realized how much she’d missed her friends and was so happy that she hadn’t lost them…. she was definitely going to need them around for the next seven and a half months.

Before they knew it, it was ten o’clock, not extremely late… but since Buffy had gotten up so early after not enough sleep, plus she was more tired these days due to her condition… it was well past her bedtime. By the time she walked through the door of Lowell House after Xander had dropped her off, Buffy was yawning continually and wanted nothing more than to crawl up the stairs and collapse on top of the bed without bothering to take off her clothes.

As soon as she had the door closed behind her, though, Riley walked up to her. She realized he must have been sitting in the front room of the house, all alone in front of the fire.

"Hi Buffy, did you have fun?"

"Yeah," she replied slowly, looking at him strangely, "Were you waiting up for me?"

"No… no… I just got home a little while ago and was sitting here… thinking. I have a lot to think about, you know."

Buffy nodded, "Yeah, I can relate."

"Thomas said you went out with your friends… which I was happy to hear, because I think that’s good for you," he told her, "I just was worried… well… were you careful? I know you’re the slayer, but I just feel this need to… if anything happened, I would never forgive myself."

Buffy patted his arm affectionately, "I took precautions. I carried a stake just in case, plus Xander drove me to and from, so there was no walking in the night time for this girl. Not a bit!"

Riley smiled down at her, "I hope you don’t think I’m suffocating you. I’m not trying to… it’s just that you know I care about you and I worry. Sunnydale is far from a safe little town where you can walk freely at night. You know that… but you’re used to being able to defend yourself with no problem… and it’s all changed now."

"I know what you mean," she assured him, "Trust me, if I thought you were being controlling-guy, I would not like it, and I would make it clear to you how much I didn’t like it."

Riley smiled and jerked his head toward the stairs, "Want to hit the sack?"

Buffy sighed and nodded, "More than anything I have ever wanted in my entire life. I’m completely sleep-deprived."

"Oh, just wait until you have the baby," Riley smiled, "You’ll get this lovely glazed-over look in his eyes that screams ‘new mother’."

"Boy, I certainly can’t wait for that."

"Yeah… plus, your clothes will most likely never match, and even if they do, they’ll be stained with all sorts of food and bodily fluids. And your hair… we won’t even get into that."

Buffy wrinkled her nose, "Stop wigging me out, Man!"

"Sorry," he laughed as he opened the bedroom door and watched her walk into his room. He was so much happier now than he had been five minutes earlier, just because she was home and she was near him. The presence of Buffy could make him feel more alive than anything else in his entire life. Just being in the same room with her, hearing her voice, seeing her smile… Riley’s skin tingled and he felt… different. His wife was a remarkable woman. His *wife*.

Buffy was carrying her nightshirt, intent on changing in the bathroom so she could wash her face when she saw Riley standing in the doorway with a goofy grin on his face.

"What?"

Riley shrugged, making himself stop looking like an idiot, "I’m just… happy to be getting to bed."

Buffy raised her eyebrows as she walked out of the room. She wished she could appreciate the simple things in life as much as Riley if he got that happy about going to bed.

Riley quickly changed and climbed into bed to wait for Buffy, an idea forming in his mind. He knew now that it was pointless to deny feeling nothing more than friendship and a desire to help her. He was dangerously close to being in love with Buffy, and he didn’t know if he could stop himself… or even if he wanted to. Riley decided to change strategy… he wouldn’t ignore his feelings any longer. He wasn’t going to declare his feelings to Buffy and risk freaking her out, but he was going to have hopes for the both of them to stay married after the year. He didn’t want her to be his wife only in name and he had twelve months to get his way.

"I should have known you’d side with him," Buffy pouted, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned back in the chair in Giles’ living room.

"I am not *siding* with him," Giles protested.

Riley nodded, "There are no sides, Buffy."

"Exactly… we are both just in agreement and I think you know we are right as well. I know that you can handle yourself very well and your skills are excEllet… but it’s still a risk and with Riley’s… group, it’s an unnecessary risk. Until you have this baby, you cannot be going after vampires or fighting any demons. We’ll have to take care of the slaying for the time being. You know, you won’t be totally useless. There is still research and things along those lines. Things that don’t involve physical contact."

Buffy took a deep breath, "Okay, yes, I agree… I don’t want to do anything that could hurt my baby. And I can do research and not be totally useless… but I have this… energy. I mean, as tired as I get, I also have these bursts of… steam I have to work off. I used to be able to kill something… what can I do now?"

"Well, I’m sure you can partake in some form of exercise… at least until you get further along in your pregnancy," Giles suggested, "I can research it or you could ask your doctor."

"I’m not even going to get to see a doctor for weeks, probably," she frowned.

"Tell you what, there are doctors working in the Initiative. None are obstetricians, but maybe they can tell me what kinds of things you can do in your first trimester," Riley offered.

Buffy conceded, nodding her head reluctantly.

Giles looked at Riley and smiled, "Welcome to my world. I’m sure you’ll get to have many experiences like this when you spend a year living with her."

"I look forward to it," Riley joked.

"The sad thing is, this was rather easy. Buffy can be quite stubborn."

"Buffy’s in the room!" she reminded them.

"Yes, sorry Buffy," Giles said as he got up and walked into the kitchen. "Now that we have that out of the way… I went and picked up a little wedding gift for you two."

Buffy perked up, "You did? I happen to *love* presents."

"I’m aware," he replied, coming back out with a wrapped gift in his hands.

Riley could help but laugh at the way Buffy practically bounced in her chair with anticipation. Giles handed her the present and sat back down on the couch to watch her open the gift while trying not to rip the paper. She eventually got it unwrapped to reveal a toaster.

"A toaster!" she exclaimed, grinning widely as she held it up for Riley to see.

"I know it’s not the most exciting gift, but you will need one and it does seem suitable as a wedding gift."

"It’s our own toaster… I think that’s kind of exciting," Buffy answered.

Riley nodded in agreement, "Thank you very much."

"Yes, thanks Giles! You’re so sweet," Buffy gushed, reaching over to hug her mentor.

"If it’s okay, I’m going to call my parents now," Riley said.

"That’s fine, Riley," Giles told him.

"I hope they’ll be okay with it," Buffy said.

Riley smiled reassuringly, "Luckily they probably got done eating about half an hour ago and when they’re full, they’re a lot less likely to get infuriated, so I have that working in my favor."

Inwardly, he was praying that they’d approve, especially now that he’d decided he wanted a real life with Buffy. It was one thing if they were angry with a decision he’d made, but after a year it would be like it never happened… but if things went like he hoped with Buffy, she would be his wife for the rest of his life and it would break his heart if his parents wouldn’t accept her.

Giles gave him a sympathetic smile, then asked Buffy, "How do cookies sound?"

"Delicious."

"Why don’t we go into the kitchen and arrange a tray so that Riley can have some privacy."

Buffy was down with giving Riley privacy, but arranging a tray of cookies so British! Still, she had a major sweet tooth going right then, so whatever Giles wanted was fine with her.

Riley watched gratefully as the two of them headed into the small kitchen and left him alone. Willing his fingers not to shake, he dialed all the numbers required, which was quite a bit, thanks to his calling card. He tried to remind himself that the hardest part was over. He’d already told them what he’d done… all he had to do now was listen.

When someone picked up after the first ring, Riley took a deep breath and prepared himself.

"Hello?"

"Hi Mom," he said quietly, ready to judge by the tone of her voice where he stood with his parents.

"Honey! Don’t sound like you ran over the family dog!"

"Sorry Mom."

Claire chuckled, "You’re our son. No matter how we feel about what you’ve done, nothing will change that."

"How *do* you feel?"

"Well your father and I sat down and discussed it. At first we were rather torn. On one hand, this is being dishonest not only to the military, but to God. Marriage is a holy sacrament, not something to be used to get what one wants, and not to be taken lightly. And we don’t believe in divorce. On the other hand, the part that had us torn was that we were so amused by what you had done and knew we shouldn’t be. It’s just that you took what we had taught you so that you would grow up to be a good man and gone and done something completely outrageous! Riley, when I told you that you always helped a woman in need, I meant you should change her tire or protect her if she was, say, being hit by another man. I never meant for you to go this far," Claire told him, then laughed, "We still can’t believe you did it!"

"Uh, Mom, are you hysterical?"

Claire laughed harder, "No Honey, I’m fine. I just find it incredibly ironic that you actually did do what we said you ought to do… even though by doing it you did a lot of things we taught you to never do. After I told your father and we calmed down and just let it all sink in, we actually laughed until we cried."

"Dad laughed?"

"Yes… don’t worry, Riley, he took it very well, I think. You have the closest thing to our approval that you’re going to get."

Riley’s eyebrows furrowed, "What do you mean?"

"Well, we aren’t saying that this is the best thing you have ever done and we’d have done the same in your shoes. We don’t know that we wouldn’t have, but since this *does* go against some of our beliefs we would be hypocrites if we said that. However, it was your decision and you’re an adult, so we respect that. We trust that you know what you are doing and we’re also proud of you. I think it’s very sweet of you to help out that poor girl. Too bad there aren’t more boys like you out there and less boys like the one that… got her into trouble."

"Well, to be fair, I don’t know if I would have gone this far for any girl. She’s very special," Riley said.

"I can tell that she must be quite remarkable," Claire agreed, "I also am supposed to tell you that your father and I made another decision regarding this situation. Even though this is not a real marriage, since we *are* proud of you… and we do feel bad for this girl… we wanted to do something to help the both of you out. So, we figure you are going to need to furnish this new apartment the two of you are getting and we’re sending you a check that should cover the bulk of the cost for furniture."

"Mom, you don’t have to…"

"I know I don’t, but I want to and you know that it’s no problem for us. You also know how happy it makes me to help out my babies. Plus, it won’t cover *everything* so now you can still buy some of it on your own and be proud."

"Okay," he sighed, "Thank you very much."

"You’re very welcome," she replied happily, "I mailed the check today, along with a list of everything you two are going to need from couches and lamps to sheets and towels. Now, the money I sent probably won’t cover a crib and all the other furnishings for a baby, because I think it would be bad luck."

"Bad luck?"

"Yes, I am presuming she’s not all that far along and I have always considered it bad luck to buy anything for the baby until the second trimester. You know, she might…" she paused, then continued in a low voice, as if she said it too loud, it would happen, "lose it."

"I see," Riley replied, thinking she was being ridiculous, but knowing how his mother was when it came to her superstitions.

"How far along is she, anyway?"

Riley did some quick math in his head from what Buffy had told him and said, "About a month and a half, I think."

"Good, that will give me some time so I can make a list of all the things for her. Babies need so much and a new mother usually can’t even think of half of it on her own. She doesn’t have a good relationship with her mother?"

"Not currently… like I said, she’s not supporting her decision to keep the baby. Hopefully that will change, though. I mean, I know how you and Dad are with Rachel’s kids and I think once her mom sees her grandchild she’ll change her mind."

"I think you’re right, but I hope it doesn’t take that long. Trust me, Riley, being pregnant is scary for any woman. Your body isn’t acting like it’s yours anymore and there are so many strange things happening. To be a teenage girl and without any reassurance from someone who has been there is doubly frightening."

"I agree… but I don’t think I should push her to do it right now. She’s still pretty… fragile. The way her parents treated her… think worse case scenario, Mom."

"Poor thing," Claire sighed.

"Yeah… but she’s tough. She’s dealing with it and trying to be strong despite. I just don’t want her to have to go through the same pain all over again. Especially not so soon after. Maybe if we give her mom enough time to cool off and accept the idea, she’ll be more understanding. I want to at least get all settled into the apartment before I even consider talking to Buffy about it."

"That sounds good, Honey. If Buffy can tell her that she’s got her own apartment and the means to raise this baby, I bet it will help her accept her decision," she said, "In the meantime, I’ll make this list for her and send it in a couple of months. I can send her another check for the baby too!"

"I don’t know about that… I have a feeling she’s going to need persuading for the first check… let’s see how that goes first."

"Make sure she knows that the money is nothing. We have plenty and it makes us happy to help others with it."

"Yeah, but that’s the problem. She doesn’t like needing help. Buffy’s pretty good at taking care of herself."

"She sounds like I would really like her," Claire commented, shamelessly fishing.

"You’d adore her," Riley sighed, wanting to add that if things went well, his mother may have the chance to see how much she could adore Buffy when she truly became her daughter-in-law.

Claire grinned, knowing her son wasn’t just married to a friend. There was something very big going on and she intended to get to the bottom of it, no matter how much manipulating she had to do.

***

"For the first time in two weeks, I am completely stress-free," Buffy sighed, laying back on Riley’s bed as he sat down at his desk and turned on his computer. "I know that we have a *ton* of stuff to do… getting everything for the apartment… moving into the apartment… I have to get a job… I have another semester of school coming up… and there’s the whole thing about someone growing inside me for months and months… but I feel like I can handle it all. I have Giles and Xander and Willow. I have you… and your parents are cool with it!"

"Yeah, about that… there’s something I need to tell you," Riley said.

Buffy lifted her head and gave him a concerned look, "They weren’t as cool with it as you said?"

"Oh, they were… they actually found it kind of funny the way I… interpreted their moral lessons," he replied, "In fact, they are so cool with it that they wanted to help us out. They’re proud of me and they sympathize with you… so they decided to give us a wedding gift. My mom mailed a check today that will pay for furniture."

Buffy sat up abruptly, "Tell me you are kidding!"

"I’m kidding… only I’m not. Don’t freak out, okay? I know you think it’s too much and you don’t like people helping you, but it’s not a big deal to them. My parents are very comfortable, so for them to send money is not a big deal to them. It’ll make them so happy if they can know they’ve helped."

"I’m not a charity case! Okay, maybe I was, but since you married me, it’s gotten me to a place where I can help myself and I don’t need pity!"

Riley rubbed his forehead tiredly, "Please, Buffy… I knew you wouldn’t like this, but I swear it will make my parents happy and they do not think of you as some charity case. My mother actually commented on how much spirit you have and she knows that you’re strong and smart and independent. She admires that very much. You two would get along great because you have a lot in common, only you two have opposing views on the topic of her wanting to give you a present and if you insist on refusing it then there is a whole big mess that I am in the middle of so could you *please* just accept this and not think of it as a pity gift for my sake?"

Buffy bit her bottom lip and nodded. She’d have to swallow her pride, but this honestly appeared to be something that was causing Riley grief and she’d already done enough of that. She just hoped he was telling the truth because even though she’d probably never meet them, Buffy couldn’t bear the thought of them pitying her. They had raised Riley and he was a great guy, so they had to be great too. Besides, a little part of her wished that she *would* meet them, like a normal girl would meet her in-laws. As soon as the thought came to her, she brushed it off. Riley was doing her a favor, plain and simple. If she let herself have girlish fantasies, she’d only ending up royally screwing things up!

***

Riley wearily made his way into the dark bedroom, trying to get to his dresser without killing himself by tripping over any of the bags or boxes of dishes, towels, bedding and various other items that were set wherever there had been a free space until they could move into their apartment. As much as he was looking forward to getting his own place with Buffy, where they could be alone… and live in rooms where they could move about freely, he was dreading the big move the next day. He was already exhausted, every muscle in his body aching… and he had a day of lugging around furniture, mattresses and everything else to look forward to. He couldn’t imagine how dead he was going to feel in twenty-four hours if he felt this bad after week and a half of shopping with Buffy to get everything they’d need.

Colonel Nichols had surprised him by calling in favors so the paperwork went through swiftly, giving the two of them a not much time to purchase all the furniture and supplies they’d need for their own place before they moved in. Luckily they had been able to find things that they liked that were either in stock or able to be delivered quickly, so they would have it all in time. It had been stressful and tiring, but they were getting the space and privacy they so severely needed.

Quietly, he pulled out his pajamas and carefully headed back towards the bedroom door to go change in the bathroom. That was another thing Riley would like- changing in his bedroom. It was pretty late and Buffy had given him every reason to believe she was sound asleep, but he didn’t want to take the chance of really embarrassing the both of them.

As Riley stood in the bathroom and pulled off his patrol uniform and pulled on his t-shirt and drawstring pants, he marvelled at the fact that they hadn’t been caught. With all the guys wandering around, he would have figured that one of them would have noticed that he always came and changed into his pajamas in the bathroom. Although one time Kevin had seen him come change in the bathroom and had asked if he was just trying not to wake Buffy. Riley had nodded, glad to have a great excuse and prepared to use it again. Luckily he had been patrolling nearly every night to make up for the nights he missed while they were out of town, so it was an excuse he’d be able to use a lot of times. Otherwise… he was careful.

Changed and eager to collapse under the covers of his bed, Riley headed back down the hallway to his room, realizing this would be his last night in Lowell House, at least for a year. He hadn’t really thought about if he would move back after they got divorced….

Riley shook the negative thoughts from his head and reminded himself that he was supposed to be *positive* and if all went well, there would be no divorce. He opened the bedroom door and smiled as he imagined his life in a year if he got his way. He’d be with Buffy, his wife, and they’d have a little baby. It would be everything he could ever want.

Silently, he slipped into the room and climbed onto the bed next to Buffy, a skill he’d mastered in the past two weeks. When she rolled from on her side to on her back, he held his breath, hoping he hadn’t woken her. A moment later, though, he heard her sigh and knew she was still asleep. Riley closed his eyes and let himself get comfortable so that he’d get enough sleep for what was sure to be a long day.

He had just started to relax when he heard Buffy quietly murmur, "That’s not funny!"

Opening his eyes, he tried to figure out what she was talking about before realizing she was still asleep. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he pushed himself up so he could see her face as she frowned and shook her head. A moment later she rolled to the opposite side from the one she had previously been on, this time facing him.

Riley settled back down and forgot about going back to sleep, instead content to watch her as she smiled happily. He began wondering what she was dreaming about that so obviously pleased her. Was it maybe holding her baby for the first time? Maybe playing with her child when he or she was older. Or perhaps it wasn’t about her child at all. It could be about Angel… would she have happy dreams about him? Riley had no idea. He realized he didn’t know all that much about what Buffy would dream of. He just knew that she wanted to give her baby the best. She wanted a home and all the other normal stuff, as any sane person would. He also wasn’t completely clear on her feelings about Angel. There was almost definitely some anger there… completely understandable anger since he’d made her a single mother. However, he really didn’t know where Buffy stood when it came to her ex.

Riley wasn’t even sure where he stood. There was a bit of animosity, of course, since he was the ex-boyfriend of the woman Riley really, *really* liked, so that sort of went along with the territory. As far as Angel’s decision not to be involved in the baby’s life, Riley could see where he was coming from. Logically, it was a bad idea. Dad’s needed to be able to take their kids places in the daytime and show up in mirrors and not drink blood. Plus, it would be nice to not get older while your father remained young eternally. On the other hand, they could have made it work. Especially when Buffy told Angel she wouldn’t have an abortion, Angel could have opted to try being a family with her. Riley wasn’t sure if that made the vampire more of a man or more of a weasel than himself, but he doubted he could have done it had he been in Angel’s place.

How could anyone walk away from her?

With that thought, Riley closed his eyes and drifted to sleep, happily dreaming of a future with himself, Buffy, her unborn child… and the other children they could create together in the years to come.

***

"Buffy, Buffy, Buffy!" Nathaniel said loudly as he rushed over and grabbed the box away from her.

Buffy rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips, "That hardly weighs anything, why can’t I carry it?"

"You’re pregnant," he shouted as he walked away from her towards the apartment.

Buffy shook her head in dismay and turned back to the truck, trying to find something she could get away with carrying inside. For one thing, just because she was pregnant did not make her completely useless. For another, she was the slayer and could carry *much* heavier stuff than any of these guys. Of course, they didn’t know that…. but they were driving her insane by not letting her help with the move at all.

"You know, Buffy, it would be really great if you could just go into the apartment and tell the guys where to put stuff," Graham suggested as he lugged one of the dining room chairs down the path.

Buffy followed, since she had no better ideas. She could see no reason why they wouldn’t let her tell them where to put stuff, since she couldn’t strain anything other than her vocal cords doing that.

Riley followed behind her with another of the chairs, grateful that Graham had thought of something for her to do before she’d had a fit. He knew that she was independent and liked being treated that way, but she really wasn’t in any condition to be lugging around furniture.

Upon entering the apartment, he saw that Buffy had already taken command, telling the guys where exactly she wanted this or that piece of furniture. When they had come to sign the papers for the lease the previous week, the manager had taken them on a tour of the apartment and they’d had a discussion on how they had wanted to do the living room, so Buffy was able to direct them on how to position the furniture.

Grinning, Riley set the chair down in the area for the dining room and turned to Graham, "Thank you."

Graham shrugged, "I figured we didn’t want to have to face the wrath of Buffy if we treated her like some weak female. She has a purpose and she’s happy now."

Riley nodded, "And do you notice how all of them obey her every command? I’ve lived with you all for a long time and I thought I knew you… I never figured you’d all go so… crazy for one girl."

"She’s special," Graham replied before leaving Riley standing alone.

He was right; Buffy was very special.

***

"You know, your mother was so right about the daybed," Buffy said as she buzzed past Riley in the kitchen to pull her new sheets out of the dryer in the little laundry room that was much more like a closet.

Riley glanced at her back, "What was she right about?"

"She’s the one who suggested I get a daybed, remember?"

"No," he replied.

"Well she did. On that list she sent, she said that a daybed would be good because it’s compact, so I can fit the crib and everything else for the baby in better. She also said something about it being good as a guest bed because it looks like a couch with throw pillows and won’t be weird in a baby room. I didn’t really get that, but I like the bed and it is smaller than my old one, so I think it’ll work."

Riley flushed as he remembered exactly what his mother had written. Buffy didn’t know his mother, so she hadn’t realized that the woman was dropping *very* obvious hints that she thought the only thing wrong with their marriage was that it was fake.

"Oh yeah, she just meant it would work well as a guest bed… so in case people drop by for dinner or something, we have a good cover for why there’s a regular bed in the baby’s room," he covered.

Buffy nodded her head as turned and stood in the doorway to the kitchen, "Your mom is very smart."

"You could say that," he replied quietly before returning to putting the plates in the cabinet.

Buffy walked into her room and began putting the sheets on her own bed before adding, "You know, whenever I had thought about getting married and stuff… I’d wondered what kind of relationship I’d have with my mother-in-law. I mean, my mom and my dad’s mom always got along great. Even now, they’re big buddies. But then there’s the mother-in-law’s from Hell. Anyway, I was just thinking that your mom is the kind I would want… you know, for a regular marriage. She’s so sweet and… well, motherly."

Riley smiled and left the kitchen to go stand in her doorway, "She’d really like you too. You’d definitely be the kind of daughter-in-law she’d want."

"I don’t know why I even worry about it," Buffy sighed, "I’ll be lucky to find a guy who treats me well and loves my kid; liking his mom will be the least of my worries."

Riley wanted to tell her that she’d found that guy. *He* would do anything for her and her child. *He* had a mother who would be exactly what Buffy wanted and needed. *He* could be her husband for the rest of her life and give her a happily ever after.

But he couldn’t. He had to bide his time and develop a relationship with Buffy that would hopefully result in her falling in love with him. If he declared his feelings for her now, she’d freak out and he’d probably lose her forever.

Sighing, he said, "I wish you wouldn’t be so stubborn and let me take this room. You’re going to have to share with the baby, you need the bigger room."

Buffy shook her head resolutely, "This room is fine. I already told you, letting you have the master bedroom makes me feel better. This way I feel like I’m not *completely* making you suffer. Besides, what would the guys have said if I had directed all ‘our’ furniture to the small bedroom? This is for sure the inconspicuous way to go."

"I still don’t like it," he told her before turning back around to complete his task.

Buffy stopped shoving pillows into the pillowcases and stopped to look at the spot he’d been standing in. She never should have said what she did about his mother. It made her look and feel like a total idiot. Who knew what Riley was thinking now! He was either wondering what he’s gotten himself into or pitying her. She didn’t know which was worse.

"We’ll have to go to the grocery store tomorrow," Riley said, "I figure we should both go to make sure we get everything we need."

"Yeah, that’s a good idea," she replied.

"When’s your doctor’s appointment?" he asked, remembering that she’d mentioned choosing a doctor from the list the military had provided her upon her health insurance being implemented and having her first appointment that week.

"Tuesday at three," she told him as she walked into the living room to find the rest of her bedding. The guys had been so helpful that all there was left to do was put away the stuff in the kitchen, make their beds and put away their clothes. Joseph, who was apparantly the technical expert, had hooked up the TV, VCR and stereo in the living room and gotten Riley’s computer all set up in his bedroom. All the furniture was in it’s place, and the guys had even gotten everything set up in the bathrooms.

"Oh no, I am supposed to go to a meeting Tuesday at three," Riley said, coming out of the kitchen to face her, "I can drop you off if you don’t mind getting there early, but the meeting should go for several hours."

"That’s okay," she replied, "I’m going to have to fill out paperwork so I need to get there early and I can find a ride home or just walk. It’s not that far."

"Buffy, I don’t want you walking home," he argued.

Buffy put her hand up, making him stop, "I’m almost two months pregnant… not nine. I can walk. Walking is good for me. Don’t forget I go jogging and that is an approved workout for mothers-to-be. Plus, I am still a slayer and if anyone tries to mess with me, I can hurt them."

Riley was tired from a long day that had only followed a long week and a half. Crossing his arms over his chest, he gave her a look that told her he wasn’t backing down and letting her have her way this time, "I understand that you can most likely kick my ass with both hands tied behind your back. I understand that you are very fit and capable of walking. However, *you* need to understand that *I* was raised to believe certain things and one of those things is that females are not to walk long distances on their own. It’s not an emergency and necessary for you to do. If one of your friends can’t drive you, I am sure one of the guys will be happy to do so. Most of them won’t be in the meeting."

Buffy took a deep breath, "Fine, I won’t walk."

Riley inwardly cheered at having won the battle with her. Usually he would concede because it wasn’t worth it, but he knew that he’d have to draw a line at some point and the sooner the better. Buffy was going to find that just because she dug her heels in did not mean that Riley would automatically acquiesce. Real marriage or not, they had a relationship and part of that was compromise.

However, he felt if he brought up the fact that his Jeep Wrangler was not going to be safe for an infant to ride in, and since he had to pretend he had every intention of going through with the divorce so they really needed to get Buffy her own car… he’d be pushing his luck. He’d better save that argument for another day.

"Morning," Buffy smiled as Riley joined her at the dining room table, then cringed when she took in his appearance. It was obvious that he’d had a rough night patrolling, since the day before all they’d done was hang out in their new home and go grocery shopping, "Is everything okay?"

Riley nodded as he poured himself a bowl of cereal, "Sorry, I’m just still tired. We caught this new demon last night… we don’t have any idea what it is yet, but it sure put up a fight. My body feels like one huge bruise, plus I didn’t get in until three because I was filling out paperwork."

"Oh," Buffy sighed, feeling sorry for him, "Why don’t you just go back to bed? We don’t have to go today… or we can go in the afternoon."

"No, it’s fine, we’ll get our books this morning just as we planned," Riley replied firmly.

"If you’re sure," she said, looking back down at the newspaper as she’d been doing before he’d emerged from his bedroom.

Riley took a mouthful of cereal and watched as Buffy circled something on the newspaper, "What are you doing?"

"Looking for a job," she answered, glancing up at him.

"Any luck?"

"Well, nothing to get excited about, but there are a few openings. If I can get a job at one of the major department stores at the mall, then I can hopefully get a raise after a few months," Buffy said optimistically.

"You know that you can just take the money they are giving me for my wife and child and not have to have a job," Riley pointed out. Just because Buffy was insisting on this didn’t mean he had to agree and not try to persuade her to change her mind.

Buffy looked back down at the paper, "I’m aware."

Riley grabbed the sports section and read about the upcoming Superbowl while he finished his breakfast. Buffy remained silent, either because she was busy concentrating on the want ads, or she was annoyed. Riley wasn’t sure, but he was feeling rather cranky, so he wasn’t too concerned.

Once he was done eating, Riley stood and put his bowl in the kitchen sink, telling her "I’m going to go shower."

"Okay."

Riley was walking out of the kitchen when the phone began to ring. He stopped and turned towards Buffy who was looking up from the paper. "I got it," he told her, grabbing the handset from the counter, "Hello?"

"Ah, Riley, hello, this is Rupert Giles."

"Hey," Riley replied, "Did you want to talk to Buffy?"

"No… err, well, yes, I would like to talk to her, but I did want to speak with you as well," Giles told him.

"Okay," Riley said, waving his hand at Buffy who was giving him a questioning look. Deciding the phone wasn’t for her, she went back to her want ads- and praying that amid all the minimum-wage, no-respect job openings, there was her dream job just waiting for her.

"I am not sure if you were aware, but Wednesday is Buffy’s nineteenth birthday," Giles said from his end of the phone.

Riley glanced at the girl and smiled, "No, I had no idea."

"I was hoping to take her out for dinner to celebrate."

"I’m sure she’ll like that."

Giles smiled, "Good… I would like it if you joined us as well."

"Oh, that’s okay, you don’t have to include me, I understand."

"No, I would really appreciate it if you came," Giles insisted, "Buffy is very important to me. She’s… well, she is like the daughter I never had. And now you are a very big part of her life. Even if you are her husband in name only… well, you’re important to her. I would like if the two of us had a chance to get to know each other."

"Okay… if that’s what you want, it sounds great to me. Just tell me when and I’ll be ready to go," Riley replied.

"Splendid," Giles said, "I assume as far as you know, Buffy has no plans for the evening?"

"I’m pretty sure she doesn’t. Is this supposed to be a surprise?"

"No… I just wanted to check first. You can go ahead and put her on," Giles told her, "Thank you, Riley."

Riley smiled, "I’ll see you Wednesday."

Buffy looked surprised when he held the phone out to her, "Who is it?"

"Giles," he answered as she took the phone, "I’ll just go shower."

"Okay," she frowned, wondering what Riley and Giles had been talking about, "Hey Giles."

"Hello Buffy," he greeted warmly.

"What’s wrong?"

Chuckling, Giles assured her, "Everything is fine. I was just asking Riley about his schedule."

"His schedule? Why?"

"Because Wednesday is your birthday and I would like to take you two out for dinner."

Buffy grinned, elated to hear that Giles had remembered. She’d been very busy as of late and hadn’t had much time to think about stuff, but of course she’d remembered that her birthday was coming up and she’d feared it would pass by unobserved by anyone. "That would be so cool!"

"Good, then it’s settled. Would it be okay if I picked you two up at your place at six-thirty?"

"It’s a date," Buffy replied happily. She had figured it would be one of her usual birthdays- a long, painful experience that resulted in being heart broken, but now she began to wonder if things might be different this year. After all, what could go wrong having dinner with Giles?

She admitted to herself that a whole lot could go wrong, not only with that, but there were about a million other wretched things that could occur that day. Buffy steeled herself, resolving to deal with whatever might happen when it happened… and to try and enjoy her birthday.

Giles talked to her for a while more before they hung up and Buffy decided to do the breakfast dishes since she was all ready to go. Despite the fact that Riley constantly assured her this was not a fate worse than death, she still felt obligated to make herself useful… earn her keep… all that stuff.

Buffy had washed, dried and put away all the dishes and had begun watching The Price Is Right when Riley came out of his bedroom. After his shave and shower, he felt like a new man. Plus, he was now eagerly anticipating her birthday… something he viewed as another occasion to win Buffy’s heart.

"Ready to go?" Riley asked her.

Buffy nodded and turned off the TV before getting up and following him out the door and across the patio to the door that led to their own private garage. It was a feature of their apartment that had been a pleasant surprise to Riley, since his jeep could be easily stolen and he now had the added security of being able to lock it up in their private garage. Plus, if Buffy got her own car, he wouldn’t have to worry about her walking far in the dark when she was further along in her pregnancy. The fact that she was a slayer really didn’t seem to sink in for Riley when it came to Buffy’s safety.

As Riley pulled out of the apartment complex and out into the street, he noticed a grin on Buffy’s face and asked "What are you thinking about?"

"Oh, I just remembered the last time I got my books for school. It’s when I met you."

"Ah, yes, the great headache of ’99," Riley joked, "I’d actually forgotten about that."

"You probably blocked it because the memory was too painful," she said, winking at him.

He nodded, "I was just about to say that. I’ll make a point to give you a lot of space."

"Good… you fear me, I like that," she quipped.

"So, are you looking forward to Wednesday?"

Buffy shrugged, "Sort of."

"Only sort of? I’m twenty-two and I still really look forward to my birthdays."

"Well, I have a bad record with birthdays," she informed him, wrinkling her nose.

"How so? Lame gifts?"

"I wish," she sighed, "Well, I told you about what happened on my seventeenth birthday. Angel and I… consummated our relationship, he lost his soul and broke my heart… for the first time. Then on my eighteenth birthday there was this test thing I had to do… it’s a stupid tradition for slayers. Giles had to drug me without me knowing and it made me lose all my powers temporarily. I ended up having to save my mom from this totally wacked vamp and got my ass totally kicked. So my goal for the big one-nine is to survive."

"Ouch, sorry I asked," Riley said.

"Yeah, I bet."

"No, I mean it… I’m sorry I made you go over all that painful stuff."

Buffy waved her hand, "Don’t worry about it. I mean, they sucked monumentally at the time, but it’s over and done with. I can’t change it and pouting about it won’t help me one bit. Besides, I need to focus on other things now," she added quietly, stroking her hand over her belly.

"This year’s going to be different, Buffy," Riley swore, "We’re going to break that streak."

Buffy just smiled at him, not really giving what he said any merit. He’d learn… after Wednesday he would see that the fates loved screwing Buffy Summers over and it was better just to brace yourself and try to endure the storm than fight it.

***

"Are you sure you don’t want me to go in with you?" Riley asked as he pulled to a stop in front of Sunnydale General.

"Positive," Buffy replied, grabbing her purse and opening the passenger door, "I’m fine, Riley. Besides, you have your meeting."

He shrugged, "I have some time. I could walk you in."

She smiled, "It’s okay, I’ll see you later."

"Yeah," he said, "Bye."

Buffy gave him another smile as she shut the door behind her. Riley waited until she walked into the front doors of the hospital before pulling the rest of the way around the circular drive in front of the hospital and heading towards Lowell House so that he could go down into the headquarters for what was sure to be a long, boring meeting.

He wished he could instead go with Buffy for her appointment. Unfortunately, the meeting was required so he couldn’t get out of it. Besides, despite the fact that he was her husband and they were growing closer and closer… asking to go with her to see the doctor might be a little intrusive.

Sighing, he got his mind back on his work and mentally prepared himself for the meeting. They were going to go over all the statistics of captures, kills, and costs for the past year. Despite the fact that the Initiative was definitely one of the most unusual in the U.S. Government, there was still the bottom line. That meant there would probably be several more of these meetings over the next few months until they’d created a sort of criteria for efficiency in time and costs in order to reach their goals.

As much as he loved his job when he got to capture a demon and save lives… he hated the paperwork aspect. Still, knowing now that he wasn’t just doing this because it went along with the job, but he was doing it so he could provide for his wife and child… even if his wife wasn’t really his wife and his child wasn’t really his child, they still needed him… and it made it all worth it.

***

Riley glanced at his watch as he walked in the door of their apartment Wednesday afternoon, wondering how long he had to shower, dress and make sure the apartment was ready for Willow to come in and set everything up. He’d spent the past several hours running all over town and buying party supplies before meeting with the redhead at the coffee shop so that they could make their final plans.

Buffy would look back on this day and smile for many years to come if it killed him.

He was walking past Buffy’s bedroom door towards his room when he heard a soft sobbing. Pausing, he listened more closely to confirm the fact that Buffy was indeed crying in her bedroom. He told himself to leave her alone, that he would always be there for Buffy and she knew that, but that if he didn’t let her come to him she would feel suffocated. She was in her own bedroom and not on the couch, so he had to assume she wanted privacy.

It didn’t stop him from slowly opening the door and stepping inside, however. He couldn’t bear the thought of Buffy being so upset today of all days. She’d been so happy that morning when Xander had picked her up to take her to apply for jobs at the mall. Xander had shared in her enthusiasm as he had ushered her out the door while winking at Riley, since he knew he was also doing him a favor by getting Buffy out of the apartment for a few hours.

Seeing Buffy on her stomach on the bed, her face in a pillow as her shoulders shook with her sobs, Riley quickly walked over to her, kneeling beside the bed and gingerly reaching his hand over to touch her back. As soon as he made contact Buffy jerked and looked at him in surprise, obviously she hadn’t noticed that she wasn’t alone in her room.

"Sorry," he said quietly, "I just heard you crying and I came in."

Buffy forced herself to stop crying as she sat up. Wiping her face with her hands, she said, "I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m just disappointed, but I normally don’t let it get me so upset."

"Hey, you have that whole hormonal thing going on and remember your doctor told you about the mood swings. What was the disappointment?"

Looking down in her lap, she said, "I went and applied at a whole bunch of stores. A lot of them didn’t seem too interested when I turned it in… so I don’t expect calls. But at one of the places, they looked at it right away. They weren’t too crazy about the fact that I can’t work until the middle of the afternoon because of school. She said they needed a morning person. Plus, I don’t have a car… I’m planning on walking, but they want someone to be able to come right away… a car person, basically."

"I have a car, though, and you know I’ll drive you," Riley reminded her.

"When you can," she pointed out, "You’re not always around."

Riley moved up onto the bed next to her, "Don’t worry, you’ll find something."

Buffy nodded, "I have no choice. See, it’s not just the disappointment. I *need* a job so badly."

"You know you don’t," he insisted before sighing since he knew she was too stubborn to agree, "But I’ll talk to the guys. Someone will be able to help, I’m sure of it."

Buffy touched the side of his face and smiled up at him, "You’re so good to me."

She began crying again, but Riley wasn’t sure if it was because she was still upset or just overwhelmed by how ‘good’ he was. Instead, he just embraced her and remained silent until Buffy grew quiet.

"You know," Riley said, "it’s five o’clock. That means you could go take a nice long bath and relax and still have plenty of time to get dressed for dinner before Giles gets here to pick us up."

"That sounds very nice," she replied quietly.

Riley nodded and released her, then stood up, "I’ll leave you alone so you can do that."

"Thanks, Riley… for everything."

He began walking to the door, but stopped and looking back at her disheveled, tear-stained, absolutely gorgeous form and smiled, "Try not to worry, okay?"

She nodded and smiled, "I trust you."

Her words warmed his heart and made him grin as he left her alone in the room and shut the door. With an extra bounce in his step, he headed off to take his own shower. Giles would be there in an hour and a half and he still had a lot of work to do.

***

"Riley, what are you doing?"

Riley guiltily looked over at Buffy as she stood in the doorway of his bedroom, watching him straighten the pillows and comforter on her bed to look like nobody was sleeping in there on a regular basis.

"Just straightening up," he lied. Seeing that she didn’t believe him, he tried to change the subject, "You look beautiful."

There, that wasn’t a lie. He’d sneaked into her bedroom while she was in the bathroom doing her hair and make-up and the results were quite outstanding. She was wearing just a simple black dress and heels with her hair curled around her face… and Riley had to resist the urge to grab her and hold her to him while he kissed her until the need to breathe made them stop.

"Thank you," she replied, letting it slide that he was actually in her room, touching her stuff… and she didn’t for a minute buy that he was straightening up. "You look really nice. I like that sweater."

Riley looked down at the dark blue sweater his mother had told him really brought out his eyes and smiled sheepishly, "It was a Christmas gift."

"Well… good gift."

He was desperately trying to find a way to get them out of her room and forgetting about this whole thing when he was saved by a knock at the door.

"That must be Giles," he grinned, relieved.

"Yeah, I just need my coat," Buffy told him, going over to her closet and opening the door.

Riley held his breath as she walked inside to retrieve her coat, praying she wouldn’t notice that he’d taken a few of her dresses and a couple pairs of shoes. She stepped out a few seconds later and looked at him with concern.

"Are you okay?"

Riley nodded fervently, realizing she had no idea anything was missing, "Just hungry."

Buffy gave him a strange look before leaving him alone in the room to go answer the door. Riley followed, glancing around the apartment and looking for anything suspicious. He knew Willow intended to do the same, but she had a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it, so the more he had done already, the better.

"Hi Giles," Buffy greeted, grinning at her watcher.

"Hello Buffy, happy birthday," Giles replied, stepping inside the apartment, "Hello Riley."

"Hi," Riley said, shaking the older man’s hand.

"Do you want a tour before we go?" Buffy offered.

"Actually," Giles answered, watching as Riley jerked his head towards the door, trying to tell him he needed him to get Buffy out of there, "we have reservations. How about you show me after? I wanted to show you something outside, in fact."

"Okay, that’s fine," Buffy replied, sliding her coat on with Riley’s gentlemanly assistance.

Giles held out his arm and Buffy gleefully took it, happy to be spending the evening in his company.

"Uh, I forgot something," Riley blurted out when the two of them were out the door.

Before Buffy could follow Riley back inside, Giles led her away, "We’ll wait for him by the car."

"Okay," she replied, eager to see what Giles had to show her.

"Do you recall telling me several years ago when we were hurrying somewhere and my Citrëon wasn’t quite cutting it that I needed a ‘grown-up’ car?"

"Not specifically, but I certainly believe your beloved Citrëon not cutting it and telling you so," Buffy quipped.

Giles smiled, "Well, I took your advice."

Buffy stopped and looked at him in shock, "New car?"

Nodding, he pointed at a shiny, red, convertible BMW, "Behold my new automobile."

Buffy walked over to the car, stunned, "Wow, this is *nice*! Not just nice in comparison to your old hunk of junk… it’s really nice!"

"I’m glad you like it," Giles replied, "If it didn’t meet your standards, I would have been grossly disappointed."

***

Riley rushed through the apartment, making sure that by all appearances to anyone who wouldn’t open the closets and look in drawers that he and Buffy were a normal husband and wife. Satisfied that everything would be okay, he picked up the cordless phone in the kitchen and dialed Willow’s phone number.

She was obviously waiting for his call and picked up on the first ring. Knowing time was of the essence, Riley ominously told her it was time before hanging up and heading out the door. He locked the door and quickly headed out to Giles’ car.

He’d never seen the watcher’s vehicle, but Riley never would have guessed that Giles would drive the convertible that Buffy was currently sitting in the driver’s seat of, babbling about the wind in her hair and driving to the beach in the summer.

Seeing Riley approach, Giles gave him a questioning look and received a nod in answer. Turning back to the birthday girl, Giles said, "Riley’s here, time to go, Buffy."

Buffy sighed and climbed out the driver’s seat, "You totally should teach me how to drive now, Giles."

Giles took the seat she had vacated, "Actually, I would say that would have been a much better idea when I drove the banged up old car."

Riley smiled and climbed in the backseat so that Buffy could sit in front with Giles, "I’ll teach you how to drive, Buffy."

Buffy widened her eyes at his offer, "You will? Seriously?"

"Sure."

Buffy grinned at Giles as she slid into the passenger seat and put on her seatbelt, "He’s so cool, isn’t he?"

"One could use that choice of words," Giles replied, "My own personal preference is ‘insane’."

Buffy rolled her eyes and settled into her seat as Giles backed out of his parking spot, "Did you drive over here with the top down?"

"No, I took it down for you to see it in all it’s glory. I figured this is California, so it’s not too cold to go without it, even if it is January."

Buffy and Riley nodded in agreement. They weren’t wusses, a little chilly weather was no big deal.

They were almost out of the complex when Giles stopped the car, "It may be California, but it’s *January*. Who else wants the top up?"

Buffy and Riley promptly raised their hands as they shivered.

***

When Buffy walked into the Italian restaurant with a handsome man on either side of her, she felt more special than she had in a long time. For the first time that day, she wondered if Riley might really be right. Maybe this year would be different after all.

They were soon led to a small table where a waiter held the chair out for her. The last time she’d been in such a nice restaurant, Buffy remembered, had been when her parents had informed her of the divorce. She mentally scolded herself for thinking about something so negative. This was a happy occasion and Giles wasn’t using a nice restaurant as a way to spring some news on her while keeping her calm because they were in a public place.

"I have a bit of an announcement," Giles informed them, frowning when he saw all the color drain from Buffy’s face, "Are you feeling okay, Buffy?"

She nodded and gave him a serious look, "I just want you to know that if I feel outbursty, I’ll do it, regardless of how nice the restaurant is."

Giles shared a confused look with Riley, "Okay…"

"So if you think you can tell me something horrible that you think I’d scream and cry about in private, but be cooler here… you’re wrong."

"Well, I should hope that you won’t feel a need to scream and cry," he replied, "You could say that, like you, I am making a lot of changes in my life. The new car… and a new occupation. I was quite happy to stop being a school librarian, but being a… man of leisure really didn’t fulfill me. So… I purchased the magic shop."

"The one where all the owners die?" Buffy asked without thinking, then slammed her hand over her mouth, "Oh! I didn’t mean that in a negative way! This is so great, Giles. I’m happy for you."

Giles saw the way she was smiling and knew her words were genuine. Grinning, he continued on with the rest of his announcement, "I also had an idea. Buffy, you told me the other day you were going to look for a job. I’m going to need someone to help me out. At the very least help me keep an eye on the store for a part of the day, especially afternoons. Someone I could trust. If you were willing to work for me, I could give you the hours you needed so that you could work around school, plus I have been looking at the sales records for the store and I can give you a very competitive wage."

Riley smiled, happy to hear that Buffy’s job search was ending. Now he knew that she wouldn’t have one of those bosses that took advantage of their employees, keeping her working late and underpaying her. He could see that Giles loved Buffy, he’d treat her very well.

"I don’t know," Buffy sighed, "I feel like I’m taking advantage of your generosity."

"You aren’t," he insisted, "Please, Buffy, it would make me happy if you agreed to work for me."

Smiling, she nodded her head, "Okay… you’ve got yourself an employee."

Riley felt so happy for her right then. Finally something was working out for Buffy. She certainly deserved it, especially considering her run of bad luck as of late.

Giles told Buffy about all his plans for the magic shop and she animatedly gave her input and shared ideas with the man. Riley could tell that with the two of them working on it, the shop would certainly be remarkable.

After the waiter reappeared and took their orders, Riley asked, "Think it’s time for Buffy to open her presents?"

Buffy rubbed her hands together and grinned as Riley retrieved a small box from his pocket and Giles lifted a small gift bag she hadn’t even noticed him carry in to the restaurant. Giles handed her the bag first, so she set it in her lap and stuck her hand inside, digging around for her present. Finding something, she pulled the object out and found a vanilla scented candle inside a glass votive, "Ooh, this is beautiful! I love these!"

"Yes, Willow told me you enjoyed candles… she helped me pick out your presents. She said you’d like some candles to put in your room?"

Buffy nodded, "I do need some. Plus, I *love* vanilla."

Reaching back inside the bag, she pulled out a copy of ‘What To Expect When You’re Expecting,’ and looked up at Giles with tears in her eyes, "This is so great. I… I need this. It was so sweet of you to think of this!"

Giles smiled timidly, "Well, you know how I feel about books… and I suspect you know how to read, so I thought it was a good idea."

Buffy laughed as she leaned over and hugged him, "Thank you."

"You’re very welcome. I was worried you might be rather annoyed that I gave you more of a baby gift when it’s *your* birthday."

"No way! For one thing, *I* need the book, not the baby. And for another… I’m in this phase where I love anything baby-related. You could have given me those teeny baby shoes and heard me squeal," she informed him, then took the box Riley handed her. She unwrapped it and found a jewelry box. Opening the box, she found a silver heart-shaped locket inside and gasped, "Riley, it’s beautiful."

Riley grinned, "It opens up… I was thinking you could put a picture of the baby in when the time comes."

"That’s a wonderful idea," she replied as she leaned over to him as she had done to Giles, but she kissed Riley on the cheek.

Riley tried to play it cool, but Giles noticed that the man who allegedly was only married to Buffy as her friend looked far too happy to be hugging her tightly. Smiling, he knew that without a doubt, Riley felt a lot more for Buffy than he was admitting.

And that made him happy.

***

"How about you give me the grand tour now?" Giles suggested as he and Buffy followed Riley to the door of their apartment after their filling meal.

Buffy smiled proudly, anxious to show Giles all that she’d done in her first place of her own, "You got it. Just remember, we just moved in and I haven’t had a chance to do all the little details I want yet."

"All right," he agreed.

Riley opened the door and loudly said, "It’s so good to be home, isn’t it Buffy?"

As planned, the lights flipped on and they were greeted by two dozen of their closest friends crammed into the living room with smiling faces, with the exception of Forrest, who stood off to the side. He’d only come out of obligation to Riley, who had only invited him out of obligation to Forrest. Since they were best friends, there were certain rules of etiquette that defied logic.

Shocked, Buffy stood open-mouthed in the doorway, staring at all the people who were apparently there for her party. Slowly, Giles led her inside, giving her a chance to let it soak in. Within a few seconds she was grinning and hugging Willow, Xander and many of the guys from Riley’s fraternity.

Riley and Giles were soon left alone as Buffy’s attention was taken by the guests at her party, especially the guys who were originally his friends. Giles moved next to the soldier so that they could have a more private conversation.

"Be completely honest with me. How is she doing?"

Riley looked up, "Emotionally or health-wise?"

"Both," Giles answered.

"Well, she went to the doctor yesterday and they said she’s doing great. I mean, she still has morning sickness, but that’s normal. She even got to hear the baby’s heartbeat at her check-up, she was so excited," Riley told him.

"Yes, she called me when she got home yesterday."

"Emotionally… for her situation I think she’s doing great. I mean, what she’s going through is really hard and it’s only normal for her to be a little… unsettled. But she loves this baby and I don’t think there is any part of her regretting her pregnancy. I think she’s okay with the marriage too. In fact, it gives her a sense of security. She doesn’t have to worry about having the necessities. She was pretty upset earlier because she applied for jobs this morning and it didn’t go well, but thanks to you she has a job now. I really think she’s going to be fine."

"She seems to be looking forward to working and the baby and this home," Giles observed.

"Yeah, she does… I have to say if I were in her shoes… I’d be bitter."

Giles nodded in agreement, "She has a great ability to bounce back."

Riley sighed, knowing she’d gotten that ability from constantly *needing* to bounce back. If he had any say, she’d never have a reason to bounce back from anything again.

***

"I’m so glad to see you’re happy. After our lunch today…" Xander told Buffy as he gave her another hug, referring to the fact that she was nearly in tears during their ‘birthday lunch’ that Xander had insisted they have since he’d told her had to work that night as part of the story he, Riley and Willow had made up.

"I’m very happy. I don’t think I should tell you exactly why, though. It’s Giles’ news to share," she explained.

Xander raised his eyebrows, "I’m definitely going to have to go pump Watcher Guy for info."

Buffy laughed as her friend walked away and headed over to Giles, leaving her alone with Willow. Turning to her friend, she said "This is so amazing. It must have taken a lot of work. Thank you so much!"

"I don’t get all the credit," Willow told her, "Riley’s the one who had the idea. He called me up Monday and told me he wanted to do this. I helped him plan it, but he’s the one who spent hours today going around and getting the plates, decorations, balloons, ordering your cake… all that. He called me when you guys left for dinner and I came in and set it up."

"He did all that for me?" Buffy asked, astonished. She honestly didn’t understand why Riley continually went out of the way to make her happy.

Willow nodded, "Yup… I’d say he likes you."

Buffy took it the wrong way and rolled her eyes, "Of course he likes me! He *married* me to help me out. Riley’s a true friend… and we get along great."

Willow just smiled at her friend, wondering when Buffy would realize that Riley wanted their relationship to be a lot more romantic than platonic. It seemed pretty obvious to everyone besides the slayer!

***

Just as Giles was walking into his apartment, the phone began ringing. He hurried over and picked it up, cheerfully greeting, "Hello?"

"Giles?"

The voice on the other end of the phone immediately made Giles forget what a good mood he’d been in after Buffy’s birthday party. Sighing, he replied, "Angel."

"I suppose you hate me," the vampire said quietly.

Giles wasn’t sure how to respond to that, because he didn’t really know how he felt about Angel. One on hand, he loved Buffy and Angel had really messed up her life so many times, but now was the worst. He’d gotten her pregnant and left her… because of him, Buffy was a single, teenage mother. Because of Angel, her life was destined to be hard. Giles felt a lot of anger towards Angel for that. On the other hand, Giles knew what Angel was saying. He couldn’t be a father, and all his reasons for leaving were still valid.

"I don’t hate you. I don’t like the situation Buffy is in, which you are partially responsible for," Giles answered, "I know she is as well, but since she is the one who must deal with the situation, it’s easier to be more forgiving towards her."

"Is she okay?"

Giles debated about whether or not he should give Angel all the details of Buffy’s life. She’d never told him he couldn’t tell Angel. Then again, she probably hadn’t expected Angel to call him. Besides, he probably wouldn’t react well and the last thing Buffy needed was dealing with Angel voicing his disapproval. Making his decision, Giles sat down on his couch and said, "Buffy’s doing very well. She is in perfect health."

Angel released an unneeded breath, "That’s great, thank you so much for telling me. I’ve been worrying about her constantly ever since… she told me."

"Really? That was hard to tell, considering you haven’t tried to contact her for a month and a half," Giles replied, then sighed, since he wasn’t sure Angel *hadn’t* tried calling Joyce’s to talk to Buffy, "I’m sorry."

"No, you’re right. I was a coward. I hate the fact that I told Buffy that I won’t be there. I hate that I won’t get to know this child, that they might feel rejection because they won’t have a father. But Giles… I can’t. As much as I don’t think it’s fair to stay away from this child, it’s even more unfair for me to be in it’s life, to tell it I am their father, but I can’t do a lot of what the other fathers do," Angel explained sorrowfully, "And most of all, if I were to be there… I’d put that child at risk, along with Buffy and everyone else. I just can’t do that."

Giles nodded, "That’s a very good point and I agree with you. I would be lying if I said I was perfectly content with the idea of Buffy raising a baby alone, especially when she is so young, but I do know that you are right. She insists on keeping this baby, so this is for the best."

"I want to help, though. The only way I think I can, at least for now, is financially," Angel told him, "I’ve been looking into things and I know that most insurance companies will not cover costs when the teenage daughter of one of their customers gets pregnant. I am not sure which company Joyce uses, but if they are like that, Buffy’s going to rack up a lot of very expensive bills."

Giles had to stop himself from giving into the guilt of almost lying and confess that Buffy’s medical costs would be completely covered by the military. Instead, he said, "That may be true, but we both know Buffy and she isn’t likely to let you give her money. She’s too proud for that."

"I know… that’s why I called you and not her. Buffy listens to you, you have influence."

"Angel, I’m not sure I like the idea of conspiring behind her back. I’m sure you remember how angry she was the last time we did that."

Angel sighed, "I know that, Giles, but you know that she won’t *let* me help her, even though she really should. It’s for her own good."

"It was last time as well," Giles reminded him, "It didn’t make Buffy feel any less betrayed."

"This time even though we will be talking and planning behind Buffy’s back, it won’t be keeping a secret from her. I’m not asking you to give her money from me and tell her it’s from you. I just want you to act as a go-between and convince her to take my money. Could you at least try it? For Buffy’s sake?"

Giles closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead, "Alright, but I am only doing this because it will help Buffy."

Relieved, Angel nodded, "I know that… thank you, though."

"So how are we going to do this?" Giles asked, leaning forward. Hopefully Angel had a really good, persuasive plan.

Buffy moaned and put her feet up on the coffee table as she relaxed on the couch. As proud as she was of the tremendous job she and Giles had done with the magic shop over the past three weeks, it had left her aching and exhausted. At least they were finally finished, with their grand opening the next day. That thought made her a little nervous- she prayed things would go well, not only because then she’d have a job for sure, but more importantly to her, so that Giles wouldn’t have to be disappointed.

Over the past few years, she’d always considered herself close to her watcher, but after all the time they had spent together getting everything ready… Buffy knew Giles was her *real* father. He loved her and he would love her child. She’d always be able to count on him and Buffy had to prove he could rely on her as well.

Sighing, Buffy grabbed her English Literature textbook and prepared to read the story the professor had assigned the day before. It was two weeks into the semester and so far she had been able to keep up her schoolwork while juggling the work at the magic shop and everything else she had to deal with in her new life with relative ease. Still, she had no idea how she was going to be able to handle it when she had the baby. If she was tired now, another human being needing her for everything was going to be killer.

She was just getting interested in the story when the telephone began to ring. Glancing at the clock as she reached for the phone on the end table next to her, she saw that Riley was due home in a while, so maybe he was calling to see if she’d like him to pick up dinner. He’d done it a lot lately, which she really appreciated, since she was too tired to cook anything for herself and would be happy to skip meals, only it would be bad for the baby.

"Hello?"

"Oh, hello," a woman replied on the other end, "Is Riley there?"

Buffy was taken aback that a female was calling, since Riley didn’t seem to be attempting to date like she’d insisted he could. Then again, if one could judge age by voices, this woman was not college-age. Clearing her throat, she replied, "No… he’s not. I’d be happy to take a message for you, though."

"That’s very sweet," Claire Finn purred on her end of the line. Obviously she was speaking to the famous Buffy she’d been so dying to learn any details about. She’d known that if she had pushed Riley to let her speak to her new daughter-in-law, even if she wasn’t *truly* Riley’s wife, he would have forbade her… but here she was on the phone with the object of her curiosity… wouldn’t it be rude not to make an attempt to get to know her a little? Smiling, she continued, "I don’t suppose you’re Buffy."

Buffy’s eyebrow quirked as she wondered just who she was speaking to, "Actually, I am."

"Oh, I’m so excited! I’m Claire Finn, Riley’s mother," the older woman exclaimed.

Grinning, Buffy replied, "Mrs. Finn, I’m so happy to get to talk to you. I didn’t feel right asking Riley to let me, since it’s sort of impeding on his space, but I really wanted to tell you in person.. sort of… how grateful I am for your help with the furniture… and for understanding about what Riley did."

"Honey, I just received your letter last week. I’m sorry I haven’t gotten a reply off to you yet, but we’ve all had the flu here," Claire informed her, "It was such a lovely thank you, it just proves I was right when I decided you must be a darling girl."

"You are so sweet, even more than I had thought. I hope Riley knows how lucky he is," Buffy sighed, amazed at how she was opening up. She would have assumed that if she was talking to the mother of the guy that had married her because she’d gotten herself pregnant with *another* guy’s baby, she’d feel at least a little awkward.

"Well, you’ll find out soon enough that children rarely ever see their parents as the most wonderful," Claire smiled, "By the way, how are things with the baby?"

"Everything is great," Buffy answered, happy that she actually seemed interested in the baby… without frowning about how wretched the situation was. She was treating her like a normal new mother, which only Riley had come close to doing. As much as she loved Giles and he was trying to accept the baby, he always had a sad look in his eyes when he was reminded of Buffy’s condition. Patting her still-flat stomach, she added, "I have to go in for a check-up in a week and a half and then they will do a bunch of tests, but so far everything appears absolutely perfect."

"That’s wonderful," Claire responded, "And you’re feeling alright? No symptoms?"

"Well, I had morning sickness every day or so for a while… but I haven’t even been nauseous for a couple of weeks now. I think I may get tired easier now, but I’m not sure if it’s just not that I’ve been so busy."

"Oh, yes, Riley told me that you just started a new job."

"A friend of mine… well, he’s kind of like a father to me… he just bought a store and we’ve been working hard getting everything arranged… we’re actually opening for business tomorrow."

"That’s so good to hear, about the store and about you having a friend who is so close to you. Please forgive me if I am overstepping my bounds… but Riley told me how your parents didn’t take the news about you being pregnant so well… I feel just sick about that, but it makes me happy to hear you have someone in your life who means so much to you."

"That’s fine," Buffy assured her, "Giles.. that’s his name… he didn’t really love it when I told him I was having a baby and keeping it at first… but he has accepted it."

"That’s wonderful, Darling. I also want you to know that even though nobody could ever replace your mother, you can always give me a call if you have questions, need reassurance or just want to talk. I remember what it was like, especially when I was pregnant with my oldest, and there are some times when you’re just scared."

Buffy felt tears well up in her eyes, "I can’t believe how sweet you are! I mean, when Riley told me about you, I knew you were cool, but I had no idea you were this great!"

She was so caught up in her conversation with Claire, that Buffy hadn’t even heard Riley come into the apartment. He walked into the living room and found her wiping tears from her eyes on the couch while she spoke on the phone.

Buffy looked up and saw him standing there, then gave him a brilliant smile and said into the phone, "Oh, guess who is home?"

Riley frowned, wondering who she was talking to as he pulled off his coat and flung it onto the recliner while Buffy said goodbye and held the phone out towards him, "It’s your mother, she wants to talk to you. I’ll go start dinner… how does pesto sound?"

"Good," he nodded numbly, taking the phone from her, rather confused. Since when were Buffy and his mother the best of friends?

***

"Hey, check this place out," Xander exclaimed as he and Anya made their way to the counter in the crowded magic shop.

Buffy thanked the person she was ringing up and grinned at her friend, "I know, isn’t this amazing? When we opened up, Giles and I were both completely nervous, but about half an hour later, someone came in and we’ve had customers since."

"That’s great," Xander replied, "We would have come by earlier… but we got sidetracked."

"Xander’s parents are out of town, so we had sex in their bed," Anya informed her.

Buffy nodded, a disgusted look on her face, "Didn’t want to know that."

Blushing, Xander extracted her arm from around his, "Honey, remember our privacy discussion?"

Anya rolled her eyes, "Whatever… I just figure if Buffy’s not having sex with anyone, especially since she is married, she might enjoy living vicariously through me."

"I wouldn’t," Buffy quickly informed her.

"Good Lord," Giles lamented as he tiredly leaned against the counter. He’d spent the past few hours helping people find various books and other ingredients for spells. As exciting as it was that business was going well so far, he was completely overwhelmed.

"Here, come look in the cash register, it’ll make you feel better," Buffy suggested, hitting a button so the drawer popped out.

Giles walked around the counter and looked down at the drawer that was nearly filled with bills, "Oh my… money."

"Money from all the people who have been here and liked what we have. Isn’t it great how stores work?"

"Yes, very," Giles nodded.

***

"So then I had to listen to my mom talk nonstop about Buffy for half an hour," Riley told Graham and Forrest as they walked down the street.

"Oh, I can’t imagine how awful it must be to have someone go on and on and on about Buffy forever and ever," Forrest replied wryly.

Ignoring him, Riley continued, "Now they are like best friends. I have to hear my mother say that Buffy’s the daughter-in-law she always dreamed of, and Buffy tell me how lucky I am to have a mother like mine. You know, I can believe that Buffy is completely innocent in this, but I can’t shake the feeling that my mother is trying to persuade me into considering Buffy as… a real wife."

"Of course, that’s ridiculous. You hardly know Buffy’s even female," Forrest replied sarcastically.

Riley glared at his friend, despite the fact that Forrest was right. He certainly did feel more than just friendship for Buffy, but there was no way he would admit that to his friend. Forrest’s head would inflate to five times it’s normal size in a matter of seconds and Riley would never hear the end of it. Sighing, Riley said, "Forrest, I know how you feel. You think I am getting in way too deep with Buffy, and you absolutely do not approve of this marriage. Now, I want you to understand that I know you feel that way and it does not change things at all. Can you please keep those comments to yourself?"

"Just… stop talking about Buffy and I will attempt to refrain," Forrest answered, giving Graham a dirty look for the way he smirked at him.

"So how are you doing keeping up with your TA work?" Graham asked Riley.

"Fine," he replied, "My new… living arrangements… haven’t hurt any of my responsibilities. If anything, living off campus helps me to focus more on my work and less on partying."

"Man, college is all about partying. Now you have the studying and crappy parts of school and none of the fun parts," Forrest told him, "Then again, you were always a weird one."

Riley smacked him on the back of the head, grinning. This was when he liked Forrest- when they were buddies. It was just like old times… before he started really falling for Buffy. Not that he regretted that. Buffy had changed him so much… she’s made him see and feel things differently. It was like Buffy had brought a new knowledge of life to him.

A big red sign caught his eye and Riley stopped in his tracks, "Guys, can we *please* drop in there?"

Graham followed his friend’s stare and frowned upon seeing a magic store, "Since when are you into that stuff?"

"Yeah, you’re the last person I would ever imagine digging any voodoo crap or crystals," Forrest agreed.

"That’s where *Buffy* works," Riley explained, heading off to the store, "It’s their opening day, what kind of friend would I be if I didn’t go visit?"

Graham smiled and followed while Forrest stood still and shook his head disdainfully and murmured, "Probably the type who isn’t *in love* with the girl."

***

Buffy finished putting all the customer’s merchandise in the bag and handed it to her with a smile, "Have a great day!"

The girl smiled and walked away, revealing Riley behind her, "Hey!"

Surprised, Buffy grinned, "Hi, Riley, what are you doing here?"

"I came to see you… you know, check things out. Looks like business is going great!"

"It is," Buffy nodded, "Giles will be so psyched about it if he can make it through the day without having a nervous breakdown."

Riley glanced over at the older man, "Yeah, he looks a little bewildered."

"He’ll be okay, we just have a few more hours until we close."

"Oh yeah, what time do you get off again?" he asked, knowing full well that they were closing at five, then she and Giles would take an hour to count the money and clean up, so she would be home at around a quarter after six. Still… he liked to play it cool and act like it wasn’t as important to him as it really was.

"About six… Giles will drop me off at home, so I should be there about six-fifteen. Will you be home?"

"Yeah, I’m off work tonight."

"And it’s not like you’d ever want to go out like a normal unattached guy," Forrest said quietly from behind him.

Without acknowledging him, Riley asked Buffy, "How about I make you dinner to celebrate?"

"Macaroni and cheese?" Buffy asked, since that was the only think besides cereal and microwaveable foods she had ever seen him make.

"I know how to cook… I just don’t do it normally. Trust me, you’ll love it. Is it a deal?"

"Sure," she replied, nodding before another customer approached with several books and she began ringing them up. "Sorry, Riley, things are just so busy."

"It’s fine, we need to get going anyway," he replied, backing away, "See you later."

"Bye," she called after him as the three guys walked out of the store.

Forrest was determined not to say a thing about what had just occurred and instead walked determinedly towards the sports store where they had originally been heading. The other two guys followed silently, Graham being his usual quiet self, and Riley deep in thought.

They entered the store and Forrest was choosing a new Dodger’s baseball cap when Riley exclaimed, "What am I going to make?"

Forrest gave him a confused look while Graham asked, "What are you talking about?"

"Dinner! She was right, I don’t know how to cook anything that requires more effort than adding two or three simple ingredients like a cup of milk. I have to make Buffy something very special and I have no idea how."

"Do you even realize that you *obsess* over this girl? I don’t know why I bother worrying about you being lovesick… I should worry about her. A year from now you’ll be stalking her and she’ll have to take out a restraining order."

"Shut up, Forrest, this is important. Do either of you guys have a clue what I can make?"

"Order pizza," Forrest told him as he took the cap to the register.

Riley rolled his eyes, "Girls don’t think ordering pizza is romantic. Besides, I told her I would *make* something."

"Ha!" Forrest shouted, pointing at Riley, "You just said romantic! See, I knew it. You aren’t just Buffy’s best bud, you want her!"

"Okay, fine, I want to be more than friends with Buffy," Riley confessed, "I think I might not mind it if we didn’t ever get divorced, but that’s getting ahead of myself. Right now, I’m just… wooing. Now, part of this wooing is making a romantic meal and I am going to need help."

Forrest pulled out his wallet and paid the cashier, trying to feel satisfied that he was right, but he couldn’t feel anything but frustration. Riley now knew and admitted he was gaga for Buffy, but that didn’t change the fact that Forrest was positive the girl just thought Riley was some sweet guy who was a little wacky because he was willing to go so far to help her. She was still going to want a divorce and Riley was going to end up all heartbroken.

Deep inside, though, he feared that he was wrong about her. She might love what Riley is doing so much that she’d go along with the whole ‘staying married’ thing. He knew girls, especially teenage girls. Riley was her knight in shining armor and if he offered her a fairy tale life, she’d take it. They’d stay married, have sex, maybe have some more babies… but then in a few years things would be a mess. Forrest thought the both of them were way too naïve and had no clue what they were getting into. He, on the other hand, knew all too well. His parents had gotten married young when his mother had gotten pregnant with him. Five years later they’d finally divorced, but it left all of them in a lot of pain. He certainly didn’t want his friend to be that way.

And he wasn’t going to sit idly by and let that happen to Riley.

***

"I must admit, I am shocked," Buffy said as she took a sip of the apple cider Riley had chosen for their meal, as opposed to champagne. "Even when you told me you *could* cook, I didn’t really believe you."

Riley shrugged, "This really isn’t anything."

"No, it’s very good," she insisted, making him blush.

Riley felt rather guilty, since he’d used Prego for the spaghetti sauce. However, he *had* made the garlic sauce to put on the french bread and bake into garlic bread, so he supposed he deserved points for that. Actually, Graham deserved major points for helping him out by coming up with the idea for dinner and going through the grocery store to help him pick out ingredients while Forrest sulked. They’d decided not to push it and had just picked out strawberry ice cream for dessert, but Riley was planning on putting the jar of hot fudge into the microwave, so that was something else that took effort.

They finished their meal with only light discussion about Buffy’s customers and how high their sales had been, as well as Riley’s story about a demon he and the guys had captured the night before on patrol. As Buffy finished her second slice of garlic bread and patted her stomach contentedly, Riley began picking up the dishes and shook his head firmly when she tried to help.

"I sure hope you have room for dessert."

"Dessert?" Buffy asked, then decided she wasn’t too full for something sweet. She’d had a major sugar thing going on as of late. "I think I can make room."

Riley smiled as he carried the dishes into the kitchen, "Good… I think you’ll like this."

Buffy tried to stop grinning like an idiot while Riley was out of her sight in the other room, since he’d closed the shutters separating the kitchen from the dining room so that he could surprise her with all the different foods. He was so sweet… she couldn’t help but wish the circumstances were different. But it’s wasn’t to be and she reminded herself that if she ignored that fact she’d only end up hurt again… and if there was one thing Buffy absolutely refused to do, it was allow another man to break her heart.

"Ta da!" Riley announced as he emerged a moment later with two bowls of ice cream topped with fudge a moment later.

"Ooh, yummy," she smiled, taking the bowl from him, "Thank you *so* much, this is the kind of stuff I’ve been dreaming of for a while now."

"Hey," Riley said, swallowing his first spoonful of ice cream, "just so you know, I would be ever so happy to be your little cravings runner. No matter if it’s day or night, rain or snow, I’ll do it."

"I know that, but I would never ask you," she replied.

"Buffy!"

"Riley, come on. Everyone knows that the only guy who should be tortured by going out in the middle of the night to pick up wacky foods is the fool who gets the craver pregnant. It’s sort of a twisted punishment God came up with. I’m saving up for my car, so hopefully I’ll have enough money to drive myself to the store to get food when the time comes," she informed him. "Of course, I don’t know how I’m going to learn how to drive to get my *license* but I think I can weasel Giles into teaching me."

"I’ll do it," he volunteered, "I’m better, because I promise not to yell at you. I can tell, Giles is the type to scream his head off."

"That’s true… are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

"It’s a deal," she declared, then reached over the table to shake his hand.

Riley took her smaller hand in his and caressed it for a few seconds before giving shaking it. Their hands lingered, not wanting to let go of each other, for a moment before they both awkwardly pulled away. Noticing some fudge had ended up next to her mouth, Riley picked up his napkin and leaned across the table to wipe it off. Buffy sat perfectly still as Riley gently rubbed his napkin over his skin, long after the fudge was gone. They looked into each other’s eyes and Riley found his head moving closer to hers so that their mouths would meet.

When they were mere inches apart, he froze. Buffy’s eyes moved down to his lips and back up to his eyes as she tried to process what was happening. Riley caught himself and pulled back before he made a mistake and kissed her, most likely too soon. He knew that Buffy would need a lot of his patience and he was more than willing to give it.

Clearing his throat, he said, "When’s your next day off?"

Her voice husky, she replied, "Tuesday."

Nodding, he said, "I don’t go in to work until seven that night. Maybe we can go practice driving then."

"Okay," she said, forcing herself to smile. Why did she feel like she was far beyond the point where she could save herself from heartbreak?

***

"I’m very proud of you, Buffy," Giles smiled as he stocked some books about reading tarot cards on the shelf. It was still early on a Saturday morning, so things weren’t too busy. They’d been open for business for three weeks and business was still doing great, but they rarely got very busy before the afternoon, and only had big rushes on the weekends.

"Well, to be fair, Riley is, like, a saint," she told him as she dusted off some crystal balls, "Who else could, without raising his voice once, teach me how to drive well enough to get a license in two and a half weeks?"

"That’s a good point, but Riley tells me you already weren’t that bad at driving. He insists that the accident you got in when your mother and I were… under the influence… was most likely completely not your fault."

"That’s what I told you guys back then, but did anyone believe me?"

"I apologize profusely," Giles joked, walking back over to the counter to grab more books to stock.

"Well, you know, if you want to give me an apology gift… letting me borrow your car every so often would really *prove* how sorry you are."

"I feel that my word is enough."

Buffy rolled her eyes, "Fine… Riley will let me drive *his* jeep."

"Are you still saving up? That jeep will be completely useless once you have the baby. Definitely not safe."

"I know," she replied, "Besides, when the baby is about five months old, Riley’s gone, so I can’t rely on him for rides and stuff. I just don’t know what I should do. Am I really going to be able to save up enough for a decent car as well as all the stuff I’ll need for the baby before my kid is… oh… *eighteen*?"

Giles stopped what he was doing and turned to her, "Buffy, you know that if you need money, I would be more than happy to help."

"That’s okay, I told you guys that I would do this myself and I will. I already have a major advantage over most girls in my situation thanks to Riley. I’ll make it work," she told him, looking down. "I’m just not sure if I should buy the stuff for the baby before buying my car. I need to sit down and figure out how much income I have."

Giles nodded, knowing that Buffy’s pride would never allow him to pity her. "I’m sure it will work itself out," he said, before returning to his task.

Buffy nodded, then moved over to the cash register to ring someone up.

***

"Hey!" Riley greeted as Graham approached him in the deserted basketball court.

Graham smiled at his friend as he caught the basketball Riley tossed to him. Taking in the fact that Riley’s shirt was off and he was getting sweaty, he asked, "How long have you been here?"

"Half an hour," Riley replied, "I dropped Buffy off at work and figured if I went home I’d just have to head back out in ten minutes, so I came straight here."

"How did things at the DMV go?" Graham asked, making a shot and missing.

"She passed," Riley answered proudly, "Buffy’s so excited."

"That’s great for her, tell her I said congratulations."

"I will," he replied, grateful that at least once of his best friends was supportive.

"Oh yeah, Mike told me to tell you that they are planning a big party for Joseph’s birthday in two weeks and they really want both you and Buffy there."

"That should be fine. Giles always closes at five on Saturdays, so she should be off by six. What time does the party start?"

"Seven, I think."

"Yeah, we can make it. Buffy will like that, I think she enjoys hanging out with the guys."

"Good… I’ll tell them you two are in. Now maybe they’ll leave me alone. You wouldn’t believe how much they adore her," Graham said.

Riley smiled, "Oh, I think I can."

"Man, you have got it bad," Graham laughed.

Sighing, Riley knew he was right, "I do… I can’t help it. If I could choose, I don’t think I’d pick someone who was having a baby by some other guy and had only married me to help the baby… it would be a lot easier. But I can’t choose and Buffy’s the one… she’s definitely worth the effort."

Graham nodded, "I’m happy to hear that. For what it’s worth… I think you’ll get the girl."

***

Giles sipped his tea and turned the page in the book he was reading on demonology, enjoying a quiet night at home after a long day at the store. He was quickly realizing that they couldn’t keep this up much longer. He was at that store from early morning to evening most days, except for the weekends when Buffy didn’t have school and could open on her own, and it was taking a toll on him. He insisted on only making Buffy work five days a week and her hours were much more decent, but with school and the fact that she was pregnant, he knew she was exhausted as well. They needed *help*.

The phone rang, disrupting his calm atmosphere. With a sigh, he picked it up, "Hello?"

"Hi Giles, it’s me."

Giles closed his eyes, really not needing yet another phone call from Angel telling him how imperative it was for him to tell Buffy about the checking account he had opened for her, "Hello Angel."

"Is everything okay? You sound… well… not well."

"It’s fine, I’m just tired from work. I told you about my new business."

"Yeah… it’s doing well?"

"Extremely, Buffy and I are both being run ragged."

"Giles, in her condition, that’s not a good idea," Angel said.

"Don’t worry, you know very well that I would never overwork Buffy."

"I know… did you tell her yet?"

"The right time just hasn’t come up yet. I know that she is not going to be too pleased when I tell her… I’m probably going to have to argue with her about it, and it’s the sort of thing I will have to keep pushing. We won’t resolve it in a day. And it seems that every day she is already in too bad or too good a mood for me to bring something up that will most likely make her angry with me."

"I know what you’re saying… it’s just that she needs this money and you have to tell her sooner or later," Angel reminded him, "How is she doing?"

"Quite well, actually. Today she was in high spirits because she got her driver’s license," he said proudly.

Angel smiled, remember the times Buffy had lamented to him that her mother was determined to make Buffy a lifetime pedestrian, "That’s good for her."

"Well, she’s going to need to be able to drive, especially once the baby comes and she has to take it all over town. Besides, none of us really like the idea of her walking all over when she is far along in her pregnancy," Giles told him, "Now it’s only a matter of her saving up for a car."

"What about Joyce’s car? She won’t let her borrow it?" Angel asked.

Giles closed his eyes, knowing this was yet another time he would have to out and out lie to Angel, "I’m not sure… but Buffy needs her *own* car, so that she can go when she needs to."

"That’s true," Angel agreed as the wheels in his head began turning. Buffy needed a car… if he could help her get one, it would be for the good of both the woman he loved and his unborn child. This was definitely something he could work on….

***

Angel knocked loudly on the door to the dark apartment. It had taken him three days of hard work to find this low-life, but if he could catch him now and get the job done, it would be worth it.

The door opened, revealing a Skulter demon on the other side of the threshold. The creature gave him a cautious look and said, "Yeah?"

Angel had the feeling that if he tried doing this the civil way, he’d find himself chasing this demon all over the city, so there was really only one way to go. Reaching out, he grabbed the demon by the throat and shoved him back against a wall just inside the apartment.

The demon began shrieking, "What? What do you want? What?"

Angel gave him an icy glare, "I’m here to remind you of your debt."

"H-Hamil sent you?"

"Friend of his," Angel responded, not letting go, "You owe seventy-five grand… and if you like not being a hood ornament, you’d better pay up within the next twenty-four hours, or I’m coming back."

"I-I don’t got that kind of money!" the demon protested, shaking with fear so badly that his antlers began tapping loudly against the wall.

Angel looked him in the eye and knew that he didn’t have to worry about hurting some fool that had gotten in over his head, "Oh, I think you do. Now, if Hamil doesn’t have his money by this time tomorrow, he’s going to give me a call. If I get that call… well, I’m not going to be happy. I’m going to come and hunt you down. Even if you run… I’ll find you. I found you here, didn’t I?"

The creature nodded frantically, "I’ll pay him, I swear it!"

"Good, that’s what I want to hear," Angel replied slowly, then shoved the demon back into the wall as one final warning.

He released the demon and turned around and walked briskly out of the apartment and through the building so he could get in his car, drive home, and try to repress the fact that he had ever sunk so low.

Still, if he got his payoff, it was worth it.

"I feel it is important for me to discuss this with you before I take any action because you are a vital part of our company," Giles began as he paced in front of Buffy, who was sitting on a chair in the office of his store looking perplexed.

"What company?"

"The Magic Box! We are a small company, but a company nonetheless."

"Oh, okay," Buffy replied, hoping he was leading to announcing it was time for a company picnic or something. She really wanted to get home and have dinner, but Giles had insisted it was important she drop by after the movie she and Willow had gone to that afternoon.

"As I was saying… you have been there since the beginning. You worked just as hard as I to get the store open, so I feel it’s important that I share things with you as opposed to just make decisions and inform you of them," he continued, then took a deep breath, "I have decided that since we are so busy, I will be hiring someone else to help out. That way you won’t have to work as much, especially when you get… further along… and we will have another set of hands on the busy days. Plus, I am hoping after some time we will be able to leave this person in charge of the store, so when you have school, I don’t have to be working."

Nervously, he looked at Buffy, waiting for her reaction. He’d thought long and hard about his decision, since he had gotten the idea that perhaps Buffy might not like having someone else in ‘their’ store. He feared that she might view the other employee as someone encroaching on her territory… and in his heart.

Buffy’s eyebrow quirked as she wondered if that was the big news, "Okay, sounds cool."

"Yes?" he gasped.

She nodded, "Sure, I’d dig having someone else there. I mean, I need hours still, but you’re right… when I get all big and gross, it’ll be harder for me to climb on ladders to stock… or even be on my feet all day. Plus, if you keep working as much as you’re working, you’re going to kill yourself."

Giles grinned in relief, "You’re absolutely right!"

"You know, you never say that enough," Buffy quipped, before standing up and heading out of the office.

"Perhaps next week you and I could interview people together?" he asked, wanting her involved. Ever since the pregnancy, he’d felt a need to spend time with her and let her know he cared.

Buffy gave him a strange look and shrugged, "If you want."

Giles followed her out into the store, about to offer her a ride home since it was near closing time anyway, and he absolutely didn’t want her walking in the dark, when he saw Riley waiting around.

"Hey," the younger man said, smiling at Buffy, "I ran into Willow… she told me you were here and I was wondering if you needed a ride home… since I’m heading that way anyway."

"Absolutely," Buffy grinned, slipping on her coat.

Riley looked up and nodded at Giles, then asked them both, "Is everything okay?"

"We’re hiring a new employee," Buffy informed him in mock seriousness, "It’s possibly the biggest day of our lives and I know *I* am incredibly moved, but I should be okay."

Giles rolled his eyes at her mocking of him and grabbed his keys, intent on locking up after them, "Drive carefully… I’ll see you tomorrow, Buffy."

"You got it, bye Giles," she smiled, then walked out the door.

"Bye," Riley said, following the slayer.

Giles locked the door behind them and watched through the window as Riley held the passenger door of his jeep open for Buffy. As he watched the way she looked as she told Riley something and laughed, he couldn’t help but notice how perfect they seemed for each other. Anyone who didn’t know the real reason they married would think they were an adorable young couple, just starting out on what was sure to be a long, happy life together.

Shaking his head to stop his thoughts from proceeding any further, Giles walked back to the cash register and began counting money. Hopefully he could get done quickly, so that he could go home and collapse.

***

Angel walked quickly up the path to the door of the lavish two-story home, relieved that this would be over with. He hated what he’d had to do, but he really hadn’t had another choice. He rang the doorbell and began waiting when he felt a presence.

Abruptly, the vampire walked back down the path and reached behind a tall bush to drag out Wesley. The former watcher was caught off guard and gave Angel a frightened look.

"What are you doing here?"

"Seeing what *you* are doing here," Wesley answered, "You have been acting so strange, Angel, I had to see what was wrong."

"Nothing is wrong, would you just-"

Angel was interrupted by the front door opening and the man who could best be described as Eddie’s butler standing there.

Sighing, he said, "Eddie’s expecting me."

"Yes," the man replied, "And your friend?"

"Just tagging along. Don’t worry about it," Angel said as he walked back to the door.

The man reluctantly allowed them in and led them to a large room down a hall where a man who almost looked human, except for the fact that he appeared hairless and had a slight green tinge to his skin was waiting.

"Ah, Angel, how good it is to see you," Eddie said jovially.

Angel nodded, "Eddie, this is Wesley."

The watched politely shook Eddie’s hand, all the while wondering exactly what he was.

"Hey, I’m Eddie, The Favor Man," Eddie said proudly.

"The Favor Man?" Wesley inquired.

"Yeah, you need a favor, you come to me. I specialize in trading them."

"Oh," Wesley replied, his eyebrows raised as he grew more curious.

Eddie nodded, "Take your friend Angel, here. He comes to me, says he needs a car. I get him to tell me exactly what kind he wants… you know, sports car, family car, whatever, and then I see who else needs a favor that might be able to help Angel get his car. Well, there’s a certain fellow who owns a car dealership, and *he* needs someone to chase down this jerk who owes him quite a bit of money. Since I *am* the favor man, I get Angel to do the favor for Hamil, and then Hamil does the favor for Angel. Hamil’s got his money, Angel… you’ve got your car."

Angel had been trying to think up a convincing lie until he noticed Eddie holding up a set of keys. Wordlessly, he took the keys and nodded, "Thank you."

"No, thank you," Eddie grinned, "You’re very… persuasive. Hamil was quite happy with the results. Now, shall we go see your new car?"

Angel and Wesley followed as Eddie led them down a few halls and out a door to the back of the house where there was a private driveway. Parked in the driveway was a brand-new blue Honda Civic.

"As you can see, it has four doors like you wanted. It’s an automatic, CD player, alarm… and Hamil assures me it’s good for someone with a child. Are you pleased?"

Angel nodded and walked closer to the car, deciding it would definitely work, "It’s perfect… thank you."

Seeing how satisfied Angel was, Eddie decided to take a shot at getting Angel to work with him again. After all, Hamil was one of his wealthier customers and his commission had been quite ample. If he could get him to work for him more often, it would definitely be good for business.

"I want you to know that if you ever need a favor again, I am more than eager to help you out. Anything you need, I am sure I can get you."

"Uh, that’s okay, I don’t really need anything anymore."

"No? You know, I don’t just have to give you objects as a favor… I can do you the favor of getting you money. You’re very good at what you do, Angel, and I have a lot of customers who wouldn’t mind… donating funds."

Angel thought it over for a moment. As much as he hated being a goon, it was a very profitable job. This car alone had to be worth a whole lot more than what he’d make working on a case. And even though his ‘day job’ was a more dignified, he’d been letting Cordelia get him jobs that focused more on getting paid so that he could make more money for the baby, and he hated it. At least this way he could make a lot more money a lot faster. Hell, after one job he would have enough to pay all her medical bills for the pregnancy.

"I’ll let you know if I do," he finally told Eddie.

"ExcEllet," Eddie grinned, then withdrew a paper from the inner pocket of his silk suit jacket, "Now, there is just the matter of the proper paperwork. Angel, I realize I don’t know your last name."

"Actually… can you put the owner’s name down as Buffy Summers?"

Wesley gave Angel a look of shock. He’d been quietly observing the exchange up until then, and had a lot of questions already, but now he was dying to ask Angel what on Earth was going on. He used his self control, though, and waited while Eddie filled out the papers and gave them to Angel, then left the two of them alone.

"Angel… what is going on? Why do you need this car? Are you giving it to Buffy?"

"The short story is Buffy’s pregnant, the baby is mine, but I’m not going to be involved in it’s life. She needs a car, though, so I came to Eddie because I knew he could get me a good one a lot faster than if I saved up for it working through the agency. Oh, and *please* keep this between us. I don’t want anyone to know… especially not Cordelia."

Wesley stared at him, openmouthed, before replying, "I really think I need the long version of the story."

Angel nodded, "Tell you what… I need to drive this to Sunnydale. Take my car there too so that I can have a ride home and I’ll use the two hours it’ll take us to get back here to tell you everything… with the agreement that it stays between us."

Wesley nodded, knowing he really didn’t have any choice. After hearing what he had… there was no way he could go on not knowing all.

***

Giles was awakened from his deep, dreamless, desperately needed sleep by a pounding on his front door. He was about to wonder who would be visiting so late when he saw that his bedside clock only said it was half past eleven. He’d come home and gone straight to bed, so he must have slept for over two hours.

Wearily, he climbed out of bed and slipped on a robe before climbing down his stairs and rushing to answer the door before one of his neighbors called the police. As soon as he had all the locks undone, he opened the door and was surprised to find Angel and Wesley standing there.

"Angel? What’s going on?" he asked, figuring for Angel to be in Sunnydale, either something *had* happened, or was *about* to happen. Even with all he was doing for the store, Giles had made a point to keep an eye out for any prophecies or other signs of evil, but there had been nothing besides the run-of-the-mill vampires as of late.

"It’s okay," the vampire assured him, "Can we come in?"

Giles nodded and stepped aside so that the both of them could enter his apartment. Angel led them to the living room and rubbed his hands together, trying to think of a way to do this that would ensure Giles’ cooperation.

"Angel, does he know?"

"Know what?"

"That-" Wesley began, then stopped himself, realizing that he’d already broken his promise of secrecy to Angel, "Uh.. nothing."

"He knows," Angel told the man, then turned to Giles, "I had to tell him that Buffy’s pregnant and it’s my baby."

"Yes, but he didn’t tell me how this could be possible or anything else," Wesley added.

"I’ll tell you on the way home," the vampire reminded him.

"Which brings us to you being *here*," Giles said, "And why is that?"

"I have a car for Buffy."

Floored, Giles sat down in a chair, "A car? Where on Earth did you get the money for that?"

"It doesn’t matter-" Angel started to say, but was interrupted by Wesley.

"It’s rather sordid, most intriguing," the younger watcher announced, taking a seat on the couch and crossing his legs, "Angel made some sort of deal with a *demon*, but not a bad demon, it appears. He didn’t try to kill me."

Giles looked from Wesley to Angel and back again, hoping one would answer his question, "A deal with a demon? What sort of deal?"

"From what I gathered, Angel managed to find someone who owed *another* demon money. Angel got his money and that demon got Angel a car, which he needed to give to Buffy."

Angel sighed, "Look, I know you probably hate how I got it… I’m not too proud of it myself. But it’s not like I have that kind of money just sitting around, and if it takes a little lascivious work to get something for Buffy that she needs… I’m willing to do it. Besides, even though my methods of getting it were unorthodox, it *is* completely legal. I have the pink slip and all that."

Giles nodded, "I suppose I understand that. I have seen a few of those disgusting talk shows and I have heard how some fathers come up with all sorts of excuses not to help out, so this is rather… refreshing. Now, how are you going to give this to Buffy?"

"Well, whatever I do, I am going to need your help," Angel answered.

"Of course, because I’m not already stuck in the middle of this mess between you and Buffy enough," Giles remarked sarcastically.

"Come on, Giles… you yourself said she needs a car, so this is good for her. You also know all too well that if I go to her house right now and try to hand her the keys, she’ll throw them in my face. Hell, you haven’t even worked up the nerve to tell her about the checking account yet."

"What checking account?" Wesley broke in.

"Later," Angel reminded him, "Look, Giles, how about you just pretend it’s a gift from you. Let it be her gift for getting a license."

"And where did I get the money for this new vehicle? Since there won’t be any payments for her or I to make, she’s going to have to believe I just paid thousands of dollars for a brand new car that I am not even using?"

Angel shrugged, "Would she believe you inherited money?"

Giles sighed, "What choice do I have?"

***

"Er, Buffy, do you know if we have any Amoura stones?" Giles asked as he wandered around the store with a giggling fifteen-year-old girl. On one hand, he thought it would probably be a bad idea to sell someone a stone that could make someone fall in love with her if used properly… on the other, he doubted she would be able to actually accomplish that much. Besides, she was driving him insane and she insisted she wanted something to make this boy realize he couldn’t live without her, so he had to do *something*.

"Yeah, they should be over on the shelf next to the crystals," Buffy replied as she rang up someone’s purchase.

Giles managed to find the girl a stone and send her off to the cash register in time to deal with some hippie-type complaining about the cruelty of having animal eyes for sale. Lucky for him, he managed to convince her after ten minutes that all the animal products were from animals that had cancer so they were dying anyway. Pacified, she left him alone so that he could go rest on the stool behind the counter.

"Good Lord, it’s Thursday afternoon, how can things be this busy?"

Buffy shrugged and smiled at him as she restocked the tissue paper she used to wrap merchandise, "School just let out… besides, this is just a mini-rush. Things will calm back down in less than half an hour, I bet."

Giles, for one, hoped she was right. At least they’d already had several people fill out applications for the new opening and he’d only put the help wanted sign out that morning. He’d have to see if he could line up their interviews Monday afternoon when things would be slow.

Buffy leaned against the cash register and tugged at the waistband of her pants, frowning, "God, I barely managed to squeeze into these this morning."

"Perhaps you need to go buy some new clothes… what do they call them?"

"Maternity clothing," Buffy sighed, "I can’t believe I need maternity clothing."

"Well, that is what happens when one gets pregnant," Giles reminded her pointedly as he stood up and started walking towards someone who looked like they needed help.

Buffy rolled her eyes, "Thanks, *Dad*."

With his back turned, Giles allowed himself to smile. He was far too shy to tell her so, but he loved the idea of Buffy acting like he was her father. The thought brought him back to the car. He really needed to give it to her soon. It was bad enough that he hadn’t told her about the checking account, but Angel had even come up with a good lie for him to tell her about the car… so he had no excuse not to do it. Maybe he could give her a ride home that night, but instead take her to his apartment to show her the car.

Just as Buffy said, twenty minutes later, there were only a few customers milling about, giving Buffy and Giles the chance to take a break. Buffy started sipping water as Giles recounted his amusing tale of a most clueless customer he’d had that morning when Anya marched in and slammed her hand down on the counter.

"I’ll take it," she announced, grinning at them.

"Excuse me?" Giles asked, wondering what she was talking about.

"The job," she replied, "You have a job opening…I will take it."

"Er, I.. well, I don’t think that," Giles stammered, trying to think of a good excuse not to hire her.

Buffy turned and looked up at him before saying quietly, so nobody besides him would hear, "She’s actually pretty good. She’s helped me out a few times and she can ring very well, wrap stuff… and she could easily learn where everything goes."

"You really think we should hire *her*?"

Buffy shrugged, "I don’t think it would be as bad as it sounds."

Giles nodded, then looked at Anya, "All right, you’re hired."

"On one condition," Buffy added, then whispered something in Giles ear that made him blush. Upon his insistence that *she* say it, she continued, "You can’t talk about sex at all. No mentions of your sex life with Xander, no questions about my sex life with anyone… no mentions of sex at all."

Anya bit her bottom lip, trying to decide if she could handle that. After a moment, she nodded, "It’s a deal."

Giles quickly found that Buffy was right. Anya began working at the cash register so that Buffy could put away all of their new shipment and Giles could attend to his ownerly duties. When they didn’t have customers, Buffy would show their new employee how the merchandise was arranged, as well as everything she could possibly need in the back of the store.

She did so well, that after a few hours, Giles decided it would be okay if Anya was left to man the store alone for a little while, so that he could give Buffy her surprise. After he’d finished putting in their order for the next week, Giles walked back out into the store and approached the counter where Buffy and Anya were talking.

"You really recommend them? I always thought those books were kind of…. Cheesy," Buffy commented.

Anya shook her head, "They aren’t ‘Moby Dick’ by any means, but they are *so* entertaining. I’ll bring you one tomorrow."

"Thanks, I could use something fun to do on Friday and Saturday nights, since I’m getting too fat for all my clothes and I can’t go hang out at the Bronze or anything," Buffy replied.

Anya looked down at Buffy’s stomach, "Yeah, you are getting kind of chubby, but on the bright side, you have a good excuse."

"Anya, would you mind if I stole Buffy for a while? There’s something I needed to show her that’s… away. Things should stay pretty slow for a while and I think you can handle it," Giles said.

"He trusts me," Anya grinned at Buffy, then said to Giles, "You can count on me!"

"Good," Giles said, grabbing his and Buffy’s coats, "We’ll be back in a bit."

Buffy took her proffered coat and followed him out the door, "What did you want to show me?"

"It’s a surprise."

"Ooh, I like surprises," she smiled, rubbing her hands together, then wrinkled her nose, "As long as they aren’t the evil, gross, deadly kinds."

"I think you will find this surprise is very not evil, gross or deadly," Giles replied, opening the passenger door of his car for her.

"Can I have a hint?"

"No, it’s not that far from here so you won’t have too wait too long."

"Oh good, I don’t know if you can tell, but patience really isn’t one of my virtues."

"I suspected as much," Giles joked.

For the rest of the ride, there was a comfortable silence. Buffy was content to observe the passing scenery while she wondered what exactly her surprise was. Giles mentally practiced what he was going to tell her when he gave her the car, hoping she would believe him… and that she’d like the car.

At last, Giles pulled into his parking spot at his apartment and got out of the car. Buffy quickly followed, eager to see what the big deal was. When her watcher only walked a few feet and stopped in front of the car parked next to his, Buffy frowned.

"What are you doing?"

Giles pointed at the car and smiled, "Showing you your surprise."

Buffy’s jaw dropped as she actually looked at the car and saw a brand new Civic. It was absolutely perfect; a cute car that had four doors and would work well when she had the baby. Looking back at Giles, she said, "I don’t understand… you got me a car?"

"Yes… you needed one, and now I don’t have to worry about you being able to afford a *good* one, along with everything else for the baby."

"It’s too much!"

"Don’t worry, I inherited a large sum of money. The car is all paid for."

"I can’t let you spend that on me!"

"Why not?" Giles argued, "Buffy, you are like a daughter to me, you know that. Would it be so hard to believe if a father inherited some money and spent some of it on a nice car for his daughter, who really needed it?"

Buffy shrugged, "I’m not really your daughter, you aren’t obligated."

"No, I’m not *obligated*, but I wanted to."

Buffy was quiet for a moment before giving her watcher a big grin and enveloping him a big hug, "Thank you *so* much!"

"You’re very welcome," Giles smiled, hugging her back until he realized she was crying. He pulled back and gave her a concerned look, "Are you okay?"

Buffy wiped at her tears and nodded, "Yeah… I’m just so happy."

"So happy that you’re crying?"

"Hey, I’m a pregnant woman, I have hormones!"

Giles pulled the keys Angel had given him out of his pocket and handed them to Buffy. "Here are your keys… the little black… thing… is your remote. When you want to get in, you just push ‘unlock’ once and it opens the driver’s door. If you push it twice, it will lock all the doors. When you get out of the car, push ‘lock’ once to lock all the doors, and twice to activate all the alarms. You can also push that one that looks like a horn to sound the alarm. I believe it’s called the panic button… it’s for if you were being robbed or something. The one that looks like the trunk opens the trunk," he instructed, repeating everything Angel had told him the night before when he’d shown him the car after Giles had agreed to give it to Buffy.

Buffy grinned and hit ‘unlock’ twice, "Shall we take this baby for a spin?"

***

Giles was pleasantly surprised to see that Riley hadn’t been fudging the truth to make Buffy happy when he’d said she was a good driver. She hardly scared him at all as she took the long way back to the store. He insisted that it would be fine if she took the night off, since they’d be closing up in a couple of hours and he had Anya there to assist.

Buffy was caught up in the excitement of her new car, and had a strong desire to show it off, so she was all too happy to goof around for a few hours before picking Giles up after he was done for the night and give him a ride back to his place.

As he walked back in and found everything under control, Giles contemplated calling Angel to let him know. He just wasn’t sure exactly how the vampire fit into Buffy’s life presently. Was he just doing things to help her, or was he a secret observer?

Either way, Giles hoped their clandestine dealings wouldn’t come back to haunt him… he just might lose Buffy forever.

***

Riley looked through the mail as he walked from the mailbox, back to the apartment. There was nothing of interest, which was kind of a bummer. He’d just gotten off work and was pretty wired. Of course, he was managing to pull a few nine-to-six shifts a week now that he had a family… one of the benefits of being a married man, even though it meant doing a lot of paperwork instead of patrolling. Unfortunately, all of his friends still had to work that night and Buffy wouldn’t be home for hours.

He was nearly to the apartment when a car pulled up next to the sidewalk and began beeping. Riley frowned as he racked his brain, trying to remember if any of his friends drove a blue Civic. A few seconds later, the driver’s window slid down and he saw Buffy smiling up at him.

"Giles got me a present," she announced gleefully.

Riley’s eyes widened, "He got you a new car?"

Buffy nodded, "Yup."

"Totally new? This isn’t even a year old or anything?"

"It still has the new car smell and everything," she said.

"Wow, this is great," he replied sincerely, "This takes care of one huge problem for you."

"You’re not kidding. Giles says he got an inheritance so he just paid for it all at once… I don’t have to worry about car payments at all."

Riley leaned down to peer in the windows, "Very very nice car, Buffy. My father is an avid believer in buying American, but I’ve always liked this car. It’s perfect for you… four doors and a good backseat for the baby."

"It is," she agreed, "So, you hungry? I could take you out to dinner."

"Wow, I get to ride in a new car *and* eat with a gorgeous female," Riley teased, "Must be my lucky day. Just give me a minute to drop this stuff off in there and lock the door, okay?"

"Sure, I’ll make a u-turn," Buffy answered, full of excitement.

Riley grinned as he watched her pull away from the curb to make her oh-so-thrilling u-turn before continuing on his way to the apartment. After dropping the mail on the dining room table, he grabbed his leather coat from his room and headed back to the door. As he walked back by the kitchen, Riley got an idea and went and pulled something out of one of the doors before walking out and locking the door.

"What’s that?" Buffy asked, seeing a small black object in Riley’s hand as he climbed into the passenger seat.

Smiling, Riley handed it to her, "It’s your very own garage door opener. You know how they gave us two, since it’s a two-car garage and I had the extra in the kitchen drawer."

"Oh yeah," she replied, "Thank you. Wow.. I now own a car… doors... windows… an engine… and a garage door opener!"

Riley just grinned as he watched how ecstatic Buffy was about everything. After she’d hooked the opener on her visor, Buffy began driving slowly through the apartment complex.

"So, what do you feel like?"

"How about Armando’s?"

"That cute place we went with all the guys the night before we went to Vegas?" she asked.

Riley nodded, "That’s the one… in Oxnard… half an hour from here."

Buffy took the hint and nodded fervently, "Sounds fabulous!"

"Man, I need a shower," Nathaniel complained as he walked with several other soldiers towards the elevator after a long, tiring patrol.

Riley grinned, "I could use one too. Maybe I’ll just borrow your bathroom here."

"Good idea," Joseph laughed, "You go home smelling like you are and Buffy will kick your sorry ass right out of bed."

While the rest of the guys laughed, Riley rolled his eyes and secretly wished that were the case. Unfortunately, Buffy wouldn’t care *what* he smelled like because she was most likely sound asleep and wouldn’t even be in the same room as him.

As they all got in the elevator, Chris asked, "You working tomorrow night, Ri?"

"Nope, I’m coming to the party, though," he replied.

"Cool, I was just making sure that Buffy would be there. Even if you had to work… we wanted Buffy," Chris informed him.

Mike nodded in agreement, "We try not to go to your place too much, so she won’t feel obligated to wait on us and do all the hosting duties, but we definitely miss her."

"You know, I’m not too sure she’ll be in the mood to come," Riley said regretfully, "She hasn’t said she won’t, but I haven’t mentioned it for a week or so… and she’s been kind of weird lately."

"Weird? Weird how?" Nathaniel asked.

"Yeah, I thought you said she was great," Joseph said, "You told me she was so happy about her old man… or sort of her old man, getting her that car."

"She was… is… she loves the car. Buffy’s fine, she is just pregnant and part of getting pregnant is getting bigger and she’s used to being tiny so that’s upsetting her. She can’t fit in a lot of her clothes, so unless you want her coming in sweat pants…"

"Oh, we don’t care what she wears, we just want her here!" Nathaniel assured him, "You *have* to bring her. We’ll make her feel better. I’m sure she’s still quite tiny."

"You didn’t call her fat, did you, Dude?" Chris asked, "Because if you did, I have to kick your ass."

"Of course I didn’t call her fat! She’s not fat. She’s pregnant and is still nowhere near fat," Riley replied exasperated. As amusing as he sometimes found the guys’ adoration of Buffy, they got to be on the annoying side at times.

***

Riley sighed and rubbed his temples; his worst nightmare was coming true.

Okay, that was an exaggeration, but ever since his discussion with the guys, he’d worried Buffy would declare she was not going to the party. As predicted, she’d already been in bed when he had gotten home at two that morning, so he couldn’t ask her then. By the time he had woken up, she’d was at work already. As soon as she’d gotten home, he’d cheerfully reminded her that they were supposed to leave at a quarter to seven for the party and Buffy had pouted and told him to go without her before heating up a TV dinner and taking it to her room so she could eat it in bed while reading some book Anya had given her.

Riley had tried giving her some time to change her mind, but gave up after twenty minutes. Then he’d gone in to her room and repeatedly assured her that she wasn’t fat and the guys *really* wanted her to come. When that hadn’t worked, he began going through her closet.

"How about this?" he asked, holding up a flowered skirt, "It’s stretchy, I bet you can still fit in it."

Buffy glanced up and shook her head, "I tried it on Thursday. When are you going to give up? I told you I have tried *all* my clothes on and the only things that fit *and* I can breathe in are my overalls and sweats. I have some clothes at my mom’s that are loose-fitting, but I’m *so* not going to get them."

"Wear your overalls! You look fine as it is," he assured her. Okay, the black turtleneck with the denim overalls really wasn’t the type of thing anyone else at the party would probably be wearing, but he still thought she looked gorgeous.

"Well, I would, but I’m afraid *every* other girl there will have the same outfit on," she replied sarcastically, wishing he’d just give up and let her get back to her book.

"Buffy, please," Riley said quietly, giving her his most pitiful look.

Not expecting him to go so low, Buffy looked up again and felt a pang of guilt, "Why do you want me to go so badly? It’s perfectly fine for you to go and me to stay home and veg."

"No… it’s not," he replied, "The guys want *you* there. It’s more like you are invited and I am your guest. If you don’t go, I might as well not go, because they’ll be on my case all night."

Buffy’s resolve started to waver, "You’re just saying that…"

"No, I’m not," he insisted, "Please? I really want to go, Buffy."

Buffy sighed and nodded, marking her spot in the novel with a bookmark before climbing out of bed, "I’m still not changing."

"That’s fine," Riley said, a triumphant grin on his face.

***

"Want something to eat?" Riley asked, then cringed at the glare Buffy shot his way, "Well, they have carrots and stuff… not all fattening foods."

"It doesn’t matter… I’m not eating any different foods or more food than normal… I just magically gained a ton of weight."

Riley smiled, "It’s not magic… you’re pregnant."

Buffy rolled her eyes good-naturedly and patted him on the thigh, "Go have fun. You were looking forward to this… don’t let me spoil the evening for you."

"You just want to sit on this couch all by yourself tonight?"

Shrugging, Buffy asked, "Is there something wrong with that?"

"Tell you what, you give me *one* dance and then I will let you sit here all alone… if that’s what you really want."

"It *is* what I want, except for the dancing part," she replied, "Besides, I thought you hated dancing."

"Who told you that?"

"Joseph."

"Well, I can slow dance," he informed her.

Buffy gave him an incredulous look, "We’ve been here an hour and all I hear is fast-paced stuff."

Riley stood up and held out his hand, "Trust me… we can have a slow song."

Sighing, Buffy took his hand and let him pull her up and lead her out to the dance floor. She saw him signal to the DJ and the next thing she knew, Faith Hill’s voice floated out of the speaker as ‘Breathe’ began playing and Riley pulled her closer.

Buffy tried to ignore the words of the song, ignore the way she felt being pressed up against Riley. She tried to ignore how *right* it felt. Giving up, she closed her eyes and rested her head against his chest, letting herself pretend, just for a few moments, that her faux life was real.

Riley tightened his arms around Buffy’s slight form as he felt her lie her head on his chest. It felt wonderful, being like this with her. He knew, without a doubt, that this was the way he wanted to spend the rest of his life. It didn’t matter if his career was a success, if her baby wasn’t his, nothing mattered as long as he got to hold her in his arms.

The song ended all too soon and another fast one was soon playing. Reluctantly, the two of them pulled apart and shared shy smiles. As much as Riley had wanted to come and hang out with all his friends, he knew that if she asked him in that moment to go home, there was no way he could say no. She had him wrapped around her little finger, and lucky for him, she didn’t even know it.

"Let’s go get something to drink," he suggested, forgetting all about his promise to let her plant herself on the couch.

Buffy smiled and began to nod, also forgetting that she was supposed to be having a miserable time, despite the fact that she’d had a dozen gorgeous guys fawning over her upon her arrival. All she knew was Riley was there… and being with Riley sounded great.

"Riley!"

The both of them were startled out of their reverie by the presence of a tall brunette at Riley’s side.

Caught off guard, Riley slowly smiled and said, "Tiffani., hi."

Buffy stood by awkwardly as she watched the brunette reach over and hug Riley. Immediately, she felt completely inadequate. This other girl had long, shiny hair that was all in place. She had a tight black dress, that she filled out quite effectively, something Buffy couldn’t have done even before she’d had a baby-belly.

In short, she was absolutely gorgeous. The kind of girl that most guys would kill to get with. And she was all over Buffy’s husband that had been told numerous times that he was free to do whatever he liked with other women.

"I was talking to Joey, and he told me you moved out! You got your own place, huh?" Tiffani asked, and Buffy could tell by her grin that she had some wonderful ideas on how to take advantage of the fact that Riley had a private residence.

Feeling like an idiot, Buffy slid away, heading anywhere that would be out of their sight. She shouldn’t let it bother her, since Riley *was* just a friend, upon her insistence, but it still felt like her heart was being ripped from her chest. Love certainly sucked.

Riley saw Buffy walking away as he pried Tiffani off of him and tried to think of a cool way to stop her. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Tiffani; she seemed pretty nice and she was very beautiful. The thing was, she was far from his type. He liked girls with a little bit of… resistance against casual sex on a regular basis. He enjoyed being in a monogamous relationship and making love. Even though every time she saw him, Tiffani was on him, Riley knew if he ever did sleep with her, it would be over. Her attraction was simply because he didn’t drool over her like every other guy.

"Who was *that*?" Tiffani asked, "I mean, a *overalls*? She looked like a ragamuffin farmer."

Riley turned and have her a dangerous look, "That was my wife, and she looks absolutely beautiful."

From ten feet away, Forrest rolled his eyes, having witnessed the entire exchange as soon as Tiffani had gone up to Riley. As soon as he’d heard that girl was there, he knew the night would be interesting. Tiffani was like a dog in heat when it came to Riley and things couldn’t have gone better if he’d planned it. Well, maybe Riley wouldn’t have said that last part if Forrest had his way, but the damage done on Buffy’s end was great.

And if he could add a little to that damage, all the better.

Casually, Forrest followed the way Buffy had gone, into the kitchen. He found the blonde sitting at the table, staring at her hands.

"Came to escape the ‘Riley and Tiffani Sexcapades,’ huh?" he asked, sitting down across from her and smiling.

Buffy looked up, surprised to see Forrest being friendly with her, "What?"

"Oh, Riley and Tiffani. You should have seen him the first time he laid eyes on her…. took months but they were very close to starting something, until… well, you know," Forrest lied, "Tiffani hasn’t given up on it, though, it appears, so maybe something will happen after all. I mean, Riley *is* free to do whatever he wants with anybody else, right?"

"Yeah, right," Buffy answered quietly, trying not to cry, "It’s none of my business."

***

"There you are," Riley said, relieved, "I’ve been looking all over for you. Aren’t you cold out here?"

Buffy looked up at him from her spot on the back porch floor, "Nope, it feels good."

She was kind of surprised to see him, since it had only been twenty minutes or so since she’d left him with Tiffani. A few minutes after Forrest had joined her in the kitchen, she’d told him she needed fresh air and had gone out on the porch alone. Buffy had been sitting there, getting her head together with the intent to find a ride home since Riley was sure to be…. occupied… for a long time.

"It *is* getting warmer," Riley commented, leading against the railing, "Looks like we’re getting into spring weather at last."

"Yeah, and then summer," Buffy frowned, "I remember my aunt telling me how horrible it is to be pregnant in the summertime. It’s already hot and it makes you way more uncomfortable. I’m due August 19^th, so I’ll be pregnant most of the summer."

"Well, we have air conditioning in the apartment and I’ll be willing to fan you if you want," Riley said, smiling when he achieved a small smile from her. Clearing his throat, Riley added, "Look, I wanted you to know… Tiffani and I… we’re not…"

"Hey, you don’t owe me any explanations. I already told you that you can do what you want with whomever you want."

"But Buffy, I don’t want to do *anything* with her!" he protested.

"Then why did Forrest… oh," Buffy said quietly, realizing what had happened.

"What did Forrest do?" Riley sighed, preparing himself to want to kill his friend.

"He tried to be a good friend to you," Buffy said, giving him a sad smile as she stood up, "Are you going to go back to the party?"

Riley shook his head, "I don’t feel like it anymore. Want to go home?"

Buffy looked up at him closely, trying to gauge whether or not he was lying to make her happy, "Are you sure?"

"I can honestly say that there’s no place I’d rather be right now."

***

Buffy was quiet most of the way home, until the silence got to Riley and he made her tell him what she was thinking. He regretted it, though, when she informed him that she’d been considering naming her baby Rohan if it was a boy, after a character in one of her stories. The name made Riley cringe, and he vowed to make her change her mind if she stuck with it, for the sake of her poor unborn child.

When they walked into the apartment, Riley couldn’t help but notice how downhearted Buffy appeared and it broke his heart. Over the past month, he’d seen her go through many mood swings and cry a whole lot… either from a long distance commercial, a movie on TV, or just the fact that they were out of orange juice. However, this was different. It wasn’t just hormones.

Buffy was planning on heading to her room and burying herself under the covers until she had to go to work the next morning when Riley grabbed her shoulders and made her stiffen in surprise.

Turning her around, Riley gave her a serious look, "What’s wrong?"

Buffy knew that a simple ‘nothing’ wouldn’t work; Riley would know she was lying and she could tell he was in the kind of mood where he’d pester her into talking. Sighing, she looked down and blurted out the part of the reason for her foul mood that wouldn’t be completely embarrassing, "I feel awful. I know that I haven’t really gained all that much weight and I’m not even showing, it’s just all my clothes are too tight, but, I still feel gross. And then tonight at that party… all those girls.. they used to be me. A few months ago, I was one of the people who had a great time dancing and talking to people, wearing cute clothes, and not having to worry about… all the stuff I have to worry about. But now I’m not those girls… I’m disgusting."

"Buffy, you are *so* far from disgusting," Riley replied vehemently, "You’re… you’re beautiful. I know that you feel pretty bad right now, but it’s going to pass, I know it. If you want, I’ll call my sister and she’ll tell you."

Buffy shook her head, "God, I feel like such a… whiner. It’s like one moment I’m all upset because I’m gaining weight… another moment I almost feel happy because I’m starting to have physical evidence of the baby… and then I hate myself because I’m sitting around moping that I put on a few pounds since I am *pregnant* and I’m not even appreciating how wonderful you are. But I always feel disgusting, so I’m sticking by that."

Riley stroked his hand down the side of her face as she looked up at him. Quietly, he repeat, "You are *beautiful*. I want you to believe me. Do I have to prove it to you?"

Buffy smiled sadly, "I’m stubborn as hell, you couldn’t prove it to me if you tried."

He thought it over for a moment before taking a chance and saying, "Let me try, then."

"What?" Buffy asked, giving him a strange look.

Riley’s response was to dip his head down and kiss her lovingly, caressing her lips with his own until she parted them and admitted his tongue entrance to explore her mouth. After a moment, when the need for oxygen became too great, he pulled back and looked down at her bewildered face.

"I love your lips. They’re so soft and full and wonderful…. definitely the best lips I have ever laid eyes on. Your eyes are amazing. I love how they change color when you wear certain things. No matter what, they are always beautiful eyes, and so expressive. You make me believe that your eyes are the window to your soul because I can look in yours and want to hold you while you cry, hug you and be as happy as you are… all of it. Your whole face… I’ve never seen a better face. If that face could be the last thing I see before I fall asleep, and the first thing I see when I wake up for the rest of my life, I’d die a happy man. You’re absolutely perfect, I swear. Yet there are times when you’re even more beautiful… like when you’re happy or right now… your cheeks are flushed and you’re looking at me with such wonder…. I don’t know how you do it, but you go from perfect to even better."

Buffy smiled shyly, not sure whether to be embarrassed by his attention or to be flattered to hear such compliments coming from *him*.

Riley took an even bigger chance and slowly ran his hands down her arms until her small hands were clasped in his much larger ones. Languidly, he turned them around and took a few steps backwards towards his bedroom, hoping she would get the idea, "Do you suppose I could try to convince you even more?"

Buffy’s eyes darted to his bedroom door as she realized what he was asking. Seeing the vulnerable look on his face, she wondered how she could say no to the man who not only had said some of the sweetest things to her since Angel, but the man she already had wanted to be with, both sexually and emotionally.

So she didn’t.

Nodding her head slightly, she whispered, "Okay."

Riley released one of her hands and turned to walk calmly towards his bedroom, pulling Buffy with him. Once in the room he turned on only the dimmest light so that he could still see her, yet have a romantic atmosphere. He lead her to the bed where they sat side by side with their faces towards each other. Riley took the opportunity to kiss her again, a little more passionately, deeper than before. His hand moved to the side of the neck, gently stroking her sensitive skin as their mouths mated.

Slowly, they parted and looked one another in the eyes. Smiling adoringly, Riley continued by running his fingers through her hair, "Your hair is like spun silk, and just as perfect as your face. It’s like you reinvented blonde to me."

Buffy smiled self-consciously as he lifted her hand and kissed her fingers while he carried on with his purpose, "Even your hands are beautiful. They’re so small, and I can’t imagine these hands belonging to someone who uses them to kill demons, but they do. I love it when you paint your nails too. It makes them look so soft, so feminine… so you."

Knowing what he had planned next, Riley moved his hands to the latches on her overalls and looked Buffy in the eye before asking, "Are you sure? You can change your mind… I’ll understand."

Buffy smiled wider before lifting her hands and brushing his away so that she could undo the latches. The front of the overalls fell down to her waist and Buffy started tugging at the bottom of her turtleneck to pull it over her head, but found Riley’s hands covering hers.

"Can I?"

At Buffy’s nod, Riley gingerly pulled the garment over her head, revealing her lacy black bra that was filled quite sufficiently with her creamy breasts. Sensing she was a bit uncomfortable being in this state of undress, he asked, "Would you like me to take off my shirt?"

"Yeah," she said softly, almost as if she’d lost her voice.

Riley pulled his sweater over his head and tossed it to the ground beside Buffy’s turtleneck before standing up and kicking off his shoes and socks and pulling off his pants, leaving him in a pair of boxers. When he was done, Buffy timidly stood as well, removing her sneakers and socks and letting the overalls fall to the ground. With both of them only wearing underwear, Riley got back on the bed, but this time laid down and patted the spot next to him. Buffy obeyed, lying down with her head on the pillows and Riley on his side next to her.

He began placing hot kisses on her shoulders and collarbone, telling her how beautiful her lean, warrior body was before he reached under her and managed to undo the clasp of her bra. Making a point to look her in the eye as he pulled the material away.

"Your breasts are… perfect," he told her, gently massaging her flesh, "They’re soft… full… flawless."

Buffy blushed, "You don’t have to keep going."

"Yes I do," he insisted, "There’s still more beautiful parts to you that I haven’t mentioned and I can’t rest until I know that you know you’re beautiful."

Buffy laughed, "I believe you."

"Yeah?"

She nodded, running her hands through his hair, "You’ve made me feel very beautiful."

"I don’t know, I like to be thorough," he teased.

Buffy gave him a serious look, "Nothing would make me feel more beautiful right now than for you to make love to me."

He swallowed and replied hoarsely, "Are you sure?"

"I already told you yes," she grinned, pulling his head down so that she could kiss him and let him know exactly how much she wanted him.

The next few moments were filled with ardent kissing, yanking off underwear, and tender touches until the both of them were nude and frantic to be as close as possible to each other. Settling between her thighs, Riley’s fingers found her sex damp with her excitement and need for him. Just to be sure, he slid one finger inside her, gently massaging, making Buffy moan and close her eyes. A few seconds later he added a second digit and was rewarded by Buffy arching her back up and groaning loudly. After just a moment, she cried out as her body shook with tremors from her orgasm.

As soon as she came down, Riley slowly slid his length inside her, using all his willpower not to immediately begin thrusting rapidly inside her incredibly tight heat. He couldn’t believe anything could feel so heavenly, but then again, Buffy had a way of changing everything as he knew it.

Buffy was overcome with desire as Riley slowly plunged in and out of her in a steady pattern. She soon began thrusting her hips up to meet his, kissing his shoulder and gently scratching her nails down his back as the waves of pleasure continually crashed through her. As she once again reached her release, one thought echoed in her mind.

Buffy felt complete.

***

When she awoke the next morning, Buffy was unaware of where exactly she was, or what the strange weight across her stomach was. Looking around, she saw Riley sound asleep next to her in *his* bed, with his arm over her belly. The events from the night before came back to her, making her body flush as the images of the two of them making love flashed though her mind.

However, as content and sated she’d felt in Riley’s arms as they’d gone to sleep the night before, with the morning came so many doubts and regrets. Riley had truly made her feel beautiful, wanted… and not entirely inadequate when compared to girls like Tiffani. She’d allowed herself to get caught up in that, as well as her own secret desire to have more than a platonic relationship with him.

It had been foolish, of course, she decided, as she tried to figure out what she was going to do. She’d been weak, and now things were messed up forever. The night before, Buffy wasn’t sure whether she’d disillusioned herself into thinking Riley would play husband and wife with her and they’d have a tidy little life together, or if she just hadn’t cared, but now she had a whole new problem.

She wasn’t sure how Riley would act when he woke up, but Buffy doubted he’d act like it was nothing and tell her he wanted to go back to the way things were like she was sure he honestly felt. Riley was too much of a gentleman to do that, but she wasn’t going to let him suffer just because he’d gotten a little too caught up in the moment while trying to make *her* feel better. It was no wonder he’d slept with her. After months of being celibate *because* of her… he was probably pretty… in need of release.

Sighing, Buffy carefully extracted herself from under Riley’s arm and grabbed her shoes and clothes off the floor before creeping out of the room. Pretending it never happened may not be the most mature or effective solution, but it was the only one Buffy could come up with. Perhaps it would work and neither of them would ever speak of it again.

Riley awoke alone in bed and was disconcerted for a few seconds before hearing the shower running. Glancing at the clock, he saw it was half past eight and knew Buffy was just getting ready for work. As much as he wanted to keep her in bed with him all day, he doubted Giles would find their excuse acceptable. Getting out of bed, Riley grew more awake and realized that Buffy was not in his shower that was attached to the bedroom, but the other one that she’d been using as her bathroom since they had moved in, probably since all her stuff was in there.

Smiling wickedly, Riley decided to give her a little surprise. After all, she had over half an hour before she had to be at work….

***

While Buffy rinsed the conditioner from her hair, she kept repeating to herself to just pretend it never happened. Even if it *was* wonderful, she’d never make it through this if she let her mind go where it wanted, to thinking about what they’d done over and over. The only way they could possibly go back to the way they were before would be if Buffy didn’t dwell on it, but instead tried to forget it ever happened.

With a new resolve to not allow herself to think about it, Buffy finished rinsing her hair. She was so caught up in her own thoughts, that she didn’t hear the door beside her slide open. Riley grinned as he stepping into the tub that doubled as a shower behind Buffy. Slowly, he stepped forward and placed his hands on her upper arms before dipping his head down to kiss her neck.

He froze, however, when Buffy jerked around and backed away from him, modestly covering her breasts with her arms, "Riley, get out!"

Taken aback, Riley stared at her, "What?"

Instead of trying to reason with him while they were both in the shower, completely naked, Buffy opened the sliding door from her end and rushed out, leaving Riley in the shower alone. He quickly turned off the water and stepped out of the tub, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around his waist before chasing after Buffy’s retreating form as she raced to her bedroom.

He got close enough to hold her bedroom door open when she tried to slam it, and watched as she hurriedly pulled clothes out of her dresser. Riley stood and watched her for a moment before realizing Buffy wasn’t going to start explaining her reaction to him in the shower.

"Buffy, what’s going on?"

"I’m going to work, and I’m probably going to be totally late," she replied digging through her shirts, trying to find her loose green one. At least it *used* to be loose.

Riley was dumbfounded; she was acting like something *huge* hadn’t happened the night before and he didn’t understand it, "Buffy we made love last night-"

"Had sex," she corrected both him and herself. She had to remember that just because of what they’d done, they couldn’t now make the life they’d been pretending to have for everyone else a reality. It would never work in the long run… and she’d only end up hurt all over again. Buffy vowed to never let a man make her feel so broken again.

"I *made love* to you, Buffy," he insisted, "but now you’re acting… well, not at all like I would have expected. And I’m not going to let you just run out on me, I want answers."

"Can’t we talk about this *later*?" she asked, pulling the shirt on over her towel. Even though he’d seen all of her the night before, she had no desire to be nude in front of him again.

"No, I don’t think that’s a good idea," Riley replied, "I have a feeling that ‘later’ will always be a better time to discuss this. Why are you avoiding me? Why are you doing this, Buffy?"

Buffy sighed and averted her eyes, "We made a huge mistake, Riley. We’re not… together… like that. We made a promise to have an arrangement, don’t you remember?"

"But that doesn’t matter now! Last night, things changed!"

"No, they didn’t! Nothing changed!"

"Yes it did," he replied firmly, "You were sending me signals last night. I thought you wanted…."

As Riley trailed off, Buffy quietly answered, "I don’t… I can’t. I can’t be what you think you want or need me to be."

"Buffy, last night was the best night of my life!"

Buffy cocked her head to the side, amazed by his words. She’d expected some persuading that they could be more than just a one night thing, but this was going beyond Riley’s sense of what was the right thing to do. She realized that he honestly believed what he was saying… and it made everything that much more pathetic. Shaking her head, she said, "That just proves that you’re desperate. Thanks to me, you aren’t dating and sleeping with regular girls… you’re getting all screwed up because, again thanks to me, you can’t have a normal life."

"I can’t think of anything more normal or natural than last night… I made love to my wife."

"I’m not your wife!"

"Yes, you are. After last night, you *are*," Riley replied, then added when she began shaking her head again, "Give me one good reason why we shouldn’t go along with this… take our relationship to the next level."

Buffy was silent for a few moments, and Riley began to wonder if she was going to answer when she looked him straight in the eyes and said, "Angel. I… I love him, even after what happened."

"You love Angel," Riley repeated, turning around and running his fingers through his hair as he tried sorting it all out.

"Yes, I do… I’m so angry at him, but I love him… I can’t be in a relationship with anyone else when I feel how I do about him, carrying his child," she lied, not about loving Angel- she knew she’d always love Angel, even more now that he’d given her a son or daughter. However, she also knew that even with a part of her heart belonging to Angel… she could love Riley as well. If only loving him didn’t mean risking it all over again… and *that* was something she was not willing to do.

Riley turned back around and faced her, letting her see his eyes were full of hurt, "I see… if that’s the way you feel, I guess I can’t change your mind."

Buffy swallowed heavily and tried not to cry as she watched him walk dejectedly from her room, "Riley?"

He paused and looked back her, "Yeah?"

"I’m really sorry."

"I’m not," he told her before leaving her alone.

Still wearing a towel and a t-shirt, Buffy sat down on the edge of her bed, willing herself to calm down and believe that this was for the best. Still, she felt awful… she’d managed to make Riley hurt… the same way she was terrified she would end up if she let herself start something with him.

***

"Is everything all right?" Giles asked, looking at Buffy with concern. He’d come in mid-afternoon to get some paperwork done, since Sunday’s tended to be slow and he didn’t have anything better to do. Buffy had been rather quiet the entire time. Not in a bad mood, or sad… just quiet.

And since Buffy was *never* quiet, Giles noticed.

Buffy smiled, "I’m fine, just tired. I went to a party last night and I didn’t get to bed until late. As it is, I overslept and had to race around in order to get here in time, hence my fabulous hair," she joked, gesturing to her ponytail.

"Do you still feel up to our dinner tonight?"

"Dinner tonight," Buffy replied slowly, trying to remember what he meant.

"Yes, I asked you last Thursday if you’d like to go out to dinner with me tonight after we closed up and you said yes," he reminded her.

"Oh yeah, I’m totally up for it," Buffy quickly nodded; anything that kept her away from home and Riley sounded good to her. She knew she couldn’t avoid him forever, but ‘for as long as humanly possible’ sounded like a great idea.

***

Riley drowsily looked around the living room upon waking up in the recliner after a particularly loud noise on the television. A few seconds later, he remembered the events of the past twenty four hours and rubbed his face tiredly. Oh, how he wished it was just a dream, or more accurately, a nightmare. He wished that when he’d awakened that morning, Buffy would have been in bed next to him… and he could have loved her over and over until they both were too exhausted to move. Hell, even if they had just come home and gone to their respective rooms the night before, it would better than this.

At least he wouldn’t feel so stupid, so used. He loved Buffy beyond reason and she loved her precious Angel who would only hurt her. She loved a *vampire* who wasn’t even man enough to be there for the woman he’d impregnated and their child. Riley wanted to give her the world, but all she wanted to do was sit around and wait for some loser who would never come.

He wanted to hate her more than anything, but all he could muster was a whole lot of anger towards her and a hatred of *himself* for letting her make him feel this way. Even after the way she’d ripped his heart to shreds that morning, there was no guarantee that if she walked in that door at that moment and told him she changed her mind… that he wouldn’t be ecstatic and take her back immediately.

That thought got him alert as he noticed the sun was setting. Buffy should be closing the magic store right about then, and she’d be home soon. Riley didn’t think he wanted to face her. It wasn’t until he’d cleaned up all the trash from the junk food and sodas he’d consumed that he remembered getting home from work the previous Thursday and Buffy telling him of her plans to go out with Giles that night. He wondered for a moment if she’d keep those plans before deciding that she most likely would. To Buffy, what happened meant nothing. Why should she go so far as to cancel her dinner out?

Sighing, Riley opened the refrigerator and tried to look for something appetizing. He knew he really ought to run to the store, because he’d eaten the entire bag of Cheetos that Buffy had bought herself while watching Terminator. She’d probably be pretty annoyed when she got the munchies and couldn’t find it.

Then again… she deserved it.

Smirking, Riley opened the freezer and pulled out her pint of Phish Food. It was only half full, but Buffy had just gone shopping Friday evening so there ought to be all sorts of goodies in the kitchen… and he had a couple hours to stuff his face before she got home.

***

"Buffy, I have something very important to tell you," Giles said quietly after they had placed their orders, "I fear you won’t be very happy with me. I just ask that you stay calm.. try not to be rash or let your anger get the best of you."

Buffy had to suppress the urge to lean forward and slam her head repeatedly on the table top. The last thing she needed after the day she’d has was something that might make her rash and angry. Sighing, she replied, "Go ahead, tell me."

"Well, to begin with, Angel’s been calling me."

Stunned, she asked, "He has? What for?"

"About you… I know you are angry with him, and rightfully so, but I think you are also aware that Angel still loves you very much. I can tell that he feels a lot of guilt for not being here with you… and I think he even regrets his decision in a way. I get the feeling that a part of Angel wishes he hadn’t done what he felt was best and instead had gone ahead and built a life with you."

Buffy looked down, trying not to cry, "What did he say?"

"Oh, he just wants to make sure you’re okay… both your health and emotionally," Giles answered, "I didn’t tell him that your mother… he believes you still live with Joyce. I felt that if I did tell him the truth, he might end up coming here to… I don’t know… but he might come down there and I feared that he would just cause you pain. If you want, I can tell him the truth."

Buffy shook her head, "No… you’re absolutely right. Angel would probably blow into town, ‘fix’ my life… and just as I am getting a grasp on things again, blow on out."

"All right," Giles replied, "anyway, Angel believes you are still living with your mother, so he doesn’t know about your arrangement with Riley. He doesn’t know that you have insurance that will cover your pregnancy… he thinks that you and your mother are going to end up paying thousands of dollars out of pocket for medical bills. There is also the problem of all the furniture and clothing and everything else you will have to buy for this baby. Angel feels bad enough that he’s not here… he really wants to help out with the money."

"I already told him I don’t want his money, tell him I haven’t changed my mind," Buffy snapped.

Giles took a deep breath and withdrew a white envelope from the inside of his jacket, "It’s not that simple, Buffy. Angel’s opened a checking account in your name."

"What?" she exclaimed, "I can’t believe he did that! I don’t know why, considering he *always* decides what is best for me and acts on it… even when *I* don’t agree."

Giles reached across the table and gently took her hand in his, "I know that you hate it and I don’t like that he did this either. But it *is* a good thing, so I agreed to talk to you about it."

"I don’t want his money, Giles. It’s like telling him that he *is* the wise one, and I am just this immature, stupid girl."

"Or it’s like making him face up to his responsibilities. Angel got you pregnant, if he were to do the right thing, he’d stand by you and be there for you and your child. He’d be here, taking care of you when you aren’t feeling well, going to the doctor with you, be there when you go into labor… and help you raise this child. He’d help you physically, emotionally and financially. He *owes* that to you and this baby. If you allow him to give you money, you’re letting him do part of his job, but he’s still not doing the other parts. And those parts are arguably more important."

Buffy looked at him sadly, "I know it’s *incredibly* immature, but I want him to suffer. I don’t want to give him a chance to not feel bad about this. What if he says ‘Hey, thanks to me, the baby has a crib and toys and Buffy isn’t in debt with the hospital. I’m so great and Buffy’s so lucky I did this for her.’?"

Giles smiled at her horrible impression of Angel, "Trust me when I tell you it’s not possible. With certain men, yes, they would think themselves honorable for helping out with the finances. However, you and I both know even with his faults, Angel is not one of those men. He’s going to know that you are missing out on certain things, as is your child, because he’s not there. If it helps, he’s also going to miss out on a lot of good things too. He won’t know his own child, Buffy. When your son or daughter says their first word, takes their first step… he’ll miss it. You’re going to get to be there for all those wonderful events."

Buffy allowed herself a smile as she imagined her baby doing all those things that she already looked forward to, "That is pretty special."

"Yes… it is," Giles agreed, "Now, I hate to sound like I am lecturing you, so consider this just me reminding you… that you know you could use money for this baby. The more money you have, the better the things you will have for this child. You won’t have to work as much… and when you have your baby, won’t you want to be able to spend a lot of time with them?"

After a moment, Buffy nodded reluctantly, "I know that logically, there is no reason for me not to be happy to take his money. I guess I’m just really angry."

"It’s very understandable," Giles assured her, then set the envelope down in front of her. "In here is an ATM card and checkbook… along with some booklets and other things you can read about the account."

"Why do I feel like I am being bought off?"

Giles thought for a moment about what he could say to convince her. He was already very close, he could tell. He was rather surprised she was taking it as well as she was. Then again, Buffy had been in that strange mood all day. Slowly, he used one more line of reasoning on her, "Why don’t you just take this envelope? It doesn’t mean you have to use the card or the checkbook. All that money can sit in the account. But then, if you have an emergency, you will have it there. This way *you* have money… you won’t have to ask Riley or I or anyone else for it. It’s *your* money."

The mention of Riley’s name brought tears to Buffy’s eyes suddenly. She was so caught up with her anger at Angel that she’d forgotten about their current situation for a few moments. Poor Riley, who probably hated her… was just as mad at her as she was at Angel… and rightfully so. Poor Riley who had done so much for her… and if she had an emergency, he’d probably give her money despite it. But this way she’d never have to ask.

After a moment, Buffy picked the envelope up and nodded, "Okay, I’ll take it… but that doesn’t mean I will use them."

Giles smiled and patted her hand, "That sounds wonderful to me."

As Buffy put the envelope in her purse, she had to disagree. Nothing sounded wonderful anymore. Wonderful was about a million miles away from her. Right then, everything in Buffyland pretty much sucked.

***

When she finally walked in the apartment, after taking the long way home from the restaurant and sitting her parked car in the garage for ten minutes, trying to get her courage up, Buffy wanted to do nothing but get to bed. Even despite their activities, she *had* slept fairly well the night before, and the store really hadn’t been busy that day. She supposed guilt wore her out.

As she walked in, she was relieved to find the living room empty. One glance at Riley’s closed bedroom door showed her he was in there, watching television from the loud machine gun noises. For a few seconds, she pondered knocking on his door. She certainly didn’t want to give him the impression that she wasn’t speaking to him. As it was, she wondered if he’d ever not despise her. Fear won out, though, and she decided to leave him be like he probably wanted.

Quietly, she went to her own room and stuffed the envelope Giles had given her in the back of her underwear drawer, wondering how long she could go on this way. She understood that Riley was angry, she even welcomed his anger. She felt guilty enough as it is, so she was willing to take his punishment. However, they were supposed to stay married for just under ten more months. If she had to spend ten months living with someone who couldn’t bear the sight of her because of all the pain she’d caused him… she didn’t know if she could bear it.

Things were different for her than before she’d married Riley. She knew she had Giles’ support. She had a job… and as much as she didn’t want to have to use it, she had the money from Angel. She’d give Riley some time. A few days, maybe a week to calm down, then maybe they could discuss things. If he wanted, they could end this now… go with the story that she confessed he wasn’t the father of her baby so he wouldn’t get in trouble. Then he could be rid of her. Actually, she was kind of surprised he hadn’t left… but there was always the next day.

***

Riley wasn’t sure how he felt when he came out of his bedroom to get a glass of water and realized Buffy had come home and gone straight to bed without saying a word. He only knew she’d done that because he recalled leaving the light in the living room on, and it was now off as well as any lights in Buffy’s bedroom.

At first he felt a pang, missing how open and friendly they’d been before, but then he felt anger that she was avoiding him… treating him like a burden… a hassle. Was he just something that would ruin her day because he was in pain over how she’d used him?

Did he even really know Buffy?

Riley shook his head, feeling like he was going mad. It was just that he’d never felt for anyone the way he did for Buffy. And in turn, he’d never been hurt by anyone the way he had by Buffy. He’d completely opened up to her… risked it all… and she’d used his vulnerability against him.

He tried to rationalize, say that Buffy wasn’t like that, she wouldn’t use him. After all, she’d been so reluctant, felt so bad about him giving up his freedom to marry her. She was unselfish and kind, she’d never *use* him.

But then again, Riley never would have imagined that Buffy would have sex with someone while she was in love with someone else, carrying their child. He hated saying it, but perhaps Forrest was right about her all along. Perhaps she had just lucked out when he found her and decided to go so far to help her, she’d gotten herself into a mess and he’d gotten her out of it.

Another realization hit him- Buffy didn’t need him as much now. When he’d found her, she had no home, nowhere to go. Her parents both rejected her, and she thought her friends felt the same way. She hadn’t a job, a car, money… just the clothes on her back. Now she knew that Willow and Xander would give her much needed emotional support, as would Giles… who had almost completely become a father to Buffy. Riley didn’t doubt for a minute that if Buffy wanted to, she could move in with Giles. Even without Riley, she had support, a home and money… everything she really needed.

What if she leaves? He thought, his heart filled with fear. As angry, humiliated and used as he felt, the idea of her leaving him was horrifying. He *loved* her. Even if he could never have her… just knowing she was close and he could see her… it kept him going.

Riley sighed and got his glass of water, hoping sleep would come soon. Maybe in the morning he could figure out what the hell he wanted…. or at least how he felt.

***

Buffy sighed as she looked at her overalls. There was no way she could wear them again. Even though she’d washed them frequently, since she’d been wearing them so much, she couldn’t very well wear the same thing every day before it would become noticeable. After tossing them in the hamper, Buffy grabbed a pair of sweats out of her dresser. As sloppy as she’d look, at least she’d look different.

After tugging them on and putting a baggy white shirt on to go for the complete frump look, Buffy sighed and flopped down on her bed before dialing the number to the dorm she’d previously shared with Willow. It was early enough that her friend probably hadn’t left for breakfast yet, she hoped.

"Hello?"

"Hey Will," Buffy replied.

"Hi Buffy… how are you doing?"

"I’m okay… except I have hardly a thing to wear. And I mean it this time. This is not anything like pre-date jitters when I have nothing to wear. Most of my clothes won’t button or zip… and of those that will, only a few are actually breathable."

"Well, maybe it’s time for you to get some maternity clothes," Willow suggested.

Buffy nodded, "I know… that’s why I was calling you. I’d been hoping I could last a little longer, build up my savings a little more… but it’s inevitable that I will need new clothes, so I might as well buy them now. I just need to be careful not to go too crazy before I get a chance to figure out how much money I need for the baby."

"I’m sure if you buy a few outfits, you will be fine," Willow assured her, "Do you work today?"

"Nope," Buffy answered, "So I was thinking we could go on a little trip to the mall after classes today, if you don’t mind."

"I’m up for it!"

"Great," Buffy said, trying to be excited about it. Yeah, maternity clothes sucked, but there was the whole excitement factor since it was because she was *pregnant* that she needed them. Unfortunately, she was incapable of feeling anything that could possibly be related to happy. She didn’t deserve happy… she deserved guilt and pain and punishment after what she’d done.

After she and Willow hung up, Buffy pulled her hair into a ponytail and put on her make-up before bracing herself and leaving the privacy of her room, knowing she would most likely encounter Riley. After all, he had to get up and go to school Monday through Thursday too. Besides, they *had* to face each other sooner or later… might as well get it over with.

Taking a deep breath, she opened her bedroom door and walked out, immediately finding Riley at the dining room table, eating a bowl of cereal. She greeted in a cheerful, but not too cheerful voice, "Morning."

Riley glanced up at her, his eyes unreadable, and said in a monotone voice, "Morning."

Buffy quickly walked to the kitchen to make herself some breakfast. That hadn’t gone too bad. At least he was speaking to her. Of course, compared to the way Riley usually greeted her in the mornings, he could very possibly be hating her. Still, she was determined to make things work, and even if they could never go back to the way things were before, she was willing to settle for close.

However, by the time her waffles popped out of the toaster and she’d soaked them in syrup, Riley was coming in to the kitchen to dump his dirty dishes in the sink before going to his bedroom. Buffy tried not to look disappointed that they couldn’t eat together and continued carrying her food out to the table to have her meal alone.

A few minutes after she'd started eating, Riley reemerged with his duffel bag for school. She called after him as he rushed by her to the door, "I won’t be coming home after school."

Riley froze, afraid she was telling him she was leaving.

Hesitantly, she continued, "Willow and I are going to the mall. I’m getting new clothes."

Relieved, but still angry with her, Riley simply grunted in acknowledgement before leaving the apartment.

Alone, Buffy buried her face in her hands. She’d really screwed things up this time.

:: Next Part ::