Where Memories Lead:
Fallout
by Gem

Part One

"I don't have a good feeling about this, Buffy. She's setting us up, I can feel it." Angel gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands, fiercely concentrating on the road until his beloved's lack of response began to worry him.

"Buffy, are you listening to me?" He risked a glance at her, only to discover her staring in rapt fascination at the ring on her finger.

"Hmm?" She looked up at last, sensing his eyes on her. "Did you say something?"

"I said I don't like this situation. You never should have told your mother I was coming back with you. It only gives her more time to prepare."

"I thought you liked my mother."

"She's the one who doesn't like me. Not that I blame her," he hastened to add. "I did a lot of terrible things when the demon was in control, and she doesn't even know half of them. But it makes me kind of nervous. I'd feel better if we surprised her." In Angel's experience, and he had a lot of it, sneak attacks were always best. At least for the attacker.

"Angel, I swear I was kidding about the garlic in the lasagna."

"I'm not worried about the food," he explained patiently. "After all, it's not like I need to eat. I'm worried about what she'll say to you, especially after she finds out about the baby. And I'm a little worried about all the wood in your house."

She grinned and caressed his cheek. "No wonder you like that big under-furnished stone mansion. Lack of raw materials."

"It's not funny, Buffy. I can defend myself, but I really don't want to have to against your mother."

"You're the one who went trawling the school yards for little blonde cheerleaders, boss. You reap what you sow."

Angel and Buffy both glared at Cordelia as she slung herself over the back of the bench seat. She smiled cheerfully at them with complete, and typical, disregard for tact or diplomacy.

"I mean, you can hardly fault the woman for being a little leery of a much, much, much..."

"We get it, Cordelia," Angel snapped.

"...older guy," she blithely continued, "who stalks, seduces, then stalks her teenage daughter yet again. It's got movie-of-the-week written all over it."

Buffy looked at Angel in despair. "Why, oh why, did you ask her to ride with us?" she wailed.

"I couldn't very well leave her alone in LA on New Year's Eve, and her car is in the shop," he explained through gritted teeth. For the tenth time. It had been a long and grueling drive with the two women in his life nervously snapping at each other the whole way. At the journey's end, all he faced was an angry mother-in-law-to-be. It was enough to try the patience of a saint, let alone a demon.

"But you told her she could stay at the mansion with us," she whispered. "I really wanted some quality alone time, if you know what I mean."

"I think we all know what you mean, Buff," Cordelia drawled. "Believe me, I intend to spend as much time as possible out of that mausoleum, for my own sake. That place gives me the creeps. But Mom and Dad have a really tiny place now, and there isn't any room for me. At least that's what they told me. I haven't been home since graduation." She relied on years of experience as the queen of her clique to project the proper carefree attitude. Just because she and Buffy were sort of friends was no reason to invite pity.

Buffy tried, unsuccessfully, to imagine her mother moving to some place so small she wouldn't even have a sofa bed or sleeping bag to spare for her daughter. Then she tried to imagine doing the same thing to her own child. Unconsciously, her hand moved to lie protectively across her abdomen.

Angel caught her movement out of the corner of his eye, and reached over to lay his hand on top of her own. She smiled at him, and suddenly they shared a sense of peace they hadn't felt since shortly after Buffy called her mother that morning.

"Yes, Mom, I said LA," Buffy repeated once more, showing remarkable patience with her mother's lack of comprehension. "No, I told you, I'm not here to see Dad. I needed to see Angel....No, I won't have time to see Dad. I'll call him on New Year's Eve...Yes, tonight. I promised Will that I'd Bronze it with her. It’s a full moon tonight and since she and Oz broke up they depress her. I'd cancel...but I know how tough a break-up can be." She looked over at Angel, stretched out beside her on the bed, and uttered a silent prayer of thanks. Whatever they had endured, and would endure, they were together now, forever. She only hoped Willow would be as lucky someday.

"What?" She forced her attention back to the phone and her mother, away from the gorgeous naked man waiting patiently for her. "Yes I did get to see Angel." She blushed a little, thinking just how much she had seen. "He's coming back with me...Mom, you can offer your opinion, but you can't tell me what to do anymore. I'm not a child...On second thought, forget offering opinions. Are you actually the same woman who told me if I couldn't say something nice about someone to say nothing at all?...Mom, I'm going to hang up now. We'll see you tonight. Practice being nice!"

She slammed the portable phone down on the nightstand, inadvertently shattering it on the hard wood. "Oops, sorry," she said, shamefaced. "You'd think after all this time, I'd remember when to hold back on the super powers."

"It's okay," he replied, reaching up to pull her down into the circle of his arms. "The question is, are you? That sounded like a rough phone call."

She twined herself along the cool length of his body, pillowing her head on his broad chest. "She wasn't exactly happy about the whole you-me-us thing, but she'll adjust. She won't have a choice."

"Does she know about the baby?"

She titled her head back to look at him. "No, not yet. You're the first person I told. The first one I thought of telling, actually." She couldn't believe how long ago it all seemed as she brushed a stray gold flake of confetti off his chest.

"Even when you didn't remember?" Angel was humbled by her display of trust especially after all he had put her through.

"If I had thought...If I had reason to think..." She was stumbling over her words, trying to explain without dredging up painful memories. "I didn't know who, but I knew who not...I mean...Yes, even when I didn't remember!" Buffy gave up her attempt at total honesty as a bad adventure. Sometimes tact was the best way to go, especially when discussing sex with the opposite sex.

"It's all right, I get it." He did get it, though his mind shrank at the idea she was trying to express. "If you knew from the start who the father was, and it wasn't me, I wouldn't have been the first one you told. That makes sense, Buffy."

"The funny thing is, I can't imagine it being anyone else." She rested her head on his chest again after he dropped a light kiss on her forehead. "I fell in love with you when I was sixteen, then I found out you couldn't have kids before I was seventeen. I stopped thinking about babies before I really started, because you were the only man I ever saw myself spending my life with."

Angel struggled with himself for a moment, debating his timing. He wanted to do it right this time, after a long walk on the beach or to the music of strolling violinists. He wanted her to have a beautiful memory to cherish when things got tough, not just another hurried stolen moment. He wanted to give her the moon and the stars, the way she gave them to him simply by existing.

But if Doyle's death had taught him anything, it was that time was precious. As an immortal, he had become blunted to its effects over the centuries. A vampire can easily create the "perfect" moment, whatever he deems that to mean, because he has so many to work with. Living among humans again, he was forced to remember that for them it was the limited number of minutes available that made each one special.

His decision made, he loosened one arm from Buffy's shoulders and reached over to pull open the drawer of the nightstand. She made a little sound of protest when he sat up, pulling her up with him.

"Sweetheart, this may not be the right time, but..." He opened the small box in his hand to reveal an antique gold ring. "I saw this the day you left LA, well, the day you came to LA. You know what I mean." Angel glanced shyly at her, unsure of her reaction.

Buffy touched the ring, still in the box, with a shaking finger. The pink diamond, set in a golden rose, winked at her in the light of the one remaining burning candle. "You bought this when I didn't remember anything? When you thought I wasn't coming back?" A tear escaped her eye and trickled down her cheek.

He leaned over and kissed the tear away. "I couldn't let someone else wear it. It belonged on your hand, or on none at all."

She held out her left hand. "Put it on me," she requested softly.

"First I need to ask you a question." He cleared his throat nervously. "You know I’m not very good at expressing my feelings, but you mean everything to me, Buffy. You are the reason for my being I've known that since the first day I saw you. There aren't words to say how much I love you, but I plan to spend the rest of my days showing you." He looked deep into her hazel eyes. "Will you marry me?"

The question brought more tears, but for a change he didn't feel guilty about them. This time he knew they were tears of joy. She smiled lovingly at him and stroked his cheek, then ran her hand down his throat and arm to place her hand in his.

"I'll stay with you forever that's the whole point." She could say those words now without a shiver, because the old dreams were put to rest. No more nightmares, no more lying to herself, no more self-recrimination. Their future started now, together.

He took the ring from the box and slid it on her finger, sealing it with a kiss.

The memory of that morning warmed Buffy again as she stared at Angel's hand resting over her own. Unfortunately, she could also remember how brief that peaceful interlude had been. Cordelia had begun stomping on the floor of the office overhead, and Angel was forced to go upstairs to find out what was wrong. While he was gone, her mother called back (good old *69!) to indulge in another round of Angel-bashing. By the time Angel came back, after killing a rat, they were both a little too wired for soft music and soft words. They dressed and ate and cleaned up confetti, and generally tried to pretend they both weren't dreading the ensuing battle. As soon as the sun set, they were on the road. With Cordelia, of all people.

"Umm, guys, I actually kind of want to apologize for foisting myself on you." The tone came from a Cordelia Buffy was not accustomed to, but Angel recognized her sudden shift in mood. He also knew humility and gratitude were still a little bit of a strain on her.

"It's all right, Cordelia," he assured her. "We invited you, remember?"

Buffy bit her tongue Cordelia had invited herself. Still, it was an apology, and that was more than her highness used to give.

"Yeah, it's okay with us." A thought struck Buffy. "Actually maybe it's a good thing. We can take you along to my mom's house first. She won't yell nearly as much with you there."

"As if!" Cordelia tossed her head. "Just because I overheard you guys talking pre-schools and baby monitors does not mean I have to be the one to keep the pin in your mother's grenade when she finds out she's about to become Grandma Joyce."

"Maybe we should go to the mansion first anyway," Angel offered uneasily. "It will give you some time to rest, and..."

"She said dinner was at six, Angel." Buffy's tone left no room for arguments.

Angel sighed.

Cordelia turned her head to stare at him. "You know, you've been doing that a lot lately for someone who doesn't need to breathe." Buffy's glare made her sink back into the back seat. "Jeeze," she muttered, "make one little observation and suddenly you're Public Enemy Number One."

There was a momentary lull, then Buffy and Cordelia spoke as one.

"Are we there yet?"

Joyce was ready and waiting at the door for them when they pulled into the driveway. Buffy quickly slipped her engagement ring into her pocket and accepted her mother's hug with reluctant affection. The congenial mood was promptly shattered by the coolness of Angel's reception by his mother-in-law-to-be.

"Mom," she said tightly, "the phrase 'be nice' doesn't just refer to the absence of a crucifix as the centerpiece." She gripped Angel's arm firmly, trying to remind both he and her mother of their solidarity.

Joyce smiled with forced cheer. "I'm sorry, dear. I didn't mean to start things off on the wrong foot." She looked over Buffy's shoulder to the driveway beyond. "Oh good, Rupert is right on

time."Buffy and Angel quickly turned around, then moved out of the doorway to allow Giles entry.

"Giles, I didn't know you were going to be here." Buffy looked suspiciously at her mother. "Reinforcements, Mom?"

"Why don't we all go in to dinner?" Joyce suggested, side-stepping the question. She made her way to the dining room, not looking to see if the others followed.

Dinner was garlic-free, but still a tense affair nonetheless. The conversation was fraught with numerous unfortunate comments, followed by lengthy awkward silences. Angel was almost relieved when Buffy insisted they clear the table, allowing her mother and Giles to resettle in the living room.

"I can't stand this any more," she hissed, shoving dishes randomly into the dishwasher. "We should have told them at dinner."

"Dinner was bad enough, but at least they could choke some food down," Angel explained as he rinsed the plates before handing them to her. "Now we sit them down and tell them. Calmly and rationally."

"Oh sure, now that they've built up their strength we're going to spring it on them. You actually survived for two hundred years using that kind of strategy?"

"Strategy for what?"

Buffy whirled around to face Giles, while Angel bowed his head and silently prayed for strength. Then he turned around as well, moving behind Buffy to support her.

"Giles! We didn't hear you come in." Buffy was stalling for all her worth. Now that the moment had come, she was suddenly very afraid.

"What's going on? Secret meeting or do moms get to participate these days?" Joyce was suddenly at Rupert's side, bringing the whole family together.

Buffy glanced at Angel, who nodded his head ever so slightly. She grimaced, then turned to face her suspicious parent and

almost-parent."We have something we need to tell you. Something more than the news that we're back together. Take a seat." She pulled out a chair at the table for herself, gesturing to the others to do likewise. Angel chose to stand behind her, his hands resting lightly on her shoulders.

"All right Buffy, what is this big news?" Joyce hoped that at least her voice sounded calm, because it was far from how she was feeling.

"Angel and I...are getting married. Soon." She pulled her ring out and slid it on her finger, waving it under her mother's nose as Joyce's mouth opened in protest. "I'm not finished. I want to get married soon because I'm always afraid some new evil is going to jump in and wreck things, but that's not the only reason. We're expecting a baby."

"That's impossible!" Giles burst out.

Buffy started to rise from her chair, but Angel gently held her down. "He's not immortal, remember? He gets to say that."

"He still should know better," Buffy replied indignantly.

Giles had entirely missed their by-play, engrossed as he was by the wrench they had just thrown into his universe. "Slayers can't have children," he said, almost to himself.

"What are you talking about?" Three voices assaulted him at once, forcing him to temporarily cover his ears.

"I said, slayers can't have children," he repeated patiently, as if that would solve the whole problem. "Vampires either, so there must be some mistake."

"I was human for a day," Angel explained. "But I don't understand what you're saying about Buffy. You never told her she couldn't..."

"It hardly seemed to matter," Giles said earnestly. "She's been in love with you, a vampire, literally since the day we both met her. Even if she hadn't been, it would hardly be my place to tell a teenage girl that she can have sex as much as she wants and she'll never have to worry about getting pregnant."

"A baby?" Joyce asked softly. "You're going to have a baby?"

Buffy abandoned her anger towards Giles to help her mother deal with reality. "That's right, Mom," she said slowly, enunciating each word. "We're having a baby. In the fall. Together."

"But you can't do this! It's too much responsibility, and you're much too young."

"And I might not live to get a whole lot older, Mom. Did you ever think of that?" Buffy was rapidly losing patience with her mother, and her Watcher wasn't earning any bonus points either.

"This doesn't make any sense," Giles insisted. "Even assuming Buffy can have children, which she should not be able to do, you can't, Angel. What did you mean you were human for a day? If you were human, you would die your body is over two hundred years old."

"I can't explain it, I just live it," Angel replied with a shrug. "My blood was mixed with that of a Morah demon and I became human. For a day."

Buffy glanced up at him, love and rueful pride shining in her eyes. "It was supposed to be permanent, but he gave it up for me." She looked back at her mother and Giles, the starlight fading from her gaze. "We didn't have much time together, but it was enough to create a tax deduction." She looked back up at Angel, a puzzled frown on her face. "Do you pay taxes?"

"Buffy, please." Giles' voice was rather strained. "Why did Angel give up his mortality?"

"What does it matter?" Joyce burst out. "My daughter is a freshman in college and about to raise a child with a vampire. Who cares why he wasn't one or is one again?"

"I care."

The quiet note of maturity in her daughter's voice startled Joyce. She looked helplessly from Buffy to Angel, allowing herself for the first time to see the bond between them. She had mistrusted Angel from the start, and it appeared her fears were justified, but there seemed to be no way of permanently severing the connection between them. God knows she had tried.

"He gave it up for me, to save my life. There was only one thing in the world that he wanted more than being human so we could be together, and that was my safety. So I care, Mom."

"Joyce, I know this isn't what you wanted for Buffy's future, at least not yet." Angel looked down at the blonde head resting lightly against him. "This isn't quite the way we wanted it either, but it's meant to be. If it wasn't, the Powers That Be wouldn't have allowed the child to survive time turning back." He smiled slightly at Joyce. "I promise you, it will be all right. I'll do everything I can to make them happy, and we will make it all right."

"What do you want us to say, Buffy?" Joyce sighed, resigned to another lost battle. The only person on earth more stubborn than herself was her daughter, and now Buffy's feet were set firmly on a course of her own choosing.

"How about 'congratulations, Buffy,' or 'we're happy for you, Buffy,' or simply 'you know we love you, Buffy'." The bitterness in her voice was apparent to everyone.

Angel crouched down and wrapped his arms around her. She flung her arms around him and buried her face in his neck as he murmured in her ear.

"You know that we love you." Giles was contrite. Buffy had come home to share what she felt was very happy news, and all he could do was analyze the situation. "Please accept my somewhat belated congratulations." He came over to the other side of the table to lay a hand on each of their shoulders.

Buffy and Angel rose as one to awkwardly embrace Giles. After a moment, Joyce came to join them. She wasn't quite ready, though, for a group hug.

"Honey, I just want what's best for you. I always have," she explained earnestly, resting a hand on Buffy's shoulder. "You'll understand that when you have...well, I guess you'll understand that pretty soon."

Buffy smiled at her mother, sensing a thaw. "Mom, being with Angel is what's best for me. I know the baby thing is happening kind of quickly, and Angel wasn't lying when he said we didn't plan it this way. But we are happy about it. We didn't think we'd ever get this chance. That's part of the reason Angel left last summer."

Joyce's eyes met Angel's as they shared a silent moment of understanding. The past was the past, and there was no reason for Buffy to learn now that his departure had more to do with her mother's wishes than his presumed infertility.

"Yes, well, there was something else, as I recall." Giles really didn't want to bring sex into the conversation, but he was concerned for the future. A baby was poor glue with which to hold a tempestuous relationship together. Not that sex was the solution either, of course, but the lack of it had driven a wedge between them before and could do so again.

Buffy blushed, glancing quickly up at Angel to find her touchstone in his dark eyes. "That's, umm, not a problem anymore. The curse read a little differently than we thought."

"Are you sure?" Giles was aghast at his costly error. "If you have suffered all this time because of my poor grasp of Latin, I'll never forgive myself."

"Oz and Anya finished translating the curse for me," Angel explained gently. "Apparently Willow started channeling a gypsy spirit in the middle of the ceremony, so we don't know for sure if what you translated is what she said. But Oz remembered it word for word, and Anya translated. Everything worked out okay in the end, Rupert. It's not your fault."

"But there's still school, and his job, and what about your job?" Joyce still wasn't ready to give up the fight, not when her only child's happiness was at stake.

Buffy sighed and pulled out a chair. "Have a seat, Mom. I can see this is going to take a while."

Part Two

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