The Contentment Series:
Finished Business
by Consuella T.

Buffy and Angel were laying quietly in bed. The Slayer couldn't help but think that it wasn't the good quiet that she was used to, but one full of tension. Angel was stiff in the neck and he hadn't watched her the way he usually did when he thought she didn't notice. No watching her read a book, no watching her do homework, or brushing her hair, or laying out her clothes for the next day.

It was getting too crazy and quiet for her, so she turned to face him. "Tell me what's going on Angel."

He was pulled out of his reverie and back to reality. He looked down at the woman next to him. He didn't even notice Buffy had slipped under the covers with him. When had it happened? He blinked his eyes a couple of times then spoke. "What?"

She looked at him with the look he like to call the Slayer Look. The look she gave when she was contemplating on staking you or making you suffer. She sat up. "I want to know exactly what is going on."

Angel looked away. "If you haven't noticed Buffy, Spike knows something. Can you honestly tell me that you over looked that?"

So that's what this was all about. Her face softened and her mouth drew apart slightly as if she was at a lost. She wasn't. "No, Angel I didn't forget. He knows something, we don't know what that something is."

Angel still couldn't look at her. "He capitalized baby. I think it says plenty. If Spike knows about the-"

"And how exactly would Spike know?" Buffy asked half understanding and the other half annoyed.

This time Angel turned his head. "And how did they know about us? How did they know that I was Angelus when I turned? Drusilla is partially physic if not fully. She probably got it through a premonition."

Buffy took the information in. "Okay, so they know about this. So what? We'll fight together."

Angel sat up and grabbed her gently. "No. I won't let you risk your life or our child's for this. If he knows for one-second that you're alone or unprotected then he could hurt you. I can't live with that Buffy. So you can't leave. You have to stay here when you're alone. They can't hurt you here. This isn't a vampire's place anymore."

She lifted up her hand to protest. "Angel I can handle it. The baby and I will be fine. Nothing is going to happen to us. You just have to trust that I'll be alright. I'm not gonna do anything rash."

"I know you Buffy. You'll go out by yourself without me and I don't want you to. I want you to stay here."

"Angel, I'm not some valuable little china doll. I can protect myself. And I thought you thought better of me."

Angel shook her gently. "Buffy this isn't just about you, its about our child. And what if he attacks you unexpectedly? That's why I've been patrolling for you."

Buffy brought a hand to his face and stroked it gently. His lips were soft and his forehead crinkly from heavy worrying. She took the other hand and smoothed it out. "Angel. I know. And I'm sorry because you're right about that. But whatever happens, we have to do it together. We can't disagree on something as big as this. So we can't start keeping secrets from each other. You know how it goes when you do." She saw his face change. It grew from the worried look to the angry look.

"I'll kill him myself."

She made him face her. "Angel, what are you thinking?" When he didn't answer her she shook her head and backed away. "No. No, you can't go to him Angel. Please. Don't risk it. We don't know what he has there, who he has there." She thought back to the Judge and how it almost became the end for the both of them.

"Buf-"

"Don't Buffy me Angel. You won't let me do anything without even hearing me but you want me to hear you? That's now how it works. I'm telling you that you can't go to Spike's, not without me. I won't let you."

He saw that she was not going let up so he let it go. He would stay and watch over her. Maybe it was best. Seeing, that he wouldn't leave her, Buffy laid her head on his chest. But he pulled her up and kissed her softly. " I love you Buffy."

She kissed him on the nose and ran her fingers through his head. "I love you too. That's why we shouldn't fight about this. So, I'll be the Queen of Compromising and decree that when they come to fight, you can take me out of harm. I'm coming with you tomorrow and that's the end of it. Just don't get hurt Angel because I need you and so does this baby."

He hugged her tightly and eased back slightly. They drifted off to sleep shortly after. Angel opened his eyes and looked at Buffy. She was sleeping peacefully and soundly so he knew that she wouldn't wake up. She had always been a hard sleeper. The clock said 1:30. He contemplated on staying in bed but he knew he couldn't. He knew what he had to do. He tried to get up but she was wrapped tightly around him. Her legs tangled with his and her arms circled around his waist. He kissed her gently and she stirred a little. She smiled and then moved over. Angel got up and made it to the bathroom for a quick wash. He put his clothes on in there and came out making sure that he closed the door quietly. He went to the bed one more time to kiss Buffy and then got the keys off the night table and left.

Meanwhile, Spike and Drusilla were looking at the figure before them. Drusilla bent down to its chest and frowned Spike. "Do you think our new toy will get better Spike? His heart is weak."

Spike smiled. "He doesn't 'ave a heart beat Dru. He's one of us now."

Dru looked up at Spike and laughed. "What will the little Slayer do when she finds this one out?"

"She can't do anything pet." He walked over to the man that was laying flat out on the bed. "When Longshanks gets his strength back, he'll want to avenge his people and if we don't get them then he will. The Slayer and her little whipping post won't know what hits them. I hope he kills that wanker, Angel first."

She pulled the covers back over the body and skipped to the door with Spike close behind her. They made their way down the stairs and watched their subjects before them lazing around. Spike walked over to the one closest to the television. He sat down with him and watched the football game. "Enjoying it mate?"

The young vampire nodded. "Nothing like a game of football."

Spike agreed. "Who's winning?"

"Dallas. Been that way since the beginning." The vampire was obviously unaware of what was going to happen to him.

The leader sat back and watched the new vampire sitting there yelling out the screen. He gave him a moment to sit back and relax fully the said, "Say, weren't you supposed to be watching the Slayer's place tonight?"

He laughed because he didn't see Spike in a threatening light. "Come on Spike, it's 11:30. No one else was going to come out."

Spike nodded. "I see. You're right." In a split second, the poor guy was being held up by the neck. "That's not what I asked. I remember saying that you were to watch the Slayer's house until the sun was to come up. But since you obviously can't see where I'm coming from then maybe you would like to learn the hard way. You're new so I'm gonna tell you how it goes. You disobey me, you get staked. Not much to it."

He grabbed the nearest peace of wood that he could find and snapped into to two and staked the vampire in the heart. He then faced his crowd of scared minions. "Let that be a lesson to all. Peter, go and guard the Slayer's house and don't come back until the sun is ready to come up." Peter nodded and made an exit. "I don't want anymore interruptions tonight."

"Looks like that won't happen." A dark figure came from the doorway.

Spike rolled his eyes and turned around. "Don't you ever give up mate? You and your oh so mysterious entrance and heroic talk and all that stuff. Must get tiresome."

Angel stepped into the light. "And you never get tired of losing a battle that you know you can't win."

Spike laughed and backed up to Dru who was staring intently at Angel. "It looks like to me that it's more like a draw or a tie. No one wins mate. I'm still here and well there you are as broody and dark as ever. Its gettin' old Angel."

Dru put her arm out and made lazy circles in the air, the looked at Angel and pointed to him with an innocent, yet devious smile. "He stinks of the Slayer. He stinks of her love and he sleeps with her on red sheets of pure satin and silk. The way we used to Angelus."

Angel swallowed. He wouldn't let guilt get in the way of why he came. "I've come to warn you. Don't do what you want to do. It'll be bad for both of you." Similar to the same warning he had given Dru almost a year ago.

Spike laughed. "Now I don't think that you're in the position to be threatening anyone. Especially since I know."

"What do you know?"

Spike was taken back for a brief moment. "You mean, you don't know? Well, then I guess you'll have to wait and see what I know when I tell you. In the meantime, if I were you, I would get home to the big Slayer, before something happens."

Angel saw the two people that he had made into evil all those forgotten and not forgotten centuries ago. This is what the price of adventure and disobedience had cost him and the world. With the sudden shrill of an alarm going off in his head, he stepped back. Spike smiled. "Kill him." The circle that had formed in the dark shadows closed in on him. "This will be fun to watch. Maybe we can torture him again."

Angel looked around. It was getting tight. The only opening was close to Dru. He saw it as a chance and grabbed her into the semi circle taking out a stake with him. "You'll back off, or you'll never see her again."

Spike stopped laughing and growled, his game face coming to view. "You wouldn't. You couldn't kill her even if you wanted to. You're too guilty. Too human."

"Spike! Get me!" Dru screeched.

Spike looked at her all helpless. "I'll get you baby. Hold on. C'mon Angel let her go. Eh? For old times."

Angel smiled. "Looks like you're the one out of luck this time. Tell them to get away. Now."

Stuck in a corner he retreated. "Back off! Back off you bloody sods." His followers backed away as quickly as possible allowing Angel to move to the exit. Dru whimpered in his arms as he held the stake close to her heart. Once he got to the door, he pushed her over to Spike.

"Give it up Spike, or it'll be the end of you," he warned, then disappeared.

The troop of vampires were going to go after him but Spike stopped them. "Wait!" He hugged Dru tightly. "Are you okay ducks? Did he hurt you badly?"

Dru let a tear fall down her face and buried her head into Spike's shoulder. "He hurt me. Daddy hurt me Spike. Kill him for me please?"

Spike comforted her the best way he knew how and picked her up. "Don't worry love." He set her down and then stood at the center of the room. "Listen up you idiots. We attack tomorrow afternoon at the library. We'll kill them then."

"But what about us? We can't be out in the light either," one vampire replied.

"Yeah, and when Angel finds out he'll kill us all," another suggested.

The leader rolled his eyes. "Why do I even let you stay here with me? None of you are worthy. Do you think that I would let us go out in daylight unless I had a plan? We'll go through the sewer systems. They won't be expecting us anytime in the day. The Slayer is the only one who can fight, but she's about to be little Miss Homemaker Slayer. Angel doesn't know she's got little Broody the II in there. That was something I didn't know."

Dru smiled and circled her lover slowly. "The walls tell me that you have a plan. They are closing in on us."

He grabbed her waist and held her tight. "Indeed I do love. Angel can't go out in the sun so he won't be there to protect the Slayer. And since he doesn't know about the little tweaker, he'll let her leave without a second thought of her need for protection. Not that they'dve used it anyway. The rest of them, if they are immortal, are not ready to fight yet. So we'll get them first before they can get us. And as for Angel, when he finds out that he lost his little human and a child that he didn't even know he could have, he'll go off and play Romeo and stake himself giving us all a rest from his pity parties and woe is me crap."

Dru snorted slightly and licked Spike's ear. "It is a very good plan, says the walls," Dru announced.

The next morning went normally. Buffy was in the bathroom singing to a song that was in her head. As she walked toward the sink, she stopped and looked in the full length mirror at her naked self. She was not yet showing, but she could feel the baby inside her growing. It was weird. She was going to be a mother, a teenage mother, but a mother nonetheless. But she had Angel. How many teenage mothers could say they had that? *It better be not be anybody else who can say that*, she thought for a moment with a scowl. She rubbed her stomach and began to think about the good future she was building for her self. She never thought she could get to the normal part that everyone kept telling her was out there. It seemed as if everyone wanted to taunt her with something they knew she couldn't have. Now, she was married to the only person she ever loved, who was normal now, and surrounded by friends, and having a baby. They were truly the lucky ones.

Angel watched her from the door way looking at her. He smiled. Soon her body would extend forward and be round. She wouldn't be fat. . .she would be pleasantly plump. And she wouldn't waddle the way most would. She would be as graceful as she was now. Like a swan. Though he wouldn't mind to see her waddle. He wanted to witness her going through all the stages. He wanted to see her swell with his child growing rapidly inside her, then he wanted to watch her at night when she would sing to it and nurse it. Before he had never asked for those things because he knew that he could never have them. He never hoped for them because he knew they could never be his. But now that he had a taste of normal, he wanted it all. He wanted everything he thought he could never have and more.

"How long are you going to stand there looking at me? I'm not a little Lolita. We *are* married now," she said as she turned around to face Angel with a sincere smile.

He jumped at that. Sometimes he got caught up in old memories. There was a time when she was forbidden. She represented everything he couldn't have, but wanted, and now there she was his and he forgot sometimes that she was no longer forbidden to him.

He walked over to her and put his arms on either shoulders and nuzzled his nose in her hair. He let his hands drift down to her taught belly and rubbed it tenderly. "The both of us are in there. Its hard to believe."

Buffy laughed. "I know. In less then eight and a half months, we'll be parents. We'll watch them grow up, and be the parents that we promised ourselves that we would never be. Ours."

It was Angel's turn to laugh. He looked in awe at the mirror. Both of them in it together. He studied Buffy's body and the way, though it was small, it would fit perfectly to his own when they came together for a kiss or. . .for anything else. He looked at her face. He loved everything about her face. He loved the way her nose flawed a little at the end and the way her eyes would get big and sparkly when he came into the room. He loved the way she smiled and flashed her beautiful set of teeth whenever he looked at her. The way she clung to him at moments as if it seemed like it was the last time she would ever see him. The way she tangled herself with him when they were asleep. Her legs would wind up around his and her arms would wrap around his stomach, or sometimes they'd be on his chest and other times, around his neck.

He loved that whenever he nuzzled his head in her hair, lemons and kiwi would fill his nose. The way her neck curved. It was as if it was made just for him to kiss and rest on. He loved the way she smelled and felt. Like soft peaches and strawberries on a beautiful spring afternoon. Her hair was soft and she was growing it out so it was wavy at the roots a little.

Finally, he loved her. He loved the inside of her the way she was. He loved her flaws. Her worried nature over them and the way she defied people when they were wrong. The way she could connect with him and understand him when even his sister or anyone else couldn't. He loved her brain. She was always using it even though she never believed she could. How she made things seem so simple and pure and innocent. How in spite of all that happened in her short life, she took it and made it better or moved on. How she had the power of forgiveness in her even when it took forever for her to do so. He loved how she could hope and be sad. Or how she could be angry and laugh. The way she could take his heart and take out all the black patches in it and replace it with light and peace and happiness. Her soul was incredibly human and good and she didn't try to be anything she wasn't. She accepted who he was at a time when he couldn't even accomplish such a task. She made him feel wanted a! nd special.

She watched him look at her and smiled with a tear in her eye. She hadn't really meant to intrude in on his thoughts but he had looked so peaceful there she couldn't help herself. She turned around towards him and kissed him gently. "I feel the same way about you too." He looked down at her and smiled shyly. Had he be thinking that long? "Almost anyway. Your hair doesn't smell like kiwi and lemon for one, thank God. But I do think that you have a beautiful set of teeth."

They stayed that way for a few more minutes. And then Buffy looked at him as it has just dawned on her. "You think my nose is flawed?"

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