Carissimo Padre II: Figlia Dolce

Disclaimer: Joss is God, Joss is King, Joss our Lord owns everything.... Groan.....
E-Mail: [email protected]
Notes: This is a sequel to Carissimo Padre. You really should read it before, or you might have trouble understanding this.
Rated: Mostly PG-13 � R , NC-17 Parts are clearly marked.
#2 Note: Okay, so I lied. As you see, there�s DEFINITELY gonna be a sequel.... ;) I kinda got inspired! *^_^* I even already know how it's gonna end!!!! I just have to pnder about the -in between- , though.
Summary: Completely AU. - My family�s nuts! At least, that�s what 17-year-old Deanna Summers thinks. And she might be not that mistaken. Come on, whose parents are making out 24/7 and that mostly IN FRONT of their three underage kids?
Dedication: To Nina, thank you for the constant feedback for CP! And to Sarah, my sweet sweet beta, you�re the best!!!!
Feedback: P-L-E-A-S-E!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*~*~*

Prologue

My name�s Deanna. Deanna Cameron Summers-Liery. Long name, isn�t it? Well, I like it. There was a time my last name was only Summers, back then when my mother was only a shadow of the woman she is today. Before she met my father again, she was never as happy as she is today. Never.

I still remember their wedding as if it was only yesterday. I was the flower-girl. Pink, red and white rose pedals, just like my Mom liked them. The church was filled with all the people I ever met in my life and a couple more. Plus, of course, Dad�s folks and friends. I met my Grandmother for the first time that day! And God, was she annoying! She treated me like a toddler and spoke to me in gah-goh-blub language. But all in all, I think that day had been one of the best in my whole life.

And of course, Mom�s dress is neat and safely tucked up in a box in her closet. And one day, I�ll wear it on my wedding, just like Grams had wanted Mom to wear it.

I�m 17. 470 days ago I got my driver�s license and scared my father half to death. My little big daddy had the honor to be the first person ever driving in my own car. On the passenger seat of course. He was on the edge of loosing his mind the whole time, screaming �Stop!� When ever there was a traffic light in sight and having his hands 12 mm near the steering wheel the whole time.

Since that day, he�s only allowed to sit in the back seat when I drive the car.

Next to his three-year-old drooling machine and my honey of a little brother. Little Ives thought he was a girl for the first three years of his life, �cause his name sounded exactly like the name of our neighbours little daughter. That was before he noticed that there was something different between his legs and Eve�s. After that, the first thing Mom did was showing him how to spell his name and telling him the difference between male and female bees. And the thing with the flowers soon to follow. But that story she left for dad to tell Ives Patrick Liery. You should have seen that. The big and mighty Angel Liery telling his three-year-old son where the babies come from.

That�s a record! Even I was 5 when I was told that story. And that was more or less an accident. Spike had drunk far more than he could take that night....

Speaking of, I KNOW Ives is jealous as hell that I have the most coolest god-fathers all for myself, and he is stuck with Doyle.

Ives is 8, 9 in half a year. Mom had been pregnant with him even long before Dad proposed to her. But they didn�t know that then. He has asthma.

I graduated from High-School with 14, being the child prodigy that I am, and started going to College with 15. Two more years to go and I�m free. I still don�t have a major, though...

Okay, back to my family. The Drooling Machine: Samantha Charity Liery, my little sister, three years old and still speaking more or less the baby-language. She�s cute with Mom�s nose, Dad�s lips and the dark-golden curls framing her little face. I think she�s the most beautiful little girl in the world. After me, of course. Ives wasn�t that cute. But he�ll be a womaniser all the same. He comes so much after Dad, it�s impossible!

And not to mention that he�s sweet as hell! Ever saw an 8-year-old holding doors open for women?? See, he�s an one in a million! But still, I just can�t stop myself from teasing him. It drives him half nuts that his little sister Sam has a name that sounds more male-ish than his own.

I for one, still can�t understand what got into them naming their son Ives. Sure, it�s a beautiful name. But why didn�t they just name Samantha Eve and Ives got Samuel? That�s just cruel for a boy! It�s like naming your son Angel! Wait, now I know where that came from...

Tomorrow I�ll have to do the babysitting for my siblings. Don�t get me wrong here, it�s not that bad. I had to be fourteen when Mom stopped letting someone look after me 24/7 when she wasn�t around. Which was really annoying, �cuz all my classmates were 18 and starting to move out of their homes.

But today, I can proudly say that I�m the girl for everything! I�m the babysitter for like the whole town�s toddlers! I�m taking care of Alexia and Andrew, Anya and Xander�s twins, they�re a little over one year old and are in the middle of their Let�s-Break-Everything-�Cause-Now-We-Can-Run phase. In fact, I�m the only babysitter that Sean hasn�t already driven away; he�s Spike�s and Faith�s kid, by the way. Yes, you did hear right. Mr. I�ll- Never-Get-Married settled down. With Faith, five years ago. The little blonde sweetheart of theirs is four. Dean says Sean is exactly like Spike had been in his age. I never knew that Mom and Uncle Spike went to the kindergarten together...

Not to mention that *I�m* the most striking beautiful girl I know. That�s for sure! Well, I still think Mom looks better, but I come directly after that. I�m like the perfect mix of my parents and my father�s not that bad looking, either. As a matter of fact, a girl in my psych class is head over heels in love with my ol� man. But I won�t tell him that.

I think they haven�t aged a bit since I was nine. Of course, 35 and 41 isn�t THAT old, but they look still like they�re in their twenties! Mom definitely got that from Dean.

But the weirdest thing in the world: Guess who�s become one of Dad�s best friends? Yup, Spike. Can you imagine that? Mister Better Save Than Sorry Liery and William the Bloody? I never got that nickname, by the way. Why �William THE BLOODY�? Well, I�ll just have to find out....

�Deanna?�

That was my Mom, I�m supposed to give my siblings a ride to school and the kindergarten and still haven�t finished dressing. And I�d be damned if I didn�t eat something before. I have a day full of classed today and won�t be home before evening. I�m meeting Isabelle and Mary after Art. And if everything�s gonna running smooth, I�m about to stay the night over at Belle�s.

I just hope Mom cooked. Dad simply sucks at breakfasts. His lunch and dinners are heaven, but breakfast? No, thank you. Why can�t a guy that makes a Cordon bleu like a French master-cook make a few simple scrambled eggs with ham and OJ? He can do them without ham, so WHY? The best thing that Dad brings on is toasted Pizza. Literally. He shoved the damn thing into the toaster. And let me tell you, last days Pizza doesn�t taste any better if it�s black and glue-y. It�s disgusting. Like imagining your parents having sex, which isn�t all that difficult when you live door to door with them.

Ives has it much easier there, he�s been given the fine art of denial as a birthright. He and Sam live upstairs. And the small man tells everyone he�s been created in a lab.

�DEANNA!�

And that was Dad, can it be that they�re late? It�s already nine! Well.

I grabbed my leather-jacket and shrugged it on, pulling at my bag from on top of my bed and disturbing my cat. Little Kitty needs her beauty sleep!

�Coming!� I yell down the hall. Hell, I seriously have to stop talking to myself!

And Oh MY *GOD*! WHY is my boyfriend, that my father DOESN�T know of, standing in my living-room??

*~*~*

�Honey, calm down, *please*!� Buffy begged desperately. �He�s okay, I checked him!�

�You *know* him?!� Angel yelped. �Why didn�t *anyone* TELL me? I mean, I�m her father, shouldn�t I know about my little girl�s boyfriend?� Angel whimpered, collapsing onto the yellow-greenish cord couch in the living room, causing Michael to jump nearly a foot away.

�See?� Buffy smirked at the young boy, the looked down at her husband, sitting down at the arm of the seat Angel collapsed into. �You did it again, he�s cowering in fear! See a trend there? Her last boyfriend ran screaming away from you and never talked to her again! *I* can understand why she didn�t introduce the two of you. I stopped introducing my boyfriends to my father when I was *thirteen*!�

And Angel only grumbled something non-audible and looked at the frightened seventeen year old. �If you hurt her in ANY way, you�re mush!� Angel growled.

�He didn�t hurt her for six months now.� Buffy remarked, stroking Angel�s hair softly.

�SIX months?� Angel yelped shocked. �*SIX* MONTHS and I never ONCE met him??!�

Buffy only chuckled, receiving a glare from her seventeen-year-old daughter, who was standing between her parents and her boyfriend. Her boyfriend never once said a thing. �Come on, honey, let them go. They�re gonna miss first period.� Buffy said gently, soothing Angel�s nerve.

�Okay.� Angel grumbled and in less than a second the two were out the door, gathering Deanna�s little sibling and rushing to Deanna�s car, leaving the door wide open.

�See?� Angel argued. �He can�t even close a door!�

�That was Ives.� Buffy smiled. �And you don�t close doors, either.� She closed the door silently and went into the kitchen, strolling lazily into her haven. �C�mon super-daddy. Breakfast? We�re late anyway.�

Angel said nothing, simply following her into the kitchen and grabbing the open container of OJ from the counter, pouring himself a glass.

�Oh, and Deanna got herself a tattoo.� Buffy commented, causing Angel to spit the whole liquid against the wall.

�WHAT?!� He yelled, and Buffy began laughing like a loon, nearly collapsing to the floor.

�Just kidding!� She said giggling, hiccuping.

�Don�t DO that!� Angel huffed, then chuckled along. �Funny.� He commented sarcastically.

�Thought so!� His wife beamed, strolling over and enclosing her arms around his waist, stepping onto the tip of her toes and kissing him softly. �Why didn�t you wait up for me today? I woke up all alone!� She pouted, receiving another kiss from her lover.

�I�m sorry.� Angel said, gazing into her beautiful hazel eyes. �Spent the last two hours in the tub, now I�m all wrinkly.�

�Fell asleep again?� Buffy smirked at him, leaning her head against his chest.

�Uh-huh. It�s just too boring in a tub. All silent and light. It�s not the right atmosphere to brood and not the right place to be loud.� He complained, leaning his chin against her hair and rocking her gently.

�I could have kept you company!� Buffy remarked and Angel only chuckled, letting go of her when she took her coat, pulling her car-keys out of her bag. �C�mon, we�re laying the first stone of the new Children�s Center.�

She said, practically pushing him out the door.

*~*~*

�Michael was a chi-cken. Michael was a chi-cken!� Ives sang in his little voice, bouncing up and down in his seat. �Michael was afraid of da-ad. Michael was afraid of da-ad!�

�Shut up, *Eve*.� Deanna growled, leaning over to the backseat and patting the back of her little brother�s head.

�Hey!� He protested. ��sides, It�s not Ives anymore!� He snickered, sticking out his tongue.

�So? What am I gonna call you then? Josephine? Antonia? Anabelle? Or do you find Theresa more fitting?� Deanna teased, chuckling at her brother�s glare.

�NO. It�s Grapefruit!� Ives replied proudly.

�Grapefruit?� Deanna repeated, cocking up one single eyebrow, turning in her seat and looking at her siblings through the mirror. She grinned at her boyfriend who sat in the driver�s seat.

�Grapefruit!� Ives confirmed, grinning like a fool.

�And why in the name of god are you naming yourself after a FRUIT? Why not strawberry or tomato?� Deanna asked, glancing at her sister, who sat, sound asleep in her little child�s seat, snoring in a soft, low tune.

But little Ives, sorry, �Grapefruit�, only snored. �You don�t get it, do you? Didn�t you EVER watch Dr. Dolittle?� He asked his older sister and Michael turned to the side of the road, stopping the car infront of Ives�s school building.

Grabbing his backpack, Ives left the car, winking at Michael and grinning at his sister.

�Have a nice day, banana!� Deanna smirked, yelling after her little brother who hadn�t even had the chance to glare back at her before the car left the schoolground again, bringing the little girl sleeping in the backseat of her sister�s car to her kindergarten.

�I don�t get this child.� Deanna sighed once she was out of sight.

*~*~*

�Sean! Take that out of your mouth!� Faith yelled across the whole mall, making Spike blush a deep red, standing beside her in the *small* furniture shop. Little Sean sat on top of one of those waterbeds, gnawing on the side of it in order to test how long the thing needed to break.

IKEA. One of the biggest furniture shops in Sweden and the rest of Europe. Till today, he�d never known they had that in ol� USA, too. But, if he remembered correctly that student exchange boy he�d had staying at his home in High School said something like �IKEA -Idioten kaufen einfach alles.� Well, he�d have to find out what that meant. And preferably soon.

�SEAN!� His lovely wife shouted again and the small light brown-haired boy jumped on the spot and hopped back to his mom�s side. �Daddy?� He asked sweetly. Too sweetly.

�What?� Spike replied carefully, quirking up one eyebrow.

�Can I have my own couch in my room?� He begged with his puppy-eyes and baby-voice. �Pretty please? I promise I won�t break it like I broke my Puh the Bunny!� He begged on and Spike was already halfway through the shop, inspecting said couch.

Poor Stuffed Animal. The bid brown plush-bear had been a birthday present from Xander and Anya on Sean�s third. It was around three feet tall with giant ears and soft brown fur. But somehow the thing looked more like a rabbit, which made the name �Puh the bear� change into �Puh the Bunny� soon after. Anyway, the thing lasted around six weeks. Then mister Puh had been missing one leg and two ears that were stuck in the washing machine. Puh the Bunny has tried to have his own carrousel! At least that was what Sean called it when Faith found said ears in between her panties and sweaters. The rest of Puh had become one big fluffy ball of fur. Looked more like an oversized, brown watermelon.

So, back to the present, Spike stood in front of a big blue bed-couch with denim arms and his son bouncing up and down in the middle of the soft and jump-y fabric. �Can I have it?� He pleaded and Faith had that glassy and completely scary smile on her face again that made one fear that she�d run to Sean, screaming �My baby!� And kiss and hug the child to death.

�Of course you can, honey!� She said in her most slick-y mommy voice and crouched down to her son�s height and stole a glance at the prize, only to freeze on her spot. �$300??� She exclaimed and clamped her mouth shut again.

And Spike couldn�t hold his laugher in anymore. �You promised, mommy!� He smirked at his wife, speaking in unison with his son whose puppy eyes were quickly filling with a little boy�s tears. Really, Spike should have thought about learning how to cry at every situation. That stuff made a woman do everything. He should ask Buffy if he could borrow What Dreams May Come and Moulin Rouge sometime, since those made a grown woman cry like there was the Atlantic Ocean implanted somewhere in her scull.

�Remember your new Laptop, honey?� Spike asked his wife, smirking. �That thing was more expensive than that bloody couch.�

�Momma, pleeeeeeasey!� Sean whimpered, bouncing up and down for emphasis.

��Kay.� Faith scowled and got up, and raised her hand like a High Schooler would to get the chance to speak in class.

�What are you doing?!� Spike remarked, looking at her strangely.

�We want to buy that thing for Sean, don�t we?� Faith replied confused.

�Then you have to go to the lovely employee over there and tell her that. Or you can stay like this for the rest of your life.� He teased and picked his son up, carrying him to the counter and signing his name onto that couch.

�Does Deanna come and pick me up today?� Sean asked his dad, but he wasn�t listening. Just staring in shock at the familiar face at the other side of the shop.

Darla. Angel�s Ex-wife.

*~*~*

�Do we REALLY have to talk about that NOW?� Angel whimpered, trying to catch his wife�s lips again, but failing. Instead he lowered his lips to her collarbone and licked her delicate neck in firm strong but soft strokes making her moan in a lame attempt to protest.

�You know, honey, we�re ACTUALLY here to work. Kinda.� Buffy breathed in shallow huffs and cried out when Angel�s hands disappeared under her shirt, finding the soft skin of her stomach, then her belly button and the hallow between her breasts.

�Do we?� He smirked against her skin, sucking at her smooth neck and removing her black silk blouse and stripping her of the bra she was wearing.

�Stop.� She breathed again, but couldn�t get herself from unbuttoning her lover�s shirt in return.

�Really?� Angel grinned, stopping.

�God, no.� She moaned out and drew him back towards her onto the couch of her office.

That was when the door opened and Xander walked right in, causing both Buffy and Angel to jump apart and together again when they noticed Buffy�s lack of a shirt. �XANDER!� Buffy exclaimed in shock, clutching at her husband�s equally naked chest.

�GOD! Ew! Can�t you do that at HOME?!� Alexander Harris yelped and walked out again.

Chuckling, Buffy picked up her clothing and began to dress.

�What do you think you�re doing there?� Angel exclaimed horrified. �You can�t leave me like this! Getting me all worked up and then... then...�

�Get dressed.� She ordered, smirking, planting one gentle and lingering kiss on his lips. �I�ll take care of that when we�re home. I promise.� She smiled at him and Angel only groaned.

�You kill me.� He huffed and picked up his shirt.

�That�s what I�m here for.� She smirked and re-buttoned her shirt. ��Sides, you�d freak if you ever found out Deanna did such a thing.�

�Of course I would, she�s, she�s...� Angel stammered helplessly.

�Almost eighteen. And don�t tell me you believe she�s still a virgin.� Buffy looked him in the eye, pushing him down into his armchair and sitting down onto his lap.

�She... she..� Angel rambled completely out of it.

�Honey, did you once *look* at your daughter? Not as a father, but as a *guy*? Deanna�s amazingly beautiful!� Buffy said seriously.

�But she�s my little girl!� Angel whimpered like an injured kitten, gazing intently into Buffy�s hazel-eyes.

�And she�ll always be. But she�s growing up! She�s not a baby anymore, Angel. I saw that, why didn�t you? I thought the mom�s where that with the empty nest thing...�

�I know. And I see, I do! It�s just...� Angel breathed, resting his head on his wife�s shoulder, breathing in her sweet vanilla smell.

�Trust her. She�ll surprise you.� Buffy smiled and allowed herself to close her eyes for a little moment.

*~*~*

Somehow, everything seemed kinda strange to him that day. He looked out of the nearby window and the bright sun blinded his eyes. Shrugging on his jacket again, he grabbed his bag out of the woman�s hands and strolled towards the door.

And where he thought something - just one tiny detail - had changed, everything was still the same. The look, the smell, the noises. All the same. Even his car stood still in the same parking space he remembered. Which wasn�t all that surprising.

Walking out of the Police Department, Riley Finn smirked to himself.

*~*~*

�Xander, take your hands OFF the screen!� Mary, the care-taker of the Summers & Co. building growled. Xander retreated from the small TV with a sheepish grin on his face.

Buffy only rolled her eyes at her friend. �Okay, so it�s ready now? We can use it?� She asked Mary.

�Of course you can, dear. The new security system is up and working.� She answered and switched on the machines. All at once the whole room lit up, the monitors coming to life and showing all the halls and floors and offices of Summers & Co.

�Cool.� Xander commented only to bounce up and down like a child when he noticed Angel�s office on Monitor No.18. �Hey Angie, there�s yours!�

�Stop calling me that.� Angel scowled and Buffy only kept on grinning.

�Buffy?� Mary asked her.

�Yeah?�

�Can you please check on them later today? You would do me a huge favour. I have to pick up my sister from work today. Her son wrecked her car.� Mary asked politely, smiling friendly at her boss.

�Of course.� Buffy smiled and dragged Angel out the door.

*~*~*

�Momma and Daddy bought me a couch!� Sean beamed at his babysitter who guided him through the thick rows of people in L.A. downtown with another child hanging like a heavy potato-bag on her back.

�Wat�s a wouch?� Sam peeped in her baby-language. It was surprising how 4-year-old Sean could speak perfectly well and 3-year-old Samantha Charity still pronounced every word with a 'wa� in it. At least she stopped calling dad �dawwy�, �cuz that sounded too much like �Daffy Duck�.

�The big deep-red fluffy thing in your room, sweetheart.� Deanna replied to her sister, shifting her a little bit more up and took Sean by the hand. �What does it look like?� She asked the boy smiling.

�Like momma�s new slacks! Blue with denim spots.� Sean replied grinning, sticking out his tongue to Sam who was sprawled comfortably across her older sister�s back.

�Can I have iwe-cweam?� Sam chirped once she noticed the Ice-caf�s big logo across the street.

�Me too! Me too! Me too! Me too!� Sean yelped and pushed Deanna towards the caf�.

�Deannaaaaa?� Sam leered, gaining her sister�s attention. �Why doew Ives say he�s cweated in a lab? What doew that mean?�

�You can ask coconut that.� Deanna told her and sat her down into a stool of the nice and small Ice-Caf�.

�Huh?� Sean wrinkled his nose. �Who�s coconut?�

�Ives.� Deanna smirked and ordered the waiter to their table who told her via sign language that she was to wait only a few seconds.

�I want Spawetti Iwe-cweam!� Sam said and Deanna was suddenly reminded of a time she was in Sam�s age and sat in Sam�s seat, and Faith in the seat she was currently sitting in. It was strange, she normally didn�t remember anything from her childhood to the age of nine.

�Did you know that the name Dagobert means good and shiny? That�s funny! Dagobert Duck swims in money that�s shiny!� Sean babbled exited. �Can I marry Sam?�

�What?!� Deanna yelped and looked at the two horrified. �C�mon, kids. You�re three!�

�Four!� Sean corrected angrily. �When I�m big I wanna marry Sam!� He repeated and little Samantha only nodded in agreement.

Which made Deanna chuckle. �Okay. Do that for all I care. You�ll have forgotten that tomorrow anyway.� Deanna shrugged, rolling her eyes when the waiter arrived at their table.

*~*~*

She walked through the elevator doors onto the 79th floor as if it were the one way she�d walked every day in her life. No onlooker would guess that she had just stepped a foot into that building for the very first time in her life. Because she knew perfectly well exactly where to go.

Stopping in front of the big oak door she knocked softly, throwing her blonde locks over her shoulder and straightening her dress while waiting for him to open.

And he did. He looked as if he might die because of a heart attack the moment he laid eyes on her. �Darla.� He choked. �Wha- What are you doing here?� He asked warily, keeping his hand on the doorknob.

�What, can�t I visit you sometime, darling? You were the one filing for divorce. Not me.� She smiled sweetly and pushed him out of the way, strolling into his office towards a frame on his desk, picking it up. She snorted, disgusted. �That�s your slut? What, did you pick her up from High School one time and thought, hey let�s marry her? She looks way underage to me.� She commented and placed it back to the other pictures on his desk.

�That�s my daughter.� Angel growled darkly, which caused Darla to spun around surprised.

�Your *daughter*!?� Darla huffed. �You have a DAUGHTER? Mr. I�m-sorry-but-I-don�t-think-I�m-the-right-man-for-a-steady-relationship-let-alone-a-marriage???�

�Yes.� Angel said, flinching back the moment he came face to face with the speech he�d held her when he�d surprised her with the divorce-papers. �Two daughters and one son.�

�Two...and...� Darla mumbled, shocked. �How, why...You SICK BASTARD!� Darla screamed, grabbing one of the frames and smashing it against the wall. Buffy.

�We�re divorced, Darla. I can do what I please.� Angel told her.

�Yes, but THIS girl,� Darla screeched, picking up Deanna�s picture again. �ISN�T eleven! She�s older, but we divorced ELEVEN years ago! You had her even when we were STILL married, you wanker!�

Carefully picking up his wife�s image and the broken frame, Angel faced his ex-wife. �I�m sorry Darla. I didn�t know I had a daughter then. Buffy never told me. She...It happened even before we got married.� And technically, it wasn�t a lie. It did happen before their wedding. Nine hours before.

But it seemed to calm Darla a bit. �Do you love her? Your wife, I mean.� She asked quietly, biting her lip.

�More than anything.� Angel replied with a straight face. �We�re soulmates.�

Darla only looked on, swallowing. �Did you ever love me?�

�I did.� Angel answered truthfully. He did love her, just not as much as he always loved another. He couldn�t ever feel like this towards another person but Buffy. But he didn�t tell Darla that. He was quite sorry for her, because she looked as if her world had crumbled down on her a few seconds ago.

She stepped forward, drew him closer and kissed him, closing her arms around his neck. And to Angel�s own surprise, he let her. She just seemed so vulnerable right now, he didn�t think she could stand rejection.

Letting go of him, Darla looked him deep in the eye. And smiled. �Thank you.�

�I, you... you know that I...� Angel stammered, looking around.

�I know.� She smiled and left the room.

It was then that he noticed Dru standing in his doorway, shocked and in utterly disbelieve. She turned and was about to walk away when Angel ran after her, totally and completely in fear she would tell anybody.

�Don�t even try to say anything!� Drusilla hit him across the head, and Angel could see the elevator doors close in front of Darla.

�It�s not what you think!� Angel tried to convince her. �That was my ex-wife.�

�You�re cheating on Buffy with your ex-wife?! The same Ex-wife you cheated on with Buffy?!� Dru yelped and Angel only clamped a hand over her mouth, pushing her back into his office.

�I�m NOT cheating on Buffy. How could I? It was just a kiss! ONE kiss, and it meant nothing!� Angel said. �Please, don�t tell her. Please. It�ll just hurt her.�

What followed was nothing but silence. Dru simply stared at him, her face completely unreadable. Minutes ticked buy and Angel kept holding his breath.

�I won�t.� Dru finally answered and Angel sighed in relief. �Because you will.�

�No!� Angel pleaded desperately. �I can�t!�

�If you don�t tell her now, it�ll hurt her even more when she finds out sometime.� Dru told him fiercely. �You HAVE to!�

�It was just a kiss.� Angel mumbled, his eyes looked totally helpless. �I can�t.�

And Dru only left his office, glaring back at him.

*~*~*

�C�mon, sweety.� Deanna begged, trying to get Sam away from the little puppies of a very annoyed Mrs. Jenkins, who happened to be Deanna�s Literature Prof. ... �Please, I have to get Sean home! His parents are waiting for him! And Ives has to be picked up from school!�

�Puppy!� Sam chirped, twirling the tail of one very disturbed little dog between her fingers.

�Yes, it�s a puppy. Not your puppy. And I think the nice lady wants to go home.� Deanna tried again, more desperate this time, and Samantha finally - god, thank you - let go of the golden-blonde dog�s fur. �Please, if we�re home I promise to let you play with Kitty.�

�Yeeeah!� Sam beamed and immediately let go fully of the puppies.

�I�m sorry.� Deanna mumbled to her Professor and Mrs. Jenkins only nodded grimly, turning on her heel and walking away in the opposite direction. �That wasn�t very polite, Sam!� Deanna lectured her sister, while Sean only played with the big cocoa spot on his new sweater, extremely bored.

�I know.� Sam said sadly, looking down and noticing a little ant climbing up her pink shoe. Smiling, she made sure the insect stayed where it was, right in the middle of her shiny pink shoe.

Sighing, Deanna took both Sean and Samantha by the hand, moving through the crowd of L.A. downtown. �Close your eyes!� she ordered and both obeyed, while Deanna ran with them over a red traffic light without them noticing.

The same goes for the *tiny* Toys R�Us,�cuz Deanna really didn�t want to spent the rest of the day between Barbie, Ken and Pikachu. Really, it was simply amazing to her how much alike her siblings were to her, but at the same time so totally different. Ives was like obsessed with Pokemon, although the things got modern when SHE was his age. And Sam had nearly over 100 different Barbie Dolls, but Deanna wasn�t able to keep one apart from the other all the same.

She for once, had one Barbie Doll, and then she just got bored with it and played with Lego and Playmobil and Computer Games. Way the Mangas! All three of them didn�t play with only ONE same toy!

On the other hand, they all read, they all knew better how to use a computer than their father and everyone painted better than their mom.

Why, oh why, couldn�t Sam and Ives like to listen to her read them something? It would be so much more comfortable to sit there the whole day and read her sibling Fairy Tales, but nooooo, they spent their time learning the names of 300+ different Pokemons and collecting 1000+ different Bikinis for a tiny woman that wouldn�t be able to really stand if she was actually a human!

Sean was way easier there. Shove him in a room with a TV, Gamecube and a few walls he can smear on to no end, and the boy�s totally happy. But Sean wasn�t her brother. No, no such luck...

Trying to push Sean into line before her, so he wouldn�t be run over by zillions of business men, Mail Deliverers and overprotective mommies, not to forget the desperate people in their thirties, stalking like madmen the people of the other gender who on the other hand didn�t care for one thing going on in the world outside their egocentric minds. And, of course, all the cute boys with their helplessly romantic girlfriends and the normal people.

But, there was one man she didn�t count into any of this. And it was she one man she hadn�t ever expected, didn�t ever want, to see again. Freezing, holding her breath, she stood directly in front of a smirking Riley Finn, with two little kids at her side.

�Hello Deanna. You grew.� He smirked, tracing her jaw line with one fingertip. �I nearly didn't recognise you, ya know?�

And Deanna only stood there in silence, trembling. �Sean, Sam?� She breathed, almost calmly, and the two toddlers looked up at her. �Run.� She whispered, and the two immediately left her side, Sam leading the way to the only place she knew in this area.

Leaving 17-year-old Deanna with a man that completely and whole-heartedly hated her.

*~*~*

Buffy groaned. She�d forgotten to check the damn security videos! And her honey of her husband was nowhere to be seen. Great.

With a sigh escaping her lips, Buffy made her way into the new security rooms. It amazed her a bit how little time had been needed for this section in the building to be built. It was only two days ago that the firm had been robbed, only a few computers and a lamp, not much, and immediately, here was the new security system.

Pushing open the thick steal door, she strolled inside, checking the monitors for any strange sight or any problem. Finding none, she sat down into the wide leather chair, making herself more comfortable and switched the monitor directly in front of her to another room. Willow be praised, she knew how to do this stuff. Her best friend had spent all of her High School years to teach Buffy Summers the fine art of how to use a computer.

Leaning back in the chair, Buffy switched the monitor to another room yet again, but the sight that caught her eyes was the least she wanted to every see. A blonde woman, very pretty with a not-so-bad style and shape, walked up, kissing her husband.

And he let her.

He didn�t do anything against it when the chit deepened the kiss, enclosing her arms around him, pushing herself closer into him. Kissing him so passionately and erotically it could have been taken out from a porn.

And it seemed, no she was sure, he kissed her back.

On and on, they didn�t seem to stop.

Choking on a sob, Buffy noticed for the first time the big rock sticking deep embedded in her throat, making her unable to breath clearly.

Holding back the tears that were about to spill from her eyes, Buffy switched the monitor off and left the room.

Outside, she straightened her dress, swallowed hard and tried to calm down, smiling at one of her employees, Buffy thought she could make it to the bathroom.

And she did.

Locking herself up in a cabin, she pressed herself against the wall and slid down until she sat on the ground.

And all alone, as quietly as she could, Buffy cried.

*~*~*

�Dwu! Dwu!� Sam called frantically, trying desperately to reach the doorknob, when a very confused Drusilla Pearson opened the said wooden door.

She�d never seen Sam and Sean in the office because, well, what would Sean do here anyway, and Buffy and Angel always avoided bringing the kids to work. Plus, he was here ALONE! She tried to block out the little voices in her head that told her this was a bad omen, that the two came there on the -hopefully- first and only day Angel was ever unfaithful to Buffy.

�Where�w Daddy?� Sam asked with her chin quivering and her eyes full of tears. Sean on the other hand looked so bored he might have fallen asleep on the spot. Death by boredom, as Deanna had pointed it out once. Speaking of. Where the hell did she think leaving them on their own??? That was so NOT Deanna Summers Liery like. �I�ll get your dad, but first, where�s Deanna? Did something happen?�

*~*~*

Angel was nearly out of his mind.

He�d looked for his wife EVERYWHERE, but still hadn�t found her. He was getting giddy and nervous with every second ticking by. It wasn�t like her to disappear like that. It wasn�t Buffy.

Did something happen to her? Did she simply forget to tell him if she went to home earlier or grabbed a bite to eat?

But he�d phoned every near restaurant they usually went to and she wasn�t home either. Where was she?

Walking into his wife�s office he found the day�s biggest surprise. �Sam!� He noted, doing a double-take. Where was Deanna???

�Daddy!� She beamed and jumped into his arms, hugging her father close.

�There was a guy!� Sam said, making Angel frown.

�What guy?� He said alarmed

�He was big. And mean.� Sean piped in, feeling left out. �His mouth moved in a funny way!...� Sean giggled. �... like a fish!� And giggled on. �But he was a very mean stranger to Deanna! She said we should run! Dunno why!�

And with sudden realising, Angel�s eyes widened in utter shock. �Did he... Did he know you? Did he know who Deanna is?�

�He said Deanna�w name!� Sam piped in, utterly obvious to the thing evolving around her, just as Drusilla drew in one shaky breath.

�Where?� Angel whispered frantically, but Sam and Sean both only shrugged.

�There were puwwies! And Deanna made us clowe our eyew.� Sam said in her sweet little baby-voice.

�I peeked!� Sean said. �There was a Toys R�Us!�

Handing his three-year-old daughter to Dru, Angel ran out of the room towards downtown, where he assumed his sweet 17-year-old daughter and the lunatic Riley Finn.

But meanwhile, his wife sat alone on a bench in a park. Where she had realised that she loved Angel Liery, eight years ago. That day she didn�t want to ever let go of that man.

A man that obviously was betraying her.

She shouldn�t be so surprised. He�d done it before. To another. With herself. 18 years ago.

*~*~*

Mrs. Stuart didn�t suspect anything when she answered the door that morning, but what she saw disturbed her greatly. �Oh my God, Deanna! Dear, what happened?� She whispered with a shaky voice. The poor girl stood there limb, her pretty face covered in cuts and bloody spots, along with a black eye. Her sleeve was torn, revealing one long nasty cut, the blood tickling down to her hand. She was limping and her leg was hanging in a very strange angle at her side, while she was clutching her arm to her chest, holding her hand for dear life, with tears streaking down her face.

�Is Michael home?� She hiccuped, collapsing against the doorframe with Aunt Aileen steadying her.

�C�mon, my heart. Tell me what happened. Did you tell your parents yet? I�ll bring you to a hospital!� Mrs. Stuart said quickly, panicking.

�No!� Deanna yelled. �No hospital! Please, no. I just want to lay down. Where�s Michael? I hoped he could bring me home...� Deanna said in a rush, and Aileen only nodded, with her silver-grey hair dangling in it�s hold behind the back of her head.

Aunt Aileen walked Deanna slowly and carefully towards Michael�s bedroom, throwing back the covers and tucking the child in, who fell asleep as fast as she�d ever seen before in her entire life.

She couldn�t believe how very strong this girl was. Leaving as quietly as she could, she intended to phone her nephew, but decided to - of course, why didn�t she think of it at the very first - try and reach Mrs. Summers on the mobile. She�d gotten the number for emergencies.

*~*~*

The traffic seemed endless for Buffy and it seemed like the lights stayed red for all eternity.

What happened to her baby? Who did this to her?

Nearly lost in tears, Buffy jumped out of her car as soon as she arrived at the small house her daughter�s boyfriend and his aunt lived in, hoping to all gods that her little girl was okay.

She just ran through the door, not bothering to knock before, not bothering to thank Aileen for the call, she just ran towards the one bedroom she suspected her girl in, thanking all the gods in the heavens she�d decided to answer the phone this time, instead of just letting in ring like she did the other three-thousand times she had today.

And there she lay, bloody and broken, so very vulnerable, in a bed with football sheets and her boyfriend sitting on the edge, holding her daughter�s hand while studying her face for any reaction that he might hurt her.

�Hey Mom.� Deanna choked and one tiny sob escaped Buffy�s lips before she was at her daughter�s side, taking her other hand in her�s.

�Hey Honey.� Buffy replied, her eyes watering up again, although she�d swore to herself that she wouldn�t, at all costs, cry in front of her daughter.

�It�s okay mom. I�m okay.� Deanna whispered hoarsely, hugging her mother with all the strength she�d left.

�Who did this?� Buffy asked quietly, fearing the answer when Deanna held her breath before she replied in a shaky and light voice.

�Riley.�

*~*~*

"Come on, honey. Careful.� Buffy said, helping Deanna into her bedroom.

Groaning, wincing, Deanna lay down and let her mom strip her boots and jacket off her.

Sitting down next to her daughter on the side of the bed, she drew the covers to her chin, kissing her gently on the forehead, smiling sadly at her.

"I'm okay, Mom. It's gonna be okay!� Deanna reassured her, smiling at her as best as she could at the moment.

"Do you need anything? Another pillow? Are you cold? Hungry?� Buffy babbled on, not knowing what she was supposed to do in such a situation.

"Mom.� Deanna interrupted. "I'm okay. Just tired.�

"Oh.� Buffy sighed, standing up. "Okay. I'll � I'll leave you alone, then.� She said, brushing back a loose lock of Deanna's hair, when she heard a loud slam of the door, and her son's loud stomping feet, climbing up the stairs.

"MOM! Deanna didn't pick me up from school! I had to walk all the way!!!� He shouted annoyed, and peeked into his mother's room. Not finding her there, he walked on, walking into his older sister's bedroom and freezing.

"Shit, what happened?!� He yelped, dropping his bag to the floor and rushing over to his mother's side, standing next to Deanna's bed.

"Nothing.� Deanna mumbled, closing her eyes. And Ives simply swallowed, nodding, while Buffy softly stroked over her son's hair, motioning for him to leave the room with her.

"Sweet dreams, honey.� Buffy whispered to her daughter with tears shimmering in her eyes, and closed the door behind her.

"What happened?� Ives piped in such a small voice Buffy had never heard from him before in her life.

"I'll tell you another time, honey.� Buffy said, swallowing hard, fighting to not let the tears go in front of her child. "Are you hungry?�

He'd eaten in school, and was full as hell, but he knew from experience that this was his mom's way of dealing with pain and hurt, so he simply answered with a thin "Yes�.

"Good.� Buffy answered, nodding her head in emphasis, and walked into the kitchen. "Good.�

She flinched when the door opened another time, and her husband walked in with her youngest daughter. It seemed like she couldn't reach the kitchen fast enough.

And all she heard was her little daughter's cute voice when she ran off squealing after Angel told her she was allowed to watch TV before dinner and the sound of his boots clicking on the floor with a thin thump that grew louder with each step he took.

With her heart pounding in her chest, so loud it boomed in her ears, she turned so that her back faced towards him, cracking the eggs into the pan in front of her.

"Hey.� he said softly, touching her shoulder. And although she didn't want to, didn't meant to at all, Buffy flinched back, remembering the image of him kissing another.

"Hey.� Buffy said, just as soft, but so much more filled with pain.

Frowning, Angel drew his hand back. "Is she...?� "She's upstairs.� Buffy answered, turning the eggs and grabbing the can of milk from the counter.

And Angel turned, leaving the room when Buffy stopped him with a soft "No.�. Turning back to face her, he tried to catch her eye, but she simply wouldn't look at him directly.

"She's asleep.� Buffy asked his unasked question and he simply nodded, walked back over to her and drew back a lock behind her ear, in the same way Buffy had done with Deanna only a few minutes before.

But Buffy jumped away from him, starlet and walked out of reach, opening the fridge and getting the butter, acting as if nothing had happened.

"What's wrong?� Angel asked, confused, his hand still hanging in the air where he'd touched her.

"Nothing.� Buffy scowled, turning the eggs again.

"I, .... I left Sean with Dru. She's taking him to Spike.� He said, unsure and more than a little disturbed by now.

"Good.� Buffy answered shortly, keeping her gaze at the pan and trying not to think about the fact that Riley was back and her husband was cheating on her, acting as if everything was right.

God, she hadn't even thought about the fact that Sam and Sean had been with Deanna! What if Sammy was scared? What if her baby was afraid? But no. Deanna was a literal Angel. Her Deanna had made sure the children were completely okay.

Sighing, Buffy turned the eggs again, swallowing. Maybe he wouldn't notice the tears in her eyes that way.

"Where have you been?� He asked further, now keeping his distance from her.

"Picking up Deanna.� She answered, placing the eggs artfully onto three plates.

"No. At work. I've looked for you everywhere.� Angel said lightly, noticing the tears shimmering in her eyes. God, how badly he wanted to take her in her arms. Just comfort her and tell her that everything was going to be okay. But he was afraid to. Why was she acting so strange?

Her eyes darkened, the image of Angel and Darla once again flashed into her mind. "Why do you care?!� She spat, shoving one of the plates into his hands and stomping out of the room to get the food to her two children, herself eating nothing, and leaving a stunned Angel alone in the kitchen.

*~*~*

"Where is Deanna? Faith asked skeptically, taking her son from the other woman's arms and reluctantly holding the door open for her.

"At home, I guess." She answered cryptically with a mysterious melancholic tone in her voice. Drusilla had just a way of moving with grace and style around the placed that wigged Faith out to no end, because she knew she wasn't as gracious as Drusilla Pearson.

But then again, she could clearly see her husband's taste in women in her. It was really not difficult to figure out how close they must have been once.

Actually, she used to like Drusilla, they were never close, but the thought of an actual friendship with the other woman was at least possible. Alone for the fact that her best friend, was Drusilla's boss and good friend, too.

But since she married Spike, and noticed how flirty those two still were, Faith got scared. Which freaked her out also, because she hadn't ever considered herself the jealous type. It was crazy, to be all cat-fight-y over a past relationship of her husband. But to her, it seemed so possible that Drusilla still felt something for HER Spike.

And the fact that her own SON loved this woman nearly as much as Deanna, who he SO frighteningly adored, didn't help that much either.

"Dru!" Spike said, surprised, and to Faith's opinion much too happily, strolling forward and enfolding the woman in a short hug. "What brings you here?

"Dropping off your son! She smiled, then her face darkened.

"What's wrong?" Spike asked her concerned, and Faith was on the edge of fuming.

"Nothing." She said, and plastered the fake smile on her face again. "Just... " She began, but let the sentence fade away again, touching Spike's cheek softly as she whispered: "Just make sure to take care of your son, I don't think Deanna can for a while.

And with that, she left the house, shutting the door carefully behind her, leaving Spike wondering, concerned, and Faith extremely angered.

"*Why* were you looking at her like that?!" Faith exclaimed, slapping him across the shoulder, shifting her sleeping son in her left arm.

"Huh?!" Spike asked her, stunned and disbelieving. "WHAT did I do, NOW?! He said, and shook his head. "Whatever, what do you think she meant?" She asked her in a softer tone.

"How should I now? Who's the one knowing Dru inside out?" She snickered icily, leaving the room and instinctly feeling bad for it.

*~*~*

Angel strolled down the stairs, sighing deeply. His daughter was amazing, although she was hurt so bad she still kept her head held high and continued being strong for all of them together.

Hitting the wall, Angel wondered why he didn't kill the piece of shit named Riley Finn all those years ago.

Walking through the hall, Angel froze, there, in the darkness of the living room, the moon shining brightly through the windows, he saw the silhouette of his wife, sitting crouched to a little ball on the edge of the couch, leafing through a book. Her diary.

She looked so frightened.

With tears rolling down her cheeks, she stroked the page she'd been reading again and again over the last hour.

Dear Diary (god, this sounds so silly to write with 26...)

I lay you away for the past 9 years, since the day my daughter was born. And I swore, the next time I wrote in here would be the day I'm even happier than the moment I held my Enie in my arms the first time.

I never thought it impossible. But I was proved wrong.

This really has gotta be the best day in my whole life. Angel proposed to me and I feel as if I could do everything. I think I'll go back to this construction work and jump down the railing. I'm sure I'll fly.

I'm so happy it's impossible. The man of my dreams proposed to me and Riley is in jail, has gone out of my life forever. He won't hurt me or Deanna ever again. Won't scare us. Angel is protecting us.

I honestly don't know what I would have done without him. Maybe today I would be Mrs. Riley Finn,married to a man that abused me and my child, and also cheated on me. If I wouldn't, I'd be cowering in fear of him, too frighened to report him to the police. Too frightened to let myself think it isn't my fault that he's like this.

Angel made me see the strengh in myself. Angel made me see who I am, who I'm about to be. Angel makes me happy.

He would never do anything like Riley did. He's the best I ever met. He's the most wonderful person in the world. I can trust myself to depend on him. Can trust myself to love him.

I love him, forever. Buffy & Angel until death does us apart.

I'm happy now.

Love, Buffy.

**But he did** Buffy thought ruefully and sobbed, the tears falling onto the page and slurring the ink of her handwriting, untill it was barely readable anymore.

And Angel felt a knot rise in his throat, seeing the love of his life like this. What could he do? What should he say? How could he help her? Why didn't she let him help her? "Your eyes, Buffy. You shouldn't be reading in the darkness." He said helplessly, in a small voice.

Walking towards her, ever so slowly, he knelt down in front of the couch, where her knees were almost touching his chest but not fully. "Let me help you." Please Angel breathed, stroking her hair, but Buffy only looked down. "Buffy." He began to sob, desperate. "C'mon, honey please. I can see how scared you are. Why won't you let me help you?" But with every word he said she seemed to cry harder, so he drew away, sitting on the couch opposite to the one she sat on, and only stared at her crying form, not knowing what to do.

She was scared. So much. When she couldn't even trust the person she had relied on to give her the strengh she needed, how could she know that Riley wasn't coming to kill her daughter now? Oh god, he almost killed her daughter.

And she only sobbed harder,

with Angel watching over her all night.

*~*~*

Doyle was drunk, to put it bluntly. He was filled up to the core and not able to walk a straight line anymore. Setting his now empty glass onto the counter with a thud, he silently asked the bartender to re-fill it.

"Gotta luv thiiiis stuff." He slurred, smiling idiotically, and laying his head onto the table, next to his glass.

He didn't even notice the woman who appeared in front of him, before she crouched down a little to look him in the eye. "Hello Allan." She said dryly.

"Darla, what a suuurprise." Doyle hithced, nearly doubling over. "Haven't seen ya since, since, since..." Scratching his head, Allan Francis Doyle had already forgot what he had intended to say.

"Since my and Angel's wedding." She helped him out, rolling her eyes, annoyed.

"Haven't changed a bit, luv, have ya?" He grinned, then tilted his head to the side. "No, ya have! I don't think ya had so many wrinkles before, but ooooops...." Doyle laughed hollow about her shocked _expression. "...I think I shouldn't have said that... well." Shrugging, Doyle leaned onto the counter for suport. "Buffy looks younger than ya. But then again, she is!"

Fuming, Darla glared at Doyle. "You seem to know the little bitch well, don't you, Allan?"

"Oh, of course I do, Buffy's such a honey. No wonder Angel fell in love with her." Doyle smirked at the one woman in the world, that he really couldn't stand. "I'm their son's godfather, if you'd ask. Which ya didn't soooo..." Doyle laughed again and nearly fell into Darla in the process. "He was such a cute little whirlwind. He came directly 6 months after their wedding. Which was wonderful, by the way."

Darla only snored, keeping the surprise to herself that Buffy had been pregnat BEFORE they got married.

"And Deanna, no...." Doyle realized his mistake, Darla didn't know about Deanna. "No Deanna. No, no Deanna at all." He stammered.

"I know about his oldest daughter. He told me, Allan." She hissed at him.

Which, to her surprise, Doyle only laughed at. "Ooooooh, I would have loved to see yer face when Angel told you that he impregnated his beloved Buffy in the night before he got married to YOU."

With eyes widening, Darla stomped out of the small pub clouded with smoke, when Doyle realized that Darla had tricked him.

*~*~*

Holding the pink test strip in her hand, she hit it against the wall frantically. This gotta be a mistake. She couldn't be pregnat with his child. Not now. Not when her life, her faith in him, was falling apart with every passing second that slowly ticked by.

No now, please god, let this be a mistake.

Only when the test crashed and broke in her hand, she stopped and slowly, ever so slowly slid down the wall.

As slowly as the tears were forming behind her green orbs.

Throwing the remaining pieces of the broken pregnancy test into the nearest corner, Buffy leaned her head against the tiles with a thud and closed her eyes, trying to desperatly shut out the pain her heart was causing her.

Why did it hurt so much? Why did she feel as if she couldn't breathe?

When she found out about Riley's cheating folder, it hadn't hurt a bit. Only angered her. But not now. And deep inside she knew exactly where the difference came from.

She loved Angel. So much. So very much.

And if he came to her, confessing, appologizing, she's forgive him in a heartbeat.

Because she couldn't stand living without him. Never.

// I will love you till my dying day \\

*~*~*

"No. Angel anwered his only son, carefully not to disturb his sleeping daughter when he drove the street leading to the kindergarten and Ives's school. Now that Deanna was too injured, he drove them to school again, like he'd done before Deanna got her driver's license.

Today was his and Buffy's first free day in ages and they'd planned to make a picnic in the botanical gardens or at a lake outside town.

But she was too busy avioing him, so this plans were most likely not coming true.

"Why not?" Ives asked again, he'd been looking forward to be babysit by Spike and Faith today.

"Because your mom and I are not going to go out after all." Angel said, trying not to show his hurt.

"Is it because what she knows?" Ives asked him and he looked at his son startlet.

"What does she know?" Angel asked alarmed.

"I don't know. Willow said that mom found something out that she didn't like and that's the reason she's so upset!" Ives said matter of factly, playing around with the zipper of his jacket.

"When did she say this?" Angel asked further, trying to concentrate on the road.

"Yesterday. She called, but mom was at the shop and Deanna was asleep and you weren't home, so I talked to her. Mom had been waiting for her re-call, that's why I should tell mom not to feel to bad for what happened and that what she saw could be a big misunderstanding, from Willow. That's all I know. Do you know what she meant?" He asked his father bluntly.

"No." Angel said again, fearing the worst.

*~*~*

Deanna slowly heaved herslef from the bed, her wounds stinging and protesting against her movements. Groaning in pain, she stood up and carefully walking to the bathroom, nearly doubling over and falling over her sister, who was back from kindergarten and very much hyper. "Where are mom and dad?" She asked her little sister, stroking her blond locks although her injuries didn't like those actions either.

"Downstairs. But they are so strange." Sam said in her little voice and Deanna was proud of her. For once the small Samantha left out the 'w's in every word and talked in proper english!!!

"Why are they strange?" Deanna asked, her voice as light as her sister's.

"I don't know. But mommy and daddy are acting sooo strange!! Why are they acting so strange?" Again without the w's!! Who knows, maybe she was coming out of her baby-language phase after all? Deanna thought, when the meaning of her sister's words finally sinked into place. "They don't talk to each other. And they don't do the eeewy smoochies anymore! And this morning mommy said really mean things to daddy. They thought I didn't see them, but I did see them! They are scary. Why are they so strange??" The little girl whined with tears in her eyes, stomping her foot with emphasis.

Confused, Deanna shook her head, tyring to remember all the times her mother or her father had come up to check on her. And remembering further, she noticed they hadn't once checked on her together! They relied on each other, always! Why? What happened?

"I don't know honey, I don't know. She answered instead and led the girl into her room.

*~*~*

Buffy was restless. Angel stood in the kitchen unpacking the grocery stuff he brought after picking Sam up from kindergarten. What he did in between the time from driving the kids to school and picking Sam up, she really didn't want to know. And she couldn't help the flash of Darla's image in her mind.

But nonetheless, he was in the kitchen now. Her kitchen. HER kitchen! Her haven. The place SHE turned to for support and strengh and now he stood in it.

How could she rely on the savety of HER kitchen when the subject causing her turmoil stood right in it??!

She knew she was being irrational, but she couldn't help but feel mad. Chuckling to the irony of it, she recalled a time when Sam complained about a thing much similiar to this. Just then, the matter at hand was her room, and her big brother sitting in it after they had a fight.

Loosing all her patience, Buffy didn't care anymore and stomped back into the kitchen, where she'd sat all day. She had the right. She had been there before! Pushing it all against the mood swings and her pregnancy, she didn't even care anymore that her way of thinking resembled her 3-year-old daughter's way too much.

Sitting down on one of the big and large stools, she glared at her husband.

Angel on the other hand, was glad that he now got ANY kind of reaction from her. "What is it?" He carefully asked her.

"Nothin'" She hissed, her lips pursed in an angry thin line.

"Buffy---" He started, but Buffy interupted him soon after.

"Don't you dare talk to me!" She screeched, wanting to slap herself for her outburst and went to the fridge, picking a bottle of coke and drew a large sip she nearly choked on.

"Buffy, please, tell me what's wrong with you." Angel pleaded with her in a desperate tone, lightly stroking her arm.

But she only shoved him away, practically running to the farest corner of the room, but somehow, he didn't know why, she refused to leave the kitchen.

Overly disturbed to her reaction, he became angry too, although he really didn't want to. "What the FUCK is wrong, Buffy?" He rased his voice at her and his eyes widened. He'd NEVER yelled at her before in his entire life.

Her eyes pooling over with tears she fought as hard as she could not to let them fall. "What's wrong with me? Don't you know by now?" She whispered brokenly. "I *know*, Angel. I know."

Shaking his head in confusion, he just stared at her. Not understanding. Was this the thing Willow had talked about to Ives?

"I saw you. I know you're cheating on me, Angel." She said softly, and she wasn't able to hold the tears anymore when one of them slowly tickled across her cheek, falling as if in slow-motion.

His eyes widening in horror, he walked towards her, until he stood directly in front of her, but Buffy backed away. "I'm not." His eyes pleaded with her. "Please Buffy, You got to believe me. I am NOT cheating on you. How could I? I LOVE you. I could NEVER cheat on you! NEVER!"

Blinking rapidly, she fought hard not to begin to sob. "Angel, stop it. Just stop it. I SAW you! She yelped. "On the security videos. I saw you kissing."

On the edge of sobbing too, his breath hitched. Not this. He couldn't lose her on this. Not on a kiss. Not on a kiss with Darla. "It was nothing. A kiss! She felt lonely. I couldn't deny her."

"How can I trust you? You didn't tell me about it." She said, and Angel wanted to kick his ass to the moon right in that moment. Had he just listened to Dru..... "All I know is that I saw you kissing. And you kissed her back. I don't know anything else. Three seconds ago, you were denying everything. You kissed her. I can't know if you're also sleeping with her." She whispered. "I can't know."

Hiccuping, Angel felt the tears burning behind his eyelids. He couldn't lose her. Without her, he was nothing. No, he couldn't lose her. "Please baby, you got to believe me!"

"I can't." She said, her eyes wide, and intended to leave the room, but didn't. This was her haven after all. "Can you leave?" She asked him instead, her voice so unbelievably small.

"Please, baby---" Angel said desperatly, panicking.

"Please Angel. Please. Just go." She said so thin he could barely hear her words.

"Let me explain, Buffy. Please, I can't lose you." Angel tried again, walking towards her and stopping, like before, directly in front of her. But this time she didn't back up, but stood her ground, looking bravely up into his beaten eyes.

**You should have thought about this before** she thought sarcastically. God, how she wanted to believe him. It took all her strengh not to simply fall into his arms and cry her heart out. Telling him that they were expecting a baby. Forgiving him. "Go." She repeated, and Angel stared into her eyes for a long moment.

And then he left the room.

And neither of them noticed the shadow of Darla's form disappearing from the window of the backdoor.

*~*~*

Darla laughed to herself bitterly. She'd been on the edge of smashing this glass window when Angel had claimed their kiss meaningless.

She'd come here to face him, confront him with the fact that he knew he'd been betraying her in the night of their wedding. But she doubted he'd care after this.

All Angel Liery wanted was getting back into the pants of his little wife.

Wasn't it ironic? The new wife thought her husband cheated on her with the old one. Although it was actually the other way around.

Casually strolling to the window of Buffy Summers-Liery's kitchen, Darla leaned against the nearest tree, watching with glee how the blonde beauty allowed the tears to fall freely, and soon later a single sob escaped her lips and she gasped. Holding her head, Buffy fell forward, crying out.

But Darla felt no pity towards the younger woman. No. This *girl* had taken her Angel, this girl had prevented him to ever fully love Darla Bennett - Liery.

She'd never had her name changed, after they divorced.

Darla glared at the image of the blonde mother of three children. This woman had everything, HER man, three children, an amazing career and a dream-house with a picket fence.

And still, there she was, distrusting her ever faithful husband and mourning her oh so waisted love.

Crying over her lost love, that wasn't so lost at all, but of course she wasn't abe to see through that. She never lost somebody, how could she?

Thinking further, Buffy wasn't so different from the looks then herself. So why couldn't Angel just stay with HER, instead of running after that little blonde high-school girl, then?

Darla never had any children, because Angel never wanted them. But here he was, with three of them, playing daddy dearest. He'd never wanted them. Not from her that was.

And Darla balled her hands to fists, imagining how easy it would be to beat the little blonde up. Smash that little face of her's that Angel loved so much, so in pain.

This was the woman he'd betrayed her with, 17 years ago.

This was the mother of his children.

This was the woman he oh so loved.

This was the woman he would lose.

This woman, so small and vulnerable, was the reason Angel left her. So now, all she could do was do everything to do them apart again. If she couldn't have Angel Liery, nobody would, so to say.

With her eyes darkening even more, Darla stomped over to the backdoor again, banging on the door and startling the crying Buffy.

Furiosly trying to wipe her tears away, Buffy slowly walked over to the door, only to be face to face with the one woman she never wanted to see again.

And silently she wondered how long it would take kick that smile from her face.

"Is Angel there?� Darla asked in the sweetest fake smile she's ever seen.

When they were still married, Darla had been able to go everywhere with that smile. As well as her fake crying. That was the thing about Angel. He simply couldn't see people he cared about in pain.

"No.� She mumbled icily. "Shall I give him a message from you?�

"Oh, you don't need to. I'll see him anyway. You know, he's such a sweetheart.� Darla went one, knowing only too well how badly this would hurt Mrs. Liery. "Are you one of his daughters?�

"No.� Buffy said, piercing with angry eyes through the slightly taller blonde. "I'm his wife.� She said, her voice deadly, although she was whispering.

"Oh. Well, then tell him to visit me again. I saw you fighting.� She said sweetly, placing her hands on her hips and threw her hair over her shoulder, smirking. "I see, OBVIOUSLY he's not gettin' any from you, so...� Darla shrugged, smirking at Buffy again.

Whose eyes widened and tears fell, when she threw the door into Darla's face and hit her hand onto the wall in frustation, crying. She couldn't stop crying and heard Darla's laugher from outside, retreating.

Gasping for air, Buffy kicked the door, desperately. Hopeless.

*~*~*

"What's wrong with you and Dad?� Deanna asked fast forward, finding her mother crying in the kitchen, kicking the door.

"Nothing.� Buffy hitched, wiping at her tears and blood-shot eyes like a mad man.

Deanna only rolled her eyes, slowly and painfully walking towards her mother, taking her in her arms and holding her tight when Buffy began to crumble, her face twisting into agony once more.

Buffy didn't want this. She wanted to be strong in front of her not so little daughter. She didn't want to be weak. She didn't want to feel helpless. She didn't want to be helpless.

But now she stood in her kitchen, being held by her daughter while she wept her heart out, sobbing for all she was worth.

"Will you tell me?� Deanna whispered into the silence, when her mothers crying softened to silence, although she could still feel the tears flow on her shoulder.

Sniffling softly, Buffy willed the sobs and gasps down. Falling into silence, but the tears kept coming. They didn't stop. They never stopped.

When she didn't say anything, Deanna sighed, stroking her mother's blonde hair, and let her be.

They would tell her, eventually.

*~*~*

"Mooooom!" Sean cried annoyed, running through the hall into his parents' bedroom, finding Faith sitting in front of a pile of old family photos.

"What are you doing?" He asked curiously, his anger flown away.

Startlet, Faith looked up and smiled warmly at her son. "I'm putting together a photo album for you, honey. So you'll always remember what it was like to be 4." She smiled, patting Sean's head playfully, fully knowing he didn't like this in the least.

Protesting loudly, he let himself fall down into a sitting position next to his mom, eyeing the pictures carefully.

"MOM!" He screeched. "Why are you adding THAT photo?! I'm NAKED on it!" "Because it's cute!" Faith smirked, pecking his cheek, again knowing he didn't like THAT either. And Sean stomped with his foot, annoyed, like the little child he was, but claimed not to be. He was coming just after his father, Faith grinned to herself. And just as pretty. And maybe even more. When she married Spike all those years ago, she had never ever expected her life to turn out this perfect.

And for once in her life, she could truely say she had something that was as perfect as Buffy's life in her eyes, for which she'd always envied her, despite their close friendship. Now she didn't need that anymore, and for once she could be utterly happy for Buffy, too.

She couldn't thank Buffy enough. She couldn't thank the person who brought her to Buffy enough. Since she was the best friend Faith could ever dream of, and also brought her that close to Spike. Her One and Only, like her favorite book said.

Only now, there was her sweet sweet son, that she loved beyond the depths of her heart.

With him, she learned what people meant when they said they would die for another person.

Watching his mother glue paper with picures of him and his parents got boring soon, though and his stomach gowled loudly. "I'm hungry!" He whined.

"I'll fix you something soon. Just wait until I'm done here, will you?" Faith smiled.

"oooooh, can you make a noodle gratin? Dru made it the other day! it was SO SO good! Can you? Will you? Pleeeease?????" Sean chanted, his mind completely made up.

But Faith raged, and she didn't even know why. Dru, Dru, Dru. Here Dru, there Dru, Drusilla Pearson everywhere. Shutting the Old McDonald Had A Farm-like chant out of her head, Faith laid the pictures away, and stomped into a kitchen, prepearing herself to show her son exactly how much better HER gratin would be.

Problem was, she never made gratin- didn't even know how to....

"First Spike, now my own son!" Faith hissed under her breath while she searched through the shelves for a recipe-book.

*~*~*

Laying her book aside, Buffy sighed when she heard the storm-like knnocks on the door, so hard she was afraid of the person knuckles, whoever it was at the door.

TBC.....