ORANGES AND LEMONS

Prologue

          The ‘Scooby gang’ was sitting in Giles’ lounge chatting amicably as they sifted through a trunk of what Giles termed as ‘might come in useful one day’ and what they called ‘junk'. Only Willow sat sullenly, whilst Spike, as usual, wasn’t helping instead he was watching TV.

          “-On tonight’s show, Robert Young will be visiting ‘old town’ Spain and showing many of the highlights of this beautiful country that hasn’t been touched by tourism...” the overly happy voice of the TV presented boomed from Giles’ TV set. “I always wanted to go to Spain.” Buffy commented thoughtfully.

“OH WOW! Spain! Whoop-de-doo!” Willow snapped sarcastically.

Buffy looked hurt.

"Just because your lesbian lusty lady dumped you doesn’t been you should take it out on us. It’s not our fault *all* your relationships fail!” Anya pointed out matter of factly with her usual total disregard for anyone’s feelings.

Xander whispered something in her ear and after a moments contemplation Anya smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry, I was selfish and unthinking.” She patted Willow’s arm. “We all feel your pain.”

The room was quiet for a moment, except the sounds of Giles cleaning up the dishes and the commentary about Spain coming from the tube.

"I went to Spain once.” Spike started, breaking the tension in the room like a knife through water.

Willow rolled her eyes, “Here we go again!”

Spike ignored her and continued speaking to no one in particular “Just after ‘Mr. Poofy-Hair’ went all soul having. Me and Dru had some good times over there.”

”Actually I’ve been over there a couple of times” Xander added, “Coz y’know my grandma was Spanish.”

Willow tensed visibly and squeezed the amulet she’d found whilst hunting through the trunk. “Oh well if Spain is soooooooooo fantastic why don’t you all go there! POOF! You all go. Hey why not Angel and the gang in LA” Willow yelled sarcastically “Oh and what about Faith???” She asked rhetorically “Nothings ever fun without that psycho bitch! ‘POOF’ and you’re all in 18th century Spain!” Throughout her outburst the amulet Willow had been clutching had been getting consistently brighter. Willow flopped back, deflated on the couch and in that instant Spike, Anya, Xander and Buffy disappeared from the room. POOF!

~*~

 “Doyle! Give that back!” Cordelia snapped as Doyle stole the latest copy of **Vogue** off her.

“Cordelia” Doyle began in his lilting Irish accent “If I were to... I thought that... I wanted to ask you...”

Cordelia tapped her foot impatiently.

“Eh-hum... Cordelia, will you-”He was cut off as the couple on the verge of dating disappeared from Starbucks leaving their mochas behind.

~*~

 “Angel.” Kate Lockley smiled warily “Hi”. Although the blonde detective still didn’t trust the ensouled vampire, there was still the undeniable fact that she found him attractive.

“Kate” he nodded curtly. “I need your help.”

“Well there’s a surprise. What can I do for you?” Kate continued searching through a filing cabinet looking for a missing report, turning her back on Angel but still talking to him.

 “I need you to track down the owner of this car for me.” Angel placed a crumpled piece of paper on the desk in front of him.

“Sure thing. Just let me...” Kate spun round, wondering where Angel had disappeared to. “How does he do that?”

~*~

Faith smashed her fist into the punch bag in front of her. *When* she got out of this hellhole she *was* going to be a slayer again, and she *was* going to help Buffy. Faith punched the bag for what seemed like the hundredth time and disappeared from the room.

~*~

Part One

'THUD’ Two slayers, two vampires, an ex-demon, a half-brachen demon, and one zeppo and a wannabe Hollywood star hit the cobble stone floor heavily. Each took a moment to look around before gasping in surprise. They were sitting in a courtyard of a large deserted villa. It was two story’s tall with gleaming white stonewalls. Beyond the villa, lush forestry was visible and the villa appeared to be built on top of a mountain. The sun hung low in the sky, which was tinged pink. The sun had yet to set.

“ARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!” Spike yelled as he dived for cover in a nearby water-well.

After watching Spike turn for cover, Anya turned to Xander “What are you doing?”

“Trying to wake myself up.” Xander explained his continually pinching his arm

 “Well stop it, it looks strange!”

“What is going on?” Cordelia demanded, standing up, brushing the dust off her clothes

 “I don’t know.” Angel replied “Buffy?”

 “I don’t know either, I think Willow-"

That bloody witch!” Spike shouted jumping dripping wet out of the well, assuming it was safe as Angel had remained un-dust. “Can’t she leave anything be? First she makes ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ and I engaged, now this!” Spike panted, “Bloody hell!”

 “Spike?” Buffy questioned, “Why are you panting? You don’t breathe.”

Angel gulped and answered for him “Buffy, he’s breathing, I think he’s... I’m... We’ve both turned human.”  ‘Again’ he added silently.

Buffy stood up and stepped away from the group. She felt claustrophobic, yet she was in the middle of an open space. Angel was human. Buffy felt a wave of nausea pass through her mixed with feelings of déja vu and a sudden need for cookie dough fudge mint chip ice cream.

 “Raise your hand if: weird.” she stated, trying to break the tension. Eight hands raised in the air.

 

Half an hour later, after some awkward introductions and reunions had taken place, the sun was beginning to set over the mountains and although due to Willow’s outburst it had been concluded they were in eighteenth century Spain, they had no idea how they had gotten there.

 

Buffy, ever the leader took charge of the situation. “I guess we should stay here tonight, we don’t know where we are and Spike and Angel are weak...” Spike frowned at her “...er than usual. Ok Angel you had a look around, you figured their were maybe four bedrooms, so I think we should stick in two’s tonight. Y’know for protection...” Buffy looked toward Xander and Anya who were oblivious to everyone but each other and then at Spike and Faith who were already making eyes at each other “...And other stuff. Xander, you and Anya I guess will want to stick together.”

Xander smiled at Buffy “You know me so well.”

“I’ll go with Cordy” Doyle stood and put his arm around her “Protect her from that which goes bump in the night.” Cordelia rolled her eyes but didn’t move away from his grasp.

Faith stepped forward after hanging back, well aware about how they felt about her “I’ll go with Blondie” She grinned at Spike “Looks like he’ll need a little protecting if he ain’t all ‘grrrrrr’.” Spike nodded his acceptance. He had no idea who the attractive brunette was as he’d skipped the introductions in favor of a smoke, but he had every intention of finding out.

Buffy looked at Angel “Looks like it’s you and me then.”

~*~

Buffy and Angel entered the large double-doored bedroom together, and Buffy gasped at the sheer luxury of it. The room was tastefully decorated with mahogany furniture and walls panels with lots of burgundy fabrics. The room smelled of wood and a freshness Buffy hadn’t encountered since her last visit to the countryside.

 “Angel I don’t want to-” “Buffy I wanted to-” They spoke in unison. Angel smiled apologetically “You go first.”

 “Oooooook” Buffy started “Angel... This is kinda difficult, whenever I’m with you- when we’re together, it’s like I’m sixteen all over again. Like I love you and that’s all in the world that matters. And I like that feeling. I mean here I am: In Spain, God knows how we got here, but I’m ok with that... because I’m with you.” Angel smiled gently, urging her to go on. “And now you’re human, and you don’t seem that freaked or amazed by it which is weird because Spike was all ‘Bloody hell this’ and ‘Ohmigod that’ and here you are ‘Joe Acceptance’. Angel, you’re human... No curse...” Buffy stopped; she seemed embarrassed and a little shy. She sat down at the bottom, left hand corner of the bed curling the plush velvet comforter between her fingers. Buffy looked Angel in the eye “Don’t you want me?” She asked in a tiny voice.

All of a sudden she was seventeen again, and it was ‘the morning after the night before’ with Angel. “Was it me? Was I not... good?” Three years on, Buffy was still terrified that Angel would torment her the way Angelus had. But instead of cruel words that had came in reply then, his answer was a kiss more intense than fire. Not the gentle, tender kiss he had bestowed upon he so many times before, this kiss was full of passion and need, a kiss she had only experience one time before on her seventeenth birthday. Pushing her back on the bed Angel gave her the love she had being longing for since the last time they had made love, worshipping her body with his body, his heart and his soul.

~*~

Xander hurry up and takes your pants off. I’m horny and have over two hundred condoms as I visited the store today. They sell them in bulk.” Anya informed her boyfriend. Xander, ever the gentleman, was never one to turn down a lady’s wishes as he hastily complied in removing his pants.

~*~

Faith entered the bedroom she was sharing with Spike before him and unceremoniously flopped down onto the large bed “Hey!” Spike protested, “Who says you get the bed?”

 “Who says you don’t get the bed?” Faith smirked, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

 “Oh” Spike joined her on the bed, lying down alongside her. “So, I missed the introductions, who are you?”

Faith grinned inwardly, her devious nature surfacing “ I could be anyone, have anyone. Even you Spike, I could ride you at a gallop until your legs buckled and your eyes rolled up. I’ve got muscles you’ve never even dreamed of, I could squeeze you ‘till you popped like warm champagne and you’d beg me to hurt you just a little bit more...”

Spike’s jaw dropped “Did I just hear you right?”

Faith smirked again “So you’re what? 130 years old? They say that hearing’s the second thing to go.”

Spike was intrigued “I see, and what exactly is the first?”

Faith didn’t say a word; instead she just let her gaze drift from his face, down his torso and settle on his crotch.

 “Well let me assure you” Spike bragged confidently “That works perfectly.”

 “I’m Faith... The vampire Slayer.”

Spike’s looked at her in awe, for someone with a soul she’d done a hell of a lot of catastrophic things in her day “Well, well, I’ve heard a lot about you.”

 “Likewise.” She smiled lopsidedly “Although it was me who made that little speech in the Bronze last February, I switched bodies with B.”

Spike’s mouth made the perfect ‘O’ as he took in the information. After a moment’s thought he finally spoke. “So how ‘bout you show me how tight these muscles of yours are and I show you how everything of mine really is in working order?”

Faith laughed and wrapped her hands around Spike’s face, drawing his face closer to hers. Spike smashed his lips down against hers violently, loving the feel of her body against his. They broke apart when they heard a muffled scream from the next room.

~*~

Everyone entered the forth bedroom shared by Doyle and Cordelia in various states of dress. Angel was wearing nothing more than his emerald boxers, whilst Buffy had pulled a bed sheet around her naked body. Xander was wearing his baggy pants, although in his hurry he’s neglected to do up the fly and Anya was wearing her dress back-to-front. Spike’s shirt buttons were open half way down and Faith’s top was twisted around her torso beyond recognition. Only Doyle and Cordelia remained fully dressed.

“You’re a demon!?! You’re meant to tell people if you’re a demon!” Cordelia screeched at Doyle “How could you not tell me? Like I wouldn’t understand? I mean hello… I work for a vampire! What am I? Superficial?” Cordelia turned to Angel “How could he not tell me?”

Buffy butted in “I’m sorry, Angel is busy right now and as there is no slaying to be done at this moment in time, so am I. Adios.” Buffy grinned and dragged the willing Angel out of the room by the waistband of his boxers.

 “Well...” Spike looked at Faith with lust-filled eyes “We’ll be off as well.”

 “We’re gonna go have some more sex.” Anya remarked as she and Xander left the room, oblivious to the history between Xander and Cordelia.

 “A demon!” Cordelia whined before she ‘eeeeeeeeeked’ as Doyle put his arms around her waist and kissed her deeply.

~*~

 “Tea anyone?” Giles asked, walking out of the kitchenette into the lounge. He saw the amulet lying on the couch “Good lord! Willow, what in God’s name have you done this time?” Giles knelt down and put his arms around the sobbing red head on the floor.

 “Giles I’m sorry...” she sobbed, “I didn’t mean to...”

 “ I know, I know” he comforted her “I need you to tell me exactly what happened.”

Tearfully she told him “How can I fix it?” Giles sighed as he removed his glasses and polished the lenses “I’m afraid you or I can do nothing, they will have to find the amulet themselves, wherever they are in time and wish themselves back. I can only hope that Angel or Spike will know of it. Perhaps even Anya might be able to help, but it could be awhile before they return.” Willow sighed unhappily.

Part Two

Buffy and Angel sauntered down the uneven stone staircase hand in hand the next morning and entered the small courtyard they had been thrust into the previous afternoon, to be blinded by the intense European sun. The other six were already sitting in their various couples under an orange tree, Angel and Buffy joined them. The group sat in silence for a few moments, savoring the taste of the fresh, organic oranges.

Spike, who liked ‘comfortable silences’ as much as he liked having hot pokers stabbed through him, spoke up first. “So I’m guessing we all had a nice lot of shagging last night,” he grinned, “ I hope all you kiddies were safe.”

Anya, whose favorite topic of discussion was sex, smiled “Lucky for Xander, I am never without condoms. Plural. We had lots of sex last night.”

Buffy raised her eyebrows “We heard. Literally. Thin walls.”

Cordelia shifted in Doyle’s lap “Not that I don’t enjoy talking about Xander’s newly existing sex life” She grinned maliciously  “But I would really like to get home sometime soon. How did we get here and how do we get home?”

 “Well I know this is Willow’s doing” Buffy began “And I know she’d never do another ‘will be done’ spell, so I guess it was that necklace she was holding...”

Anya suddenly looked interested “What necklace? My necklace?”

 “Bloody hell!” Spike sighed as he rolled himself and Faith onto the floor and started kissing her hungrily. Buffy, Angel, Doyle and Cordelia rolled their eyes whilst Xander and Anya argued about Anya’s previous ‘occupation’.

“Eh-hum.” Buffy coughed, in a bid to retrieve everyone’s attention, all but Spike and Faith listened. “This necklace thingy, it looked kinda old, y’know dirty gold color, and it was kinda oval shape with these little things...” Buffy gave up trying to describe it and drew it on the dirt floor.

After a few minutes of craning her neck, trying to decipher Buffy’s angle Anya smiled triumphantly “A-Ha!”

“That better be a good ‘a-ha’” Cordelia scolded. She was about to say something more when Doyle whispered soothingly to her and began stroking her hair.

“The amulet contains the gem of Holi-Hu.” Anya explained.

 “I thought that never existed.” Angel interrupted.

 “Of course it existed, how do you think we got here? Anyway, it’s Japanese in origin, some warlock made it to assist the Hun in defeating China but it was stolen...”

“By who?” Angel asked

 “Me” Anya answered carelessly but after regarding there looks towards her, defended herself “Hey! I’m not a thieving vagrant! A woman wished for her ex-lover to be defeated in battle, he was a Hun so I took away the amulet and he was killed.”

 “This is all very interesting” Buffy said impatiently “But how do we get home?”

“Oh that’s easy” Anya replied “ we just find the amulet win this time, which according to Willow’s wish is the 1700’s but before Angel was born so I think it’s probably very early on in the century which means the amulet is with me, in Greece.”

“So let me get this straight- the only reason Angel and Spike are human ‘cause in this time they haven’t been turned yet?” Buffy asked confused “And Doyle is still half demon because he was born that way?”

 “Yes.” Anya confirmed.

 “So when we get home Angel won’t be human?” Buffy whispered.

Anya smiled gently “As long as you specify when we wish to go back home that you want him to stay human he will. And you could wish he still had vampire strength or that he had no strength at all and you could make him follow you around on a leash all day or you could-”

Xander stopped her before she shared anymore of her disturbed thoughts “So how do we get this necklace?”

“Easy. We go to Greece and get it. But I can’t go because if I meet myself I will cause an inter dimensional implosion and the whole world will be sucked into hell.” Anya spoke happily as if she was ordering a McDonalds rather than describing the end of the world.

Cordelia laughed nervously “Easy she says.”

 “So who’s going to go then?” Angel asked.

“Well” Buffy started “Certainly not those two.” She indicated Spike and Faith making out, several meters away from everyone else. “And Xander won’t go without Anya...”

“We’ll go” Cordelia said unexpectedly.

 “We will?” Doyle asked.

 “Sure, our old maid, Peligia Skarlotas was Greek, she taught me a little, enough to get us by and I always wanted to visit.”

 “Ok then” Buffy declared “You two can go then, you’ll need to get the details off Anya. I guess later we should find a town or something. Find someplace to get food and clean clothes.”

 “I agree,” Cordelia concluded, “Doyle really needs re-outfitting.”

 “Cordelia, this is 1700. Clothes are kinda different.”

Cordelia rolled her eyes “Anything is better than his clothes. And I use the term ‘clothes’ loosely.”

For the next few hours they continued to laugh, insult, end enjoy themselves feeling freedom they never thought possible, induced by the fresh air and beautiful surroundings.

Part Three

“My feet hurt.” Cordelia moaned.

Buffy rolled her eyes “We’ve only been walking twenty minutes and it’s been downhill all the way.”

After a lunch of fresh oranges, Buffy, Angel, Cordelia, Doyle, Faith and Spike had decided to walk and find the nearest town while Xander and Anya had opted to stay behind and ‘explore the villa’. Buffy figured that it meant they were going to have sex in lots of places.

 “Yes I know.” Cordelia continued to whine “But you’re wearing to trainers. I, on the more fashionable hand am wearing mules. And they hurt!” She said pointing to the once clean suede mules that were now covered with dust. “ARRRRGHHHHHHH” She screamed “Put me down!” she said half heartedly as Doyle picked her up and gave her a piggyback.

 

A further twenty minutes later, the group of six approached a small town - which the sign informed them was called Tossa Del Mar. “’Beautiful town by the sea.’” Angel translated.

 “Twat” Spike muttered.

 “I think you’ll find my linguistic skills may be beneficial unless you want to live on oranges and wear exactly the same clothes until we get back home.”

Spike grunted back an insult and lit up a cigarette. His now living lungs retaliated and he started violently coughing. “Word to the wise” Angel said smugly “Smoking kills.”

 “Sod off” Spike spluttered. Faith laughed and patted him on the back to stop him from choking.

Cordelia, who was now standing on her own to feet spoke up “How exactly do we buy clothes and food? We have no money.”

Buffy frowned; obviously the thought hadn’t crossed her mind.

 “We could sell Buffy.” Spike suggested hopefully

 “Spike, this is Spain, no Arabia. If we sold anything it’d be your dumb coat.” Buffy argued.

 “That’s not such a bad idea,” Angel agreed. Spike glared at him. “Not the coat, selling things like jewelry.” Buffy frowned and began twisting he claddagh ring on her finger “Unless it has sentimental value.” Angel added.

~*~

“Hola!” Angel began, speaking in fluent Spanish to the market stallholder.

 “Hola.” The man replied, looking curiously at the group. Although Angel, Cordelia and Faith all had Mediterranean looks, their clothes looked odd and Buffy, Spike and Doyle looked very eccentric. “We have recently arrived here, and we need clothes and food but we have no money.”

 “I’m sorry amigo, but I’m not a charity.”<

“We do not need your charity” Angel continued, everyone oblivious to what he was saying “Only your trade. We have jewelry we are willing to sell.” Angel produced the small collection of gold and silver, rings, necklaces and bracelets and as he did his Rolex protruded from the cuff of his shirt.

 “This I like.” the market stallholder told Angel, indicating his watch.

 “Sì” Sighed Angel, removing his new watch, thinking that every time he turned human he lost his watch, it was worth it. “How much will you give me for it and the jewelry?”

 “60,000 pesetas?”

 “65,000.”

 “Done.” The portly man shook Angel’s hand as they exchanged money.

 

 “So” Buffy asked, walking away from the stall “How much did you sell all our stuff for?”

 “About $350.”

Cordelia’s eyes widened in disgust “$350! Are you crazy? My stuff alone was worth that much!”

 “Cordelia” Angel began soothingly “You have to remember; everything is so much cheaper in this time. $350 is a lot of money!”

 “A lot of money you say” Cordelia echoed, smiling broadly.

~*~

 After visiting the only clothes shop in the small town, Cordelia, Buffy and Faith emerged dressed in beautiful colored dresses, carrying wicker bags of clothes for Xander and Anya and also the guys who had vetoed the idea of clothes shopping in favor of searching for a tavern.

 “I’m sorry, you guys” Faith started difficulty, apologizing didn’t come naturally to her. “I guess it doesn’t mean much to you, but I’m sorry... For everything.”

 “It means everything” Buffy smiled gently “We all make mistakes... God knows I have...”

 “Yeah” Cordelia joined in “I mean Angel gave up being human like a year ago and here he is again. I mean what was the point?”

“WHAT!?!?” Buffy demanded.

 “Oooops. I forgot you didn’t know about that... Just forget I said anything.” Cordelia smiled brightly and walked briskly ahead.

~*~

 “Why is it,” Angel asked, his voice slurring from the alcohol that his now mortal body wasn’t used to coping with “That whenever I turn human I lose my watch?”

 “Does everyone know about that but me?” Buffy screamed as she burst through the doors of the tavern. The air was thick and smelt of stale alcohol. Buffy’s voice stood out loud and clear in the near empty bar due to the mid-afternoon siesta.

 “Buffy...” Angel sobered immediately at the sight of Buffy in the loose linen dress and woolen shawl; he’d never seen her look more beautiful. “Buffy, I was going to tell... I’m sorry...” he faltered.

“Yeah well I’m sorry too,” her voice cracked and the tears in her eyes streamed down her cheeks like salty rivers “Sorry I ever trusted you enough to...” Buffy sobbed, turned on her heels and ran out of the bar.

 “Buffy!” Angel’s eyes filled with tears.

~*~

That evening, Angel stood waiting for Buffy under the orange tree. He had unwillingly come back to the villa, wanting to continue to search for Buffy but Cordelia and Doyle had convinced him otherwise. “She needs time to think.” Cordelia had told him “She’ll come and see you when she’s ready.”

But now Angel was beginning to worry. The sun had set over the mountains a long while ago and darkness was overtaken the villa. The only light came from some candles Cordelia had bought and the large crescent moon shinning brightly above him. It was cold as well; with each breath he exhaled Angel could see the warm air from his lungs mingling with the cold. It was a new experience for him.

Angel let out a gasp and more warm air escaped his lips as Buffy crept up behind him, putting her arms around his waist and resting her head against his back. “Don’t turn around.” She whispered, “Just tell me what happened.”

Angel gulped and began to tell her the story he had imagined telling her one hundred times. “It was at thanksgiving, when you came... The Mohra demon, I didn’t kill it the first time it came into my office - we fought... I injured it, and then it escaped into the sewers. We followed it, you told me you felt weird being around me, that you were heading to a pretty normal life that I was gone. You told me you missed me.”

 “I did.” She whispered into his back.

 “We decided to split, you went out of the sewers to search for it and I kept looking underground. I found it. We fought. Some of its blood mixed with mine. I killed, at least I though I killed it. Its blood had regenerative properties. It made me mortal. I came and found you in Santa Monica and ... And I kissed you. Then we went back to my apartment and had tea and crackers.”

 Buffy raised her eyebrows questioningly.

 “Yeah tea and crackers” he laughed, then sobered  “You told me you’d dreamt about that day happening a zillion times, that it was a real let down...”

 “No Angel, I would never say that, you being alive has been-”

 “Let me finish. I told you I didn’t want to rush back into things, I told you I was sorry I kissed you, I told you to go back home. You didn’t go. Two minutes later we... We broke most of my kitchen furniture.”

Buffy laughed “So we..?”

“Yeah, we did. We did a lot.”

Buffy laughed then quietened when he tensed in her embrace. “What happened?”

 “Mohra wasn’t dead, he regenerated, he came back bigger and stronger, he nearly killed me, and I couldn’t protect myself. I went to the oracles, they’re my link to the Power’s That Be, and... And I asked them to turn me back.”

Buffy was furious “So what? You took a whole day to weigh the ups and downs of being a normal person and decided it was more fun being super vamp?”

Angel was astonished at how close what she had just said was to what she had said the first time he’d told her. ‘It’s just a coincidence’ he counseled himself ‘just reacting the same way to the same situation.’

“You sacrificed what might have been our only shot at happiness for what? So what? That you could protect yourself? You needn’t have fought, you’d have been safe.” her shouting diminished to a barely audible whisper.

“Not just me. You. The oracles told me that you’d die if I remained mortal.”

Buffy began sobbing into his black shirt “You did it for me? You gave up your redemption for me?”

Angel turned in her arms to look her in the eye “Buffy, knowing you’re alive, that your happy, it makes me feel whole. If you died... I couldn’t go on without you...” Angel too was crying by this point. Bitter, unshed tears streaked salty rivers down his face. He buried his face in her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her waist. “The oracles took back the day” he whispered into her blonde hair which shone silver in the moonlight. “I got back to my apartment just in time to say goodbye. I told you what was going to happen... You cried.”

 “I guess I felt about a hundred times worse than I do now.” She sobbed.

 “You were so upset. I-I nearly couldn’t do it... nearly let the day happen over again.”

 “Why didn’t you tell me?” She asked her fingers curled around the tear soaked fabric of his shirt.

 “You said you’d never forget. If you couldn’t remember what happened... I didn’t want to upset you... You promised you’d never forget.” Angel’s tear filled eyes had dried up. He had played that day over in his head, cried because of it thousands of times- he had no more tears left. 

Buffy gulped “I licked cookie dough fudge mint chip ice cream off your chest.” She choked in-between sobs. Angel stiffened in her embrace. How had she known? He hadn’t told her; he’d wanted to recreate that moment another time without the bitter tears hanging over them. “How did you..?”

 “I never forgot... I didn’t think it was real, I dreamt about it constantly, but it was so vivid...”

 “Shhh” Angel whispered as he tucked her blonde head beneath his chin and held her closer to him. “I’ll never let go. I’ll never let go. I’ll never let go...” She whispered like a mantra “I’ll never let go.”

 

//I’ll remember you

You will be there in my heart

I’ll remember you

That is all that I can do

But I’ll remember//

 

They stood in each other’s warm embrace until their eyes dried and the cool night air began to make them shiver. Buffy untucked herself from Angel’s strong arms, taking him by the hand as she led him upstairs.

~*~

 “Buffy, maybe we shouldn’t...” Angel began, but was silenced by her kiss as she pushed him back onto the bed. Her nimble fingers sought out his zipper, eager for him to be inside her and wash away all the tears she had cried.

 “Buffy stop!” Angel commanded as he grabbed her wrists and held her hands above her head. “Angel please, I need you...” she pleaded.

 “Buffy, I don’t think we should. I don’t want to get back to Sunnydale and have to explain to Giles... Or your Mother that you’re pregnant...”

 “Shhh... We’ll deal with that if we have to, right now I need to deal with you.”

“Are you sure?”

 “Don’t” She put a silencing finger to his lips “Just make love to me.”

Angel sighed, what man could resist her pleas and musky feminine scent? He moved his mouth over to completely cover hers, his fingers reaching down to remove her clothing.

Their love making was slow and tender, each acknowledging that there was no more secrets or heartache between them, no more bitter tears to be shed.

 “I love you.”

Part Four

Buffy looked up at Angel’s sleeping face and smiled. She couldn’t remember a time when she’d been any happier than she was at the moment, lying in a Spanish villa in the arms of her lover. Angel stirred in his sleep and his grip on her tightened. His light snoring stopped and gave way to muttered words “... No one will know but me... It never happened...” Buffy shook Angel to wake him up. His eyes fluttered open, filled with tears and sleep. Buffy stoked her hand along his cheek. “You were dreaming.”

Angel snuggled closer to his lover “Sorry baby.”

 “’S ‘K”

~*~

An hour later the couple emerged from their bedroom to see Spike and Faith arguing. Buffy shot Angel a look and they hurried down the stairs.

 “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Faith snarled.

 “It means exactly what you think it means luv.” Spike answered, looking her straight in the eye. The couple stood in the middle of the hallway, barely dressed, in grim silence. Both faces set in grim determination. Spike gave up the predatory stance and looked at her hopefully “You wanna go shag some more?”

Faith shrugged her shoulders “Sure.”

~*~

 “You guys seen Faith or Spike this morning?” Doyle asked Buffy and Angel as they entered the courtyard whilst he grilled fish on an open fire the fish cooked in a way only Doyle could do so. The air was fresh and intoxicating, not muggy and humid like the previous few days. Buffy felt like she could finally breathe. “Coz they’re gonna miss breakfast.” Continued Doyle.

 “They were arguing a minute ago.” Buffy answered, sitting down as she filleted her salmon.

 “Which probably means,” Xander added, “That they’re up there right now having wild monkey sex.” The group laughed. Even Angel. Buffy had never seen him looking so good; his smile (which she had seen only a few times before) lit up his entire face; his shaving wasn’t perfect as result of 18th century razors which meant he had a few nicks on his cheek making him looking both adorable and slightly dangerous at the same time; the few days in the sun and was already beginning to make his skin bronze.

 “Cordelia,” Buffy asked politely “When do you and Doyle leave for Greece?”

 “Well the trip takes ‘bout a month or so, so we need to leave as soon as possible. There’s a ship leaving Lloret Del Mar this afternoon, we’ll have to walk into that nearby town and then catch a coach or something.”

 “How long will this take? Coz I really wanna go home” Xander asked annoyingly

 “Well,” Anya began “It’ll be at least two months, one month to get there and one to get back, and I don’t know how long to find the amulet, maybe three months max.”

 “Three months!” Buffy exclaimed, “My mom is going to kill me” She groaned and flopped into Angel’s lap.

 “Well no one will notice I’m missing, I don’t speak to my parents.” Xander said, “Anya is parentless, so is Spike, Faith... Well Faith’s mom never really gave a shit, although the prison might notice… What about you Cordy? Doyle?”

 “I haven’t spoke to my parents since graduation.” Cordelia told her ex-boyfriend with a hint of melancholy in her voice.

 “Same here” Doyle agreed, “Ain’t spoken to the folks back home since I crossed the Atlantic.”</P>

 “Great!” Buffy muttered sarcastically “The only people who will miss us are Giles, Will, my Mom and Dawn.” Buffy carefully avoided mentioning Riley

~*~

 “Ta-Da!” Faith did a little twirl as she entered the courtyard a little before noon wearing a bandeau style top and matching short skirt in burgundy fabric.

 “Faith, where did you..?” Buffy asked puzzled.

 “Oh well I figured the clothes we bought yesterday were, I dunno, a little concealing for my taste. I mean don’t get me wrong, they look five by five on you girls...”

 “We get it” Cordelia smiled tightly “Clothes aren’t clothes on you unless they reveal cleavage.”

Buffy chuckled as she ducked behind Angel.

 “I think she looks bloody smashing.” Spike grinned as he stepped up behind Faith, putting his arms around her uncovered midriff and resting his chin on her bare shoulder.

Buffy cocked an eyebrow “so it’s safe to say you guys have made up?”

 “Oh yeah” Spike answered “We’re very made up” Spike rubbed his hips against Faith’s backside, a gesture which nobody missed.

~*~

Buffy, Angel, Xander, Anya, Faith and Spike waved Cordelia and Doyle off as they set off in a horse-drawn carriage. Buffy and Anya were wearing attire similar to Faith’s garments although theirs were a little more concealing. Cordelia had been forced to wear traditional 18th century costume. “You want to fit in don’t you?” They had chorused.

“With him? Are you kidding?” She’d pointed to Doyle “Pffttt!”

The now considerably smaller group slowly meandered along the cobblestone streets aimlessly. “So B’s and G’s, what ya wanna do now?” Asked Faith, trying to regain her composure after she had tripped on a loose stone as a result of wearing ridiculously high stiletto heels.

 “I say we hit the beach.” Xander suggested

 “Yeah sure, Angel needs to tan a little” Buffy agreed.

~*~

They arrived at the beach and, as it was Sunday, it was empty. Faith settled down in the silky soft sand immediately whilst Buffy hopped around on the hot sand “OW! Ow! Hot! Hot!” She exclaimed. The sun was burning down on the sand, hot enough to turn it to glass.

Five minutes after the ex-vampires, slayers and then some had settled down in their respective couples, Faith-who was lying on her back, began to undress. “Faith!” Buffy asked, choking with surprise “What are you doing?”

 “What?” She asked innocently “This is the first time I’ve seen the sunlight in nine months- I don’t want any tan lines. Besides Spike and Xander have seen it all before and your boy is too rapped up in you to even notice. And if you and demon lady over there don’t like it... Tough shit.” she said defiantly, crossing her arms over her naked breasts, before lying back on the sand completely naked bar a very skimp bikini. Spike looked Faith up and down “It’s not such a bad idea actually pet, I might try it myse-”

 “Don’t even think about it Blondie!” Buffy squeaked in terror.

 “What?” Spike asked, repeating Faith’s earlier look of innocence “Scared you’ll see something you like?”

 “As if.” Angel answered for her, his tone was jovial but his eyes sent Spike a look that contradicted the light-hearted note in his voice. Spike recognized the look his sort-of-sire sent him and settled back-fully dressed, in the sand next to Faith who appeared to be dozing in the sand.

 

Anya hit Xander sharply. “Hey!” He exclaimed, “What was that for?!?”

 “You were looking at her!” Anya hissed jealously, indicating Faith’s nearly nude body.

 “Well Gee Anya, I’m sorry if I have eyes!” he replied sarcastically.

“You never look at me like that.” she pouted.

 “I would if you were naked right now.” he joked.

 “Fine.” Anya stood up, completely unembarrassed and divested herself of the dress she was wearing leaving just a pair of skimpy panties. “Anya!” Xander squealed, astonished “I didn’t mean-”

 “Well, well,” Spike interrupted, leering at Anya appreciatively.

 “Hey!” Xander said possessively, moving closer to Anya who had sat down beside him.

Buffy raised her hands in exasperation “No one told me this was a nudist beach!”

 “Well you can strip off too slayer.” Spike suggested hopefully. “It’s not as if Angel and me ain’t seen it all before.” Angel’s eyes widened in horror but Spike continued, “The only one that’ll care is Xander- unless you too have been up to something that I don’t know about.”

 “Spike, shut up!” she half pleaded, half insisted “I will not be stripping and that is final.” Anya scowled at the fact that Xander look a little disappointed.

 “Buffy when did you and he..?” Angel asked jealously, unable to finish his question. Buffy looked at Anya for assistance, she only shrugged in response “I-I-I-I... We didn’t... y’know.” she stuttered, blushing feverantly. Spike positively beamed at the slayer’s discomfort, while Xander looked away disgusted. Anya and Faith looked interested, obviously Faith’s attraction to Spike was nothing more than physical, as she was not acting at all jealous. Spike smirked “Oh you should have seen her, she was all over me, her body wriggling down on the bed, begging for me to go down on her ‘Spike! I love you! Please Spike! Now Spike, please, I need you!’” Spike imitated Buffy’s voice, glowering in Angel’s obvious discomfort “Was gonna as well, then her bloody watcher walked into the soddin’ fridge and nearly broke his arm.” Faith and Anya began to laugh before sending Buffy apologetic looks.

“You wanted him to lick you out in front of Giles?” Angel asked, disgusted.

 “I-er-It wasn’t... It was Willow!” Buffy continued to blush.

Angel’s chocolate brown eyes widened in curious shock “You had a threesome with Willow and Spike?!?!”

Spike howled with laughter.

 “God no! Will cast this spell and it went wrong and Spike and me ended up engaged. I swear I would never have done it otherwise. And the spell made Giles blind too.”

Angel smiled gently, the one he used to smile. The smile that said ‘I’m not happy but I’ll try because I love you.’ “I believe you.”

After a moments silence, interrupted only by the giggles that continued to plague Spike, Angel spoke again “I’m going for a swim.”

Buffy looked up anxiously at him “I’ll come too.”

The couple that had experienced more pain and heartache in four years than most felt in forty years walked hand in hand across the beach and up to the sea front leaving the group of ‘friends’ laughing behind them. Buffy waded into the cool water until it reached her bronzed knees. Deciding she didn’t want to walk back to the villa from the beach in wet clothes she threw proverbial caution to the proverbial wind and shed her clothes, throwing them onto the sand, ignoring the wolf-whistles coming from Spike further up the beach. Angel stared at Buffy, astonished at her audacity in front of Xander and especially Spike, but then followed her in suit, removing his linen shorts and chasing her into the water, the salty water splashing into his mouth and eyes.

The couple swam out to see in a relaxed, enjoyable, nameless stroke. As soon as they were far out enough to see that they believed their actions wouldn’t be spotted by the group of so called friends on the beach, Buffy and Angel swam close together.  

Angel kissed Buffy long and slow, the heat emanating from his lips as intense of the burning afternoon sun “Angel.” Buffy whispered as they broke apart, their bodies still touching “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Spike, I didn’t think it was important...”

 “Shhh” he whispered before taking her hand and urging her to swim with him. She stopped him, grabbing him by the arm and forcing him to look at her, kicking her feet underneath herself to stop from sinking. “Angel, you can’t just ignore this. There have been other men in my life since you left.” She told him gently.

 “Like Riley?” he challenged.

 “Yes like Riley. God Angel, are you jealous of him? You are aren’t you? You should know that what I had with him is nothing compared with what we have.”

 “I know that.” he smiled but then his face darkened “Were you still dating him when we arrived here?”

Buffy ambient features froze “Technically no, it’s like 1700, he isn’t even born yet.”

Angel scowled “Buffy I’m serious.”

 “So am I.” She laughed, “Ok, ok. Yes I was still dating him but I promise as soon as we get home I’ll dump him.”

Angel sent her a questioning look.

 “OK,” she grinned “Maybe not the first. The second, third, no wait, the hundredth thing I’ll do after we’ve had lots and lots and lots of nice, hot, passionate sex. How’s that sound?”

“Sounds good.” They both laughed and the tensely charged air around them cleared.

 “There’s a private looking beach over there” Buffy smiled at her lover, “looks secluded, what do you say?”

Angel smiled and caught her hand in his own and pulled her toward the private beach.

~*~

 “Wonder what they’re up to?” Spike asked sarcastically.

 “Give ya three guesses and they sure ain’t going for no picnic in the park.” Faith laughed as they watched Buffy and Angel swim out to sea, watched them kiss, watched them argue, watch them swim off to a private bay out of sight.

 “So much for Captain Cardboard.” Spike sighed in mock sadness.

~*~

 Angel lay on his back on the beach, propped up on his lower arms watching Buffy swimming towards him. His stroke was faster, more powerful than hers and he had reached the beach before her.

Angel gasped at the sight in front of him as Buffy emerged from the water like a beautiful sea nymph arriving on land. Her hair hung dark and loose as she shook the water out of it, her tanned perfect body glistened as sunlight reflected off the tiny drops of sea water clinging to her.

 “’Love you.” Angel smiled as he walked toward his glittering mermaid. He looked at her as if he were seeing her for the first time, before taking her in his arms and kissing her passionately. “’Love you too.” She murmured, as they broke apart. Buffy looked around cautiously “No one will see us will they?”

 Angel shook his head. The beach was small and secluded, hidden by 50ft cliffs on every side. “And to be honest” he smile “I don’t care. I love you Buffy Summers and I don’t care who knows.” Angel took Buffy’s body in his arms and gently lowered her into the sand. The sand felt warm-but not hot, against her wet body but all thoughts of hot and cold sand were abandoned as Angel’s lips descended on hers.

~*~

“Now I don’t even want to know what they’re doing.” Xander remarked as he and Spike heard a feminine voice screaming out the heavenly name of her lover. “Going for a swim my ass.” Spike exclaimed, “Going for a shag more like.”

~*~

Buffy lay in Angel’s arms staring into his chocolate eyes whilst he stared back. Neither felt uncomfortable, both perfectly content. “We better get back soon.” she murmured.

 “We really should.” he answered, not moving a muscle except his lips to kiss her again.

~*~

Two hours later Faith spotted their heads, followed by the shoulders emerge from the water. Angel stood up, the water lapping around his waist whilst Buffy hung back in the slightly deeper water, apparently still unwilling to bear all- tough shit- Faith though, amused.

 “Angel?” Buffy asked confused, “Where are all of our clothes?”

Angel looked around and sure enough their clothes, which they had abandoned on the sand, had disappeared. Angel looked further up the beach where Spike stood waving their clothes around like beacons. “Shit.” Angel muttered. Buffy followed his annoyed gaze and her face fell in disbelief when she saw Spike.

Spike walked closer to the couples that were now shivering in the water, although he himself has stayed on the dry sand.

Spike smirked maliciously “How badly d’you want your clothes back slayer?”

 “Spike.” Angel warned.

“Bugger off you twat.”

 “Spike.” Buffy said in what she hoped was an authoritative voice “Give them back!”

 “Maybe.” he grinned.

 “Maybe! Maybe?” Buffy shrieked “Please Spike.” she said desperately.

 “That’s better, now you sound like your old ‘loving me’ self.”

Buffy ignored him and yelled up the beach “Xander? Anya? Help! Faith- you’ve always been like a sister to me- please?” But none of her so-called friends came to her aid instead they continued laughing. “You do realize,” Buffy said conversationally “That when I get my clothes back I’m gonna kick your ass back into the 21st century.”

 “Now as I was saying, the only way I give you your rags back is if you” he pointed to Buffy “Do a handstand.”

 “A handstand?” she asked puzzled.

“Yes a handstand. Right here on the sand next to me.”

“Fuck you!” Buffy replied, unimpressed.

 “If you really want to.” Spike grinned and wiggled his eyebrows seductively.

“Buffy, we don’t have to...” Angel started, backing into the slightly deeper water where Buffy stood shivering. “I’m really going to regret this.” She muttered to herself as she strode into the shallower water and onto the beach, a scarlet blush covering her face.

Spike stood gob smacked as Buffy strode towards him like a tiger ready to pounce. Xander’s, Anya’s and Faith’s howls of laughter stopped as Buffy - who was still very much naked- walked up to Spike as though she was about to seduce him.

Angel watched from the sea- intrigued as to what his lover was about to do. Although he trusted her completely he couldn’t help the pang of jealousy that tugged at his heart.

Buffy stepped closer to Spike, so close she could feel his sharp gasps of breath on her face. God, she was actually making Spike - worshipper of all things kinky - nervous. She smiled sweetly and leaned in closer as if she was about to kiss him. Her sweet smile turned into a sardonic grin as she moved her mouth away from his, whilst raising her leg and kneeing him between his legs. Buffy then raised her leg - completely shame free and kicked his jaw. Spike howled in pain as he fell to the floor - too much in pain to enjoy the view she was giving him. The trio up the top of the beach fell about laughing once again.

Buffy continued to pummel Spike with swift kicks and hard punches to all areas of his body. Angel watched from the water, his expression full of admiration: her tan, powerful body moving with grace and strength, sensuality and power seeping from every pore.

 When Buffy finally appeared satiated she casually picked up and Angel’s abandoned clothes and began to dress herself, passing Angel his clothes as he emerged from the water.

Spike groaned and stood up to find a fully dressed, angry looking slayer “You fucking bitch!” he yelled at her “That hurt!”

 “Damn it.” Buffy smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand sarcastically “I meant it to tickle.” Angel chuckled at his sort-of-childe’s obvious discomfort. “Well now you know what it feels like to be a victim. I hope in future you will never kill someone.” Buffy pointed out like a parent teaching a disobedient child a lesson before she started walking up the beach. Angel followed, still smiling.

 “Nice going B’” Faith smiled, now fully dressed.

“I should really kick your ass for not helping us any.” Buffy remarked warningly.

“Oh please don’t.” Anya pleaded, “Xander doesn’t need another display of you kicking ass nakedly.” Buffy began to blush which only invoked more laughing.

 “Well I’m glad to see someone’s having a jolly old time.” Spike said sarcastically as he stumbled up the beach.

”Oh poor baby.” Faith comforted him with mock sympathy as she stood up to help Spike walk.

 “Come on.” Anya started as she finished dressing herself “I want to go home.”

~*~

Faith and Spike arrived back at the villa shortly after everyone else as after fifteen minutes of Spike’s continual moaning Faith had picked him up and given him a fireman’s lift home.

 “You know,” he pointed out furiously “I could have walked.”

 “Sure you could, and you’d still be limping up that hill. ALONE!” she retorted as she spun on her heel and stomped up the stairs. “That’s not tru-” he gave up as he hobbled after her.

~*~

Spike entered the bedroom and flopped down on the bed, hissing in pain

 “You are not sleeping with me tonight!” Faith yelled.

 “Well I’m not sleeping on the fucking floor.” Spike shouted back “I’m the one in pain. You didn’t even try to stop her - you just laughed, you...” Spike’s words stopped as he tried to get up but failed and he rolled back down on the bed, blinking back tears forming in his eyes.

“Lie back down.” Faith urged gently, her tone soft yet aggressive. Faith sat down on the bed next to him and began to wash a bloody gash on his forehead with warm water. “Ow! Stop that! It hurts!” he squirmed in pain, so Faith renounced bathing that wound in favor of another. “Ow! You bitch, stop hurting me!” Spike moaned, unused to the pain human bodies were prone to. Faith threw down the cloth in temper “Well where the hell doesn’t it hurt?” she demanded angrily.

 “Here.” he mumbled, pointing to his left ear lobe. Gently Faith bent down and kissed it, her warm, full lips soothing his pain. “Here.” he indicated his navel. Her tongue trailed his body, kissing him tenderly until she reached his navel. “Here.” His lips. Faith kissed him tenderly, yet still brimming with passion, the pain in his body slowly clearing as Faith’s talented mouth began to massage him.

Part Five

 The weeks passed quickly and soon the gang had been in Spain for two months. They survived on what little money they had without difficulty, picking fruit and vegetables from nearby fields and only buying necessities. Doyle and Cordelia had yet to return, although none of the group remaining in Spain was overly bothered, they spent days at the beach, swimming and laughing or occasionally exploring the nearby mountains or visiting the town or Lloret Del Mar.

Buffy and Angel appeared to be the happiest of the three couples, always holding hands and rarely arguing. Their love was still strong and passionate and had not dwindled after they had obtained the unobtainable. They spent long, heated nights making love, watching the sun rise whilst lying in each others arms or often felt content to just spend the nights in each other’s loving embrace.

 One sultry July night, Angel sat upright in bed, waiting for Buffy to emerge from the very primitive en-suite bathroom. Buffy entered the room wearing a cotton, hand-made bathrobe - the seams being slightly uneven as it had been hand made by Anya. Angel looked at what he expected to be Buffy’s smiling face but she wore an expression of utter disbelief. “Buffy what is?” he asked, his mellow expression turning somber. Buffy said nothing, apparently too shocked for words, instead she flopped down on the bed next to him, resting her hand on her currently flat abdomen as she threw him a piece of white plastic. “I don’t understand... What does this mean?” Angel stuttered, puzzled.

Buffy took a deep breath, she hadn’t known whether to laugh or cry when Anya had given her the home pregnancy test two months ago, apparently Anya was always prepared for anything. “I’m pregnant.”

Angel’s face broke into a wide smile “I’m going to be a father?”

Buffy nodded with a small smile, not looking at his face “I’m sorry, this is all my fault, I know you didn’t want to that second night coz of what might happen and it did and I’m sorry and-”

Angel put a silencing finger to her lips “Do you know how happy this makes me? I never thought I’d be human again, let alone have children. I’m amazingly happy about this... That is, if you are.” Angel’s smile wavered at the thought of Buffy not wanting to bear his children.

 “Of course, I’m just a little scared that’s all.”

 “It’s ok to be scared” he smiled supportively  “But after the fear comes happiness and love. Buffy, we’re - you’re, having a baby, our baby, we’re going to be parents.

 “We’ll make it work right?”

 “We will.” he confirmed, squeezing her hand tighter.

~*~

The next evening, Angel walked Buffy into town, telling her it was just an evening walk. He dropped the façade when they arrive at the ‘San Eloy’, a small restaurant close enough to the beach to hear the sea roar.

Buffy smiled as the waiter led them to their table - quiet and secluded from other, more rowdy areas. “This is nice.” She said conversationally as the friendly waiter, José disappeared with their order. “Nice.” Angel repeated.

Buffy put the glass down she had been holding “You’re mad at me aren’t you?”

 “What? No!” he protested.

 “You are! You hardly spoke to me this morning, you disappear for half this afternoon then you take me out to dinner as if everything’s la-de-da and I’m not pregnant.”

 “I’m not. I’m taking you out for dinner because I love you. Because everything is ‘la-de-da’, because you are pregnant. Buffy I love you, I always will.” Angel took a deep breath and slid off his chair and onto one knee in front of Buffy; he reached into his pocket, and produced a diamond engagement ring. “Will you marry me?” Angel asked, his voice full of love and hope.

 “Yes.” She whispered, choking back the tears of happiness welling up in her green eyes.

Part Six

Two days later Spike, Faith, Xander and Anya - along with Buffy and Angel who had decided to come along at the last minute, were walking the familiar stretch of road into Tossa Del Mar. Buffy and Angel had decided to come after barely leaving the bedroom for the past two days, after excitedly announcing their engagement but had come to a mutual decision not to inform anyone about Buffy’s pregnancy until they got home - preferring to keep it a delicious secret that only they knew.

As they approached the outskirts of town they saw a man with dark hair and blue eyes of about 35, speaking with an Irish accent in faltering Spanish to a police officer.

Angel’s eyes widened in shock as they got closer and he recognized the Irish man. He quickly approached the two men; assisting the Irish man with is Spanish. After a few moments the police officer left, leaving Angel speaking with the Irish man. Buffy started walking towards the two of them but Spike grabbed her arm and stopped her “What?” she demanded, “What is it?”

 “Look at them.” Spike commanded.

Buffy looked at the two men for a moment, her expression of confusion wiped out by one of surprise as she looked how similar the two Irish men looked, the height, the shape of the face, the deep set eyes, the nose. The man was Angel’s father. “Oh.”

 “What? What’s going on? Who is he?” Xander asked, confused. Anya whispered the answer in his ears.

Ten minutes later, Angel and his father walked over to Buffy. Angel saw the knowing look in her eyes and he realized she knew he was. “Buffy, this is Francis Duffin.” Angel paused “Francis, this is my fiancée, Buffy Summers.” Buffy smiled politely, noticing how Angel had slipped back into his natural accent. “It’s nice to meet you sir.” Buffy was unsure if Angel had told his father who he was - son or fellow Irish man. “You too.” Francis shook Buffy’s hand “So Angel tells me you’re not from Ireland then.” Francis had said Angel, not Liam, obviously Angel hadn’t told him “No sir, I’m not.”

~*~

Angel sat in the tavern talking with his father, still unaware who Angel was. Buffy had left them in favor of the beach with Faith and the others, giving them some alone time.

They had talked about Ireland, about politics, about Francis’s life. When Angel had told Francis his - the life he lead with Buffy, editing the demon parts, Francis was amazed “You’re a very lucky man, to have such a beautiful future wife and you are both very good people... You father must be a proud man.”

Angel smile wistfully at the irony, whilst alive he’d never done a thing right in his father’s eyes, only after Buffy came into his life that he became worth anything “Ah, I think I never did a thing that my father was proud of.” Angel stated sadly.

 “Surely not. If I was your father, I’d be proud to call you my son.” Angel smiled gratefully at his father’s comment. He had finally made his father proud, he was finally free of at least some of the guilt. Angel remembered Darla’s words after he had killed his father soon after he’d been turned “Your victory over him took but moment’s, his over you will last lifetimes.” Angel hoped that at least now they were equal.

~*~

 “So how’d it go?” Buffy asked as Angel arrived ‘home’ later that evening. “Good.” he smiled “At least I think I know him better now. I never thought I’d get the chance.”

 “That’s good.” Buffy smiled as she snuggled close to him “Now all you have to do is impress my dad.” Angel groaned sarcastically and began to tickle her mercilessly.

~*~

The days continued to pass quickly, and what seemed like days, they had been trapped in the past for nearly three months, all eagerly awaiting the arrival of Cordelia and Doyle.

Faith, Buffy and Anya sat - hidden from the unbearable sun by the shadow of an orange tree, attempting to squeeze fresh orange juice into a large container but were failing rather miserably. Angel, Spike and Xander were nowhere insight, after informing their other halves that they were going for a walk the girls were sure that when their lover’s returned they would be drunk and stinking of alcohol. This had happened only a few times, each Angel would return singing off tune Irish folk songs whilst Spike would recite dirty limericks to Xander who would mostly just pass out. Buffy, Faith and Anya didn’t seem annoyed by their behavior as it gave them a chance to talk alone.

 “Xander and I have run out of condoms!” Anya announced dramatically as she fished pips out of the container of juice.

 “Oh shucks.” Faith began sarcastically “I forgot to pack my mobile condom dispensary unit.” Buffy just rolled her eyes as Anya threw a juiceless, squeezed orange at Faith “Well I wouldn’t have run out if I hadn’t given half to you and your fuck-vamp. It’s a good job I went to the store to stock up the morning before we came here.”

 “You gave her condoms but not me and Angel?” Buffy demanded childishly.

 “I threatened her.” Faith smiled proudly “And don’t tell me you ain’t been gettin’ any B’, those moans and groans I been hearing through them damn thin walls, you and your boy have been at it like bunnies.”

All the blood in Buffy’s face rushed to her cheeks.

 “Unless you’ve been gettin’ down and dirty without, y’know, getting right down groiny.”

 “God Faith! Do you have to be so... crude?” Buffy demanded, Faith nodded, grinning.

 “So if you and Angel have been having sex,” Anya turned the conversation back to its original topic “How have you stopped becoming mommy and daddy to be?”

Buffy averted her eyes nervously, Faith and Anya stared at her in disbelief “Way to go B’, getting knocked up by a vamp, Giles would be so proud.”

 “Oh so you used that home pregnancy test I gave you?” Anya asked, nodding wisely.

Faith’s sarcastic humor died as she watched Buffy melancholy expression. “Don’t worry, we was only kidding. Giles’ll be cool, so will your mom. Have you told ‘daddy dearest’ yet?”

Buffy nodded, unable to find her voice.

Before Faith could fulfill her inquisitive nature anymore, three unharmonious male voices interrupted the silence of the mountains, singing an off-key rendition of ‘Swear it again’.

Buffy groaned inwardly and stood ready to greet Angel, needing him to convince her once again that everything would work out fine. “Hello love.” he smiled crookedly as he crushed her body against his. “H-hi” she answered back “I-I need to talk to you.”

 Angel smiled non-commitedly “Go ahead.”

 “In private.” She hissed.

 “Oh I see.” he smirked and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

 “You’re pissed.” She commented evenly.

 “That I am.” he grinned.

 “Go sleep it off.” she instructed him and urged him up the stairs to their bedroom. Sighing, she sat down next to Faith and Anya, both of whom appeared to have disposed of their drunken partners. Buffy groaned “Cordy and Doyle better get back soon.”

~*~

Buffy entered the bedroom she shared with Angel to find him sprawled out on the bed, snoring quietly - almost purring. Buffy was tired and grouchy - a result of early pregnancy hormones, so unceremoniously she pushed Angel onto his ‘side’ of the bed. Buffy climbed in under the covers after shedding her clothing.

Angel’s eyes flickered opened then quickly closed again as the room began to swim in an unfocused blur.

 “You have a hangover.” Buffy remarked.

 “Unghh” he answered.

 “Faith and Anya know about our baby.”

 “Unghh” he groaned again, not opening his eyes.

 “Which means Spike and Xander will now know.”

 “Unghh.”

Buffy quickly became fed up with his complete lack of interest and decided to tease him “The baby isn’t yours, its Spike’s.”

Angel’s eyes flew open, alarmed “WHAT?!?!”

 “Just kidding.” Buffy smiled.

 “You better be, or I’ll have to prove it to you.”

 “Oh really?” Buffy smirked.

 “When I’m not drunk or hung over,” he sighed, defeated.

 “Maybe it would be best if you were drunk” Buffy mumbled “Coz soon I’m gonna be so huge and gross you’ll never want to have sex with me ever again.”

 “Buffy you’re gorgeous.” he smiled as he ripped back the covers, his headache instantly diminishing to almost nothing at the sight of her nude form. “And you’ll always be beautiful. And your stomach-” Angel brushed his hand over her slight bump “swollen with my child is one of the most exquisite sights I could ever hope to see.”

Buffy smiled “I’m still gonna look gross.”

“Buffy I don’t know how many times I have to tell you this, but I’ll keep saying it until you believe me. You’re beautiful to me and you always will be.” Angel’s hand slowly began to trace idle patterns across Buffy’s slightly swollen stomach. “Always beautiful” he whispered. Slowly he brought his face level with Buffy’s stomach “Hey baby.” He whispered to her tanned belly, caressing her gently. “You’re mommy is a very beautiful woman, the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. And you’re gonna be just like her, she’s always my girl, you’re my other girl-”

 “How do you know it’s gonna be a girl?” Buffy interrupted his one sided conversation with her stomach.

Angel smiled as he kissed Buffy’s belly button and sat up on the bed beside her. “I just do.” He grinned.

 “OK then,” Buffy smiled stroking her stomach absently “Supposing our child is a girl, what do you wanna call her?”

 “I don’t know, what do you think?”

 “Well I did have one idea if we have a girl,” Buffy started, not sure if Angel would like her idea. “I read in one of the Watcher diaries that you had a sister and I was wondering... What was her name?”

 “Katharine, but we always called her Kathy.” Angel mumbled averting his eyes, knowing that Buffy had probably also read that he’d murdered his sweet sister.

 “Hey,” she whispered, turning his head to look at her “I don’t want you to go all brood boy on me, that wasn’t you.” She reassured him, knowing what he was thinking “And I just thought it’d be nice... We don’t have to if you don’t want to, I mean there are literally thousands of other names and...”

 “I’d like that.” Angel smiled “I loved my sister, and I love our daughter, and I love you.” Angel dropped a single kiss on Buffy’s forehead and she snuggled down next to him and dragged the comforter back up over her body.

 “And we don’t necessarily have to call her ‘Kathy’, we could just call her ‘Katharine’ or ‘Katie’, I like ‘Katie’ it’s a nice name. But not ‘Kate’ that would be like naming her after that mean cop lady who wanted to kill you. What do you think of ‘Katie’ then?”

 “I like ‘Katie’.” He smiled, holding her closer.

 “Me too.” Buffy smiled and then her expression wavered before she added “But we still don’t know she’s a girl.”

 “She is. Trust me.”

 

// I’m never gonna say goodbye

Cause I never wanna see you cry

I swore to you my love would remain

And I’d swear it all over again and I

I’m never gonna treat you bad

Cause I never wanna see you sad

I swore to share your joys and your pains

And I’d swear it all over again//

Part Seven

Buffy stirred in Angel’s arms the next morning, the sumptuous scent of grilling fish wafting around her nose. “Angel” She whispered as she nuzzled his cheek, urging him awake.

 “What is it?” he murmured sleepily, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. “Sweetie, I think Doyle and Cordy are home... I mean, back here.” She corrected herself as she realized that if Cordelia and Doyle were indeed back at the villa then it was unlikely that it would be their home much longer.

 “Really?” he asked surprised, then not so surprised as he realized they’d been stranded in the past for nearly three months.

Buffy looked up at her lover, her fiancée and father of her child. “Well who else could cook fish that smells this good but is gonna taste that bad?”

Angel laughed and dropped another kiss on her head, then brought his lips down to hers. Smiling, he said, “I guess you’re, we really should go down and see who it is...” Buffy smiled at him then drew his lips back down to hers “Later.” he added.

~*~

 “Cordelia! Doyle!” Buffy squealed as she ran towards the newly returned couple, embracing them both. They may not have been the best of friends but she was still glad to see them.

 “Jeez, Buffy” Buffy said, assessing Buffy’s rounded figure “Fat much?”

Buffy frowned 'Same old Cordelia' “Well actually,” Buffy began, beaming “I’m preg-”

 “ANGEL!!!” Cordelia squealed as she saw Angel coming down the stairs into the courtyard “Wow look at you. You have a tan! You look so much better than you did last time I saw you...” Her glance tailed off Angel and fixed on Buffy “Wish I could say the same for...”

Angel looked in confusion at Buffy “You mean you haven’t told them?” He had known that Buffy was desperate to tell someone new of her pregnancy and their engagement.

 “Told us what?” Doyle cut in.

Buffy smiled sheepishly “I’m pregnant.” Buffy paused and waited for the gushing of how lucky they were, or Cordy being her usual self and coming out with a snide comment, instead her reply was “Oh”

 “Is that it?” Buffy asked, disappointed.

 “Well, um, that is, er... I’m kinda, er, pregnant too.”

 Buffy’s mouth dropped open, she hadn’t expected Cordy to become want a baby, she’d expect Cordy to want to put off the stretch marks and breast-feeding until she was at least eighty.

 “Well, I guess its congratulations all round then.” Angel smirked and walked over to Doyle.

 “Well, Angel and me are engaged! HA!” The two men heard Buffy answer back immaturely as they headed away from the hormonal females “So are me and Doyle!” Cordelia’s reply floated down to them. “Same old Cordelia huh? Never one to be out done.” Doyle smirked at his best friend. “Yeah, same old Cordy.” Angel echoed grinning, glad to have his best friend back to talk to, Xander was too immature to have a conversation with and just talking to Spike was pointless.

~*~

 “So let me get this straight?” Xander sighed after learning of Buffy’s and Cordelia’s pregnancies earlier that morning “You’re pregnant” he looked at Buffy “And you’re pregnant” he looked at Cordelia “Please God, Anya, don’t tell me you’re pregnant.” He stared at his girlfriend with fear in his eyes.

 “As if. I have seen a thousand women scorned...” she began with her usual line “...And so many of them betrayed because their so called ‘better halves’ couldn’t stay around for them to pop out the kid. I will not be put through that same humiliation.”

Xander and Cordelia snorted whilst Buffy and Faith bantered about slaying tactics - better to tell Giles that they had done some work whilst they’d been away. Beside them, Angel, Spike and Doyle argued about English/Irish politics.

 “I don’t see why you two are laughing!” Anya informed Xander and Cordelia furiously “It’s your fault I’m human now. You made me lose my powers!”

 “As if, you totally had it coming-” Cordelia retorted

 “Not likely. If you two hadn’t been dating, he” Anya through a furious pointed finger at Xander as he back away towards Angel and the others “-wouldn’t have betrayed you, you wouldn’t have been hurt and I wouldn’t have lost my necklace.”

 “Yeah right, you-”

 “Eh-hum, guys?” Buffy stood above the two women arguing on the floor, surrounded by Faith, Spike, Xander Doyle and Angel. “We’d like to go home now. Are you two done yet, coz we wouldn’t want to offend you?"

 “Well I’d like to go home, but I’m not sure if demon lady has it in her.”

 “I can so do this, it’s not even difficult. All we have to do is stand in a circle and-”

 “Wait.” Xander demanded, stepping forward after conferring with Faith.

 “What now?” Cordelia sighed dramatically.

 “Faith and me think we should all have a little fun before we leave, sort of a, um, going home party.”

Angel groaned “What kind of ‘fun’?”

 “Truth or dare.” Xander declared.

 “That isn’t fun.” Angel muttered.

 “No way.” Buffy shook her head.

Spike, Doyle, Cordelia and Anya grinned in amusement, “Well you never know,” Cordelia stated, “It could be kinda fun.”

~*~

 “Truth or dare?” Faith asked Buffy, Buffy groaned. So far in the game she had taken dares, knowing a truth would consist of very big embarrassment for both her and Angel. Unfortunately, the last dare had involved kissing Spike, much to Angel’s annoyance. “Truth.” she sighed.

 “Ok.” Faith grinned, rubbing her hands together “Who is better in bed, Angel or Riley? And you can’t just say Angel coz he’s sitting there right next to you, you have to give a reason.”

All eyes turned to Buffy’s blushing face, even Angel looked at her, questioning her with an amused grin. “Angel.” Buffy answered.

 “And why is this?” Faith queried.

 “You mean aside from his amazing body, centuries of experience and the fact that I actually love him?” Buffy smiled sweetly “Well, whoever said size doesn’t matter, must have had a really small penis.” The group of eight howled with laughter, the joyous sound ringing throughout the moonlight courtyard. “Cordelia.” Buffy chose her next victim for the game. “I dare you-”

 “Wait, I didn’t choose a dare, I chose truth, I know what you’re dares are like!”

Buffy pouted a little; she’d had a perfect dare lined up for Cordelia. “Fine, fine. Ok, if the father of the baby was anyone else but Doyle, who would it be and why? Assuming it Doyle’s of course?”

 “Of course my baby is Doyle’s.” Cordelia informed her.

 “Well?” Buffy demanded.

 “Well what?” Cordelia snapped back.

 “Well, if it wasn’t Doyle’s - no offense Doyle - Who would you choose to be the father, Xander, Angel or Spike?”

Cordelia paused for a moment, considering the three men in front of her; Xander, ex-boyfriend, good kisser, dating a demon, wouldn’t be able to handle father hood if he was given an instruction manual; Angel, boss, very good looking, impending fatherhood, devoted to his fiancée; Spike, good looking, amazing cheekbones, funny, sensitive, homicidal tendencies and a formerly psychotic girlfriend, oh well, she could deal. “Spike” she answered finally.

Buffy and Anya raised curious eyebrows before the attention diverted to Spike, yelping in horror at the thought of himself as a father.

 “Maybe you should re-think your answer.” Faith laughed, unconsciously rubbing her stomach.

~*~

 “Ok, stand in a circle” Anya instructed, pushing the group into a makeshift circle with her left hand, clutching the amulet with her right. “Ok, now everybody be quiet while I think about this. Angel, you want to stay human right?” Angel nodded, grinning like an idiot “What about you Spike? Human or vampire?”

 “Human.” he answered, much to everyone’s surprise “What?” He asked “I like being human, I can do violence and go out in the sun and freckle and have real happy meals and watch Manchester United in the day.” he protested.

 “Fine” Anya nodded “Ok, are we all ready? No more silly little, embarrassing games we want to play?” She glared at Xander and Faith. They both shook their heads and urged her to get them home. Clutching the amulet, Anya began to speak, not the intricate, Latin or other archaic language that usually came with magic, just plain old... well Anya speech “We’re all in modern day Sunnydale, all in our current physical states-” Faith frowned, irritated “- with no exceptions, except Spike and Angel have their vampire strengths. Now. We’re there n-”

 And before she could finish, the courtyard was empty.

Epilogue

 “Are you telling me my eldest daughter is stranded in the eighteenth century?” Joyce demanded of Giles, exasperated.

 “Well I wouldn’t say stranded...” Giles paused “Alright, maybe I would say stranded.”

Giles, Joyce, Riley, Dawn and Willow were all sat around Giles’ lounge, Giles attempting to console Joyce over the temporary ‘misplacement’ of her daughter, after Buffy not returning home three days, Joyce had ran over to Giles demanding an explanation, her daughter hadn’t even been gone a week and already she was frantic.

 Riley sat quietly on the far couch, away from everyone else, glaring moodily at Willow, not only had she transported his girlfriend to the eighteenth century, she had transported his girlfriend to the eighteenth century along with her ex-lover. “How long will they be gone?” He asked Giles, running his hand through his greasy hair, not having bothered to wash it in the absence of Buffy.

 “Er, well, it depends on circumstances.” Giles stuttered at the ex-commando.

 “Circumstances being?” Riley demanded.

 “Well, how long it takes them to find the amulet, it could be days, could be weeks, months even-”

Before Giles could finish speaking, within the blink of an eye, eight unexpected figures emerged in various places of the room: Buffy and Angel stood hand in hand in front of the open door, sunlight illuminating them both; Cordelia landed on the breakfast bar, smirking, as Doyle helped her down; Anya was sitting on the couch in-between Joyce and Dawn, as if she’d always been sitting there, except for the fact Xander was perched on her lap; Faith was lurking in the corner in her usual stance and Spike was sitting on Riley’s lap “Captain Cardboard!” Spike squealed in a girly manner and through his arms around the stunned man.

 “Or they could be back right now.” Giles muttered.

 “Buffy!” Joyce exclaimed as she ran over and embraced her daughter “Look at you.” she smiled as she released Buffy from her embrace “You’ve only been gone a few days and you look so... so...” her eyes focused - confused - on Buffy’s abdomen.

 “Pregnant.” Buffy offered, smiling nervously. Angel’s arm crept around her waist offering her his unspoken support; he knew this wasn’t easy for her.

The reactions that followed were just as Buffy predicted, they all stood silently for a moment before Willow, seeing her best friend’s discomfort, rescued her “Buffy, that’s fantastic news. Congratulations.”

 “Thanks Will.” She smiled weakly.

 “P-pregnant?” Joyce stuttered, staring in disbelief at her nineteen- year- old daughter. “Ohmigod, this all my fault, my daughter is going to be a teenage mother, I’m a bad parent.”

 “Mom...” Buffy started softly but Joyce ignored her, continuing her self-bashing “Mom!” Buffy said louder, catching her mother’s attention “You’re not a bad parent. I knew what I was getting myself into and I am overjoyed that I am having this baby.” Buffy looked her mother in the eye and Joyce receded back onto the couch, apparently accepting her daughter’s explanation... for now.

 “Congratulations Buffy.” Giles smiled proudly. Although he was not overly pleased about his slayer becoming pregnant at such a young age, he was well aware that as her life expectancy was short she would want to cram all possible experiences into it, including motherhood.

Finally, Riley stood and made his way over to Buffy, completely ignoring the man standing next to her “I’m gonna be a father?”

Buffy averted her eyes nervously “No. The baby is Angel’s. He’s the father.”

Riley’s face screwed up in an angry fury “You already fucked him you slut!”

Buffy stared, gob smacked at the man she thought loved her before she slapped him hard on the face whilst Angel stood angrily by her side.

 “This is better than Passions Spike muttered as he retrieved a cigarette from a packet he had conveniently left on Giles’ coffee table.

 “Forgive me,” Giles interrupted “I know this may seem irrelevant to you Riley, but I would like to know just how the baby is Angel’s? He’s a vampire, a rather unorthodox one I am willing to admit, but as far as I know he should be unable to reproduce.”

Buffy and Angel smiled; apparently the fact that they were both standing in direct sunlight had gone unnoticed. “I’m human.” Angel explained, smiling broadly as he continued his explanation “Willow’s spell arrived us in the early 1700’s, before I was turned, therefore I was turned human, so did Spike. We only remained human because Anya specified it when she wished us back.”

After Angel finished his explanation the room fell silent, each one in the room that remained in Sunnydale realizing Buffy and Angel could finally have happiness together. Riley looked at Buffy sadly, pain apparent in his young eyes “You love him, I understand I’ll never have that from you, I’ll miss you.” he turned and began to make his way out of the lounge, tears glistening in his blue eyes, Buffy grabbed his arm desperately, a part of her cared deeply for him, she never wanted to hurt him “I’m so sorry Riley, I really am, I never wanted to hurt you.”

He stared at her a moment longer before he turned on his heel and left “Goodbye Buffy.”

~*~

 “I realize you all must tired from the events of the past three days but I would like to speak with you all about what exactly occurred due to the magic, I must also determine if there will be any long term side affects on either Angel and Spike.” Giles began after everyone had recovered from Riley’s departure.

 “Giles,” Buffy began puzzled “We’ve been gone three months, not twenty- four hours, I thought you could‘ve figured that out from my excessive hugeness” Buffy indicated her swollen abdomen.

 “Intriguing, you were in the past for three months and yet next to no time has past here. I’ll have to-”

 “Giles!” Cordelia interrupted, yawning loudly “We’re all really tired, we can talk about this tomorrow, can we go home now?”

 “Yes, yes of course, although there is the small matter of where you will all be staying, I assume you will all be remaining in Sunnydale for the time being, yes?”

 “Well Cordy and Doyle could stay with me and Anya at my apartment, there’s a spare room you can stay in until you find somewhere more permanent or go back to LA.”

 “Well that just leaves Spike” Giles indicated the blonde haired man engrossed in a soap opera on the television “Assuming he doesn’t wish to remain in his crypt, and, er, Faith.” he looked uneasily at the reformed rogue slayer, sitting close to Spike looking very uncomfortable.

 “Well, as long as Buffy, Angel, who I assume will also be staying with us for the present or Dawn object, they can stay with us, they can use the spare room, it’ll be a little cramped but it isn’t as if it’ll be for very long.” Joyce had always had a soft spot for the sensitive vampire and the rogue slayer; all each of them needed was a little mothering.

 “Right,” Giles confirmed, silently glad he wouldn’t have to put up either Faith or Spike “You all go home and get some rest and we’ll reconvene here tomorrow morning.”

~*~

 Buffy yawned and snuggled closer to her finance in her comfortable bed. After getting home being fed a delicious warm meal by Joyce and a shower, they felt finally human after their time using the primitive utensils of 1700 plumbing and cooking. “I’m so glad we’re home” She smiled “We can finally start building our home, you, me and baby. It’ll be perfect.”

 “It will.” Angel confirmed, holding her tighter. “Everything will be perfect.”