Buffy was laying on his couch watching TV when he returned.  The errand had taken much longer than anticipated.  He'd been gone for hours.  She was lonely and cranky, her entire body felt tender and swollen.

"Finally," she snapped, glaring at him as he entered the apartment.

She was tired and achy, she hadn't anticipated being left all alone for the entire afternoon and a large portion of the evening.  She'd tried to sleep through most of it, but she was still feeling the effect of the drugs.  It felt like her skin was too tight, she was restless and edgy. And although she was extremely pissed that he'd left her on her own all day, she really just wanted to fuck him senseless.

Gone was her outfit from earlier in the morning.  She was currently wearing nothing but one of his silk shirts in which she swam. Angel couldn't help it, he got hard just looking at her.  She was so damn hot.  And she smelled wonderful ... needy, aroused.  It was a heady perfume.  He knew that if he pulled up the shirt, her nether curls would be glistening with her delectable moisture.

Shaking his head to clear it, he offered her a hand, leading her towards the kitchen table.

"Great," she whined, "shop talk."  She didn't want to chat.  She wanted to fuck.  She didn't care if it was the drugs talking or not, she needed him and as far as she was concerned, he owed her.

Angel seated Buffy and then took the chair across from her.  He laid the sheaves of paper containing the test results on the table.  Picking them up, she studied them intently.  They made no sense.

Buffy eyed him.  "So what exactly did Dr. Feelgood shoot me up with?"

"A lot of different things.  There were approximately twenty-five different compounds found in your system, most of them designer drugs custom created for you."

"What do you mean?" Buffy asked, twisting in her seat, trying to alleviate the clenching need to have his body deep within hers.

"It looks like the Initiative has been seriously studying you for quite some time.  According to Dr. Branscombe, the researcher who did the tests, the amount of engineering that went into the chemical compounds had to have taken months."

Buffy leaned back in the chair, quiet.  Angel knew what she must be thinking.  The implication was that her entire relationship with Riley had been a sham.  He knew the revelation would hurt.  She'd been used, lied to, all by someone she trusted.  It wasn't an easy pill to swallow.

"So," she said, her voice thicker than usual.  "They've been studying me for months.  Why?  What else was in my blood?"

"We think they were trying to get you pregnant, Buffy."

"What!" she yelped, leaning forward in her chair.

Angel picked up the test results.  "The drugs that were loaded into it were ones designed to create a sort of estrus in you."

"Estrus?"

"Heat.  The drugs sort of ... put you in heat.  The idea being to make you as receptive to male advances as possible.  The drugs would stimulate and arouse you, make you almost drunk so your judgment would be impaired.  Also, one of the drugs they gave you is similar to one that infertile couples use."

"Infertile?  They think I'm infertile?"

"I doubt it.  The drug is similar to one that is used in cases where the female partner is fine, but the male partner has a low sperm count. Only the drug they used on you is much more powerful.  It makes the female egg much easier to fertilize.  I would assume the reasoning behind giving it to you was that it would increase your chances of becoming pregnant with the least amount of  ... copulation."

"More bang for the buck, eh?" Buffy said wryly.

"To put it bluntly, yes," he said.  "There's more."

She looked at him, awaiting what could not be good news.  "What?"

"It seems they must have been monitoring your monthly cycles as well."

Buffy just stared at him, her growing anger apparent.  "They kept track of when I was on the rag!" she bit out.

Angel cringed a bit at her choice of language.  "It would seem so."

"Why would they want to know that?" she asked in confusion.

"They probably weren't monitoring when you were menstruating, exactly," Angel said with absolute candor.  "They were more likely keeping track of when you were ovulating.  It would let them know when you would be fertile and therefore naturally more inclined to seek out male companionship.  Most women experience that sensation to some degree. You're a Slayer, a predator, consequently more primal than most so it would affect you more profoundly.  Couple the natural hormonal changes with the drugs they gave you and you get an absolute biological imperative."

Buffy seemed to take it all in, bowing her head as she sorted things out for herself.  Suddenly her head popped up and she narrowed her gaze at her mate.

"How do you know?" she asked calmly.

"Know what?"

"You said they're keeping track of when I'm ovulating.  How do you know that?  What would make you think that?"

He shifted uncomfortably on his chair, lowering his gaze.  "I can tell," he said, not looking her in the eye.

"You can 'tell'?"

"Yes.  You ... .um ... smell different when you're ... fertile."

"You can smell when women ovulate?" she gasped at him.

He looked up, finally meeting her gaze.  "No," he clarified firmly, "Not women.  *You*.  I can tell a lot of different things from the way you smell."

She just gave him an exasperated look.  "I always *knew* there was so much you weren't telling me," she said trying to ignore her physical need and concentrate on the information he had just given her.

"Buffy, Dr. Branscombe wants to see you again in a couple of weeks to do follow up blood work.  She needs to see if there is any organ damage or other lasting effects from these drugs," Angel explained.

Buffy nodded her head, but for long moments after that, didn't speak. She continued to study the printout, her brow furrowed as she stared at it.  Angel wished desperately that he could hear the internal conversation she was having with herself.  Eventually she let out a loud, tired sigh, raising her eyes to his.

"They were going o get me pregnant and steal my baby," she said quietly.  She wasn't looking for him to confirm her suspicions.  She knew that she was right.  Angel nodded anyway.

Buffy stood, beginning to pace.  "I don't get it," she said, her voice thick with unshed tears.  "Riley obviously was supposed to be the father, but how?"

"How ... ?" Angel asked in confusion, certain Buffy understood the mechanics of a male impregnating a female.

She shot him a look of disgust.  "I don't mean how was he going to get me pregnant, Angel.  I mean how was he going to do it?  How was he going to just hand his child over to the military so they could turn it into some kind of a monster?  Didn't he care?  What kind of sick fuck is he and how did I not notice?"

Angel didn't say anything.  Truth be told, he didn't have anything to say.  He didn't know Riley.  He had no idea what he was capable of, but  it was a rather startling prospect.  The boy had obviously been involved in the plot against Buffy from the start ... and she had trusted him.

"It doesn't matter, Buffy," he said gently.  "The plan didn't work so you don't have to figure out the 'hows' or 'whys' of this.  You're safe."

"Am I?" she asked, turning to face him.

"Yes," Angel replied, moving to her side and enfolding her in his embrace.

******
Upstairs in the office, Wesley was studying a copy of the printout from the lab.  It, coupled with the write up from Dr. Branscombe, and a dictionary of pharmaceuticals was keeping him very occupied.

He furiously scratched notes on a legal pad.

*****

Buffy sighed, relaxing in his familiar arms.  She nuzzled her face into the hard planes of his chest.  "I missed you," she said, her body suddenly on fire.

"I missed you too," he answered, taking a deep breath of her intoxicating aroma.

Craning his neck, he captured her lips in a tender kiss.  Buffy sighed again, parting her lips to allow his questing tongue access.  He tasted so wonderful, the cool of his tongue so much like home.  She moaned softly, a quiet needy sound.

Their tongues melded together softly, his gently caressing hers, drawing it into his mouth so he could nurse it as his hands tangled in her hair.  Their kissing gradually became more passionate until they were mauling each others' mouths, teeth nipping, sucking, biting.  Buffy gasped as Angel abandoned her mouth in favor of her neck.  He sucked harshly at the raised skin of his brand on her neck.  Buffy could feel his erection pressing into her stomach as he pulled her flush against his body.  He was growling a soft possessive rumble as his tongue laved the site of his feeding.

His teeth were still blunt, his face showing the smooth planes of his human countenance, but when he bit into the brand, Buffy exploded.  She surged her hips against his as her orgasm washed through her, panting harshly.  His bite hadn't broken the skin, but he still gently licked the area, soothing her as she recovered.  Angel was purring as he held her to his chest.

"I *really* missed you," he whispered quietly against her fragrant flesh.

Buffy pressed herself against his chest as he lifted her, carrying her to the bedroom.

*****
Double checking his notes, Wesley hesitated a moment before picking up the phone.  What if he was wrong?  He didn't really have any proof, just a feeling.  Maybe he should wait for Angel.  No.  Angel was downstairs with Buffy, he wouldn't be seen until the next day.

Picking up the phone, he dialed.  On the third ring, there was an answer.  "Hello Dr. Branscombe, I hate to bother you again, especially at this hour ... "

*****
To Buffy, it seemed Angel took hours to undress her, which said a lot considering his shirt was the *only* thing she had on.  She was practically crying with need as he took his own sweet time baring her skin to his touch and taste.

As he uncovered her breasts, he took her aching nipples into his mouth, gently nursing.  She clutched the back of his head, holding him to her  as she writhed beneath him.

"Angel," she whined, panting softly.

Taking pity on her, Angel rose from the bed and stripped off his own clothes.  When he was nude, he returned to the bed, crouching over her.  The shirt she wore was still partially buttoned, the sides of it pushed back to reveal her heaving breasts.  Pushing the shirt up and out of the way, he spread her slick thighs and entered her with one powerful thrust.

She pulled him against her, wrapping her legs tightly around his hips as her tiny mouth bit into the flesh of his shoulder to smother her cries. She was so wet he slid into her completely unhindered.  His eyes nearly crossed at the sensation.  She felt so good.

He had experienced what Angelus had felt when he was fucking her the previous night, the drug hadn't been the same as losing his soul.  He was still resident although Angelus had control of their body.  But this was so much more intense, not distorted through the demon's perceptions.  She whined his name again and he surged against her roughly.  Somewhere in the back of his mind, Angelus' jealousy registered.

Incensed by the demon's possessive nature towards *his* mate, Angel pulled out of her welcoming body, flipping her over onto her stomach before she could bemoan the loss.  Putting an arm under her stomach, he raised her onto her hands and knees, thrusting into her again as his chest blanketed her back and his fangs found their way into the nape of her neck.

Buffy thrust back against him involuntarily as her body exploded again from the force of his bite.  Angel continued to pump into her, his body in exquisite agony as he tipped over into his own orgasm.  Her vaginal walls milked his rigid flesh, drawing every drop of his cold seed into her heated depths.

He wasn't done, not yet, not until he'd pushed her to her limits.  He slowed his thrusts until she seemed to calm and then used one hand to fondle her clit as he began to move within her again.  Buffy whined, pressing her hips back to meet his thrusts.

*****
Hearing two animalistic cries emanate from the apartment below the office, Wesley cringed.  It was too late, but what did it matter, it was too late last night.  No need bothering them with "what ifs".

He locked the door securely behind himself as he hastily fled the office.

*****
It was nearing dawn when Buffy finally collapsed into a dreamless sleep, her body thoroughly exhausted.  Beside her, Angel breathed an unneeded sigh of relief.  He'd actually wondered a few times if he would be able to outlast the Slayer.  She seemed to have a bottomless reserve.

She finally looked peaceful, sated.  Curling her up inside his embrace, he too drifted off to sleep.

******
"I'm sorry, Riley," Giles said into the phone, still groggy at being awakened up so early.  "I don't have any idea where Buffy is.  If I hear from her I will be certain to let you know."

He hated life on the Hellmouth.  Picking up the phone he dialed Willow's number.  They had all assumed that she and Riley had decided to make their relationship more ... permanent, but the boy hadn’t seen her either.

*******

When Buffy woke well after noon the next day, she wanted to weep for joy.  The constant, insistent pull in her veins was gone.  She rolled over to face her sleeping mate, wincing at the soreness between her legs.  Gods they'd really gone at it the night before.

"Angel," she said, shaking him gently.

Nothing, not even a grunt.  She shook harder.  He finally woke with a start, sitting up in bed, looking around the room like he expected the armies of Hell to be ambushing him.  His vision finally lighted on Buffy, and he calmed as he remembered where he was.

"Are you okay, baby?" he asked, pulling her into his embrace.

"I'm fine," she said in a chipper tone.  "Better than fine, I'm *wonderful*.  I think the drugs wore off."

"Oh," was his only response.

She looked at him confused.  "Did I say something wrong?" she asked.

"No," he answered.  "I just wish you weren't quite so happy that we don't have to have sex anymore."

She smiled broadly at him.  "Honey, I *love* being with you like that, I just don't appreciate it being a biological imperative, complete with hormone imbalances and mood swings."

"Love it, eh?" he whispered seductively, cocking an eyebrow at her.

"Oh no," she said sternly.  "Stop right there.  I'm sore and tired and I know you have to be too, Mr. Macho.  Give it a day or two."

Angel frowned at her, but nuzzled against her neck.

*****
"You didn't have any idea that the Initiative was interested in you?" Wesley asked Buffy.  They were all seated around Angel's kitchen table, discussing their plan of action.

"No.  I did think it was kind of weird that they took me into their group, but they were always really careful about not letting me in on the whole story.  Basically they just used me as muscle.  I'm about a hundred times more effective than their most elite soldiers when it comes to taking out a demon, and that's without the million dollars worth of gadgets they all carry around with them."

Angel smiled, he loved the fact that Buffy could kick ass so well.  He also loved the fact that he could keep up with her.  Obviously Riley had a serious inadequacy complex.

"I don't like this," Wesley said, taking his glasses off to polish them.  "The Initiative failed, but there is nothing to keep them from simply trying again."

"Except for the fact that now I know they're coming," Buffy pointed out, with a small smile.  The Initiative knew how dangerous she was, they would think twice before tangling with her again.

"I'm not sure that's a positive," Angel chimed in.

"Why?  I'm not going to let them push me around," Buffy said defiantly.

"I understand, but letting them know you're on to them could only serve to put you in more danger.  They were being cautious before, if they think this is all out war, there is no telling what they would do."

"I'm not afraid of them," she replied, sticking her chin out.

Angel had to suppress a laugh.  She was so damn cute.  "Buffy," he said seriously, "this isn't just about you.  The Initiative knows who your friends are.  If they can't get to you, Willow, Giles, Xander, they may all be in danger."

"Don't forget about your mother," Wesley reminded.

"I hadn't thought about that," the Slayer admitted her voice withering in defeat.

"I think the safest bet would be to pretend you have no memory of the events," Wesley stated bluntly.  "Considering that their last attack failed so miserably, they will need to regroup which will give us time.  Also if they think you're ignorant of their plot, it will make things a lot safer for you and everyone else in Sunnydale."

Buffy nodded.  "So what should I tell the gang?"

"Nothing," Wesley and Angel said in unison.

"What?" Buffy said defensively.

"Buffy, it's just that the less people who know about this, the better off you are," Angel explained.

Buffy nodded, but added, "For the record, I don't feel right keeping things from my Watcher."

"Oh please," Wesley added cattily, pointedly staring at Angel, "it's not like you haven't kept things from him before."

*****
"But I don't want to leave," Buffy whined.

Kissing the top of her head, Angel said, "I don't want you to either, but if you're gone any longer, you're never going to be able to explain it."

"I'll be back in three weeks.  I've got that follow up with Dr. Branscombe."

"I'll be here, Love."

*****
"We were all very worried!" Giles admonished his Slayer.  "How could you be gone for this long without letting anyone know you were okay?"

Buffy looked at her feet, absently scuffing one of them against the carpet.  "I'm sorry," she said meekly.

"Go!" Giles snapped, disgustedly pointing at his front door.  He was angry, but mostly he was terribly relieved.  He knew he'd have to apologize for his behavior later, but at the moment he was too angry to care.

*****
Skipping a week of class hadn't done anything to further Buffy's academic career.  Most of her teachers had been pretty apathetic about it, not really caring what her excuse was, but Maggie Walsh was all over her.  When Buffy didn't come up with a satisfactory explanation for her absence she was summarily booted from class.

Still reeling from the public humiliation of being dressed down by a professor in front of the entire class, Buffy was not really paying attention to where she was going.  As she was leaving the building for destinations unknown, a familiar voice stopped her.

"Buffy!  Wait!" Riley yelled after her retreating form.

Buffy stopped, turning to face her former boyfriend.  She stared at him expectantly, her arms crossed protectively over her chest.  He foundered under the weight of her stare, nervously shifting as he searched for something to say.  Buffy wanted to laugh.  What was he going to say? "Gee, sorry I helped a bunch of armed men drug you and try to get you pregnant."

When he finally did speak it wasn't anywhere near as forthcoming.  "So, how've you been?"

Buffy stared at him blankly.  "Huh?"

"You've been gone.  For a week.  Are you okay?  I thought maybe you were ... sick or something."

"I'm fine," the Slayer answered, walking away from her ex.

*****
Picking at the sterile gauze taped to the inside of her elbow, Buffy nervously swung her feet as she waited for the doctor to return.  This wasn't a hospital, but the research facility was so sanitary clean that it was almost as bad.  She wanted to run for the exit.

"Miss Summers," Dr. Branscombe said warmly as she entered the room, "it's nice to meet you.  I would like to discuss the blood work with you."

Buffy eyed her nervously.  "Don't you want Wes and Angel in here?"

The doctor sat down in a nearby chair.  "Eventually, but first I need to discuss some of the test results with you privately."

"Oh gods, I'm dying," Buffy said hysterically.

"No, no, no," Dr. Branscombe, quickly assured her patient, "you're not dying, far from it."

"Okay.  So what is wrong with me?"

"Nothing is 'wrong', dear.  You're pregnant."

*****
Carefully folded in Angel's protective embrace, Buffy sat with him and Wesley in the vampire's living room going over the results of the blood tests.

"What are you worried about, Wesley?" Angel grouched.  The Englishman's assessment and reassessment of his mate's test were unnerving him.  "Dr. Branscombe assured us she is fine."

"Yes, well, I just want to make sure," Wesley said, not looking up from the computer printout.

Buffy was quiet, conspicuously quiet.  She hadn't said a single word since before arriving at Angel’s.  She had remained absolutely silent the entire time Dr. Branscombe went over the results with the Slayer, Angel and Wesley.  All of her responses were limited to nods or grunts.

"Buffy," Wesley finally said, looking up, "are you *certain* that there isn't anything more?"

The Slayer shrugged evasively.  Wesley sighed.

"You were in there for a time alone with Dr. Branscombe," the former Watcher continued, "you're positive she didn't discuss anything ... else with you?"

"Wesley," Angel grumped, "she said there wasn't anything else." Lifting Buffy's head to look at him, he asked, "There wasn't anything else, was there?"

Buffy hedged.  She had no problem lying to Wesley, but Angel was a different story.  "Well ... " she started quietly.

"What's wrong?" Angel asked frantically.

Buffy looked away, fixing her gaze firmly on her hands folded in her lap.  She eventually looked up at Angel, then to Wesley, and back to Angel.  Apparently the former Watcher was expecting this.

"I'm pregnant," she said quietly.

"That's what I thought," Wesley said smugly.  He wasn't trying to upset Buffy, he was just happy his suspicions had been confirmed.  Angel didn't take it that way.

"What do you mean that's what you thought?" Angel hissed, game face to the fore.  "Is there something I should know about?"  Gently, but unceremoniously, he dumped Buffy off of his lap, stalking over to stand in front of Wesley.  Grabbing the terrified man by the collar of his shirt and yanking him out of the chair, he pulled him up until they were face to face.  Through a mouthful of fangs, he asked, "Did you *touch* her?"

Wesley couldn't even speak, he just sort of made this pathetic little squeaking noise.  Buffy on the other hand wasn't afraid of the angry vampire.

"What?" she yelled, offended by the very idea.  "There's no way in Hell I'd let him touch me."

While the former Watcher was thankful for her denouncement, the delivery still stung a bit.

Turning, Angel asked her, "Then *how* are you pregnant?  I'm a *vampire*."

Buffy glared at her lover, "DUH!  That's why I didn't say anything.  I don't know *how*."

Wesley, still held firmly in Angel's grip, spoke up, "I believe I may be able to clear this up."

Angel looked at the frightened man.  As his anger receded, he released him, returning to the couch where Buffy promptly crawled back onto his lap.

Sensing he had the audience's attention, Wesley began.  "When we received the original results, I began researching certain ... aspects, on a hunch.  I was afraid there would be some lasting after effects we had overlooked.  The dosage and type of drugs that you were given, Buffy, coupled with several of Angel's characteristics that make him unique among vampires have had some unexpected consequences."

"Not to sound like a broken record here, "Angel said wryly, "but I'm a *vampire*, you know dead body.  No children."

"A vampire, yes, but not your typical vampire.  Aside from having a soul, there are several other features unique to you."

"Like what?" Buffy asked, curious.

Addressing the Slayer, Wesley continued.  "It seems that since Angel fed from you last year, he has a heartbeat ... on occasion.  Not a heartbeat in the same sense that humans have one, but it's there nonetheless."

"Oh really?" the Slayer asked mockingly, shooting her lover a furious look.  "Were you going to bother telling me about this? Let me guess, when you told me about your soul."

Angel shrugged sheepishly as Wesley cleared his throat and continued. "The heartbeat is merely a sign that his body is not completely dead. Not the way it is in ordinary vampires.  He's alive to some extent.  I think that his status combined with the dosage and strength of the fertility drugs you were given, Buffy, and the ... er ... amount of times you coupled are likely responsible for the pregnancy."

*****
As they lay in his bed later that evening, Angel tried to wrap his mind around the concept.  "But I'm a vampire," he said lamely.

"Oh yeah, I forgot," she said, punching him in the arm.  "You're a vampire with a *heartbeat*.  Of course I'm fine with the fact that you didn't feel it necessary to clue me in on that little detail."  Sarcasm dripped from her words.

Angel scowled, but didn't retaliate.  Buffy sighed as her annoyance dissipated and sank back on the pillows next to him, pulling her nightgown - which just happened to be one of his shirts - up, baring her still flat belly.

Angel watched as she gently rubbed her abdomen.  A baby.  *His* baby with Buffy.

She turned to look at him, her hands still resting on her belly.  "What are you thinking?" she asked.

"I have no idea," he answered truthfully.

"Do you believe Wesley's explanation?" she asked, her voice tinged with fear.

He thought about her question and realized that he did believe it, completely.  He could almost feel the fact that it was his child growing inside her body.  "Yes," he finally answered quietly.

"Are you upset?"

He tore his gaze from her stomach to her face.  "No," he said a little more forcefully than necessary.

Buffy smiled at him and took one of his large hands, placing it on her belly.  He could feel it, not movement or anything like that, but a tiny life, so faint, yet so strong.  His child.  It couldn't be any bigger than a grain of rice, so vulnerable and precious.  Without a word, Angel pulled her against his chest, burying his face in her neck, clinging to her desperately.

"I love you," he said firmly, pulling back to look at her.

"I love you too," she said just as firmly.

"I am *very* happy about this," he said.

"So am I," she answered with a smile.

Gently pressing his lips to hers, Angel coaxed Buffy's mouth open.  She sighed in pleasure as he nipped gently at her lips, sucking on her tongue and generally worshiping her mouth with his.  She felt like it had been years since she'd been with him rather than weeks.  All of his touches and caresses were done with a deliberate tenderness that made her want to weep with pleasure.

"I'm not that fragile, Angel," she said trying to reassure him.

He smiled a wicked smile at her, but didn't change the pressure or tempo of his touches.  He moved onto his hands and knees and crouched over her body.  Slowly, he lowered his body over hers, supporting his weight on his forearms as he gently kissed along her collar bone.  Buffy moaned, pulling at him, trying to get him to rest his weight on her.  She needed to feel him pressing into her.  He wouldn't do it.

Slowly, he moved himself down her body, unbuttoning the oversized shirt as he went, baring her skin to his tongue and teeth.  He gently nipped and licked and kissed the length of her torso, stopping to nuzzle against her belly.  He could feel it, the energy pooling beneath her skin.  He placed gentle kisses against her flesh, tantalizing and inviting.

Scooting down lower, he lifted her thighs, positioning them over his shoulders as he licked the slit between her nether lips.  Buffy moaned arching up against his questing tongue.  He didn't want to tease her, so he wasted no time burying his face in her dripping sex.  She tightened her thighs around his head, desperate for more friction.  As she ground against his face, Angel drew her slippery bud into his mouth, sucking forcefully until she exploded around him.

While she was still catching her breath, he moved up her body, positioning his cock at her entrance and slowly sheathing himself. Buffy let out a long moan, trying to pull his body down onto hers with her arms while her legs wrapped around his waist to bring him more forcefully into her body.  He still wouldn't rest his weight against her, but he lowered his head to nuzzle against her neck as he began to thrust shallowly within her.

"Please, Angel, harder," she babbled almost incoherently, pulling him against her passion flushed body.

He groaned almost painfully, slowing his motions until he had himself under control again.  Beneath him, his lover whined pitifully, wanting him to pound her into the mattress.  "Humor me, please," he said in a strangled voice.  With another whine, Buffy relented, relaxing as he gently began to move within her again.  The sensations were wonderful, she just wanted him to be more forceful.

As he slid a hand between their bodies to rub his thumb against her clit in time to the strokes of his cock, she forgot about her reservations.  He concentrated on keeping his motions fluid and gentle and as he felt her vaginal muscles flutter around his rigid flesh, signaling her release, he let himself go.  It took every ounce of strength he had not to collapse on top of his mate as his release overtook him.  A few long moments later, trembling, he fell in a heap on his side next to Buffy.

"So what?  You think now that I'm pregnant that I'll break or something," she said, narrowing her sleepy gaze at him.

He sighed dramatically at his lover.  "Buffy, you just told me you're having *my* child.  Would you please forgive me if I don't feel like throwing you against a wall and rutting like animals in celebration?"

Her expression softened and she smiled at him, giggling lightly as he pulled her against his chest.

******
"The Ops Mission has been cancelled?" Riley asked, looking at Professor Walsh for confirmation.

"Yes," she said, a wry smile pulling at her lips.  "Seems there's no need."

"No need?" Riley asked, trying not to sound overly relieved they'd scrapped the plan.

"Apparently Subject 19 did find some male companionship after our last attempt."

"Huh?"

"The Slayer is pregnant, Agent Finn.  Our plan can proceed as scheduled."

Riley was too shocked to say anything.  Buffy was pregnant?  Whose was it?

"There are a few loose ends to tie up," Walsh continued.

"Such as?"

"The paternity of the child.  Our intelligence indicates that the Slayer hasn't started seeing anybody new so it was probably a one time liaison while she was under the influence of the meds.  That will probably make him much harder to track down, but we need to be thorough."

"So do you want me to divert resources to that project?" Riley asked.

"No.  Not yet.  At the moment we still need to focus on Project 314.  It should be fully functional within the month.  There isn't that much of a rush with the Slayer.  It should be early next year before the child is born.  After 314 is up, you may requisition all of the resources you need to complete your investigation."

*****
"I miss you," Buffy said into the phone.

"I miss you too, Baby," came Angel's gruff reply.

"This probably isn't the best time or way to discuss this," Buffy started nervously, "but ... "

"But what?"

"Are we, I mean, impending parenthood and all, are we back together?"

There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment that made Buffy's heart ache.  "I sort of figured that was a given," Angel finally replied.

Buffy sighed heavily, trying to muffle her sniffles as she started crying in relief.

"Are you crying?" he asked in disbelief.

"No," she lied, her voice thick with tears.

"Buffy," he said rather annoyed, "did you honestly think I was going to abandon you and our child?"

"I don't know," she replied honestly, "it's not like you haven't walked away before.

He was silent again.  "I guess I deserved that," he eventually answered.  "I promise, Baby, never again."

*****
"Wow," Buffy said to Riley.  "You look like death warmed over."

She was knee deep in the middle of finals.  She'd run into the Iowa farm boy while exiting the library on a sunny May afternoon.

Riley smiled weakly, the pain causing him to regret his actions. "Thanks," he said softly, bristling slightly at her offhanded comment. No doubt Buffy would have survived the skirmish with only a bruise or two, not the near debilitating injuries he'd suffered.

"Care to share?" Buffy asked, truly curious about what happened to his face.  Riley looked awful, like he'd gone ten rounds with Ali, or a very nasty demon.  She was betting on the demon, but you never could tell with the government.

"It's classified," he responded, avoiding her gaze.

"Oh," she said with a small nod.  "So now that we're not an item anymore I've lost all of my top secret privileges." It wasn't a question.

"Buffy ... " he began.

"No, no," she interrupted, putting her hands up in front of her in a motion to stop him.  "Don't worry about it, it's okay.  I'm sure the fate of the world rests in me not knowing who beat the hell out of you."

Looking around, Riley decided they had a reasonable amount of privacy. He motioned for Buffy to sit on the steps beside him.  When she was settled, Buffy looked at him expectantly.

"Project 314 sort of blew up in our faces," he said in hushed tones.

Eyeing him critically, Buffy said, "You weren't kidding about 'in your faces' were you?"

Giving her a wry smile, Riley continued, "This was a huge setback.  The entire program is being re-orged.  A lot of our funding was suspended. Walsh was wounded fairly seriously, it will take her months to recover. I'm being reassigned, at least for the summer.  Walsh hopes to be back on track by the fall, but who knows."

"So the Initiative is caput?" she asked, trying not to sound overly hopeful.

"For the summer, at least.  Like I said, Walsh hopes to get things up and running again by fall.  But we'll have to wait and see."

"I hope you have a nice summer, Riley," Buffy said truthfully as she rose and headed home.

*****
"Buffy," Angel groaned as he lifted her short skirt, discovering she was wearing nothing beneath it except a tan. Angel paused for a moment to wonder how she managed to get sun there, but he quickly turned to other more important things.

She didn't answer his moan, just grabbed him and pulled him inside one of the mausoleums, throwing him forcefully against the sarcophagus in the middle of the room.  He'd found her on patrol.  It had been weeks since they'd last seen each other and the Slayer wasn't wasting any time on small talk.

"Now," she demanded, pulling insistently at his belt.

He twisted, trying to evade her long enough to get the belt undone. It was expensive Italian leather and he knew if he didn't get it unfastened in a hurry the Slayer was simply going to tear it from his body.  In a few short seconds he had it and the fly of his pants undone.

Buffy growled, yes growled, throwing him on top of the sarcophagus on his back.  In one swift move she pulled his pants down to his knees and dropped herself on his hard cock.  Mewling at the sensation, she began to ride him.  He assisted her, firmly placing his hands on her hips and guiding her along his body.  He bucked up into her forcefully, his eyes rolling back as she clenched her vaginal muscles around his cock.

He'd come to Sunnydale to see her, to hold her and comfort her, but when she jumped him, he decided that all tender emotions aside, he really wanted to fuck her.  Good thing, too, since his continued existence in this world probably depended on his compliance with her wishes.  He'd even wondered for half a second if maybe the Initiative had dosed her again, but then recalled her recent confessions.

Buffy was getting in tune with her sexuality.

For her, sex and sexuality had always been something somewhat tainted, due partly to the way girls were raised, but caused mostly by Angelus' cruel treatment after Angel lost his soul.  Forced to deal with her sexuality as a repercussion of her pregnancy, Buffy was no longer able to ignore her body's needs.  The Slayer had to accept her voracious physical appetites.

Several weeks earlier, she'd admitted to Angel that she masturbated, *a lot*.  He'd been shocked, but not unsupportive, often times now he would talk to her on the phone as she pleasured herself.  He knew it was a poor substitute for his physical presence, but most times it was the best he could do.  And really, there wasn't much to complain about.

But he was here now.  He moved his hands from her hips, sliding them up her chest, under her shirt and bra to gently tweak her sensitive nipples.  Her body bucked at the sensation, pushing more fully into his large hands.  As she began to whimper his name, plaintively begging for more, he moved one hand back down to stroke her clit.  Biting her bottom lips to muffle her cry, Buffy exploded in a flurry of bucks and pants.

Watching his mate reach her pleasure, Angel let himself go.  They had been too long apart and the endless nights of listening to her on the phone had worn away much of his self-control.  Letting out an animalistic growl as he pulled her head down, biting deeply into the tender flesh as
he came deep inside her hot little body.

As they both calmed, he withdrew his fangs, his tongue laving the torn skin gently.  Moving as little as possible, Buffy unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt, allowing her to rub her face against the bare skin of his chest.

"Good to see you," she greeted him sleepily.

"Same here," Angel echoed.

"How long are you here for?"

"A couple hours.  I had to see you, but I can't stay."

Buffy whined, and Angel wrapped his arms around her tightly.  "We've discussed this, sweetheart.  If I start hanging out in Sunnydale again, someone is bound to notice and the secret will be out.  You think the Initiative wants you pregnant now, just let them find out the baby's father is a vampire and they'll go nuts."

Buffy sighed, she knew he was right, but she couldn't stand the thought of him leaving her in a few short hours.

"Speaking of the secret," she said, "when am I going to tell everyone?"

"How far along are you again?" he asked.

She knew he knew exactly how pregnant she was, probably to the minute, but she humored him.  "Eight weeks."

"You probably need to let them know.  You're so little you're going to start showing soon," he said gently.  His tone of voice told her of his happiness at the thought of her belly swelling with his child.

"Yeah, no problem.  I'll just tell my mom and Giles about how the Initiative gave me all these drugs and I just jumped some guy.  No name, no address, we just got a motel room and now I'm having his love child."

"Do you really think either of them would be any more pleased to find out it's mine?" he asked, a wry smile on his lips.

"I don't know," she retorted, "I mean *yes*, I think that they would prefer it to be yours.  At least that way Buffy doesn't come off looking like the whore of the century."

Angel laughed.  She was laying on his chest, his softening cock still inside her body.  "We wouldn't want *anyone* thinking that," he said sarcastically.

Sitting up she looked at him with a deadly gleam in her eyes.  "Are you insinuating that the mother of your unborn child is a whore?"

He swallowed convulsively.  Oops.  "No," he said forcefully, trying to backpedal his way out of the uncomfortable situation.  "I think it's wonderful that you're sexually liberated.  Given, of course, that the only person you actually have sex with is me."

"And Angelus." She reminded, still a little annoyed.

"Well, yeah, but I guess I can forgive you for that, given the drugs and all."

"How gracious of you," Buffy said caustically before laying back down on his chest.  "Back to my dilemma.  Why again can't I just tell them it's yours?"

"Because the more people who know, the more apt the Initiative is to find out about it."

"So we just sneak around for the next seven months?"

"I don't see any other solution at the moment," he said sadly.  He really did hate having to sneak around, it made things seem sordid - which they weren't.  He loved Buffy.  She loved him.  They were both thrilled about the baby.  It just put a pall on all of it that they couldn't be open about everything.

*****
Buffy was pacing around her dining room table as Joyce and Giles looked on in confusion.

"Buffy," the Watcher said uneasily, "I assume you have a reason for asking us both here?"

"Yes," Buffy said curtly, trying to put off elaborating for as long as possible.

"Well?" Joyce prompted.

Buffy stopped walking.  Now or never.  "I'm pregnant," Buffy said bluntly, her gaze darting back and forth between her parents.  Even if Giles wasn't technically her father, she wouldn't be too surprised if he threatened to take a baseball bat to her impregnator.

Giles mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out.  Joyce wasn't having the same problem, "Pregnant!" she screeched.

******