Author: Mexx

Rating: R

Disclaimer: OBJ

Sunnydale Theater ~ July 2018

In the twenty-one years he had known her, she had barely changed, she still held the glorious beauty and majestic elegance she always had but know held it with perhaps more grace. Her hair was now her natural shade of honey brown and she wore it loose around her shoulders, her figure was more curvy - she had put on a few pounds which had improved her slight figure.

Twenty-one years had changed him even less than anyone could ever imagine, although he had only been aging for the last five. His body still lean and muscular, his eyes still dark and intense, his face still permanently marred with a frown.

Nervously he tapped her from behind on the shoulder, cautious if he should approach her after all this time. “Hi.” he smiled weakly

She spun around, her eyes narrowed suspiciously when she saw him “What the hell are you doing here? I thought we had said all we had to say five years ago. Unless you’ve thought of another painful thing to say to me that will break my heart.” she yelled, her eyes threatening to fill with unshed tears she thought she had cried a long time ago.

‘Break my heart’ did that mean it was still his to break? “I didn’t come here to upset you, I came here to watch the show. Shall we?” he gestured towards the entrance to the auditorium. She was astounded. No apology, no real explanation. Nothing. When she didn’t answer he gently place his hand on her back and guided her towards the doors and steered her to two empty seats. She walked along numbly, acknowledging nothing except the feel of his hand against the small of her back.

By the time the production had started Buffy was beginning to process the feelings running through her: Hate, love anger, grief and a stir between her legs she hadn’t felt in a long time. “What are you doing here?” She hissed quietly, not wanting to disturb the other patrons.

“I was in the neighborhood. Skulking.” he lied. He’d come to the theater, knowing she’d be there, finally ready to admit that he should have told her about the prophecy, about his shanshu as soon as he’d known.

~*~

Your memory haunts me

It brings me back in time

It can’t be over

If you’re still on my mind

On my mind

~*~

After The End Of Days ~ Sunnydale ~ January 2013

It was finally over. They had fought well, good triumphing over evil. Buffy stood next to a burnt down building, helping an injured Willow to her feet. Angel watched her from across the sidewalk, his lungs filling with vital oxygen.

Their final break up had been loud and public. Both finally venting the anger and grief that had been repressed by the unrequited love they shared. She was angry at him for not telling her what was going to happen at him, for not giving ‘them’ a chance. He was angry at her for not understanding, for - at being thirty-three years old - still being too immature to recognize when someone has made a mistake and was sorry.

They didn’t even say goodbye - they never did - they just walked away, glaring at each other. While a twelve year old girl sat glumly on the sidewalk watching the painful break up of the two people still very much in love.

2018

“I’m sorry for the things I said... And for the things I didn’t say.” Angel apologized quietly. Buffy wanted to say sorry too, that all was forgiven but she couldn’t find the words, instead she sighed and rested her head on his shoulder, hoping that the simple gesture would say it all.

During the intermission Buffy and Angel spoke freely about things that they had never dared say to each other, the grievances they had experienced with and without each other.

Walking back to the auditorium Angel stood closer to Buffy, almost touching but not quite. He was disheartened to find when they sat back down Buffy didn’t settle back down close to him, instead she was sitting tense and upright.

“Buffy I-”

“Shhhh. I like this song.” She hushed him as an English actress burst into song in ‘My Fair Lady’. Angel gave up and continued watching the play.

Half an hour later Angel was getting restless, sitting so close to Buffy and not touching her was too much to handle, at least when they were apart he didn’t need to... Angel shuffled in his seat but that failed to settle him. He yawned and stretched, his arms wavered above Buffy’s shoulders, unsure if he should put his arm around her. Buffy rolled her eyes when she noticed his arm hovering around her. “Don’t you think we’re a little pass that stage.” she whispered as she gently pulled down his arm around her, snuggling into the crook of his arm.

“Maybe.” he replied “But I wasn’t sure if we were still... y’know”

“We are still... y’know. We were always still... y’know. We’ll never stop being still... y’know”

“I guess your right.”

Buffy and Angel exited the theater arm in arm smiling at each other as they stepped from underneath the overhang of the theater into the pouring rain and thundering skies. Angel turned around to face her, his arms still around her shoulders “Buffy...” Buffy stared up expectantly into his eyes, thousands of memories trapped in those dark orbs. Slowly he bent down. Buffy closed her eyes. Their lips touched, and the pounding of her heart almost choked her. Softly they kissed, gently, rediscovering each other. She'd forgotten the coolness of Angel's lips. They were firm but still soft and tender. His hands caressed her face, stroked her back just as she remembered, their touch loving and knowing. .

~*~

Rainy days and Chardonnay remind me of you

Raindrops on your face take like they used to

Its been years but it seems more like yesterday

I replay moments we share over and over in my head.

~*~

Buffy pulled away from him after several long minutes, reminding herself that she was no longer seventeen. No longer a lot of things. “Its raining.” She commented as the rain began to filter down into the warm embrace. “Walk me home?” They linked arms once again, and quickly strolled down the street to avoid getting too wet.

1630 Revello Drive

Buffy and Angel approached Buffy’s house, ironic that she now owned in the house she spent her tedious teenage years in. “Here we are.” she whispered as they stood holding each other under the porch roof. Angel was slowly bending his head once again to meet Buffy’s when her arm snaked out from around his neck and forcefully pulled his lips down to meet her own. “I missed you.” she whispered into his lips.

~*~

I can't shake this feeling no matter what I do

I still compare everyone to you

I guess I never really let you go

Your first love’s hard to forget however long ago

~*~

“I missed you too.” Angel answered quietly as he drew his lips away from Buffy’s.

“Coffee?” She asked as she opened the front door to let him in.

“Sure.” he smiled as he followed her into the kitchen.

Angel looked around the sparse kitchen, it hadn’t changed much over the years - Kinda like them. He walked over to the refrigerator as Buffy began to make the coffee, studying the photographs magnetized on there. One picture caught his attention, a young women with startling mahogany eyes and lustrous, short, dark hair who shared Buffy’s petite rounded face and cute nose. “Who’s this?” he asked as Buffy handed him the steaming mug of coffee.

“I thought you knew, that’s my daughter.” As soon as the words left Buffy’s lips a look of shock overtook Angel’s calm expression and the mug he held in his hand went crashing to the floor, splashing hot coffee onto the edges of his pants.

“Oh God Buffy, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to...” he trailed off, trying to ignore the monumental fact Buffy had just told him and concentrate on cleaning her floor. Buffy’d had a baby, she had given birth to another man’s child and not even bothered to tell him, she had brought up another man’s daughter. She had another man. Jealousy struck Angel like a physical blow as he realized how much he still loved her. “And what about her father..?” he inquired non too subtly

“He left.” Buffy answered sadly “He didn’t know about her but he wouldn’t have stayed even if he did know. He thought he was bad for me.” Buffy finished talking about her daughter’s father and immediately brightened when she started to talk about her daughter “Milly’s sixteen now, seventeen next month. I just hope her seventeenth is better than mine...”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have... It was a mistake, I shouldn’t have came to you then and I shouldn’t have come today. I’ll go.” Angel turned around and sadly began to make his way out of the kitchen.

“Don’t!” she yelled at him “Don’t you dare walk away from me again, I’ve just got you back and just got to begin to know you again and you want to walk away from me again!?! Well fine!” She screamed as she threw a dish at him “Fuck off. Just waltz in, make me love you all over again in a completely new way and then fuck off back to L.A and forget all about me!”

Angel ducked as another dish came hurtling at him “Buffy I’m sorry, if you don’t want me too I won’t leave you.” Slowly Angel walked towards the furious Buffy and embraced her rigid figure. “I’ll never go if you don’t want me to.”

“I don’t want you to.” she whispered like a small, little, lost girl. He held her tiny frame for several minutes before she spoke again. “But I think it would be best if you weren’t here right now, I need some space. But would you like to come to dinner tomorrow evening? Giles usually comes on a Friday and you can meet Milly... That is, if you’d like.”

“I’d love to come.” Angel answered smiling, still edgy as whether anything he said would set Buffy off into another furious frenzy, she may have lost her slayer powers with age but she still had a hell of an aim.

“So I’ll see you at six?” She smiled showing no signs of her rage minutes ago.

“Six.” he confirmed as he exited through the backdoor, dropping a soft, sweet kiss on Buffy’s forehead.

“Who was that guy?” Milly idly asked her mother as she flopped down on the couch beside her, munching on some pop tarts.

“An old friend.” Buffy answered, her eyes fixed intently on the Tv, some old war movie from her youth called ‘Pearl Harbor’.

“Yeah right.” Milly smiled sarcastically. “So this ‘old friend’ didn’t happen to be the guy you had that massive, embarrassing break up with five years ago. And you and this ‘old friend’ didn’t happen to be making out with you on my porch. And this ‘old friend’ didn’t happen to be madly jealous when he found out about me. Come on mom, I’m not stupid. Obviously you and this guy have some major lust going down or else you wouldn’t be doing things that old people shouldn’t do coz it’s gross on my porch!”

“I’m not old.” Buffy defended herself as she realized how awful she and Xander must have sounded to Giles when they were seventeen “Besides, our relationship is in the past.”

“Yeah, the five minute ago past.” Milly smiled “And anyway he’s cute... For an old guy in a Josh Hartnett old kinda way.”

“Well if you have such a great opinion of my relationship with him, why didn’t you come down and meet him.”

“Well I would have.” Milly explained “But I figured after you announced my existence you didn’t need anymore broken cutlery.” Milly stole a sidewards glance towards the broken dishes and mug in the kitchen “But I guess you covered that yourself huh?”

“Ha Ha.” Buffy threw a cushion at her daughter “Go to bed- Ohmigod! I didn’t know Danny died, oh that’s soooo sad.” Buffy finished lecturing her daughter and diverted her attention to the Tv as the movie came to a close as the character Josh Hartnett played died. Quickly wiping away the few tears that had sprang into her eyes Buffy smiled “He’s coming to dinner tomorrow evening so I want you home and ready to eat by six.”

Milly sighed theatrically “But you and this guy will be making with the smoochies all night and I’ll be like the third wheel and I totally don’t want to see you frenching that guy. It’s disgusting!”

Buffy threw another cushion at Milly, enjoying their banter “Angel and I won’t be... be... It’s nothing to do with you who I make out with, I’m thirty-seven years old and I don’t have to tell you anything.” Buffy stuck her not so motherly tongue out at her daughter “Besides, Giles is coming too.”

“Like that will make any difference.” Milly mumbled as she headed out of the room towards the stairs.

“Amelia Angelina Summers get your ass down here and help me with dinner. NOW!” Buffy shouted up the stairs at 5:45pm.

“Jeez mom, keep your bloody knickers on, just because your honey is coming for dinner doesn’t mean that you need to go all mean mother on me.” Milly yelled back as she hoped down the stairs trying to put her shoe on at the same time.

“I am not- Oh for god’s sake, just lay the god damn table will you, I have enough to do.” Buffy yelled back, noticing how her daughter had picked up a phrase or two of Spike’s, she’d been spending way too much time with a certain friendly vampire.

“It’s not my fault your slow at making dinner coz you spent three hours getting ready to see your boyfriend!”

“Angel is not my boyfriend!” Buffy yelled as the doorbell chimed. Immediately she spun around and opened the front door to see Angel’s smiling face. “Hi.” His smiled broadened as he handed her a small bouquet of roses and kissed Buffy on the cheek.

Milly saw Buffy and Angel’s display as she walked past “Yeah right.” she mumbled, finishing the conversation with her mother.

“Come in Angel, dinner will be ready soon. You can go through to the lounge, I’ll be there in a minute.” Buffy smiled as she followed Milly into the kitchen to get a vase for her flowers.

Buffy reappeared in the lounge minutes later, pushing Milly into the room. “Angel, this is my daughter Milly.” Buffy smiled.

Angel stood up and outstretched his hand to meet Milly’s “Er- Nice to meet you.”

Milly shook his hand and smiled sardonically “I bet. I heard the dishes crashing last night.”

“You were there?” Angel asked nervously, Milly reminded him so much of Buffy in her teens, sarcastic and difficult when she was protecting herself.

Buffy gave her daughter a swift kick, signaling her to shut up as the door bell rang. “That’ll be Giles, Milly, honey, would you please let him in.” As soon as Milly left the room Buffy smiled apologetically at Angel “I’m sorry, she’s not usually that bad, I guess hearing us argue last night unsettled her.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Angel smiled and stepped closer to her “She’s got every right to be wary, she has no idea who I am.” Angel finished speaking and tilted Buffy’s head up to meet his own in a passionate kiss, savoring the taste of her lips against his.

“Get a room.” Milly grumbled in a concealing cough. Angel and Buffy turned around, blushing. “Giles is here. He’s in the dining room.” Buffy and Angel swiftly followed Milly into the dining room where Giles stood polishing his glasses.

“Good lord Angel, what on earth are you doing here?” Giles asked bewildered as he remembered the last meeting of the two adults in front of him.

“Making out with my mother.” Milly muttered from the couch where she sat glumly.

Buffy looked worriedly at Angel before heading for the kitchen door “Angel will fill you in, Milly, help me with dinner?” She requested of her daughter with a tight smile. Milly sighed and followed Buffy into the kitchen, kicking the door closed behind her. “Milly what the hell do you think your doing?” Buffy shouted quietly at her daughter.

“I’m just not getting attached to him, the rate the guys in your life last he’ll be gone in two weeks.”

Buffy’s expression wavered, it was true she’d tried to date but she found she couldn’t, still longing for Angel “I’ve known Angel since I was sixteen, Milly, he won’t leave.”

“He left you five years ago. He left you before I was born as well”

“Just be nice.” Buffy instructed as she handed Milly a stack of plates. Milly smiled sweetly and marched out of the kitchen.

After being told off by her mother, Milly began to be civil to Angel but was her usual sarcastic self. Giles appeared to be pleased that Buffy and Angel were friends again, although from the many hints Milly had dropped he suspected that they were more than friends.

After they had eaten dinner, Buffy produced ice cream for desert. Angel looked curiously at Buffy when she told him the flavor - cookie dough fudge mint chip - But she just smiled and shrugged and dished him out several scoops.

After they had finished dinner Milly stood up kissed her mother on the cheek and headed towards the door “I’m off then, good bye Giles, bye Angel.”

“Where are you going?” Buffy demanded. “It’s pouring with rain - you’ll get soaked.”

“I’m staying at Carrie’s tonight, I told you earlier but I think you were preoccupied.” Milly’s eyes left Buffy’s defiant stare and focused on Angel.

“Well you can’t go in the rain” Buffy argued.

“I’ll take her.” Giles offered “I best be on my way anyway.” He stood up and shook Angel’s hand and kissed Buffy on the cheek in a fatherly way. “Thank you for dinner Buffy.” Giles waved as he headed outside the house with Milly, carrying her overnight bag for her.

“You want me to help with the dishes?” Angel asked as they cleared the table and dumped the dishes into the sink.

“It’s ok, they’ll still be here in the morning.” ((Will you be here in the morning? Here with me?))

“I guess I’d better...”Angel took a step closer to Buffy, his arms reaching out for her, bringing her petite body close to his, his lips meeting hers in a soft, tender kiss. His warm tongue invaded her mouth, her hands, pulling his head closer and closer to hers “You really should...” she murmured against his mouth, slowly backing him towards the front door, her lips never leaving his.

“Go.” he finished both their sentences as he bumped into the front door, and opened it behind him.

“Bye then.” she whispered, still kissing him as they backed onto the porch

“Ok, I’m leaving now.” Angel told Buffy with a final kiss he headed down the path to the street. After two seconds Buffy followed him and started kissing him again, rubbing her hands up and down his body, kissing all over his face. “I’m really leaving this time.” Angel informed Buffy. “Really.” Buffy pouted when he walked away from her, promising he’d be back tomorrow.

Ten minutes later after a very quick shower and change, Buffy sat down in the lounge in a short silky nightie with nothing underneath. She grinned to herself when she heard thunder crack in the distance and the rain booming down on the conservatory roof, knowing that Angel wouldn’t even be halfway back to the motel he was staying at and would therefore turn around and come back to her.

A further 10 minutes later Buffy stood and opened the front door as Angel, soaked to the skin came running up her drive way. She laughed as he practically dived into the house.

“You missed me huh?” Buffy grinned sarcastically.

“Couldn’t stay away...” he murmured as he held her in his arms and began to kiss her.

“You’re all wet.” she grinned as she stroked his damp hair.

“So are you.” he whispered huskily as his hand delved under her short nightie. Buffy whimpered in pleasure as he touched her in a way she hadn’t been touched since before Milly’s birth. “Are you sure you want this?” Buffy nodded reverently “It’s all I’ve ever wanted. You’re all I’ve ever wanted.”

Angel lay in Buffy’s bed, holding her tightly, enjoying the sheer closeness and the feeling of waking up holding his lover, a feeling he’d never experienced with Buffy - at least not that she remembered. Buffy’s eyes fluttered open, her slumber invaded by a loud crack of thunder. “Morning.” Angel whispered.

“Hey.” She whispered back, wriggling futher into his embrace. “Are you ok?” She asked, already knowing the answer. Angel nodded and kissed the nape of her neck “I’m good.” he paused for a moment in an awed reverie of the night’s events, after 18 years he had not forgotten a single curve of her body or the sound of the whimpers she made or how sweet her kiss tasted on his lips.

Buffy purred against his shoulder and kissed his neck lightly “So what do you wanna do today?”

“Well I guess that’s up to you.” He smiled “I’m up for whatever you wanna do.”

“Up? Really? I never would have guessed.” She smiled and began kissing him on the lips, bringing her naked body closer to his. “But seriously,” Buffy murmured between kisses “I was thinking, maybe we could stay here for a bit... Y’know, make up for lost time.”

“I’m good with that.” Angel smiled and began kissing down her neck and along her collar bone.

“And then - kiss - We could go to you’re place - kiss - pack up you’re stuff and then - kiss - you could move in here... with me.”

Angel drew back from his ministrations, quite astounded at how fast Buffy wanted to move their relationship, sleeping together was one thing, living together was another. “Woah... Buffy are you sure?”

Buffy didn’t hesitate for a second, she knew she needn't be afraid that he didn’t want it, she knew he loved her as much as she did him “I’m sure.” She nodded resolutely “I don’t want to miss another minute of being in your arms. I love you so much, I never want to miss a moment with you, I never want to forget a moment that we share.” Buffy purposely emphasized ‘never forget’ hoping Angel would understand what she was trying to tell him, Angel, unfortunately, remained oblivious except the slight frown that marred his perfect features for less than a second before his lips once again took up their ministrations on her body, giving into passion.

Buffy sat opposite Angel in the open ceiling area of the Starbucks, marveling how the sun lit up his features and warmed his golden skin.

After packing up all of his necessary items and anything else they could fit in the two cars Buffy and Angel had driven back to Sunnydale from LA and indulged in the sight of each other in the sunlight, the previous day’s storm giving over to bright, California sunshine.

Angel smiled at Buffy, overjoyed that he could now share his life with her after all the years of pain and angst, only one concern remained, the opinion of Buffy’s daughter of their relationship. “We should get back.” Angel prompted gently “You know, we have things to do, people to tell...”

“I know.” Buffy pouted “But I like sitting here. With you. In the sun.”

“I like sitting here too baby, but you said yourself, earlier, Milly needs to be told.”

Buffy’s features clouded with guilt for a minute before a happy expression graced her face “We can wait awhile. She’s not going anywhere.”

Angel’s eyes narrowed suspiciously “Buffy?” he asked in a warning tone.

Buffy happy demeanor vanished instantly, her bottom lip trembled and tears began to cloud her vision “You’re gonna hate me.” She whispered.

“I could never hate you.” He soothed as he dragged his chair around the table alongside hers and held her tightly against him “Whatever it is, it won’t make me think any less of you. I love you, remember that.”

“It’s about Milly” She sobbed “Her father...”

Anyone but Riley, anyone but Riley Angel prayed

“It’s you” Buffy choked on her tears “You’re her Father.”

Angel blinked in confusion “Buffy... What the hell are you talking about? Milly is nearly seventeen years old... There is no possible way that I could... I mean, we only...”

“Thanksgiving 1999” she told him quietly, not daring to look him in the eye.

Angel stared in wide-eyed shock “Y-you remember?” He stammered in disbelief.

~*~

Rainy days, Chardonnay

Sleepless nights, Candle light

These are the thing I remember when I remember

All the kiss of your sweet lips

Musk perfume on the full moon

These are the things I remember when I remember you

~*~

Buffy nodded “U-huh... Oh God, this is such a mess.”

Angel rubbed her shoulders trying to keep her calm and remain neutral himself “It’s ok, it’s ok, just tell me what happened.”

Buffy breathed in slowly and began to tell him her story "It was after the whole thing with Faith that I found out, I did a test and it was positive, I went to the doctor and he confirmed it... Angel, I was so scared, I had no idea who the father was and I was so lost..."

"What about Riley?" Angel interrupted.

"I knew the baby wasn't Riley's, we'd always been careful" Buffy blushed, embarressed about telling Angel about her sexlife with Riley "And after all the drugs the initative had fed him... he was infertile. I had no idea at first, everybody was as shocked as I was when I told them but they believed me, Giles was worried she'd be a demon or something but the sonograms told us she was human. I gave birth to my... our daughter on the twelth of July 2000, she was a premie, just 4lbs."

Angel felt a pang of loss at missing out on the birth of his daughter, he'd accepted that Milly was his daughter easily, every word Buffy spoke was gospel truth to him "And you still didn't know she was mine?"

Buffy shook her head "Not until her second Christmas, we were decorating the tree and... and you were her first word. She whispered your name and everyone thought she was talking abut the angel on the tree but I... I knew, I remembered, I knew who her daddy was."

"You've know for sixteen years" Angel accused sadly "And you never told me."

"It's not that I didn't want to... I swear I did but I was afraid about your soul..."

"My soul?" Angel questioned quietly.

Buffy nodded "I realized and I was gonna come and tell you but then I found out about the whole thing with Darla... How unstable you'd been, I couldn't risk it."

"And when I became human?" He demanded.

"I couldn't!" She screamed at him, frustrated, then, realising they were in a public forum quietend "You were there. You know how hurt we both were... It was just too difficult... I'm sorry."

"Oh God Buffy..." Angel said sadly, sinking his face into his hands "I need to think about this..."

"You hate me." Buffy remarked, her voice full of tears.

"No! Buffy I couldn't ever... I just need..." Angel stood up and silently walked away "I'll be back" he assured her, easing her pain "I just need a little time."

Angel approached Buffy's house cautiously, he knew rationally he'd had every right to be upset but he also knew he should've never left Buffy.

He'd been walking around Sunnydale for the past six hours and now it was getting dark and he knew Buffy would worry, he also knew he had to apologize.

He knocked on the door apprehensivly and waited for an answer, the few minutes he waited on the doorstep seemed like hours and his breath caught in his throat when Milly answered the door. He stared at her dumbfounded. His daughter. Standing in front of him. Pretty much oblivious to who he was. With an angry scowl on her face.

"Is -er..." He began nervously "I need to speak to Buffy."

Milly crossed her arms over her chest defensivly "I don't suppose you'd know why she is sitting upstairs in tears, refusing to speak to me but surrounded in pictures on my childhood?"

Angel's eyes blazed at the though of Buffy in distress and tried to push his way through the door to no avail, obviously Milly had inherited her mother's strength whereas Angel, now human, had lost his. "Let me see her." Angel told her.

"No." Inherited her Mom's stuborness Angel observed "This has happened before and I know how to deal" She told him "Just because you've upset her doesn't mean you have any right to see her!"

"I have every right!" Angel shouted, regretting it instantly, when he was worried about Buffy every other rational thought left his mind, he should be worrying about his daughter aswell, she was the one shouting at him but his love for Buffy was all consuming.

"How dare you shout at me!" She screamed back "You shouldn't even be here, you want to upset her more? You have no right to be here, to stand there and shout at me!"

"Yes he does" Buffy interupted calmly as she walked down the stairs, approaching from behind.

"Why?" Milly demanded shrillily "Because he's you're latest boyfriend? Because he knew you before I did? Coz you used to date? Coz he nearly killed you?"

Buffy and Angel looked at her in surprise, Angel had no idea Milly knew he and Buffy had dated let alone about him being a vampire.

"Who the hell told you that?" Buffy fumed.

"Spike." Milly answered simply.

Buffy glowered and Angel practically growled.

"What? I've known about the whole vampire issue for a long time and frankly I don't care."

"You should care!" Buffy yelled her her daughter.

"Why?" She screamed back "Why should I give a damn about the feeding habits of a guy you dated 20 fucking years ago?!?"

"You should care because-" Buffy began, still yelling.

"Buffy, maybe now wouldn't be the best time to-"

"No. If you have something to say then say it." Milly challenged, echoing her Mother's heartbroken words from nineteen years before.

"He's your father!" Buffy screamed before falling into a defeated heap on the floor, tears slowly beginning to fall.

Milly mouth dropped open and she stood in silence for a moment having been completely unprepared for the information her mom had thrown at her.

Angel stood helplessly in the doorway, having no clue how to handle Buffy or Milly.

"Y-you're my dad?" Milly stuttered.

"Yeah," Angel smiled weakly "Pretty hard to believe huh?"

Milly nodded wide eyed "You both kept it from me all these years?"

"No!" Buffy shook her head venemently as she stood up, ushering Angel into the house and closing the front door to hide their private discussions from elderly neighbours curiously peaking through net curtains. "I only told him today, he had no idea."

"So... I have a dad now huh? Care to explain how... Coz y'know... Vampire." Buffy and Angel stared at their daughter in utter surprise, having just found out an ex-vamnpire was her father she was remaining utterly calm. "Well?" She asked.

"So... Dad huh? That's like major responsibility for you... Keeping me under control, giving me 'the talk', grounding me, yelling at my boyfriends, paying my allowance... Boy, and you think you missed out..." Milly teased her dad two hours later. Buffy and Angel had explained to Milly about her 'unusual' conception and why Buffy hadn't told anybody about Milly's father and Milly had taken it exceptionally well considering her earlier mood.

"Uh... Yeah... I guess..." Angel stuttered, unsure how to act around the young girl. Buffy had left the two of them alone in the house and not so subtley told them to bond before disappearing to Willow's house.

"You're pretty wigged about this huh?" She asked, grinning.

Angel grinned at his daughter, twiddling his fingers "Is it that obvious?" he joked, paused, and continued more seriously "I... Yeah, I guess I'm pretty amazed... A week ago I had no one, now I have Bu- you're mom, and I have you... I know this may seem weird from a guy you've known for a day, but you're the most important thing in the world to me - you and you're mom. I swear, if I'd have known about you I would never have left, I-"

Milly shifted closer to him in the couch "It's ok... Weird I guess, but I'm dealing and it's cool that I've got a dad now... I've known you like five minutes and you're way cooler that Giles. And I know what I said earlier, but I was wrong, you make my mom happy... And, admittedly I don't exactly know you very well but I have a feeling you're gonna make me happy too... You're my Dad, I guess... What I'm trying to say is... I love you."

Angel swallowed back the tears welling behind his eyes and crushed Milly against him, hugging his daughter, his little girl.

Unbeknownst to them, Buffy stood in the doorway having returned home only moments before and was unwilling to break the emotional scene: Father and Daughter embracing for the first time. Smiling, she entered the room and sat down on the couch next to Angel, without even needing to look at her his arm was around her body, hold the two most precious people in his life near.

He'd thought he had nothing.

Today he'd found everything.

This was the first day of the rest of their lives. No more painful secrets or lies. No more heartbreaking break ups. Just them and tomorrow and the next day and the rest of forever and all the rainy days inbetween.