“I tried to call. Some files went missing and I couldn't make it to our date but I did try to call you”, Angel had buried himself in work, successfully distracting himself from thinking about Buffy. The big case was going to court very soon and he was doing double checking to make sure he hadn't missed anything, there was no way Hank Summers was going to leave that court room victorious.

“I never would have believed it if I didn't see it with my own eyes, Angelus O'Reilly actually working for a living. Where is this world going to?” Doyle said with a clear exaggeration.

Angel lifted his gaze to the door as he heard his friend's voice and sent a glare at his way. But the Irishman didn't seem the least fazed by it, he just stalked further into the room and took a comfortable position in the chair in front of Angel's desk. “How'd you get in?” Angel asked suspiciously, it wasn't unusual that his friends visited his office but it usually was Wesley and they never got in without his secretary informing him first.

“You're secretary's out on lunch”, Doyle answered and threw a piece of paper to the desk. Angel grabbed it and quickly read it through, grimacing at the smiley face along with her name.

“She's not my secretary. She's just covering for Fred till she's back from her sick leave”, he corrected and threw the note to the trash can, then grumbled under his breath, “I need to fire that twit.”

Not only was Harmony his grandfather's little spy and minion, she also was a useless secretary. Sure she had learned to do better job than when she started but she'd be better suited to a job that required less brain activity.

“Don't do that”, Doyle said quickly. Angel raised his eyes to the Irishman, his eyebrow lifting in question.

“Why not?” he asked slowly.

“She's Cordelia's best friend”, Doyle answered like it explained everything.

“Well, I'm not the one who's trying to get a date with her so I really don't care who Harmony is friends with”, Angel stated.

“Come on, Angelus. Help a mate, will ya”, Doyle pleaded but Angel just shook his head and let out a long sigh.

“Did you actually have something or is this just a way to prove I actually work here?”

“Sure I did. I need a place to crash”, Doyle answered, going straight to the point. Maybe he'd try to sway Angel to help him with Cordelia over a pint, but right now a roof over his head was the priority.

“Why? What's wrong with your apartment?”

“Nothing's really wrong”, Doyle answered stretching the last word.

“But?” Angel asked, watching Doyle with sharp eyes that always made people want to confess.

“Don't use those creepy predator eyes on me, Angelus. I only need it for few weeks.”

“I use my apartment”, Angel argued, looking at the man in front of him.

Doyle raised a questioning eyebrow as an amused grin formed to his face. “Really? When's the last time you were actually there? You practically live with your girl.” He looked at Angel pointedly, he didn't understand why the man didn't just hand over the keys already, it wasn't like he used the apartment himself.

Angel stared back at him, trying to count back the days to when was the last time he had been at his own apartment. Doyle made it sound like he had moved in with Buffy, but he hadn't, he had his own apartment and they hadn't even talked about moving in together. So, he didn't use his place other than change his clothes or more like get more of them, but it was still a sign of independence. He let out a long sigh, Doyle needed the apartment more than he did and even though the man was a major snoop, he trusted him enough not to go to the rooms that were known to be off limits.

“Fine. But it's just temporary and if you trash the place, I'll break your knees”, he said seriously and a happy grin rose to Doyle's face.

“I knew I could count on you, mate”, he said. Angel didn't look as happy as the Irishman did, but still he dug the set of keys from his pocket and removed his apartment key from the ring, setting it to the desk. “Thanks. I really appreciate this, you know”, Doyle said as he snatched the key and quickly hid it to his jacket pocket.

“Just don't loose it”, was Angel's answer, but Doyle just kept on grinning, he knew full well that Angel cared about his friends even though he didn't like to show it.

Without a warning the door opened and Daniel walked inside, his eyes landing on the visitor. “Hello Doyle”, he greeted, his voice formal as always.

“Mr. O'Reilly”, Doyle answered and quickly got up to his feet, the old man always made him nervous. “Uhm... I think I should be heading out now. I'll give you a ring later, Angelus”, he said hastily and headed to the door. “It was nice to meet you again, Mr. O'Reilly”, he said pleasantly, but in his mind he was thinking it had been all too soon.

“Likewise”, Daniel answered, brushing it off. He was already ignoring his grandson's friend as Doyle hurried out of the office and closed the door behind him.

“To what do I owe this pleasure?” Angel asked, Daniel didn't visit his office very often, actually it was a very rare occurrence since usually he was just summoned to his grandfather's office.

“How is the case going?” Daniel asked, going straight to the point and ignoring the sting in his grandson's tone.

“It's going great. Hank Summers doesn't stand a chance”, Angel answered, staring at the older man with suspicious eyes. It was an important case, but not important enough for Daniel to come just to ask how it is progressing.

A grin rose to Daniel's lips, he could see the suspicion in Angel's eyes and it made him proud, his grandson was no fool. “You've already got him sweating”, he stated, obviously pleased with the fact. “He called for a meeting”, he added and sat to the chair Doyle had occupied just minutes prior.

“It's not going to do him any good”, Angel stated and Daniel let out a gleeful chuckle.

“Meet him anyway. You can talk face to face with the man who abandoned your girl”, he baited, a wolfish grin forming to his lips.

Angel stared at the man in front of him with sharp eyes, trying to find his agenda. “What's in it for you?” he asked and this time the old man laughed out loud, even his laughter had the bitterness and hardness that his presence radiated.

“Nothing, believe it or not. But I believe it might be a good boost for you”, he answered, the grin not leaving his face.

Hank Summers stared at the tall man in front of him, it looked like at any moment the bulging vein in his forehead was going to pop. “It's a good deal”, he defended, pushing the papers over the conference room table. He couldn't understand why the young punk wouldn't just agree to the deal.

“There is no deal”, Angel stated matter of factly. His whole presence was radiating coolness and the same cruelty that his grandfather possessed. His eyes ran over the light brown haired man in front of him, making him nervous with his predatory gaze. Hank Summers looked like a nice guy, but Angel was not deceived by appearances, this was the man that had scarred his woman, the mother of his child and... He cut that thought short, not willing to go there, instead he spoke, “We're going to court and your client is going to regret the day he heard your name.”

Hank stared at the man that was causing the whole room turn dark, it was like he was a black hole that was sucking all the light into himself. The look in the man's eyes sent shivers down his spine, he had met Daniel O'Reilly only once, but there was no doubt that the man in front of him was related to that bastard. “And what the fuck have I done to you?!” he cried out in outrage, finding the courage to actually stand up for himself.

“I don't give a rat's ass about you but you happen have been an asshole to someone I care about: your daughter. Maybe you remember her, a cute blonde about this high”, Angel showed Buffy's height with his hand and a crooked smile rose to his lips, “and sexy as hell”, he added.

“So this is about Buffy”, the older man said slowly.

“Bingo. Give the man a prize. You're not as slow as you look”, Angel said with a wolfish smirk. Seeing Hank Summers squirm under his gaze was enough to make him glad that he had agreed to meet the son of a bitch. He got up from the chair and took his briefcase from the table, looking very calm and collected as he did so. “I'll see you in court”, he stated and walked out of the conference room, the smirk never leaving his lips. Now more than ever he was determined to crush Hank Summers in court, now his vendetta had a face attached to it.

Buffy had been going through the papers and making phone calls all day, she was starting to feel guilty for neglecting the gallery as she had been so distracted with Angel and her pregnancy. She set the phone down and with a sigh, reached for the chicken salad that had been waiting for her for the last twenty minutes.

“Holy shit, B! You're huge!” came a familiar voice from the doorway. Buffy jumped, her eyes snapping to the source of the voice.

“Faith!”

“Hey, B. So how many rugrats are you gonna have?” Faith asked, staring at Buffy's pregnant stomach as she walked further into the room and collapsed to the chair, taking a relaxed pose with her feet hanging over the armrest.

Buffy sent a glare at her way. “Don't call the baby that and according to the ultrasound, I'm gonna have one baby”, she said and set her salad to the desk.

“Touchy”, Faith smirked, raising her hands in mock surrender. Buffy sighed and leaned back in her chair.

“So when did you get back?” she asked.

“Just now”, Faith answered and grabbed the salad from the desk, starting to dig into it with the plastic fork. She glanced at the blonde on the other side of the desk and quickly swallowed the mouthful of food. “You're starting to look a little pale. What you been doing all this time? Kept him chained to the bed? I hardly see you these days”, she complained.

“You've been in New York for a month!” Buffy tried to justify herself.

“So? You're still loosing your tan”, Faith said like it sealed everything. Buffy couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes.

“I'm not loosing my tan”, she sighed tiredly.

“Sure you're not. How does it work anyway? In your condition, I mean”, Faith questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“Does what work?” Buffy asked innocently, pretending she didn't know what her friend was talking about.

“Don't play coy with me, B. You know what I mean. You're housing a football team in there, so I can't really imagine getting down and dirty with it.”

Buffy couldn't stop the blush from rising to her face that was quickly turning red. She turned her eyes away from Faith, guessing soon there would be a knowing smirk on her face. “That's something you have to find out yourself”, she answered, still not looking at the brunette. She closed her eyes, blushing even more when Faith burst into laughter.

“So, does my honey have any fresh coffee ready?” Faith changed the subject, she loved teasing Buffy and was even a little curious of how sex was possible while pregnant but even she knew when to quit.

“Check yourself. I'm feeling a little lazy right now”, Buffy answered, nodding at the door. Faith handed the salad back to her and got up from the chair before walking out the door.

Buffy had time to finish what was left of the salad before Faith returned with a steaming cup of coffee in her hand. “So how was New York?” she asked casually, dunking the plate and plastic fork to the trash bin under her desk.

“Cool. The guys were hot and the clubs great. I even got some work done in between. But I really missed Gloria's coffee”, Faith answered and sat back to her seat, taking a long drink from her coffee.

“Just Gloria's coffee?” Buffy asked.

Faith got a guilty look on her face, the one she always got when she didn't want to admit something. “Well, yeah. No one can make coffee like my girl does”, she answered and looked away. There was no way she was going to admit she had missed her best friend, she wasn't good with emotions, never had been. But Buffy knew and she also knew not to push the matter.

“Well, she is a treasure, I admit that”, she joined Faith who shot her a grateful look without even acknowledging it. “And I think she's more excited about the baby than my mom is”, Buffy added and leaned down, pulling a small box out of a drawer and placed it to the desk. She removed the lid and lifted a tiny t-shirt out of the box for Faith to see.

Faith couldn't help but grin with a hint of a sappy smile, the small piece of clothing was simply adorable. “Damn, that's cute. So is the baby gonna be a girl or what?” Faith asked, staring at the pink shirt.

“Don't know. I think she's just hoping that it is since she herself has three boys”, Buffy answered with a soft smile and folded the shirt back into the box.

“And Angelus? What does he think about all this?” Faith asked more seriously, she still wasn't convinced her friend would have the happy ending she deserved.

“He's been great. We're not planning spring wedding and buying a house in the suburbs or anything like that any time soon, but it's all been great. He's not wigging, so that's a good sign.”

Faith opened her mouth to respond, but she was interrupted by the ringing of the telephone. Buffy flashed her an apologetic smile and reached out to grab the phone. But her hand stopped in midair when she saw the number that was calling. The traces of the smile disappeared from her face and almost all color drained from her skin, but despite the sudden stop, she grabbed the phone and answered it. She thanked heavens when her voice didn't tremble as she spoke the first words in two years.

Angel was beyond tired as he walked in through the door and set his briefcase down to the oak bureau. He loosened his tie and took off his jacket, hanging it to the wall before walking further into the house. He found Buffy sitting on the couch, her feet drawn to her stomach and a soft blanket securely wrapped around her.

“Hey”, he greeted and walked over to her, leaning into a kiss that he didn't get as she turned her face away from him, his lips touching her hair instead of her lips. He stood straight, looking at her with confusion written all over his face. “What's the matter?” he asked, usually she kissed him back like he had been gone for a hundred years but now he was just getting a cold shoulder. “Buffy?”

She turned her angry eyes to him and he could see that he was not her favorite person at the moment. But he didn't know what he had done to make her mad, he hadn't even been home all day. Maybe it was just hormones acting up, he had read or heard somewhere that pregnant women might act crazy without any reason.

“I got a interesting call today”, she said far too calmly to his liking.

“What was it about?” he asked carefully. Was this one of his grandfather's tricks?

“About the case you're working on. Or more accurately, who against you're working on”, she answered, still keeping her calm. Angel let out a slow breath, it appeared he'd be needing his apartment after all. And Doyle had never been his favorite choice as a roommate.

“Were you even going to tell me?” Buffy asked, staring at the man that was standing in front of her. He said nothing, confirming her suspicion. “I don't care if you kick some sleazebag's ass in court but I'd like to have heard about it from you instead of from my father. He calls me for the first time in two years and it's to complain about this 'young, punk lawyer' who's avenging me on him.”

“Buffy”, he whispered her name, not sure what to say to that. He sat next to her on the couch and took her small hand into his much larger one, keeping a tight hold on it as she tried to yank it away. “Buffy”, he repeated more firmly. Her angry eyes shot to his face, her lips were a tight line and he could see the fire burning in her eyes. Yes, he was going to have Doyle for a roommate.

Buffy took a long calming breath, she doubted getting really upset and throwing things around would be good for the baby. She wanted to cry and yell at him, but somewhere she found the strength to keep herself reasonably calm.

“I don't like secrets. I want to trust you. I need to trust you. And I can't do that if you keep secrets from me”, she said slowly and pointedly, letting the message sink in before continuing, “I don't care if you want to kick my dad's ass in court, but you could have told me about it. He might be an asshole but he's still my dad and it hurts when the only reason he calls me is to give me a hard time over my boyfriend getting some payback for me. You should have told me, then I wouldn't have been so out of the loop and maybe I could have prepared myself to what was going to happen”, she said, tears were running down her cheeks and angrily she wiped them away with the back of her hand. She didn't want to cry, not because of her father, she had already shed too many tears because of him. Quickly she rose off the couch, the movement was a less graceful than she had accustomed to, but at the moment she didn't care even if she looked like one of the hippos in Fantasia.

“Honey. Baby”, Angel tried and followed her, but she gave him a look that told him to keep quiet.

“I need to get this out, okay. You know I have trust issues, right”, she started. He didn't say anything, just nodded. “Usually when I'm hurt, I tend to lash out and say things that I don't mean, but I'm working on to get that habbit out of my system. So this is me not lashing out, just the truth”, she rambled in one breath, her eyes running all over the room before finally settling back to him. As she stared into his eyes, she took in a long breath and slowly let it out, trying to get herself to calm down enough to continue.

“I love you”, she stated matter-of-factly. When he took a step closer to her, she lifted her hand as a sign for him to stay quiet. She knew she wouldn't get a confession of love from him so she just needed to say all the things she wanted to say before she lost her courage.

“I know we haven't been together all that long but that doesn't change it. And because I love you, you can hurt me more than other people can. More than Riley ever did, I didn't love him, I just convinced myself that I did because I wanted to, but with you I can't pretend anything. And because what I feel for you is real, the actual real thing, you can hurt me even without knowing more than anyone else can. I just... need to be able to trust you”, she whispered the last words, staring straight into his eyes. She was looking so damn vulnerable, all the hurt and sorrow of her life reflecting in her eyes, but at the same time they were pleading for him to make it all better, take the hurt away.

“Buffy. Baby”, he whispered and with two steps crossed the distance between them. He held her gaze, wanting her to know that he wasn't lying because intended to say the words that were rarely heard coming from him. “I'm sorry, I handled it wrong. But I didn't know how to tell you about it, I didn't know how you'd react”, he tried to explain himself to her.

“Why did you take the case? Was it just an coincidence or what?” she asked with a frown, but there was no accusation in her voice.

“I saw his name and I wanted the case, I actually told my grandfather that I would handle it, that it was mine. I just wanted to beat the crap out of him, but I doubted you'd appreciate if I went and pummeled him into the ground so I figured I'd get to him through his job”, he answered, he himself didn't know why he had felt the burning need to take the case and he wasn't willing to look too deeply into it, he wasn't ready. But as he noticed her face had softened and her eyes didn't have the angry spark in them, he let a crooked smile rise to his lips. “And it's less messy this way. I am a damn good lawyer when I bother with it. And am I sleeping on the couch tonight?”

Buffy stared at him, looking confused. “Huh? Couch? Why would you want to sleep on the couch?”

“I figured since we're having a fight and...” he started to answer but didn't get to finish as she stepped in.

“We're not having a fight. You'll know when we're having a fight and this isn't it. This is just a discussion with tears and evil glares involved”, she stated with a hint of a smile tugging at her lips as she finished. But then she turned more serious, her eyes holding his gaze. “Just... No more secrets. Okay?”

Her voice showed her uncertainty and again she was looking so vulnerable and fragile that he wanted to kick himself. “No more secrets”, he agreed and leaned forward, brushing a soft kiss across her lips. He was just testing the water, her face showed no traces of anger but he didn't want to bring it back with his actions. He watched as she jumped, startled and a feeling of worry took over his body.

“Buffy?” he whispered her name, reaching out to her. The smile rising to her lips did sooth the unwanted feeling inside him, but he was still worried until she took his hand and pressed it against her round stomach. He felt the strong kick against his palm and without even realizing it, a goofy smile rose to his lips. It wasn't the first time the baby had kicked but it never seized to amaze him. It held more power than any before and all he could do was to stare at her pregnant stomach, spellbound.

“This would be the place for me to say something really corny, but how'bout we skip that and get something to eat”, she broke the silence and his eyes rose up to hers.

“Does that mean that I'll have to cook?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I can do that if you're tired. That is if you don't mind being my guinea pig”, she answered with a crooked smile. She really wasn't that bad of a cook when she put her mind to it, but usually she was too busy or too distracted to cook a eatable meal.

“I think I have just enough strength to feed you”, he grinned but then turned more serious, looking at her with bedroom eyes that made the coldest heart melt. “Am I forgiven?” he asked and flashed her one of his charming half-smiles. Just looking at his beautiful face and that sexy smile on his lips, made her weak in the knees. How could she possibly stay mad at him?

“Depends on how good the food is”, she answered but he could tell she was just teasing him as her eyes shone with mischief. His smile grew wider.

“You know I'm good”, he answered, his voice low and seductive.

She let out an amused chuckle before she took his hand and started pulling him towards the kitchen. “Come on. Before I start wanting dessert”, she said, she knew full well that if he kept smiling at her like that food would be the last thing in her mind.

“There's nothing wrong with dessert”, he answered huskily, his hot breath hitting the back of her neck and affectively sending shivers running through her body.

“Food”, she reminded him just as much as she did herself. He just chuckled softly and brushed his lips against the crook of her neck before walking past her into the kitchen. She watched his backside as he walked away, unconsciously she licked her lips and one thought was clear, she was definitely getting some dessert later.