He Listened To My Prayer

Angel stormed around his apartment, angry, frustrated and tearing apart inside. It had been a year since the forgotten day a year since he had been with Buffy in every sense he could have been with her. Angel missed Buffy so much, his whole being longed to be with her. He hadnt seen her since she left that day on November 24th 1999, now here he was, one year on he could still remember every detail about that day, remember the shampoo that hed smelled in her hair, the feel of her lips, the feel of her body. He hadnt had any contact with Sunnydale since then, they didnt need him... She didnt need him.

Angel was dragged from his thoughts by the sharp shrill of the doorbell. He was tempted to ignore it, to be left alone with his thoughts of Buffy and the four cruellest words in the English language what might have been. But instead he slowly walked to answer the door, better to have company than wallow in his ever growing self-pity. Angel opened the door and stood dumfound, staring at the face of the woman he hadnt seen in a year. She was still as beautiful as he remembered, perhaps even more so; she wasnt as thin, her clothes concealed sensuous curves, shed grown her hair and hadnt dyed it, leaving the natural light brown, most of all it was her face, no more worry lines, no more bags under her eyes... She looked happy... Happy without him?

"Buffy... I-I... What are you doing here?" Angel stuttered after he recovered from his initial shock. Buffy said nothing. Instead she bend down and retrieved a small carry cot from the floor and dumped it unceremoniously in his arms. Angel looked into the carry cot and saw the tiny child nestling among blue blankets. The baby smiled as it opened its eyes and all Angel saw was Buffy. It was her child

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"How could you do it?" The furious slayer demanded, stepping into the basement apartment of her
ex-lover.

"Buffy... I dont understand, what did I do?" He asked, gently laying the carry cot on the couch. Buffy scowled "Well to be honest I dont either. Heres the sitch "She said sitting down next to her baby on the couch, rocking the cot gently "Eight months ago, I go to the doctor cause Ive missed my period a couple of times and Im pretty freaked my this coz theres no way I can be pregnant, then she tells me I am and I get really scared and run to Giles for help who also gets very freaked and there is just a whole big freak-fest. In the end Giles decides its an immaculate conception... something to do with me being a Slayer. And so I have my baby..." Buffys scowl softened as she began to talk about her son "My son. And hes so perfect. And then a week ago he smiled for the first time... y'know, not from wind, and I recognised that smile Your smile. Your his father." She whispered quietly.

Angel frowned Buffy "I dont see how..."

"He's yours. I don't know how. But he is".

Angel looked at the little boy... no, his little boy lying by his mother on the couch "Can I..?" He asked, reaching his hand toward his son.

Buffy nodded silently.

Angel reached into the carry cot, delving his hands into the warm nest of blankets and picked up his son. And the moment he was in his arms, Angel knew. Knew that this child was his son.

Tears glistened in Buffys eyes, running salty rivers down her face. "His name is Jaden" she murmured. "Jaden Liam Summers. Hes three months old" Buffy laughed lightly "The immaculate conception happened a year ago."

Angel couldnt hold back the tears. Holding Jaden in his arms gave him happiness he didnt think he was capable of." Im sorry" he whispered "Sorry I didnt tell you... wasnt there for you..." Angel wept into his sons tiny shoulders. Jaden appeared disturbed by Angels distress and curled his tiny hands around the silk collar of Angels shirt.

Buffy let father and son hold each other for a few moments before she stood up and gently removed her sleeping baby from Angels grasp and laid him back into the carry cot. Angel didnt move, tears still streaming down his face Im sorry he whispered again.

"What? What is it?" Even after over a year of absence, the sight of him upset cut Buffy up inside, and feeling that she couldnt even begin to explain.

Angel opened his eyes and looked at Buffy. Her eyes still held the same look of love that they always had, but there was something else now, something new. "I know why". he choked out. I" know what happened... How Jaden..."

"Tell me." She urged gently, sitting him down next to her on the couch" But I'm telling you" She said, trying to ease his discomfort "If it involves cookie dough fudge mint chip ice cream and your chest then..."

Angel stared at Buffy in blind disbelief "How did you... How..."

"You didnt kill the Amorah demon the first time?" She half asked, half told.

Angel nodded "Oh God! Oh God... You remember? Buffy I... Please forgive me." he pleaded

She gently stoked his brow "You did what you thought was best... Ok so you didnt ask me what was best for me ...AGAIN... but things have turned out ok... We have our son... Each other..." Buffy picked up their sleeping son and handed him once again to Angel "We both forgive you." She smiled sweetly at him and kissed him gently on the lips. "Say hello to your daddy Jaden". she whispered to her son.

Angel looked at Jaden lying in his arms and then into Buffys eyes, he saw love as always but he also saw trust, respect and acceptance. He felt his heart constrict and he let out a sharp gasp as Jaden tumbled from his arms into Buffys lap. "Angel? What is it? Whats wrong?" She demanded, beginning to panic. Angel took another breath, this one less imperative. "Buffy!" he gasped "Im human... It was you... You're my redemption."

Buffy paused for a second, her eyes widening in joyous surprise before she let her lips meet his in a gentle yet passionate kiss. Her body revelled in the feel of his body, constantly getting warmer next to her. Before the kiss could get any more intense, Buffy placed their, once again sleeping child in his carry cot. Buffy returned to his kiss, her arms winding round his neck, his hands roaming her body with intense ferocity. Buffy puled away and looked him in the eye "Are you sure you want this? Us?"

"I dont want it." Buffys face fell, looking totally defeated for an instant before pure bliss over took her expression "I need this." Angels warm lips reached out to Buffys quivering ones, kissing her the long awaited kiss shes been anticipating. "Angel... I missed you so much, I couldn't cope. I-I-I love you, I never stopped." Angel looked into her eyes, the eyes hed loved before shed even known him "I love you too." Angel stood up, sweeping Buffy into the bedroom, making a final check that his sleeping son was ok.

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Angel watched Buffy sleep, a contented smile dancing across her face, Angel blew gently on her face with his newly acquired breath and her eyes fluttered open "Hi." She whispered... almost shyly. "Hi back." he whispered into her hair "Are you... How are you?" he asked, slightly nervous. Good she smiled Better than good. "Fantastic. I have you She leaned over and kissed him softly And I have my baby. And I have my health" She laughed. "But you know what I'd really like?" She asked rhetorically before continuing "Another baby." Angel raised his eyebrows questioningly "Not right now... Maybe in a couple of years, but I thought we should get some practise in... y'know, coz practice is good." Buffy smiled seductively and wriggled her naked body against his. "Practice is good." he repeated, as he rolled himself onto her and began kissing every inch of flesh he could come into contact with. "Practice is very good."

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"Buffy?" Angel whispered exhaustedly "Why did you call him Jaden Liam?"

"Giles told me your name... before you were changed was Liam. I guess deep down I always knew he was yours... I mean his name, Jaden means God has heard, do you now how often I prayed that you and I could have children, be a family, have to have the talk with our kids once they grew up. God sent him to us Angel, hes our gift. Hes ours."

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Epilogue I: Three months later.

Angel sat on the couch in his and Buffys new apartment in Sunnydale, bouncing his son on his knee. Jaden was still small for his age, tiny in fact but that just made him even more loveable. He was a beautiful kid, Angel's chocolate eyes, Buffy's honey hair, her nose, but he had both their strength, at 6 months old he could probably beat Xander in an arm wrestle hands down, no contest.

Buffy entered the room smiling. Father and son. An image that would never fail to make her smile, everything was going to be ok, it really was. Angel saw his soul mate enter the room and smiled. He put Jaden down on the floor and walked over to her, smiling he went down on one knee. "Buffy. I love you." He produced a small blue velvet box from his pocket and opened it to reveal a diamond ring. A diamond, that was him- an uncut diamond, rough on the outside but the most treasured jewel inside. "Buffy Anne Summers, will you marry me?"

Buffy stared at him in shock, of course shed been expecting this... one day. But now?" Yes." she barely whispered.

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Epilogue II: One month later

"You may now kiss the bride." Pronounced the priest at the Sunnydale Church. Angel looked at Buffy, removing the white lace veil revealing her smiling face. "I love you Buffy O'Malley". He whispered as his lips met hers.

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