BAD ANGEL

Epilogue

Some months later …

Buffy and Joyce sat in the obstetrician’s examination room waiting for the doctor to give Buffy an ultrasound. She was six months pregnant.
Since her return Buffy tried her best to reclaim as much normalcy as possible but she quickly came to the rather rude realization that she was now a celebrity of sorts. Everyone seemed to know who she was and of her ordeal. Large containers full of cards and flowers from well-wishers were delivered to their home daily. It got so bad that Wesley and several others from her father’s now defunct presidential campaign had become her unofficial secretaries to handle the mass of incoming mail.
But it didn’t end there. Despite her family’s pleas for privacy, Buffy’s pregnancy was leaked to the public and now she and her unborn child were the topic of endless speculation ranging from the daily gossip shows to legal debates on the current rape shield laws. She’d been approached for an exclusive interview several times already by CNN, FOX, 60 Minutes, Dateline, the list went on and on. The national attention was so overwhelming and humiliating that Buffy no longer watched television, read the newspaper, went online or listened to the radio. She could no longer leave the house without being mobbed and when she had to leave, such as for her doctor visits, Hank insisted she have a bodyguard. For that reason her therapy sessions and interviews with the FBI were conducted at the house. Buffy had hoped it would subside after a time but now she was beginning to think she would never be able to live on her own again, not that she was in a rush to. She was glad for the refuge her parents’ home provided. The estate was large enough to allow her to take walks and enjoy some solitude without being harassed. She had even agreed to her mother’s suggestion of renting out her apartment and moving into one of the guesthouses on their estate once the baby was sleeping through the night. The idea had appeal since she would have her own space but still be close enough to Joyce and Hank if there was ever a problem. It seemed the perfect solution to everyone’s concerns.
“So have you thought of any names yet?” Joyce asked.
“Hmm, a few but I haven’t settled on anything yet … nothing’s really grabbed me.”
“I know that feeling but you’ll know when it feels right.”
After a few moments of silence Buffy finally asked, “Do you think I’m doing the right thing?”
Weighing her response, Joyce replied, “I can’t say, only you can know that.”
“But Dad …”
“Buffy, I know how Hank feels but that doesn’t matter. The circumstances aside, only you understand what really went on between you and Angelus Rayne, only you know what you can handle. The rest of us cannot begin to speak on your behalf or tell you what you should or should not do. Don’t get me wrong, raising this child will be very difficult and I don’t mean just providing a home and love for it. There is a permanent public record out there of your abduction and you’re going to have to find a way to share it. How are you going to explain who the father is or how you met? These are questions your child will ask some day.” Then holding her hand, “But I know you’ve considered all of this and you’ve decided that the alternatives come at a much higher cost to you as a person. We can’t ask anything more than that from you and honey, no matter how Hank feels, he has agreed to respect your decision. Trust me, you’re not alone in this.” Joyce smiled encouragingly.
Squeezing her mother’s hand in return, Buffy took a deep breath, calming her thoughts.
Sensing her daughter’s contemplative mood, Joyce ventured, “Do you think he’ll come back?”
“I honestly don’t know … probably not. He knew I was pregnant when he released me and I have no doubts that he wanted the three of us to be together. He chose to let me go. I don’t think he’s a threat anymore.”
“Why would he do that?” Joyce watched as Buff’s eyes welled up slightly, her discomfort with this topic obvious. She didn’t expect Buffy to answer; no one did anymore. This was the one and only area where Buffy was less than fully cooperative with the FBI. She told them everything and answered their questions to the best of her ability. She was in no way obstructing the investigation. But she was reluctant to discuss the level of intimacy she had with Angel and what exactly happened between them during those last hours before she was rescued.
Deciding to let it go for now, Joyce asked, “Do you forgive him?”
“Part of me wants to. I just want to put this all behind me and move on. But other times, I just get so angry and depressed and I spend so much time and energy thinking about it, which only makes me angrier because it’s like he’s right here, watching me, controlling me.”
“Do you think he is, watching you I mean?”
“I know he is. But we’ll never see his people or know who they are. That’s how he works.”
“But doesn’t that scare you?”
“Oddly enough it doesn’t.”
“Because you know why he let you go?”
Looking at the concern in her mother’s eyes, Buffy finally let a single tear fall. “I’m sorry … I just can’t …”
Pulling her in for a hug, “It’s ok, sweetie, you’re not ready. It’ll take time dear. You’re doing all you can, you’re getting counseling, you’re slowly taking steps to regain your independence. Everything will be fine.”
Mother and daughter embraced each other until the doctor knocked announcing her return. Pulling apart, they each wiped their tears as Buffy called to the doctor telling her she was ready.


Angel sat in the darkened study nursing a tall bourbon, the heavy drapery of his penthouse office blocking out the coming dawn. He had worked late into the night but he wasn’t ready to retire. He was eagerly awaiting Lilah’s update.

In the time since he escaped Jamaica, he discovered that Lindsey had left his legitimate businesses intact and did not disclose his many contacts. His cousin really hadn’t intended to ruin him, just straighten him out. That made Quentin’s actions all the more intolerable but Angel refused to avenge Lindsey’s death. If his experience with Buffy taught him anything, he would only end up ruining himself. Instead he severed all ties with Travers and pulled out of the narcotics trade. He knew it was risky but he didn’t need the profits or the headaches. He couldn’t justify his involvement anymore.
Of course his actions did nothing to erase the numerous crimes he had committed in the past. He was certain if they could convict him of half the offenses they suspected he was involved in he would never be a free man again. He was also aware of the charges being brought against him for Buffy and Dawn’s abductions and Buffy’s subsequent rape but from his sources he gathered Buffy was a rather reluctant participant. That he could understand. Not that he thought this was some twisted attempt on her part to protect him but from the media circus he witnessed over the past months, it was no wonder she didn’t want the additional attention a trial was sure to bring. Apparently they were attempting to try him in absentia, a course his team of lawyers was working nonstop to prevent.
But none of that mattered. Buffy was home and safe and although he wished he could do more to shield her from the public’s scrutiny, in this his hands were tied. But he knew she would survive it, she was a fighter.
Just then his phone rang, startling him out of his reverie. Picking up on the second ring, he listened as Lilah recited her passwords, ensuring their communication was secure.
“How is she?” His voice was filled with concern.
“She’s improving, sir. She’s eating more and seems to be sleeping more as well. She still lapses into depression but from our sources her therapist feels she’s making progress, albeit slowly. There’s talk of remodeling one of the guesthouses for her to live in with the baby.” Angel sighed in relief that Buffy and his child would at least live in a secure home.
“How’s the pregnancy progressing?”
“The baby is fine sir. She just had a doctor’s visit earlier today and everything is normal and healthy.”
“Good. Is there anything else?”
“Just one last thing sir.”
“What is it?”
“Her doctor was able to see the sex of the child today. Would you like to know what she’s having?”
Angel’s breath caught, his heart skipping a beat. “Go on.”
“It’s a boy. You’re having a son Mr. Rayne.” He could hear the smile in her voice as she shared the news.
“Thank you Lilah.”
“Good day Mr. Rayne.”

Angel sat silently for several moments as he pondered his conversation with Lilah. A son. He was going to have a son. It all seemed so surreal. He wished he could share the moment with Lindsey. He wished he could share it with Buffy. The two most important people in his life. But now there were three.
Smiling to himself he lovingly caressed one of the many sketches he made of Buffy in slumber. It was among the things he took from his safe at the villa. That and the ring he had planned to give Buffy that evening during their sailing trip. It was originally meant as a sign of his intentions towards her but it ended up being something else entirely. He had no idea if she kept it or not but he knew she remembered and that was enough.
Taking a deep breath, he made a short list of things he needed to do before his son was born. The first being to change his will.
His thoughts down, he cleared his desk and prepared to rest.
Entering the adjoining suite, he pulled the heavy drapery aside, unveiling a breathtaking view of Bangkok in the distance. Thailand was indeed a beautiful country.
Stepping out onto the balcony, he watched the early morning sun shining brightly in the distance. The dawn of a new day.
Angel smiled.

~ FIN ~