She closed the door to the house and leaned against it with a sigh.
"Lynn?" Buffy's voice was heard through the kitchen. "Is that you, sweetie?"
"It's me, Mom," Lynn answered as she got up from the door and went into the living room.
"Oh, good," Buffy said as she entered the kitchen, smile on her face; a smile that disappeared when she saw Lynn sitting by herself with a miserable expression on her face. "What's wrong? Where's your father?"
"He's at the mall with Matt," Lynn answered.
"What's he doing with Matt?" Buffy asked, confused as she sat down next to her daughter.
Lynn shrugged and leaned against her mother. "How am I supposed to know? Matt's just being an idiot."
"And Angel?"
Lynn sighed. "There's nothing wrong with Dad."
Buffy frowned, trying to piece together the bits and pieces her daughter was offering. "So, there's nothing wrong with your dad, but you're mad at Matt. And, I'm guessing here, you bolted from the mall?"
Lynn nodded, tears now starting to fall from her eyes. "I ruined it. We were talking, Dad and I. And we kinda had a moment of silence, but I'm sure that's normal. So, anyway, Matt shows up and he starts asking why I haven't been around, and we just got into some stupid, idiotic argument, in which he was acting like a bastard, by the way, and then Dad wanted to leave and then Matt wanted to leave, and so I left..."
"Shhh, it's okay," Buffy soothed as she stroked her daughter's black hair. "You're not being too coherent in your sentences. You argued with both Matt and your father?"
Lynn shook her head, unable to say anything.
"You just argued with Matt, then?"
Lynn nodded.
"Okay, now we're getting somewhere," Buffy said as Lynn raised her head to meet her mother's green eyes with her own. "Did Matt say something offensive to you?"
Lynn sniffled. "Not really," she ansered. "He was just wondering why I hadn't called. But in the heat of the argument, he started getting all sarcastic and I didn't like that. And there's just this thing... never mind."
Buffy prodding eyes and curious expression made Lynn speak again. "It's just... Matt. He seems, I don't know, I could be wrong..."
"If you're gonna tell me, tell me."
"Matt's been hinting that he wants to do more than just kiss," Lynn said finally. "I got scared so I've been avoiding him."
Lynn looked to her mom to see how she took that, but to her surprise, Buffy didn't seem angry. Instead, she nodded knowingly at her daughter. "I see," Buffy said.
"I don't know what to do, Mom," Lynn confessed.
"What do you wanna do?"
"I don't know," Lynn answered. "But I don't can't always act on want. Want isn't always what's right. Aunt Willow told me that once."
Buffy smiled, remembering a conversation she had had with Willow so long ago.
"Well, what do you wanna do?" Willow asked.
"I don't know. I mean, want isn't always the right thing to do. To act on want can be wrong," Buffy answered.
"True."
"But to not act on want... Will, what if I never feel this way again?"
"Carpe Diem... you told me that once."
Of course, she wasn't going to give that advice to her daughter.
"Lynn," Buffy said. "I trust you enough to let you make your own decisions. But if you ever, and I mean ever, need advice on anything at all, feel free to come talk to me."
Lynn nodded. "Can I ask... I mean, well," Lynn stuttered. "How old were you when your first, you know?"
"I was exactly seventeen years old."
"You were older than me," Lynn stated and then started loosening up a little. "Was he cute?"
Buffy giggled, feeling like a teenager all over again. "Was he!" she said. "Gorgeous is more like it. Killer body, sweetest, most romantic thing on Earth."
"What was his name?"
"Angel."
Lynn's mouth dropped open. "Dad?"
Buffy nodded. "Yup," she said. "My first and only. You were born about a year and a half later. And that's when chaos ensued."
Lynn looked down with a thoughtful expression. "Thanks, Mom."
Buffy smiled and patted Lynn's knee. "Anytime, sweetheart. I'm glad you feel comfortable enough to come talk to me about this kinda stuff."
As she stood up to leave, Lynn grabbed her hand and pulled her back down with a strength only the daughter of a vampire and a Slayer could possess. "There's more."
At Buffy's questioning glance, she continued. "See, it's not that I mind or anything, 'cause I don't. I'm glad really. You know, having a dad around, seeing you smile a stuff. But it's just, well, it's been a lot to take in at once. It takes getting used to. For one thing, changing the last name I've been using all my life..."
"I understand."
"But, I'm trying. And I really want to get to know Dad. And I really want him to get to know me. We were having a really interesting conversation on what talents I got and which talents I got from him, and whatever. But it was sorta... awkward. You know?"
"I know."
"Well, I just wanted you to know that," Lynn finished. "And I wanted you know that I really am trying."
"Thank you," Buffy whispered. "I think you should go back to the mall and apologize to both Matt and Angel..."
"No need," Angel's voice was heard from the living room entrance. "You okay, Lynn?"
Lynn nodded. "Yeah," she said. "Just... issues, I guess. I'm good now."
"Would now be a good time to say that I'm pregnant?" Buffy said suddenly.