One Summer Night
By Azrael
Disclaimer: It's all mine, except for two characters who have been
severely damaged by Joss Whedon, and who I am seeking to rehabilitate in my own
fashion. By the way, this is what happens when your hands just start typing
randomly.
" I'm bored, "
Aurelia mumbled, entering the bedroom she and her older sister shared.
The only answer she received
was the sound of furiously clicking keys from the zombie hunched over the
computer.
Aurelia scowled, and yelled
at the top of her lungs, " I'm bored! "
To her satisfaction, Keelan
jumped up, her sudden movement causing the view screen to flicker.
She glared at her younger
sibling, and after slumping back into the comfortable, executive swivel chair,
replied, " What do you expect me
to do about it? "
" Tell me a story,
" Aurelia said simply, falling into Keelan's lap, earning an " oof
" from the elder.
" You're too big for me
to hold, " Keelan grumbled crossly, about to push her sister away, but
then saw the wary look. She had only
seen it rarely, but knew by the reactions from those previous times that the
wariness hid something, which ordinarily Aurelia kept locked away within
herself. Keelan knew it well, for she,
and most likely everyone else had experienced it at some point in his or her
life: the need to just be held, and loved.
Sighing, but without real
irritation, she pulled the thirteen-year-old as close as her own
seventeen-year-old body could manage.
It made things easier when Aurelia curled her legs up, scrunching
herself into a, well, if not little, then medium-sized ball, nuzzling her head
into the snug space between her sister's chin and collar bone. Keelan waited as the girl made herself more
comfortable, before beginning her story.
" Once, a long time
ago, there lived a prince who had the best that life had to offer. His castle was grand, and full of wonderful
things, and he lived a happy life, full of leisure and pleasures. The king and queen, his parents, while they
did not shelter him, loved him dearly and from the time when he was young,
taught him what it truly meant to be a man, a good man.
" Then, one day, he met
a girl. She was girl unlike any of the
others he had courted; she was tough and unaffected by his sweet words and
charming looks. He was bewildered for
never had a maiden refused him before, and angry and confused as to how,
despite her apparent disinterest, she still continued to capture his attention
and- "
The view screen emitted a
soft sound, and as Keelan turned to it, Aurelia made to move out of her
lap. Much to her surprise, Keelan held
her firmly and gave her a look that plainly meant "stay" while making
a small motion with her free hand at the view screen. The screen faded out quickly.
" Where was I? "
Keelan asked, her dark-brown eyes giving away none of her emotions.
" You were saying how
this girl continued to capture the prince's attention, " Aurelia reminded
her, settling in once again. She
stretched out her legs, but continued to rest her head in the warm hollow of
her sister's neck.
" Oh yes, well, not
only had this girl captured his attention but his heart. He could think of nothing but her. The fact that something was troubling their
son did not escape the monarchs. When
they asked, and he told them about the damsel, they were delighted and he was
astonished. Later, he found out that
the girl's parents and his parents had been friends for a long time, though
they lived far from each other. They
had hoped to see their children wed, but did not want to force them.
" The girl, or rather,
the princess, as the prince had discovered, was just as shocked by her parents'
tale as she confessed her secret affection for the young gallant who appeared
to be pursuing her. Both finally had a
conversation and were quite indignant at their parents' plan that had led to
them meeting, and, though neither wanted to admit it, falling in love. However, they could not deny it, and soon a
wedding date was held.
" They were both
somewhat young, only eighteen, but they grew to understand one another as they
matured. They built a home together,
and soon, a few years after their marriage, they had two little girls, three
years apace between them. "
" What were their
names? " Aurelia interrupted, her eyes sparkling with mischief but also
curiosity.
Keelan smiled gently at her
younger sister, and after tweaking the youngster's ear, she replied, "
Well, their first daughter's real name was Kachiel Alana, but when her baby
sister began to talk, she could not say either name, but combined them into
'Keelan'. However, as that happened to
be an Irish name, in and of itself, it became a permanent nickname. "
" And the little
sister's? " The question was
accompanied by the same, sweet smile that was held by her forebears, and like
her forebears, rarely appeared on her face.
" Well now, the little
sister's name was Arianrhod Celia, and although her older sister was able to say both those names- "
There was a soft snort from
the listener, which the storyteller replied to with a glare.
" As I was saying,
while she could, she didn't like to,
and after having heard Mary Stewart's 'The Crystal Cave' on her grandfather's
knee, she dubbed her sister 'Aurelia' after the 'Aurelius' in the story. Naturally, the name being Latin, it had a
meaning of its own, too, so that the two ended up receiving permanent nicknames
from one another, though without realization that the names actually had
meanings of their own. "
" Actually, I didn't, " Aurelia conceded. " You did. "
" Enough, " Keelan
said quietly, a sad smile appearing on her face as she brushed the soft,
dark-brown bangs off her sister's forehead.
" However, their
happiness was not to last. The two
kingdoms, to which they belonged, were constantly under siege by armies that
were so powerful and high in number that they were thought to come from the
pits of hell itself.
" Now, the parents of
both the prince and princess fought constantly against these armies, but were
firmly against their children having any part in the fight. Nevertheless, there came a time when the
parents of the princess began to grow older, and she was needed. Naturally, her husband came to help her, and
his parents offered their aid as
well. It was accepted, and for a while
things were well. The couple continued
to raise their children, although they certainly came home more tired at night
than usual. "
" But... " Aurelia
prompted, despite the reluctant look on her face.
" But things don't go
well forever, " Keelan continued, her eyes filling with tears. Aurelia clung to her older sister and did
not back away when Keelan's grip tightened, and she buried her face in
Aurelia's hair as the tears began to fall.
Aurelia waited for a short
time, and then pulled back and stared at her sister.
" What happened? "
Taking a deep breath, Keelan
said, " They were ambushed. The
adversaries were angry that the prince and princess were winning against them,
and decided that if they killed them, then there would be no one left to oppose
them. But, they were wrong. By killing
the prince and princess, they sealed their own fate. The kingdoms were safe and barred from further attacks without
for several more millennia, while the enemies were sent back to he-the place
from whence they came. "
" And the kingdoms were
safe once more? "
" Uh-huh. "
" But...the prince and
princess were gone. "
" Aye, though their
daughters were, are, still very much alive. "
" It's a very sad fairy
tale, " Aurelia said softly, her eyes heavy with melancholy.
" Perhaps, "
Keelan agreed. " But it's up to
those who hear the tale to make a happy ending. "
Aurelia remained silent
after that, a thoughtful expression on her face.
Then, both felt the brief
vibration in the air as the doorway opened.
" Keelan! Aurelia! "
Keelan grinned as Aurelia
scrambled out of her lap, yelling, " You're back! "
The couple by the doorway
smiled at each other as the sound of feet pounding down the stairs grew louder.
" Gran! " Aurelia
yelled, as she ran into the open arms of a petite blonde, whose hair was just
beginning to show a hint of silver.
Buffy smiled, and gently
ruffled her granddaughter's hair, while watching as her other grandchild's tall
form materialized at the top of the stairs.
" I told you we should
have leveled the house so it was all one-floor, " Keelan said, pretending
to grumble. She squeaked as a pair of
sinewy arms, despite their age, lifted her around the waist.
" Grandfather! This is really undignified! "
" Oh, I think you can
spare a little of your pride for moments like this, " the still-deep, male
voice teased. He did, however, let her
down with a kiss on the top of her head, afterwards brushing his hands through
his dark-brown hair, now heavily accented with streaks of gray while Keelan
smoothed back the hair that so reminded her grandfather of his wife. Suddenly, a spark of mischief entered her
bright, blue eyes.
" Well, since you and
Gran are home, " she declared, " I suppose that means I'm free for my
date with Seth. "
" Date? What date?
Why am I not informed of matters such as these? " Angel demanded,
feigning outrage as he looked at his wife and granddaughters, all of whom were
grinning.
" Because you'd throw a
fit and place a glitch in the security system on purpose so my key-card
wouldn't work when I wanted to go out, " Keelan retorted, referring to a
scene two weeks earlier.
Angel looked rather
sheepish, but quickly regained his sense of humor when Aurelia piped up, "
Wait, was that when I accidentally hit a hammer against the control pad? "
At the look on her sibling's
face, Aurelia yelped, and crouched behind Buffy, who pulled her into a
headlock, although one that would certainly not have stopped even the weakest
of vampires that she had fought against in her day. But then, the victim was not precisely a demon, although
according to other views, she certainly could be at times if she did not get
her way.
Meanwhile, after a short
argument, which Keelan won, Angel consented, saying, " All right, all
right. At the rate that this is going
at, I'll be glad to let someone younger and spryer handle you. "
He silenced her protests by
holding up the key-card, which he had casually swiped out of her back pocket.
" Your conniving would
wear out the patience of a saint, " Keelan muttered, snatching it out of
his hand. However, she threw a smile
back over her shoulder to indicate she was only joking.
Knowing this, Angel called
out, " Yes, your grandmother was quite the example of purity before I came
along. Ow! " He threw a shocked look at the subject of
his words, while trying not to rub the spot where she had pinched his
posterior.
Buffy met his look levelly,
and said calmly, " You deserved it. " She backed away slightly at the sly turn his eyes took on.
" Remember, VIP. "
" What's that mean?
" Aurelia asked, frowning.
" It means 'Viewer in
Presence', " Angel explained.
" Oh...hey! "
" What, did you expect
us to turn you into a voyeur? " Buffy asked indignantly.
Aurelia's eyes widened.
" You know what a voyeur is? "
Angel could not help but
chuckle as the indignant look on his mate's face grew even more so.
" You're not supposed to know what 'voyeur' means, " Buffy
exclaimed. " And for your
information, we are not that old,
kiddo. "
Aurelia just gave her a
look, and smiled slightly as her grandmother's face reddened as she realized
what she had said.
Angel laughed, no, roared
with laughter this time, and when he managed to stop, gasped, " You really
put your foot in it this time, dear heart! "
" Oh, you should be
talking, " said Buffy, right before they reaffirmed their everlasting love
with a warm kiss.
" Yuck, " Aurelia
muttered, wrinkling her nose. Her
grandparents glared at her affectionately but then their faces softened, as
they watched her stare at the picture hung over the fireplace, as she did every
night.
The picture was actually a
painting surrounded by an elaborately carved ebony frame and it was a portrait
of two people. One was a tall man with
warm, brown eyes, and tawny, shoulder-length hair, wearing a white T-shirt and
black jeans. His arms were around a
woman with sparkling, blue eyes and long, dark hair. She was only slightly shorter than he was, at least in the
painting, and they both looked like they had just been in the middle of
laughing at something when they caught each other's eyes. The painter had captured the moment perfectly,
even though it was not a full-length portrait; it only went from the torsos
up. Every detail, down to the shape of
every tooth and the curve of an ear, was perfect. If you looked close, though, you could see that they seemed
strangely quite young for love.
There was a small bronze
plaque at the bottom of the frame, which was lovingly polished every other
week. It read, " Eoin Summers
Tierney and Mathilda Chase Doyle, 2024. "
Aurelia swallowed and then
said, " I wonder what they would say about Keelan going out with Seth.
" She turned around to face her
grandparents and tried to smile.
Buffy and Angel's own eyes
filled with tears, as they moved as one to embrace their granddaughter.
" I know one thing is
for sure, " Buffy whispered, as Aurelia pulled away.
" What's that? "
Keelan asked innocently.
As attuned to Buffy's mind
as ever, Angel answered, " They would be just as proud of both of you as
we are. "
Aurelia did smile this time,
and at that moment, she was the exact image of her grandfather in the days when
he was alone in L.A., the same quietly tragic smile, the only slightly crooked
stance, and the air of one who is older than they look.
" I think I'll go to
bed now, " she said hesitantly, interrupting her grandparents' reverie.
" We'll be up to tuck
you in, " Buffy said as Aurelia passed by her on her way to the stairs.
" Unless you consider
yourself too sophisticated for that, " Angel gently teased. Aurelia shook her head at him and smiled at
both and then headed up the stairs.
As Angel watched his
granddaughter, he heard a stifled sound from beside him. Swiftly turning, he saw his wife staring at
the portrait in a similar fashion to the way Aurelia had been staring earlier.
" They both would have
been thirty-six today, " Buffy whispered, her voice husky with unshed
tears.
Angel held her as both were
washed away by the memories of the past.
" Think of it this way,
" he said softly. " Now
they're both at peace, their children are growing up wonderfully, and... "
" I know that! "
Buffy exclaimed almost angrily. "
But when I think of all they missed out on, it just... " She was stopped short as she began to sob.
" Doesn't seem fair,
" concluded Angel for her, wiping away the tears from her eyes with loving
care. " I agree. Although I doubt Eoin would have reacted as
leniently as we did today. "
Buffy hiccupped and then
smiled.
" No, he wouldn't
have. He always was overprotective,
even over you. He inherited that from
you, you know. "
" Now, just a second-
" Angel began in an injured tone.
He stopped as the woman he loved began to laugh.
He began to laugh as well
and finally they had to sit down at the foot of the well-worn staircase.
" Are we morbid? "
Buffy asked him, smiling.
" Probably, " he
answered with a full grin of his own.
" Still, that actually makes me wonder what Xander would have said
if he knew that his grandchild was dating ours. "
" He would probably
make a crack about how if he couldn't have me, at least his progeny would have
something of me, " Buffy said with a sad smile for her former friend.
" And Willow and Tara
would laugh- "
" And Oz would smile-
"
" And then Anya would
smack him on his head! "
" Oh, definitely.
" They smiled at each other and
then sighed practically at the same time.
" We should go there
tomorrow actually, " Angel suggested.
" You mean the
cemetary? In broad daylight, for once?
" Buffy teased, then sobered.
" I think we should take Keelan and Aurelia as well. They might like to hear about them... "
Angel nodded.
" I can just imagine
Cordelia arguing with Doyle about getting allergies post mortem after being
buried near the cherry tree. "
" And Faith would act
all pissed about having a tombstone carved out of pink granite even if it did come all the way from Egypt. "
" And Spike would keep
egging her on until she finally got tired of it and clobbered him. "
They were quiet for a
moment, and then Buffy asked in a low tone, " Do you think they're happy,
Angel? Wherever they are? "
He was quiet for a time and
then said, " To be honest, I really don't know. I hope and believe they are, but I can't be certain. But if anyone deserves to be happy, it's
them. "
Another pause, and then
Buffy asked, " Are-are you happy, Angel? "
" Of course, " he
said, his sincerity clear and warm.
" Why wouldn't I be? "
" You're never angry at
the fact that we will and have outlived those we love? "
" Well, yes. But there are two things that make it worth
staying. "
" What's that? "
" Well, the fact that
there are still things needed to be done, still people that need protecting
even though the danger of the Hellmouth is long gone. And...there's you.
" As long as you are
alive, I know there's something worth living for. Even if you didn't love me, even if you hated me with every atom
of your body. It's an amazing thing for
me to wake up every morning and to know that you are here with me, returning my
love despite everything... "
She held a finger to his
lips.
" Don't ever dwell on
those times. It's over now and we have
each other and Keelan and Aurelia and everyone else. "
Angel nodded and turned to
face her. They stared at each other,
poring over every line, every tiny mark of time, remembering what had gone on
between them and wondering about what was yet to come. All with the knowledge that as long as they
were together, they could weather the storm and bear any hardships that life
would continue to throw at them.
" We had better go
upstairs now before Aurelia starts worrying, " Angel said so lowly that it
was barely even a whisper.
" Right, " Buffy
breathed just before their lips met, reaffirming the passion that had lasted
for more than half a century and that would continue to sustain them through
the next half.
Outside, the wind blew
softly and birds' chatter was silenced for the night. Without the house, an owl hooted, and cars wove their way through
the streets and people laughed and danced and wept and sighed. Life went on in its weary, exulting way but
inside, within that house, time froze to frame a moment that would remain a
marker in history even if no one knew it except for the two in it.
And that which held the fate
of mankind, that which rules the universe and all things and was the simple
balance of good and evil, that which had set in motion this strange, wondrous
and breathtaking love and would be there to see its end, smiled down on the
couple and contemplated the things already, were being, and had yet to be
accomplished by them.
