Chapter 2

The next morning, Buffy was startled awake by a loud thumping noise. She opened her eyes to see a young boy standing next to her bed, staring at her. He had dark, wavy hair, and green eyes. When he spoke, it was with a Scottish accent. "Aunt Dawn said I could wake ya!"

Buffy glared at the six year old kid. "Did she now?"

"Oh yeah. She said you 'ave been sleepin' in long enough."

"Did she say anything else?" He shook his head. "She didn't warn you of the danger?" His eyes grew wide, but still shook his head. "The danger of the... tickle monster!" She grabbed the boy and dragged him onto the bed. He squealed as she tickled his ribs.

A moment later, a dark skinned woman with long black hair and green eyes stood in the doorway. "There ya are, Alex. What are ya doin' bothering Aunt Buffy?"

"Aunt Dawn told me to. And she's the bride so we do what she says."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Did she tell you that?" He nodded his head. She looked to the woman shaking her head. "Slayer to Slayer, can we stake her, Portia?"

She laughed. "Willow said no." Buffy raised her brows and Portia shrugged. "I already asked."

Buffy gently squeezed Alex. "I missed you, kiddo. You've grown, like, six inches since I have seen you last."

"Ya should see me more."

Buffy laughed. "Yes. Yes I should." She looked up. "You doing alright, Portia?"

She shrugged. "We get by."

"You know, if you need anything, Dawn is about to marry rich."

Portia laughed. "I'll keep that in mind. Come on, Alex. Let Aunt Buffy get up for breakfast. We will see her downstairs shortly." Alex climbed off the bed and went out the door. Portia winked as she closed the door behind her.

As she was headed down the stairs, she was greeted by the sweet and savory smell of assorted breakfast foods. Her stomach growled at the sight of the buffet in the dining room. In there sat Dawn, Willow, Portia, Alex, Nessa, and two kids Buffy didn't recognize. She ignored them all and went straight for the coffee. She set down her mug and nodded. "You may converse with me now."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Must you be so dramatic?"

"Ha! That's funny coming from you."

"Guys," Willow interjected. "It's still pretty early in the day. Can we save the sisterly bickering until at least lunch?"

"Ethan and I almost never bicker. Do we Ethan?" asked the way too energetic girl that Buffy did not recognize. The boy she was talking to just groaned and picked at his food, not looking up. "We are pretty close, only being two years apart. My other siblings are much farther apart. Except for Dylan and Cole. They are only three minutes apart. Can't get much closer than that."

Buffy just stared at the girl. She spoke a mile a minute. "You must be Grace."

"Uh huh!" she said with a big smile. "And you're Buffy!"

"Only after my second cup of coffee."

Grace laughed. "You're funny. This is my big brother, Ethan." Ethan waved without looking up still. "He's not a big talker. Dad says I talk enough for the both of us. I don't really understand that, but okay! If you say so!" She laughed again.

Buffy turned pleading eyes to Dawn. She gave a sympathetic smiled and nudged Buffy's coffee mug towards her. "Drink up. You'll need it."

Grace spent the rest of the meal talking and still managed to eat two plates of food. What she talked about, Buffy couldn't tell you. She hadn't been listening. In all honesty, she had been thinking about Giles and what it would be like when they saw one another. Would they smile and embrace as if nothing had happened? Would he apologize for the things he had said? Would she? Would they even talk at all? Of all those scenarios, that was the one that worried her the most. She didn't want to ignore Giles. She actually kind of missed him. Okay, she missed him a lot. She had for quite some time. After the funeral, they had not parted on good terms. Both had said things in anger that was meant to hurt the other. At first they didn't talk out of anger. As the anger and hurt faded, neither wanted to be the first to apologize. As time went on, it just got harder and harder to pick up the phone. She wanted to forgive him for the accusations he made, but she felt he should actually want forgiveness first.

As the kitchen staff started to clear away the food, the gang rose from their table. Dawn suggested a quick tour of the grounds. Outside were three golf carts. Dawn, Grace, and Ethan got into the first one. Portia and Alex went into the second one with Willow and Buffy in the third.

They first followed the stone path through the garden leading up to the house. From there they took the path behind the house up over the hill. There was a tiny pond with a fountain in the middle. Approximately two football fields out, there was a wooden fence separating the field. Dawn opened the gate, letting the others through, then closing it behind them. Inside was a long, narrow building.

"These are the stables," Dawn said, parking her cart outside the door. "There are seven horses on the property. All pretty tame, except one. Winchester. He was a rescued wild horse. Not the friendliest guy."

"Can we go riding?" Grace asked.

"Not today. But there should be time later in the week."

After the stables, Dawn took them to the very back of the property. Here they were setting up tables and big, white tents. Dawn explained that this is where the welcome dinner would be held tonight and the wedding reception on Saturday. The wedding itself would take place in the middle of the garden.

It was near lunch time when Buffy flopped down on her bed at the inn. Dawn had gone back up to the house to change and grab the picnic lunch the cook was putting together for them. Buffy grabbed her phone and dialed to call Tony. The time difference still had him in waking hours, but he didn't answer. She figured he must be out training his Slayers. With there now being more Slayers than there are current Watchers, some had to double, triple, and even quadruple the number per Watcher. She just hoped they were all okay.

Willow entered and flopped down next to Buffy. "Whatcha doin'?"

Buffy turned onto her back. "Tried to call Tony, but he didn't answer. Hope everyone is okay."

"Oh, I'm sure he is fine. He has three young ladies to keep him company." Buffy looked sharply at Willow who suddenly widened her eyes. "I didn't mean it the way it sounded."

Buffy smiled and curled into Willow's side, holding her arm. "I've missed you, Will."

"I've missed you, too, Buffy." She placed her other hand on top of one of Buffy's. "You should move to Devon."

Buffy smiled and looked at her friend. "You should move to Rome."

"Well, shucks. Looks like we are at a stalemate again." Both girls giggled. It was a conversation they had often.

Suddenly a third voice spoke from the open door. "I leave you alone for two days and you are already in bed with another woman."

"Mandy!" Willow jumped from the bed and into the arms of her wife. They kissed passionately until Buffy cleared her throat. Willow blushed. "Sorry."

Buffy was sitting up on the bed. "No worries." She held her arms out and Mandy tackled her. "Do I get passionate kisses, too?" Buffy laughed.

Mandy wiggled her brows. "Hey!" Willow said. "Those kisses are for me only." She snuggled onto the bed next to her wife.

Buffy sighed. "Am I going to need a new room?"

A bundle of energy ran into the room and pounced on Buffy with an oomph. "Snuggle party!" Alex shouted. The girls all giggled. "Mum says it's lunch time."

"Fooooood," Mandy groaned and stood from the bed. Willow and Buffy, who was carrying Alex, followed her down the stairs. In the lobby they saw Mandy and Dawn hugging.

"I'm so glad you are here. And just in time for a picnic!"

"Good, I'm starving." Mandy pulled back from Dawn and went to Portia, enveloping her in a tight embrace as well. "I'm glad you decided to come," she quietly said to the woman.

Portia chuckled. "Like Dawn would give me a choice. She did make Alex ring bearer, after all."

The group decided to forego the carts and walk through the gardens to the picnic area. The table had already been set up with food and drinks. "Wow," Buffy said. "You really go all out for your picnics."

"It's not anything fancy, really," Dawn said as she sat at the picnic table. "Just some sandwiches, pasta salad, wine. Little things." The rest of the group plated up and all sat down together.

"How was Amara when you dropped her off this morning?" Willow asked Mandy.

"She cried. It broke my heart. But you know when we pick her up in two weeks that she won't want to leave."

"I feel weird. And guilty. Our little girl on the other side of an ocean. Alone."

Mandy laid her head on Willow's shoulder. "She's hardly alone, love. She is with 150 other kids and about 25 other adults. Besides I got permission from the Coven to teleport back in an emergency."

Willow looked into Mandy's eyes. "Really?"

Mandy kissed her. "Of course! She's alone on the other side of an ocean for goodness sake!" Willow smiled and kissed her wife once again.

"So, Dawn," Portia started, "where is your lovely Jacob?"

"Oh, well, his cousin got in about an hour before Amanda. So after he dropped her off, he took them out to lunch. He will be back to get ready for the dinner." Dawn sipped her wine. "Just about everyone is finally here."

"Who are we waiting on?" Mandy asked.

"Andrew and Giles. They didn't leave until the last possible minute. Though some are waiting even longer." She looked to Buffy who just shrugged. "Anyway, their flight was delayed three hours, so now they won't be here until after the dinner has started. We have a car picking them up."

"You're just sending a car for Giles?" Buffy asked. "You aren't even going to meet him there?"

Dawn huffed. "Well, I can't exactly miss my own party, can I, Buffy?"

"Isn't the point of the welcome dinner to, oh, I don't know, welcome people?"

"I can't help that they waited until so late. They know what the weather is like in England. They should have planned better."

"Are you seriously blaming them for a weather delay?!"

Willow leaned over to Portia. "At least they waited until lunch for the bickering to start again," she muttered.

After lunch, and the five minute bickering session that somehow ended with accusations of clothes stealing 10 years ago, the group started packing up the leftovers. "Just leave the baskets here. Jared will come by to gather them shortly."

"It's really not a problem to carry them back," Buffy offered.

"It's his job. It's what he is paid to do."

Buffy opened her mouth to argue, but Portia placed a hand over her shoulder and shook her head. Buffy sighed and placed a fake smile on her face. "Yes, Dawn. Whatever you say, Dawn."

Her little sister smiled. "Better." Portia's Slayer strength was the only thing that stopped Buffy from launching herself at her sister.

Dawn headed out to the property edge to supervise the set up for later that night. Mandy and Willow decided to take a romantic stroll through the gardens. Buffy went with Portia back to the inn to put a yawning Alex down for a nap.

Buffy was sitting o the porch swing enjoying the cool breeze that cut through the early summer heat. She closed her eyes and let it wash over her senses. There was the sting of the heat, the sound of the breeze, the smell of freshly cut grass, the gentle sway of the swing. The squeaking of the screen door caused Buffy to open her eyes. She smiled as Portia came and sat down next to her. She laid her head on Buffy's shoulder. Buffy held the other girl's hand. For a few moment, they just sat in silence, enjoying the company. It had been almost a year since she had last seen Portia and her son in person. Sure, they called and wrote, but it wasn't the same.

"Do you miss him?" Buffy asked.

"Everyday," Portia whispered.

Buffy turned her head. "Me, too," she said into her hair before kissing the top of her head. She rested her cheek on her. "Me, too."