(This is obviously the final chapter. Why else would it be marked epilogue? To the people who took time to read this I say thank you to everyone. Your comments, at least the ones with legitimate thought in to them were always respected. I was a little torn with this final piece you are about to read. In my head I kept thinking this scene was a little too hallmark made for TV movie a little cheesy but in the end I much like many of you are a sucker for a good sappy happy ending. So a full on warning to anyone with diabetic tendencies this might be a little too sweet and read with caution. Again thanks to all of you for reading and hope you'll enjoy my next story what ever that may be.)

2 Years Later Christmas Eve

"Knock Knock and Merry Christmas." Dawn invited herself in to the house as her children ran in to the house looking for Buffy. They ran in to the living room to find Buffy placing presents under the tree. Buffy turned opening her arms to them for a hug. The kids charged her practically knocking her down. She laughed a little getting her balance.

"Oh wow you guys are a lot stronger then I remember." Eric came in to the front door an armload of presents. Buffy pointed to the tree that was already bursting at the seams with presents.

"You can put them under the tree if you can find room."

Eric laughed shaking his head "This is only the first load. There are more in the van."

Carter and Little B chimed in simultaneously their eyes twinkling. "Merry Christmas Aunt Buffy."

"Merry Christmas to both of you. If your mom says it's okay you can have some cookies. They are in the dining room on the buffet."

Dawn looked at the kids. "What the heck it is Christmas. Have at it." The kids took off running. Dawn looked around "So where is Xander?"

"He should be at the airport picking up Faith and Willow."

"I think you are insane having everyone here."

"We will make it work we always do."

"So what are the sleeping arrangements?"

"You and Eric can have your old room. The kids sleep in Xander's old room. We set up an extra bed in the guest room so Faith and Willow are crashing there."

"So no vampires staying?"

"Angel is going to stop by sometime tomorrow. Him and his wife kind of want to do there own Christmas tonight. Can't blame them." Eric came in with yet another arm load of presents placing them under the tree. "And I talked to Spike but he said he didn't know if he'd be able to make it."

"Xander was okay with him here?"

"It was his idea."

"Really?"

"Cross my heart" Just then the back door flew open as Faith came in.

"Merry Christmas and ho ho ho point me to the egg nog and there better be lots of rum in it."

Willow followed Faith in "Or Happy Chanukah for some of us." Buffy and Dawn went over trading hugs. Xander had his arms filled carrying presents in for Willow and Faith.

Half way through the living room Xander greeted Eric who was carrying the luggage in for his children and wife.

Xander smiled and shook his head. "You know this wasn't in the brochure"

Eric just shook his head. "Get used to it."

Dawn just smiled at her husband. "You know all that talking isn't going to get the bags in here any sooner sweetie."

"Of course honey."

Buffy looked at Xander "And of course you want to be a good host darling. So make sure you grab all of there things."

Xander smiled at her. "Yeah yeah I'll bring it all in." With that he walked out the door and Dawn looked at Faith.

"Where is Andrew?"

"We invited him to come but to be honest he wanted to stay back. He put together something for the slayer girls who couldn't get home for Christmas. Besides I needed someone to stay behind and take care of the Council."

Buffy looked a little shocked. "And you think Andrew is capable."

"What's the worst he can do? We come back and find the slayers dressed in Star Trek uniforms?"

Willow smiled and laughed "Or Star Wars."

Dawn tilted her nose to the kitchen. "Something smells really good."

Buffy nodded. "That would be Supper. We should be able to eat in an hour."

Faith looked at Buffy. "You have two ex slayers a witch and two men not to mention the teacher and her kids so I hope you got enough."

Buffy laughed and smiled. "Well I think we can feed a small army."

The back door opened again with Xander carrying Willow's bag's in. Eric walked behind him carrying Faith's bags in. After bringing all of his families in he decided to help Xander.

Faith smiled watching them work taking the bags to their room only to turn around to get the next load. Faith looked at Buffy and Dawn. "Damn you two have them trained well. Kind of makes me want to find one and have you guys house break him."

Dawn laughed and looked at her. "So what is the romantic situation?"

Faith looked frustrated. "Puhlease I work with all girls and the Watchers are all afraid of me."

Willow piped up. "Yeah but you like a guy who is scared of you."

Dawn smiled but heard her children and knew she wanted to get settled. "Buffy I think I'm going to unpack and get things ready."

Faith nodded in agreement. "You said dinner is an hour?"

Buffy nodded. "The stuffing will be stuffed and the turkey turked." Xander and Eric walked in the back door one last time with an arm load of presents Faith and Willow brought. They arranged them under the tree and took a sigh of relief.

Xander looked at Eric. "After that I think we have earned a beer."

"Sounds good to me." Dawn looked at Eric and smiled appreciatively.

"Thank you Honey. Take a few minutes and relax then come get changed before dinner."

Buffy walked to Xander and gave him a kiss of appreciation. "You too honey. You are my ever lasting white knight."

Xander took the kiss and the compliment. "No problem honey." With that he made a b line to the kitchen grabbing two cans of Coors light out of the fridge. Eric looked around the kitchen.

"The remodel looks nice." Xander walked out on to the back deck of the house. The fresh fallen snow had given everything a clean white look. Eric followed him and cracked open his beer and took a drink. "Speaking of the remodel how is work going?"

"Oh it's great mostly."

"Mostly?"

"Buffy is always trying to talk the customers in to expensive marble tile or these appliances that cost a small fortune."

"Does it work?"

"Oh she is good. But it's just nerve-racking working with materials that are so expensive. You have to be careful with everything."

"You guys are turning a profit though right?"

"Yeah we are doing okay. To be fair Buffy does have an eye for design. She's pretty good at this."

"She does the decorating and you do the building. Most guys wouldn't be able to work with their wife."

"We have rules. When we work it is all about work and I can't hold work Buffy responsible and blame wife Buffy. It works both ways. When I am at work I am her partner in business but once we are done with work the husband hat comes back on."

"You guys do good work. You are a good team."

"I'm sure you will agree when I saying marrying a Summers girl is the smartest and craziest thing you could ever do."

"They are unique girls. Speaking of which how is year one of marriage."

Xander took a cold sip off of his beer. "In a lot of ways it's a lot like it was before we were married. I mean we still have movie nights and order pizzas. Lord knows we still fight. We are still best friends but the added perks of a relationship and marriage have been nice. Sleeping with your best friend is nice. Not to mention the whole sex thing. Man I forgot how good sex can be."

Eric laughed and took another drink. "So shoveling and house work carrying in the occasional luggage make it worth it."

"Oh totally worth it."

Eric took one last pull from his beer can then tossed the empty can in the recycling bin. "Well I should go get changed before supper."

Xander finished his and nodded in agreement. "Yeah I'm sure Buffy will say the same to me."

With that the two men headed off. The children were in the front room watching a Christmas movie Buffy had put on for them. Xander stepped in the bedroom ready to change. The room had changed a lot over the years. Where once a cold hospital bed and ventilator sat now was a handmade oak sleigh bed. The room had been a source of some of Xander greatest pains but now it was where he held his wife.

Buffy was pulling a red dress on as he walked in. She smiled at him. "Hey honey the food is ready. So don't be too long getting ready."

He smiled at her "Please I am not the one who takes an hour. I can look amazing in 5 minutes or less. I'm like the Domino's Pizza of good looking guys."

She let got of a deep breath and smiled. "I'm just glad to have everyone here."

"Family should be together for the holidays." She gave her husband a quick kiss and headed to the door.

"Merry Christmas Honey. I'll see you downstairs."

Buffy came down the steps to find Dawn in the kitchen pulling the turkey out of the oven. Buffy looked at her sister. "You know you don't have to do this. I mean you are a guest after all."

Dawn shrugged and grabbed the baster coating the turkey. "It's okay. I don't mind." Buffy went to the massive fridge and took out two bottles of wine and a bottle of sparkling cider. "Well what do you say we get the food out on the table."

Faith and Willow skipped down the steps joining the girls in the kitchen. They helped set the table. Eric carried the kids in under each arm. They squealed as he tickled their sides.

He set them at their spots at the table as Xander came down adjusting his collar on the purple button up shirt he was wearing. Xander took his spot at the head of the table with Buffy to the direct right.

Xander cleared his throat and spoke. "If I can have just a quick minute before we eat. First thing I want to say is what it means to me to have all of you here. If I have learned anything in life family doesn't have thing one to do with blood. Family is the people who love you. They are the people you'd march to hell and back for. All of you here are my family. I couldn't ask for any greater gift this holiday season then all of you here."

Buffy stood up and took Xander's hand. "Xander is right. Family comes above all else. This is my first Christmas as a married woman. If you had told me a long time ago that this would be my life I couldn't have ever imagined it. Today though I can't imagine my life any other way. " She intertwined her fingers in Xander's. "Having you here to share all of this means more to me then words can express."

Xander lifted his glass of wine to toast everyone. "Our road has been long and not always the smoothest ride but none the less we got here all the same. So I toast all of you and say to family."

Buffy quickly put her hands up "Wait please one more second." She smiled a little nervous and uneasy. "As lovely as that sentiment was I have one last thing I want to do. Then you can drink away."

Xander looked a little confused not sure what was on Buffy's mind. Buffy just smiled and stepped away pacing a little. "So Xander said that having you all here is the best present he could have and I think he's right. That is an amazing present but I'm hoping I can prove him wrong this one time."

Xander chuckled a little confused. "What are you talking about?"

"I am probably setting a bad example for the children by doing this but I have one gift I was hoping you would open right now." Buffy reached in to the end table opening the drawer and pulling out a small box wrapped in a delicate green and red bow.

Xander played along not sure what was coming but he took the present from her. "Well from the size of it I can see it's not the new PlayStation." His fingers untied the bow on the box and he pulled off the lid to find a piece of tissue paper wrapped around a silver picture frame. Buffy stood behind Xander waiting for him to discover.

As he pulled the tissue paper off he turned the frame over and looked at the picture that was inside the frame. The picture it self was a confusing mess of black with shades of white and blurs. He smiled at Buffy faking enthusiasm. "Wow Buffy this is great. It's very uhm."

Buffy laughed and shook her head "You have no idea what you are looking at."

"Not a clue."

"I went in to Doctor Whedon on Monday. I was going to get my flu shot and ask about some of the flu symptoms I've been having. I was just doing normal check up stuff. They ran my blood." She took the silver frame from Xander and pointed to it. "The blood work confirmed what the doctor suspected and this is an ultrasound of the next member of the Harris family."

Xander looked at her for a second his eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his head but then a smile started to spread across his face. "You are serious?"

"100 percent."

The shout for joy could be heard 6 houses down as everyone at cheered and applauded. Xander grabbed his wife kissing her and hugging her. He picked her up spinning her around. "Best Christmas Ever."

Carter looked on confused still not getting it. "What is an ultra sound?"

Before Dawn could answer Little B piped up to answer her brothers question. "It's something the doctor uses when he thinks that a lady is going to have a baby and it helps you to see the baby."

Dawn looked at him. "You are going to have a cousin."

Carter smiled happily at Buffy and Xander. "I hope it's a boy."

Willow smiled at her friends seeing how happy they truly were. "So do they have a due date?"

Buffy nodded looking to Willow. "September."

Xander took on a serious look. "Wow September. That isn't long away. We have so much to do. Baby furniture and baby clothes and toys. It all happens so fast."

Buffy looked to her sister. "Sorry to say it Dawn but your old room is now going to be converted to a nursery."

Dawn shook her head not minding. "It is a sacrifice I am more then happy to make."

Faith looked at Buffy. "Well pregnant women got to eat so I say we grub."

Xander looked around the table. "Wait one last thing. I want to finish my toast." Everyone raised their glass. It was an emotional day and even Xander was having a hard time keeping it together. "I toast to Family, those who came far, those who we have lost but still remember today, to those who couldn't be here and to those yet to come. " With that he put his hand on Buffy's stomach and smiled.

All of them raised their glasses in agreement "To Family."

Buffy drank her sparkling grape juice and placed the glass down. "Faith is right. I am hungry so lets eat."

As the pans and plates of food started getting passed around the table Buffy looked at Xander and smiled. "So you really are happy?"

He smiled and took her hand. "I am feeling a million things right now. I am excited and I am nervous. On top of all of that though is happiness. I love you so much right now."

"Merry Christmas Xander."

"Merry Christmas Buffy."

Later that night after all the food was put away and the presents unwrapped Dawn and Eric were just putting the children down for sleep. Faith and Willow were starting a fire in the fireplace. Xander gathered some blankets and Buffy laid across his lap. She was a little worn out. Xander just stroked Buffy's hair as her head lay in her lap.

Soft Christmas music could be heard playing in the background. Eric was the first down the steps.

"The children are asleep so it's time to play Santa."

Dawn followed shortly after with presents of her own. With the fire strong and going on it's own Faith and Willow stood up ready to help.

Faith took a few of the presents helping Eric. "So anything I can do to help?"

Eric nodded. "Well I want to get this train set up. Carter loves trains and when he wakes up in the morning he is going to flip."

Faith nodded "I'm sure we can figure it out."

Dawn looked to Willow "And I'm pretty sure this dollhouse is going to require a structural engineer to put it together."

Willow laughed but took the box. "Well let's get it done."

Xander whispered quiet to them not wanting to disturb his wife who looked so comfortable on the couch. "Anything I can do to help."

Dawn shook her head. "You two have done plenty relax."

Xander nodded and Buffy was slowly drifting off. She yawned and opened her eyes.

"Xander"

"Yeah hon?"

"Tomorrow morning wake me up when the kids get up." She wanted to see the expression of the children with all of the gifts Santa had left.

"Promise I will."

With that she closed her eyes and whispered one last thing. It had become a bedtime tradition. "Wait for me till I wake up."

He smiled and continued stroking her hair. "Always and forever."