The penultimate chapter… omg!!

Enjoy!

Chapter 37

(Ten Months later)

"Come on Solana, come on sweetie, that's it, come to mummy!"

Connor smiled as he let Solana's hands go and the baby began to totter her way across the lobby floor to her mother. Her little hands were reaching out and her face was alight with love and joy as Calista held her arms out to her, and called to her.

Calista's face was alight with love and joy as well as she called again to Solana. Over the past months Calista's sessions with Tayen had been reduced to one every two weeks and she seemed so content now that Connor rarely saw a frown on her face. There were of course days when she was in a bad mood, but time with their children chased that gloom away now.

Connor had stopped seeing Tayen altogether, and found himself feeling more content than he could ever remember being. He now worked with Buffy, Faith, Spike, and occasionally, his dad, training the Slayers.

Wesley and Giles had managed to access the Watcher's council's accounts, each of which contained a significant amount of money. With it they'd bought a huge mansion just outside L.A. from the Nadidah Demon Clan, a Demon-Human Clan on the side of good. Xander had been put in charge of turning the mansion into a school, which he'd done with efficiency and style, with his lover Anya managing the budget and securing him the best deals around. They were a powerful team.

The Slayer School was big enough to house over a thousand students, with classrooms, training areas, even science labs. Willow served as both witch and science teacher now, along with Fred who was known as the Sweetie-Pie Scientist. The Slayers not only learned how to fight, but they fulfilled their education and then decided whether they would go to collage or not. But by that time, they would be well trained.

Connor was one of the fighting instructors, and he had a reputation for being a hard ass. He took his job very seriously, and even Faith admitted that Connor's Slayers were probably the best trained.

Dawn and Andrew were being trained in being Watchers, something both took pride in. Giles and Wesley gave them their formal training, along with other new Watchers.

Robin Wood had been elected the Principal of the School, he handled the same stuff he'd handled in Sunnydale, monitoring behaviour, handling parents, all the muggle stuff as Dawn called it. Most times if a student needed to be punished, he'd handle it, but for the real tough nuts, he'd call in Faith for back up.

Connor couldn't quite understand the relationship between those two, because it was more than sex, but Faith was very hard to read. Connor had kept his nose out of it for the most part.

Angel and Cordelia had resumed Angel Investigations, with Gunn helping out just like he used to, but also working with the Slayers, giving them talks about what it was really like out there. Connor wasn't sure his title of 'Motivational Speaker' was entirely appropriate.

Spike had made it very clear a long time ago that he'd only stayed around for Calista, and that he would leave once he was sure she was better. By all rights, he should have left a month ago, but something kept him here. Perhaps it was to do with all the private chats he'd been having with Cordy. Maybe it was because he was still needed to help out with the Slayers –more arrived everyday. Perhaps he just couldn't bring himself to leave the people he cared about, namely Dawn, Buffy, Anya, Calista, Cordy and the twins.

Whatever the reason, he'd stuck around and didn't seem to be planning on leaving any time soon. Connor was glad of it. Partially because he would look out for Calista and the babies, and partially because there was nothing better to come home to after a trying day with a bunch of stuck up brats –as some of the Slayers were- than one of the random arguments between Spike and Angel. Connor's personal favourite had to be the 'Cavemen V Astronaut' one.

"Come on Solana, one more step! That's my girl! Oh come here!" Solana had made it to her mother's arms and Calista was now spinning around on the spot, cooing to her daughter and kissing her cheek. Solana laughed and her hand patted Calista's cheek. Calista laughed even more, throwing her head back, her whole being overflowing with happiness. In the autumn sunshine, she positively glowed.

"See how pretty your mummy is son?" Connor whispered to Liam. Liam babbled and smiled up at Connor. "You know you should be proud of mummy. She's come a very long way."

"So have you Connor. So have you." Calista smiled at him and sat down beside him, resting Solana on her lap. Calista looked out at the garden, "The flowers look good, don't they?"

"Yeah. I like the Daffodils." Connor smiled as Calista chuckled. Leaning a little closer he inhaled Calista's scent. She smelled like daffodils now, because of all the time she'd spent in the garden, helping the plants to grow. She'd torn out a lot of the jasmine, saying there was far too much of it and had planted various other plants instead. There were countless bright yellow daffodils, and creeping up the wall was Sweet Pea. Different coloured roses made a colourful pattern in the middle. Baby's breath, Bluebells, Blue Camellias were all there too. Calista had planted a few springs of Bells of Ireland for good luck, and some primroses too.

The garden looked very healthy and strong and that was because the tender had used her connection to Creation to help them grow.

Since the apocalypse, the connections Connor and Calista felt with Destruction and Creation respectively had never gone away, but they were faint. After a time, they'd found they could still do things on a small scale. Connor had used his Destruction to help fight demons, while Calista had used her Creation to heal wounds by making the cells regenerate, and grow plants. Along with Willow, she'd made a beautiful garden for the school, which used the mystical properties of flowers to help protect the school.

Liam wiggled out of his father's lap, and onto the floor where he began to crawl along, heading straight for the weapons' cabinet. He may have resembled his mother with his blond hair, but he was definitely his father's son. Unfortunately for him, the weapon's cabinet was now childlocked.

The two parents watched with amusement at their son's futile attempts to open the cabinet, when Calista's cell phone rang. Connor rolled his eyes at the ring tone, making a mental note to 'thank' Tayen for getting his mate addicted to Dr. Who. Calista gave him a knowing look as she answered,

"Hello?... Yeah… Oh, really?... No I can come over now if you need me… Ok I'll be over in a bit. Bye." Calista hung up.

"Was that Kevin?" Connor tried to sound casual.

"Yeah, it was." said Calista, also trying to sound casual.

Connor would never really trust Kevin, he knew Kevin was attracted to, maybe even in love with, Calista. However he did trust Calista and so he didn't complain about her new job.

Calista had turned down Kevin's offer of being a model for him, but she'd become fond of photography and now helped him out whenever he asked and she was available. It was a part time job in a way, and it was good for her. It got her out and sometimes Kevin's jobs were in places that Calista had never seen or heard of, so she was experiencing the world. Most importantly to Connor, no matter where she went or how long she was gone for, sometimes she was gone for three days, Calista always came back. To Calista, Kevin was a dear friend, and nothing more. Connor could accept him in her life so long as that didn't change.

"I'll be back in a few hours. And then I've got a surprise for you." Calista kissed Connor's cheek and then kissed Solana and Liam goodbye before walking out. Connor wondered what the surprise was.

Much to Connor's frustration, despite how good things were everywhere else in their lives, he and Calista hadn't slept together since that dark night eleven months ago. Calista just wasn't there yet. In Connor's slightly desperate mind, he found himself hoping that maybe that would be the surprise. But he doubted it. She had told him last night that she still wasn't ready. She wouldn't be ready tonight.

Connor wouldn't get used to his dad pulling goofy faces at his grandchildren, period. He'd done them before, he would do them again, but Connor couldn't get used to them. It was just too weird when you considered just how many demons in the city were terrified of the vampire.

It only got weirder when Spike joined in. The vampires seemed to have a silent bond of understanding and blood that no one else could understand. Oh they always insisted they hated each other, yet they were able to work together against bigger demons and they always won. By this point… the others had given up on trying to understand the complex relationship.

"Ok! Dinner is served!" called Andrew. In addition to Watcher Duties, Andrew also served as chef in the hotel. The whole group had never eaten so well in their lives, and on Connor, it showed. He'd lost his bony look, filling out a little. He was still skinny and sinewy, but he didn't look like the textbook example of an anorexic anymore. Calista, who had always been thin like him, had quickly lost her baby-belly –what little of one she'd had- but she'd also put on weight, making her look healthy and it seemed to have improved her moods.

The Scoobies and the Fang Gang all filed into the dining room and sat down, admiring the exquisite meal. Say what you want about Andrew, but you couldn't complain about his cooking skills. Dawn put Liam in his high chair, while Angel put Solana in hers. Connor sat down next to Liam, with Dawn on his other side. Calista sat opposite him, with Solana on her right and Spike on her left. As usual when she'd come from Kevin's she'd been in a great mood, gushing over how much fun she'd had with him.

They all dug in, chatting about their respective days.

"Buffy, how's the wedding plans going?"

"They're going fine. I'm very glad Connor talked me into having it in December, all this preparation, I'd have had nothing done if we'd gotten married in January."

"As it's been said before, I may have dad's fighting skills, and your spirit, but I have Darla's brains." smirked Connor. A chuckle rippled across the table. Calista caught Connor's eyes and smiled at him. Connor grinned as he fed Liam mushy pumpkin that smelled absolutely foul. Liam seemed to like it though, because he ate it all up. Solana was a little more fussy, and at first refused to eat it, but after some encouragement from Calista, she accepted her peas and carrots.

"So, Angel and I will be taking the babies tonight, right?" said Buffy, looking at Calista.

"Yes, thanks Buffy."

Connor's eyebrows rose in surprise. It wasn't unusual for someone to mind the babies once in a while so he and Calista could spend alone time together without worry for the twins, but this was news to him. He realised it must have been part of the surprise Calista was planning.

"So… babies are gone." Connor smiled at his mate. Calista nodded as she shut the door to their apartment. Technically it was still part of the hotel, but Xander had renovated it so it was like a penthouse, on the second-most top floor. Above them were Buffy and Angel and below, Wesley and Fred were having that floor renovated for themselves. "What's the plan?"

"Well, I've got five movies here, and you get to pick which one to watch." Calista held them up and Connor grinned. They were all movies that they both liked. Not a romance in sight.

"Hmm… well, it's tempting to go for V for Vendetta, but… I think I'm gonna go for Ice Age."

Calista grinned. "I was hoping you'd pick that. You get the popcorn, and I'll set up the TV."

"Sure."

Connor went into the kitchen and found the microwaveable popcorn. After remembering to remove the plastic wrapper –he'd forgotten before and the results had been messy- he stuck it in the microwave and let it run, while he got the drinks. Since he figured tonight was a romantic night, he chose Bacardi and Coke as their beverage, since wine made them both want to puke.

When they had everything ready they cuddled up on the couch, Calista content to rest her head on Connor's shoulder and they watched the movie. Connor loved children's movies, claiming they were a great way to relax, and Calista had agreed with him after watching a few.

About halfway through the movie Calista began to kiss Connor's neck, instantly getting his attention as he tilted his head back so she could reach better. He kissed her forehead and temples, before catching her chin in his hand and pulling her lips up to his, kissing her firmly on the mouth. Calista pressed closer to him and kissed him hard, her fingers in his hair. The movie was forgotten about completely as Connor pushed her back and lay on top of her. Calista giggled as he lightly tickled her ribs, to keep her relaxed. Connor had learned over the past months that he had to be careful about lying on top of Calista, or else she'd get anxious. Tickling was a trick that he'd found most effective at keeping her relaxed.

Calista took hold of Connor's hands and held them in hers, breaking their kiss.

"Connor…"

"You want me to stop?"

"No. But… do you want your surprise?"

"Sure. Ok."

"Ok, I'll be right back." Calista wiggled free and disappeared into their bedroom, leaving Connor rather bewildered. What in the world was she up to? He distracted himself by watching the movie. But when the scent of vanilla wafted through he found himself in front of the door, his ear pressed to the wood. He could hear Calista moving around the room, and he could hear her heartbeat. It was loud and fast, like she was nervous. Feeling a little concerned, he knocked on the door.

"Calista? Are you ok?"

"Oh! I'm fine, just give me a minute." called Calista.

"Ok…" Connor backed away from the door, and turned away. The door opened behind him and he turned around. His jaw nearly touched the ground in shock. Calista grinned at his reaction.

"You like it?"

"WOW!" Connor yelped, trying very hard not to drool. Calista's grin widened. She'd changed from her normal jeans and top into what Connor was sure Spike had meant when he'd said, 'Naughty panties' when he'd gotten very drunk one day. A black lace nightie that barely covered her, with red lace. Calista put her arms around Connor, kissing him in a teasing way and Connor pressed his hands to her back, feeling the heat of her skin through the flimsy dress.

"Connor, I've been thinking, and… I've realised that I'll never be really calm about making love until after we do it. I want you so much, but I've been scared. Of what I've no idea, well actually that's a lie, I do know, but I don't care anymore. I love you." Calista kissed him again. Connor held her tighter. "So… if you want… I want us to make love tonight."

"I want you so much it's been driving me mad." said Connor, "And this… wow. You've been planning this."

"Yeah. I figured, if I took the initiative, then I'd find it easier. And I do."

"Ok. But… what about, I mean, is it safe?"

Calista sighed and rested her forehead against Connor, smiling. "I think we can both agree that we don't want me to get pregnant again. Not for a long time."

"Two kids is enough for now." agreed Connor with a smile.

"Exactly. That's why, three months ago, I started taking this pill. It helps prevent pregnancy. I don't exactly understand how it works, but…" Calista shrugged, "The other women helped me get it."

"Ok." Connor smiled and kissed her. He knew for sure she was ready for this, otherwise she wouldn't have taken anything like that. Calista held his head in her hands, deepening their kiss and backing into their room. Connor vaguely noted that she'd lit candles as he picked her up and carried her to their bed. As he lay her down, Calista tugged at his t-shirt, pulling it over his head. She kissed along his neck as Connor slid the nightie off her, running his hands down her back. He noted all the scars on her skin, from different incidents. Some were from demons, some were from falls, and a good number were from Daniel.

"Roll over Cal." he murmured. Calista gave him a look of surprise, but did as he said, rolling over onto her front. Her whole back was exposed to him, ivory white skin shining in the faint light. Connor leaned down and kissed the scar just beneath her neck. Then he moved to the one on her right shoulder blade. Calista shivered as he worked his way down her back, planting gentle kisses on her scars. When he reached the base of her spine he moved to her legs and kissed the long scar on her thigh, then gripping her hips, he turned her over. Taking her arms, Connor kissed the scars there, remembering very clearly where they had come from. They'd been made the day he'd found out she was pregnant. Connor wished he could erase that moment, wishing he could redo it, protect his love like he should have.

Calista pulled her arms away from him and rolled them both over, so she was on top of him. Connor smiled up at her as she kissed his lips, gently sucking on them. Then she returned the favour to Connor, kissing every scar that didn't exist. Unlike Calista, Connor didn't scar. Not visibly anyway. But Calista knew where every wound had been, she knew which had hurt the most, which had been gained in battle and which had been inflicted in punishment. As she did this, she pulled off Connor's pants, and when she was done with her kisses, his underwear followed.

Connor sat up and pulled her mouth to his, pushing her back under him while he got rid of the last of her clothing. Then he grabbed the duvet and pulled it over them, shrouding them in warmth as Calista moaned quietly in his mouth.

Their bodies melted together, a perfect fit, and worked in sync. Connor was gentle, he was careful, remembering to pay attention to Calista's reactions, tenderly kissing her neck with each movement, and Calista held him close, kissing his face, both giving as much as they could. At last Calista shuddered and let out a soft moan, clutching onto Connor tight as he groaned and lost the strength in his arms, collapsing on top of her, panting a little. When his heart stopped racing, he rolled over, bringing her with him. Calista rested her head on his shoulder, one arm lying across his chest, her fingers playing with the ends of his hair. Connor tucked her head under his chin, his arm around her, the hand resting on the back of her head.

"Connor?"

"Hmm?"

"…nothing." Connor felt Calista smile against his skin and he smiled to himself.

"I love you Calista. I always will."

"I love you too Connor, now and forever."

Connor looked up at the ceiling, pondering something. Was this the right time? It felt right.

"Calista, can I give you my surprise now?"

"You've got a surprise for me?"

"Yeah. It's something my dad gave me. I've been waiting for the right time to give it to you." Connor, without letting go of Calista, reached out to the drawer by his side of the bed and searched around for a moment before finding what he was looking for.

Connor held the small box in his hand and resettled himself back in the position he'd been in before. Then he looked at Calista, who was smiling at him with a curiosity in her eyes. Connor took in a deep breath.

"Calista, I love you more than anything in the world. You've done so much for me, you've been there for me from the start, you helped keep me sane in Quor-Toth. You've given me the two most beautiful children I could ever have. I never want to lose you."

"You won't. I'm not going anywhere. And you've done so much for me Connor, you kept me safe. Just as I gave you the twins, so you gave them to me." murmured Calista. Connor smiled, kissing her chastely before opening the box.

"Dad told me that these are a sign of devotion to his people, my people. They're called Claddagh rings." Connor took out the smaller of the two. "The hands represent friendship, the crown represents loyalty and the heart-"

"I think I can guess what the heart means." smiled Calista, touching the small silver ring.

"If you wear it with the heart pointing towards you, it means you're with someone, that you're in love. They also mean you're married or as good as." Calista's eyes widened as Connor took her left hand and slid the ring over her ring finger, holding it there for a few moments, staring straight into her eyes. "I want to be with you forever Calista, will you be my wife?"

Calista smiled, tears in her eyes as she nodded, unable to speak. She took out the larger ring and slid it onto Connor's finger. Connor grinned at her and kissed her hard. Calista held his head tight in her hands, and when Connor licked away her tears, he found they tasted sweet.

"I love you so much!" sobbed Calista, resting her head on his chest, holding him close.

"I love you too." Connor kissed the top of her head, inhaling her daffodil scent. "My angel."

"My beloved warrior."

/dances/ One more chappie, one more chappie!

Night's Darkness