Final Chapter… (sobs then parties!)

Thanks for sticking with this rewrite. I'm much happier with this ending.

Epilogue

Solana Catherine Angel smiled to herself as she spotted her parents dancing in her mother's garden. Unlike most nine year olds who found such things gross, she and her twin brother, Liam William Angel, liked to see their parents together.

Their mum Calista was a professional photographer with her business partner Kevin McDonnell –Uncle Kev to the twins- and their dad was a fighting instructor in the Slayer School.

Solana knew she had a weird life, considering she had a demon from Pylea as an Uncle, a vampire for a Grandfather, another vampire for a cousin, who was in love with Aunty Cordy who was a part demon who received visions, the 'Original' Slayer for a Grandmother –who also had a very cool name- and that was just for starters. About the only person in her very large –and mostly unrelated- family that was in any way normal was Aunty Dawn –who was technically their dad's sister and technically not. Every other day there was some demon thing happening, and Solana had to always plan a week in advance having any friends over so her whole family could try and appear normal. Yet she wouldn't trade her life for anything. She was Aunty Willow's assistant with her spells, mainly fetching her ingredients and books.

Liam liked to help out his Grand-Uncle Giles (who had long ago given up trying to be called plain Uncle) and Uncle Wesley do Watcher stuff. Lately, Uncle Wesley and Aunty Fred's five year old son Charlie had started to follow them around too. Liam tolerated this because their dad had told him to.

Connor spun his wife under his arm and Solana liked the way Calista's skirt flared out for a moment. It was rare to see her mother in skirts but she'd been wearing such clothing a lot lately. The last time Solana could remember seeing her wear skirts so much had been when her mother had been an oven –as Cousin Spike had put it- for Uncle Wesley and Aunty Fred, so they could have Charlie. Aunty Fred's oven was broken –again Spike's phrasing- and so Calista had offered to be the oven for them.

Solana didn't really understand why they hadn't used the oven in the kitchen to make Charlie, but as mummy had put it, women had special ovens for babies. Then she went after Spike with a dagger and scolded him for his 'oven-metaphor'. Spike had muttered about crazy hormones, whatever they were, mummy had heard him and proceed to give him a special Cousin Spike time out.

"Hey there honey-muffin! Whatcha doing?" crooned Lorne as he wandered into the lobby of the hotel.

"Watching mummy and daddy. They look really happy today."

"That they do sweet-pea." Lorne smile at the young couple.

"I haven't seen mummy wear skirts so much since she was an oven for Charlie." Solana added. Lorne chuckled,

"That you're right about. Now how about we go see if Andrew left any chocolate pudding in the fridge."

"Oh yeah! Let's go!" Solana dragged the demon away in search of the food.

It was family dinner. They were had at least once a week. It was a tight fit with so many of them. There was Solana, her brother and parents, Granddad Angel and Granny Buffy, Uncle Wes and Aunty Fred and Charlie, Cousin Spike and Aunty Cordy, Uncle Xander and his very pregnant wife Aunty Anya, Aunty Dawn, Grand-Uncle Giles, Uncle Lorne, Aunty Faith and Uncle Robin –they were getting married in three months-, Aunty Willow, and Uncle Gunn and his girlfriend Gwen. They'd had to have a special table made and assembled in the room to fit all twenty-one of them. They used to be twenty-two, but Andrew had just gone to live in Rome and work with Slayers there. Solana missed him.

The meal was as fun as ever, with cheerful chat floating around them and laughter abound. Then, as they were having dessert, Connor stood up and tapped his knife to his glass, gaining the group's attention. He grinned at them,

"I have an announcement for you all, especially Sol and Liam. So I hope you're paying attention."

The group gave him their full attention. Solana and Liam shared a curious look. What was this about?

"Well, um… I really don't know how to say this, so I'm just gonna say it. In a few months there will be a new addition to the Angel clan."

There was silence as they processed this.

"So… mummy's having a baby?"

"That's right Sol. In seven months you and Liam will have a new brother or sister."

Calista grinned and kissed Connor back when he bent down to her. As they pulled away, Calista stood up, saying,

"I'll make it clear right now that this will be my last pregnancy. No way am I doing it a fourth time." This was said with a wide smile.

"Bloody hell!" exclaimed Spike, the first of the adults to break out of their surprise.

"No fair!" moaned Anya, "You're just stealing my spotlight." She folded her arms across her enormous belly.

"Ahn, right now there would be no room for her to steal your spotlight." said Xander, smiling as he rubbed her stomach.

"Don't worry Anya, you shall get all the attention you want. I just want a relaxing pregnancy." laughed Calista.

"You'd better have a girl mummy." said Solana.

"No! Not another girl, I want a brother!" shouted Liam.

"No a girl!"

"A boy!"

"Girl!"

"Boy!"

"Children!" called Connor, smiling, "I'm sure you'll be happy with whatever this baby is."

"It doesn't matter in the slightest whether it's a boy or a girl." said Angel, beaming, and looking a little tearful. Spike noticed and was about to comment, but Cordy stuffed a large forkful of cake into his mouth. The blonde vampire gave his lover the evil eye but she simply flashed him a dazzling smile.

"How long until the baby is done baking mummy?" asked Solana. Calista smiled a little fiercely and threw Spike a look. Spike tried to give her a cheeky grin through his chocolate cake, but failed.

"Seven months Solana. It'll be about seven months."

"That's too long! I want it now!"

"Yeah! Now!" agreed Liam. Connor smiled and shared a look with his wife as he rested his hand on her flat stomach. Calista smiled at him and covered his hand with hers. Her Claddagh ring gleamed in the light and Connor felt the need to be alone with his wife.

"You'll just have to wait you two. Cal, I'd like a word with you please."

Calista grinned, knowing what he meant and she got to her feet. "Connor, I'd like a few words with you myself."

"Will you two please just go." sighed Buffy, noticing how Angel had become very interested in his blood. Connor laughed, scooped Calista into his arms bridal style and carried her out of the dining room. "Solana, Liam, you two can stay up late tonight and watch a movie!"

"Alright!" Liam punched the air.

"No fair! I wanna stay up late too!" whined Charlie.

Lorne chuckled to himself as he sipped from his Sea Breeze. "Life doesn't get any better than this."

The End