Chapter 7: Women
*****Iowa*****
Dawn was practicing her swordplay with Spike just after sunset when Clint came outside.
"Hey, Dawn, Tony just called," Clint said. "He wants to know if you are interested in singing at his wedding?"
"What? You're joking!" Dawn asked in disbelief.
"Nope. He says he wants you to record yourself singing a Celine Dion song 'Because You Love Me." Then he will decide if you got the gig," Clint said.
"I have to audition?" she asked.
"Yep," Clint said. "Tony says he doesn't trust my completely biased point of view!"
Spike laughed. "I could do it. I have an amazing voice!" he said.
"Okay, that would be so funny! Buffy would die," Dawn said. "Let's go work on our auditions."
Clint followed them into the house. His wife looked puzzled to see Spike chase Dawn up the stairs. "What's going on?" she asked.
"Spike's decided that he, too, will audition to sing at Tony's wedding," he said.
Laura looked incredulous. "A vampire singing at Tony's wedding?" she said. Then she laughed. "It's perfect!"
Clint thought so, too.
*****Sunnydale*****
Giles had spent all day on the phone, calling all the Council members he knew. He had Wesley do the same—they had to evacuate the Council's headquarters. Get bomb dogs sniffing. They couldn't be complacent.
When he told Quintin about Faith's slayer dream, he scoffed. "I don't take warnings from murderers," he said.
Luckily, Giles' cousin, who was on the council and Wesley's father, who was also on the Council, agreed to stay away from the headquarters. There were too many accounts of slayers' dreams coming to fruition, so they knew it was foolish to dismiss the warning. The two men were working hard to convince others.
Giles hoped it would be enough.
Faith and Bruce came into the Magic Box. "What's up Watcher G?" she asked.
Giles ignored her ludicrous nickname. "I've just spent the day trying to get all the Council out of the headquarters since we don't know when the attack on it will come down," he said.
"It's not likely they will let their guard down indefinitely," Bruce said. "That's probably when the attack will happen."
"I agree," Giles said. "My cousin is working to get the Council moved to a secret location until the attacks on the potentials are over. We only know that the First is behind it ultimately, but we don't know its endgame."
"Sure, we do," Faith said. "It's the destruction of the slayer line—that's the goal."
"That makes sense," Bruce said. "It is targeting the potentials and baiting you and Buffy."
"Well, I spoke to Xander earlier," Faith said. "He called to see how things were going in Sunnyhell and asked me to check on his parents. He pointed out that most things tend to get bad in the spring."
"That's true," Giles said. "I will remind my cousin that the winter months will probably not garner an attack, but they must be on guard."
"Acquiring bomb detecting items would be wise," Bruce said.
"Okay, it's dark. We're going dancing and then patrolling," Faith said. "I promised Hulk he could get a chance to protect me. He was pretty pissed that I got hurt last night."
"Really?" Giles asked. "Do you think that is wise?"
"No, not at all," Bruce said, giving Faith a sour look. "But I've been outvoted."
"Listen, if Bruce is to stay here, he has got to learn to let the Hulk out at times, so we don't have any incidents," Faith said.
"I can see how that logic might work," Giles said. "Yet the Hulk is a destructive force the likes of which the hellmouth has never seen. He is utterly invulnerable, and if he reaches a dangerous level of rage, who can stop him?"
"I can," Faith said confidently. "He loves me because he is Bruce. They are linked on a primal level. I love all sides of Bruce. Unlike Oz when he would go all wolfy, the Hulk has an ability to reason and to listen. He is not just pure rage. I have conversations with him."
"That is good to hear," Giles said. "Dr. Banner, are you on board with this?"
"Not particularly," Bruce said. "However, I do agree that the Hulk cares for Faith, and he sometimes communicates with me about her."
"Really? Fascinating," Giles said. "I will have Steve, though, meet you at the Bronze at ten. I feel for this first time, it would be wise to have his presence with you."
"I agree," Bruce said.
Faith reached for her lover's hand and pulled him outside. "Let's go, lover," she said, giving him a cheeky grin."
Bruce smiled. He still didn't quite get his appeal to her, but he was grateful for it. She was exciting and fun—the sexiest woman he had ever seen. He might not like dancing, but she was a sight to behold on the dance floor.
*****Ohio*****
Cordelia walked into Xander's Magic Box feeling out of sorts. She was still upset that Luke was Loki. Now there was still all these slayer wanna-bees all over the place, and they were getting on her last nerve.
When she looked at who was behind the register, she was relieved that it wasn't Loki. For some insane reason, Xander kept him on the payroll, saying he was a Willow and couldn't be wasted. Anya would not have fired him, so Xander couldn't either. How could she argue with him when he invoked his dead fiancé?
However, when she saw Caridad leaning up against Xander as he counted the register, she saw white. Her power lashed out, knocking both Xander and Caridad against the wall.
Xander saw Cordy's eyes go white as he slowly got up from the floor. "You hurt the money, Cor," he said. "You know that's against the rules Anya established." He picked up the cash he'd dropped when he fell backward.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Caridad asked, getting to her feet.
"Keep your hands off Xander," Cordelia said. She put her hand on her stomach. "Baby doesn't like it."
Xander snickered. "So you are blaming our unborn son for your display of whatever the hell that was?"
"Yep," Cordelia said. "You know I can always control it."
"I'm telling Buffy," Caridad said, glaring at her as she carefully walked past Cordelia, heading to the exit.
"You go do that," Cordelia said. "I wasn't afraid of Buffy when I was only human, and I most definitely am not now. Stay away from my baby-daddy."
"Why do you care? Everyone says he's not your boyfriend," she said.
"Our relationship is our business," Cordelia said. "Get gone before I lose my temper again."
She left and Xander started laughing while Cordelia glared at him.
When she made it to his counter, he walked around to her, still laughing.
"What's so funny?" she asked.
"That you are pregnant with my baby less than six months after my fiancée died. We have mystical wolf guardians tattooed to our chests. You were dating Loki, the god of mischief and didn't know it. Now these mini-slayers are here, and you are actually jealous of one of them, who isn't even eighteen yet!" he said, grinning.
"I am not jealous!" she insisted.
He moved closer to her, wrapping his arm around her back to pull her against him. "You are most definitely jealous," he counter.
"Not so," she said, glaring.
"Just like I was jealous of Luke. Now that he's shown to be Loki, though, I'm not worried," he said.
"You're not?" Cordelia asked in surprise.
"Nope. There's no way you'd fall for a mass murderer no matter how much he's reformed," he said. "You're not Buffy."
Cordelia's eyes widened at the dig about Angel. "I loved Angel, too, you know. It is possible for a man to change, and I do think Loki has changed," she said.
Xander kept his arms around her, still smiling. "So you want to have my baby, and then go live with him on Asgard? Be a princess again?" he asked.
She shoved him back. "Don't be ridiculous! I could never trust him enough to love him. It took years before I trusted Angel," she said.
"Well, he is immortal—you will have the time," Xander said.
"You think I'd take our child away from you?" Cordelia asked.
"No. I'd just go with you. Odin loves me, and I know he'd like to have me in Asgard," he said, giving her a smug smile.
"Oh, you!" she said, slapping him against the chest.
Xander pulled her back against him, and she felt her body tense in awareness. Her breasts in particular were very sensitive since she'd become pregnant. When he pressed her chest against his, her breath hitched.
"Yes, me," he said in a quiet voice as he stopped smiling and giving her a searching look.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, hating the breathless note that had crept into her voice.
"You know that I love you, right?" he asked.
"Yes," she said. "I love you, too."
Xander smiled. "I loved you long before I ever loved Anya," he told her. "I don't want to feel guilty anymore because I know she wouldn't want me to. We are going to have a child together. Our lives will forever be connected because of that child, but I don't want him to be the only thing that connects us."
"Me either," she admitted. What was he trying to say? "Where are you going with this, Xander? Do you want us to be together?"
"Always," he said. Then he kissed her like he'd been wanting to for a long time.
*****Sunnydale*****
After dancing with Bruce for an hour, she tried to get him to have sex with her in the bathroom, but he was made of stronger resistance than she knew.
"No, we are not having sex in a filthy bathroom," he said.
"Who knew you were such a prude?" she said with a grin.
"I'm not a prude. I just have hygiene standards," he said, frowning at her. "Not to mention, I will never treat you like you're a quick lay."
For that very sweet comment, she pulled his head down and kissed him thoroughly.
"What about in a cemetery against a crypt?" Faith asked, giving him a smirk.
Bruce gave her a smile as he shook his head slightly before kissing her again. "Do you think Steve would approve?" he asked after he broke away from her lips for a breath.
She grinned, flashing her dimple, which never failed to make his heart race. If she only knew how hard it was for him to resist her…
"It might break the old man," she said as she pictured Steve finding them in the act behind a crypt.
They held hands as they walked out of the Bronze. Steve was waiting outside.
"Are you ready?" he asked them.
"Of course. Why didn't you come in?" she asked.
"I don't need teenage fan clubs mobbing me," he admitted.
Faith snickered. "I will tell my brother to give the kiddos a talkin' to," she said. "Well, let's get this show on the road."
"Where do you want to do this?" Steve asked Bruce.
"Away from the populace," he said.
"The nearest graveyard is two blocks that way," Faith said, pointing to the left. They walked the two blocks.
"Are you sure about this, Bruce?" Steve asked.
"Of course not," Bruce said. "But she's insisting, and she has a point—as much as I hate to admit it."
Faith reached up and kissed him. "Okay, I'll see you soon," she told him.
Bruce nodded as he took off his shirt and released his calm. The Hulk came quickly, eager to be with Faith.
"Faith!" he said, grinning at her.
"Hey, Big Guy," she said. "Did you miss me?"
"Yes," he said.
Steve was more than a little surprised to see Hulk be downright humanlike. He reached for Faith's hand, and she gave it to him. They walked together a few minutes. Then a vampire made its presence known.
"This one's mine!" Faith declared, pulling away.
Hulk growled but did nothing while she kicked the vampire in the chest. Instead of going for the kill, she allowed the vampire to hit her, which sent Hulk into a rage. He stepped forward and grabbed the vampire by the head.
"Hey, that's my vamp!" Faith protested. It was too late, though, as the Hulk ripped off the vampire's head.
"No hurt my Faith!" he told her with a glare.
"He didn't hurt me," she said.
"He hit face," he pointed out.
"So? I can take a hit. I can take fifty hits," she told him. "Do that again, and I'm going to hit you in your balls. See how invulnerable they are!"
Then she stomped ahead. The Hulk glanced at Steve, who worked hard not to smile.
"Women," Hulk grumbled as he trailed behind her.
Then Steve couldn't hold it anymore and burst out laughing.
*****New York, several days later*****
"Tony, Thanksgiving is in a few days, and you still haven't decided what you want to do," Pepper said.
"What are the choices?" he asked.
"Besides the five boring business associates invites, Vision said he could cook at home as Happy has been showing him the cooking channel. Bruce said he was cooking on the hellmouth for Faith and everyone. Two of the potentials are helping him. We are invited," she said.
"Hmmm. Tough choices," he said. "What about our witches? Is Tara cooking?"
"I think they are going to Ohio to see Buffy as she can't leave the state yet with Savannah," Pepper said. "She is hoping by our wedding that they'll let her come to New York."
"Do you have any preference?" he asked.
"Clint and his wife invited us to their place in Iowa," she said. "I kind of thought that might be nice."
"Oh, I'd love to see Clint's farm and Dawn can show me how she's learned how to open portals," Tony said with a grin.
"Also, we can tell them that we'd love them to sing at our wedding," Pepper reminded him. "John Legend was really hoping we'd let him, but I told him he would be our piano guy and sing at the reception."
"Yes, Rhodey was campaigning for him. He's too popular and famous, though. I don't want to detract from us since all eyes should be only on you and me," he said. "I sent Dawn a text message that we liked their audition tape." The vampire had surprised them by sending a recording of When a Man Loves a Woman. "I think we should let them both sing. Dawn sings, and then you do your vows. He sings, and then I do mine."
"You just want to use the song lyrics to keep you from forgetting your lines," she said knowingly.
"When have I ever needed help talking?" he countered.
Pepper laughed. "That's true. Our wedding is going to be magnificent," she said.
"It's what you deserve," he said, pulling her down next to him on the sofa. "I am a very lucky man." He kissed her.
"I'm lucky, too, you know," she said, giving him a soft look.
Although they already had their life completely connected, both were excited to be married. Tony couldn't wait to have a child with her, and Pepper knew he'd be an incredible father.
"Just think—next Christmas, you might be pregnant!" Tony said happily.
"Or they could already be here," she said.
His eyes widened. "Did you stop taking birth control?" he asked.
"I threw it out after we moved the date to Christmas Eve," she admitted.
"Let's work on making that baby," Tony said, pulling her into his lap.
Pepper gladly complied.
****Chapter End*****
I was going to go further but then figured I'd cover the last two holidays in the next chapter. The calm before the final storms. Comments and reviews are always much appreciated. Thanks!