Okay, here are the next two chapters since I don't know if I'll get to post this weekend or not. Enjoy.
**********
Part 7: Cold Winters Month.
A chill nipped at Joyce as she walked through the cemetery to the plot in the far back. She was gripping tightly onto the flowers she had brought, hoping that the frost wouldn't kill them by the next morning.
She found the plot and gently laid them on top of the grass that had long since taken root. Joyce didn't like the fact that they didn't have a body to bury, but, like the police had explained, the surf that night had been ruff, and she was probably dragged out into the ocean from it. Instead, all they had was the jacket, which was what rested six feet below her in a box Xander had carved himself.
She reached up and brushed away a few stray leaves that had rested themselves on the headstone as she read it for, what seemed like, the millionth time.
Buffy Anne Summers
1981-2001
Beloved Daughter and Sister
She Saved The World...A lot.
Joyce couldn't help but smile at the last part. That had been Xander's exact words when he gave the eulogy at the small service they had held. It was so true that Joyce had asked them to put it on the stone. She knew that the engravers probably thought she was nuts, but it didn't matter. That was her daughter, and that was what she did, she deserved a phrase that was strictly hers.
"Hi, Honey," she said as if she could hear her.
Well, people talk to these graves all the time, most not realizing that half of them were empty. At least she knew her daughter wasn't buried under this dirt. Just a jacket, but that was all she had.
"I just thought I stop by on my way to the church. Yeah, the big day's finally here. Xander and Anya are actually getting married. I hope they're happy together. Dawn's already there, or she would have been here with me. You should see her, Buffy. She's grown up so much."
She paused for a moment. Dawn, her baby girl, wasn't really her child and still blissfully ignorant to the fact. Well, looks like mom did get to help her daughter in her slaying duties after all. She got to protect something that is more valuable then anything to them.
"She's actually Anya's maid of honor, you know. She was pretty excited about it, until she saw that awful green dress that Anya's making her wear," Joyce laughed. "I don't think she'll ever forgive her for that one."
There was another pause as Joyce looked around at the other graves. Some looked like they had been neglected for years, while, others, looked as if someone had been there just before she arrived. There was crypt off in the distance, which caused the woman to frown.
She wondered whatever happened to Spike. He had disappeared about the same time Buffy had, and none of them had heard a word since then. They were all so trouble over what had happened to the slayer and with Glory to even notice he left, until Dawn said something about going to see him one afternoon only to find him gone. Her youngest hadn't been happy about his sudden departure, and Joyce hadn't either, but, with the others, there hadn't been in real loss of love. In fact, she had caught Xander doing a 'happy dance' at the news of his disappearance and she thoroughly scolded him for it.
She drugged her thoughts away from the missing vampire, and turned them back to her beautiful daughter.
"Well, I can't stay long. I just wanted to bring these by. I'll be back in a few days though, I promise. After all, it's almost Christmas, and Dawn wants to put up a little Christmas tree for you because she knew how much you loved them."
She stood from her crouching position, and dusted off her nice black pants that had a few shreds of grass clinging onto it.
Running her hand across the top of the grave, she said, "I love you."
Then, she walked back out the way she came, hoping she wasn't going to be late for the children wedding.
******
Prague.
It was snowing hard in the Czech city. The news had said it was near white out conditions, whatever that meant. All she knew was that it was cold, and she was having problems seeing things past a block. Spike had been right about it being a pretty place, but she hadn't gotten to see much it from the snow. Well, she always did want a white, white Christmas, and not one that it only snowed to save her suicidal boyfriend.
She passed a fat Santa who was mechanically ringing his bell for people to drop money into the little red pot beside him. Must be this countries version of the Red Cross giving, was only thing she could figure. He laughed hardily, with one hand on his large stomach, but the effect was pretty much ruined by his wearing of a brown Browning coat.
Buffy passed over a cobble stone bridge and headed towards a town house that looked like ever other one on the street. A few children were playing in the snow, but there wasn't a lot of room for them to move that wasn't in the middle of the street. At least there wasn't a lot of traffic that afternoon, or they would probably have a real problem.
She headed up the salted down stoop and into the townhouse. It was much warmer inside, and she was happy to be able to shed a few layers of clothing upon her return.
"I'm back," she called into the house as she pulled off the leather duster and hung it up. A few stray snowflakes fell from the coat, but she ignored it and headed into the adjoining living room.
This room was even warmer then the other, mainly due to the large fire that was burning. And she didn't even have to turn on the air conditioner to have one, she thought with a grin. She walked around the couch that sat directly in front of the fireplace, and maneuvered herself down. It wasn't easy, considering she was moving with the beach ball that was her stomach, but she finally managed, and she would swear her feet actually sighed in relief.
"'ello, love," Spike said coming out of the kitchen, carrying a smoking mug with him. "Back already?"
"Yeah, it's too bad to stay out for to long," she said as she started to pull off her black gloves. "Doc did a quick once over, and sent me home."
"Oh," he said as he came to sit by her. She glanced into the cup that he had, and smiled when she saw it was hot chocolate instead of blood like she had expected. Quickly, she snatched away from him, and began to drink. After all, she was the one that could feel cold, and she defiantly was. "What'd he say?"
She shrugged as she pulled the cup away from her mouth and balanced it on her stomach with both her hand still holding it. "Nothing much, just that the kid dropped a little, but it would probably be still a couple of weeks before Junior here is born."
The child kicked, nearly causing her to spill the hot drink in her lap.
"Hey, you make me spill this and you're born grounded," she said to her stomach. She paused for a moment as she considered what she had just said. "Guess it's more like me then I thought."
She glanced over at him, to see what his reaction to her comment was, but he had this strange look on his face. There had been times over the past couple of months where she had seen it before, and usually it was whenever she was complaining about the kid moving around or hitting and kicking her. For the longest time, she couldn't figure out what the look was, but she knew now. She drew in her bottom lip as she took the cup off her stomach and placed it on the small end table at the end of the couch.
"Give me your hand," she ordered.
"What?"
"You heard me."
When he hesitated, she reached over, grabbed his hand, and placed it on top of her swollen belly. The instant he touched her, the kid kicked as hard as she had ever felt it. He jerked his hand in surprise, and then a smile grew on his face. She couldn't help but smile as the child kicked again, and he held his hand flat to feel it.
"Kid's got some legs," he said proudly.
"You're telling me," she grinned. "Try living through it for six months. I'm surprise I don't have, like, internal bleeding or something from the beatings. I swear it's bruised my ribs on more then one occasion."
His trademark sly smile crossed his lips.
"Yes. That is my child."
She rolled her eyes. Yup, he was most defiantly proud that the kid could bruise her ribs, just like she thought he would be. To be honest, she was kind of to. It was going to be strong; there was no doubt about that. With its parents being who they are, and that crazy Dr Lang and her goons looking for them, it was a good thing.
"Yeah, well, that's what I told you in the first place," she sighed as she laid back and tried to get more comfortable.
"That you did, love," he agreed as he laid back himself. She took notice he didn't take his hand off her stomach, but she didn't say anything. "That you did."
******
London
Lang felt nervous as she walked down the hall of the large building in London. Six months-six months!-and they were still on the loose. She knew Travers wasn't happy about this. She wasn't happy about this, but what was she going to do? They were no closer to finding them then they were yesterday, when the latest bounty hunter came back empty handed.
They had been on their trail for awhile. When they first got out, they had found them on a train to New Delhi, only to have the hunters to come up dead. Then, they found them in Tibet; once again, the hunters are dead. India, dead. Down to Turkey, dead. Over to Israel, dead. And the last place, Greece, dead wasn't really the word to describe it. It was more like massacred. They were probably growing as tired of the chase as she was.
The child would be born in the next few weeks, so she knew they would be unable to leave Europe before then. But this was a big land with a lot of people, people who looked like them. If they could hide in Asia and the Middle East undiscovered, blending in here should be even easier.
She reached the office, straitened her jacket, and approached the desk where a pretty, young blond woman sat with a phone up to her ear. The girl held up her hand for Lang to wait until she finished, which was a moment later. She looked at her with a large, fake smile, and said, "Can I help you?"
"Dr. Janna Lang to see Mr. Travers," she said politely like she was always taught to do.
The girl looked down at an open book in front of her. "Oh, yes, Dr. Lang. He is excepting you. If you will just follow me."
She opened the door to the adjoining office and Lang saw Travers waiting for her. He had a large book opened up in front of himself, but didn't look up when she entered.
"Dr. Lang to see you, Sir," the secretary told him.
"Thank you, Lindsey," he said, continuing to read. "That will be all."
The girl nodded her head, and slipped out the door without another word, closing it firmly behind herself. Lang cautiously approached the man, stopping just short of his desk.
"Have a seat, Dr. Lang," he said, which she complied too quickly. Finally, he looked up from the book and stared at her as he brought his hands up and locked them together. "So, what news do you bring for me today?"
She swallowed and then said, "We have a lead. We think they may be in Czechoslovakia, Prague, to be exact."
He leaned back in his chair. "Yes, that would make since. The vampire has a history in the city. Anything else?"
She brought her briefcase up into her lap and popped the locks. Sliding a piece of paper towards him, she continued, "I had my men go over this three times. They say that the comet will be passing over in less then three days, but, Sir, the child isn't due until the twenty-eight. That's another two weeks away. Are you sure that we are correct in the matter of who it will be?"
Travers read over it before looking up Lang with an evil trying to be kind smile.
"Dr. Lang, you know as well as I do, that it has to be the Slayer. It can be no one else."
"What of that Darla woman and the miracle child?" she asked before she could stop herself. When the stare turned icy, she barely managed to continue. "She was human and was able to carry a half breed."
"Darla wasn't human, my dear lady," he corrected coldly. "She was a vampire who kept her humanity because she was pregnant."
He took the paper and read it over again.
"I'll send my best men to retrieve them. No offense, Lang, but your men have been coming up dead for the past six months." The doctor barely kept herself from frowning at the statement. Didn't he mean his men were ending up dead? She hadn't sent a single group after them yet, but she was getting blamed for this. He continued, "I think its time we send in some real professionals to take care of this."
She nodded her head in agreement. "Very well, Sir."
The Asian woman stood and turned to leave when he called to her. She stood half way across the room and looked over her should at him.
"Lang, when the child is born, it will be brought here and will not be given back to you. The parents will be returned, but the child stays. Any child after that is yours to do with as you wish, but not this first one. Do you understand?"
Somewhere in her mind, she had known all along that it would come down to this. As much as she had convinced herself that she would get to examine and see the child grow and develop, she always knew that Travers would take it away from her before she really had a chance. After all, it had a destiny and all.
"Of course, Sir," she said evenly.
"Good. Have a nice afternoon, Dr. Lang."
"You to, Mr. Travers," she answered as she hurried and left.
******