AUTHOR: Goddess Isa
EMAIL: goddessisa@aol.com
SUMMARY: Parker left Buffy with a nine month backache, now what?
SPOILER: SPECIFICALLY The Harsh Light Of Day, but there are hints on everything thus far on both Buffy and ANGEL
DISTRIBUTION: Sandee, of course - My site - http://planetslaythis.homestead.com - Crystal and Butterfly if they want it - A Soul's Redemption - Anyone else - sure, just email me & lmk where it's going - I like seeing my name in print =)
FEEDBACK: Please, I'd hate to have to Slay for it. =P
RATING: TV-14
DISCLAIMER: Everyone but the baby (like I'm gonna give away the name this early on!!) belong to Joss and co. I do get weekly visitation with Xander though, which I so thoroughly enjoy! The songs belong to *NSYNC (do not yell at me - JC & I will hunt you down if you insult my boy bands) and Creed (there's a combo for ya!).
"Did you have a good time?" Buffy asked as she took Kayra out of her car seat. It was the next night and they were just getting home from spending a night of Hanukkah at Willow's house.
"Yes, I'm finding all holidays have nice traditions to them."
Buffy laughed. "Strip dreidle is nice, huh?"
"I'm not sure it's traditional with the 'strip' part but since you mention it..."
"Oh come on. Seeing Xander Full Monty was not something I want to remember." she took the coat off of a sleeping Kayra. "You coming to bed?"
"In a second, I just wanna check the messages."
"'K."
Buffy went upstairs and Angel went into the kitchen, opening the fridge and going through the ritual of drinking his blood while he listened.
Two messages were from Cordelia, querying about what to wear on Christmas Day, one was a store telling Buffy an ornament she ordered was in. The last was Giles. He mumbled, but Angel was able to make out that he was excusing himself from Christmas dinner for "Council Business". Angel had a thought that the "Council" was probably an attractive woman who just happened to be mother to his favorite Slayer, but he didn't dare let on his suspicions to Buffy.
*****
The next day, while Angel was asleep, Buffy scribbled a note to Angel, bundled Kayra up and left the mansion.
She drove the van he'd bought her down Revello Drive to her mother's house, then she sat in the driveway for an hour before deciding whether or not to go in. Kayra stirred in her sleep, and Buffy decided it was now or never. She unhooked Kayra's carrier and headed for the front porch.
Buffy paused each time she went to knock. Finally, on the fourth try, she kicked the door rather than knocking on it, and waited.
When Joyce finally opened the door, Buffy stared her down.
"You can disown me," Buffy began, "And you can ignore my phone calls and everything else. But you cannot and will not pretend that my daughter is not your reletive. And when she's old enough, she's going to come visit you. She'll adore her cool Grandma Joyce and she'll want you to play Barbies with her and have tea parties.
"She's going to want you in her life, Mom," Buffy finished, "Even if you don't want her in yours."
Before Joyce could say anything, Buffy turned on her heel and went back to the van. She sped out of the driveway before Joyce could even react.
She didn't feel like going home yet, and she didn't wanna lie to Angel about having gone Christmas shopping, so she went to Bloomingdale's and bought him a brand new pair of silk pajamas and matching slippers, even though she wasn't sure he wore them. She also ducked into Barnes and Noble and bought him an art book that looked interesting before heading for home.
*****
"Hey," Angel said when he came downstairs from his nap and found Buffy cooking in the kitchen. Kayra was in her bouncy chair on the table, gurgling away.
"Hey," she kissed him deeply. "Sleep well?"
"It was all right. How was shopping?"
Buffy stiffened for a minute, then said, "It was okay. I didn't buy that much."
"Did your mom see Kayra?"
Buffy spun around and looked at him. "How did you know?"
"I know you."
"Angel, it was awful," Buffy hugged him tightly, trying not to let herself cry anymore tears over her mother's ridiculous behavior. "I didn't even give her a chance to speak to me or to see Kayra, I just left."
"I'm sorry, Buffy."
"Me too. Angel?"
"Hmm?"
"You'd better move away from the stove."
"Why?"
"Because your sleeve is on fire!"
Angel beat the fire out in seconds and shrugged at Buffy. "No harm done," he admired the large hole scorched into his shirt. "I'll just wear this when I repaint the basement next week."
Buffy couldn't help laughing. "You're a nut, you know that?"
"Me?" Angel asked. "Never."
"Eh Deh," Kayra announced.
"Did she just speak?" Angel asked.
Buffy nodded. "I think she did."
"Kayra," Angel rushed to her side. "Honey, say something again for Daddy. Say anything."
Kayra only grinned at her father before starting to fuss.
"I think she's ready for a nap," Buffy said. "I'll put her down."
"Wait, wait, she might speak again," Angel said eagerly.
"Not tonight," Buffy said. "Say 'Good night, Daddy'."
"Eh Deh," Kayra repeated.
Angel gave Buffy a smug look. "You were saying?"
*****
Buffy and Angel spent a quiet Christmas Eve together at home. They each opened one small gift, Angel getting new boxer shorts, and Buffy getting a Christmas CD of her favorite pop group, *NSYNC. She put it in and they began dancing.
//Lookin' back on childhood days
I can't believe all my foolish ways
I thought Christmas only came from a store
Had to know what was there for me
Underneath the Christmas tree
Didn't know that there could be so much more
But in all of the rush
I was missin' so much
Girl you made me finally see
That I never knew the meaning of Christmas
'Till you came into my life
I was lost in the dark
'Till you opened my heart
Like an Angel shining bright
I wished on a star
And girl, here you are
Suddenly I realize
That I never knew the meaning of Christmas
'Till I looked into your eyes
Comin' home for the holidays
Seein' friends from around the way
There was always something missing for me
On a sleigh ride caroling
Doesn't really mean
Without that someone who can make it complete
All the snow falling down
There was joy all around
Girl your love has shown me the way
That I never knew the meaning of Christmas
'Till I looked into your eyes\\
The couple pulled apart and shared a sweet kiss before blowing out the candles and going up to bed
*****
At five months, Kayra was already extremely interested in Christmas. She played with the wrapping paper and kicked her feet along with the music her parents played. Angel bought her a cloth doll of a ballet dancer, something he said that he wished for her to study, and she held onto it all day.
//We've been waiting all year for this night
And the snow is glistening on the trees outside
All the stockings are hung by the fireside
Waiting for Santa to arrive\\
"Oooh, someone likes *NSYNC," Xander said dryly when Angel let him into the house and they heard the music flowing through the speakers.
"Christmas gift," Buffy explained.
"Angel, how could you?" Xander asked as he began unloading presents. "We're men, we're supposed to stick together against these hotties that our honeys are so nuts over."
"Did he just speak English?" Angel asked.
Buffy laughed. "Forget it Xand. Angel supports my habits, no matter how quirky."
"You're not quirky." Angel said.
"I think I'm kinda quirky," Willow said as she took her jacket off. When her eyes met Xander's, she said, "I like the music."
//And all the love will show
'Cause everybody knows
It's Christmastime and
All the kids will see the gifts under the tree
It's the best time of the year for the family\\
Doyle and Cordelia arrived without remarking about the music, and Buffy ushered everyone into the dining room to eat, the pop music still playing.
//It's a wonderful feeling
Feel the love in the room from the floor to the ceiling
It's that time of year
Christmastime is hear
And with a blessing from above
God sends you his love
And everything's okay
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays\\
"Presents now?" Xander asked eagerly when Buffy and Willow were clearing the plates
"You have to forgive him," Willow said to the others. "He's a four year old trapped in a man's body
He smiled. "You think I have a man's body
"Oh yeah."
"Could we not gross each other out today, please?" Buffy asked.
"That was a big dinner, I don't wanna lose it." Cordy added.
//Bells are ringing
It's time to scream and shout
And everybody's playing 'cause school's out
Celebrating the special times we share
Happiness 'cause love is in the air\\
They finished their dessert and finally, Xander got to open his gifts. He beamed when he opened a tee shirt that read "I'm not as think as you drunk I am" in blurred lettering
"The kids'll love this!" he said, referring to the children at the youth center he worked at
//And all the love will show
'Cause everybody knows
It's Christmastime and
All the kids will see the gifts under the tree
It's the best time of the year for the family\\
All the other gifts were either CDs or gift certificates except for Doyle's ring for Cordelia. He asked her to be engaged to be engaged to be engaged. She accepted, and everyone toasted their almost-impending nuptials.
//Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays\\
*****
The baby grew up faster than Buffy ever would've imagined. She began talking for real at six and a half months, saying "Ma-ma" and "Da-da" and "No!" with the force of a teenager.
"She's your daughter," Angel once said while Buffy was trying to give her a bath. Not only was she into splashing now, she liked to cross her arms over her chest to make bathing her difficult and she also liked grabbing at the washcloth.
"Yours too," Buffy replied. "If she broods, it's on your ass."
*****
In March, Joyce's art gallery was having a special brunch to honor a young impressionist whose work they were exhibiting. Buffy had wrangled an invitation thanks to Cordelia and took Kayra with her to the luncheon.
It was like all the other events Buffy had attended at her mother's gallery. People everywhere, lukewarm food, frumpy suits and drunk business men. Buffy wondered how it was someone could get drunk in the afternoon, but these men always managed to pull it off.
When the brunch was nearly over and most of the guests were gone, Buffy saw her mother duck into her office. She used this as her one change, picked Kayra up and carried her into the office.
"Darcy, I thought I told you to...." Joyce stopped talking when she saw Buffy.
"Your granddaughter is eight months old," Buffy said firmly. "And you've never even seen her. I've written to you and called you and tried talking to you but you won't give me an inch. We're your *family*, Mom. I've never had a lot of family and I don't wanna see the few members that I do have scattered all over the place. I want you to be a part of our lives. And I want you to be at our wedding."
"Wedding?" Joyce asked. "What wedding?"
Buffy showed off her finger. "We're getting married at the end of April, Mom. But I know you already knew that because we sent you an invitation you must've gotten. All I want is for you to be there. Please be there. For me and for Kayra."
"I don't know, Buffy. I'll really have to think about it."
"But you will think about it?" she asked hopefully.
"Of course I will. If you'll excuse me, I have to get back to my guests."
"Don't you even wanna hold her?" Buffy asked hopefully.
"I have things to do," Joyce pushed past her daughter and again, Buffy was left alone, hurting, because of her mother.
"This is the last time she does this to me," Buffy promised herself and Kayra as they walked out to the van to go home. "I don't care if she doesn't show up at the wedding, I really don't."
*****
"She's my mom, Will!" Buffy cried. "It's my wedding day. I want her there."
It was an hour later, and Buffy was having coffee with Willow at the university. Willow had just twenty minutes until her next class, so Buffy promised to make this brief.
"I wish she could just get over everything," Buffy said miserably. "She's an adult, can't she act like one?"
"Look at my mom and the magick," Willow said. "She's not accepting, either."
"But she still didn't refuse to see your grandchild. And you're not marrying your Wiccan priestess, Will. I'm marrying Angel, and I just know my mom won't come."
"But you'll be happy anyway, right?" Willow asked.
Buffy nodded. She knew she would. She'd be happy marrying Angel in a dark cave with bats as the only witnesses.
But since they were getting married in the evening, at a chapel, she wanted her mother there. And the idea of getting married without her there made Buffy ache inside.
"I'm not gonna cry anymore," Buffy said, drying her eyes with a napkin. "This is the last time. I am through with the tears."
"Are you?" Willow asked.
"You're late for class," Buffy told her, avoiding the obvious.
"Yeah, but I don't wanna leave you if you're not okay."
"Go," Buffy stood up. "I gotta get Sleeping Beauty here home for her nap."
"NO!" Kayra shouted as loud as she possibly could.
"See what I mean?" Buffy laughed. "Bye."
*****
"I made a decision," Buffy told Angel that night at dinner.
"What decision did you make?"
"I've decided that if my mother doesn't come to our wedding, that's it. All ties are cut. No strings attached. I'm not having anything else to do with her."
"Are you sure about this, Buffy?" Angel asked. "Cutting ties with your parents....it's very hard to do."
"I'm not the one doing it," Buffy reminded him. "Now. No more depressing talk. How's the soup?"
"It's good," Angel took another bite and stared at his fiancee. He didn't really think she was okay with this whole Joyce thing, but he knew he couldn't do anything about it, either.
*****
April 29th was the one day all month that it didn't rain.
The sun shone all afternoon, and in the early evening, Elizabeth Anne Summers married Angel Michael Connelly in Sunnydale's smallest, most romantic chapel.
The wedding went off without a hitch, just as Buffy had wanted it to. Her dress was perfect, the flowers were beautiful, and her friends seemed to have the time of their lives.
The only problem was that her mother had made an excuse - via email no less - about why she couldn't attend. She said she had an art conference in Boston but Cordelia saw her at the mall the day before. She'd told Buffy in hopes that Joyce was there buying an outfit for the ceremony, but she never showed up.
Willow and Cordy stood up for Buffy as her Maids of Honor, and Xander was Angel's best man. Giles walked Buffy down the aisle as a single violinist from Oz's music appreciation class played the wedding march.
When the minister pronounced them husband and wife, Angel lifted the small veil off of Buffy's face and they kissed like they'd never kissed before.
"I meant every word," Angel said. "Forever."
Buffy spent the night dancing with her husband, knowing she would never be alone again.
