TITLE: A Beautiful Family
AUTHOR: Goddess Isa
EMAIL: goddessisa@aol.com
SUMMARY: CORNY fluffy fic. I'm only sending it to this list 'cause it is BAAAAAD but it *is* fluff, so....
FEEDBACK: Please, I'd hate to have to Slay for it. =P
RATING: TV-PG
SPOILERS: Yeah, right.
DISTRIBUTION: You'd have to have a screw loose...
DISCLAIMER: Buffy, Angel, Willow and Giles belong to Joss. Everyone else is mine. It's easier to say it that way



Buffy was waiting for Angel on the porch of their home when he got back from the store. She was barely three months pregnant and hardly showing, but she'd worn one of his dress shirts as opposed to her own clothing anyway. She leaned against one of the pillars holding the awning up and smiled at him, waiting to see what he'd do.

He left the door of his convertible open and took off towards Buffy, grabbing her and swinging her into the air as he kissed her.

"Oh God," Kenya said, rolling her eyes. She closed her laptop computer and looked at her younger sister. "Lexa, are they doing what I think they're doing?"

The ten year old peeked out a window and giggled. "Daddy's swinging her around somethin' awful."

"Must you talk like we live in the Ghetto?" she asked, rubbing her temples.

"Do you have to talk just like Giles?" Lexa countered.

"Where's Daddy?" Ivy asked as she walked into the living room with Daisy and Lily in tow. As the oldest of the six-year-old triplets, Ivy was usually the most outspoken.

"He and Mom are makin' out on the porch." Kenya said, her head still in her hands.

"Kenya." Lexa made a face. "They're just cuddlin'."

"Will that hurt the new baby?" Lily asked quietly.

"No, the baby is fine." Lexa said.

"Lexa?" Justin asked as he rode his new bike into the living room. Jake followed his twin brother on a pair of stilts. "Lexa, you know everything."

Kenya cracked up.

"What do you wanna ask?" Lexa asked her little brother.

"Well, the other night, Jake and I went into Mommy's room and she was on top of Daddy. He was sayin' 'ride 'em, cowboy!' and Mommy was wearing Jake's cowboy hat."

Kenya fell to the floor with embarrassed laughter. Somehow, Lexa managed to keep a straight face.

"I asked Mommy what she was doin', and she said they were exercisin' the baby." Jake finished.

"That's what they were doin'." Lexa said calmly.

"Did they exercise us?" Justin asked with wide eyes.

"Many times," Kenya mumbled between her giggles.


*****


When Buffy and Angel came inside, their clothes were wrinkled and Angel's shirt was buttoned crooked on Buffy's body. She pulled a pair of sweat pants on and declared dinner ready.

The kids sat around the kitchen, all wide-eyed, all watching their parents' movements carefully.

"What?" Buffy finally asked. "What are you guys up to?"

"Nothing." Kenya said. "You don't wanna know, trust me."

Buffy leaned over to Daisy, who was seated beside her.

"What was it?" she whispered in her ear.

"Daisy!" Ivy yelled but it was too late. Daisy had already told her mother what the deal was. The Slayer turned beet red and left the room.

"What did you say?" Angel asked.

"Nothin' bad, Daddy!" Justin said.

"Just that you and Mommy only play Ride 'Em Cowboy when one of us is bein' born. How come we don't get to play now?" Jake asked.

"I wanna play horsy," Lily mumbled. 9 Angel realized what they were talking about and fainted.


*****


"Who's St. Valentine?" Jake asked.

"It's a very long story that I am too tired to tell." Giles said as he tucked the boys in.

"Will St. Valentine come at night like Santa does?" Justin wondered.

"No. Valentine gifts come from people that you love." Giles handed him his Toy Story 5 pillow and pulled the covers up to his chin. "Good night boys."

"'Night Grampa!" they yelled.


*****


"Where's Mommy?" Daisy asked Willow as she read the girls a bedtime story.

"She's at the hospital with your daddy, remember? And when she comes home she's gonna have your new little brother with her."

"A brother." Ivy made a face. "I've got enough brothers. I wanted another sister."

"Hey, having another brother will be great." Willow said enthusiastically. "I always wanted a brother."

"One," Ivy said. "I got three now."

Willow just sighed and finished the story.


*****

The older girls didn't need to be tucked in, they just argued about not getting any Valentines from cute boys before turning off their own lights and not going to sleep. Instead they listened to Giles and Willow talking, and kissing, and other stuff.

Lexa fell asleep but Kenya stayed up all night. At five-thirteen a.m., when the phone rang, she sprang out of bed and carefully crept downstairs to hear the news.

"Congratulations, Angel." Giles was saying. "We'll see you tomorrow then. Good night." he hung up and turned to Willow. "Would you believe they had another girl?"

"Another one?" Willow asked, surprised.

"Apparently Michael turned out to Michaela. They've named her Imogen Michelle."

"That's pretty," Willow decided.

"Imogen?" Kenya asked, letting herself be seen.

"Kenya, what are you doing up?" Willow asked.

"I wanted to know about the new baby. They really named her Imogen?"

"They really did."

"I picked that name," Kenya sat on the couch with her Godmother and grandfather. "I suggested it when we first found out Mom was pregnant."

"It's a lovely name," Giles said. "Don't you suppose you should go back up to bed?"

"Can't I go see her?" she asked. "Please?"

Willow and Giles exchanged a look.

"I'll stay with the kids," he relented.

"Thank you!" Kenya threw her arms around him and kissed his cheek.

"Go get changed," Willow said. "Quietly so you don't wake Lexa."


*****


"This is *seriously* my last time giving birth." Buffy declared looking at their newborn daughter.

"Are you sure?" Angel asked. "They keep coming out so beautiful."

"Fine. You carry the next ones."

"She really is beautiful," Angel kissed her little forehead.

"That's what you said about Kenya when she was born," Buffy said. "And Lexa, and Justin, and Jake, and Ivy and Daisy and Lily, and Imogen."

"Fine. I won't say it about the next baby." he drew his fingers over his heart.

"There isn't gonna be a next baby!" Buffy said. "Nine is it. I *mean* it."

"Okay." he grinned at her.

"Angel, so help me God, you'll learn to love latex or I'll castrate you myself."

"So what do you want to name her?" he asked, changing the subject.

Buffy shook her head at him. "Nicole."

"Didn't Lexa suggest that?" he asked.

"Yeah. I figured since we went with Imogen, I didn't have much choice. And Nicole is a beautiful name."

"It is," Angel agreed. "And so is Daria."

"Where'd that come from?" Buffy asked.

"Justin likes that name."

She glared at him. "Don't push your luck."