Part 3:
"You what?!" Buffy cried. "That was you?"
Claire nodded and Xander and Willow tried to hide grins at Buffy's reaction.
"Okay, wow." Buffy shook her head in amazement. "I guess we're luckier to have you than we thought, huh Angel." The Slayer turned to her husband, who nodded in agreement.
"You don't seem very surprised Dead Boy." Xander said, using the name that used to annoy Angel something shocking in past years.
"That because I'm not." He replied. "And don't call me Dead Boy!"
"Okay, okay!" Xander laughed. "I guess it doesn't apply anymore anyway, does it?"
Angel just grinned, saying nothing.
"But why aren't you surprised?" Willow asked curiously.
"Claire knows." Angel replied.
The young girl shook her head. "No I don't. Did Giles tell you afterwards or something?"
"GILES knew?" Buffy cried out. "I can't believe he didn't tell me!"
"He wasn't supposed to know." Claire said sheepishly. "But he kinda found out."
Buffy grinned at the look on her daughter's face than turned to face Angel. "So how did you know?"
Angel smiled. "I had a little visit from our daughter. Why do you think I came to Sunnydale?"
A look of realisation flickered across Claire's face as she realised what he was talking about, but Buffy was still confused.
"How? She never left Sunnydale the whole time she was there."
"I went to him in his dreams." Claire said. "And boy did I get in trouble for that!" She turned to Angel accusingly. "You weren't supposed to work out who I was."
"Sorry!" He laughed. "But you made it pretty obvious!"
Claire grinned sheepishly and Buffy walked over to her and gave her a hug.
"Thank you!" She whispered in her ear. "For being the perfect daughter!"
Xander turned to his son and Willow. "I think that would be our cue to go!"
Willow nodded her head but Luke spoke. "I'll be home in a minute Dad. I have to speak to Claire first."
Xander nodded, knowing exactly what his son wanted to do. "We'll see you guys around okay?" He said to Buffy and Angel. "And good work!" He said to Claire and he and Willow left.
"We'll leave you two alone I think." Angel said, walking over and taking Buffy by the arm. "We'll see you in the morning okay Claire? I think by the look on your mother's face we're going to have a big family chat then!" He winked at his daughter then left the room, Buffy with him.
"Night Mum! Night Dad!" Claire called.
"Night!" Buffy called back then turned to her husband. "What did you do that for? I wanted to talk to her!"
"You have all the time in the world to talk to her, Buffy. I have a feeling that what Luke wants to do can't wait." He gave his wife a kiss on the forehead then led her outside to balcony.
Meanwhile, inside the living room Luke stood in front of Claire and looked her in the eyes.
"You know how much I love you, right?" Claire nodded her eyes downcast. She had a feeling she knew what was coming. The words before the break-up, She thought.
"Well I have something for you." Claire head snapped up, surprised.
"Luke, you shouldn't…I mean, why?"
Luke laughed. "You've forgotten too?" He took a small box out of his pocket. "Well I didn't. Today's your birthday Claire!" He laughed at the look of surprise on her face.
"Oh, I completely forgot!"
"So did everyone else I expect, in the event of today. But I didn't. Close your eyes Claire." She did as she was told, trying to work out what on Earth he had gotten her. As soon as she felt the smooth, cool ring of silver on her finger she knew and her eyes flew open. It was a silver Claddaugh ring, matching her parents and the one Luke wore on his hand.
"It's beautiful!" She whispered and Luke smiled.
"So are you!" He leant in and kissed her. "Do you know what it means?"
Claire nodded, speechless. She had been told the story many times by her parents.
"Well then wear it with the heart in."
Claire nodded again, smiling at her boyfriend, the guy she loved. "Always."
****
Angel stood underneath the stars, holding his wife in his arms.
"You realise it's her birthday today." Buffy whispered.
"Of course!" Angel said. "How could I forget?" He kissed the top of Buffy's hair and she smiled. "I think what Luke is doing is doing is a bit more important at the moment though."
Buffy nodded, her eyes on the stars.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Tell you what?"
"That it was Claire?"
Angel turned her around and looked deep into her eyes. Somewhere below, the front door shut. "I felt that was her job."
Buffy nodded again. "She met Giles."
Angel kissed her nose. "I'm glad she did. She now knows how important he was to us all."
"Yeah. I miss him Angel. Especially now!"
Angel laughed. "You just want to tell him off for keeping the secret!"
Buffy laughed as well. "Yeah, I would like to do that!" She admitted.
Angel looked at his beautiful wife, standing here in his arms, her face illuminated by the moonlight.
"I love you Buffy!"
"And I…" She replied, kissing him. "…Love you!"
They stood together for a few more minutes before walking inside and into their daughter's bedroom. She was fast asleep, having been worn out by the day. On her finger, her Claddaugh ring glinted in the moonlight. Buffy smiled and walked over to kiss her forehead.
"Happy Birthday Claire!" She whispered and Angel came up behind her to wrap his arms around her waist. "We did a good job didn't we?"
Angel smiled. "We did a great job!"
THE END!
"You what?!" Buffy cried. "That was you?"
Claire nodded and Xander and Willow tried to hide grins at Buffy's reaction.
"Okay, wow." Buffy shook her head in amazement. "I guess we're luckier to have you than we thought, huh Angel." The Slayer turned to her husband, who nodded in agreement.
"You don't seem very surprised Dead Boy." Xander said, using the name that used to annoy Angel something shocking in past years.
"That because I'm not." He replied. "And don't call me Dead Boy!"
"Okay, okay!" Xander laughed. "I guess it doesn't apply anymore anyway, does it?"
Angel just grinned, saying nothing.
"But why aren't you surprised?" Willow asked curiously.
"Claire knows." Angel replied.
The young girl shook her head. "No I don't. Did Giles tell you afterwards or something?"
"GILES knew?" Buffy cried out. "I can't believe he didn't tell me!"
"He wasn't supposed to know." Claire said sheepishly. "But he kinda found out."
Buffy grinned at the look on her daughter's face than turned to face Angel. "So how did you know?"
Angel smiled. "I had a little visit from our daughter. Why do you think I came to Sunnydale?"
A look of realisation flickered across Claire's face as she realised what he was talking about, but Buffy was still confused.
"How? She never left Sunnydale the whole time she was there."
"I went to him in his dreams." Claire said. "And boy did I get in trouble for that!" She turned to Angel accusingly. "You weren't supposed to work out who I was."
"Sorry!" He laughed. "But you made it pretty obvious!"
Claire grinned sheepishly and Buffy walked over to her and gave her a hug.
"Thank you!" She whispered in her ear. "For being the perfect daughter!"
Xander turned to his son and Willow. "I think that would be our cue to go!"
Willow nodded her head but Luke spoke. "I'll be home in a minute Dad. I have to speak to Claire first."
Xander nodded, knowing exactly what his son wanted to do. "We'll see you guys around okay?" He said to Buffy and Angel. "And good work!" He said to Claire and he and Willow left.
"We'll leave you two alone I think." Angel said, walking over and taking Buffy by the arm. "We'll see you in the morning okay Claire? I think by the look on your mother's face we're going to have a big family chat then!" He winked at his daughter then left the room, Buffy with him.
"Night Mum! Night Dad!" Claire called.
"Night!" Buffy called back then turned to her husband. "What did you do that for? I wanted to talk to her!"
"You have all the time in the world to talk to her, Buffy. I have a feeling that what Luke wants to do can't wait." He gave his wife a kiss on the forehead then led her outside to balcony.
Meanwhile, inside the living room Luke stood in front of Claire and looked her in the eyes.
"You know how much I love you, right?" Claire nodded her eyes downcast. She had a feeling she knew what was coming. The words before the break-up, She thought.
"Well I have something for you." Claire head snapped up, surprised.
"Luke, you shouldn't…I mean, why?"
Luke laughed. "You've forgotten too?" He took a small box out of his pocket. "Well I didn't. Today's your birthday Claire!" He laughed at the look of surprise on her face.
"Oh, I completely forgot!"
"So did everyone else I expect, in the event of today. But I didn't. Close your eyes Claire." She did as she was told, trying to work out what on Earth he had gotten her. As soon as she felt the smooth, cool ring of silver on her finger she knew and her eyes flew open. It was a silver Claddaugh ring, matching her parents and the one Luke wore on his hand.
"It's beautiful!" She whispered and Luke smiled.
"So are you!" He leant in and kissed her. "Do you know what it means?"
Claire nodded, speechless. She had been told the story many times by her parents.
"Well then wear it with the heart in."
Claire nodded again, smiling at her boyfriend, the guy she loved. "Always."
****
Angel stood underneath the stars, holding his wife in his arms.
"You realise it's her birthday today." Buffy whispered.
"Of course!" Angel said. "How could I forget?" He kissed the top of Buffy's hair and she smiled. "I think what Luke is doing is doing is a bit more important at the moment though."
Buffy nodded, her eyes on the stars.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Tell you what?"
"That it was Claire?"
Angel turned her around and looked deep into her eyes. Somewhere below, the front door shut. "I felt that was her job."
Buffy nodded again. "She met Giles."
Angel kissed her nose. "I'm glad she did. She now knows how important he was to us all."
"Yeah. I miss him Angel. Especially now!"
Angel laughed. "You just want to tell him off for keeping the secret!"
Buffy laughed as well. "Yeah, I would like to do that!" She admitted.
Angel looked at his beautiful wife, standing here in his arms, her face illuminated by the moonlight.
"I love you Buffy!"
"And I…" She replied, kissing him. "…Love you!"
They stood together for a few more minutes before walking inside and into their daughter's bedroom. She was fast asleep, having been worn out by the day. On her finger, her Claddaugh ring glinted in the moonlight. Buffy smiled and walked over to kiss her forehead.
"Happy Birthday Claire!" She whispered and Angel came up behind her to wrap his arms around her waist. "We did a good job didn't we?"
Angel smiled. "We did a great job!"
THE END!