Homecoming pt. 19
"Eighty years," Giles mused, "That's a remarkable story, Willow."
"Look, I know it's hard to believe. It's hard for me to believe and I lived it, every lonely day of it. But it's true. You know D'Hoffryn wouldn't have just let me go." She walked over the Anya and gave her a hug. "It's so good to see you again. You look great."
Anya pulled back. "Willow, have you forgotten that we can't stand each other?"
"But that was so long ago. You're the only person from my life I ever saw. Whenever you dropped in on D'Hoffryn, over the years, you'd always make a point of visiting me, telling me about your life, showing me pictures of your kids."
"Kids?" Anya smiled. "I'll have kids?"
Willow slapped her forehead. "I know how to make you believe me. How would I know about you and Giles if I hadn't found out from you?"
"Spike could have told you," Giles replied, "or Xander."
The dark haired man shook his head. "We didn't say a word."
Willow thought for a moment. "Okay, I don't know if this is breaking some sort of rule, but your first daughter's name is Victoria."
"How odd," Giles said. "My grandmother's name is Victoria."
Anya took her lover's hand. "It's a lovely name. Oh, Rupie, babies!"
"Much as I'd like to believe this, it could be a coincidence. It was the name of a Queen, not hard to imagine that someone in my family might bear it." He shook his head. "We still have no proof."
"How else would I know this, Anya?" Willow smiled triumphantly. "Halfrek likes to wear men's briefs."
"It is true." Anya threw her arms around Giles. "I'm going to be a mommy." Her lover smiled at that, but he still didn't seem convinced.
"Please," Willow pleaded, "You have to let me see her. I think I can help her."
"I believe her Giles," Xander said, putting his arm around her shoulder. "So does Spike. If Buffy wants her to help, let her."
A voice burst through from the other room. "You bloody well will see her!"
"It sounds as though Buffy has made up her mind in any case. If Spike can't convince her to trust you, then I'm afraid you'll just have to leave." Giles led Anya to the couch and sat down beside her. "If I couldn't force her to see a doctor, I certainly can't force her to see you."
"Leave." The ramifications of her return hit her foursquare. "I have no place to go. Do I just show up on my parents' doorstep? 'Hi Mom, Dad, sorry you haven't heard anything from me in months.' And I can't live with my mother again. I'm way beyond that. I don't have a job, I don't have a home. Where am I going to go?"
Xander pulled her close. "I have room. Lots of room. Stay with me."
Willow put her arms around his waist. "Thank you."
They heard the loud voice through the door again. "Baby, oh, I'm sorry, so, so sorry. I'm a terrible git. I shouldn't yell. Please don't cry. I'm just so worried. Please, pet."
"He has to convince her," Xander muttered. "Come on, Spike."
Willow looked up at her friend. "You sure I've only been gone a few months?"
Spike opened the bedroom door. "She'll see you now, Red. Bring your magic stuff."
"Eighty years," Giles mused, "That's a remarkable story, Willow."
"Look, I know it's hard to believe. It's hard for me to believe and I lived it, every lonely day of it. But it's true. You know D'Hoffryn wouldn't have just let me go." She walked over the Anya and gave her a hug. "It's so good to see you again. You look great."
Anya pulled back. "Willow, have you forgotten that we can't stand each other?"
"But that was so long ago. You're the only person from my life I ever saw. Whenever you dropped in on D'Hoffryn, over the years, you'd always make a point of visiting me, telling me about your life, showing me pictures of your kids."
"Kids?" Anya smiled. "I'll have kids?"
Willow slapped her forehead. "I know how to make you believe me. How would I know about you and Giles if I hadn't found out from you?"
"Spike could have told you," Giles replied, "or Xander."
The dark haired man shook his head. "We didn't say a word."
Willow thought for a moment. "Okay, I don't know if this is breaking some sort of rule, but your first daughter's name is Victoria."
"How odd," Giles said. "My grandmother's name is Victoria."
Anya took her lover's hand. "It's a lovely name. Oh, Rupie, babies!"
"Much as I'd like to believe this, it could be a coincidence. It was the name of a Queen, not hard to imagine that someone in my family might bear it." He shook his head. "We still have no proof."
"How else would I know this, Anya?" Willow smiled triumphantly. "Halfrek likes to wear men's briefs."
"It is true." Anya threw her arms around Giles. "I'm going to be a mommy." Her lover smiled at that, but he still didn't seem convinced.
"Please," Willow pleaded, "You have to let me see her. I think I can help her."
"I believe her Giles," Xander said, putting his arm around her shoulder. "So does Spike. If Buffy wants her to help, let her."
A voice burst through from the other room. "You bloody well will see her!"
"It sounds as though Buffy has made up her mind in any case. If Spike can't convince her to trust you, then I'm afraid you'll just have to leave." Giles led Anya to the couch and sat down beside her. "If I couldn't force her to see a doctor, I certainly can't force her to see you."
"Leave." The ramifications of her return hit her foursquare. "I have no place to go. Do I just show up on my parents' doorstep? 'Hi Mom, Dad, sorry you haven't heard anything from me in months.' And I can't live with my mother again. I'm way beyond that. I don't have a job, I don't have a home. Where am I going to go?"
Xander pulled her close. "I have room. Lots of room. Stay with me."
Willow put her arms around his waist. "Thank you."
They heard the loud voice through the door again. "Baby, oh, I'm sorry, so, so sorry. I'm a terrible git. I shouldn't yell. Please don't cry. I'm just so worried. Please, pet."
"He has to convince her," Xander muttered. "Come on, Spike."
Willow looked up at her friend. "You sure I've only been gone a few months?"
Spike opened the bedroom door. "She'll see you now, Red. Bring your magic stuff."