Ladybard chapter 16, by Slayergirl.
Here comes the part that is total and utter fantasy, and whimsical to boot.
*** *** *** ***
Dawn nestled against Angel as she watched her niece trying to change the twins' nappies. "So, what are you calling them?" she asked.
"Dastardly and Muttley," joked Xander.
Stella rolled her eyes. "Just ignore Uncle Xander," she advised the squalling babies. He grinned at her.
"Pinky and Perky? Tom and Jerry?"
She gave him a stern look. "One boy, one girl, remember?"
"So, what are you calling them?" repeated Dawn .
"Seren and Taliesin."
Angel spluttered. "And Connor agreed?" he asked incredulously.
"Well, Connor's not the best name out," she said pointedly.
"Perfectly good Gaelic name!" he said, ruffled.
"Well, Seren and Taliesin are perfectly good Celtic names!" she said stubbornly. "And yes, Connor agreed. Eventually."
Angel shook his head as Dawn giggled. "No arguing with you, is there?"
"No."
"Can't change your mind?"
"No."
He rolled his eyes. "Just as stubborn as your mother. And your father, come to that!"
She grinned. "Not one to disappoint!"
Cordelia smiled wisely. "I think they're great names. Appropriate…"
The others looked at her, puzzled. But she had a far-away look on her face, and they decided it was best not to ask.
"So, Connor's out patrolling?" Stella smiled at her father-in-law and nodded. "Glad to see you're keeping him hard at work."
"Oh, always," she laughed. "Always something to be done."
'Motherhood suits her,' thought Dawn, with a pang of regret. There would be no miracle child for her.
Angel hugged her, wondering why she looked so sad. 'If only she'd let me claim her…' he thought. But, 'no, Spike was there first, she's bound to him as a sister. I don't want to break that. Something so precious…' He regretted that. That she was so close to Spike that he could feel when she was in danger and rescue her. And he envied her the brother-sister relationship she had with Spike. "Must be nice to have a brother and sister. She's got both… or had both.' He gave an unneeded sigh.
Dawn nudged him, waggling her eyebrows at Xander and Cordelia. "Think they'll get back together?"
He smiled. "Hope so!" Cordy had loved him, he knew that. But she needed more than he could give her. Dawn – well, Dawn was different. It hurt him, sometimes, that she needed nothing from him, asked nothing of him. But then again, it meant she was never disappointed.
Dawn smiled as she watched her niece. Then sighed again, remembering how she'd watched Buffy when Stella was first born, watching Spike play with her – so proud of her! Her eyes misted. How she missed them! Since her mother died, Buffy had been a mother to her as much as she could. Spike had always been there, quietly supportive, like an unmoveable rock. And Giles – Giles had always been the father figure in her life. It was two years since he'd gone. The ache of missing them grew day by day, never knowing if or when they would return. She was tired. Even watching Stella, humming softly to the twins, made her tired.
Angel rested his head on hers. "Tired, sweetheart?"
"Mm."
If he was honest with himself, he was tired too. Maybe it was time for bed… or maybe it was time for a change. He yawned. "Me too. Might hit the hay."
"Not waiting up for Connor?" asked Stella.
He smiled at her. "Honey, I would, but I'm so tired. Even vampires need to sleep."
She hugged him, then held the twins out to him. "Kiss them goodnight!" she ordered.
He gave each a peck obediently. "Goodnight, Seren. Goodnight, Taliesin. Sorry your ma's got no more taste in names than a flea."
She clucked at him, shooing him out, much to the amusement of the others.
"Think I might join him," said Dawn.
"Not too much joining, mind!" teased Xander. "You know what happens if he gets a happy!"
Dawn rolled her eyes. "Like I'd even try. Like he'd try! Now, I'm going to bed – to sleep!" she said firmly, following Angel after having kissed the twins and Stella goodnight.
Xander and Cordelia stayed with Stella a little while, laughing and chatting. Then Xander decided to go home, and Cordelia went to bed. Stella waited up for Connor, alone except for the twins.
No, not alone. She felt their presence before she turned round. There they were, shimmering silver in the soft light.
"Stella!" it was Buffy who spoke. "All grown up! And with children!"
"Mom?"
"Seems strange, doesn't it? That we've never spoken before. I wish – I could have watched you grow up…"
"It's okay," she whispered. "I understand. I'm just glad I've finally got to see you, talk to you… you too," she said, turning to Spike.
"Strange to think my little girl is a mother," he said softly. "May I hold them?"
She smiled. "This is Seren," she said, handing him her daughter, "and this is Taliesin."
He raised an eyebrow. "Interesting choice of names!"
She smiled. "Don't you start! Angel didn't like it much either. Cordy did, though. She said it was appropriate…"
"Didn't say I didn't like them," he murmured. "Just – different."
"Buffy and Spike aren't exactly normal names," laughed her mother.
"'Scuse me, but Spike is only a nickname!"
"So what's your real name, then?" she asked her father curiously.
"William."
"But that was forgotten many moons ago," added Buffy, taking the twins from his arms. "Beautiful – so beautiful," she murmured as she looked down at them. "They have such a future…" She stood, lost in thought. Then she looked at her daughter. "We have a task…"
Stella nodded. "I guessed. After Giles went, she withdrew a lot. She missed him. And he's been – well, fading. I think they'll be glad to go. In fact, I think they may be expecting it." She smiled. "Cordy hinted at it."
Buffy laid the twins back down. "I wish we could stay longer," she said as she hugged her daughter. "But we can only stay so long."
"I know. It's okay."
Spike wrapped his arms around her, holding her silently for a long time. "You'll see us again."
She looked at him steadily. "The next time it'll be me, won't it? Me and Connor."
"I don't know," he said honestly. "If it is, you'll know. But your greatest battle is yet to come, that I do know. If you have to leave the twins, then leave them with Cordy and Xander, now they're back together."
"Back… but they're not!"
Buffy grinned. "Oh, they are. I saw them kissing on the doorstep!"
"Bye, love," whispered Spike, squeezing her hand. "See you soon. Take care. And good luck."
"And always watch your back," added Buffy, kissing her goodbye.
She watched them go to Angel and Dawn's room, and opened the front door, stepping outside to wait for Connor, who came running.
"Just missed them," she said as he reached her. Then she burst into tears.
Here comes the part that is total and utter fantasy, and whimsical to boot.
*** *** *** ***
Dawn nestled against Angel as she watched her niece trying to change the twins' nappies. "So, what are you calling them?" she asked.
"Dastardly and Muttley," joked Xander.
Stella rolled her eyes. "Just ignore Uncle Xander," she advised the squalling babies. He grinned at her.
"Pinky and Perky? Tom and Jerry?"
She gave him a stern look. "One boy, one girl, remember?"
"So, what are you calling them?" repeated Dawn .
"Seren and Taliesin."
Angel spluttered. "And Connor agreed?" he asked incredulously.
"Well, Connor's not the best name out," she said pointedly.
"Perfectly good Gaelic name!" he said, ruffled.
"Well, Seren and Taliesin are perfectly good Celtic names!" she said stubbornly. "And yes, Connor agreed. Eventually."
Angel shook his head as Dawn giggled. "No arguing with you, is there?"
"No."
"Can't change your mind?"
"No."
He rolled his eyes. "Just as stubborn as your mother. And your father, come to that!"
She grinned. "Not one to disappoint!"
Cordelia smiled wisely. "I think they're great names. Appropriate…"
The others looked at her, puzzled. But she had a far-away look on her face, and they decided it was best not to ask.
"So, Connor's out patrolling?" Stella smiled at her father-in-law and nodded. "Glad to see you're keeping him hard at work."
"Oh, always," she laughed. "Always something to be done."
'Motherhood suits her,' thought Dawn, with a pang of regret. There would be no miracle child for her.
Angel hugged her, wondering why she looked so sad. 'If only she'd let me claim her…' he thought. But, 'no, Spike was there first, she's bound to him as a sister. I don't want to break that. Something so precious…' He regretted that. That she was so close to Spike that he could feel when she was in danger and rescue her. And he envied her the brother-sister relationship she had with Spike. "Must be nice to have a brother and sister. She's got both… or had both.' He gave an unneeded sigh.
Dawn nudged him, waggling her eyebrows at Xander and Cordelia. "Think they'll get back together?"
He smiled. "Hope so!" Cordy had loved him, he knew that. But she needed more than he could give her. Dawn – well, Dawn was different. It hurt him, sometimes, that she needed nothing from him, asked nothing of him. But then again, it meant she was never disappointed.
Dawn smiled as she watched her niece. Then sighed again, remembering how she'd watched Buffy when Stella was first born, watching Spike play with her – so proud of her! Her eyes misted. How she missed them! Since her mother died, Buffy had been a mother to her as much as she could. Spike had always been there, quietly supportive, like an unmoveable rock. And Giles – Giles had always been the father figure in her life. It was two years since he'd gone. The ache of missing them grew day by day, never knowing if or when they would return. She was tired. Even watching Stella, humming softly to the twins, made her tired.
Angel rested his head on hers. "Tired, sweetheart?"
"Mm."
If he was honest with himself, he was tired too. Maybe it was time for bed… or maybe it was time for a change. He yawned. "Me too. Might hit the hay."
"Not waiting up for Connor?" asked Stella.
He smiled at her. "Honey, I would, but I'm so tired. Even vampires need to sleep."
She hugged him, then held the twins out to him. "Kiss them goodnight!" she ordered.
He gave each a peck obediently. "Goodnight, Seren. Goodnight, Taliesin. Sorry your ma's got no more taste in names than a flea."
She clucked at him, shooing him out, much to the amusement of the others.
"Think I might join him," said Dawn.
"Not too much joining, mind!" teased Xander. "You know what happens if he gets a happy!"
Dawn rolled her eyes. "Like I'd even try. Like he'd try! Now, I'm going to bed – to sleep!" she said firmly, following Angel after having kissed the twins and Stella goodnight.
Xander and Cordelia stayed with Stella a little while, laughing and chatting. Then Xander decided to go home, and Cordelia went to bed. Stella waited up for Connor, alone except for the twins.
No, not alone. She felt their presence before she turned round. There they were, shimmering silver in the soft light.
"Stella!" it was Buffy who spoke. "All grown up! And with children!"
"Mom?"
"Seems strange, doesn't it? That we've never spoken before. I wish – I could have watched you grow up…"
"It's okay," she whispered. "I understand. I'm just glad I've finally got to see you, talk to you… you too," she said, turning to Spike.
"Strange to think my little girl is a mother," he said softly. "May I hold them?"
She smiled. "This is Seren," she said, handing him her daughter, "and this is Taliesin."
He raised an eyebrow. "Interesting choice of names!"
She smiled. "Don't you start! Angel didn't like it much either. Cordy did, though. She said it was appropriate…"
"Didn't say I didn't like them," he murmured. "Just – different."
"Buffy and Spike aren't exactly normal names," laughed her mother.
"'Scuse me, but Spike is only a nickname!"
"So what's your real name, then?" she asked her father curiously.
"William."
"But that was forgotten many moons ago," added Buffy, taking the twins from his arms. "Beautiful – so beautiful," she murmured as she looked down at them. "They have such a future…" She stood, lost in thought. Then she looked at her daughter. "We have a task…"
Stella nodded. "I guessed. After Giles went, she withdrew a lot. She missed him. And he's been – well, fading. I think they'll be glad to go. In fact, I think they may be expecting it." She smiled. "Cordy hinted at it."
Buffy laid the twins back down. "I wish we could stay longer," she said as she hugged her daughter. "But we can only stay so long."
"I know. It's okay."
Spike wrapped his arms around her, holding her silently for a long time. "You'll see us again."
She looked at him steadily. "The next time it'll be me, won't it? Me and Connor."
"I don't know," he said honestly. "If it is, you'll know. But your greatest battle is yet to come, that I do know. If you have to leave the twins, then leave them with Cordy and Xander, now they're back together."
"Back… but they're not!"
Buffy grinned. "Oh, they are. I saw them kissing on the doorstep!"
"Bye, love," whispered Spike, squeezing her hand. "See you soon. Take care. And good luck."
"And always watch your back," added Buffy, kissing her goodbye.
She watched them go to Angel and Dawn's room, and opened the front door, stepping outside to wait for Connor, who came running.
"Just missed them," she said as he reached her. Then she burst into tears.