Happily Ever After
Setting: Set after Grave and before season 7. Buffy and Xander are together.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Chapter 1
Her finger twitched, slightly but still it was significant. Xander stood still with shock. Then he sat down and whispered into her tiny ear, "Come on honey, wake up". There was a brief second when Xander's heart skipped a beat, when he thought he saw her eyelids flicker slightly open. Then he realised he was just wanting to see things. He took a deep breath and then slowly rose from the uncomfortable chair. As he walked through the door he looked back at the lifeless figure lying in the clinical hospital bed.
" Hi honey, its me again, Xander"
They say if you talk she might be able to hear.
"You're doing fine and you're getting better, so don't worry"
Every time he speaks he forgets she's not going to answer, then he remembers.
"Did Dawn tell you she got an A in her art class? She's doing well don't you think? - Oh and I'm making sure she does her homework". He always runs out of things to say after a few minutes. He looks down and bows his head. "I love you, you know that, right?"
He shuffles closer and places his elbows on the edge of her bed. He sits and he stares.
"Xanders been ages, do you think we should check on him?" Dawn asks. Willow looks at her and replies "Yeah, I'll go". She gets up and walks from the waiting room and puts her coffee cup in the trash. She continues down the corridor and taps gently on the door to Buffy's room. There is no answer so she knocks again a little more loudly. When there is no answer again she peaks her head around the corner of the door. Xander is lying with his head on the edge of Buffy's bed and he was snoring. Loudly. I'll never know how Buffy puts up with that she thinks. She turned around and goes back to Dawn. "Come on you can sleep at my place" she says.
Chapter 2
Slowly the light crept in through the Venetian blinded windows. It flowed over Xander's back and onto his face. His eyes opened slowly. It took a few seconds for the Xan man to realise his surroundings, at first he thought he was in bed with Buffy. But then, just like every morning, it suddenly hit him. Buffy was in the hospital. Unconscious, possibly brain damaged, and he had once again fallen asleep by her side. One of the nurses came in and changed Buffy's IV and checked her blood pressure. Xander said good morning and she asked him how he was doing. He was starting to get to know some of them. It was Sunday, Xander's day off which meant he could be here as long as he liked. He had spent most of the last six Sundays just looking at her and he figured he'd probably do the same today. "How are you this morning Buff?" No reply. A few seconds later her eyes flickered open, just ever so slightly, just enough for Xander to notice. "Buffy?" he asked and she closed them again. Xander jumped up from his chair and ran out of the room and grabbed the nearest nurse. "Its Buffy," he said, "her eyes, they opened!"
The excitement was evident in his voice. "We'll be there in a second", she told him, "go and talk to her". He literally ran back into Buffy's room and grabbed her hand vigorously, "Buffy, Buffy, come on, time to get up". Her eyes opened slightly again and she moved her right hand away from his grasp. She grabbed at the oxygen tube at her nose and pulled it away. "No honey, leave that there, it's helping you breathe" he explained. She looked at him knowingly. The door swung open and Buffy's doctor, Dr Campbell walked in. He looked at Buffy and saw her awake, he looked surprised.
"Has she just woken Mr Harris?"
"Yeah, a few seconds ago."
With that the doctor stepped over to Buffy and took her pulse and examined her. He wrote a few notes and asked some more questions of Xander. Buffy said nothing and looked straight ahead of her the whole time. The doctors exited promising to come back soon.
Chapter 3
Buffy didn't know what to say. Or even if she could speak, her mouth was so dry. She made the drinky-drinky sign to Xander to signal for some water. After three attempts he got what she meant and he passed her some water. She took one sip and passed the glass back to him. He looked at her and then finally said, "God, Buff, you scared me"
"Sorry" was her answer. But he looked relieved just to hear her speak.
It was a strange feeling, it felt like she hadn't spoken for weeks. It can't be that long she thought. "What day is it?" she asked.
"Sunday" he replied, "Sunday, 6th October, Buff"
"How?"
"Do you remember what happened?"
"No, not really."
"Okay, well I guess you've worked out you been in a coma for 6 weeks, Buffster..........I've missed you"
"Coma?"
"Yeah"
"Where's Dawn?"
"She's fine...she stayed with Willow last night"
"What happened Xan?"
"You don't remember anything?"
"No, I already told you"
"Okay, one Tuesday night about six weeks ago you went on patrol... you were chasing two Mancrelln demons, they were big and had skewer things for arms. I stayed home with Dawn, to help her with her homework. Anyway, you went after them, you were in Wetherly Park. You must have caught up with them because when I found you they were..." he explained.
"You found me?" she asked
"Yeah, anyway you'd killed them because one was lying dead around the corner and the other was right next to you. You were all twisted up, you were unconscious and you had your left foot through a bench and they'd skewered you through the chest."
Buffy put her hand to her chest and said, "Where?"
"Just here" he pointed to just above her heart.
" I brought you here, you weren't breathing, you'd lost a lot of blood, you broke your leg and they had to do an operation to pin you leg and stop the bleeding. They also thought you'd had a bang on the head somewhere."
"Ouch" she smiled faintly.
"Yeah, Ouch"
She looked pale and tired. She laid her head to one side. Xander relaxed in his chair for the first time in weeks. "I'll go and call Dawn and Wills," he stated.
Chapter 4
"Dawn!...Dawn!" Willow called the sleepy teen.
"Come on Dawn, wake up sleepy head!" She repeated.
"Its Buffy, she's awake, come on"
"Okay, Okay,... wait, you serious?"
"Hey Buff, I'm back" Xander said as he came through the door. But Buffy was asleep so there was no reply. He looked a little disappointed but went to sit down with his coffee. As he sat down she stirred but did not wake. Dawn and Willow opened the door and walked into room three. Buffy was laying asleep and Xander was watching her. "I thought you said she was awake" Dawn said angrily. "She was" Xander stated, "Be quiet, she's sleeping"
"Oh"
Dawn and Willow took a seat to the right of Buffy. As she pulled the chair along the ground Dawn scraped the floor loudly. "Dawn!" Willow and Xander scolded simultaneously. Buffy stirred and then slowly opened her eyes. "Hey" she said to Dawn and Willow. They both looked relieved and Dawn went to hug Buffy. They held each other for an eternity. A tear crept into the corner of Buffy's eye and she pulled away. She looked around at her best friend, sister and boyfriend and suddenly felt the urge to cry. As she wept they tried to comfort her but she was simply overwhelmed by the situation. Xander got up and sat on the edge of her bed. He just held her while she sobbed. She didn't know exactly why she was crying but it felt good all the same. It just seemed too much to take in.
Time passed and the three of them chatted and Buffy sat and listened. They told her about work, college and school. They brought her pizza and she ate it feverishly. The nurses came in and removed the IVs. They asked for a wheelchair and Xander helped Buffy put some pyjamas on and the four of them went outside into the hospital gardens. Buffy seemed to cheer up somewhat and by the time it was time to go back she was relatively happy. They settled her down for the night and the three of them left feeling a great weight had been lifted off their shoulders.
The next morning Xander had to go into work so Willow came down to the hospital. Buffy and Willow talked about all of the gossip and Willow brought magazines for Buffy to read when they weren't there. The doctors took Buffy for a head scan and told her that her leg needed to be in plaster for another two weeks. They promised that she could go home tomorrow if the scan was fine. They sent for the Physio and she came with a pair of crutches for Buffy to try. They were the old fashioned wooden kind and at first Buffy was really struggling to string together a few steps. She felt helpless. Willow helped her along by encouraging her and eventually her slayer instincts kicked in and she really got the hang of it. By the late afternoon the doctors were coming around the ward and when they arrived at Buffy's room they informed her that her head scan was fine. She slept really peacefully that night knowing that she could go home in the morning.
Chapter 5
The car pulled up outside 1630 Revello at approximately three PM. Buffy sat in the passenger seat and Xander had driven. On the way home they picked up Xander's overnight bag from his apartment as he was going to stay a few nights to help out around the house. Xander hauled their bags out of the trunk and carried them to the doorstep. He went bag to the car and passed Buffy her crutches and she hopped to the front door. And pinned to the front door was a scruffy note, "Back in half an hour", in Dawn's scruffy handwriting. "Charming" Buffy said as she ripped the note from its pin. They walked through the hallway and into the kitchen. Xander set the bags down at the bottom of the stairs. "Drink?" he asked.
"Yeah, OJ, thanks", She went into the living room and nearly had a heart attack. Dawn and Willow jumped out from behind the sofa and presented her with a "Welcome Home Puffy" cake. They hugged and sat down. Dawn and Willow were wearing party hats and had streamers wrapped around their necks. "Welcome Home Puffy?" Buffy read off the cake. "
"Sorry the bakers got it wrong!" Willow explained.
"That's okay, as long as you don't start calling me Puffy!" Buffy joked to a smiling Willow. Xander came through into the room and passed Buffy a knife to cut the cake with. He also brought three glasses and a cheap imitation bottle of champagne. For Dawn he brought a Coke. He poured the champagne and passed the glasses around. "To Buffy, my wonderful girlfriend!" he toasted.
"To Buffy" Dawn and Willow agreed. And Buffy just blushed.
Chapter 6
Buffy sat on her bed and combed her hair. Xander was in the shower and Dawn and Willow were clearing up downstairs. The phone rang and Buffy heard it ring three times before someone picked it up. "Buffy?" Dawn called, "Phone!"
"Can you bring it here Dawn?"
There were several hard clumping footsteps on the stairs and then Dawn appeared around the bedroom door. She passed Buffy the phone and then made a quick exit. "Hello?" Buffy said
"Hello Buffy" said the voice of an older man. His accent gave him away and Buffy immediately knew whom she was speaking to. "Giles!" she exclaimed.
"How are you Buffy?" he asked
"Just a few scratches" she lied, "What have you been up to?" she asked him.
"Nothing that interests you, I'm sure.....When did you wake up Buffy?.......Willow was a bit sketchy on the details"
"Sunday morning, I talked to Xander and he told me what happened but I don't remember any of it really, something I'm not too disappointed about"
"You're okay though aren't you?"
"I think so... yeah I'm fine"
" I came to see you when you were first in the coma, you scared me, we thought we were gonna lose you again, you were black and blue"
"Sorry"
"Buffy I have to go but I'll call you again soon, ring if you need me"
"Bye Giles"
"Good Bye Buffy"
Buffy put the phone down and she could hear Xander stepping out of the shower. The door opened and Xander emerged wearing nothing but a towel around his middle. He walked to the bed and sat with Buffy. She laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He was hot and sweaty from the shower. "I love you" he whispered in her ear. She looked up at him and smiled. "Love you too" she mouthed at him.
That evening Buffy went to bed really early as she was exhausted. Dawn slept at Willow's new apartment down in Hadley and Xander slept by Buffy's side. Except he didn't really do much sleeping. Mostly he just thought about things, he even thought about thinking.
The next morning Xander and Buffy slept in. It was about 11:30 before Xander rose and Buffy followed him shortly afterwards. Buffy struggled down the stairs to find Xander in the throes of making breakfast.
"Waffles or pancakes?" he asked.
"Pancakes please, you don't have to spoil me you know, just cause I nearly croaked again" she joked.
"I'm not. I wanted to make breakfast for me, I'm just making some for you at the same time"
"Oh"
"Joking, Buff, I do have to spoil you, its customary I'm sure"
"Hey! That was a little bit of Anya coming out!"
"Was not"
"I don't care, you quote your ex anytime you feel like it"
"I will do then"
He went to pour the freshly brewed coffee. Its aroma was circulating around the room. They sat and drank. The he made the pancakes and poured the mixture into the hot pan. All of a sudden Buffy piped up, "Can we go shopping?"
Xander didn't answer and continued to make lots and lots of pancakes as he was a very hungry man. She tried again, "Xan, Can we go shopping later?"
This time he answered immediately, "How about ring shopping?"
"What?" she looked confused.
"Buff, Will you marry me?"
"Again, what?"
"Not the answer I was looking for"
"Yes, yes I will", she smiled a smile a mile wide. He grinned that silly Xander grin and grabbed her, he lifted her off the floor and swung he around the kitchen. "What was that for?" she asked.
"I just realised how much I need you"
"I meant the swinging around thingy, idiot"
"Oh, I thought it'd look good, I saw it in the movies" he said honestly.
"You're so strange you know"
"Shut up and kiss me"
She dropped her clutches with a loud clatter and wrapped her arms around his neck. Their lips met and they kissed deeply. They wrestled for control. Eventually they parted. Their lips glistened and they stared each other in the eyes. Buffy still had her arms around Xander's neck. She stood there. Balanced on one leg. Xander looked down on her. "Uh, Buff, your pancakes are burning"
"Pass me my crutches then doofus"
"Oh right"
He helped her to the kitchen units and bent down to pick her crutches up for her. He passed them to her and then said "Breakfast, then shopping"
Chapter 7
The mall was located to the west of Sunnydale. It was reasonably large and modern. It had a few designer stores but the others were just smaller chains. There was however one particular jewellers that Buffy had in mind. This was of course unknown to Xander. J.B. Lockwells was the most expensive jewellers in the smallish town that was Sunny-D. Buffy made a bee-line for it and Xander never knew quite what hit him. On the outside it looked like a conventional jewellers, on the inside however the store was full of the most ornate god jewellery you'd ever seen. The store seemed to pack hundreds of trays of fine crafted metals into a relatively small space. They perused the trays of rings and finally asked the assistant if she had any trays of engagement rings. She pulled out a tray of fine rings with a variety of different coloured stones. "Which d'ya like best hon?" Xander asked.
"I think I like that one best" she pointed to a traditional style ring. Gold, with a row of seven tiny diamonds embedded across the top. "Can we try that one please?" Xander asked. The assistant measured Buffy's finger and then went into the beack room to fetch the right sized ring. "I'm not sure if they do men's rings here" Buffy said. "Why d'ya want a man's ring? Ya fingers ain't that big"
"For you dopey"
"And why do I want a ring?"
"If I get an engagement ring, so do you"
"Buff, the man doesn't have an engagement ring!"
"You are, this isn't a normal relationship"
"Your telling me"
"Shut up and stop arguing"
Buffy liked the ring and Xander bought it for her. The shop sold men's rings and after much argument Xander chose a plain white gold band and he chose to have BX engraved on it in ornate letters.
Chapter 8
Dawn and Willow also slept in that morning, they went out for breakfast and went over to Buffy and Dawn's place about half one. They knocked on the front door and waited for an eternity. Eventually Dawn reached down and felt around a small plant pot and then moved away some gravel to reveal a pink pig key chain with a small Yale key attached. She inserted it into the lock and they let themselves in. "How come I didn't know about the key?" Willow asked slightly offended. "Even Buffy doesn't know about the key!" Dawn exclaimed leaving Willow looking slightly puzzled. "Hello..." Dawn called out. No answer. She ran upstairs and checked the bedrooms. No-one there. "They aren't here" she shouted to Willow. Brilliant Willow thought. "Come on Dawn, we have to hurry"
They began hauling three large suitcases through the door and into the cupboard under the stairs. They went out to the car and pulled open the passenger door and Giles hopped out and asked, "All clear?"
"Yeah, come on" Willow answered.
Giles hurried through the door and sat calmly in the living room. Willow and Dawn were fidgety and Willow offered Giles around twenty different kinds of tea. He kindly declined all offers and they just chatted for a while.
"Hurry up" Buffy joked. Xander was carrying what seemed like one hundred bags laden with Buffy and Xander's entire summer wardrobe. "Why don't I come back for some of these?" Xander suggested.
"K, but hurry up" she teased him again.
"Hate to break it to ya but ya not exactly Speedy Gonzalez on those things are ya Buff!" He said as he caught her up. "Hang on Buff, just one thing!"
"What's that?"
"This" he said as he produced a blindfold from his left jeans pocket. "Close your eyes" She did as he commanded and he swiftly covered her eyes. He knocked on the door six times and slowly it creaked open. Buffy felt a strong hand guide her forward and then left a few steps. "Hey Xan, this better not be one of those kinky sex games" she joked. No answer. She could hear rustling paper. "Feeling like a lemon here!" And with that he de-blindfolded her. Buffy opened her eyes and was immediately greeted by Giles and then a Giles-hug and then party poppers. They smiled at each other and then stepped back. "Wow" Buffy said and then she read the banners Happy Engagement . The connections in her brain clicked together and she realised Xander had planned it all and even had Giles fly over. "How did you know I'd say yes?" she questioned him. "Had a feeling" was all Xander would say. Willow brought through some glasses of punch and they all drank into oblivion. Apart from Dawn of course.
Chapter 9
** 10 Months Later**
"Jesus Buffy, you're getting huge" Willow exclaimed.
"Thanks" Buffy replied sarcastically.
Willow and Buffy had gone shopping. It was August and the mall was air-conditioned so it was probably the best place for the highly irritable Buffy to be. She was of course also a mother to be and was definitely not enjoying the being pregnant thing. God knows what she'll be like at 9 months an exasperated Willow thought.
Buffy was 7 months pregnant and had finally decided to buy some maternity clothes. Willow being the best friend found herself having to help. Everything was of course too frilly, too frumpy or too motherly for Buffy's tastes. Eventually they went to sit down for a coffee with Buffy having bought only two pairs of sandals for the beach which the Scoobies planned to visit in Sunday.
"We're home" Buffy shouted as the two young women sat down on the sofa in Buffy and Xander's new apartment. It was mainly open plan with 3 bedrooms, a kitchen, two bathrooms and a large living room. Buffy enjoyed living there with Xander and Dawn and she liked everything being "all new and shiny". They'd moved in 5 weeks ago and with Sunnydale's remarkably cheap property prices had managed to find something well within their budget. With that and Xander's frequent promotions they'd managed to buy a brand new Ford Focus as well.
"Buffy, I'm gonna have to go" Willow stated.
"Okay, thanks for coming Will"
Willow left and Buffy was alone in the apartment. She tried to get comfortable but couldn't so she went into the bedroom. She put her bag down and went to fetch a comb for her hair. A hand grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her through into the hallway. She assumed it was Xander but then she smelt a familiar cologne and realised she could hear no footsteps or breathing. Angel. She looked up and saw Angel, he had his finger across his lips to quieten her. "Buffy" he whispered "I need a specific book, but I can't be seen getting it, nor can any of my people, so I need you to do it"
"Hi Buffy, nice to see you, how are you? Sorry for sneaking up on you" she said sarcastically.
"Yeah sorry" he said hurriedly.
"Very sincere"
"What's up with you today Buffy?"
"How'd you know I lived here?" she avoided his question.
"I have my sources" He looked down.
"Buffy, you're pregnant?" He asked although he could see he answer.
"Genius aren't ya?"
"Who's the father?"
"Xander"
"Very funny, seriously who is it?"
"Xander"
"You serious? You're really telling me this is Xander's baby"
"Angel, Xander is my fiancé" She waved her ring in front of his eyes and he looked slightly taken aback. "Oh sorry, I didn't mean nothing Buffy"
She grinned and he visibly relaxed.
"So what's all the mystery for?" She asked.
"Well I had to get you in the hallway because there are windows every damn place in this apartment!"
"Oh right, that's why we chose it"
Angel explained what he needed to Buffy and said he knew their was a copy in the Magic Box. Buffy reluctantly agreed to fetch it for him.
It was raining and Buffy got totally soaked on her way to and from the Magic Box. The book was hidden in one of the back rooms in their private collection. Buffy noted to herself that she needed to ask Angel to return the book. On the way back to the apartment she met up with Xander. He was on his way back from a meeting at work. She explained the Angel situation.
"Angel" Buffy called when they were back at the apartment. "Deadboy" Xander chimed in. Angel revealed himself from around a dark corner in the kitchen. Buffy handed him the book, "The Killings of Arajagorn" which was rather heavy and they said their goodbyes. Xander was however clearly annoyed that Angel had kissed Buffy on the cheek. He went and lay down on their bed. Buffy came up next to him and stroked his floppy hair off his face. He ignored her and turned away. She lent over him and kissed him on the cheek. Then grabbed his hand and pulled him onto his other side. She put his hand on her stomach and said simply, "It just kicked". Immediately Xander's attention was caught and his eye fixated on her rotund stomach. She felt his hand roll over her and she placed her hand on top of his. Simultaneously they smiled. "It didn't mean anything" she stated simply.
"I know, and I trust you, but it just reminds me of before"
He looked unsteady or unsure of his words. She re-assured him by laying her head on his chest and saying "If it helps I bit his head off earlier"
"Cool" was all he said.
"Xander, you ready?" Buffy called.
"Yeah" he said as he came out of the bedroom and into the living room. They picked up their bags and went on to the hospital. The journey wasn't long and it was really warm outside so Buffy enjoyed the journey. They were both happy and relaxed. Xander pulled up on the left hand side of the road and into a small parking bay. Their appointment was at 5:30 and they were on time. They walked calmly into the maternity unit and took a seat in the appropriate waiting room. Buffy was booked in for an ultrasound scan and for some bizarre reason Xander was unusually excited about it. He always insisted the baby had his nose although how he could tell was nobodies business. To Buffy it was just a series of white blurs. They were called through 5 minutes late and the nurse squirted the jelly onto Buffy's stomach. The nurse took a few shots and printed them off for them. "I'm just going to fetch a doctor" she stated plainly, "Nothing to worry about". Xander and Buffy looked at each other a look of confusion on both of their faces. They said nothing and just held each others hand tightly. After a lifetime and a half a doctor in a white coat came in followed by the nurse from earlier. The doctor looked at the scan and then nodded. He cleared his throat, "Well, Miss Summers, Mr Harris, this may be a bit of a shock, but you're having two babies"
Xander and Buffy looked at each other wide eyed. "We'll give you a bit of time to talk about it and then we'll come back and answer any questions you may have" the doctor said. The doctor and the nurse then promptly left.
"Wow" Xander said.
"You and your over-eager sperm" Buffy exclaimed. "I hate you", she followed, "Why us?"
She was freaking out, big time.
"Xander, I can't have two babies, I don't know how to look after one let alone two", then, "Oh fuck".
Xander was however reasonably calm. "It'll be okay, we'll be fine"
"No Xander we will be very not fine"
"Yes we will"
"You don't get it, I'm just not gonna have two babies"
"Like it or not you are, Buff. You can chose to go to pieces though, or you can be Buffy, the Buffy I know, and be strong and just cope, you'll be a great mom"
A tear was in the corner of her eye and it began to creep down her cheek. He wiped it away with his thumb and kissed her softly on the lips. "I love you" he said tenderly. She looked up and said "I love you too, but I'm still having you castrated" He smiled.
Chapter 10
**1 Month Later**
"Xander, I can't put up with this anymore" Dawn whined. Xander had just picked her up from school and they were on their way to pick up Willow and then onto Buffy and Xander's place where Giles was helping Buffy to prepare a meal for the five of them. Giles had been helping to entertain Buffy since she'd gone on maternity leave. She was constantly restless and always wanting to be active, so cooking was just one of Buffy and Giles' many activities. "You'll just have to for a couple more weeks" Xander replied.
"She's either breathing down my neck or trying to mother me senseless, it's just really annoying."
"I know but she can't help it, believe it or not she's trying to be nice when she does that, it's just hormones". They pulled up and up and Dawn went to knock for Willow. After a few seconds Willow was at the door and they both clambered into the car. It was only a short journey from Willow's to the apartment. They got out of the car and went up to the third floor in the elevator. Xander slotted his key into the lock and opened the door.
Only he wasn't greeted by a lovely smelling dinner but rather by a cloud of grey smoke and a rather flustered Buffy and Giles. They were coughing and trying desperately to get a roast chicken out of the oven. And well roasted it was, you could even call it blackened. Xander, Dawn and Willow walked in. "What the hell?" Xander asked. No reply. He helped get the chicken out of the oven and Willow got the potatoes which had boiled dry off the hob. "Dawn, open the window", Xander said. The smoke began to clear and they could just about see 10 feet in front of them. "Giles! I thought you could cook?" Buffy exclaimed.
"Its this new fangled kitchen" he said blushing. Xander, Dawn and Willow surveyed the situation and simultaneously burst out laughing. Buffy and Giles were both blackened and wearing bright pink aprons. They looked utterly hilarious. Buffy and Giles looked at each other and then joined in the laughter. All of a sudden Buffy stopped. She looked up and said "uh oh".
"What?" Said Xander.
"I think my water just broke"
Chapter 11
"Xander! Slow down". Xander was panicked. He'd been okay until they'd reached the car but now 1000 things were racing through his brain and he really wasn't thinking about his driving. He did however reply by slowing down when Buffy asked. They arrived at the maternity unit and were taken to their room. The doctors examined Buffy and said they'd come back in a while when she was nearer to having the babies.
**10 Hours Later**
"Come on Buffy" Xander urged her on. "I am" She was getting agitated now.
"Remember your breathing Buff"
"One more and we'll have baby one", the midwife said.
Buffy pushed with all her strength and was rewarded with the cry of her baby. All of a sudden there was movement all around the room. The midwife told them "it's a boy". Buffy and Xander smiled. Xander took a wet cloth a gently wiped her forehead for her. For a minute it seemed like there was just the two of them in the room. They were interrupted by a nurse saying "We'll just weigh and tag him"
"Is he okay?" Buffy asked meekly. "Yeah he's fine, we're gonna need you to start pushing again when you're ready"
**Some Time Later **
"Its another boy" the midwife shouted. Buffy and Xander smiled. A tear came into the corner of Buffy's eye and before long she was sobbing. Someone passed her her first son and she looked at him adoringly. Xander held their second son. Buffy noticed a tear forming in the corner of his eye too, he wiped it away quickly and tried to deny it but he was overwhelmed. Both boys had a shock of black Xander style hair. They were tiny and Buffy and Xander held them next to each other. "Are they identical?" Xander asked he doctor. "Yes" came the reply. Xander smiled.
The wait was eternal. Or so Giles, Willow and Dawn thought. They were waiting in the hallway outside the delivery room where Buffy and Xander were having the twins. The door burst open and Xander emerged with a goofy grin spread across his face. "Two boys" he stated. Willow got up and hugged him, Giles followed and Dawn just said "Cool". With that Xander rushed back into the room. Soon afterwards the three of them watched as the medical team filed out leaving Buffy and Xander alone with the babies for the first time.
Buffy was still sobbing. Happy sobs though. She was smiling at the same time. She was now holding both babies. One in each arm. Baby Harris 1 and Baby Harris 2 as they had been dubbed were sleeping peacefully. A porter came in and wheeled Buffy's bed into a more comfortable room. The babies followed in their cribs along with their father. Then there was a knock on the heavy wooden door. "Come in" Xander said and the three musketeers appeared from around the corner. Their balloons read New Baby and It's a Boy! There were two of each. They all cooed over the babies and then went over to see Buffy. She hugged them all and Giles gave her a kiss on the cheek and then he blushed. "They're beautiful" he said to her. Dawn sat on the edge of the bed. "So I'm an aunt now?" she asked.
"Yep" Buffy answered.
"That's cool"
"And Willows an aunt too, and Giles can be Grandpa!"
"You really think I'm old enough to be a Grandpa?" Giles asked pretending to be offended.
"Well you had sex with my mother so I'm going for yes!" she teased.
"I see becoming a mum hasn't made you lose any of your wit"
"Nope"
"Thought of any names?" Willow asked.
"Hadn't really thought about it."
"Ok"
Shortly after the three of them left, Buffy and Xander were alone again. The nurse came in and asked if they had thought of any names yet. They said no. "What names d'ya like Xan?"
"Something that is nothing we've killed"
"Okay that narrows it down a lot"
"What were ya thinking of Buff?"
"Angel and Spike" she teased.
"Okay" The look on her face was priceless. Xander loved calling her bluff like that, she never knew whether he was serious; it was one of the advantages of being a Xander. "Seriously Xan, what d'ya like?"
"Did ya kill anyone called Sam?"
"No, not that I can remember, number 1 could be Sam?" she asked.
"I like it"
"Sam Alexander Harris, I like it too." They'd agreed to give the boys middle names after Xander and Giles.
"What about number 2?" Xander asked.
"I've always liked James?"
"No way, that's horrible, I like Luke"
"Shut up, and duh, first vamp I got in Sunny-D; anyway Luke that's like way ugly"
"What about Harvey?"
"Yeah, I like it, Harvey Giles Harris"
"I'm gonna go fill in those birth certificates"
"K"
Chapter 12
**2 Days Later**
Xander was driving to the hospital. He was on his way to pick up Buffy and the boys. He was really ecstatic at the thought of bringing his sons home. He pulled up outside the hospital and went to fetch them.
After filling in a few forms they all arrived back at the car with the babies in their brand new 'Winnie the Pooh' car seats. They put the seats in the back of the car, Sam on the left and Harvey on the right.
They arrived back at the apartment 20 minutes later. They all walked up to the door when Xander announced "I have a surprise for you"
"Cool, what is it?"
"You'll see, it wouldn't be a surprise if I told you"
They walked through the door and Xander guided her through into the spare room which was now baby blue with two hand crafted crib, one on each side of the room. There were also two baby sized wardrobes and a heap of baby toys they'd bought a few weeks earlier. Xander had said he'd handle all of the babies furniture but she'd never expected him to build it himself. She was thrilled she put down the babies carriers and hugged him.
Chapter 13
** 6 Months Later **
"No, no, don't go into the bathroom" Dawn yelled at Buffy.
"Why?"
"Xander's in there!"
"So?"
"You can't see him on your wedding day"
"I already told you we're not going in for all that traditional stuff - Xander you done in there?"
"Yeah, I'm done" Xander replied.
He walked out of the bathroom and let Buffy in. He was wearing a brand new tux and he looked stunning. Buffy however wasn't remotely ready. She'd been too busy getting Sam and Harvey ready but now she'd handed them over to Willow to look after. She was now in the full throes of getting ready. She had done her hair an make-up but now had to figure out how to get into her expensive cream dress without getting make-up all over it. A few minutes later she'd managed to slip it on successfully. She had Willow's old, blue and borrowed bracelet on and she had new earrings on so she'd covered all bases. She was now just about ready.
"Dawn" she called.
"Yeah"
"Have you got Xander's ring?"
"Yeah, it's right here" Dawn showed Buffy the ring.
"The cars here" Willow called from down the hallway.
The music began to play as Xander waited for Buffy. He looked around the smallish hall. The vicar was standing just in front of him and there was a few rows of chairs behind. It was a small wedding but that was the way they wanted it. Willow and Dawn were bridesmaids and Giles was going to give Buffy away, Xander's best friend from work, Jay, was going to be Xander's best man. There were about 20 guests including Wesley and Cordelia (and Angel was coming to the reception afterwards) and apart from that it was mainly Buffy's family. Xander's mother and father had gone on a cruise around the Caribbean but Xander clearly didn't mind that much. The hall was decorated in ribbon and there were flowers everywhere in the cream they'd chosen. Xander heard everyone turn around as Buffy and Giles arrived; he turned around. Xander went into a dream as he saw he walk down the aisle towards him. Before he knew it she was standing next to him. They held hands and looked into each others eyes.
The ceremony went by in a big blur for both Xander and Buffy. Outside the hall they had some photographs taken and then they went back to their apartment with everyone in tow. When they arrived they let everyone in and turned the cd player on. Buffy put Sam and Harvey to bed and then joined the party. They opened the champagne and there was a hard knock at the door. Xander opened it and greeted Angel: "Come in!"
Buffy and Xander lay on their bed. Everyone had gone home and they were thinking about married life. Buffy was excited and Xander was slightly drunk on champagne.
"Xan?"
"Yeah?"
"Can we have some hot lovin' now?"
"Yeah, okay hon"
Epilogue
And they all lived happily ever after.
Setting: Set after Grave and before season 7. Buffy and Xander are together.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Chapter 1
Her finger twitched, slightly but still it was significant. Xander stood still with shock. Then he sat down and whispered into her tiny ear, "Come on honey, wake up". There was a brief second when Xander's heart skipped a beat, when he thought he saw her eyelids flicker slightly open. Then he realised he was just wanting to see things. He took a deep breath and then slowly rose from the uncomfortable chair. As he walked through the door he looked back at the lifeless figure lying in the clinical hospital bed.
" Hi honey, its me again, Xander"
They say if you talk she might be able to hear.
"You're doing fine and you're getting better, so don't worry"
Every time he speaks he forgets she's not going to answer, then he remembers.
"Did Dawn tell you she got an A in her art class? She's doing well don't you think? - Oh and I'm making sure she does her homework". He always runs out of things to say after a few minutes. He looks down and bows his head. "I love you, you know that, right?"
He shuffles closer and places his elbows on the edge of her bed. He sits and he stares.
"Xanders been ages, do you think we should check on him?" Dawn asks. Willow looks at her and replies "Yeah, I'll go". She gets up and walks from the waiting room and puts her coffee cup in the trash. She continues down the corridor and taps gently on the door to Buffy's room. There is no answer so she knocks again a little more loudly. When there is no answer again she peaks her head around the corner of the door. Xander is lying with his head on the edge of Buffy's bed and he was snoring. Loudly. I'll never know how Buffy puts up with that she thinks. She turned around and goes back to Dawn. "Come on you can sleep at my place" she says.
Chapter 2
Slowly the light crept in through the Venetian blinded windows. It flowed over Xander's back and onto his face. His eyes opened slowly. It took a few seconds for the Xan man to realise his surroundings, at first he thought he was in bed with Buffy. But then, just like every morning, it suddenly hit him. Buffy was in the hospital. Unconscious, possibly brain damaged, and he had once again fallen asleep by her side. One of the nurses came in and changed Buffy's IV and checked her blood pressure. Xander said good morning and she asked him how he was doing. He was starting to get to know some of them. It was Sunday, Xander's day off which meant he could be here as long as he liked. He had spent most of the last six Sundays just looking at her and he figured he'd probably do the same today. "How are you this morning Buff?" No reply. A few seconds later her eyes flickered open, just ever so slightly, just enough for Xander to notice. "Buffy?" he asked and she closed them again. Xander jumped up from his chair and ran out of the room and grabbed the nearest nurse. "Its Buffy," he said, "her eyes, they opened!"
The excitement was evident in his voice. "We'll be there in a second", she told him, "go and talk to her". He literally ran back into Buffy's room and grabbed her hand vigorously, "Buffy, Buffy, come on, time to get up". Her eyes opened slightly again and she moved her right hand away from his grasp. She grabbed at the oxygen tube at her nose and pulled it away. "No honey, leave that there, it's helping you breathe" he explained. She looked at him knowingly. The door swung open and Buffy's doctor, Dr Campbell walked in. He looked at Buffy and saw her awake, he looked surprised.
"Has she just woken Mr Harris?"
"Yeah, a few seconds ago."
With that the doctor stepped over to Buffy and took her pulse and examined her. He wrote a few notes and asked some more questions of Xander. Buffy said nothing and looked straight ahead of her the whole time. The doctors exited promising to come back soon.
Chapter 3
Buffy didn't know what to say. Or even if she could speak, her mouth was so dry. She made the drinky-drinky sign to Xander to signal for some water. After three attempts he got what she meant and he passed her some water. She took one sip and passed the glass back to him. He looked at her and then finally said, "God, Buff, you scared me"
"Sorry" was her answer. But he looked relieved just to hear her speak.
It was a strange feeling, it felt like she hadn't spoken for weeks. It can't be that long she thought. "What day is it?" she asked.
"Sunday" he replied, "Sunday, 6th October, Buff"
"How?"
"Do you remember what happened?"
"No, not really."
"Okay, well I guess you've worked out you been in a coma for 6 weeks, Buffster..........I've missed you"
"Coma?"
"Yeah"
"Where's Dawn?"
"She's fine...she stayed with Willow last night"
"What happened Xan?"
"You don't remember anything?"
"No, I already told you"
"Okay, one Tuesday night about six weeks ago you went on patrol... you were chasing two Mancrelln demons, they were big and had skewer things for arms. I stayed home with Dawn, to help her with her homework. Anyway, you went after them, you were in Wetherly Park. You must have caught up with them because when I found you they were..." he explained.
"You found me?" she asked
"Yeah, anyway you'd killed them because one was lying dead around the corner and the other was right next to you. You were all twisted up, you were unconscious and you had your left foot through a bench and they'd skewered you through the chest."
Buffy put her hand to her chest and said, "Where?"
"Just here" he pointed to just above her heart.
" I brought you here, you weren't breathing, you'd lost a lot of blood, you broke your leg and they had to do an operation to pin you leg and stop the bleeding. They also thought you'd had a bang on the head somewhere."
"Ouch" she smiled faintly.
"Yeah, Ouch"
She looked pale and tired. She laid her head to one side. Xander relaxed in his chair for the first time in weeks. "I'll go and call Dawn and Wills," he stated.
Chapter 4
"Dawn!...Dawn!" Willow called the sleepy teen.
"Come on Dawn, wake up sleepy head!" She repeated.
"Its Buffy, she's awake, come on"
"Okay, Okay,... wait, you serious?"
"Hey Buff, I'm back" Xander said as he came through the door. But Buffy was asleep so there was no reply. He looked a little disappointed but went to sit down with his coffee. As he sat down she stirred but did not wake. Dawn and Willow opened the door and walked into room three. Buffy was laying asleep and Xander was watching her. "I thought you said she was awake" Dawn said angrily. "She was" Xander stated, "Be quiet, she's sleeping"
"Oh"
Dawn and Willow took a seat to the right of Buffy. As she pulled the chair along the ground Dawn scraped the floor loudly. "Dawn!" Willow and Xander scolded simultaneously. Buffy stirred and then slowly opened her eyes. "Hey" she said to Dawn and Willow. They both looked relieved and Dawn went to hug Buffy. They held each other for an eternity. A tear crept into the corner of Buffy's eye and she pulled away. She looked around at her best friend, sister and boyfriend and suddenly felt the urge to cry. As she wept they tried to comfort her but she was simply overwhelmed by the situation. Xander got up and sat on the edge of her bed. He just held her while she sobbed. She didn't know exactly why she was crying but it felt good all the same. It just seemed too much to take in.
Time passed and the three of them chatted and Buffy sat and listened. They told her about work, college and school. They brought her pizza and she ate it feverishly. The nurses came in and removed the IVs. They asked for a wheelchair and Xander helped Buffy put some pyjamas on and the four of them went outside into the hospital gardens. Buffy seemed to cheer up somewhat and by the time it was time to go back she was relatively happy. They settled her down for the night and the three of them left feeling a great weight had been lifted off their shoulders.
The next morning Xander had to go into work so Willow came down to the hospital. Buffy and Willow talked about all of the gossip and Willow brought magazines for Buffy to read when they weren't there. The doctors took Buffy for a head scan and told her that her leg needed to be in plaster for another two weeks. They promised that she could go home tomorrow if the scan was fine. They sent for the Physio and she came with a pair of crutches for Buffy to try. They were the old fashioned wooden kind and at first Buffy was really struggling to string together a few steps. She felt helpless. Willow helped her along by encouraging her and eventually her slayer instincts kicked in and she really got the hang of it. By the late afternoon the doctors were coming around the ward and when they arrived at Buffy's room they informed her that her head scan was fine. She slept really peacefully that night knowing that she could go home in the morning.
Chapter 5
The car pulled up outside 1630 Revello at approximately three PM. Buffy sat in the passenger seat and Xander had driven. On the way home they picked up Xander's overnight bag from his apartment as he was going to stay a few nights to help out around the house. Xander hauled their bags out of the trunk and carried them to the doorstep. He went bag to the car and passed Buffy her crutches and she hopped to the front door. And pinned to the front door was a scruffy note, "Back in half an hour", in Dawn's scruffy handwriting. "Charming" Buffy said as she ripped the note from its pin. They walked through the hallway and into the kitchen. Xander set the bags down at the bottom of the stairs. "Drink?" he asked.
"Yeah, OJ, thanks", She went into the living room and nearly had a heart attack. Dawn and Willow jumped out from behind the sofa and presented her with a "Welcome Home Puffy" cake. They hugged and sat down. Dawn and Willow were wearing party hats and had streamers wrapped around their necks. "Welcome Home Puffy?" Buffy read off the cake. "
"Sorry the bakers got it wrong!" Willow explained.
"That's okay, as long as you don't start calling me Puffy!" Buffy joked to a smiling Willow. Xander came through into the room and passed Buffy a knife to cut the cake with. He also brought three glasses and a cheap imitation bottle of champagne. For Dawn he brought a Coke. He poured the champagne and passed the glasses around. "To Buffy, my wonderful girlfriend!" he toasted.
"To Buffy" Dawn and Willow agreed. And Buffy just blushed.
Chapter 6
Buffy sat on her bed and combed her hair. Xander was in the shower and Dawn and Willow were clearing up downstairs. The phone rang and Buffy heard it ring three times before someone picked it up. "Buffy?" Dawn called, "Phone!"
"Can you bring it here Dawn?"
There were several hard clumping footsteps on the stairs and then Dawn appeared around the bedroom door. She passed Buffy the phone and then made a quick exit. "Hello?" Buffy said
"Hello Buffy" said the voice of an older man. His accent gave him away and Buffy immediately knew whom she was speaking to. "Giles!" she exclaimed.
"How are you Buffy?" he asked
"Just a few scratches" she lied, "What have you been up to?" she asked him.
"Nothing that interests you, I'm sure.....When did you wake up Buffy?.......Willow was a bit sketchy on the details"
"Sunday morning, I talked to Xander and he told me what happened but I don't remember any of it really, something I'm not too disappointed about"
"You're okay though aren't you?"
"I think so... yeah I'm fine"
" I came to see you when you were first in the coma, you scared me, we thought we were gonna lose you again, you were black and blue"
"Sorry"
"Buffy I have to go but I'll call you again soon, ring if you need me"
"Bye Giles"
"Good Bye Buffy"
Buffy put the phone down and she could hear Xander stepping out of the shower. The door opened and Xander emerged wearing nothing but a towel around his middle. He walked to the bed and sat with Buffy. She laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He was hot and sweaty from the shower. "I love you" he whispered in her ear. She looked up at him and smiled. "Love you too" she mouthed at him.
That evening Buffy went to bed really early as she was exhausted. Dawn slept at Willow's new apartment down in Hadley and Xander slept by Buffy's side. Except he didn't really do much sleeping. Mostly he just thought about things, he even thought about thinking.
The next morning Xander and Buffy slept in. It was about 11:30 before Xander rose and Buffy followed him shortly afterwards. Buffy struggled down the stairs to find Xander in the throes of making breakfast.
"Waffles or pancakes?" he asked.
"Pancakes please, you don't have to spoil me you know, just cause I nearly croaked again" she joked.
"I'm not. I wanted to make breakfast for me, I'm just making some for you at the same time"
"Oh"
"Joking, Buff, I do have to spoil you, its customary I'm sure"
"Hey! That was a little bit of Anya coming out!"
"Was not"
"I don't care, you quote your ex anytime you feel like it"
"I will do then"
He went to pour the freshly brewed coffee. Its aroma was circulating around the room. They sat and drank. The he made the pancakes and poured the mixture into the hot pan. All of a sudden Buffy piped up, "Can we go shopping?"
Xander didn't answer and continued to make lots and lots of pancakes as he was a very hungry man. She tried again, "Xan, Can we go shopping later?"
This time he answered immediately, "How about ring shopping?"
"What?" she looked confused.
"Buff, Will you marry me?"
"Again, what?"
"Not the answer I was looking for"
"Yes, yes I will", she smiled a smile a mile wide. He grinned that silly Xander grin and grabbed her, he lifted her off the floor and swung he around the kitchen. "What was that for?" she asked.
"I just realised how much I need you"
"I meant the swinging around thingy, idiot"
"Oh, I thought it'd look good, I saw it in the movies" he said honestly.
"You're so strange you know"
"Shut up and kiss me"
She dropped her clutches with a loud clatter and wrapped her arms around his neck. Their lips met and they kissed deeply. They wrestled for control. Eventually they parted. Their lips glistened and they stared each other in the eyes. Buffy still had her arms around Xander's neck. She stood there. Balanced on one leg. Xander looked down on her. "Uh, Buff, your pancakes are burning"
"Pass me my crutches then doofus"
"Oh right"
He helped her to the kitchen units and bent down to pick her crutches up for her. He passed them to her and then said "Breakfast, then shopping"
Chapter 7
The mall was located to the west of Sunnydale. It was reasonably large and modern. It had a few designer stores but the others were just smaller chains. There was however one particular jewellers that Buffy had in mind. This was of course unknown to Xander. J.B. Lockwells was the most expensive jewellers in the smallish town that was Sunny-D. Buffy made a bee-line for it and Xander never knew quite what hit him. On the outside it looked like a conventional jewellers, on the inside however the store was full of the most ornate god jewellery you'd ever seen. The store seemed to pack hundreds of trays of fine crafted metals into a relatively small space. They perused the trays of rings and finally asked the assistant if she had any trays of engagement rings. She pulled out a tray of fine rings with a variety of different coloured stones. "Which d'ya like best hon?" Xander asked.
"I think I like that one best" she pointed to a traditional style ring. Gold, with a row of seven tiny diamonds embedded across the top. "Can we try that one please?" Xander asked. The assistant measured Buffy's finger and then went into the beack room to fetch the right sized ring. "I'm not sure if they do men's rings here" Buffy said. "Why d'ya want a man's ring? Ya fingers ain't that big"
"For you dopey"
"And why do I want a ring?"
"If I get an engagement ring, so do you"
"Buff, the man doesn't have an engagement ring!"
"You are, this isn't a normal relationship"
"Your telling me"
"Shut up and stop arguing"
Buffy liked the ring and Xander bought it for her. The shop sold men's rings and after much argument Xander chose a plain white gold band and he chose to have BX engraved on it in ornate letters.
Chapter 8
Dawn and Willow also slept in that morning, they went out for breakfast and went over to Buffy and Dawn's place about half one. They knocked on the front door and waited for an eternity. Eventually Dawn reached down and felt around a small plant pot and then moved away some gravel to reveal a pink pig key chain with a small Yale key attached. She inserted it into the lock and they let themselves in. "How come I didn't know about the key?" Willow asked slightly offended. "Even Buffy doesn't know about the key!" Dawn exclaimed leaving Willow looking slightly puzzled. "Hello..." Dawn called out. No answer. She ran upstairs and checked the bedrooms. No-one there. "They aren't here" she shouted to Willow. Brilliant Willow thought. "Come on Dawn, we have to hurry"
They began hauling three large suitcases through the door and into the cupboard under the stairs. They went out to the car and pulled open the passenger door and Giles hopped out and asked, "All clear?"
"Yeah, come on" Willow answered.
Giles hurried through the door and sat calmly in the living room. Willow and Dawn were fidgety and Willow offered Giles around twenty different kinds of tea. He kindly declined all offers and they just chatted for a while.
"Hurry up" Buffy joked. Xander was carrying what seemed like one hundred bags laden with Buffy and Xander's entire summer wardrobe. "Why don't I come back for some of these?" Xander suggested.
"K, but hurry up" she teased him again.
"Hate to break it to ya but ya not exactly Speedy Gonzalez on those things are ya Buff!" He said as he caught her up. "Hang on Buff, just one thing!"
"What's that?"
"This" he said as he produced a blindfold from his left jeans pocket. "Close your eyes" She did as he commanded and he swiftly covered her eyes. He knocked on the door six times and slowly it creaked open. Buffy felt a strong hand guide her forward and then left a few steps. "Hey Xan, this better not be one of those kinky sex games" she joked. No answer. She could hear rustling paper. "Feeling like a lemon here!" And with that he de-blindfolded her. Buffy opened her eyes and was immediately greeted by Giles and then a Giles-hug and then party poppers. They smiled at each other and then stepped back. "Wow" Buffy said and then she read the banners Happy Engagement . The connections in her brain clicked together and she realised Xander had planned it all and even had Giles fly over. "How did you know I'd say yes?" she questioned him. "Had a feeling" was all Xander would say. Willow brought through some glasses of punch and they all drank into oblivion. Apart from Dawn of course.
Chapter 9
** 10 Months Later**
"Jesus Buffy, you're getting huge" Willow exclaimed.
"Thanks" Buffy replied sarcastically.
Willow and Buffy had gone shopping. It was August and the mall was air-conditioned so it was probably the best place for the highly irritable Buffy to be. She was of course also a mother to be and was definitely not enjoying the being pregnant thing. God knows what she'll be like at 9 months an exasperated Willow thought.
Buffy was 7 months pregnant and had finally decided to buy some maternity clothes. Willow being the best friend found herself having to help. Everything was of course too frilly, too frumpy or too motherly for Buffy's tastes. Eventually they went to sit down for a coffee with Buffy having bought only two pairs of sandals for the beach which the Scoobies planned to visit in Sunday.
"We're home" Buffy shouted as the two young women sat down on the sofa in Buffy and Xander's new apartment. It was mainly open plan with 3 bedrooms, a kitchen, two bathrooms and a large living room. Buffy enjoyed living there with Xander and Dawn and she liked everything being "all new and shiny". They'd moved in 5 weeks ago and with Sunnydale's remarkably cheap property prices had managed to find something well within their budget. With that and Xander's frequent promotions they'd managed to buy a brand new Ford Focus as well.
"Buffy, I'm gonna have to go" Willow stated.
"Okay, thanks for coming Will"
Willow left and Buffy was alone in the apartment. She tried to get comfortable but couldn't so she went into the bedroom. She put her bag down and went to fetch a comb for her hair. A hand grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her through into the hallway. She assumed it was Xander but then she smelt a familiar cologne and realised she could hear no footsteps or breathing. Angel. She looked up and saw Angel, he had his finger across his lips to quieten her. "Buffy" he whispered "I need a specific book, but I can't be seen getting it, nor can any of my people, so I need you to do it"
"Hi Buffy, nice to see you, how are you? Sorry for sneaking up on you" she said sarcastically.
"Yeah sorry" he said hurriedly.
"Very sincere"
"What's up with you today Buffy?"
"How'd you know I lived here?" she avoided his question.
"I have my sources" He looked down.
"Buffy, you're pregnant?" He asked although he could see he answer.
"Genius aren't ya?"
"Who's the father?"
"Xander"
"Very funny, seriously who is it?"
"Xander"
"You serious? You're really telling me this is Xander's baby"
"Angel, Xander is my fiancé" She waved her ring in front of his eyes and he looked slightly taken aback. "Oh sorry, I didn't mean nothing Buffy"
She grinned and he visibly relaxed.
"So what's all the mystery for?" She asked.
"Well I had to get you in the hallway because there are windows every damn place in this apartment!"
"Oh right, that's why we chose it"
Angel explained what he needed to Buffy and said he knew their was a copy in the Magic Box. Buffy reluctantly agreed to fetch it for him.
It was raining and Buffy got totally soaked on her way to and from the Magic Box. The book was hidden in one of the back rooms in their private collection. Buffy noted to herself that she needed to ask Angel to return the book. On the way back to the apartment she met up with Xander. He was on his way back from a meeting at work. She explained the Angel situation.
"Angel" Buffy called when they were back at the apartment. "Deadboy" Xander chimed in. Angel revealed himself from around a dark corner in the kitchen. Buffy handed him the book, "The Killings of Arajagorn" which was rather heavy and they said their goodbyes. Xander was however clearly annoyed that Angel had kissed Buffy on the cheek. He went and lay down on their bed. Buffy came up next to him and stroked his floppy hair off his face. He ignored her and turned away. She lent over him and kissed him on the cheek. Then grabbed his hand and pulled him onto his other side. She put his hand on her stomach and said simply, "It just kicked". Immediately Xander's attention was caught and his eye fixated on her rotund stomach. She felt his hand roll over her and she placed her hand on top of his. Simultaneously they smiled. "It didn't mean anything" she stated simply.
"I know, and I trust you, but it just reminds me of before"
He looked unsteady or unsure of his words. She re-assured him by laying her head on his chest and saying "If it helps I bit his head off earlier"
"Cool" was all he said.
"Xander, you ready?" Buffy called.
"Yeah" he said as he came out of the bedroom and into the living room. They picked up their bags and went on to the hospital. The journey wasn't long and it was really warm outside so Buffy enjoyed the journey. They were both happy and relaxed. Xander pulled up on the left hand side of the road and into a small parking bay. Their appointment was at 5:30 and they were on time. They walked calmly into the maternity unit and took a seat in the appropriate waiting room. Buffy was booked in for an ultrasound scan and for some bizarre reason Xander was unusually excited about it. He always insisted the baby had his nose although how he could tell was nobodies business. To Buffy it was just a series of white blurs. They were called through 5 minutes late and the nurse squirted the jelly onto Buffy's stomach. The nurse took a few shots and printed them off for them. "I'm just going to fetch a doctor" she stated plainly, "Nothing to worry about". Xander and Buffy looked at each other a look of confusion on both of their faces. They said nothing and just held each others hand tightly. After a lifetime and a half a doctor in a white coat came in followed by the nurse from earlier. The doctor looked at the scan and then nodded. He cleared his throat, "Well, Miss Summers, Mr Harris, this may be a bit of a shock, but you're having two babies"
Xander and Buffy looked at each other wide eyed. "We'll give you a bit of time to talk about it and then we'll come back and answer any questions you may have" the doctor said. The doctor and the nurse then promptly left.
"Wow" Xander said.
"You and your over-eager sperm" Buffy exclaimed. "I hate you", she followed, "Why us?"
She was freaking out, big time.
"Xander, I can't have two babies, I don't know how to look after one let alone two", then, "Oh fuck".
Xander was however reasonably calm. "It'll be okay, we'll be fine"
"No Xander we will be very not fine"
"Yes we will"
"You don't get it, I'm just not gonna have two babies"
"Like it or not you are, Buff. You can chose to go to pieces though, or you can be Buffy, the Buffy I know, and be strong and just cope, you'll be a great mom"
A tear was in the corner of her eye and it began to creep down her cheek. He wiped it away with his thumb and kissed her softly on the lips. "I love you" he said tenderly. She looked up and said "I love you too, but I'm still having you castrated" He smiled.
Chapter 10
**1 Month Later**
"Xander, I can't put up with this anymore" Dawn whined. Xander had just picked her up from school and they were on their way to pick up Willow and then onto Buffy and Xander's place where Giles was helping Buffy to prepare a meal for the five of them. Giles had been helping to entertain Buffy since she'd gone on maternity leave. She was constantly restless and always wanting to be active, so cooking was just one of Buffy and Giles' many activities. "You'll just have to for a couple more weeks" Xander replied.
"She's either breathing down my neck or trying to mother me senseless, it's just really annoying."
"I know but she can't help it, believe it or not she's trying to be nice when she does that, it's just hormones". They pulled up and up and Dawn went to knock for Willow. After a few seconds Willow was at the door and they both clambered into the car. It was only a short journey from Willow's to the apartment. They got out of the car and went up to the third floor in the elevator. Xander slotted his key into the lock and opened the door.
Only he wasn't greeted by a lovely smelling dinner but rather by a cloud of grey smoke and a rather flustered Buffy and Giles. They were coughing and trying desperately to get a roast chicken out of the oven. And well roasted it was, you could even call it blackened. Xander, Dawn and Willow walked in. "What the hell?" Xander asked. No reply. He helped get the chicken out of the oven and Willow got the potatoes which had boiled dry off the hob. "Dawn, open the window", Xander said. The smoke began to clear and they could just about see 10 feet in front of them. "Giles! I thought you could cook?" Buffy exclaimed.
"Its this new fangled kitchen" he said blushing. Xander, Dawn and Willow surveyed the situation and simultaneously burst out laughing. Buffy and Giles were both blackened and wearing bright pink aprons. They looked utterly hilarious. Buffy and Giles looked at each other and then joined in the laughter. All of a sudden Buffy stopped. She looked up and said "uh oh".
"What?" Said Xander.
"I think my water just broke"
Chapter 11
"Xander! Slow down". Xander was panicked. He'd been okay until they'd reached the car but now 1000 things were racing through his brain and he really wasn't thinking about his driving. He did however reply by slowing down when Buffy asked. They arrived at the maternity unit and were taken to their room. The doctors examined Buffy and said they'd come back in a while when she was nearer to having the babies.
**10 Hours Later**
"Come on Buffy" Xander urged her on. "I am" She was getting agitated now.
"Remember your breathing Buff"
"One more and we'll have baby one", the midwife said.
Buffy pushed with all her strength and was rewarded with the cry of her baby. All of a sudden there was movement all around the room. The midwife told them "it's a boy". Buffy and Xander smiled. Xander took a wet cloth a gently wiped her forehead for her. For a minute it seemed like there was just the two of them in the room. They were interrupted by a nurse saying "We'll just weigh and tag him"
"Is he okay?" Buffy asked meekly. "Yeah he's fine, we're gonna need you to start pushing again when you're ready"
**Some Time Later **
"Its another boy" the midwife shouted. Buffy and Xander smiled. A tear came into the corner of Buffy's eye and before long she was sobbing. Someone passed her her first son and she looked at him adoringly. Xander held their second son. Buffy noticed a tear forming in the corner of his eye too, he wiped it away quickly and tried to deny it but he was overwhelmed. Both boys had a shock of black Xander style hair. They were tiny and Buffy and Xander held them next to each other. "Are they identical?" Xander asked he doctor. "Yes" came the reply. Xander smiled.
The wait was eternal. Or so Giles, Willow and Dawn thought. They were waiting in the hallway outside the delivery room where Buffy and Xander were having the twins. The door burst open and Xander emerged with a goofy grin spread across his face. "Two boys" he stated. Willow got up and hugged him, Giles followed and Dawn just said "Cool". With that Xander rushed back into the room. Soon afterwards the three of them watched as the medical team filed out leaving Buffy and Xander alone with the babies for the first time.
Buffy was still sobbing. Happy sobs though. She was smiling at the same time. She was now holding both babies. One in each arm. Baby Harris 1 and Baby Harris 2 as they had been dubbed were sleeping peacefully. A porter came in and wheeled Buffy's bed into a more comfortable room. The babies followed in their cribs along with their father. Then there was a knock on the heavy wooden door. "Come in" Xander said and the three musketeers appeared from around the corner. Their balloons read New Baby and It's a Boy! There were two of each. They all cooed over the babies and then went over to see Buffy. She hugged them all and Giles gave her a kiss on the cheek and then he blushed. "They're beautiful" he said to her. Dawn sat on the edge of the bed. "So I'm an aunt now?" she asked.
"Yep" Buffy answered.
"That's cool"
"And Willows an aunt too, and Giles can be Grandpa!"
"You really think I'm old enough to be a Grandpa?" Giles asked pretending to be offended.
"Well you had sex with my mother so I'm going for yes!" she teased.
"I see becoming a mum hasn't made you lose any of your wit"
"Nope"
"Thought of any names?" Willow asked.
"Hadn't really thought about it."
"Ok"
Shortly after the three of them left, Buffy and Xander were alone again. The nurse came in and asked if they had thought of any names yet. They said no. "What names d'ya like Xan?"
"Something that is nothing we've killed"
"Okay that narrows it down a lot"
"What were ya thinking of Buff?"
"Angel and Spike" she teased.
"Okay" The look on her face was priceless. Xander loved calling her bluff like that, she never knew whether he was serious; it was one of the advantages of being a Xander. "Seriously Xan, what d'ya like?"
"Did ya kill anyone called Sam?"
"No, not that I can remember, number 1 could be Sam?" she asked.
"I like it"
"Sam Alexander Harris, I like it too." They'd agreed to give the boys middle names after Xander and Giles.
"What about number 2?" Xander asked.
"I've always liked James?"
"No way, that's horrible, I like Luke"
"Shut up, and duh, first vamp I got in Sunny-D; anyway Luke that's like way ugly"
"What about Harvey?"
"Yeah, I like it, Harvey Giles Harris"
"I'm gonna go fill in those birth certificates"
"K"
Chapter 12
**2 Days Later**
Xander was driving to the hospital. He was on his way to pick up Buffy and the boys. He was really ecstatic at the thought of bringing his sons home. He pulled up outside the hospital and went to fetch them.
After filling in a few forms they all arrived back at the car with the babies in their brand new 'Winnie the Pooh' car seats. They put the seats in the back of the car, Sam on the left and Harvey on the right.
They arrived back at the apartment 20 minutes later. They all walked up to the door when Xander announced "I have a surprise for you"
"Cool, what is it?"
"You'll see, it wouldn't be a surprise if I told you"
They walked through the door and Xander guided her through into the spare room which was now baby blue with two hand crafted crib, one on each side of the room. There were also two baby sized wardrobes and a heap of baby toys they'd bought a few weeks earlier. Xander had said he'd handle all of the babies furniture but she'd never expected him to build it himself. She was thrilled she put down the babies carriers and hugged him.
Chapter 13
** 6 Months Later **
"No, no, don't go into the bathroom" Dawn yelled at Buffy.
"Why?"
"Xander's in there!"
"So?"
"You can't see him on your wedding day"
"I already told you we're not going in for all that traditional stuff - Xander you done in there?"
"Yeah, I'm done" Xander replied.
He walked out of the bathroom and let Buffy in. He was wearing a brand new tux and he looked stunning. Buffy however wasn't remotely ready. She'd been too busy getting Sam and Harvey ready but now she'd handed them over to Willow to look after. She was now in the full throes of getting ready. She had done her hair an make-up but now had to figure out how to get into her expensive cream dress without getting make-up all over it. A few minutes later she'd managed to slip it on successfully. She had Willow's old, blue and borrowed bracelet on and she had new earrings on so she'd covered all bases. She was now just about ready.
"Dawn" she called.
"Yeah"
"Have you got Xander's ring?"
"Yeah, it's right here" Dawn showed Buffy the ring.
"The cars here" Willow called from down the hallway.
The music began to play as Xander waited for Buffy. He looked around the smallish hall. The vicar was standing just in front of him and there was a few rows of chairs behind. It was a small wedding but that was the way they wanted it. Willow and Dawn were bridesmaids and Giles was going to give Buffy away, Xander's best friend from work, Jay, was going to be Xander's best man. There were about 20 guests including Wesley and Cordelia (and Angel was coming to the reception afterwards) and apart from that it was mainly Buffy's family. Xander's mother and father had gone on a cruise around the Caribbean but Xander clearly didn't mind that much. The hall was decorated in ribbon and there were flowers everywhere in the cream they'd chosen. Xander heard everyone turn around as Buffy and Giles arrived; he turned around. Xander went into a dream as he saw he walk down the aisle towards him. Before he knew it she was standing next to him. They held hands and looked into each others eyes.
The ceremony went by in a big blur for both Xander and Buffy. Outside the hall they had some photographs taken and then they went back to their apartment with everyone in tow. When they arrived they let everyone in and turned the cd player on. Buffy put Sam and Harvey to bed and then joined the party. They opened the champagne and there was a hard knock at the door. Xander opened it and greeted Angel: "Come in!"
Buffy and Xander lay on their bed. Everyone had gone home and they were thinking about married life. Buffy was excited and Xander was slightly drunk on champagne.
"Xan?"
"Yeah?"
"Can we have some hot lovin' now?"
"Yeah, okay hon"
Epilogue
And they all lived happily ever after.