Q & A #43
"Mommy!" Meredith wrapped her arms around her mother, as she came through the door with her father. "How are you?"
"I'm fine, honey. I'm just going to go up and lie down." She kissed her daughter's head. "I'm fine. Auntie Dawn upstairs?" Meredith nodded.
"I'll be up in a minute." Spike took his daughter's hand and lead her into the living room, taking her into the living room and sitting her on the couch. "The doctor says mommy's going to be just fine."
"And baby?" Meredith asked.
"Baby is fine too. Mommy has to get more rest, and avoid stress."
"What's strest?" Meredith snuggled against her father's chest.
"Stress is when you worry too much about something. Mommy was worried. We have to help her not be worried. And you can help too." He held her tight. "Auntie Willow told us some things. Now, she was wrong to tell you not to tell us. You know you can tell us anything. But I know why she did it." He held his daughter away from his chest, and looked into her eyes. "The things you do, your special gifts, you are not to tell anyone about except for your family. You are not to read people, and you are not to move things with your mind. Do you understand?"
"I think so." Meredith started to cry. "Did I hurt baby?"
"No." He held her against him. "Oh, no, sweetheart. Mommy was just having trouble dealing with some things. It wasn't your fault. And I told you, baby is okay." He stroked her hair. "Don't worry. A few things will be different, though. Mommy is going to stay home at night with you, and daddy is going to go out to work until after the baby comes. Auntie Willow, Uncle Xander and Auntie Dawn are all going to help. I won't be able to play with you quite as much, but Mommy will be with you more. Is that okay?"
She nodded. "Am I bad, Daddy?"
"No, sweet darling. You're just you. You're my good little girl. But until we figure out what to do, we can't have anyone else finding out your special gifts."
"Are you still going to marry Mommy? 'Cause I have a pretty dress."
He smiled. "Of course I'm going to marry Mommy. And our friends will come and watch. It will be a special day."
"Who will come?"
"Let's see." He shifted her weight on his lap, holding her hand as he counted on her fingers. "Auntie Dawn. Auntie Willow. Uncle Xander. Auntie Sophie. Uncle Clem ..."
"Nigel?" she asked brightly.
"We're going to invite Uncle Giles and Auntie Anya, but England is a long way. Don't be disappointed if they can't come. I think that's it. And the minister."
She looked down at her fingers and realized a few hadn't been used. "What about Uncle Riley and Auntie Sam?"
"That's a good question. If they aren't invited they'll think something's up, but if they are ... I don't know, pet. But I think not." He sat her beside him and stood up. "Let's go see Mommy. I'm sure she could use a cuddle about now."
Meredith took his hand. "Okay."
"Mommy!" Meredith wrapped her arms around her mother, as she came through the door with her father. "How are you?"
"I'm fine, honey. I'm just going to go up and lie down." She kissed her daughter's head. "I'm fine. Auntie Dawn upstairs?" Meredith nodded.
"I'll be up in a minute." Spike took his daughter's hand and lead her into the living room, taking her into the living room and sitting her on the couch. "The doctor says mommy's going to be just fine."
"And baby?" Meredith asked.
"Baby is fine too. Mommy has to get more rest, and avoid stress."
"What's strest?" Meredith snuggled against her father's chest.
"Stress is when you worry too much about something. Mommy was worried. We have to help her not be worried. And you can help too." He held her tight. "Auntie Willow told us some things. Now, she was wrong to tell you not to tell us. You know you can tell us anything. But I know why she did it." He held his daughter away from his chest, and looked into her eyes. "The things you do, your special gifts, you are not to tell anyone about except for your family. You are not to read people, and you are not to move things with your mind. Do you understand?"
"I think so." Meredith started to cry. "Did I hurt baby?"
"No." He held her against him. "Oh, no, sweetheart. Mommy was just having trouble dealing with some things. It wasn't your fault. And I told you, baby is okay." He stroked her hair. "Don't worry. A few things will be different, though. Mommy is going to stay home at night with you, and daddy is going to go out to work until after the baby comes. Auntie Willow, Uncle Xander and Auntie Dawn are all going to help. I won't be able to play with you quite as much, but Mommy will be with you more. Is that okay?"
She nodded. "Am I bad, Daddy?"
"No, sweet darling. You're just you. You're my good little girl. But until we figure out what to do, we can't have anyone else finding out your special gifts."
"Are you still going to marry Mommy? 'Cause I have a pretty dress."
He smiled. "Of course I'm going to marry Mommy. And our friends will come and watch. It will be a special day."
"Who will come?"
"Let's see." He shifted her weight on his lap, holding her hand as he counted on her fingers. "Auntie Dawn. Auntie Willow. Uncle Xander. Auntie Sophie. Uncle Clem ..."
"Nigel?" she asked brightly.
"We're going to invite Uncle Giles and Auntie Anya, but England is a long way. Don't be disappointed if they can't come. I think that's it. And the minister."
She looked down at her fingers and realized a few hadn't been used. "What about Uncle Riley and Auntie Sam?"
"That's a good question. If they aren't invited they'll think something's up, but if they are ... I don't know, pet. But I think not." He sat her beside him and stood up. "Let's go see Mommy. I'm sure she could use a cuddle about now."
Meredith took his hand. "Okay."