Thank you to bjred2002 for the praise. You always come through. HeHe

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Once Upon a Time: Part Three

Ashton relaxed in the family room of their new home. Well, a smaller home. After the twins moved out, the four-bedroom house just didn't make sense anymore. Not for just the two of them. A retired fireman and a part time professor of antiques.

The quiet town in Nevada was their home, so the move wasn't far. Only a few blocks from the house once again filled with children, only with a new family.

The man of his house, Ashton sat in the recliner and looked past the pages of the local paper to see the story done on him the day before. His retirement was big news for the area. He read again the words in print about the local hero when Sam came through the door, her hand filled with packages and bags.

"What did you do. Buy out all of the stores?" Ashton shook his head and folded the paper before helping her with her burden.

"When do we know the next time all of us will be getting together for Christmas?" Sam explained and handed him a few flat boxes. "Beside, that wife of David's insists on having a child every two years it seems."

They made their way to the small kitchen and piled the packages high on the table. "I do believe David is at least partially responsible." Ashton chuckled.

Sam's glare was not a laughing one when she walked back to the family room and out the door.

Ashton stood dumbfounded. "I was only jo-"

Sam came back in with another armful of packages. "Now really dear, this is too much." He said and watcher her drop the pile on the floor next to the table.

"It is not. I haven't had to use much of the money I make for this family. Let me spoil the kids while I still can." She sat with some effort on the time floor and began opening the bags. She made piles according to the intended recipient.

He watcher her as she set aside an item for this child and that, now many were adults, but it was true. They knew much of what would happen, and one thing both had noticed but never mentioned was the lack of description as to their family. Buffy had barely even mentioned Ashton.

Sam set aside a baby dress and booties outfit, then a pair of two users. On automatic, she made two new piles.

The boxes were slowly emptied and stacked aside to be used for wrapping, then the bags were folded and set aside for other uses later.

It wasn't until there were only two small plastic bags left that Sam realized how familiar it all felt from the days she prepared for her rounds in London. With a grin she emptied the last bags.

Ashton had just set himself up at the table. He'd gathered the Christmas wrapping paper. Designs of Santa and his reindeer, presents, and decorated trees had been printed on each in different colors. Of course he had tape and ribbons along with bows ready and waiting.

Sam checked over each of the dozen or so piles and smiled up to her husband. "Maybe I did over do it, slightly."

Both began laughing as they studied the myriad of items covering the floor.

Sam shook her head at herself. "Jus tone other thing." She pulled her purse from the table and opened the clasp to pull out several envelopes. "I'm still waiting to hear if Kenna will be able to get back home."

"That girl." He ran his fingers through his short and now, very gray hair. "If I'd known all those classes on communications would lead to her gallivanting hallway around the world, I never would have agreed to help her with the payments."

Oh, you don't mean that." Sam chastised and opened an envelope with unfamiliar, if not precise and tiny, handwriting. She glanced over the simple greeting card with a family riding in, of all things, a one horsed, open sleigh, before opening it and reading.

"Oh my god." She whispered to the paper in her hands.

Ashton's attention quickly changed. "What is it?" He leaned over her shoulder when she held the card for him to read. "Emerson? He's gone?"

Sam read over the words again. "Two weeks ago." She shook her head and felt tears well up in her eyes. "I can't believe. I know he wasn't young, but I never even thought about him, dying."

"I know." Ashton agreed and took her in his arm. They both sat on the floor surrounded by Christmas presents.

He'd never met the man, but Ashton knew what Crawford meant to his wife. The thing he didn't understand was who this Rupert was, or why he sent the letter.

"Oh." Sam said to the question. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and turned her face so she could look up at him. "Well, he's how I got your diary. He, well, he found me. He's a watcher."

"What!" Ashton couldn't believe his ears. "He's a what?"

"Now, don't be angry. He wasn't when he found me. And I'm not sure how much he knows. He just though I was a lost slayer."

Again Ashton just shook his head and blustered out. "What!"

Sam pushed herself off the floor and walked over the presents, careful of her steps. "Don't overreact, he was a boy. If he was going to 'out us', I think he would have by now." She held up the card. "And he wouldn't send us a card so we knew what was going on."

Ashton followed her to the family room. "Sam, I don't want those men to have any idea where we are. No this Rupert or any other."

"You don't get it. You don't understand."

"Sam, what if he decided he wants to make a big show, and turns you in? Then what?"

"He won't Ashton." She shook her head. "Don't you recognize the name? It's Rupert, Rupert Giles."

Ashton just looked at her confused.

"Buffy's watcher, Rupert Giles."

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Am unrolled the newspapers. Two were recent additions to the normal local subscription she usually had. Only in the last few months did she decide to add the other two daily presses to her reading routine, but it was time.

She flipped past the pages and ran her finger over the list of birth announcements for the L.A. area.

Down the list she went, then stopped and grinned wide. "Well, hello baby girl Summers, Buffy. Nice to see you've joined us." She clipped out the announcement and pulled out the photo album that she'd been saving, a black leather bound one, and carefully posted the announcement at the top of the first page, just below the announcement of baby girls Rosenberg, Willow of Sunnydale.

Over the years, the album grew to include names she was slowly able to put faces to. Harris, Alexander came a few months later. The clippings of use came slowly for the first dozen years or so. A fire at the neighbors of the Harris's started under strange circumstances. The odd picture of several children in tiny party hats watching caught her attention, and she easily picked out the redhead. She could only assume the boy smiling next to the girl was Xander.

Then there was an announcement for the cheerleaders of an L.A. High school that included the new roster. One Buffy A. Summers was crouched in the front row with pom poms on the ground in front of her and a broad smile that matched the other girls lined up wit her.

And then came another fire, but not in Sunnydale this time. The High School in L.A.

Sam cut the article out and held it on the page it would be adhered to before noting. "It's started."

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Sam stood in the hall of the stark hospital. Past the metal double doors with a tiny window in each at the end of the hall, was her husband. Somewhere, behind those doors, he was dying, and she could feel it in her bones.

The last two months had been hard. Only Stuart and Breanna had been able to get back enough to help. The other children were living all over the county, and the world. Now, Bree held her foster mother's hand and waited while Stuart tried to find some decent coffee.

Sam looked week, the foster son noted. He's never known her to be tired or unable to control her emotions. But this woman he'd seen today was only a shell of who he remembered raising him. And somehow he thought coffee would fix it.

Breanna on the other hand seemed to be handling the situation in stride. She held herself the way she'd been raised to, and supported the ones around her who couldn't at the moment. Right now that meant Sam.

By the time the balding doctor was walking towards them Stuart was done with his coffee, and Sam's. They watched the green pajama garbed man walk to them with no hint in his manor as to the outcome of the last heart surgery they thought that might save the former vampire.

Sam knew she was standing, but didn't remember giving her body the signal to do so.

"Mrs. Emerson?" The doctor asked, as though he hadn't met her ten times before this day, or three hours earlier this morning.

"Y-yes." She said and wrung her hands together.

"I'm very sorry." He began. "You husband began to bleed out. We did everything in our power to stop the bleeding, but-"

The doctor's voice continued. Sam heard the murmur of it in her head, and the voices of the children on either side of her asking questions. She nodded and said yes, but had no idea what she was agreeing to. And just wanted to see him. Just wanted to tell him one more time how much she loved him. Just wanted him to please, be alive.

Then it hit her. He couldn't be dead. There were promises. They were promised.

Her eyes began to lighten up. "But, he can't be." She said with a grin. She looked up to the doctor. "You're wrong, he can't be done. We have five more years. Four at the very least." She said with resolution.

The doctor had seen this before. Family unable to accept the truth. He laid a hand on the aged woman's shoulder. "I am sorry."

"Don't be. You didn't know." Sam accepted his apology not understanding it's meaning.

The doctor looked from the two children to the woman and back to Stuart. "I'll leave you to your mother. You'll need to make arrangements for your father."

Stuart nodded. "Thank you doctor."

The doctor walked away and the two foster children, now full grown, tried to guide their mother away, but Sam protested.

"No. We have to wait for Ashton."

Bree gave Stuart a scared look and glanced back to Sam. "He can't, he's gone Sam.

"No, you just don't understand what's going on." Sam looked sown to the girl sadly. "We have to have the power. It the way it works. The crystal.it has too.."

"Sam, it's alright." Stuart tried to soothe.

Sam stopped pulling away and looked ahead at the double doors again. "The crystal. that's the power." She shook her head at her rambling and looked back at her kids, and understood.

She was what was needed, only she would be taking the crystal to Sunnydale.

She blinked rapidly; her face was devoid of any expression. The only thing she could register was that Ashton was gone.

"Come on Sam, let me take you home." Bree offered.

Sam's face turned toward the voice, and when she recognized the face, everything hit her. All of those years, and the life she had. The life Ashton had. None of it should have happened.

They never should have had children, but they had a family, had a family on top of family.

She just nodded and let herself be lead through the hospital.

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Sam held the phone and continued clipping the Sunnydale newspaper. "Apparently there had been an investigation into some disappearances at a local fast food restaurant. A picture of the dining room showed a few of the workers, one being a familiar blonde Slayer.

"I know, Kenna. But coming back every few years isn't too much to ask for an old lady."

Sam glued the article to the pages of the album and closed the book before getting g up and checking the mail in the small box just outside the front door.

"I know, I know. You go where the stories are. When will you be retiring?" She giggled into the phone and went through the envelopes before stopping short at one marked Priority Delivery. Handwriting she'd seen only once looked back at her.

"Look, hun. I'm going to have to nag at you later." Sam tore the envelope open. "You too." And hung up the cordless phone before unfolding the letter.

Dear Samantha,

Something in me tells me you are not surprised to see this letter. I have done much research over the years pertaining to Akoshta. It seemed as though my Slayer could be involved and I have been preparing for this for several years.

What I ask of you now is a favor. If Buffy is to complete her destiny, she will need the guidance of someone in her position. This is not something I can provide, but you may be able to.

Please contact me as soon as possible at the enclosed number.

In hope, Rupert.

Sam set the short letter down, and picked up the phone once again.

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Sam looked over her home once more for any signs of what her life had been. The family photos were hidden away, as were her books specializing in her favorite subjects of study. It looked drab, but at least she still had the few paintings to brighten up the main room.

Again she went back into the kitchen and glared at the calendar. She still had months before she'd be the one travelling, but it was there. Looming. And now she was supposed to hold a conversation with a woman she knew, but couldn't even tell her she knew. It was all very dizzying.

Sam smoothed the hair of her bun back and for the first time in a long while, there wasn't pain in her shoulder when she raised her arm to do so.

She'd also noticed several wrinkles she'd grown accustomed to seeing were fading when she looked in the mirror. Some of the gray that had crept in her hair was becoming darker. She'd swear she was getting younger, even felt it.

The energy it took to pack her life's collection into boxes came to her easily after the letter from Rupert arrived. And now, she just waited, unsure of how many days would pass before Buffy would show up.

She didn't have to wait long.

Sam spun on her heal and stared at the door, suddenly extremely nervous when the knocking echoed in the family room.

"Well Sam, get a hold of yourself and let the girl in." She told herself and shook her hands before going to the front door and opening it.

Sam looked at Buffy, remembering her hair longer and her face brighter. This wasn't Buffy, at least not the Buffy she had met. "May I help you?" She asked as though she didn't recognize the petite blonde.

"Are you Samantha Emerson.... Formerly Samantha the Vampire Slayer?" Sam nodded.

"Buffy Summers?" the Sam asked. Buffy's jaw dropped and Sam couldn't help but smile. "Your Watcher said...he called me a few days ago." Sam lied and stepped aside to allow Buffy entrance.

Buffy came in and scanned the small simple room holding a couch, a television and a recliner with a small side table.

Sam motioned for Buffy to take a seat so she did, on the couch.

When the Salyer looked settled Sam settled into the recliner and looked at Buffy pointedly. "So Miss Summers, you are in love I hear?"

She watched Buffy open her mouth to answer, but she didn't seem to have anything to say, so Sam remembered what Buffy had said, or would say, to her. "I wondered...one Slayer to another...how confused are you?"

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Sam stood between Michelle and Xander. Willow and Tara were only slightly behind with Christian.

They could see into the shop by way of the back window by the door in the alley. "When do we go in?" Michelle asked.

The door flew open and several vampires streamed out of the door, all in game face and ready for a fight.

"I'd say not until we dust these guys, at the very least." Xander suggested with little sarcasm.

Sam lifted her sword. "I've been waiting for this for 60 years." She leered at the one of the vampires before stepping forward for the fight.

The vampires leapt toward the group and the frail began in earnest.

Xander swung his axe, taking out one vampire while Michelle took two with some effort.

Sam couldn't be any happier at this moment. She spun and kicked, punched and leapt to avoid hits. It all cam back to her, and she had missed it. The energy that came with the calling, the instinct that was ingrained.

The last vampire was hers, and before she could even enjoy the fight it was over. She turned with a gleam in her eye while she caught her breath. "Let's get them." And she led them through the door.

No questions asked the Scoobies here for the fight, followed.

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And that was "The Life and Time of Ashton and Sam", did it suck? If so, please move along. If not.. You have amazing taste. LoL