2 months later they arrived on Earth to great fanfare and media exposure. It seemed like the fascination with the Captain's wife didn't go away, much to Buffy's displeasure. There were articles on spouses in space, and the pros and cons. Then because of her pregnancy there were articles about children on ships in space, conveniently ignoring that cargo ship's were being run by 3rd generation spacefarers, most having been born in space like Travis.
Buffy was lying on the floor of their bedroom, her feet up on the bed. Their new puppy D'Artagnan was resting beside her. Porthos had died in their last months on board and broke Jon's heart. When they arrived back on Earth Admiral Forrest had brought the beagle puppy as a welcome home gift. Jon hadn't wanted to get close but the past couple of days had broken down his defenses and Buffy knew it was only a matter of time that before the pup would accompany him to the Starfleet offices.
Jon came in to the house tossing his cover on the chair in the foyer, smiling at the maid. "Hi Stacy, where's Buffy?"
The graying matronly maid smiled, already devoted to her charges, "She's up in your room. She's worked too hard today and is overtired."
The soon to be Admiral's face went still "Damn it. I told her to rest."
Stacy shrugged, "If you are able to keep track of her be my guest. Between her, that dog and the young woman I'm surprised I am still here." She grinned and he knew she was joking.
"Annie was here for training?"
"Yes, she and her hooligan friends just left." Annie was the new slayer that Buffy had discovered while walking their dog in the park just a week before. She had stopped to watch several kids horsing around in the park when a suddenly rambunctious boy knocked one of the girls into the tree with a loud crack. Cries of horror spurred Buffy to dash over and check the injured girl out, only to find her shaking it off and standing, a little dizzily, but completely fine. As soon as Buffy had touched her she knew that this girls was a Slayer.
No one knew why she had been called but Angel suspected a prophecy somewhere. Annie, the popular 15 year old with the lung capacity of an opera singer, was a regular at the Admiral's quarters. She would bring her group of friends and Buffy would train them all, ever mindful that her survival was because of her friends.
"Thanks Stacy."
Jon took the stairs two at a time up to their room, smiling as he watched the young beagle pup roll over on its back like a dead bug. He walked over to his wife who was sound asleep on the floor and frowned. There were dark circles under her eyes and she was pale with fatigue. He bent down, lifting her up with a grunt and laid her gently on their bed, smiling as she moaned and rolled towards him in her sleep. Her pregnancy was pronounced on her small bones, and as he watched he could see their son roll over. Jon bent over and rubbed her stomach gently, trying to put their son back to sleep when Buffy's eyes opened sleepily.
"You're home."
"Yes, and you are overdoing it Buffy. Do you want me to call Malcolm and have him keep an eye on you?"
Buffy yawned delicately and smiled at her irate husband, "You couldn't drag him from T'pol's side, but it was a creative threat."
He sighed and kissed her gently, "Please slow down, call one of the more experienced slayers to train Annie. I'm sure Angel can find you one."
Nodding she sighed, "I know, I can't see my feet and trying to decide on a name is keeping me awake."
"I still think Byron is nice." Jon said tentatively, masking a smirk at the snort from his wife.
"Ewww. Not." She shook her head, "The perfect name will come up, soon I hope."
Jon called Dr. Phlox, not trusting the Vulcan doctor who kept trying to visit. He didn't want her to feel like a science experiment, knowing the Vulcan was fascinated by Buffy's physiology.
Buffy was asleep again when Jon escorted the Doctor up to their room.
Dr. Phlox ran his scans and tsked quietly, "She is over tired Captain but the baby is just fine."
Jon grinned wryly, "I can't sit on her Doctor, what do you suggest?"
The Doctor looked at his Captain thoughtfully, "I could put her on bedrest, but she would need someone here at all times."
"Not." Buffy replied, her eyes snapping open.
"I'm sorry Buffy, if you do not slow down then you are putting yourself and your son at risk." The Doctor stated emphatically.
She frowned at Jon and nodded, "Ok, I promise I'll be good. But if I don't have something to do I'll go stir crazy."
Jon rallied his old crew to keep his fractious wife amused. The first visitor was a surprise.
Buffy was resting on one of the couches in the family room when Stacy came in, "Buffy, you have a visitor."
"Oh, Ok." Buffy said and smiled with delight as the distinguished Lieutenant Colonel walked in, dressed in casual clothes.
"Hayes!"
Hayes smiled and came over to give Buffy a kiss on her cheek before settling down on the couch beside her. "Hello Mrs. Archer, I hear that you've been a bad girl."
`"I hate sitting still." She grumbled.
"I thought as much, so I came to rescue you."
He got her out of the house for a drive and made her laugh, both of which she sorely needed. During the next week various crew members stopped in and Jon watched in satisfaction as the circles disappeared from under her eyes.
Angel helped as well by sending Buffy a special Watcher's Chronicle for her to read. Jon found her one evening, tears streaming down her face as she read the loving things that Giles had written about her.
"Buffy?" he asked in concern but she smiled.
"I want to be the best watcher that I can Jon." She vowed as he sat on the bed and checked out the title to the book she was reading.
"Can I read it?"
She nodded and over the next few nights he stayed up and read about Buffy's life through eyes of the man who loved her and raised her. It also opened his eyes at how busy his wife would be, both as a watcher, slayer and Admiral's wife. And a mother. If anyone could do it Buffy would.
