For the next five months, Buffy and Liam got happier, the scoobies went on with their lives without Buffy, and life went on. On the second day of February, Liam woke Buffy up and suggested an interesting idea.
"Come to Ireland. With me. To meet my family." Liam sat against the backboard, Buffy on his lap. He was smiling, but her smile seemed to slid off her face.
"Your family?" Buffy got up and walked around the bedroom, she started to pace. "I don't know, Liam. I mean isn't it kinda soon, it's hasn't even been 6 months..."
Liam got up, stopped Buffy, standing in front of her, and looked down into her eyes. "Buffy, I love you, you know that. And if I'm not mistaken, you love me..."
"I do."
"So, my family is just another step."
"Step where?"
"Well, I was going to wait, but..." Liam left Buffy for a moment, then came back and sat her on the bed. He then got down on his knees, and placed his hands on Buffy's knees. "From the moment I heard about you, I have been enticed by you. From the moment I saw you, I have loved you. Buffy Summers, will you marry me?" Liam produced a small black box from his pocket. As he opened it, Buffy gasped. Inside was a silver ring. The band, pure silver, three diamonds placed on the top.
"Omigod, Liam." Buffy gasped again.
"So is that a...?"
"Yes!" Buffy's eyes welled up with tears of joy, and she and Liam laughed together. They then...got happier.
"So, are you sure this is a good thing to do?" Buffy stopped walking. Buffy and Liam had just traveled 9 hours to Ireland to meet Liam's parents, and to tell them about their engagement. They had just arrived at Liam's parent's house in the country, and were walking up to the door now. Liam looked back at Buffy, then walked over to her.
"Buffy, stop worrying. They'll love you."
"How do you know?"
"Because I love you."
"Damn you and your talent for sweet talk." Buffy relented and the two started again towards the door.
"Nah, it's just my devilish good looks." Liam opened the door, and ushered Buffy in. He put down their bags in the hall, took Buffy's hand and walked up a pair of stairs. "Old people? Hey is anyone home?"
"Liam? Liam, my lord, is that you?" A petite, red headed woman hurried through the hall towards them, her face was bright with tears of joy. Liam let go of Buffy's hand, rushed to the woman, picked her up and spun her around.
"Mom. You look younger." The woman playfully slapped Liam as he put her down
"Oh, stop. You're just like your father, always teasing me."
"Don't lie Marinna, you love it." They all turned to see a brown haired, muscular middle-aged man, walking towards them. He and Liam embraced.
"It's good to see you pop."
"Don't look so bad you're self, boy." Liam's father turned and looked to Buffy. "Now, who's the little one? Surely, she's not with you. She's much to pretty."
Liam walked over to Buffy and slid his arm around Buffy's shoulders, and ushered her foreward. "Buffy, I'd like you to meet Leo and Marinna O'Malley, my parents. Mom, Dad, I'd like you to meet Buffy Summers, My fiancé."
"Well Buffy, you should know, Leo and I never thought this would happen." After an explosion of happiness from Liam's parents, the four of them had settled down in the living room to talk. "Our little Liam, he was quite the player. We never thought he'd settle down."
"Thanks Mom. You know if you don't scare her off, the others just might." Liam tightened his grip on Buffy's thigh.
"What others?" Buffy's face was alight with curiosity. Leo laughed.
"He means his brothers and sisters. They should be back at any minute."
"Where were they?" Liam's face relaxed a little. But before either of his parents could respond, a door slammed open somewhere in the house. A thundering of footsteps rang through out the house, and the four in the living room swiveled around and stared as two young men, two young women and two little girls walked into the living room.
"Hey! Mom, Pop, we're back..." The oldest, a model of his father grinned, but stopped talking as he saw Liam and Buffy. The others stopped walking with surprised but happy expressions on their faces. "Well, well, well. Little bro has finally crawled back home, and what's this, he brought a girl with him." Liam got up and the two approached each other, then hugged and grinned widely. The other siblings all ran to Liam and formed a huge hugging circle, he greeted each of them in turn. When they all finally broke apart, Liam brought forth the introductions.
"Buffy! This is Charlie, my oldest brother." He motioned to the first he hugged. "My second oldest brother, Nathan." He gestured to a red headed boy to his right. "This is Maria and this is Mena, my two younger sisters, they're twins is you couldn't tell." Liam looked at two brunettes who looked like him. "And finally, this is Anna, and this is Talia." Liam picked up the two little girls who looked like their mother. One nine and the other thirteen. "These are my brothers and sisters." Liam put the two girls down, then walked and put his arm around Buffy. "And this is Buffy, my fiancé. Also known as the vampire slayer."
"I thought we talked about leaving that part out when we introduced me." Buffy turned to look at Liam, who just smiled.
"What, can't I boast?"
"No."
"You're the slayer?" Talia rushed up to the two with an amazed look on her face. The rest followed her suit, all except Charlie, who stood apart from the group. He gave them all a dark look then left. Liam the only one to notice, followed his brother to the other side of the house to the training room.
"Hey Charlie, what's up? Why'd you leave like that?" Liam came into the room to find Charlie fingering a broad sword with his back to the door.
"The slayer, huh?"
"Charlie?" Liam's face creased into a frown.
"You really think she loves you?" Charlie turned around to look at Liam, his face marred by disgust.
"Charlie, what is this about?"
"You think she loves you, that she'll always stay with you?"
"This is about Tess isn't it?"
"No, Liam. This is about you getting hurt by someone who's only out to use you." Both boy's anger was mounting.
"Tess didn't leave you, she loved you. She stabbed you to save you. We all know that." As Liam said this, Charlie unconsciously rubbed a spot on his right side.
"She never loved me. She used me to get to Malenzair. Being a slayer makes Buffy no different, she doesn't love you."
"You don't even know her, how can you judge her."
"She's a slayer. That makes her evil. Slayers have been evil since the beginning of time, we have known that since we were little."
"Then why did Dad tell me about her, when I was small?"
"To protect you. I can't believe he even let her in this house once he learned of who she is."
"You know Charlie, I was excited about coming home. I thought it was going to be great to see everyone again, especially you. But I was wrong, if it wasn't disrespectful to Dad and Mom, I would leave with Buffy right now." Liam got up in his brother's face. "So get used to it, bro. Cause Buffy and I are going to get married and we're going to be happy." Liam turned on his heel and walked out of the room, not noticing Buffy as he left.
Charlie glared after Liam then turned and went back to looking at the swords. He was still seething, Charlie didn't hear Buffy walk in. She walked until she stood in the middle of the room, facing Charlie's back, she crossed her arms.
"So I'm evil am I?" Charlie whipped around, his face startled, he glared at Buffy.
"Well you can eavesdrop." He regained his composure. "How much did you hear?"
"Enough. Just because this slayer named Tess loved you enough to risk her life for you, you think all slayers are evil? That's low."
"You're talking about low, that's ironic." Charlie laughed. "Pretending you love..."
"I do love Liam."
"Do not interrupt me." Charlie raised his voice.
Buffy's voice was low and deadly. "I understand your family and respect, but you are not a higher authority then me. And even if you were, I don't respond well to authority. Never tell me what to do." Buffy calmed down and regained her composure. "I love your brother very much, more then I've ever loved someone else in my life..."
"Even your soul mate?" Sneered Charlie, it was obvious he knew about Angel.
"Yes. I love him very much, but..." Buffy faltered. "I can't guarantee I'll always be there. I am a slayer, slayers die young. I have evaded death twice, but this time, I don't know if I'll be able to." When Buffy looked back up at Charlie, her eyes were rimmed with tears. Charlie faltered at this.
"What?"
"Just before we left Sunnydale, I saw my doctor. Routine check up, but he found something."
"Buffy..."
"Charlie, I have cancer. A year to live."
"Oh. Buffy, I am so sorry." Charlie moved towards Buffy and akwardedly hugged her. They stayed like this for a few minutes. Then Buffy looked up.
"You can't tell him. Charlie, promise me, you won't tell Liam, tell no one." Buffy looked at Charlie, and he hesitated. But finally he relented.
"It will be a secret between us, I promise."
"Thank you Charlie." Buffy leaned back into her arms and cried.
Resorting he would help Buffy, Charlie comforted her. Silently apologizing to Liam, he held Buffy tighter.