Chapter One
Wesley sat, half asleep, on the sofa, shifting uncomfortably to try to regain the feeling in his limbs. Guin had fallen asleep in his lap during the story and he'd been sitting still for the past hour, trying not to wake her. He had no idea why he didn't just call for Fred. Most likely he was afraid that his yelling would wake Guin. He looked down at her, curled up with her favorite doll, Topsy, and smiled, brushing her bangs off her face. She had his blue eyes, and Fred's facial structure. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, besides her mother of course. But there was one thing about her that saddened him. Her hair. It was dark brown, just like Fred, but it was topped by streaks of blue.
He hated remembering how that came about. Hated thinking of how it had been without Fred. How much it had hurt to see Illyria in her body. But then at the end there was a loophole. Willow, the witch, had saved her with a spell. One never before used. But the spell had had an unexpected side effect. It combined their DNA, leaving Fred with the blue hair which had been the Illyria trademark. Fred had passed it on to their daughter. And now, no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't forget Illyria, or the pain she had caused them all.
Sighing, Wesley slid his arms under Guin and stood up, taking a moment to bend his knees and make them stop tingling. He carried her down the hall and into her room. Without turning on the light he lay her in bed, tucked Topsy under her arm, and pulled the blanket to her chin. Gently, he kissed her on the top of her head and tiptoed into the hall, leaving the door open halfway. A soft touch from behind made him jump and spin around, bumping into a pregnant Fred who swayed a bit before getting her balance. "Geez. Jumpy much?" She put a hand to her head and pushed her hair back. "I'm sorry." Wes said, pulling her close. "You startled me." Fred smiled, leaning against him. "I was wondering where you were. Thought I'd come look for you." She whispered. Wes glanced over his shoulder into Guin's room. "I have a confession to make. I'm in love with a beautiful brunette." He thought for a second before finishing with "half brunette."
Fred stepped back and took his hand. "You are so sweet to her." "Well, she's my princess." Wesley said, kissing his wife's cheek.
Fred stiffened, immediately drawing Wes' attention. "What is it?" he asked. "Is it the baby?" She nodded, then smiled sweetly, placing his hand on her round stomach. "Your son is restless." Wesley smiled and kissed her, taking hold of her hand. "Sleepy." He said, pulling her to their room. "Bedtime."
It was three in the morning when Fred awoke, hearing a strange sound come from across the hall. She sat up, her brow furrowed, and shook her husband. "Wesley." She whispered. "Wesley, wake up." He opened his eyes and looked up at her, waiting for her to speak again. "I heard something coming from Guin's room. Like..... a muffled cry." He sat up and listened. "Well, whatever it was, it's not there now." He yawned laying back down. "You're just being paranoid."
Yes, paranoid. Fred tried to convince herself but she wasn't too sure, though she knew Wesley would have to get up in only four hours for work and needed his sleep, so she let it go and snuggled up beside him.
Across the hall Guin tossed and turned, sweat tangling her short curly hair. A dream had her in it's grasp and she whimpered in fear now and then. She lay silent for a moment, as if suddenly falling into a more peaceful sleep. But mere seconds later she began to shake violently, grabbing for something to hold on to. The walls shook slightly, until a moment later when she screamed, shattering the window and causing the floor to move up and down as if it were a ship being tossed about in a tropical storm.
Wesley and Fred were jumping out of bed, dashing for Guin's room and fighting to stay on their feet. They made it together, Fred grabbing Guin from the bed and Wes taking hold of her arm to keep her steady. Guin lay limp in her mother's arms, her skin pale in the moonlight shining through the broken window. Fred shook her, calling her name, patting her face, trying desperately to revive her apparently unconscious daughter. Wes took her Guin into his arms and carried her across the hall, with Fred hanging on to him with every step.
He lay her down on the bed, close to frantic, and felt for a pulse. He looked up at his wife, confused. "She has a pulse. But..she won't.." Before he could finish his sentence Guin sat up, screaming, clutching Topsy to her chest. She seemed to be entranced, her eyes fixed, not on either of her parents, but thin air. Her screams were constant, until her father took her by the shoulders and shook her. "Guin! Wake up!"
She was silent, looking into his eyes. Her breathing was fast, her heart pounding. And she burst into tears, wrapping her arms around her father's neck and climbing into his lap. He held her close, and exchanged a worried glance with Fred.
Wesley sat, half asleep, on the sofa, shifting uncomfortably to try to regain the feeling in his limbs. Guin had fallen asleep in his lap during the story and he'd been sitting still for the past hour, trying not to wake her. He had no idea why he didn't just call for Fred. Most likely he was afraid that his yelling would wake Guin. He looked down at her, curled up with her favorite doll, Topsy, and smiled, brushing her bangs off her face. She had his blue eyes, and Fred's facial structure. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, besides her mother of course. But there was one thing about her that saddened him. Her hair. It was dark brown, just like Fred, but it was topped by streaks of blue.
He hated remembering how that came about. Hated thinking of how it had been without Fred. How much it had hurt to see Illyria in her body. But then at the end there was a loophole. Willow, the witch, had saved her with a spell. One never before used. But the spell had had an unexpected side effect. It combined their DNA, leaving Fred with the blue hair which had been the Illyria trademark. Fred had passed it on to their daughter. And now, no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't forget Illyria, or the pain she had caused them all.
Sighing, Wesley slid his arms under Guin and stood up, taking a moment to bend his knees and make them stop tingling. He carried her down the hall and into her room. Without turning on the light he lay her in bed, tucked Topsy under her arm, and pulled the blanket to her chin. Gently, he kissed her on the top of her head and tiptoed into the hall, leaving the door open halfway. A soft touch from behind made him jump and spin around, bumping into a pregnant Fred who swayed a bit before getting her balance. "Geez. Jumpy much?" She put a hand to her head and pushed her hair back. "I'm sorry." Wes said, pulling her close. "You startled me." Fred smiled, leaning against him. "I was wondering where you were. Thought I'd come look for you." She whispered. Wes glanced over his shoulder into Guin's room. "I have a confession to make. I'm in love with a beautiful brunette." He thought for a second before finishing with "half brunette."
Fred stepped back and took his hand. "You are so sweet to her." "Well, she's my princess." Wesley said, kissing his wife's cheek.
Fred stiffened, immediately drawing Wes' attention. "What is it?" he asked. "Is it the baby?" She nodded, then smiled sweetly, placing his hand on her round stomach. "Your son is restless." Wesley smiled and kissed her, taking hold of her hand. "Sleepy." He said, pulling her to their room. "Bedtime."
It was three in the morning when Fred awoke, hearing a strange sound come from across the hall. She sat up, her brow furrowed, and shook her husband. "Wesley." She whispered. "Wesley, wake up." He opened his eyes and looked up at her, waiting for her to speak again. "I heard something coming from Guin's room. Like..... a muffled cry." He sat up and listened. "Well, whatever it was, it's not there now." He yawned laying back down. "You're just being paranoid."
Yes, paranoid. Fred tried to convince herself but she wasn't too sure, though she knew Wesley would have to get up in only four hours for work and needed his sleep, so she let it go and snuggled up beside him.
Across the hall Guin tossed and turned, sweat tangling her short curly hair. A dream had her in it's grasp and she whimpered in fear now and then. She lay silent for a moment, as if suddenly falling into a more peaceful sleep. But mere seconds later she began to shake violently, grabbing for something to hold on to. The walls shook slightly, until a moment later when she screamed, shattering the window and causing the floor to move up and down as if it were a ship being tossed about in a tropical storm.
Wesley and Fred were jumping out of bed, dashing for Guin's room and fighting to stay on their feet. They made it together, Fred grabbing Guin from the bed and Wes taking hold of her arm to keep her steady. Guin lay limp in her mother's arms, her skin pale in the moonlight shining through the broken window. Fred shook her, calling her name, patting her face, trying desperately to revive her apparently unconscious daughter. Wes took her Guin into his arms and carried her across the hall, with Fred hanging on to him with every step.
He lay her down on the bed, close to frantic, and felt for a pulse. He looked up at his wife, confused. "She has a pulse. But..she won't.." Before he could finish his sentence Guin sat up, screaming, clutching Topsy to her chest. She seemed to be entranced, her eyes fixed, not on either of her parents, but thin air. Her screams were constant, until her father took her by the shoulders and shook her. "Guin! Wake up!"
She was silent, looking into his eyes. Her breathing was fast, her heart pounding. And she burst into tears, wrapping her arms around her father's neck and climbing into his lap. He held her close, and exchanged a worried glance with Fred.