Something Unpredictable
Chapter 7: Epilogue
By: Rogue-Slayer13
Disclaimer: The characters of Btvs and Ats belong to Joss Whedon, not myself.
Summary: Set four after Wrapping it up.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"I can't believe you've talked me into this," grumbled Buffy as she followed Xander through the Los Angeles International Airport.
"Oh come on Buff, it'll be fun. You haven't seen anybody in four years, not even Willow," replied Xander. "Don't you even miss her a little bit?"
"Yeah, but I was happy, we were happy, Xander. I like not being the slayer and just getting to settle down with my husband and two-point-five kids, in our house with the little white picket fence." Buffy rearranged the sleeping three-year-old in her arms slightly.
Xander smiled at his daughter before looking back at his wife.
"Seriously Buffy, you don't even want me to talk about them with you, or show you the pictures. It's like you've totally shut out that part of your life, and, we've only got one kid."
"All that's in that part of my life is ex-boyfriends and unhealthy relationships."
"Well, I want Emily to know my best friend in the whole damn world," replied Xander, getting slightly annoyed. "And that means she has to get to know the rest of the family as well."
"More like the Addams Family," mumbled Buffy.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Daddy, where we goin'?"
Xander looked into the back seat where Emily had just woke.
"We're going to see your Aunt Willow," replied Xander.
"Is she like Aunty Dawn?" asked Emily with a yawn.
"Sort of . . ."
"We're here," announced Buffy, cutting off the conversation.
Xander got out of the car and Buffy got Emily out of the back seat, before following Xander to the Hyperion. Xander had barely knocked on the door when it was flung open to reveal a small girl of about four standing on the other side. She had wavy brown hair that was pulled back into pig tails and piercing sapphire blue eyes. The girl eyed them for a while before turning back to the lobby and running off.
"It's Xander, and some ofer people!" called the girl as she ran through the lobby.
"Jaden, you have to check who it is before you open the door," said Dawn as she came into the room. "Hey Xander, Buffy."
"Hey Dawnie," replied Buffy as Xander shut the door behind them.
"Look how big the Jadester's gotten," said Xander as he scooped the little girl into his arms much how he would his own child.
"I've grown this much!" exclaimed Jaden as she held her hands a few inches apart, so Xander good see.
"Really? That's a whole lot."
"I stayed 'ere wif Aunty Dawn cause I's was sick."
"That stinks."
Buffy set Emily down, while looking around the Hyperion a bit uncomfortably. It didn't look as much like a hotel as it did the last time she was here. The walls of the lobby were now covered with framed photos, and Buffy decided to get a closer look, while Xander and Dawn talked and played with Jaden.
The first photo she came to was the entire LA group. Angel and Spike were standing next to each other in the center of the photo, behind a couch. Cordelia had her arm around Angel's waist and was standing on his left, while Fred did the same to Spike, but on the right. Gunn was sitting in the middle of the couch, with Faith on his lap. Willow and Wesley were sitting to the couples right and Dawn was to the left. Andrew was half kneeling, half sprawled at the bottom of the photo as if he barely made it into the frame. Someone had written Fang Gang, 2004 at the bottom of it.
There was a picture of just Cordelia and Angel, followed by one of Spike and Fred, and then one of Faith and Gunn, and a fourth of Willow and Wesley. There were pictures of just the girls, and some of just the guys, and as Buffy went around the lobby she could see the events of the last four years. The weddings of Spike and Fred, Angel and Cordelia, Willow and Wesley, and surprisingly, Faith and Gunn. There was a picture of a pregnant Cordelia hiding her face with a copy of Vogue magazine, and another of Fred and Dawn painting what appeared to be a nursery.
There were three pictures that caught Buffy's attention the most however. The first one was of Angel holding a small bundle of blue blankets, a smile on his face as he looked on proudly at the bundle in his arms. The next one had Spike giving a little girl, who Buffy recognized as the little girl in the lobby, a piggy back ride. Buffy had never seen Spike look that happy in all the time she'd known him. The last photo showed Spike asleep on the couch with four small children sleeping on him.
"I remember when that happened."
Buffy turned to see Dawn standing behind her. Xander was playing with Jaden and Emily in the middle of the lobby.
"Everyone looks happy," commented the former slayer.
"They are," said Dawn. "Man. You've missed out on a lot. I mean, everyone knows about Emily, cause Xander always brings pictures, but no one besides me and Andrew have actually gotten to see her and you don't know anyone's kids."
"Thing's have just been . . ."
"It's okay. You don't have to explain. I'm just glad you're here now," said Dawn as she hugged Buffy.
"We come bearing gifts, and children, and gifts for children," came Andrew's voice as he and the rest of the Fang Gang, children included, came into the lobby.
Jaden immediately ran over to Fred and asked to be picked up. Fred did so, without hesitation and managed to balance Jaden and several shopping bags all at once.
"Xander!" Willow set down the shopping bags she had in her hands and ran over to hug her best friend.
"Hey Wills!" replied Xander as Willow let go of him.
"This must be Emily," said Willow, motioning to the girl holding on to Xander's pant leg.
"That's me," said Emily with a smile. "Who are you?"
"My name's Willow."
"Aunt Willow!" Emily practically leaped into Willow's arms. "We came all the way to see you!"
"Well I'm glad you did," replied Willow with a smile.
There was a few minutes worth of confusion and introductions, before Buffy could put each child, to its respective parents. Spike and Fred had Jaden, who was four and had her mother's hair and her father's eyes. Angel and Cordelia had Zachary, who was also four and looked almost exactly like Angel, while Willow and Wesley had Morgan, who was three, and had her mother's green eyes, and reddish brown hair. Finally, Faith and Gunn had Cody, who was two, had light brown skin, and curly brown hair.
"She's beautiful Buffy," said Angel as he watched Emily play with the other children.
"I can say the same for your guys'," replied the blonde.
"The kids really seem to get along. You guys will have to come by more often."
"I didn't think Spike would be good with children," commented Buffy somewhat sadly as she watched the children try to use Spike as a jungle gym.
"Oh, they love him. He let's them practically do whatever they want. You can tell Fred's the responsible parent." Angel smiled as Spike began to walk around the lobby with Jaden on his shoulders, Zach and Cody on one leg, and Emily and Morgan on the other.
"It's weird, thinking of you guys as married with kids." Buffy looked at Angel.
"Well, Spike's twenty-eight and I'm twenty-nine. The girls are all twenty-seven except for Faith who's twenty-six and Wesley and Gunn are twenty-eight as well. I guess we figured it was time to settle down. I mean. You and Xander are married too."
Buffy nodded just as Spike came over to them dragging the children.
"Okay, time to play with Angel," said Spike as he handed Jaden to Angel. "Spike's getting tired and needs to rest." The other children quickly pounced on Angel who smiled and began to walk around the lobby.
"I take it, that's a running game around here," said Buffy.
"Yeah, they'll pretty much climb on anyone who doesn't run fast enough," replied Spike.
Buffy looked across the lobby and at the life the Fang Gang had built for themselves.
"Do you ever wonder about what could've happened, you know, had things worked out differently between everyone?"
"Sure," replied Spike with a nod. "I've thought about it a few times. Like what if Glinda hadn't died or if Xander and Anya had gotten married."
"Do you ever think about us?" Buffy looked over at Spike.
"Sometimes, but then I look at Fred and Jaden or one of the pictures of Emily Xander brought over, and I can't help, but think things ended for the best."
"What do you mean?"
"I love you Buffy, a part of me always will, but I have a daughter that I love more then life itself and if I'd stayed with you, I wouldn't have 'er. Same with Emily. She wouldn't be around if you'd stayed with me. I mean, yeah, we might've had kids, but they wouldn't be Jaden or Emily, they'd be totally different people. Also, I don't know if I would've gotten to Shanshu had we not broken up."
Buffy looked at Spike with tears in her eyes.
"I meant what I said down in the Hell Mouth."
"I know you did," replied Spike.
"Then why did you say I didn't?"
"If I'd said yes, nothing would've gotten you out of there. 'Ell, you barely left with me saying I didn't believe you, you stubborn girl."
Buffy smiled.
"Friends?" Spike held his arms open for a hug.
"Friends," replied Buffy as she hugged Spike.
"I see you two are getting along," said Xander as he came over with Fred.
"It's nothing like that," said Buffy quickly, not wanting either Fred or Xander mad at her.
"Chill Buff. We figured you two needed some sort of closure."
"I just hope we can all be friends," said Fred as Spike wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
"That sounds like a good idea," said Buffy.
"Are you four coming to eat or not?" called Faith.
"We're coming," replied Spike.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Finis
Love it? Hate it? Tell me what you think!
