Chapter 31:
Spike held his wife as the y watched their daughter recover. William had put a clean part of blood red sheets on Dani's bed for her. Andrew had made the potion, or what ever it was, that gave off healing strength and spread it through out the room. And Michael had brought all of the research books to her bedroom, knowing fully well that everyone would be camping out in his sisters room. Angel and Connor had gone to get the rest of the Scoobies when Buffy had shoved them out of the bathroom. Lauren and Joyce were doing the best they could, to keep the house calm, considering everyone was gathered in the one bedroom, even if it was rather large, they were all still confining themselves to one space.
Lauren was tending to her granddaughters wounds and Joyce was cooking up a storm, claiming it was the least she could do. But both of her daughters knew that Joyce was taking her only granddaughters injuries hard. Willow was working away at her laptop. Giles, Xander, Anya, Connor, Angel, Gaby, and Buffy were doing double time with the research in the old musty books. Which for once no one was complaining about them. The boys had tried to do research, but their concentration kept wandering to their sister. Finally, Buffy, had put them on Brother Duty. Which consisted of being brothers and watching over their sister.
Dani opened her eyes and found her parents holding each other, asleep in her big comfy chair. Research books and sleeping Scoobies sitting at/on her large desk that she kept cornered in her room, near the door. Her grandmothers were asleep, half-sitting, half-laying down on her couch. Her two younger brothers were asleep and using bean bag chairs as pillows. She winced when she thought of how achy they were all going to be when they woke up in the morning. Last, but not least, Michael was asleep at the foot of her bed. She smirked and poked him in the ribs with her toes. She motioned for him to be quiet, when his eyes snapped open. He smiled when he caught on. Even though they weren't in Cantaria, they were still going to carry out their annual brother-sister bonding fests.
Michael got up and then helped his sister off if her bed and quietly lead them both to his bedroom and out to his balcony, so that they could climb up to the roof. When they were both sitting peacefully, and looking up at the sparkling stars, Dani was the first one to break the silence. "Why did you break up with her?" She asked him quietly. It took him so long to answer that she thought he wasn't going to. "I knew the odds of what was happening Danielle. I know that the odds of actually ever going back there are slim to none. And I know Melanie. She would have waited for me. I don't want her wait forever for me Danielle. I want her to be happy, even if that means she is going to hate me for breaking her heart." he finished sadly. Dani silently nodded. She knew most teenage boys didn't talk like that or even feel so deeply as her brothers, but that was their mother and grandmothers doing of instilling 19th century gentlemen qualities in them. And she also knew that there was nothing she could say to make her brother feel better. So she decided to change the subject. "So are you really back for good now? No more playing man of the house?" She looked down at her feet and then up at her brother.. He was again quiet for another moment, before turning to look at her and giving her a smile. " Yeah. Big Brother Mikey is back. No more man of the house and pretending to be 'dad.' Besides I don't think Dad would let me." he smirks at her and wraps one arm around her shoulders and gave her a tight yet gentle squeeze.
All the sudden she turned herself around to look at him. "We should send Mum and Dad on a second Honey moon." She smiled widely at her idea. Michael on the other hand looked at her skeptically for a moment before asking, "Where would we send them?" Dani thought for a moment and then she practically glowed at her ingenious idea. "We'll send them home." Michael smiled when he caught on to her meaning.