Through The Years

Don't own them, never will so stop thinking it.

The drive to the airport was peaceful at best; they talked about what's been going on in their lives. Cordelia told Buffy more about her daughter, and how much she means to her. She also told her, that the little girl knew all about her and that she was named for Buffy. The blonde just smiled while the brunette talked. She pulled the car into the airport parking lot with fifteen minutes to spare.

"See Cordy, if it didn't take you fifty years to get ready, we would have been here by now." Buffy teased.

"Oh please, like you don't take forever in the bathroom." She shot back.

They walked into the Sunnydale International Airport, and walked to Gate 10. Buffy took a seat next to her friend.

"You don't know how much I missed you. I thought about you all the time, daddy was going to fly me out to NY to see you, but something's came up. Remember that sleepover we had, and Harmony was the first one to go to sleep. We put her hand in warm water, and she peed on herself?" Buffy asked trying not to laugh.

"I remember that, she screamed so loud that it almost woke the neighborhood. She vowed to get back at us. Fun was had by all." The brunette replied.

Cordelia looked thoughtful for a minute; she was debating on whether to ask Buffy if she wanted to go out with her. Not in a date type way, but as friends for old time's sake.

"I see the steam coming out of your head. Whatcha thinking about?" Buffy asked.

"Nothing really, I was wondering if you would like to go out with me? Not on a date, but an outing. I really want to re-connect with you; I kind of missed us a lot." She said honestly.

Buffy's heart was racing, her best friend asked her out. Of course it was to re-gain what they had lost, even though it wasn't that much. She actually liked that thought, it's been forever since they actually had time to themselves, maybe she'll find out who this mystery person is.

"I would like that, just name the time. Is Lisa going to stay here with you? I mean since you are in Sunnydale now?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, that's the plan. My schedule will be pretty flexible at best, unlike you Miss. Child Psychology, we'll never see you." She lightly tapped her friend on her arm.

Before the blonde could reply a voice came over the intercom, "Flight 101 from New York to Sunnydale has now arrived. Buffy and Cordelia walked towards the door, one of them was nervous, and it wasn't the brunette. Buffy hasn't seen her surrogate parents in three years, and now she was meeting her best friend's daughter. She wondered how the little girl would take to her. Buffy didn't have to wait long, because a little girl with long brown brunette ponytails came running out of the door, followed behind by her grandparents.

Victoria and Antonio walked out of the terminal and stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Buffy standing there. They embraced her in a tight hug, but Buffy didn't mind, she missed them as much as they missed her.

"Oh my goodness! Look at you; you have grown up to be a beauty. Then again I always knew that." Victoria commented on the blonde she considered her daughter.

"Victoria stop, you're causing her to blush. Look at you the last time we saw you, you were just a short little thing; now look at you all grown up. Your mom kept us up to date on everything in your life, we are so proud of you." Antonio told the girl.

"I missed you so much, you just don't know how much." She replied.

Cordelia was standing off to the side while her parents spoke with Buffy. It was good to have all of her family here.

"Buffy, I have someone I would like you to meet. This is my daughter Elizabeth." She introduced the little girl.

The little girl looked at her intently, before she wrapped her arms around Buffy's knees. Buffy bent down to the little girl's level, and couldn't believe how much she looked like her mother.

"Well Elizabeth, I'm Buffy a very good friend to your mother." She told the girl.

"Buf-fy." The little girl repeated.

Everyone smiled at the way the blonde was able to get along with the little girl. Victoria and Antonio looked between the three of them; it was kind of like stepping back in time.

"We need to get our luggage, and then we are going to have lunch." Victoria suggested.

"I don't think I can, I have a few things to take care of. Cordelia if you could drop me by the house." Buffy replied.

The brunette looked at Buffy confused, her mood just changed completely. She wondered what was wrong with the other girl.

"Buffy, we would love for you to join us. It's been a while, we missed you kid." Antonio spoke up.

"It sounds nice and all, but I really need to get back to mom. She's feeling bad, you know for sending her daughter away." It wasn't a complete lie; her mom did feel guilt for sending her only child away.

The group made it to the luggage carousel and grabbed various bags and Elizabeth's car seat.

"Maybe we can get together tomorrow, for dinner. We could invite your mom and Rupert; it would give us time to catch up." Victoria suggested.

"That would be good; I know mom would love to see you again." Buffy replied.

They walked out to the car, and Cordelia buckled her daughter in and everyone got in. Cordelia didn't know what had changed between arriving at the airport and now. She hoped that it didn't have anything to do with her daughter. If it did, she would be distraught beyond the telling of it.

"Buffy, what are you majoring in?" Antonio asked.

"Child Psychology, I like working with kids." She replied softly.

Victoria knew something was wrong with the blonde, she was uncharacteristically quiet, and usually she was full of conversation. And she knew without a doubt that she wasn't shy anymore. The silence was filled with Elizabeth's quiet babbling, she was talking about the plane, it wasn't hard to decipher baby talk. Cordelia pulled the car in front of the Summers house. Buffy got out of the car, but not rudely.

"It was good seeing you again, and we will get together for dinner tomorrow." Buffy told her parents.

They each said their good byes, "Do you want me to walk you up?" Cordelia asked.

Buffy looked at her childhood friend, "No, I will be okay. We'll talk later." She closed the door and ran up to the door and opened it.

"Is Buffy alright sweetie?" Victoria asked.

Cordelia pulled off, "Yeah, she's just being Buffy." She smiled.

"Now, that you are back in Sunnydale, maybe you two could become as close as you were when you were younger. It would be good not only for you, but for Elizabeth also." Her father replied.

"We'll see." She replied. She couldn't help but wonder about Buffy, did seeing Elizabeth freak her out, or was it something more. She made a mental note to call her later, they needed to talk.

Buffy walked into the house, and Joyce was sitting on the couch watching TV.

"Hello, Buffy. Did Antonio and Victoria get in alright?" She asked her daughter.

The blonde flopped down on the couch next to her mother. A look of defeat on her face. The elder Summers woman knew something was wrong with her daughter, but wasn't going to push. When Buffy was ready to talk, she would.

"They got in fine; I also met Elizabeth, cute kid. She looks just like her mother, guaranteed to be a heartbreaker when she gets older. Oh yeah before I forget, mom and dad invited us to dinner tomorrow night at Chase Manor. She said it will give us time to catch up. Did daddy call?" She asked her mother.

"Yes he did, we managed to have a civil conversation. He wanted me to tell you that Angelina had her baby, you have a little sister. They named her Dawn; he really wished that you were there to welcome her into the world." Joyce replied.

Buffy seemed to perk up at this news, "She had the baby? I miss everything." She pouted.

"It's okay, he expects you to visit this week-end. He wants to spend time with both his girls." She said wistfully.

"Mom, can we talk? I mean really talk?" Buffy asked her mother.

Joyce muted the TV, "Of course we can sweetheart, what's bothering you?" She asked.

"Okay, It's been a long time since I seen a friend of mine. The connection we had is still there, but now feelings are starting to change between us. I just realized that I was technically in love with her. I really don't know how it happened, but it just did, it's confusing because I like guys. I really like guys, now there is a child that could make things even ore complicated. I really don't know what to do." She took a sharp intake of breath.

Joyce hid her secret smile from her daughter, "This wouldn't have to do with Cordelia would it?" She smiled.

"Mom, how do you know this?" She asked her mom.

"Call it mother's intuition. It was obvious from day one, how you felt about her. Don't let the child complicate anything. If you can't accept the child, then it's useless. If you really like guys continue dating them, these feelings you have may be a fleeting thing. Do that and see how you feel then." Joyce advised her daughter.

"You know what mom, you're right; I'm going to date the guys. These feelings are probably just a passing thing. We can still be friends whether she has a daughter or not." She stood up and kissed her mother on the cheek.

Joyce watched as her daughter walked away, reverse psychology works every time. Buffy walked into her room and closed the door behind her. She cared for Cordelia, hell she even loved Cordelia, but she didn't know if it was sisterly or not. They are different people now, Cordy had a daughter, and they were going to college. She lay down on the bed and went to sleep, her mind racing with endless questions.

Flashback

Cordelia and Buffy were in the garden away from everyone else. The brunette was upset because of her grandmother, and didn't want to be bothered.

"I just miss her so much; she was the only grandmother I had." Cordelia sobbed out.

Buffy just held her friend as she cried. She felt upset because her friend was hurting a lot, only if there was a way to make her feel better.

"Remember that time, I was ten and we climbed that big tree over there?" She pointed to the big Willow tree in the other side of the garden.

"Yeah, I remember. You were trying to be a gymnast or something you fell and broke your arm, but you didn't cry. I thought you were so brave and strong." She laughed.

"But you were there to make me feel better. The summer didn't suck after all, I had my best friend with me." She smiled.

"Buffy, I'm so glad that I have you. Can you promise me something?" Cordelia asked.

"You know you can." She replied.

"When we get older, and we go our separate ways; will you still be my Cinderella?"

Buffy let out a little laugh at this, it's been an ongoing thing between them since they were younger. No one else really got it except for them, the mind of children.

"I will always be your Cinderella, and you will always be my Snow White, friends forever and always. Come on, I know your parents are worried sick." Buffy got up and pulled Cordelia with her.

"I love you Buffy."

"I love you too Cordy."

They walked back towards the house, but not before the brunette stopped them. Without any words she leaned in and kissed Buffy on the lips. The blonde responded in kind, but it stopped when the need to breathe became apparent. Cordelia walked off leaving a confused Buffy behind.

End Flashback

Cordelia was playing with Elizabeth on the floor when Victoria entered the living room. She surveyed the scene and couldn't help but smile, she thought about the time when Cordelia and Buffy would lay on the floor, and watch movies together or pretend to be dancers.

"Cordy, was something wrong with Buffy today?" She asked her daughter.

She looked up from playing with her daughter, "Not that I know of, she was her usual self." She responded.

Elizabeth started laughing and babbling happy, "Buf-fy" This caused the Chase women to smile.

"I was just wondering she usually isn't quiet. Are you going to see her tonight?" She asked her daughter.

"Everyone is going to the Bronze tonight, but I don't know if I'll be able to go. You know the big responsibility and all." She pointed to her daughter.

"Why don't you let us watch her? You deserve some time out, especially with your friends." She urged her daughter.

"Mom, I can't do that. When you go back to New York, it'll be hard to actually have a life, go to school, and study. I think she's more important right now." Cordelia explained.

Victoria sighed; this was going to be a battle that she was determined to win.

"We were planning on moving back here anyway. Sunnydale is a lot better place to raise a child, than NY. Think about it, you'll have Buffy back in your life. If I recall correctly, you two were forever, Cinderella and Snow White." She smiled. "Go have fun at least for a little while. You deserve it." She picked up Elizabeth and walked out of the room.

Cordelia knew that she was out smarted by her mother; she decided to go ahead and go out. She'll wear something that would definitely knock Buffy's socks off. She wanted her and nothing was going to stop her.

General Mac- You are one in a million. That's a good thing, and I love you for it.

Alyson- Not logging in is totally lazy, but I do understand it. I have one more chapter after this, and then I'm going on hiatus. Vacation coming up and all family fun to be had.

Ghost Writer- Thanks for the encouragement. I can't make any guarantees; we'll just have to see where my twisted mind takes me.