Through The Years

Buffy and Cordelia made their way downstairs, to their surprise they saw parents on the chair with Elizabeth planted firmly on Joyce's lap. This surprised Cordelia the most, her daughter was painfully shy around people she didn't know, not this time she was already attached to Buffy's mom.

"We were wondering when you two were going to come down. Amelia had dinner ready for about fifteen minutes already." Victoria told the girls.

Both girls looked sheepish, "Sorry about that, we were talking about something's and we lost track of time." Buffy answered.

Everyone got up and walked into the dining room, as always from the time they were little Buffy and Cordelia sat next to each other. Victoria and Antonio couldn't help but smile, even though they are eighteen and seventeen they still acted like kids. Joyce looked at the two girls and Victoria in confusion; she wondered what that was about.

"Whenever Buffy would come over, and it was time to eat, those two always sat beside each other. It's funny that after all these years it never fails." Antonio replied.

Everyone laughed at this, "I remember all to well, those two were always together in class. Wherever one was, the other was there. I would mix them up a lot." Rupert smiled.

Elizabeth laughed also, even though she didn't understand what was going on. All she knew the adults were happy, she was happy. The little girl kept staring at Buffy freaking her out a little bit. It was like she was scrutinizing her or something, she just smiled at the girl.

"I think she likes you." Cordelia told her friend.

"I don't know what for, she doesn't even know me." She said offhandedly.

Amelia brought out dinner and placed the food and plates on the table. She had a huge grin on her face when she saw Buffy sitting at the table. The old woman had a soft spot for the blonde since the first time she met her. She knew that Buffy was a special one, as everyone else did.

"Dinner is served; if you need anything let me know. Buffy I'm glad you are here, maybe you could get Little Miss here to eat her food." She pointed at Cordelia.

"I eat my food." She pouted.

Amelia left the room, and everyone served up their plates. Even Elizabeth had her plate and began eating, she was hungry. They began to eat, but it wasn't a silent dinner everyone wanted to know about Buffy, she really didn't like talking about herself. Growing up everything was about her, but now that she's older she wanted to stay out of the spotlight. Plus she didn't want to show Cordelia out, because even though she had a baby, something's she didn't accomplish.

"Buffy, are you going to be cheering for UC Sunnydale?" Antonio asked his daughter.

"Maybe, but with my schedule this semester it might be a little hard. Child Psychology can be really taxing, but it'll be worth it in the long run. Cordy could try out for cheerleading, from what I heard she ruled the squad." Buffy replied.

"Cheerleading is definitely out of the question. I don't like it as much as I used to, besides it will take away from studies and other things." She told the table.

"I was always curious, why would you choose Child Psychology? I thought you would choose business or law." Victoria asked.

"I like children a lot, and if I can help them, whether troubled or not would make me feel better. Besides I was a peer mediator and I was in the Big Brother/Big Sister program." She beamed.

"That's my Buffy always helping out others." Joyce replied.

"Remember when we were in the first grade and Lindsey pushed me down, and you hauled off and punched him in the nose." Cordelia reminded her friend.

Joyce looked at Buffy; she never mentioned anything about that. Rupert smiled a real smile; he remembered that like it was yesterday. Buffy was so tiny, but she could handle herself. He was surprised that Buffy never mentioned it to her mother.

"No one messed with my friends. You're the one to talk; you poured paint all over Angel because he put paint on me." Buffy replied back.

Cordelia turned red at this, she forgot all about that. Even Angel never brought it up; it was the first day of kindergarten when Buffy started at their school.

"Those two were full of mischief; I just hope Lisa doesn't act anyway like her mother." Victoria teased.

The rest of dinner was made with pleasant conversation, Cordelia told them about New York and everything else. Buffy explained about her life in LA, and all the things that went on there. She steered clear of all questions about her achievements, she was a very smart girl, but didn't want to everyone to know it.

"Mom, dad how long are you guys staying for?" Buffy asked her surrogate parents.

"Well princess, we're moving back here. Cordelia is going to school here, and it will give us a chance to watch our granddaughter grow up." Antonio answered.

Buffy looked at the little girl and smiled; she received a brilliant smile in return.

"Do you want any kids yourself Buffy?" Victoria asked.

The blonde smiled a little at this, "Yeah I do. I want two girls and a boy, and maybe a dog. I've always known what I wanted, being an only child and all. Actually I take that back, I'm not the only child anymore. Mom had the baby yesterday; I have a little sister named Dawn. I'm going to go see her this weekend." She replied.

Joyce let out a small smile; she could hear the pride in her daughter's voice. It sent a pang to her heart that her ex could have a baby with another woman, but didn't want another one with her. Victoria looked over at the woman sympathetically; she had been quiet all night.

"I hope you will be coming back this time?" Antonio asked.

"I will be back on Sunday. I may not be in Sunnydale on the week-ends anymore; I want to be a huge part of my sister's life." She smiled.

"Joyce how are things at the gallery? You are all they talk about in New York?" Victoria asked her friend.

"Things are going real well, we are actually having this tribal art showing next week. We have a lot of artifacts that came in. They needed to be sorted through, but it will be worth it." She replied, glad that the subject had changed.

Buffy and Cordelia asked to be excused from the table and took Elizabeth with them. She was covered in food and in desperate need of a bath.

"Someone needs a bath." Cordelia told her daughter.

Elizabeth crossed her little arms, "No, bath. I no like baths." She protested.

"Lisa we talked about this, you need a bath you're dirty." She tried again.

"No bath, no bath, no bath." She kept repeating over and over.

Cordelia was at her wits end, she was a couple of seconds of giving in to her daughter. She knew that the little girl was definitely hers, the attitude and the tantrums were enough. Buffy saw that this girl was just as stubborn as her mother, she decided to help her friend out. From the looks of it Cordelia was about to give in.

"Lisa, do you like stories?" She asked the little girl.

Elizabeth nodded her head enthusiastically, and clapped her tiny hands, "I wike stories." She responded.

"I'll tell you what, you let mommy give you a bath and I will read you a story. Does that sound good to you?" She asked the girl again.

The adults in the room watched this in wonderment, the Chases especially, once Elizabeth set her mind against something there was no turning back. Cordelia even waited for her daughter's reaction.

"I take bath, you read stowy?" She asked tentively.

"I'll read you a story." She smiled.

The little girl reached up and Buffy picked her up, she took her up the stairs leaving behind four sets of shocked parents and a truly surprised Cordelia. The brunette quickly followed them up the stairs; her Buffy was a natural with kids.

"Did you see that? Elizabeth never gives in that easy." Antonio responded.

"That's our Buffy; no one was able to ever say no to her." Joyce replied.

Amelia came out and gathered up the dishes, she noticed that three of the occupants were missing.

"Would you care for some coffee or dessert?" She asked.

"Coffee would be good." Victoria answered.

"Where did the two little ones and wee one disappear to? I have their favorite desserts ready for them." Amelia asked.

"They went to give Elizabeth a bath. Why not save it for them as a surprise?" Antonio replied.

"Right away sir. Coffee will be out shortly." She gathered the rest of the dishes and left the room.

"Let's go into the sitting room, we never really used it." Victoria suggested.

All the adults went into the sitting room and sat down on various chairs. Their conversations were never dull, they talked art, and things that adults talk about that they don't want their children to know.

Buffy and Cordelia were upstairs in the bathroom giving a squirming Elizabeth a bath. It was a lot harder than the blonde thought it was going to be. They finally got the girl cleaned and hair washed. Cordelia grabbed a big fluffy towel and wrapped it around the girl.

"You didn't tell me that she was a busy body." Buffy griped to Cordelia.

Cordelia picked the girl up and took her to her room, where she proceeded to dress her.

"What did you expect Buffy? She's two, and two year olds don't really like baths." She explained, as she put her daughter's pajamas on.

Buffy walked over to the bookshelf and pulled out a book from Cordelia's massive children's book collection. Deciding on 'One Fish Two Fish' by Dr. Seuss, she walked over to the bed where the little girl was already tucked in.

"I promised the little lady a story, and here we are." Buffy presented the book and sat down next to the girl, and began to read.

Cordelia sat in the rocking chair across from the girl's bed and listened as Buffy read the story. Everyone was right; Buffy is a natural with kids, she chose the right course of study. Watching the blonde read to her daughter made her wonder if she ever had children would she read to them too, would they look like her. The story was over and the little girl was fast asleep. The two girls tip toed out of the room and across the hall to Cordelia's room.

"You are a natural with kids. Are you sure you shouldn't be a teacher?" Cordelia asked closing the door behind them.

Buffy sat down on the bed and glanced up at her friend, "It did cross my mind, but I like this better. Lisa is a really good child; I wonder where she got that from." She asked her friend.

Cordelia made her way over to the bed like a stalker to his prey. Buffy knew what was going to happen so she leapt off the bed and around the other way. The brunette had her trapped in the corner and began tickling the blonde mercilessly. Buffy couldn't help but laugh and try to stop the onslaught.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She cried out between tickles.

The brunette wouldn't stop, "Not gonna work Summers, I want you to cry Uncle." She persisted in the tickling.

"Never!" Buffy cried out.

Cordelia continued until Buffy finally gave up, "I give Uncle." She panted wildly. "It's been too long since we had one of those. I think it's your turn." Buffy got up and approached her friend.

"Buffy, don't do it. I didn't mean it; come on you wouldn't do this to your best friend." She pleaded with the girl.

"Not gonna work this time Chase, turn about is fair play." She pounced on the other girl and began tickling her until she actually turned blue in the face.

"I'm sorry Buffy please stop." She cried.

Buffy finally stopped and pulled her friend up off the floor. Once they were on the bed she put some space between the two of them. This worried the brunette a little and she moved closer. The blonde moved away a little, this was making her mad.

"What is your deal Buffy? We can't sit close to each other. We've done it plenty of times before, so what is different now?" She asked, clearly pissed.

"There is no deal Cordy, I just want a little space. It's hot in here, and being next to you makes it hotter." She blurted out, but put a hand over her mouth realizing what she just said.

Cordelia couldn't help but smile at her friends little slip up. She made Buffy hot, but was it a good way or a bad way? She decided to press it a little further; no one could deny her not even Buffy.

"I make you hot? Would you like to explain that to me?" She asked.

"I meant I was already hot from the tickle match we just had, and being next to you is bringing in more heat. Hence, the making me hot." She told her friend, it didn't sound believable even to her.

"If you say so Buffy, you're going to LA this Friday. When are you coming back again?"

"Yeah, I'm leaving Friday morning and will come back either Sunday night or maybe Monday. I want to spend a little time with my sister, cause I know when school starts I probably won't see her as much." She replied.

"I hope you enjoy yourself, tell dad and Angelina I said hi." She told her friend.

"I just had an idea. Why don't you come to LA with me? It's been a long time since daddy has seen you. We could use this as a reconnecting thing." She suggested.

Cordelia smiled at the idea, "That would be great, but what about Lisa? I can't just up and leave her with my parents for the week-end." She replied.

"We can take her with us. I'm sure daddy would like to meet his honorary granddaughter." She taunted.

"I want to go. Let me tell mom and dad, I'm sure they will be deligted. They always loved you for some reason." She teased.

Buffy brushed off her nails, "I'm a loveable person." She replied.

The night wasn't so bad after all.