Chapter 27. Earth Bound.
Dawn and Connor walk through the garden hand in hand. Dawn is touching her now very big belly and she feels her twins kicking on occasion. She quickly grabs Connor's hand every time they kick and he feels her belly to feel his unborn kids.
"That's amazing," says Connor.
"Yes, but it hurts a bit," says Dawn.
"I want to be there with you. When they're born."
"I really like that. Of course, I might break your fingers." Connor laughs at her comment, not understanding the meaning behind it. The two sit down on a bench and look at the sunset. The skies turn pink and orange like mesh of water color paints spilling into the horizon. Dawn leans her head on Connor's shoulder and sighs.
"Dawn?" She lifts her head and turns to him. Connor pulls out of his pocket something small and shows it to Dawn. She sees that it's a beautiful, diamond ring. "I wanted to give this to you earlier." Connor gets off the bench and kneels down on one knee. "I love you so much and I know I haven't been the best person these last couple of months, but I would be so grateful if you would be my wife." Dawn's face lights up and she begins to cry.
"Yes!" Dawn hugs him tight. "I love you, too." Connor then releases her and puts the ring on her ring finger.
"A perfect fit." Connor smiles at her.
"I want to marry you."
"We will. After the babies are born. By then I'd be finished with my training."
"No, I want to marry you now."
"What's the rush?"
"I don't know. It's just the feeling inside me. Let's do it tonight."
"Whoa, wait a minute."
"I know a priest in town that can do it. I'll get in contact with him."
"Dawn, this is way too fast, we don't need to do this right away."
"I love you, Connor, so much. I want to have a husband when the twins are born."
"Okay, we can talk to Tara…"
"No. We're going to do this alone."
"Dawn, I know you want them to be there."
"Yes, but not at this. Later we can get married in a lavish wedding ceremony and they can all be there. This one is just for us." Connor nods in agreement as Dawn takes his hand and she leads him into the palace.
A little while later, when everyone is asleep, they sneak out of the palace and head into the town. They find the priest in a tavern and the three head over to the church across the street.
"My goodness, Dawn," says the priest. "You have grown since last I saw you and you're expecting." Dawn smiles.
"We want to get married," says Dawn. The priest nods his head and leads them to the altar of the church. The priest performs a short version of a traditional church wedding and finally pronounces them husband and wife. Dawn and Connor kiss in the end. They then say their goodbyes to the priest and head over to a motel nearby.
Dawn, lying on the bed, looks at her ring and then at Connor, who is looking out the window. She gets up and walks over to him.
"What's wrong?" she asks.
"Nothing," replies Connor as he turns to her. "I'm glad we did this, although, Giles is not going to be glad."
"Don't worry about Giles. He'll understand."
"Right, when a light saber is in my gut."
"There will be no violence if I have anything to say about it."
The next day, they sneak into the palace early in the morning and climb up Dawn's balcony window. Connor is shocked at how Dawn is able to climb with her big belly, although he did help as she reached the top. The two are in the room and quickly say their goodbyes as Connor exits her room and runs over to his room, without being seen.
Meanwhile, in a ship in space, Darla is looking out a window and sees Earth from a distance. A tear falls from her face. Lindsay walks over to her and puts his arm on her shoulder. Darla pulls away and faces him.
"I won't tell you anything," says Darla. "If that is what you are trying to get out of me?"
"You know me too well," says Lindsay. "Darla, you are all I got. I've got nothing else."
"Then leave Earth alone. Leave now, back to your own planet. Leave my people be."
"I will not leave, until I've avenged the death of my children." Lindsay slams his hand on a table. "They would have not died in vain."
"What did you expect? You killed their people and what do you think that they were going to do? They were going to fight back. You brought this upon yourself." Lindsay walks over to her. "Don't you dare kiss me again. I'll slap you harder than last time."
"You once loved me. Is there ever a chance that you could love me again?"
"No."
"You've always known things before I did. I never understood it. I know you're hiding something from me. I'm going to find out and whatever it is, if it is strong enough to keep you at my side, then I will find out what it is." Lindsay leaves the room.
Darla looks at the door that Lindsay has exited. She is frightened at the feats that Lindsay would go through just to get what he wants. She just hopes that he never finds out about her son, Connor. Knowing that his father is the man who killed his mother, it would kill him. She will not allow that to happen.
Back on Earth, Dawn seems extremely cheerful and no one knows why, except Connor and herself. The three who are pregnant together finally made their baby shower. The men stayed outside in the garden. Baby showers are more for girls and they didn't seem to fit in that atmosphere.
"They are beautiful," says Dawn with a smile. Tara, Fred, Cordelia, and Faith were happy to oblige with the cute gifts for Dawn.
"Oh, but the outfits you got us were so cute, Dawn," says Tara. "The material is so soft."
"I know a man who knows a man about some very good clothing materials." They all laugh.
"So, Dawn, you've been happy a lot."
"Can't I be?"
"Yes, but what's the reason, if you want to share?"
"I guess it's the arrival of the twins. Wesley says that it's a boy and girl and I've got perfect names for them."
"What?"
"For the girl, I'll name her Buffy."
"Buffy?"
"Yes. I know it sounds strange, but I like it. And for the boy, I'll name him Alexander, but for short we'll call him Xander."
"I like that name," says Cordy.
"Yeah, it has a commanding sort of touch to it," says Faith.
"What about you Tara?" asks Dawn.
"Um, I was thinking maybe Willow," says Tara. "It sounds nice."
"Sweet and simple just like Tara. What about you Fred?"
"Well, Wesley wants to name her Katherine and I kind of like that name," says Fred.
"That's a beautiful name," says Dawn. "Wouldn't it be cute if my son got with your daughter?"
"Yeah, you all will be one happy family," says Faith.
"So, when are you and Riley going to start?"
"Me, I'm really not ready for that sort of thing."
"Come on, Faith. I'm sure you'll make a great mom."
"You really think so?"
"A mom is like a Jedi knight protecting the innocent."
"I guess you're right. That's pretty much all I know."
"Where did you learn to become so wise, Dawn?" asks Tara.
"I guess I had great parents," Dawn replies and then she smiles and notices that Giles heard what she said. He smiles back at her.