Ah...the site is finally working again, so I'll get this posted while I can. :) Please review...I know you're out there.
Chapter 39
Kara's 30th birthday came on June 1st. Joyce's gift was to take the twins overnight so Spike and Kara could have alone time completely uninterrupted. There was a small party the day before, complete with black balloons and cards teasing her about getting old. Lorne and the L.A. group sent a gift, as well. Upon learning from Lorne that Kara had delivered twins, Cordelia had packed up some of Connor's old toys from infancy and shipped them to the house, along with a gift certificate to a salon for Kara. It was very sweet, considering that they had never met.
Kara and Wesley had been keeping in touch by e-mail for over a year now, since he had shown up with Connor for protection. She had asked him to keep his ears open since her dealings with Wolfram and Hart. Kara didn't trust them not to try to find a loophole to get what they wanted from her, whatever that had been. Wes kept her up-to-date on Connor growing up, and the cases A.I. faced. She'd grown to appreciate the ex-Watcher's subtle humor and intelligence, and trusted him with her secrets as much as Lorne.
When the twins were around six months old, Kara figured it was time to start socializing them with other children, as well as adults. She invited Cordelia and Fred to bring Connor over for a play date. It was August, and he was almost two.
A dark-haired streak ran into Kara's legs as she opened the door, almost knocking her down. Said streak continued into the house, giggling all the way.
"Sorry about that. He managed to climb onto the counter this morning and found the cookie jar. Hi, I'm Cordelia," the curvy brunette said, sticking her hand out.
Kara shook it. "Kara Browning. I'm glad you guys could make it this morning. Hi, Fred. How's Wesley?"
"He's fine," the tall girl replied, shyly. The relationship was new, so she was still blushing when someone mentioned his name.
"Glad to hear it. Well, this is my home. There are 2 acres out back, and a swimming pool, so we ought to be able to burn the energy off him somehow." Kara gave them the short tour. "Living room is straight through there, powder room is down that hall, and the kitchen is that way." A cry was heard on the nearby baby monitor. "Excuse me. Someone's wanting attention." Kara went upstairs to see which one of her daughters was awake.
"Good morning, Anastasia. I should have known it was you. Your sister seems to prefer Daddy's hours. I have new people for you to meet. Would you like that?"
She squealed and giggled, happy to be talked to. Kara changed her diaper, then added clean clothes and a sun hat. She bounced Anastasia on her hip as she walked down the stairs.
"Ohhh!" the girls cooed, upon seeing the infant. "She's adorable!"
"Thanks. Anastasia, this is Cordelia, and Fred. Can you say hi?" The baby gurgled and waved her fingers. "Could one of you hold her while I warm a bottle?"
"I'll do it," Cordy volunteered. Connor, seeing something new nearby, toddled over to Cordelia. "Be gentle, Connor. She's much smaller than you."
"Ba-by," he said, touching Ana's foot. "Hi," he added, leaning closer to examine the little girl. She giggled and squeezed his nose with her little fingers. "Hey!"
"Oh, I like her!" Cordelia laughed.
"What'd she do?" Kara asked.
"Connor leaned in close to her face, and she tweaked his nose, and laughed."
"Yeah, she does that to pretty much all men. If your face is in reach, she grabs your nose. I don't think I'll have to worry about her in high school. Would either of you care for something to drink? I have most everything in the fridge," Kara replied, taking her daughter and holding the bottle for her to drink from.
"Iced tea?" Fred suggested.
"Sure. Just give me a minute to finish here."
"I can serve myself. You've got your hands full. Just tell me where the glasses are."
"Cabinet to the right of the sink."
"Don't mind her. She's stuck on that whole Southern hospitality thing. She has a twin, right?" Cordelia commented, gesturing to the infant.
"Yes, Lillian. She's more of a night owl than her sister. I don't expect her to wake up for another couple hours. Ah, Fred, thank you. Would you all like to see the horses?" Kara burped Ana, then picked up her iced tea and started walking towards the stable.
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The girls had arrived around eleven, and it was a little after 1 p.m. when they went inside to prepare lunch. Kara strapped Anastasia in her highchair for a little rice cereal.
"Have you had a hard time introducing solids to her? Connor didn't like the taste of cereal. We ended up starting him off with bananas," Cordy said.
"No, she hasn't put up a fuss. I just introduced it a week ago. Lillian, on the other hand, spits it right back out at you. I'm not sure whether she's just not ready for it, or she finds the taste horrible. They really are opposite sides of the coin."
Spike walked into the kitchen, shirtless, carrying Lillian. "Hullo," he said to the two strangers. He opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle for the baby and the pitcher of blood for himself.
"Spike! Kara – that's Spike!" Cordy exclaimed, sputtering.
"I know. He's my husband."
"Huh? But, he's a soulless, dangerous vampire!"
Spike snapped his fingers in recognition. "The cheerleader! Didn't recognize you with the different hair. We're entertaining the Poof's lackeys, now?" he asked his mate.
"Hey!" "Spike, be nice. They brought Connor over to play with the girls. I told you about it yesterday, remember?"
"Oh…right. I'll be down in the basement, then. Smells too much like Peaches in here." He took his warmed mug out of the microwave and placed Lillian in her chair, before disappearing through the basement door.
"Peaches? We're not eating any," Fred said innocently.
Kara chuckled. "He means Angel." She handed Lillian her bottle.
"Oh. Ohhhh! The vampire smelling thing. I get it."
"Okay, explain what Spike's doing here, 'cause last I saw him was when he had Angel tortured to get the Gem of Amara back," Cordy demanded.
"Cordy…don't be rude," Fred entreated.
(Spike…I know you're a grumpy asshole in the morning, but get up here and show your daughter a good example. She's upset because you walked out.)
"A lot's changed since then, Cordy. Spike's a different guy now. I promise you're safe around him. You know about the chip in his head?"
"Yeah…Angel couldn't stop laughing about it when Buffy told him. Does it still work?" she asked warily.
"Honey, does the chip still work?" Kara asked sweetly. He'd just come through the door, after her summons.
He pinched Cordelia hard on the arm, and grimaced in pain. "Ow!" "Yep. Still hurts, pet."
"Jerk," Cordy muttered, rubbing her arm.
Lillian whimpered, unsure what to make of the scene. Spike smelled her fear, and strode over to take her in his arms. "Hush, Lilli…nothing to worry about," he whispered. "Bet you're hungry, hmm?" He propped her on his arm and took the bottle from Kara. Lillian accepted the nipple right away, staring into her father's gentle eyes.
He had the attention of all three women, one looking on adoringly. Fred was grinning at the sweet vision, and Cordy's jaw was on the floor. Anastasia grew impatient with not being the center of attention, and threw her rattle at her mother.
"Whoa, déjà vu," Cordelia giggled, breaking the ice.
"Huh?"
"Connor does that. If he's in the chair and not the center of attention, he throws something at your head. And giggles, like she's doing." "Cor-dy!" "And he's awake from his nap. Excuse me."
Fred took the opportunity to introduce herself to the vampire. "Hi…I'm Winifred Burkle, but everybody calls me Fred."
Spike shook the extended hand. "Pleased to meet you, pet."
Lillian reached out to feel Fred's hair. Spike pulled her fingers out of the strands before she could pull. "We don't tug on people's hair, Bit. It isn't nice."
"She has the prettiest pale blue eyes," Fred complimented. "It's so unusual to see identical twins that, well, aren't."
"I was wondering about that, myself," Cordelia added, carrying Connor. "When Wes mentioned they were identical twins, I was thinking of the usual carbon copies."
"We were just as surprised as anyone," Kara replied. "They're exactly the same, except for the coloring difference. Same fingerprints, same footprints."
"Two!" Connor blurted out, pointing to the twins.
"That's right, sweetie, two babies. That's Lillian…and Spike," Cordy stated.
"Hi!" he said, waving. Lillian tilted her head curiously, a move eerily similar to her father with the same expression.
Anastasia giggled and banged her palms on the tray of her high chair, signaling that she wanted out. Kara lifted her up and set her in the playpen nearby. Connor slid down Cordy's leg and ran over to the playpen. This little person intrigued him.
"Can I play?" he asked Cordelia, gripping the playpen wall.
"If Kara says it's okay."
"Kar-uh?"
"It's alright. You'll be careful?" she asked the boy, kneeling before him.
"I'll be good," he promised. She lifted him over the wall and sat him down opposite to Ana, who crawled closer and patted his face with her right hand. He grinned.
Spike rolled his eyes. Just great – the Poof's get is charming my girls already. Lillian, not wanting to be left out, waved and gurgled in the direction of the playpen. Spike sighed, and set her down next to her sister. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, watching every minute movement of the boy for possible danger to his girls.
(You're so cute.)
(I'm not cute.) he automatically retorted. (Why do you say that?)
(The whole posturing bodyguard thing. He's not going to hurt them, Spike.)
(You don't know that. He's a lot bigger than them. It could easily happen by accident.)
(Then they'll cry for a little while and it'll be over. They're not made of glass, honey. They're Ossirians. Besides, Ana will just bop him in the nose.)
He chuckled. (That's my girl.)
(I am so going to kill you if she gets into fights at school.)
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"Mom, I'm 17. I think I can drive on my own without getting lost. I'm not like Buffy. I actually passed the test the first time."
"Hey!"
"Well, it's true! I don't know how you can be the Slayer, and still not have the coordination to learn to drive."
"I did! Eventually. I haven't hit a single thing with my car."
"Miraculously," Joyce muttered under her breath. Giles stifled a chuckle. "Okay, Dawn. Where exactly are you planning to go?"
"Michael's aunt's house," she muttered.
"Funny, I didn't know he was in town again," Joyce responded, arching a brow at her youngest.
"Well, he is, so can I please go see him! He's only going to be around for a week."
"And what are your plans?"
"I don't know…just hanging out, or something. Mom, do I ever get in trouble with my friends?"
"Well…no…"
"Then what's the big deal? I'll be back by curfew. I always am," Dawn entreated.
"Alright…but I want you around people!"
"Geesh, I know the rule about boys, Mom. Thanks, you're the best. Bye!" Dawn grabbed her purse and hurried out the door before there could be any more objections.
Giles squeezed Joyce's hand. "She'll be fine, dear. Dawn had a good head on her shoulders."
"You're right…but, it's a Mom thing. We always worry. Buffy? Where'd she go?"
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Buffy had noticed another letter on the floor while Dawn was trying to convince their mother to let her go out. She snatched it up and snuck to her room to open it in privacy. Buffy hoped there would be more contained inside than the others she'd been getting since he left after Christmas. He'd said little more than, "Hi, Buffy. I'm alive. How are you? Bye." since then. She assumed he wrote to Kara and Spike directly after learning the twins had been born. Buffy opened the envelope and slid out the expensive stationary.
Dearest Buffy,
I hope things are well. News has not spread of an apocalypse on the Hellmouth, so I'm assuming life goes as usual. I hope Dawn got her birthday gift.
What can I say to you after all these months? Thoughts of you are comfort to a weary soldier. And yes, my feelings for you remain the same, even though I've tried to get past them. You have bewitched me, body and soul. I don't know when, or if, we will meet again. The times are…difficult…for being what I am, and danger is all around. Live well, my love.
Perhaps the Yule season will be good to us once again.
Yours always,
Sebastian.
She sniffed, and wiped the tears away. What was that old fool up to? It sounded like he was saying goodbye.
She hated not knowing where he was! He'd told her that the letters traveled through the box almost instantaneously. Did that mean he was preparing for battle right now? Going off to a suicide mission? No, Sebastian wasn't like that. He believed in his work, and he'd mentioned Christmas. That meant he was hoping to see her again. Right?
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The rapid knocking on the door of their new apartment had Tara rushing to the door.
"Buffy? What's wrong?"
The Slayer rushed inside, waving a piece of paper around. "I got this today." She thrust the letter into Tara's hands.
Willow came out of the bathroom and immediately noticed Buffy's frantic look. "What's up, Buffy?"
"So, am I just freaking out over nothing…'cause that doesn't sound like nothing, and I'm really not ready to think about him being gone, yet. I mean, not that I have any claim on him, I know, but…isn't there a spell you guys could do to find him, or let me see him? Like looking into a crystal ball, or something?"
"First of all, sit, and breathe. Why don't you back up and explain what's got you in a tizzy, hmm?" Willow requested.
"Well, the letter's a bit…melancholy, but that's probably just because he misses you. Sebastian's been handling tough situations for over a century. I'm sure he'll be fine, Buffy," Tara tried to comfort her.
"Maybe…but I won't know that for sure without seeing for myself, will I? You're powerful witches…please help me? This is going to drive me nuts, and a nuts Slayer is a bad one to have on patrol."
"Well, there is a spell, but we'd need something of his…and it only lets you see what's going on. You can't hear anything, so it's a little ambiguous," Willow stated.
"Something of his? Oh! I have a t-shirt!"
"Something you wanna share, Buffy?" Willow teased.
"No! Dawn spilled something on him once when they were having a cooking lesson. He changed into a different one…and just never got the dirty one back."
"Uh-huh. And where is it, now?"
"I sleep in it, sometimes," Buffy muttered. "But only because it's really soft, and it's been hot in my room this summer!"
"Sure, Buffy." The witches nodded in agreement with Buffy's statement, barely holding back their grins.
"Oh, stop looking at me like that!" the Slayer pouted. "I miss him a lot, okay? Happy now?"
"We already knew that, sweetie," Tara said, sitting on the couch next to Buffy.
"Just like we knew Sebastian's in love with you," Willow added.
"So, Buffy, what's the real reason you're so worried about Sebastian now, and not all the other months he's been gone?"
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"Thanks again for coming by. I think the kids had fun," Kara said, escorting the two women to the door.
"Yeah, Connor's usually not wiped out this early. Running around in that big yard helped a lot," Fred commented.
"That just means he'll be up in the middle of the night feeling hungry, but that's what his father's awake for. Vampire hours can be handy," Cordelia added. "You'll have to bring them to the Hyperion some time. I'm sure they'll have the boys falling over their feet in a heartbeat."
"They are quite the charmers. Okay, drive safely and give my regards."
"Thanks, Kara. Goodnight, Spike," Fred said, as she walked out the door.
"'Night, pet. Cheerleader."
"I still don't trust you…but you're not so bad. Call me, Kara. We'll do shopping and lunch." Cordelia walked out, carrying the sleeping Connor, and Kara shut the door.
"See, I told you there was nothing to worry about from Connor."
"Yet. There's still plenty of time for him to cause trouble."
"And you think our girls will always stay innocent angels?" Kara pointed out.
"They better, if they know what's bloody good for them." He leaned against the counter and pulled her in close. "It's early evenin'. We have some time before havin' to start supper," he hopefully suggested.
"And just what do you have in mind?"
"You, me…naked in the hot tub…"
"Hmm…did I ever tell you, you have reallygood ideas?"
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One more chapter left, folks.
