Warnings and disclaimer in Chapter 1. Enjoy.
Joyce awoke to the soft sounds of giggling. Smiling, she saw her family gathered around the cots. They were passing the babies between each other, Anya pouting slightly when she reluctantly handed a baby to Tara to hold. She stretched, her muscles relaxed after a night spent in an almost real bed. "Good morning," Willow called out softly.
"We sent Giles next door to get some sleep," Xander told her as she joined the group. He held out a cup of coffee which she gratefully took. "He looked dead on his feet."
"And since he was standing next to Spike that's saying something," Dawn added. Joyce took a small sip of the still hot coffee.
"What are you all doing here so early?" she asked them, taking an even larger sip.
"Nursery plans," Xander said, handing the infant he was holding over to Anya's grabbing hands. He pulled out several pieces of paper from his back pocket, smoothing them out on one of the tables. "I've already talked to Giles, and he agrees, but he said the final decision is yours since it is your house technically."
"Xander," she interrupted his ramblings. She tried to focus on the paper in front of her, but the lines kept blurring. "English please."
"Right," he said, pulling out one of the papers. "Since it is your house, you have the master bedroom, a prime piece of real estate that has a lovely corner view." She nodded, even as he pointed to the corner of what she realized was a roughly drawn floor plan of the house. "Now Buffy and Dawn's room are on your side of the house, not quite as big as yours but larger than all of ours." Again she nodded, taking another sip of coffee. "Giles, as the patriarch of our family, has the second largest bedroom. It's directly across from yours, another corner room."
"Xander," she interrupted again. "We all know this. What is your idea?"
"We move Giles," he said quickly before releasing the breath he was holding. "Ben said Buffy will need a lot of room when she comes home. A lot of equipment too, at least at first. If we move Giles into one of the guest rooms, we can convert his room into Buffy's room and Buffy's room into the nursery." He showed her his plans on the paper, and this time they made sense. "Plus your room shares walls with the other two. I can easily knock out the wall and put a couple doors so you can have easy access from wherever you are."
"What is this?" she asked, pointing to the area where her master bathroom was. Xander had done something to that area, but she couldn't figure out what he had written.
"Well," Xander started uncomfortably, "Ben said she would need help doing… everything," he was blushing slightly. "I thought it might be a good idea to enlarge the bathroom and have those two rooms share, you know, since she'll need help with those things." He was bright red by the time he was done.
"Mom?" Dawn asked curiously. "What's he talking about?" The girls were blushing by now too, but they were in Xander and Ben's initial discussion and helped Xander formulate his latest thought. Joyce sighed, just as a nurse walked in the door. She nodded at everyone before heading over to Buffy's bed. "What's she doing?" Dawn asked as the nurse began to reposition Buffy's body before drawing the curtain around the bed.
"Buffy needs a lot of help right now," Joyce told Dawn. The rest of the group kept their gazes down as they talked, having heard most of it before from Ben, but for Dawn this was all new. The nurse was quietly going about her business, not talking to Buffy like the nurses did in New York, but Joyce knew what was happening by the equipment the nurse brought with her. She turned back to her daughter. "She can't do anything on her own right now."
"Isn't that what the machines are for?" she asked. "Don't they help her?"
"They're helping her," she told her daughter, "but there are things a machine can't do." Joyce took a deep breath before continuing. "She has to be moved every couple of hours to keep from getting sores on her skin."
"That doesn't sound too bad," Dawn said, before asking. "That's all they're helping with right?"
"No," Joyce admitted, pulling her daughter into a tight hug. "She needs help with everything. She needs help bathing and dressing. Eating and going to the bathroom." Dawn's eyes got wide and she looked over at the curtained area.
"That's what the nurse is doing?" Joyce nodded.
"And when we take her home I'll need to help her with all of that."
"You mean we," Willow spoke up. "We will need to help her with all of that." Joyce shook her head.
"I can't ask you to do all this."
"You're not asking," Xander said. "We're volunteering."
"Remember that whole family concept," Tara added.
"Thank you," Joyce told them again, suddenly teary eyed.
"Besides," Anya pointed out directly, "We're already bringing two infants into the home. What's one more?" Everyone looked down at that comment. What she said was essentially true, but they weren't sure how to respond. At that moment the door opened and Gregory walked in.
"I hope everyone had a good night," he greeted, meeting the gang for the first time. "And when you said family you weren't kidding." Joyce quickly introduced everyone. Gregory shook everyone's hands before reaching for Buffy's chart. He ducked behind the curtain, and they could hear the low murmur of conversation between him and the nurse. Ben walked into the room quickly after.
"Joyce," he went straight to her. "I appreciate the faith you put in me, but I have no experience with these kind of cases. There's an excellent spinal surgeon I can recommend who can help you better than I can."
"Ben," she turned to him," Dr. Sullivan is the best physician the Council has. If he needs a specialist, the Council can arrange the best in the field within a day. What I don't need is another specialist. What I need is someone I trust." Ben sighed just as the curtain was pulled back. The nurse took her leave while Gregory joined the group. "As much as I'm liking Gregory, he's still loyal to the Council and I just can't blindly trust anyone from the Council. But I do trust you Ben. I trust you with the health of my family. I'm just asking you to look after my oldest now too."
"I'll do my best," Ben sighed but agreed.
"Think of it as a wonderful learning experience," Gregory smiled at the younger doctor as he rejoined them. "I am at your beck and call, for a little while at least. Anything you want to know I'll do my best to show you." He turned back to Joyce. "It seems Buffy has calmed down somewhat after the trip. Her vitals stabilized during the night and have remained constant. I was hoping that she would have awoken sometime during the night, but I suppose that is just wishful thinking. The anesthesia we gave her would have kept the Slayer unconscious for several hours, but a normal person unconscious for several days. It will be a good test to see if her Slayer metabolism is working or not."
"So if she was awake right now that would be a good sign?" Dawn asked, her eyes straying over to the bed. Everyone looked over to see Buffy's eyes blinking open sluggishly, staring blankly at the ceiling.
"That's our girl," Gregory smiled before making a notation in the chart. "I wouldn't expect too much from her right now. Even a fit Slayer would be groggy for a few hours after that drug was given to them. Feel free to talk to her, but don't be disappointed if she just stares at the ceiling." He smiled at them, hung Buffy's chart back on her bed, then left the room. Joyce turned back to the plans Xander was showing her.
"I agree with whatever you think is best," she said tiredly. "Just get it done quickly. We're exposed here and I don't like it. I want everybody home soon."
"I'm on it," he said, folding the papers up and putting them back in his pocket. "I'll get a couple guys from the crew and we'll get started right away." Joyce nodded.
"Ben, perhaps you can go with Xander and help with whatever additional equipment or space my daughter will need." He looked down, feeling chastised for talking about a patient without their consent, but Joyce just smiled. The girls stood up, ready to help in whatever way they could. "By the way, where is Veronica?" Everybody looked at each other.
"Oops," Xander said when he realized they had forgotten about her.
"Hey Joyce," Ben stuck his head in the room quickly. "I have a Kate Lockley on the phone for you." Everyone looked at Joyce.
"I'll be there in a second," she told him. He nodded and ducked out of the room. The girls looked at her curiously.
"Kate's involved in this?" Tara asked.
"She got involved once they realized there was a demonic aspect to The Ring," she told them. Tara nodded and shared a quick glance with Willow. As soon as they went home that first night Willow had gotten online and researched The Ring. It left them all sick to their stomach, but with a much better idea of what Buffy went through. Joyce sighed and gripped Buffy's hand harder. "Buffy? Baby. I need to go for a minute. I want you to keep trying. Breathe in and breathe out. Deep breathes." She squeezed her hand and shared a quick glance with Gregory before leaving the room. Buffy, who was focusing on her mother intently, continued to stare at the space she just left.
"How's it going?" Xander asked as he led Giles and Veronica into the room. They had spent the day working on the house while the girls spent the day at the hospital. Willow growled and shut the spell book she had been reading.
"It's not. There's nothing in these books that we haven't already done," she grumbled, letting her head fall onto the closed book. Tara closed her book also.
"How's the remodel coming?" Tara asked. "And where's Dawn and Anya."
"They are picking out paint color for the nursery," he told them.
"Already?" Willow asked perking up a bit. "You just started a few hours ago." Xander shrugged.
"I told you the nursery wouldn't be that hard. It lost some closet space when I added the door, but I think it works for right now. If we can get a painting party together after dinner, we can start shopping for furniture tomorrow."
"And you're letting Dawn and Anya pick out the color?" Willow asked, seeing possible disasters. Xander shrugged.
"By the time the kids are old enough to notice it will be time to change it anyway." He grinned at them.
"And how is the other project?" Xander's smile fell.
"That will probably take another two or three days," he admitted. "Giles has all of his stuff moved out so we can start working tomorrow, and Ben ordered all the special stuff we'll need and it should start arriving in a day or two, but it will still be a few days to actually remodel the bathroom. Oh and the water will be out during that time so we need to make arrangements for Dawn and Joyce to stay somewhere else."
"I doubt Joyce will be leaving the hospital until Buffy and the twins do," Willow said, "but she and Dawn are more than welcome to stay with us."
"Sleepover at Willow's?" Dawn asked, coming into the room with Anya. Anya went immediately to the cots where the twins were sleeping.
"Just while I work on the bathroom," Xander told her. "The water will be turned off until we get that sorted out." Dawn nodded.
"Find anything?" she asked, pointing to the spell books that were piled on one of the spare beds.
"Nothing we didn't know before," Tara told her, letting the frustration into her voice. Just then Joyce came back into the room. She looked pale. "Joyce?"
"That was Kate," she repeated, staring at Giles intently. "The Medical Examiner is ready to release the body," she shuddered slightly, "but they need someone to take custody and make arrangements."
"The Council can do that if you prefer," Giles told her. She shook her head.
"She's family. She's coming home." Giles nodded, expecting this reaction.
"I can go," Veronica volunteered. She had been watching the group interact and felt slightly out of place, but here was finally something she could help with. She stared at Joyce intently. "I can bring her back home. To her family." Joyce nodded.
"Thank you," she told her. Veronica smiled and left the room to make arrangements.
"I can take care of arrangements here," Giles volunteered. Joyce nodded gratefully.
"Mom?" Dawn asked. "What's going on?" Joyce looked around at her kids.
"Buffy was pregnant with a third child," she told them. "She died while still in the womb, from injuries from the initial attack." Everyone paled at the news.
"What is her name?" Dawn asked quietly. Joyce shook her head.
"She doesn't have one," she admitted.
"We should think of one before she gets here," Dawn said. Joyce smiled at her youngest.
"I think that's a good idea," she said, giving her a small hug.
"Mom?" Dawn asked, "Can I spend the night here with you again?"
"Doesn't somebody have school in the morning?"
"Yeah," Dawn argued, "but it's just a few more days till summer vacation. All the tests are done and now the teachers are just holding us hostage. I'd rather be here."
"And in a few days when you're paroled for the summer you can spend all the time you want here," she told her, "but until then you are going to school." Dawn sighed loudly, pulling away from the hug to sulk in the corner. Joyce smiled and turned back to Buffy. "Anything?" she asked Gregory.
"It took a few minutes for her attention to wander," he told her.
"Okay. Let's try this again." She stepped back up to her daughter and grabbed her hand. "Buffy? Can you look at me? Please sweetie." It took a minute for Buffy to respond, focusing on her mother intently. "Can you squeeze my hand?" Joyce asked, picking up Buffy's hand with one of hers. A few minutes later and she felt pressure as Buffy did what was asked of her. "Good job honey. Now we're going to work on breathing again." She put her other hand on Buffy's abdomen while moving Buffy's hand to her own chest. "Just like this. Deep breathes in and out." She exaggerated her own chest movements for Buffy's sake, hoping her daughter would try and copy her like she always did. She could feel Buffy's chest move, but that was always the ventilator pumping air in and out of her daughter's lungs and not Buffy herself. "C'mon baby. I know you can do it. Deep breathes in and out."
Gregory put his hand on Buffy's chest, checking for any additional movement as well. He was about to stop Joyce when suddenly he felt something move. Joyce felt it too and looked to him in amazement. "Don't stop," he told her, grabbing his stethoscope and placing it over her lungs.
"That's it sweetheart. In and out," Joyce encouraged. Buffy took a few more shallow breathes before her attention started to wander and her eyelids closed. Joyce turned to the doctor.
"I think she did it," he told her, coiling up his stethoscope.
"So we can lose the ventilator?" Joyce asked. He shook his head.
"Not yet, but if she keeps progressing at this rate I think we might be able to soon." He smiled at her. "She truly is a miracle."
"You have no idea," Giles said from the other side of the room. He was watching them intently, as was everybody else in the room. "I say this calls for a celebration."
"How about pizza and ice cream?" Xander asked. "Nothing says celebration like ice cream." The others nodded enthusiastically while Giles joined Joyce and Gregory. The order was soon placed and as the others celebrated, Gregory took Joyce and Giles into the hallway.
"This is good news," he told them once they were in the privacy of the hallway. "She is progressing much more quickly than I anticipated. In a few days I think she might be able to breathe without the vent, maybe even sit upright in a wheelchair by the end of the week."
"But?" Giles asked, anticipating the negative news.
"But," Gregory continued, "She still has no feeling in her lower extremities and she still is unable to communicate. Based on her accelerated healing rate I would have expected something in these areas by now. The fact that there's been nothing is not a good sign. Soon you will need to make some decisions."
"What decisions?" Joyce asked.
"Her long term care," he told them. "As of right now I would classify her as a paraplegic in a vegetative state. She will need around the clock care. I would normally recommend a long term care facility."
"I'm taking her home," Joyce insisted. He nodded.
"Then we need to discuss what care she will need and how you can best provide for her needs. I assume you will be the primary caregiver Joyce?" Joyce nodded. "And you Rupert will be a secondary caregiver?" He nodded. "Then we need to start working, not only with Buffy, but with you two as well. We'll start in the morning." They nodded. "How is the remodel going?"
"Oh, umm, a few days for the bathroom, but the nursery is almost finished," Giles told him.
"I saw Xander's plans for the whole thing. He's a pretty smart kid with design."
"Yes he is," Joyce said proudly.
"The list Ben gave was pretty good, there's just one or two small things he might want to add for Buffy's care. I'll get with him before I leave tonight."
"Thanks," Joyce told him. He smiled and turned to leave. Joyce turned to Rupert, tears in her eyes. He immediately opened his arms, leaving it up to her to accept the comfort or not. She accepted.
"What are we going to do?" she asked, crying on his shoulder.
"We'll get by," he told her.
"Anya said it was like bringing three infants home instead of two," Joyce said, the tears making her voice sound broken. "And she's right. My baby girl is a baby again."
"Then we'll cherish her as we cherish our grandchildren," he told her, gently rubbing her back to calm her down. "And we'll watch for firsts from all three of them, and we'll celebrate each milestone every one of them makes."
"I don't know if I can do this again," she admitted. "I'm almost done raising Dawn. I don't know if I can start the whole process over again."
"You won't be alone," he promised her. "I will be here every step of the way. For all three of them." She nodded and simply let him hold her for a few minutes before pulling away. A few minutes later she pulled herself together enough to reenter the room just in time to hear the final verdict on the pizza and ice cream debate.
"Isn't that right Giles?" Xander asked, clearly at the end of his rope. The girls had been ganging up on him again. Giles shook his head and headed for Buffy's bedside, causing Xander to sigh loudly. "Fine. Chocolate ice cream wins again." He shook his head but stood to go get the food, Willow going with him.
"You okay Joyce?" Tara asked, noticing her red rimmed eyes. She nodded. "Maybe you need to get out for a night. Go back home and sleep in your bed for a night. Things will look better in the morning."
"Yes," Anya agreed, "we can stay with Buffy and you can go home and paint the nursery. Dawn and I picked out a lovely shade of yellow that will really brighten up the room." Joyce looked a little scared at the color the girls picked out, but Tara gave her a reassuring nod.
"Maybe I'll do that," she agreed. "A night to myself might be just what the doctor ordered." She grabbed her purse, searching until she found the keys to the car someone had brought by for her. "Come on Dawn."
"What happened to yourself?" Dawn protested. She didn't want to leave the newborns. Joyce sighed.
"Myself and my child," she elaborated. Dawn was ready to protest once again when Tara beat her to it.
"We can bring Dawn back with us after the pizza party," she suggested. "It will give you some time by yourself to decompress." Dawn nodded her agreement of that plan. "Besides we still need to paint the nursery and since I spent all day here I think it's my time to help."
"Okay," Joyce agreed, not showing how glad she was to have a few hours to herself, "but not too long. I want you safely home before sunset." Everyone agreed and Joyce soon found herself relaxing in the hottest bubble bath she could stand. She glanced around her bathroom fondly. She really liked her bathroom, the first one she really didn't have to share with anyone. She knew Xander had some grand plan for it and realized she really would miss it when it's gone, but she would give anything to have her family back home and together again. She indulged in her relaxation for a few hours before she heard the others come back to the house. Sighing, she reluctantly got out of the now lukewarm water and helped them paint the nursery.