Forever, Always, and Then Some

Chapter 48

 

In Sunnydale.

Buffy pulls up into her driveway. As she gets Conner out of the car seat, Dawn comes running out.

Dawn: That Watcher guy is here.

Buffy: Damn, I was hoping to get Conner inside before he got here.

Dawn: I will take him in the back.

Buffy: Too late. (she looks over Dawn’s head at Quentin on the porch). Hello Quentin.

Buffy walks toward the porch.

Buffy: Dawn can you get my bags. I bought you a few things in LA.

Travers: Hello Miss Summers.

Buffy: Uh that is Mrs. Now.

Travers: Quite right. I just do not know your new last name.

Buffy: Still Summers.

Travers: Oh, a modern woman, not taking her husband’s last name.

Buffy: No actually he didn’t have one so took mine.

Travers: No last name. But how?

Buffy: Quentin, can you excuse me one sec why I get this little one down for his nap and we can talk.

Travers: My lord, that is a baby. A real baby.

Buffy: Boy, you watchers don’t miss much.

Buffy heads upstairs and put Conner down. She heads back down.

Dawn: Buffy, where do you want these?

Buffy: Lets take them into the living room and I will show you what I got.

Buffy sits down. Travers watches her for a minute than sits down too.

Buffy: Sorry Quentin, did a little shopping while in LA

Buffy: Let’s see. This is for Willow, you can put it in her room please. Dawn these are yours. Here is few things for Conner, I need to wash them first. Here is jeans for me. Oh and this shirt needs to go in Angel’s drawer. Oh and here is another blouse for you. And these are mine too. Oh and this bag is stuff for the bathroom, shampoo, conditioner, hair gel, bubble bath.

Dawn: Hair gel? Who uses….oh.

Buffy: That is it, do you mind putting it all away for me.

Dawn: Thanks Buffy, I love them.

Buffy: I hope I got the sizes right.

Dawn: They look right, we wear practically the same size.

Dawn head away with some of the stuff.

Buffy: Okay Quentin, we can talk now. What do you need?

Travers: Answers would be nice.

Buffy: I will try.

Travers: I hear you have run off and gotten married.

Buffy: Not at all. No running involved. We had the ceremony right here in this room.

Travers: Giles refused to tell me who you married.

Buffy: I know. My personal life is not the council’s business.

Travers: So you are not going to tell me either?

Buffy: Oh I am. You just haven’t asked me.

Travers: Oh, I guess this is a game with you. Fine, what is your husband’s name.

Buffy: Angel Summers.

Travers: The vampire? You married a vampire. This is unacceptable.

Buffy: I find it very acceptable. Actually quite pleasurable.

Travers: The council will not stand for a slayer marrying a vampire, even if he has a soul.

Buffy: The last time the council tried to deny Angel and I anything, I quit remember. Do you really want a replay?

Travers: What?

Buffy: You were willing to let him die and I have not forgotten that.

Travers: I never did hear how you were able to cure him.

Buffy lifts her hair and reveals her scar.

Buffy: That’s how.

Travers: He attacked you?

Buffy: No, I beat him to a pulp until he finally drank the only cure……me.

Travers: He could have killed you.

Buffy: No he couldn’t. No more than I could sit and watch him die.

Travers: How did you survive?

Buffy: He took what he needed and took me to the hospital for a transfusion. Oh and we still had time to stop the mayor. Now will you please tell me why you are here. I have laundry and other thing to attend to. And I got no sleep last night, so I need a nap before patrol.

Travers: No sleep. Fighting demons all night?

Buffy: No sitting on a rooftop with Angel star gazing.

Travers: With all the demons and such you spend the night looking at stars.

Buffy: Yes. But the night before we took out over two dozen vampires, so I think our average is good.

Travers: Over two dozen. You and the vampire?

Buffy: His name is Angel. Well there was six of us. Wes, Fred, Cordy, Gunn, Angel, and myself. The flame thrower was a big help.

Travers: Who are these other people?

Buffy: Oh Angel Investigations.

Travers: Oh that little group Wesley hooked up with, I forgot about them.

Buffy: They are doing amazing work in LA.

Travers: Every little bit helps I guess.

Buffy: Okay, is that why you came all the way to LA, to insult both me and my husband.

Travers: No I came because of the vampire baby rumors.

Buffy: Well I already told you, it is a big hoax. Somebody’s idea of a way to make money, I think.

Travers: I think you are wrong. There are prophecies here that you are not aware of.

Buffy: I know the Nyazian Prophecies. It foretells the coming. But you know the prophecies are not always what they appear. I myself was prohecised to die, but hey here I am. Alive and kicking.

Travers: But you did die, just not permanently.

Buffy: But it proves that prophecies never for tell the whole story. Besides they are open to interpretation.

Travers: So what is the truth as you know it.

Buffy: Sorry, I can not help you. It is against policy. Gosh I have always wanted to say that to you.

Travers: I am getting no where with you am I.

Crying is heard from the baby monitor.

Buffy: Excuse me.

Buffy heads upstairs. She runs into Willow.

Willow: How is it going?

Buffy: I don’t know what to do? He is going to ask about Conner. I am not sure what to tell him.

Willow: What does Angel say?

Buffy: Is Dawn in her room?

Willow: Yes.

They walk in Dawn’s room

Buffy: Help

They go to Buffy’s room. Buffy picks up Conner.

Buffy: I need one of you to entertain Quentin. One to change and feed Conner. I need to call Angel, NOW.

Dawn: I’ll take Quentin, I can tell him about school and boys.

Buffy: That may make him leave. Good plan.

Dawn: I know it works on Giles all the time. They are both old English guys.

Willow: I got Conner

Buffy heads to Willows room to call.

Angel: Hello

Buffy: Hey

Angel: Got home safe?

Buffy: Did, but Quentin is already here. He saw Conner. We need to decide what to tell him. I told him about us. Problem is he knows about the prophecies too.

Angel: Buffy, you have two choices, tell him the truth, the whole truth or lie through your teeth.

Buffy: I know, but the truth may have them after Conner.

Angel: So might a lie if they become suspicious.

Buffy: Are you telling me the truth is better?

Angel: I am telling you that we can’t keep hiding our son from the world. The watcher’s council is not some evil entity. The are suppose to be the good guys.

Buffy: They were so good they would have let you die.

Angel: But I didn’t. Not as long as I had you on my side. Conner has you too. And me.

Buffy: Okay, truth it is.

Angel: The whole truth, Buffy.

Buffy: Okay. I will call you tonight. Love you.

Angel: Love you too.

Buffy heads back downstairs.

Travers: Miss Summers, I am so glad you are back. The baby is okay?

Buffy: Yes has Dawn kept you company.

Travers: Oh yes, so entertaining. Love the boy stories.

Buffy and Dawn both snicker.

Travers: Not fooling you am I.

Buffy: Not in the least.

Travers: Well Miss Summers can we get back to it?

Buffy: Only if you quit using Miss.

Travers: Sorry, Mrs. Summers.

Buffy: Okay, lets get to it. I have something to tell you that will keep the council busy for at least weeks if not months or years.

Buffy proceeds to tell Travers everything about Conner.

Travers: This is most remarkable. The child mentioned in the prophecies is right upstairs. When can we see him?

Buffy: You can’t. My son is not for you to examine or probe. He is a healthy human infant.

Travers: Whose father is a vampire and was carried to term by a vampire.

Buffy: His father was not a vampire when he was conceived, you have missed that point. As for Darla, she was nothing more than a surrogate. He carries none of her DNA. He is biologically mine and I have 3 separate DNA reports to that effect.

Travers: But we must examine the child.

Buffy: No. No. No. Can I be any clearer?

Travers: Miss….Uh Mrs. Summers, there is much to be learned here. We are equipped to evaluate the offspring without harming him.

Buffy: You are not getting anywhere near him. And if you continue to pursue this I will have to ask you to leave and the council will again be without a slayer. Well unless Faith gets out on parole.

Travers: She is getting out?

Buffy: She might in a couple of months.

Travers: The vampire, uh Angel told you this?

Buffy: Angel and I visited her the other evening. She is doing better.

Travers: Better as in how?

Buffy: As in accepting responsibility for her actions and showing true remorse. Angel has been able to help her accept what she has done and move forward. She may never fully forgive herself but she seems ready to make amends.

Travers: Why Angel?

Buffy: Who better than one who is struggling on the same path. No different that one alcoholic helping another to reach sobriety.

Travers: I guess. So Angel has guilt?

Buffy: Of course, why do you think he works so hard, he has over a hundred years to atone for.

Travers: Giles suggested I meet him. Do you think that I should?

Buffy: That is your choice. But you better not show him disrespect.

Travers: Will he hurt me?

Buffy: No, but I might.

Travers: Oh.

Buffy: Are we through, I told you earlier I need sleep.

Travers: Okay, I will leave.

Travers leaves and Buffy heads to bed.

In LA

Angel: Cordy, do you think we can pull this off?

Cordy: I think it is perfect. It will be exactly 8 weeks after the wedding, you can tell her it is an anniversary of sorts. The Inn is perfect for a romantic getaway. You can have a quiet dinner and then go upstairs and well you know.

Angel: I know all right. Cordy thanks so much. Your ideas are perfect. Is this someplace you have been?

Cordy: Me? No but I would like to.

Angel: Why don’t you plan you own getaway?

Cordy: With who?

Angel: Cordy, I am not blind and neither is Buffy.

Cordy: You both know.

Angel: Well Buffy figured it out first. She noticed something at the wedding reception and again the other night. I didn’t believe her until this morning though.

Cordy: This morning?

Angel: I was downstairs when you first came in.

Cordy: Lurking again?

Angel: I do that. Gonna sue me?

Cordy: No but well we are not ready for publicity yet.

Angel: I understand. Your private business is yours. Hmmmm seems I just told you that myself recently.

Cordy: I get the hint. I keep my nose out of your sex life and you will do the same.

Angel: I am not blackmailing you, so I will stay out of yours even if you don’t.

Cordy: Angel, this is why you are my best friend. You never judge me.

Angel: I am not in a place to judge anyone.

There is a knock at the door.

Angel: Who is it?

Gunn: Me. Are you guys going to be in there all day?

Angel: Come in here. Cordy is just helping with planning a romantic weekend.

Gunn: Oh, gonna take the Buffster out.

Angel: Yes, Cordy has told me about a wonderful little inn on the coast. Sounds perfect.

Gunn: Cordy, how would you know about it?

Cordy: Somebody sounds jealous.

Gunn gives her a look.

Cordy: No need to pretend, he saw us.

Gunn: Oh. Well you ready to come back downstairs.

Cordy: Yeah we are pretty much through here. Angel I will call and make those arrangements. You just have to get her there.

Angel: I will, don’t worry. And thanks again.

 

At W &H

Linwood: We got the results for those samples we took.

Lila: I hope they are worth the pain we went through. He broke three ribs clean through.

Linwood: You will not believe it. The test are exactly same as the last two. She is the mother of the baby.

Lila: But the vampire said she was never pregnant.

Linwood: Well explain this.

He drop a file in front of her.

Linwood: Buffy Summers is the mother of that baby. Darla’s baby if there ever was one is gone, plain and simple.

Lila: Then we need to find it.

Linwood: The senior partners say drop it. They want to know why he can sleep with his wife and still have his soul. That is if they have actually consummated the marriage.

Lila: Well they did produce a child, so there was some sex somewhere.

Linwood: True enough. We just need to know for sure if they are engaging in marital relations and if so why he has not lost his soul.

Lila: Fine, so now our job is to police his sex life. What fun.

Linwood: You sound jealous.

Lila: Not hardly

 

That evening in Sunnydale.

Buffy heads for patrol.

Soon after she leaves, Spike walks up and looks toward the house.

Spike: Slayer, I know you are back. So are you going on patrol tonight?

A van pulls up on the street and Spike slips into the bushes. A squad of three men stream from the van and invade the house. Soon they come out, with Conner. Spike looks toward the house and sees no one coming out to stop them.

Spike: Oh this is going to hurt.

He steps in front of the one carrying Conner.

Spike: Give me the baby.

Man: Get out of my way.

The others pull guns on Spike.

Spike: Give me the kid.

The guy tries to walk past him. Spike strikes out and although practically blinded by the searing pain is able to knock the guy out. As he reaches for Conner, the others each shoot a bullet into him. He grabs Conner and takes off running. The men can’t risk hitting the baby, and Spike escapes.

About an hour later, as Buffy is paroling the cemetery, her cell phone rings.

Buffy: Hello.

Willow: He is gone. They took him.

Buffy: Who? Conner?

Willow: Yes, they stormed in, knocked us out and when we came to he was gone.

Buffy is running home and talking.

Buffy: Wolfram & Hart?

Willow: I don’t know.

Buffy: Call Angel. I am on my way.

Buffy arrives home.

Willow: I called Angel, he is heading to their offices now. I wouldn’t want to be them.

Buffy: Tell me exactly what happened.

Willow: They came in. Three of them with guns. They hit us with something hard and when we came too he was gone. Buffy, I am so sorry.

Buffy: No time for sorry. We just need to find him and fast. I need more. More about the men. Dawn?

Dawn: They were nasty looking.

Buffy: Did they say anything?

The phone rings.

Willow: Hello. ….. Spike we don’t have time……….. What? …You what…….Thank god…….We are on our way, stay there.

She hangs up.

Willow: Spike has Conner.

Buffy: What the hell he took him?

Willow: No he rescued him. He is hiding out near the Bronze.

Buffy: Lets go. Dawn call Angel.

Buffy and Willow head to the Bronze. As they pull up Spike slips out of the shadows with Conner. Buffy jumps out and takes Conner. Spike slumps over and puts his hands on his knees.

Buffy: What is wrong with you?

Spike: The bloody buggers shot me is all.

Buffy: What? Get in the jeep, you can explain there.

© 2005 Tara