A/N 1: A huge thank you to Faith-Rulz for taking time out of her insanely demanding last year at Vet school to Beta this epic for me and be my sounding board for both the fic as well as my crazy life. I owe you many drinks!
A/N 2: Yes, I am a big wuss and there was no major character death. I really had a plan, but in the end, just couldn't do it. There is so much sadness and senseless death in RL, why should I write it in a fic? I'd much rather write about good narrowly triumphing over evil, the characters we adore persevering over tremendous odds… and of course the girl getting the girl so they can live happily ever after ;-)
A/N 3: Another sequel?? Wow, I don't know about that, guys. Tell you what, I'll think about it. For now, I leave you with this…
Once again many thanks
CB
EPILOGUE
In the clearing stands a boxer,
And a fighter by his trade
And he carries the reminders
Of every glove that laid him down
And cut him till he cried out
In his anger and his shame,
"I am leaving, I am leaving."
But the fighter still remains
Simon & Garfunkel – "The Boxer"
THREE MONTHS LATER – THURSDAY - 31st OCTOBER 2024
KITCHEN – 7:30 AM
DAWN'S POV
It's been months, but Andrew is still beating himself up about how Richard and his team of vamps got past his security systems and into the house. He personally feels responsible for Nicky getting bitten. He completely reworked the entire system weaving some of Willow's most intricate spells along with DNA samples of everyone we deemed appropriate to enter the house. Clem almost cried when Andrew thought twice about adding his sample in. After finally ending his kitten-poker playing days for good, he and Nicky have gotten even closer these last months if that's at all possible. My husband finally relented when Nicky literally begged Andrew on her knees.
"Hey," I get up and give him a kiss as he walks in, tired and weary from again working all night, "I was just going to bring you another cup of coffee."
Andrew goes to the pot, "S'ok, I got it."
"You have to stop this babe," I walk over to him and rest my hand on his back, "nobody blames you except you. You fixed the security screen, everyone's ok." I wrap my arms around his waist and lean into his back, "Your broodiness is making everyone crazy."
He sighs, "I just want to be sure nothing can get though," he turns to me, "What if one of them died? What if you were down there when they came? What if I lost you because I was too cocky to think they couldn't get past the first barrier?"
"Babe," so that is what this is all about, "Everyone's ok, including me," I smile up at him, "Haven't you learned anything since you were our "guest-age"? When it's your time, no one can do anything about it," I reach up and pull his mouth down to mine, "not even the smartest, sexiest man at Slayer Central."
He allows my lips to cover his own and I'm just about to deepen the kiss when he pulls away, "Hey! I'm the ONLY man at Slayer Central!" He gives me a hard stare.
"Yeah, you're that too," I wink at him as I give him a sheepish grin.
We sit for a while and just drink our coffee until he whispers, "Dawn, if Buffy hadn't woken up I never would have - "
"Ok, you really need to stop," I put my hand over his, "Richard had been planning this for freaking centuries, damn it. He had almost half the millennia to work out how to do this. He had a hard-on for Faith and Emma years before they even existed. There was absolutely nothing you could have done." I stop then sigh, "Honey, he charted their every movement from the second they were born: one to terrorize for fun, the other to be part of his sick fantasy. He had a hand in so many of the awful things that happened just to fuck with Faith's head and to try and draw Emma to him. He was a sick bastard."
He nods but I see I'm still not getting through.
"Andrew, you read the rest of Ian's diaries as well as the ones of the many witches that accompanied him over the years." When Ken and Claudine's team found, then raided Richard's apartment last month, they had no idea of the treasure trove of information they would yield. Willow and I are still going though some of the volumes. "Andy, please..."
Nicky picks that moment to walk in, "Good morning Dawn, ANDY! I haven't seen you in ages!" She jumps up on his lap and throws her arms around his neck. "I missed you! You're always in your office and you look so busy, I didn't want to disturb you."
"Hey, Nicky," he can't help but return her hug, she loves him so fiercely and he easily reciprocates like the man he is, so unashamed to love, "I missed you too." I can see he has tears in his eyes but he hides it by rubbing his face in her neck. "Wanna cook dinner with me tonight?"
Her eyes get huge, "Yeah! What are we making?"
"How about a nice turkey tenderloin with some roasted potatoes and broccoli? We need to fill you up before you go on your quest for tricks and treats!"
I leave them there together, to reconnect, to bond and to just enjoy each other. Now that Nicky has Andrew in her clutches; he won't go back into his shell. He'll realize it's not his fault now, Nicky will show him the way.
LIVING ROOM – 10:32 AM
WILLOW'S POV
It's fun having a pet again, I think to myself as I watch Nicky and Clem on the floor playing with the two kittens she brought home from Steve's last month: Julian and Lillie. She got a hold of Andrew's old 'Kindred: The Embraced' DVD's and well, how can you tell a mini Vampire Slayer not to name her kittens after vampire lovers from an obscure 1990's TV show?
Feeling hands on my shoulders, I turn around to Ken crouching down behind me, "Hey babe," she kisses me quickly then motions her head to Nicky and her furry beasts, "Enjoying the day off watching Wild Kingdom here?" Ken always cancels classes on Halloween; it's like our official unofficial holiday.
"Yeah, I so knew Buffy would cave as soon as she saw them," I smile then lean my head next to hers, "They're cute, aren't they, Nick and Clem with the kittens?"
Looking up at both of us Clem has a smile a mile wide, "Who knew they could be so much fun to play with, like not as currency?"
Ken laughs as she nuzzles the back of my head, "Very," putting her arms around my neck and pulling me close, she kisses the side of my face, "So are you."
"Emma's gonna be so psyched when she gets home and sees them," Nicky looks up at us, "Hey Ken."
My sweetie gets up and joins me on the couch, "Hey, Nicky. You're right, Em will be excited, she was always moaning and groaning about having a cat or a dog."
"When is she coming back? They've been gone for ages already!" Nicky whines.
I laugh, cause she asks almost every day, "Not until Thanksgiving, Nick, you know that."
"But that's too long," she pouts then both kittens pounce onto her lap. She scoops them up and cuddles them close, "I miss her a lot, I miss both of them a lot. I want them to come back."
Smiling at her then taking Ken's hand in mine, I sigh, "They will, Nick, they'll be back before you know it. They have stuff they need to work out."
"I know, I just miss them is all," she lies down sulking and lets the kittens romp over her.
MEANWHILE AT THE HOTEL ALBA IN SITGES, SPAIN – 4:52 PM
EMMA'S POV
The afternoon sun is casting a shadow across the room. You can hear the streets start to hum with the bustle of the shopkeepers starting to open again as Siesta time is coming to a close. The most wonderful of Spanish customs: Siesta, where businesses close down from 1:30 to 5:00 every afternoon. We spent the day at the beach, had an incredible lunch then came back to the room for our own private Siesta.
I woke up about 10 minutes ago but Sophia is still napping. She's lying on her back, her hair splayed out on her pillow, one arm wrapped around me, the other laying by her side. My eyes drink in the sight of her naked body next to mine: so beautiful; so powerful; so sexy; God, I am so in love with her. We fell asleep about an hour ago after two hours of intense love making. Nothing could have ever prepared me for what it feels like to be with her: the passion, the intensity, the enormity of it all.
Buffy and I spent the rest of the summer and most of September recovering, getting strong again. Both of us were pretty messed up, but between Sophia and Faith, well, they took good care of us. Nicky whipped up all of our meals and even served them to us in bed when we couldn't make it downstairs. Willow performed some healing spells while Kennedy worked out a training program to help us get our strength back.
When I finally had enough of them fawning all over me, I begged Sophia to take me away and she did. Our first stop was to Camps Bay, my little home town in Cape Town. We left for South Africa in late September so spring was just arriving there and it was beautiful. At first it was hard to go back to a place that had such a mix of warm and horrific memories. But with her by my side, we went to where my house once stood and I felt I finally closed that chapter of my life. From there we came here to Sitges, a little beach town 35 kilometers south of Barcelona. We've been spending most days at the beach soaking up the still warm Mediterranean sun then our evenings exploring the many restaurants the city has to offer. Then of course, there are the Siestas every afternoon.
She murmurs as my fingertip traces the outline of her jaw. Slowly trailing it down her chin, I linger at the hollow of her neck. Not being able to stop touching her, I allow my hand to continue its journey between her breasts, around her stomach then make a lazy circle on her hip. Amazed she's still asleep, I venture to her thigh then her hand grabs mine and the next thing I know, I'm flipped on my back with Sophia hovering over me. "Didn't mean to wake you," I grin sheepishly as I look up into her eyes.
"Yeah, I'll bet," she crocks an eyebrow at me before leaning down to brush her lips against mine.
You know that feeling, when you realize you're with the one person you want to spend the rest of your life with? Then it hits you, and you know exactly how lucky you are, not just to be with your honey, but to know it when it's happening? Can I tell you I feel it in every look, every touch, and yes, every kiss? "Ok, maybe I wanted to wake you a little bit," I give her a small smirk.
"That's what I thought," she smiles as she kisses me again, her hands being to roam and I wonder if I'll ever want to go home.
Once we came down for dinner a few hours later, we made our way to a nice little place right on the promenade we found a couple of nights ago. The server immediately recognized us and gave us the same table. I guess it pays to travel during the off season.
Sophia takes care of ordering our dinner and a nice bottle of Rioja. I just sit there and watch until she cocks her head to the side once the server leaves, "What?"
"You're very sexy when you're speaking Spanish," I reach out and take her hand.
She smiles with just a hint of a blush, "I think you're just insatiable, so find just about anything sexy."
"Most things you do are sexy," I bring her hand to my mouth and kiss her fingertips.
"Discúlpeme damas," the server excuses himself with a grin, as he places the wine and our appetizer on the table. Sophia waves her hand when he motions for her to taste. His smile broadens as he realizes she remembers the bottle is of the same lot as the one we ordered days before so her trust is a great reward.
We touch our glasses, "Salud," she whispers softly. We each take a sip then look out over the promenade to the beach. This is our last night here and that makes me a little sad. "You nervous?" she asks.
I snap my head back to her, "Me?" I feign shock, "Why would I be nervous going to meet your family? Isn't it every day you bring a girl home to meet the folks?"
"It's ok to be nervous you know," she places her hand over mine, "You have nothing to worry about though, you'll charm them just like Faith did. I'm sure of it."
I nod then quickly down the rest of my wine. "How is it I'm not afraid of ancient vampires but I'm scared to death of your mom?" I take in her look and cut her off before she can say it, "Don't even try it, you knew Buffy and Faith before I did."
"Yeah," she laughs, "but that first night I came to Cleveland after they knew we were serious was still kinda weird." She squeezes my hand, "Let's not forget the circumstances surrounding meeting your grandmother, huh?"
Nodding, I bit my lip, "Yeah, I guess that was freaky."
"Major freaky," she squeezes my hand again, "but she liked us together so it was worth it." She pauses for a moment, "While you were gone she gave me hope when I was just about losing it, then she brought you back to me." She waits until I look up at her, "My family is important to me too, baby, especially since I don't get to see that much of them. And I know they'll love you, so no worries, ok?" Her smile turns a smidgen wicked, "Probably not as much as I do, but…"
Returning her smile with one of my own, I take her face in my hands and lean across the table to give her a quick kiss. Yes it's going to be awkward meeting her family, but after what we went through, should be a piece of cake, right? Sitting back in my chair, but still holding her face in my hands, I gently rub my thumbs against her cheeks. I'd be a fool to think our lives won't be in danger again and an even bigger fool to think we can really have forever together. But for right now and for as long as we can, we will love each other, we will fight the evil that surrounds us and we will know what it means to be truly happy.
BUFFY & FAITH'S ROOM – 11:28 PM
FAITH'S POV
We took Nicky and Steve 'Trick or Treating' tonight: she was Morgaine and he was King Arthur. What a riot those two are, little Steve adores her and Nicky is completely oblivious. I told B I wanted to lay odds they'll get together at some point down the road. They're just too in synch with each other, down to their costumes. Buffy just laughs and tells me Nicky isn't allowed to date until she's 30. Yeah, right.
So on this night of Samhain, Halloween, the one night the vamps and demons take off, we are sitting in front of the fire, drinking wine, talking about things like when Nicky should be allowed to date and how to convince Sophia to come to Cleveland so Em doesn't move away from us. It's an ordinary conversation, a 'normal' one even. I guess that's why we're having such a hard time having it.
Leaning back against the chair, I pull Buffy tighter into my arms. She's sitting across my lap, one arm slung around my neck, the other helping to balance a glass of wine on her thigh. Her head rests on mine as we watch the flames lap at the logs in the grate. It's very soothing, holding her, feeling the mixture of her heat and the warmth of the fire. We've settled into the "for now" quite well, being able to really enjoy every moment since she's healed. Over the years we've come to depend on these times to get us through the hard ones that always come when we least expect it.
The fire suddenly flares up, lighting the room as if in daylight, then slowly dulls. "What the hell was - " I stop short when my eyesight once again grows accustomed to the dimness and I see the ghostly image of the Goddess begin to take shape before us, "Ereshkigal," I whisper.
"Do not fear me or my appearance this evening; I come only to ease your minds," she looks at each of us, then the fire, then back. "I don't mean to intrude."
Buffy puts her glass on the table and turns more fully to her, "Thank you for bringing my family back to me." She remains on my lap, now holding my hand, bracing herself for what ever the Goddess is going to tell us.
"It was my pleasure. And part of the reason I take advantage of the laws of time and space tonight, to speak to both of you freely, in a form known to you. I appear to you as human and of Emma's blood, no alarms will sound." She walks over to stand in front of the fire and seems to revel in its warmth.
I haven't said a word; I'm too scared of what she might say. Can it really all be over so soon? I thought we would have more time. Mindlessly tightening my hold on Buffy, I finally venture softly, "Is there a new trial already?"
"No Champion," she turns to me, takes in my shock at her choice of words then smiles, "no matter if your obligation is fulfilled, you will always be their Champion. It is meant as a title of respect, no longer as one of servitude." Facing us fully she once again takes in our faces in turn then begins: "The time for your lives to be subject to prophecy and the fates is over. You have proven yourself in more than just the trials on Nibiru. The Gods are in agreement as are the Powers that Be."
Buffy is squeezing the shit out of me hand, "How can you do that? And how long will it last? Does that mean Emma and Nicky too?" It all pretty much comes out in a stream of one big, long question.
"One path in your shared future is for us to grant this gift to you, we have chosen that path," Ereshkigal smiles then turns back to the fire. "This gift is for rest of your lives." She's silent and we wait for her to answer B's last question. "There are still paths that connect to the others; the torch must be passed to keep a light in the darkness."
I look up at Buffy and see the silent tears trailing down her face as she leans back into me. Turning to the Goddess I realize, "That's what it meant, all those years ago, right? 'The girl who could someday bring a great light to a great darkness,' Emma's meant to lead the fight after us? Then Nicky after her?"
"Yes, Champion," she smiles at me again, "except now it will be that you stepped aside, not perished in the fight yourselves." Her robes start to shimmer in the firelight, "I must go soon," she comes nearer then lays a hand on each of our faces. The vibrations of her power course through us with incredible strength. "We have taken much from both of you over the years; please let me give this to you in thanks for giving my Emma what I could not."
Both of us are speechless, but nod as she steps away from us.
"Bonus fortuna." Then she's gone.
Buffy turns and buries her face in my neck as she cries harder. "How can we just leave this mess to them? They're so young... they need more time... they should have more time..."
"Shhh babe, it's not like we're disappearing, just not going to be the headliners anymore. And damn, B, we were 22 when we defeated the First and you started the school. Emma's plenty old enough," I pull her back to face me, "and after what she pulled off in Nibiru, she's plenty capable enough too, wouldn't you say?"
She swipes at her tears, "Of course she is I just..."
"What?" I prod.
Looking down then back up at me, "I know it's completely irrational, but I never wanted this life for them although I always knew it was their destiny." She sighs then runs a hand through her hair, "I always just wanted them to get out of 'the family business.'"
"Fuck, B, you make it sound like the mob," I try to get a laugh out of her. Yeah, it's my defense mechanism; try for light when you can't handle the darkness.
She slaps my arm, "It's EXACTLY like the mob: once you're part of the 'family' you can never get out." Buffy laughs then pours us each a much needed glass of wine.
"Don't worry about them babe," I nuzzle her head after I drain my glass, "We'll be here to help them. It's not like we're walking away. We'll never be completely out of the fight." I feel her nod against me. Tightening my arms around her, I whisper, "I love you very much and I intend on showing you exactly how much for the rest of our lives."
She burrows deeper into me, "Mmmmm, I love you too, baby." She leans back to look at me, "It's weird though, after all the prophecies and all the Sumerian shit surrounding both of us, we get let off the hook. I just can't believe it."
"You don't want us to be off the hook?" I don't understand what she's getting at.
Buffy shakes her head, "No, of course I do, I mean I guess I do. I don't know anything but to fight so I don't know how we're going to actually deal with that. I guess it's just eerie, you know, that sometimes even what's carved in stone for all eternity simply isn't."