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It was late afternoon. A birthday cake had been all eaten. A mound of gifts had been opened and spread far and wide, and Buffy Summers finally had the chance to just sit. She sat and watched her son. Her precious boy. Her precious gift , playing noisily with all his new possessions.
The day turned out well she thought. No major problems. Well, except for the thing with the candles. But even the cake fiasco had been quickly remedied. Just another minor.. incident in her son's already growing list of magical, practical jokes, if you will..

She couldn't believe he had gotten into those crystals, again. He knew he wasn't suppose to use those unless in school, or practicing with one of his aunts. But then again, this was her son she was talking about. Or more correctly, HIS son, and for his son, rules were just...like a hurtle on the obstacle course of life. Oh and how he loved taking those leaps!!

He was a good boy though, Buffy knew. He had a good heart, and the sweetest spirit. And she's not saying this just cause she was his mommy, thank you very much. Everyone remarked how sweet he was, and he could be very. Charm just dripped off him, and he could worm his way into the heart of just about anyone he wanted to, when he wanted to. He was a beautiful boy with a beautiful soul. And she should know. She had taken him to a couple of psychics and empaths for some *soul searching*. She would have loved him regardless, but she just had to know. They all had reassured her that her son's soul shined brightly out into the into the world, and could flow light even into the darkest of places. They all predicted great good for him. Which, yeah, hello, was a comfort.

Because she feared for him, so much power, so little a body. Didn't someone once say, absolute power corrupts.. um everyone? Something like that. And the dreams of the first slayer's words haunted her in the night. She desperately wanted to keep her son safe. Safe and pure and innocent forever. To give him as normal life as possible, no matter what some pushy bitch from some vision had said. William would be no pawn on someone else's chess board. She wanted a life for him. One full of family and friends, and parties and celebrations, of love and home.

It had been a hard decision, leaving Giles, coming back to the states, before William was 2. Giles had been....disappointed. He had been enjoying his role as father figure and part-time guardian for William. He was worried and upset when she made the decision to move so far away, especially after the news about Connor...

'Connor,' Buffy shivered.

But the decision was made. Her, Dawn and Willow missed the states. Dawn had wanted to go to USC, and try the watcher program they'd set up in the new California branch of the watcher's headquarters. With so many Slayers, more watchers, and resource had become necessary. So with a little help from Giles and a little blackmail money, (gained from threatening the government to expose Andrew's apocalypse video on the six o'clock news.), she was able to pull together enough capital, and return her little family home.


Now as she watched her son playing with Xander and Mithril, he knew she'd made the right call. Xander had been so happy when they all came back. And over the years, he had embraced the whole *male role model* act for both William and Mithril. Two children who had never laid eyes on their actual fathers, and who would never again have real fathers of their own. Xander represented the only constant male figure in their daily lives.


Buffy now watch and laughed as Xander frantically tried work a remote control plane that he'd bought for William and not having too much success.

"Need help Xan?"" Dawn teased.

"Maybe I could.. ehh do something." Clem offered shyly.

"No, No, ex military guy, this plane will yield to my over-whelming mind power and intellect yet.", Xander said.

"Is that what I smell burning." Dawn joked.

When his back was turned William and Mithril, deciding that they'd been patient long enough, locked hands, and the plane sputter off the ground on its own. Not too high, nor for too long, because even together, (especially sans crystals), their ages made too strong magic for too long impossible. 'Thank God. ' Buffy thought.

"What the heck?" Xander cried and actually started chasing the plane, which made William and Mithril giggle, breaking their concentration, and the plane sputtered and stopped.

"You!" Xander stammered turning around to notice the children's mirth. "You two!", and took off in a run after the children. Dawn and Clem looked on with amusement.

The children cried with glee they ran from him. They were still connected, but their thoughts turned away from magic as they happily eluded their beloved uncle.

"Oh you can run, but you can't hide. I know where you two live!"

Buffy smiled, feeling content mixed with a little unease. All of the resident magical expects in the house were preoccupied. If the children got out of hand, she wasn't sure what she would do.

'Oh well.', she thought. she'd get by. she had so far, hadn't she? She was a slayer mom who had a what? Warlock? Wizard? What did a label mean anyway. Her son could do magic.
Magic!!

It was still surreal to her sometimes, even after all she had seen and done in her life.
But it was Very real. Within months of his birth, the coven had felt *ripples* of magic radiating off of her son. Remembering the words in the dream, she begrudgingly allowed Giles to deliver him to the council and their coven operatives for *tests*. All of them came back with affirmations that filled her heart with dread. His blood contained the elements of pure magic. One of may mysteries surrounding her son, because Buffy and Dawn both came up with nil. Even being a slayer, and Dawn a former *key*, they both had about just enough magical wielding abilities to fill up a thimble.

But not her son.

They predicted that her son was to be powerful, and he had began to display his magical *talents* early on. By two he was already starting to try and float stuff around the room. Buffy remembered many a time when she had to chase rolling toys all over the house.
By three, his empathic abilities began to assert themselves. He all of the sudden began to home in on the emotions and thoughts of other people; if he was in contact with them long enough and probed hard enough. They all had learned quickly to bury their feelings, keeping them just out of his reach. For no child should have to thrust into an adult world too soon. This was something Buffy had personal experience with.

Then the dreams had started. Strange dreams. He knew things. Saw things in his dreams. Saw people, he could not know. People long gone and buried. How many visions and nightmares had he had over the short span of his life? Dreams coming to him unbidden in the night that caused him to shake and cry out for his mommy.
But the dreams weren't always terrible. Some were wondrous and fascinating. Like just recently, when he dreamed of her mother, his grandmother. He said that she came to him in the night, and told him to tell his mommy how proud she was of her. Then, he had handed her a picture. A surprisingly detailed and accurate drawing of her beloved mother. Buffy had cried for hours afterward. Leaving her son with Dawn, she just had to get away. Giles had dismissed the incident, chalking it up to her son's empathic abilities. Saying that William was dreaming and reacting to a need he perceive in her. She had the coven look into it and no evidence was found that William was some kind of *six sense* case. Still she was not convinced. There had been other dreams, other drawings.. Tara, Anya, even Jenny. But always the dreams coincided with a need of the person involved, like with Wilow, right before she decided to date Lillia.

Since everyone believed he was tapping into the needs of *others* at the time; who was she to argue? Well yeah, his mommy, but she was out of her expertise here. If her son needed a lesson in demon fighting great, but magic.. Buffy just couldn't help him there.

So she relied on her family and friends, and of course the school. The one that Giles had talked her into enrolling him just before his 2nd birthday, when it became all too apparent that she would need help with her son's *magical* education. The school was geared toward children who had been *gifted* in one way or another, (human and part demon alike).

The school really had been a blessing for many families. After the last *great battle* many such schools had sprung up all over the world. Most of the *magical* community had sense the threat of the First, but the battle had progressed too far to fast. Many realized just how close to annihilation their existence had come. Networks and alliance were set up, and the schools created in hopes that neither they, nor future generations would ever be caught unawares again.

The school had been good for her William. It taught him and children like him the responsibility of magic, and how to coexists in harmony with other beings and forces of their world, (Non evil ones of course). Specifically, it was teaching her son how to block the thoughts and nightmares, and how to control his gifts. It taught him how to cope with what he was, and what he could be. Cope in ways Buffy couldn't help him herself, except with understanding, and unconditional love.

And William was thriving in school. Smatter than Buffy ever was, (probably even now she mused) . He seemed to have knowledge and clarity of mind that at times would frighten her. Sometimes, he would just sit and think or draw pictures. Lost in visions or thoughts. Sometimes she remember him, talking about..her. How she would become lost in visions, and when she saw that calm glazed look come over her son's eyes. God, she just wanted to just shake him until he came to. Of course, she never did.

But that was only one side of him. Her son was a contradiction in terms (much like his father). Their were times he was quiet, preferring to read, or draw. Then other times, were like this. Laughing, running , playing with Mithril, (who he'd been inseparable from since his first week of school), where he was a just a ball of uncontrolled energy. He liked things fast and dangerous. And he was always looking for..trouble, for lack of a better word. She always had to keep a close eye on him. He was always trying some stunt or another. Always trying to get his grubby little hand those damn crystals. She had to hide them all over the house. But with or without them, he'd manage to find his way into trouble. One time, she actually caught him trying to see if he could fly off the roof, (a little suggestion from one of the older kids at school), which left Buffy with round of phone calls to the other boys parent, and locks on all the upstairs windows.

But seeing him like this now, playing in the yard, with his family and friends. These were the times Buffy cherished most. These were the times he seemed the most normal, normal like any other 4 year old boy. Almost..

Normal had taken on a whole new universe in the past five years.

"Hey lost in thought lady.", Buffy jumped, startled at the voice. She looked up to see Willow smilingly happily at her.

"Hey Wil. Did you guys need help in the kitchen?"


"Nope, Lill and I are all done. So much with the doneage, now's time to relax". Willow gave a wide happy smile.

Buffy was grateful at the sight of her friend bliss. Willow and Lillia, Mithril's mom, had been married for nearly 2 years.


From the moment that Williams school had brought them into meeting, Lillia had been a God sent to her and her extended family. She had been a witch all her life, from a long line of magical ancestors. She opened up a whole new world to them. When Buffy came back to the states with her few resources, it was Lillia who helped put her on a sound path. She had immediately put her in touch with a man, who dealt in real estate, and who was sympathetic to people who moved in *their circles*.

Within months, Lillia had manage to help find her a home, (right next door to her own), and helped her and Willow get financial backing to open a new magic shop. She even had connected Xander to a friend who was looking for a partner in the construction business, (one who wouldn't ask to many questions about some of the more... interesting looking employees.

Buffy now had ties to people who had *their way of life* People who could understand *their* need, and their past, with all it's heartbreak and struggles. People who could provided help and support. A factor that her previous life had seriously been lacking.
It was funny sometimes when she thought about it. Angel had left her all those years ago so she could have a *regular life*. Now they all lived so far away from the *regular* world, it almost seemed like another planet. Oh, their reality shared some space with the *normal world*, but they really didn't associate anymore ever with what the kids at William's school called,.. What was it again? Moogles? Meegles? Oh, they paid taxed, obeyed laws, (for the most part) , watch elections. But besides that, the children worked their spells and learned their magic, were taught their history of the world inside and outside of their realm. Learned to coexist with the *regular* world, but never to truly step outside theirs, and all the while the adults looked on proudly.


The funny things is that the kids seemed to revel in it. Buffy spent many years hating being the slayer, resenting her calling. But these kids, they resent nothing.

She had almost forgotten Willow was still there, but the red head's attention was focused back toward the kitchen, back toward her love.

Buffy was a little surprised that Willow had fallen so hard so fast for Lillia. Especially after the disaster that was Kennedy, and the heartbreak that was Tara. It was, in fact, Lillia's resemblance to Tara that had first draw Willow in.


It was fascinating and disturbing at the same time, Same blondish hair, bluish eyes, same sweet quiet demeanor and smile. They could have been sisters, no twins. Lillia sometime wondered if they were, cosmically anyway, being that her own older sister had no magical powers. A very rare occurrence in a family that consisted almost entirely of witches and wizards.

Willow and Lillia had to overcome a great many fears to find love. They were married only 6 months after they met. When Willow had adopted Mithril, they all decided to take Lillia's maternal family name, Saverhagen. Now they were living happily ever after in a home right next door. Some people do get a happy ending.


"So again with the deep thoughts and not so much with the saying?" she heard Willow ask.

Buffy looked up from her thoughts and smiled, "Sorry Wil. I'm just basking in post party productions"

Willow smiled in return, "It went great didn't it. Well 'cept for the cake part, bu..but it wasn't as bad as when William and Mithril and their little friend tried to put a protection spell on the fireplace last Christmas."

"Yeah, cause John Russel convinced them all that Santa Clause was really a Shrandras Demon coming to suck their brains out through their ears in the middle of the night." Buffy sputtered out in laughter at the memory, but it hadn't been too funny at the time.


"Remember they shot a flame up the chute 3 feet into the air!" Willow reminisced now near hysterics, "and Mrs Rodriques came running out of her house screaming 'Mucho Ogawa, Mucho Ogawa, Need mucho Ogawa.'"


Buffy began to recover, eyes tearing from laughter. What she heard next had her doubled over again as Willow added "We should start publishing a book. The crazy adventures of the magical *Wonder Twins*."


*Wonder Twins*. Xander's nickname for the kids. Something from his geeky comic phase about twins who could generate power when they touched hands. Not altogether unfitting.

Buffy looked up from laughing and saw that Xander had finally caught hold of one *Wonder Twin*, with Mithril clinging to Xander's arm trying to get him free. Dawn was alternating between pictures and filming with the video camera. Both the children's laughter could be heard echoing the yard. It warmed Buffy's heart even more. She sighed, smiling, relaxing with her blissful contentment.

Until Willow interrupted with. "S..So, Didn't want to invite Ryan to the party?"

"Ryan' Damn Willow and her need to match make. "Um No, This is a family party only remember?" Buffy said frowning.

"No I know,..I..It's just that. He likes you...An..And he likes Wills. And Wills likes him right?" Willow babbled.

Buffy sighed. Willow had been trying to find someone for her for years. She and Lillia believed in true love, and felt that everyone should be pared up. Of course if true love wasn't available, neither saw any reason not to find some true....Like.
Buffy had tried at first. Going out on causal dates, even got closed to someone..Once.
But William hadn't like the idea.

"Yes Wil. William likes him well enough. As a friend who he visits when mommy takes him to the council building. But as anything more.. Besides remember what happened over summer with Kevin?"

"W..Well," Willow signed nervously, "William never liked Kevin. And he was younger then. Only 3. He's 4 now."

Buffy smirked "He's been 4 for 13 hours Wil." she reminded.

"So you see!! Older." Willow chuckled., "And even, ii.if he did... Um.. Mind it. There's a good chance he won't try to set the curtains on fire again..? Right? Not that the whole curtain thing was his fault either."


Buffy laughed softly. But, it hadn't been funny. William was furious when she began to get close to someone else. He was so jealous. One night while she was out, he grabbed one of those damn crystals and tried to *wish her home*, as he put it in his little 3 year old speak. . Of course something went wrong and it resulted in the whole damn house nearly going up in ablaze. That incident had cost her little boy. He was sick in bed for a week. It was always like that, if he tried to do to strong a magic for too long . His little body just couldn't take it.

After the *Summer's Inferno* incident, Buffy stopped going out all together. Her son needed her. He was most important. Always. Besides, how do you move on? When you come home everyday and see a shadow of your former lover looking back at you?


"It's just not the right time now Wil.." Buffy patiently explained. She hoped that..that would end this discussion.

"I know..Its just..We all want you to be happy."

"I'm happy Wil.." Buffy said, getting more than a little frustrated at her friend, "I have a roof over my head. A job I like. Money in the bank. Good friends who are tolerable when they're not nagging me," She pointedly looked at Willow, "And I have William. He's all I really need. He's everything."

"Besides," She added, "Figuring me, Ryan will just end up being a moth monster, or gakok demon..or a...robot."

"Think we..we would have sensed it if he was one of those things by now. And I..I know you have a lot with the happiness." Willow stuttered, "It's..s just.. Don't you miss...ya know?" she asked hesitantly.

"Well. .Sure I miss ya know. I mean ya know was great. Specially that one year..," Buffy blushed, "But..But I've been.. ya knowing..by myself for a while now. And it's not as good as ya knowing with someone else.. But you know what they say.. Even bad ya know is still good ya know and I'm babbling now and could we please.."

"Ch..Change the subject?" Willow offered.

"Yes please." Buffy begged.

"Okay."....."So, any idea what Giles wanted to talk to you bout?" Willow asked.

Buffy signed. Uh, from bad discussions to worse. Giles had been trying to corner her alone all day. Probably with some apocalyptic news or something, and she'd put him off. It was her son's birthday and the weight of the world would have to wait. It had been over 4 years since she gave up slaying, giving up the reigns to Kennedy who eagerly accepted, and Faith who did it with some trepidation. Then Faith took off right after she and Robin had Nicholas. She just couldn't deal,(or didn't want to) . The Council survived. There were so many slayers to take up the slack, Robin on the other hand.

Buffy whisked away the thought. "I'll talk to him soon. Right now, it's Nov 3, and Nov 3 is birthday day. No serious talk of end of the world blah on birthday day."

Buffy took few deep breaths to clear her thoughts. Almost immediately her eyes grew wide and happy again as she glanced at her laughing son, remembering again how lucky she was to begin with that he was even here. (Not withstanding the whole mystical circumstances with his conception, which was... hello, staggering). His birth in general had been a difficult one.

She'd carried him for barely 6 month, before she collapsed one day and awoke to find that they had taken him from her. The council Dr. tried to explain everything. Something about him having a rare blood type and it not mixing well with hers. Plus it was compounded by the fact that apparently slayers come with some kind of anti baby thing that makes conception and birth almost impossible.

Buffy hadn't been listening too well at the time. She just stood there and stared at her son. He was so small, barely 3 pounds. Everyone thought he would die. It had taken days before she could bring herself to see him again. When she did, she had broken down, and wept uncontrollably at the site of the tube machine thing helping him breathe. She had reached in and put a hand though the crib warmer, almost ready to say goodbye to her son. When in an instant, his tiny fist came up and knock at her hand. Then his hand open and grasped her finger and squeezed.

"That's quiet a fighter you got on your hands." the incoming nurse called out to her. "Stubborn too, I'll wager. He'll be okay. Lit' tike, simply refusing to take this lying down."

At that moment, Buffy knew her son would live, at that moment she knew he was William.
And he had lived, and thrived, and her and Faith beat the odds, both delivering healthy sons into this world. One with magic. One without. It gave hope to some of the others that the calling did not necessarily mean being barren and childless. The rest of the slayer's had some hope, but for her, Buffy knew it was over. The Dr.s had told her that having another would be almost impossible.

But that was okay, she had her precious boy, her sweet baby, and he was enough.
"Mommy? Mommy you okay?" Buffy once again was jolted out of her past, but this time by her favorite source. She looked down at her beautiful handsome son. Blue eyes, hair so blond. How can he be so blond? (Could an over abundance of peroxide bleach straight though to your genes or something?) Right now he had a slight worried look on his face, and his head tilted to one side. A gesture, so like his father's. But then again, from day one, he had always been his father's son.

"Of course my precious, my beautiful little birthday boy." She grabbed him and held onto him tightly and planted kisses all over his little face, while she tickled his belly. Mithril watched them, laughing with glee as she sat one of her two mommy's lap, and snuggled in close.

"Teehee hee. Mommy, mommy quit it" her son fussed, but their was a gleam in his eye, and mirth in his voice.
He was happy... Safe and happy, and home.

"Buffy," it was Giles,..again, "Perhaps we should talk a bit. Now that the festivities have,.. emm.. somewhat subsided."

Buffy looked from her son, her joy... her treasure and then back to Giles. "Okay," she sighed, finally giving in "Sweetie, mommy's gotta go talk to uncle Giles for a minute. Can you stay here with aunt Willow and stay out of trouble?"

"Maybe." her son said with a smirk.

"Maybe? Maybe! What do you mean maybe. Maybe. I'll give ya maybe." She tickled him harder and they both were soon laughing together. She continued to cuddle and tickle him, enjoying the feelings of just..being with him. He laughed joyfully until the tickling subsided and then he just sat on her lap, head against her chest as he gasped for breath. As his breathing returned to normal, he snuggled up to her as she held him. She took a moment to look him over, smiling that he wasn't too much of a mess..yet. She frowned a little when her eyes glanced at his sneakers,..untied,..again.

He can float planes and toys, start fires with a thought, but simply refused to learn to tie his shoes.

"Oh William." she sighed, "How long have you been running around like this? Your going to break your neck one day!" She warned as she reached down to tie his shoes.

"Uh, ugh.." He said, "Besides if I breaked it. It will fix. I fix real quick. You know that mommy." He informed her.

Buffy sighed again. Another thing she could not quite seem to teach her son is that his rapid healing abilities DID NOT mean he was invincible.

"This thing is defective." Xander interrupted as he shouted in disgust. He has at some point tried to resume his work on the plane. "It's broken, why do they sell broken toys to children." He looked exasperated.

Lillia, who was now back at the party, just smiled and held Willow's hand. Mithril let out a small laugh, and Willow pressed a kiss to her child's head and smoothed down her long dark hair.

"Let me see it Xander." it was Mila, Lillia's sister, who spoke, (short for Chamomile, a name which she would fly into a rage if anyone dared call her that). She was so unlike her sister. Where Lillia was blond and light eyed. Mila was dark in both. Where Lillia was shy and introspective. Mila was strong and outspoken, but in a good way. She and Xander had recently gotten engaged and were envisioning a family if their own.

Lillia and Wilow had worked hard to get them set up. At first Xander and Mila both resisted. But eventually love won out. It was comforting for Xander, and Willow, to be with people who could truly understand their pasts, and all that they'd been through.

And it was Lillia, Buffy remembered, that had helped with a lot of magic, and a little spell that required her small son's blood and the immense healing powers contained within it, that had allowed Xander to reform and regenerate his ruined eye.

Now those 2 good eyes stared at everyone as he bickered with Mila. "Come on! I said it's broken! I'm the guy! The man! The ex Military guy! I know from broken!"

"Stop with the army bull. You spent like 2 seconds trapped in a pair G.I Joe underoos. You wouldn't know a fox hole if it opened up an swallowed you. And wasn't it just last week when that car backfired that you yelped like a little girl? No offense to Mithril," She said jestering toward her niece, "Who would have been tougher than you were. So just give it to me and let me look...," and they walked off bickering, but the kinda friendly, loving banter that only comes with love and compatibility.

Ahh the more things change, the more they stayed the same.

It was some time before Buffy could tear herself away from the joyful family and let herself be lead into the house. She took one last look at the yard, and saw the plane sputtering high in the air. A surprised look on Xander's face, a triumphant one on Mila's and a lot of giggles from the children.

"Ha ha uncle Xander." William emphasized with glee, "HA H ..A...

He could be a little bit of a brat sometimes, but what four year old boy wasn't? And Buffy's son was certainly not above laughing at his uncle's distress, which began another chasing match. She turned around just as Xander began hopelessly trying to coax William out from under the table where he had hidden himself, still chanting, "Ha Ha."





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