Epilogue
She had grown accustomed to humans over the centuries. Their companionship and
endearing quirks were too comfortable to give up easily; so here she was, truly a goddess
in her own right, yet still clinging to her mementos of humanity. Just like now; the simple
act of walking along the streets, window shopping in Paris in the middle of the afternoon,
was something she never would have or could have done before all of this began. And
now the line was prepared. The time had almost come.
The voluptuous woman walked with the sparse crowd of people, turned a corner, and
vanished.
She reemerged in her own domain, a dark empty place, lit by a red aura that had never left
her, even after the last 16 years. The power she had always had still radiated from her,
even after the changes she had earned. In her own dimension, her home from which to
watch over the lines of blood, she was the goddess that the humans had already assumed
she was.
She lowered herself to the nonexistent floor, floating in a sitting position, and fingered the
charm that hung from her neck. The silver triple knot hummed with energy, and filled the
space with light.
Corlon closed her eyes, and concentrated on the scene her newfound status as a true Goddess allowed her to see.
~~`~~
The Slayer's brunette hair blew behind her as she ran to the screams of a baby. Her heart
pounded as her feet hit the pavement. She turned again, causing the leather duster she
wore to billow out behind her.
The cries were getting closer. She knew the infant was near.
Then, all at once, the crying stopped. She paused and waited, trying to discern the child's
location. She spun around when a crackling sound alerted her to another presence.
The girl standing there, also a brunette smiled. "Hi, Auntie Dawn."
"Hi, Joyce. What are you doing out here? It's not time."
"Not yet, but soon. You know it will be soon."
Dawn watched as her own slim figure began to fill out into the body of a very pregnant
woman. "You'll know when new life begins. When you hear the cries, it will be time."
~ ~ ~
Dawn awoke when the pain hit her. She checked the time, and waited.
Dawn stared at the clock on the nightstand. She counted the minutes until the pain hit
again. She was down to 8 minutes between contractions, the real kind this time. Not the
ones that she had 3 weeks ago that had scared everyone out of bed at 2 in the morning.
No, these were the real ones, the kind that twisted the small of her back and cramped her
abdomen.
She was supposed to wait until they were 5 minutes apart. The doctor had made her
promise not to come in until then. "The first baby always takes longer," the doctor had
said.
So Dawn continued to lie in her bed, her husband snoring softly behind her, oblivious to
the spasms of pain that came regularly. "Well," she thought, "At least it's almost morning.
No waking them up in the middle of the night."
The thought had barely passed before she experienced a new sensation: warm wetness
between her legs. And not the kind that had gotten her into this predicament in the first
place. She lifted the covers and saw what she was expecting. Her water had broken.
Sighing, she shook the sturdy shoulder of her husband. "Billy? Billy, hon, we have to go."
"Hmmm.." Snort. Yawn. Roll over. Snore.
She shook him again. "Billy, it's time… the baby." She tapped his shoulder now. "Sweetie,
you have to get up."
She tried to sit up herself, but the huge bulk of her belly weighed her down. Even with her
Slayer strength, it was a struggle.
She pushed herself off the bed and walked around it to her husband's side. She tilted her
head at his sleeping form, and decided on a radical approach. "Vampires!"
Billy Porter bolted upright. "What?! Here?! How?!" He looked around their dark bedroom
frantically. Dawn stood with her hands on her hips, her protruding stomach pushed out a
bit further. "Great, 'Hon I'm having the baby' won't wake you up," she walked to the closet
and picked out some clean clothing, "But say the word 'Vampire', and it's 'I'm up! I'm up!'"
She started changing while her confused husband took in her words, then he became even
more panicked. "Now!? You're sure? I mean, of course you're sure." He threw on a pair of
jeans and a T-shirt. "I mean, you would know. It's not like last time." He stopped and
picked up her already packed suitcase. "It isn't, is it?"
"No, Billy. It's for real this time."
"Good. I mean. are you okay? How do you feel?"
It was then that another contraction came. Dawn steadied herself by leaning on the dresser
for support. "Been better," she said, grimacing slightly.
Billy rushed to her side, and helped her change her clothes before ushering her out the
door and into the car, driving to the hospital as quickly and as safely as he could manage.
She was quickly settled into a private room. IVs and wires and electrodes to a fetal heart
monitor were attached, and a few other things were hooked up that she quite frankly
would have liked to know about before today. But it would all be worth it.
After she was tethered to just about every piece of equipment in the room, Billy headed
out to make the calls to family and friends who would want to know the blessed event was
about to take place.
The nurse moved silently, smiling every so often as she checked the readings on the
monitors, and jotted down the information on the chart.
Dawn smiled at a memory, one she had thought of a lot lately… a night a little more than 15 years ago, when another Scoobie was in this same position.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dawn sat in the waiting room and watched as Giles calmed Spike. Why he was so nervous
wasn't really clear to the teen. She watched as Giles talked quietly with him, trying to
explain the medical advances in childbirth within the last century.
Buffy came into the lounge carrying cups filled with coffee and hot cocoa, and sat next to
her sister. Dawn turned to the oldest Summers. "What's up with Spike. You'd think it was
his baby." She blanched at her own words. "It's not. Is it?"
Buffy smiled at her sister. "Of course not, Dawnie. You have to remember he hasn't dealt
with anyone having a baby in over a century. And from what he's told me, having both the
mom and the new baby come out all right, and survive, wasn't as likely as it is now." She
handed her sister a cup of cocoa and put an arm around her. "He's just scared for Xander
and Anya. I am too, a little bit."
Dawn nodded and took a sip. "Yeah. I get that."
Willow came in a few minutes later, with Jason trailing behind. "Did I miss it? Did the
baby come?" she asked as she took off her jacket and sat next to Dawn.
"No," Buffy stated, and handed her friend some coffee. "They just had Xander go back in
a little while ago, so I think it'll be soon."
Jason sat in an armchair across from the women. He was the newcomer to the group.
After closing the Hellmouth nearly a year ago, he had decided to stay in town, and had
himself transferred to Buffy's department. He was one of the higher ups, but it was still
"Buffy's department". He had found a good friend in Willow, and in some ways, he had
replaced Xander, who became more of a husband to Anya then just a buddy of the
Scoobies.
Through the changes though, the group had remained stronger than ever.
Dawn smiled at Jason, then saw Spike walking towards them with Giles.
Giles sat in the chair next to Jason, while Spike sat on the other side of Buffy.
"Feeling better now?" Buffy asked her lover.
"No, can't say as I am." Spike was nearly as pale as he had been before his trip to Africa.
Giles shook his head. "It is rather disconcerting to all men, regardless of the century you
originate from."
"Here. Here!" Jason agreed.
Just then Xander ran out of the double doors that separated the ward from the waiting
room. "She's a girl! And she's perfect." He ran to the group, still wearing the hospital
gown, cap and footies issued to him earlier, "6 pounds, 11 ounces, and little, so tiny."
Buffy, Willow and Dawn leapt up and surrounded him in a bear hug. Out of nowhere
Spike joined them, nearly in tears.
Giles and Jason took turns giving him more manly congratulations and handshakes while
patting him on the shoulder.
Spike hung back, his arm around Buffy.
"See, everything's ok," Buffy smiled up at him.
"When can we see them?" Dawn asked, referring to mother and daughter.
Xander took off the sterile cap. "In a little while. The doctors have to clean up the baby,
and make sure Anya's ok. But she was great. I can't believe what she…" he smiled full of
pure joy. "I just love them, so much." Pure Xander. Pure heart.
The new father went back through the double doors, and the gang made quick work of
going to the gift shop, being sure to buy any and all of the cutest baby things they could
carry. Then they waited.
It was hard for Xander to convince the nurse that all of these people were family. But as
he said it, he knew it was true. With such a large group, he needed to be sure no one
would be asked to wait outside.
They were all led in by ‘Daddy’ and saw a smiling Anya holding a pink blanket and
rocking slightly in the bed as she cooed. When she heard them come in, she grinned from
ear to ear. "I love epidurals," she said plainly, "I really do."
The grins of all were easily seen. They gathered around the bed, trying not to crowd in too
close. Anya pulled the baby away from herself so that each pair of eyes could drink in the
sight of this new life.
The baby's head of hair was dark brown, like her father's, while her face was small and
dainty like her mother's. Her nose was Xander's, Dawn was sure, and maybe the toes.
Buffy thought her little hands looked more like Xander's, but that her tiny fingers
resembled her mother's.
The group made a game of which of the baby's miniature features were from which parent,
while taking turns holding her. Dawn let the baby's fingers wrap around her pinky, and she
studied her hands. As the baby's grip loosened, she held its tiny hand, and was about to
place a kiss on her palm when something caught her eye.
Willow's head popped up when she felt the concern coming from the young Slayer.
"Uh, guys," Dawn stood stock-still. "Buffy, I think you should see this."
Anya watched the teen that had interrupted her account of giving birth. She saw her
daughter's tiny hand being held out by the girl. "What is it? Is something wrong with my
baby?"
Dawn shook her head as she showed them all what she had noticed.
In the center of the newborn's palm was a birthmark. It closely resembled three knots, all
intertwined.
Anya looked from Xander to Giles, from Buffy to Spike to Dawn, and then back to
Xander.
Xander did a double take before staring at his little girl's hand. "What does it mean?"
"It can't mean..." Giles started. He had moved back to Sunnydale 11 months ago, searching for whomever would come next in Dawn's line, to no avail. If this baby was next, what did it all mean? “She can't be the next to be called. She wouldn't be old enough for anything for quite some time."
Spike studied the tiny mark just as they all did. Thinking this was familiar for some reason,
he searched his memory. The way Slayers were formed. How the first line was created.
But the amount of time between Slayers couldn't be 15 years. That was just ludicrous.
unless Dawn was meant to live longer than the original line. That was when it hit him.
"The first Slayer."
They all turned their attention to him.
"What was that, Spike?" Xander asked. "What about the first Slayer?"
"When she died," Spike began, "Jumar told me, after the first Slayer died, the next in line
came from her clan. He didn't say how long it took, or how long the first Slayer fought,
but I remember. The second one was from the same clan as her tribe."
They were silent as they turned back to the baby. Dawn cuddled her close. "So you're
next, huh?"
Anya and Xander weren't sure how much they liked this news, but Dawn felt connected to
the baby immediately. "What are you naming her?"
Pulled back into "normal" baby discussions, the new parents smiled. Anya put her arms
out so that she could hold her precious child. "Well, Xander and I weren't sure if you two
would approve," she said to Buffy and Dawn.
Xander picked up the sentence, "But if it's ok, we'd like to name her Joyce Anne."
Buffy's eyes began to tear, and a small wistful smile spread across her face. Dawn half-
smiled, and half-cried. Then they looked at each other, and smiled widely. Buffy nodded to
her friends. "Yeah, I think that fits her."
Giles moved in closer. "I think Joyce would have been honored." He placed a hand firmly
on Xander's shoulder.
"Right proper of you," Spike commented as he stood with the Summers women.
Willow stood with Jason, who knew who Joyce was, but only from the stories shared at
meetings or get togethers.
~~`~~
Present time
Buffy sat with William on the couch. The seven-year old boy between them, Bradley,
named after the detective who had died just two years after Buffy became a police officer,
was sleeping soundly on his father's lap.
Willow sat with Jason on another couch. Their three children, one girl and two boys,
ranging in age from ten to three, were sitting on the floor coloring, or scribbling, quietly
arguing over crayons.
Xander and Anya sat on the side-by-side armchairs, while Joyce tried to settle the
argument with the three children. The teen's long brown hair hung in soft waves down her
back.
Giles, who stayed in Sunnydale after returning 16 years ago, sat on another chair. His hair
had grayed, and there was less of it, but the energy in his soul kept him young, as did the
company he kept. His mission now was to find other young girls who bore the symbol that
both Dawn and Joyce had. In the sixteen years he had searched, only one other girl was
found. She was nearly eight years old by now, and lived in New Orleans. But after making
a few more excursions to Louisiana, his suspicions were confirmed. More replacements
for the new Slayer line were being born.
But now they sat, and they waited. Not for a Slayer, but for a baby.
Over the years, this had become a familiar occurrence. The Scoobies were reproducing,
and the hospital was prospering from it. The group was convened here every few years or
so to welcome another member of the gang into the world. This time, it was Dawn's baby.
A sight that Xander, Jason, and Spike were all too familiar with, soon came into view.
Only the short phrases from each new father were different. Billy ran out of the double
doors, fitted with the sterile, and so not stylish, cap and gown. "A boy! I have a son!" He
nearly fell as he slipped in his blue footies. "He's perfect. Dawn is great! And I don't ever
want to see that again. But I love her!"
As always, the gift shop was soon raided, and they were ushered into the room of the new
mother.
~~`~~
Dawn contemplated having her first baby at thirty plus a couple of years, and wondered if she could handle it all. She had wanted to wait until her calling was passed on. But Joyce never seemed to come into her power. Then one night, the pill she took to prevent pregnancy didn't do its job. There had been some difficult discussions, and then some serious decisions. But the group, her family, all helped her to know that it was time for her to start another part of her life. Whatever happened, she would always have them. And now, she had a son as well.
But the dreams, the ones with Joyce seemed to comfort her as her pregnancy had progressed. Then she looked at her hand, and saw that the mark was gone. Was it because of her son's birth? Before that moment, she didn't know if her time as the Slayer would ever be over. Now. Before she could finish the thought, her husband walked in, followed by all of the Scoobies.
One by one, they compared the features of the baby to the features of the parents. Many
pats on backs, hugs and tears were shared.
The woman compared the pain of the most recent birth to those in their respective pasts.
The men tried to ignore this conversation, and turned to more manly topics, such as which
car seat had the best rating.
The group dwindled, little by little, as the morning wore on. Jobs and school were a part
of each of their lives. Dawn asked Anya and Xander to stay with Joyce, so she could talk
to them, alone.
Once it was just the four of them, and her baby, she asked Xander to close the door.
"I've had a dream the last few months," she said shifting her pillows around to get more
comfortable. Joyce got up and helped her. Dawn smiled and thanked her. "I wasn't sure
what they meant until a little while ago." Dawn cradled her son in one arm, and showed
them the palm of her free hand. "The mark, it's gone."
Xander and Anya looked from Dawn to their 15-year-old daughter.
Joyce knew what was up. From her earliest memories, she had been told she might be
chosen. She'd taken fighting lessons from her Aunt Buffy and Uncle William for as long as
she could remember. Demons, Vampires, and any other kind of beast that Dawn had
encountered over the years were never hidden from Miss Harris. She knew and
understood what the world was, and that it's very existence was due to the people she saw
daily.
She had never been told she had to be a Slayer, or that she had no choice. In fact, she
never thought of not choosing. Not because she would be forced, but because it was
natural. Dawn was a Slayer. Buffy and Spike were too, although Spike was now
"William", and was the only male Slayer known in history.
Slayers were good. They saved other people's lives, and then lived out their own.
"I have something for you, Joyce," Dawn said as she pulled the chain out from under her
gown. She had fought the nurses tooth and nail to keep it on. She asked the young girl to
unclasp it for her. Joyce did, and held it, unable to speak. "It's for you. It was Buffy's first
cross as the Slayer, and then mine. Now it's yours."
"But, I'm not a slayer. I mean, I would, but I never got stronger." Her eyes welled up.
"I think you are now. It was something I hadn't thought of before, well, at least, not in a
long time, anyway. I didn't get my strength until Spike, I mean, William received a new
life." She rocked her newborn son slowly. "I think that that's the trigger: not death for us,
but new life."
"You mean, she won't have to die?" Anya asked, relief and confusion painted on her face.
Xander looked at his little girl. "I can't believe we were that young," he said out loud.
"Me, either," Dawn agreed. "I want Buffy and Spike to take her out tonight, if that's ok.
Test the Slayer sense."
"Oh! Can I dad?!!" Joyce pleaded.
Xander wasn't sure what to say. He'd had 15 years to prepare for this, and now it was
really happening.
"Of course. I know they were planning on taking over for you anyway. I'm sure they won't
mind." Anya said happily.
Xander whipped his head around to face his wife and gave her an "Are-you- nuts?" look.
He conceded though, when he saw his wife's eyes. "Yeah, tonight's fine."
Joyce squealed and jumped up to hug her dad.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she repeated as she hugged him.
Xander flailed his arms. "Joycie, " As he coughed trying to pull in breath as his ribs were being squeezed.
Joyce's eyes widened when she let go and looked into her dad's flushed face. "Dad?"
"Well, I think that answers that question," Anya nodded at her observation. Dawn giggled
at them all.
The world sure works in mysterious ways.
The End
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Author's Chapter Notes:
The one thing I really enjoyed about reading this after a few years is how different the endings are, and yet aren't. If you know what I mean. I always wanted a happy ending for the group, and well this was my little fairy tail ending.
Chapter End Notes:
I am sincerely so thankful for all of the well thought out comments, the excited reviews and all of the consrtuctive words from all of you. This has been such a joy to rewrite and post.
If you are waiting for the next chappie of Akoshta 4, it wont be too much longer. There are just some tweeks that i need to make in ch 2 that, are kind of naggin at me.
Once again, love to all of you. It's been a pleasure to share my ideas with you. :D
If you are waiting for the next chappie of Akoshta 4, it wont be too much longer. There are just some tweeks that i need to make in ch 2 that, are kind of naggin at me.
Once again, love to all of you. It's been a pleasure to share my ideas with you. :D