Author's Note: Sorry I've been away. I started a new job, and I'm completely exhausted when I get home. But I hate leaving stories unfinished. I was close to the end of this one anyway, and I decided to go ahead and write the epilogue. Hope it doesn't disappoint! Let me know what you think! Thanks!
Epilogue
One Year Later
Buffy yawned as she lay on her side, sprawled out on the bed with one arm crooked to prop up her chin as she studied for her exam in English class in the morning. She could hear Spike rattling about down the hall, and she could hear the TV blaring from Oz and Willow’s room.
Sighing, she shut her book and sat up on the bed, looking around the room. With a smile, she gazed at the pictures that decorated the wall. Pictures of Elijah’s milestones. His first smile, his first tooth, his second tooth, his first attempt at crawling, and of course, his first steps. The latest pictures were of him and Dawn at his first birthday party. His blonde, curly hair was matted with cake and ice cream, and he was a sticky mess. But beneath all that gunk was a pair of gorgeous blue eyes and pink, rosy cheeks. He was the spitting image of his daddy. Buffy only hoped her next baby might have a hint of her in its features, though she wouldn’t trade her son’s handsome features for anything.
Shortly after starting classes in the fall, Buffy, Spike, Willow, Oz, Cordelia, and Xander had all pitched in and rented an old house near campus. It had once been used as a frat house, so with all the bedrooms, it easily accompanied the group of friends, plus Elijah. Still, it wasn’t uncommon to see Hank and Dawn around the place, considering they came over nearly every day for a visit.
The past year had been a true test for Buffy and Spike, but they had made it through, marrying shortly after Elijah’s six month birthday. While there was still so much pain from Buffy’s past to work through, she had patched up her fractured relationship with her father--which, sadly, couldn't be said about Spike and his father--and she had formed a very close bond with her little sister. Still, it didn’t make up for the fact that her mother was gone. Joyce would never get to know her grand children.
Though Buffy took solace in the fact that Angel was still in jail, and he would be there for a long time to come. It only frightened her that one day, he would be free. But for now, she was content with the fact that she had her husband, her son, and her friends. Without them, she wasn’t sure what would have become of her after her mother’s death.
“Knock knock.” Buffy smiled when the bedroom door opened, and Spike came in, clad only in a pair of black pajama shorts. He was flying Elijah in. The rosy cheeked boy was laughing as his daddy pretended he was an airplane. “Somebody wanted to say goodnight to Mummy.”
“C’mere, you,” Buffy grinned, reaching out as Spike put the boy down in her lap. “Did Daddy read you a bedtime story?”
“Dada wead!” the boy said with a nod.
“Good,” Buffy whispered, stroking the little boy’s hair. “Mommy loves you very much, you know that?”
“Mama wuv.”
“Yeah,” Buffy grinned. She smiled when Spike got into bed with them and he leaned over to kiss her shoulder.
“How’s the studying coming along?”
“If I don’t know it now, I won’t know it tomorrow,” she shrugged. She looked at the clock. “Don’t you have a gig?”
“Mmm,” Spike murmured. “Not tonight. Oz moved it to tomorrow.”
“Oh. That’s good,” Buffy breathed. “I don’t really feel like being alone tonight anyway. I just want my two favorite guys here…” She lay down, placing Elijah between them. The little boy kicked his feet in the air and clapped his hands. Buffy smiled and peered across her son to stare into her husband’s identical eyes.
It wasn’t every night that they got to lie like this as a family. With Spike’s crazy schedule with the band, plus his classes, it was rare that they ever slept at the same time. Still, they managed to make it work. It had come down to the fact that Spike was really enjoying his time at UC Sunnydale, and playing in the band was becoming more and more of a past time, thought it still paid the bills.
Yeah, he was recognized wherever he went, but he didn’t care about that. Buffy had feared that maybe fame would get between them, but it hadn’t. Whenever Spike sang, she could feel he was only singing for her.
“Not going anywhere tonight, luv,” he assured her, reaching over to stroke her arm as she turned onto her side. “How’s my favorite girl?”
“Which one?” Buffy asked with a giggle.
“C’mon, luv. You know you’re number one in my life.”
“Yeah, until she gets here, and then I’ll be shoved aside,” Buffy teased, as Spike stroked her belly. Joy Elizabeth Pratt was scheduled to make her debut in about four months. “Anyway, we’re both fine. I’m just tired.”
“Sure you’re up for next semester’s classes?”
“Yeah. I mean, finals are next week, and if I can survive those and focus on this baby getting here, I’ll be set to go next semester.” She sighed softly. “I really don’t wanna go back to working at that awful grocery store.” She stroked baby Eli’s cheek. “But it’s not so bad. I mean, I look at him, and I look at you, and I know this family’s worth it. I don’t like being away from you, but when you’re here? It makes up for all of it, you know?”
“I know, luv,” he whispered, leaning over to kiss her softly. “Hate being away from you. Bloody hurts like hell. But when I come home to you, I see how much you love me. Know I’m doing what’s right for our family. Know you’ll always be here for me.” His eyelids drifted shut, and Buffy smiled softly, resting her hand upon his cheek. He was always so tired at the end of the day.
“Yeah,” she whispered, closing her eyes and leaning in to place a soft kiss to his lips. “That’s what best friends are for, right?”
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