[Reviews - 291]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 3834 times

- Text Size +




Author's Chapter Notes:
I want to thank everyone who stuck with this story.
Please read it and review because the plot meant so much to me.

Thanks again,
spufette

PS...Thank you to everyone who reviewed this. I'm sorry I did not always respond personally.
TO KNOW THE HUMAN HEART


Epilogue: ‘Ten Years After’


Summary: Literally; ten years after the last chapter. I hope you enjoy this.


Joshua William Giles, or J.W. which is what most people called him, ran up the brick walkway of his family home.

He was a real firecracker of a boy; J.W. was and everyone that knew him said so.

Especially to his parents, William and Buffy Giles, thought so.

“Da’s home, just now!” The seven-year-old Joshua squealed in delight as he burst through the front door of the two-story brick house.

“Calm down,” Buffy Giles gently ordered her second child. “We don’t want daddy to second-guess his surprise, do we?”

“No mum,” J.W. replied in his most serious tone. “I’ll be good,” he offered evenly as he grabbed a washed apple from the fruit bin in the kitchen.

Buffy’s heart skipped a beat in her chest when her son looked up at her with her husband’s indigo blue eyes. He was so much like his father, Joshua was, and Buffy loved him so much the more for it.

“Mama!” Little Lorianne, Spike and Buffy’s five-year-old daughter called from the living room.

“Everybody’s ready,” Lorrianne Giles exclaimed in anticipation; even as her Aunt Dawnie shushed her again. Her green eyes danced merrily as Aunt Dawnie pulled her into the dining room, just behind the massive table.

“She’s such a child,” nine-year-old Cameron commented with a weary sigh.

Cameron was J.W. and Lorianne’s cousin, Dawn and Conner’s son and oldest child.

“Shush,” Dawn scolded her eldest carefully. “We’re supposed to all be hiding, for Uncle Spike’s birthday surprise,” she reminded her unusually sedate son.

“I think this is all a bit ridiculous,” Cameron began haughtily. “After all, Uncle Spike is so old and he’s a freakin’ doctor for…..”

“Cameron!” Dawn, Connor and Buffy hissed at the boy; successfully shushing him into silence. “Watch your mouth!”

“My daddy is so not old,” Lorianne growled at her unbearable older cousin. “He is a young man and really quite handsome for his age and…..”

“Lori, please,” Buffy cooed at her middle child.

“Come over here Lori,” Cordelia Crawford whispered as she waved her good friend, Buffy’s child, over to where she and her husband Angel were hiding in the Giles’ front room.

“You hide with Uncle Angel and I,” Cordelia assured the lovely blond child.

Angel and Cordy had not been blessed with children of their own, so they had taken in Buffy and Spike’s children; Joshua, Quentin, Lorianne and little Joy as their kind of godchildren.

Of course, with Cordelia’s work at ‘Quentin’s House’ the wing of the hospital that Buffy had founded; the ex-society queen’s hands were certainly full, happily, with the needs of the babies. Cordelia would not have given up her work at Buffy’s project for the world and had proved to be quite a boon to her husband and his work at Sunnydale General.

Buffy had thrown herself into Quentin’s House; the wing of the hospital that had been built specifically for her babies and their needs. The first thing she and Spike did was foster a baby girl named Amelia into their new home.

After that; the powers that be at Sunnydale General organized the program for children to be matched with parents who were not afraid to take on special babies. All in all, Quentin’s House had become a sort of a pilot program for many hospitals and clinics throughout Southern California.

Connor and Dawn had adopted a special baby girl, Lizzy, right after Cameron turned two. Then Willow and Tara took up the gauntlet and fostered a baby boy, little Samual, as their child together.

So many families in Sunnydale; mostly strangers until now, had stepped up to the plate and began to foster or adopt the children of Quentin’s House. It was the wing that Buffy had named for her special little boy from years before.

Wesley and Fred sponsored a charity drive every year, at their winery, to aid in the support of Quentin’s House and the children that so desperately needed their help.

The wing itself became almost a stopping off place for the babies before they found foster homes and permanent ones to boot.

Spike had given up his surgeon practice to concentrate on a private family practice in a spacious office of Sunnydale’s business district.

When he and Buffy were not concentrating on Quentin’s House and sponsoring an organization to fight HIV/AIDS; they were busy raising their boisterous little family. Which included an amazing little boy that they had adopted by the name of Quentin. Buffy had named him herself.

Quentin II was a bright, happy little boy of eight-years-old. Yes, he had made it, miraculously, to that well earned age. If Spike and Buffy had anything to say about it, their adopted son would live to be a happy, healthy old man; father and grandfather.

“Is Daddy going to be surprised?” Quentin asked his mother excitedly. “We’ve worked so hard to surprise him and…..”

“He’ll be stunned beyond words,” Buffy assured her precious child as she patted his dark head.

“Hide!” Lorianne screeched like a banshee as she dove behind the living room sofa.

“Everyone! Spike’s almost to the door!” Xander Harris yipped like a puppy chasing a fire engine. He ducked into the hallway closet, dragging his wife, Anya with him.

“Where is Alex?” Xander demanded of Anya.

“Oh, around,” his wife replied casually. “For God’s sake Harris, he’s hiding over there, in the unlit fireplace!”

Xander glanced over at the Giles’ fireplace and smiled; his only child, a son named Alex, was crouched down in the spotless nook of the brick and mortar.

After six years of marriage to Anya, Xander had finally learned to chill out a bit. His wife had given him so much; love and a beautiful son; not to mention a newfound sense of a laid back life style.

In the meantime, Xander had come to understand Spike Giles and the happiness that the Brit had brought to Buffy. Xander counted himself high among Spike’s list of friends and he was quite proud of that.

Willow and Tara had adopted a young son together, from Buffy’s clinic, that they had named Samual.

At the moment, Tara and Willow stood in the Giles’ kitchen watching the little ‘war’ that was going on between Andrew and Johnathan.

After Buffy and Spike married; Buffy turned the coffee bistro over to Andrew and Johnathan to run completely. Since that time, Andrew had met a wonderful girl by the name of Amy who patiently put up with her man’s silly nonsense.

“I did make the cupcakes,” Andrew insisted to Joy Giles as he put the finishing touches on the cakes.

“It was my idea,” groused Johnathan with a near pout. “You just…..”

“Oh for Pete’s sake,” Amy groaned in exasperation. “You two get out of here so I can set up the real food!”

“Aunt Willow,” little Joy looked up at her idol, “how did my daddy get his nickname of Spike?”

Willow blushed and Tara began to giggle. “I think I should field that one,” the blond McClay woman chuckled. She shot a glance at Tom and Jerry with their respective spouses.

Spike’s two college friends had flown all the way to Sunnydale to be at Spike’s special birthday party. It was they that had dubbed William Giles Spike and all, so Tara felt they should tell his youngest just how he got that name.

“Well, you see honey,” Tom began warily, his dark brows scrunched up in thought.

“Mama says that daddy wore a dog collar around in college and…..” Joy began carefully.

Rupert Giles smiled down at his youngest grandchild, benevolently. He considered himself a lucky man indeed to have such a son; daughter-in-law and four fine grandchildren.

“Grandpa,” Joy Giles smiled up, adoringly, at her grandfather. “How old is Daddy?” She asked sweetly; apparently contented with her own answer regarding her daddy’s nickname.

“Oh, not so very old as your Grandpa my sweet,” Rupert replied tenderly to the three-year-old.

“Your daddy is as young as he feels,” Jenny Giles chimed in as she picked up her stepson’s youngest in her arms.

“Indeed,” Rupert intoned most seriously wiping his glasses. “Why, your daddy is…..”

“Here,” Buffy whispered hoarsely, her finger up against her lips to shush the chucking masses.

Dr. William Giles hurried up the brick front walk of his family home. The one he had put a down payment on, even before he and Buffy were married.

Luckily, Buffy had fallen in love with the big, two-story brick house the minute she laid eyes on it. After their honeymoon, Spike and Buffy went to work on transforming the huge, proper house into a real country-like home to raise their future family in.

It was a good thing too, actually, since Spike and Buffy had adopted Quentin II soon after they were married. Then along came J.W., Lorianne and little Joy, named after Buffy’s mum.

Spike was tired this evening and wanted nothing more then a good long, hot shower and a whisky before supper. He was well aware it was his birthday, of course, August 20th as always. However, it seemed his beloved family had forgotten it and really, that was fine with him. At forty-three, Spike was more then forgiving about forgetting his own birthday and…..

Just before he opened the front door, Spike leaned down and picked up the evening newspaper.

“Really got to talk to Buffy about havin’ the news delivered in the AM from now on,” he muttered to himself. “Can’t see having it at night before supper and bed. Too much bloody bad news and…..”

The moment he opened his front door, Spike was barraged with screams of ‘happy birthday’ and ‘good shows’ (from his dad) and all.

Suddenly, every bit of weariness that Spike had felt all day and afternoon seemed to disappear from his body and mind. Especially when his four children leapt at him all at once.

“We’ve got food and cupcakes Daddy!” Lori squealed in delight as she hugged her daddy’s leg tightly.

“Grandpa brought some good Irish whisky Da!” Quentin laughed deeply, causing Spike’s throat to tighten up in emotion.

For Spike loved this special boy of his as much as the three children he had sired naturally. Every day that Quentin survived was another successful, blessed day for his Buffy and himself.

As best as he could, Spike tightly clasped all of his children and his wife to his body. How had he ever begun to deserve all of this happiness in his life? He asked himself that question on a daily basis.

As recent as twelve years ago, Spike would never have dreamed of obtaining the blessed life he had now. It had not even been on his radar screen.

To think that he might have missed out on all of this blissfulness just left him in awe. Spike knew he had one person only to thank for all of this. His wife; his beloved Buffy.

“Thank you sweetheart,” Spike whispered to Buffy, his voice choked with emotion.

“It’s a simple surprise party, baby,” Buffy giggled softly in response. “Not a big gala and…..”

“No, I mean for everything,” he murmured sincerely before kissing Buffy’s soft, sleek neck.

“For you; our kids and life together. I’d ‘ave been lost without you Buffy Giles and…..” his sentence trailed off; leaving his blue eyes to finish it, silently.

“I love you,” Spike added tenderly before he swept his youngest child up in his arms. “You’re my heart and soul, Buffy.”

“Well, I love you too and thank you,” Buffy laughed; reminding Spike how sweetly melodic his wife’s laugh truly was.

“Happy Birthday!” All of the guests screamed again as Buffy led Spike into their living room.

“I guess I’ll have to save ‘my’ birthday gift for you until later, huh?” Buffy whispered wickedly; her arm entwined with Spike’s.
She gave her husband a saucy little wink to let him know just what that gift might be.

“Yeah, I guess,” he mumbled in reply, his smile was wide as a mile.

“Will,” Buffy turned to embrace him and their daughter who he still carried. “You ‘are’ my heart, always,” she added in her quiet voice as she ran her fingers gently down the side of his face.

“Happy Birthday Will,” Buffy added tenderly before turning to greet their guests, the birthday boy and their children close behind her.


The End





You must login (register) to review.