Title: Afterglow 56/57

Author: T. Claybourne  (t.claybourne@yahoo.com)

Rating: Rated R most chapters for violence and Language, some are NC- 17 for sexual content

A/N I'd like to thank my Beta Reader Hawera And muses Michelle Branch, Robbie Williams and Evanescence

With a tear in her eye,
She looked at me,
It was the moment of truth,
I was scared to death.
My life hung on what that tear meant,
Then she smiled at me,
And I lost it.
No one can make me cry,
Make me laugh,
Make me smile,
Or drive me mad,
Like she does.
It's like a curse,
That is the cure,
Better or worse,
One things for sure,
It's real love,
And I don't know what I'd do,
If I lost it.

Kenny Chesney

`````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Afterglow Chapter 56 Right Here With You

"Momma, Auntie Willow needs another beer," announced a little girl with light brown curls.

"She told me to get it, Momma, not her," protested a little boy with dark brown hair, pointing to the little girl.

"I'm thinking, she asked both of you. I'll tell you what, Alex go and see if Daddy or anyone else needs one, then you and your sister can both carry one back," smiled Mia.

The little boy ran and came back. "Daddy says that he does."

Mia handed each of the children a beer and they carried them out to the others. She knew that there was plenty of beer in the cooler out on the deck so this had obviously been a keep-you-busy-mission for the kids.

The doorbell rang and there were squeals from the children. They ran from the deck to the door.

"They're here! They're here!"

The little ones ran into the kitchen. " Momma, they're here. Hurry!"

"We'll get it, you two. Your Momma is getting dinner ready," announced their father. The kids ran ahead to the door.

"Thanks, honey. You would never know they just lived five doors down." Mia said from the kitchen.

"Daddy, it's my turn to open." "No, mine," Alex reached up and pulled one of the little girl's curls.

"Daddy, he pull my hair."

"Seems only fair if you open the door then."

Mia spoke from the kitchen. "Remember how we handle Auntie Buffy?"

Both the little ones said at the same time, "Gentle: she has our baby inside."

There was a chuckle at the front doorway.

"Daddy, no laugh," The little girl stomped her foot. "Momma say Auntie Buffy do have it inside her."

"How about we open the door?"

The door opened and there were more squeals. The children thrust themselves into the arms of the man standing there.

"Leave that door open, please. Let's get a little breeze going. It's a little warm in this kitchen," suggested Mia, her voice raised a bit.

The man at the door lifted the children. "Oh no, you two are getting so heavy. I think maybe you should skip tonight's special dinner."

The kids giggled.

The little girl leaned over and put her hand on Buffy's face. "Auntie Buffy, I gentle with you?"

Buffy held back a laugh. "Yes, sweetie, you are."

"How is our baby, when it come?"

"Just like yesterday, still four months."

"Momma?" hollered a very young female voice.

"That's just before you and your brother's birthday."

"Like a birthday present!" The little one announced.

Buffy laughed.

"Uncle Rupert is here, do you know he?" asked Alex.

"Yes, I knew him before both your mom and dad did." answered Buffy.

Both children's eyes widened.

The little girl suddenly looked sad and she hung her head dramatically.

"What's wrong, honey?" asked Buffy.

Alex looked at Buffy with all seriousness. "Dawn couldn't come."

Buffy held back her laugh. Neither one of the children even knew Dawn.

"No, you're right: she had to work. I'm sad she couldn't come as well. She's my sister. Alex, you know what it's like to have a sister, don't you?"

"Yes," Alex reached over across the man's chest and hugged his sister. "Momma say I lucky, she no have sister."

"Or brudder," the little girl hugged Alex back.

The children were set down. "Aunt Buffy and I brought you each a present."

"Better not be a sugar enhanced food of any kind," came from the kitchen.

"No, a color book for Willa, and a `The Little Train That Could' reading book for Xander."

Willa stomped her foot. "No, Uncle Angel. He be Alex, Momma say there be only one Xander!"

Mia's voice came from the kitchen. "Willa, you know you are not to correct adults. I heard you do it to Daddy earlier and he and I will talk about why he always lets you get away with it."

Willa shot an angry, defiant look towards her by way of glaring at the kitchen.

"Pet, come now, you know Momma's the boss."

The little one looked at him, still upset. "Of you too, Daddy. You in trouble too."

"It sounds like I am, love," Spike shook his head but was able to draw a small smile from her.

"Out of the mouths of babes," grinned Angel. "But that's nothing new. Mia never has let you get away with anything."

Buffy gave a short laugh. "You either, honey." She jabbed Angel with her elbow.

Willa held up her color book. "Thank you. I go show Uncle Rupert."

"Thank you. Mine's best. Me show him too, and Auntie Willow." Alex ran after her.

The others could be heard following the children to the deck.

"So you told them there is only one Xander." Came a voice from the kitchen door.

Mia jumped with surprise. "Xander, when did you get so stealthy? I'm the one who had practice at that. And yes, I told them you are my only Xander."

"Door was open. You know I just realized some people would say it was tacky, us naming our children after one another."

Mia laughed. "And since when did we ever care what some people think?"

"Ah, I'll say two words…Mary Sue."

Mia burst into laughter. "Alright, you got me. I used to worry that everyone would think I was too perfect."

"You still are perfect."

"Where is Diana?"

"That is your first question anytime I give you a compliment. Emma had a soccer game. Mia, just look at you: happily married, to your first love. You two have a successful business, teaching self defense to rich socialites and celebrities; you own a house on the beach in Malibu, have what society considers the perfect number of kids, one boy and one girl and you have never looked more beautiful. Mia, just face it: no matter how many times you do a re- write you are destined to be perfect."

"I did not feel perfect carrying those twins."

Xander chuckled, "Ok, yeah. You were huge then."

Mia gave him a little slap. "Just for that you have to go talk with the others, including Spike and Angel."

Xander gave her a pained look as Mia pulled steak platter from the refrigerator. She handed Xander the meat, and shoved him toward the deck.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Every one sat around the large patio table, empty plates in front of them, talking. Mia and Buffy had just cleaned the kids' faces and hands.

Willa threw her clean hands up. "Daddy, tell our favorite story."

"Momma's story!" added Alex.

Spike, who sat at the other end of the table, shook his head and rolled his eyes. "No, you two have heard that story, plenty of times."

Willa held up her hands and spread her fingers. "Only twelve, five, two, hundred times Daddy."

Alex held up his empty plate. "But daddy, looky."

"Son, let's wait until this lot is gone and it's your bedtime, as usual."

Willa tilted her head and smiled. She raised her eyebrow just a bit. "Daddy, you know you want to tell it now."

Angel chuckled. "If that doesn't prove she's Mia's I don't know what does."

"That had Mia written all over it," added Xander

"Excuse me, I never used that line in my life or unlife."

"They mean the look, love. The same one that got me out of bed to take you round Paris and to do oh so many other things."

Everyone laughed.

Xander leaned just a bit across the table. "What story is it, Willa?"

Alex answered, "Momma's special story, why she…."

Willa finished for him. "Stay here and not go to England to work with Uncle Rupert, Auntie Willow and Dawn."

Xander looked at Spike, "I haven't heard that one."

"I don't think I've heard it," said Willow.

Buffy added, "Me neither." Buffy looked at Mia, "How come I've never heard that story?"

Mia glanced away briefly, "A lot happened then. You were…involved with things, I think that same night. I didn't want to steal your thunder, so to speak."

"I've heard it from Mia, but I'd like to hear Spike's version," commented Angel.

"Bloody…."

"Spike!" Mia glared at him and then quickly glanced at the children.

"It's not sodding swearing here."

"It is to their Uncle Rupert and Uncle Wesley: let's just ask everyone if they think that phrase is cute, coming out of the mouth of a three and half year old."

As if on cue Alex asked, "Bloody hell: I get time out for saying dat, right Momma?"

Uncle Rupert's chuckle that turned to cough could be heard by all.

"Yes, baby," Mia answered, holding back her grin. She stared down the table at Spike.

"I supposed to tell if Daddy say in front of me … he get time out too."

"You are right, sweetie."

Willa giggled, "Sometimes Daddy say it and tell us to come tell you."

Mia's head cocked to the side and one eye narrowed as she looked down at Spike. "Really, my little love?" she asked Willa.

"Yes, Momma."

Spike's eyebrow went up. "I happen to like my time outs."

Mia leaned back in her chair and took a drink of wine. "China Garden, over by the Hyperion so the kids can stop by and see Wesley and the others. I think the children have been good today, and this is one of their favorite stories so you are going tell it or you'll have no time outs for a week."

"That's really not fair, charging me for the dinner out. It hardly qualifies as selfishness on my part when you enjoy the time outs as much as I do: the rest is sodding blackmail, and in front of company."

"So, they know me and they know you: I'm sure they are not surprised. Well, let's see: you are stalling, so now I'm rolling two weeks around in my…."

"Woman, just stop," Spike said, and added under his breath "As if you could bleeding go even a week"

"I heard that and I could take it as a challenge. Want to see?"

The company had been watching the exchange up to this point like a tennis match. No one said a word. They knew both of them and no one knew which way this would go. Spike was just as stubborn as Mia.

"Maybe," Spike raised his eyebrow.

"Ok, bring it."

"What?" He narrowed his eyes.

"I said, bring it, it's on, I could use the rest, I am a working mother of twins. Besides the last time either of us abstained you gave in first."

"I bloo.. ah…don't think so; we were even in that area."

"No, you weren't," interjected Xander. "You were definitely getting it in Amsterdam and I had to wait until Bath….oops, sorry I didn't mean to….."

Mia grinned, "That was exactly the time frame I was thinking of."

Willa interrupted, "Daddy, you tell me, remind you, never bet wit Momma"

Alex added, "You say only stupid gits or big dolts would go against my Momma."

Spike sat back in his chair, and crossed his arms over his chest. His scarred eyebrow rose. "They're right, I did tell them that. Bleeding bet is off, and I'll tell the sodding story.

"Or I could," suggested Willow. "Well, not exactly… me… tell. It's a spell. I brought a few supplies, I have what we need so I can take a story, with your permission and we can watch it, be omnipresent like. The spell draws on your thoughts of that time and casts a picture and you can follow the story that way. You'll even be able to hear some of those thoughts. It's amazing stuff. I've never used it before: not too many people like you to look into their lives like that, and after everything that happened all those years ago I tend to stay away from things like that. But the coven and I worked on it to help people who have had a blocked trauma so…."

"Willow, I don't mind," smiled Mia. "Wait. Spike, did you think of anything the children shouldn't see."

Spike grinned, an eyebrow arching again. "No, not until after your phone call to Giles. After that no one but those over seventeen should watch."

Xander groaned, " I so did not need to know that. Mental pictures floating in my head now. No, not good."

"We have twins, Harris. You have a babe of your own: I thought you'd know how she got here."

Mia spoke up, "Spike: leave him be or we'll start talking about just exactly how Buffy got pregnant. Want to picture that in your head?"

Angel leaned over and grinned at Spike, then he flashed the grin at Mia.

Giles cleared his throat, "I would like all this talk to cease. I am currently staying two weeks in this wonderful country but I will be without my lovely bedmate, Melissa and…."

"Is that the 17 year old?" Spike asked.

Angel chuckled, "No, she's twenty three now."

"Pardon me: she is twenty seven."

Willow giggled, " But you started dating her when she was twenty three, Mr. I-Met-Her-At-The-Pub-On-Performance-Night-And-She-Loved- My-Singing."

Mia spoke up. "Alright, everyone, leave Giles alone. Both Angel and Spike were much much older than him when they dated teenagers. I mean Angel you were over two hundred, she was what? Fifteen?"

" Sixteen and…."

" And we are talking about our story." Mia leaned over to Willa and Alex. "How would you like to watch Momma's story, like a video? Auntie Willow says she can do that."

Their eyes became huge. "We see it?" asked Alex.

"Yes."

"Yes, please Momma," answered Willa.

Willow looked at Willa and Alex. "Then I will show you. Come on, kids. Come help me carry stuff out for the spell."

Willow went into the house with the children and they all came out carrying, objects. The Wicca lined them up on the deck in front of the house wall. She made a circle with candles and lit them. Then she lit a stick of some sort and put it in a bowl filled with a sand and other herbs. She chanted an incantation and then up upon the house wall a picture appeared. It was of the Hyperion lobby.

"Uncle Wesley's," clapped the children.

Mia raised a finger to her mouth motioning them quiet. "We all have to be quiet sweetums, sshh"

Pictures started to appear and voices began:

~ ~

Mia and Xander walked through the lobby to the front door.

She walked him to his car. Mia hugged him. She pushed him back. "I love you Xander." She cocked her head a bit. "No passion there… just the love."

He smiled. "I love you too, Mia."

Mia walked back into the hotel and right back out to the garden for a cigarette. There, straddling the bench, sat Spike.

He motioned to his pack of cigarettes. "Want a fag?"

"Those are mine. How sweet of you to offer."

Spike smiled. "No one's name on `em when I found them just sitting here."

"You claim the lighter with them too?"

"Lighter, what lighter?"

Mia sat down next to him. He handed her a Zippo lighter. She lit up. They sat for a while in silence.

Spike wanted to say something: that's why he was here. But it was Mia who spoke first.

"Have I told you how much I like your hair its natural color?"

Spike chuckled. Here he was, set for a serious talk, and she had to go and say something about his hair.

"Yes, Mia, I think you've said it about five sodding times now. I thought you told me the bleached look was, what did you say? Cool?"

"I thought that. But now you are human, and when I bleached the regrowth for you, you were such a baby. `It's burning. Do you think it always burned like this? I don't remember it burning like this'. Besides that hair-do of yours was over thirty years old. It was time for a change."

"Well, it bloody well did burn! You saw how sodding red my scalp got." He inhaled deeply from his cigarette. "As for the change, I'm thinking all of us will be seeing a lot of change. You first, with this jump across the pond," he smiled.

"True. First thing I'm doing when I get to Giles' is taking that Harley out. Now I can ride it sunny skies or grey."

Spike thought of her pulling up to the curb and pulling off the helmet, her hair flying out. He remembered her jacket coming open just right, showing off her curves. Damn digital camera. If he hadn't taken that clip for her it sure as bloody hell wouldn't be in his mind now.

~ ~ ~

Angel coughed and sputtered across the dinner table to Mia's left.

Mia looked in his direction and smiled. " You OK over there, Angel?"

"Just fine, Mia," he said. His tone indicated that he remembered that incident as well.

~ ~ ~

Up on the Malibu house wall the spell-cast pictures continued.

Spike's face became sober as he gazed into Mia's eyes, "I don't want you to go, Em."

"I know you don't. Neither does Angel, but it's time I did."

"Because you're in love with one of us."

Mia sighed, "Shit! I should have told her that in a session at her office, then she couldn't have blabbed it to everyone."

"She didn't: Angel overheard her on the phone with Xander. So it's true?"

"Doesn't matter if it is, I'm still going."

"So, once again, it's you, packing your sodding bags and running…."

Mia stood and started pacing. "Running. You're damned right I'm running. Do you think I want to see the man I love with Buffy? Or worse, broken-hearted when she decides that although she loves him, he isn't her one true and forever love? No. Hell no! I need to move on. Start new. I need to do what Xander did and I need what he has: a family. The other times I ran, I thought I didn't deserve anything but pain. This time I think I deserve something for myself."

"Fine you go. I'll just follow you to London."

Mia stopped pacing and stared at Spike. "What?"

Spike stood up. "I said I'll follow you to London."

Mia shook her head. "Please, this is because it's down to the wire now and you are too big of a chicken shit to wait and see what Buffy says."

Spike looked at her and thought she might actually believe what she had just said. It would have hurt his pride, but just then he had none so it didn't matter.

With a chuckle Spike asked, "Did you just call me chicken shit?"

Mia smiled. "Don't even try and scare me. You're human now, remember." Her smile faded. "Spike, what the hell are you doing?"

"I'm trying to tell you that I don't care if you are in love with Angel. I'm coming to London. I know you've heard all the stories about me. You know how persistent I can be. I'll wear you down until you love me again and.…"

"Wait, I get it now. This is because Buffy's already made her decision, and she chose Angel."

Spike just stared at her. He didn't know what to say, so he said nothing.

"Hey, wait, are you, as in you speechless? Oh my….Holy shit…you are actually, really serious about this."

She didn't say anything else, but took a deep breath and exhaled audibly. She shook her head just lightly and a single tear welled up and dropped from her eye. Mia just stared at him for a very long moment and then she took Spike by the shoulders and pulled him to her, kissing him deeply. When she pushed back from him she had a huge smile on her face.

With a laugh she said, "Angel? You thought I was in love with Angel? He's so in love with Buffy, if I was running from that I'd have to run to Tibet: mountains and monks would have to be involved."

Spike crossed his arms over his chest. "Oh I see: Angel would warrant Tibet but it's only as far as London for me?"

"Of course, I'd be away, but I'd still have you all around me. You are and always will be London for me. "

Spike's eyes softened and he swallowed hard. "Oh, Em." Gently he put just the heels of each hand against either side of her jaw until the tips of his thumbs just touched the lobes of her ears. He then leaned in and kissed her tenderly, deepening the kiss as it went on.

Moving back, one hand still on her face, he looked her in the eyes. "You spent so much time with him: why was that?"

She gave him a small smile, "I'm a history major, and he's over two hundred years old." She became serious. " No, it just got too hard for me to be with you, knowing it would be a never, never, thing."

Spike held her to him and kissed her deeply.

Mia pulled back and looked at him. "I'm confused. It seems just yesterday that you were wanting to be with Buffy. How? Why? When?"

"With Buffy, even before, it wasn't always as perfe… I've had a few feelings of….Let's just say it all came together today when I overheard you and Buffy talking about blackmail, and it got me really thinking."

"Oh well, that explains everything. They can take the demon out of you, but there is still residual…

"Mia, please."

"No, honestly, I get it. The old you was always turned on by the devious." She grinned.

"It wasn't the bleeding blackmail. It was thinking of the day after Buffy blackmailed you: that was the day before those things took you. I told you then how with you I always felt as if I was on the inside looking out. I'm stronger in every way with you in my life. We are our own team. I can't sodding lose that again. I love Buffy, probably always will but I've never felt like that with her. Besides, as bloody hard as she tries, she cannot make me laugh like you do."

"Well now, I think that was one of the most romantic things I've ever…. Nope, sorry, Xander wins: he once told me I was like a summer storm, dangerous but beautiful."

"Xander? Did you just say….? Woman, I'm trying to..."

"Shut up. I wasn't finished. It might not have been as romantic, but then again I wasn't expecting something Pulitzer prize winning. You always said you were a really bad poet. I'm thinking you may still be able to win this if you just say a mere three words, the three you've managed…."

As she said that, Spike realized that through this whole impassioned thing he hadn't told her he loved her.

"Oh bollocks, you are right. Of the two of us, I am the idiot. I forgot to bleeding say it. I love you, Mia."

"I love you too, Spike: and this time, I'm not going to be as stupid as Emma was when you told her. I'm never going to let you take it back."

Spike knew it was as lame as any romantic movie ending, but he picked her up and swung her around. As he did, he heard Mia say, "Bam."

Spike stopped, put her down and looked at her. "Bam?"

Mia grinned at him. "Yes, Spike. I said, Bam!"

Spike shook his head, remembering that night.

******"Oh if I need shag…. someone will know. About the other, well it's not really my style is it. I`m the kind that lets you go along thinking one way then… Bam, it's all over for you… you of all people should remember that. If I ever decide I want you back, you won't know until it's too late!"********

He thought about how actually she'd never done anything to bring this about. No one even knew she was in love with him. In fact, over the last six months Mia had spent more of her free time with Angel than anyone else. But still, she was right. It was all over for him and he hadn't realized until too late. It actually had been almost too late for both of them. Spike looked at her, a smirk on his face.

"What?" asked Mia.

"I'm just thinking how you said that if you wanted me back I wouldn't know until it was too late. It almost was too late for…. us, pet."

"I didn't want to interfere with…."

"That's understood. I'm just wondering about the other?"

Mia cocked her head. "What other?"

Spike's eyebrow went up. "The really good shag: I think it's best you go call Rupert. You need to tell him you're not coming, and that things have changed. And, love, do it right quick."

~ ~ ~

Mia leaned across the table, "Willow, now's a good….."

"Right." Willow removed the stick from the bowl and blew out the candles while on the wall Spike grabbed Mia around the waist, nuzzling her neck while was his hand moved down toward her crotch. She still held the phone to her ear.

~ ~ ~

The children clapped and bounced in their seats.

"We came next, right, Daddy?" asked Alex

Willa looked at Alex. "They got wedding-ed first."

Mia looked at the kids. "Yes, you are both right. And it's married, Willa. There was a certain something that neither your Daddy nor I had to worry about prior to the Sanshu and it kind of slipped our minds. But looking at you right now, I will never care that within one week after your father declared his love for me I was pregnant with you. I was just glad that he asked me to marry him two months later and I could tell him."

Buffy looked at Mia, brows knit. "You weren't seriously afraid he would be upset?"

"No, just very Victorian. I didn't want …"

"She didn't want me to propose because of it. Kept it from me, me and everyone else. No one knew."

"I knew," said Angel, as he took a drink.

"Angel knew?" Spike asked an incredulous look on his face.

Mia ignored Spike's question and looked at the kids. "You two want down? Go play over with your toys while we talk? You have to be good, no fighting." Mia sat them both on the ground and they scrambled to the far corner, occupied by a toy chest .

Mia sat down. "Yes, he knew." She drank a large mouthful of wine.

The others seemed to settle in for an explanation.

"She didn't actually tell me: I guessed. Everyone was supposed to be out for the day. I came back, and caught her with a book on pregnancy. I came up behind her and asked, `When are you going to tell him?'"

"And I said, `Will you quit sneaking up on me. You aren't a vampire any more and it's disconcerting. No, I won't tell him, because he'll just want us to get married because of it, and that isn't how I ever pictured my first proposal of marriage. You know, before, when I was human and in love with him, I never even thought about marriage. Then, when I became a vampire I just never gave it a thought, but now things are different. Don't you think about it with you and Buffy before, when it was impossible?'"

"And she was right: everything was different. So I set out to remind Spike of that every chance I could."

Spike's head cocked to the side. "Blood…"

"Spike, they are right behind you," Mia reminded him.

Spike rolled his eyes. "I remember now. Your talk of how you had left Sunnydale because you knew you could never give Buffy a real future, like marriage. You asked me once if I had ever wished I could marry Emma. I think there was mention of Xander and whether, if things had been different, I thought he would have suggested marriage to Mia."

"I probably would have," said Xander.

"That's beside the point." Spike's brow went up as he smiled in Angel's direction. "Nicest damn thing you've ever done for me."

Angel started "I didn't do it for yo….." He looked at Mia and her look asked him not to continue what he had intended to say "…….your thanks."

"Ah, before we go any further I just want to clarify something here. Mia, the summer storm thing, did it really make it into the list of your most romantic moments?" asked Xander.

Mia looked in his direction, her eyes soft with the memory. "Yes, it did Xander. In fact, that whole thing in Bath was one of my most romantic…"

" Oi, husband right here. We just shared one of our most romantic moments with everyone, which was what your children.requested. `Sides, who sent the git to Bath in the first place?"

Mia grinned down the table at Spike. "Yes , I do recall you telling me that it was you who sent him, once or ten times."

Willow let out a dramatic sigh. "It was all so romantic." She sighed again. " Of course everything with Spike has always been a little romantic. You know, getting his soul for Buffy and… wait, there was that not-so-romantic time when he let Dru use the cattle prod on Buffy and he chained her in the crypt. Of course, perhaps if you were a soulless vampire that might be considered romantic."

Mia looked down the table, one eyebrow up. " Hmmmm. I never heard that story."

"Oh yeah. Right after that, he turned around and used it on Dru, tied her up and threatened to stake Drusilla to prove his love for Buffy. It involved something about Buffy having to say she had even the tiniest of feelings for him or he'd let Dru feed on her," added Xander

Buffy glanced away as Mia looked her direction. "I take it this was during your can't- kill-because-of-a-chip-in-my-head-era." Mia grinned at Spike.

Spike shot an exasperated look in Willow's direction.

Xander smiled, " Hey I like how she put that. Remember how you loved that time, that era-of-I-can't- kill-because-of-a-chip-in-my- head?"

Willow looked his direction, " Xander, stop." She glanced Spikes direction then back to Mia. "Old habits die hard."

Mia shrugged. "Take it from me, Will: when I was a vampire, even though I had a soul, the evil demon in me would have found that crypt situation very romantic, and thrilling as well. I might have felt guilty about it but it would have made me admit I had feelings." Mia looked straight at Buffy. "Buffy probably did too, but they were deep down and she was disgusted with herself for feeling something for her sworn enemy, that evil and soulless monster. I bet you that the minute she found out Spike had any feelings for her she got you to do a `de- invite' spell, just to be sure she could get him out of her life. He couldn't do her harm with the chip, so it was more a statement. If he wasn't a part of her life, then she wouldn't have to think about what it could all mean."

"Oh my goddess, how did you know that?"

Mia looked from Spike to Buffy. "No psychic powers anymore, so I'm pretty sure it was Psyc 321. But it doesn't matter: that was a different Spike and different Buffy."

Buffy looked down the table at Spike, "A very different Spike."

Xander asked, "So, Buffy, do we get to see your story with Angel?"

"Ah…That is not really a telling or watching type of story."

Angel grinned, "No, I was there and I'm still foggy about what happened. There was some confusing rambling-on about an arrow."

Buffy gave Angel's arm a slap.

"That was about stepping in front of an arrow," corrected Mia.

"You told Mia that story? Do you tell her everything?" asked Buffy.

Spike made a snorty type of laugh.

Angel looked at his napkin and traced the bottom of his fork. "Not everything."

Buffy looked at Mia. "Do you two talk about everything, like you and I do?"

Mia looked away. "No, not exactly."

Just then Willa ran up to Buffy with a play-cell phone. "Look, Auntie Buffy. This be just like Momma's phone, nummer 1 emergency, push nummer 2 for Uncle Angel, Daddy is nummer 3, you are Nummer 4 and then other peoples."

Buffy looked at Mia, smiling but dismayed, "Spike is further down your speed dial than Angel?"

"It's a bleeding an insult, innit," Spike protested.

Mia got up and started clearing the table.

"Oh please, Spike. Why don't you just forget to tell them that it was you who programmed my phone," Mia said as she headed to the kitchen.

Buffy picked up a dinner roll and threw it accurately at Spike's head.

"Oi!"

"Auntie Buffy, we no throw food?!" said Willa, a little confused.

Alex let out a whoop. "Good shot, Auntie Buffy!"

"I'm with Alex," said Xander

"Me too," Willow added.

"I think she should hit him with something heavier than a roll," commented Angel

Giles chuckled. "These children have so much of Mia in them: they are so very intelligent, articulate and witty especially for their age; but their timing and the way they say just the wrong thing at the wrong time, well, Spike, that is so much you."

Behind him Willa stomped her foot, "Uncle Rupert, my Daddy no wrong."

Alex joined her, "My Momma say no one use her to insult Daddy. I telling." He turned and ran to the kitchen.

Xander grinned, then chuckled. "That protective streak for Spike, that came from Mia too, so be careful what you say while you're here, Giles."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mia put the last dish in the dishwasher. She had said goodbye to Xander and seen him out. The others had come in from outside to the family room. Mia had refused all help, enjoying the time alone to reflect on the conversations of the evening. Being a mom meant having to take advantage of what time you could get to yourself. Mia rinsed her hands and was drying them as Spike wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I would have helped, love. Except for the steaks you've done it all today."

Mia turned in his arms. "Spike? In the kitchen? Who are you, and what did…."

He grinned, "OK, OK. I would have sent some of the others to help. Look, you have to see this"

He pulled up a louver of one of the shutters on the pass through window to the family room . Giles sat, grey-haired in the recliner, reading a paper. Buffy and Willow sat in two chairs chatting, and there on the ground with the two kids putting puzzles together was Angel.

"Oh, Spike."

"Several years back the ponce would have staked both of us if we told him he'd be doing that. He'd have thought we'd gone completely balmy and would have felt he owed us that much."

"Probably, but, aw, look at them."

Mia turned to Spike. "I love my life. I love it. I love how I can lay on your chest and hear your heart beat, how sometimes you make the bed get too hot and we have throw the covers back; and your snoring, I seriously, absolutely love your snoring. The kids, well, I can't even start talking about them without tears starting to form. I love our brunches out in the sun, and sometimes I look at us at the dinner table and I think, is this a dream?"

"Never miss the old life, love?"

"Maybe the part where you might have used a cattle prod and chained me to a crypt wall."

Spike shook his head and rolled his eyes to the ceiling and back. "I wasn't evil when I met you. I didn't ever want to hurt you, Em."

"Right. You just tried to beat the hell out of me every chance you got."

Spike grinned, "I did do that, didn't I?"

"Yes; one time because of the look on my face."

He chuckled, "I remember you starting your fair share of the beatings. But honestly, love, do you miss it?"

"I have missed it once, no, twice. I missed it when I got on the scale after the twins. Then I missed it again last week when I found a grey hair. I guess that thinking I was going to be eighteen forever will make getting older a lot harder."

"No worries, pet, because you'll always be beautiful even if you're not eighteen. And at least now you can celebrate birthdays without breaking everything in sight."

"I'd hoped you wouldn't remember that."

"Em, I remember everything about you."

"I guess that's why you know me so well."

"Me… know… you? Woman, it seems that whether I was human or beast you have always… known me."

Mia smiled and put her forehead to his. "Known and loved. With or without the demon, you will always be the first man I really fell in love with, and the first one I was ever willing to die for. I'd do it all again if I knew I could end up right here, with you."

Spike smiled at her. "Now you're just trying to make me bleeding cry, and with company here."

"Maybe just a little." She grinned at him. Spike growled and nuzzled her neck, nipping it.

Mia shrieked, laughed and ran in the living room. "Kids?"

"Fine, we've got them," said Buffy

Spike caught her around the waist from behind and nuzzled her again, sinking his teeth playfully into her neck. Mia wrenched free, laughed, and took off toward the deck and out of the door with Spike close behind. They both disappeared up the beach.

Buffy turned to Angel. "Well, at least it didn't start in here so that we needed to remind them that there were children present."

Giles chuckled. "You have to do that regularly, do you?"

Willa answered. "Yes, Auntie Buffy get very angry with Momma and Daddy sometimes."

He chuckled again.

"I'm not really angry with them, sweetie."

"Uncle Angel says dat is how Momma and Daddy show how much they love each other and that Daddy is type of person that have to show off and share things with everyone else," volunteered Alex.

"Alex, you forgot he say that poor Momma not really like that, but it's being with Daddy make her dat way," added Willa

Angel looked away sheepishly.

Giles chuckled again. "Children present or not, I find it refreshing; wonderful in fact."

"What?" the three adults in the living room said at the same time.

"We have been through a lot this last twenty years. So tonight, when I see this, Mia and Spike who have been married for over four years and are now parents of three and half year old twins, acting like newlyweds it is something to appreciate."

Willow grinned, "Yeah, the fact that they have the energy for anything is a complete miracle."

Alex nodded, "Yep, Momma say we wear ya out. Ask Uncle Angel."

Buffy gave a short laugh. "He volunteered to baby sit….. once."

"And he never came again. Momma say we scared him away." Willa patted Angel's arm

"Daddy laugh, say Uncle Angel champion of the people, beaten by a, what he say Willa?"

"and apple…no a .."

Angel shook his head. " It was a pair of two year olds. He said, I was once a champion of the people fighting evil, and in a mere two hours I was defeated by a pair of two-year- olds. And the sad thing is, he was right. "

Giles couldn't help but chuckle.

Buffy laughed. "He had to call me. I had to cancel patients' appointments and come home from work. It was like old times, me and Angel fighting the forces."

Willow and Giles broke into laughter.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Their guests from England went up to bed before the late summer sunset. The time change and their recent arrival had exhausted them. Spike and Mia had returned in time to say goodnight. The kids usually went to bed earlier, but they were still very much awake with all the excitement of the day and the company. Mia suggested to Buffy and Angel that the six of them should take a walk on the beach before sunset.

Mia started out carrying Alex, and Spike carried Willa.

Spike put Willa down once they got to the hard wet sand .

Mia kissed Alex's cheek and put him down too. "You two scat; go on ahead but not too far."

The kids ran a bit ahead.

Mia linked arms with Angel and Spike; Buffy held Angel's hand on his other side.

"Angel and Buffy, I can't wait until yours gets here. Buffy, you still won't give in and let us guys know the sex?"

"She's stubborn," smiled Angel

"Good thing. No-one else could deal with you," grinned Mia.

"Thank you, Mia," Buffy said, as she smacked Angel lightly.

The sun was setting: golden hues washed across the sky and the amber orb hung out over the ocean.

"I still love a sunset," commented Mia.

"Yes, but it means something totally different now, doesn't it?" added Angel.

"Definitely," said Spike

"Hey!" Mia yelled and took off after the kids since they were wading into the water. She grabbed them up and they laughed, all three of them. Buffy ran ahead and joined them.

Angel turned to Spike. "Ever think that maybe we didn't Sanshu and that this is actually our heaven? I mean, things are so good, pretty much perfect."

"Sometimes, except that those first six months were pretty much shite. And also, then I remember that you live five doors down and that the missus has you over as often as possible."

Angel chuckled, "You know, you are lucky to have her. There was a time, right after we got back, when everything was so up in the air that I considered…"

"You don't have to tell me how sodding lucky I am. But please, mate, Mia would never have let you. She knew how you felt about Buffy. She has told me more then once that it was supposed to work out this way and that Buffy is your perfect love.

"She is. That's one of the reasons I mentioned about heaven."

"You know what she'd say about it." Spike motioned to Mia. "We're together, can't really want much more."

"That still throws me."

"What's that, mate?"

"Goose bumps."

Spike chuckled. " I remember thinking that same thing once." He looked down the beach and watched as a pregnant Buffy and his wife twirled his children above their heads in the light of the sunset.

"Angel, will you look at that. I'm not even sure if you and I will make it to heaven after everything, but sights like that, well, they makes me not care one bit. Or you may be right, we may already be there."

Mia and Buffy came running back and thrust both laughing children into Spike's face. "Give Daddy kisses."

As Spike fought off the slobbery kisses, Angel laughed. "I see that now, Spike. We are right: it's a big sloppy-kiss heaven."

Spike took both the kids in his arms.

Mia looked at Angel. "What was that about sloppy-kiss heaven?"

Angel smiled at her. "Spike and I were just saying that we may not have Sanshued, but that this may actually be heaven."

Buffy stopped and looked up at him. "That's so sweet. You actually said that?"

Angel took her hand. "Yes, I did."

"Did you say it too, Spike?" asked Mia, her eyes wide.

He nodded.

Mia stepped forward, a grim look on her face. "Well, I took a risk tonight, telling Spike how much I love my life, but it's guaranteed now. The Powers That Be will have heard and maybe not tomorrow, the next day, week, month or even year but it will happen…. they'll take it all away. You all know that's how they work. We've all experienced it, had it all and had it taken away by them. They aren't happy if we are. It's as if they are bored when everything is going well and we are happy." Mia took Willa and hugged her.

Buffy placed her hand on her stomach. "I just can't believe that, Mia, not this time. This time it'll be different."