Creative Works   

Once Again (Page 10)
By Amy Mina
amymina(at)yahoo.com

Disclaimer: Characters such as Buffy, Angel, Xander and others belong to Joss Whedon and the WB. The few characters that I have made up such as Marissa and Jeff belong to me.
Author's Notes: *Quick question for readers: It has been asked that I have a sequel. Do you think I should?*

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Epilogue

"Marissa, you get down here now!" Buffy shouted up the stairs. Her sixteen-year-old daughter came down the stair and ran over to her mother. Her mom's back was to her as she was trying to race around the kitchen. Being six months pregnant didn't make her move any faster.

"Yeah, mom?" she asked.

"You're father will be home soon, we need to hurry to make everything perfect. He has to lay face down for the next four weeks, so we need to be ready." Marissa nodded.

"How is he doing?" Marissa asked. Angel had spent the last two weeks in the hospital having surgery done on his eyes. Even though he had gotten used to and accepted the fact that he couldn't see, when the doctors said he had a chance to see again, he wasn't going to pass it up. The worst part was that they would have to wait at least a month to know if it would work. "I have nothing to lose," Angel had said. "I want to be able to see your mother, you, and little Oz. This will at least give me the chance."

"I talked to him this morning, he said he was doing pretty well. A little tired of lying on his stomach, but keeping his spirits high. He can't wait to come home."

Marissa nodded and helped clean the kitchen. "Are you ever doing to tell me why he couldn't be there when I was born?" Marissa asked.

Buffy turned to look at her daughter in exasperation. She could see the similarity between them. Except for the height and coloring, they could be almost twins. "Marissa, we said we would tell you when we thought you were ready. Oz doesn't know either." A horn beeped from the driveway. "They're back," said Buffy, dropping the dishtowel and quickly walking from the kitchen. She opened the door, and her half sister and brother came running in. The two ten year olds ran over to Marissa and began chattering about school. Nick, older by three minutes, had Joyce's hair and her features. He loved to read and just watch the world like his father. Cara, unlike her brother, had many of Buffy's characteristics. Very energetic, she was always running around. Marissa's brother, Oz, was the one to enter next. Only six, he didn't understand everything that was going on, but tried to help.

Joyce and Rupert came through, helping Angel in. Buffy gently gave him a tight hug. He held her tightly. "Hello Buffy," he said. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," she replied. She reached up and gave him a kiss. She then took his hands and laid it on her abdomen. "The little one is glad to have you home too."

"I'm glad to be home. Could you help me upstairs? I'm getting tired."

"Of course," Buffy replied. "Marissa, could you come with us? Oz, go get your bag, grandma and grandpa are waiting to take you with them. Say goodbye to your dad." Oz came running over and threw his arms around Angel's legs to hug him and say goodbye. Once they left, Buffy and Marissa helped Angel up the stairs. In the master bedroom, Angel gently laid on his stomach and kept his face down. "Angel, I think it's time to tell Marissa everything," she said.

Angel agreed. "Do you want to start, or should I?" he asked, quietly.

"Maybe we should wait?" Marissa broke in. "You look really tired, Daddy."

"No, now's a good time," he replied. "I think you need to know. I was born long before your mother, about 224 years before your mother." Marissa looked in surprise at both of her parents, and Buffy took Angel's hand. Marissa wished she could see her father's face, but knew she couldn't. "Do you believe in vampires, Marissa?"

"Not really," Marissa replied, watching her parents closely.

"You need to. I was one for many years. I was different than most vampires, though. The demon didn't rule my body for all of that time. Right before the turn of the century, I killed a young Romani girl, a favorite of the tribe. They restored my soul to me so that I suffered for a hundred years, remembering what I had done to thousands of people."

"Your father and I met when I was sixteen," Buffy broke in. "I was the vampire slayer, one girl chosen in all of the world to fight the vampires. I didn't know he was a vampire at first. He used to give me cryptic warning about the danger I was in. One night, he saved my life from three deadly vampires. We went back to my house, and he spent the night in my room."

"I couldn't leave in the morning," said Angel, "or else the sun would burn me up. I spent the day in your mother's room, and by the time the sun fell, she knew I was a vampire. To skip over most of the small stories, your mother and I went farther than we should of in our relationship. That's when you conceived, and I lost my soul. My demon side spent the rest of the time trying to kill you mother."

"Willow found the soul to restore his soul and humanity," said Buffy. "By then, it was too late and I was lost in my dream world. I remember Angel used to come and visit me everyday at first. Later, he was hit while driving by a drunk driver and lost his sight. The rest, you pretty much know."

Marissa looked at both of her parents in surprise for a few minutes. Then she engulfed Buffy in a hug. "Thank you for tell me mom, I love you." She leaned down and kissed Angel's cheek. "I love you too, Daddy. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

Buffy smiled. "We aren't worried, but we need to you do something. I know we have always said to wear a cross necklace and be careful at night, but we would like you to have a little training to fight the vampires. It would make us feel better."

"Done," said Marissa quickly.

. . .

"Push!" came to doctor's voice.

"What do you think I'm doing?" Buffy spat out. Angel propped her shoulder up.

"Come on Buffy. You're doing real good. Don't worry."

Buffy was so thankful for his presence with her. She pushed through the next contraction, and within a few minutes, they had their third child. Buffy sighed and leaned back when she heard the infant's cry. Once the baby was clean, they brought it over to the proud parents. "Congratulations, you have a new daughter." Buffy took the baby and held her close.

"What do you think, Angel," she said, looking at her husband. He stared in wonder. This had been the first birth he was able to see everything happen. He was thankful that he could see again, see just how beautiful his daughter, son, and wife really were. "Angel?" Buffy asked.

"Sorry," he replied, having been lost in his thoughts. "She's beautiful."

"Want to hold her?" He took his daughter and held her close. He never wanted to le her go. Giving Buffy a kiss, he smiled proudly at her.

"I think we're going to have another little Buffy running around." Buffy laughed, and they held hands, loving every moment together.

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Page 10 of 10
The End

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