By Goddess Isa
SUMMARY: Part Eight of To Have & To Hold - The End of Days is here - the battle is over - did we win?!?!
SPOILER: Basically, this hints on ALL the Buffy & ANGEL eppys so far, because there will be some flashbacks during the series, I hope. SPECIFICALLY Pangs & I Will Remember You though.
FEEDBACK: Please, I'd hate to have to Slay for it. =P
RATING: TV-14
DISCLAIMER: In case you didn't know, all the characters I'll mention (probably) belong to David Greenwalt and Joss Whedon. I am SO furious at the both of them right now, I cannot even tell you. This stuff also belongs to all the writers that have ever written for both shows. 'Thank God I've Found You' is by Mariah Carey, 98Degrees & Joe. The song may change in the future, but for now, this is what it is. The opening song is 'The World Is Not Enough' is by Garbage (Shirley Manson RULES!!) and is from (duh) the James Bond flick The World Is Not Enough. RIP, Desmond Askew. =( Try to imagine the song playing as you read the first five or so pages of this fic. If you can, play the song. It really adds
alot.
I know how to hurt
I know how to heal
I know what to show
And what to conceal
I know when to talk
And I know when touch
No one ever died from wanting too much
The world is not enough
But it is such a perfect place for us
My love
And if you're strong enough
Together we can take the world apart
My love
People like us
Know how to survive
There's no point in living
If we can't feel alive
We know when to kiss
And we know when to kill
If we can't have it all
Then nobody will
The world is not enough
But it is such a perfect place for us
My love
And if you're strong enough
Together we can take the world apart
My love
I feel safe
I feel scared
I feel ready
And yet unprepared
The world is not enough
No nowhere near enough
The world is not enough\\
Buffy and Angel ignored the stupid demon in front of them and began taking on the pack of lame vampires coming at them. Like the ones they'd destroyed earlier, they were weak. Buffy couldn't figure out if Willow's cloning assumption had been right, but either way, she was infuriated that one of them slit the leg of her new jeans.
Angel heard her whine in annoyance and said, "I'll buy you a new pair, I promise."
"You'd better," she said between ducking punches from a female vamp just begging her to be staked.
Corescant was not happy. From his alter not far from the Dynamic Duo, he growled and stomped his foot.
"Kill them!" he shouted. "Protect me! Protect my diamond!"
"I've got news for you!" Buffy hurled a knife at the Thousand Eyes and a piece chipped off, making the entire stone glow. "It's not a diamond."
Angel managed to finish off the rest of the vampires so Buffy could have a staring competition with the Corescant. For a demon as big and ugly as he was, he was in no hurry to jump down to the fight.
"I'll kill you," he threatened.
She shrugged. "You're all talk."
"You foolish girl!! You think you can treat me like that?"
"I think I can kill you."
"I'll tear you to bits!" he said in an unconvincing voice.
"Come and get me," she teased. "I'm ready for you, pal."
"Slayer." he muttered, sickened. "I should have known."
"Met your match?" she asked with a smirk.
He jumped down and attacked her. They tumbled together on the ground and Angel jumped on top of them, trying to get Buffy free. Instead, he wound up a third on the giant human rolling log.
"Angel!" Buffy yelled. "In the bag! Quick!"
The vampire rolled off of Corescant and went to her bag. He dug out a stake, waited for Buffy to roll the ugly demon on top and drove the stake home.
"No dust," he said, scratching his head.
"Not a vampire!" she yelled as she rolled on top of him and kneed him to the groin. "Try something else. Quickly, please!"
Angel dug through her tote and this time he found a large blade. He knew Giles had trained her with it but he figured he could get by on what he knew.
"Now!" she managed to get her knees up to her chest and push the demon off of her with her feet. Corescant rolled a few feet away and Angel brought the blade down on his neck, slicing his head from his body.
His head rolled a few feet away and shriveled up but didn't turn to dust. The body did the same thing, and a black ooze came from beneath it.
"What the Hell is that?" Buffy asked.
"I don't wanna know." he looked at her, panting for breath. "We gotta destroy the Eyes."
It was still growing and it freaked the Hell out of Buffy.
"It's almost midnight!" she declared when she glanced at her watch. "How is that possible?"
"Sometimes, in demon dimensions, time moves either slower or quicker than normal. There's no explanation for it."
"Oh, and there is one for the smelly black gunk filling the floor of this place?"
We've gotta think of something fast." Angel threw a glance to the bags of TNT. "What should we do?"
"Help me." she threw a bag of the dynamite over her shoulder and Angel did the same. He helped her climb and jump to an area closer to the Eyes that was free of the funky black stuff and finally she was on the alter.
They worked together, covering the Eyes in dynamite. It didn't take long, and when they were finished, you could hardly see the red glow from underneath the red sticks that would either save or destroy their lives.
"How much time do we have?" Angel asked.
"Eleven minutes." Buffy said.
"How far can the master detonator reach?"
"Maybe seventy feet."
"That's not gonna be enough," he said barely loud enough for her to hear."
"I know," she came over and put her arms around him. They wasted three minutes hugging, then Buffy had an idea.
"The timer!" she said suddenly. "It won't set it all off at once, but part of the explosion should ignite the other, right?"
"Maybe," he was thinking about it but she was already pulling him towards the door.
"Angel, this is our only hope." she grabbed the remote in her hand and set it for twelve a.m. exactly. She didn't know what kind of time control the Eyes itself might already be on, so she decided not to chance giving herself and Angel more time to get the Hell out of there.
"Angel, we have to go. Now." she tugged on his arm and he followed her back through the careful steps they'd taken to get where they were in the first place.
Buffy held her breath as they ran through the tunnels. They were just climbing out of the manhole when the Eyes blew up. It shook the ground and eventually the fire spread and ignited the wall beside the manhole they were using to escape. Buffy and Angel were thrown several feet apart from each other, landing possibly to their deaths on the hard cement.
"I cannot believe this." Willow said, her voice unsure of its emotion. "I cannot believe we're here."
"Me neither," Xander said.
"Total shock." Oz commented. He'd flown in from who-knew-where just for this one day, then he was going back. He and Willow had not spoken one word to each other and both knew it was better that way.
"I look horrible in black," Anya decided after studying her reflection for a moment. "Does anyone else think I look bad in black?"
"Nor can I," Giles agreed with the others, ignoring the former demon who was a slightly unwanted member of their group. "Where are the others?"
They're coming," Willow said, fiddling with one of her bracelets. "Cordy was still getting dressed last time I called."
Xander checked himself out in the small mirror. "I guess this suit isn't *too* tight."
"It's a tuxedo," Giles said.
"And these shoes make my feet look wide," Anya went on.
"They are wide, honey," Xander said gently. "Ow!" he rubbed his head after she smacked him with her purse. "Why did you do that?"
"Because I could." she smiled proudly.
"Can you guys believe Angel's going to be in a church?" Willow asked. "A church. I know, under the circumstances, I mean, you're in church, but it's just so not Angel."
"I don't think any of us expected to be attending today's ceremony anytime soon." Giles said as he adjusted his tie.
"That's an understatement," Xander said, a sick feeling rising in his stomach.
"Guys?" Buffy opened the door and stepped out into the larger room in her wedding gown. "How do I look?"
"Beautiful," Willow said.
"Breathtaking," Xander said softly. It earned him another slap from Anya's handbag.
"Giles?" Buffy asked, most awaiting his answer.
"You look like an angel," he whispered.
She did. Her hair was swept back loosely with a few curls framing her face. A glittery veil was attached to the back of her hairdo and she'd yet to pull the netting over her face for her descent down the aisle. Her dress was one Cordelia found for her at a local but expensive boutique, and it was a perfect fit. The bodice was white and corseted, the skirt big and full, made of white taffeta and tiny pale pink glitter was scattered here and there.
"I guess we should get out there," Buffy said. "Where are Cordelia and Doyle?"
"Right here," he said as they ran into the room, both panting. Cordelia's gown was wrinkled and Doyle's leather jacket was halfway off his shoulder. The gang smirked at them and waited while they pulled themselves together.
Xander offered Anya his hand and they walked down the aisle first. Cordelia and Doyle went next. Only Spike, the Amy-Rat and now Oz sat in the pews of the church. Joyce had been invited to the emergency ceremony and had declined to come. Buffy was thrilled.
Willow came next, wearing a gown that had the same bodice as Anya and Cordelia's did except the skirt was full instead of straight. She smiled at Xander and Angel, never having seen the former vampire so happy before.
The music changed and they all looked to the front of the church where an extremely nervous Buffy stood with Giles. "I can't believe I'm so nervous," she said as they made their way towards the alter. "I love Angel, and I can't wait to be his wife. *Why* am I so nervous?"
"It's only natural," Giles said calmly. "I'm very proud of you."
"Thank you," she looked at him and added with a smile, "Dad." She'd never seen Giles smile so honestly or proudly in the years she'd known him.
In the middle of the wedding, Buffy told Angel she had a surprise for him. She stepped over to where the pianist sat and took a microphone from him. She smiled at Angel and began to sing when she was ready.
//I would give up everything
Before I separate myself from you
After so much suffering
I've finally found the honest truth
I was all by myself for the longest time
So cold inside
And the hurt from my heart
It would not subside
I felt like dying
Until you saved my life
Thank God I found you
I was lost without you
My every wish
And every dream
Somehow became reality
With you
The sunlight made my whole life complete
I'm overwhelmed with gratitude
Cause baby
I'm so thankful I found you//
Buffy's voice wasn't quite right for the song, and since she was crying, her voice had broken more than once, but Angel thought it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever heard. He only wished he'd thought to sing to her.
//I will give you everything
There's nothing in this world I want but you
To insure your happiness
I'll cherish every part of you
Cause without you beside me
I can't survive
If you're keeping me warm each and every night
I'll be all right
Cause I need you in my life
See I was
So desolate before you came to me
Looking back
I guess it insures that we were destined to shine
Over the rain
To appreciate
The gift of what we have
And I'd go through it all over again
To be able to feel this way
Thank God I found you
I was lost without you
My every wish
And every dream
Somehow became reality
With you
The sunlight made my whole life complete
I'm overwhelmed with gratitude
Cause baby I'm so thankful I found you\\
Buffy fell into Angel's embrace and then they were able to stand side-by-side and finish the New Year's Day nuptials.
"What's next?" Xander asked when they walked out of the church.
"We're going to a cottage Angel found for us a few hundred miles away." Buffy smiled. Then she hugged each of her friends, except for Spike, who she just smiled at. "I'll be back in Los Angeles in a week or two. I'll call you guys then."
She turned and ran down the steps of the large church, the skirt of her gown swinging as she moved. She turned and waved at them as the limo pulled away, and Willow feared Buffy would never return to Sunnydale, California again.
She was only half right. Buffy moved to LA and they turned his apartment building into a beautiful home, letting Cordy and Doyle have the top two floors for their "strange and horny" relationship. She never visited Sunnydale, and she had absolutely nothing to do with her mother.
Everyone was gathered at Buffy's and Angel's a year later on New Year's Eve when they all got a surprise for the Millennium.
Buffy's water broke.
"It's okay, it's okay," she said as her friends began rushing around. "Really, I'm not even having contractions yet."
As soon as Buffy finished that sentence, she had a contraction.
Angel ran around, finding keys and her suitcase and directing people to do things that weren't in any way helping Buffy. Twenty-three minutes later, she had another contraction.
"Let's go." she said flatly. "NOW."
"Geez, Buffy," Cordelia said. "You'd think you were the first pregnant woman there ever was!"
"I'd like to see you pregnant at all, Cordelia." Buffy said coldly. "LET ALONE with four babies at once."
"Breathe, sweetie," Angel said gently. He lifted her up and they began going out the door.
"While we're on the subject," Giles said, as he followed with Buffy's luggage. "Did we ever figure out how this happened?"
"Oh, Giles, if you don't know how this happens by now..." Xander said with a smirk.
"Can you possibly not breathe on me?" Buffy yelled at Doyle as he crowded into the middle with Giles and Xander. Cordy and Willow were in the back with her. "You smell like pina coladas."
"Nah, he just smells like rum," Cordy said. "He always smells like that!"
"Angel!" Buffy yelled. "I'm having another one."
"It's only been ten minutes!" Willow said.
Twelve," Giles corrected her.
"Angel, I could've walked to the hospital faster!"
"Breathe, honey," he said as gently as possible. "Just breathe."
"What do you think I'm doing?" she asked through clenched teeth. "I'd like to see any of you carry four babies almost full term."
"So, Buffy, did you guys choose the names?" Willow asked, trying to distract her.
"Three girls, one boy. Not telling, either. Oh shit, big contraction."
Willow and Cordelia let her squeeze their hands and tried to talk her through it.
"You gettin' all this down, G-Man?" Xander asked. "It could be you this time next year."
"Good God, I hope not." he wiped his brow.
"Don't you and Olivia want children?" Anya asked, nosy as ever.
"Yes, but perhaps we should get through the June wedding and then worry about a family."
Angel turned off the main road and swerved into the hospital parking lot like a maniac. He knocked over some sort of sign as he screeched the breaks to stop at the ER doors.
While Giles set off to park the van properly, Angel carried Buffy into the hospital, her friends trailing close behind.
"Let's take her to curtain three," a nurse said as she took Buffy's blood pressure.
"No," she said firmly. "I wanna go straight to obstetrics. There is no way I'm having this baby in the ER."
Knowing most pregnant women meant business, the nurse nodded and wheeled Buffy to the elevator.
"We'll be in the next one up," Willow said as the doors closed and Buffy disappeared.
"This is so strange," Cordy said.
"You mean Buffy becoming a mother?" Xander asked. "It's wonderful, but it's like whoa."
"Yer whole life changes when you become a parent," Doyle said as though he'd had experience in the field. Cordy raised an eyebrow but, surprisingly, kept her mouth shut.
"I mean, she's *our* age," Willow said. "Pretty amazing when you think about it.
"Yeah," Xander and Cordy and Doyle nodded.
"I'm hungry," Anya announced.
Buffy took Angel's hand in the elevator and didn't let go of it until she was being helped onto the hospital bed.
The nurse that had brought her up disappeared and another one who had anything but a nice personality began hooking Buffy up to fetal monitors and taking her vitals. Angel paced nervously and that wasn't helping Buffy any.
"When can I have an epidural?" Buffy asked. "And do I get four, because I'm having four babies?"
As the nurse laughed in an evil way, Buffy noticed her name tag read 'Maggie'. "Only one, sorry. And the anesthesiologist won't be in for another thirty minutes or so."
"That long?" Buffy demanded. "What if I have to push?"
"Relax. You're barely at four centimeters. I wouldn't be rushing too much, you've got at least another ninety minutes to go." Maggie left, laughing all the way.
"I hate that woman," Buffy announced. "I'll bet she's never been pregnant and has no children. She probably hates children."
"I have four," she said as she entered the room again, this time with an IV. "Give me your arm."
"Did you have all four at once?" Buffy snapped. "At nineteen?"
"Give me your arm." she repeated.
Buffy shook her head and leaned away from her. "No way. I'm not into needles."
"You need--"
"Is it absolutely necessary for the baby?" Angel asked. "She's deathly afraid of needles."
Maggie smirked and Angel wished her could flash her his game face. Those days were behind him now, but, he decided, being a vampire had had that one good point.
Well, he thought as his stomach churned, two. Vamps don't get nauseous as a rule.
"Could we get another nurse?" Buffy asked with false sweetness. "It's nothing personal, I just don't like you."
Angel had to hide his smirk when Maggie stalked off.
"Thank God," Buffy muttered.
"You are too much," Angel kissed her gently. "I love you." he leaned down to her large belly and touched it gently. "And I love you," he kissed it once. "And you," he kissed her belly again. "And you," kiss, "And you." Kiss.
"Oh, here we go," Buffy stared into Angel's eyes and squeezed his hand until the pain subsided. She smiled at him. "Sorry, honey. Did I break it?"
"Not yet," he shook it out and smiled back.
"I'm sorry. When the kids are--"
"Hel-lo!" Dr. Brighton said as she entered. "Someone's in a hurry to have the first quadruplets of the new Millennium, I see."
"I am, so how soon?" Buffy asked anxiously.
Dr. Brighton touched her belly and smiled. "I'd say another hour or so."
"Oh, lucky me." Buffy made a face. "Where do we stand on drugs?"
The doctor smiled. "Dr. Kent's running a bit late, but he'll be here soon, and after he's been here, you'll start feeling much better."
"Soon?" Buffy repeated. "Like five minutes?"
"Or, twenty," she smiled. "I'll be back to check on you in a little while."
"Angel," Buffy said after her next contraction. "Promise me something."
"Anything."
"No matter what happens, I will not have a C-section."
"Of course not," Angel kissed her hand. "You're gonna have these babies, just like we learned in class."
"Not just like that," she said warily. "I want all the drugs they can give me."
Angel just nodded and smiled at her.
"I WANT A C-SECTION!" Buffy screamed. It was twenty minutes later and Dr. Kent still hadn't shown up. Not only were the contractions getting a bit longer now, the time between them was shorter. Buffy was not amused.
"Please, Angel," Buffy pled with him, pulling at his shirt. "Make them knock me out. Make the pain go away. Can't I just wake up and find four beautiful babies waiting for me to feed them? Not breast feed though, 'cause *four* babies? Even I'm not that strong."
"Want me to go see if Willow wants to come in for a second?" he asked, nearing the door. He hated to admit it, but he needed a break. As soon as he was in the hall though, he felt guilty. Buffy was the one in labor, in pain. Sighing, he went back in and listened to her scream first to have a C-section, and then not to.
Buffy wasn't quite sure what all had happened after she'd gotten the drugs. Her legs had become numb and there was a tube in her bladder which didn't thrill her. The good thing was that she no longer felt the pain of her contractions. The bad thing was that the babies were kicking like mad and she was tired and hungry.
"She's completely dilated," someone said, Buffy wasn't sure who.
"Buffy," Dr. Brighton said. "You ready to push?"
"I guess," she grabbed Angel's hand as tightly as she could and pushed.
And pushed, and pushed, and pushed.
"She's out!" Angel said happily when he saw his baby girl for the first time.
"Is she okay?" Buffy asked, concerned.
"She's fine," Dr. Brighton said. "She's healthy and beautiful."
Buffy and Angel exchanged a kiss and she was taking deep breaths, waiting for the moment when she'd have to push the next child out.
She became worried when she saw Dr. Brighton talking quietly with another doctor on the other side of the room.
"Is something wrong?" Angel asked.
"Go find out," Buffy pushed him.
Knowing he was butting in, he walked over and whispered with them, making Buffy more and more nervous. He returned to her side and took her hand in his, kissing it.
"Buffy," he said gently. "One of the babies is in trouble."
"What's wrong?"
"Her heart rate is dropping and the doctors think it would be best to do a C-section."
"No," she turned to the doctors. "No, I don't wanna have a C-section."
"You don't really have a choice," one of the doctors Buffy didn't know said tersely.
"Angel, I..." Buffy didn't know what to do and she was on the verge of tears.
"Mrs. Summers," one of the other doctors took a step closer to her. "I can assure you that I wouldn't suggest this to someone so young if I didn't think it was absolutely necessary."
Buffy sighed. She liked Dr. Brighton and she trusted her judgment. Dr. Spencer, the specialist she'd brought in, seemed nice enough. It was the two she didn't know that she suspected. She was just concerned about the birth of her children and who was going to be in charge of it.
"Can I think on it a minute?" she asked.
"Sixty seconds," Dr. Brighton said.
"That's all you have to spare," the rude male doctor said. The four of them went into the hall and closed the door.
"I'm scared, Angel," Buffy whispered.
"You're gonna be fine."
"Am I? And are they? God, I love them so much and they're not even here yet."
"I know. Me too. And they're going to be fine."
"How can you be sure?"
"I just can."
"But why couldn't they just be born normally like Anissa was?" she asked, tears slipping down her cheeks.
"Sometimes God just has another plan." he kissed her forehead. "I'll go tell the doctors we're gonna go through with it?" he waited for her to nod and then he left her for only a second, but it felt like forever.
"Well?" Willow asked when Angel came out into the waiting room around three a.m. He was wearing scrubs and he looked exhausted. "Well?" she repeated. "They're all okay, right?"
"They're fine, they're fine. The babies are in the nursery so Buffy can get some rest but you guys can visit them now if you want. They're all in front of the window in a row."
"What are their names?" Giles asked.
Angel grinned. "You'll see."
He returned to his wife and the gang moved like a pack towards the small nursery window.
Just as Angel had said, in a line by the window were four babies with dark hair and bright hazel eyes.
"Anissa Francis Kathleen," Doyle read aloud. "You don't think Francis is after me, do ya?"
"It just might be," Xander said. "I don't think they picked Becky Elise Cordelia because it all went together so nicely."
"It does!" Cordy said defensively. "Besides, Christopher Giles Alexander doesn't go together all that well."
"I think it's quite lovely," Giles said. "I mean, it's very....I like that name a lot."
"Deanna Faith Willow," the redhead smiled. "That's sweet."
"What about me?" Anya asked.
"You don't count," Cordy smiled sweetly.
The two of them would've gotten into fist fight right then and there had Angel not come out to tell Giles that Buffy wanted to see him.
He found her looking pale and exhausted, but still beaming. "Did you see them?" she said. "Aren't they beautiful?"
"They're perfect, Buffy. Just like their mother."
"Oh come on, I look like Hell right now."
"That was very sweet of you to name Christopher after me. You didn't have to do that, you know."
"Yes," she said with a smile. "I did."
"Do you plan on phoning your mother and telling her?"
"I thought you might want to do it." she smiled weakly. "I'm afraid to, but I'd really like her to be here."
"I'll call her at once."
"Thanks Giles."
Three years later
"Anissa!" Buffy yelled. "Quit pulling Becky's hair. Christopher, I don't want to have to tell you again not to scuff your shoes on the cement flooring."
Willow looked at the Slayer trying to manage her four children in nice clothing and laughed. "They're a handful, aren't they?"
"Yeah, sure you wanna go through with having yours?"
Willow patted her six-months-along stomach. "I think I can handle it. And just think. If Anya hadn't been so pissed that you left her name out when you named the kids, she might never have left."
"See?" she giggled. "I'm always playing Matchmaker."
"Where is the bride?" Cordy asked. "My shoes hurt."
Buffy knocked on the dressing room door and peeked her head in. "Mom? You ready?"
"Not really," Joyce admitted.
"Your suit looks beautiful," Buffy said. "And your hair, too."
"You're just saying that because I'm your mother."
"I'm saying it because it's true."
Joyce smiled. "Are you really happy about this, Buffy? I want you to be okay with this."
"Why wouldn't I be okay with you marrying my father?"
******
Twenty minutes later, when Buffy walked down the aisle in a pale blue dress as her mother's maid of honor, she caught the groom's eyes and smiled at him. She'd never seen Giles look more handsome, or more happy.
The End