Title: Our Sons and Daughters
Chapter Title: Beyond the Milky Way
Author: Baby Blues
E-mail: purely_blissful@hotmail.com
Rated: R
Disclaimer: Characters are not mine, except for the children and the story.
Summary: Angel calls Buffy and the teens make use of the gym in the basement. Some of the kids bond . . .
Dedication: To Lupe, we finally passed Bartending College ^__~ Remember, never bruise Manhattans or Rob Roys! Golden Dream= GTO, Cape Cods always gets a LIME garnish, and Blow Jobs are topped with whip cream . . . no flaming . . . unless you don’t want any eyebrows! Oh, and we also have to find a job. ^__^
Excerpt:
~Austin: Then what is it you fear?
~Paige: Disappointing my family . . . watching them die if I fail.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All 8 teens stood silently by the open doorway to the office in a mute fascination as they watched Angel sit in his desk, staring intensely at the black cordless phone as though it would give him the answers to solve all his problems.
“How long do you think he’ll stare at the phone before he actually picks it up and dials her number?” Liam asked, not taking his eyes away from the unresponsive vampire that continued to gaze at the inanimate object.
Austin tilted his head to the side, “I’m not sure.”
“Then how long will it take before he actually gets the nerves to talk to her?” Eliza added in.
Austin and some of the others shrugged in unison.
“Well, let’s just hope it’s before I turn 30,” Aiden commented with a sigh, “He may be immortal, but I’m not.”
“What’s going on here?” Gunn asked, walking up behind them and curiously wondering what had their attention. When all he saw was Angel sitting there like usual, he frowned in confusion.
“Your boss’s having a staring contest with the phone. We’re betting on who’ll blink first,” Aiden said seriously.
The others remained silent.
“Where’s Connor?”
“Brooding in his room,” Aiden replied, and then turned back to look at older black man, “It runs in the family, you know.”
Gunn shook his head. “Why don’t you guys make use of the gym downstairs. The floor mats and punching bags are gathering dust.” He shrugged, “Plus, it might do all of you some good to burn your breakfast calories.”
Brooke glared at him. “We range from 13 to 21 years of age, we’re not gonna get obese from greasy bacon and sausages.”
“To be young again,” Gunn muttered in a sigh, feeling old among all these attractive and gorgeous teens that were fit enough to pass off as a group of Abercrombie Models.
He blinked his eyes, steering himself away from that sad thought before finally noticing that the assembly of teenagers had taken his advice and were making their way towards the basement. “Have fun . . . and don’t kill each other,” he called after them.
They mumbled a few replies before disappearing through the door. He sighed, looked at Angel pityingly, and made his way to the kitchen, praying that there was still some food left.
Those kids would be good for him, and even for Connor. To have a few people around his age to mix and bond with will help him not only open up, but teach him how to socialize with those his age. And maybe with the return of Buffy, a few things will develop differently between everyone, especially concerning Angel and Connor. Gunn only hoped it will all turn out well . . . but who really knew except the Powers?
And with that last thought, he scrounged out the remaining pancakes and omelets before sitting at the table and eating silently in peace.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
“Hey, check it out,” Aiden smiled impishly as he grabbed a crossbow that hung on display against the wall. “It’s an antique too . . . made in 1845 and was owned by a Slayer named Justine Lumias. Hmm . . . must be French.”
“Or Itallian,” Austin suggested, causing Aiden to shrug in reply.
Brooke scoffed at them and turned to Aiden. “How would you know?”
“It’s engraved on the handle, Blondie,” Aiden shot back before pressing on the trigger and letting the ammunition fly towards the target on the other side of the basement, piercing the silhouette of a man on the paper straight through the heart. He smiled cockily, “Beat that,” he dared the others.
Brooke snatched it from him, loading the weapon before aiming at the target with one strong arm. A single pull and the arrow went straight through Aiden’s shot, splitting the wood in half.
“How Robin Hood of you,” he mumbled.
She smiled smugly at him.
Austin was impressed as Brooke handed him the crossbow. “Not bad,” he commented, testing and studying the weapon with gentle hands and inquisitive eyes. He then held it up and directed it at the mark. A beat later, Brooke’s shot was split in half, crumbling to the ground along with Aiden’s previous shot.
Austin smiled.
“Show off,” Brooke muttered.
Liam stared at the floor and smirked. Taking off his shoes, he circled the blue mat that overtook almost the entire space of the underground floor. “Who wants to spar?” he asked to no one in particular, “Little one on one.”
Aiden smirked and took off his shoes as well. “I’ll take you on, Broody Jr.,” he said, lifting off his shirt and throwing it to the floor, leaving him in only a pair of black sweatpants. He flexed his muscles, his abs clearly rippling as he did a few stretches. “No crying and no bitching that it hurts, got it, punk?”
Liam grinned and threw off his sweater, leaving his upper body in a white muscle shirt, and gray sweatpants. “Got it . . . did you?”
Aiden laughed and then quickly stopped, flipping him off.
The others stepped back to give them room with Eliza off on one side of the mat, looking at her brother with a worried frown. “Don’t be an idiot, Liam,” she said, wanting nothing more than to take him on herself for this utter stupidity he was presenting without any qualms. “This is possibly the most barbaric way to solve your petty problems with each other,” she told both of them honestly.
Liam shot her a scathing look, sick and tired of the Mother Hen act she often pulled when it came to him. She was his twin sister, not his keeper, and she needed to know it. “Back off, Eliza.”
“Yeah, shut up over there,” Aiden added, “No one asked you, so lay off and let the boy become a man and grow a few pairs . . . to have some extra in storage,” he teased, sticking his tongue out playfully to the side. He then sent a teasing sneer towards Liam, “If I didn’t know any better, Lee, I would’ve though you was her bitch or somethin.’ ”
Liam threw him a hard, cold glance that gave a few of the others an uneasy chill, including Aiden. “Keep talking, Soap ‘N Bleach, I dare ya to keep talking.”
The other boy just chuckled impersonally in reply.
“This could be interesting,” Brooke pointed out as she stood next to Eliza with an excited grin and glint in her cerulean eyes.
The three younger teens sat silently on a backless bench with Paige watching on in uninhibited curiousness, Ariella feeling trepidation and uncertainty as she looked on, and Tristan, once again, scrutinizing the situation with a blank expression on his handsome face.
“A few rules to abide by. Please,” Austin interrupted in an almost begging tone, walking in between the two males who were ready and itching for a fight. It was too dangerous to leave the pair of males brawling with nothing holding them back. There was too much tension between the two of them, and the older boy feared that without a few regulations, someone would end up seriously hurt or, God forbid, dead. And knowing all the enraged testosterone between these two individuals, someone will definitely end up in the hospital or in a grave.
Aiden jeered at him. “Rules? Get over it, Aussie. I’ll kick his ass in any and every way I want.”
“You wish,” Liam sneered.
Austin sighed and prayed for more patience. “That’s just it, guys. We just got here. We don’t need anyone going to the ER anytime soon,” he mentioned, locking eyes with both of them to make sure they were listening and understanding what he was trying to say. “This isn’t going to be a fight to the death. No weapons. You fight clean. When one of you goes down, this’ll be over. Got it, gentlemen?”
The two paused.
“Got it!” Austin commanded.
“Got it,” they mumbled finally.
“Yeah, you two better get it. I’ll jump in there and kick both your asses if I see anything shady. Got it?” Austin demanded.
“Got it,” the two answered.
“Let’s keep it clean,” Austin said, hesitantly backing away as Aiden and Liam began circling each other like two lions fighting for leadership of the pride.
“I bet twenty on Aiden,” Brooke whispered.
Eliza smiled at her and then stared at her brother with pride, mentally pushing away her worry at the amused and dangerous gleam in his eyes. He was at his strongest when he got like this, but also on the verge of destructive and even animalistic. But Eliza had faith in him, and with the help they both received from Giles, they had learned to control the urge to draw blood from their enemies. The old man wouldn’t have approve of this fighting, but Eliza knew that Liam thought he needed to prove himself to the Spike prodigy, and she couldn’t do anything to hold her brother back. “I’ll raise you twenty more on Liam.”
Brooke lifted a brow, surprised that the quiet brunette would ever take on her wager, but she took out a twenty from her back pocket anyway and waved it before the girl’s face, “Show me the money,” she dared.
Eliza did the same and both girls handed the bills trustingly to Tristan who unofficially became the gambling holder. The young boy took it silently and folded it within his hand.
Everyone became silent and eagerly watched on.
Aiden was the first to move and Liam blocked off his hits fluidly, his bright blue eyes not straying from his opponent. A few seconds later, the tables turned and Liam was in the offense as his attack towards the blonde were blocked each time.
“Is that all you got, Lee?” Aiden goaded as he ducked a punch and tried to hit him back.
Liam arched forward, barely missing the hit intended for his abdomen. “I feel you’re holding back on me, Aiden. A girl can do better,” he goaded back, “Or is this how you really fight.”
“That’s good. Impressive talk for an Angelus rip-off. Not to mention it’s doing wonders in booting up my drive to kick your sorry ass even more, Wonder Kid,” Aiden growled and lifted his leg, kicking Liam against the chest.
The other boy faltered back and almost fell back on the mat, but he quickly caught his footing and grinned menacingly. “Now that’s more like it,” Liam breathed and charged, kicking the blonde across the face before bending down and punching him in the gut and spinning to kick him again.
Aiden saw it coming and did a back flip to move out of his rival’s reach. He landed gracefully on his feet, arms stretched out to block off anymore approaching moves. He then faked to the right and punched Liam across the face. The male reeled back from the force and Aiden swiftly took the opportunity capture one of his wrists to pull it behind him. Liam clenched his teeth but didn’t let out any sound of pain or discomfort.
“Say Uncle,” Aiden demanded in his ear, feeling rather amused at Liam’s unavoidable downfall.
But the other male growled deafeningly, escaping Aiden’s hold before lifting the boy up on his shoulder with a surge of strength and dropping him down on the mat with a loud thud. Liam then kneeled next to Aiden’s sprawled form, holding him down on the padding with a surprising force that surpassed even Aiden’s freaky strength. For a second, the blonde stared up at Liam’s eyes, shocked to see it shift from the usual color blue to an eerie glowing yellow.
“Game Over,” Liam said through clenched jaws, continuing to hold him down.
Austin finally butted in and lifted him off of Aiden, who stepped back, panting and frowning at the other male. “What are you? An X-Men reject or something?” he asked.
Liam shrugged, shoulders and chest heaving slightly from the skirmish as he stepped off the mat, not wanting to look at his sister who he knew was now looking at him with disappointment written in her eyes. He couldn’t blame her. Sometimes, the demon in him just liked to come out and play. It was a natural effect whenever he got violent.
“That’s so fuckin’ wrong,” Aiden spat viciously, wiping the sweat on his brow with the back of his hand, “He was using his super powers or something,” he insisted.
Brooke rolled her eyes. “Yeah, and next you’ll tell us he turns into a great big green monster. Get over it,” she shot back in anger, grabbing the forty-dollars from Tristan and handing it to Eliza who took it without a word. “You lost me a twenty. That’s the last time I ever bet on your pathetic ass,” the blonde girl pledged.
“Eat me, Blondie,” Aiden barked in return. He then turned to Austin, motioning violently at Liam who sat quietly on the bottom of the stairs, his forearms resting against his thighs as he watched Aiden continue to rage on at the unfairness of his life and the world. “The prick was totally cheating. Didn’t you see it?” he claimed.
Austin shook his head truthfully. Aiden always had a way of making even the smallest things turn into a big drama. He will nag and complain, pout and rant until no one can stand him any longer.
“I say we go at it again.” Aiden turned to Liam and pointed at him, “And this time, no usage of any sort of freaky supernatural strength, got it?”
“As I said before, get over it!” Brooke yelled, flopping down next to Tristan, “You’re a sore loser, Aiden. You’re just jealous ’cause he has ‘super powers.’ He won. You lost. End of story.”
“Shut the trap, Brooke.”
“What’re you gonna do about it?”
“Okay, that’s enough,” Austin said, coming in between the two blondes who were shooting daggers at each other with their piercing blue eyes. “And no, no repeat of the fight. You agreed on one and that was that,” he told Aiden who continued to seethe at his loss. “The best we can all do is save our strength and aggression when we start patroling. Got it?”
“Got it,” the others muttered in reply.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Paige watched her surroundings with keen interest as she gathered up her long, slim legs and sat Indian style on the bench in between Tristan and Ariella. Eliza had moved with Liam over at the stairs, sitting a step behind him with her cheek resting against his shoulder. Their eyes stared at nothing as they became lost in their own hidden world. Brooke was on the balance beam in deep concentration, doing flawless flips and cartwheels on the sturdy bar with her arms stretched out to prevent herself to keep her poise.
Aiden had begun venting out his anger and frustration on a poor, defenseless punching bag off in the corner of the basement. Sweat poured down from his forehead and chest as he pounded the bag with his fists.
Paige stared at him for a moment, still in wonder at how much he looked like their father. Everyone here had different similarities to their parents, Austin had Angel’s eyes, Tristan and Liam had Angel’s broodiness, Brooke had their mother’s eyes, but Aiden took the cake. There was no question on who he belonged to with his short, curly blonde hair, intense blue eyes, full lips, and playful grin.
It was strange to think of him as her older brother, but he was. The same blood ran through their veins, but then . . . they were so different. Along with Brooke, no one would ever guess all three of them had the same parents except for their parallel coloring. The older two had attitudes large enough to overtake the hotel, along with a temper that was precariously held by one fine string as thin as a piece of hair. They also had mouths that spat off one insult to the next to anyone and everyone who came near, especially Aiden.
Paige wasn’t sure if she should admire him or fear him. He was so . . . unique, it seemed. She wondered how he came to be like this. Her own father was gentle and loving. Yes, he had a temper, and he also had the tendency of running off with his tongue and saying things he didn’t mean, but in the end, he was still a caring man who put his family first.
Whatever happened to Aiden with his father, it tore him up badly.
“You guys wanna start doing a few exercises and moves? Get a head start on kicking some demon ass . . . butt?”
All three of the younger teens looked up at Austin who smiled gently down at them. Paige smirked knowingly at his pathetic attempt to cover up the word ‘ass.’ She liked him most of all out of everyone. He handled everything with tenderness, whether it was a person, an object, or even a situation. He was the easiest to get along with, his tolerant manner and compassionate smiles drawing people to him without them realizing it. In her opinion, he was the one person they can all trust the most . . . If only the others would realize it.
Paige looked at the other two and noted their silence. She expected it from Tristan, but when it came to Ariella, she knew the younger girl would be talking everyone’s ears off by now on how she might brake a nail. But surprisingly, the girl remained quiet as she wearily shook her head before looking at the floor.
Paige shrugged. “I’m all up for it,” she said, standing up and following Austin on the mat. The quicker she learned all this Kung Fu or whatever, the better chances she has on leaving this dimension sooner.
It wasn’t that she wasn’t fond of them all in her own way, but she just wanted to return home to the life she loved, a life where everything was right and normal. She missed her mom and dad and the way they used to cuddle and kiss whenever they thought no one was looking, she missed their morning picnics in the backyard, and most of all, she missed Scrappy and her two younger siblings, Paul and baby Andrew. She missed her aunts and uncles, her cousins and her grandfather. She just missed home and the comforts it always provided.
“What’s with the long face, Paige?” Austin asked, stretching his arms across his chest.
The younger girl followed, mimicking his movements. “I miss my home.”
Austin smiled. “It’s understandable.”
“How about you?”
He chuckled and shook his head. “No, not really. I miss the five star meals and a few of my teachers, but other than that . . . no,” he admitted with a shrug, “This is my home now. This is where I belong.”
Paige nodded. “I sometimes hope that in the end, all of this wasn’t put on my shoulders, that I don’t have to go back and fight for my life and for everyone else,” she confessed, “I selfishly wish that my parents would take care of me and save me from having to take care of them and the whole world.”
Austin nodded. He understood her concerns, her fear most of all. His own mother from this dimension was barely fifteen when she began fighting evil. He knew how unfair it was for someone as young as Paige because he had seen his mother go from a carefree sophomore to a vampire Slayer in one day. He also remembered the time when Buffy overhead Giles and Angel talking about a prophecy that declared her death. His Mom’s reaction had been upsetting to say the least, and he knew what Paige was going through was much worse since she hasn’t even seen a real vampire yet much less killed one.
“I sometimes get nightmares that I’ll die,” Paige choked, fighting the tears that threatened to spill from her hazel orbs, “And . . . failing in saving my dimension.” Paige whispered, taking a step away form him to try and get a hold of herself.
She then gazed up at him, straightening her back as she drew courage from somewhere deep within. Taking a deep breath, she swallowed back her tears. “It’s not death I fear. I can accept that because . . . we die at some point in our life, right? Might as well die doing something useful . . . like saving the world. I don’t fear death because I’ve already accepted it,” she said, smiling weakly up at him.
Feeling troubled that such a young woman at 16 can acknowledge her demise so easily and freely, Austin asked softly, “Then what is it you fear?”
“Disappointing my family . . . watching them die if I fail.”
“Paige . . . ”
“No,” she shook her head, crossing her arms as she stared down at the blue mat. “I remember climbing on Grandpa Giles’ lap when I was a child as he told me heroic stories of when Mom and Dad used to fight the forces of evil. He told me how they succeeded and won every battle. He looked and sounded so proud.” She shook her head and began toying with a strand of her blond hair, “I want my father to be able to do the same thing to my kids in the future.”
She breathed deeply and stuffed her hands in her pockets, kicking at the mat with her white tennis shoes. “I’m the daughter of the greatest Slayer in the history and her champion, the en-souled William the Bloody. I should be good at this. I should be able to take on anything that comes at me and win in the end, right?” she looked up hopefully at Austin for the right answer to her question.
“Doesn’t seem to me it matters very much how you start out,” Austin assured her, “It’s what you make of yourself . . . and what you are now that counts.”
Paige chuckled, her mood lightening. “That’s smart. Who said that?” she asked, knowing it was from one of his quotable heroes.
Austin smiled back at her. “None other than the en-souled William the Bloody, of course.”
He watched contentedly as her face brightened, leaving her features glowing from humor and amazement. She began to chuckle, and he knew when the tension began to slowly lift from her body.
“Whether or not you fail, Paige,” Austin began, “You’ll always be Spike and Buffy’s daughter . . . nothing can ever change that. And I have a feeling that they’ll be proud of you no matter what happens in the future.” He laughed, running his fingers through his thick brown hair, “And I highly doubt you’ll fail in saving your universe. You’re Mom’s kid after all, and her genes are the best out there.”
She laughed, nodding at the truth.
Austin chucked her under the chin. “So, let’s get started. First we’ll do some respiratory exercises. This’ll help you while you fight . . . ”
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Ariella watched interestedly as Austin began tutoring Paige in the finer arts of . . . breathing. The older girl moved easily as her chest rose and fell in a deep, even rhythm. Austin made a few encouraging comments, and Ariella watched as his blonde pupil smiled at his words. She should’ve gone up there to join her but she was still presently punishing herself for her early morning monologue that left some of the others a bit miffed and irritated.
She turned towards Tristan who, as usual, remained silent as he watched everyone with probing blue eyes. He was . . . strange. Sometimes she wondered if he was mute or deaf with his lack of talking.
Sighing, she turned back towards the mat where Austin and Paige continued on with their exercises in hushed unison. But finally sick of the silence, Ariella turned back to Tristan and smiled at him. “Hi,” she greeted dumbly, cringing a bit at her perkiness that would surely piss off the others if they had heard it.
His gaze went to her and he grinned lightly in reply.
She sighed disappointedly. “You’re not much of a talker, are you?”
“I like to watch instead,” he admitted.
Ariella looked around, eyes wide and noting that no one was doing anything spectacular. “Watch what, exactly?”
“Their souls . . . and yours,” he answered before standing up and heading for the stairs.
Ariella frowned as she watched him climb up the steps in a languid pace as though he had all the time in the world. He passed Liam and Eliza with a short glance and continued on, disappearing through the entryway before he softly closed the door behind him.
She wondered what he had meant. He watched souls? It didn’t make sense to her, but then . . . not a lot of things did in this dimension.
Ariella’s thoughts then went to her father as she clutched her legs to her chest, resting her chin between her knees. She hoped that he’d called up their mother. She needed Buffy to be here.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
“They’ve finally arrived, my lord.”
“Where are they?”
“Los Angeles . . . with the vampire.”
“And the Slayer?”
“She has yet to make an appearance.”
The man paused, thoughtful as he swirled the scotch in his glass. “We’ll wait until she arrives. Until then, continue to keep watch on all of them. Report all happenings to me.”
“Yes, my lord.”
The minion left quietly, leaving the lone figure in the darkness of the immense office that looked out into the bright lights of London. The time has finally arrived; his calling, the reason why he had lived through all these centuries.
He stood from his soft leather chair, gazing out the window. “My love . . . we’ll finally meet again,” he whispered into the night.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The phone began ringing, and Angel kept himself from hanging up for the 100th time since that morning. He took deep calming breaths that made him more dizzy than relaxed for some strange reason.
“ ‘Ello? And if you hang up again I will hunt you down and tear you limb from limb, got it, shmuck?” said the clearly irritated voice of Spike . . .
“Spike?!” Angel exclaimed in anger and surprise. He knew, from Willow, that the bleached vampire was hanging around, aiding the Scooby Gang in their fight if not annoying them to madness. But just the fact that he was there as the vampire who helped in the name of Buffy made Angel jealous and more than a little aggravated.
“Oh, it’s you,” the other vampire sighed as though he had better things to do than talk to his Grandsire. “What’dya want, Peaches?”
“What are you doing there?” Angel growled.
He could practically picture Spike grinning cockily at the phone from ear to ear, “Takin’ care of what you left behind, of course,” he answered, knowing he’ll get a rise out of the older vampire.
Angel took even more deep calming breaths. “Put Buffy on the phone.”
“Why would I want to do that?” Spike continued on, enjoying this little tiff with the Poof.
“Spike . . . ” Angel growled warningly.
“Keep your pants on,” Spike rolled his eyes, “What do you want from her?”
Angel sighed. “I just need to talk to her. Now put her on the damn phone.”
“Testy, testy,” Spike sneered, “I’m not gonna give her the phone until you tell me what you want, Peaches.”
“Spike . . . ”
“Yeees,” the younger vampire practically sang out.
“Give her the damn phone!” Angel finally yelled, fighting the urge to slam the receiver down and drive all the way to Sunnydale to beat the arrogant vampire down and shove the phone down his throat.
Then there was the sound of a shuffle, and a familiar female voice urging Spike to hand over the phone. “Hello?” a young womanly voice said breathlessly as the other vampire raged in the background about how she was out of her ‘bloody’ mind.
“Dawn?”
“Oh, hi, Angel,” she said cheerfully.
The dark vampire sighed in relief. “Is your sister home?”
“Yeah, she just got outta the shower. Hold on . . . ”
This was it . . . the moment he had been dreading . . . the moment he had been waiting for . . .
Continued to Chapter 5: Blue Sapphires
Back to Chapter 3: White Stucco Finish