Over The Summer

Chapter 80

‘Summers’ Mansion-Next Day’

“Are you ready for this?” Giles asked Buffy from the drivers seat of the SUV parked outside the iron gate that lead to her families home.

“As anyone in this situation could be I guess.” Buffy said with a sigh.

“Everything will be alright, I promise.” Giles said giving Buffy’s hand a light squeeze.

“What am I suppose to say?” Buffy asked. “Hi, remember me? Guess what I’m not dead after all. Can I come in?”

“How ‘bout you keep the ‘Hello’ and see what happens from there.” Giles suggested.

“Okay.” Buffy sighed.

“Good. Now what’s the code?” Giles asked as his window went down.

Buffy thought for a moment. “I don’t know it it’s the same.” She stated.

“Only one way to find out.” Giles said reaching is hand out to the security box.

“Um. . .eight, two, zero, six. . .two.”

Giles punched in the five-digit code and wait for the gate to open. A few seconds later the gates slowly began to open.

“Guess they didn’t change the code.” Giles said before outing the SUV in drive and moving through the gate.

Once they reached the end of the driveway in front of the ‘Summers’ Mansion’ Giles placed the SUV in park and turned off the engine.

“Do you want to go in by yourself first or do you want me to come in with you?” Giles asked looking over towards Buffy.

“I think it’d be easier of you were there with me from the start of things.” Buffy said looking out the window towards the front doors of her family’s home.

“Alright.” Giles said stepping out of the SUV and walking around to Buffy’s side to open the door for her.

“Thanks.” Buffy whispered as Giles helped her step out.

“Molly will bring little William over when you’re ready to tell them about him.”

“Good.” Buffy said as they came to a in in front of the doors. “Here goes nothing.” She said before pressing the button for the doorbell.

“Just remember to breath.” Giles whispered into her ear before the door was pulled open.

“Can I help. . .Elizabeth?” Maria gasped as she came face to face with what she thought to be the ghost of the girl she helped raise.

“Hello Maria.” Buffy said in a soft tone.

“Oh my God! Are you real?” Maria asked as tears began to run down her face.

“I sure hope so.” Buffy joked.

Maria smiled at the joke and pulled Buffy into a tight embrace.

“Are my parents home?” Buffy asked after stepping back from the hug a few moments later.

“Yes, your father got in last night.” Maria said before a look of worry crossed over her face affair she had let something private out before it should have been.

“It’s okay Maria, I know about the separation.”

“It’s very sad.” Maria commented leading Buffy and Giles into the foyer of the house.

“Yes it is.”

“Your mother, father and sister are out by the pool. Do you want me to show you out?”

“No, that’s okay. I remember the way.” Buffy said before turning to face Giles.

“Do you want me to come out with you?” Giles asked her.

“I think I should see them alone first.”

“Alright. I’ll wait by the doors than, when you ready for me I’ll come out.”

“Maria will you make sure that Mr. Giles is comfortable while he waits.”

“Of course Ms. Summers.” Maria answered like old times.

“Thank you Maria.” Buffy said with a small smile before heading towards the backyard to the swimming pool.

Buffy stopped at the glass doors so that she couldn’t be seen if anyone outside happened to look over towards that direction. As she stood there she looked out at the lives and family she hadn’t been a part of for over a year.

“Everything will be alright.” Giles said from behind her.

“They look happy.” She said as she watched her parents laugh at something Dawn had just said. “And Dawn’s grown up so much.”

“You’re not exactly the same anymore either.” Giles commented looking back on how much she’d actually changed from the girl she was when they first met in Sunnydale a few days before the explosion to the woman she had become after finding out she was carrying a child.

“I’m scared.” Buffy whispered still looking out the glass doors.

“You don’t need to be.”

“I know.” Buffy said before turning the knob on the right door and stepping outside.

*****

Dawn was the first one to look up when the door was opened, followed soon after by Joyce then Hank.

“Elizabeth. . .” Joyce gasped before running over to her eldest daughter and throwing her arms around her.

“Mom breathing becoming an issue here.” Buffy teased.

“Oh!” Joyce said loosening her hold but not letting go of Buffy all the way.

“Buffy?” Dawn asked in disbelief.

“Hey Dawnie.” Buffy whispered.

“Are you real?” Hank asked moving closer towards Buffy and his wife.

“You know you’re the second person to ask me that today.” Buffy said stepping away from her mother into her father’s open arms.

“How?” Dawn asked seeming to be the only one in the family who was actually able to form any thoughts at the moment.

“It’s a long story.” Buffy answered taking a step away from her father.

“Where have you been all this time?” Joyce asked finally getting over her shock.

“London.” Buffy said before moving everyone towards a table by the pool and taking a seat.

“But the explosion, I had the best people in their fields working on your case. The DNA matched, there was no doubt that it was your body in that car.” Hank rambled on.

“The explosion was set. The body that was found in my car was an unknown woman who they planted my DNA from my teeth into hers. They knew that would be the only way to identify the body after the explosion.” Buffy explained.

“They?” Hank asked.

“The men that you hired to fake my death.” Buffy told her father.

“They said they had nothing to do with the explosion, it was before the date we had set.”

“They didn’t want to risk the truth coming out after everything it took to make this look real. They had to make it believable and the only why to do that was to make my death real to everyone who cared about me, or wanted me dead in the first place.”

“Why were you gone for so long?” Dawn asked.

“They had to make sure it was safe for us to return.”

“But Drusilla was locked away before the funeral.” Dawn stated not understanding fully.

“I think maybe I can help answer your questions.” Giles stated as he walked trough the glass doors towards the table and took a seat next to Buffy.

“Mr. Giles I don’t appreciate your deceitfulness in the manor of how you and your people handled this.” Hank stated looking irritated.

“We did what you paid us to do, we just did it our way instead of yours.”

“Daddy how they did things doesn’t matter. What matters is the face that it worked and that I’m safe and home now.”

“Elizabeth is right Hank. Our daughter is alive and safe, that’s all that matters.” Joyce stated.

“Yes, of course.” Hank agreed.

“I’d like my question answered.” Dawn stated looking at Giles. “Why did Buffy have to stay away for so long?”

“We kept Buffy away to make sure that Drusilla wouldn’t be released upon Buffy’s return. Once we knew that the Doctors would be keeping Drusilla locked away in the mental hospital for good no matter what happened in the future we began making arrangements for Buffy’s safe return.” Giles explained.

“So she’s back for good?” Dawn asked.

“Yeah, even have my very own house to live in.” Buffy replied.

“Really?” Dawn asked in shock.

“We gave it to her as a gift for keeping her away for so long.” Giles told everyone.

“So you won’t be staying with us?” Joyce asked with sadness in her voice.

“No, I’m sorry.”

“I can assure you Mrs. Summers that your daughter will be safe at all times.” Giles stated.

“And Giles will be staying in the guest house until we’re settled and things are back to as much of a normal life style as to be expected.” Buffy added.

“Did you say guest house?” Dawn asked.

“Did you say we?” Joyce asked.

“Yes and yes.” Buffy answered looking at Giles with the last yes.

“She can be here in fifteen minutes it you want me to make the call.” Giles told her.

“Who?” Hank asked.

“Do it.” Buffy said not answering her father’s question.

“Who’s he calling?” Dawn asked as Giles pulled out his cell phone and stepped away from the group.

“Molly.” Buffy answered.

“Who’s Molly?” Joyce asked.

“A girl that came back with us from London.” Was all Buffy said.

*****

‘Fifteen Minutes Later’

Maria walked out through the glass doors and walked towards the group. “Ms. Summers there’s a girl here for you.”

“I’ll be right back.” Buffy told her family and Giles as she stood from her seat and walked back into the house after Maria.

“Who’s this Molly person?” Hank asked after Buffy was gone from sight.

“Someone that Buffy trusts to take care of the one thing that matters most to her in the world.” Giles stated.

“What would that be?” Joyce asked.

“Your grandson.” Buffy answered before Giles could say anything as she walked back out of the house with little William in her arms followed by a girl with curly brown hair carrying a baby bag.

“What!?” Joyce asked in shock.

“Mom, Dad, I’d like you both to meet your grandson William.” Buffy said turning little William in her arms to face her grandson for the first time.

“He’s beautiful.” Joyce said as she moved to get a better look at her first grandchild taking him from Buffy’s arms.

“Is he Spike’s?” Hank asked.

“Of course he is.” Buffy stated sounding hurt by his question.

“How old is he?” Dawn asked from the same spot she was sitting when Buffy went inside earlier.

“He’s nine months.” Buffy said noticing the distance that her sister was keeping from everyone else.

“He’s the other reason you stayed away for so lone.” Dawn stated.

“I had to make sure he would be safe.” Buffy said moving closer to her sister.

“Does Spike know?”

“No, you guys are the first people that know about me and my son.”

“They knew before us.” Dawn said motioning towards Giles and Molly.

“Dawnie. . .”

“Don’t call me that.” Dawn yelled.

“Sorry, won’t happen again.” Buffy whispered.

“You can’t come back and expect everything to be alright.” Dawn stated, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

“I know that.” Buffy said taking another step towards her sister.“You“You died.” Dawn cried out.

Buffy pulled Dawn into her arms. “It had to be done Dawnie, it was the only way. I’m so sorry I hurt you.”

“I thought I lost you.” Dawn whispered.

“You’ll never lose me, I’ll always be with you.” Buffy told her with tears running down her face now as well.

Joyce and Hank stood looking at their two daughters while Giles moved Molly and himself back inside.

“I’m an aunt?” Dawn asked with a small smile as she pulled away from Buffy after a few more minutes in each other’s embrace.

“Yeah.” Buffy nodded. “Would you like to hold him?”

“Really?”

“Of course, I’m expecting you to do a lot of free babysitting for me.” Buffy joked.

Joyce handed little William to Dawn, who after a few seconds in her arms fell right asleep.

“Can I take her home with me.” Buffy asked with a smile looking at her parents.

Both Joyce and Hank laughed at that.

“He looks just like Spike.” Dawn commented looking down at the sleeping ban hen her arms.

“He does.” Buffy said nodding her head in agreement.

“When are you going to see him?” Hank asked.

“Monday.”

“Will you stay the night with us than?” Joyce asked.

“I’d love to.” Buffy said smiling at her family.

*****

TBC. . .