Title: Let that be a Lesson to you…Epilogue
Author: Sweetdoggie
Disclaimer: No permission has been granted to use the characters. They are owned by their creator, Joss Whedon, Twentieth Century Fox, UPN, WB, and Mutant Enemy. This story is non-profit and is intended solely as entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended.
The four former babies sat around a table sipping mochas at the Espresso Pump several nights later. The group was strangely quiet and reflective. They had retained vivid memories of their months as children and were still seriously wigged from the experience.
Willow stirred her coffee and sighed. “I’m going to be paying them back for months. Who knew kids cost so much?”
“That’s your big punishment? You have to pay back all the money they spent on us?” Xander sounded outraged.
“No, I mean, yes. I mean, I have to pay them back the money, but that wasn’t my punishment. They both yelled at me and were really mad. Da, uh, Giles said he was terribly disappointed in me and Buffy, well, let’s just say I won’t be doing magic around her anytime soon, OK?”
Tara moved a little in her chair. “You know what was so odd? The way they accepted us as their babies right away. I knew they were mommy and daddy and it was wonderful. Even when I got stung by that bee, I knew my mommy would take care of me.”
“Giles makes a wonderful father,” Anya mused. “He was so much nicer than my real one. It is very surprising to have these feelings for them both inside me. I have the strangest urge to make them proud of me. I got a paper cut today and I wanted Buffy to make it better.”
“I can’t believe I was such a momma’s boy,” Xander complained. “I loved daddy Giles, but mommy Buffy was where I wanted to be.”
“I can’t believe you looked up that woman’s skirt in daycare!” Tara said with a grin.
Anya turned her head and looked at him. “What was that potty thing all about anyhow?”
He blushed. “I don’t know. It seemed like a good idea at the time.”
“Yeah. It seems to me there was a lot of running around naked too,” Willow said with a grin.
Anya looked up with a strange grin on her face. “He still does that, but he did get over that potty seat fixation.”
Xander glared all around but it was offset by his tremendous blush.
“The thing I’m most surprised about is Buffy and Giles getting married. It just seems, well, odd,” Xander said thoughtfully.
Willow shrugged. “That’s how our lives go, I think. We do odd really well here.”
I don’t think it’s odd at all,” Anya told them. “They love each other. I’m glad they are together. I almost wish I could still be their daughter. It was the best time I ever had as a child. They were great parents.”
Tara seconded her view. “I have to agree. Giles was a wonderful daddy and Buffy was a great mom. I loved my own mother but if I had to go through childhood again, I couldn’t have asked for better parents.”
“Me either,” Xander admitted. “Not one time, even when I was being a terror, did I feel like daddy Giles was going to beat me or yell at me like my real dad did.”
Willow nodded. “I have to say that they both paid way more attention to me than my real folks ever did. Of course, I don’t remember my first go-round as a baby, but this time was pretty great.”
“I could have done without waking up naked in the shop,” Xander said.
“Hey! At least you were behind the counter!” Tara said. “Willow, Anya and I were totally exposed.”
“You know what the worst part of that was?” Willow added. “Giles saw me naked.”
“Giles saw everybody naked,” Anya smirked. Nakedness didn’t bother her.
Willow put her hand over her face. “Giles actually bathed us. God, he changed my diapers.”
Xander laughed. “Way to go for a whole new level of embarrassment, Will.”
“Say, you never said what else they made you do for punishment, Willow. What was it?” Tara asked.
“I had to promise no magic for six months, barring apocalypse. If I break that promise, well…” the repentant witch shuddered.
“What?” Anya demanded.
“They have baby pictures of all of us. They’re prepared to use them.”
You could have heard a pin drop as four sets of eyes found each other and then fell away in embarrassment. Finally, Xander spoke for all of them.
“I am so keeping you on the wagon, Will. If I see so much as a twitch of your nose that looks like magic, you’re gonna be in so much trouble you’ll want Buffy and Giles to find out.”
She looked up. “Xander, If there’s one thing I learned it’s that when Giles tells me not to touch something, from now on, I don’t touch it.”
Anya had to have the last word. “Well, Let that be a lesson to you.”