By the time Buffy and Spike reached her house, the clouds had already vanished, and the first pangs of daybreak were forming. Entering the house, they were greeted by a slightly perturbed Angel.

“Great. You two don’t even show up until now. I had to go to the ballet because of you two. And your daughter? Yeah, I’m pretty sure she hates me.”

“Where is she,” Buffy asked, frantically.

“Well, after she called me a ‘Bloody wanker,’ she walked off into her room. I think she went to bed.”

If he hadn’t been so worried about his child, Spike would have been rolling on the floor in laughter. As it was, he and Buffy rushed up the stairs to Callie’s room. A few tufts of blue clouds still hung in the air about Callie’s bed. Buffy ran to her daughter’s side, and lightly shook her.

“Callie? Callie, honey? Wake up…oh, God, wake up….”

Callie’s eyes fluttered open, and she yawned.

“What is it Mummy?”

”Are you…do you feel alright, sweetie?”

“Yes, but I’m very tired Mummy. We went to the ballet. It was very fun, except I missed you and Angel was all pouty. He looked very silly.”

“I’ll bet he did, sweetheart.”

“But you can’t call people ‘wankers’ just because you don’t like them, poppet,” Spike added. “You have to have a real reason.”

Callie stretched her small arms out and nodded.

“But he was boring.”

“I know he is, honey,” Buffy said. “You’re sure you feel okay though?”

“Yes, Mummy.”

Spike pulled at Buffy’s shoulders.

“That’s good, poppet; back to sleep now.”

“G’night Papa. G’night Mummy.”

As Callie’s eyes fluttered shut again, Spike led Buffy out of Callie’s room, and down to her own.

“Come along, pet. We’ll figure this all out tomorrow. She’s alright now…that’s all we need to know.”

“But the prophecy…she…shouldn’t something…I dunno, shouldn’t something happen?”

“Give it time, pet. At any rate, we have other things to attend to now.”

In a flash, Spike had shut the door in Buffy’s room, and stood before her, nude. With a gusto that only comes through years of practice, he removed her clothes before she even realized what he was doing, and tossed them to the floor. As they lay down on the bed, their bodies intertwined, the blue haze filled their bodies, and the room, yet again. Buffy smiled in mirth.

“This smoke thing might get old after a while.”

“I think it gives the room some ambiance, pet.”

Buffy and Spike cried out in synchronized ecstasy, and then fell back on each other, drifting into sleep.



--



Willow’s frightened scream burst through Spike and Buffy’s orgasmic slumber. Quickly covering themselves in the sheets they were resting underneath, they ran toward the sound; toward Callie’s room.

“Oh God, no. I knew we shouldn’t have left her alone!”

No amount of dealing with the various demons and happenings on the Hellmouth could have prepared them for the sight they were greeted with. Where the night before a small girl had slept, in her wake sat a frightened young woman, with Spike’s blue eyes, and Buffy’s full lips. Buffy stared at her in disbelief for a moment, before speaking.

“Callie?”

“Mummy,” the woman wailed, “what happened to me?”

Callie now appeared to be twenty-one, and she displayed the physical strengths that Buffy had in her prime of slaying.

“I don’t know, honey…Willow?”

Willow was still standing, her mouth agape, at the doorway. Unable or unwilling to speak, she simply shook her head.

A bright flash blinded the group for a moment, but, when their eyes readjusted, Willow’s stunned silence abetted.

“Tara?”

Willow’s feet had not caught up with her tongue, because she still couldn’t move. Tara stood by Callie’s side, dressed in a shimmering white tunic. She smiled at Willow, and then turned to Callie.

“Callie, honey, I think I can explain what happened.”

Buffy walked to Spike’s aide, and he draped his arm around her shoulder.

“Glinda, you look good. Death becomes you.”

“Thanks,” she laughed. “The Powers That Be thought that we could help Callie to achieve the full potential of her prophecy. I had almost lost all hope when you were fighting that dragon, Spike. We’ve been waiting for you and Buffy to finally mate so we could help Callie.”

“What’d you mean, ‘we,’ Glinda? I only see….”

Two more flashes entered the room, though, not as blindingly bright. Out of the lights stepped Anya, and Buffy’s mother, Joyce, both dressed in the same shimmering fabric. Anya’s tunic was decidedly shorter and tighter than the others.

“Buffy! You guys finally did it! And boy did you! I wish I could’ve had orgasms like that while I was still alive…this gig is nice, but I’d take a good, solid orgasm any day.”

“Anya, hush,” Joyce chided. “Buffy…you look too skinny! Honey, are you feeling alright?”

Buffy smiled and enveloped her mother in a hug.

“Mom! God…you look…you look great! How did you guys get here?”

Anya grinned, mischievously, as she looked at Buffy.

“Well, when I died, I was called to a higher position in the vengeance demon ‘corporate ladder.’ Seems not everyone was so pleased when D’hoffryn axed Halfrek. A few written exams and a blood work test later, and ‘poof,’ I’m the boss! After I had that position, it was fairly easy for me to pull some strings for your Mom and Tara, once I noticed your…condition.”

Buffy mouthed a silent “Thank you,” to Anya, but was still so elated to see her mother again, words failed her. Seeing the opportunity to speak again, Anya continued.

“So, we’ve been watching over you guys since I first saw your growing tummy, Buffy. But we’ve been so sick of waiting for you and Spike to finally get back together!”

“Anya, what happened to Callie?”

“I was getting to that. Jeez, I forget how impatient mortals can be…oh…well, that’s the other thing Buffy….”

“What?”

“Well, since you and Spike mated, you aren’t mortal anymore.”

“What do you mean? I’m, like, a vampire now?”

“No…jeez, for ‘the Chosen One,’ you sure are dumb. You’re both immortal now, and you’re both stronger now then you ever were before. Spike, you don’t even need much blood anymore…once or twice a month, maybe, and definitely after any injuries, but you shouldn’t need much at all. Plus, you aren’t as vulnerable to the sun…but you might get a little sunburny easily….”

Joyce smiled.

“So, you might want to wear some extra SPF, dear.”

“Right,” Anya said, “and you aren’t as vulnerable to dying either…together, the two of you are almost invincible.”

“Almost? What’d you mean,” Spike asked.

Anya trailed off and looked to Tara for aide. Tara smiled sheepishly and sighed.

“It’s probably best if we don’t talk about that now.”

Tara’s gaze centered on Callie, who was almost oblivious to the three intruders. She sat on her bed, her legs curled underneath her, staring at her enlarged arms.

“Mummy, I feel funny. What happened?”

Buffy’s eyes pleaded with Anya for answers. Anya nodded.

“Well, Buffy, Callie’s growth spurt is because of you and Spike mating…she would have gotten this big in about a year or two, anyway, but the mating sped that process up. It’s all in the prophecy, if you read the fine print. She still has the mentality of a child, but her mind should catch up in the next month or so, though, it will keep growing forever. She’s immortal, too, and her body won’t ever age from this point.”

Callie looked up at the mention of her name, but turned to her mother, a confused expression plastered on her beautiful face.

“Mummy, what does that mean?”

“Callie, honey, do you remember how Mummy told you that you were special?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I,” Buffy’s voice faltered as her eyes brimmed over with tears. Spike sat next to Callie on her bed, patting her hands.

“Poppet, you’re a very special gift to your Mum and me, straight from heaven, right? And because you’re so very special, The Powers That Be want you to help people and be special for everyone. You understand?”

Callie shook her head, slowly.

“I’m sorry, Papa…I don’t know what you mean.”

Spike sighed and furrowed his brow.

“Well, poppet, it’s like you have very good cookies and, instead of being greedy and eating them all yourself, you decided to share them with everyone. Do you follow?”

Callie’s eyes flashed and she nodded her head, before breaking out into a smile.

“I understand, Papa! But…I don’t have any cookies….”

“I know, poppet, but your ‘cookies’ are your special powers. And, instead of feeding people, you’re helping them by getting rid of bad guys.”

“So, I’m like Batman?”

Spike chuckled.

“I s’ppose so, poppet. But you don’t wear a cape.”

“But, I could if I wanted to?”

“Of course.”

“Good.”

Anya cleared her throat.

“Buffy, we do have to be going now, but we’ll be back to check up on you.”

“As often as we can, dear,” Joyce said.

Tara smiled and whispered to Buffy.

“And I’ll let you know the other part of Callie’s prophecy, but only if I need to. There’s no use in worrying you unless we need to.”

In another bright flash, the three women were gone. Willow’s face grew pale.

“Buffy, she didn’t even say goodbye to me….”

“It’s okay, Will…she’ll be back. But at least you know she’s at peace.”

Willow nodded.

“I guess now’s as good a time as any to tell you guys…Angel, Illyria and I are leaving tomorrow. Giles called me this morning…I guess there’s a Hellmouth opening in Chicago. He wants the three of us to be there, just in case.”

“I understand Wills.”

“We haven’t told Andrew, yet, but I thought he needed to stay here in case…”

“In case we needed a babysitter? Think we’re long past needing one of those, Red,” Spike said.

“No…in case you guys fall short on funds. He…Andrew really has a mind for business, you know. If he’s helping to support you guys, you can spend more time training Callie….”

Buffy’s dampened eyes filled again with tears.

“Thank you Will. For everything.”

Willow hugged Buffy tightly for a moment, before breaking the embrace.

“Hey, you, no more tears, okay? We all have to be strong now…or are you just crying because you don’t want to be all alone with Andrew? Because that I can understand….”

Buffy laughed and wiped her eyes dry.

“I really will miss you, you know.”

“Oh, like I can’t just teleport back here at a moment’s notice? Please, Buffy. You’ll always be able to reach me. You know that. I might be a thousand miles away, but with my powers, it’s only a half a second’s trip!”

The two women smiled at each other, silently remembering their long history. Willow sniffled and dried her damp eyes.

“Well, I’d better get packing. I have a lot of things I need to get ready before tomorrow, and I think your little family should be alone for a while.”

Willow smiled at the three immortals before quietly walking down the hallway to her room. Buffy sighed as she plopped down next to Spike and Callie on the bed.

“It will be nice to have some quiet around here for once….”

--