Chapter 28: April 2006
“You sure you don’t want me to go with you, luv?” Spike was watching Buffy with a concerned look on his face. “I don’t mind.”
“I know you don’t,” she replied, smiling at him. They were over at his place, in the basement. Connor was supposed to accompany Spike later that evening on a job, and he was driving Dawn over. Buffy and her sister were meeting their father for dinner.
Although a couple of weeks had passed since Wesley’s injury, Spike and the others were making certain that he didn’t have a chance to hurt himself again. The doctors were pleased with the healing process, but Wesley was only human, and was nowhere near ready to be risking his shoulder. The ex-Watcher didn’t like to admit it, but it would probably be August or September before he was ready for fieldwork.
Buffy’s pregnancy had progressed enough that she was being a lot more cautious about what slaying she did. That left Spike and Connor to take up most of the slack, with Dawn providing occasional back-up. Wesley might not be pleased to be stuck home with the books, but he wasn’t arguing about it either.
The Slayer had been planning this meeting with her dad for the last couple weeks, ever since seeing Angel in the hospital. She’d managed to achieve a kind of closure there, and with most of the other guys who had left her. Her father was a different story though, and he had been the first. Dawn had wanted to see him as well, as she had no memories of him other than those the monks had given her. Buffy had yet to let him know of her pregnancy—or, at least he hadn’t known until she’d spoken with him on the phone to arrange a meeting.
Spike had offered to accompany her several times, but Buffy kept refusing. This was something she and Dawn had to do by themselves. “It’s not that I’m ashamed of our relationship, Spike,” she reassured him now. “It’s just that it’s going to be difficult enough with just Dawn and me.”
“I know, luv,” he replied quickly. Buffy had been open with her friends, her Watcher, everyone in her life who mattered. Spike personally didn’t feel her father rated even a phone call, but if she felt that’s what she needed to do, he wasn’t going to stand in her way. “Just thought you might let me eat the wanker.”
Buffy laughed. “So I could collect the insurance money?” she teased, her grin broadening when she saw Spike’s shocked look. He was always surprised when she didn’t react to his eating-people comments. “No, I’ve got the pension from the Council now, so it’s not like I need it. Besides, I have a feeling that he’s going to be so disappointed to find out that his unwed daughter’s pregnant, that I probably won’t see him again.” She frowned. “Not like he’s been involved in our lives in recent history.”
Spike stood, pulling her in close. “He’s a first-rate tosser, that one. How he could leave not one, but three Summers women. I’ll never understand.”
“Because you’re the one who stays,” Buffy murmured, returning the embrace. A tattered paperback, half-hidden by the sofa cushion, caught her eye. “What’s this?” she asked, scooting around him to investigate. She held up the book, reading the title out loud. “What to Expect When You’re Expecting? Spike—”
“Nika gave it to me,” he mumbled quickly.
Buffy raised a skeptical eyebrow, quickly flipping through the pages. She’d read the same book herself, and realized that Spike’s copy included highlighted segments and notes in the margin. Notes in the same handwriting that had arrived on the envelopes for Dawn every other week for three years. “Uh huh.”
“So I asked her to get it,” Spike said, snatching the book away, his grumbling belied by the amused look in his eyes. Buffy realized that he was almost relieved at being caught out. “She said it might help if I read somethin’.”
The Slayer smiled at him softly. “I think it’s great. The classes are starting next week, so it’s a good idea.”
Spike swallowed. “Still don’t see why you want me, Buffy,” he confessed.
She raised an eyebrow. “There isn’t anyone else I’d rather have to watch my back. It’s a little different situation than usual, but it doesn’t change how I feel.”
“Good to know,” Spike replied, trying to sound as though it didn’t matter, and failing miserably. They both heard Connor and Dawn from above. “We both need to go.”
“Be careful.” Buffy gave him a quick kiss, drawing on his love to get her through the evening. “I’ll see you later tonight.”
“Of course.” As they mounted the stairs, Spike, knowing her fears, whispered, “‘m not goin’ anywhere, luv.”
~~~~~
The first thing both girls thought when they saw Hank Summers in the restaurant was that he looked old. Although it had been years since they had seen him, he looked older than they’d expected. Somehow, they both couldn’t help thinking that Joyce wouldn’t have appeared that old.
Hank didn’t look at all thrilled to be there. You might think a father would show some enthusiasm in meeting the daughters he hadn’t seen in eight years or more, but if he felt anything but faint discomfort, it wasn’t showing. Instead, the greetings were wary, and the conversation was stilted. Hank tried to tell Buffy how good she looked without sounding snide about her pregnancy, but he couldn’t quite pull it off. He was much more excited about Dawn and her scholarship to UCLA, however, and both Buffy and Dawn noticed the favoritism that he was displaying. He asked a number of questions about Dawn’s major, the people she was meeting, and made a number of comments about how proud he was of her, while not saying much of anything to Buffy.
All three had ordered their food and had begun eating by the time Hank had finished talking about his work and latest girlfriend after Dawn’s stiff answers shut down his line of questioning. “So, Buffy,” he began, “where’s the father?”
Buffy hid a wince. She was getting a little tired of answering that question. It might be the 21st century, but it seemed it still had to be asked by everyone she knew. “He’s not in the picture.”
“What?” Hank stared at her. “Have you spoken to a lawyer, Buffy?”
Buffy shook her head, determined to get through this. Seeing that her sister was about to say something—probably not something very nice—she sent Dawn a warning look. “It’s not necessary, Dad. We agreed that it’s for the best. I have some good friends in town that will help me.”
Hank looked scandalized. “Buffy, he can’t just abandon you. If nothing else, he should be paying child support.”
“What, like you did?” Dawn said, not quite under her breath. Buffy stepped down hard on her foot under the table.
“We agreed, Dad. I signed the papers. Like I said, I have friends who are going to help me, and I would rather my child have no father than someone who isn’t going to be there for her.”
Her statement came out more sharply than Buffy had intended, and on the tail of Dawn’s comment, she could tell that it cut deeply. “Buffy—”
“It’s okay,” she said quickly. “I wasn’t trying to point fingers or anything like that, really. This was my decision, and I’m okay with it.”
Hank nodded, his face still tight with anger. “Of course. As long as you’re going to be taken care of.”
“No thanks to you.”
“Dawn!”
Both Hank and Buffy spoke at once, but Dawn didn’t look as though she wanted to back down any time soon. “What? It’s true.” She glared at her father. “It’s not like you’ve done anything for us since the divorce. I don’t see where you get off telling Buffy her ex is a loser. Pot, kettle, much?”
Hank cleared his throat. “Dawn, you don’t understand. It’s complicated. These are adult things, and—”
“And I’m not an adult?” she asked incredulously. When Buffy tried to catch her eye, Dawn shook her head. “No, Buffy, I’m tired of this. I’m tired of sitting here and hoping things will get better because Dad finally decides we’re worth something to him. Well, Dad, guess what? I had to grow up pretty quick when you left and Mom died. There wasn’t much of a choice.”
Hank looked around uncomfortably. “Dawn, this isn’t the time.”
“I think it is,” Dawn said firmly. “Because I don’t think I’m going to have any desire to see you after this. I have some really good guys in my life right now who are there for me. You left. You didn’t even come back for the funeral. There wasn’t any money, because you weren’t going to help us out. Buffy had to drop out of school. If I hadn’t gotten a scholarship, I probably wouldn’t have been able to go to college.”
She stood, setting her napkin down on her plate, which was still half-full. “Newsflash, Dad. I don’t need you. I’m doing pretty good on my own.” Dawn looked at her sister. “I’m going to call Wesley to pick me up. I don’t think I want to stay.”
“That’s fine, Dawnie,” Buffy said softly, knowing that her sister was old enough to make that decision on her own.
“Dawn—”
Dawn looked at Hank, who seemed to want to do something so that the evening didn’t end on such a sour note. “Sorry, Dad. I’m not going to hug you just to make you feel better.”
Buffy watched as she walked out of the restaurant, her head held high. “Buffy!” Hank looked betrayed. “She can’t talk to me that way. I’m her father.”
She laughed wearily. “No, Dad. I think you gave up that right a long time ago.” At the look on his face, she raised an eyebrow. “What? Are you going to blame Dawn’s behavior on me? I did my best, but I’m not her mom.”
“Buffy, you know I’m sorry about missing your mother’s funeral. I just couldn’t get back.” Hank wouldn’t quite meet her eyes.
“I understand, Dad. I really do,” Buffy replied. “That doesn’t change the fact that what Dawn said is true.” She took a deep breath. “I thought you might want to know that you’re going to be a grandfather. I wasn’t expecting anything from you, though.”
“Buffy…” Hank stopped. “I’m glad you told me. Are you really okay?”
“I have someone in my life right now who is very important to me,” Buffy replied. “We take care of each other.”
“A new man?” Hank asked before he could stop himself.
“No, actually an old one,” Buffy said with a smile. “We’ve known each other for a long time, and he’s been in love with me for a long time now. It’s good, and he’s ready to help me with the baby. We’re not ready to be parents, of course, but I don’t think anyone ever is.” She stood slowly. “I’ll give you my address. You can stop by sometime if you’d like. I wouldn’t mind seeing you, but if you get too busy, I’ll understand.”
Hank sighed. “Buffy, I’m sorry for how things turned out.”
“So am I.”
She left her father sitting at the table and walked outside, her arms hugging her sides. Buffy knew they’d drawn several stares in the restaurant, but she understood Dawn’s anger. Her sister had been a lot younger when Hank had left, and had fewer memories of the good times. It probably didn’t help that Dawn knew her memories had been fabricated. With Buffy and Joyce and the others, it hadn’t mattered so much after a while; they’d made new memories of their own, good and bad. With her father, there had been no such opportunity, mostly as a result of his own selfishness.
Dawn was already gone by the time Buffy got outside, and she wasn’t sure whether to be disappointed or relieved. In some ways, she was grateful to her sister for cutting through the bullshit and stating how she really felt. On the other hand, hoping Hank Summers would one day come to his senses had been a cherished fantasy of hers for years.
Buffy sighed. She wasn’t looking forward to the drive home. It would be a long, lonely ride, since she’d let her dad pick the restaurant for his convenience and not hers.
“Hello, luv.”
She’d known he was there when she stepped outside. Buffy always knew when Spike was close. “Hey.” She turned to see him emerging from the darkness, like a shadow detaching itself from the night. Buffy never could understand how he managed to hide himself with that bright hair. “What are you doing here? I thought you and Connor—”
“Didn’t take us long,” Spike explained, coming to stand beside her. “I’d just gotten back from droppin’ him off when the Bit called Wesley. Thought I’d catch a ride over here with him an’ then keep you company tonight.”
“That was quick,” Buffy commented, talking about the speed at which they’d dispatched their evening’s assignment.
Spike shrugged. “Hell-Boy’s a good partner. You should see that lad with an ax. ‘s somethin’ to behold.”
Buffy looked over at him, hearing the pride in his voice and seeing it in his face. She suddenly caught a glimpse of him in the future, talking about her child, speaking like a proud parent. He would dote, of course, because he didn’t know how to do anything else. With Spike, it was an all or nothing love, and it would be all, she was certain of it.
Even if it was the only thing in her life she could be certain of.
“Here,” he said gently, holding out his hand. “Why don’t you let me drive you home, Buffy?”
She handed him the keys without protest, and then let him take her hand. No one made her feel protected the way Spike did; no one else allowed her to be weak without making her feel guilty. He was a perfect gentleman, opening her car door for her, waiting until she was seated before closing it. Once he was in the driver’s seat and had pulled out of the parking lot, Spike reached over and took her hand again, somehow understanding her need for physical contact.
“Was Dawn okay?” she asked, breaking the silence.
Spike nodded. “Looked a bit upset, but she’ll be fine. Wesley’ll take care of her.”
Oddly enough, Buffy didn’t have any doubt of it. She laughed shortly at that realization—the idea that Wesley Wyndam-Pryce was fully capable of taking care of an upset 19 year old would have been laughable at one point. These days, she’d say Wesley was equipped to handle about anything. When Spike shot her a questioning look, Buffy explained, “You didn’t know Wes back in Sunnydale. That Wes probably would have run screaming from a crying female. He wasn’t capable of much of anything.”
“People change.”
“Yeah, they do.” Buffy took a firmer grip on Spike’s hand and let herself drift away to the sound of tires on pavement. “Sometimes even for the better,” she murmured.
~~~~~
Dawn shot Spike a grateful smile as he got out and held the door for her while she took his place in the passenger seat. Spike would take care of Buffy when she emerged from the restaurant. Wesley didn’t say anything as he pulled away from the curb. It wasn’t until they’d reached the first red light that he broke the silence. “I take it the meeting didn’t go well.”
“You could say that,” Dawn sighed, leaning her head against the window, catching a glimpse of herself. She looked like a girl on the verge of tears, which was appropriate. “It was just—Buffy was always Dad’s favorite, you know? I mean, it wasn’t a big deal, really. She was just a daddy’s girl, and I wasn’t as much. And tonight, he kept looking at me like I was special, and he was hardly talking to her at all. Then, he starts in on her about Peter, and it just pissed me off. I mean, like he has room to talk. He was the one who left us.”
Wesley looked over at the girl next to him. Over the last months of knowing both Summers girls, he’d gotten a fairly good handle on their personalities. Buffy might be the Slayer, but in some ways, Dawn was the spunkier of the two, and she had matured quickly. “Let me guess. You gave him a piece of your mind.”
“Yeah.” Dawn let the silence stretch on. “I couldn’t stand him talking to Buffy like that. It was stupid. He was being stupid.”
Wesley considered her words for a moment. Somehow he knew she was waiting for him to placate her, to tell her that things would be better, that she could still make up with her dad. He didn’t think that was what she wanted, however, and it wasn’t what he was thinking. “I admire you.”
“Huh?” Dawn’s head snapped over to look at him.
“I admire you,” Wesley repeated. “Sometimes it takes more bravery to end an important relationship than it does to keep it going. I wish I had your courage.”
Wesley’s words had been meant to comfort, and they did, but Dawn’s tears perversely started to flow. His words told her that he understood conflicted feelings about fathers, and it was always easier to cry in the presence of someone who understood.
Wesley carefully took the steering wheel with the hand that emerged from his sling and reached into his pocket for a handkerchief with his good hand. Handing it to her, he simply waited until she could get herself under control.
Dawn gave a shaky laugh at the emergence of the hanky. It seemed that English gentlemen were never without their handkerchiefs, even if they were rumpled expatriates. She wiped at her eyes and then blew her nose. “Where are we?” she asked shakily, realizing she had no clue as to where they were going.
Wesley got a sheepish look on his face. “I thought—well, I thought perhaps you might like some ice cream. I’ve heard that’s a necessity in moments of great emotional upheaval.”
Dawn started laughing. Only Wesley could say something like that and get away with it. “Yeah. Ice cream is definitely in order. And Wes?”
“Yes, Dawn?”
“You’re a really good guy to have around in moments of great emotional upheaval.”
~~~~~
Buffy had been sound asleep for the last thirty minutes, so Spike pulled into her driveway carefully, not wanting to wake her. Hesitating, he debated the merits of carrying her inside, and then decided against it. Spike still wasn’t quite sure how much Buffy appreciated being pampered, and that might put him over the line. “Buffy-luv, we’re here. Gotta wake up now.”
She came awake slowly, blinking at him blearily. “Spike? Where—”
“Home.” He watched as the information sank in, and Buffy gave him a rueful smile. “Sorry. I guess I wasn’t the best company.”
Spike shrugged. “Just bein’ with you is a gift, Buffy. Doesn’t matter if you’re sleepin’ or awake.” He didn’t add that the fact that she trusted him enough to see her safely home was also a gift. It wasn’t so long ago that she probably wouldn’t have even let him drive—at least, that’s how he felt.
Buffy sighed. “I should call Dawn and make sure she’s okay.”
“She called ’bout fifteen minutes ago,” Spike reassured her. “She said to tell you she’s fine, an’ that she was goin’ out for ice cream with Wesley an’ then back to her dorm.” At Buffy’s questioning look, he explained, “I had it on silent ring.”
“Oh.” Buffy sat in the passenger seat. She didn’t want to move, didn’t want to go inside to her empty house, and at the same time she didn’t want to ask Spike to stay. She thought she would end up sounding like a needy child, like she wasn’t strong enough to carry this burden.
“Do you want me to stay tonight, pet?” Spike asked softly. “Because if not, I can call for a ride.”
Buffy turned to meet his eyes, seeing in his eyes that he knew her conflicting feelings. Spike always seemed to know. “Yeah. I’ll give you a ride home tomorrow. I just—”
“Not goin’ anywhere,” he said. “Remember?”
“Till the end of the world,” Buffy agreed. “You promised both of us.” She could let herself believe him now, tonight. She knew that it would be a long time before she didn’t need his reassurance, but for tonight she could believe.
~~~~~
“Are you certain you’ll be alright, Dawn?” Wesley asked, leaning over to look at her through the passenger window. “If you’d like, you’re welcome to stay the night at Nika’s.”
Dawn shook her head. “Thanks, Wesley, but I think the ice cream did the trick. I’ll be fine.” The ice cream had been good. He’d taken her to a small, out of the way place that had the best ice cream she’d ever had, and Dawn had laughed at his expression when he saw her concoction of raspberry fudge ripple, strawberries, whipped cream, and a cherry on top. Wesley had stuck to a sedate chocolate cone.
But he’d kept her in stitches the whole time with his dry humor, telling stories of when he’d been with Angel, and some of the vampire’s more embarrassing moments, plus a few more of Spike’s. Wesley had spun tales of the Watcher’s Academy, and his final test, which though gruesome, had been pretty tame compared to a normal day in Sunnydale. It was no wonder he’d been over his head.
In short, Wesley had done a bang-up job in making sure that her evening hadn’t been completely ruined. “Really,” she assured him again, her smile genuine. “I’m good.”
“Don’t hesitate to call if you need anything,” he replied.
Dawn assured him that she wouldn’t and then headed off for her dorm, hearing the sound of Wesley’s SUV pulling out behind her. Her shoulders slumped as she walked across campus, though. Spike would take care of Buffy, and Wesley had Nika, but Connor was probably in bed and asleep by now. Either that, or out fighting vampires and demons with Angel. She knew he’d come over if she asked—she could have even had Wesley drop her at the Hyperion—but she hated to sound as if she couldn’t take care of herself.
She was surprised to discover that the door to her room was unlocked, since her roommate spent most nights at her boyfriend’s place. She was more surprised to see Connor lounging on her bed, a battered paperback she recognized from one of her English classes in hand. “Hey.”
“Hey,” she replied. “How’d you get in?”
“Your roommate let me in before she left. She said she was going to be out all night with what’s-his-name, and that I could stay till you got home. I was about ready to call you to make sure you were coming back though.”
Dawn came to sit next to him on the bed as Connor put down The Tempest and swung his legs over to the floor. “I thought you were going to be out with Spike all night.”
“It was a piece of cake,” he replied, smiling a little. “Besides, dads can really suck sometimes.”
Dawn stared, sighing at the understanding in his eyes. “I’m glad you came.”
“Hey,” Connor said, grinning. “I brought The Matrix. I figured we could maybe watch a movie, and I could just stick around for a while.”
“All night?”
“That might have been the plan,” he acknowledged. “Was it bad?”
“Yeah,” Dawn replied. “But being with you makes it better.”
~~~~~
“Absolutely not,” Nika said sternly. “You’ll make the call with me present or not at all.”
Wesley glared at her. This was the first real disagreement they’d had to date, and it was centered around him calling his father for the annual birthday call. He wanted to take the call at his apartment, in private, where he had easy access to a bottle of bourbon afterward. Nika said she wasn’t going to let him brood about it because his father wasn’t worth it. Wesley disliked being told what he could and couldn’t do, even by Nika.
Sometimes, especially by Nika.
“I am not a child, Danika,” he said coldly. “And I am perfectly capable of speaking with my father alone.”
“No, you’re not,” she said bluntly. “I’m sorry, Wesley, but we both know what’s going to happen. Your father will end up being a git, and you’ll withdraw into yourself for the next couple of days. Forgive me, but I would rather not lose the pleasure of your company over your father’s birthday.”
When she put it that way, Wesley found it difficult to be angry, but he was still irritated. “Nika, I’m a grown man. You can’t always protect me.”
“But I will protect you when I can,” she said heatedly. “If our roles were reversed, what would you do?” His silence was all the answer she needed. “Cariad, make your call in whatever privacy you need, but please don’t run from me after. I would not let him touch you at all, had I anything to say about it.”
Wesley sighed. “I wish he couldn’t.” Sitting with Dawn the previous week after her disastrous visit with her father had reminded him of his annual duty. It had also reminded him that people were never free of the burdens their parents placed upon them. Even if he managed to rid himself of the weight of his childhood, Wesley knew he would never be free of the scars. “I wish I were as strong as Dawn and could simply walk away, but I cannot, Nika. It’s not in me.”
“No, duty and loyalty are too much a part of you for you to so easily renounce your father,” Nika murmured. “But you do not have to fight alone.”
His anger spent—most of it had been anxiety about making the call anyway—Wesley pulled her in for a hug. “Fine. You win. I’ll make the phone call with you present.”
“Iawn da,” Nika said, satisfaction in her voice. “Because I will hex him should he say anything mean.”
“I don’t think you can throw a hex that far,” Wesley replied.
Nika smiled. “I’ve never tried, but it would be an interesting experiment.” He shot her a reproving look, but she merely smiled and handed him the cordless. “And just think, cariad, you can tell him you’re using a friend’s line and cut the conversation short. I’m giving you a rather lovely excuse.”
Wesley hadn’t thought about that. “I suppose that’s true.” He dialed the familiar number, Nika puttering with pie crust in the background, listened as it rang. There was a rather large piece of him that hoped his father wasn’t home and he could leave a message. Something along the lines of, “Happy birthday, Father. I’ve gotten engaged. We’ll send you an invitation.” That would do quite nicely he thought.
No such luck. “Hello, Mother. Yes, it’s good to hear your voice. I, uh, was calling to talk to Father, actually…Good. I’m doing well…I do have some news, though. I’ve gotten engaged…She’s a very nice girl…Certainly, yes, I would like to speak to him…Hello, Father.”
Nika glanced over at him, noting that he’d unconsciously straightened himself, his accent got just a little more precise, and he was rubbing his jeans with the hand not holding the phone. She sighed, keeping an ear open for sounds of distress. “Yes, happy birthday, Father…No, I’m still an independent contractor…It’s actually going quite well…No, I do feel like I’m performing my duty. I’m helping—No, of course. You’re right. I don’t have the resources of the Council…Yes, I am getting married… She’s an American, actually, though she’s spent quite a bit of time in Wales…She’s a very nice…No, no, I realize that I’m very lucky to have her…”
It was that tone in his voice again. Wesley sounded almost—defeated, and Nika pulled the phone out of his grip. Wesley shot her an alarmed look, but she wasn’t handing the phone back any time soon. “Mr. Wyndam-Pryce? This is Danika Owen, your son’s fiancé. I’m so sorry we have to meet over the phones like this. It’s hardly ideal.”
Nika listened to the old man splutter a little bit, telling her how nice it was that his son was finally doing his duty by the family in getting married, and hoping that she wasn’t pregnant and they weren’t rushing into things. “We’ve known each other for years now,” Nika said quickly, stifling any of his thinly disguised insinuations. “In fact, Wesley has been such a tower of strength for me. I really never thought I would fall in love again after the death of my husband. Vampires, you know.”
Wesley’s eyes were wide as he listened to her lay it on thick. His father was a gentleman, whatever else he might be, and there was no way he would make any more insinuations of that sort to a genuine widow. “Oh, yes, Wesley saved my life. I wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for him. Well, both he and Spike.”
Wesley put his head into his hands, not knowing whether to despair or to hope that his father would have that heart attack he’d sometimes wished for. “Oh, you know Spike. William the Bloody? He and Wesley are partners. They hunt demons together. They’re becoming quite well known. I’ve been told Wesley is Death incarnate with an ax.”
By this point, Wesley was laughing weakly. Only Nika—and perhaps Spike—could so skillfully work the conversation around to make him look like a saint in the worst possible way in his father’s eyes. “No, he’s not evil. He lives in my basement.” She flashed Wesley a cheeky grin, and he could hear his father sputtering over the line. “Oh, Mr. Wyndam-Pryce, the line is breaking up. I should really let you go, but it was certainly nice talking with you. I do hope you can come to the wedding. Angel and Spike will both be there, you know. I’m sure you won’t pass up a chance to meet two famous vampires. Ta-ta!”
Wesley wiped tears from his eyes. “My love, that was absolutely brilliant. My only regret is that I wasn’t able to see his face.”
“My only regret is that you really can’t throw a hex through the phone lines,” Nika said, though she was smiling. Her look grew somber after a moment though. “As fun as it might be to tweak the old man, Wesley, we haven’t heard the last from him or the Council. Our children—”
“Do not have a destiny,” Wesley replied quietly. “Should they spontaneously decide to become Watchers, I will not stop them, but I won’t encourage them in that direction either. Though, I have heard from Buffy that the Council has loosened up through the years. It did me no favors, however, and there is no room with them for the gray areas.”
“For people like Spike and Angel?” Nika asked knowingly, sitting in his lap and putting her head on his shoulder. “I won’t say I hadn’t thought about it. I know that Watchers are very heavily into tradition, after all. Your father will want a Wyndam-Pryce to carry on the name.”
“The name, yes. The role in the Council, probably not.” Wesley smiled, and it was a strange mixture of grim and hopeful. “I hope to entirely ruin our children. If I have anything to say about it, they will take after your side of the family.”
Nika laughed. “As long as they also take after you, cariad annwyl. That would be quite perfect.”