Rating: PG
Disclaimer: 4 words: I don't own them! I'm pretty sure you all know who they belong to so I'm not even going to go into it. Don't sue me…please?
Description: A sequel to 'A Visit from the Future.' Some of you emailed me asking for a sequel about what happened afterwards, when Claire went back to her time. So, here it is!
Dedication: To all those lovely souls out there who read my fic, enjoyed it, and asked for more! God Bless Ya! J Now, onto the story…
Part One:
Claire awoke; her eyes fluttering open, to find the Scooby Gang waiting over her expectantly.
"You know, I had the strangest dream. And you were there, and you, and you!" Claire pointed to each person a grin forming on her face. Her finger stopped on Luke. "You weren't there though."
Her boyfriend grinned back at her and leant over to give her a hug.
"You did it Claire! You did it!"
"I know!" She whispered and she sat up, looking around the room. Suddenly she was bombarded with questions.
"What happened?"
"How did you do it?"
"Did anyone find out?"
Claire put up her hands, silencing them. "Woah! One at a time, one at a time! Anyone would think I just come back from the past."
Xander grinned. "Fine, I'm first! How did you do it?"
Claire looked at each one of them in turn. Her mother's best-friend, Willow, with her long red hair and sparkling eyes was standing next to Oz, her husband. Tara was standing off to the side, next to Spike, both of them grinning madly, though Spike was trying not to show it. Anya and Faith stood next to each other, holding hands in joy. Claire shook her head. She was still trying to work out how them two had become best friends. And finally Luke's parents, Xander and Cordelia. All of these people, her parent's friends, were waiting expectantly for her answer. She grinned again.
"You guys should know! You lived through it!"
There were groans at her answer.
"Just tell us!" Anya cried.
"No, I'm serious!" Claire replied. "Close your eyes." They all did so, reluctantly. "Your memories should be changing, you should remember everything." She watched as each person's face changed. They were all remembering.
"Wow." Xander said as he opened his eyes and turned to face Cordy. "Why couldn't something like that have brought us back together?" Cordelia chucked him a dirty look and Xander grinned, his plan in annoying her had succeeded. Claire almost laughed. He had not changed one bit.
Luke walked back over to Claire and kissed her on the forehead.
"It's good to have you back. Did you find my letter?"
Claire smiled. "Yes, I did. It fell out of my diary when I was…" Suddenly her eyes clouded over and a lump formed in her throat. Luke noticed this and immediately asked what was wrong.
"Giles. I finally met Giles." Claire said, a sad smile on her face. All the Scoobies looked at her when she mentioned the ex-Watcher's name and the feeling in the room changed to that of sadness.
"He's everything you guys said he was." She said, tears forming in her eyes.
"Even down to the tweed?" Luke asked.
Claire laughed quietly. "Even down to the tweed." She replied.
The group of friends gathered in the small room were quiet for a few minutes, each remembering in a different way the Watcher who had touched their lives. Finally Willow spoke, breaking the silence that had fallen.
"I think it's time you spoke to your parents Claire."
Claire nodded her head and stood up, Luke helping her.
"Well, we'll be heading off." Anya said, referring to herself and Faith.
"Me too." Spike added and Tara nodded her head in agreement.
Willow turned to Oz, the look in her eyes saying it all.
"Sure thing." He said and gave her a peck on the cheek. "The boys are probably getting hungry now anyway." Willow and Oz had left their two twin boys at home with the next door neighbour. "I promised them Macdonald's and they are probably getting extremely impatient."
The group laughed and Xander turned to Cordy.
"I know, I know." She replied. "You want to go too. Off to beloved Buffy again!" But there was no bitterness in her voice anymore, she knew Xander was hers. She turned to her son, who was still standing next to Claire. "I suppose you want to go too?"
"Yeah." Luke replied, looking at his girlfriend. "That is, if Claire doesn't mind."
"Of course not silly! Why would I mind?" Claire gave him a friendly hit on the arm and the group headed out the door. Once outside, the group split into their different directions, goodbyes being called out until everyone was out of sight.
Willow, Xander, Luke and Claire looked at each other, each waiting for the others to speak.
"Well." Xander finally said. "We're off to see the Wizard!"
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Part Two:
The group of 4 arrived at Angel and Buffy's house within 5 mins. Claire was beginning to get worried now, wondering how her parents would take the news and Luke sensed it. He gave her arm a reassuring squeeze and smiled at her. Both Xander and Willow noticed this and smiled.
"These two are as bad as Buffy and Angel!" Willow whispered to Xander as Claire opened the door and walked inside.
"Mum? Dad?" Claire called and the answer came from the living room.
"In here Claire!"
The group followed Claire and they found Angel and Buffy curled up on the lounge in front of a roaring fire.
"We were beginning to wonder when you were going to get home Claire!" Angel said, turning around and smiling. Buffy followed suit and gave a happy squeal when she saw who was with her daughter.
"Will! Xander!" She ran over to give her friends a hug, grinning the whole time.
"Jeez Buffy! You'd think you were still in High School!" Xander said and Buffy just grinned.
"Sorry, can't help it. I'm just so happy right now! I have the perfect life. A beautiful daughter, my best friends living just around the corner and the man I love." She turned and gave Angel a loving smile, one that he willingly returned.
Xander coughed. "Yes, well I think you have Claire here to thank for that."
Buffy looked at him with a confused look. "I think I speak for everyone when I say, huh?"
Xander gave Claire a pointed look and she sighed.
"Okay, okay!" She turned to Buffy and smiled sympathetically. "I think you'd better sit down." Buffy did so, giving Angel a confused look in the process, which he returned, with a look of amusement. "Okay, here goes nothing…"
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Part 3:
"You what?!" Buffy cried. "That was you?"
Claire nodded and Xander and Willow tried to hide grins at Buffy's reaction.
"Okay, wow." Buffy shook her head in amazement. "I guess we're luckier to have you than we thought, huh Angel." The Slayer turned to her husband, who nodded in agreement.
"You don't seem very surprised Dead Boy." Xander said, using the name which used to annoy Angel something shocking in past years.
"That because I'm not." He replied. "And don't call me Dead Boy!"
"Okay, okay!" Xander laughed. "I guess it doesn't apply anymore anyway, does it?"
Angel just grinned, saying nothing.
"But why aren't you surprised?" Willow asked curiously.
"Claire knows." Angel replied.
The young girl shook her head. "No I don't. Did Giles tell you afterwards or something?"
"GILES knew?" Buffy cried out. "I can't believe he didn't tell me!"
"He wasn't supposed to know." Claire said sheepishly. "But he kinda found out."
Buffy grinned at the look on her daughter's face than turned to face Angel. "SO how did you know?"
Angel smiled. "I had a little visit from our daughter. Why do you think I came to Sunnydale?"
A look of realisation flickered across Claire's face as she realised what he was talking about, but Buffy was still confused.
"How? She never left Sunnydale the whole time she was there."
"I went to him in his dreams." Claire said. "And boy did I get in trouble for that!" She turned to Angel accusingly. "You weren't supposed to work out who I was."
"Sorry!" He laughed. "But you made it pretty obvious!"
Claire grinned sheepishly and Buffy walked over to her and gave her a hug.
"Thank you!" She whispered in her ear. "For being the perfect daughter!"
Xander turned to his son and Willow. "I think that would be our cue to go!"
Willow nodded her head but Luke spoke. "I'll be home in a minute Dad. I have to speak to Claire first."
Xander nodded, knowing exactly what his son wanted to do. "We'll see you guys around okay?" He said to Buffy and Angel. "And good work!" He said to Claire and he and Willow left.
"We'll leave you two alone I think." Angel said, walking over and taking Buffy by the arm. "We'll see you in the morning okay Claire? I think by the look on your mother's face we're going to have a big family chat then!" He winked at his daughter then left the room, Buffy with him.
"Night Mum! Night Dad!" Claire called.
"Night!" Buffy called back then turned to her husband. "What did you do that for? I wanted to talk to her!"
"You have all the time in the world to talk to her, Buffy. I have a feeling that what Luke wants to do can't wait." He gave his wife a kiss on the forehead then led her outside to balcony.
Meanwhile, inside the living room Luke stood in front of Claire and looked her in the eyes.
"You know how much I love you, right?" Claire nodded her eyes downcast. She had a feeling she knew what was coming. The words before the break-up, She thought.
"Well I have something for you." Claire head snapped up, surprised.
"Luke, you shouldn't…I mean, why?"
Luke laughed. "You've forgotten too?" He took a small box out of his pocket. "Well I didn't. Today's your birthday Claire!" He laughed at the look of surprise on her face.
"Oh, I completely forgot!"
"So did everyone else I expect, in the event of today. But I didn't. Close your eyes Claire." She did as she was told, trying to work out what on Earth he had gotten her. As soon as she felt the smooth, cool ring of silver on her finger she knew and her eyes flew open. It was a silver Claddaugh ring, matching her parents and the one Luke wore on his hand.
"It's beautiful!" She whispered and Luke smiled.
"So are you!" He leant in and kissed her. "Do you know what it means?"
Claire nodded, speechless. She had been told the story many times by her parents.
"Well then wear it with the heart in."
Claire nodded again, smiling at her boyfriend, the guy she loved. "Always."
****
Angel stood underneath the stars, holding his wife in his arms.
"You realise it's her birthday today." Buffy whispered.
"Of course!" Angel said. "How could I forget?" He kissed the top of Buffy's hair and she smiled. "I think what Luke is doing is doing is a bit more important at the moment though."
Buffy nodded, her eyes on the stars.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Tell you what?"
"That it was Claire?"
Angel turned her around and looked deep into her eyes. Somewhere below, the front door shut. "I felt that was her job."
Buffy nodded again. "She met Giles."
Angel kissed her nose. "I'm glad she did. She now knows how important he was to us all."
"Yeah. I miss him Angel. Especially now!"
Angel laughed. "You just want to tell him off for keeping the secret!"
Buffy laughed as well. "Yeah, I would like to do that!" She admitted.
Angel looked at his beautiful wife, standing here in his arms, her face illuminated by the moonlight.
"I love you Buffy!"
"And I…" She replied, kissing him. "…Love you!"
They stood together for a few more minutes before walking inside and into their daughter's bedroom. She was fast asleep, having been worn out by the day. On her finger, her Claddaugh ring glinted in the moonlight. Buffy smiled and walked over to kiss her forehead.
"Happy Birthday Claire!" She whispered and Angel came up behind her to wrap his arms around her waist. "We did a good job didn't we?"
Angel smiled. "We did a great job!"
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