When Fred woke up a short time later, she found her husband downstairs, and after holding him for several minutes, they realized they had to get ready. So once they had showered and got dressed, they headed to Council headquarters to retrieve their belongings.
Both of them were accompanied by people that Fred had never seen before - no doubt they had just been hired by the Board because none of them would have ties or loyalty to any of them. Fred didn't want to leave Rupert, no trusting what they might do to either of them if they were separated, so she helped him get his things before they headed down to the lab. When they walked in, her staff...her old staff...looked up at them, watching as they went to her old office. She was sure all of them were salivating at the idea of being promoted in her place. Martin was the only one she had been comfortable trusting - how things had started between them didn't matter anymore.
Quickly, she grabbed everything and stuck them in the bag she had brought along. She was rather glad that she had taken her laptop with her before they had left for California as she was rather sure that the Board wouldn't have wanted her to have that. Once she finished, she took Rupert's hand, and they were escorted outside. They found the others all waiting out by their cars, including Lorne, who had all of his belonging in his carsince he had been living in the dormitory with the Slayers.
"You going to be all right?" Fred asked him softly after hugging him. "You need a place to stay?"
"I'm fine, Freddles. Xander's moving in with Martin, so I'm moving into his flat. It'll all be fine." He ruffled her hair affectionately. "How about you two?"
"We'll be okay. We just need to figure out what we're going to do now."
Giles had promised his father he wouldn't hit anyone at the Council. It was a promise he knew he had to keep since his father had told him he was going to call a few contacts and tell them what was going on. Even if the Council was filled with a bunch of prats, it didn't mean he needed to be one too. And the promise was the only thing keeping Giles from throttling the 'security guards' sent to watch them as they cleaned out their offices.
After they were finished, they met out in the parking lot. "We've made arrangements for Andrew's funeral," Charlotte said as she took Willow's hand. "You've been through enough and you need to concentrate on each other and your daughter."
"Thank you," Giles quietly said as one of the security guards walked up.
"You have five minutes to vacate Council property or the authorities will be called," the man said.
Giles clench his fists and was tempted to hit the other man. Before he could step forward, Buffy had already knocked the man to the ground. "Buffy," Giles said, looking at his Slayer. She turned and winced a little. "Nicely done."
Xander snorted a little and Martin started to giggle as Giles placed his hand on the small of his wife's back. "We'll ring you when we've gotten everything settled," Martin said. "Go home and rest. You two deserve it."
Giles merely nodded and took Fred to his car. Once she was inside, he started the engine and headed for their house.
Andrew's funeral was sad but beautiful. Like Cordelia's memorial, they held it outside, but they decided to go down to the coast for it since apparently Andrew had told Xander he'd always wanted to retire to a beach somewhere if he could. Willow had mumbled something about that being their plans, but Fred hadn't been sure who she was referring to and didn't want to ask since the thought of whatever it was obviously caused her friend pain. So they went down to Sussex, and found a nice stretch of beach on the English Channel, remembering Andrew.
After they returned, life had to go on even though they were no longer working for the Council. They weren't completely sure what they were going to do. They discussed reforming the Scoobies as their own group to fight evil the way they had. But after awhile, the discussion had been tabled as it was obvious that none of them were ready quite yet.
So instead, they focused on things closer to home. Xander and Martin were setting up household together while Lorne moved into Xander's old flat. And Fred and Rupert decided it was time to start getting the nursery ready for Andi. The baby wasn't due for several more months, but they knew it was probably better to use the time when they had it.
"What do you think of this?" Fred asked, holding up a set of curtains with purple and green and a bit of pink but not enough to be overwhelming. "It'll match the color the guys are painting the walls."
"I don't really want it to be just for a baby. It's going to be Andi's room for a long time, and we're not going to have a lot of time to redecorate, I'm sure."
Charlotte reached down and picked up two packages of curtains. "I think it's perfect. We should find the matching duvet set for it while we're at it; otherwise it's going to be gone by the time Andi's old enough."
"What do you think the guys are doing right now?" Willow asked. "Think Giles and Xander are fighting over team leader rights since Giles is the daddy and Xander is the carpenter?"
Fred shook her head. "Goodness knows. I just hope they manage to get the room painted and the crib and furniture put together."
"You're doing it wrong. It should be screwed the other way," Xander said as he pointed his bottle of beer at the rocking chair Giles was putting together. "If you put it together that way, Fred'll fall right outta it!"
Giles looked at the rocking chair and then took off his glasses. He took a drink of the bottle he was holding before examining the chair again. "It looks all right to me," he said. He stumbled up from the floor, glaring at Lorne when he snickered, and sat down on the chair. "See? Perfectly all right." He started to rock in it but stopped when he heard something crack. And before he could move, the rocking chair collapsed on him.
"Yes, good job!" Martin said from where he was mixing paint.
Giles glared at all of them. He didn't see why they had to be there. He was capable of putting the nursery together by himself. Although, it was nice to have the company. And Xander did get the crib and dresser together before they started drinking. And Martin had gotten most of the walls painted, even though the color looked more maroon than purple. Fred was going to be so proud of them!
"I'll just buy a new one," Giles said, pulling himself up.
"Before Freddles gets home?" Lorne asked from where he was standing and putting the clothes into the dresser.
"No need!" Giles said with a grin. "I tested it and saved her from getting hurt. She'll see me as a hero."
"Or a moron," Xander muttered before ducking out of the way of Giles.
Giles stumbled over to where Lorne was standing and looked at the clothes. "The baby is going to be awfully small! These could properly fit Molly," he said before finishing off his ale.
"No, I think Molly's too big for them," Martin commented.
"Want to make a bet?" Giles asked. Martin nodded and all of them called for the dog to come into the nursery.
When she got there, Molly went right to Giles. He picked her up and placed her on top of the dresser. "We're going to do a little experiment. Just hold still, love," he said as Lorne picked out a red onesie.
After a lot of grunting, and whining (Xander had stubbed his toe on the crib again), Molly had the onesie on her. At least they'd put it on backwards so the snaps were on her back and her tail could come out through one of the slots. Giles grinned and placed the dog on the floor, and before he could say anything, she had ran out of the room.
"I think you owe me some money," he said to Martin as Lorne handed him another beer. "Oh, thank you. You make a wonderful host, even if this is my house."
Lorne nodded and started to hum a song, and soon all four of them were singing.
Both of them were accompanied by people that Fred had never seen before - no doubt they had just been hired by the Board because none of them would have ties or loyalty to any of them. Fred didn't want to leave Rupert, no trusting what they might do to either of them if they were separated, so she helped him get his things before they headed down to the lab. When they walked in, her staff...her old staff...looked up at them, watching as they went to her old office. She was sure all of them were salivating at the idea of being promoted in her place. Martin was the only one she had been comfortable trusting - how things had started between them didn't matter anymore.
Quickly, she grabbed everything and stuck them in the bag she had brought along. She was rather glad that she had taken her laptop with her before they had left for California as she was rather sure that the Board wouldn't have wanted her to have that. Once she finished, she took Rupert's hand, and they were escorted outside. They found the others all waiting out by their cars, including Lorne, who had all of his belonging in his carsince he had been living in the dormitory with the Slayers.
"You going to be all right?" Fred asked him softly after hugging him. "You need a place to stay?"
"I'm fine, Freddles. Xander's moving in with Martin, so I'm moving into his flat. It'll all be fine." He ruffled her hair affectionately. "How about you two?"
"We'll be okay. We just need to figure out what we're going to do now."
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After they were finished, they met out in the parking lot. "We've made arrangements for Andrew's funeral," Charlotte said as she took Willow's hand. "You've been through enough and you need to concentrate on each other and your daughter."
"Thank you," Giles quietly said as one of the security guards walked up.
"You have five minutes to vacate Council property or the authorities will be called," the man said.
Giles clench his fists and was tempted to hit the other man. Before he could step forward, Buffy had already knocked the man to the ground. "Buffy," Giles said, looking at his Slayer. She turned and winced a little. "Nicely done."
Xander snorted a little and Martin started to giggle as Giles placed his hand on the small of his wife's back. "We'll ring you when we've gotten everything settled," Martin said. "Go home and rest. You two deserve it."
Giles merely nodded and took Fred to his car. Once she was inside, he started the engine and headed for their house.
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After they returned, life had to go on even though they were no longer working for the Council. They weren't completely sure what they were going to do. They discussed reforming the Scoobies as their own group to fight evil the way they had. But after awhile, the discussion had been tabled as it was obvious that none of them were ready quite yet.
So instead, they focused on things closer to home. Xander and Martin were setting up household together while Lorne moved into Xander's old flat. And Fred and Rupert decided it was time to start getting the nursery ready for Andi. The baby wasn't due for several more months, but they knew it was probably better to use the time when they had it.
"What do you think of this?" Fred asked, holding up a set of curtains with purple and green and a bit of pink but not enough to be overwhelming. "It'll match the color the guys are painting the walls."
"That's cute. Doesn't really scream baby, though," Willow said.
"I don't really want it to be just for a baby. It's going to be Andi's room for a long time, and we're not going to have a lot of time to redecorate, I'm sure."
Charlotte reached down and picked up two packages of curtains. "I think it's perfect. We should find the matching duvet set for it while we're at it; otherwise it's going to be gone by the time Andi's old enough."
"What do you think the guys are doing right now?" Willow asked. "Think Giles and Xander are fighting over team leader rights since Giles is the daddy and Xander is the carpenter?"
Fred shook her head. "Goodness knows. I just hope they manage to get the room painted and the crib and furniture put together."
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Giles looked at the rocking chair and then took off his glasses. He took a drink of the bottle he was holding before examining the chair again. "It looks all right to me," he said. He stumbled up from the floor, glaring at Lorne when he snickered, and sat down on the chair. "See? Perfectly all right." He started to rock in it but stopped when he heard something crack. And before he could move, the rocking chair collapsed on him.
"Yes, good job!" Martin said from where he was mixing paint.
Giles glared at all of them. He didn't see why they had to be there. He was capable of putting the nursery together by himself. Although, it was nice to have the company. And Xander did get the crib and dresser together before they started drinking. And Martin had gotten most of the walls painted, even though the color looked more maroon than purple. Fred was going to be so proud of them!
"I'll just buy a new one," Giles said, pulling himself up.
"Before Freddles gets home?" Lorne asked from where he was standing and putting the clothes into the dresser.
"No need!" Giles said with a grin. "I tested it and saved her from getting hurt. She'll see me as a hero."
"Or a moron," Xander muttered before ducking out of the way of Giles.
Giles stumbled over to where Lorne was standing and looked at the clothes. "The baby is going to be awfully small! These could properly fit Molly," he said before finishing off his ale.
"No, I think Molly's too big for them," Martin commented.
"Want to make a bet?" Giles asked. Martin nodded and all of them called for the dog to come into the nursery.
When she got there, Molly went right to Giles. He picked her up and placed her on top of the dresser. "We're going to do a little experiment. Just hold still, love," he said as Lorne picked out a red onesie.
After a lot of grunting, and whining (Xander had stubbed his toe on the crib again), Molly had the onesie on her. At least they'd put it on backwards so the snaps were on her back and her tail could come out through one of the slots. Giles grinned and placed the dog on the floor, and before he could say anything, she had ran out of the room.
"I think you owe me some money," he said to Martin as Lorne handed him another beer. "Oh, thank you. You make a wonderful host, even if this is my house."
Lorne nodded and started to hum a song, and soon all four of them were singing.
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