__The Larger View__
By Jolene Beasley
Standing up was great.
Sure, crawling got a fellow farther, but standing... new point of view, new vistas to explore... new things to grasp... Standing was definitely superior to crawling.
It just took a lot longer to get from place to place. Hand over hand, always needing support... now, walking, that was the ultimate. He almost had the standing thing licked. The walking thing was a lot harder than it looked. Mummy and Daddy made it look so easy!
Marcus frowned with concentration as he maneuvered his still unsteady legs into a wider stance. At eight months, his mind was racing ahead of his still-infantile body. His mind told him that walking was necessary, but his legs just wouldn’t cooperate. The bookcase was almost within reach, but he needed to let go of the couch first, and he wasn’t too confident in his ability to stand unassisted. He stood, swaying precariously, trying to gain his balance in his spread-eagle position. Only his fingertips still grasped the sofa cushion, and he was just about ready to lean out into the void. He took a deep breath... wobbled briefly...
And landed solidly on his diaper-clad bottom.
Frustration welled up inside him, and he started to wail. Buffy came out of the kitchen, where she’d been watching the entire series of events, and gathered him up soothingly. "Hey, sweetie baby, I know it’s tough being the little guy, but you’ll get it right eventually. You’re growing up so fast, you make Mummy all misty-eyed."
Marcus lay against her shoulder, a perfect pout on his tear streaked face, and wondered why his getting big would make her sad. He didn’t want to make Mummy sad. The tears began afresh, and Buffy started chuckling despite her sympathy. "Oh, baby, I’m not sad. That’s not the right feeling. It’s more like... sentimental. I know that’s a big word, but it’s like when Daddy comes home wearing his tweed, and I look at him and remember how it was back in high school. Good memories, but with just a little sad in them, because it’s of the past." She held him back and kissed his forehead as he rubbed his eyes.
The child psychologist, Doctor Leibermann, had urged them to explain their feelings to Marcus, even though he might not fully understand them. It seemed to be working, because Marcus always calmed down once they talked him through their bewildering adult emotions. To a child, adults could be so confusing.
"Muh-mee thad?" His pronounced lisp made Buffy smile.
She sat with him in her lap and gave him a quick hug. "No, Marcus, Mummy’s not sad. Mummy’s happy."
Suddenly, the answer dawned on the child. Mummy was happy and sad. She could be more than one emotion at the same time! This was a revelation to him. He pushed away and stared at his mother, trying to put something verbal to his new thought. "Muh-mee ‘ap-py-thad?"
She laughed delightedly at his intuitive word combination. "Yeah, baby, I think that’s a good way to put it. Mummy’s happy-sad."
"O-kay." He gave her a tiny smile, and settled against her shoulder again. He breathed a huge sigh of relief. He could live with happy-sad.
Buffy thought proudly, ‘just wait until Rupert gets home. He’ll be happy-sad, too." She cuddled the relieved baby for a few minutes more before letting him slide back to the floor. "You’re growing up so fast..." she repeated, gazing fondly at him as he returned to his toy truck and began making moist motor noises. Actually, they sounded more like prolonged raspberries to her.
As she went back into the kitchen, she stopped at the little cork board message center they’d affixed to the wall just under the telephone. With a deliberate hand, she wrote ‘camcorder’ in large letters, and pinned the note to the board at Giles’ eye level. The kid was gonna be running relay races before they could videotape him, if they didn’t act quickly.
‘Definitely a priority item,’ she thought to herself.
********
As Giles pulled into the driveway beside his wife’s little red convertible, he could feel the comfortable sub-vocal hum of contentment coming from the house. He pulled the parking brake on the van and sat motionless, eyes closed, basking in the aura of home. He shook himself after a moment, smiling. He was still grinning widely as he retrieved his briefcase and started for the door, whistling softly. The neighbors probably wondered what kind of job he had, that he was so relieved to get away from it!
No, more than likely, they took one look at Buffy, and knew exactly why he was glad to get home each day.
The front door was unlocked as usual, and he swept in, kicking the door shut behind him and laying his briefcase on the hall tree. His jacket came off next, and he tossed it onto a coat hanger with deliberate aim. It caught and hung quite nicely, as usual. He allowed himself a small twinge of satisfaction. It was akin to getting a 180 in darts, to throw the old coat just so...
Buffy called her greeting over Marcus’ happy babble. Giles dashed into the kitchen to collect some welcome-home smooches, then proceeded to the living room where babyhood reigned supreme. He stepped over several plastic blocks, lego pieces, and stuffed animals, heading for the child that knelt at the center.
"Dah-dee! Wook!" Marcus waved a hand, broadcasting ‘NO’ loudly as his father bent to take him into his arms. "Wook!" Giles stopped, confused, but straightened dutifully, wondering what the child was wanting him to watch.
"I’m looking, love. Daddy’s looking. Go on."
The child pushed himself to his hands and knees, then carefully got his feet under him until he was squatting, hands still on the floor for support. A frown of intense concentration on his face, he pushed up, wavering dangerously, before finding his balance and managing an unassisted stand. Actually, it was more of a squat, but it was an accomplishment, nevertheless. A proud grin broke across the little tike’s face, and he announced, "I up, Dah-dee! Wook!"
Giles caught him just as his balance failed, and gathered him into a delighted embrace. "Marcus! You stood up all by yourself! I’m very proud of you!"
Marcus returned the hug, then pushed away to state, "Up, Dah-dee. I up!"
"Yes, I saw... you’re getting to be such a little man..."
"I man!" Marcus mimicked vehemently.
"Yes, you are." Giles was beyond ecstatic, and Buffy began to laugh at the pride that was pouring off of him. He retorted, "I have every reason to be proud, Buffy, that’s quite an accomplishment at his age."
"Sorry, babe, but that’s not the only big thing he did today."
Giles came around to the kitchen, still holding Marcus. The baby seemed content to play with his daddy’s tie, and babbled quietly to himself as his parents talked.
"What else has our son accomplished? I shouldn’t be surprised if he began grammar school."
Buffy laughed again and gave her husband a quick smooch. Marcus looked up and puckered, begging for a kiss of his own. She complied, a loud smack accompanying the process, and the baby giggled happily.
"You know how he doesn’t want us to be sad, and he knows what the word means, just like he knows what happy means? Well, today, I told him he was growing up too fast, and it made me sentimental. He thought I was sad at first, but I tried to explain that sentimental was different than sad, even though I knew it was probably not soaking in. Then, all of a sudden he got it."
Giles gaped at her. "He got it? An abstract concept like sentimentality? I’ll admit he’s quite bright, but don’t you think you’re exaggerating a bit?"
Buffy shook her head firmly. "No, I don’t. After I explained, he said, ‘Mummy sad?’ and I said, ‘No, Mummy’s not sad, Mummy’s happy’, and he said, ‘Mummy happy-sad?’ and it almost floored me! He didn’t have a word he could say, so he made one up. I call that genius!"
Giles gazed with absolute adoration at the little boy in his arms. "I have to agree!"
In perfect unison, both parents sighed. "He’s growing up so fast!"
Marcus looked up, recognizing the emotion instantly as his parents felt it. "‘Ap-py-thad. Uh-oh, Muh-mee!"
********
Bill Armstead held up a flash card, fighting a grin at the look of absolute concentration on the tiny child’s face. "And this one?"
"Bwoo."
"Right, you are, lad. Now, this will be a bit harder." The Observer laid two color cards face up on the carpet between himself and the sitting infant. Marcus didn’t grab for them, or touch them. He waited patiently as Armstead explained further. "Which of these two cards is the darker blue?"
Marcus looked up at Armstead, perplexed.
"I’ll try and explain." Giles had instructed Armstead to speak normally around Marcus, and Armstead was making every effort to do so. It was surpassingly difficult to look down into that adorable face and not be reduced to shameful baby-talk. "This card," he held up the robin’s egg blue one, "is light blue. This one, on the other hand, is dark blue. Do you see? They’re both blue, but differing intensities... uh, that is to say, different shades."
Marcus, with his well-developed mimicry, pointed at the cards, identifying them correctly. "‘Ite bwoo... daaak bwoo."
"Yes! Yes, that’s it exactly! Well done!"
Marcus beamed and clapped his hands, bouncing in place. "Mo’, Bee-yoh, mo’!"
"Yes, of course, more. Let’s see... ah, here we go. These cards are... what color?"
"Gween."
"Right-o. Now, remember what we did with the blue cards?" The baby nodded solemnly. "All right, then, Which of the two cards is the dark green?" He held his breath, fighting not to give any unconscious signals to influence Marcus’ choice.
Marcus pointed decisively at the forest green card. "Daaak gween. Daaak bwoo! Yaaaay, Ma’cuth!"
Bill laughed out loud as the tiny child threw his hands up in victory and crowed his own congratulations. "Yay, Marcus! You’re a very good boy. You always do your best, and I know your Mummy and Daddy are very proud of you."
"You betcha we are," Buffy agreed as she watched from the hallway. "Marcus, sweetie, are you ready for some cherries and ice cream?"
"I’cweam!" Marcus struggled to his feet, reaching for his mother’s hands. She grasped his just as he lost his balance, and levered him up for a loving hug.
"Do you want to walk?"
Marcus nodded, his head bobbing like a toy in a car’s rear window. Armstead watched in amazement as Buffy let him down and held out her finger. The budding toddler grasped it firmly, one arm still around his mother’s leg for security. As she took a small step, he eased his grip on her and swung his leg forward. It wasn’t a big step, but he was covering ground under his own power, using his own feet. The delight in the child’s eyes was a joy to see.
It took a while to get to the kitchen, where Giles was putting the finishing touches on four bowls of frozen dessert... three large and one small He was putting the carton away when his wife and son marched slowly in, both of them grinning from ear to ear.
"Dah-dee! I waak! Wook!"
"I see, Marcus. Very good, indeed!" He took the child into his arms, bestowing a loving kiss on his cheek while looking as happy and proud as any man on earth could look. "Buffy, would you..."
"Oh, sure. Here, Bill, have some." She gathered the desserts, handed a bowl to Armstead, and they moved to the dining room table to enjoy their treat.
As he ate, Armstead turned his Observer’s eye on the family as a whole. They seemed so... normal. Granted, there was the age difference between the parents, but it seemed to have little or no bearing on the way they behaved toward each other, or to Marcus. In every way that was important, Buffy and Rupert related to each other as husband and wife, two individuals who chose deliberately to stay together for a lifetime. And into this solid foundation, Marcus was welcomed with open arms and hearts. He was certainly a fortunate little boy.
Bill believed he understood why Willow and Xander were so protective of these three. They were so special, so gifted... unique. Buffy and Mr. Giles... he couldn’t bring himself to think of him as ‘Rupert’ just yet... longed for an ordinary life while being singularly extraordinary.
He became aware that Buffy was addressing him. "Oh, sorry, I was... woolgathering, I suppose."
Buffy smiled kindly. "S’okay, Bill. I was just wondering when you had to send your next report in."
"Oh, uh... I think... ah, next Tuesday, I believe. Helps them if I send it on the same date each month. Easier to keep track of. I will send a note regarding anything out of the ordinary..."
"You should have Willow set up an Email account for you. I know for a fact that Cedrick is ‘down’ with the new technology."
"Down with...?"
Giles translated placidly. "He is familiar with it. And Buffy is mocking my feeble attempts at modern terminology, aren’t you, love?"
"If the wing-tip fits... and it’s still a good idea, Bill... Email, I mean."
Bill nodded thoughtfully. "Ah. Well, yes, it would help a great deal, although I’d have to purchase a computer."
"You say shopping and computers, in the same sentence, on the same day..." Buffy started giggling at the thought, and Giles’ reaction was similar, although he kept quiet. "...and Willow will be in Geeker Heaven."
"And that is good, then?"
"Definitely. You should ask her. Maybe when you go on your date tonight."
Bill began to choke on the last bite of his ice cream.
********
When Giles returned home on Monday, he could feel the frustration coming from his home like a wall of fog rolling in from the sea. He steeled himself as he started up the steps, and before he could turn the door knob, he could hear his precocious son wailing at the top of his lungs. He smiled sympathetically as Buffy’s heartbroken attempts at soothing the child came to him through their shared connection.
Things certainly weren’t as peaceful as they had been last week. That fact did nothing to lessen his joy at being there, however, and he walked up the steps with his usual delight. It was home, peaceful or not!
He entered the living room and stopped, seeing his exhausted wife cradling Marcus as he cried piteously. A large bruise was forming on the baby’s forehead, and his tone spoke more of disappointment and emotional upheaval than pain.
"Hello, loves. Can I help?" He held out his arms, and Marcus reached for him, leaking fresh tears. He took the child and cuddled him, kissing his flushed forehead and smoothing his hair where it had become matted with sweat and tears. "Hello, Marcus, Daddy loves you. Look at you, you’ve got such a bruise. It’s all right, son, you’re safe. No harm done."
Marcus gave a heaving sigh and relaxed against his father’s shoulder. In seconds, he was asleep.
"He’s so tired, but he wouldn’t take his nap." Buffy was clearly worn out from her frenzied day. "He wants to walk by himself so bad, he wouldn’t go down, no matter how sleepy he was. He’s probably fallen a hundred times. He’s got bruises and cuts all over him! The Child Protection people would want to investigate if they got a look at him right now."
Giles rubbed his cheek against the sleeping baby’s forehead. "Poor lad... let’s put him upstairs and let him sleep it off."
"Fine with me." Buffy sighed. "If it wasn’t for Slayer strength, I think watching this tiny tornado would kill me. He hasn’t even reached the terrible twos yet, and I don’t think I’m gonna survive until he turns one!"
"Nonsense. He’s just going through a phase."
"Psychobabble for ‘I don’t know what the heck is going on.’ Right?" She trudged up the stairs behind Giles, her footsteps heavy with fatigue. "It’s only four o’clock, and I’m already beat."
She watched as Giles put Marcus into his crib, admiring the tender way he tended the child. He even checked Marcus’ diaper before covering him and tucking him in. From his considerable height, it was an effort to bend and press his lips to the tiny face, but he managed it with unconscious grace. Love for her husband welled up inside Buffy, and she rose onto her toes to give him a grateful kiss. "I don’t know what I’d do without you, Rupert. You are the best."
He smiled and pulled her into a gentle hug, his eyes flicking from hers to the softly breathing figure in the baby bed. "When you have the best, you must strive to be the best."
She leaned against him, relief melding into contentment as she took strength from him. Finally she looked up and patted him on the chest. "I gotta go start dinner. I never got a chance with the Tasmanian Baby taking apart the living room."
"I’ll do it. You take a rest."
"Oh, you are too perfect. You got a deal." She looked back at Marcus. "Poor little guy. Inside he's Indiana Jones... outside, he's Baby Huey. No wonder he gets frustrated sometimes!"
Giles looked completely dumbfounded. "Ah, Buffy..."
"Oh, come on, I know you know who Indiana Jones is... we’ve seen Raiders of the Lost Ark a dozen times!"
"Yes, of course, that is one pop culture reference I understood immediately. But... ‘Baby Huey?’ That one escapes me."
Buffy rolled her eyes, as she always did when faced with his inherent Britishness. "It’s a cartoon. Me and Marcus watch the old ones on TV sometimes. Baby Huey is a big fat baby duck in diapers. Breaks everything because he’s so big and clumsy, then cries because stuff is broken. Not that Marcus breaks a lot of stuff... well, not on purpose, anyway, but then, neither did Baby Huey. Break stuff on purpose, I mean. You had to be there, I guess."
"I guess." Giles pondered her comments as he watched Marcus sleeping, tears of frustration still glistening on the flushed baby cheeks. Buffy’s intense concern seared his mind like a hot burner, and he turned again to take her in his arms. "Love, Marcus will be fine. He’s going through the same learning experiences all children do. He’s finding his limits, then testing them."
She sniffed against his shirt. "And just where did you get this incredible knowledge of child psychology?"
He laughed gently, resting his cheek against her hair. "Various and sundry places. University, books, lectures, Doctor Liebermann... and I remember... things."
She looked up at her husband in shock. "You remember being a little baby? That’s impossible! How? I don’t remember anything before kindergarten."
"I have distinct memories of my parents’ first house. We moved when I was just turned two, so those memories are from before that."
She looked up at him with something akin to awe. "I knew you had some major wattage upstairs, but that’s impressive! What do you remember?"
He drew her to his side and began to lead her downstairs. "Let’s have a cup of tea and a sit-down, and I’ll regale you with stories of skinned knees, bruised heads and bee stings in the garden."
"That sounds great. Especially the sitting down part."
********
"I don’t know if this is such a good idea, Will." Buffy cradled the telephone against her shoulder, folding towels as she watched Marcus beating a plastic nail into a plastic board with a plastic hammer. The noise seemed to please him. He was grinning widely.
"Sure it is, Buffy! You guys need a break. Even Xander noticed it last night when we came over."
Buffy thought about the night before. Sure, she was a little short with everyone, but it was because Marcus had been up all night with a tummy ache. Slayers were used to going on just a few hours of sleep... it really shouldn’t have bothered her all that much. Giles had seemed a bit snippish, lately, though... maybe he could use some time away.
"I don’t know..."
"Look, Xander and I can watch Marcus for a few hours. It’s no big deal. He likes us, and we’ve done it before."
"Yeah, but that was a couple of months ago, and he’s a lot more mobile now. He wears me and Giles out, and we’re... y’know... the Chosen Ones!"
Willow laughed into the receiver. "Yeah, yeah, the Super Duo... blah, blah, blah. Demon stuff, okay, I’ll give you that. But baby-sitting? Heck, for three summers I made all my spending money baby-sitting... well, that and building web sites... but anyway, I can do this, and Xander can help."
Buffy shifted the telephone to the other ear and slid onto the sofa. "Xander helping? That’s another thing I’m not too clear on. Sure, Xander loves Marcus, but he acts like he’s scared to death of him."
"Don’t be silly. He’s just being Xander. He even offered to call out for pizza, so we won’t have to eat before we come over. We’re going to let you two have a nice, romantic night out, and no arguments. This is my Resolve Voice talking, since you can’t see my face."
Buffy recognized the firmness in her best friend’s voice, and gave in. "Okay, okay, just don’t look at me with that tone of voice."
Willow squealed happily. "Oh, goodie, this is gonna be great! I’ll call Xander, and you’d better call for reservations."
"And just when is the reenactment of Adventures in Baby-sitting going to happen?"
"Tomorrow night! It’s Friday night, which is date night all over the world, even for old married people."
Buffy giggled. Old married people, indeed!
"So, if tomorrow night is date night, why aren’t you going out with Wild Bill?"
Willow sighed. Buffy just wouldn’t leave well enough alone. "Because we’re going on a picnic Saturday, then computer shopping, remember? He has to do his report this weekend. I’m giving him time to do it, too, because I’m a considerate person, which is also why I’m helping you! So, there."
"I give up! Okay, I’ll see you guys tomorrow night. Better make it around five-thirty, because I don’t want to stay out too late. Marcus might get fussy on you."
Willow squealed again, then said her good-byes. Buffy stood for a minute, smiling fondly, then hung up the phone and looked at Marcus. "Hey, sweetie baby." He responded instantly, looking up at her. He knew from her thoughts that she wanted to ask him something. "If Willow and Xander came over tomorrow night, would you stay with them while Mummy and Daddy go out for a while? We won’t be gone long."
He thought about it, his tiny face furrowed with concentration. This was important to Mummy. He didn’t know just when tomorrow night was, but he knew it was in the future, so that made it all right with him. He nodded solemnly.
"You’re such a sweetie." Buffy knelt to give him a hug and a kiss. He smiled broadly. Mummy was happy, so Marcus was happy. Daddy would be happy when he came home. It was a good day.
Now, if he could just learn to walk, it would be just perfect.
********
It was almost as frantic in the Giles’ household Friday afternoon as it had been on the day of Marcus’ christening. Both parents were dashing back and forth, trying to get last minute chores done before getting dressed for dinner. They had chosen Cherve’s, the restaurant where they’d gone on their first date, and their reservations were at six. Willow and Xander were going to be there at five-thirty. It was five o’clock now, and neither of them were close to being ready to go.
Marcus watched the whirlwind of activity with confusion. Mummy and Daddy were excited and happy, but worried, too. He didn’t understand how grownups could feel so many different emotions at once! He tried to get them to stop and relax for a moment, but his vocabulary didn’t have the words yet. Frustration began to well up inside him once again. He needed to be older, now!
"Muh-mee!" He needed a word badly, but he didn’t have one. What could he say that would make her stop for a minute? He thought of something, suddenly, and grinned. "Muh-mee? Wuh’ yoo!"
It worked.
"Oh, sweetie, Mummy loves you, too!" She immediately came over to him and picked him up, hugging him tightly. He puckered up for a kiss, and she complied immediately. Instead of putting him down again, she carried him upstairs so she could change clothes. He sat on the king size bed, playing with the throw pillows as she combed her hair and slipped on her dress.
She gazed proudly into the mirror. She could still wear the little black dress from her first date with Giles! Having a kid hadn’t altered her body too much, although she was a little bigger at the top now than she had been in high school. She decided that was a good thing as she evaluated the cleavage peeking over the top of the bodice. Satisfied, she finished her makeup and swept her hair back and up into a french knot.
"There. That doesn’t look too bad." She knew Giles was still in the shower, so she grabbed the baby and went back downstairs. Marcus still wasn’t sure what was going on, but he went back to playing with his toys, shooting a glance at her every so often to be sure she was still there.
* * * * *
The doorbell rang, and Buffy danced down the hall, excitement making her giddy. It was silly... she saw her husband every day and night, and he was always appreciative, affectionate, and very sexy. The idea of going out with him, being seen in public as husband and wife... something they hadn’t done very often, even before Marcus came along... somehow that made it more titillating.
She threw open the door and Xander almost swallowed his tongue. Buffy stood there in a slinky black dress, her hair piled onto her head, her face flushed with anticipation. She looked amazing. After enjoying the sight for longer than strictly necessary, he decided that Willow had pegged things pretty well. Buffy certainly looked like she was glad to be going out.
He stood there with his mouth hanging slightly open, as Willow, chatting happily, followed her best friend into the house. "Oh, Buffy, you look fantastic! I just knew this was a good idea! Shut your mouth, Xander, and come on in. Is Giles ready yet? If you look this good, I can’t wait to see what he looks like! Um, did I say that out loud? I’m not trying to glom onto your hubby, or anything... it’s just... Xander!"
Willow came back down the hall and grabbed her friend by the arm. "Stop staring and get in here! You’re supposed to be stopping me before I say embarrassing things. Good grief, you act like you’ve never seen Buffy all dressed up before!" She tugged him into the living room, released him, and swooped down on Marcus, babbling baby talk at a rapid clip. Marcus grinned and gave her an enthusiastic hug, then begged for a kiss. Willow giggled and gave him a loud smack, which was greatly appreciated.
"Wih-dow, wook! T’uck!" She slid down to the floor and released him, and he seized his new toy truck and showed it to her. "T’uck!" he said, proudly. "B-b-b-b-b-b..." The motor sound was accompanied by a spray of bubbles, and Willow laughed heartily.
Xander finally sat down on the couch next to Willow. "Hey, Marcus, that’s a pretty neat truck."
"Yeth. Wook, Than-ner!" Marcus pushed a large button on the top of the truck, and it played the sound of an engine revving. Marcus’ imitation of the sound was startlingly accurate. He was a wonderful mimic.
"I hear ya, Marcus. You’ve got it down pat." Xander slid down to the floor beside Willow and joined the baby’s play. This was his favorite part, because Marcus always had cool toys. The least favorite part was diaper duty, but with Will there, he was hoping to avoid diapers at all costs.
Buffy glanced up as Giles started down the stairs. Her heart began to thump wildly. ‘Babe, you are gorgeous.’ she thought dreamily as he descended, resplendent in his black double-breasted suit. He blushed slightly and answered her thought with one of his own. Its suggestive nature made Buffy grin widely. She knew he’d never say anything blatantly sexy in front of Willow and Xander, but he could think whatever he wanted! She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, wiping the lipstick away an instant later.
They both turned and beamed at their two friends, who were feeling very pleased with themselves for suggesting this little diversion. Xander stood and gave them a quick assessment, then remarked, in a thick, affected accent, "I must say, you two look mah-velous!"
They both said, "Thank you," in unison, then Giles looked at his watch. "We’d best be getting on, Buffy. Willow... Xander..." His eyes lit up with affection. "...Thank you both. You’re the best of friends."
Willow’s heart melted at his gentle gratitude, and Xander coughed and looked down at the floor awkwardly.
Marcus sensed that his parents were going somewhere without him, and he frowned, not sure whether to cry or not. "Muh-mee? Dah-dee? Buh-bye?"
Buffy smiled. "Bye-bye, honey, we’re going somewhere for a little while. You’ll be okay with Willow and Xander until we get back."
Marcus wanted to give his parents a hug, but they were too far away, and there was no furniture between them and the couch. Determined to get their attention before they left, he pulled up on the couch as Buffy and Giles went over some last minute details with Willow. Nobody noticed as the baby eased to the edge of the side table and made his way around the perimeter, balancing himself carefully.
The child’s fierce concentration blocked the link between him and his parents, and Giles looked up first, puzzled. He wasn’t home the time before, and hadn’t yet experienced Marcus raising his mental barrier, but he realized in an instant what was happening. Buffy looked up a split second later, and they both froze in mid-conversation. Willow frowned and turned around to see what had caught their attention, and Xander stopped next to the couch, a combined look of fear and amazement on his face.
Marcus had released the table’s edge, and was balanced unsteadily on his own two feet. Instinctively, Buffy squatted and reached for him. "C’mon, Marcus, come to Mummy... you can do it!"
Marcus gave a squeal of delight and took three shaky steps, beaming like a lighthouse. The fourth step faltered, but Buffy caught him before he fell. An explosion of noise broke the silence as all four adults began to congratulate the child for taking his first steps. He’d certainly found a way to get his parents’ attention!
Buffy and Giles were ten minutes late leaving for their dinner. Some things were more important than being on time. They drove away in Buffy’s little red convertible, since Willow had forbidden them to take the van, insisting that the car was much more conducive to date-ness.
Willow, Xander and Marcus waved as Buffy and Giles drove away. Willow breathed a huge sigh of relief as they disappeared around the corner. "Finally! I didn’t think they’d ever actually leave. Okay, Xander, it’s time to order the pizza."
********
Twenty minutes later, the doorbell rang, and Willow looked up from where she was letting Marcus use her as a jungle gym. "Pizza’s here! Cash in my purse! Tip the guy two bucks for being early!"
"Tip?" Xander looked at her with disdain.
"Xander..." Her voice took on a warning tone. "Give the guy a tip, or else."
He grumbled to himself as he opened the door, counting Willow’s money without looking up. "Okay, okay... gee whiz, can’t a guy tease a little bit.... oh, boy!" Before him stood a beautiful and very curvaceous young lady in a pizza delivery uniform. She was holding a giant pizza box in one hand and a two-liter drink bottle in the other.
"Did you order a Supreme Madness Special, cutie?"
"Uhhhh...."
It seemed that Xander was taking an awfully long time with the pizza, and Willow was just about to check on him when he wandered back in with the food. He wore a bemused expression as he plunked the pizza down on the table and wandered into the kitchen for glasses.
"Xand? Did you tip the guy?"
"Huh?"
She heard him rattling ice in the glasses, so she knew he could hear her. "Xan-der! Did you tip the guy?"
He came back with the glasses, smiling broadly. "Oh, yeah. Even pitched in a few bucks of my own."
********
The appetizers had been taken away, and Buffy toyed with her wine glass, looking preoccupied. Giles gazed at her lovingly, knowing her mind was on Marcus. He shared her preoccupation, but was determined that she enjoy the few hours they had. "Buffy?"
She roused from her obsessing, and looked up. A flush stole up her neck as she realized she’d been ignoring him. "I’m sorry, Rupert. This is supposed to be for us, and I’m ruining it."
"You’re not ruining anything. However... we might as well make the best of the evening, if only for Willow’s sake. She would be quite cross if we didn’t."
"You got that right! She’s a regular force of nature, isn’t she?"
Giles laughed gently. "Well put. So, in deference to our determined friend, shall we talk about something that doesn’t involve diapers and baby bottles? That is, if we remember how."
It was Buffy’s turn to laugh. "Okay, so, how’s the semester going, Professor Giles? I haven’t heard about work all month. We’ve just been talking about... well, what you said we weren’t going to talk about, so let’s talk about the other... thing, that we were going to talk about. That was an awfully Willow-like sentence, wasn’t it?"
He laughed heartily. "I understood perfectly, my dear. With or without proper sentence structure."
"Thanks. I think. So... classes? Any troublemakers?"
He hesitated, then began sharing his feelings about his current classes, warming to the subject until they were both laughing and trading classroom horror stories. The hour passed quickly, and as they finished dessert, taking turns feeding each other, their shared feelings shifted from comfortable companionship to smoldering desire.
********
For what seemed like the hundredth time, Xander caught Marcus just as he was removing another book from the bookcase. The child could manage about three steps, which now brought the entire living room into his realm of awareness. Marcus’ new perspective allowed him to see things he’d never seen before... like the tassel hanging from the table runner on Giles’ writing desk. Willow had managed to grab the baby’s hand just in time to prevent the lamp, the decorative pen and pencil set, and several neat stacks of correspondence from ending up in the floor.
"I’m gonna start callin’ you Marco Polo, if you don’t quit exploring, kiddo!" Xander slid the book back into place and waggled a finger at the tiny child. "You know Mom and Dad don’t want you messing with the books."
"I bet he’ll be reading before you know it." Willow came back from the kitchen, where she’d stashed the remains of the pizza and the half-empty soft drink bottle in the refrigerator. "Hey! I could give him a head start!" She grabbed a pencil off the desk and grabbed Giles’ notepad. She settled onto the couch and drew a large capital ‘A’. "Markie... look what Willow has! Do you want to learn your letters?"
Marcus crawled over and pulled up on the couch, frowning at the marks on the page. Suddenly, he brightened. This was something new! He liked learning things.
"It’s a letter ‘A’, baby. When you learn all your letters, you can start reading books, just like Giles... uh, Daddy does. Won’t that be fun?"
Xander snorted in disbelief. "Can’t you give the poor kid a break? Isn’t it bad enough he’s gonna have to spend thirteen years of his life surrounded by that nasty ol’ alphabet? Does he have to spend his tender years learning, too? That’s pretty cruel, Will."
Marcus ignored Xander. He was always teasing, anyway. He stared at the drawing, memorizing it.
Willow leaned towards him encouragingly. "C’mon, you can say it. This is the letter ‘A’... say ‘A’, Markie."
"I don’t think you’re supposed to call him Markie, Will."
She ignored Xander and continued. "This is ‘A’. I wonder if they let him watch Sesame Street."
That seemed to ring a bell with Marcus, and his eyes lit up. "Aaa-ee." He said firmly.
"That’s right! Xander, did you see that? He got it!"
Xander shook his head sadly. "I saw. It’s the end of an era. The innocence is gone."
Willow was about to make a retort, but the telephone interrupted. She jumped up to answer it, leaving the notepad where Marcus could stare at it. "Hello, Giles residence. Oh, hi, Bill! What’s up?"
Xander rolled his eyes, and Willow stuck her tongue out at him.
"Sure, you can borrow my laptop. It’s at home, though, and I’m here... but you knew that already." She blushed slightly, then said in a lower tone, "Are you sure you can’t wait until tomorrow... oh, that’s sweet... I don’t want anything interfering with our picnic, either. I can run home and get it. Okay, I’ll be right over, but I have to come right back here, because we’re baby-sitting. Yeah, Marcus is being good. He’s walking, did you know? Okay, see you in a sec. Bye!"
She was beaming when she hung up the phone, and Xander’s expression was one of complete dread. She ignored it and grabbed her purse and keys. "I’m just gonna be gone for a few minutes, guys. Markie, you be good for Uncle Xander, okay?"
Marcus looked at her innocently. "O-kay."
"Bye!" She dashed out the front door, closing it noisily behind her.
The two deserted males looked at each other. Xander sighed. "Mark, ol’ buddy... you might as well learn right now... you can’t figure women out. It’s just not in the cards."
Marcus decided not to even try.
********
"Buffy, I’ve not had much practice with restraint in the past year or so. If you keep teasing me, I might well embarrass us both," Giles warned in a low voice as Buffy’s shoeless foot inched its way up underneath his pants leg.
"Might be fun," she said languidly. "It would certainly be more entertaining than this yucky old Muzak." She waved a hand in the direction of the ceiling speakers.
Giles growled low in his throat, and the sound made her shiver with delight. After almost two years of marriage, she could still drive him crazy. Of course, it worked both ways. The look in his eyes was enough to make her wish they weren’t so far from home.
"They have a ballroom upstairs," she commented, continuing to torture him under the table while above it her hands were folded demurely under her chin. "I bet the music’s better up there. Maybe we could dance for just a little while..."
He quirked a smile at her, causing her breath to catch. "A capital idea, my dear." He stood, offering her his hand, and she rose gracefully, her eyes never leaving his. She had to stop and feel for her shoe, but he didn’t seem to mind.
********
"Okay, kiddo, watch Uncle Xander. You have to throw it with a little over-the-top, like this..." Xander tossed the soft, foam-rubber ball into the trash can with an exaggerated flourish. "Woo hoo! Three points for the Xand-man! Okay, Marcus, your turn. Put it in the hole, buddy." He handed the child the toy, and nodded encouragingly.
Marcus had never tried to throw something deliberately before, and he thought it sounded like fun. On his first attempt, he released the ball too quickly, and it went straight up, pinging off the spinning blades of the ceiling fan and careening into Giles’ chess set. There was enough raw force behind Marcus’ throw to cause the pieces to fly in all directions at once, effectively emptying the board.
Xander gaped in disbelief. This kid had an arm! If he could only learn some control, he’d be a killer on the court someday. "Wow, Mark, you really did inherit your Mom’s muscle, didn’t you?"
Marcus giggled, then high-tailed it for the ball, first crawling, then walking a few steps before crouching to grab his prize. "Woo hoo!" he cheered, holding the ball up like a running back who’d just scored a touchdown.
"Okay, buddy, c’mere and let’s see if we can work on your aim."
The next shot knocked over the floor lamp. Xander checked it to make sure it wasn’t broken, then retrieved the ball and turned his attention back to his little protégé. The third throw went into the wastebasket, tipping it over and spilling three days worth of trash onto the floor. Xander winced, but cheered dutifully as Marcus shrieked in triumph. "Great shot, Marko. We’d better get this cleaned up. But first, I need a little pick-me-up. You want some more pizza?"
Marcus cheered again. He liked pizza.
********
The music was delightfully slow and sensuous, and Buffy snuggled against Giles’ chest, sighing happily. What a nice night... good food, good conversation that wasn’t interrupted by baby stuff, and being in the arms of her one-and-only fella. Good old Willow. And Xander, of course.
"This is just what we needed, babe," Buffy murmured happily. "We gotta to do this more often."
"Um hmm." Giles was preoccupied with the delightful feeling of Buffy in his arms. The music was sexy and sweet, a perfect compliment to their mood. "I hate to see it end."
"Well..." She shifted slightly and looked up into his eyes. "We could go for a nice drive..."
He finished her sentence, and her thought, for her. "...and perhaps make a detour on the way?"
"Maybe. There’s a really pretty overlook on the way back."
"Yes, there is. Just what are you suggesting?"
"Oh, I don’t know... we’ve never made out in a car before..."
He started chuckling. "Buffy! Don’t be silly!"
"I’m not. Just think about it for a minute. Warm night, clear mountain air, a soft breeze blowing, the lights of the city below us, nothing but the moon and stars above... one of the advantages of owning a convertible."
He actually stopped to consider the possibilities. As he thought about them, he decided it had become much too warm in the room. "Well... perhaps a few minutes won’t put us too late."
********
"Dude! You forgot the rules again! No books! Your dad would kill me." Xander picked Marcus up and turned him away from the bookcase. "You are one stubborn little guy. Hey, I know, let’s build a fort!"
He put Marcus down in the center of the living room floor and started removing the couch cushions. "I used to do this when I was a kid... it’s great, really." He began stacking the cushions like toy blocks, using the edge of the couch as a prop. "See, we can crawl through here... follow me!" Xander crawled through the makeshift tunnel, emerging on the other side just in time to see Marcus yank the table runner off Giles’ desk. "AAAAHH!" He dove for the antique Tiffany lamp, catching it just before it smashed into the carpet.
Marcus laughed and clapped his hands. Uncle Xander was lots more fun than Aunt Willow.
********
"This is nice." Buffy sighed. They were parked next to the guard rail at the scenic overlook, their bucket seats fully reclined. With the convertible top down, they had an unobstructed view of the night sky. The hill’s elevation eliminated much of the haze and light pollution from the valley, and the stars looked close enough to touch. Giles’ thumb rubbed lazy circles on the back of her hand as it rested on the console between them.
"It is extraordinarily peaceful, considering the cacophony just a few miles below us." The crowded freeway glistened in the distance, far enough away to muffle the sound of traffic, but close enough to paint delicate threads of red and white onto the dark valley.
Buffy thought of something. "We’re not making out. Why not?"
He laughed softly. "We haven’t gotten round to it yet, I suppose." He looked skeptically at the small vehicle’s interior. "Either that, or I haven’t figured out the logistics of cuddling in a sardine tin."
"It’s easy. Watch." She slid out of her seat and straddled his lap, smiling seductively. "See? Nothing to it." Suddenly, she yelped as the steering wheel caught her in the back. "Yowch! Well, maybe you should scoot your seat back."
"The seat is as far back as it will go already, love. I had to pull it back so I could drive. This car was obviously made for midgets."
"Hmm. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. I guess you’ll have to move over to the other side. There’s nothing in the way over there."
He started chuckling again. "Oh, well, I suppose..." He started to slide out from under Buffy, first bumping his knee on the dashboard, and then banging his thigh on the gear shift. "Ow! Good Lord! Just a few inches over and the romantic atmosphere would have ended... for quite some time!"
Buffy, still propped up against the driver’s side door, burst into muffled laughter, holding her mouth in a desperate attempt to not hurt his feelings.
********
"Hey, guys, sorry I took so long but the phone in Bill’s apartment didn’t have a modem jack... oh... my... God."
She stopped in horror at the state of the living room. Marcus’ lego blocks were scattered into the hall. The standing lamp was turned over onto the floor, the shade a few feet away. She started into the room and stepped on a chess piece. There were books everywhere. A half-eaten slice of pizza was draped over the corner of Giles’ writing desk. The trash can lay on its side, its contents spilled in a perfect fan shape. The couch cushions were in the floor. There were pieces of shredded paper resting on every available surface. From time to time, a breeze from the ceiling fan would cause paper to shift gently before settling back into place.
"Xander?" She rounded the edge of the couch and looked down to find Xander sprawled out on the floor, face down, with Marcus sitting on top of him. The baby looked up and grinned widely. "Shhh... Than-ner s’eep."
"Xander!!"
A sleepy voice mumbled, "I’m up, Mom... oh, Will, hey. We were just playing ‘fort.’ Marcus won. I had to show him the confetti dance." He looked up, frowning. "Marcus, you sure did make a mess while I was asleep, buddy."
"Xander! We gotta clean this place up! They’ll be home any minute!"
Xander sat up, confused. "No way... it’s only..." He looked at his watch. "Augh! Eight-thirty! Don’t just stand there! We gotta clean this place up!"
The two friends began dashing around, trying to straighten the once-immaculate room. After watching them dash back and forth for several minutes, Marcus finally curled up on the couch and dozed off. Willow stopped her cleaning long enough to put him to bed, partly so the noise of the vacuum cleaner wouldn’t wake him, and partly to keep him out of their way.
********
Giles eased the car into the driveway and killed the engine. The silence stretched out over several minutes. Finally, they turned to each other, speaking simultaneously.
"I just wanted to say..."
"This was really..."
They stopped, then laughed breathlessly. "We are a bit late." The smile on Giles’ face indicated he wasn’t too worried about the time.
"Yeah, but it was worth it... thank you." She leaned over and gave him a grateful kiss. "You stud-muffin, you."
He laughed self-consciously as he jumped out and rounded the car to open her door. She took his proffered hand, and he tucked hers into the crook of his arm as led her to the front entrance. "My various bruises and abrasions thank you, as well." They both giggled at the memory. "Shall we admit to Willow that her idea was a sound one? Or shall we keep up the pretense of business as usual?" His voice held a teasing note.
"I feel so great right now, I don’t think I could pretense if I wanted to."
He cleared his throat gently at her misuse of the word, but didn’t bother to correct her.
He unlocked the door, but before he opened it, he stopped and listened for a moment. "Marcus is asleep upstairs."
She nodded. "We’re just a couple of worry-warts, aren’t we? They did just fine without us."
They entered the house quietly, and Buffy stopped to check her appearance in the hall mirror. Her hair was mussed, so she took it down to avoid curious Willow questions. She glanced at Giles, noting that other than a slightly skewed tie, he looked fine. She giggled softly and eased into the living room.
Xander and Willow were lounging on the couch, drinking sodas and looking totally bored. They both jumped up when they saw their friends were home, and Willow gave them with a searching stare. "Well? Did you have a good time?" She waited, but the answer was plain on their faces. "You did! It was great, wasn’t it? I told you this was a good idea!"
Buffy took a few steps towards her friend and gave her a sisterly hug. "Yeah, Will, you told us, and we had a great time. Giles even loosened his tie a little, as the night wore on." She gave him a surreptitious wink behind the redhead’s back, then released her and beamed at her two friends.
Xander, who had been hovering in the background during the hug, opened his arms for his share of the gratitude, a pout on his face. Buffy grinned at his expression, then caved in and hugged him with equal affection. When she turned him loose, he complained, "Hey, I think Willow’s hug lasted a tad longer than mine!"
One stern look from Giles convinced Xander than the hug he received was sufficient.
"Okay, we’re gonna go home now. Marcus is asleep upstairs. He was great. There’s a bunch of leftover pizza in the fridge..." Xander nudged her as she spoke, and shook his head when she turned to look at him. "Oh. Okay, there’s a few pieces of leftover pizza in the..." He nudged her again. She glared at him, and he shook his head solemnly. Her eyebrows went up, and she put her hands on her hips, finally stating, "Okay, never mind. There are no pieces of leftover pizza in the fridge. You did throw the box away, right?" She directed the question at Xander, and he shrugged and grinned sheepishly. She turned back to Buffy and Giles and rolled her eyes. "There’s an empty pizza box in the fridge. Sorry."
Buffy laughed and threw an arm around both of them. "It’s no big. I think I can toss a pizza box all by myself." She led them to the door, thanking them profusely along the way. "You guys are great... I can’t believe Marcus didn’t wear you completely out! You make a great baby-sitting team, I have to admit. Maybe we could do this again some time... in a couple of weeks?"
Willow deliberately avoided looking at Xander’s panic stricken face. "Sure! It was a piece of cake. Just give me a call... we can handle it."
They said their good-byes, and started down the steps. The instant Buffy closed the door, Xander hissed, "Next time, I’m getting combat pay."
"I can’t believe you trashed the place!" She hissed back.
"Me? Wasn’t me! It was Baby Taz!"
"You’re blaming the baby?"
"Baby? No baby back there, he’s a demolition expert."
"Yeah, right, and I suppose he asked for the confetti dance."
"Well, no, but I had to do something! He was taking apart the furniture! Besides, he won the game."
"You’re supposed to be the one watching him, not the other way around."
"I did watch him. I watched him knock over the chess set. I watched him try to dismantle Giles’ library. I watched him smear pizza sauce on the table legs..."
"Uh huh."
"Hey! You gotta believe me! I saved Giles’ ugly ol’ desk lamp from a horrible, lingering death... twice! Actually, I don’t know if that counts for me or against me."
"Only you, Xander." She unlocked the car and slid in, reaching for the knob and letting him in the other side.
"Hey! You weren’t there! The kid’s a menace!"
"Yeah, yeah..." The argument continued as they pulled out of the driveway and started down the street.
********
In the small sliver of light spilling in from the hallway, Buffy stood watching over the little crib. The smile on her face embodied a myriad of emotions... pride, love, wonder, concern... all wound up together in a look that spelled ‘Mother’ like nothing Giles had ever seen before. He watched her from the doorway, knowing she sensed him there. He felt the same things welling up inside him, and he was grateful that the Bond allowed him to share those strong feelings without having to put them into words.
"I always thought you were pretty good with words." She answered his unspoken thoughts as she glanced up at him, her eyes soft with a love of equal, yet differently directed, intensity.
"Words often fail me... as they have at the moment."
"Words might fail you, but your eyes... they’re pretty articulate right now."
"Ah. What are they saying to you?" He smiled, just a tiny quirk of the lip, and her heart skipped a beat. She loved that smile.
"Come here, and I’ll tell you." She looked up at him through her long lashes, and his feet moved before he could consciously think to tell them to do so. He swept her off her feet, muffling her delighted laughter with a sound-absorbing kiss. With easy familiarity, he backed across the hall and into their bedroom, never breaking contact with her mouth. He placed her gently in the center of the bed and joined her, murmuring the soft endearments that always made her smile.
Things were getting pretty intense when a familiar wail from the nursery caused them both to freeze. They both groaned, and Buffy started laughing as they sat up, straightening their clothes.
"Making out under the stars is looking pretty good right about now, huh?" she quipped breathlessly as they started back across the hall.
"I was just thinking... perhaps we should buy a larger car..."
* * *