-Two Worlds: Elisabeth-

["Cilia" <cilia@xxxxx>]

-Two Worlds: Elisabeth-
Cilia

Were celebrating Junes first birthday, and everybody is here. Almost
everybody& Giles and Faith showed up with Wesley in tow. Daniel and Anya,
happy as ever, arrived shortly after Spike and Luna. Auntie June made a
grand entrance with a huge double layer chocolate cake, which she quickly
instructed Czar to protect from Spike and Faith as if his very life depended
on it. And at some points before dessert was served, I think it did. I love
how Auntie June manages to keep those guys in check. Gods know I could never
do it so well.
All these couples are making me long for my Willow. I think this is the
worst its been since June was born. Its easy to forget when youre busy
changing diapers, cleaning poopoo, and feeding a high speed food processor
named June. Not to mention the decorating and painting of her room with
Auntie June. Plus, Luna has made me her own personal mission; she refuses to
let me fall into a pit of despair.

Get this, Faith still thinks that I have no clue that she and Giles are
doing the wacky every chance they get. Its funny, Ive almost told her a
coupla times, but& I love to watch her squirm when I innocently ask about
Giless various injuries& It is not easy being a Slayers lover, you know.
Ask Willow. On second thought&
Anyway, I think Faiths doing a terrific job of keeping the world here
safe. And, you know, she makes my watcher very happy so& who am I to argue.
I just hope that I wont have to explain it to my daughter one day why
grandma Faith is so much younger the grandpa Giles. And as a grandpa, by the
way, Giles is great. He is spoiling June rotten every chance he gets.

Speaking of grandpa, we have another ally now... and he is called, get ready
for this, the Nightblade. Hes Giles alter ego, as Faith calls it. I blame
the drama on the comic section she set up in the bookstore. So by day, hes
the mild mannered Rupert Giles, bored playboy and bookstore owner but by
night, a Dark Hero! And of course, she sleeps with them both.

Anya is living happily with Daniel Night and still loves to gloat about
their place in their small Italian providence. They are the leaders of small
community of undying, humans and retired demons. Anya jokes about it being
the paranormal retirement home and theyre the condo-presidents.

Okay, back to the present& Spike is making Joyce Jr. help June blow out her
candle. I cant believe he calls her junior, but he insists she going to be
a scrapper. His daughter, Joyce St. Blood, is an adorable package of barely
contained energy, just like her daddy. And I tell you; she can definitely be
a real handful at times, as Luna also points out.
Luna is still, well& Luna, the ever calm, and always-in-control Regent of
her clan. Motherhood and marriage dont seem to have changed that. Although
Spike would like nothing more then to keep her locked in the house 24/7. I
cant say as I blame him, there is peace in the city, but its fragile.

Fragile peace& oh why does that take me back. We established a fragile peace
in the Land of Elves before I left, but I still think about it sometimes. I
have to admit that I felt a& connection to that Land& I had some of the
happiest times of my life there, but also some of the saddest. I was doing
the math the other day and, as near as I can tell, I think eight years have
passed over there by now& maybe more. Willow is going on thirty, while Im
still in my early twenties. For her, its been a decade... wow. I wonder
what shes been doing. Knowing her, probably keeping the Alliance together
as skillfully as ever. The Alliance was her brainchild really, she forced
together and shell keep it together for as long as it takes. So when June
asks about daddy Ill tell her that shes saving a world.

Oh jeez, now Czar is lending a helping claw to shred the gift wrapper for
June. Hes been Spikes faithful bodyguard for a while now. And, come to
think of it, mine too over, at least over the course of my pregnancy. The
blue skinned demon that once, over a bottle of scotch, after I had the baby
of course, told me about his fling with my mother. I got a major case of the
wiggins for a moment, but hes a good friend and I know hell look out for
all of us.

Fourteen months have past now and the worlds have turned once again. Spike
hasnt left the mansion since it happened& a month ago, things boiled over
between two rival clans and they were once again at war. There is a steady
stream of Royals in and out of the mansion at all hours. June and I try to
make sure he eats and sleeps. Spike stopped the fighting before it got too
out of hand with his usual methods, but this time& peace came with a price.

But you know, despite all this, I actually feel safe here among my friends
of this world. Of this world& I have this feeling that the time for my
return is coming. I try not to think much about it but& Im not sure I can
leave this Realm a second time to fight another war. I did promise to return
if called. I am Elisabeth Anna Rosenberg-Summers plus& many other things; a
Slayer, a Bodyguard, a General, Wife and a Friend, but now& I am a mother,
and that is all that matters.

The Beginning...

Another one is two to three days...