Part 4

"Do we need to start using examples?" Willow asked.

"Lois is very independent," Cassandra pointed out.

"I liked you better when you didn't know Buffy and Willow," Barbara said to Cassandra.

The younger woman laughed. "I like me better now."

"And that's important," Kyle nodded.

"Buffy?"

"Yes Lois?" I turned to face her.

"What are you doing to poor Mr. Wayne?" Lois asked us. She looked at Bruce. "I know that look Bruce. Try having my parents."

"Don't look to Lois for help. I'll get Dawn over here to help us."

"I'm going," Lois said, finding Clark before I could drag her into this.

"I'm... going somewhere else," Bruce said, walking away, followed by our laughter.

Willow giggled, "The great Bruce Wayne frightened away by three girls..."

"Just call us Bubbles, Blossom and Buttercup," Cassandra added.

"Who?" Barbara asked.

"The Powerpuff Girls," we said together.

"Come on Bubbles. I'm reducing your intake to yellow foods and water..." Kyle said taking Willows glass away from her and leading her away.

"That makes you Buttercup, Cass."

"When were you voted the leader?"

"When Bruce voted you the toughest fighter."

"No more tv for Buffy," Dick said.

"What else am I going to do in the evenings when you're fighting crime, trying to save the world?" I said melodramatically.

"Help me?" he suggested.

"Do I need a costume?" I asked, playing along.

"Unless you want to fly around Bludhaven naked," he leered.

I crinkled my nose in distaste. "Drafty."

Cass spotted Tim and Dawn with Young Justice and went to chat with them. Wally called to Dick and I went to speak with Lois. A few minutes later I wandered outside to stare at the moon.

"Deja vu," Dick said quietly from where he stood to my left.

I smiled. "Yeah. Who'd have thought the moon's laugh would become a fond smile?"

"Not me. But I'm glad it has," he said with fondness as he looked at me. "Love you Buffy Summers."

"Love you too Richard Grayson." I sighed happily and looked at the heart shaped diamond on my finger.

"Master Dick? A... call from a Kory, Sir," Alfred said after rushing across the lawn to us as quickly as decorum would allow him.

"As in Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran, the Titan Starfire? The one you almost married?"

Dick nodded.

"Tell her I said hi," I smiled and kissed his cheek. I watched him go back into the house then turned back to the moon.

I heard the soft footsteps of several people as they crunched the grass. "Congrats Buffster."

"Hey Xand-man. Thanks." I hugged him.

"The first of us," Willow sighed.

"And mostly likely the only," Anya said bluntly.

"Yup," Willow agreed.

"Like you wouldn't marry Kyle if he asked you," I smiled at her.

"I kinda like living in sin," she giggled. Soberly she said, "But I am so glad you are happy Buffy."

"We all are Buff. Who'd have thought we'd get through it all and get lives at the end?" Xander asked.

"And happy ones," Willow added.

"Who indeed? Congratulations Buffy. You've worked so hard..."

I smiled at my Watcher as he fought to maintain his composure. He hugged me. "Better than friends," he whispered.

"We're family Giles," Willow smiled. "Though if I were you I'd be worried cause that means you get Xander as a son, or a brother at the very least."

Giles chuckled.

"Uhm... when we actually set a date for it... the wedding I mean... Would you give me away?" I asked the man who has been the best father a girl could ever want.

I am proud to say that for once I made Giles speechless in a good way. He swiped at the tears forming in his eyes and hugged me again. "It would be my honour Buffy."

"Yay!" I grinned.

"Yo Stalker!!"

"Stalker?" Xander asked me. "You picked up a new hobby Buffster?"

"No Xander. It's a nickname, isn't it, Kon?" I glared at Superboy. I sighed and turned back to my Sunnydale friends. "It's more of a codename than a nickname."

"You've joined the Batman and his crew?" Giles asked me.

"Yeah. Well, while I'm so far away... Gotham City is very different to Sunnydale. The plague here isn't the same sort of inhuman as in Sunnydale..."

"I understand Buffy."

"Do you or are you just trying not to be angry?"

"I do understand. I think a kevlar uniform-I'm assuming The Batman has had you properly outfitted-is much better protection than your strength alone. You're not neglecting your Slayer training like you did when you were involved with the Initiative... No. I think working with The Batman is a good thing. He's shown that he's intelligent and capable. If I can't be here with you except through that infernal computer then I am glad you have his guidance."

That was a surprise. I expected Giles to be upset at thinking he was being replaced. Far from it. I couldn't do any of my work without his influence and input. "Do you know just how grateful I am for you? For all of you?" I group-hugged them. "Thank you!"

"Giles, Anya, Xander. Willow if you thought Roy was bad... meet Kon-El also known as Superboy. This is Cassie, Tim you already know, this is Bart-he's a cousin of Wally's, Lobo, Secret and Cissie. She's a friend of Roy's, poor girl. Cissie is the Olympic women's archery champ... did I get that right?"

Cissie blushed. "Something like that."

"And Kon, Secret and Lobo are all part of the Young Justice team."

"You have the coolest friends, Buffy," Xander gushed.

Whew! They came to the right conclusion. Well, Willow and Dawn know the whole truth. Secrets bite.

Something loud seemed to explode from the stereo inside the house, followed by Roy bursting from the house to run over to us. "I was the drummer!" he shouted, then ran away followed by his giggling daughter.

"Kory says hi back," Dick said kissing me on the cheek as he rejoined us in the summer night.

"Our friends are scary," I observe as Argent and Jesse join in the game Roy and Lian are playing-everyday garden findings used as weapons, Roy as the target and lots of laughter.

"How old is that little girl?" Giles asked, alternating between anger that she's obviously too young for combat training, and impressed with her weapons handling.

"Nearly four," Dinah said as she breezed past, drawing appreciative gazes from all of the men in our company, even Giles.

"Lian Harper has been kidnapped in the past because of Roy's public status and her infamous mother. She's been taught out of necessity Mr. Giles," Babs explained.

"And Roy and Dinah are among the world's best. They wouldn't endanger Lian in any way," Wally added as he also passed us to join the impromptu lesson.

"I see," Giles said, still staring in awe as the small child deflected then responded in the play fight with her father while Argent, Dinah and Jesse watched, talking and commenting on Lian's style in the game. I can't hear them so I'm just guessing from the way they're gesturing.

"Buffy? Clark and I were... debating..."

"Slime demons. Lois said they don't have antlers but they're orange."

"Clark says I'm wrong."

"Giles?" I smile.

"Ah yes... well," he pushes his glasses back onto his nose, "Well they generally do have antlers though antler-less slime demons have been documented on one or two occasions. The most common of the demons is orange though they could be any colour so neither of you are wrong nor are either of you right."

"Lois, Clark, this is Mr. Giles. An even better mystical resource than the JLA's Oracle."

"Oh. Thank you Mr. Giles. Ah! Would this be THE Giles?"

I nod. "Yup. The one and only. Without him I wouldn't be the well paid, underworked mythology columnist I am today."

Willow whispering to Kyle distracts me and I turn to look in the direction she's looking in and just to complete my happy evening by ruining it, Spike steps out of the shrubbery, cigarette in hand.

"Evenin' pet. I'm here to give my congratulations too you know," Spike drawled.