To Kill the Usurper or Succumb to Failure [tw]

Aiden chuckled at Xander's words but she still looked quite uncertain at the dish of food. She just wanted it to be perfect for Buffy so she could look back at this day and not have something silly like a bad meal to remember. She leaned a little against his arm, rubbing her cheek against the fabric as the daemon entered. Baal considered Xander's words before he made a small shake of his head, "We'll be fine ," Baal said, thinking there wouldnt be much of a problem with Simeon gone. "But thanks a lot for the offer," he then added, frowning a little as he wasnt sure if Xander would care whether he thanked him - But he did it anyway.

He smiled at her words and made a nod, "I hope she doesnt grow too fast. But we'll probably have to consult Nova on how that works," he remarked with a small wrinkle of his nose. It was odd to know that their child bore genes from a third person, but considering that the alternative had been an unsafe pregnancy that could end up killing her - This had seemed safer. He watched her dress the baby, ready to help if he was needed. So when she asked for the head, he nodded, helping getting Saoirse into her onesie without moving her head much. When that was done, he looked at her all dressed up and made a small sigh, "Are you hungry?" he asked as he looked up at Buffy and gently touched her cheek. He didnt want her to sleep without having eaten at least a small meal.

Buffy smiled at their little girl, small ducks on a light pink background was on the onesie. She leaned down, kissing Saoirse's small forehead, closing her eyes as she took in her scent. The fenix could've sworn that she had never smelled anything more pure or calming to her. Smiling softly she felt how tired she actually was, however as Baal mentioned food she opened her eyes slowly to look at her daemon. "Starving," she whispered, not wanting to wake up the newborn. It was hard to hide how tired she actually was, but part of her wanted to stay up all night and just watch the little miracle in her arms. "But I don't think I could even walk to the kitchen," she said, smiling apologetically. However she knew there was nothing to be sorry for, nor embarrassed about, but she just felt like she was making Baal do all of the work. Granted she had carried the child and given birth to it, but she felt like she wanted to do something as well. But for now she knew she could rely on her daemon, looking at him with sleepy eyes she smiled, placing her lips back to Saoirse's small forehead. "Have you eaten yet? Or are you still being forced to starve?" she asked, feeling like she should've asked before now, but her focus had been on their little girl.

Smiling at him she looked in to his green eyes, the ones that she loved so dearly. Xander opened the door, and in stepped Aiden with a tray of food, making the fenix smile in relief. "Hi," she said in a warm and welcoming tone. She felt rather relaxed right now, and all she really needed was to eat something before she slept. Handing the sleeping newborn to Baal, she took the plate, looking at the selection of food that made her eyes water. "Thank you," she said, feeling quite emotional as she looked at Aiden, reaching for her hand to give it a soft squeeze. Xander smiled, telling that they were heading home, but that he would come back tomorrow morning to check up on everything. They made their leave and Buffy dug in to the food, sighing in relief as it felt good to finally have something in her stomach.
Baal said that he would be fine, making her frown a little, feeling guilty that she could just eat right in front of him. When he started speaking about safety, she placed the half eaten tray on the small nightstand, turning to look at Baal sitting with Saoirse in his arms. She took his finger, guiding it to the newborn's hand that moved and grabbed a soft hold of it. "Tell me something, love, when you close your eyes, do you really think you could hurt her or me?" she asked, frowning as she didn't like asking such a question. However if he was worried, she wanted to ease his mind just a little. "I know you want to sleep in this bed with us, I know you want to wake up to me snoring and the little one fussing to be fed," she said softly, moving closer to kiss the small hand that held on to Baal's finger. "I understand if you are scared, but don't rob yourself of this - We'll be fine and tomorrow while Xander checks up on Saoirse, you can go find your sister and you can work this out," she said. It was clear as day that she trusted him, trusted him fully with the responsibilities that came with being a father. "Besides, I sleep the best when you're here," she added, smiling at him.

Being here in bed with the two closest to her heart was all she could ever ask for, and seeing Baal with their child in his arms simply made her smile. She knew that the child would be safe, safe as long as they made sure it was, and with Simeon gone, a calm feeling rushed over her. As he suggested sleeping on the floor, the corners of Buffy's mouth went slightly downwards. She knew he was trying to be safe, but why take away his chance just to sleep together. They didn't know if the child would grow just as fast as it had done in her stomach, so why not take some time and just enjoy this? He went on about how the artifact in him was still unknown, and she understood that, however she leaned over, placing her lips against his, sighing softly against them, feeling their child snuggly between them. "You are the man that I love, and nothing could change that," she whispered, her hand running from Saiorse's small hand to touch the mark from their bond. "I'm bound to you, you are bound to me, and between us, right now, is the fruit of our love; Take one night and let your worries rest," she said in a soft tone, looking at him with pleading eyes. She knew they needed to be weary of what had happened, but as it stood right now she couldn't deny herself nor him a chance just to feel normal and in love. "Besides, I won't let you off the hook with changing diapers just because you have an ancient artifact in your chest," she teased lightly, wanting him to feel comfortable. She wanted him to realize that no matter what, she was going to be here and their child would be safe with him.

As the knock was heard, Buffy leaned a bit away from Baal's face, mostly because she didn't want her aunt to look at her being intimate. Instead she placed her lips against Saoirse's blonde locks, kissing her softly as she slept and inhaled her sweet scent of newborn. Turning her head, she looked at her aunt, smiling at her with tired eyes. "Thank you so much auntie," she said, truly grateful for what her family had done for her today. "Are you bringing Connor tomorrow as well? I didn't really get a chance to speak to him today, and I want to catch up," she asked, smiling at her aunt. Buffy loved her family, even though it didn't give her the sense of belonging that she had right now with Baal and their child. Perhaps it was just like that for her, but she hoped that the small girl would show her more of what family could mean.

When she leaned forward and kissed his lips, he returned the kiss tenderly, his breath haltering for a moment when he realized he had all he needed here. He must have forgotten that he was dealing with one of the most stubborn fenixes out there and she clearly wouldnt let him cheat either of them of the opportunity to breathe out for just one night. He looked down at the mark of their bond, making a deep sigh as he lifted his eyes to look into hers. The flame always luring him in. How could he tell her no? He couldnt. Her tease made him pout in jesting before he smiled and brushed his nose gently against hers, "I wouldnt have it any other way," he assured her.
He didnt mind Buffy moving away when Leona stuck her head in, it was better than having the valkyrie look at him with that stern look that made her look like a strict school teacher ready to scold her student for whatever reason she would seem fit. He just looked down at Saoirse, cradling her in a faint motion, just to keep her asleep while Buffy and Leona spoke. The valkyrie smiled at Buffy's question and made a nod. "I'd bring Tessa too, but she's grounded this week," she said with a small sigh, sometimes she wondered how Connor could be the good child and Tessa the troublesome. It wasnt that she didnt like her daughter, but Tessa just had her phases of defiance and rebellion. "She thought it would be funny to sneak into chemistry with her friend and empty all the helium canisters," she explained before she made a small frown. She shook her head and made a soft scoff, "We'll talk tomorrow. Sleep well Buffster. And you Baal," she then said, but the last sentence was sort of said as she closed the door again. Baal frowned with a smile as he kept looking at Saoirse, "It was a nice try," he mumbled lowly before looking up at Buffy.

"She's always been a troublemaker, but she's welcome if you decide to let her come either way," Buffy said, smiling at her aunt. She loved her cousins, mostly because they were around the same age as herself, and growing up they had played a lot. As they had gotten older they didn't see each other as much, unless there was a family occasion. Leona took her leave, and the fenix couldn't help but chuckle softly at Baal's mumble. "She's trying, and that's more than I ever expected from her," she said, feeling her eyes showing she was sad as well. She loved her aunt, but it wasn't the same as having her mother here, and overwhelmed by everything, she couldn't help but let a few tears fall down her cheek. Sniffling she took a few deep breaths, looking at Saoirse as she brushed her cheek slowly, not wanting to wake the infant. "I'm sorry ... I guess I'm really too tired to control my emotions at this point," she mumbled. She was calming down, but it was hard with the hurt still so fresh in her mind, and she couldn't help but think of the what-ifs. If her mother had just lived a few months more, she could've called herself grandmother, and it stung in her heart to think to such lengths. "Let's get some rest, and follow the good example out little ball of wonder is setting right now," she said, looking at Baal. She really couldn't handle speaking about everything right now, scared she would just break down crying and wailing from it all. Carefully she moved her body to lie down, frowning as her body still ached, but she guessed it would for a while after the birth. She took Saoirse, placing her on her back, making sure the duvet wasn't covering the child. "Could you grab the small crib that we can attach to the bed? It should be leaning against the normal crib," she asked, looking at Baal with a smile. While she wanted them to sleep together, it wouldn't really be safe for the child to be sleeping between them, risking getting rolled on or suffocated by the large duvet. "Oh, and the small blanket, the one we got from Aiden and Xander," she pleaded, chuckling as she felt silly making commands like this.

He looked sympathetically at Buffy when she seemed to get emotional after Leona left. He could tell that someone important to her had been missing today and as little as he could relate, he felt for her. He nodded when she pushed it away with getting some sleep, thinking it could wait till Buffy had recovered from the birth. They couldnt just keep piling things up and keep her from getting the rest she needed. He placed in her care, getting up before Buffy had even asked. "Sure my love," he said with a soft smile, touching her hip with a light brush. He chuckled at her plea and shook his head, "You dont have to feel like you're asking too much," he told her, grabbing onto the bedframe as he leaned down to kiss her gently. He rested his lips a little on hers, though he couldnt stand long crouched down like this. "I'd say you're asking too little of me," he whispered against her lips before getting back up. He went to get the small crib and the blanket, looking around the nursery for a bit. They hadnt even finished setting it up, and it made him sigh.
He returned with the small crib and placed it at the bed, looking at it for a moment before he folded the blanket from Aiden and Xander properly for Saoirse to be placed. He let Buffy place the infant as he went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. It wasnt for him, he just wanted to be sure Buffy would have something to drink so she wouldnt wake up thirsty. He came back to place it on the tray on the nightstand, looking at the plate. "Should I put the rest in the fridge?" he asked softly, ready to comply to whatever she wanted.
When that was over and done, he laid down with a soft sigh next to the fenix. Looking up at the ceiling for a bit. He closed his eyes with a frown when he realized he had forgotten to undress, "What a fool," he mumbled a little tired, pushing himself up to pull his shirt over his head. He got out of his pants and socks before he could finally crawl under the duvets. If Buffy didnt have another request, that was.

As he got up she looked at him, her breath haltering a bit as he leaned down to her lips. Even after everything he could still take her breath away, and she saw that as a comforting sign. He might think that she wasn't asking for a lot, but she honestly just wanted him and their little girl. She was honestly just bracing herself for the night, because she knew she would wake up pretty much every second hour to feed their fussy girl. Her aunt had told her that her and Xander had alternated every hour, and that her mother had been so tired by the end of it that she would seem almost delusional. Buffy simply looked at the small child by her side, breathing deeper as she felt so tired, wanting to close her eyes and just sleep already, but she needed to be awake just for a little while longer before she could sleep.
Baal returned, making her open her eyes that had fallen shut, smiling at her daemon as he set everything up for them. Buffy made sure to keep her shirt unbuttoned, just so that it would be easier during the night. "Yes please," she said in a drowsy voice, taking a gulp of the water he brought, before laying down completely. Her stomach was cramping a bit, but she guessed it was normal, because everything was a bit blurry at this point. As Baal returned, she had fallen asleep, laying on her side, facing Saoirse in the small crib that was now attached to the bed. The night was tough for Buffy, once every second hour or so, the newborn would start crying, fussing to get something to eat, but every time it was like she was ready to just do it and get it over with so that both of them could go back to sleep.

//Imma cut to Alyssa and Trent before we continue to the next day//

Blood was splattered across the ground, Alyssa grabbing her fist as she had given another hit to Simeon. Shaking her hand a little to release the tension she rolled her shoulders. She wanted him to suffer, not just die and just get it over with. Gritting her teeth she turned her face to look at Trent. A few blood splatters on her face, her bleached hair sitting a little wildly on her head. She had been going at it for hours; beating Simeon to the limit of killing him before she would lean back and watch him heal, before going back to beating him. She was silent mostly, clearly doing this because she felt the need to, but in her mind she was going over all the things that the summoner had done to her. "Are you just going to look at me the whole time?" she asked, raising a brow at the celestial, however she didn't really care wether or not he replied. She knew that celestials were weird when they had been around their counterpart, and Trent surely seemed like that right now. Turning her green eyes back to the summoner on the ground, blood in a pool under his cheek as she flashed a smile at his pain. She had already cut out his tongue so he couldn't speak. Done the same he had done to Emmy such a long time ago. The tongue she had just decided to throw in a fire she had lit not long after cutting it out. "I could go on for days on end and it wouldn't be enough," she grumbled to herself, gritting her teeth as she clearly felt annoyed by it.

Alyssa scoffed at his reply, blowing some air out to move a strand of hair that wanted to stick to the side of her face. She was dirty with blood and dust from the ground, but she didn't seem to care. She was too focussed on everything else, and gave Simeon a good kick to the stomach to keep him on his toes. "Wouldn't stringing him up defeat the purpose of you wanting him dead in the first place?" she replied through gritted teeth, looking at her knuckles where her skin had started bursting from her copious amounts of beating. Stretching her back a bit, she shook her head at herself. "When the fuck did I get this petty?" she said, however before he could reply she held a finger up as to signal him not to answer that, kicking Simeon once more to get out some more frustration. Running her fingers through her head, she managed to smear blood in her pale locks, and she knew it would stain. However right now she could care less. "I need to just get it over with and burn his stupid body," she said, mostly thinking out loud. It had felt so good getting out some of her anger, but the worst part was that she knew she could never be satisfied. He would always be like a haunting in the back of her head, but it would be something she would have to learn to deal with. At least he wouldn't actually be breathing. "Burning him alive could be fun ... But then again it could take some time and I'm at my limit," she said, a few pearls of sweat running down her face, mixing with the dirt and blood.

Alyssa huffed a bit, cracking her knuckles to get some blood-flow in to her fingers. His question made her sigh, kneeling down to inspect Simeon. He looked like he had passed out for now. She moved her eyes to look at the celestial. "He's done plenty, if you're wondering, but one thing he thought he could get away with was thinking that he owned me," she said, moving slowly to her feet, swaying a bit as she got her balance back. It had been a long day already, but she wasn't as tired as she thought she would've been. Exhaling she shook her head. "Maybe it's not something you celestials would ever understand, but while you know who you're meant to be with, the rest of us kind of have to wander around in the dark," she said calmly. Her eyes moved to look at Simeon. "I think I loved him once, why else would I have married him? But he became obsessed with power, while I was seeking answers," she said. It was probably weird to hear about a daemon who didn't wish for power, especially seeing as Alyssa had quite a high rank being the leader of the Empusas. "Either way, it doesn't matter - He'll be dead soon enough and I'll have my freedom," she said calmly. Getting out of a daemonic marriage only happened if one of them died, and she would no longer have any obligations to be the summoners wife. She could be her own person.
As he asked about the marks she took a deep breath as she grabbed Simeon, tossing him across the ground and closer to the bonfire. "They are marked so that the creatures from the abysses can recognize them," she said, as if it was obvious. "It is said that the stronger the summoner, the more vivid their marks are," she added, not knowing if it was fully true, however she couldn't help but believe it when she looked at her brother.

"Just because celestials are destined to be together doesnt mean that we dont wander like the rest of you. Some celestials dont seek out their bonds for hundred's of years to live lives with someone else," he argued, thinking that she might not know as much about his origin as she thought she did. He made a sigh and shrugged at her question about love. "Maybe you hoped for something better for your child, maybe you never loved him at all," he thought once more, looking at the summoner. He shook his head - It wasnt his place to assume her life. But he wasnt going to take back what he had already said.
He watched her as she threw the summoner like had he been a sack of potatoes. He frowned a little, maybe feeling a little jealous of the fact that daemon's were strong like that and it was all natural. He had to work for his strength, keep himself on a diet that could kill him just to keep his mass. He nodded at her words, to then ponder at her addition, "Do you believe that?" he asked, to then look at Simeon on the ground. Simeon's marks hadnt been as visible, except for the faint tint of gray, showing like a worn out tattoo made of dull ink. He wasnt sure if he believed her, because he hadnt seen Baal who had more pronounced marks do anything with his upper hand, and who also in fact was dumb enough to catch a disease from the void because he hadnt been supposed to travel it when he did with Nova. He chose to let the thought end there and kept in the back for what Alyssa was going to do with Simeon. "What about your kind? How are you measured in power?" he asked, narrowing one eye slightly more than the other.

"Perhaps you're right, perhaps I never loved him, but it doesn't matter right now," she said looking at Simeon on the ground. The blood mixed with the dirt on his face made him almost unrecognizable, and she gritted her teeth after having thrown him. It was starting to bore her. And the worst part was that she felt nothing. Nothingness was filling her veins the closer she got to killing him.
Talking about summoners, she shrugged at his question. "It doesn't really matter what I believe, seeing as I'm not a summoner," she said coldly, grabbing a hold of Simeon's neck, lifting him up and staring at his swollen face. She threw Simeon into the flames, seeing how his body quickly got ignited, but she just stared at him, feeling nothing. "We are made to seduce and make minions for wartime - So our strength is measured in how many minions we can hold at one time," she said calmly as she dried off her hand on her already dirty pants. A daemon body would quickly burn, mostly because of the unholy energy in them, so she simply stared at the flames. "We are also measured by the distance in which we have our minions, some empusas need to be in close contact to keep the control, while others can have quite a distance between them and their subject," she added. Why was he even interested in this? Wasn't it just boring information to him? Breathing out, she spat in to the flames, making the flames burn a little brighter for a while, scoffing softly. "He isn't even fighting back anymore ... He has just given up," she said, sounding almost disappointed.

As Simeon was thrown into the fire, Trent noticed how the body seemed to barely react. Maybe the nerves had been ruined for good when he had initially stopped reacting. However as the flames caught on, it did seem that there was a few nerves as the summoner twitched and turned one last time before going completely limp. Trent found it dull, but looking at Alyssa, whatever the summoner had done to her would end at this point. "Minions?" he asked looking back at the flames. He frowned a little as she spat and shrugged at her words, "I have never seen someone be that determined to keep punching someone with the same power for hours on end. Did you expect anything else than a shell at this point?" he asked with his eyebrow raised. He was still curious about her. "Do you have any minions at the moment?" he asked. Surely if she led them, which he had the impression of, she must have had minions of her own.
"The girl is born and healthy," Amos reported from behind, making the celestial turn his head back to look at him. The young daemon sent him a small smile before walking closer to then look at the fire. He didnt seem to have any sort of exterior reaction to seeing Simeon's outline. One empusa had tried to stop him, but he hadnt taken no for an answer.

"I have minions everywhere," she simply said, shrugging as she wasn't going to disclose where. The celestial was company, nothing more, and if he thought she was going to be a friend to him, he would think wrong. She cared not for the lives of anyone but her family, and she kept telling herself that it was all she needed. "I had hoped at least one smart comment or maybe even a last gaze," she mumbled. There was nothing satisfactory about this, but she had continued in the hopes of the feeling changing. She could sense Amos coming closer, looking at her son as he disclosed the safe arrival of the child, making her nod. She wrapped an arm around Amos, a half hug as to almost congratulate him. "How does it feel to be a big brother?" she asked, her tone almost caring compared to how she had been speaking to Trent. Alyssa was cruel, but not to her child. She was like a lioness protecting her cub, and she knew it would always be like that. She had been the boy's real parents; both mother and father, and the boy had always assured her that it was enough. With this new family, she knew that her son would have responsibilities that he wouldn't have had before, perhaps even some he wasn't prepared for. She looked at Trent. "Do you still feel the bond?" she asked, her voice calm, as she looked at the celestial.

Alyssa considered Trent's words. It all seemed like a simple solution; find someone who would be willing to bond with the child and that was it. Although she knew finding someone who would so gladly bind themselves to someone else would be hard. "We'll find a way to keep her alive, and if no one else offers, I'll do it myself," she said calmly. She didn't care for the child, but she care about her blood. Besides, she knew what the sister would end up meaning for Amos. The young daemon might not realize it yet, but it wouldn't be an easy feat that came up ahead.
The future wasn't set in stone, but Alyssa felt things were off of her chest. And with Simeon being gone now, she felt lighter on her feet. Perhaps she would end up returning to whom she was before all of those years, but she doubted it.