The Management is disappointed to report that the beginning of this thread was lost in cyberspace.
Bobby
Bobby stood up, holding the tape, and slipped it in the VCR that had been set up.
“Gwen and my relationship had always been borderline something... first it was something more than friends, then it was just friends, and then... we seemed to agree on a mutual teasing relationship. Even though many times, she gave me shocks just to prove she could, and with no provocation on my behalf...”
Bobby paused, wiping his eyes.
“Ok, maybe I gave her a little bit of a reason. But despite the way she was mean to me, and I was mean to her, she was one of my best friends... and I...”
He stopped and pressed play on the remote, and the video started, with various clips of Gwen, all edited into one video.
Gwen running away from Bobby and flipping him off, sparring with Faith, grinning at Mordred, kissing Mordred, playing with her kids, rehearsing with Orlando, Dom and Billy.
Gwen asleep on the couch and Orlando picking her up and dumping her into a bath of cold water.
Orlando laughing as Gwen shocked Dom so hard he fell down the stairs.
Gwen and Billy doing a well choreographed dance, which involved a lot of hip shaking and flailing arms.
Gwen curled up against Mordred, smiling as she drifted off to sleep.
Mordred, Vortigern & Spike.
Mordred clung to Vortigern, weeping in private.
"I can't do this. I can't go out there again."
"Hey, shh..."
Vortigern rubbed his hand over his twin's back, trying to calm him down. He ran his fingers through Mordred's hair softly and felt the strands becoming coarser, more furlike.
"Hey, don't wolf out on us."
"God, oh god..."
Golden glimmers chased each other through Mordred's eyes.
Spike stood slightly, making his way to the pulpit near Bobby.
"Gwen, was a little brat and one hell of a fighter. LIttle minx used to start my heart because she thought it was funny."
The vampire rolled his eyes before continuing.
" She had my respect, and there's not many can say that."
Spike looked around, glancing at the members of Angel Investigations.
"We sparred and fought beside each other. She was tested, and not found wanting. She was loved, and loved in return. And even fewer can say that. In Mordred, she found her staunchest defender and someone who would love her like anyone would be honoured to be loved. Like he said, they had their bad times, had one just before she died. But they got over that before she did. They would have gotten it together again anyway. They always did. We're gonna misse you, Electrogirl. You better be raising hell in heaven, otherwise it won't be any fun when we get there."
Spike hesitated for a moment more, then went and sat again in his seat. He crossed his arms and looked broodingly.
Bobby and Rebekah
Bobby bit his lip as he sat down, leaning on Julie’s shoulder again.
Rebekah choked on her sob and buried her head in her hands.
Eavan and Bryant started to cry loudly.
”MUMMY!”
Faolan & Spike.
Faolan tried to soothe the twins. Spike got up and settled Eavan onto his lap, dumping Bryant on Bobby.
"Hold that one. Shh, pet. Don't cry. Fao, got some snotrags?"
Faolan looked at the vampire, brow furrowed in slight confusion before he handed Spike some tissues. Spike handed some back to Bobby for Bryant as he wiped Eavan's face.
"Someone else to talk about Gwen? C'mon, the Fang Gang. I know yer just dying to say something. Prom Queen? Boy Watcher? Blade try hard?"
Bobby and Faith
Bobby held onto Bryant gently, who was in the process of blowing his nose on his shirt, then almost smiling cheekily.
“This one is totally going to take after Gwen,” Bobby muttered.
Faith shrugged slightly and stood up, walking slowly to the pulpit.
“Gwen was a shit stirrer. Very much so. She’d use her powers when we sparred, because she thought it was hilarious. She’d taunt me about anything and everything, try to pull rank because she was older than me, and more than once, I was tempted to punch her out.”
Faith smiled slightly.
“And still, I’m gonna miss her a lot. She was honest, one of the most honest people I know, and she wasn’t afraid of it either. She didn’t care if the truth hurt, and she didn’t care if you didn’t like her, as long as she got her point across. And if she’s watching now, she’s probably happy that we’re upset over her.”
She glanced at the casket.
“Thanks for keeping me level headed, Gwen... I’ll miss you.”
Faith went and sat down again, blinking back tears.
Wesley coughed slightly, then got up and went to the pulpit.
"I suppose in lieu of Angel's prescence...I should offer some thoughts about Gwen."
He gathered his thoughts.
"When we of Angel Investigations met Gwen...she was a theif, and Angel intercepted her stealing from a place of business. Thanks to both of their talents, they got out intact. Gwen helped Angel Investigations in many ways, and she will be sorely missed. As a friend and as another of us who fight on the side of the Powers That Be. The poem to the soldiers who fell at Anzac Cove, while not directly applicable, seems fitting for Gwen."
He paused for a moment, remembering.
"She shall not grow old, as we who are left behind grow old. Time shall not wither her, nor old age condemn. In the coming of the dawn and the setting of the sun, we shall remember her."
He bowed his head slightly, and cleaned his glasses before he went and sat down.
Eavan and Bryant
Eavan and Bryant both wriggled out of their minders arms and climbed the stage.
With large blue, tear filled eyes, they sang.
“Home is behind
Mist and shadow
Mordred came out of the back room, eyes red and swollen with tear tracks down his face. He bent and picked them both up, kissing their cheeks.
"It'll be better then that, loves."
Billy almost smiled for a moment.
"Gwen must have taught them that. Doesn't sound like a song Mordred would like."
Vortigern grinned slightly.
"No, Gwen didn't teach them that. Pippin did."
Rebekah
"Why can't we go with her?" Eavan demanded, clutching Mordred's arm tightly.
"We want to see her!" Bryant joined in.
"Oh God," Rebekah whispered, biting her lip.
Dom patted Billy's shoulder gently.
Mordred sat back down with his children, holding them carefully and trying hard not to break down again.
"You remember...the elves told you about the Undying Lands? Well, Mum's gone somewhere like that. We can't follow her now, but we will and we'll see her again. I promise."
Eavan and Bryant
Eavan and Bryant both hugged Mordred tightly, crying into his shoulder.
“Why can’t you just go get her!”
"Because I can't follow where's she's gone," Mordred said.
"I can't 'port there, no trains stop there, no horse knows the way by roads people travel. I could go to her...but I wouldn't be able to come back. We need to be strong, for her. Ok? Smile, Mum never liked to see you cry."
Eavan
Eavan hiccuped and kissed Mordred's cheek.
"I love you, Da," she said softly.
"Love you too, sweetheart," Mordred said softly.
The minister he'd hired went to the pulpit and preached a short sermon before getting back down.
"Mordred, the hearse is here..." Vortigern said.
"Stay with Fao, alright?" Mordred said to the twins, getting up.
He gathered Vortigern, Gunn, Bobby, Spike and Wesley by eye. He wished that he could have put Angel where Gunn was. Anyway, enough. He kissed his fingers and pressed them to the wood as he waited for everyone to assemble around the casket.
Love you, cariad. Always. You said I should move on, but I think you took my heart and all my love with you when you died. Love you, Gwen, my wife, my love.
Bobby
Bobby and Gunn followed Mordred to the casket and both touched it gently.
As they lifted it, everyone in the chapel stood up.
The group walked out to the hearse, Mordred and Vortigern in the front. They put the casket in carefully. Mordred looked around and back into the chapel.
"Family and close friends are going to travel to the cememtary for another short service. Any of you are welcome to come along. After, we're having a wake at the house Gwen and I shared..."
He bit his lip for a moment as the funeral staff closed the door to the hearse.
"For a bit of a wake. You're all welcome to come to that as well."
The world ahead
And there are many paths to tread
Through shadow
To the edge of night
Until the stars are all alight
Cloud and shape
Hope shall fail
All shall fade...”