Family Relations

Author: Kaitelynn

E-Mail: [email protected]

Disclaimer: Only Liz is mine, although Angel and Wes are more than welcome to come and stay with me once I find a new place.

Distribution: Willow's World, BBA, Angel of Mine

Rating: PG-13

Pairings: W/Angel S/X R/F Gunn/C Giles/Joyce

Summary: A prophecy brings a couple of old friends to town.

Spoilers: Okay, kinda for everything up to Fifth season Buffy, 2nd season Angel, although I am playing with some of the histories since I haven't seen all the eps.

Dedicated to Kylia, who understands my insanity and revels in it. Kitti for the support. John for his inspiration.

Feedback is loved and needed to survive.

Author's Note: Okay, here it goes. This takes place in an AU where Buffy never returned after season two. Everything that has happened in the show since then has still gone on, just without her. Oz is goneed up. Tara is here but now with Willow. Nope, can't and won't do that. ANd, even though we are about to find out about Spike's past, I'm playing with things here to suit my own needs. Hey, its my story and I'll play if I want to. *G*

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Part 1 "At the dawn of the new Millennium
The new Protector shall depart
Sire and Childe shall find the one they both loved
Love refused shall breed evil
With the old Protector?s return
Loves will be tested
But with the truth, shall come release
And old hurts will be healed."

Giles reread the prophecy, trying to see if it would make any more sense to him the third time around. He had been given the prophecy by the Watcher?s Council after they had decided that, because of his knowledge of the Hellmouth and those that protect it, he would be best qualified to handle whatever was coming. It was the first true contact Giles had from the Council that had fired him after Buffy had run away, after sending Angel to hell, over two years before. A lot had changed in that time.

Angel returned from Hell, curse and clause still intact. He and Willow have fallen in love, but both are cautious as they do not want a repeat of Angelus? last visit. A new Slayer had called after Kendra?s death. Faith?s arrival also brought about the coming of a new Watcher, Wesley. Xander and Cordelia had broken up. At the end of the teenagers? senior year, Angel left Sunnydale, deciding that the temptation of being so close to Willow was too much. He headed to Los Angeles, where he worked with a vision having demon named Doyle for the Powers That Be. There he ran into Cordelia, who ended up working with him also. Then, after Doyle had been killed and Cordelia began receiving the visions, they were joined by a then out of work Wesley. But, after a year apart, Angel and Willow both knew that they would rather be together even with the risks and Angel and his entourage quickly moved back to Sunnydale.

Cordelia was now involved with a man that she had met while in Los Angeles and who had come back to Sunnydale with her. Charles Gunn was as different a person than Giles had ever expected Cordelia Chase, former snob queen of Sunnydale high to come home with. He was a demon hunter that the trio of detectives had met while searching for a blackmailer. He and his band of fighters had lived on the streets of Los Angeles. He was forthright and refused to allow Cordelia to act all high and mighty, while still indulging to some of her unnecessary demands.

And Xander was involved with their long time enemy, but now reluctant ally, Spike. The blonde vampire had returned to Sunnydale, sans Drusilla, to gain the Gem of Amarra but had been captured by a band of commandos called the Initiative. He eventually escaped but not before the people that captured him rendered him harmless by placing a chip that prevented him from hurting humans. Eventually it led him to the ex-Watcher?s doorstep and Spike helping keep Sunnydale safe for humans. The blond vampire then bonded with Xander, who felt himself at a crossroads and the two became a couple. And, despite his initial misgivings for that relationship, Giles had to admit it worked.

"Hey Dad, Mom thought you might like some tea," came a young female voice.

Giles looked up to see his fourteen year old step-daughter Dawn. Or should he say, the being that everyone thought of as his step-daughter. Giles knew that whatever memories he had of the young girl had been planted by those that wanted her to be protected by him and his friends, but that didn?t mean that she hadn?t grown on him or that he didn?t care for her. She didn?t know that she wasn?t really Joyce Summers natural daughter and Dawn did truly love her mother and the friends of her long missing sister.

Joyce. Just the thought of the woman that was now his wife made Rupert Giles smile. He had never imagined that his Slayer leaving him and his being fired from the Watcher?s Council would be the best thing that could happen to him. It had brought him closer to Buffy?s mother who was trying to deal with the disappearance of her daughter and the knowledge of what Buffy had to do. The couple spent many nights talking about Buffy and slowly found themselves falling in love. A week before the teens? graduation, the two adults were married. Giles allowed Xander to move into his old townhouse, knowing that the boy needed to get away from his parents ,and Giles moved into the Summers? home.

"Dad, are you okay?" Dawn asked, concerned about the man that had taken the place of her real father in her heart. Giles always treated her with love and even let her work with him in his magick store. She loved watching him as he tried to figure out something and often volunteered to help research something. Giles smiled over at Dawn, reassuring the girl that he was okay.

"I?m fine, sweetie," he told her. "Just lost in thought." Dawn smiled at this. She had often caught her step-father lost in thought, and often wondered what went on his mind. She knew that he thought of her sister often, as did all of the people that came to her home on a regular basis.

Dawn missed Buffy, especially because she knew how much her disappearance had hurt her mother. Dawn wished Buffy would come back, but she knew that if she did that things wouldn?t be the same. For one, Buffy?s ex was in love with Willow and Dawn had to admit. She liked Angel and Willow together. She never did think Buffy was good enough for the brooding vampire.

"What were you thinking about?" Dawn carried over the tray that she had in her hands, placing it on the desk, making sure not to spill any of the liquid on the papers and books that lay there.

"This new prophecy that the Council sent me," he replied. "I?m trying to figure out what it means."

"Can I see it?" Giles handed over the slip of paper that held the translation of the prophecy. Sometimes Dawn seemed to be able to have some kind of insight into what the prophecies meant. "Could the protector thing be the Slayers? There is a new one and an old one."

"But that would mean that Buffy must return and that something is going to cause Faith to leave," Giles pointed out.

"The Council is going to retire Faith because she?s pregnant," Dawn reminded her father. "Remember, they said that since a Slayer had never had a child before, they wanted to make sure that nothing would happen so they said something about they were going to find the next one to be called and then allow Faith to retire."

"I do remember Riley saying something like that to me," Giles remembered.

"But that still means that Buffy would have to come back."

"Buffy?s coming back?" Came a startled voice. Giles and Dawn both looked up and saw a pale Joyce Giles standing in the doorway. Giles cursed under his breath as he went to help his wife sit down. She looked up at him, hope appearing on her features. "Did I hear you right? Is Buffy coming back? Have you heard something?"

"Joyce, we haven?t heard anything," he gently informed his wife. "Dawn and I were just going over the prophecy that the council sent me. Dawn just mentioned that maybe one part of it inferred that Buffy would be coming back." Giles hated seeing his wife like this. He didn?t want to get her hopes up, just to have them dashed again if things didn?t pan out.

Especially now with her being five months pregnant. At her age, Giles knew that she needed as little stress in her life, which was difficult considering what she knew.

"Mom, I?m sorry.," Dawn rushed to add. "I was just thinking out load. You know how I am." Dawn tried to get her mom to smile.

"But there?s something that could mean that Buffy is coming back?" She persisted.

"Wait a minute, Buffy?s coming back?" Xander said from behind everyone. In the confusion that had followed Joyce?s discovery of the possibility of her daughter returning, they hadn?t heard Xander or Willow enter.

"There?s a slight possibility that the prophecy foretells that Buffy will return," Giles explained. He watched as Willow lowered herself onto the couch next to Joyce.

"She?s coming back," she whispered. "I can?t believe this."

"Willow, we don?t have any proof that she?s going to return," Giles hastened to tell the red head. He knew, that next to Joyce, Willow?s life would be the one most turned upside down by the return of the blonde Slayer. Willow was involved with Buffy?s former lover and Giles had a feeling that Buffy would not be happy with that knowledge. As much as he loved the blonde girl, he knew that she wasn?t above putting her wants and desires above her friends and Buffy would probably decide she wanted Angel back. "We shouldn?t go looking for trouble when there isn?t any. I think the best thing to do would be to try and decipher the prophecy. The Council is sending someone here that should be arriving within the next day or two that will be able to help. I don?t think we should do anything until they get here."

"Giles, what are we going to do if Buffy does come back?" Willow asked.

"Things have changed so much. We?ve changed. What if Buffy doesn?t accept those changes?"

"Then we?ll deal with that if it happens, but she hasn?t returned yet so I don?t think there is anything to worry about just yet." The former Watcher hated seeing those that he cared about so worried about something that might not even happen. While he had to admit that what Dawn had said made sense, he couldn?t see what would possibly bring home the blonde girl that had brought them together back home. And he was sure that Buffy would not be happy with the changes that had taken place.

"So, Willow, where?s Angel?" Giles inquired of the red head, trying to change the topic of conversation away from the possibility of Buffy?s return.

"He and Spike are patrolling since Faith and Riley had to go to the doctors," she answered. "They promised Riley that they would take over more of Faith?s duties until after the baby was born or until the new Slayer shows up."

?I think Spike?s doing it just because he?s been really restless lately and wants to get rid of some excess energy," Xander stated as he remembered the sleepless days that have been bothering his mate.

"I thought that was your job," Willow teased. Xander stuck his tongue out at his long time friend.

?And they say I?m the immature one," Dawn muttered causing everyone to laugh.

"Bloody hell, that was the tenth fledgling we?ve staked tonight," Spike swore as he wiped some dust off of his duster. "What?s going on? Is there some kind of convention that we weren?t invited to?"

"I don?t know," Angel commented as he scanned the area for any other vampires. "Maybe all of this activity has something to do with that prophecy that Giles received."

"Either that or the bastards know the Slayer is knocked up and out of commission," Spike muttered. While Spike still prided himself on being the big bad, he had to admit, although reluctantly, that he had grown to care about the mortals that made up his companions. And that included the Slayer and her commando boyfriend. Then again, it was easier to like Faith over Buffy since Faith tended to be a bit on the wild side. Spike liked that in a girl.

"In any case, I just hope that?s the last of them for awhile," Angel stated.

"Don?t tell me you?re getting old, Peaches," Spike quipped, earning himself a slap over the head from his sire.

"Show respect, Boy," Angel ordered, sounding much6 like his unsouled counterpart. "I am your Sire after all."

"Like you would ever let me forget," Spike growled, although both vampires knew that Spike enjoyed having his Sire back in his life, even if he had that pesky little soul. "So, I hear you and Red have finally decided to move in together." Angel nodded his head.

"Yeah. Well, since her parents left Sunnydale, they gave her the house," Angel explained. "And I know that Willow can take care of herself, but I didn?t like the idea of her living by herself."

"Yeah right," Spike muttered, drawing a glare from Angel.

"Anyway, we decided that we would try living together," Angel continued.

"And you and Red can live under the same roof without shagging," Spike asked. He was afraid that the two of them would finally slip up and that Angel?s soul would be lost once more and Spike hated the idea of Willow being hurt, just because he knew it would hurt Xander.

"I don?t know," Angel admitted, "but we want to try. We love each other and until we can find a way to reverse the clause, we want to have as normal a life as possible."

"You realize we?re a couple of whupped nancy boys, don?t you," Spike said sarcastically.

"And you wouldn?t have it any other way," Angel grinned. Spike answered his sire?s grin with one of his own.

"Bloody right about that one." Suddenly Spike saw Angel stop, his head turning as if he sensed something. Spike quieted and searched for what had caused the souled vampire to react. "Bloody hell, what?s she doing out. I thought farm boy was going to keep her in."

"It?s not Faith, Spike," Angel commented just as someone stepped into the light.

"I don?t believe it," Spike swore.

"Angel," the new arrival whispered, unable to believe her eyes.

"Buffy."

Part 2

"Angel, is it really you?" Buffy whispered as she cautiously approached the two vampires. Her eyes darted to Spike and she stiffened. Suddenly something came to her at the sight of her former love and his childe side by side, seemingly getting along. Her voice became harsh. "Or should I say Angelus?" Angel looked over at his childe, understanding why his former love thought he was his evil soulless self. It must appear strange to see Angel and Spike together and not trying to kill each other considering she didn?t know about the truce between the two vampires.

"It?s Angel, Buffy," he tried to assure her. "I still have my soul."

"Then why are you with Spike and the two of you aren?t trying to kill each other?" She questioned, trying to understand what was going on. When she left her junior year, Buffy had never intended on returning to Sunnydale.

She had made a life for herself in Arizona, one that included friends and a new man in her life. She had finally put her past behind her. Her new friends had no idea that there were vampires and demons in the world, let alone that it was supposed to be her destiny to fight them. In fact, if it wasn?t for the dreams that she had been having over the past few weeks, she wouldn?t have returned at all. As it was, she had been hard pressed to come up with an excuse why she was leaving, since she they had all known that she had left home on not the best of terms. Her boyfriend, Jim, had wanted to return with her, to give her some support, but she told him that she wanted, no needed, to do this on her own. She didn?t want him to be exposed to what her life had been like in Sunnydale. She didn?t think she would be able to handle what was sure to happen if he was with her. There were too many bad memories, including her sending Angel to hell, that she had to deal with.

But here Angel was, in front of her, claiming that he still had his soul.

It was more that she could have hoped for. Buffy had never expected to see him again. She had resigned herself to the knowledge that she had sent the man that she loved to hell. But he was back and in front of her and she couldn?t have been happier. Even if he was with Spike.

"A lot has changed since you left, Buffy," Angel began, not sure of what he should be feeling. He was happy that the girl that had helped in begin to live again was alive, and apparently, well. There was even a small part of him that still loved her. It was only natural to still care for her since they never had any closure. But a larger part of him loved Willow and knew that the red headed witch was his true soul mate. That Willow was the one that he was destined to be with. That she was the one the Powers That Be had meant for him to love. And he hoped that Buffy would be able to handle that and be happy for the couple.

"Since she ran away you mean," Spike interrupted. Spike hadn?t missed the look that the Slayer had in her eyes at the sight of his Sire, and he would be damned if he let the girl do anything to hurt the relationship between Angel and Willow. He cared for the red headed witch too much. Angel glared at the blonde vampire, who backed off. While Spike would love nothing more than to sit and argue with his former enemy, for he didn?t see her as someone who deserved his respect now, he also knew that the others would need to know that she was back in town. "I think I?ll just go and check up on the others and see how they?re doing?" Angel nodded, grateful to his childe for his willingness to back away from a fight. Angel didn?t want to have to deal with that just yet.

"Tell them I?ll be there soon." Spike nodded and left, disappearing into the darkness that surrounded them. While Buffy was curious about why her ex-lover was with his childe, and apparently able to control Spike, she was grateful to see the blonde go. It had been a long time since she had fought anything and she was pretty sure that she would lose if Spike had decided to challenge her.

"So, you said things have changed since I?ve been gone," Buffy prompted Angel. Angel looked over at Buffy, taking in her appearance. Even in the harsh light that the streetlamp was providing, he could see that he hair was blonder and longer than when he had last seen her. She seemed to have lost a little of the muscle that she had always had, probably from lack of training. Her clothing seemed to have become a bit more of the sheer and trampy look than he had usually associated with her. She was wearing a micro mini black skirt, with a sheer black top, covering a red bra. On her feet was a pair of stiletto heels. She didn?t look like the Slayer that he remembered and he wondered what her life had been like since she had left town.

"You?ve been gone a long time," he stated.

"Only two years," Buffy whined. "How much could have changed. Other than you coming back. When did you get back?"

"I got back from LA last month," Angel purposely evaded her true question. He knew she meant when did he get back from hell, but he refused to make things easy for her.

"That?s not what I meant," she said. "I meant when did you get back from ?.." Buffy couldn?t say it and Angel had no desire to make it any easier for her. While, with Willow?s help, he had come to terms with what happened while he was in hell, he had yet to understand why Buffy had sent him there. All she needed was a little of his blood to close Acathla. She didn?t need to put the sword straight through his gut, sealing his fate with the demon?s.

"From Hell, Buffy," he spit out. "From where you sent me?" Buffy stepped back as she saw Angel?s eyes turn yellow. He could tell that he had frightened her, but for a moment he didn?t seem to care.

"I didn?t have a choice," she protested. Angel took deep, unneeded breaths, trying to calm himself and regain control of his demon that roared for Buffy?s blood. "I had to do it. It was the only thing I could do. You know that." Angel shook his head.

"No, Buffy I know no such thing. You had a choice, you just didn?t choose to exercise it," he said sadly. "But that?s in the past. I?m back now and things have changed. For everyone."

"Is that why Spike was with you?" Buffy sneered, hating herself for doing it but unable to stop herself. "And where?s his looney girlfriend, Drusilla?"

"Drusilla left Spike two years ago for a Chaos Demon," Angel informed her.

"She didn?t like the fact that Spike allied himself with you over the whole Acathla thing. Spike?s been back in Sunnydale for over a year now and has made himself a good life here. With a new mate."

"And the reason he?s not dust right now is?"

"He helps us," Angel replied. "He has for awhile now." Angel started to walk away, knowing that Buffy would follow. He knew that Spike had probably already arrived at Giles? home and told them what had happened. And Angel felt this sudden need and desire to see his own mate. He needed Willow to help him deal with everything that he was feeling, just like she had been doing since his return. Only with Willow, did Angel feel comfortable enough to let the demon out when he was frustrated. It was one of the things that he loved about the red head. Her acceptance of both sides of him. The man and the demon. It was also one of the things that Buffy had never been truly able to do.

"And what brought on this sudden change for him?" Buffy questioned sarcastically. The blonde Slayer couldn?t believe that the vampire that had never wanted anything more than to make her the third Slayer that he killed. It went against everything that she had believed for the past two years.

"Like I said, a lot of things have changed since you?ve been gone," Angel repeated.

"And I asked you like what?" Buffy said. "How much could have possibly have changed?"

"For starters, your mother and Giles are now married," he blurted out.

Buffy stopped walking, her mouth dropping open at the news that her Watcher and her mother were together. "Close your mouth Buffy, you?re drawing flies."

"My mother and Giles?" She repeated. "When? How? Why?"

"The when was right before graduation. The how and the why are the same," Angel explained, resuming his walking. "They got together over their mutual grief at losing you. They both felt responsible. Giles because he felt that he pushed you to hard and your mother because she didn?t think she did enough to understand what you were going through."

"But she didn?t even know about the whole Slayer thing," Buffy reasoned.

"Didn?t matter," Angel shrugged. "She felt that she should have known something was wrong since your behavior had changed so rapidly in such a short period of time. Its not like she could actually blame it on your friends, considering I don?t see Willow or Xander actually being bad influences on anyone." Buffy looked down at the ground dejectedly. She had never meant for her mother to blame herself for her disappearance. She thought her mom would be glad to be rid of her troublesome daughter, especially after their last fight.

"Mom must hate me," she muttered. Angel shook his head.

"She loves you, Buffy," he told the blonde. "She?s your mother. No matter what has happened, she will always love you. she was just upset that you didn?t confide in her everything that was going on in your life, instead, choosing to run away. That hurt her, but with Giles and Dawn?s help, she learned to live with the knowledge that you didn?t trust her enough to handle things."

"How is Dawn?" Buffy inquired, wondering how her sister has been doing.

Angel smiled as he thought of the little bundle of energy that ruled the Giles household. "She?s growing into a little heartbreaker," Angel answered. "I think it won?t be long before Giles has to start fighting the boys off of her with a stick."

"That?s good," Buffy said. "And the others? Willow? Xander?"

"Well, Xander went on a little road trip after he graduated," Angel began.

"He?s been holding down a number of odd jobs since he got back, but now he?s doing some construction and he seems to enjoy it. He moved into Giles? old place, finally getting away from his family. He and Anya broke up when she decided she wanted to see the world and try to get back her demon status."

"Wait a minute," Buffy interrupted. "Xander dated a demon?"

"Actually an ex-demon," Angel corrected. "Anya was a vengeance demon that had been called by Cordelia when Xander had cheated on her. Somehow she lost her powers and she and Xander became involved. "

"And Willow?"

?Willow just started her second year at the university. She?s studying psychology," Angel?s voice took on a different quality when speaking of his mate, one that Buffy didn?t even notice. "She?s doing really well. She?d become quite the little witch. She?s even used her powers to save us quite a few times. And she helps Giles in his magick shop as much as she can."

"Giles has a magick shop?"

"Well, he needed something to do since we had to blow up the school and he had gotten fired from the Watcher?s Council," Angel replied. "And, you have to admit, Giles owning a magick shop makes a lot of sense. Especially in this town."

"Giles got fired because of me, didn?t he?" Angel nodded his head and Buffy?s guilt factor went up another few notches. "Wait a minute, you said after you blew up the school. Why did you blow up the school?"

"Long story short, Mayor was an evil demon trying to take over the town and the only way to defeat him was to blow up the school." Angel stopped as the pair reached their destination. He saw Buffy hesitate.

"Man, I haven?t felt like this in a long time," she told him. She looked over at Angel, her love for him still evident in her eyes. "I?m glad you?re with me." Angel shifted under her gaze. Buffy leaned up and gave a stunned Angel a kiss on the lips. "I?ve missed you."

"Buffy," Angel began, wanting to make sure that the blonde girl knew that there was nothing between them anymore, "you have to know something."

"What?"

"Remember how I told you that Spike had a new mate?" Buffy nodded her head. "He isn?t the only one." When Buffy continued to look at Angel, confusion clearly written on her face, Angel continued. "I?ve found someone too. Someone who accepts me for who and what I am."

"But you love me," Buffy protested. "You and I are supposed to be soul mates." Angel gently shook his head. She suddenly remembered how close Angel and Spike had appeared, and the fact that Spike was now helping the Slayerettes and she was filled with a dread. "Please, don?t tell me its Spike."

"Of course not," Angel answered, surprised by the Slayer?s deduction. "But our mates are best friends and there is a closeness between us that hasn?t been there since I had regained my soul."

Then she?s someone new. Someone who haven?t known for long," Buffy rationalized. "She just someone to replace me." Buffy closed the distance between her and Angel. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in and gave him another kiss. This one deeper and longer than before. Angel felt long dead emotions come back before he squashed them and pulled away from his former love, who had a hurt look in her eyes.

"Angel?"

"Its over Buffy," he told her gently but forcefully. "I?m in love with someone else, and even if we can?t be together because of the curse, we are making our relationship work." Angel saw the curtains in the living room move. "Come on, the others are probably waiting for you."

"This is where Spike was headed, isn?t it?" Buffy tried to keep the hurt at Angel?s rejection out of her voice, but wasn?t quite successful. "The others have accepted him too. Like I said, he has a new mate that has made it easier for him to become part of the group."

"Yes they have." Angel opened the door, allowing Buffy to enter the room first. she was quickly surrounded by her family and friends. Angel searched the crows, looking for the one person that he needed to see, only to notice that Willow was nowhere to be found. Spike came over to his Sire.

"She took off," the blonde informed Angel.

"Why?"

"She saw the Slayer kiss you." Angel didn?t even reply as he ran back into the night, hoping to catch his mate and make her realize that Willow was the one that he loved. He just hoped that she didn?t do anything to drastic.

Part 3

"Buffy, my god, I thought I would never see you again," Joyce Summers Giles stated as she hug her long missing daughter. Buffy reveled in the embrace that she had missed, smelling the perfume that she had long associated with the woman who had raised her. It too her a moment to realize that something was different.

"Mom, you?re pregnant," the blonde exclaimed. Joyce smiled down at her daughter, as Giles came over and wrapped his arms around his wife, resting his hands on her swollen belly.

"Five months," Joyce said proudly, turning her head and kissing Giles on the cheek. Buffy stared in shock at the obviously happy couple. Sure, Angel had told her that they were together but it hadn?t fully registered in her mind until she actually saw them together. She was happy that her mother had found someone to love after the debacle that had been her previous marriage. Not to mention that whole fiasco with the Ted robot.

Buffy was also glad that Giles had moved on after Jenny Calender?s death.

She remembered how heartbroken the former Watcher had been when the computer teacher had been killed by Angelus. IT was one of the reasons that Buffy had left, not able to deal with the guilt that she had felt at the fact that she hadn?t been able to save the wiccan.

"I?m happy for you," Buffy exclaimed, giving her mother another hug. The blonde girl than turned her attention to the man that she had thought of as her father, and who now was in a way. "So, you and Mom huh?" Giles nodded his head, looking proudly at the woman that he had married. "Angel said you?ve been together for two years now."

?Two years, four months and twenty two days," Giles replied, before smiling.

"But whose counting?" Everyone laughed at Giles? comments. Buffy looked around, spotting her sister.

"Dawn."

"Hey there sis," Dawn said shyly as she went and gave her older sister a hug. There were tears in Buffy?s eyes as she took in the changes in her little sister. She couldn?t believe that the girl that stood in front of her was the same sweet shy child that she had left behind. "Its good to see you again. I didn?t think I would."

"I?m so sorry," Buffy whispered into Dawn?s hair. The two girls held each other tight, afraid to let go. Finally Buffy pulled away and held Dawn out to her so that she could look her over more. "You?ve grown up. You aren?t the same little squirt that I left two years ago."

"Things change," Dawn stated, repeating Angel?s words from just moments ago. "I?ve even helped Slay and Dad lets me help research stuff too. And I get to work in the magick shop and I?ve even learned some magick stuff, although Dad and Mom would rather me not do any."

"That?s just because we don?t want you to get hurt," Giles admonished.

"You know what can happen when you aren?t careful, or do we have to remind you of what happened last year."

"No, you don?t have to remind me," Dawn pouted, rolling her eyes at her step father. "Spike does that enough as it is."

"Well, how would you have felt if you found yourself kissing the farm boy?s little commando friend," Spike swore. Xander wrapped his arms around his mate from behind and kissed his cheek.

"I?m just glad the Graham didn?t decide to stake you after the spell was reversed," the dark haired teen stated. "I really would have had to kill him if he did." Spike turned in his lover?s arms, wrapping his own around Xander.

"As much as I would have loved to have seen that, I?m rather glad that you didn?t have to either," Spike agreed. "Then we would have had to deal with you brooding all the time instead of just Peaches." Spike placed a deep, passionate kiss on the boy?s lips that left Xander breathless. "And one brood boy is enough for this group."

Buffy stared in shock at Xander and Spike wrapped in each other?s arms. She couldn?t help but noticed that none of the others seemed to be surprised by this. In fact, they all appeared to approve of whatever was going on between the two men. ?Spike and Xander? As in together. When the hell did this happen and why didn?t Giles do something to stop it from happening.?

"Ummm, guys, I know I?ve been gone awhile, but just when exactly did Xander start going around kissing the undead?" Buffy finally said as she tried to recover from her shock. Xander blushed while Spike grinned unabashedly at the look on Buffy?s face.

"Buffy, Spike and Xander got together last year after Spike was forced to help us," Giles informed her. He led the stunned Slayer over to the couch, while the others took various seats.

"Forced to help you," Buffy repeated. "How?"

"By the Initiative," Giles answered. At Buffy?s continued confusion, the former Watcher continued. "The Initiative was a group of demon hunters that were run by the military. They captured Spike last year just before Thanksgiving and inserted some form of chip that prevents him from hurting humans."

"So, what, you guys adopted him or something," Buffy questioned. "Why didn?t you kill him? I mean, even with no Slayer that would have been easier or have you all forgotten the hell he put us through junior year?"

Buffy was angry at the thought that her friends, the people that she had trusted and worried about, had apparently accepted a demon that had tried to kill them all into their lives. And Xander had become involved with him.

"We haven?t forgotten anything, Buffy," Xander replied, his anger also rising to the surface. While he had missed the girl in front of them and was glad she was all right, he wasn?t about to let her degrade the relationship he had with Spike. "Unlike you, we were left here to pick up the pieces. We didn?t run away from what happened. We stayed here and faced them and that included the times that Spike came back to town."

"Xander I had to leave," Buffy whined, hating how things were turning out. She knew that she wouldn?t be able to come back and expect things to just fall back into what they once were, but she didn?t expect the hostility that she felt coming from her friend. "After everything that had happened, I needed to get away. I needed time to deal with everything."

"And to hell with the rest of us, was that it?" Xander yelled. Spike took Xander into his arms, trying to calm the youth. He knew how much Xander had been holding in his feelings regarding Buffy?s leaving Sunnydale and was convinced that his mate had to let them out. He just didn?t want Xander to say something in the heat of the moment that he would later regret.

"Xan, luv, its okay," the blonde said into his lover?s ear, but loud enough for the others to hear him. "She can?t hurt me, no matter what she says."

"That?s not the point," Xander argued, although his voice was more calm than it had been a moment before. Spike felt as some of the tension Xander was feeling left as he continued to hold the teen.

"Then what is the point?? Buffy asked. She watched as Xander seemed to snuggle into Spike?s form. ?Okay, mental image coming that I would rather not have had.?

"The point is that you don?t have the right to just waltz back into our lives and then insult the way we?ve chosen to live them," Xander told the blonde. "We?ve been doing pretty good for ourselves since you left. The hellmouth hasn?t opened, not for lack of the demons trying. Sure we blew up the school, but that was for the greater good. And we even managed to stop the government from experimenting with things that they had no idea of what to do with. And, along the way, we?ve all been able to find someone to love and to love us back. Now, I?m sorry if you don?t like the idea that we?ve accepted Spike into our lives, and my bed, but that?s the facts."

Buffy sat and stared at her old friend. She couldn?t believe the changes that had taken place in him. He would never have spoken to her that way before she had left. Of that, she was sure of. Xander had always been the one ready with a joke to ease a tense situation like this, not be the cause of it. She wondered how much of it had been Spike?s affect on him, but as she watched the two together, she could see that it was Spike that was calming Xander down. ?Maybe Xander is right. What right do I have to get on them about what they?ve done. Mom and Giles are happy. I can?t believe that they?re actually expecting a baby. And Xander seems okay, even if he is with Spike. I wonder how Willow feels about all of this." Then it hit her. What Angel had said about his and Spike?s mates. That they were best friends. Buffy looked around the living room and the faces that were there.

?Where are Willow and Angel??

"Angel said something about him having a mate," Buffy started. She watched as every person in the room stiffened. She didn?t want to ask the next question but she had to. She had to know the truth. "Is it Willow?"

"Willow?" Angel said as he arrived at the park. He had been searching for the red head since he had left the Giles home, having first gone to the house that they shared and then to some of the places that he knew Willow liked to go to when she needed time to think. Finally he decided to search the park, going to the place that held so many memories for both of them.

"Sweetling, are you okay?"

"Do you remember the first time we came here, Angel?" Willow asked quietly as Angel sat down on the bench beside her. Willow never looked at him, her eyes remaining focused on the fountain in front of her.

"It was right after Spike had kidnapped you and Xander," Angel replied, remembering the fear he had at the thought of the red head in Spike?s possession. "After we made sure that Cordelia was okay, you and I took a walk. We ended up here and you told me what had made Delia run away like that."

"I felt so bad," Willow sighed. "I still can?t believe she forgave me for that. She almost died. And Oz,he never got over it. He left on tour with the band a week later. I haven?t seen or heard from him since." Angel?s chest constricted as he heard the note of longing in Willow?s voice at the mention of her ex-boyfriend. Angel still wondered if Willow would still be his mate if the werewolf had remained in town and tried to fix his relationship with the red headed hacker.

"I remember," Angel whispered. "You were in shock over everything that had happened. I was scared that you wouldn?t be able to handle it. I don?t think I was ever so happy to see someone cry as I was to see you break down." Willow finally looked at her mate, a small smile on her face.

"And you held me all night, letting me use your shoulder to cry on," she said. Angel cupped her chin in his hand, gently wiping the tears that had fallen down her face. He hated seeing Willow in pain and cursed himself for putting her through it. He knew that she was afraid that he would go back to Buffy now that the Slayer was back in town. And it hadn?t of helped her seeing Buffy kissing him.

"I was just so happy that you were okay," Angel informed her. "I had been so scared that I had lost you before I had even had a chance to tell you how I felt."

"How did you feel, Angel?"

"I loved you Willow," Angel told her. "It wasn?t until I thought that you were gone that I even realized it. It was like a part of me was gone. A big part of me and I wasn?t sure if I would have been able to go on living if I didn?t get to see you again."

"And now?" Angel picked Willow up, cradling her in his arms. The petite red head snuggled in his chest, seeking what little body heat he had to give her and Angel wrapped his arms around her small frame.

"I love you more now than I did then, if that?s even possible," Angel replied. "You are everything to me, Willow Anne Rosenberg. Nothing is going to change that. You are the one I love. The one I want to spend the rest of my life, or unlife as the case may be, with."

"But what about Buffy?" Willow continued to question. She knew that Angel loved her and that he would never hurt her. She carried his mark, something that Buffy never had. So what if they hadn?t been able to make love, that was only a small part of what made a relationship. And Angel had made sure to satisfy as many of her needs as he could.

"What about her?" Angel returned. "Buffy?s my past. You are my present and my future." Angel kissed the top of Willow?s head. "That kiss you saw. That was Buffy trying to recapture something that died a slow, painful death a while ago. I can?t lie to you and tell you that I didn?t? feel anything. I did. Just like if Oz were to come back you would feel something for him. That?s the way it is with love. You always remember them. Its just that you can move on and I have. With you." Willow looked up at Angel, her smile having grown larger.

"Really?"

"Really, my love. Buffy?s just going to have to accept the fact that you and I are together." Angel suddenly thought of something that made him smile. "Besides, I think she?ll be too freaked over the concept of Spike and Xander together to worry too much about us." Willow pictures Buffy?s reaction to the teen?s relationship with the blonde vampire and joined Angel in his laughter.

"You know, I almost feel sorry for Buffy." Willow?s grin turned evil.

"Almost. But heaven help her if she decides to screw with any of the relationships that have formed since she?s been gone."

Part 4

"I can?t believe Angel and Willow are together," Buffy muttered as she unpacked her things. She had been given her old room, it having been left the way it had been when she had initially disappeared. Xander and Spike had left an hour ago, saying that they wanted to do one last sweep before heading home. She had been surprised to find out that they were doing that because the new slayer, Faith, was pregnant and they were waiting for the Watcher?s Council to find the next one to be called. Buffy was trying to process all of the changes that she had been told about, but her mind wasn?t able to come to grips with some of the things that she had learned. Like the fact that her best friend and her ex-lover were now involved with each other.

"They?re good together," Dawn innocently replied. The young girl was sitting on Buffy?s bed. A bed that she had become accustomed to sleeping on at one point, having found it as a way to comfort herself over her sister?s disappearance. She was happy to see Buffy back and hoped that things would be better than they had been before. "Why didn?t you ever tell me about how much of a romantic Angel is? And his sense of humor?"

"What do you mean?" Buffy asked. ?Angel has a sense of humor? Why didn?t he ever show me it. He was always Mr. Brood Boy with me. And he never did anything really romantic with me, unless it included something to help me with slaying.? "What does he do that?s so romantic?" Dawn didn?t even have to think to come up with examples of the things that Angel had done for Willow to prove his love.

"Well, like when Angel first told Willow how he felt for her," Dawn began.

?It was about two months after Oz left. Angel set up a huge picnic, complete with candles and flowers and even violin music. It was over by the fountain in the park. He wanted everything to be perfect. He knew how much Willow had been hurting because of everything that had happened. Willow had been so happy. She couldn?t believe that he had done that for her. It was then that she realized that everything she had been feeling for Angel was love, not just friendship. They?ve been together ever since."

"Has there been any other times that he?s been romantic towards Willow?" Buffy inquired softly. ?Angel never did anything like that for me. It took me some major cajoling to get him to admit that he cared for me. Everything was always a fight between us. He couldn?t be that different with Willow, could he??

"Well, there?s the way he would always follow her home, making sure she got there okay, when he thought she didn?t know he was there," Dawn continued.

"Or like on her eighteenth birthday, he sent her a rose an hour starting at like eight in the morning until seven that night, then he brought her the last one for a complete dozen. Talk about sweet. I think even Delia cried over that one. He even gave up being human for her because he couldn?t protect her like that."

"Angel gave up being human?" Dawn nodded her head.

"Yeah. It was right after Thanksgiving. Willow had gone up to LA to thank Angel for helping us beat some major evil that had come to town. She hadn?t known he was here until Xander opened his big mouth," Dawn smiled. "Apparently, while she was there, they were attacked by a Mohra demon. Angel got some of its blood on him."

"A Mohra demon. What does it do?"

"It has some major healing abilities which include making a vampire human again," Dawn explained. "Man I wish I could have seen that. Angel in the daylight. That must have been a sight to see."

"Angel was human," Buffy whispered, trying to picture the man she loved as a living, breathing person instead of the undead vampire that he was. "What happened?"

Turned out that they hadn?t killed it in the first place. When he and his friend Doyle went after it again, Angel got his butt kicked," Dawn informed her stunned sister. "He realized that he wouldn?t be able to protect Willow if he was human. He went to the Powers That Be and they agreed to turn back time so that no one would remember anything except for Angel."

"Then how do you know about it?" Dawn shrugged her shoulders."Angel finally couldn?t keep it to himself. It was driving him crazy, so he told Willow."

"And Willow told you?" Buffy asked in disbelief. Buffy?s friend had always been tolerant of her little sister, all of them having been only children, but the blonde had difficulty believing that Willow had gotten that close to the young girl.

"Hey, Willow is my friend," Dawn defended. "We?re like sisters. After you left, Willow would come by, making sure that I was okay and taking me places and all. Mom really appreciated that. She knew how much I was hurting because you weren?t here anymore. With Willow, I didn?t miss you as much. It helped me go on. And Willow needed a girlfriend to talk to. She couldn?t talk to Delia, not after the whole Xander kissage fiasco. And you were nowhere to be found, so she talked to me. And I listened. I?m a good listener. We became good friends. Even now, with her in collage and living with Angel and all, Willow still makes time to come over to talk to me. We even go out once a week just to hang out, except now we have Faith and Delia with us sometimes."

"Wow, it sounds like you guys didn?t even miss me?" Buffy observed sadly. It hurt to know how much life had gone on while she was gone. While she didn?t think her friends and family would just sit by and wait for her return, she didn?t think that they would have moved as far forward as they had. Dawn got up and walked over to her sister, giving her a hug.

"Of course we missed you," the young girl cried. "We missed you so much. You have no idea how much money Dad spent trying to find you. How many leads he followed, hoping that for once, one of them wasn?t a dead end. How many hours Willow spent in front of her computer, looking for some clue as to where you went. How Xander went into such a funk, none of us were sure if he would ever come out of it. Even Cordelia and Oz were affected by your leaving. What makes you think that you weren?t missed?"

"It just seems that everyone moved on. Xander is involved with Spike, of all people," Buffy began to rant. "I mean, we are talking about the same blood sucking demon that tried to kill us all numerous times. Even helped in the whole torturing Giles thing."

"Yeah and?"

"And so what, now everyone just accepts that Spike and Xander are together?" Buffy stated, not understanding why her sister didn?t see the obvious wrongness of everything. "That doesn?t make any sense. Spike should be dust, not a guest."

"I wouldn?t go telling Mom that," Dawn grinned. "She?s taken it in her head the Spike and Angel are the two sons that she never had. You should have seen it last Christmas. I swear, I think she gave them more presents then she did me. And they just love her. Once, when this idiot vampire decided to attack her one night when she was leaving the shop, the two of them went nuts. According to Willy, after that, word quickly spread that no one was to touch us, but especially Mom. They have a major soft spot for her."

"Wow, so mom?s replaces me not only with another daughter, but with two sons too," Buffy whispered.

"She didn?t replace you," Dawn again tried to tell her sister. "Mom missed you more than anyone. It was just that the others were here for her so she began to become dependent on them. Then, when it became obvious how lousy their home lives were, she just took them in. This became everyone?s second home. Even Angel was welcome after he returned from Hell."

"How did that happen? How did he get back?" Dawn shrugged her shoulders.

"Don?t know and we all stopped worrying about it," she replied. "All we know for sure is that one day he was in Hell, the next he was back. And definitely worse for wear. According to Willow, he was nothing more than an animal when she first found him. He couldn?t talk. He had this wild look in his eyes. It was a week before he started recognizing her. Two before he finally spoke. We still don?t know what he went through there. He hasn?t really wanted to talk about it to anyone, but we all understand that. It must have been tough on him there. We?re just glad that he?s back."

"And mom and Giles?" Buffy asked, wanting to change the subject before it got back to Willow and Angel. It hurt thinking of her love with someone else, let alone her best friend.

"Aren?t they great?" Dawn said enthusiastically. "I mean, I was so happy when I found out they were going to et married. We had all actually started placing bets on when they would get married. Xander one. I lost twenty bucks on that. I could have sworn that they would have waited until August."

"And how did Dad take Mom getting remarried?" Buffy prodded, seeing her sister go done memory lane.

"He didn?t care one way or the other," Dawn explained. "I think he was just happy because he didn?t have to pay her alimony anymore. I don?t talk to Dad much anymore. That?s why I really am glad that Giles is cool with me. I mean, things were tough at first, but we?ve grown used to each other and I love him. We do lots of Father/daughter things. And he makes mom happy. I can?t wait to see the new baby."

"That?s something I never thought I would see. Mom pregnant. Let alone by my watcher," the blonde Slayer muttered. "Gives me the wiggins."

"Yeah, well, deal," Dawn ordered, not liking the way that Buffy was dealing with the changes that had occurred while she was gone. Dawn loved her sister but she wouldn?t let Buffy ruin anyone?s happiness just because she might not approve of it. "Buffy, I know its a lot to deal with right now, but we had to learn that life goes on after you left. We had to keep living or else we would be swallowed up by the hell mouth. Can you understand that?" Buffy looked over at Dawn, seeing not the little girl that she had left behind, but a young woman.

"When did you become so wise?"

"Last year. It was a birthday present," Dawn grinned.

"Okay, so I know all about Xander and Spike," Buffy tried to keep the shiver out of her voice as she thought of that pairing. "And Giles and Mom. But tell me about this new Slayer. Faith."

"Faith is so cool," Dawn gushed, thinking of the brunette Slayer that had come to join Sunnydale?s fight against evil two years previously. "She doesn?t take anything from anybody. Dad and her got into some real knock down fights because she refused to listen to him. She?s the reason he finally got sacked from the Watcher?s Council. After you took off and his failure to reign Faith in, they sent us Wes."

"Wes?"

"Yeah, he works with Angel and Delia. He fancies himself a rogue demon hunter, and he isn?t that bad, although when he first came to town he was a real dweeb," Dawn observed. "Now, he?s pretty cool. He just needs to find himself a girlfriend."

"So he became Faith?s Watcher?"

"Yup. But Faith listened to him even less than she listened to Dad," Dawn continued. "Then there was this accident where she killed the mayor?s aide. The Council sent some goons after her, but she escaped. She turned bad then, even working for the mayor. That was not a fun time, but we managed. With some extra help that is."

"But if Faith went bad, why is she still a part of the group?" Buffy was confused. Her sister was describing events and circumstances that made no sense to her. A new Slayer that killed someone and then went evil, but was still accepted by her friends. Buffy wasn?t sure that she liked the idea of this person being involved with those that she cared about. She just hoped that she could make sure that nothing happened to them.

"Faith got help before she did anything truly evil," Dawn went on. "Angel helped her. He understood how hard it was to fight the darkness within yourself. And the rest of us supported her. We generally liked Faith. It was just a turn of bad luck that made her life the way it was. She?s proven herself time and again since then. Especially since she met Riley. He?s been a major influence on her. She worked hard to become a better person and he helped her with that. It helped that he knew all about what happened in Sunnydale. Well, at least that there were demons, not that it was the Hellmouth. Freaked him about when he found out about that. I almost expected him to run back to Iowa but he stuck it out and now the two of them are happily planning the first in what may be a rather huge brood of children."

?Wow, sounds like things certainly have been interesting in my absence," Buffy observed.

"Hey this is the Hellmouth we?re talking about," Dawn returned with a smile. "As for things changing, I?m sure a lot has happened in your life that is just as interesting." Buffy just shook her head, thinking of how easy her life had basically been when compared to those that she had left behind. And she knew that, no matter what Dawn said, that some of them did resent her for leaving. It was obvious from the hostility that Xander had shown when she had confronted him about his relationship with Spike. By the fact that Willow had left before she even arrived. That Angel had gone after the red head instead of staying by Buffy?s side. These things would never had happened if they hadn?t blamed Buffy for her leaving.

"Dawn, its time for you to go to bed," Joyce called from downstairs.

"But mom, Buffy just got back," the girl whined.

"You can talk to your sister tomorrow, but you have a test first thing and you aren?t missing school," Giles responded.

"Fine, I?m going," Dawn pouted. She turned to Buffy. "You?ll still be here tomorrow right?" Buffy nodded her head.

"Yeah, I?ll be here. Promise." Dawn smiled and gave Buffy a hug before running out of the room.

"I?ll be here. I have to fix everything that I screwed up." Buffy swore to herself. "Including getting Angel back where he belongs. By my side."

Part 5

"Angel I don?t know if I can deal with this just yet," Willow said, turning to her mate. The two of them stood outside of the Magick Shop that Giles owned. They were there to see Buffy. The blonde Slayer had gone with her new stepfather to his store to see what the former librarian had done with his life since she had been gone and Willow thought that it would be the best place for her to see her missing friend. Someplace neutral. But now, the red head was having second thoughts. Even though she was convinced that Angel would choose her over Buffy, if the blonde made him do so, there was still enough of the little girl that had always lost everything remaining that made her question herself.

"We don?t have to go in there, kitten," Angel told her. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him in the cool night air. He could feel the tension that had taken over her body and wished there was something that he could do to make it better for her. He knew that Willow truly did want to see the blonde Slayer, having missed Buffy while the girl had been gone. He also knew how much Willow had dreaded Buffy?s return, worried that the blonde was still in love with Angel. So Angel did what he could. He made sure that Willow knew that it was she that he loved. She that he wanted to spend eternity with, not Buffy. That Willow was his true soul mate. The one that made him whole.

"But Buffy?" Willow started to protest only to be cut off by Angel kissing her, deeply.

"Buffy isn?t what?s important to me, Willow, you are," he informed the red head after they broke apart. Willow looked into Angel?s eyes, losing herself in the deep brown pools. She could just look at him all day. IN fact, she had many times. She was just afraid that Buffy would do or say something to try and prevent her from doing it anymore.

"I love you, kitten."

"I love you too, my Angel." Willow took a deep breathe, mentally preparing herself for the meeting with her friend. "Let?s get this over with, shall we?" Angel smiled, placing another quick kiss on Willow?s lips, before opening the door to the store. He allowed Willow to enter first, following right behind her. Giles looked up from the counter where he was going over that day?s receipts, smiling when he saw the couple. Buffy was over near the bookshelves that lined one wall. She turned when she heard the bell over the door. She knew it was Angel and Willow, having seen them through the window. It had hurt seeing the tenderness between the two people. She could tell that they truly did love each other and it hurt knowing that Angel had obviously moved on with someone. It being her best friend only caused it to hurt more. Buffy would have preferred it if it had been a stranger.

"Willow," Buffy shouted, trying to put as much enthusiasm in her voice as was believable. she was happy to see the red head, she just wished she wasn?t with Angel.

"Buffy, its so good to see you," Willow greeted the Slayer, taking in the changes that had occurred in her friend. Buffy looked more relaxed, the tension that she had always carried with her because of her slaying duties nowhere evident. The blonde girl in front that stood in front of Willow appeared to be much happier and more carefree. The only evidence that there was any tenseness about her was when Buffy noticed that Willow and Angel were holding hands. A darkness passed over her eyes, and Willow could see Buffy?s true emotions beneath and the red head knew that Buffy had done anything but accept that Willow and Angel were together. Then that moment was gone and Buffy was smiling again.

"Its great to see you too, Willow," Buffy went over and hugged the red head, looking over at Angel for a moment. "I missed you last night when I got back. I would have figured that you would have been one of the first people to welcome me back. I had heard that I had just missed you."

"Yeah, well, I, ummmmm," Willow fumbled for a reply. She hadn?t missed the way Buffy had challenged the reason why the young witch had left the Giles? home the night before, but Willow didn?t really want to get into a battle with Buffy. Not when the blonde had just returned and certainly not in Giles? store.

"Willow had to go and check on Faith, that?s why she had gone," Angel came to his mate?s defense, causing her to give him one of her special smiles. He squeezed her hand, showing her that it was she that he wanted to be with. "Seems Faith was getting a special craving that had Riley ready to heave."

"I was not going to heave," came a voice from the entrance to the store.

Angel, Willow and Buffy turned to face the new arrivals. "I just couldn?t imagine why anyone would crave anything like peanut butter and hot fudge sundae with sweet pickles on the bottom. It sounded rather disgusting to me."

"That?s because you?re a man and not pregnant," added Faith. The couple had heard Angel?s excuse to Buffy as to why Willow had left and both wanted to make sure that it sounded believable. They knew how worried their young friend was about the return of Angel?s ex-lover and wanted to support her.

It helped that Riley had threatened Angel with some major hurt if he so much as upset the red head. "Hey Red, Fang, what?s up? We heard there?s a new Slayer in town and decided to check her out."

"Actually, Faith, Buffy?s the old Slayer, remember. You?re the new Slayer here," Willow corrected.

"Although, right now, a fledgling would be able to take you out," Angel added, grinning at the brunette and surprising Buffy with his joking. He had never so much as cracked a joke when he had been with her.

"Bite me, Fang," Faith retorted.

"I would but I would rather not find myself on the business end of one of those Initiative tasers that I know Riley has been hiding," Angel replied.

"Hey, I would never hit you with a taser, Angel my man. Why waste such a good weapon on you?" Riley teased. Angel growled at the former commando.

Willow smacked Angel in the stomach.

"Knock it off with the growlies, you," she ordered. She rolled her eyes and looked over at Faith. "Yeesh, considering the way these two act, why would we even think we needed another baby around." Everyone but Buffy laughed. Willow noticed this and went to introduce the blonde Slayer to her replacement. "Faith, Riley this is Buffy. Buffy this is Faith, the Slayer, and her boyfriend and ex-commando, Riley Finn."

"Nice to meet you," Riley said stiffly. Being a former military man, Riley knew what was expected of someone with a duty and held little respect for the girl that had run away from hers. He considered it no better than going AWOL. The fact that Buffy was back now did nothing to erase what he felt about her, but he would be willing to give her a chance, if for no one else but Willow.

"Welcome back, B," Faith greeted her sister Slayer. The two girls shook hands, and Faith could tell that Buffy was not especially strong for a Slayer and Faith wondered if the other girl had even bothered training while she was away. "I?ve heard a lot about you from Red and Xan."

"I?ve heard a lot about you too from Dawn," Buffy replied. "You?ve made quite an impression on my little sister."

"She?s a great kid," the brunette informed the blonde. "She?s gonna be a major heart breaker when she gets a little older."

"Not if I can help it," Giles put in. "Joyce and I are already thinking of locking Dawn into her room until she?s in college."

"Yeah and its not like she wouldn?t know how to get out of that room, either, right G-man?" Faith teased. "I can still remember a certain night when you went all freaky because Dawn decided to check out the new band at the Bronze without telling you."

"And you even called the cops, figuring that for once they might have actually been good for something," Willow joined in the teasing.

"Poor Dawn, punished for a week with no tv or phone," Riley finished.

"That?s enough of that," Giles told everyone, noticing how uncomfortable Buffy was becoming with everyone sharing memories that didn?t include her. He knew that it would happen often, especially with this particular group of friends, but he didn?t think it would be a good thing for it to happen so soon. "I?m actually glad you?re all here. I wanted to talk to you about what we discovered the other night."

"Is this about that prophecy that Blondie and Xan were telling us about," Faith asked, going over and taking a seat. She sighed as she got off her feet. Riley went over and sat next to his girlfriend, resting her feet in his lap and massaging the sore muscles there. "You know, I might just have to keep you around, Farmboy."

"Try and get rid of me," he said, grinning at his girlfriend. He turned his attention back to Giles. "SO, what is it that you think is gonna happen this time?"

"We?re not exactly sure, although we do have an idea of who some of the players are," Giles answered. "Believe it or not, Dawn thinks she might have figured it out."

"What?s so surprising about that?" Angel questioned. "That girl is smart as a whip. Almost as smart as Willow."

"I?ll take that as a compliment," Dawn stated as she, Xander and Spike entered the now crowded store. "Hey everybody."

"Hey there," came from a few of the assembled group.

"I?m glad you?re all here, although I was hoping Cordelia, Gunn and Wesley would be able to make it," Giles noted.

"Delia had another of her mind numbing visions and the three of them went off to take care of the trouble," Xander answered. Before Angel could say anything about why they didn?t call him, Xander went ahead and told him.

"They didn?t think it would be that big of a deal. Just a couple of vamps attacking a few of the kids coming from the Bronze."

"Still should have called me," Angel grumbled, good naturedly. He knew that his three associates were more than capable of handling whatever trouble came their way or they would be more than willing to let him know about it.

"Umm, excuse me, but what do you mean that Cordelia has vision?" Buffy interrupted. "Since when does she get visions?"

"Since Doyle kissed her and gave her his little gift before dying," Willow answered. "Now Cordelia gets visions of whatever trouble is happening and Angel and the others go out and stop the evil from happening." Buffy nodded her head, showing that she understood what Willow had just told her even though she had no idea of what the girl was talking about. ?Who was Doyle? Where did the visions come from? Why do they go to Cordelia Chase, of all people??

"So, G, you said you have an idea of what this prophecy means," Faith interjected, heading off any other interruptions. The brunette just wanted to get the meeting over with and get back home. Her pregnancy taking more out of her than she thought. Then again, it wasn?t everyday that you had twins.

"Well, we should get confirmation tomorrow when Liz shows up," the Watcher explained. "She?s the person that the council is sending to help us with the prophecy, although they still haven?t said why. But we believe the old protector returning is Buffy. Which makes you the new Protector that is departing." Faith nodded her head, agreeing with that. It made sense.

"And the love refused?" Willow inquired, subtly glancing in Buffy?s direction. Giles looked down at something on the floor for a minute before answering Willow?s question.

"Well, ummmm, I, ah, I believe that it may be Tara." Willow stared at Giles, unable to believe what she had just heard.

"Tara?" she repeated.

"Bloody hell, it would figure it would be the little witch," Spike swore.

"Always knew there was something about her that I didn?t like."

"Giles, it can?t be Tara," Willow protested. "I mean, sure she was upset when I told her that I wasn?t interested in her like that, but that doesn?t mean that she would do something evil."

"What do we really know about Tara, Willow?" Giles asked. "There are a lot of unanswered questions about her and her past. And we can?t forget how she had purposely destroyed that spell when we were looking for Adam." Willow sagged back into Angel?s arms as she thought about the young witch that had befriended her the year before. She knew that Giles was right. There were a lot of unanswered questions about Tara?s past. Maybe she was the one in the prophecy.

"And the love shared by Sire and Childe would have to be Drusilla," Dawn added, trying to change the subject. Unfortunately, this made Xander tense at the notion that his mate?s former lover could be coming back. Suddenly the teen knew exactly how Willow must have felt with Buffy?s return. Spike noticed the tenseness in his mate and took him in his arms.

"Don?t worry pet, even if Dru came back, you?re the one I?m with now," the blonde vampire whispered into Xander?s ear. Xander looked up into Spike?s eyes, seeing the truth in his blue orbs. "I love you Xan-pet."

"I love you too, Spike and, just so you know. If Drusilla does come back and tries to get you back, she?ll be in for one hell of a fight," Xander told his mate, causing Spike to grin.

"I?m going to hold you to that." The two men leaned towards each other for a chaste kiss, content to just hold each other.

"Man, this is definitely going to be an interesting couple of days," Faith commented. "Always knew there was a reason I loved this town."

Part 6

Giles, Joyce and Dawn were sitting around the kitchen table in the Summers-Giles? home. Buffy had gone out earlier that day to see what changes had taken place around the town that she had once been chosen to protect. A knock interrupted the early morning ritual of the family breakfast and Giles got up to answer the front door. When he opened it, he saw a beautiful young woman, who appeared to be around twenty five standing there. She had long dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. Her slim figure was covered by an off the shoulder gauzy shirt and she had it teamed with a matching skirt, both the color of midnight blue.

"May I help you?" Giles asked, curious as to who this woman was.

"Yes, I?m looking for Rupert Giles and I was given this address for him," the stranger answered.

"You must be Liz," Giles stated, opening the door a little more and motioning for her to come in. Liz entered the home, looking around at her surroundings. She could tell That the occupants of the home were a close and loving family. "We weren?t expecting you until later this afternoon." :I caught an earlier plane," she explained. "I hope its okay that I?m here already. I thought it would be better if I got settled before I met the others." Liz?s mentioning of getting settled reminded Giles of the problem that had arisen with Buffy?s unexpected return.

"Actually, a problem has arisen about that," he began. "It was originally thought that you could stay here, but my step daughter, the former Slayer, has returned home and is now residing in her old room."

"SO Buffy has come back, just as the prophecy had foretold," Liz whispered. "I wasn?t sure if she would return this soon. That means that events are taking place much sooner than we had originally anticipated."

"Rupert, who was that at the door," Joyce called as she entered the living room. She saw her husband and Liz. "Oh hello. I didn?t realize that we had company."

"Joyce, this is Liz," Giles introduced the two women. "Liz, this is my wife Joyce and the young lady hiding by the kitchen is her daughter Dawn."

"Hello Liz," Joyce greeted the woman. "Welcome to Sunnydale and our home. I hope your trip was pleasant."

"It was, thank you," Liz replied, finally setting down the bags that she carried with her. "Although I always did hate inter continental flying. Never enough leg room and the time difference is a real bitch." She blushed as she remembered that Dawn was in the room. "Sorry, been awhile since I?ve dealt with kids."

"That?s okay. You should hear Spike and Angel go at it sometimes," Dawn cheerfully answered. Giles looked sharply at his step daughter and the news that she listened in to some of the colorful conversations between sire and childe. "Not like I?ve ever listened in or anything. Nope not me. I would never do anything like that because that would be wrong." Giles harummphed. "And I think I?ll just shut up now." Liz smiled down at the young girl.

"You remind me a lot of me when I was your age," Liz told Dawn. "You have a natural curiosity that is just going to get you into a whole lot of trouble. And you?ll have a blast the entire time." Giles cleared his throat, already able to tell that this person was going to be another one that will do nothing bit encourage his stepdaughter in all of her escapades.

"Ummm, Liz, all the Council told me was that you were here to help with the Prophecy," Giles began, "but they didn?t go into detail as to what manner you would do that. The Council and I haven?t exactly been on speaking terms for the past few years. In fact, I was rather surprised that they had even contacted me in regards to this prophecy at all."

"Actually I was the one that told them to contact you," Liz informed them all. Joyce made a motion for them all to sit, which they did. "They weren?t exactly happy with the suggestion but I pointed out that you would be the best person for this. I mean, you do know Sunnydale better than anyone else. You are currently the only Watcher the Slayer even listens too, which doesn?t sit well with them but they know there is nothing they can do about it. They also know that you have contacts here that would be lost if they sent in another party or ignored you completely. It made perfect sense, at least to me, to have your help with this."

"Well, what exactly do you need me to do?"

"First off, I need to meet Spike and Angelus," she told him. "I?m sorry, I mean Angel. Too many years in dealing with the council. I forget that they can sometimes be rather prejudicial in their judgments. They still aren?t too willing to trust Angel, even if he has his soul. They think that all vampires should be dust."

"Yes well, they always were rather rigid in their views," Giles agreed.. "it was one of the reasons I went up against them so much and why they finally fired me. But that was in the past and I have moved on. Even if it doesn?t appear as if I have."

"I know," Liz began. "And I don?t want to interfere in your life anymore than I have to. But this prophecy is going to happen and I do need your help. And your friends. And now that the old Slayer is back, your help is even more important than before because of your relationship to her. She is a part of the prophecy."

"How?" Joyce asked, wanting to know if her daughter had finally returned to her, only to be placed into danger again. Liz saw the worry on Joyce?s face and wished there was something that she could do reassure her.

"I don?t know," she answered honestly. "I wish I could tell you that I did but I don?t want to lie to you. There are too many variables to be taken into account before I can tell you with absolute certainty what will happen."

"What do you mean?" Giles inquired.

"While we are sure about the nature of who the protector?s are. Them being Buffy and the new Slayer Faith," Liz explained, "some of the other people are still mysteries as are their purposes. I am sure that Spike and Angel are the Sire and Childe mentioned. But the woman that they both loved is still a mystery."

"We assumed that it would be Darla," Dawn volunteered. Liz smiled at the teen and nodded her head.

"As did I, but something has changed that has caused me to revise that." At Giles? silent question, Liz continued. "Have you ever heard of a law firm called Wolfram and Hart?"

"Yes," Giles stated. "Angel had a few dealings with them before he came back to town. They were not happy with him. It seemed that he had a nasty tendency of messing up their plans."

"That?s an understatement if I?ve ever heard one," Liz chuckled. "He royally screwed them every chance he could. Well, it seems that they brought someone back. Someone that has a history linked between Angel and Spike."

"Who?"

"Angel?s sire, Darla," Liz responded, causing Joyce to blanch at the mention of the vampire that had tried to kill her so many years before. Giles took his wife into his arms, holding her close to him at the thought that Darla was once again lose to terrorize his loved ones. "Now I haven?t been able to find out all the information I need to figure out why they brought her back but it isn?t that much of a stretch to think that they had done it to hurt Angel in some meaning. Just because he left Los Angeles, it hasn?t prevented him from hurting Wolfram and Hart?s interests there. They are most anxious to rid themselves of him."

"Oh I can just imagine," Giles sighed as he remembered some of the things that Angel had told them about his dealings with the law firm. The news that they had gone to the lengths they had in order to hurt the vampires caused him some alarm. "SO you think that the woman that they both loved could be Darla instead of Drusilla?"

"It is a possibility," Liz nodded. "They both did love her, although in different ways. There aren?t any records that show that Darla and Spike were lovers, although there is that possibility. And of course there is still the issue of love denied that worries me." Giles coughed as he removed his glasses. Liz could tell that it was a sign of the former Watcher?s nervousness, having seen many of the Watchers that she had dealt with in the past do the same thing. "I take it you have an idea of who this person might be."

"Yes," Giles answered slowly. "There is a young woman that was interested in Willow. Willow Rosenberg," he elaborated. "Willow turned her down, telling her that she wasn?t interested in her in that way. Willow was in love with Angel and, even though their relationship has some serious issues regarding his curse, she only wanted him. Tara didn?t take it well. She had done quite a bit to change Willow?s mind, in so doing causing Willow to even give up on the friendship that she had formed with her. Needless to say, Tara isn?t happy about it."

"And do you have any reason to suspect that she would have the capabilities or resources to do something along the lines of calling upon the Demons of Hell?" Giles nodded his solemnly.

"We have reason to suspect it," he answered truthfully. "Willow met her when she attended a meeting for wiccans. Tara was the only other one there that truly believed in witchcraft and had any power to her. Its unharnassed but it is powerful. Between the two of them they have managed to cast quite a few good spells that have helped us. But the girl is hiding something, something that worries me. She purposely made sure that a spell that the two of them were working in order to locate all demons in Sunnydale didn?t work right. And she has made no secret that she wants Willow to herself." Liz nodded her head, agreeing that Tara did seem to be a likely suspect.

"Then she does sound like she could be the one," she told everyone. "But we can?t limit it to just her. At least not just yet. There are a few other possibilities, again, including Dru and Darla and, possibly," Liz let her statement hang in the air but the others in the room knew who she meant. There was every possibility that Buffy could be the one involved. They knew that the blonde Slayer wasn?t happy that Angel and Willow were together, having basically said so that morning and they were unsure as to what she was going to do. They knew that she still loved Angel and they truly hoped that she wouldn?t do anything to harm their family.

Part 7

?SO, Liz, you?ve heard all about our little family,? Joyce began. ?But, we haven?t heard you tell us anything about yours. How long have you been involved with the Watchers??

The Giles? and Liz were sitting around the living room, drinking coffee, or tea depending on the person. They had spent the day updating Liz on the goings on of the Slayer and her friends so that she had a better understanding of the people she would be working with. Buffy had joined them sometime in the afternoon and Liz could see how uncomfortable the girl was at how much she had missed in her friends? lives but she couldn?t find any sympathy for the other blonde. Liz, above of all people, understood that sometimes sacrifices had to be made and she couldn?t tolerate anyone who ran from their responsibilities. Liz sighed as she realized just what exactly would be involved with dealing with the group of people that help protect the Hellmouth. They were a very tight knit family and none of them trusted the Council. Then again, they didn?t have any reason to.

?Well, my family has been involved with the Council for longer that I can remember,? Liz started to tell her story. ?In fact, I have a feeling that they were involved with them from before I was even born, but I didn?t know that until I was around twenty. That was when my father took me from the home that I grew up in and placed me in their care.?

?Why is it, if you were in the Watcher?s care, that I never saw or heard about you?? Giles inquired. Liz shrugged her shoulders.

?That I can?t say,? she answered. ?The only explanation I have is that maybe it had to do with my father. He wanted me to be kept a secret because of our family?s history My family was known for being extremely powerful witches. In fact, some of my ancestors were killed during the Burning Times for practicing witchcraft.

?Really?? Dawn?s ears perked up at the mention of Liz bring a witch. The young girl was always on the lookout for someone who could teach her magick. Liz saw the excitement on the teen?s face and smiled. She always did have a soft spot for those that liked magick and she could tell that Dawn had a lot of power in her that could be harnessed if she was properly taught. She hoped that Giles was teaching her how to properly control her powers.

?Yes, really, although I didn?t know that when I was taken away from my hone? Liz continued. ?All I knew was that my father was taking me away from the man that I loved and planned on marrying, even if it wasn?t what my father, or his wanted. My father was livid that I had allowed myself to fall in love with someone whose family he saw as having lesser status than us because they didn?t practice. And his father despised our family because we did practice. Liam and I were the epitome of star crossed.

?That must have been difficult,? Joyce commented. ?To leave the man that you loved to go live with a bunch of strangers all because your fathers didn?t approve. What about your mother??

?My mother agreed with anything my father said,? Liz spat out. Even after all this time, she still was angry that her mother had allowed her husband to separate Liz from Liam. ?She just sat there and helped him pack my belongings in a trunk to take me to London. She kept telling me that it was all for the best and that I could never be happy being Liam?s wife even if that was all I wanted to be at the time.?

?Why didn?t you just tell your father to get stuffed and marry your guy instead?? Buffy questioned, remembering how many times she went against Giles? wishes in her quest to date Angel. She knew what it was like to be separated from the man that she loved, but the blonde was determined to win her Angel back. Liz smiled as she pictured herself telling her father that she was marrying her love no matter what. Somehow she didn?t think it would have gone over too well.

?It wasn?t that easy,? Liz continued. ?Where I grew up, a girl did what her father wanted her too until she left to make her own house and family. But what was worse than having to leave Liam was the fact that my father didn?t even give me a chance to tell him good bye, or explain to him what was going on. I had just enough time to pack my things and write Liam a letter, telling him what had happened and hope that he received it and understood why I left. I told him that I loved him and that, if I could, I would find a way to come back so that we could be together. But that never happened so I never saw him again.?

?Do you know what happened to him?? Joyce questioned. She watched as a sadness seemed to descend over the witch?s features and her heart went out to the poor girl who had to give up her love.

?I had been told, rather gleefully, by my father that Liam had taken up drinking and picking up various women after I left. My father seemed to think that this was proof that Liam was a good for nothing, but I knew the truth. Liam was a gentle, kind soul and it must have killed him when I left. And his father was never the most loving of parents and had always let it be known exactly what it was that he expected of him. Liam just decided to live down to those expectations.?

?Then, I had found out that Liam was killed, along with the rest of his family, a few years after I left,? Liz stated, her voice suddenly flat. ?I think I cried myself to sleep for a week after I had heard that, even though it had happened a few years after I had left. I still loved him. In fact, there?s a part of me that still loves him, although I?ve accepted that he and I would never have been allowed to be together because of our father?s hatred for each other.?

?That?s, like, so sad,? Dawn observed. ?To never be able to be with the man you loved because your fathers and then to find out he was killed. That?s so Romeo and Juliet.?

?That?s not exactly what I thought about it at the time,? Liz commented. ?All I knew was that I was being forced away from the man I loved, who later died before we had a chance to find our way back to each other. And, unfortunately he wasn��t the first man that I loved and lost.?

?What do you mean?? Joyce asked gently, having a feeling that talking about her life might help Liz more than anything else.

?I did eventually fall in love with someone else. He was kind and considerate and reminded me of my Liam. I couldn?t help falling for him. It was like I was being given a second chance with my lost love. But he died also, just as I discovered that I was pregnant with our son.?

?How did he die??

?He was shot while he was passing a bar on his way home. It was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.?

?And your son?? Joyce asked, wondering where Liz?s son was. More sadness crossed Liz?s features.

?I had left William, that was my son?s name, with his grandfather while I went to France for the Council. I didn?t want to go. I knew something was going to happen, I could feel it, but I wasn?t left a choice. I wanted William to come with me, but the Council refused to let me take him. When I returned a week later, my son was dead and already buried. My heart quickly followed. I never wanted to love again if it meant that I would lose them. SO, from the point on, I closed myself off to everyone, including my family and those that tried to help me deal with my grief, until finally, they left me alone.?

?I?m so sorry,? Joyce cried, taking the younger woman in her arms as she shed tears for her lost loves. Joyce couldn?t imagine living through so much pain in such a short life. The mother in her screamed out at the thought of losing either of her daughters. When Buffy had left, Joyce had almost died. If it wasn?t for the fact that Dawn had needed her and that Giles had been there for her, she was sure she wouldn?t have made it.

?Thank you,? Liz acknowledged, pulling away from the other woman. The young woman dabbed at her eyes. ?I?m sorry. I didn?t mean to break down like that. It?s been awhile since I?ve spoken of either Liam or William. I guess I?m not as over their deaths as I thought I was.?

?Of course you aren?t,? Giles said, hoping to offer some comfort to Liz. ?And no one should expect you to be. You?re a young woman who has lost her son and her loves. Anyone who thinks that you should be over those loses is insane.? The former Watcher, now shop owner, decided to try and change the topic of conversation. He looked at his watch and saw that it was almost time for the others to arrive. ?It appears that we?ve spent the whole day talking. The others should be here shortly.?

?I can?t wait to meet them,? Liz said, glad for the change in topic. It still hurt talking about the losses that she had gone through. ?They sound like a good group of people to have around you.?

?They?re the best,? Dawn enthused. ?Willow?s been teaching me all kinds of magickal stuff.? A glare from Giles had Dawn back pedaling. ?not like either one of us have ever done anything without Dad?s approval because that wouldn?t be right. In fact, that would be very bad. Completely wrong. Nope, never do anything like that.? A knock on the door saved Dawn?s from any of Giles? comments. ?Saved by the bell.? The teenager got up and rushed to the door. ?Willow, Angel, hey there.?

?Hey Dawn,? Willow greeted from behind the door, just out of sight of the others in the room. ?Has she gotten here yet??

?Yeah, she?s in the living room with mom and dad,? Dawn explained. ?She?s been telling us all about her life. She?s great. And Liz is even a witch. Maybe she can show us some stuff. What do you think??

?I think another witch in this town is one more than we really need,? Angel joked. Liz heard his voice and stiffened. ?It can?t be. He?s dead. I mean, I saw his grave. It can?t be him.? But even after all the time that had passed she was sure. It was him and she knew that her life was about to get even more interesting than usual.

?Come on in and let me introduce you to her,? Dawn moved so that the couple could enter. ?Where?s Spike and Xander, I thought that they were gonna come with you.?

?They?re right behind us,? Angel answered, entering the living room. He froze as soon as he spotted Liz, his face turning an even paler shade than was usual. ?Beth??

?Liam,? Liz whispered, but it was still loud enough for the others to hear her. Giles was the first to put it together.

?Angel was Liam? How is that possible?? But the two people that could have answered that question didn?t even hear him. All they could do was stare at each other. Liz, Beth, walked over until she was standing in front of Angel, Liam. She cupped his cheek with her hand, much to the confusion and displeasure of both Willow and Buffy.

?I thought you were dead,? Liz managed to say, as tears started to once again make their way down her face. ?All this time. And here you are. Goddess Liam, how much I?ve missed you , my love. Can you ever forgive me for not being stronger and standing up to my father when he forced me to leave. I didn?t want to go but I wasn?t given a choice.?

?I know. I got your letter,? Angel replied, eyes only for his first love. His Beth. ?I was ready to head to London and would have if my mother Hadn?t gotten ill. Then, by the time she was healthy again, so much time had passed that I couldn?t go. I was afraid. But you?re here. How??

?It?s a long story, my Liam. One I?m sure the others will want to hear.? Before anything else could be said though, Spike and Xander entered the Giles? home without even knocking and Liz?s world was once more rocked. Spike stopped dead in his tracks at the woman in front of his sire. ?William,? Liz said, before fainting. If it wasn?t for Angel, she would have hit the floor.

?Mum??

Part 8

Liz was dreaming. And what a dream it was. In it, both her son and her first love were alive and together. Now, dreaming about William and Liam wasn?t exactly new to Liz, she had done it quite often since their deaths, but them being together was a first. SO much time had passed between their two lives, that they never seemed to mesh in her dreams. But not now, now they were together and Liz couldn?t have been happier. Somehow they looked right together. Liam and the man that should have been his son, William. Liz never wanted to wake from the dream. She knew that once she did, that she would find herself alone and depressed once more. It was how she always woke up after one of these dreams. So she tried to fight off the consciousness that was trying to force her to wake. But she couldn?t do it. Especially since this time there were voices calling her name. Voices that sounded concerned. Voices that sounded confused. Voices that, in just the way they said her name, told her how much they cared and loved her. Voices that she had thought she would never hear again except in her dreams because the owners of those voices have long been dead.

?Beth, come on, sweetie, time to wake up,? a soothing voice with a gentle Irish accent said as Liz felt something cool pressed against her head.

?Mum, please wake up,? a more demanding, yet gentle, British voice added. ?Please, Mum.? And that?s all it took. She never could say no to the whine that was in that voice. Even after all this time, that boy still knew how to push her buttons. Liz slowly opened her eyes. Squinting as the brightness in the living room invaded her eyes, she put a hand to her forehead, only to find a cool cloth pressed tightly against it. And it was being held by a cool hand. One that matched the one holding her own hand, if only slightly larger. ?That?s it, Mum, come back to me, please.? There it was, that whine again.

?Damn it, William, even after all this time, you still know how to whine to get what you wanted, don?t you?? Liz groaned as she forced her eyes to focus. She looked around the living room, everywhere but at the person holding her hand and the one whose lap she seemed to be resting her head in. She was afraid that if she looked there, they would still be a dream, even if she swore she could feel their presence. Smell their essence. She saw Joyce and Giles looking on with concern and confusion. Dawn looking on with worry. Buffy looking angry. And then there were two strangers who look confused and scared, but she had a feeling that it wasn?t for her. That it had something to do with the men that she thought had long been dead. Finally, Liz chanced a glance down at the man that held her hand so tightly, yet gentle enough so that he didn?t cause her any harm. Once he saw that she had finally come around, he brought the hand he was holding to his lips, placing a gentle kiss in the palm.

?William is it really you?? Liz asked, gently cupping her hand around her long dead son?s cheek. Spike smiled at the woman that meant more to him than anyone, glad to see that she was okay. He didn?t know how she was still alive, she wasn?t a vampire he knew that much, and he didn?t care. All he knew was that his mother, his mum, was there with him.

?It?s me, Mum,? Spike replied in a gentler, softer tone that no one, except Xander, knew he possessed. ?Its really me.?

?But how? Father told me you were killed.?

?I was turned the night of Cecily?s party,? Spike explained as Liz tried to sit up. She still hadn?t looked behind her to confirm who the other person was, trying to take in one shock at a time. Spike quickly sat on the couch to support his mother. ?Dru started it but Peaches here finished it.?

?You?re Spike,? Liz stated, a sadness that her son had been turned into the ruthless killer that had become known as William the Bloody. Her gentle son who hadn?t a mean bone in his body and who wrote lousy poetry but which was the best thing she had ever read because it came from his heart. ?Oh, William, can you ever forgive me for leaving you that night? I didn?t want to go, but I had no choice.?

?Grandfather wasn?t one to leave you many choices,? Spike remembered. ?It wasn?t your fault. I remember how hard you fought to let me go with you to Paris and I knew that you were doing it because you were scared something would happen. But I was a man, Mum, even if you didn?t want to admit it.?

?You might have been a man, but you were still my baby boy,? Liz told him, pulling Spike into a fierce hug, which he willing accepted. ?My William.?

?You don?t hate me now, do you?? Spike asked, suddenly sounding much like the little boy that she remembered from so many years ago.

?Why would I hate you?? Liz asked.

?Because of what I am? What I?ve done?? Liz pulled back slightly, shaking her head and looked into her son?s sapphire eyes. Eyes that were a trademark in her family.

?I could never hate you, my sweet boy,? Liz told him. ?No matter what. Sure, I?m not too happy with the fact that you?re a vampire, but I?ve dealt with stranger things in my life. Just in our family.? This caused Spike to grin. ?Besides, if I was going to have a son that was a vampire, I can think of no better honor than it being William the Bloody, master vampire, instead of some nameless minion.? Spike smiled at his mum, glad that she was okay with what he had become. He had no idea of how she was still alive, and still looking as if she was only twenty six. Then again, she never had appeared to age, even when he was growing up. No one in his family did. Liz remembered some of what had been told to her earlier about her son and looked over at the strangers once more, taking more notice of the young man that stood there, squirming under her gaze.

?William, why don?t you introduce me to your young man,? Liz requested. ?I think its time I met my son-in-law, don?t you?? Spike grinned as he motioned for Xander to come over. He did so, although reluctantly.

?Mum, this is my Xan-pet,? Spike said proudly, pulling Xander into his lap. Liz smiled at the boy that had stolen her son?s heart as he began to squirm in Spike?s lap. She placed a gentle hand on his cheek, calming his instantly.

?Hello, Xander,? Liz greeted. ?Allow me to introduce myself. I am Duchess Elizabeth Kathryn Whitfield. But you can call me Liz for short.? Liz smiled at Xander who found himself returning it with one of his own.

?Duchess? Does that make Spike a Duke?? Liz nodded. ?Cool.? Liz stared intently at the young man that obviously meant something to her son. It was a look that Spike remember seeing before.

?Just ask him, Mum,? Spike told her. She smiled at her son, amazed that he still knew her so well, even after all this time.

?Ask me what?? Xander questioned, slightly afraid at the look that suddenly crossed Liz?s face. Spike kissed his mate?s worries away.

?Mum here is quite the accomplished witch and she has this nasty little habit of looking into people?s souls,? Spike explained. ?And she?s dying to look into yours to see if you plan on hurting her baby boy. Ain?t that right, mum??

?Damn you , William,? Liz growled playfully. ?A mother has to have some secrets doesn?t she?? She turned her attention back to Xander. ?Would you mind? It doesn?t hurt. I promise.? Xander looked between mother and son, shrugging his shoulders. Liz smiled gently, placing her hands over Xander?s heart. Everyone watched in silence as she seemed to go into a trance and Xander could swear that he felt her enter him. Finally she drew back, a smile lighting her face, apparently happy with what she saw there. ?You?ve picked a good one, my darling boy. Treat him well.?

?I will, mum. I promise.?

?Beth?? A quiet voice spoke from behind her. Liz sighed, knowing that it was time to face even more of her demons from the past. She turned from her son and his love to face her own long dead love. The one man that could have made her forget her father, even if only for a few brief moments.

?Hello, my Liam,? she whispered, unsure of how her reappearance would be taken by the man that had stolen her heart so many years before. she knew how hurt and angry he must have been when he realized that she had gone and she wished, above anything else, that she could make up for that time. ?Or do you prefer Angel now??

?I?ll always be Liam to you, Beth. Or should I say Liz?? Angel countered.

?Beth, please,? she nearly pleaded. The two former lovers stared at each other for a long time before Angel took Liz into his arms, holding her close, breathing in the scent that he still associated with the woman that he had fallen in love with. The clothes and the perfume might have changed, but it was still there. The sweetness of fresh picked berries and cream that he remembered so well. Blood red tears sprang from his eyes as he held his lost love, his eyes tightly screwed shut, not wanting to open them only to discover this to be a dream. One of the many that he had since she had left so many years ago. He didn?t care how it was that she was there in his arms. All that mattered was that Beth, his Beth, was alive.

?Looks like someone has competition for Angel?s affections,? Buffy whispered as she sidled up to Willow?s side. She looked on smugly at the couple that had yet to separate, jealous over the closeness that was apparent between them, but happy to see the hurt expression that was taking over Willow?s expression. ?Appears I?m not the only ghost from Angel?s past that you have to deal with.?

?Angel loves me,? Willow replied, not sure who she was trying to convince. ?I know he does.?

?Yeah, but you weren?t here to hear all about the love he had with his Beth,? Buffy pointed out. ?We?re talking Lifetime Movie of the Week here.?

?Back off, Buffy,? Dawn ordered her sister, going over to support her friend. ?Angel loves Willow and you heard what Liz said. She?s accepted that her and Angel could never be together, so deal with it.?

?Yeah, it sure looks like she accepted it,? Buffy retorted before moving away again. It bothered her that her sister, of all people, defended Willow?s relationship with Angel. Dawn knew how much Angel had meant to Buffy and the fact that the younger girl was standing by Willow?s side in this hurt the blonde. It was just one of many mistakes that she felt needed to be rectified. Her attention was brought back to Angel and Liz, who had finally separated, although she noticed that they were still holding hands.

?Liam, I was so sure you were dead,? Liz stated finally, breaking the silence. ?When my father told me about your family, I convinced him to let me go back to Galway. I had to see for myself. Had to make sure that he was telling me the truth and not another one of his lies to try and keep me in line. Then, when I saw the graves, your whole family. Kathy, your mother. Yours. I couldn?t handle it. I cried myself to sleep for months thinking of all that I Had lost because of my weakness. My inability to tell my father no. Oh, my sweet Liam, can you ever forgive for my weakness??

?Like Spike said, your father wasn?t exactly the easiest man to say no to,? Angel assured his first love. ?There?s nothing to forgive. I know you didn?t want to leave and that you had no choice in the matter. Can you ever forgive me for not coming to get you? I wanted to.?

?I know you did, my love.? Liz cupped Angel?s cheek. ?We just weren?t meant to be. I just can?t believe that you?re here. And my son?s sire, of all people.?� Liz turned to face Spike, taking his hand in hers. ?I can?t believe it, my two men, together. Sire and childe. Just as t should have been if not for fate.?

?Are you bloody telling me that the great poof should have been my father,? Spike groaned before being hit along side his head by his mother. ?Sorry Mum.?

?You should be respectful towards your elders. I did teach you good manners after all,? she admonished the blonde vampire as his mate sniggered at his side. ?And yes, as much as I loved your father, it was Liam that my heart had always belonged to. In fact, I named you after him in a manner. I couldn?t call you Liam, for my father would have killed me, but William was close enough.? A memory hit Spike of his youth, when it was just his mother and him and his grandfather was nowhere to be found.

?That?s why you always called me your little Liam when I was a child.? Liz nodded her head. ?Bloody hell, can my unlife get any weirder.? Another smack upside his head had him backing away from his mother. ?What was that for??

?No swearing in the presence of ladies, either,? he was sternly told.

?Sorry Mum,? Spike apologized again. Xander grinned madly at his mate.

?Oh, you so have to teach me how to do that,? he rowed. ?I mean, making Spike apologize for being himself is just way too good of a thing to pass up on.?

?Sorry, dear, its a mother thing,? Liz told him. ?Besides, I can?t pass along all of my secrets, now can I??

?I?d like to know one of your secrets,? Buffy finally demanded. ?Like the one where you?re still alive yet knew Angel before he was turned and are the mother of Spike.?

Part 9

?I would also like to know how it is that your Liam and William are Angel and Spike,? Giles said. Liz sighed as she tried to gather her thoughts together. It had been so long since she had even thought of telling someone her family?s secret. She hadn?t even considered telling anyone since her son?s death, knowing that no one would be allowed to be close enough to her for it to really matter. She felt Spike take her hand in his, squeezing it as if trying to give her some of his strength. Then she felt Angel do the same.

?As I told you, and as William stated before, my family is quite into witchcraft,? she began. ?Rumor has it we are descended from fairies, which is one of the reasons that my father didn?t want me involved with Liam. He didn?t want me to taint the bloodline. It went against everything that he believed in and he felt that if I were to marry Liam, that I would be forever condemning not only myself, but my children to a miserable existence. I think that?s one of the reasons that he was never truly as loving and caring a grandfather to William after he was born. His father wasn?t of our line either.?

?So you have fae blood in you,? Giles clarified, wanting to make sure that he was understanding everything that Liz was saying. He knew that her appearance was going to affect his family?s life more than he had originally planned and he wanted to try and anticipate any more surprises that might be coming. ?But that doesn?t explain how it is that you are still alive after all this time.?

?Well, it seems that my family has a history of long lives,? Liz stated. ?Because of our being fae, we have a tendency of aging rather slowly. In fact, if Drusilla and Angelus had stumbled upon William just a week later, no one would have ever heard of William the Bloody.?

?What do you mean, mum?? Spike wanted to know. ?What difference would a week have made??

?What were we planning for the following week?? Liz watched as the blonde vampire tried to remember something from over a hundred years before. He smiled as he finally thought of what it was that his mother was talking about.

?My twenty-sixth birthday,? he crowed. Liz smiled at her son. ?But what about it??

?In our family, the change takes place when you turn twenty-six,? she told him, but also informed everyone else. ?You would have started to age much slower than normal. You would have been able to be drained but the demon would never have been able to take up residence in your body. You would never have been able to have been turned and yet you still would look the same as you do now. Well, hopefully without the Billy Idol look.?

?Hey, I happen to like my look,? Spike pouted. The others often teased him about his look, but he never let it bother him. After all, he was a bad ass master vampire. But having his mother make fun of it hurt him. ?I think its very me.? Liz smiled indulgently at her son, knowing that what she had said had struck a nerve with the vampire. Despite the fact that a demon now resided in his body, Spike was still her sensitive son.

?And I?m sure I will learn to love it also,? she indulged him. ?It?ll just take a little getting used to. Hey, remember the last time I saw you it was still the nineteenth century and your hair was a very nice shade of brown and rather long and curly. Which, might I add, I also liked very much.?

?So, exactly how old are you?? Dawn asked, before being shushed by her mother. Dawn looked over at Joyce apologetically and Liz couldn?t help the chuckle that escaped from her lips.

?That?s quite all right,? she laughed. ?If I was Dawn, I would probably be curious also. I?m two hundred and sixty eight years old.?

?Wow, now that?s what I call some serious anti-aging,? Xander commented. ?Wish I could manage that one.?

?If you think I?m old, you should meet my father,? Liz stated. ?He?s over eight hundred and doesn?t look a day over forty.?

?Grandfather is still alive,? Spike exclaimed, not sure if he was happy about that fact. His grandfather had never exactly been the most loving person in the world. At least not to him or his mum. Spike had seen him be kind to others and had often heard friends say what a kind and generous person his grandfather was.

?Yeah, the old goat hasn?t died yet,? Liz almost growled. ?And if I find out that he knew about what had happened to you and didn?t tell me, I?m going to see how true some of the legends are on ways of torturing a fae.? Liz?s face took on a menacing undertone as she thought of how her father had made sure that Liz hadn?t been allowed to say a proper goodbye to her son, instead making sure that William had been buried before she had even arrived back from Paris. He hadn?t even notified her that her son had been killed when it had happened, instead she had had to find out about it four days after the fact upon returning to her home, from one of the servants.

Suddenly Dawn jumped from her seat near Willow as something that had bothering her finally got figured out. Giles saw his daughter?s excited state and was curious as to what she had been thinking about. ?Dawn??

?The woman that Sire and Childe love,? Dawn exclaimed. ?I figured it out. It isn?t Drusilla or Darla.?

?Its Liz,? Willow finished, finally saying something and drawing the attention of everyone in the room, including the woman who was her mate?s first love.

The red head looked over at her love, sitting so close to his Beth, she hadn?t missed the way he had said that, and her heart broke. She knew that Buffy wasn?t any real threat to her relationship with the souled vampire, but Beth was a different story. Angel had told her all about his first love and how they had been separated. That it was that separation that had led to him taking up the kind of life that had drawn the attention of Darla in the first place. Willow knew how much Angel still loved the woman that he had fallen for so long ago, even after all the time that had gone by. And Willow knew that, with her presence now in Sunnydale, that Beth was a very real threat to her relationship with Angel is she decided to try and renew her affair with him.

?Liz is the person in the prophecy.? Angel stood and walked over to Willow. He looked down into her emerald green eyes and saw the tears that she was holding in.

?Willow?? He asked gently. ?Are you okay?? She gave him a shaky smile.

?Its not everyday that not only one, but two, of your mate?s ex?s come back to town,? she replied. Angel took her into his arms, kissing the top of her head. Liz looked on at the tenderness between the pair. She could feel the love between them from her spot on the couch. She had always been especially attuned to what Liam was feeling and it didn?t surprise her that nothing had changed. Her heart broke a little as she realized that he had truly moved on and she knew that, despite what her heart was screaming for her to do, she wouldn?t be able to break up the two. She bit back a cry as she silently let go of her love, but Spike heard it all the same.

?�Mum?? He quietly inquired. She turned to face her son and he saw the tear that escaped from her eyes. ?Mum??

?I?ll be fine, William,? she whispered. ?It just hurts, you know?? Spike took Liz into his arms, giving his mother the kind of comfort that he had always associated with her.

?I know, mum. I know.? Liz allowed her son to comfort her just as Willow and Angel were holding each other. The others in the room stayed silent, somehow knowing that it was really for the best. Emotions were running high with the return of Angel?s first love and Spike?s mother and they could tell that it was affecting more than just the trio. Finally, after everyone had pulled themselves together, it was Liz that broke the silence. She stood up and walked over to where Angel was holding Willow. She looked down at the young woman that currently held her Liam?s heart. Willow fidgeted under the intense scrutiny that she felt that she was being put through.

?Such a beautiful young lady,? Liz commented. ?Exactly the type of person that Liam should be with.?

?Beth?? Angel questioned, wanting to know what was going through the witch?s head. She cupped his cheek once more.

?Are you happy, my love?? Angel nodded his head, causing a sad smile to cross Liz?s face. ?That?s all I need to know. That?s what you deserve, my love.? The older woman turned back to Willow. ?Have no fear, young one. I pose no threat to you or your relationship. But be warned, if you do anything to hurt Liam, I will not look kindly upon that.? Liz then turned back to face the stunned observers. ?I think this group has had quite a few shocks for this evening. I know I certainly have. Now, if you?ll excuse me, I believe I have a hotel to go check into.?

?Mum, you can stay with me and Xander,? Spike volunteered.

?Please, we would love to have you,? the teenage boy agreed. ?Besides, isn?t it a mother?s job to tell her son?s boyfriend all kinds of embarrassing stories of when he was younger.? Liz couldn?t help herself and she laughed, as did others in the room. ?Please, I so want to hear about all the cute little things that Spike did before he became the big bad vamp that I fell in love with.?

?Are you sure,? Liz clarified. ?I don?t want to intrude on anything. I know how young love can be and you don?t always want to have your in-laws around.?

?Yeah, but that was before I knew there was even in-laws to have over other than Deadboy and mine,? Xander said. ?And trust me when I say, we so don?t want any of my family over. That leaves you.?

?In that case, I would love to stay with you and William,? Liz accepted. ?Besides, I would cherish spending more time with my son and his chosen one.?

?Great, then let?s go,? Spike clapped, wanting to spend some time alone with his mother, away from the stares of the others. ?Do you have any bags?? Liz indicated to the pile of luggage that was still sitting by the door where she had deposited them earlier. Spike and Xander grabbed them and went to put them out in the car.

?Beth,? Angel stopped the young woman from following right behind the two men. ?Will I see you again before you leave??

?Of course you will, Angel,? Liz forced herself to say the name given to the vampire by his sire. She knew that she needed to do that if she ever hoped to get over seeing him and knowing he was alive. He flinched from the name.

?Never Angel to you,? he quietly asked. ?Please.? Liz nodded her head, understanding why he wanted it that way, even if it just meant her heart would break a little more.

?All right, Liam,? she amended. ?We still have to worry about the prophecy. Just because we believe that I am the one that is being spoken of, that doesn?t mean that Darla or Drusilla couldn?t cause more trouble.?

?Come on, mum,? Spike called out from the car. Liz looked over at the collection of people in the living room.

?I want to thank you for your hospitality and I am sorry for the way this evening turned out,? Liz said. ?I will see you all soon.? She looked at Angel one last time before turning to leave.

?Well, I don?t know about anybody else, but I like her,? Buffy crowed, realizing that maybe, just maybe, she might have an ally in her quest to separate Willow and Angel. With Angel being distracted by Liz, it should be no problem getting him to see that him and Willow don?t belong together. And with his attention divided between the two girls, Buffy figured she could slide right in.

Part 10

Oh Spike, its beautiful,? Liz said as Spike and Xander ushered her into the apartment that they shared. The ride home had been one made in a comfortable silence, no one sure what to say but nothing really needing to be said. Xander had done the driving, knowing how much6 it meant for Spike to be near his mother. The blonde vampire had sat in the back seat with Liz, his hand holding hers the entire journey, not able to truly believe that it was his mother there with him after all this time. He had never been happier because he had his mum back and his Xan-pet. His life was perfect.

?Well, I did most of the decorating,? Xander volunteered. ?If I had left it up to Spike, this place would have been done completely in black and as much as I like the color, it does get a little dark.? Spike glared at his mate while Liz just laughed. She could tell that she would definitely like her son?s chosen one.

?I?m sure I would love it either way,? the witch assured him. She looked around the apartment taking in the sparse furnishings that were there. She made a mental note to see if there was anything that the couple needed. She had a lot of time to make up for and she planned on using it wisely. And that included spoiling Spike and Xander. ?So, where can I put my stuff??

?Over here,? Spike told Liz, helping her with her luggage. He led her over to an extra bedroom which really hadn?t anything in it other than a spare bed that they had bought just in case and a little desk and night lamp. ?I?m sorry there isn?t more but we weren?t exactly expecting company and well,? Spike looked down, embarrassed. It was one thing for the scoobies to know about the money problems that the couple was facing, even with Xander?s construction job. It was just that with having to buy furniture and everything else it would take to start out, and Spike not really able to help contribute to their financial ends, they didn?t exactly have a whole lot of money left over to get a proper guest room set up. Then again, they never really intended on having guests.

?Its fine,? Liz told her son. When she saw the look of dejection on his face, one which she recognized, she went over to her son. Spike couldn?t look his mother in her eyes, afraid of what he might see, but that decision was taken out of his hands when she tipped his chin so that he had to look into her eyes. ?Really William. Its fine.?

?But?..,? he tried to say.

?Really,? she cut him off. ?All that matters is that I?m here with you. I couldn?t care less if I had to sleep in a sleeping back in the middle of the living room if it meant that I was close to you.? Liz took Spike into her arms. ?I?m just so happy that your alive and besides,? she pulled apart from her son and he could see a gleam in her eyes. ?Now this gives me an excuse to spend some time with my son-in-law when I take him shopping to get whatever the two of you need.?

?You don?t need to do that,? Xander protested, coming from behind Spike. Liz smiled when she watched him wrapped his arms around the vampire, glad to see how happy he made her son.

?I know I don?t, but I want to,? she told them both, knowing that her son would object to her buying them things also. ?Its a mother?s duty to spoil her son and I have over one hundred years to make up for. Anyway, what better way of getting to know you than taking you shopping when I can get you by myself and quiz you on my son?s antics.? Spike groaned as he realized the stories that the two of them would be sharing.

?Bloody hell, I just know I?m gonna regret the two of you shopping, if for nothing else than the fact that I have a feeling Xan will suddenly have lots of blackmail information on me.? Xander grinned at the thought of being able to hold Spike?s childhood over his head.

?Let?s hit the stores early tomorrow then,? he volunteered. ?Take all day. Need to hear lots of stories, Duchess.?

?Call me Liz,? she told the teenager. ?Or mom, if you would like since I am your mother-in-law. And I have a feeling that I would be proud to have you as a son.? Now it was Xander?s turn to blush. He had never had the kind of instant acceptance that Liz was offering him, except from Giles, and he wasn?t sure if he really deserved it. After everything his parents had done to him through out his life, he didn?t know how to take it when someone offered something so simple as acceptance.

?Okay, Mom,? Xander said, trying the title on and finding that it was easier than he thought to call her that. There was something about Liz that made him like her, other than the fact that she was Spike?s mother. She made him feel at ease. As if he didn?t have to act a certain way that he felt the other scoobies made him do sometimes.

?See, it wasn?t too hard, now was it?? She teased. ?Now, I don?t know about the two of you, but I could use a drink.?

?I?m sorry, mum,? Spike apologized. ?What would you like??

?I wouldn?t say no to a cup of tea,? she told him and Spike went into the kitchen to put on the water to heat.

?Lemon and honey, right,? he asked, remembering how his mother had always had the beverage. Liz nodded her head and Spike got out the tea bags and lemons and honey, trying to put away the images of what the real reason was that Xander had purchased the sticky substance in the first place. Xander joined his mate in the kitchen, making himself something to eat and putting some snacks on a tray. Spike pointed out some of the things that he thought his mother might like.

Liz sat on the couch that faced the kitchen. She watched as Xander and Spike worked and marveled at the picture of domestic tranquillity that they presented. She marveled at how much her son had changed and yet remained the same person that she had raised. And seeing him with Xander just made her heart leap with joy. She had never wanted anything more for her son than for him to find someone who would love him and whom he could love in return. she remembered his infatuation with that Cecily person that had always thought she was so superior. Liz hated the way the girl had treated her son, knowing that Cecily might have fancied herself an aristocrat but the Duchess knew that she was no more than the daughter of a disgraced royal, three times over, and a barroom singer. Liz knew her son was better than that but she wasn?t going to make the same mistake that her father had done by forcing him to give up on his love.

Now, though, she knew that her son had found his true soul mate, even if he didn?t actually have a soul. She could tell that Xander was good for her William, accepting him for what he was, demon and all. And the teenager did love her son, deeply. That was the one thing she was sure of. That and that he would rather die than let any harm come to his mate. That?s why she had wanted to do the soul reading. She wanted to make sure of Xander?s intentions and she couldn?t have been happier. Xander and Spike were one being. They completed each other and Liz was glad that she would have a chance to get to know the teenager.

?Here we go, Mum,? Spike said as he and Xander carried out the tray with the tea and the snacks. Liz took the offered tea, taking a sip of it. she couldn?t believe that Spike still remembered how she liked it.

?Just like always,? she sighed, allowing herself to sink back into the couch. ?Even after all this time. I can?t believe you actually remembered.?

?I haven?t forgotten anything about you, mum,? Spike told her, taking a seat next to her. He couldn?t help himself and once Liz set down her tea, the blonde vampire took her into his arms again. ?I?m so happy to see you again. You?re the one thing that I?ve missed about my old life.?

?Only one,? she quirked her eyebrow and Xander was reminded of his mate, now knowing where he got it from. He wondered what other traits mother and son shared. ?What about Cecily.? Liz had to keep her voice from showing the contempt that she had felt for the woman. ?You were so much in love with her.? Spike?s face went from joyful to pained in a matter of moments.

?She?s the reason that I got turned,? Spike bit out, surprising Liz. ?If it hadn?t of been for her, then I would never have been found by Dru and Peaches.? When Liz went to hit Spike again for the name he called Angel, he quickly added. ?I?m sorry, mum, but its the name I?m used to for him.?

?Other than the Great Pouf,? Xander added helpfully. Liz nodded, accepting the answer, although she didn?t like knowing their seemed to be a riff between her son and his sire.

?What did Cecily do to you that night, William??

?I finally got up the nerve to tell her how I felt about her,? Spike continued to explain. ?That I loved her.?

?And?? Spike thought back to that night. He could hear the laughter from the people that had insulted his writing. Sure, he had known that he wasn?t a great poet, but what right did they have to minimize his attempts. Then Cecily. SO beautiful. He knew his mother didn?t like her but William hadn?t of cared. For once, he was going to do something whether his mother liked it or not.

?She told me that she had noticed me,? Spike repeated the words from so long ago. ?But that she could never love me because I was beneath her.?

?That bitch,? Liz hissed. ?She always did like to think she was so superior. Beneath her my ass. If anything, you were too good for her. Trust me, if I had been there and heard that, I would have told her a thing or two and it wouldn?t have been pleasant.?

?I bet you would have too,? Spike chuckled. At Xander?s confused expression, Spike explained. ?Mum never let anyone get away with hurting her baby boy. There were times that she would take on full grown men because they would insult me for being too emotional. And that included grandfather.?

?Your father doesn?t sound too much like a nice person, considering the way he seems to treat the two of you. Or treated as the case may be,? Xander amended.

?My father is a bastard,? Liz growled, again sounding like her son in full possessive vampire mode. ?He takes great pleasure in hurting me because I refuse to let him marry me off to someone of fae blood. It was one of the reasons I couldn?t wait to get here.?

?Don?t tell me he?s at it again,? Spike groaned. Liz nodded her head.

?Of course,? she said. ?He says that since I won?t find myself a suitable husband. Someone that caries our blood, then he will find one for me. He doesn?t care that I never intend to find a husband, or someone to care about again. All he cares about is that his precious blood line is continued.?

?Why don?t you want to find someone again, mum?? Spike asked quietly, concerned for his mother. He didn?t like the idea of her spending the rest of her, what appeared to be, long life alone. She had so much to offer someone and it seemed a waste to him.

?I?m not going to allow myself to fall in love with someone just to lose them again,? Liz informed her son. ?I?ve already lost three loves, I?ll not lose anymore.? Spike realized that Liz was talking about Angel, himself and his father.

?Mum, you can?t give up on love because of what happened to Angel and Father. That?s not right,? he admonished the woman beside him. ?I want you to be happy.? Liz cupped her son?s cheek.

?Nothing can make me happier than I am now, William. I have you by my side again.? Liz turned her attention to Xander. ?A wonderful son-in-law I have to get to know. What more could I want.?

?Angel?? Xander volunteered, quietly. He had been able to tell that Liz had been hurt seeing Angel with his best friend, and wondered if she was going to do anything to try and separate the couple. While, he didn?t like the idea of someone hurting Willow, he understood that there was a history between Angel and Liz. One even more intense than he had with Buffy and he wasn?t sure if they would be able to control what happened. Liz looked over at Xander and recognized the emotions that were going on in his mind. How he was conflicted and again was glad that her son had chosen him.

?I won?t deny that I would like to see what could happen between Liam and I,? Liz told him. ?But, he is happy now with his young lady and I will do nothing to interfere with that. Besides, Angel is a vampire. One that hopefully won?t die anytime soon. And I?m not exactly aging either. Just because we can?t be together now, it doesn?t mean that there isn?t a possibility sometime later.? Xander nodded his head, grateful that Liz was willing to not go after the souled vampire, although he didn?t like the idea that she was talking about Willow?s impending death. W ell, not impending since the red headed witch wouldn?t be dying anytime soon, but, like him, Willow had to deal with the knowledge that even as they got older, their lovers wouldn?t age.

?You know, I think I would rather have not known,? Xander sighed, again wondering if Spike would tire of him as he got older. Liz once again knew what was going on in his mind. Sometimes she thanked the Powers the Be for her empathic abilities.

?Oh and I forgot to mention something back at the Giles?,? she began. When she was sure that she had the men?s attentions, she continued. ?Since I haven?t exactly been the social butterfly for the past century or anything, I?ve had some time to do some reading and discovered something that I think my Father would have been rather happy for me not to know.?

?What, mum??

?That, while we aren?t exactly encouraged to take a mate from someone of non-fae blood, it has happened before,? she explained. ?And, like your young Willow and Xander, that meant that there was the probability of the mortal growing old while the fae stayed young. Since they didn?t like that idea, they came up with a solution.?

?What?? This time it was Xander that was curious.

?It seems that they came up with a spell that tied the two lives together.? At the confused looks she was getting, Liz went on. ?Made it so that the mortal ages the same way as the fae.? Xander was the first to grasp what it was that Liz was saying.

?So you?re saying that I wouldn?t grow old as long as Spike was young too,? Xander repeated, wanting to make sure he got it right.

?Would that still work even though I was turned?? Spike questioned.

?I don?t see why not. You still have fae blood in you,? she told him. ?It should work.?

?Do you know the ritual?? Liz nodded her head. Spike looked over at Xander, the happiness he felt at the possibility of him never losing his nummy apparent all over his face. He knew Xander didn?t want to be turned, and truth be told, Spike didn?t really want to turn him since that would have meant that he would lose his Xander. But the idea of being able to keep Xander the way he was was more than he could have hoped for. ?Xander?? The teenager looked at his lover. His mate and he knew what his answer would be.

?So how soon can we do this thing and what do we need??

Part 11

Xander was practically rolling on the floor with laughter; tears streaming down his face as Liz finished another tale of Spike?s childhood. It was one of how Spike used to sit in front of the candy store, sad eyes on his face, practically begging for people to give him candy. And they did. Everyone always felt sorry for the blue eyed boy who looked so lost. Spike, for his part, was banging his head on the table muttering something that sounded like mate, mothers, and chips.

?Oh, Spike, you must have been so adorable then,? Xander gasped, trying to draw oxygen into his lungs. ?I can just see it now. Now I know how you got that sweet tooth of yours.?

?Hey, my sweet tooth is no worse than yours, Xan,? Spike complained. ?You?re the one that puts practically a pound of sugar on your Rice Krispies every morning. Not to mention you?re idea of a morning drink being a two liter bottle of Mountain Dew.?

?Hey, can I help it if I?m a growing boy,? Xander protested. Liz smiled at the banter between the two mates. She could tell how much they loved each other and couldn?t wait to get to know Xander better. Xander turned to Liz. ?I just can?t believe that Spike was like that. I mean, I can picture it and I can?t.?

?Well, he and Liam were very similar,? Liz explained. ?It?s just another example of that. They both had a way of getting into all kinds of trouble, whether they meant to or not. The stories I could tell you about him.?

?Really,? Xander nearly was bouncing with excitement at the mention of possibly hearing embarrassing stories about the souled vampire. ?Like what kind of stories??

?You don?t really want to hear them do you?? Liz asked, although a smile was on her face.

?Bloody right I want to hear them,? Spike answered. ?So what was Peaches like as a human.? Liz looked thoughtful as she remembered the times she had spent with her Liam. One particular incident came to mind and she smiled.

?Well, I don?t know if you know this, but Liam was never overly fond of water,? she began. ?One day, it was a hot August day and we had spent it riding and just having all kinds of fun.? At her son?s smirk, she smacked him over the head. ?Mind out of the gutter. This was almost three hundred years ago. I meant, we just hung out. Well, on our way back, we passed this little creek that ran between our homes. Well, I decided that a swim would be the perfect ending to what I saw as a perfect day. Liam saw differently.

?So, I went swimming. Well, as much as he hated water, Liam couldn?t help himself. I mean, I was in my undergarments. And they were white.?

?Mum, that is not something that I needed an image of,? Spike groaned. Sure, he was a vampire and very open about his sexuality. But this was his mother. The woman who gave birth to him. He did not need the image of her and his sire in anything that seemed sexual.

?Sorry, son,? Liz apologized, although he could tell she was anything but. ?Anyway, so Liam and I were just splashing around. We lived in a secluded part of the country, so we didn?t think that anyone would see us. We both knew that it wouldn?t exactly have been accepted for us to be swimming unsupervised. It was a few weeks before father made me leave. And our town was extremely small. There had already been rumors going around about he and I.?

?What happened?? Xander inquired.

?Well, night was falling, so we were getting out the water. We weren?t doing anything, just getting dressed. Then we heard the sounds of a carriage. It was my father and mother. They were on their way home from Liam?s, where they had been talking to his parents about our relationship. Neither family was happy about our relationship and they were both trying to figure out a way of separating both of us. Anyway, my parents saw us and we both froze. We didn?t know what to expect.?

?What did grandfather say?? Spike wanted to know.

?Nothing,? Liz answered. ?He didn?t say a thing. He just turned this shade of red that I still don?t remember ever seeing again. Mother just told me that she would see me at home and to take care so that I wouldn?t get a chill. Then they left. I couldn?t believe it.?

?Oh man, talk about lucking out,? Xander commented.

?That?s what we thought,? Liz told him. ?Then we found out that my father wasn?t the first person to have gone by the creek. Turns out that a girl that had been trying to get Liam to ask her out had passed by also and seen us. By the next day, the whole town had known about it. We couldn?t show our faces for over a week after that.?

?Oh man,? Spike chuckled, picturing Angel being embarrassed by anything as simple as being caught swimming with his girlfriend. ?I wish I could have seen that. I didn?t think anything could get to the poof.?

?Well, that was a long time ago,? Liz pointed out. ?I?m sure things have changed quite a bit for him. I know they have for me.? A yawn escaped from Liz?s mouth. ?I?m sorry. Guess I?m a bit tired. All this excitement must have gotten to me more than I thought.?

?Why don?t you get some sleep, mum,? Spike suggested, helping his mother up and leading her towards the guest room. ?You?ve had a lot of shocks today. And I want you wide awake for tomorrow. We still have lots of catching up to do.? Liz turned and cupped Spike?s face in her hands.

?That we do, my beautiful boy.? Liz turned to Xander. ?And you and I have a date with a male, young man.? Xander smiled at her.

?I?m looking forward to it. Good night.?

?Night.? Liz kissed Spike?s cheek. ?Good night, son.?

?Night mum.? Liz turned and shut the door to the guestroom behind her. Spike turned to face his mate, who walked over and took the blonde vampire into his arms.

?Are you okay, Spike?? The blonde nodded his head against Xander?s chest.

?I just can?t believe she?s really here. I never thought I would see her again,? he said. ?I didn?t even realize how much I missed her until I saw her standing there.? Xander pulled away from Spike, tilting his face up with his hand and placing a gentle kiss on his lips.

?She?s great, Spike,? Xander observed. ?And I can?t wait to get to know her. And get to know more about you."?

?You don?t mind her being here??

?Mind?? Xander smiled. ?Why would I mind? She?s your mother, Spike. A part of you. She?s the reason you are who you are. She will always be welcome here for as long as she wants to be here.?

?Willow,? Angel said as the red head entered the home they shared just ahead of him. The hacker had been silent since they had left the Giles? home and Angel had a good idea of why that was. ?Willow, please talk to me.?

?What do you want me to say?? Willow asked. ?Do you want me to say that I?m happy that your first love is back in your life? Do you want me to tell you how much I can?t wait to see if she and Buffy are going to team up and try and break us up? That is, if they even have to try. That there are two women in town that have this huge hold over you that I can never hope to have. What do you want?? Angel flinched from the anger in Willow?s voice, although he did understand it. He knew how hard it must be on his mate to have seen him with Liz. She knew how much he had cared for the fae.

?Do you really think that I would leave you for Beth or Buffy?? Angel questioned. He turned Willow so that she was facing him. ?I?m in love with you. You are the person I?m with. Buffy is my past. And Beth understands that I?m with you and she won?t do anything to try and separate us. That?s just the way she has always been.?

?But what if she does want you back?? Willow cried. Angel pulled her close to him, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

?I?m with you, that?s all that counts,? Angel assured her. ?Even if Beth decides that she wants to try and get me back, nothing will change that. You are the other half of me. You are the woman that I love. I need you to believe me about that.?

?I do,? the red head told him. ?It?s just that???

?Its just that I have a history with them and you aren?t sure how that?s gonna effect us?? Willow nodded her head. ?I?m not going to lie and say that it?s not going to do anything. You deserve so much more than that. All I can do is tell you how much I love you and how much I want to be with you.? Angel tilted Willow?s chin so that their eyes met. ?You are the only woman for me.?

Willow could see the truth in Angel?s chocolate brown eyes. She could see how much love Angel held for her and it gave her hope. Hope that maybe the other two women wouldn?t be a threat to her relationship with the souled vampire. It just hurt knowing that both of them had seen a different side of Angel than she had. Beth had known the mortal Liam, while Buffy had him as a lover. Those were two things that Willow would never know. Angel leaned down and kissed Willow passionately, dispelling any last doubts she might have had about his love for her.

?You are all the woman I need. I love you. Always.? Willow smiled, finally willing to accept that Angel was with her.

?And you?re all I need too, Angel,? Willow told him. ?I just don?t know how I got so lucky as to get you to love me.?

?You were you,? Angel answered. ?You offered me your friendship and love, with no conditions. You accepted who and what I was. All of me. I love you because you are the kindest, gentlest soul there is and I thank god everyday that I have you in my life.? Willow smiled up at her mate.

?You know, if you keep saying things like that, I might actually have to start believing you.?

?You better believe them,? Angel replied. ?It?s the truth. You are my saving grace. The reason I wake up in the morning. You are the first thing I want to see in the morning and the last thing I want to see at night. And if that isn?t enough to convince you that I love you, then tell me what else you need and I will try and do it.?

?I think that?s just right. Mine,? Willow almost growled, causing Angel to grin.

?Always.?