Disclaimer: I own only Jena, Myka and other original characters to come in this story but the rest is Joss'.
Spoiler: None that I know of right now.
Rating- PG-13

"Hi Daddy!" Jena jumped into Angel's arms, planting a big kiss on his cheek.

"Hey, Sweetie!" He laughed at her enthusiasm. "How are you?" Setting her on her feet.

"Fine." She giggled when her father took a hold of her braids, on in each hand, and started to hold them straight out.

"Did you have fun today at school?" They entered the parking lot, Angel, holding her hand tightly now, looked both ways for cars.

"Uh huh!" She seemed to be hyper for some reason.

"Why are you all happy this afternoon?" He tried to hold in his laughter.

"Myka kissed me at recess." She swayed from side to side, waiting for him to open the car door for her.

Angel was so surprised that he choked on his own saliva with the quick breath he caught from hearing that someone had kissed his little girl. He quickly calmed down, knowing he couldn't yell at her nor the boy about never doing it again. "And is their anything else your father should know?" He teased.

"Oh yeah!" She hoped in the car and dug through her backpack, pulling out a folded piece of white paper. "Here." She passed it to him. "Mrs. Cammeron gave it to us."

"Thank you." He tucked it in his back pocket for the time being and started to close the door. "Buckle up, Baby." he looked in his mirrors, checking the traffic. "You ready?" He looked through the rear view mirror once he situated himself.

"Yep!" She smiled and bobbed her little head to the music hat began to play once the car started.

****

"Angel? Baby, is that you?" Buffy called from the shower upon hearing movement in the house and hallway outside of the bathroom.

"Yaup!" He reasured her as he read the note that Jena's teacher had sent for him and Buffy as her parents .

Dear Parents,
We are informing you that there is a recording of multiple outbreaks of common head lice. We are taking the best precautions necessary, but we advice that you check your son or daughter for any eggs and watch for scratching of the scalp.
Thank you.
Sincerly,
Principle John Marcus

"Honey?" He could hear that Buffy had turned off the water.

"Yeah?" She was pulling on her underwear now, her hair still wrapped in a towel.

"What's this..." He reread the words on the notice. "Head lice?" He layed the paper note on the table in the hallway and entered their bedroom, stripping his top blouse shirt, leaving him in his black slacks and white under shirt.

"What? Why?" She was slipping on her bra's shoulder straps.

"Jena's school sent a letter home saying that there were some outbreaks of it on some of the students." He now stood outside the bathroom door, studying the other "real" mail they had recieved.

Buffy flung open the door in her bra and underwear saying, "What?" She was a bit shocked and upset, in an excited way. She knew what the situation meant.

Angel's eyes went wide to the sudden and unexpected beautiful sight that now stood in front of him. He snapped out of his stare and stammered as he handed the note to his wife off of the table. "Uh...Um...Here."

Buffy ignored his attention on her and skimmed the note. "This is such a hassle. Geez..." She mumbled to herself more than to Angel.

"Why? What is it?" He leaned against the wall, watching her intently while he waited for her to explain to him what the excitement was about with lice.

"It's a bug that manifests itself in the hair. It occurs mostly with kids. It spreads rapidly. She turned around, of which gave Angel another gasping look of(at) her body, and grabbed her robe that hung on the wall near the shower. Slipping it on swiftly she called for her daughter's presense. "Jena?"

"Yeah Momma?" She hollered from down stairs, stopping her coloring in her "PB&J" coloring book.

"Come here, please!" Angel followed Buffy into their bedroom, relishing at the thought of what was under that robe. He was kicking himself now for not taking the opportunity to cover her tight and beautiful tanned stomach with kisses.

Their little one ran past them and jumped onto the bed. "What's up?" She chimed and giggled to herself.

Angel made a fake stern face and started to tickle her. Causing Jena to burst into a fit of laughter.

Buffy donned a slip skirt and chuckled as she playfully slapped both of their rumps. "Okay you two." Angel pulled the little girl in his lap. "Bend your head forward, please, Sweetie." Buffy guided Jena's head down so she could inspect for invaders.

"Whatcha doing?" She mumbled from under her long hair.

"I'm checking you for nasty little eggs to a bug called Lice." She cheerfully answered.

"Bugs, ewww!" She squirmed a bit from the thought. "Yuck!"

Angel wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tighter. "Hold still, Baby."

"Sorry." She did as she was told, waiting for her Mom to finish.

"Okay! You're clean." She dropped her hands to her sides and kissed Jena's forehead.

"Yes!" She turned on Angel's lap and started to tickle his sides.

Before she got carried away with torturing her father, Buffy spoke up. "Now, go clean your room, we have company coming over tonight."

"Ahh... Do I have to?" Her whining was expected.

"Yes. I've seen your room." Buffy gave an astonished look and gestured in the direction of the girl's room.

"Fine." She gave a mocking look of her mother's look being fresh and jumped off the bed.

"Hey!" Angel called behind her, his tone slightly tipped, yet he kept his cool with her. He watched Jena turn around with a sarcastic smile on her face, somehow she knew that she was in trouble. She had been fresh with her mother. "Don't do that to your mother anymore, please, Jena. It's disrespectful." Buffy was a bit embarrassed and looked away from the two.

"Yes, Daddy." She gave an apologetic look to both of them and walked back to Buffy, hugging her. "I'm sorry, Mommy." She whispered and kissed her on the cheek, receiving one herself.

"I love you, Baby." She kissed her again on her forehead. Once they separated Jena skipped off to clean her room. Buffy left her thanks unsaid to Angel by just giving him a smile and turning to grab her white skirt off the chair at the vanity table.

She was about to slip it on when Angel grabbed her and pulled her on the bed next to him, kissing her passionately. Buffy tangled her legs with his instinctively, pressing herself closer to him. As he moved his lips to her neck and shoulder, Buffy breathed a whisper. "Gods I love you." Before whimpering from the shivers he was causing to pass through her body.

The sound of multiple things falling together on the floor echoed through the room. A shrieking scream followed it and then a cleanly depicted thud of someone collapsing on the carpet was the last thing heard. The last thing that Buffy and Angel needed to hear before running to Jena's room to see what was wrong. The last thing any parent wants to hear of their child. The one thing that will forever stay in a mother and father's mind.

******

They rushed in the girl's room, finding her on the floor, holding her head between her hands. Her eyes were tightly closed and created small crows feet along the edges, her brow furrowed as well.

Buffy scrunched down next to her on the carpet and picked the tensed and frail body up and took her into their room, where it was plenty ready for the light. She laid down with the girl, burying her daughter deep in comfortable pillows while Angel closed the thick dark curtains to the windows and shut the door. The room was now midnight black; covering the three in it's darkness. Angel crept to the other side of his daughter and wrapped his arms around her as well. Waiting. Waiting for her to be released from her vision's constricting pain. Waiting for her to come back to him and her mother with tears.

*****

Jena started to whimper as she shook her head in her "sleep." He parents had recognized this as the first sign of her coming back to conscientiousness.

"Jena." Buffy whispered as she continued to brush her daughter's long, brown hair back with her fingers. She kissed the girl's forehead and gave a concerned and worried look to Angel, who gave a sympathetic and forced half smile.

Angel looked back down at the now eye fluttering little girl. "Hey." He said soft and long.

She looked at him through slitted eyes and stared at him, blankly. She was absorbing everything she had seen. Deciphering. Raising her hand to her face she knuckled at her eyes and began to show glints of tears on their surface. A panicked whimper escaped her throat and passed her lips. "Mommy?"

Angel's eyes shifted to his wife and back to his daughter. "Shhh..." Buffy brushed the girl's hair back, responding to her asking. Jena quickly turned in between the two and clutched Buffy tightly, curling herself up against her mother.

Buffy automatically tucked her body within her similar fetal position, holding her close.

Angel wrapped his arms around the two and drug himself nearer. They had gone through this before. It was like a parent who had a child with epilepsy, only their daughter saw bad each time. There was nothing to get used to. Nothing to be said to her in order to keep her from fearing her next "episode." Jena was fey, as Angel said the Irish called it, but much more attuned than others that he knew with the "gift." Like Drusilla, she was able to see the future. But unlike Drusilla, Jena could see it in every literal detail. Every smell, taste, the run of sweat, fear and anxiety. The only problem was helping her remember. Although she was given a lengthy story and vision, as one would say it was, she was left with fragments in her memory. Whether or not it was a blessing for the child is still undeterminable.

"Do you want a glass of water, Sweetie?" Buffy mumbled in her daughter's hair. She felt her head move in a nodding form. "Ok. Lets go." She said as she rose with the girl still in her arms and Angel still at her side.

****

Buffy carried the girl into the kitchen as Angel rushed past her and started preparing a small, Blues Clues, plastic cup of water. Jena remained in her mother's arms as Buffy decided to sit down at the table, where Angel, too, sat down with the cup of water. "Here you go, Sweetie." He whispered as he handed the cup to Jena, stead, Buffy took it and waited for the child to sit up.

When Jena finally did rise from her comfortable spot on Buffy's chest she took the topped sup in one hand and took small continuous gulps as the other hand held on to a handful of Buffy's hair, stroking it lightly as she savored the silky softness of her mother's blonde locks.

When she had her fill, devouring more water than what was expected, Jena handed the cup to Buffy and gasped for breath due to the long period of time that she had been focusing on drinking the cool and refreshing water.

"What did you see, Baby?" With her mother's question she fell back onto her chest and moaned. "Were there demons?" No answer, no even a shake or a nod of the head. Buffy looked to Angel and shated a frustrated look. Jena hated telling them about her "episodes" and what she saw and this made things more difficult for Buffy and Angel. Instead of using the information that Jena could have given they got pieces when it was either too later or short on time to a near death experience. "Jena... You have to tell us." Buffy knew it sounded a little demanding but was damned sure that she was going to get what she needed this time. Angel and her had discussed Jena keeping her fears and visions to herself and came to the conclusion of it not being safe for her and, depending on the information she is innocently holding back, others' as well.

Jena held her lips tightly together, determined to keep her memory on what she saw to herself.

"Jena, you might have seen something important to Mommy and Daddy. Please, Sweetie, tell us what you saw." Angel lightly brushed back the girl's hair and applauded himself for giving, what he thought to be, an excellent persuasion towards a six year old.

"No!" Jena wiggled and squitmed in Buffy's grasp and finally won, running out of the house. Buffy was not only not surprized but upset with her daughter of pulling the same stunts just to get out of something. The problem wasn't that Jena never told them what she sees during her visions but that she had the habbit of keeping things she feared and had nightmares about to herself. As concerned, which usually meant worried, parents they knew that, especially as a young girl, that keeping those things to yourself can be emotionally damaging.

* * *

Jena ran into Danielle as she stepped over the threshold and slamed the door shut.

"Hey, You!" Daniella placed a hand on the girl's head and pressed it just so in order to tilt it back to look at her. Danielle's expression grew stressed when she saw small tears hanging in Jena's eyes. "What's wrong, Jena?" She scrouched down in front of her.

"Mommy and Daddy are making me tell them all the bad stuff again." She harshly whiped her eyes of their tears with her fingers.

"Ohhh....Honey," She tucked the girl's long, brown hair behind her ears. "Your mommy and daddy need you to help them fight the bad guys by telling them what you see when you DO see them. If you tell them later on it may be too late to prevent something from happening." She looked at the six year old with sympathy and then hugged her. Releasing her from her embrace she smiled in attempt to lighten the mood. "Now," she took the girl's small hands in hers and continues, "you know that your mom and dad are superheros, right?" She witnessed the girl nod her head slowly. "Do you ever wish you could help innocent people and be the hero?" Again, she saw the girl nod with a smile tugging at her frown. "With what you see you CAN do that! You can fight evil by just telling your parents what you see." She waited for Jena to respond.

"I can't 'member everything though." She looked upset that the lack of memory, which was common, would effect on what her parents could do with the remainging information.

"I'm sure that what ever you tell them of what you CAN remember would be perfect and greatly appreciated."

Jena smiled and whispered shyly, "Okay."

* * *

Buffy and Angel watched the two from inside through the window and smiled to each other as they see Jena smile and turn back to the house. Angel rested his hand at the samll of Buffy's back and kissed her cheek lightly pressing his lips against her skin to long it. Just as he released his mouth from her cheek Jena returned into the livingroom with Danielle in tow while she held her hand tightly.

"Vampires." Although it seemed out of context at first Jena was meerly continuing from where they had left off; what she saw.

"Anything else?" The two bent down to talk to her at an equal distance and level.

She looked up at Danielle and recieved a reasuring squeeze of the hand and looked back to her father. "You." She whispered. Angel was startled, he wasn't sure what she had meant and something told him that she didn't know either. Only that she saw him.

"Do you remember what I was doing?" He was shaky but held his own in order to keep her calm and willing to go on.

Jena nodded and then looked up as she scrunched up her nose, thinking. Looking back to Angel she let go of her baby-sitter's hand and walked past him and Buffy,. towards her coloring book and crayons that were left from before. She plucked a blue crayon from off the floor and grabbed an empty PB&J coloring book page and ripped it out carefully, tending to the places of which it might tear. Finally, after she had successfully extracted the page, she started to draw very carefully, concentrating on what she was doing she held her slightly exposed tongue between her teeth.

When she had finished she took the paper back to her mother and father, handing it to them. They held the paper up together and studied it. "What was ths on? Stone? A tree? Nothing at all?" Buffy inquiried.

Jena just shook her head. Buffy and Angel just looked at each other then back to their daughter. "Then what-"

"It was on an old man." She explained by interupting Buffy.

"Where?" Angel's eyes were now wide. He had lost his calm tone and began to seem rushed. Jena almost jumped at his, what she thought to be as a demand.

"Here." Jena pointed to the center of her chest, just below the neck and just above the heart.

"An bra`th." Angel breathed.

Jena and Buffy gave their identical confused look and asked simutaniously, "Huh?"

"Daddy, whats that?" Jena made her way between her parents.

Without looking to either of them he answered her question. "The Judgement."

*****

"Hey, Everyone!" Willow and family had arrived before Angel could explain what he knew.

"Hi, Willow!" Jena leapt into her aunt's arms and hugged her tight.

"Hey, Sweetie!" She returned the "bear hug" and set the girl back down. Jena waited for Felicia and Andrew to finished saying their hellos as well to her parents to play with them.

Angel tipped Angel back to a right side position after hanging him upside down for fun and placed him on his feet.

Buffy leaned against his side as if he were a wall and rested her head on his shoulder. "Go play!" Buffy commanded, lightly tapping Jena's bottom with her foot in encouragement. The three giggled and ran off towards the backyard.

Buffy peered over to Angel and whispered in his ear. "We'll talk about this with the gang tonight after dinner, 'kay?" He gave her a wry smile and nodded. "Ok." With his answer, Buffy, again, playfully slapped his bum and hugged Willow.

"Hey, Will!" Moving to Oz. "Oz man!"

"Hello, Buffy." Oz's usual mellow greeting was presented.

"Shall we?" Willow hyped up her voice and gestured to the kitchen. The group had a tradition of cooking together when they were having dinner at one or the others houses. Now, Willow had her arm out for Buffy to take in order to escort her to the kitchen.

Hooking her arm with her friend's, Buffy plays along. "We shall!" They left the guys chuckling, and went to the kitchen.

"Hey, Everyone!" Xander announced as he and Anya stepped in. "What's happening?" He shook Angel's hand and nodded his "hello" to Oz. Phoebe wobbled in, holding her brother, Jake's, hand. She was a mere year old and yet her eyes seemed to make her look as if she were older; fearless.

"Where are the girls?" Anya asked, looking around the main room.

"Ah, kitchen." Oz pointed in the direction of which his and Angel's wife were located at.

"Thanks!" She nodded to Danielle and smiled. Then, turning to the three guys, she scrunched up her nose and looked back to Danielle. "No Feyrin tonight?"

"Oh, no. He said that he'd be late. Some business he had to take care of." She picked up Phoebe and took Jake's hand and made their way out to the backyard with the rest of the kids.

Anya turned to join the others in the kitchen when she noticed that the men were lagging. In fact, they were standing still. She turned back around to them and raised an eyebrow. "You coming?" It was more in a reminder sort of tone rather than a question of curiosity.

"Yeah, yeah!" in chorus the three "boys" nodded and spoke freely, rambling their way out of trouble, making it seem as if they were not trying to get out of something. They reluctantly walked in the kitchen and started helping out with dinner.

Once Angel had been recognized by Buffy, upon entering in on the "fun," he was kissed tenderly by his wife and, again, patted him on his behind. Angel knew that she was merely getting away with doing that in front of their friends was because she made it seem as if she were playing. But Angel knew that that was just her little, new, pet peeve that she HAD to do in order to hold herself off until they were alone.

The couples cooked together. Jobs weren't individual, but partnered. Husband and wife. When Angel saw it, he took every chance no matter the length of time, to caress her bare back. The blood wine halter top she wore was driving him absolutely insane. Angel was slightly intimidated by the amount of power she had over his body's response system. Hell, even the way she cooked gave him the aching feeling to haul her up onto the island in the middle of the kitchen and make love to her without limitations of other people being in the house, including children. But, thank The Powers That Be that he had control over those certain...urges.

"Hello!?" Feyrin's voice echoed from around the corner to the living room.

"In here!" Buffy tilted her head back to shout over everyone's ears. She had forgotten that Angel was taller than she and that even her head-tilt-act wouldn't help his sensitive ears.

****

Feyrin poked his head around the corner in the kitchen waving and smiling to everyone. Then, noticing the people in the room he frowned. "Where's Danielle?" He walked in and put his hands in his slacks' pockets.

"Oh, she's outside with the kids. Here," Buffy held a wooden spoonful of what looked like a garlic toping, "taste this." She held her other hand underneath the spoon and his chin so as to catch drops of the sauce.

Feyrin did as was asked and licked his lips to catch the excess. Nodding his head in satisfaction he looked over the pot that was in front of her. "Good. What is it?" He took another spoon off of the drainboard and started to spoon around in the pot for another fill.

"Oh, no you don't!" Buffy grabbed the spoon and started to swat at him with the kitchen towel she had in her head. "Out with you!" He laughed and tried to protect himself from anymore "damage" by holding up his hands. Finally, once he stepped out of the kitchen, she stopped and turned back to join the others and continued doing her share. Angel was giggling at the little show. Feyrin had become more of a brother to all of them rather than a friend. Although, that's not what they would admit to. Same with Danielle. She was a joy to have around. When Buffy had finally agreed to get a baby-sitter for Jena, when she was a few months old, Buffy was nervous enough about the possibility of hiring a dangerous person without knowing it and having to keep The Scoobies a secret from them.

Finding Danielle was not just a blessing for the two, but for all of them. She understood the odd and supernatural. She didn't fear it to the point where she flipped out whenever she saw something "weird" happen. Although an occasional scream does erupt from her when she is startled. Or if something is just plan gross looking. She was human in every way, just as Xander Harris. He had no connections to the mystical, as did Danielle. Except for her boyfriend being a Changeling.

Feyrin, although he looked it, was not human. He was a Changeling. One who was of faerie heritage but was under the "protection" of humans. He took on the disguise as a human child in order to live. To fulfill his destiny. But no one could tell him what exactly that destiny was, only that he was meant to be with the avengers of the darkness; Buffy, Angel, Giles, Willow, Xander, Oz, Anya and Jena. Even though Jena was the youngest and thought to be useless, at her age, in the group she was the most valuable. She could see things that no one else could. She had a destiny as well. To become a fighter with her parents was something that was taken harshly by, mostly, Buffy. She thought that she couldn't bare to stand and watch her daughter take on the same job that she had. To live each day knowing that there was no way out. The word destiny bellowed down to "destined" which meant the inevitable of not being able to defy it. She was shocked to learn that he child would have to literally face the darkness and pain that evil created, but the ultimate shocker was to hear that Jena did not have special physical powers. It was her Third Eye that gave her the aching to fight. Having the same urges as Buffy when it came to "getting in a nightly kill." When thinking about this Buffy would always shed a tear, but would try to suck it up immediately so to not frighten or worry Angel or Jena.

Feyrin, like Jena, was still waiting to find his true destiny's wishes. But Feyrin knew that it was coming, Jena, thankfully, was kept in the dark about it. Angel and Buffy felt that her age in years and emotions was just not ready. First they would have to get her to tell them her fears on her own. Without help. Until then, they could only keep her in the dark about what was to come of her life in the future.

He made his way outside and found his girlfriend, Danielle, pushing two toddlers, Felicia and Jake, on the swings. Since Andrew was the second oldest of the young group Jena and he could play. But the things they played was outrageously funny. To the parents at least. Andrew would be the one getting saved by Jena. She would triumph over evil and stomp playfully and softly on Feyrin's back sometimes in order to "prove" her power. Andrew didn't mind. He knew that he could play with the boys and be the one who would save the damsel in distress when she and the other girls played as well, but when it was just the two of them he wanted to keep her happy. He knew that she was alone when it came to a lot of friends because she couldn't relate to a whole lot of people. Her attitude towards things were far too enlightened for other students in the class. Except for Myka, Andreena, Jena's friend from day one, and Andrew. Andrew missed going to the same school as she. They had gone to the same preschool two years before but he was now in kindergarten and she was now in the first grade. Their playgrounds were not on the same sides of the school campus. When they did go to the same school, he was with her from the minute that Angel picked him up from his house in the morning til the minute her dropped him off at the end of the day. They were close enough to be brother and sister. No chemistry what so ever when it came to young romance. Neither of them felt that way and it was obvious. They continued to have their little hotties of the month fetishes. Even at their young age Jena and Andrew had periodical crushes on teachers and students. This month, for Jena, it was Myka.

Feyrin caught Danielle's eye and smiled at her. She waved him over and stepped away from the swing set. "I'll be right back you guys!" She let them know after giving them a hard push to keep each of them going while she took a break. "Hey." She met him on the right side of the swings and hugged him tightly. They hadn't seen each other for two days now. He was gone the whole time. Out of town on "business." Danielle felt so comfortable and free while standing in his arms. She was happy to have him finally back.

"Hey." He whispered as he rested his forehead on her shoulder and began to nuzzle her neck, pressing soft petally kisses on the soft skin beneath her ear. "How are you?" Again, he whispered.

"Mm...Good. You?" She pulled back to look at him, remaining in the circle of his arms.

He didn't respond immediately, apparently thinking to himself. Contemplating on what to say. Debating with himself on the consequences. She began to look at him with concern, silently prying, begging for him to tell her what was on his mind. "What is it?" She rested her hands on his chest and held them there, letting him know that she was there and that she could be trusted.

"We need to talk. All of us."

*****

"Buffy?" Feyrin got the slayer's attention by whispering a mere two inches from her ear.

"Yeah?" Her concentration was kept on her pouring of the sauce onto the chicken.

"Can we talk?" The expression on his face told her that he wanted more that just socialize.

"Something for the whole gang?" She handed the sauce to Angel, who was listening in to the conversation as well. When she saw Feyrin nod in response she thought and looked around at everyone in the room. Danielle had just brought in the kids and was directing them into their seats at the table, awaiting for their meal. "Okay. Why don't we all stay after dinner and wait for the kids to fall asleep and then we can all talk?" She tried to sound chirpy, but wasn't passing all that well. She and Angel, too, had something to discuss with the gang but this made things even more rushed to be noticed. His tone and stress in his eyes made her slightly frightened at what he wanted to talk about.

Feyrin agreed to this and nodded with an effortfully forced smile. Turning around he almost bumped into Danielle, smiling and kissed her on the cheek. "Hey, You." She smiled and gave him her best innocent look.

"Hey back." He brushed his lips against hers and pulled his head back. "I'm going to go change, I was on the road all day today."

"Okay. I'll be waiting."

"Alright. I'll be right back then." He began to walk through the dinning room and into the living room. Grabbing his black bag that he had thrown on the couch earlier he made his way to the bathroom to don some more comfortable clothing besides the three piece suit that he was wearing.

*******

Dinner was ready and waiting to be eaten as they waited for Feyrin to sit down and enjoy it with them. The kids were impatient and beginning to get on the parents' nerves.

"No!" Anya would call to her son as she spotted his stubby hand tickling it's way across the table, as far as he could reach, to get his hands on the dinner rolls. When he continued his attempt, ignoring his mother, Anya tapped his hand in a disciplinary manner and repeated herself, "No."

He retracted his hand and gave her a hurt look and then, realizing that she wouldn't budge, huffed and crossed his arms with a pouty bottom lip sticking out.

"Stop it!" Felicia would whine as she swatted her arms at her brother Andrew, trying to push him away from her hair. He had been pulling singular strands on purpose, simply just to tick her off. Brothers had a habit and aching temptation to do those sorts of things, this was what Felica and Phoebe were beginning to learn.

Willow and Oz were still in the kitchen retrieving the mashed potatoes so it was up to the other's to take care of the little sibling feud. Buffy was pouring milk for all the youngsters and when she approached Andrew and Felicia she thumped Andrew on the head very lightly, with no attempt at hurting him, simply to just get his attention. Once he looked at her, with a big smile on his face, her stern expression erased his fun. "Don't irritate your sister, Andrew." She wagged a finger in front of his face for a second as she spoke and then resumed her pouring of the milk.

Finally, as if on cue, Feyrin entered the dinning room dressed in blue jeans and black skiers sweater and took his seat just as everyone had finished setting the food on the table. "Lets eat!" He clapped his hands together and rubbed them vigorously receiving a giggle from everyone in the room.

*******

Once dinner was devoured the kids were sent to the living room to watch some TV while the adults cleaned up the aftermath. As soon as they had herded them all into the same room and returned to the kitchen and dinning room Jena came running in and tugged on Buffy's jeans looking at her mother with her father's identical eyes. "What is it, Jena?" Buffy had just collected the plates and set them in the sink, letting them set in the warm water.

"Can we watch a movie?" She had her hands behind her back and twisted from side to side in an attempt to seem even more innocent than she already was.

Buffy smiled at her actions and nodded. Jena immediately turned around and bounded for the living room. "Thanks, Momma!" She called as she turned the corner. Buffy only shook her head and chuckled to herself. Angel came up behind her as she, too, turned around to wash the dishes and placed his hands around her waist.

"Love you." He simply whispered in her ear and kissed the junction of her neck and shoulder, smiling against her skin.

"And I you." With a similar smile of complete content, she inhaled his sweet scent and continued to clean up.

*****

Mulan was still playing when the children had all fallen into a deep and peaceful sleep. They had worn themselves out before dinner and during; throwing things across the table, constant irritation from siblings, running around the back yard and living room and never-ending giggles. "I ain't bittin' no more butts." Angel and the rest of the parents and adults laughed silently at Mushu's line. Buffy had checked around the room at all the little faces to see if there was a single open eye. Once she had concluded that there wasn't she nudged Angel who was sitting at her side and nodded to Willow and Feyrin. They all tiptoed out of the room and into the study, where they kept many of Angel treasures from over the years, along with many books that were used for research and such.

"So..." Willow and Oz knew that there was something up but they just weren't in the loop.

"So." Buffy let out a deep sigh and sat down on the old hunter green loveseat, followed by Angel. "Who's going to start?" She looked to Angel and Feyrin.

"Well...I guess I will then." Feyrin spoke up when Angel did not. "Please, everyone sit down, this may take a while." He gestured to the other empty, soon to be filled, chairs and stools.

The room was dark and had the decor of a renaissance study with the antiques and colors that covered it. Since it was a fairly large room, a little bigger than the living room, it was able to fit the whole Scoobie Gang in it. The chairs and couches were placed in the middle of the room, with a long and abnormally wide coffee table in the center of the seating area. Willow, Oz and Danielle sat on the couch that faced the loveseat where Angel and Buffy were seated, while Xander and Anya sat in separate large and comfy chairs on the corners on the right side of the somewhat circle.

"Ok." Willow announced that it was a go, that Feyrin started now that everyone was seated,.

"I was...'taking care of some last minute business' earlier, yes, but I didn't tell you with what relations." Danielle was a little shocked to his confession but quickly recovered with forgiveness because it appeared obvious that he had a good reason for hiding his actions.

"Do tell then." Buffy gestured for him to continue.

"I spoke to some channels- Oracles- Replacements if you must, Angel." He spoke rather fast so as not to leave space for a question to interrupt him.

Angel and Buffy's eyes went wide, but the others remained somewhat passive. To Feyrin's thanks everyone stayed silent and allowed him to go on. "They..." With a shaky breath he gathered his composure to finish. "They wanted me to train Jena now."

"What?" Buffy was shaken and her question came through as a sort of laughter that seemed to suggest that she was thinking that this was all some kind of joke. "What do you mean, train her? Like a slayer or something? She's not a slayer, Feyrin. You know that." She stood, but Angel quickly grabbed for her hand and tried to tug her back to her seat, a tug of which she did not give in to. She, instead, held her ground.

"Yes, I know that. But..."

"But what, Feyrin? Spill!" She was demanding of him to say something that was an obvious threat to someone and something.

"Train her to fight. To fight the things that you fight." His tone was now angry that she did not see his reasons or compassion. When she didn't say anything in response, he knew that he had gotten her full attention, with an open mind as well, and continued. "To fulfill her destiny; to fight with you and Angel."

*****

"Come on, Baby." Angel murmered before he dipped down to nibble at Buffy's earlobe.

"Mmmm..." Was her response. But still she said, "We can't. We have to get up. We promised to take Jena to the lake today." Angel recognized the way her body immediately tensed up at the thought of their plans for today. She was upset. He settled his weight on his elbows and caressed her cheeks with both of his hands as he looked down at her. "We have to tell her. Today, Angel." She looked up, blinking away the tears of pain for her little girl. She had never wanted this for her daughter. It was almost like getting punched in the gut repeatedly when she had learned that her baby girl was to become a slayer herself.

"I know. Buffy, you and I both know that this is right for her. Not her destiny, but her training early. That way we can be sure that she is better protected. What will happen if someone tried to get at her when we couldn't be there." Buffy closed her eyes at the thought. Angel kissed her forehead and slipped his arms around her, holding her tightly to him, and rolled them both. Settling her to lay on top on him and rest her head on his shoulder, he stroked her back and hair with his hands.

"I hate it." Her breath hitched as she buried her face into the curve of his throat. Her body began to shake from her forcefull attempts to keep herself from crying.

Angel couldn't bear to witness her doing this to herself. She needed to get this out, but she wasn't letting herself. If she wasn't focused on Jena, and Jena only, today, she was going to frighten her. If Buffy broke down in front of their six year old little girl, they would have an even trickier time trying to convince Jena that it was the right thing to do. She would be confused.

He wrapped his arms tightly around her and kissed her shoulder. "Let it go, Baby," he whispered in her ear and kissed her hair, then her neck. Waiting for her break.

When she finally did, when she finally let herself go, sobs so stong wracked her body. Angel was there to absorb most of them, and for that she was thankful. She understood, even just by that, that he was there for her and that she wasn't alone in what she was feeling. Their baby, their miracle, was going to be in even more danger than she already was. Once she made a name for herself, possibly with her first real fight, she was going to be a bright fire engine red target for all that was evil. A prize winner for those who seeked bounties. A trophy for gladiators and sorts. But to them, she was their life. The thought was heartwrenching, but still he held on to Buffy and waded out the cries and pleas.

******

"Jena, don't forget your sunglasses," Angel called up the stairway.

"Okay, Daddy!" Jena returned, her voice filled with frustration.

Angel only smiled to himself, that had been his fifth time reminding her to bring her sunglasses for the lake that morning. He knew it would irritate her, it was a constant game in the house, to irritate one another. The goal was to get in the last irritation out of someone for the day before everyone went to bed.

"Okay, you two. Don't irritate each other too much. I don't like being peacemaker when we're in public." Buffy put three water bottles in a backpack and some chips. "It's not pretty." She got a cock of the head, an arched brow and a glare from her husband with that remark. They all knew that by peacemaker her way of making it was by tickling them both. Playing dumb, Buffy shrugged, saying, "What?"

"You know what." Angel rushed at her and threw her over his shoulder, aquiring a yelp and thump on his back from his wife.

"Put me down, you beast," Buffy said, giggling.

"Hey, you're only suppose to do that to me!" Jena complained from the bottom of the srairs.

"Aw," Angel gave a pained look for drama. "But you're just too big for me now." He could feel the identical glare that Jena was giving him from Buffy who still hung upside down.

"What?" Although he knew very well, Angel just set Buffy on her feel, and, after recieving a jab in the ribs by Buffy's elbow, grabbed Jena and slung her over just as he had with her mother.

She yelped as well, then went into a fit of laughter as he went about gathering the small cooler of sandwiches and drinks and Jena's small beach chair and header out to the car.

After setting the items in the back of the deep red cherokee he waited for Buffy to load the backpack and towels. When she had finished, they shared a purposefully lingering and highly intimate kiss.

Groaning from behind Angel's back had them both chuckling as they brushed their lips a last time. Buffy patter her daughter's clothed, yet exposed, bottom, saying, "You'll learn, my girl."

Angel made his way to the back door, the seat behind his own, and eased her down, her legs wrapping around his waist, her hands gripping his neck. He took in the innocense that she possessed. In his heart he knew that she wouldn't change in being his little girl, but she wouldn't be protected from everything he had tried to protect her from since even before she was born. Today, he thought, everything changes.

****

"Jena," Buffy called from her spot with Angel on the large blanket on the bank.

Jena stood up straight and looked to her parents. "Yeah, Mama?"

With a moan of regret, Buffy said, "Come here for a few minutes. Mommy and Daddy have something to discuss with you."

Swallowing the whines that were instinctive when having to stop having fun in the water, Jena replayed her mother's tone and did as she was asked. Serious.

Something serious.

After dropping to her knees in front of them, Buffy took her small hands in hers and then pushed back the damp waves of hair away from her face, tucking it behind a ear. "Hey, Baby."

"Mama?" Jena knew her mother all too well. Well enough to understand when she was stalling.

"Okay," Buffy said, giving Angel a second look, then back to her daughter. "You know those things that you sometimes see in your head and your dreams?" How else was she suppose to start? Was that the right approach? By the gods that exist, how do you tell a six year old that she is to face her worse fears for the rest of her life?

Jena knew what her mother was referring to. The visions that sometimes made her fall asleep in the middle of the day. Sometimes they gave her really bad headaches, and sometimes they just made her want to cuddle with her doll and parents and wait until she wasn't so scared. "Yeah." Jena nodded as well, her hair bouncing.

Buffy took a deep breath, her stomach was going to give up on her in a few minutes. "Well, those things, the bad things: monsters, scary bad guys, " she hesitated. "They're real." Buffy knew right there, that she would never forget the way her daughter's, her baby, her first born, eyes had grown so big with so few words. Immediately, she felt the increase of Jena's pulse with her fingers on her wrists.

"But you and Daddy said that they weren't. That they couldn't get me." She looked from one parent and then to the other and back. "You said that I was only in my head. Just dreams."

Buffy's heart fell a whole twenty stories and landed into the pit of her stomach. Of all the things that she had been worried about, she hadn't been prepared to explain the reasons for lying to her child. Even though it was for her own good and safety.

"Oh, Baby." Buffy made a grab, anticipating to fiercely hug Jena. She wanted to break down crying herself when Jena took a somewhat instinctive step back from her. Accepting this for now, Buffy kept back and continued, "Feyrin, he works for a group of people called the Council. These people know about these evil things that you see. And Feyrin knows how to make them go away and..." she wasn't sure what word to use. But sometimes, straight out was best. "And to kill them. He teaches people how to make them go away, too."

Hearing this had obviously eased Jena's heartbeat and breathing rate. Some. But not much. "Really? He can make them go away?"

Buffy found a little more hope. "Yeah. And Mommy and Daddy make them go away too. Your Grandpa taught me how to. He used to have the same job that Feyrin has now. And he was really good. Some say that your Mommy was the best when it came to beating the bad things and the monsters."

Jena simply stood there, focused on the words that were being said by one of the people that she trusted most.

"Baby, there's more." Buffy had worried about this more than anything. She knew that it was going to hurt her more than it would Jena. Simply because it would be a repeat of her own life and not one that could be controlled by Jena herself. Not by the scores and games between good and evil. "Feyrin is going to teach you how to make these things go away and how to kill them, too. When you get older, you'll be doing what Mommy and Daddy do." Buffy watched Jena for a whole thirty seconds before saying another word. "Do you understand what I'm saying, Sweetie?"

Jena took in a deep breath. She opened her mouth. Shut it again. Took another deep and cleansing breath, closing her eyes as she did so. By doing this, she opened her mind to all the past visions, or, what her family and friends liked to call them, episodes: Hidious markings on ugly faces, razor sharp teeth, chanting, screaming, the sound of metal crashing against metal, horns, oddly colored skin. All these things made her shudder and pop her eyes wide open again.

Although she wasn't aware of this, she took a step back. Then another. And, still without recognision of what she was about, when she started to turn in anticipation to quicken her pace in full stance, she was intercepted by being lifted off the ground. In a mere half a second, she was caught against her father's chest with his securing arms wrapped around her. They were both murmuring to her. Telling her, promising her, that they would take care of it. That she would be ok.

Angel sat down and softly rocked her back and forth, while Buffy knelt on her knees beside the two and rubbed Jena's back soothingly. Angel had let Buffy explain it. She had requested it, being a fellow slayer and all, she had felt that this was the easiest way and the only way of which she would want to be told if it were she in this situation. The whole time he had been reeling in the same thoughts. Jena's safety was what Buffy and he had worked towards. They built a world that was all good. A world that would be safe for her to walk in the dark in. A world that didn't have abnormal deaths on a daily basis.

A world that didn't exist.

*******

"That's okay. Try it again, sweetie," Feyrin said from his stool under the porch, watching Jena attempting to do hand stands in the grass of the back yard. He had been working with her for three weeks now. Everything had been okay once Jena realized that she got to discover new things about herself. She had never known that she could find her way out of a dark room. After all, there hadn't been even the slightest sliver of light, including the moon's. That was the first test, as Feyrin had called it.

No matter how hard she tried to hate this, she was able to find something new. Just when she felt that she wanted to quit, and decided to treat what she and Feyrin were doing as stupid and pointless, Jena surprised herself as much as Feyrin by nailing each specific goal.

Instead of only being able to do a cartwheel with her knees bent, she was now able to do one with excellent posture and fluency. There were special occasions when her parents were permitted to take part in their activities during the day. Buffy would indulge herself, and impress, as well as make her daughter proud, Jena with her "tumbles," that someone had once referred them to be. Her gymnastics were the main cause for her efficiency to her slaying. Jena would have to acquire these skills before anything else. And this, everyone knew.

Surprisingly, so did Jena.

"I'm tired," Jena whined, slapping her exhausted hands to her sides.

"I know. Just a few more minutes and we can stop for the day and get ready for the party." Feyrin was hot, as he very well knew that she was as well. The only difference was that she was doing her exercises in the sprinklers. Her bathing suit was wet and cooling her body off while Feyrin sat, in the shade yes, with his sweating and sticky clothes clinging to his skin.

Still pouting a bit, Jena gave a quick nod and said, "Okay." With this said, she went back to her handstands. When she faltered once again, landing half on her knees and half of her side, Feyrin stood up, taking a new tactic to helping her accomplish her goal for the day.

He had been watching, what he did best, her for a while now, working anyway, and knew what would get her going and focused. "No. No, no. You're not concentrating, Jena. Do it right. Do it again. " He folded his arms across his unbearably hot chest and watched. "And concentrate this time."

Scolling, with tears stinging her eyes from his yelling, she turned sharply and did as he asked. It seemed to happen in slow motion and she wasn't at all sure that she had actually done it. But when she looked to where Feyrin had been, he saw him smile and clap.

"Very good, sweetie." Feyrin turned up the water pressure to the sprinklers, causing them to go over her head now. "Play your heart out, my girl." Still smiling, he turned and went into the house.

Immediately he was bombarded by other little children. Non of them were unfamiliar. All of them were family. Although, not blood, but family. He had known them all since they were babies or even before they were born.

"Can we go out and play with Jena now. Please." Andrew's eyes pleaded even as he did out loud and looked up at him with hope. He had deprived them from their cousin and the water for a half an hour now. The normal time that he and Jena had been doing their routine on. When she got older and the tasks became more important and difficult he would lengthen the time. But for now, it was enough.

"Yeah. Be off with ya." He barely got to pat his head before Andrew dashed off to play with his older cousin, followed by his younger sister and cousins.

Buffy walked around the corner with Willow in tow, smiling at something that was still lingering in their minds. Almost bumping into Feyrin, she stopped and looked up at him. He was just as tall as Angel, and that helped nothing for her neck.

"How did she do?" She asked.

"Good. I just have to live with her being upset with me for a few minutes in order for her to get everything down. I'll live," he said, easing the mother's worry. She knew how he got her daughter to do things. Yelled at her. He was the only person who truly yelled at her for doing something wrong. For Jena never did things wrong, at least not on purpose. Knowing this ahead of time, she couldn't bear to watch the trainings. She and Angel used to, but at times, there just didn't seem to be a point in watching their daughter hurt about something that they felt was their faults.

Quickly getting over the self guilt, Buffy put on a smile. It was, after all, the fourth of July. Celebration of their freedom was in line. Celebration of life. And celebration of independence.

"Good." She patter put a hand on his cheek and walked to the living room. Just as she and Willow sat down, Angel, Xander, Oz and Danielle came through the door. They each carried a plastic bag in their hands: soda, chips, dip, vegetables, candy and more soda.

"Hey, you," Xander said, spotting Buffy and Willow on the couch.

"Hey. Munchies?" Willow asked.

Lifting one bag, Angel nodded. "Yeah. Where are the kids?"

Buffy hooked a tumb over her shoulder, indicating the back yard. "Playing in the sprinklers."

"Oh, good." He handed Xander his bag as his friend went into the kitchen to set up with everyone else, leaving Buffy and Angel alone. "How did she do?" He kissed her lips and rested a hand on her hip.

"Feyrin said she did okay. He's understanding how to deal with her now. But it still breaks my heart a bit. I guess her and I are both going to have to get used to that." She took a deep breath, a bit shaky.

"Hey, what is it? You seem a bit peeked. Did something happen? Did she fall? Scartch something?" Angel was immediatly running through regrets in letting himself go to the store instead of watching his daughter and giving her pointers. Seeing what he was doing to himself, he erased it post haste and then looked into Buffy's eyes again. "Sorry. What is it?"

"I have to talk to you," was all she said.

"I'm here," Angel reassured her. Encouraging her to continue, holding her to him with his other hand on her other hip.

"I know," she sighed. "I know." Looking at his face, so sturdy and hers, she didn't know why she felt so foolish and scared earlier. Now, with all the fear gone, she went on with what she had to say to him. "I'm pregnant."

Angel's hands instinctivly gripped her tighter. "Really?"

"Yes."

That right there, the simple "yes," had him wrapping his arms completely around her and lifting her off the ground. "Yes!" He called to the ceiling. With this new announcment, everyone, including the children who had just dried off, came rushing into the room. Buffy and Angel were both giggling and running kisses over one another's faces.

"What? What it is?" Anya asked.

Willow smiled, she knew.

Danielle guessed their happiness and let out a laugh.

The rest of the men waited.

The younger folk only oggled at the picture.

"We're going to have a baby!" With Angel's second announcment, everyone yelled, laughed and congradulated at the same time. The kids, all at once, stared to touch and hug Buffy's tummy.

"Jena." Buffy bent down when everyone had created enough room, and took her daughter's hands. "You're going to have a baby brother or sister. Would you like that?"

After thinking for a few thirty seconds, concidering the possiblities and future, Jena smiled widely and nodded. "Yeah. I would."

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