Children of the Night

Disclaimer: Oh, how I wish they were mine. If they were I would be hitting Angel up for a place to live right now. As it is, BtVS belongs to Joss and Mutant Enemy. The X-Files belong to Chris Carter and 1013. I promise to return them when I am done.

Rating: PG-13

Category: Crossover

Key Couples: W/O W/A

Summary: A new prophecy and some new additions brings changes into Willow's life.

Dedicated to Kylia cause she knows how I think

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
 
 
 

~Part: 1~

Sunnydale, CA
June 19, 1998

It was a beautiful night. A full moon in the sky with not a cloud in sight. The stars were bright in the blackness of the sky. A light breeze washed over a young couple lying on a blanker in the park. A radio next to them was playing the latest by Paula Coe as the two kissed. All around them the sounds of the night filled the evening. Finally, after several minutes of making out, the two young would-be lovers parted and tried to catch their breaths.

"Paul, we better get going," the girl said. She looked to be about 16 with long red hair and large green eyes. "My parents are already going to freak as it is, I don’t want to have them kill me and you too."

 "Come on Ginny, it’s early still," her boyfriend replied. He looks to be no older than the girl with brown hair and brown eyes. "We’ll just tell them I had car trouble or something." He wraps his arms around Ginny again, trying to draw her back into their kissing session. Ginny pushed away his advances and stood up on the blanket.

"No Paul. I really gotta get going. After those two kids got killed last week, my parents have really been wigging. It was all I could do just to get out tonight. I don’t want to screw it up."

Paul stood up beside her, encircling his arms around her, "Ginny, you know you’re safe with me. I won’t let anything or anybody hurt you."

"I don’t really think you have much of a choice there buddy," a gravelly voice said from behind Paul. He let go of Ginny, pushing her body away from his and turned around to find what looked like a man standing there. But, this was no ordinary man. His face was sallow with pale white skin clinging to his bones. The man was dressed entirely in black. Paul struggled as the stranger grabbed him.

 "It’s so nice when a man tries to protect his woman don’t you think," said a woman who appeared suddenly behind Ginny, reaching out and grabbing her shoulder. "Oh, you look like a you got a good bit of Scot blood in ya. It’s been so long since I’ve had any good Celtic blood to drink."

 Ginny screamed as the vampire made her move to snack on Ginny’s neck. The next thing she felt was the ground. She turned around to see a girl attacking the vampires. Ginny saw that the girl, even though only 5’5", had knocked the vampire holding her to the ground.

 "Get out of here. Now!" , the new arrival shouted as she turned her attentions on the male vampire still holding Paul. The vampire, quickly seeing the stranger as a better taste treat, threw Paul away from him and went on the attack. Ginny wasted no time in grabbing Paul’s hand and running out of the park, away from the fight. The male vampire made to lunge at her, but she jumped, kicking him and knocking him to the ground.

 "Didn’t your mother ever teach you to play nice with other people?" the girl said. The female, taking advantage of the girl’s back being turned, grabbed her from behind, pinning her arms to her sides. The male than got up and came running for the attack. The girl lifted both her legs and kicked out at the male, hitting him in the stomach and again sending him to the ground. She then flung her head back and head butted the female who released her.

 "Okay, I’ve had enough of a workout today. Playtime is over." She reached into her jacket and pulled out a long wooden stake. She turned around and faced the female vampire. Just as the vampire decided to go after the girl, she drove it deep into the female’s chest. She pulled out the stake at the same time as the vampire disappeared into nothingness. The girl then turned her attention to the lone male.

 "So you ready to rumble or what?" The male looked at where his partner once stood. He then took a better look at his opponent and decided that he was overmatched. He disappeared into the night, allowing the girl a chance to finally relax. Just as she was letting her guard down, though, she heard a noise coming from a clump of trees behind her.

 "Don’t tell me you decided to come back for more after all?" the girl said with an exasperated tone. She turned around, poised and ready for the attack she was certain was about to come. When the noisemaker appeared, the girl instantly relaxed. "Willow, what are you doing here?"

 "I was over at Oz’s, making sure he was okay for tonight, when I heard you fighting," the slim brunette said. "Everything okay?"

 "Yeah, just some friends who decided to interrupt somebody’s little love fest in the park."

 "Anyone we know?" a concerned Willow asked her friend.

 "Nope, some new blood tonight, if you’ll pardon the saying."

 "Man, that’s the third time this week. What’s going on now? They seem to be getting a bit more ambitious than usual."

 "Tell me about it. Something’s going down and it doesn’t feel good. I just wish I knew what it was."

 "Well, Buffy, maybe we should talk to Giles. He might be able to shed some light on what is happening. I mean, he usually knows all the gruesome kind of stuff."

 "Yeah, I’ll talk to him when we get to school tomorrow," Buffy replied. "Since Jenny got killed, though, I haven’t wanted to really bother him with this stuff, you know." Willow nodded quietly. Buffy then took a good look at her friend and noticed how tired and drawn she looked. "I take it things didn’t go easy with Oz. How was he doing when you left? It must have been difficult for you."

 "I think it’s tougher on him, knowing what we have to go through all the time. He hates having to be a part of the problem. Tonight he had me leave before anything truly major happened. His mom was locking him in as I left." Willow said and then turned away from her friend. Buffy put her arm on Willow’s shoulder and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

 "He is not part of the problem as long as he is willing to be locked up on nights like tonight. We will just have to make him understand that tomorrow in school when he is back to normal."

 Willow and Buffy walked down the street in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. The quiet of the night took them into it’s waiting arms and enveloped them in it’s warmth. Finally, Willow turned to Buffy and asked a question that has been plaguing her for weeks.

 "Buffy, how did you deal with it? I mean knowing what Angel was and what you destiny was to be. How did you come to terms with everything?" Buffy stopped and thought about her answer for a long minute. A look of pain mixed with sorrow for her loss apparent on her face, making Willow regret her question. "Oh, Buffy, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. I didn’t even think about what you must be going through with ......" Buffy cut her friend off.

 "No big deal Willow. I have to talk about it sometimes or else I may just freak. I’m glad that you and Oz are happy together, even with his problem. Don’t feel like you have to be careful around me. I’m not made of glass. I won’t break or go psycho everytime someone mentions Angel. I’m fine about it." Seeing Willow’s disbelieving look, "Really I am. He’s the way he is and, for now at least, there is nothing I can do about it."

 Willow looked at her friend and saw the look of emotional resolve on her face. She knew that Buffy was still hurting over what had happened with Angel and that she still hadn’t forgiven herself. Willow was concerned that Buffy was holding in too much of her hurt and that she may well go psycho. Willow was also concerned that Buffy would not be ready for the eventual showdown between her and her former lover. She wasn’t sure if Buffy would be able to defeat Angelus because of what he once meant to her and what her losing would mean to the world.

 "I know you won’t break Buffy, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still worry about you does it? That’s what friends do. They worry about each other." Patiently Buffy replied, "I know you worry about me. I also know that there looks to be good reason to worry about me, but I will be fine. Considering the fact that Angelus has targeted my friends as his next victims has made any decisions in the future a lot easier."

 Willow gave Buffy a big hug then. They continued walking down the street, talking and laughing as if the seriousness of the preceding conversation was nothing. All the while, they were unaware of the pair of eyes that were following them. Even if they did see it looking at them, they would have paid it no mind. As the girls rounded a corner and went out of sight, their follower jumped from it’s perch, high in a tree, and followed them.

Hoover Building
Washington, DC June 20, 1998
7:00 A.M.

Fox Mulder is looking over some slides and placing them in a specific order into the projector when his partner, Dana Scully, walks into their basement office. As soon as she sees Mulder hunched over the slide projector, Scully rolls her eyes and softly sighs, knowing that all her plans for a quiet weekend are about to end. She sets her purse on her desk and walks over to where Mulder is now standing expectantly.

 "Okay, let’s have it Mulder. What do you have in store for me today?" She slumps into the chair that he had already provided her with and shows her exasperation at having all her plans ruined. He, in turn, looks at her with hurt in his deep brown eyes, but only for a moment. His mood then changes and he is all enthusiastic again.

"Sunnydale, California Scully. Small town atmosphere with some serious strange things going down in the past two years. You’ll love it." Knowing that she will regret asking the question, but also knowing that she had no other choice.

 "Like what kind of strange things Mulder? Vampires? Werewolves? Things that go bump in the night?" She replied, derision obvious in her voice.

 "Actually yes to all three. Seems that this little suburb is a hubbub of paranormal activity. And it all seems to be centered around this one girl." His clicks the slide projector on, where a picture of Buffy, in one of her old cheerleading outfits, appears on the screen. Scully is intrigued by how, even in a still picture, Buffy seems to stand out from the other kids around her. "Meet Buffy Summers. She moved to Sunnydale about two years ago, right after her previous high school blew up." Scully did a quick double take as Mulder continued. "At the time, the school’s official statement was that the explosion was due to a gas leak in one of the pipes that ran under ground. The students that were present and survived, on the otherhand, swear that a group of vampires were responsible and that this girl Buffy was actually fighting them off and somehow winning." Scully moved her disbelieving glance from her partner to the screen again.

 "Okay, let’s just say, for arguments sake, I buy that story Mulder. I have two questions for you. One, how could a young girl defeat a group of vampires single-handedly? And two, why didn’t you have us go and investigate the incident when it first happened two years ago? What brought it up now?"

 "That’s three questions Scully," Mulder lightly teased, a twinkle in his eye. Scully just gave him a look and he explained. "Okay, at first, I didn’t take it too seriously Scully." Scully looked at her partner, surprised that "Spooky" Mulder actually turned away from something that looked like a possible X-File. Mulder knew exactly what the redhead was thinking and answered the question that he knew she wanted to ask. "Yeah, yeah I know Scully, but there hadn’t been any vampire sightings in that town before the school incident and there were no suspicious deaths that could confirm it. Or even make the possibility worth our time looking into it."

 "Okay so why the sudden newfound interest?" Scully inquired, desperately hoping her partner would get to the point. "What’s so special about Sunnydale and this girl Buffy?"

 Mulder started clicking the slide projector, showing various pictures of the victims of several brutal, and unexplained crimes. As each picture appeared, he gave a brief synopsis of the death. Scully found herself both interested and skeptical at the same time. Finally, Mulder showed his last picture, one of Ms. Calendar laying in Giles’ bed.

 "Mulder, okay you might have gotten me on some of the other pictures, but this one just looks like a simple case of someone dying in bed." Mulder nodded his head, as if ready to agree with her.

 "Looks like that, doesn’t it? Except for a few things wrong with this picture. One, she dies of a broken neck. The apartment she was found in was left in a condition which appearance stated she was waiting for her lover." Scully looked at Mulder, knowing that there had to be something else. "Also, at the school where she worked, and Buffy is a student, there were scenes of a struggle in the classroom where she taught. Even the computer that she was working on was destroyed, smashed to the point that it had caught fire."

 "So what you’re saying is that someone killed her at the school and moved her body to the boyfriend’s. Why? What purpose does that serve?"

 "I don’t know Scully, maybe it’s suppose to send some kind of message. As for the connection to Buffy, apparently this particular teacher was a friend of Buffy’s, until recently, and Buffy was not one of her regular students." As Scully tried to digest all of this information, Mulder turned off the projector and turned on the lights.

 "So I take it you’re saying that we’re going to California."

 "Pack your bikini Scully, it’s California or bust." Mulder grinned as he popped a sunflower seed into his mouth.

~Part: 2~

Somewhere over the Midwest
June 20, 1998
12:00 P.M.

 Scully is looking through the file that Mulder has complied about their new case as Mulder tries to catch some shut eye. She finds herself intrigued by some of the goings on, but she holds in her excitement because, even with everything she has seen, she still believes that there could be a scientifically explanation for everything that has been happening in this small community. Her gaze is constantly going back to one of the more recent pictures of Buffy that is lying on top of the file folder. Scully sees something in the girl that sparks her curiosity. Finally she picks up the picture again and one next to it, that includes some of Buffy’s friends, and tries to analyze them further.

 The second picture is one that appears to have been taken very recently. It looks as if the group of friends are in the school library. 'One day, Mulder, I will find out how you get some of these pictures,' Scully thought to herself. Then she decided that she didn’t want to know. The teenagers appeared to be conversing very seriously with, what looked to be, the school librarian, and, at least to Scully, it didn’t appear to be about schoolwork. 'These kids should be talking about dates and movies,' Scully thought again remember her own school days, 'but it looks like the are contemplating the fate of the world.' Scully was putting the pictures back into the folder when something in one of them caught her eye. In the picture taken in the library, on the table in front of the librarian, looked to be some kind of weapon.

"No, it can’t be what I think it is. Mulder, is that a crossbow on the table with the kids?"

 "I was wondering when you would notice that," Mulder replied sleepily from across the row where he was stretched out with his eyes closed. "Strange kind of thing to have in a school library don’t you think? Let alone out in the open with a bunch of kids around."

"I’d say so. And the expressions on the kid’s faces...."

 "Yup that’s why we’re heading there. I have a feeling that whatever is going on there doesn’t just concern Buffy but also her little circle of friends there and the school’s librarian," Mulder stated as her sat up and straightened himself out.

 "The librarian’s name is Rupert Giles. He arrived at the school at the same time that Buffy arrived in town. He left a very good post with the British Museum for the job. Sounds a bit odd to me. And, as for her group of friends, each one belongs to a different class in school. That is, until Buffy arrived. Two of them, a girl named Willow and a boy named Xander, were friends but they were also school outcasts. She is the computer whiz and he is the local geek. That other girl is Cordelia and, as you can see, she is the local fashion snob who always had to be popular. The last of the group here is a boy named Daniel Osbourne, Oz for short. I haven’t been able to find out a whole lot about him except that he is in a local rock band. Other than that, things get sketchy. They have each paired up too. Willow and Oz are together, and for some reason, so are Cordelia and Xander. And they all have a tendency of meeting in the school library. Interesting isn’t it?"

 "To say the least." Scully took a minute to digest the information. "Doesn’t look like your typical high school group of friends. Don’t most kids try and avoid the school library at all times? Not to mention the school librarian?"

 "When I was in school they did, but from everything I have been able to find out, these kids meet there everyday, even on the weekends and spend countless hours doing only what they know. Other than them, hardly anyone goes in there so they are basically left alone. For some reason, when we get to Sunnydale, I don’t think Buffy and her friends will be all that difficult to find." Mulder says sarcastically. Scully just gives him one of her looks.

 "Mulder, do you really thing that this girl and her friends have something to do with what apparently is going on in that town? I mean, granted a little unusual, these are just a bunch of high school friends that have some seemingly strange habit. Isn’t it possible that whatever is happening, they are just innocent bystanders." Mulder nodded is head in agreement.

"It’s possible Scully, but not likely. I would say that ,one if not all, of these five friends, six if the librarian is involved, have to have something to do with it.

Sunnydale High School
At the same time

 Buffy walks into the library and isn’t surprised to see Giles going through a huge stack of ancient books. Nor is she surprised by the fact that he apparently fails to notice her arrival. She goes up behind him and taps him on the shoulder. He jumps, knocking over the stack that he was looking through and turns to face Buffy.

 "Buffy, how many times have I asked you not to startle me like that?" Buffy just nonchalantly shrugs her shoulders and starts flipping through the books. Giles notices something strange about her behavior and asks her about it as he proceeds to pick up the things that fell to the floor. "What’s bothering you Buffy?"

 "What makes you think there is something bothering me?" She innocently looks at Giles who in turn, just cocks his head and returns her gaze. "Okay so there is something on my mind. Something is about to happen here Giles, I just don’t know what. The vamps are way more active than is their norm and it’s starting to bother me. I thought maybe you would have an idea about what was going on."

 "What do you mean by more active?" a suddenly very concerned Giles asks as he takes the book away from Buffy and carefully lays it on the table. "Why haven’t you mentioned anything about this before? How long has it been going on?"

 "Whoa Giles, one question at a time please," Buffy replies as she casually jumps up onto the table. "It’s been going on for about a week. When I say more active, that’s exactly what I mean. And as for the reason why I haven’t said anything about it before now was because of everything that has happened in the past few weeks, what with Angel and Jenny and all. I didn’t want to bother you with anything until I knew for sure something freaky was up." Giles was going to protest Buffy’s concerns at first and her protectiveness of him but when he sees the look of genuine concern that is on her face, he reconsiders and is touch.

 "Thank you Buffy, but I can’t really be expected to do my job properly if you try and protect me and not let me know what is going on out there."

 "So what are we not telling you ?" comes a male voice from behind Giles. Buffy and Giles both turn to face Xander and Cordelia who have just walked in while the two had been talking. Right behind them came Willow and a reluctant and tired Oz. Oz seemed hesitant to join the group of friends but Willow was encouraging him. Buffy sees this and walks over to give him a hug and reassure the young man. She then whispers something into the surprised youth’s ear and he instantly transforms and willingly joins the group.

Xander continues, "So what’s happening in the modern world of ghouls today?" Cordelia rolls her eyes as she goes to sit down.

 "I was just telling Giles here about the recent vamp attacks that have been springing up," Buffy states as she again turns her attention back to Giles. "Is there some strange convention of freaks in town that we don’t know about?"

 "Not that I know of, but with the full moon anything is possible, especially in Sunnydale."

 "Tell me about it," Oz softly states to Willow, who just squeezes his hand. He looks at her and his feelings for Buffy’s awkward friend are apparent on his face. Giles looks up startled and then realizes what he has said.

 "Oh, sorry Oz. I didn’t mean you." Oz just nods, showing his understanding. "Unfortunately, with Angelus apparently in charge and Druscilla and Spike still around, who knows what the three of them are cooking up. Especially given the fact that Angelus seems bent on destroying the lives of everyone you know and care about Buffy."

 "And gee, since their hang out got crisped we can’t exactly go ask them what they got up their sleeves can we?" Xander quipped in his most annoying of ways. Everyone just glared at him and he sank lower into his chair, throwing his arms up he just said, "shutting up now." Giles shifts his glasses and clears his throat to gain everyone’s attention again.

 "Yes, well, in any case, we’ll have to just be on the lookout for anything strange that is going on. Get a sense of what Angel and company may be up to."

 "Giles, this is the capital of strange happenings, but I’ll see what I can dig up," Buffy stated.

 "Good, and I’ll pull everything I can and see if there is anything I can find in the texts." Giles turns as if to head toward the dusty back recesses of the library but turns to face his young charge again. "Buffy, I know I don’t have to tell you to be careful out there, but I will. Until we find out what Angel and his friends are up to, I don’t want you taking any chances." Buffy smiles at the older man and nods her head.

 "Don’t worry Giles, I’ll be fine. It’ll take more than a bunch of overgrown vamps to take me out."

 "Hey what about us? What do you want us to do to help," an excited Willow asks. "You can’t leave us out."

 "Right," Giles says, almost as an afterthought. No one in the room takes offense at it though, knowing that everything Giles says comes out as an after thought. "First thing is to start trying to figure out what might be happening around here. Willow, if you could be so kind as to use your skills on that infernal computer to see if there are any references to strange happenings that fit what we know, the rest of us can get started on the books."

 "Oh goody, I can’t think of anything better to do on a beautiful summer day than look through some dusty old books in the school library," Xander states sarcastically, but he is the first person to grab a book. For all his talk and glibness, Xander is more than enthusiatic in helping Buffy anyway he can After a minute or two of going through the book, he stops. "So what exactly are we suppose to be looking up?"

 "I can’t say for sure really. Look for anything where the full moon is involved and there is an increase in vampiric activity."

 "Right," Xander says as he goes to sit beside Cordelia and return to the book he has in his hands.

 Willow walks over to Buffy who is busy grabbing some stakes and holy water from the weapons closet. At first, Buffy is so absorbed in her own thoughts that she doesn’t hear her friend’s approach. When Willow taps Buffy on the shoulder, she jumps and spins as if to attack.

"Oh man Willow don’t do that. I almost attacked you for the second time in two days. You’re going to give me a heart attack if you keep doing that."

 "I’m sorry Buffy," a repentant Willow says. Buffy just shrugs it off. "I was wondering something. Last night when we were walking home, did you get the feeling someone was watching us?"

 Buffy thinks for a minute and the nods, "Now that you mention it, I did have this eerie feeling that we were being followed. I didn’t think anything about it though because if didn’t feel threatening. You know, I think you’ve been hanging out with me too long. You’re developing a sixth sense about things."

 "Yeah, well, I got the feeling that whatever was following us, was curious about us. Like it was looking to see what we were going to do next or something." Willow just turns her attention to the waiting computer terminal. "Well, I guess we’ll find out whatever or whoever it was some other time."

 Buffy decides to watch her young friend do her thing when suddenly two new arrivals startled everyone. No one ever came into the library other than themselves, and the fact the newcomers were dressed very seriously did not improve matters any. Giles cautiously approached the newcomers.

 "Umm, yes, can I help you with anything today?"

 Fox Mulder approaches and takes Giles’ offered hand as Scully takes in the sight of the teen friends who appear to be studying. She notices that they all appear nervous, but she can’t figure out why. She can tell that she and her partner have interrupted a serious conversation and, against her better judgement, finds that she is more than curious as to what a group of seemingly normal kids have to hide.

 Mulder takes out his badge after shaking Giles’ hand, "I’m Agent Fox Mulder and this is my partner, Agent Dana Scully." Giles tries to hide his surprise, and anxiety, aver hearing that the new arrivals are government agents. On the other hand, Scully notices that Buffy and her friends all gather closer hearing that they are from the Bureau.

 "Umm, yes, Agent Mulder. What is it I can do for you and Agent Scully today?"

 "We’re here to interview some of your students about the recent rash of strange and bizarre occurrences that have been going on in Sunnydale lately." Mulder watches as Buffy walks over to Giles and takes his arm as if giving him her strength.

 "Really, and which students would you like to speak to?"

 "The ones that are right here, "Mulder states as he turns to Buffy. "You are Buffy Summers, are you not? And these are all your friends?"

 "Ummm, yes. I’m Buffy Summers," she replies casually while her stomach starts doing backflips. "What do you want with me and my friends."

 The others in the group walk over and join Buffy and Giles. Mulder and Scully carefully look the group over and realize that, taken as a whole unit, the teenagers and librian could be considered quite formible. A look passes between Mulder and Scully the does not go unnoticed by Buffy.

 "We understand that in the past two years there has been a rash of unexplained murders and disappearances in Sunnydale, "explains Mulder " We have also been told through sources that in some way or another you, or one of your friends, is usually in the center of such a happening including the recent murder of your teacher Jennifer Callender." Giles blanched at his girlfriend’s name. Buffy doesn’t even blink and she answers for the group.

 "I don’t know what you are talking about. I mean, sure there have been some strange things but nothing completely out of the ordinary."

 "Really," Mulder glances over at Scully who just shrugs, "do you call reports of vampires and werewolves ordinary. Willow squeezes Oz’s hand unnoticed by the agents. Cordelia and Xander just look at each while Gile’s just takes off his glasses and rubs his nose. Only Buffy does nothing. She stares at Mulder as if trying to get into his head and see what he knows. It reminds him of how he used to be, and still is sometimes. Finally Buffy says something.

 "Yeah, I’ve heard those stories but I have seen anything like it.," turning to the others, "have any of you." The other just shrug. "Sorry we couldn’t have been of more help."

 Mulder takes another long look at Buffy and realizes that they aren’t going to get anything out of her this afternoon.

 "Well, we’ll be in town for a couple of days so if you hear of anything just let us know."

 "No problem" Mulder and Scully turn and leave the library and the remaining friends all breathe a collective sigh of relief as they watch the agents go.

~Part: 3~

 Sunnydale High
Same Afternoon

"Do you think they bought it, " a nervous Willow asked after the two agents left. "I thought we were believable, didn't you?" She looks around and sees that none of the others believe that Mulder and Scully believed any of their story. Giles goes to the door and makes sure that the two Federal agents are indeed gone. Once he sees that it is all clear, he walks back to his young charges and looks at them thoughtfully.

"Unfortunately Willow," Giles states as he takes his glasses off and cleans them with his handkerchief. "I think that this will not be the last time that we will see Agents Mulder and Scully." He puts his glasses back on and looks back up to face the young friends. He makes a point of looking directly at Buffy, who senses that there is more that Giles wants to say.

"Okay Giles, you sound like you know more about our visitors than you're telling us. Out with it."

Giles clears his throat before beginning. "Well, I've heard of these two agents and they are quite persistent." When he sees that the group is not satisfied with his answer, he continues. "In the course of the history of the Watcher Council, we've been able to make contacts with some very important people and we've even been able to place some of us in very important positions. Through one particular person we've been able to comprise information on what has been termed the "X-Files'".

"Okay, I'll bite. What are the "X-Files'" Oz asks. Xander looks at him. "Okay, well, maybe not exactly bite."

Giles begins again. "Yes, well, the "X-files" are cases and things that have not been able to explained away normal science; very much like much of what happens here in Sunnydale. In a way, it only makes sense that Mulder and Scully have finally shown up here. I'm sure if it hadn't been for our contact restricting their access to information about what goes on here, they would have shown up here long ago.

"So, like these two agents are the freak police," quips Xander.

Giles clears s throat, bringing their attention back to him. "In a way yes. Except they've dealt with much more than the type of things that we have. Things like conspiracy theories, aliens, and government agents. Even a werewolf and vampires."

"Gee, you mean, I'm not the only one fighting the undead. Hooray for me," Buffy jokes.

"Buffy this is not a joking matter," Giles says sternly. "These two agents have gone against things that even you would find difficult to believe. The Watcher in charge of them has even admitted that had he not known that these things were possible from his studies as a Watcher, he would believe that Mulder was crazy."

"Why only Mulder? " Willow asks. "What about Scully? She's his partner right?"

"Scully is a medical doctor. She has a habit of believing that everything has a scientifical answer. Mulder is the one that believes that there are things that are not explainable by the everyday. And he is the more persistent of the two."

Buffy lets what Giles is saying to sink in. "So, if these two agents are so persistent, I take it that they won't leave until they get a satisfactory answer to their questions." Giles nods his head. "Great," Buffy continues in exasperation," so not only do I have to deal with more that usual vampires and Angelus, I have to worry about being seen by two nosy feds. Just what I need to make my life so easy."

"Well if could be worse," Cordelia chimes in finally. "At least that Mulder guy is nice on the eyes." Everyone just stares at Cordelia. "What, like I was the only one that noticed."

"Cordy, sweetie," Xander says with that combination of affection and exasperation reserved for Cordelia only. "Be quiet."

"Well, apart from Agent Mulder's looks," Giles starts again, "I would suggest that all of us just try to stay away from these two." Giles notices Buffy about to say something. "All the while, let's try and figure out why there seem to be so many more vampires coming to town."

Suddenly the school bell rings signaling the end of lunch. The friends gather their books and head toward their individual classes, saying goodbye to Giles on their way out. He watches as they leave, marveling at how quickly their serious moods turned lighthearted as they laugh and joke. He goes over to his personal stacks of books intending to begin his research of the things that Buffy had told him about, but he quickly finds himself thinking back to the visit of the federal agents. Although he had tried to stress the importance of their visit, he also knows that he couldn't have even truly begun to state how unfortunate it was that they had chosen to come to Sunnydale at this time and he wondered if everything that was going on was a coincidence. Giles decided to call his old friend in the Bureau and see what, if anything could be done about Fox Mulder and Dana Scully.

"Federal Bureau of Investigations. How may I direct your call?"

"Extension 8623 please," Giles stated and waited to be contacted. He was surprised to hear his friend answer the phone himself. "So, they finally demoted you. Stuck you behind a secretary's desk answering phones," he joked, which Buffy would have been amazed at if she had heard him.

"Yeah, well, everyone has their own special skills. Your's must be how to call and hassle old friends," the male voice on the other end of the line joked. "And mine seems to be filling in for my secretary when she runs errands."

"That's what they all say."

"What's up Rupert," the other man asked. " I take it you didn't exactly call to catch up on old times. Does this have something to do with two federal agents that are heading in your direction?"

"Afraid so, old friend. They just left here after trying to find out some things from my young charges. Of course, they didn't get anything out of them."

"That won't stop them you know," his friend replied. "I didn't know they were even going until the place had already left or I would have tried to stop them. I've tried contacting them, but neither Mulder nor Scully are answering their phones. The only thing I can suggest for now is to try and stay as inconspicious as possible until they leave," the man advised.

"Unfortunately," sighed Giles, "that may be easier said than done. It seems that the vampiric activity here is becoming somewhat busier than usual according to Buffy."

"What do you mean?"

"According to her, the vampires have been out in force lately and some seem to be coming from out of town."

"That doesn't sound too unusual considering Sunnydale."

"True, but Buffy believes that there may be something going on here and the last thing we need are two agents hanging around, watching our every move. It hinders our effectiveness."

"Hmmm…. I can see your point. Well, the only thing I can do is try to convince them to end their investigation, but don't count on that happening."

"Thanks, old friend. By the way, when am I going to see you out here?"

"Rupert, there's enough craziness here in Washington. Why would I even want to visit yours?" his friend joked.

Giles laughs, "Point taken. Thanks for the information and the help."

"No problem. Have a good day," he says as he hangs up his phone. Just as he does so, his secretary returns to her desk.

"I'm back, Deputy Skinner. Is there anything that you need done?"

Walter Skinner looks thoughtfully out the window. "Yes there is. Try and contact Agents Mulder and Scully. Seems they took off again without notifying anyone."

His secretary laughs to herself, knowing all to well the scenario about to take place. "Certainly Sir. I'll get them right now."

Walter Skinner crossed his fingers under his chin and reflected on the time when he thought that he was worthy of being a Slayer's watcher. That was before he found he had another calling. In his position as Deputy Director of the FBI, he was invaluable in keeping certain elements from discovering the secret of the Watchers and Slayers, and using it to their advantage. And he enjoyed making those people squirm whenever Mulder and Scully got too close to their precious secrets. But now they were getting too close to one of his and he did not feel comfortable about it at all. The phone buzzing by his side broke his trance and he reached for it absently.

"Yes."

"I have Agent Mulder on the phone sir," his secretary announced.

"Thank you," Skinner stated and than waited for the telltale click signaling that the call had been transferred.

"Deputy Skinner, to what do we owe the pleasure of your call?" a flippant as usual Mulder asked as soon as Skinner was on the phone.

"I would like to know what you are doing in Sunnydale Mulder. I don't recall seeing that in your pile of currant cases," Skinner stated, his annoyance being held in check by his need for secrecy.

"That's true, but something was brought to my attention here and I felt that it was too important to wait," Mulder said, his voice full of innocence.

Skinner wasn't buying any of it though, "And of course you felt no need to inform me ahead of time of your trip."

"Sir, there wasn't time. This was just given to me last night and I just got finished reviewing the case this morning," Mulder tried to explain knowing full well that Skinner was used to that excuse and probably not believing a word of what he was saying. "I only had enough time to tell Scully about it."

Skinner had enough experience with this particular agent to know that he had already received all the information that he was going to get for now. The best he could hope for was to convince Mulder to give him updates on what he finds.

"Well, in that case," Skinner began, "I'm sure you'll have no trouble in sending me what you have so far." His voice left no hint that his request was anything but an order that had better be followed. "And Mulder, I want daily updates. You and Scully are still on a probational status here."

"Yes sir," Mulder said and hung up, willing to share some of his information with Skinner.

Skinner listened to the dead phone for a moment before replacing the receiver on the cradle. He knew that Mulder will pick and choose what information he'll send, but he also knew that all he needed to do was speak to Giles in order to fill in the blanks. Skinner thought one last time of the way his life had turned out and then began going through the other cases sitting on his desk.

~Part: 4~

Scully had just finished unpacking her suitcase and was preparing to take a nice long shower when the knock on the door came. She sighed as she opened it, only to reveal her partner standing there, a pizza box in his hand. She motioned for him to come in, knowing that her plans for a quiet evening, reviewing the case, were about to be changed.

 "What do you want Mulder?"

 "Wanted to talk to you about what happened in the library earlier," he replied. "What did you think about those kids?"

 "I already told you, they look like ordinary teenagers."

 "Come on, Scully, didn’t it strike you as a little odd that they didn’t act a little more surprised when I mentioned vampires and werewolves?"

 Scully shrugged her shoulders, "A little, but they’re kids. For all we know, maybe they’re into the whole Dungeon & Dragons thing." Mulder looked at Scully, surprised at her knowledge of D & D. "Although I will admit that it seems odd how there names keep popping up on the police reports, especially that girl Buffy."

 "Okay, so you want to go dancing tonight?" Mulder asked. Scully looked at him in surprise.

 "Dancing?"

 "Yup. Thought we could check out a place called the Bronze. Its the local nightclub." Scully recognized the name from the file that she had been reading. It had been the sight of numerous incidents.

 "And this would have nothing to do with the fact that its a teen hangout where most of these attacks have started?"

 "Nope, none whatsoever," Mulder grinned at his red headed partner. Scully just shook her head at him, knowing better than to believe half of what he says. "So, are you in or out?"

 "I guess I’m in," Scully sighed, knowing that she could never say no to the man that had become her closest and dearest friend. Besides, she wanted to get a better idea of what was going on in the town. "When do you want to leave?"

 "As soon as we finish this pizza." Scully watched as her partner grabbed the first piece of pizza, knowing that he was going to be the one to finish it off. Just like always.

 Mulder and Scully were walking along, taking in the darkness around them. They had noticed that, while there were a lot of people walking along the main strip of Sunnydale, the park they were in was almost deserted. Mulder associated it with the reports of vampires but Scully refused to accept it. The two of them walked in silence, not needing words to communicate. Suddenly, Scully felt Mulder stop.

 "What is it?" Scully asked. Mulder pointed over to what had stopped him short.

 "Now, what do you think of that?" Scully looked over and saw two of the people from the library going into the cemetery that was adjacent to the park. She placed the faces as belonging to Willow and Buffy. "Kind of a strange place to go to this time of night, wouldn’t you think."

 "And, let me guess, you think we should follow them?"

 "That was the idea."

 "Fine, let’s go." Mulder and Scully quietly followed the same path that they had just seen the two girls go through, trying to stay out of sight. They watched as the teenagers sat on one of the headstones as they appeared to be waiting for someone. "What are they doing?"

 "Waiting for a vampire to rise," Mulder answered, half in jest although he was hoping that he was right. Scully just looked at him. They continued to watch as the girls seemed to just be casually discussing the days events, their words reaching her.

 "So, what do you think is going on? Did Giles find anything?" Willow inquired.

 "Nothing yet, although he thinks that it might be some form of a new prophecy," Buffy answered. Willow rolled her eyes.

 "Another one," she whined. "Geez, can’t we go a week without having to deal with the end of the world?"

 "Nope, this is Sunnydale after all," Buffy laughed. "No rest for the scooby gang. Slayage is the game of the day for us." Willow grinned as Buffy made a staking motion with her hand. Mulder and Scully looked at each other, wondering what exactly they had gotten themselves into.

 "Okay, this is so boring," Willow said. "Why do they always make us wait for them?"

 "Tell me about it. I mean, don’t they realize that we have much more important things to do than sit here, waiting for them to get up," Buffy replied. Suddenly she straightened as the dirt on the grave in front of her started to move. Mulder and Scully gasped as they watched the vampire crawl out. Buffy jumped down from the headstone. "About time. Thought you were going to stand me up." The vampire made a move to attack Buffy, who quickly staked it.

 "Goody, time for the Bronze." Willow said, excitedly. She always like watching Buffy dust a vampire, especially when there was no danger to any of her friends. Willow and Buffy headed towards the entrance to the cemetery when they heard a noise off to one side. Buffy turned to meet the new danger, her stake at the ready.

 "That was a very nice show, Ms. Summers," Mulder stated as he and Scully came from their hiding place. "Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t that one of those vampires that you said didn’t exist."

 "I don’t know what you’re talking about, Agent Mulder. There are no such thing as vampires," Buffy answered. "And call me Buffy. Ms. Summers is my mother."

 "Then what do you call a man rising from his grave and then turning to dust when staked with a piece of wood through his heart?"

"A figment of an overactive imagination,’ she quipped. She felt Willow tense at her side and smiled over at her friend, trying to reassure her.

 "Ms. Summers, Buffy, all we are looking for is some answers," Scully said, trying to diffuse the tense situation that was going on. "What happened back there?"

 "Nothing that unusual for Sunnydale." Buffy grabbed Willow’s arm, dragging the girl away from the agents and toward the part. Just as she reached the entrance, she was stopped by a hand on her arm.

 "I just want the truth," Mulder told her. Before Buffy could say anything she saw a patch of blonde hair heading toward the middle of the park. Buffy twisted her arm free, looking over at Willow.

 "Spike." With just that one word, Willow became less scared of the agents and readied herself for what she knew was about to come. She looked over at Buffy, indicating that she was ready for whatever Buffy was about to do. With a nod of her head, Buffy took off, Willow right behind her. Buffy could hear the two agents swear and run after her. She stopped suddenly, signaling for Willow to do the same when she reached the outskirts of where the swings and other children’s toys were. Mulder and Scully caught up to them. She watched as Spike paced nervously.

 "Buffy, why did you feel the need to run and who is Spike?" Mulder said as he tried to catch his breath. He was surprised to see that the two teenagers didn’t even appear to be winded.

 "What’s he doing?" Willow asked her friend.

 "Don’t know," Buffy answered the red head. "What say we go ask him." Just as Buffy moved to enter the clearing she was stopped by a voice.

 "Daddy." Buffy and Willow watched in shock as a little girl, no more than five came running into the clearing. Buffy gasped when she saw her run up to Spike, who smiled, reaching down and picking the girl up, swinging her around in circles. "I’ve missed you daddy."

 "I’ve missed you too, pet," he told her, giving her a kiss on her cheek. "Where’s you mum?"

 "Right here." The four people in hiding noticed the woman who joined Spike and the little girl. Mulder’s analytical mind processing her appearance and the reactions of the two girls to her. She was about five foot eight and looked to weigh no more than 110 pounds. She was wearing a short broom skirt and peasant top, both in purple. She had a velvet choker around her neck, with a pentacle in the middle. She had long, curly black hair and blue eyes. All in all, she was a vision and Mulder found himself wondering more about her.

 "Buffy, who is she?" Willow whispered.

 "Don’t know, but I am curious to say the least."

 It’s been too long, luv," Spike told the woman, kissing her deeply, not letting the little girl in his arms down.

 "Almost a year," she admonished him. "Heard you were in town. And that Drusilla was still with you." Spike looked down at the ground, guilt clearly on his face. "Why, Spike. I thought you were going to leave her once she got well."

 "It took longer than I thought and then I was hurt and couldn’t go anywhere," he explained.

 "Hurt," the woman exclaimed, quickly examining the blonde vampire. "What happened. That spell wasn’t that difficult to perform, there should have been no risk to you."

 "Well, there wouldn’t have been if the bloody wanker hadn’t gotten himself involved with the slayer," Spike hissed through his teeth.

 "Language daddy," the little girl told him. Spike grinned at her.

 "Sorry, pet." He set her on the ground. "Why don’t you go play on the swings while mommy and I talk." The little girl squealed as she ran over to the swings, jumping in the first one. The couple looked over at her for a moment before going and sitting on one of the benches.

 "What happened?"

 "Turns out this Slayer is a lot tougher than we thought." Buffy, Willow, Mulder and Scully listened in as Spike began telling the strange woman about the problems that he had come against with the slayer. Only two of them knew exactly who he was talking about, although Mulder did have an idea of the identity of the mysterious slayer. He had heard the term before in some of his research, but had thought of her as only a myth. Now, here, in front of him was a man that claimed to have gone against her.

 "So, Angel and she are together now?"

 "Not anymore." The woman looked at Spike, silently asking for an explanation. "Turns out there was a clause in the curse. He found a moment of true happiness and now dear old daddy is back."

 "Oh, Spike," the woman cried. "That’s why you haven’t been able to leave then? Has it been difficult for you?"

 "You could say that," Spike told her. "Angelus was never an easy person to live with, but after eighty years with his soul, let alone being involved with the damn slayer, has made him even worse than before." Spike turned to the woman, finally saying her name with so much emotion that even the four people hiding could hear it. "Katrina, I want you to get yourself and Michelle out of Sunnydale as soon as possible. It’s not safe for either of you."

 "No, Spike," the woman stated, shaking her head. "We just found you, I’ll be damned if I’m going to leave now. It’s been so long."

 "But, I can’t protect you," Spike practically pleaded. "Not against Angelus. And if Drusilla found out you were here, she would come after the two of you. You know how much she despises your existence."

 "Spike, we are not leaving," Katrina cupped Spike’s cheek with her hand. He turned his face, kissing her palm. Katrina smiled at the man next to her. "We love you Spike. And, besides, the prophecy warrants our presence."

 "It’s that time," he said gravely. "I didn’t think it would be so soon."

 "I know." Spike looked over at the little girl who was happily playing on the swings, unaware of the dangers that came with the night.

 "Does Michelle know what is to come?" He asked, concerned for the little girl that called him daddy.

 "Yes and she is prepared," Katrina admitted sadly. "It’s not going to be easy, especially if Angelus is around. Something will have to be done about that. He is essential to the prophecy, but he is a risk."

 "What do you suggest we do?"

 "I will have to talk to some people, including a few that don’t know I’m alive." Spike was about to protest her decision, when she raised a hand to his lips, silencing him. "Spike, it’s the only way. Especially if we want to save our daughter."

 "I know, luv. I just don’t like the fact that they’re going to know that you are alive again. They’ll do anything to get you back. You were the best," Spike grinned.

 "Still am, no matter how good she is now,’ Katrina smiled back. Katrina turned so that her back was facing Spike, settling herself into his chest, watching Michelle play.

 "When are you going to tell them?"

 "I think tomorrow would be best," Katrina answered. "He needs to know, and unless he has changed more than I think, he will hopefully keep my presence unknown to the others."

 "Are you going to tell him about Michelle?"

 "You mean, that I have a daughter or that she is his daughter?" Katrina looked up at Spike and saw the worried look on his face. "You’re her father Spike. You’re the one she calls Daddy. The one that helps take the fear away at night, even when you aren’t around. He just gave us the one thing that we couldn’t have on our own." Spike smiled as he placed a kiss on her nose.

 "I love you, you know that right, pet."

 "And I you." Katrina settled herself again, leaning closer to Spike’s cool body. "That’s enough talk about prophecies and other depressing things. I can think of much better topics."

 Buffy and Willow watched for a few more minutes at the family scene in front of them, before leaving. They needed to get back to Giles and let him know about what they had seen and about this prophecy that was apparently about to happen. They had both completely forgotten about the two federal agents that were with them until Mulder finally broke the silence once they were a comfortable distance from the trio.

 "What was that all about?" Willow and Buffy jumped at his voice, turning to face him. "The way he was talking made him sound like he had been around for quite awhile, but his appearance would suggest otherwise. That, and the way he was talking about the Slayer." Buffy turned white when Mulder mentioned the Slayer.

 "What do you know about the Slayer?" She asked, nervously.

 "I know that she is the Chosen One. The one girl that can fight the creatures of the night." Buffy and Willow looked at each other, resignation on their faces. They knew that there was no way that they were going to be able to talk their way out of this.

 "Giles?" Willow asked.

 "Giles."

~Part: 5~

"Giles," Buffy called as she entered the library. She noticed that Willow, Xander, Cordelia and Oz were already there, working on various projects.

 "Must you always yell when you enter the library?" Giles asked as he came out of his office. Buffy just looked at him.

 "We kinda have a problem." Giles’ face grew serious at Buffy’s words. "Those two feds saw me and Willow last night while we were waiting for the latest undead guy to rise. Didn’t see them until it was too late."

 "What did they see?"

 "One vampire turned to dust. We told them to meet us here after school. They should be here soon." Just as Buffy finished her sentence, the library doors opened to reveal the two people that were being talked about. "And there they are."

 "Mr. Giles, Buffy," Mulder greeted the two people at the counter. He nodded at the other teenagers in the room who just stared at the two agents.

 "I understand that you are here to find out about what you saw last night," Giles stated.

 "What I saw was a vampire being staked by a high school student," Mulder replied. "And, for some reason, she seemed to be very comfortable with doing so. We’d just like to know why." Giles removed his glasses, cleaning them with his handkerchief before returning them to his face.

"Mr. Giles, I understand your reluctance in talking to us," Scully told the librarian. "But, you should know that we are used to dealing with stranger things than what we saw last night."

 "As are we," Giles replied. "Very well. Please have a seat."

 "Great, here it is, lesson time," Xander groaned. "Ouch," he squeaked as two elbows found his ribcage. Giles just ignored the interruption.

 "For the benefit of the children, I will give you an abbreviated history of what we do here." The children in question silently cheered. "Humans are not alone on this Earth. There are demons. Demons who used to control us and who want to do so again. Among those demons are the vampires. For as long as there have been vampires, there has been a Slayer. One girl who is given the strength and ability to fight the darkness and survive. When she dies, the next one is called. Buffy is currently this generations Slayer."

 "Are you trying to tell me that this little girl…"

 "Hey, who are you calling little," Buffy shouted indignantly.

"Sorry," Mulder apologized. "That Buffy fights vampires."

 "Among other things," Giles continued. "You see, Sunnydale is very unique. The Spanish called it Boca Del Inferno."

 "Mouth of Hell," Scully whispered. She clutched at the small gold cross at her neck. "Why did they call it that?"

 "Because it is exactly that." Mulder and Scully watched as Giles walked over to the side of the library and stopped. "This is the entrance to hell."

 "Right there?" Mulder asked incredulously. "In the school library?"

 "Ironic isn’t it," Giles nodded. "That could explain why none of the other students come in here."

 "I have a question. Last night, after Buffy staked that vampire, she saw someone and ran after him. I think she called him Spike. Who is he?" Scully questioned, remembering the bleached blonde from the night before and the woman and child he was with.

 "Spike is a vampire. One of the most feared. He has also gone by the name William the Bloody. " Giles answered, looking over to Buffy. "He was there?"

 "Yeah, Giles, Willow and I meant to talk to you about that," Buffy told him, getting back into the conversation. Like the other teenagers, she had faded out when Giles started going through the whole slayer history. "Something strange happened."

 "Strange how?"

 "Strange as in there was a woman with him. And a little girl who called him daddy," Buffy explained.

 "Called him daddy?" Giles asked. "Tell me everything that you saw and heard."

 "Okay, here goes. We got to the park and saw Spike pacing around. Just when I was about to go out and find out what his deal was, out comes this little girl, can’t have been more than four or five, running and calling him daddy. And, Giles, this was really strange. Spike smiled and kissed her and swung her around, just like a normal father. Then the woman came out. Spike and she started talking. She’s the one that gave him the spell that helped restore Drusilla. They started talking about some prophecy when Spike told her that she should take the little girl and leave town. She said that she couldn’t because of a prophecy and that it involved the little girl and Angel. She wasn’t happy when she found out that he had lost his soul. Said she would have to talk to a few people."

 "Did you recognize the woman?"

 "No and I didn’t get anything that screamed demon or vampire either."

 "Can you describe her for me?"

 "Well," Buffy tried to remember, "It was dark and I was paying more attention to see what Spike would do."

 "She was about five seven, five eight. Thin build but proportioned well. Long, black curly hair and blue eyes. She had on a purple skirt and matching top," Mulder answered, recalling his memory from the night before.

 "Anything else?" Giles asked the agent.

 "Yes, she had on a velvet choker with a pentacle on it." Buffy saw Giles stiffen a bit when Mulder described the choker. ‘No, it can’t be.’

 "Giles?" Buffy went over to her Watcher. "Are you okay?"

 "I’m fine Buffy," he tried to reassure the concerned girl. "Did you happen to catch a name for this mystery woman and child?"

 "Yeah," Buffy told him. "The little girl’s name was Michelle. And the woman’s was…."

 "Katrina," a voice said from the doorway. All heads turned toward the intruder with Buffy instantly going on the defensive. Katrina just smiled at the girl. "Don’t worry Slayer, I’m not here to harm any of you. I just need to talk to your Watcher."

 "Kat," Giles whispered. Buffy heard him and turned to look at the man that was like a father to her.

"Giles, do you know her?"

 "You’re supposed to be dead," he said to the woman, completely ignoring Buffy. He started towards Katrina, who just stood still in the doorway. "I was at your funeral."

 "I know," she answered. "It was a beautiful service. And your eulogy was very touching. It made me cry." Giles reached her and moved his hand to her face, not quite trusting what he was seeing.

 "It’s really you. How?"

 "It’s a long story."

 "I would love to hear it." The rest of the people in the library watched as the normally composed librarian reached out and grabbed Katrina, holding her close to him, his hands running over her hair. "I’ve missed you so much. "You have no idea how much."

 "I think I do." Katrina pulled herself away from Giles. "Ripper, I need your help and I need you to promise not to tell the council about my being alive still. You know what they will do if they find out." Giles nodded his head in understanding. "Will you help me?"

 "I will help you as much as I can," Giles promised her.

 "Thank you."

 ‘Ummm, hello, remember us?" Buffy interrupted.

 "Oh, yes, I’m sorry," Giles stammered, turning to face the confused looks that were on the faces of the people in the library.

 "Katrina, this is Buffy Summers, the current Slayer. These are her friends Xander, Cordelia, Oz and Willow," Giles pointed to each6 of the teenagers as he said their name. Katrina payed special attention to Willow, having sensed the power emanating from the young witch as soon as she had entered the library. "And these are Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully of the FBI."

 "Ahh, the X-Files team. I’ve heard that you have a nasty tendency of pissing people off," Katrina grinned. "Especially the people that deserve to be pissed off. Way to go." Mulder and Scully just looked at the woman in surprise.

 "How do you know about the X-Files?" Mulder asked.

 "Let’s just say, I have my sources," Katrina answered cryptically.

 "Yes, well," Giles continued. "Everyone, this is Katrina. The vampire slayer."

~Part: 6~

"This is Katrina, the vampire Slayer." Chaos erupted in the library at Giles introduction of the dark haired woman.

"What do you mean, the vampire Slayer. How is that possible. Kendra?s still alive, isn?t she?" Buffy questioned.

"Yes, she is fine and still in Jamaica the last I heard," Giles assured the blonde. "Actually, Katrina was two slayers before you, Buffy." Everyone looked confused at his statement.

"And yet she?s still alive how? Not to mention the whole, kissing Spike thing."

"Please, everyone take a seat. I have a story to tell you." Katrina watched as everyone who had been standing had taken a seat at the table. She walked over to the counter, jumping up onto gracefully. Giles stood nearby, not quite willing to leave her side. "I guess the best place to start is from the beginning.

"I have lived my entire life knowing nothing but the Council of Watcher?s. My mother had left me with them when she had discovered my destiny as a Slayer. She knew that they would be best trained to raise me. So they did. Unfortunately, the slayers that were around at the time, for lack of a better word, sucked. They would be killed within a month of being called. That lead to the Council calling a slayer at the youngest age ever."

"How old were you?" Willow asked, feeling sorry for the girl who only knew life within the confines of the Watchers.

"I was just about to turn seven."

"Seven and you?re still alive. That?s impossible," Buffy exclaimed. "I mean, I?ve barely been able to survive, I can?t even imagine what would have happened if I was still a child."

"Ask Ripper over here, he can confirm my story." All eyes turned to Giles.

"Giles?"

"It?s true, Buffy. Katrina was called at the age of six. She was able to survive because of her training and her heritage," Giles explained. "Katrina comes from a long line of very powerful witches. She was trained to harness those powers in order to help her with her slaying."

"And between the two things, I was pretty good. Took out two master vampires before I was eight. Not to mention the various other demons that I had to get rid of and the occasional prophecy."

"Okay, if you were such a bad ass Slayer, what?s the deal with Spike and how are you still alive and yet the Council thinks you?re dead?" Buffy inquired.

"Spike," Katrina?s face took on a wistful look at the thought of the blonde vampire. "What can I say. The first time I fought him, I was about twelve. He and Drusilla had just arrived in London from Paris when I ran into him. He and I fought but it was a draw. Usually when I met a vampire that I couldn?t beat physically, I pulled out the magick, but for some reason I didn?t want to do that with him. I wanted to beat him on fair ground. Well, we continued fighting, usually about once a week for two years before we realized that the fights were getting to the point that they were no longer to the death. They were more like sparring matches. That?s when we started to truly get to know one another."

"Wait a minute, are you saying that instead of staking Spike, you became his friend," Xander wanted to know. Katrina nodded her head.

"Exactly. There was something about him. You have to remember, I grew up knowing only slaying and, here I was, facing one hell of a good looking man, vampire or not. Trust me when I say that it wasn?t exactly my brain that was doing all my thinking."

"Yeah, there are a few people in here who have that problem too," Willow said, teasing Xander who just sank into his chair. Katrina grinned at the boy in question.

"Yeah, well, anyway as I was saying, Spike and I started talking. I guess you could say I had a crush on him. He was so different from the men that I knew. He was sarcastic and funny and he told the best jokes. Not to mention the whole gorgeous thing. I loved hearing him talk about his past, both before and after he was changed. He told me about Angelus and Drusilla and about the gypsy curse. In return, I told him about my life growing up with the Watcher?s Council. About my magick. We became friends. On my sixteenth birthday, while the Council gave me a book on how to speak Latin, which I was already fluent in, Spike took me to an expensive restaurant then we went clubbing around town. He gave me this at the end of the night," Katrina put her hand over her choker.

"That?s who gave it to you? You said that you had found it one day while you were out shopping," Giles remembered.

"And you all believed me," Katrina grinned. "Please, since when did the Council ever let me do anything other than Slay by myself. I even had a chaperone when I went out on my one date. The only reason you and I ever got as close as we did was because you had finally decided to stop being the bad ass rebel and start towing the line." Giles looked down at something on the floor, remembering exactly how little freedom was giving to the woman in front of him by those that had raised her.

"Spike was the first person to ever see the real me. I didn?t have to pretend to be anything other than what I was."

"And what was that?" Willow asked. She was intrigued by Katrina, finding herself knowing exactly why Katrina had allowed herself to care about Spike, if it was true that he had accepted her for who she was. Willow often found herself wondering if her friends would do the same if she ever tried to break away from their idea of who she should be.

"At first, it was a young, shy teenager who had no friends and no idea of what was to become of her, other than her death at the hands of some demon," Katrina said, speaking directly to Willow. There was something about the young hacker that reminded the woman of how she was when she was younger. "Then, as I grew older and got to know Spike a little more, I discovered the things that had always been kept from me. Music. Movies. Junk Food." The teenagers all grinned at the last one. "Spike gave me a sense of what life for me could have been like if I had never been called as a Slayer. He encouraged me to try new things. He took me places. The more time I spent with him, the more I knew that I needed to make my escape, but he also understood my reluctance at doing so."

"Why?" Mulder questioned.

"Because of growing up in Council headquarters, I had discovered many things that most Slayers never have access to, including the list of names of Slayers to be called and their ages. I didn?t want to leave before I knew the next Slayer to be called was going to have at least had some kind of life. I didn?t want another girl to go through what I did. Of never having had a childhood because she was too busy fighting demons and the other things that she should have only known about from fairytales. So I waited. And Spike waited with me. It got to the point that other than daylight, nothing ever kept us apart. The Council assumed that I was just getting more into slaying because of my age. They never knew about Spike."

"What made you finally decide to leave? And how did you accomplish it?" Giles asked. "You have no idea what it did to me to think that I was never going to see you again." Katrina looked at Giles, a softness entering her eyes.

"I?m sorry, Ripper. I know how hard it must have been for you to think that I was dead, but I had no other choice." Katrina turned to the rest of the people in the library. "I had just turned nineteen. Spike and I had spent the weekend in Paris and when I got back, my life was turned upside down. I found out I was pregnant."

?Wait a minute. Spike?s dead, he can?t have kids," Buffy cried. Katrina smiled sadly.

"I know and it killed both of us knowing that we could never have a child of our own. But we had come up with another solution, while not the best one, it was the only one open to us. I had taken on other lovers. Spike didn?t mind, because he was still with Dru, although only out of an obligation. And we knew that we couldn?t do the whole fertility thing without the Watcher?s finding out. And there were a few men that I had always had secret crushes on, even after I began sleeping with Spike.

"Anyway, I found out I was pregnant. Spike was thrilled at the prospect of having a child, and so was I. Our only problem was getting away from the Council. That?s when we decided that between the two of us, we could fake my death, making it so that the next Slayer was called. Spike and I had found a ritual that would make it appear that someone had died. It had been used back in the 1300?s by a landlord who?s tenants had wanted to kill him. Well, we performed it on the next full moon. The ritual was relatively harmless, even to the baby, and it worked liked we wanted it too. We had found a Jane Doe in the morgue and I cast a glamour spell over her, making anyone who saw her think she was me. And then we left London. Spike was taking Drusilla to New York and I followed at his request. I knew that he wanted to be close to me, so that he could watch as the pregnancy progressed. And he also wanted to make sure that I was protected against Drusilla. She had found out about us and Spike was worried that she would do something to try and harm me if he left her. He didn?t want to take the chance, so he stayed."

"Talk about romantic, in a weird sort of way," Cordelia observed.

"You could say that. Spike and I saw each other as much as possible. He was even there when Michelle was born. When she took her first steps. Even manage to be around when she finally spoke, his name being the first word. He was everything that I could have ever hoped to have for a father for my daughter. The only thing that kept us apart was the fear of Drusilla harming Michelle. Dru had been hurt in Prague and Spike and I were searching for something that would cure her, hoping that maybe that would leave Spike free of her and for us to be together. We found it. We decided that it was time to separate then. The spell called for the blood of Drusilla?s sire. The two of them went in search of Angel, while I took Michelle and drove across the country. Michelle was four by then. We kept in touch, often calling each other late at night, just to hear the other?s voice. He would send little gi fts to Michelle. Things that he thought she might like. But, Spike and I hadn?t seen each other since, until last night. And, I?m taking it that it wasn?t as private as I had thought it was." Katrina looked at Buffy, who didn?t even bother to hide her guilt at having watched the reunion of the two lovers and their daughter.

"Last night you said something about a prophecy," Willow stated. "Is that why you?re here?" Katrina nodded.

"Yes," she turned to Giles. "I heard about what happened with Angel, but he is an important part of the prophecy and the way he is now, he will be most likely unwilling to help. That is a risk I refuse to take with my daughter?s life at stake. I need your help to restore Angelus? soul to him."

"What?" Buffy shouted.

~Part: 7~

"What?" Buffy shouted.

"I said, I need Ripper?s help in restoring Angel?s soul," Katrina repeated, rolling her eyes at the slayer.

"The spell was lost," Giles explained. "And the only person I knew who might have been able to find it for us was killed." Katrina could see the pain in Giles? eyes as he said that last part and knew that it had to have been caused because the person had been close to the man. "Angelus killed her when he discovered that she was working on translating it."

"I?m sorry," Katrina said softly. "But I don?t mean to use the original curse. Especially now that I know about that happiness clause. I mean, what the hell were those gypsies thinking. The Rom always did have a penchant for over dramatizing things. I mean, what?s the purpose of cursing someone with a soul for what he did without it, if there was even a chance of him losing it again? Idiots."

"But you have another curse?" Buffy asked hopefully. "One that will get me back Angel?" Buffy?s face showed her hope that she would not be forced to kill her former lover. That there was a chance of him returning to her so that they could be together.

"Yes, I do. One that will not only give him is soul, but also make it permanent," Katrina replied. "But it is a very powerful spell and I will need help in carrying it out. That?s where you come in Ripper. I know you don?t practice anymore but I need your help. I need the help of someone, preferably two someones, to make it work."

"Wait a minute," Xander interrupted, "are you trying to tell me that you people are actually considering bringing back that bastard, even after everything that he has done to us. He killed Ms. Calender for gods sake. Why would you even think about having him help us? What makes you think he will even with his soul?"

"Because he will have no other choice. Even if he didn?t have his soul, he is part of the prophecy, hence it has already been foretold that he will help. I just prefer it to be with his soul than without," Katrina said. "As I said, my daughter?s life depends on it and I am unwilling to take any risks that would endanger her."

Mulder could feel the tension radiating through the library as the others continued to discuss the resouling of whoever this Angel person was. He remembered when Katrina had discussed Spike looking for Drusilla?s sire and saying that Angel was said sire. But what exactly did he have to do with the others? And what is this prophecy that the woman is talking about?"

"Excuse, but could someone please tell me who is Angel?" Scully asked, wanting the same answers as her partner. Everyone looked at them in surprise, having completely forgotten that the agents were there.

"Angel is Spike?s sire," Giles answered. "He is well over two hundred years old."

"And what exactly is this curse that he has?"

"About eighty years ago, Angel, then known as Angelus, had taken a gypsy girl for dinner. Unfortunately, at least for him, she was a favorite among her clan and they did not take her death lightly. They cursed him with a soul. With that soul, also came the memories of all his actions as a vampire. For the past year and a half he had been helping us fight against the things that were like him. Trying to redeem himself for his past deeds."

"Okay," Scully said, understanding what Giles was telling her. She could hear Mulder?s breathing become faster as he was taking in everything with the equivalent of childhood glee. "But if he was cursed, why is he evil now?" The agents watched as everyone in the library, with the exception of Katrina, started to shift uncomfortable. Katrina had to surpress the giggles that threaten to erupt. Finally, when it became obvious that no one was willing to answer Scully?s question, she took it upon herself to repeat the information that Spike had given her the night before.

"Well, apparently there was a happiness clause that the Rom never bothered to tell anyone about," Katrina told them. "If, at any point, Angel was to find a moment of complete happiness, where his guilt no longer bothered him, he would lose his soul again. And guess what, because of little miss hot pants over there," Katrina pointed to Buffy who blushed, "he found that happiness a few months ago. And he?s been terrorizing this town ever since."

"And this prophecy?"

"Ah yes, I was wondering if anyone was even going to ask me about that," Katrina smiled at the red head agent, surprised that it was she that had asked about the reason she was there instead of the Slayer or her Watcher. "This prophecy was discovered about twenty years ago. At first, the Watcher who had discovered it had no idea what it meant. Neither did I. That was, until I became pregnant."

Giles was the first to realize what that meant. "It concerns your daughter."

"Yes. She is vital to it. As is Angelus. There are two others, but I have as yet found those people. I believe that they are here in Sunnydale."

"What exactly does the prophecy say?" Giles questioned. Katrina smiled as she started reciting the words that she had long since memorized.

"The oldest and youngest member shall join together. One who is dark and one who is light. With the power of two Seperated at youth A bond shall be formed. The innocence of two Shall call forth the madness Born from Betrayal Darkness ignites the light Fires from hell shall burn bright With old love renewed and new love admitted The fires shall be extinguished never to be relit."

"Gee, vague much?" Cordelia muttered.

"Yeah, well what would a prophecy be if it wasn?t vague," Willow pointed out. She turned to Katrina. "Do you know what it means?" Katrina shook her head sadly.

"No I don?t . I only know that Michelle and Angel are part of it. The identity of the other two are still a mystery to me."

"I take it that Michelle and Angel fulfill the first part of the prophecy," Mulder said.

"Yes," Katrina nodded. "He is the oldest member of his family, especially since Darla is gone. And, even though there have been other fledglings made since Michelle was born, she is still the youngest member of that family through her connection with Spike."

"But Spike isn?t her real father," Giles pointed out.

"Spike is the only father that Michelle has ever known," Katrina told him, making sure that everyone in the library understood that she would not be moved from that position. "He has been there for her, even if not physically. The only thing that he hasn?t provided was the sperm needed to conceive her. Other than that, he has been every bit a father to her. And, as such, that means that she is a member of Angelus? family."

"Do you have any idea how you will find the other people involved?" Willow asked.

"I have a feeling that they will appear when the time comes. Until then, the only thing that I can do is prepare my daughter for her role and try and protect her as best I can. And that includes making sure that Angelus is taken care of." Katrina turned to Giles once more. "So, will you help me?"

"Yes, I will help you." And with those five little words, the lives of the people in the library would be forever changed.

~Part: 8~

Katrina finally left the group in the library shortly before two in the morning, stating that she had to get back to Michelle. She had left her daughter with Spike and he had to be back at the mansion before Angelus and Dru realized something was wrong. She also wanted to spend some quality time with him before he had to leave. She walked in to see him reading a bedtime story to their daughter, who was used to being up until the early hours of the morning. She contented herself with just watching quietly form the doorway until he had finished the story. Spike looked up and saw her staring at him. He got up and walked over to her, placing a kiss on her lips.

"How did it go?" He asked her.

"About how we expected," Katrina responded. "Come on out to the living room so we can talk and not worry about waking Michelle up." Spike followed Katrina into the other room where they both rook a seat on the couch. Spike turned Katrina around, her back to him, and began to give her a massage. "Oh yeah, definitely worth coming home to."

"I've missed this," Spike told her.

"So have I," Katrina agreed. "It's been too long. I don't think I can take much more of us being apart. It nearly killed Michelle."

"I know, she's very good at the guilt thing," Spike commented. "Made me feel all of two feet tall for leaving you last year."

"Sorry," Katrina said sheepishly, "I should have warned you about that. I know she understands why we had to separate, but she just doesn't like it all that much. Not that I can blame her. Especially with us moving around so much. Being a normal child and living out of a suitcase do not go hand in hand. I just hope that after this prophecy is over with, that we can finally settle down. All of us."

"I would like nothing better than that, luv," Spike told the former Slayer.

"So, how did things go with the Watcher? Will he help with the ritual?"

"Yes, just as I knew he would. It helps that his Slayer seemed to be very excited by the prospect of having her boyfriend back. She seems to think that she is part of the prophecy. You know, that whole old love renewed thing."

"And what about Michelle? Does he know about our daughter?"

"Yes," Katrina answered. "Apparently we were seen last night by that same Slayer and her friend Willow. They told him about Michelle before I even got there."

"What did you tell him, pet?' Spike questioned. Katrina leaned back against Spike's chest, drawing his arms around her stomach.

"Exactly what I planned on saying," she informed him. "That you and I had decided that I would take on some lovers in order to get pregnant because we wanted a child. What else was there to say?"

"Oh, I don't know," Spike shrugged. "What about the truth?"

"What, that there wasn't a group of lovers, only one specific man that I had slept with in order to become pregnant. That I never bothered telling him that he was a father, even though I knew that he had always wanted a family of his own. Or that said child is being raised by a vampire, something that he was raised to despise. No, I'm not sure that would have been that good of an idea," Katrina said. "Anyway, I thought you didn't want me to tell him anything."

"Yeah, well, let's just say that I had a lot of time to thin," Spike replied. "I love Michelle with everything I am, pet. Bloody hell, I never thought that I would be capable of caring for anyone against as much as I do you two. But, I have a feeling that we may not be giving the Watcher enough credit. All he'll have to do it take a good look at the girl and he'll realize the truth."

"So what," Katrina turned to face Spike, "there is nothing that he can do about it."

"He can tell the council that you are still alive. He can try and take Michelle from us, not that he'll succeed or anything."

"He won't do anything," Katrina said. "All he has to do is take one look at you with Michelle and he'll realize that you are the only father that she needs or wants. Besides, Michelle doesn't even know him, so stop worrying."

"Okay, so what do we do next?"

"Well, first Ripper, Willow and I will perform the ritual and give Angelus back his soul," Katrina explained. "Between the three of is, that should be no problem. That girl has tremendous power that she hasn't even tapped into yet. There's something about her that reminds me of myself when I was that age. She's so eager to please and yet so unsure of herself."

"Do I detect some new project for you to undertake. The transformation of a certain red haired hacker?" Spike teased his lover, who hit him playfully.

"Hush you, and so what if I want to take her under my wing," Katrina rebuked. "I think it would be the first time that someone actually let her be herself. I remember what I felt like growing up, with no one to care about me." Spike growled, "Other than you, love. I didn't have parental figures. The Watchers that were in charge of me only allowed me to be one way. They always discouraged me from doing something that they deemed unacceptable. I have a feeling that Willow is having the same problem. You should have seen her tonight. Everytime she tried to say something, suggest an idea, they all ignored her. Even Ripper. I had to fight him just to have her help with the ritual, even though she was more than willing."

"How did you finally convince him to let her help?"

"I told him that I'd leave you and run away with him," Katrina joked. She felt Spike pull away from her and grabbed his hands. "You know, you've been living with Dru and Angelus for too long. You can't even tell when I'm joking anymore."

"That wasn't funny pet," Spike growled.

"I'm sorry," Katrina said, placing a kiss on Spike's lips. "Forgive me?"

"Maybe." Katrina placed another kiss on the blonde's lips, this one long and deep. Once they parted so that Katrina could breathe, Spike grinned.

"Forgiven."

"Thank you. As for the answer to your question, I didn't, she did with a little help from me," Katrina smiled. "That girl can be very convincing when she sets her mind to something. And I want her involved. I think she might be one of the missing two for the prophecy."

"How sure are you about that?"

"Almost as sure as I am that the Slayer isn't, no matter how much she thinks she is. By the way, I know you told me how annoying she was, but damn, if she wasn't worse then how you described," Katrina commented. "I had to hold myself back from hitting her a few times when she wouldn't shut up. What the hell did Angelus ever see in her?" Spike shrugged his shoulders.

"Don't know. Maybe it had something to do with the soul. You know, the whole torturing himself for past sins thing. Only thing I can think of."

"Must be," the witch giggled. "hopefully that will all change with this restoration. I don't think I would wish that Buffy on anyone, including Angelus." Spike laughed.

"True, not even Peaches deserves that. Speaking of Peaches, until you do that ritual, I want you to be very careful," the blonde vampire warned.

"Drusilla was very suspicious all day today. I think she may know what you are planning."

?Then is it safe for you to go back to mansion?" The brunette questioned.

"If she even suspects that I'm here, she'll kill you."

"What do you want me to do then?"

"Stay here with us," Katrina suggested.

"Yes, daddy, stay here," came a small voice. Both occupants of the couch turned to the little girl.

"What are you doing up, pet?" Spike asked as Michelle came to sit on his lap. "I thought you were asleep."

"I was, but I woke up," the little girl explained. "Please, daddy, don't leave again." Spike looked between Michelle and Katrina and knew that his decision had been made as soon as he had left the mansion that night.

"Alright, pet. As long as you and mommy are sure, I'll stay," Spike conceded.

"Then I guess you're staying," Katrina stated. "Because I've missed waking up next to you." Katrina kissed Spike and Michelle jumped up and down in his lap.

"Yeah, daddy's home." Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Spike and Katrina looked at each other. The blonde vampire handed his daughter to her mother and walked over to the door. He opened it and was surprised at who was on the other side.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Slayer's little hacker," he observed.

"Spike," Willow mumbled, "I was wondering if Katrina was here."

"Willow, come in," Katrina said as she came from behind Spike. Willow entered the door, moving around Spike, who chuckled at the red head's actions.

"Don't worry, pet," he told the girl, "Kat hates it when I snack on her guests."

"Spike," the woman in question growled, "behave." Turning to Willow, "So tell me, Willow, what are you doing here? I thought you were all going to try and get some sleep before school."

"We were," Willow said, "Actually they are. I just couldn't sleep."

"Why?" Katrina offered Willow a sear. The hacker sat in one of the armchairs and watched as Katrina and Spike sat on the couch, Michelle in the middle. "Oh, I'm sorry. This is our daughter Michelle. Michelle, this is Willow. She's going to help is with your grandfather Angelus."

"Hello," the little girl said shyly.

"Hi, Michelle," Willow replied. The witch turned to the older woman. "You asked why I couldn't sleep. Well, it's about the restoration ritual."

"You aren't having second thoughts are you?" Willow shook her head.

"No, I'm just worried about Buffy. I don't think everything's going to be as okay as she thinks when Angel gets his soul back." Spike and Katrina look at each other and then back at the hacker.

"Why do you say that, pet?" Willow looked down at her hands, a blush coming to her face. "Red?"

"Angelus came to see me shortly after he lost his soul. According to him, Angel and Buffy sleeping together isn't the exact reason why he lost it."

Katrina knelt by Willow, taking her hands in her own.

"What did he say?"

Willow took a deep breath. "He said that when he was making love to Buffy, that it wasn't her face he was seeing." Willow looked up and caught Katrina's eyes with her own. "It was mine. He said that between that and my telling him that he was my friend, he found happiness because of it was me that he was in love with."

"How did that make you feel?" Willow shrugged her shoulders, looking back into her lap. "Willow, how do you feel about Angel?"

"I love him. I always have."

~Part: 9~

Spike and Katrina were stunned by what Willow had just told them. The news that Angel had cared for Willow in that way and that the feelings were reciprocated by her changed the way they were seeing things. Katrina, who was already thinking that Willow was a part of the prophecy quickly grasped what this could mean.

"New love realized," she whispered, knowing exactly what that meant now.

"What pet?" Katrina looked over at Spike and then towards Willow. Shne saw the confused and scared looked on the teenager's face and felt sorry for her. She knew that what was going to happen would put her friendship with Buffy through a very difficult test.

"The prophecy," the older witch explained. "Remember, it talks about new love realized. If what Angelus said is true, and we have no reason not to believe him, then it could be referring to Willow and Angel." Willow stared at Katrina, her eyes wide. She shook her head, trying to deny what was being said.

"No, Angel was in love with Buffy, no matter what Angelus might have said."

"Angelus would have no reason to live about that, Red," Spike informed the young girl. "Trust me. I've had years to learns how that bastard thinks and that not his usual style of headgames. If he said Peaches love you, then you can believe it."

"But what about Buffy?" Willow protested, not happy with the idea that the man her best friends was in love with might actually care for her.

?What about her?" Katrina asked.

"She loves Angel. The two of them are meant to be together." Katrina sighed as Willow continued to fight what appeared to be the truth. She looked down at her now sleeping daughter and signaled to Spike to put Michelle back in bed. He did so, realizing that whatever Katrina wanted to say, she wanted to say alone. Once Spike left, carrying Michelle, Katrina turned her attention back to Willow.

"Willow, is it really Buffy you're worried about?"

"Of course," the red head insisted. "She's my best friend and she's in love with Angel. The two of them would still be together if it hadn't been for that stupid clause in his curse. They're soulmates."

"Uh huh," Katrina said, not believing the younger woman. "If you really believed that, then you wouldn't be here now saying that things might not go back to the way they used to be." Willow looked down at her hands, which were nervously pulling at the bottom of her shirt. "Willow, I want to help you, I really do, but I can't do that if you don't tell me the truth."

"I'm afraid of what might happen if Angelus was telling me the truth," the hacker whispered so low that Katrina couldn't hear her.

"What was that, Willow"? I couldn't hear you."

Willow took a deep breath and repeated her statement. "I said that I'm afraid of what might happen if Angelus had told me the truth."

"You mean with Buffy and how she might react to the news that Angel cares for you as something more than a friend?" Willow nodded her head.

"She thinks that she and Angel are the part of the prophecy that talks about old love renewed," the red head reminded Katrina. "She's always held the hope that there would be a way to get Angel back and your arrival and the prophecy has renewed that hope with a passion. I haven's seen her this happy since the morning after her birthday. How am I suppose to tell her that there's a chance that the love of her life might be in love with me?"

"Why do you have to tell her anything?"

"Because she's my best friend and Angel was her boyfriend."

"Was being the key word here," Kat pointed out. "Whatever the two of them had ended the minute Angel lost his soul, no matter how much Buffy might wish it otherwise. They can't go back to the way they were, even if Angel didn't have feelings for you, which I'm sure he does otherwise Angelus would have killed you already."

"But Buffy.." Willow began to say before being cut off by Katrina.

"Buffy is irrelevant right now, that is, unless she decides to cause trouble because things don't go the way she wants them to, which I'm sure they will. And I understand you not wanting to hurt your friend, but when it comes to matters of the heart, the Fates refuse to be denied. Spike and I are proof of that. Our relationship is even stranger than Buffy and Angel's because Spike doesn't have his soul, but I love him anyway and he loves me and Michelle. We both have risked a lot in order to be together but it has been more than worth it."

"Giles was certainly surprised to hear about the two of you being together for so long, not to mention Michelle," Willow recalled. Then she decided that she had to find out about something that had been nagging at the back of her mind since Katrina had told her story of how she became pregnant with her daughter. "Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?"

"Go right ahead. Ask me anything."

"Is Giles Michelle's father?" Katrina stared in shock at the young witch, surprised that she had come to that conclusion and wondering how she had done it.

"What makes you think that?"

"Well, it was pretty obvious by the way that the two of you were looking at each other that the two of you had been closer that just Watcher and Slayer, especially since you always call him Ripper," Willow started to explain.

"And you story about taking on many lovers just didn't sound right. You don't seem the type of person who could do that and I'm pretty sure that, no matter what he might say, Spike is the type of person who gets jealous very easily." Katrina chuckled at Willow's observations of her mate.

"That is a very astute observation and one that is very true," she told Willow. "But, as for why you think Ripper is Michelle's father, are those your only reasons?" Willow shook her head.

"No, the most convincing reason is Michelle herself. It wasn't obvious last night because of the dark and the distance from where we were sitting, but tonight, up close, I could see it. She resembles him. Not much, but just enough to make me think that he is the father."

"Told you she was the smart one, luv," Spike stated as he rejoined the two women. He went over and sat next to Katrina, taking one of her hands in his. "Although, I didn't think she would have figured it out as quickly as she did." Spike looked over at Willow and noticed that she appeared to be more comfortable with his presence and she was. Seeing the way the he acted towards Katrina and Michelle make Willow see the blonde vampire in a whole new light. "Do you plan on telling the Watcher any of this?" Willow though a moment.

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "I know how much he has always wanted a family. The knowledge that he has a daughter would probably make him extremely happy, but I can also see how much you care for Michelle and its obvious that she loves you."

"Willow," Katrina said," I understand why you may feel the need to tell Ripper about Michelle and I won't stop you if you feel you have no other choice. I just want you to understand my position in regards to my daughter. Spike, for all purposes that matter, is Michelle's father. He will always be the only father for her. I'm not saying that to be mean, it's just the way it is. I care for Rupert. He was one of my best friends. That's why I chose him to be the father, but I love Spike and so does Michelle."

"And if I told Giles about Michelle?" Willow's voice wasn't threatening, just curious as to what the unusual couple would do if Giles was to find out about the paternity of the young girl.

"If he does nothing to interfere with her and us, then we will do nothing," Spike assured the young girl.

"But, Willow, I want you to know this," Katrina wanted the hacker. "If he does anything to interfere with the way we raise our daughter, or tries to gain custody of her, then right after the prophecy is fulfilled, we will disappear again. I will not risk the council finding out about Michelle or myself being alive." Willow looked at the couple and realized that Katrina meant every word that she said and, as much as it pained the young girl, realized that it may be for the best if the whole truth about Michelle's paternity stayed a secret. If Giles was meant to find out about Michelle, then he would. It was like Katrina had said. The Fates will do what they want.

"I won't tell Giles about him being Michelle's father, but I don't know if I can lie to him if he asks me."

"Thank you," Katrina breathed a sigh of relief. She knew that it was asking a lot of Willow to keep the secret from Giles and was glad that the young witch wasn't going to say anything. "And, don't worry about Angel and Buffy. We will cross that bridge when we get to it."

"Thank." Willow looked down at her watch and was surprised to see how late it really was. "I need to get going. I have school in a an hour." All three people stood with Katrina and Spike leading Willow to the door.

"Thanks for the talk."

"Anytime Willow. Our door is always open," Katrina told the girl, giving her a quick hug. Willow left the house and headed home, unaware of the danger that she would have been in if only she had left a few minutes earlier. A pair of dark, angry eyes watched her leave and followed her briefly as she headed home. Miss Edith had told Drusilla that Spike was with the nasty Slayer he used to date and had told her where she could find them. She had planned on punishing Spike for being with the other girl but he hadn't left the house and then the red headed witch friend to the other Slayer showed up and a cold wave of fear washed over her as an image of Angel came to her mind. She waited for the witch to reappear, but when she did it was too late. There wouldn't be enough time to try and capture her.

The sun would be up in a few minutes and Drusilla had to get underground fast. And she did, her mind full of plans. Plans that included torturing a teenage girl to see what was being planned for her Angelus and plans that included torturing a blonde vampire into loving her again.

~Part: 10~

"Willow, come in," Katrina invited the young hacker into the living room. Willow walked in to find the furnishings pushed against the walls and the rug rolled up, revealing a large pentagram drawn on the floor. At each point, a candle was place, already lit, signaling that the protective circle had already been erected. She noticed Giles was already there, which didn't surprise her, along with Buffy and the two FBI agents, which did. "You know everyone here." Willow nodded towards everyone in the greeting.

"Buffy, I'm surprised to see you here," Willow stated. "You also Agents Scully and Mulder."

"This was too intriguing of an opportunity to pass up," Mulder replied excitedly. "So when Katrina invited us to watch, I couldn't say no."

Willow smiled at the man's excitement, remembering her own feelings and curiosity when she first started practicing her magick. Willow watched as Buffy walked over to her and gave her a hug.

"Thank you," the Slayer whispered.

"For what?"

"For trying to get me my Angel back," Buffy answered. The Blonde was so excited by the prospect of getting her boyfriend back, she didn't notice the guilty look that washed over Willow's face. "I know this can't be easy for you, or Giles, considering everything that has happened."

"The only thing that is important is getting Angel back," Willow said. "He was my friend too and I miss him." Willow looked around and noticed two very conspicuous absences, "Where are Spike and Michelle?"

"In her room," Katrina answered. "We didn't want to make anyone uncomfortable with Spike's presence right now. There can be no distractions. Besides, Michelle hates this grown up stuff, as she call it."

Willow took in what Katrina was saying, knowing that one of the main reasons she didn't have Michelle present was because of Giles. She once again felt bad for her mentor for missing out on raising his daughter, but knew that it was for the best that he didn't know about her just yet.

"I look forward to meeting Michelle," Giles commented, making Willow draw in her breath. "I find it rather interesting that a Slayer, let alone one as long lived as you and with your upbringing withing the Council, would have chosen to raise a child with a vampire such as Willow the Bloody."

"Well, you know me Rupert," Katrina quipped, "I never was one to go for the norm. And don't worry, you'll meet Michelle soon enough, but, right now, its time to start the ritual. It's almost night fall and I've been informed that Drusilla knows that I'm in town and that Spike is with me. It's a good bet that she's told Angelus. That's why I moved the ritual here."

"By all means, let's begin," he agreed. Willow and Giles moved to their positions on the outside of the circle. Katrina turned to face Buffy, Mulder and Scully.

"Now, I've agreed to let you watch but I must warn you. From this point on, you must do nothing to disturb this ritual. Even if it appears as if something is going wrong, you must not act," she warned the trio. "This is a very powerful spell and it must be performed precisely or it can be fatal. Do you understand?" The three nodded their heads. "Goods, then its time to begin."

Katrina moved to the top part of the circle and then signaled for Giles and Willow to enter the circle, doing the same. The three linked hands and began to chant the words that had been given to them. As Willow and Giles continued chanting, Katrina began to speak the words that had been customed phrased for use on Angelus.

"Old one, we come before you on this night to seek the return of one who has been lost. Once before he has been restored to you by ones seeking vengeance, only to be taken against due to their thirst for justice. We seek to right that wrong. We come on behalf of the vampire Angelus. He whom you have deemed your warrior of the light. He who is meant to battle the evil that resides in the world. We beseech you to return to him that which has been taken."

Buffy, Mulder, and Scully watched as the three people within the circle became engulfed by a strong wind. They listened as Giles and Willow's chanting became louder in order to be heard above it. A circle of light began to form in the center of the pentagram, growing larger with each word spoken. The three observers could feel the power emanating form within the circle and even Scully had to admit that it was something beyond the realm of modern science.

"Old ones, we beseech you, return to us the one known as Angel. Return to him that which makes him the man that is meant to fulfill the destiny given to him. Return to him his soul with no restrictions. Go forth, we beg of you and do our bidding."

The ball of light shot out of the protective circle and a scream was heard from outside the home. Mulder and Scully drew their weapons as a woman's plaintive cry could be made out. Spike came running into the room at the sound and stopped short when he saw Katrina, Willow and Giles standing deathly still.

"What the bloody hell is going on here?" He asked, making no move to go to his mate, remembering what she had warned him. "What was that?"

"Noooooo," came the scream again and the blonde vampire immediately recognized the owner.

"Dru," he whispered.

Katrina had been correct. Drusilla had indeed told Angelus of Spike's betrayal and the presence of the former Slayer in Sunnydale. She told him about her feelings that they were going to try and curse him again with his soul. The vampire pair had gone in search of the group, trying first the library before going to the house that Drusilla had seen Spike enter. They had waited outside one of the windows, staring in at the goings on. Angelus growled as he saw Buffy, at the same time thinking of ways he could torment her for even thinking that she had the power to resoul him. When Dru pointed out Katrina and told him of Spike's past with the woman, Angelus actually found himself impressed with his childe's choice of mates, even if she was a Slayer. The elder vampire could sense the power coming form her in waves and it reminded him of Willow.

Drusilla and Angelus found themselves transfixed by what was being done inside by the trio. When the chanting reached their ears through the opened windows, though, Drusilla grew even more nervous than she had been before.

And then when Katrina began to speak, her nervousness turned into full fledged fear. The insane vampire knew what was being done and knew that there was nothing that she would be able to do in order to stop it. This was different than what the gypsies had done. This curse would take her daddy away from her for good. She watched helplessly as the ball of light left the circle and engulfed her sire, making him cry out as his soul was returned to him.

"Noooo," she yelled, trying to deny what was happening. "Angelus." The dark haired vampire looked up at her and she knew it was too late. The guilt she saw in his eyes told her that her Angelus was gone. In his place was a souled Angel. She ran from the home, needing to escape what had happened. She cursed the Slayer that had taken both her Spike and Angelus from her.

Inside the mansion, everything was quiet. The wind that had built up during the ritual had died down. The three people inside the circle broke out of their trances, unaware of the commotion that had taken place.

Katrina closed the circle, thanking the Gods for watching over them.

Michelle came out of her room, bored not that Spike had left her alone. When a knock sounded on the door, the little girl went to answer it before anyone could stop her. She opened the door and found Angel standing there.

Three of the seven people in the room held their breaths when they saw the vampire that had terrorized Sunnydale. Michelle looked up at the man that she had never met but knew so much about and she smiled at what she saw.

"Grandfather," she beamed. Angel looked down at the little girl, confused and than at Katrina who had come up from behind her. Katrina looked at her mate's sire and what she saw pleased her.

"Welcome, Angel. I'm sure you have quite a few questions. Why don't you come in and we'll try to answer them."

next