~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~Part: 11~
"Welcome Angel. I'm sure you have a few questions. Why don't you come in and we'll try to answer them," Katrina said, removing the invisible barrier that was keeping him outside Angel continued to stand outside, not quite sure if it was truly safe to enter, especially since he could see both Spike and Buffy on the inside and the memories of the pain he had inflicted on both of them so recently was fresh on his mind. Michelle took the decision out of his control by grabbing is hand and pulling him through the door.
"Come on, Grandfather," the little girl said. "It's okay. Mommy fixed you." Angel allowed himself to be led by the little girl that called him grandfather and tugged at his arm so insistently. He stopped short when he saw Willow. He felt something stirring inside of him and it was drawing him towards her, as if it knew that she was part of the reason he was back.
"Willow," he croaked.
"Welcome back, Angel," the red head greeted her lost friend as she went to give him a hug. He wrapped his arms around her as he returned the hug.
"I've missed you."
"I'm so sorry for everything that I...." the vampire struggled to say before he broke down in tears. Willow offered him the comfort he so obviously needed from her.
"Shhhhh, it's okay," she crooned as if she was speaking to a scared child.
"It's all over now." Katrina walked over to Spike, who draped his arm over her shoulder and placed a kiss on her cheek.
"You did a good job, luv," he whispered in her ear. "I can feel the difference in him already."
"Thank you," she replied. "I'm just glad to have been able to do it, if only for Willow's sake. You can tell how much she really loves him and I'm beginning to see that he truly cares for her too, if the way he's holding her is any indication." The couple continued to look at Willow as she comforted a crying Angel, both completely oblivious to the looks they were receiving from everyone else, including a very upset Slayer. Spike pointed it out to his mate.
"I would say that the Slayer isn't very happy to see her boyfriend in the arms of her best friend. Those are some serious daggers she's shooting their way." Katrina looked over at the younger girl.
"You're not kidding," she agreed as she saw the jealousy in Buffy's face.
"And I'm sure it will only get worse if what I think is true. That Willow and Angel are part of the prophecy." They watched as Buffy walked over to the pair that held everyone's attention as they held each other.
"Angel?" She asked tentatively. He turned to face her, not letting go of Willow. "Is that really you?" Buffy had been just as shocked as the others when the vampire had shown up at the door. Then her shock turned to anger when he had engulfed Willow in the hug before he even had acknowledged her own presence. Angel would never had done that and that's when it hit her.
Maybe it wasn't Angel after all. What if it was Angelus and maybe this was all a trick. So what if Katrina had been a Slayer. She was still involved with Spike. Maybe this was all a trick so that Buffy would let her guard down and they could attack her.
"Are you really back?"
"It looks like it, Buffy," he replied. "Although it doesn't feel like it did before." He looked down at Willow. "Why?"
"Katrina had us perform a different ritual than before. No happiness clause this time around," the hacker said.
"Katrina?" The vampire repeated, not recognizing the name. The woman in question approached him.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Angel," she told him. "Spike's told me a lot about you and don't worry, I only took it as half truths at best.
Angel looked over the smiling woman whom Drusilla had pointed out as the one that had stolen Spike from her. Now that he was closer to her, her power was overwhelming. "Like I said, we are more that willing to answer any of your questions to the best of our ability."
"Okay, the first one I have is why is a little girl calling me grandfather?" Spike laughed as he came over to his sire, holding the little girl in question.
"Her name is Michelle, Peaches," he informed the older vampire. "And the reason she's calling you grandfather is because she's my daughter. Well, mine and Katrina's."
"How?"
"Long story. Do you want to hear it now or later?" Spike asked.
"Later." Angel scanned the room again, noticing Giles. He could see the apprehensiveness on the face of the Watcher and immediately felt sorry for what had caused it. "Giles, I'm..." Giles cut him off.
"Not now, Angel, please," he begged. "I'm glad that you're back for everyone's sake, but you'll forgive me if I don't feel comfortable staying right now. Maybe in the future."
"Of course," Angel answered, already missing the friendship that he had had with the librarian. Giles bid his good-byes to everyone and left. After he was gone, Angel faced the two other people he didn't recognize. "I'm sorry, but do I know you?" Mulder came forward.
"No. We just arrived in Sunnydale. I'm Agent Fox Mulder and this is my partner, Dana Scully."
"They're with the FBI," Buffy told him, coming up and trying to give Angel a hug. The vampire just pulled away from her and closer to Willow. Hurt appeared on the Slayer's face. "Angel?"
"I'm sorry Buffy, but I don't think it's that great of an idea if I got all that close to you," Angel informed his former lover as he tried to reign in his demon who grew more and more agitated the closer she got to him. Only Willow's presence seemed to comfort him.
"What do you mean? The clause is gone. We can be together now.," she rationalized.
"It has nothing to do with the clause," Buffy," Angel stated. "It's me. I don't feel comfortable around you anymore."
"But you feel comfortable with Willow, is that it?" Buffy shot. Her gaze turned to Willow. "What did you do to him?"
"I didn't do anything, Buffy, I swear," Willow stammered. "I would never do anything to hurt you."
"You had to have done something to make him go to you instead of me," Buffy advanced on the red head, who hid behind Angel, scared at what her friend might do. "Tell me what you did."
"Back off Slayer," Spike said, grabbing the blonde's arm and pulling her away from Angel and Willow. "Red didn't do anything." Buffy pulled her arm away from Spike.
"She had to have. What other explanation could there be?"
"The curse we placed on him is different than before," Katrina explained.
"His demon and soul are one. That means that his demon will not accept you being together." Buffy shook her head, trying to deny what she was being told.
"No, I won't accept that. I can't. Angel and I were meant to be together. Everyone knows that. We're soul mates."
"I'm sorry Buffy, but at least for now, this is how it has to be." Tears began to streak down the blonde Slayer's face as she dealt with everything that had happened. She looked at the closeness between Angel and Willow, and the pain tore at her heart. She didn't want to believe that someone hadn't done something to have caused it.
"Buffy, I don't want you to be angry with Willow for whatever is happening," Angel told the heartbroken girl. "It wasn't her fault."
"The hell it wasn't," Buffy said, her hurt turning to rage. "She did something. I don't care what anyone says and I plan on finding out what and fixing it." With that said, Buffy stormed out of the house.
"Well, that was interesting," Mulder quipped. "Do you do this often?"
"Nah, only when we're bored."
~Part: 12~
Angel, Willow, Spike and Katrina sat around the living room. Agents Scully and Mulder had just left, saying that they had to file a report to their superior, updating him on everything that they had discovered so far, with a few minor revisions of course. This left the two couples alone, giving them all a chance to get comfortable with each other. Angel was silent as the memories of everything that he had done to Willow and her friends, and Spike for that matter, came crashing over him and he felt the guilt of his actions overtaking. But mixed in with those emotions, was also something new. He couldn't feel his demon fighting him for control anymore. It was like someone had silenced him completely and he felt whole for the first time in a long time. Like he was finally the human being that he was always meant to be.
"So, Peaches, how does it feel to be all soul having again?" Spike asked, finally breaking the silence that threatened to continue indefinitely.
"It feels good, although I am still trying to get used to the differences," he answered. Angel looked down at Willow, who was leaning against him, trying to keep her eyes open. She hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, worrying about what would happen when Angel got his soul back, and between that and the ritual, it was finally taking its toll on the red headed witch. "What exactly did this ritual do to me?"
"It did basically the same thing as the Rom curse, just without the clause," Katrina explained. "It bond your soul and demon together.
Basically you are as close to human as you can get. Well, for a dead guy that is." The four people in the room chuckled at her comment.
"Why?"
"Why what?" Katrina asked.
"Why did you do this?" Angel added. "I understand why Willow would want to give me back my soul. Especially after everything I've done to her and,"
Angel paused a moment, for some reason unable to say Buffy's name, "the others, but why did you do it. I don't know you, and I'm pretty sure that Spike wouldn't have thought of giving me a permanent soul, no matter how evil I was to him."
"Don't be too bloody sure about that," Spike mumbled. Spike perked his head up as he heard a soft noise coming from the direction of Michelle's bedroom. He stood up from his seat on the loveseat next to Katrina. "Be right back, luv." Katrina nodded her head and watched Spike disappear to check on their daughter.
"That's why I did it," she finally said, answering Angel's question. "For our daughter."
"There's a prophecy, Angel and you and Michelle are part of it," Willow put in. "And Kat thinks that I may be a part of it too."
"What type of prophecy?"
"I haven't been able to completely figure it out yet," Katrina replied. "I only have figured out who three of the four people involved are. You, Michelle and Willow."
"How are we involved?"
"The prophecy calls for the oldest and youngest members of your family," the older woman explained. "And since both the Master and Darla are dead, that leaves you as the oldest, and Michelle is the youngest, even though she isn't a vampire, nor related to you by blood. She is your grandchild via Spike."
"And Willow," Angel prodded, not sure he like the idea of Willow being involved with any type of prophecy because they usually meant danger to any who were mentioned. "How is she involved." Willow suddenly started squirming in her seat next to Angel, trying to raise her head from his chest but unable to because he wouldn't let her go.
"Well, I believe that it has something to do with your feelings towards Willow." This time it was Angel who became nervous as he recalled what Angelus had told Willow. "She told us what Angelus had said to her and it made sense to me. I'm sorry Angel, but I can't understand what you ever saw in Buffy. From everything that I've ever read on you, she just doesn't seem your type."
"So what are you saying?"
"She's saying that you and Red are meant to be together, not you and that damn chit of a Slayer, even if the girl refuses to see it," Spike added as he came from Michelle's bedroom carrying the small girl. When he saw Katrina raise her eyebrow at him in a silent question, he shrugged his shoulders. "What? Like you really expect her to be asleep at three in the morning. She has a master vampire as a father and a presumed dead Slayer as a mother. This was one child born to live in the night."
"Wait a minute," Angel said, taking in what Spike had just told him. He had been sure that, after everything he had already been told that night, that nothing else could shock him. "You're a Slayer? I thought Dru was mistaken."
"Nope, that girl might be bats, but she was right on the mark," Katrina told him. "I'm the longest living Slayer in Council history."
"And they condone your relationship with Spike?"
"Well, they really don't know about it. That is, unless Rupert breaks his promise and tells them that I'm alive."
"Daddy, I want to sit on Grandfather's lap," a sleepy Michelle demanded.
Spike walked over and laid the girl on Angel's lap, Willow moving slightly to give the child some room. Katrina smiled when she saw her daughter curl up in a surprised Angel's lap, moving closer to him, seeking what little body heat he had to give her. She could see that he would have made an excellent father and regretted that he would never have the joy at having his own child, especially considering the family scene that was playing out in front of her. Angel had one arm wrapped protectively around Willow, and the other wrapped around Michelle, holding both of the girls close to him.
"Spike, I believe that you may have some competition for our daughters affections," the brunette teased her mate. Spike saw what she was referring too and a huge grin broke onto his face.
"You know. If I wasn't such a bad ass master vampire, I might actually think that was a sweet sight," he joked as he rejoined Katrina, who slapped him playfully on his arm. "You were made for a family, Peached. No wonder you're such a poof."
"What's your excuse then, Blondie," Angel shot back, a twinkle in his eye.
Angel reveled in the feeling of the two warm bodies that were laying on him so trustingly. He had never felt such a contentment in his life and he knew that it had something to do with the red head at his side. Which brought his thoughts back to the prophecy that Spike and Katrina had mentioned. "You said Willow was involved in this prophecy and that it had something to do with what Angelus said to her. How is she involved?"
"A part of the prophecy talks about new love admitted," Katrina explained. "I believe that would be you and Willow."
"But that would mean that Willow," Angel started to say, not able to fully grasped what Katrina was saying would truly mean. While it was true that he cared for Willow. In fact, if Angel was honest with himself, he was deeply, head over heels, once in a lifetime, in love with Willow, he never imagined that his feelings could possible be returned. He never thought that Willow would love someone like him.
"It would mean that I have feelings for you too," Willow finished his sentence. Angel looked down in shock at the semi-conscious red head.
"Willow, I never thought..."
"I know," she told him, already knowing what he was going to say. She had thought a lot about what she and Katrina had talked about the night before, including how a possible relationship with Angel would affect her friendship with Buffy, and concluded that she wasn't going to let the Slayer interfere in something that was predestined. She placed her hand on Angel's cheek, cupping it softly. "I love you, Angel. All of you." Blood red tears fell from Angel's chocolate brown eyes as the realization that all of his dreams were coming true. He turned his face so that his lips could kiss the inside of Willow's palm, before turning to face her emerald green eyes once more.
"And I love you, sweetling. I always have." With that said, Angel lowered his head, careful so as not to wake up Michelle, and placed a gentle, yet loving, first kiss on Willow's lips. Katrina and Spike smiled at the tender display of emotion, Spike wrapping his arm around the witch's waist.
"You were right, luv."
"You had doubts?"
"Never. I just hope you realize that things have just gotten much more complicated," Spike told her. "The Slayer is not going to be happy to know that her boyfriend isn't her little lap dog anymore."
"She'll just have to deal." Little did anyone realize that Spike and Katrina were not the only ones that had seen the tender kiss that Angel had given Willow. A pair of angry blue eyes looked in from the large living room window, the owner seething at the tenderness between the souled vampire and the red headed witch. She left the house, looking for something to kill, the betrayal of her best friend causing her to lose sight of the fact that she and Angel were never meant to be. She walked all over Sunnydale, no place in particular for a destination. When she finally looked up, she was surprised to find herself outside of her friend's boyfriend. She smiled as a planned formed in her mind and went up to ring the doorbell, not caring how late it was. When the occupant of the house finally answered the door, his clothes in disarray, she smiled evilly.
"Oz, I think we need to talk."
~Part: 13~
"Oz, I think we need to talk."
"Willow, wait up," Oz called when he saw the red head walking down the school hallway. He had been calling her name for the last five minutes but she seemed to be in another world. Finally she heard him and she gulped, having completely forgotten about her boyfriend with all of the excitement over Angels return and the feelings that were shared between the vampire and the witch.
Willow stopped and waited for the werewolf to catch up to her, knowing that she had to tell him about what had happened the night before, including the fact that it appeared that she and Angel were a part of the prophecy that had brought Katrina to Sunnydale. When he finally managed to catch up to her, she plastered a smile onto her face and turned to face him, sorry for what she had to say, but knowing that it had to be done.
"Hey, Oz."
"Didn't you hear me calling you earlier? It looked like you were in a trance," the musician said as he leaned in to kiss her. He frowned when she pulled away from. She had never done that before, even after they had argued about something. It was then that he realized that what Buffy had told him before was true. He had lost Willow and he knew that there was nothing he could do about it. "It's true, isn't it?"
"What's true," the petite red head asked.
"About you and Angel." Willow paled as she realized that somehow Oz knew about what had occurred between the two people. She nodded her head, unable to say anything to the first boy that had ever paid any attention to her. She could see the sadness in his eyes and it tore at her knowing that she was the one that put it there. "Can we go somewhere to talk?" Willow allowed Oz to lead her to a deserted classroom.
"I'm sorry," she finally managed to say as she faced Oz with tears running down her face. "We didn't mean for it to happen, it just did."
"You love him." Willow nodded her confirmation, unable to look at Oz in the face. "Does he love you?"
"He says he does."
"And you believe him?"
"I want to," Willow stated. "I need to. He makes me feel complete. There's this connection between us. I don't know if it's always been there, but its there now."
"And how do I fit into all of this?" Willow sighed, regret at hurting Oz apparent in her voice.
"I don't want to hurt you but I can't see any way of not doing that without giving up on what might be happening between me and Angel," Willow explained.
"I do care about you Oz. You were my first real love. I will always want you in my life but I'll understand if you would rather me stay away from you." Oz took Willow's hand in his.
"I'm not saying that it doesn't hurt knowing that you and Angel are together, but I do understand it," Oz surprised Willow by saying. She looked up at him and he could see the shock in her face at his statement. "Willow, you said you don't have any idea of how long that connection between you and Angel had been there, but I can tell you something. I felt it every time Angelus so much as looked at you. There was an emotion there that was completely different from the hatred that he often had towards the others. I knew a time would come when you had to make the decision between him and I if his soul was ever returned to him. And as soon as I heard about Katrina and the prophecy I knew that the time had come for you to finally be with him. He loves you."
"He told me he did," she informed Oz. "Angelus came to me the night after he lost his soul. After he attacked me at the school. He had told me that he had never intended on killing me. Only on taking what Angel had always been too afraid to go for."
"So, Angelus told you that Angel loved you," Oz concluded. "The one thing I don't understand is why you didn't feel like you could tell me." Willow broke into fresh tears at the calm, understanding way that Oz was accepting all of what he was being told.
"I couldn't. I mean, Angel and Buffy were so in love, or so I thought," she cried. "And Angelus was known for the head games he loved to play. I thought he was just trying to use me to get back at Buffy or something. But, when I was talking to Kat and Spike the other night, they helped me understand that it wasn't. That what Angelus had said was true."
"You've been hanging around Kat and Spike a lot lately, haven't you," Oz asked, trying to not sound like he was accusing the couple for turning Willow against them.
"Yeah," Willow admitted. "There's something about Kat that just makes me want to get to know her. I mean, she and I are so similar its scary. And I get this feeling that I should know her or something. Does that make any sense?"
"She's how you wish others would let you be." Again Willow looked shocked at how well Oz understood her. He knew her so well. "You see Katrina as someone you can look up to. Someone who is willing to let you find out things on your own, without being told what to do or how to do it. She isn't trying to protect you, like Buffy or Giles. She doesn't see you just as a best friend, like Xander. And she doesn't see you as the sweet innocent beautiful girl that I remember falling in love with last year." Willow blushed at Oz's compliment, knowing that he wasn't saying that last part as a way to make her feel guilty for breaking up with him. "Kat lets you be you, or at least discover what you want to be." Willow nodded her head.
"She is pretty cool. I mean, she is so different from Buffy," Willow explained, "that I can't believe she was ever a Slayer. And you should see Spike around her. He's completely different. Okay, sarcasm aside, he's really nice. And Michelle absolutely loves him. He's a great father."
"Well, maybe you'll have to introduce me to them sometime," Oz offered, wanting to be a part of Willow's life, no matter how. "They sound like an interesting family."
"They are." Willow thought of something that she had let pass earlier in the conversation. "Oz, how did you know about Angel and I?" This time is was Oz's turn to look uncomfortable.
"Well, I had a visitor earlier this morning." Willow felt a weight in the pit of her stomach, fearing who that visitor was.
"Who?"
"Buffy," Oz answered. "She came by after you performed the spell to give
Angel his soul back. She told me about you and Angel and wanted my help to try and break up whatever was brewing between the two of you. Apparently she was spying and saw the two of you kiss." Willow blanched at the thought of the Slayer's reaction to the relationship that was forming between the souled vampire and the fledgling witch. "She wasn't happy, to say the least."
"No, I can imagine," Willow said, trying to steady herself on the desk. She remembered how angry Buffy had been before the kiss, when Angel had told her that he didn't feel comfortable in her presence. She had accused Willow and Katrina of doing something to him. Making him feel closer to Willow than her. If Buffy had seen the kiss between Willow and Angel, she was certain that the angry the blonde had was now a full fledged hate. "What did she say?"
"She accused Katrina and Spike of putting some kind of spell on Angel, to make him want you instead of her," Oz told her. "Even went so far as to say that you had a hand in it too."
"And what did you do?"
"Nothing. I let her rant, figuring that silence was the only thing I could do. As soon as she told me that you two were together, I knew that the time had come for the truth to come out. I just didn't think it was my place to say anything to her about it. She seemed pretty sure that I would help her in whatever plan she cooked up to break you two apart."
"And will you?" Oz shook his head.
"I already told you that I had expected you and Angel to get together," Oz reminded her. "All I want is for you to be happy. I wish I was the one that was able to do that for you, but since I'm not, I'll support you and Angel together." Willow jumped down from the desk and gave the multi-colored hair boy a hug.
"Thank you, Oz," she whispered. "I don't know what I would do if you hated me."
"Hey, I could never hate you. You're too special of a girl for anyone to hate."
"Other than Buffy, you mean," Willow corrected as she pulled away from him.
"Yeah, well, Buffy's an idiot if she can't see what's right in front of her, but don't worry. I'm sure things will work out fine once she realizes that you and Angel were meant to be together," he tried to reassure the red head.
"I hope so," Willow replied, hoping that her friendship with the Slayer could be salvage, but knowing that there was a good chance that Buffy was about to declare war on anyone that stood between her and what she wanted.
~Part: 14~
Willow took a deep breath as she stood outside of the library doors. She had avoided the library all day, and Buffy, afraid of what the upcoming confrontation with the Slayer was going to be like. She knew that Buffy was not happy about seeing Willow and Angel kiss, and Willow was terrified that Buffy was going to take that anger out physically. Finally, once she gained as much courage as she thought she could, Willow walked into the library and immediately felt the stares of everyone present upon her.
Giles was standing by the counter with Agents Scully and Mulder. Buffy was at the table with Cordelia and Xander. Both groups looked at Willow in shock, as if trying to discern whether Buffy had been telling the truth. Willow sighed as she realized that there was a good chance that her friends wouldn't understand what had happened the night before. She suddenly wished that Angel were with her. Even Oz would have been nice since he had already given her his support.
"Is it true?" Xander asked, looking at his oldest and dearest friend. Buffy had come in bitching about how Willow had stolen Angel from her. The Slayer told them all about what she had seen when she spied on the group. Xander didn't doubt that Buffy had indeed seen Angel and Willow kiss but, unlike the Slayer, he wasn't willing to get upset with Willow. He hadn't missed the looks that vampire had given her and he was sure that whatever was going on between the two of them, it was meant to be.
"It's true," Willow nodded her head, not even bothering to deny what had happened. "Angel and I are together."
"You slut," Buffy shouted, jumping to her feet. "You lying, two faced little tramp. How dare you go after my boyfriend." Willow was about to reply when she received some unexpected support.
"Buffy, be quiet," Giles ordered, instantly silencing the blonde. The librarian turned to Willow, his face showing a gentleness that she hadn't seen there in a long time. Since Angelus had killed Jenny. "How did it happen?"
Willow thought for a moment, trying to decide what exactly she should before deciding to just tell them the truth. "I'm not really sure. I mean, I always had a crush on him, I guess, but always in that "he's my best friend's boyfriend so hands off" kinda way," she tossed in when she saw Buffy get even angrier. "But I never did anything about it."
"And Angel?"
"I don't know," Willow shrugged. "Angelus told me that Angel always liked me and that was why." the red head suddenly quieted, not sure she wanted to tell the others why Angel had lost his soul according to Angelus. She had a feeling that it wouldn't go over well.
"Do you think it has anything to do with the prophecy that Katrina had talked about?" Mulder asked. "Maybe that's why your feelings are suddenly coming to the surface."
"That's what Katrina thinks," Willow told everyone. "She's pretty sure that it has something to do with the whole 'new love found' thing. All I know is that I care for Angel and he says he cares for me."
"But that would mean that three of the four people are here," Scully pointed out, remembering the prophecy that she had been going over since finding out about it. Even she had to admit that she couldn't scientifically explain away everything she had seen since arriving in Sunnydale. "You, Angel and Michelle."
"I know and that's what's bothering us," Willow told everyone as she came over to join them. She initially went to sit by Xander and Cordelia, but a glare from Buffy made her change her mind. Instead she hopped up on the library counter.
"According to the prophecy, there's new and old love, Angel and I being the new love. Then there are the oldest and youngest of the family. Again Angel and this time Michelle, who is entirely too young to have an old love."
"And it also states that two who had been separate at birth," the older red head reminded. "Has anyone bothered trying to figure out what that means?"
"I think it means that Willow may have a brother or sister out there somewhere," a new voice suggested from the library door.
"Oh look, it's the slut's best friend," Buffy commented dryly as she watched Katrina enter the room. The witch just stared at the Slayer, not saying anything to the younger girl.
"It would make sense," Katrina continued, ignoring Buffy's comment.
"But I don't have a sister," Willow protested. "I mean, I'm pretty sure that my mom and dad would have told me if I did." Katrina went over to the confused girl, knowing how much her family meant to her and the fact that they might have kept a secret must hurt.
"I know how hard it must be," Katrina took Willow onto her arms. "I mean, wondering if maybe there's a relative out there that you didn't know about. But you're lucky. I've never even known my mother and father."
"Okay, here's a question," Xander threw out, trying to break the maudlin feeling that was overpowering everyone. "How do we go about finding out if there may be another Rosenberg in the world?' "I think I may be able to help with that," Mulder volunteered as he took out his cell phone. He hit in a familiar number. "Frohicke, Mulder, I was wondering if you could help me with something."
"Hello, remember me," Buffy broke in while Mulder was talking on the phone. "The Slayer. Angel's true love. The injured party." "Yes, Buffy, what is it?" Giles asked.
"I want to know why everyone is so concerned with helping the slut find her family?" Willow looked at her friend; upset at the way Buffy was reacting to the news that Angel and Willow had gotten together. She knew that the blonde wasn't happy, but she had hoped that maybe Oz had been exaggerating when he told her about the girl's reaction to what she had seen.
"We are trying to help Willow," the Watcher emphasized the red head's name, "because this prophecy could be extremely important and it concerns her. Now I would appreciate it if you could look past your anger and help us."
"I don't think so," Buffy spat out, walking over to Willow, who tried to hide behind Katrina. "You're going to pay for trying to steal my boyfriend, you little bitch. You'll regret the day you ever messed with anything of mine." Everyone watched in stunned silence as Buffy stormed out of the library.
"Uh huh," Mulder could be heard saying over the quiet. "That's right, Willow Rosenberg." "Who is he talking to?" Katrina asked Scully.
"A couple of friends of his that specialize in finding out all kinds of information," the agent replied. "They also love finding evidence of supposed government conspiracies."
"You aren't talking about the Lone Gunman, are you?" Katrina questioned the surprised Scully, who could only nod her head. The witch went over and grabbed the phone out of a startled Mulder's hand. "Who is this?" "Frohicke, you bastard. Put Byers on the phone."
"Hey, honey, what's up?' "We're good. Michelle's loving Sunnydale. It's just the place for her. Lots of nightlife."
"Well, we finally found Spike. He was here, as was Drusilla and Angelus."
"Yeah but we fixed that little problem, but how did you.."
"You son of a bitch. You knew that his soul was gone and you didn't tell me. I should download a virus that would take Langley and Frohicke three months for fix for this. You have no idea of what's been going on here."
"Yeah, it's about that prophecy. I think she's the one that might have the missing relative."
"You will. Great. I owe you guys one." "Yeah I'll tell Spike you said hi and give Michelle a kiss from you. Or better yet, why don't you get that cute little ass of yours on a plane and give it to her yourself."
"Okay, I'll see you then. Later sweetie." Katrina hung up the phone and handed it back to Mulder. "Byers will get back to you on that information and he's going to be on the next flight to Sunnydale." "How do you know him?" Mulder asked.
"Oh, he's Michelle's godfather."
~Part: 15~
"So, Scully, what do you think of our case?" Mulder asked as the two agents left the High School and headed towards their rental car. It was still light out, and the two agents had decided to go and investigate some of the scenes of recent attacks, trying to discern if there was any pattern that may indicate what the prophecy might foretell. Mulder knew that his partner, who always stated that everything had to have some kind of scientific explanation, was trying to justify some of the things that she had seen. And the social aspects of this case that seemed to be interfering with what was happening. Scully had never let anything interfere with an investigation and she didn't understand how Buffy, the Slayer who was charged with defending the innocents against the things that ruled the night, could be so willing to throw aside her duty because her feelings were hurt.
"To tell you the truth, Mulder, I don't know what to think," the red headed agent finally admitted. "I remember you telling me about that vampire cult you had met a few years ago, but I believed that they were really just a bunch of people that had fancied themselves vampires. People who just wanted to be the undead because of the romanticism of the stories about them."
"And now?" Scully shook her head as she recalled the events of the past few days. She had seen Spike change into game face. No matter the amount of trick lighting available, there was no way that she could explain the features that had taken over the blonde's face. Then there was the spell that she had watched be cast. She had felt the power that had passed through the room. She couldn't deny that something had happened, even if she couldn't explain it.
And then there was Rupert Giles. Scully just couldn't bring herself to call the Englishman insane, no matter what he said. Giles seemed quite able to believe why she would doubt what she had seen. In fact, he seemed quite willing to accept her disbelief. Not many were able to say that. Most people who tried to convince her of the supernatural just assumed they would be believed, even if they were in an asylum, and couldn't understand why they weren't. The librarian had been most accommodating towards the agents that had descended upon his charges, helping them understand what it was exactly that they were battling.
"Now I don't know what to think." Mulder looked over the top of the car towards the woman that had come to mean so much to him. Scully had always been able to ground him, but it didn't mean that he would let her get away with always disbelieving what was right in front of her.
"Come on, Scully," he said. "You can't honestly tell me that you have any doubts that we are dealing with the supernatural here. That Spike and Angel are really vampires or that Willow and Katrina are witches."
"I'll admit that it does appear that there are forces here that we don't normally see and that, with everything I've seen, there do seem to be vampires in this town." Mulder smiled, knowing how much it took for his partner to admit that much. "And I will also admit that this prophecy does appear real."
"That wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that the Gunman apparently knew about it?' Mulder grinned, although he was interested in exactly how his three paranoid friends knew Katrina, Spike and Michelle. And it was obvious that at least Byers was extremely close to the trio, if the way she spoke to him was any indication.
"That's another thing that's bothering me," Scully stated. "The way she was with them over the phone. And the fact that she was able to actually get them to drop whatever they were doing to fly out here on such short notice. You've known the guys longer, is that normal for them?" Mulder shook his head as the two agents got into the car.
"Not as long as I've known them," he answered as he and Scully fastened their seatbelts and he started the car. Mulder didn't say anything until he had pulled out of the school parking lot and headed towards the Bronze, home of most of the attacks. "Other than an occasional convention where they can meet up with others like them, I've never really known them to leave DC. Even those times that we've asked for their help, its taken a lot for them to actually do it. They must really care about Katrina and Michelle to just fly to California."
"And how about Byers being Michelle's godfather," Scully commented. "I mean, nothing against Byers, but I can't see any of the Gunman as someone's moral role model."
Mulder chuckled at the thought of any of his friends being Godfathers to the precocious child that had a master vampire wrapped around her fingers. It also made him question who her natural father truly was.
"Scully, what did you think of Katrina's story about how she became pregnant with Michelle?" Scully was silent while she remembered the story that the former Slayer had told about how she and Spike had decided to allow her to take mortal lovers so that she could become pregnant.
"I don't know," she replied honestly. "Something about it doesn't seem right. From what little I've seen of Spike, he doesn't strike me as the type of man, or vampire as the case may be, that would be all to happy to have his mate take on other lovers."
"Even if it was so that she would be able to become pregnant?" Mulder elaborated.
"Even if they wanted her to become pregnant," she stated. "I'm not saying that they wouldn't agree for her to take another lover, but I'm pretty sure that they would have chosen only one person for the father. I think they would have found someone that Katrina was comfortable with, and possibly had already had an attraction for, and that man would have become her lover."
"That's what I thought," Mulder agreed. "And I have a feeling we both know who that man is." Scully nodded her head.
"Mr. Giles."
"Seems the most likely candidate," Mulder speculated. "There is a history between the two of them that neither seems particularly eager to discuss. And his reaction to her being alive did appear to be something more than just seeing a long lost friend. We also can't forget his willingness to not inform his superiors of her appearance. Everything indicates that they were extremely close."
"But if that's the case, why would she take the risk of him knowing about Michelle?" Scully wondered, thinking aloud. "Giles isn't a stupid man. He will eventually figure everything out, especially if this prophecy has them spending much time together as we believe it will."
"It's not like she had a choice," Mulder pointed out. He pulled into the parking lot across from the alley behind the Bronze. He turned to his partner. "I just hope Giles doesn't do anything stupid." At Scully's confused gaze, Mulder elaborated.
"When he figures out the he may be Michelle's father. Somehow I don't think Spike and Katrina will take it nicely him trying to interfere with their lives." Scully sat back and thought about that while Mulder got out of the car. She followed him and the two agents went to look around the area that had seen the most disappearances.
"Ello luv," Spike said as he walked into the library with Michelle at his side. The little girl ran over to where her mother was seated, wrapping her arms around her neck. Katrina placed a kiss on Michelle's forehead before standing and giving Spike one also.
?I didn't think you would be here for at least another hour," she told him. "Not like I'm complaining or anything." Spike grinned as he stole another kiss from his mate.
"Hey, remember me?" Came a little voice from between the two. The couple broke apart and Spike picked up his daughter.
"Like we could ever forget you, princess." Spike proceeded to tickle Michelle until the little girl began to squirm in her efforts to get down. "So where are the others? I would have figured that everyone would be here trying to figure out what's up with the prophecy." "Well, Giles is in his office," Katrina explained, watching as Michelle went over and sat at the table. Cordelia and Xander went out to get something to eat. Those two agents, Mulder and Scully went on a little tour of the town while it was still light. I sent Willow home to get some sleep. They should all be back in a little while." "And Slutty?" Katrina hit her mate, admonishing him for the nickname he had given to the blonde Slayer that was currently threatening to disrupt the prophecy.
"You don't want to know," she sighed. Katrina ran her hand through her long hair. Spike knew her well enough to recognize that as a sign that something was bothering the mortal that he loved.
"What happened?" He questioned, sitting her in her chair again, he began to rub her shoulders and he could feel the tension that was there.
"Apparently Buffy was playing Harriet the Spy last night after the ritual," Katrina informed Spike. "She was there when Angel and Willow kissed." "Bloody hell," Spike swore.
"Daddy," Michelle admonished.
"Sorry, princess," he apologized, then turned back to his mate. "And what happened?"
"Let's just say she didn't take it well," Katrina informed Spike. "I wouldn't be surprised if we had a visit from Anyanka."
"You really think she would call a vengeance demon because Peaches and Red got together?" Spike questioned. "I mean, granted, the blonde bimbo isn't exactly the brightest apple in the bushel but even she wouldn't resort to that, would she?"
"I don't think so," the brunette witch replied. "Then again, with Buffy and the state that she was in when she left, I wouldn't put anything past her. She's blaming it all on Willow, saying that she must have done something while we were casting the spell to make Angel fall in love with her. I'm afraid she may do something to interfere with the prophecy." Spike knelt down, his blue eyes meeting Katrina's.
"I'll kill her before I let her do something that may hurt our daughter," Spike promised. He had given up too much so that his mate and his daughter were safe, and he refused to allow anyone to interfere when he was so close to finally having everything that he wanted.
"I know, sweetie." Katrina cupped Spike's cheek with her hand. "So will I, even if she is human and a fellow Slayer. This prophecy is too important for us to allow Buffy's hurt feelings to interfere with what needs to happen. It's bad enough that we don't yet know who else is involved with this."
"Speaking of which, has anyone figured out who the missing person may be?" Spike wanted to know. He wanted all the pieces that needed to be together in place so that nothing could go wrong. Katrina smiled as she thought of the earlier phone call.
"Well, seems Agent Mulder decided to make a phone call to a couple of friends of his," she told Spike. "Asked them to look into Willow possibly having a sister." "And?"
"Byers and the guys will be here sometime tonight, hopefully with the information." Spike fell back on his butt.
"Mulder called the Gunmen?" Katrina nodded her head, smiling.
"Uncle Byers is coming for a visit?" Michelle asked, coming up to join her parents. Katrina picked the little girl up, sitting her in her lap.
"That's right," she told her daughter.
"The guys all want to get a good look at how much you've grown since the last time they saw you. And, knowing Langley the way I do, I wouldn't be surprised it they bring something special for you." "Goody," Michelle exclaimed, bouncing on her mother's knees. "I like Uncle Langley's presents. He always gives me neat stuff for my computer." "Well, it looks like the whole gang will be here," Spike muttered. "Can things get any stranger?"
~Part: 16~
"Are they here yet?" An excited Michelle asked as she entered the library.
Michelle, Katrina and Spike had all gone out to get something to eat before the meeting that night and they were just arriving back.
"Are who here yet?" Giles replied, looking between the little girl that reminded him so much of her mother and the woman whom had reentered his life after such a long time of being absent. Katrina stood at the entrance to the library, Spike at her side, watching as their daughter ran around the library looking for someone.
"The Gunmen," Katrina answered. At Giles' confused look, she added. "The Lone Gunmen. Mulder's friends. They're supposed to be arriving sometime soon and, hopefully, tell us who the missing person is in the prophecy."
"Where's Uncle Byers?" Michelle asked again, once she was satisfied that the three men weren't anywhere in the library. Spike picked up his daughter and carried her to the table in the middle of the room.
"He'll be here soon, princess," the blonde vampire promised. He probably just had to make sure that they government didn't booby trap the plan or something." Michelle laughed at the image of her favorite uncle going over a plane for traps. Michelle might have been young but she knew how much her Uncle Byers and his friends didn't trust the government and they had impressed upon her the need to trust only those closest to her. Her mom and dad. That they were the only ones that would never lie to her. But Michelle was sure that her Uncle Byers and Frohicke and Langley would never lie to her either.
"Spike, would you stop encouraging her," Katrina admonished, smiling at her mate. Giles looked at them confused. He knew that Spike liked to joke about things, but for some reason Giles found himself believing the vampire this time. It wouldn't be all that surprising that Katrina would find herself friends with people thought that they government might booby trap a plane.
"I'm not doing a thing," Spike protested, looking like the perfect picture of innocence. Unfortunately for him, Katrina wasn't buying a word of it and he just grinned at the former Slayer. "Oh come on pet, you have to admit that they are a bit on the strange side."
"Why? Because they don't trust the government in regards to the truth?" Katrina asked. "Spike you and I both know what secrets the government hides. Hell, we're two of them. Remember that creepy cigarette smoking freak that we ran into a few years ago back in Madrid? He kept trying to get you to turn some kid so that they could do tests on him. It wasn't until I threatened to stake him with a really blunt piece of wood that he finally backed off."
"I remember pet," Spike wrapped his arms around Katrina, dropping a quick kiss on her lips. "And I was never more proud of you than I was right then. You were fantastic. The way you got all possessive and pissed. You're eyes glowed and I could just sense the power rolling off of you in waves. Damn but if you didn't make me want to claim you there and then."
"Like you waited all that long," Katrina smiled. Giles cleared his throat, reminding the couple that they weren't alone in the room. Katrina looked sheepishly at her ex-lover, only slightly embarrassed at the way that she and Spike were basically undressing each other with their eyes. She could see that it bothered Giles to see her so obviously happy with the vampire but Katrina refused to allow that to stop her from living the life that she had wanted since the age of sixteen. A life that included Spike and Michelle.
"Ummmm, do you think these friends of your sand Agent Mulder will be able to find the information that you requested?" Giles inquired, trying to get the focus back onto the reason everyone was expected to arrive in the library. Katrina nodded her head just as the door to the library opened, admitting Willow, Xander, Xander and Cordelia.
"If the Gunmen can't find it, then it isn't there to be found," the dark haired witch replied. "Hey guys, glad you could make it."
"Isn't everyday when you find out that your best friend might have a sister somewhere out there," Xander quipped. Cordelia hit him over the back of his head. "What was that for?"
"For being an insensitive jerk," the cheerleader answered. When Xander went to ask what he had done this time, Cordelia cut him off. "Like its gotta be a picnic for Willow to realize that her parents might have been lying to her her whole life and that there may be someone out there that is related to her. Please, considering the fact that all of our lives are so screwed up and we are all only children, what kind of difference might it have made to her if she had had someone to grow up with? She might not have grown up into the nerd that she is today."
"Umm, thanks, I think," Willow mumbled. Angel took Willow into his arms, kissing the top of her head.
"At least you're my nerd." Willow looked up at him, a smile on her face and he bent down to kiss her on the lips. "Love you Willow," he whispered as they parted.
"Love you too."
"Well, isn't this sweet. The slut all wrapped up in my boyfriend's arms," Buffy sneered as she joined the growing crowd in the library. Oz followed her in, but separated himself as soon as he entered, making it clear that he didn't support Buffy in whatever she might have planned.
"Oh do shut up Buffy," Giles ordered his slayer, shocking her with his impatience. The Watcher, for his part, had decided that whatever happened between Willow and Angel was meant to be and, after seeing the two of them together, Giles had to agree that they did make a good couple. They complimented each other in ways that they weren't when they were with Buffy and Oz.
"But Giles," Buffy began to protest, only to be cut off by the librarian.
"No, buts, Buffy," he told her. "I know how much it must hurt to see Angel and Willow together, but they are and that's the way it is. Nothing you do or say can change." Giles tone soften when he saw the defeated look in Buffy's eyes. He understood that Buffy was hurting to see her love and her best friend together but he knew that she had to get through it, for everyone's sake. "It will be all right Buffy."
"It hurts, Giles," Buffy cried. He went over to the blonde, wrapping her in his arms.
"I know it does, but it will get better." When Willow went over to help comfort her friend, Giles signaled for her to stay away. He didn't think it would help if Willow tried to help Buffy deal with her relationship with Angel. He knew that it would take a long time for the Slayer to accept the relationship between the witch and the vampire. Giles led the young girl into his office so that she could have some privacy. No one said anything until he came back, shutting the door behind him.
"Is she going to be okay?" Willow asked, worried for Buffy. Giles removed his glasses, cleaning them with his handkerchief.
"I don't know, Willow," he answered honestly. "I certainly hope so but she had been under a lot of stress lately. First with Angelus loose and now with Angel back, with a permanent soul, but with you. It may be too much for her to take."
"Ripper, I know you care for the girl, but I won't allow her to interfere with the prophecy," Katrina stated. "I can't. Michelle's life depends on it and I won't risk my daughter's life for your Slayer's broken heart."
Giles nodded his head, understanding Katrina's concerns.
"I know, Kat, and don't worry. I won't do anything to interfere either and I will do my best to make sure that Buffy doesn't do anything either, but I can't make any promises," he told her. Anymore discussion was interrupted by the library doors opening once again to admit the last of the arrivals.
Agents Mulder and Scully led three men into the library and the occupants took in the fact that all three men looked extremely uncomfortable there.
"Uncle Byers," Michelle cried out, running over to the tallest of the three men, who was the only one in a suit. Byers knelt down, taking the little girl into his arms, smiling as she placed a kiss on his cheek.
"Hey, sweetheart," the dark haired man greeted Michelle. "How's my best gal?"
"I'm good. Daddy's here," she answered.
"So I heard." Byers looked up to where Katrina and Spike stood together, his smile growing larger as he saw the blonde's arm around her waist. "Hey Kat, still with the bleached wonder I see. Thought you would have gotten better taste than that by now."
"Yeah well, you refuse to leave the Gunmen, I had to have someone in my life, didn't I?" Katrina teased as she went over and greeted her friend. She gave Byers a long hug and kiss on the cheek, which was returned by the man, surprising Mulder and Scully who had never seen him exhibit such a tender and teasing side before. Katrina pulled back and greeted the other two strangers. "Frohicke, Langley, looking as good as usual."
"Hey we were coming to see our best gal, we had to dress spiffy," Langley commented. "Speaking of which." The blonde man bent down and took something out of his pocket, handing it to Michelle. "I believe this is for you." The little girl squealed when she saw what it was. In her hands was a mini tape recorder. Complete with extended microphone so she could eavesdrop on conversation outside of a room.
"Cool," she squealed. "Thanks Uncle Langley." Mulder shook his head in disbelief.
"Uncle Langley," he muttered. "Never thought I would see the day. You are going to have to tell me how you guys know each other."
"Oh that's simple," Byers answered. "Kat here is one of the best hackers out there. And considering the access she has to some of the most confidential files in the government, she's one of our best sources, so when I had the chance to meet her a few years ago in London, I did. She was with Spike then and we became friend. Just progressed from there."
"And Michelle?" Mulder questioned.
"You mean how did I become Michelle's godfather?" Mulder nodded. "Well, I was there when Kat went into labor. And, since it was the middle of the day, it wasn't like Spike could go to the hospital with her, so I went. He came as soon as he could, but I stayed with them. It was amazing."
"It just made sense for him to be the godfather after that," Katrina added."And he's been a blessing ever since," Spike further commented. "Helps us when people get too close to knowing that Kat's still alive. Kept us a step ahead of the bloody Watcher's quite a few times now." A cough could be heard coming from Giles' direction. While he was intrigued by the fact that Katrina seemed to know quite a few people that have some strange connections, he didn't want them to get too distracted from the reason that they had come together.
"Ummm, can we please get back to why your friends came?" The Watcher asked, promptly bringing the group back to business. Katrina nodded and walked over to Willow, who was still sitting down, Angel next to her. Kat rested her hand on Willow's shoulder.
"Byers, Frohicke. Langley, this is Willow Rosenberg, the girl we had called about," katrina introduced. "And this is Angel, as you already know."
"Did you, you know, find out if I had a sister or anything?" Willow quietly asked, not sure if she truly wanted the answer. Byers walked over to the trio.
"In 1973 a daughter was born to Ira and Sheila Rosenberg. We were able to discover that the family went to Europe when the girl was a little over a year old but returned without her. They told people that she had been killed but there is no record of an American infant killed in Europe during that time," Byers explained gently.
"Do you know what happened to the child?" Katrina asked. Byers nodded his head. "Where is she?"
"She's here. In Sunnydale."
"What?" Willow exclaimed.
"Willow, your sister is Katrina."
~Part: 17~
"What did you just say?" Katrina asked, suddenly finding that her legs no longer supported her weight. Spike wrapped his arms around his mate, holding her up and he could feel the shock over the words that had just been spoken go through her body.
"You're Willow's sister, Kat," Byers repeated, both happy and sad for his friend. He knew that while Katrina had come to terms long ago that her family hadn't wanted anything to do with her destiny, the news that she had finally found them would upset her. Especially considering the circumstances surrounding the discovery.
"Are you sure, mate?" Spike questioned, wanting to make sure of what they were being told.
"We triple checked everything," Frohicke answered. "We're sure."
"I have a sister," Katrina whispered. "I have a family."
"We always knew you had a family, luv," Spike told the witch, trying to comfort her. "We just always assumed that they were a bunch of right bastards for leaving you the way they did. Then again, considering the way they've ignored Red, maybe you were better off growing up with the Watchers."
"Katrina, are you going to be okay," a quiet voice interrupted Spike.
Katrina looked up into the concerned emerald green eyes of her newly discovered sister and remembered that she wasn't the only one to be shocked by the news of her family status. Willow's world had also been turned upside down.
"Its just gonna take some getting used to," the woman told the red head. "I mean, after all this time, to find out that I have a sister. Its just a bit of a shock, but I guess you know what that feels like, huh? How are you doing?"
"Well, I've had a little more time to adjust to this whole thing that you have," Willow smiled. "But I am kinda glad about it. I mean, if I had to have a sister, I'm glad its you." Katrina returned Willow's smile with one of her own.
"Same here."
"Now we know why you felt such a kinship with the witch, luv," Spike told his love. "Must have been the whole blood thing."
"Wow, Wills, you have a Slayer for a sister," Xander finally said, after digesting the information that had just been issued. "That is so cool. Not to mention the whole master vampire as a brother in law."
"Wait a minute, does this mean I'm dating my sister's father-in-law?" Willow questioned, a teasing glint in her eye. "That just sounds so wrong. I mean, I can be my sister's mother-in-law."
"Talk about a soap opera," Cordelia commented. "Only on the hellmouth would something like this happen."
"You're my aunt?" Came a small voice. Willow and Katrina looked down into Michelle's curiosity filled eyes, Katrina bending down to pick up her daughter.
"That's right, sweetheart," Katrina confirmed. "Willow here is your new Aunt. How does that make you feel?"
"Coolness," Michelle replied. "I always wanted an aunt. Well that and a little brother." Katrina looked over at Spike, both actually blushing at their daughter's bluntness, all the while everyone else laughing at the obvious discomfort Michelle's innocent statement caused among her parents.
"Well, at least you got one of them, for now," Willow informed the little girl who quickly left her mother's lap and jumped into Willow's arms, hugging her new found relative.
"Yes, well, all that is well and good," Giles interrupted, happy for the two women that they finally had a family that they could call their own. He always knew that it was the one thing that Katrina had truly wanted growing up, even if she did say otherwise. And Willow's parents had never been the most attentive of caregivers, so now that she had a sister and a niece, the younger girl had others that cared for her. "But now that we know all of the players, courtesy of your and Agent Mulder's friends, we can now concentrate on deciphering the rest of the prophecy."
"Right," Katrina gathered herself tighter, drawing from the strength that Spike was giving her. She knew that there would be plenty of time for her and Willow to get used to the idea of being sisters, but for right now, the prophecy had to come first. "So, now that we know the identity of Willow's sister, namely me, we know the two are that were separated at birth."
"Wait, you're also the love renewed part two," Willow brightly volunteered from her seat by Angel. She pointed at Katrina and Spike. "You two were separated too and you've found your way back to each- other."
"She's right, pet," Spike agreed, holding his mate close to him. "I can't believe we never figured that part out for ourselves."
"Probably because you were too worried about Michelle's part in it," Byers informed the pair as he and the others took seats at the table. Michelle quickly went over to them and jumped up in her Uncle Byers' lap. The little girl had never had so much family present in one room. She loved the fact that everyone she cared about was together.
"He's right," Katrina added. "We were concerned with what might happen to you and Michelle, that we never really thought that maybe I had a part to play as well. But now we know, so let's get cracking on figuring out the rest of the prophecy."
"Well, I'm thinking that Drusilla will have something to do with it," Angel finally volunteered. The dark haired, recently resouled vampire had been silent throughout most of the happenings. He was happy for Willow to have discovered a family but he also knew how much it had taken out of her to realize that her parent's hadn't told her about Katrina. "She wasn't happy that Spike was with you. In fact, that's what we were doing there the other night. She wanted to hurt him, and you, as punishment for his betrayal.
"I had a feeling there had to be a reason you showed up on our doorstep so soon after the spell had been completed, Peaches," Spike quipped. "Damn, I knew that Dru suspected that you were in town, I just didn't realize that she had already figured it out, let alone where you were living." Spike turned to face his mate. "You and Michelle aren't safe. Dru won't stop going after the two of you until she succeeds in killing you." Katrina cupped Spike's cheek with her hand, leaning into him until the foreheads were touching.
"We haven't been safe since Michelle was born," she reminded him. "Dru has known about me all along. If it wasn't for the fact that she wasn't exactly healthy, then there's a good chance that she would have come after us years ago. As it is, she only knows that you and I are involved. She doesn't truly know of your role in Michelle's life. Besides, it isn't like we can go anywhere with this prophecy hanging over our heads. It just means that it will be slightly easier to anticipate what she might do."
"There is no anticipating what Dru might do," the blonde vampire amended. "She's completely unpredictable, especially since she'll see you as someone who took not only myself but her daddy away from her."
"Spike's right," Angel added. "Dru is out for blood. Your's to be exact."
"We'll just have to make sure that she doesn't get a chance to do anything," Langley volunteered. "I mean, there has to be some way of making sure that Michelle and Kat are safe."
"IF there isn't, I'm sure we can think of something," Frohicke put in.
The two gunman had spent most of the past ten years separating themselves from the human race, only allowing in a few people. And they didn't like the idea of the two that were the closest to them being in any harm from anyone. It was one thing that would probably shock Mulder and Scully, who had no idea of what, or who, had truly helped them over the years. Katrina could see the dangerous glint in the normally easy going Gunmen and knew that they would do everything that they could to make sure that Michelle and herself would be okay.
"You know," Mulder said, shaking his head, "this isn't something that I actually expected when I looked into this case."
"What?" Scully questioned. "I thought you were looking forward to seeing vampires. It was what drew you into the case, after all."
"No, I had hoped for that," Mulder answered. "I meant the Gunmen. I never thought I would see the day that they would actually make plans to kill someone."
"Not someone," Byers corrected. "A vampire. And one that thinks that she can hurt someone that we care about."
"And I appreciate it guys," Katrina told them. "But, stop worrying so much. None of plan on dying any time soon, especially now that I've discovered I've got a sister."
"Same here," Willow jumped in. "I mean, I just found out that me and Kat are related. There's no way I'm going anywhere yet."
"Katrina is your sister," Buffy exclaimed by the spot that she occupied by Giles' office. Everyone had been so preoccupied with making sure that Kat and Michelle, and Willow, would be protected that they had forgotten about the blonde Slayer that had broken down earlier. "Well, then, that explains everything."
"What are you talking about, Buffy," Giles asked, going over to his charge. She glared at him, before turning her stare to the two sisters.
"Why Angel is suddenly in love with Willow," the blonde spat out. "Katrina did something to make him fall for her because Willow and her are sisters."
"We just discovered that Katrina is Red's sister, you stupid chit," Spike growled, not liking the way that the Slayer was looking at his mate. Everyone might have assumed that Drusilla was the one that was being talked about in the prophecy, but he knew that his dark princess wasn't the only threat to his family.
"We only know what Katrina, your mate," Buffy hissed," has told us. How do we know that she hasn't known all along that she and Willow are related. Maybe that's why she was so hot and bothered to restore Angel's soul and make it permanent. So that her little sis could have someone to call her own."
"That isn't why at all, and you know it," Katrina retorted. "I had nothing to do with Angel and Willow being together. That was all them."
"SO says you."
"So say I," Angel finally put in. "Katrina didn't do anything to make me fall for Willow. That was all me. Even as Angelus, I cared for her. That's why I couldn't kill her, despite what you may think." Buffy shook her head, once again denying what she was being told.
"No, you and I are soulmates and I'll prove it to you," Buffy informed everyone. "I'll show you all." And with that declaration, the blonde Slayer ran from the library, leaving behind a stunned and nervous group of people.
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