Disclaimer still in full effect. I own nothing, they own all, I'm only playing.


Previously...

"Right." Buffy agreed. "The prophecy... I don't really know much about it guys. It's the whole cryptic 'you can't know right now' type of thing."

"Well, let's start with what you do know, yes?" Her Watcher prompted.
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Buffy shifted uncomfortably in her chair as she felt everyone's eyes fall explicitly on her. The entire group was placed sporadically throughout the living room waiting anxiously for her to begin her tale. To say she felt on the spot would be a huge understatement, but she knew that she had to get this over with and with a quickness. Ok, where to start, where to start... They're all lookin' at me... God, I hope I don't have coffin hair... No- back on track Buffy... ok, where to start...

She cleared her throat rather dramatically and began speaking, "All right, so- There's this whole big thing where there's this prophecy about me that no one knew about. Not even the Powers. Apparently, it's been around, but hidden somehow? I dunno, and I don't understand it all; but the person that wrote it put some mojo whammy on it so that it stayed hidden until one certain event happened to jump-start the whole deal." She paused for a second to make sure that everyone was paying attention and was rewarded with the fact that her friends were still watching her intently, You’d think a girl would be used to this by now...

Giles took the opportunity to speak up during her pause, "What was this catalyst then? What jump-started it?"

Buffy turned to him and looked him straight in the eyes, and shrugging simply answered, "My death."

Giles gave a small smile and responded, "Yes, I guess that should've been rather obvious."

Xander piped up quick with the wittiness as always, "Yeah G-man, even I figured that one out."

Giles rolled his eyes and sighed loudly responding out of habit. "Don't call me that."

"He's got a point Giles." Anya contributed. "You're supposed to be the smart one of the group. Ya know. Since you most likely were quite the book worm and nerd growing up, you worked at the Watcher's Council for years and wore tweed and all."

Giles glared at Anya, "Just because I happen to be intelligent doesn't mean I was a nerd, as you put it."

"Yeah, Ripper's got some stories I'm sure Anyanka." Spike said smirking, which caused Giles to aim his glare in the vampire's direction instead of the ex-demon.

"Oh I've heard bits and pieces of stories from his rebellious days. The raising of powerful demons doesn't go unnoticed by other demons. But, those were just that, rebellious days. He was still a nerd at heart I'm sure." She seemed to consider something for a second, "He was prob'ly a momma's boy growing up, which in turn caused him to increase his intellect instead of masculinity." She added that last bit in her usual tactless manner.

Giles puffed up his chest, "I'll have you know Anya that my masculinity or lack thereof, has never been an issue. In fact-"

Giles' tirade was impeded by Willow clearing her throat. When everyone turned to her, she lifted a hand and gestured in Buffy's direction with a look on her face that clearly said 'its story time so shush'.

"Right, sorry Buffy." Giles said to the Slayer in apology.

"Sorry Buff." Xander added.

"Don't look at me, I'm not apologizing, I had something to say." Anya said crossing her arms when everyone looked to her. "You people are always saying you're sorry for speaking your mind, I just don't get it."

"It's called tact Anya." Dawn supplied from her spot on the couch.

"Tact is stupid. All it is is not saying true stuff."

Xander looked off into the distance, "That sounds really familiar... Where have I heard that?"

"Cordelia." Was the resounding answer he got from everyone in the room, save Spike and Tara.

"Right," Said Xander.

"Ok people! I gave the shush look before; now I'm gonna say it- shush! And don't think I'm foolin' either, ya've all seen this face before." She said as she pointed to her patented 'resolve face'.

The members of the group that had been interrupting all adopted sheepish looks and seemed rightly reprimanded. They remained quiet and looked back to Buffy.

"Now, where was I?" Buffy asked looking off to the side at nothing trying to remember. "Oh, right. Me makin' with the deadness because of this stupid prophecy." So caught up in trying to get her thoughts in order, she missed everyone's flinch at her flippancy on the subject of her death. "So there's this prophecy about me that's been hidden for, like, eons- which by the way, those guys," she pointed towards the ceiling, "soo not happy about the whole not knowing thing. I guess they don't like not knowing what's going on with 'their’ Slayer or something." She shook her head in disgust at the supposed proprietary stance the Powers took towards her. "Anyway, it's been around for forever, but they didn't know about it till I died. The funny part is, some of the things that've happened in my life were apparently foretold in this hidden prophecy."

"Like what?" Dawn asked.

Buffy turned to her sister and shrugged, "I dunno, Captain Not-Obvious wouldn't tell me anything about that. He said we had to figure that part out," She said as she gestured to everyone in the room. "He did make it sound, though, that when we find the actual prophecy it would tell us what it was that happened that was supposed to happen. Or, at least it should hint in the 'cryptic find the clues and figure it out' kind of way." She shrugged again.

"Right, so somethin' or some things happened in your life that was all foretold in some hidden prophecy that even the higher ups didn't know about then?" Spike asked from his position against the doorframe trying to summarize everything his Slayer had said so far.

Buffy nodded, "Yup."

"Well, that clears up so much dunnit?" Spike said sarcastically, and then he harrumphed, "Shoulda known it was just some wanker yankin' us around and buggerin' with everything."

Willow spoke up then, "Where are we supposed to find this prophecy? Where do we look? And what do we look for?"

"Yeah, did they give you anything to go on? Or are we just supposed to go through all of Giles' stuffy books and hope we find something?" Xander asked with a grin.

"Is everyone going to continue to insult and poke fun of me? Or shall we stay on track?" Giles huffed.

"Just tryin' to lighten the situation here Papa Bear, that's all." Xander said slightly shamefaced.

"Yes, well, that's all well and good, but this is rather important- it's something we need to know for future reference and to help us in our research of the coming events." Giles explained, always the reasonable one. "And Papa Bear? I swear. I don't know where... No, never mind." He shook his head and then turned his attention back to the matter at hand. "What are we supposed to be looking for Buffy?"

"Well... He said to look for something that has to do with 'the chosen twice returned' and a 'child twice reverted,' whatever that means."

"Well, that at least gives us something to go on, yes? I mean, we certainly know what the 'chosen twice returned' bit is." Giles said as he shifted positions against the mantle. He turned towards Tara, "Tara, have you been getting this all down?"

"Of course Giles, you should know by now." She replied with a teasing smile.

"Right." He smiled in turn.

Willow spoke up, ever the optimist., "Well, it shouldn't be too terribly hard to find something now. We'll just look for anything that mentions that." She hopped up and down on the sofa a few times excited by the prospect of lots of research, "Oooh, this is so exciting. All those books to go through, all that ancient stuff to read about, all the possibilities." She squealed a bit, "I can't wait." Off of the looks everyone was giving her she looked slightly embarrassed, "I'm turning back to my roots aren't I, and back to the geekiness that was me in high school, huh? Ms. Nerd-y-ness Extraordinaire." She said the last bit grimacing.

"Nah." Buffy was quick to reassure, "You weren't that bad Wills. And even if you were, I happened to like it."

"I think it's cute." Tara supplied from her spot at the desk, smiling affectionately to which Willow responded in kind.

Xander threw his arm around her shoulder and gave it a squeeze, "Yeah, Wills, if you were a geek, then I was a geek and we all know I was the king off good ole SunnyD High." Everyone responded to his statement with a giggle or smile, except Spike who just smirked and gave a look that said 'yeah right'. "Ok, so maybe I wasn't the king, but let a fella keep his delusions will ya?"

Anya patted his thigh, "Sure thing honey." She turned to Willow. "And I think it's rather amusing the way you look forward to reading all those ancient languages. Sitting there for hours trying to translate dialects that've been dead for years and years, combing through mounds and mounds of musty tomes, always in search of something that seems forever out of reach, trying to decipher prophecies and portents that were purposefully written to be confusing and irritating."

By the time she finished her dialogue everyone's faces, save Dawn's, had turned a shade whiter at the implications of what lie ahead for them.

"Ok, so maybe, not so thrilling after all." Willow said with her lips pursed.

Dawn spoke up enthusiastically, "I like the research part."

Buffy scoffed, "Yeah, well you haven't been doing it for years either. It's really, really not all that great after a while." She turned sharp eyes to her sister then to everyone else in the room, "Which, by the way, we will be discussing this new research duty thing that Dawn's had going on. But not now."

The entire group looked greatly relieved for the fact that they would not be incurring the Slayer's wrath right now.

"So, we've got somethin' to do with the Slayer coming back and a 'child twice reverted'. Did he say anything else that might be deemed as remotely helpful?" Spike said, trying to get everyone's attention back to the prophecy. He was not sure what it was, but something was sitting funny when he heard the 'clues' Whistler had given Buffy and he wanted to know what else was said. I don't like not knowin' what's goin' on with m'Slayer. Those wankers up there always got somethin' up their sleeves and this chosen/child bit just doesn't sit well.

Buffy was hesitant to answer. She had her own feelings concerning who else the prophecy might involve. She remembered very clearly how adamant her mother and Whistler both were when it came to her feelings concerning the platinum vampire. If I mention the fact that Mom and the immortal butthead were heavy on the Spike lovin', I'll never hear the end of it from the gang. Plus, we don't even know if that has anything to do with anything. She finally stuttered out a response. "Um... Well, no... He didn't really say much else. I mean- he doesn't really know anything, and what he does know he's gotta keep it a secret right? So, not much he can say. And, since he doesn't know anything, and I don't know anything then we don't know anything. He certainly didn't say anything about anyone else being involved... Or, or really talk about anyone else for that matter. No one else was even brought up. At all. Nope, just me and... and me, ya know, making with the whole destiny thing."

Spike raised a skeptic eyebrow, Something’s not bein' said here... "Really? Nothin' about 'nother person was mentioned at all?"

Buffy's fluster level began to rise and her eyes widened, Oh god, he can see straight through this... He can't possibly know... Can he? She shook her head a little more emphatically than necessary and avoided his eyes, "Nope. Didn't talk about anyone but me."

He stood up a little straighter and looked at her with a question in his eyes, "No? Really? Hunh... Then what's with the child talk?" When she began to wiggle in her seat and wring her hands, Spike felt the all too familiar flutter of his undead heart and couldn't help but think how enchanting she was even nervous. Bloody hell, what this tiny slip of a girl does to me.

Buffy was unable to respond because she was not really sure how to respond. Really, not wanting to go down the road that leads to explaining Spike being talked about in Summerland. Or the strange new flutter thing that happens when he looks at me. So, she decided to go with a diversionary tactic, "OH! Oh!" She turned towards Giles, "He did say something about me being the Slayer but more- like stronger."

"So an upgraded version?" Xander asked.

"Yup." Buffy answered with a smile.

"Alright Buffy!" Willow smiled in excitement. "You'll be like a new Dell or something. Faster, more advanced hardware."

"I know, I've already said I'm Buffy 3.0." The younger members of the group all giggled at their joke while Giles, Spike and Anya just looked on with indifference. All three of them having been around for much longer they didn't really get all those technological references.

"So, since you're all evolved now, does that mean you'll be smarter too?" Dawn quipped from her spot on the couch.

Buffy turned to her sister with a mock glare, "Oh very funny little one."

"Hey! I'm bigger than you are!" Dawn argued.

"Yeah, but I'm stronger." Buffy countered.

"Pfft, only cuz you're, like, a mutant."

Buffy jumped up from her chair and began advancing on Dawn, "Take it back you heathen child you!"

Dawn giggled and scrunching herself up on the sofa for protection against the fingers Buffy was wiggling in her direction, "Nuh-uh. You're a tiny mutant and you know it."

Buffy finally reached the couch and began mercilessly tickling the younger Summers. After a few moments of horseplay, Giles interrupted. "If we could, please, get back to the important parts here? You can rough house all you want in a bit."

"Oh pooh!" Buffy whined. "You take all the fun out Giles." But, she returned her seat all the same.

"So you said that Whistler made reference to your being stronger?"

"Yeah. He said I'd have all my Slayer powers but me more than a Slayer... and all that comes with that."

"Do you suppose he meant that you'd have more powers? Something other than physical strength and advanced healing powers?" Giles inquired.

"How am I supposed to know? You're the one that makes with the brainiac stuff. And anyway, that's part of the whole 'he didn't tell me much' thing," was Buffy's sarcastic reply.

"Right. Of course."

"Alright, you're all mutant-y now and you might have more crazy powers? Gee, and here I thought you were fun to live with before." Dawn commented sarcastically.

"Hey! I wasn't that bad." Buffy said affronted. She looked to everyone else in the room, "Was I?" When the only response she got was blank looks she became defensive, "I wasn't that bad guys."

Tara, whose job it was to reassure, quickly did just that. "They're joking Buffy."

Buffy looked at the group again and saw the smiles on their faces. A sheepish smile appeared on her face, "Sure. I knew that."

Giles stood up straighter next to the mantle and took his glasses off, wiping them as per usual. When he placed them back onto his face, he glanced at the clock next to him taking note of the late hour. "Well, if there's nothing else Buffy, maybe we should all retire for the evening. I know you must be exhausted from your return and I don't know about the others, but with all the excitement I'm a bit knackered myself."

The entire gang, save Buffy and Spike, seemed to take cue from Giles' words and all simultaneously yawned.

In spite of the monster yawn she had just sported Dawn argued, "I'm not tired Giles."

"Yes, well, be that as it may, you have summer school tomorrow."

"But..." Dawn began.

"No, no arguments, you can't miss it and you know that."

"Yeah Dawnie, there's no summer school for summer school, so you know you gotta go." Willow added.

Buffy got up from her spot on the chair and walked over to her sister. Sitting on the arm of the couch, she began running soothing hands through Dawn's hair. "It's ok Dawnie; there'll be plenty of time to talk tomorrow. Mom would kill me if you failed summer school too, and as much as I love her and wanna see her again, not really wantin' to be smited by her."

Dawn scowled realizing everyone was right and stood to give everyone a hug goodnight. When she reached Spike at the door, she stopped in front of him and spoke quietly, "No more mister moody vamp now, right?"

"No Bit, no more mister moody vamp." He glanced over at Buffy chatting amicably with her friends and their eyes locked over the top of Dawn's head. When she gave him a small smile, he returned one in kind. "Think things are gonna be lookin' up now, yeah?" Since this was his Nibblet he was talking to, he had no problem letting the hope shine through where Buffy and he were concerned. He knew that he didn't really have anything to go on proving that things would be different, but she had acted differently, accepting even, since she had been back and that was something.

Dawn turned her head slightly and looked at her sister out of the corner of her eye, "Mm-hm." She said with a smile. She turned her attention back to Spike and gave him a hug. "Be good," she singsonged in his ear.

Spike took on a mock glare, "'M never good."

Dawn rolled her eyes, "Sure Spike. Whatever you say." And she walked away making her way up the stairs with a smile on her face more genuine than any in recent months. Buffy's back.

Spike turned his head and repeated hollering in good nature in Dawn's direction, "'M never good."

"Uh-huh, keep tellin' yourself that." And with that, she disappeared around the corner.

Spike turned back around when he felt Buffy's presence at his side. He smiled gently, "'Ey luv. What's up?"

"Nothin'." She slightly shook her head. "The gang's gettin' ready to head out and then I'm gonna go up and say goodnight to Dawnie." When he made to move away towards the door, she placed a restraining hand on his arm, "Hang for a sec?"

He tilted his head in curiosity and eyed her, "Sure pet. I'll just be out back havin' a smoke when you're done."

Her response was a small nod and then she turned back to her friends as he walked through the kitchen and out the back door. "Alright guys, I'll see all of you tomorrow, I'm gonna go up and see Dawn now."

"Sure thing Buff. We'll catch ya tomorrow." Xander said as he and Anya headed to the door.

"Goodnight Buffy. I'm still glad you're not dead anymore." Anya supplied from Xander's side.

"Goodnight Anya, and thanks- again."

Willow walked up to Buffy and gave her a hug, "I'm so glad you're back."

Buffy smiled and hugged her best friend back, "Me too."

Tara walked up and laid a gentle hand on Buffy's arm, "We'll be at the dorm if you need us for anything, ok?"

Buffy placed her hand over Tara's and nodded, "Ok, but we'll be fine. I'm sure we'll slide back into the groove as easy as sliding on a slip and slide." The three shared a quick giggle and then Buffy turned serious again. She looked at each of the young women gratefully, "And I know you guys have been hangin' here most of the time lately, helping with Dawn and the house stuff, so I just wanted to say thank you. I'm sure you prob'ly sacrificed your own stuff to handle our stuff."

Willow and Tara both smiled as the red head responded, "It was no problem Buffy, that's what best friends and sidekicks do."

"Yeah," Buffy agreed. "But you guys went the extra mile."

"We were more than happy to, I promise." Tara added.

Buffy had to fight to keep the tears at bay as the realization that she had such wonderful friends. No matter what they said about it being a friend's duty, or something that just happened, or how they didn't mind, she was still extremely grateful for them helping so much while she was gone. She shook her head to dispel the feeling so that she wouldn't cry, "Anyway, thanks."

The witch and Wiccan nodded and headed out the front door.

Giles was the only remaining member of the Scooby Gang left by this time. It seemed only fitting that the Watcher have a moment alone with his Slayer after she had just returned from the grave.

Buffy turned to him with amusement playing heavily in her eyes, "So, Papa Bear..."

"Stop that right there." He scolded but the smile on his face belied the tone of his voice.

"Awe, c'mon! You are the Papa of us, no use denying it or ignoring the title that comes along with it."

"I may in fact be the patriarch, but I'd prefer that you don't call me Papa Bear. Giles will do just fine thank you."

Buffy rolled her eyes, "Oh don't go all stuffy British man on me." She walked up beside him and linked her arm through his leaning her head on his shoulder. "You know you love us and our craziness, just admit it and you'll feel better."

He gave a grunt of disagreement, "Never." Giles leaned his head against Buffy's and closed his eyes grateful for this opportunity. The Watcher’s Council had accused him of being to close to her, they had even fired him for it, and he had known it to be at least a bit true. But, he had not realized the depths to which his feelings went until the moment she had not been there. Now that she was back, he was going to be eternally grateful to the Powers or whomever it was that was responsible for her return and never take any of the moments he had with her for granted.

After a moment or two of companionable silence, Buffy lifted her head from his shoulder and pulled back. "So- major research mode huh?"

Giles nodded in agreement, "Yes, I have the strong inclination that I'll be buried beneath a mountain of books, parchments and scrolls." He took his glasses off yet again and began wiping vigorously. "I will have to say that I'm glad that they gave us at least a little bit to go on- a place to start."

"Yeah, me too, although, not really sure I wanna know what this one will be about. Prophecies and Buffy are totally unmixy things ya know. But, he did say that I wouldn't die again, so- hey, that's a plus."

"Yes, that is most definitely a plus." He smiled fondly at the girl who might as well be his daughter. He began walking towards the front door grabbing his light jacket on the way. "I should head out. I haven't had much cause for research of late, so all of my books are still at my flat. I'll call around tomorrow sometime."

Buffy walked him to the door and held it open for him, "Sounds like a plan Papa Bear." When he shot her a 'look’, she responded with a giggle. "G'nite Giles."

"Goodnight Buffy."

Buffy closed the door behind her Watcher, and headed up the stairs to say a quick goodnight to her sister and then headed out back for what was bound to be an interesting chat with a certain blond vampire.
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tbc...