Chapter 1: October 2014

Wesley was going over the Reilgar prophecies with a sense of newly won purpose. The Council had sent him the texts over a week before, and he hadn’t made much headway. One of the difficulties inherent in owning one’s own business and trying to raise two children was the resultant lack of time. The code was finally cracking, however, and it looked as though he’d be through sooner than anticipated.

While the demon-hunting business was still going strong, Wesley had made the difficult decision to cut back on his field work in the last few years. Although he still loved the down and dirty side of things, he had other responsibilities.

He had too many ties to the larger world to risk death daily.

The slight squeaking of the door had him looking up. Will stood in the doorway watching him, his glasses slipping down his nose slightly. “Is there something you needed, Will?” Wesley asked, trying to hide his impatience. While he loved his sons dearly, it was difficult to get a moment’s peace to get any work done.

The boy shrugged. “I just—”

When he didn’t move, Wesley bit back a sigh and then pushed back from his desk. “Come here, William.” Will sidled up to Wesley’s desk, obviously nervous about having interrupted his father. “Where’s your brother?”

Will shrugged. “He went to play football with the guys.”

Wesley rubbed his eyes. His boys, although they appeared identical, couldn’t be more different. Will was shy and reserved, while Davey was a ball of energy, drawing people to him like a magnet. “Would you like to see what I’m working on?”

Will’s eyes lit up. He’d inherited every ounce of his father’s linguistic abilities, and he loved nothing more than to pour over a text for hours. “Can I?”

“May I,” Wesley instructed automatically, and then pulled Will up to sit on his lap. “In a translation like this,” he began, “it is imperative that you first recognize the pattern and genre of the text…”

~~~~~

Meg dashed to pick up the phone as soon as it started ringing. Her mom was out running errands, and her father was still sleeping after a full night’s work. She had been given the very important job of answering the phone or doorbell when it rang so that Spike wouldn’t be disturbed.

She was just hoping that her dad woke up soon. Life was always more fun with him around.

“Summers’ residence,” she said primly, just as she’d been instructed.

“Meg?”

She recognized the voice immediately. “Hey, Uncle Giles.”

“Are your parents around?” he asked.

Meg recognized the serious tone. It was the voice he used whenever there was a problem. Giles didn’t often call about emergencies, but when he did, either her mom or dad went away for a while. She hated when that happened. “Mom’s gone, but Dad’s here,” she replied reluctantly. “He’s sleeping.”

She could hear Giles sigh through the line. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to wake him, Meg. This is rather important.”

“Okay.”

The next moment she heard a click. “No need, moppet,” Spike said, his voice gravelly from sleep. “I’ve got it.”

Meg had planned on hanging up the phone, but curiosity won out. She wanted to know what was so serious, and what affect it would have on her. She carefully hung up, only to pick the handset up again, holding her hand over the mouthpiece to prevent her dad from hearing her breathing.

Spike had picked up the phone only to hear Giles asking his daughter to wake him up. Much like Meg, he recognized trouble when he heard it. “What’s up, Watcher?” he growled as soon as he’d heard the other line go dead.

“I’m afraid I have bad news,” Giles replied, his tone grave. “Faith is dead.”

Spike was silent for a long moment. “How?”

“There is a master vampire rising in Cleveland,” the head Watcher replied. “He has been gathering his forces, and we fear that he is going to attempt to open the Hellmouth there.”

Spike ran a hand through his hair, sitting up a little straighter in bed. “Thought you had a coven there. What’s the head bint’s name? Swallow or some such?”

“It’s Wren, actually,” Giles said, and if the situation weren’t so serious, he might have found that funny. “She has managed to prevent this vampire from tapping into any of the Hellmouth’s power, but they are not equipped to take him out. That was to have been Faith’s job.”

“That how she was killed?”

“As far as we know,” Giles replied. “Information is rather spotty at the moment.”

Spike closed his eyes, realizing what that meant. “And her Watcher?” He’d met the man a couple times—once at Wesley’s wedding and again during one of Faith’s infrequent trips to L.A. Spike had liked him.

“Also killed,” Giles said quietly. “From preliminary reports, it looks as though they both went down at the same time. We’ve recovered the bodies, and they were not—we’ve taken steps to ensure that they will rest in peace.”

Spike swallowed hard. “I see. The next Slayer?”

“I’m actually on my way to catch a flight to L.A.,” Giles replied. “Wesley has been confirmed as her Watcher, and he will need to be informed.”

“You want me to do it?”

“No,” Giles replied. “I’ll take care of it. I have someone else going to collect the new Slayer. As she’s a ward of the state, we are planning on relocating her to L.A..”

Spike chuckled. “So Wes is getting another kid, huh?”

“Something like that,” the Watcher replied. “I will need you to inform Buffy, however. I’ll need to talk to both of you about taking care of this problem.”

Spike let out a little growl. “Hang on a mo, Watcher. You know the rules. You get one of us at a time.”

“I understand, Spike, but I think you might want to make an exception in this case. This vampire has already killed one Slayer, and—”

“And I don’t want to give him a shot at a second,” Spike snarled. “You’ll get me, but—”

“I think Buffy should be allowed to make her own decision on this, Spike,” Giles said in his best authoritative voice.

Spike was silent, finally saying, “We’ll talk when you get into town. More than that, I’m not goin’ to promise.”

“Very well.” Giles cleared his throat. “I should be there within 24 hours. I’ll stop by Wesley’s first, but I’d like to see you soon after.”

“Fine.” Spike listened as the line went dead, and then he heard a click. “Bloody hell,” he muttered, realizing that Meg had probably heard the entire conversation. Spike pulled on a pair of pants and headed downstairs to find Meg at the kitchen table doing her homework. “Don’t even pretend to be innocent, luv,” Spike said dryly. “I know you were listenin’ in.”

Meg froze for a minute, and then went back to writing out her spelling words. “I wasn’t.”

“I heard you,” Spike replied. “An’ don’t be lyin’ to me, now. You get caught, you come clean.”

“Uncle Giles had his serious voice,” she pointed out with just the beginning of a pout. Spike nearly groaned. He could resist the pout, but it wasn’t easy even after years of practice. “You guys always have to leave when he sounds like that.”

Spike succumbed. “Don’t let your mother catch you eavesdropping,” he said. “She’ll have both our hides, and you know it.” He eyed her papers. “Got most of your work done, then?”

“Yeah,” Meg said. Then she asked quietly, “Are you and Mom going to have to leave?”

Spike wanted to tell her that it wouldn’t happen, that they would be leaving Giles to take care of things himself. He also knew that it would be a lie. “I don’t know. We’ll just have to see.”

“Is Mom going to die too?”

Spike’s eyes widened. “Why the bloody hell would you ask a stupid question like that?” he demanded.

Meg had long since grown used to her father’s outbursts. “Because Faith was a Slayer, wasn’t she? And Mom’s a Slayer, and Faith died.”

Spike took a deep, unnecessary breath. “My whole job is makin’ sure your mum is safe,” he finally said. “Promise you, luv. Whatever wants her is goin’ to have to go through me first.”

~~~~~

Davey banged through the front door in a whirlwind of energy, as usual. Nika called out, “Davey, wash your hands, please. Dinner’s almost ready.”

“Yes, Mum,” he called back, tossing his ball into his bedroom and then rushing into the bathroom. Davey was really hoping that no one would notice how badly banged up his knuckles were. The guys had been making fun of Will again, calling him a sissy and a momma’s boy, which wasn’t true at all. If anything, Davey knew his brother took after their father, and he envied him that. Will hardly had to study at all to come home with top marks, and he was always talking about languages and what a great Watcher he’d be someday.

Davey would much rather take after Uncle Spike, who understood that a guy didn’t always want to be in front of some big, thick book.

Nika and Enid were standing in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on dinner. Nika turned to greet her son with a smile. “And how was football?”

Davey shrugged. “It was fine.”

Her sharp eyes caught the scraped knuckles and the dirt on his cheek. “Were you fighting again?”

He winced. “No, Mum. We were just, you know, wrestling.”

“Be honest now, Dafydd,” Enid chided him. “You’ll get yourself in more trouble otherwise.”

Davey stared down at the toes of his shoes. Nobody understood what it took for him to make sure Will wasn’t getting picked on all the time. Not that his twin couldn’t take care of himself, but Davey hated hearing people make fun of him.

Enid wrapped him in a hug, whispering in Welsh, “And is this about your brother, Dafydd-bach?” At his silent nod, she gave him a quick squeeze and then looked at Nika. “I think we can let him slide this time, cariad.”

Nika, who knew exactly what Davey would have been fighting about, sighed. “Are his parents going to be calling us?”

Davey shrugged. “I don’t know. I didn’t hurt him that bad.”

“Badly,” Nika corrected automatically, and then gave a little laugh. “Oh, Dafydd,” she said. “Whatever am I to do with you?”

Davey relaxed, realizing that the worst was over, and he wasn’t going to get into any trouble. He watched as his mother put her hand over her abdomen. “Is the baby kicking? Can I feel?”

“Here,” she replied, taking his hand and placing it over the slight bulge. Davey’s eyes lit up with wonder.

“That is so cool,” he said reverently.

Nika smiled at him fondly, ruffling his dark brown hair. Both boys were spitting images of their father, although Will was the one who took after him in personality. Davey, on the other hand, was very much like the sister she had lost, and Nika felt a special kind of love for him.

Now there was another child growing inside her after years of trying, and Nika couldn’t help but hope for a daughter, one who would carry on the family traditions. She loved her boys dearly, but she longed for a little girl.

“I hope it’s a girl,” Davey said, seeming to read her thoughts.

Nika smiled down at him. “Why is that, cariad?”

He stared back at her incredulously. “I already have a brother. It’s not like I need another one.”

~~~~~

It was the second time she had to move in as many months, and it just wasn’t fair. Although, Mr. and Mrs. Collins had said that she was moving because they’d found a permanent placement for her, so maybe that wouldn’t be so bad.

Hannah stuffed the last of her clothing in the bag and looked around the little bedroom. This had been the first place where she had her own room, which had been very nice. Her foster parents had been nice too, if a little strict. She didn’t mind that so much, though. There were worse places, worse problems to have.

She stared down at her hands and wondered how long she could hide it. No one had noticed so far, not even her coach. How anyone could miss the fact that she’d gone from only being able to do a somersault with a twist to a triple in a day was beyond her, but Hannah had long since learned that people saw only what they wanted to.

It was the major reason that no one had noticed she was pretty much on her own until one of her neighbors called CPS.

Hannah didn’t blame anybody. The social workers and counselors they’d made her talk to all told her the same thing—that her mom was sick and she did the best she could. It wasn’t Hannah’s fault. Well, no shit, Sherlock.

She tucked a piece of bright red hair behind her ears and then laid back down on the bed. After a year in foster care, Hannah was thoroughly sick of the whole business. It was the same everywhere. Oh, sure, some places were better than others, but no one had been downright mean to her. It was always the same, though. She’d be in one place for a month or two or maybe three, and then someone would come in, tell her to pack her things, and she’d be off to the next place.

There was no doubt in her mind that whatever anyone said about “permanent placement,” it was a myth, and nothing more. Older kids didn’t get permanent anything. Even though they’d terminated her mom’s parental rights, it wasn’t like anyone would want her.

Everybody wanted babies and little kids, not teenagers. Nobody wanted an adolescent. Hannah had learned that lesson the hard way with her first family. It was just better not to get attached.

A knock on the door preceded Mrs. Collins’ face. “They should be here soon,” she said with a nervous smile.

“Okay,” Hannah replied. “I’m pretty much packed.”

Mrs. Collins found herself nervous in the face of the girl’s equanimity. She had expected a little more emotion out of her. “Are you okay, Hannah?”

Hannah frowned. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well, it’s sudden, and—”

The look Hannah gave her was full of compassion and a maturity beyond her years. “I knew I wasn’t going to stay forever, Mrs. Collins. It’s really okay.”

Actually, it really wasn’t, but no one else needed to know that.

Chapter 2: October 2014

Buffy breezed through the front door in a buoyant mood. Not only had she gotten all her errands run, but she had also stopped by the mall. Spike was going to be thrilled by what she’d found.

The Slayer had plans.

While it was difficult to maintain an active and fulfilling sex life with a child in the house, it was not impossible. Buffy often thought it was a good thing that her husband was possibly the most persistent person on the planet.

Oh, and Spike was creative too.

“Hey guys,” she called out as she entered the kitchen. “I already ordered out. I hope pizza is okay.” The silence that met Buffy’s statement sent her radar humming. “Is something wrong with pizza?”

Spike met her eyes, his face uncharacteristically still. “I think we ought to talk upstairs, pet.”

“I already know about it, Dad,” Meg said, unhappy at being left out.

Spike shot Meg a look, reminding her that she was not supposed to know about any of this, and if she didn’t want to get into trouble she’d butt out. “What does Meg know about?” Buffy demanded.

“Giles called,” Spike said quietly. “I think we ought to go upstairs and chat this out, luv.”

Buffy shook her head. “What does Meg know about?”

Spike gave his daughter a pointed look, and she started gathering her things. “I think I’ll go to my room.”

“I think that’s a wonderful idea, Margaret Joyce,” he replied.

The girl winced. Spike never used her full name unless he was really pissed off. She scampered.

“What’s going on, Spike?” Buffy insisted as soon as they’d heard the bedroom door close upstairs. “What did Giles want, and why does Meg know?”

Spike sighed, sitting down at the kitchen table, hoping that Buffy would take the hint and join him. She didn’t. “Meg listened in to our conversation, which is why she knows,” he replied, answering her second question first. He hesitated, trying to figure out what the best method of delivering bad news would be. Quick seemed better. “Faith was killed.”

Now Buffy did sit, the color leeching out of her face. “How?”

“Big bad in Cleveland tryin’ to open the Hellmouth. The coven there is preventin’ that, but both Faith an’ her Watcher were killed tryin’ to take him out.” Spike sighed. “Giles wants us both on this one.”

Buffy stood. “Well, of course we’re going.”

“Don’t you remember what we agreed?” Spike objected, rising as well. “It’s one or the other of us. If we both go an’ it all goes to hell in a hand basket—”

The Slayer stood toe to toe. “He killed a Slayer, Spike. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

It was the wrong thing to say. They both knew it as soon as the words left Buffy’s mouth. “You know damn well what it means to me,” Spike snarled. “I’m sayin’ let me go. I’ll take Connor an’ Angel. Between the three of us we’ll take care of the problem.”

“You can’t protect me, Spike!” Buffy hissed, trying to keep her voice down so that Meg wouldn’t hear. “I’m the Slayer now. This is my job.”

Spike’s hands clenched into fists before he could force himself to relax. “And you don’t think the new Slayer couldn’t use some advice? Wesley’s goin’ to be her Watcher. He could probably use a hand in getting her situated.”

“He has Nika,” Buffy replied. “Look, Spike, I get what you’re saying, but I am the Slayer. This is my responsibility. I owe it to Faith.”

Spike ran a hand through his hair distractedly. He understood. He really did. It was just that a vampire who had killed a Slayer as skilled and experienced as Faith was infinitely capable of killing another.

He couldn’t stand the thought of losing her. “It’s not goin’ to be just us, then,” Spike insisted. “We’ll take Connor along, at least, preferably one or two more.”

“I want Willow in on this,” Buffy replied, realizing that he was capitulating. “I know there’s a coven there, but I want our own backup.”

“Good,” Spike replied. “We’ll wait for Giles to call then.”

They stared at each other, not quite knowing what to say. Buffy wanted to mourn; she wanted to throw herself in Spike’s arms and weep. She also knew that he was not happy with her insistence that she go to face this threat.

Spike, for his part, understood Buffy’s need, but he was also scared that he was going to lose her. He thought she might be short-sighted for not seeing that sometimes duty to family came first, and there was a part of him that thought if the Slayer was going, he ought to be the one to stay behind for Meg’s sake. At the same time, he refused to allow her to go into battle without him there to watch her back.

It seemed an impossible situation.

In the end, however, Spike didn’t have a choice. Buffy would always come first. “I’m sorry, luv.”

Those words were all the encouragement Buffy needed to wrap her arms around him, bury her face in his shoulder, and cry for her lost sister.

~~~~~

“I really wish Giles would have found someone else,” Dawn muttered. “I hate this.”

Connor wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He wasn’t nearly as upset about their assignment as Dawn was. He and Dawn had been chosen for this job for very good reasons. Both their familiarity with the supernatural and their own life stories made them a natural choice to pick up the new Slayer.

Still, how were you supposed to tell a fourteen-year-old girl that she was going to be responsible for the fate of the world? In theory, anyway. Things had changed since Buffy was first chosen.

“It’ll be fine,” he soothed. “All we have to do is introduce the idea. Wesley’s the one in charge of explaining everything.”

Dawn made a face. “We’re the ones who have to explain why she got Called,” she pointed out. “Which means explaining that she’s going to die early.”

“There’s nothing that says she has to die prematurely, Dawn,” Connor reminded her. “Things have changed.”

“I know,” Dawn sighed. “She’s so young, though, Connor.”

Connor gave her a smile. “No younger than you were when you found out you were the Key.”

“Yeah and I freaked out and cut myself to prove I was real,” Dawn said wryly before she pushed the doorbell.

The woman who answered the door was probably in her fifties and smiled nervously. “Hi. Are you—”

“We’re here to pick up Hannah,” Dawn said. “I’m Dawn Summers, and this is my husband, Connor.”

“Are you—”

Connor shook his head. “No, we’re here to explain that. May we come in?”

She stood aside. “I’m Mrs. Collins. My husband had to work late tonight.”

“Is Hannah here?” Dawn asked.

“Yes, she’s just—”

“I’m here.” The girl stepped out into the living room, her duffel bag already in hand. Her red hair was pulled back in a long ponytail, her thin frame enveloped in an oversized sweatshirt.

“Hi, Hannah. I’m Dawn, and this is Connor.” Dawn gave the girl what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “How are you?”

“About like you’d expect,” Hannah replied.

Mrs. Collins frowned. “Hannah!”

“It’s okay,” Connor said, eyeing her bag. “That all you’ve got?”

She shrugged. “This is it. I travel light.”

“You’re probably the only woman on the planet who does,” Connor observed.

To everyone’s surprise, Hannah grinned at him. “I’m special that way.”

“Good to know it’s possible,” Connor replied. “Maybe you could give Dawn some pointers.”

Dawn elbowed him. “I am not that bad. Have you seen my sister pack?”

Mrs. Collins broke into the rapport building. “Is Hannah going to be staying with you?” Her tone expressed her doubts that such a young couple was capable of handling a teenager.

“No, actually, we’re just the relay team,” Dawn said. Then, lying through her teeth, she added, “We work with an organization that specializes in placing older kids in permanent homes. The couple that Hannah will be living with has twin boys. They were happy to open their home to her.”

Mrs. Collins’ look turned disapproving. “Why couldn’t they come pick Hannah up?”

“They just received news that a friend had been killed, otherwise I’m sure they would have,” Connor said firmly. “Since they’re friends of ours, they asked us to come.”

“Well, I suppose that’s alright then,” Mrs. Collins said reluctantly.

Hannah just wanted to leave. The couple seemed pretty cool, and if they were friends of this family, then surely it wouldn’t be too bad. “It’s fine,” she said. “Unless they can’t take me right now or something.”

“That’s not a problem,” Dawn assured her. “We just thought we’d go out to dinner and then head over there if that’s alright with you.”

Hannah shrugged. “Whatever. As long as I know what’s going on.”

Dawn and Connor watched with a sense of discomfort as Mrs. Collins awkwardly hugged Hannah goodbye. “You be good now,” she admonished. “And give us a call if you ever need anything at all.”

“Thanks,” Hannah replied, obviously wanting to leave as quickly as possible. “For everything. You guys were really nice.”

Dawn wasn’t quite sure what to say to the girl to make her comfortable. It seemed strange to be picking up a kid only to drop her off with Wesley and Nika, knowing that she’d been moved around so much already. It didn’t seem fair. Dawn’s life had been known to suck on occasion, but she had always had someone who loved her.

“What do you like to eat?” Connor asked.

Hannah shrugged. “I’m not picky.”

Dawn and Connor shared a look. “I think I want a steak,” he said. “You up for that, Dawn?”

“Sounds good to me,” she replied. “Hannah?”

Hannah tried to appear cool. She hadn’t ever gone out for steak. “Uh, yeah. That would be alright.”

~~~~~

Giles stood in the doorway watching as Wesley read the Reilgar prophecy out loud to his seven-year-old son. Even if Davey hadn’t met him at the door, Giles would have known which of the boys was sitting on the Watcher’s knee. Only Will could sit still for any length of time at all.

Giles smiled fondly. Both boys would both make phenomenal Watchers some day.

“Wesley.”

Wesley glanced up, startled to see Giles standing there. “Giles! What are you doing here?” He suddenly went very still. “What’s happened?”

“I think it’s best that we speak alone,” Giles replied, turning his gaze to the boy who was watching with wide eyes. “Hello, Will.”

“Hello, Uncle Giles,” Will replied formally. “How was your trip?”

Giles smiled. He and Davey really were nothing alike. Davey had greeted him with a raucous shout of welcome, shifting from one foot to the other in eager anticipation. Giles had the habit of bringing all the children something when he came to visit, and although Davey knew better than to ask, it had been obvious that he was waiting for it.

“My trip was fine,” he replied. “Your mother has your gift.”

Will cast a look back at Wesley, who nodded. Will rushed out, suddenly all child. “He gets more grown-up every time I see him,” Giles commented.

“You’re getting better at telling them apart,” Wesley replied, on edge and knowing that Giles had bad news. The older man never showed up unannounced without very good reason.

Giles smiled, closing the door behind him. “There’s only one of your boys who can sit still for more than five minutes at a time, Wesley.”

“What brings you to L.A., Giles?” Wesley asked quietly. “I don’t dare hope it was for pleasure.”

“No.” Giles sighed, sitting in the chair across from the desk. “It’s Faith.”

Wesley sat heavily. “Is she—?”

“Yes, and her Watcher.” As usual, the glasses came off, and Giles started polishing the lenses. “I’ve already spoken to Spike who said he’d inform Buffy. They’re going to handle the problem.”

“Both of them?” Wesley asked, surprised. “You know that they rarely go out together on anything more than a routine patrol these days. They agreed.”

“This will require both of them unless we want to lose more people,” Giles said firmly. “Buffy will understand that even if Spike does not.”

Wesley leapt to his friend’s defense. “Spike understands, Giles, of that I am certain. But if this threat has already destroyed one Slayer, what’s to say it won’t destroy another?”

“Indeed,” Giles murmured. “Which is why I am here.”

Understanding dawned in Wesley’s eyes. “You’re not serious.”

“You’re the Council’s first choice, Wesley. Other than myself, you are the one with the most experience.” Giles gave him a wry, weary smile. “I believe I told you at your wedding that you would be the one appointed as Watcher to the next active Slayer.”

“I’d thought you might change your mind,” Wesley admitted. “Where is she now?”

“I believe she’s with Dawn and Connor, actually,” Giles replied. “When we received word about Faith, I started moving on her case as quickly as possible. Her background is something like Faith’s, which is why I wanted to be able to talk to your wife as well.”

Wesley didn’t quite understand, and then his eyes widened. “She has no parents?”

“She’s a ward of the state,” Giles replied. “I’ve arranged for you and Nika to obtain permanent guardianship. I know this is sudden and unexpected, but she will need both of you, Wesley.”

Wesley’s mind went back to Faith. “Have you already held the funerals?”

“We’ve taken care of it,” Giles assured him. “I am sorry, Wesley.”

Wesley passed a hand over his face. “We’ll have to talk to Danika, of course. Enid can see to the boys while we speak.”

“I know this is a terrible inconvenience,” Giles admitted. “We weren’t sure which Potential would be activated, and now—”

“Now it’s imperative that she begin her training immediately,” Wesley supplied. “You’re right, of course. It’s a good thing that we bought a big house. We have that spare room.”

Giles sighed. “Yes, I suppose it’s a good thing for everyone concerned that you and Nika were planning on a large family.”

A different kind of pain entered Wesley’s eyes. “Yes, it was. I’ll go get Nika.”

Giles watched the younger man leave, having noted the new lines around Wesley’s eyes and mouth. While the years had generally been kind to him and Nika, there had still been more heartache than he’d have liked to see. Now he was proposing to add one more burden.

It wasn’t just Wesley’s field experience, or his extensive training that the Council was interested in, however. The other man represented a rarity among active Watchers: he was part of a committed, caring relationship and had proven himself as a father. Giles had demonstrated that it could be a benefit for a Watcher to have a closer, possibly more paternal relationship with his Slayer. Faith’s Watcher, Malcolm, had shown that a close relationship of a different sort was equally effective.

With this Slayer’s background and youth, she would need a stable environment in which to train. Hannah was even younger than Buffy had been when she was Chosen. She was, in fact, one of the youngest Slayers in history. The last one Chosen before the age of fifteen had barely lasted a year, although she’d faced odds that would have challenged even Buffy.

The Council’s decision had been unanimous. The new Slayer would benefit from not only from a stable home environment, but also close contact with two of the most notorious vampires in history, as well as the most successful Slayer on record.

Giles sighed, pulling off his glasses and rubbing tired eyes again. He glanced up as Nika entered the room, followed closely by Wesley. “What is this, Giles?” she asked. “Wesley said that there’s been an emergency of some sort?”

“Faith was killed, along with her Watcher. Buffy and Spike have been asked to take care of the threat.” Giles sighed. “And Wesley is getting the new Slayer.”

Nika frowned, immediately reading the meaning behind his words. “I see. She is coming to stay with us?”

“She has nowhere else to go,” Giles replied. He knew what he was doing. Nika was quite well known not only for her hospitality but also her maternal nature. She was a naturally welcoming woman, and one of the main reasons that Hannah would be living with Wesley, rather than having other arrangements made for her.

Nika pursed her lips. “I suppose she’s coming tonight.” She fixed Giles with a look. “This is terribly short notice, you know. If I were married to you, you’d be sleeping on the couch for a month.”

“I do realize that,” Giles said as ingratiatingly as possible. “There really wasn’t any other way to let you know ahead of time.”

“You couldn’t have picked up the phone?” Nika demanded. “At least you could have called a few hours in advance. As it is, Nain and I will be rushing to get the girl’s room ready for her. What did you say her name was?”

“Hannah,” Giles replied. “Her name is Hannah.”

Nika nodded. “She’ll need to feel at home. I suppose I could let her help me decorate. That might help.” Giles let out a relieved breath, which Nika caught easily. “Did you seriously think I would refuse to allow her to stay?” she asked, sitting down on the edge of the desk.

Wesley came to stand next to her, reaching for her hand instinctively. “I had no doubt that you would be most helpful,” Giles replied, relaxing into his chair. “I wasn’t sure how you would feel about having another child in your house, however. She’s very young, Nika.”

“All the more reason for her to feel at home, since she’ll be staying for a while,” Nika said. “I suppose I can be grateful that this is a once in a lifetime experience, and we won’t be overrun with Slayers.”

Wesley smiled at his wife fondly. “What’s our next step, Giles? Do you know when she’ll be here?”

“I would imagine in a few hours at most,” Giles replied. “Connor and Dawn said they were going to take her to dinner to give me time to speak with you. Once they arrive, I’ll need to call Buffy. This vampire will need to be stopped as soon as possible.”

Wesley frowned, staring off into the middle distance. “They’ll want to take Connor along with them,” he said. “Angel might be of help as well. The more people they have with them, the safer everyone will be.”

“I agree,” Giles replied. “That will have to wait till later, however. Until then, I don’t suppose I could get something to eat?” He looked over at Nika pleadingly. “I haven’t had anything since yesterday morning, I believe.”

Nika stood immediately. “How rude of me! Go on out to the dining room. I’m sure Nain will get you a plate.” She watched him leave, and then turned to Wesley. “I take it you’re just as surprised as I am.”

“More so,” he admitted. “This is—new.”

“Then Slayers do not stay with their Watchers typically,” Nika replied. “I had known that you might train your own Slayer someday, but I hadn’t realized that she would be staying with us.”

“Neither had I,” Wesley confessed. “Love, I really am sorry. If I had known—”

“It’s fine,” Nika replied. “We’ve handled worse things. I hardly think a single girl will throw our lives into chaos, even if it will take some getting used to.”

Wesley sighed, leaning his forehead against hers. “What makes anyone think that I’ll do right by this girl when I buggered things up so badly with Faith?”

A smile tugged at Nika’s lips. Wesley had come a long way from the man who had saved her life. Still, the one thing he was most afraid of was failure. “For the same reason you have done so well at being a husband and a father. It will be fine, cariad.”

“Will it?” Wesley murmured. “I can’t help but wonder if I’m ready for this.” A rueful smile touched his lips. “And what are the twins going to say?”

Nika laughed. “I think they’ll live. Now let’s go eat.”

Chapter 3: October 2014

Hannah was staring at the menu, finding it impossible to choose. All her options were kind of expensive, and she was long used to counting pennies. Her typical restaurant was usually McDonald’s, and confined to the dollar menu at that.

Her hands were suddenly empty as Connor plucked it out of her fingers. “Do you want a burger or a steak?”

Hannah only had to think for a second. “A burger. Bacon cheeseburger.”

Connor looked at their waitress, who was obviously getting a little impatient. “Two bacon cheeseburgers with fries then.”

“I’ll have the steak salad,” Dawn said, refraining from rolling her eyes. She well remembered the days when she could eat anything and not gain an ounce. That had definitely changed. Exchanging a look with her husband, Dawn met Hannah’s eyes. “There’s something we needed to talk with you about.”

Hannah hated it when grownups used that tone. It never boded well. “About what?” she asked warily.

“About you being stronger than most girls,” Connor replied. “Stronger than most people.”

Her first instinct was to deny all knowledge. Hannah had no experience with the phenomenon of understanding adults. Except that they couldn’t have known; she hadn’t told anybody, and so if they did know… “How—”

“My sister’s like you,” Dawn said quietly. “She’s strong and fast and really good with pointy objects. That’s one of the reasons Connor and I were asked to pick you up. We’re supposed to try and explain what’s happening to you.”

Hannah frowned. “So what am I?”

“You’re the Slayer.” Connor sighed. “Well, you’re a Slayer. There are two of them.”

“And I’m one of them,” Hannah said flatly. “The other one’s your sister?” she asked, looking at Dawn.”

“Right.”

Hannah knew there was something she was missing. “So why me and why now? If there’s always been more than one—”

“Not always,” Dawn quickly said. “Recently, there have been two, though.”

“So why now?” Hannah pressed. “I mean, this was just a couple days ago that I changed or whatever. How did you find me?”

“There’s a Council, which is kind of hard to explain,” Dawn said, stalling for time. She didn’t want to explain how a Slayer became a Slayer. It always seemed to come up relatively early in the conversation, however. “Wesley can tell you more about it. He’s the guy that’s kind of in charge of you. They call them Watchers.”

Hannah made a face. “Sounds icky.”

“Not that kind of watcher,” Connor assured her. “Wesley’s a good guy, and you’ll love his wife. She’s the best.”

“But why now?” Hannah insisted. “Why was it that one minute I could only do a full somersault and the next minute I was doing a triple?” At their blank looks, she explained, “Diving.” Then, sensing she wasn’t asking quite the right question, Hannah asked, “What happened?”

“The next Slayer is Chosen when one Slayer dies,” Dawn explained quietly. “My sister died briefly, and another Slayer was Chosen, even though Buffy came back. After that, there were two Slayers.”

Hannah was beginning to get the picture. “So this other Slayer died, and now I’m it? How’d it happen?”

“Well, that’s kind of a long story,” Dawn said weakly.

Connor shook his head. “Not that long. Trust us, Hannah. We’ve both been where you are right now. We’ll explain everything we can, and we’ll answer all your questions. I can promise you this much, Dawn and I will be as honest as we can be with you.”

For some reason, Hannah believed him. “Am I gonna die?”

“Not if we can help it,” Connor replied.

It was just a good thing that there were a lot more people these days that were committed to keeping the Slayer alive.

~~~~~

Buffy finished putting the weapons together. The plan was to head out the following night with at least Connor in tow. The Slayer was considering asking Angel to come along, but she wasn’t sure that Spike would go for that idea. They got along much better these days, but Buffy didn’t think they’d ever be best friends.

She knew he was behind her. “Did you get Meg tucked in?”

“Yeah. She wanted a couple of stories tonight.”

Meg only asked for two stories when she was scared of going to sleep and that usually only happened when she was worried. They both knew what had brought that on. “I can’t believe she listened in on your conversation.”

Spike winced, knowing that what Buffy really meant was that she couldn’t believe he hadn’t stopped her. “I didn’t know she was still on the line.”

“I know.” There was still a sharpness in her tone. “I’m not angry at you.”

She was angry, however, and Spike knew it. Buffy would only allow herself to grieve for so long before sadness was transformed into anger. It was one of her most effective weapons. “That right?”

“This is different, Spike.” Buffy sighed. “I know what we agreed, but we didn’t know that this situation would come up.”

“No, we didn’t.” The decision had been made a couple years previously when they had both been asked to help stop a demon uprising in Uzbekistan. They had both been badly injured, and it was by luck and stubbornness alone that either of them survived. That incident had spawned Meg’s fears that her parents wouldn’t return from one of their trips. It also caused them to rethink their travel policy. “Who’s goin’ to stay with Meg?”

Buffy turned back to her suitcase, straightening things unnecessarily. “I thought I would call Xander since Wes and Nika are going to be busy with the new Slayer. Willow said she’d contact Wren, but she’s planning on coming.”

“Meg’ll like that,” Spike commented. “Don’t know why, but she’s pretty enamored of Harris.”

She smiled at the old joke. Spike and Xander’s truce had actually extended into friendship. They still pretended to hate each other, but their sharp words held no malice these days. “She will. Do you know when Giles said he’d call?”

“Just later,” Spike replied. “I imagine he’s got his hands full dealin’ with Wesley an’ the new one.” Normally he would have suggested they go to bed—although not to sleep. It didn’t seem appropriate right now. “You want me to call Connor?”

Buffy shook her head. “Tomorrow’s soon enough. He’s probably still with the new Slayer and Dawn.”

A silence fell as thick as molasses. Spike turned away. “I’m a bit peckish.”

Buffy didn’t ask him to stay, although she wanted to. There was a part of her that knew Spike was right. It was selfish for her to insist on going after this vampire. Perhaps it would be better if she stayed in L.A., but that wasn’t what a Slayer did.

It wasn’t that she never dusted a vampire anymore. Both she and Spike worked on a regular basis. Neither of them ever lacked for work, and the money was pretty good. They would never be rich, but things were good. Jobs like this, however—where the chances were high that one or both could be badly injured or killed—one of them passed on it.

Even though both of them preferred going into battle together, Meg always came first.

This was different.

Buffy spotted the package in the corner that she’d brought home, having forgotten it in the midst of the crisis. There wouldn’t be time to put her plan in motion now. She was angry, but she still wanted him—wanted to feel alive, to be reminded of his love for her. Buffy hated to think that they’d go into a fight with this rift between them.

Her bare feet made no sound as she padded down to the kitchen. Spike stood at the sink, looking out into the postage-stamp sized backyard. He didn’t turn, even though Buffy knew he was aware of her presence.

“I know you have to do this,” Spike said suddenly, his words breaking up the silence. “I know the next few years are gonna be dangerous until the new Slayer is trained. I also know ‘m not goin’ to let anythin’ happen to you.”

“Spike—”

“You’re the Slayer,” he said softly. “’s what you’ll always be. I knew that when I fell in love with you.”

Buffy sighed. “I know. I’m sorry, Spike.”

She didn’t know what she was apologizing for—the fact that she was the Slayer, or for putting her life on the line again and again. He was at a disadvantage, Buffy knew. Spike had watched her die and then had lived without her. The vampire knew exactly what losing her would feel like. Buffy could only imagine, and even though her imagination was pretty good, she could still harbor the illusion that Spike was invincible and would live forever.

In reality, while he wasn’t invincible, Spike just might live forever. Buffy had no idea how much that idea frightened him these days.

“I never asked you to change,” he was saying. “Just to be cautious.”

“I know,” she repeated. They had been married for eight years now, had known each other for a lot longer than that, and there were still times when the words escaped her.

Spike turned slowly, the moonlight playing against alabaster skin. He was still as youthful looking as he had been when she first saw him over fifteen years before. Sometimes Buffy didn’t know quite how to feel about that when she saw the changes that childbearing had wrought—when she discovered her first gray hair.

He was so beautiful, though, that Buffy couldn’t help but feel proud that he was hers.

The silence hung between them. “Do we have to talk about this?”

Spike frowned. “What?”

“Can you just—can we just pretend this never happened?” Buffy asked. “Tomorrow we’ll have to deal with Giles and travel arrangements and real life. Can tonight just be about us?”

His face softened. Spike wanted to hash it out, but he understood what his wife was saying. Tonight she needed to feel him—to remember that she was alive and he was there, even if his heart no longer beat.

Tonight was about life. Tomorrow was soon enough to deal in death again.

~~~~~

The twins were much easier to convince than anyone had supposed. Will accepted the news that there would be a new Slayer living with them with perfect grace. Davey asked a dozen questions in rapid-fire mode.

Sometimes Nika wondered if Will let his twin take the lead because it was easier. That way, they both got whatever information their parents were willing to share, and Davey got reprimanded for asking too many questions.

Tonight, however, Giles and Wesley fielded whatever the boys threw at them. “Is she going to be like Aunt Buffy?” Davey asked finally.

“Like Buffy how?” Giles asked carefully.

“Is she going to have to fight the bad guys all the time?” Davey asked, his brow furrowing.

Will followed that question up with, “Is she going to die?”

The room grew terribly still. “We’re not going to allow that to happen,” Wesley finally replied. It wasn’t a very good answer and he knew it. It was, however, the best he could do. “I think it’s time for bed.”

The protests were immediate and loud. “We’re not tired!” Davey said.

Will nodded. “We want to meet the new Slayer.”

“Tomorrow morning is soon enough for that,” Enid said, stepping in. “The poor girl’s going to be overwhelmed as it is without you two monkeys pestering her. To bed now.”

They protested a bit more as the older woman herded them towards their room, but Nain’s word was law, and they did as they were told.

Nika sighed, thankful for her help. Enid’s presence had often been the only thing standing between them and insanity. Having her nain there made it easier for her to maintain her relationship with Wesley. “This is going to be a difficult adjustment,” she murmured, leaning into her husband.

He rubbed his eyes behind his glasses. “I dare say you’re right, love,” he replied. Wesley glanced over at her with a wry look. “Now we know why you’re pregnant. It’s always at the most interesting times.”

Nika laughed. “Isn’t that the truth?”

Giles took a deep breath. “I really am sorry for this,” he said. “I know that this is a time of adjustment for you.”

“No more so than any other time,” Nika assured him. “We’re used to dealing with adjustments.”

“Still,” Giles trailed off. He knew that the couple had planned on more children, but a series of miscarriages had taken a toll on their plans. This pregnancy looked as though it would come to term, but a new Slayer and an emergency was a lot to throw at them right now. Giles was just grateful that he didn’t have to toss Wesley and the new Slayer at the apocalypse. It was the benefit of the new system he’d helped to set up that they actually had time to train the new Slayer before she would be required to help with an emergency of this magnitude.

The soft knock on the front door had Nika rising. “I’ll get it.”

Dawn gave Nika a quick hug as she entered, heading immediately over to Giles to embrace him as well. She had not yet gotten a chance to mourn Faith, and she knew that both he and Wesley would be feeling the loss, although for different reasons.

Hannah entered the house, looking wary, with Connor close behind her. “Nika.”

“Connor, it’s good to see you,” she said, giving him a hug. She smiled at the girl. “And this must be Hannah.” She stuck out her hand. “I’m Nika. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too,” Hannah said politely, shaking her hand.

The introductions were made quickly, and then were completed when Enid appeared. “Did you explain?” Giles asked.

“The basics,” Connor replied. “Hannah has a pretty good idea of what’s going on, I think.”

Hannah nodded shyly, unused to being around so many adults at once, all of whom were looking at her with various expressions of concern.

“Well, you’re probably exhausted,” Nika said, standing slowly. “I’m sure you probably want to know where your room is going to be.” She shot Giles a look that said plainly he was not to interfere.

“Okay,” Hannah said, glad to get out from under all those eyes.

“We can talk more in the morning, Hannah,” Wesley said kindly.

She nodded, quickly following Nika. “You’ll meet our sons tomorrow,” Nika said as they walked down the hallway. “They were very excited to hear that you were coming to stay.”

“That’s cool,” Hannah said quietly. She stood in the doorway of the room, watching as Nika flipped on the lights and straightened the pillows on the bed.

“We’ll have to talk about how you want to decorate,” Nika said. “If you want to paint, or anything like that.” She straightened and looked over at the girl. “I want you to feel at home here, Hannah. I know it will be an adjustment, but I hope you’ll like living with us.”

“Thanks,” she replied. Hannah wasn’t sure what else to say. Now that she knew why it would be Wesley and Nika she was living with, she was wondering if they really wanted her here or if she was just a job to them.

Nika, reading the hesitation for what it really was, came over and gave Hannah a hug, feeling her first stiffen and then grab on for all she was worth. “We want you here, cariad,” she whispered. “This isn’t easy, but at least know that you are welcome.”

Hannah stood in the middle of the room long after Nika had gone, the place where her lips had brushed her forehead burning. It seemed too much. In one day she had found out that she was some sort of superhero, that she had a new home, and that she was going to die.

She didn’t quite know what to think.

~~~~~

They spoke no words because there was nothing to say. There was only the old dance of lips and tongues, hands on skin. They knew every inch of skin from long practice and hours of exploration. Years might have changed the maps slightly, but the territory was well-known and well-loved.

They made love as an affirmation of life. It was new and old, both real and surreal. Existence was too brief to waste it on petty concerns and fights. They might each die on the morrow; they had lost one of their own.

It was enough to speak words into the darkness.

“I love you.”

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