"Rough day at the office, pet?" Spike asked as Buffy came in the front door and sighed heavily.

"Not really" she shrugged, "I’m just tired" she told him as she came to sit beside him on the couch and he put his laptop down on the coffee table so he could hold her.

"S’all that talking you did last night" he told her, putting his arms around her kissing the top of her head, "Can’t miss out on your sleep, not at your age" he joked and she swatted him in the chest.

"Hey, no age jokes from the guy that remembers the Industrial Revolution" she complained, but she was smiling anyway, "Isn’t Becky home?" she asked, checking her watch. Her daughter should have got back just a half hour before her, she always did when Buffy worked early.

"She went straight to her room" Spike told her, "I was gonna go up, see if she was okay, but I thought maybe being a bloke issue she might fancy a chat with her Mum instead" he suggested.

"You’re kidding me" Buffy rolled her eyes as she got up, "Like she’d ever choose anyone over you, she is such a Daddy’s girl" she smiled, though she had to admit sometimes she was a little jealous.

"She loves her Mum, and you know it" Spike gave her look and she sighed.

"I know" she agreed, leaning down to kiss him, "See what we have in the kitchen for dinner, would you? And I’ll go see what’s up with the Bit" she smiled, using his term for their daughter. He was about to reply when Rebecca herself came thundering down the stairs.

"I was just coming up to see if you were okay" Buffy told her and her daughter smiled.

"I’m fine, I swear" she promised both her parents. Neither looked especially convinced, "Yes, okay, school was a little tough. Ryan’s telling people that I’m both a tease and a maniac, but I can deal"

"Little sod" Spike seethed, "I’d like to rip his lungs out"

"Spike, please" Buffy gave him a look that shut him up, "The boy might have done wrong but he’s not evil in the real sense, he’s just a dumb teenager with way too many hormones"

"She’s right Dad" Rebecca agreed, "Besides, I kinda like that some people are actually scared of me now" she giggled as she came to sit beside her father on the couch.

"Feels good, don’t it, pet?" Spike smirked and she nodded.

Buffy rolled her eyes as she took his place on the couch and he went to find something for dinner like he’d said he would.

"Mom, if I get all my homework done" Becky asked, "Could I go patrolling with Dad tonight?"

Buffy considered it. She and Spike had been training Rebecca for years now, teaching her how to fight and be a Slayer. They always gave her the option of how much she learnt and never forced her into anything. For the most part she seemed to enjoy it all and a few months ago they’d allowed her to go on patrol with Buffy. She did so well and was always careful, and most times when she asked she was permitted to join her parents or the other Scoobies when they went out to stake the undeads of Sunnydale.

"You don’t wanna stay in and eat ice-cream?" Buffy smirked, "That’s what your average teenage girl is supposed to do when a guy messes her around y’know"

"I’m not an average girl, Mom" Becky smiled, "and neither were you. Personally I like a little violence before bedtime to get over a stressful day" she told her before heading off to the kitchen to find her Dad.

Buffy shook her head and almost laughed as she got up and followed her. She may look like her, but there was no mistaking that Becky was Spike’s girl too.

- - - - - - -

Rebecca stepped back, breathing heavily from the exertion of the fight but also smirking with satisfaction as she watched her opponent fall at her feet as so much ash and dust. She turned to see her father smiling at her as he smoked his cigarette.

"Y’know I’ve fought some Slayers in my time" he told her, walking over from the tree he’d been leaning on "but I wouldn’t fancy being on the receiving end of the punishment you dole out, luv" he said as they resumed walking through the cemetery, Spike ever mindful to blow his smoke away from his daughter.

"Well, I have you and Mom to thank for that" Becky reminded him and he nodded, throwing the butt of his spent cigarette to the ground and crushing it under his boot.

"You enjoy it though, don’t you?" he was pleased to realise, he was fairly certain she mostly earned that attribute from him.

"What’s not to enjoy about the slayage?" came her answer "Fighting evil, guaranteed stress relief, good work out for the body - all of the good" she counted on her fingers and Spike shook his head.

"Makes me wonder why we were ever worried about telling you that you were a Slayer..."

- - - - - - -

"...and I know you didn’t mean it but Becky, sweetheart, we went over this before, fighting isn’t cool"

Spike caught the tail end of what Buffy was saying to their daughter as they came in the front door and he winced. Another fight at school or so it seemed, and with Becky being a Slayer, a bit of playground rough and tumble could easily result in some nasty injuries when she was involved. It was getting more and more difficult to deal with and as Buffy came into the living room she gave him a look that said now was the time to tell their daughter the truth.

At the age of four Becky had been told that Mommy went out at night to keep the world safe by fighting monsters and that Daddy sometimes did the same. Last year she’d taken the fact that Spike was in essence half-monster fairly well but still they had not imparted the truth of her own destiny.

Buffy wanted to wait until she was older, so she said, though Spike was fairly certain that, as ridiculous as it was, Buffy was hoping if they waited long enough they wouldn’t have to deal. That like some illness or something the Slayer powers their daughter possessed would just be cured and disappear.

However, since the little girl had started school there had been two incidents of fights in which a couple of kids had got hurt, just because the mini Slayer did not know her own strength. The only way to teach her the kind of control she must have was to explain why she possessed such power and how it should be used only for good.

"Hey Bit" Spike smiled as his little girl ran to him and was gladly lifted up onto his lap, "Don’t tell me you’ve been scrapping with your mates again"

"Joey said a mean thing" she defended herself, looking thoroughly ashamed as she always did when Daddy looked at her that way, "I told him to stop but he wouldn’t so I pushed him and he hit the wall across the room" she admitted. Spike shared a look with Buffy, thinking perhaps the little one was exaggerating, but Buffy nodded that her daughter spoke the truth.

"Several feet into solid brick" the older Slayer sighed as she sat down beside Spike, "Thankfully nothing got broken, which is kind of a miracle"

Tears came to Rebecca’s eyes as she saw her parents share another serious look. She worried what would happen next, the teacher had yelled at her a lot and Joey’s mother had yelled at Buffy, she didn’t want anyone to yell at her anymore.

"I didn’t mean to be so bad" she sniffed, "I didn’t mean it, Daddy"

"You’re not bad, baby" Spike told her, pulling her close and rubbing her back as she cried. Buffy moved closer to the pair and ran her fingers through her daughter blonde hair.

"It’s not your fault, sweetie" she promised her, "It’s just...well, me and your Dad have something we have to tell you"

Rebecca looked up from Spike’s chest at her mother, still sniffing.

"Becky, you remember how we told you that Mommy has a special job" she said gently and the little girl nodded, rubbing at her watery eyes with her hands, "Well, to do my special job I have to be very strong, and because you’re my special little girl, you’re strong too" she tried to explain, hoping she was making a good job of it.

"Am I supposed to fight monsters too?" she asked Spike and he smiled down at her.

"Maybe one day, luv, when you’re all grown up" he told her gently, "but even then only if you want to"

"The point is" Buffy continued, calling back Becky’s attention, "when you get mad at the other kids at school and you push them or something, they’re not strong like you and they get hurt, even when you don’t mean for them to"

"See, that’s the bad part of being special" Spike tried to help, but it was difficult to explain such things to a small child, "You have to be extra careful and you also can’t tell anyone just how special you are"

"It’s a secret?" she checked, "Like Mommy being a superhero and you have a beast inside?" she said with a tilt of a head that was all Spike.

"That’s right, sweetie" Buffy nodded, so worried that the child would not understand or worse hate what she was being told. She was relieved when Becky smiled and reached to hug her mother.

"When I grow up, I’ll be just like you Mommy" she grinned and tears came to Buffy’s eyes. Her child actually wanted to be like her, and though she knew the likelihood was such feelings would not last forever, she revelled in them now. There had been too many times in her childhood when even Buffy herself had not wanted to be her.

"Hey" Spike complained, tapping his little girl on the shoulder with semi-fake irritation, "What happened to a hug for dear old Dad, eh?"

Both Buffy and Becky were smiling to the point of laughter as they turned and flung themselves at Spike, knocking him back onto the couch.

Far from his past of killing Slayers, Spike was elated to have these two in his unlife. They were all he needed.

- - - - - - -

"I don’t blame Mom for my being a Slayer" Becky told her father as they continued their patrol "it’s not her fault she was Chosen or the Scoobies fault that their spell went wonky and I got the power too...Sometimes no-one is to blame" she shrugged "Sometimes stuff just happens"

"You didn’t always think that way" Spike told her, the recent nostalgia amongst the family had him recalling some less pleasant events as well as good ones. Becky looked at him strangely, her expression telling him she didn’t understand at all. Spike smirked to himself.

"You forget so easily, luv" he said, glancing over at her "things that you’d rather not remember"

It was the way he said it and the look in his eyes that finally triggered something in her head and Rebecca felt awful just thinking about it. She stopped walking and looked at him seriously.

"Oh, Dad, that was..." she began but he interrupted.

"Doesn’t matter now, baby" he told her, pushing her blonde hair back off her face affectionately "I’m not still bent out of shape about it, but it’s not the kind of thing a father forgets..."

- - - - - - -

"How was your day honey?" Buffy asked as her daughter came into the kitchen after school. Rebecca shrugged her shoulders as she put her bag on the counter and sat down.

"It was okay" she said vaguely, and Buffy knew immediately something was wrong. Becky was usually so animated about what she’d done in her day, or at least irate about something bad. She was never so without feeling.

"Okay, what’s up?" Buffy sighed, wiping her hands on a dish towel and coming to sit opposite her daughter.

"We have to do this assignment for English class" Rebecca admitted, "Everyone has to give a talk about one or both of their parents and the jobs they do"

"Oh" Buffy, looked down at her hands and Becky felt bad.

"I know it’s not your fault" she said with a shake of her head, "With the whole Slayer deal it meant college was a lot harder and you can’t get the best job cos you don’t have all the fancy qualifications...but you save the world, and even if I can’t tell anyone about it, that makes it okay"

"So, why so grumpy?" the Slayer frowned, not understanding.

"Beth’s Dad is a lawyer" Becky sighed, "Sandy’s Dad’s a doctor, Theresa’s is a fire-fighter...mine’s a freak" she said bitterly and Buffy snapped.

"You do not talk about your father that way!" she said sternly, face getting redder by the second as anger rushed through her veins "He might be different, but..."

"Different?" Becky almost laughed at that, "How do I even begin to explain to my friends that my father has a sun allergy, fear of crosses, and oh yeah, he also drinks blood"

"Rebecca Joyce Blackwell" Buffy snapped, knowing if it was anyone other than her thirteen year old daughter speaking this way about Spike, she’d be tearing them limb from limb right now, "Spike may be different but he’s still your father and my husband and..."

"No he’s not!" the young girl raved, "You can’t even get married cos he doesn’t exist!"

"Funny" said a voice from the door, "but I feel very much here for someone who doesn’t exist"

Both Buffy and Rebecca turned to look at Spike who leant casually in the doorway.

"Oh, I’m sorry" he feigned an apology, "Did the freak interrupt your little argument?"

Though he appeared fairly nonchalant about his daughters comments, Buffy knew it must have killed him inside to hear those words.

The pain in his eyes was visible to Becky, though he’d tried to hide it. It had seemed okay when she said it, called him a freak, but now he was standing here repeating it back to her, it sounded so much worse. She felt sick.

"Daddy, I’m sorry, I..." she began but he cut her off sharply.

"Oh it’s Daddy now is it?" he snapped, "Think that makes it right, do you, pet?"

Tears filled Rebecca’s eyes at his cold tone. He never spoke to her this way, so icy like he really meant to make her suffer. Not even when she’d misbehaved as a little kid and needed a stern telling off had he been like this with her.

"I didn’t mean it the way it sounded" she cried and Buffy did the same.

If his daughter’s words had hurt him, her tears as well as the Slayers was worse. He closed his eyes so he didn’t have to see it and expelled a breath he didn’t need.

"I know that" he said calmly, "but, sweetheart, you don’t know what it’s like for me" he tried to explain as he walked across the room and came to sit on the stool beside her. Buffy watched the whole thing, trying to keep herself from sobbing.

"Y’see pet, all I’ve really got is you and your Mum" he told her, "You two being in my life, needing me, loving me, it’s what keeps me going. If I thought I’d lost you, if you didn’t need me or didn’t want me around anymore..."

"I do" she dared to interrupt, "I don’t even know why I said those things"

"You said them cos they’re true, luv" he told her gently, putting his hand on hers on the counter, "I know what I am, what I was too which is even less pleasant. I don’t need you to remind me. And believe me, pet, I’d love to be a proper Dad like your mates have got. I’d love to go to the beach with you when it’s sunny, and have a fancy job so you could be proud of me, and a flash car that’d make all your friends jealous, but I can’t"

"None of that matters" she cried, more tears falling down her cheeks, "You’re the best Dad in the world and I wouldn’t trade you for anything"

It brought a lump to Spike’s throat as she flung herself forward into his arms and hugged him tight. He hugged her back and blinked back a few tears before turning to Buffy who smiled and cried at the same time.

- - - - - - -

"Felling better, honey?" Buffy asked her daughter as she returned from patrol with Spike.

"Definitely" Becky smiled as she removed her jacket, "but I think I should go get some sleep now" she moved toward the stairs but paused half way up and turned back.

"I love you guys" she told her parents solemnly, "You know that right?"

"Course pet" Spike was quick to answer.

"We love you too" Buffy added with a smile.

Becky just nodded before disappearing up the stairs to her room.

Rebecca had just left the High School grounds on Tuesday when her cellphone sprang into life. She pulled it from her bag as she waved goodbye to her friends who walked off in the opposite direction.

"Hey Mom" she frowned slightly wondering why her mother would be calling her right now. She’d be home and see her in just a few minutes, it meant something was up.

"Sweetie, Giles called an emergency Scooby meeting" she told her daughter, "Your Dad’s taking the tunnels to the Magic Box and I’m almost there, the rest of the gang got there a while ago"

"How come the Slayer is the last to arrive?" Rebecca thought that was kind of strange and Buffy was glad that she couldn’t be seen to blush via the phone.

"Your Dad and me, we kinda didn’t hear the phone..." she said, voice disappearing into nothing and Rebecca quickly changed the subject.

"So, you want me at the magic shop, yes?" she checked.

"Yes, but could you stop by the school and walk over with Josh?" Buffy asked, "Cordy and Xander were already there when it all went red alert and since you’re walking right by..."

"It’s fine, Mom" Becky smiled before they both said their goodbye’s and hung up.

Another near apocalypse, or so it seemed. Becky had seen so many already and always wondered at how every single Scooby came through relatively unscathed.

Of course not all apocalypses were started by demons and evil people, she thought as a smile came to her lips. It felt as if World War Three would break out when Aunt Cordy and Uncle Xander’s wedding was approaching. Still, the day itself had been beautiful, and despite the fact she had only been five years old, Becky remembered it like yesterday.

"Hold still, Xand" Buffy told him sternly as she tried to help him tie his tie.

"I can’t help it, Buff" he apologised, "It’s just, oh my God, I’m getting married" he grinned as she finished off the bow around his neck.

"Is Aunt Cordy having a baby?" little Rebecca asked from the chair nearby and Xander looked panicked.

"Geez, I hope not" his eyes were comically wide with alarm and Spike smirked at his daughter.

"Why would you say that, baby?" he asked the girl who made a face before answering.

"Cos Mommy said men and ladies get married when they love each other and she also said when they love each other they have babies...so when people get married they’re usually having babies, right?" her expression faltered between a smile and a frown as she worried whether she’d messed up what she meant to say or said something naughty.

"Sometimes it works that way, honey" Buffy smiled, walking over to the chair and picking her daughter up off it, standing the child on her feet, "but not this time"

"You sure about that?" Xander asked his best friend and Buffy tried not to laugh at his expression.

"Course she’s bloody sure" Spike told him, growing tired of this now, "And if she’s not I am. I’d know if she was having a sprog, change in scent maybe or hearin’ double heartbeats when it’s quiet..." he was interrupted by the door opening to reveal Willow and Tara.

"Mind if we switch?" the red-head asked Spike and Buffy who carried Becky in her arms, "Cordy’s gone into hyper fashion mode and I kinda wanna wish my guy good luck" she smiled at Xander as the little family left the room.

"Er, maybe you should wait out here" Buffy considered as she moved to open the door to the bride’s room and changed her mind half-way, "I don’t know how dressed she’ll be"

"How about me and the little one go check on the guests" Spike nodded, holding out his arms to take the five year old from the Slayer.

Buffy handed her over, kissing Spike on the cheek before disappearing into Cordy’s room.

"You all ready to do your bridesmaid bit, little one" he asked his daughter as carried her through to the hall where the guests waited patiently for the wedding ceremony to begin.

"Uh-huh" she nodded, "I’m gonna walk down the aisle with Aunt Cordy and hold her pretty flowers while she marries Uncle Xander" she grinned, "Mommy said everybody’ll wish they had a job as important as mine, and that I look super pretty in my dress"

"That you do, little love" he smiled, setting her down on the ground and kneeling down in front of her, "Prettiest girls here, you and your Mum" he told her, "Just don’t tell your Aunt Cordy that, okay?"

Becky nodded, still grinning as she looked around at the flowers that adorned the room and all the other guests in their pretty clothes. It was like a fairytale and she hoped one day when she was big she would have a special day like this, that was just for her.

- - -- - - - -

Becky was still grinning at her memories when she crossed over the road to meet her cousin. Of course he wasn’t her true cousin by blood, anymore than her aunts and uncles were her parents siblings, but they were family in a bigger sense that blood ties and they mattered more to each other than they ever thought possible.

It was ironic to think that Cordy had in fact been pregnant on her and Xander’s wedding day, though neither of them had realised it. When it was announced after the couples honeymoon everyone had been surprised how well Xander had taken it, given how worried he’d seemed about the prospect of kids at his wedding, but when it actually happened, he was so thrilled to know he was going to be a Daddy.

"Hey Joshua!" Becky called when she caught sight of him, only grinning wider when he scowled at the use of his full name. Everybody called him Josh, from parents to teachers to school friends. He was only Joshua when he was in trouble or when Becky was teasing him. As she frequently reminded him though, that’s what cousins were for. That and saving your ass when you got yourself in trouble.

"I told you not to call me that" the almost eleven year old complained as Becky reached his side. A couple of his friends looked at her in a most disconcerting way for small boys to look at a girl and she rolled her eyes.

"Josh, we have to get going" she told him, "Family crisis, y’know?" she told him with a look and he nodded his understanding.

"I’ll see you guys tomorrow" he told his friends as he swung his bag onto his back and walked away with Becky.

"It’s a Scooby meeting, right?" he checked as they came back across the street and headed for the Magic Box, "Is it really bad?" he worried.

"I dunno yet" Becky told him honestly, "But y’know whatever it is, we can deal" she gave him a reassuring smile, "We got Slayers, vampires, witches, and most important of all ordinary people who’ll risk it all to help save the world. How could we possibly fail?" she said more confidently than she felt. She heard too many stories of her parents near death experiences as well as those of her friends and family. It didn’t help knowing that being the youngest, one day she and Josh would be forced to stand alone - the new generation of Scoobies.

Becky was in such a daze thinking about it that she didn’t stop at the edge of the road when Josh did, and a car would have hit her if not for the drivers superior reaction times, and her cousins hand that grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Geez, and they think I need a baby sitter to walk me home" Josh sighed before turning to the driver of the car, "Hey Michael"

"Hey Josh, how’s my favourite student?" the young man grinned and Becky soon found she was in a whole different kind of daze when she spotted him. He was undeniably the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen in her life!

"I’m fine" she heard Josh answer, "but I might have to skip it this week, family stuff" he shrugged and Michael didn’t ask anymore questions. He was a new friend of Xander’s after recently starting working on the same site. He’d mentioned his love of playing the guitar and Josh had been begging for lessons for months and so his wish had been granted and every Wednesday night the boy got taught by Michael. Unfortunately, Josh was beginning to think he wouldn’t get past the basics before the world ended!

"Well, keep a tight hold of you friend there" Michael glanced briefly at Becky who could do nothing but stare, "and get your Dad to call me about your lesson"

"No problem" Josh waved goodbye as his friend drove off and he rolled his eyes as Becky’s gaze stayed locked onto the back of the car till it disappeared from sight.

"That’s Michael?" she asked with some astonishment when she resumed walking towards the Magic Box with her cousin.

"Yeah" Josh nodded, giving her a look, "Whats the big?"

"You didn’t tell me your guitar tutor was Michael Morris!" she said, swatting him across the arm.

"Ow!" he cried, rubbing the area she’d hit, "Slayer strength!" he reminded her to be more careful and she looked suitably apologetic when she replied.

"I’m sorry but, my God, I haven’t seen him since I was nine and he was twelve" she sighed at the sweet childhood memory, "I wanted to marry him"

Josh faked vomiting as they arrived outside the magic shop but quickly stopped when Becky looked daggers at him. His arm still ached from her last playful blow.

"Ah, Rebecca, Josh, I’m glad you’re here" Giles told them as they arrived.

Both young people knew the conversation before their arrival must have been intense by the way their parents were so eager to hug them.

"Dad, Becky says she wants to marry Michael" Josh complained to Xander who looked over at the girl as Spike hugged her.

"I did not!" she defended herself as everyone looked at her with amused expressions, "I just...I didn’t know that his Michael, was my Michael, as in the guy I thought I was in love with at age nine!"

"Oh, Michael Morris" Buffy gasped, remembering all too well her little girls’ crush.

"Oh Mom, I just saw him and it was like, I can’t even tell you" Becky enthused, "I thought I’d forgotten him but he is so gorgeous, all these feelings came rushing back..."

"Mom, please make her stop" Josh complained but Cordelia just smiled.

"One day, little man, you might understand what she’s talking about" she told him, "I know I do"

She shared a look with Xander then that the kids would never fully understand, but the rest of the Scoobies understood only too well.

- - - - - - - -

Xander and Anya were a few feet from their apartment, both too physically and emotionally exhausted to say a word. Just a few hours ago the Scooby gang had taken on the hell-god Glory and won, thankfully without any major casualties on their side.

A brief celebration had followed, really just a de-brief and a chance to patch up minor wounds as they reflected on how lucky they’d been. After that they all headed to their separate homes, but there was a surprise waiting for Xander and Anya.

"Excuse me?" Xander frowned when he found a young woman sitting outside his apartment, her back leant against the door, knees pulled up to her chest and face hidden.

When she glanced up at the sound of his voice, he couldn’t believe who it was.

"Cordelia?" he gasped, dropping to his knees beside her, "What are you doing here?" he wondered, "Are you okay?"

Anya looked on, possibly even more confused than her boyfriend.

"It’s kind of a long story" Cordy shrugged, "I just, things got complicated in LA and I...truth is I didn’t have anywhere else to go" she said sadly, looking down at the floor.

It was true that she and Xander had never been the best of friends, even when they were going out all they really did was make out and fight. Their break-up had been painful but after that he’d made an effort, even paying for her Prom dress for her. When she left Sunnydale they had a proper goodbye, even shared one last kiss, but that was supposed to be the end of it.

Anya cleared her throat and Xander looked between his old and current girlfriends.

"Oh, Ahn, you remember Cordelia Chase?" he said awkwardly, "And Cordy, Anya Jenkins"

The two girls looked at each other as Cordy got to her feet, grabbing hold of her backpack as she did so.

It was strange to Xander, to see Miss Chase in plain pants and sweatshirt top. No labels, no fancy accessories, something was more wrong than she was admitting.

"I should go" she said turning away, "I don’t know why I came here"

"Where will you go?" Xander asked her back as she went to walk away. She stopped but didn’t turn back.

"I don’t know" she admitted quietly and Xander spared Anya a glance before speaking again.

"Stay here" he told his ex-girlfriend who looked back at him with some surprise, "It’s been a long few days lately but, after the night I’ve had I don’t think I could sleep anyway" he smiled slightly, "Come in, tell us what’s up, okay?" he told her and after a moment the brunette girl nodded in agreement.

As Xander unlocked the door and let the two women inside he took an uneven breath before following them. Until he’d seen her, he’d forgotten how much he’d really cared for Cordelia, maybe even how much he still cared for her now. He had no idea she was thinking the exact same thing, regardless of the fact another woman literally stood between them.

It was three hours later, and Anya had fallen asleep on the couch some time ago. Still Cordelia and Xander sat talking about old times, laughing and arguing playfully over high school feuds. He’d caught her up on life in Sunnydale, though a lot of it she already knew, and now it was time for her to admit her reason for showing up on his doorstep tonight.

"C’mon Cor, spill it" he urged her, "I know something is seriously up for you to show up at my door" he half-smiled and she watched the bubbles on top of her latest mug of coffee as they floated around.

"It started with Faith" she admitted, "Angel spends so much time with her, helping her. I kinda get it, I do, but since Doyle...went away" she swallowed hard, "It was harder anyway, everything started to come apart. Wes showed up, then Faith. They’re fighters, Xand, and I was just Vision girl...You know how hard it is to be on the outside of the Power circle" she told him and he nodded sadly that he understood all too well.

"But like you said, you’re Vision girl" he reminded her, "That doesn’t help?"

Cordy shook her head and put her mug down on the table.

"Not anymore" she told her ex-boyfriend, "I was all vision-y but...some demon did a spell, overloaded me with intense visions til I went comatose...when everything got fixed, my visions were gone"

"That’s good though, right?" Xander frowned, "No more pain and stuff"

"Yeah, no more pain" Cordy half-smiled, "No more special-gal status" she added with even less enthusiasm and Xander felt bad for her. He glanced over at Anya who slept soundly still, before reaching out a hand to cover that of his ex-girlfriend.

"You’ll always be special, Cordy" he told her softly, "I’ve never met another woman like you, and I never will"

She smiled at that, it really helped to hear that at least someone cared, even if it was Xander Harris, but then maybe she’d judged him too harshly before. Her time in LA had forced her to grow up fast and she realised better now what she’d really had when Xander loved her. If only it were not too late to go back.

- - - - - - - -

"Yes, well" Giles cleared his throat as the assmebled Scoobies all took a seat, "As much fun as this talk of boys is, we do have something rather more pressing to discuss"

"It’s another apocalypse, right?" Rebecca sighed, now resigned to the fact that despite it’s closeness, she might not make it to her sixteenth birthday after all.

"We might not be talking about the end of the world just yet" the old Watcher told her with a half-smile, but that expression soon disappeared as he glanced at Joyce and she nodded.

"You have to tell them Rupert" she said sadly, knowing already how bad it was.

"C’mon Giles, I don’t handle suspense well" Buffy urged him and the Watcher sighed.

"C’mon Giles, I don’t handle suspense well" Buffy urged him and the Watcher sighed. He always hated imparting news of impending doom, and as the years went on he found it more and more difficult to tell the expanding group of Scoobies that the end of the world may very well be nigh.

"I’m afraid signs indicate that a demon is going to try to open the Hellmouth" he said eventually, dangling his glasses from his fingers and pinching the bridge of his nose in an attempt to re-focus his eyes. Too many hours of checking book after book had done him no favours.

"Didn’t we deja this vu already?" Rebecca asked with a frown, "Demons, hellmouth openage, we stopped it before we can do it again, right?" she shrugged as if it were nothing. She’d seen enough danger and apocalypse situations they were less of a big these days.

"It’s not as simple as that, dear" Joyce told her grand-daughter gently and Giles nodded.

"Indeed. The creature that is coming was thought to be extinct, as a great many old demons are" he went on to explain, referring briefly to a book on the counter beside him "This one was not dead, just frozen in time as it were and now it has risen again, one last specimen, hell-bent on sucking the whole world into, well, hell"

"But we can deal, right Giles?" Xander attempted a positive attitude as Cordy got a tight hold of their son’s hand, and the rest of the gang looked to Giles for an answer that didn’t come.

"Yeah, I mean, sure it won’t be a walk in the cemetery" Willow agreed with her best friend "but with magic and weapons and superpowers..."

"Willow, I admire your positive attitude" Giles told her as he took a seat at the table "but no ordinary human could stand against such an enemy, and magic would be next to useless against the Joh’ran Katama"

"What about us non-humans?" Buffy asked, "Me and Becky are Slayers, and Spike’s a vampire, we could probably..."

"I’m no use to you, luv" Spike shook his head sadly and all eyes in the room turned to him, barring Giles and Joyce that already knew why he felt so bad.

"But Dad, you can beat anything" Becky was astonished by her father’s attitude, he was always up for a fight "I’ve seen it myself and you’ve told me..."

"Not the Joh’ran" he told her, and several members of the assembled group wondered, given his expression, whether he was either going to throw something heavy or cry like a child.

Spike just wished Buffy and Rebecca would stop staring at him as they were now, everyone else he could handle but to let them down, it was just unbearable.

"Giles, will you tell them" he said, closing his eyes against the rest of the room. The girls looked to the Watcher for a response and everyone else’s attention switched in the same direction.

"The, er, the Joh’ran Katama secretes a poison" Giles explained "and although it causes no harm to humans it has an effect on vampires...a deadly effect"

"But poisons have antidotes" Tara piped up "If the worst happened and Spike got infected couldn’t we find a cure?"

"Perhaps" Giles nodded "but it truly is an awesome risk. This demon is so old and ancient, the formulae to any antidote would be well lost by now"

Buffy didn’t know what to say as she glanced back at her silent husband. The rest of the gang continued the conversation.

"So I guess we need backup" Cordy realised "More powerful people?"

"Like another Slayer" Willow agreed "We should call Faith"

"And Angel still has extra strength" Tara recalled "even if he is human now, the Shanshu meant human but with powers..."

"I can’t do this" Spikes chair scraped against the floor as he got up and stormed out of the back door of the Magic Box.

"Daddy!" Rebecca called after him, knowing he was hurting and hating that she couldn’t help. She made to go after him but Buffy caught her arm and held her back.

The sound of his daughter’s voice, so young and fragile made Spike wince, a memory speeding back to the surface that he’d sooner not recall right now, but his mind refused to comply with the wishes of his breaking heart.

- - - - - - -

"Daddy, what’s wrong with Sean’s shoe?" Becky’s brow wrinkled in both confusion and concentration, "Did he lose it?" she tried but Spike really wasn’t paying proper attention as he watched Buffy almost drop the phone in her hands.

Just moments ago that same phone had rung and on answering it Buffy had found it was Faith. She had news for her sister Slayer, and she was uncertain as to which way it would be taken.

Angel’s side had suffered greatly in the latest almost-apocalypse to rock LA, the biggest casualty of all being the souled vampire himself who had been dusted by the enemy. The real shock had come when Angel had returned from the dead, no longer a vampire but a real live human being. It seemed the Shanshu prophecy had finally come to pass.

"Daddy!" Rebecca tugged on the bottom of her fathers jeans and he finally seemed to notice she was there.

"Becky, luv, I need to talk to your Mum" he told her, when suddenly the doorbell rang, "Bugger" he cursed under his breath when it was clear Buffy wasn’t moving and since it was the middle of the day he was going to have to be careful answering the door. He managed to duck behind it as he opened it, and was relieved when he heard Becky shriek that it was Aunt Cordy.

"Hey sweetie, where’s Mom and Dad?" she asked, hugging the child that ran at her.

"Dad’s behind the door trying not to fry you silly bint" Spike called angrily and Cordelia hurried inside carrying Becky in her arms.

"Geez Spike, I know you don’t have to breathe but calm it down" she told him as she closed the door and sighed heavily, "Am I missing something?" Cordy asked with a slight frown as she glanced between the look on Spikes face and Buffy’s own expression as she stood in the hallway seemingly unaware of anything around her.

"Do us a favour, luv" Spike asked her, "take the little bit upstairs for a while"

Cordelia was about to ask what the hell was going on but the look on Spike’s face told her now was not the time.

"Okay" she nodded once, "Hey Becky, why don’t we go up to your room and I’ll braid your hair like I promised before"

"Yeah! Yeah!" the little girl clapped and grinned excitedly as Cordelia carried her off and Spike turned to Buffy, walking down the hallway toward her.

"You alright, pet?" he checked.

Angel getting his Shanshu changed things, he knew that, and he’d dreaded this day. Now his old grand-sire was a real boy, nothing could stand in his way. He knew Buffy had spent so long wishing she and Angel were regular people so they could be together, now he was, and despite the fact she was practically married to him, Spike was feeling more than a little insecure. He could tell just from the sound of Faith’s voice on the phone that she was uncertain of a lot of things too.

"Angel is human" Buffy said shakily, "He’s actually alive" she turned to look at him then, before bursting into tears and going into his waiting arms.

Spike was a little surprised by her reaction, and wrongly assumed she was upset to have not waited longer for her first true love before settling for him instead.

"I know what he means to you Buffy" he said stiffly, fighting his own tears, "I know how long you waited for..." he just couldn’t speak anymore. The thought of losing her and Becky was just about the one thing in the world that scared him even more to death. Just knowing Buffy wished she could leave him for his grade-sire made him want to cry like a ponce, something he realised he was doing anyway.

"It’s not fair" the Slayer sobbed into his shoulder and he was desperate not to break down completely, but she was killing him with her words.

"I’m sorry, luv" he forced out, holding her close and rubbing her back with his hand. He loved her too much to find her suffering bearable at all. This coupled with the fear of her next words being something in the realms of goodbye made him feel sick.

"Why are you sorry?" she surprised him when she brought her head up off his shoulder and looked into his eyes, sniffing and crying still "It’s not your fault the Powers chose the wrong guy for their stupid prophecy" she told him, bringing a hand to his cheek to wipe away tears she saw there, "You’ve done so much good and without being forced to...it’s not fair" she repeated, "It should’ve been you"

"Should’ve been...?" Spike frowned at her words, not understanding. He’d been so certain she was crying for the loss of one she was too late to claim, or possibly out of the guilt she felt in knowing she was about to leave the father of her child behind. It seemed though that her tears were for himself, and the unjust re-birth of his grand-sire. As he studied her face for conformation she too searched his eyes and gasped at what she found there. Fear.

"You thought I would...?" she couldn’t even say it, couldn’t bear to think that he might doubt her commitment to him, "Just because he’s human, I could never..."

"I’m sorry" Spike was quick to tell her as she backed out of his arms, "But you two were in so deep before, Buffy. He was your first love and I know how much you wanted to be with him..." he looked down at his boots, hating to mention these things. Most of the time he could put out of his head that the woman he loved had been first touched by Angel. Standing here now though, the issue had to be addressed, "Are you seriously telling me you didn’t long for this day?" he asked her, voice audibly shaking as he looked at her again.

Buffy glanced at all four walls and the floor before she had enough courage to face his eyes again, bright blue and piercing her soul with their intensity. He may have misjudged her, and it hurt to know he didn’t trust her not to leave for Angel just because he was alive now, but she couldn’t deny when she looked at him then that she understood why he was afraid.

"I can’t lie to you" she said softly, "I never could...and you’re right in some ways" she told him, making him physically wince as if he’d been struck, "There’s a part of me, deep down, that will always love Angel and always want him to come back to me"

Spike couldn’t take it and two more tears fell down his cheek. He turned away to try to hide them. Buffy moved back towards him and grabbed his arm, spinning him back round to face her.

"But the rest of me belongs to you, Spike" she told him firmly, "My heart, my body, and soul. I never gave my whole self to anyone like I’ve given myself to you. You’re my entire world, you and Becky, and I don’t ever want that to change"

"Everything changes, pet" he told her still shaking, reaching out a hand and running it through her hair, "Nothing stays the same forever" he looked away then realising how true it was, how much life had just changed for Angel.

"Our love will" she swore to him, taking his hand in her own, "and if it does change, it’ll only be because it gets stronger" she promised him.

"I can’t ever be him, luv" he said, genuinely touched by her words but so very aware right now of all she had really given up just to be with him as she was.

"If I wanted him, you idiot" she said with a watery smile, "I would be with him now...but I’m not" she pointed out, "I’m here, with the man I love" she told him, attempting a laugh that was more of a sob than anything else as emotion overcame her once more "You do not get rid of me so easily, William Blackwell"

He hugged her tight to him then, just not knowing what else to do or say. He didn’t deserve such a woman as this, but he wasn’t letting go of her for anything in the world.

- - - - - - -

"We’re not replacing you with Angel in this fight" Buffy said from the doorway at the back of the Magic Box "I know you’re thinking it but we’re not" she told Spike’s back as he leant against the wall in the shaded part of the alley, smoking a cigarette.

"You didn’t need to, pet" he told her, taking an unneeded breath as he threw the butt of the cigarette to the floor and stubbed it out beneath his booted foot, "I’ll bet them lot in there have already called him" he said as he turned to face her, gesturing back inside the building where the Scoobies were already making battle plans, he had no doubt.

"They’re calling Faith" the Slayer reminded him "Angel just comes as part of the package. Remember how they’re together now? Like we are?" she pressed the point, making it obvious what she was trying to do. Spike shook his head.

"I’m not jealous Buffy" he assured her "or anything like insecure about you and that soddin’ git" he reminded her, kicking a stone along the ground, hands shoved deep in his pockets.

"Then what’s up?" Buffy wanted to know as she stepped in close to him and tried to make eye contact. He eventually looked up, smirking that smirk that was uniquely his.

"Apart from the demon that wants to suck us all to fire and brimstone world?" he asked her, making her roll her eyes.

"Yes, apart from that" she nodded and everything turned too serious again when he took her in his arms and looked deep into her eyes.

"I want to be by your side in this fight, Slayer, like I always promised to be" he told solemnly "I’m not afraid to die, Buffy, I mean in the permanent way, but I’ll only be a burden if that bugger gets me" he pointed out "You’ll lose concentration on the fight and worry about me doing the writhing in pain act on the ground" he said with some disgust, looking away from her. He couldn’t bear to see pity or any other emotion other than love for him in her eyes.

Buffy put her hand to his cheek and made him face her once again.

"I don’t know how I’d deal if I ever lost you or Becky" she said almost on the verge of tears.

"Never happen, sweetheart" Spike shook his head as he pulled her tightly to him, relieved at least to be reassured of her love and faith for him "We won’t let it"

- - - - - - -

As various members of the Scooby gang flew into research mode and planning mode, one person had yet to move from her seat.

"You okay there, Beckster?" her Uncle Xander asked. She’d been sitting still too long for his liking. Much like her parents, Rebecca could never be quiet and inactive too long, she itched to be doing something. She was only so still and quiet when she was worried or upset.

"I’m as okay as you can be when you’re facing the worlds impending doom...again" she half-smiled at her semi-joke before sighing "Though honestly, I’m more worried about my Dad than me"

"He’s not happy unless he’s kicking the ass of somethin’ nasty" the brunette nodded, knowing only too well how true it was "It’s gotta be a bummer to know he’s pretty much out of this fight before it even starts"

"And instead we’re getting Angel, the stupid git" she mumbled the last part to herself but Xander still gave her a look because he heard her anyway.

"Oh come on" she sighed at his disapproving, almost parental glare "You of all people have to agree with me?" she said incredulously and Xander shrugged.

"Kind of, sometimes" he admitted "but Becky, Angel’s done a lot of good, and he’s human now..." it took him a minute to realise it wasn’t Angel’s lack of evil that was bothering the teen so much.

"And he’s no threat to your Mom and Dad" he added sincerely, as his hand covered hers on the table and squeezed it in a reassuring gesture.

"I know" Rebecca nodded, as she recalled her first memory of the ex-vampire with a soul...

- - - - - - - -

"Peaches? What the bloody hell are you doing here?" Spike’s eyes narrowed as he opened the door and found his ex-grand-sire on the other side.

It was a year since they’d come face to face like this, and last time Angel had still been undead. Now he was very much alive and the situation was particularly awkward as Buffy poked her head around the side of the door and realised who was there.

"Spike who was at the...door?" her sentence became disjointed as she saw Angel standing there. It was strange but apart from being a little tanned he looked no different to the last time she’d seen him. She wasn’t sure what difference she had expected now that he was a regular human being but she’d expected something.

"Hi Buffy, Spike" he greeted both of them though his ex-grand childe with some distaste, "It’s been a while" he added pointlessly. This really had not been his idea but it was apocalypse time in the City of Angels and Faith had convinced him the only way they were going to get through this one was with help from Sunnydale. She herself had been back to the small town several times to visit those she now considered friends and on more than occasion to beg a little help of the demon-defeating kind. This time she had told Angel he must go, he’d avoided those people for too long.

"Mommy" an awkward silence was interrupted by a little voice and accompanying soft footsteps on the stairs. As Spike and Buffy turned to look at their daughter, Angel stepped inside the house and the door was closed behind him.

"Becky, honey" Buffy sighed, going to her, "What are you doing out of bed, it’s late"

"I was dreaming" she frowned, "The flashcard monsters were trying to get me and I dropped my stake" she explained.

"Bloody Giles with his bloody flashcards" Spike muttered as he came over and picked the little girl up with ease, "Told you your daft Watcher was gonna scare the Little Bit with his sketches of the local evil crowd" he said to Buffy who shook her head tiredly.

"I’ll talk to him tomorrow" she promised before realising Angel’s eyes were now fixed on her daughter, "Oh er, Rebecca, sweetheart, this is Aunt Faith’s...friend...Uncle Angel" she ventured, regretting the term as soon as she saw the flash of gold in Spike’s eyes, but it was too late to take it back.

"Hey Rebecca" the ex-vampire said uncertainly. He had very little experience of children, and this one he had not seen since she was a babe in arms. Now she was an actual little person and...and she was looking at him kind of funny.

"You don’t look like an Angel" she shook her head, before tilting it to one side to study him, "Angel’s are pretty and they have wings" she told him matter-of-factly. He smiled at that.

"It’s just a nickname" he told her, "My real name is Liam"

"My name is Rebecca Joyce Blackwell" she announced somewhat dramatically and Angel glanced at Buffy.

"We dropped the Summers, it made it all too long" she explained, "and I decided to change my name to Blackwell too"

Angel just nodded, staring at the perfect little copy of Buffy that was held in Spike’s arms, the only tell tale signs of her father being her bright blue eyes and slightly sharpened cheek-bones.

"Come on, Nibblet" Spike told him daughter, "Let’s get you some warm milk and see if we can’t get you back to sleep before it’s light again" he said carrying her off to the kitchen.

"Can I try some blood, Daddy?" the pair left in the hall heard her ask.

"For the hundredth time" came Spike’s answer, "No!"

- - - - - - -

"Dad!" Becky moved quickly across the room to him as soon as he returned with Buffy right behind him. She hugged him and he looked a little surprised, though he was happy enough to hug her back.

"What’s up, Sweet Bit?" he asked her with a convincing but fake smile as they pulled apart, "Think I might of got eaten by some nasty in the back alley or what?"

"You know that’s not it" she told him with a look, "I know it bothers you that you can’t be in this fight..."

"Hush now, you" he interrupted her swiftly, "Enough bloody talk about me not being in this battle" he said, loud enough to catch everyone’s attention, "Just cos I won’t be swinging an axe doesn’t mean I’m out of this fight, just means I’ll have to find other ways of helpin’, right?"

"Indeed, Spike" Giles agreed, "there is plenty of research to be done and of course your assistance in strategising would be invaluable..."

"Don’t over-do it, Rupes" Spike smirked, knowing the ex-Watcher wanted to include him somehow just to keep the peace between the gang, "Honest, pet, your old Dad’ll be just fine" he promised, noting that Becky still looked concerned.

She nodded that she believed him before hugging him once again. When Buffy stepped away, Becky took the opportunity to whisper in her fathers ear.

"If Angel bugs you too much, I’ll kick his ass for you...the stupid wanker"

Spike couldn’t help but laugh at that. He really was so proud of his little girl.

The sun shining in through the store window woke young Josh Harris from his slumber, sprawled across a pile of books at the research table.

"Morning Sleepy-Head" Cordy smiled, straightening out his hair for him.

"Mom?" he said groggily as he pulled himself up and stretched, "What time is it?"

"Way past school starting time" she told him, "but don’t worry I called and told them you weren’t feeling well"

He smiled at both the fact he could skip school and something else too.

"I swear the principal thinks I should be checked over at a hospital, I get ‘sick’ so much" he air-quoted.

Every time a major battle or apocalypse type situation cropped up he was granted anything from a half a day to a week off school to help deal with it, although he was fairly certain a lot of it was just his Mom being scared she’d never see him again if the worst happened.

"Breakfast!" Xander called to the assembled group as he came in the front door, making the bell jingle. In his arms he had a tray full of doughnuts and other delights, and behind him Becky carried Styrofoam cups of hot chocolate and coffee.

As everyone scrambled to grab food and drinks, the youngest girl walked over to her father’s side, the only person not desperate for a jelly doughnut, and handed him a brown bag.

"We didn’t leave anybody out" she smiled and he grinned back as he took the bag from her and kissed her cheek.

"Thanks, pet" he winked as he put down the book he’d been studying, took his feet down from the table and walked out to the backroom to warm the blood in the microwave there.

"I guess Aunt Faith didn’t get here yet" Becky shrugged as she turned to find her mother behind her.

"Nope, not yet" she shook her head, "but you’ll know when she does, your Aunt Faith always manages to make one hell of an entrance" she smiled, wiping sugar from her doughnut off her lips.

Becky laughed.

"I haven’t known her to enter a room without yelling since..." her sentence was cut off by the bell above the door ringing once again and a small child who came pelting into the Magic Box, knocking a couple of books flying from a table by the door as she ran around the back of the next shelf.

"...since she was born" Becky smiled, recognising the little girl, and the loud voice that could be heard a full minute before the owner could be seen.

"Amanda Hope O’Connor you get back here now, girl, or there’s gonna be a whoopin’!" Faith yelled, soon appearing in the doorway with her hands on her hips.

"I didn’t mean it, Mommy" her six and a half year old daughter called from her hiding place.

"I swear to God, Angel" her mother told the man that hovered behind her, "The kid is driving me insane today!"

"Just today?" the ex-vampire smiled as they entered the shop and he stepped around his partner to try and locate his little girl.

"Mandy, honey?" he called, grateful to Willow who silently gestured where she was hiding, "Mandy, come out from there before you break something expensive" he told her, lifting her from behind the shelf and carrying her out with ease, despite the fact she struggled to be free the entire time.

"Well, if it isn’t the LA super-couple and their side-kick" Buffy smiled as she walked over to greet them, "Looks like kick is the right word" she noted, not going as close as she might’ve when Mandy’s foot flailed about and came within millimetres of her body.

"I hear you got trouble, B" said Faith as they shared an almost sisterly hug.

"Of the apocalypse kind" she agreed.

Angel finally let Mandy down and she ran straight to Becky.

"Is there any other kind of trouble in Sunnydale?" Angel checked as took his turn to hug Buffy, something that even after all these years still felt a little strange to the both of them.

"Say one thing for my home town" the blonde Slayer smiled, "It’s never dull"

The three walked over to join the rest of the gang who all greeted Angel and Faith with hugs and hand-shakes. Mandy was at last still and relatively quiet, seated on Becky’s knee and sharing her breakfast. She was the only person it seemed that could keep some control over the little terror that Angel and Faith had spawned, and it often amazed her parents, who usually had terrible trouble keeping the girl in check.

"Daddy said it’s your birthday on Saturday" the little girl was saying, "Next Thursday is my half-birthday, and I’ll be exactly six and a half then" she grinned proudly.

"Wow, you’re growing up fast" Becky smiled back at the child she loved like a cousin "Y’know Mandy I was your age when I first met your Daddy" she glanced up at Angel who smiled also.

"That’s actually not strictly true, Becky..."

- - - - - - -

"Just a minute!" Buffy called as someone knocked on the front door. It was almost midnight but Rebecca had decided that this was no time for sleeping and had been trying to scream the house down for the past hour. Rocking the child in her arms she made for the door, checking her robe was securely fastened.

"Angel" she gasped when she found him on the other side.

"Buffy" he half-smiled at the sight of her with the baby in her arms, "and this would be Rebecca" he said, looking down at the child who finally seemed to be quietening down, "She’s beautiful"

"Thankyou" Buffy smiled at him, but feeling a little bad. There was a strange look of pain and longing in his eyes, though she was unsure whether it was because he would never get the chance to have kids of his own or because now he’d actually seen Rebecca it was kind of final that they were over.

"Can I come in?" he asked when she was quiet too long and Buffy realised she’d been so lost in thought, she’d almost forgotten he was there.

"Oh sorry, yes, come in" she said, stepping aside. They went into the living room, Angel taking the armchair and Buffy sitting down on the couch opposite with Becky.

"Where’s Spike?" the vampire asked, trying to sound casual. Buffy tried not to smile.

"Out patrolling with the gang" she told him.

"Leaving you literally holding the baby" Angel smiled and the Slayer grinned, "Not that you seem to mind at all" he added.

"Nope" she said firmly, eyes fixed on the child, "Becky’s the best thing that ever happened to me. I might not have always thought so but now, she and Spike make my world complete" she glanced up then and Angel looked away. She hated to think her words had hurt him but it was the truth, and they’d decided a long while ago that there time together was over.

"Buffy, I’m glad you’ve moved on and you’re happy" he told her, glancing back, though she was fairly certain it was hard for him.

"You should try it" she said with a smile, "The whole moving on deal"

"That’s kind why I’m here" he admitted and Buffy looked puzzled by that, "The thing is, well, I’ve sort of been seeing someone"

"Oh" the Slayer was visibly stunned by that revelation, though she knew she had no real reason to be. Angel was your typical tall, dark, and handsome guy. There was no reason to think that girls wouldn’t find him attractive. He was kind and loving, and eager to protect those around him, of course his curse presented some problems but...

"It’s Faith" he said suddenly and Buffy’s eyes went so wide he thought they might fall completely out of her head.

"Faith" she echoed, trying to take in the concept of the dark Slayer and her ex boyfriend dating, "She doesn’t..." she began before laughing lightly, "I was gonna say she doesn’t seem like your type, but hey, you clearly like your women to have super demon-killing abilities" she said bordering on nastily and Angel frowned.

"I don’t just love her because she’s a Slayer" he argued, before replaying his own words in his head and wincing.

"You love her?" Buffy looked at him strangely, almost as if it hurt to hear those words. It was ridiculous really, they both knew it. She was so totally committed to Spike but a part of her would always love Angel, that’s just the way it was with first love, she guessed.

"It’s so weird" Angel almost laughed, "I can’t say it to her, but I just told you without even meaning to" he admitted, "I guess I’m worried that she’ll run if I go too fast"

"Going too fast for Faith" Buffy smirked, not unlike the way Spike would, "There’s a concept"

"Oh we haven’t..." Angel was quick to deny all carnal knowledge of his new girlfriend but Buffy shook her head.

"Angel, it’s none of my business what you and Faith do or don’t do" she told him, leaning over to put a hand on his arm, "I’m just glad you found someone you think you can be with" she smiled, feeling ridiculously tearful about the whole thing.

"Well, well" said a voice from the door, "Wondered when you’d come darkening our doorway again" Spike looked daggers at his grand-sire as both he and Buffy turned and saw him standing there.

"How was patrol?" Buffy asked him, as she took her hand away from Angel’s arm.

Spike walked across the room, keeping his eyes on the other vampire til he reached his Slayer’s side. Sitting down beside her he kissed her with some passion, no doubt all for Angel’s benefit, before turning his attention to the now sleeping child in Buffy’s arms.

"Patrol was fine, staked a couple of baddies" he said with a shrug, "No more news on the big bad skank" he added, referring to Glory. They had yet to figure out exactly what she was or what she was up to, "Little Bit all restless again, was she?" he asked next and Buffy told him how she’d done nothing but scream since he left, up until a few minutes ago.

"Misses her dear old Dad, don’t you kitten?" he asked the child, despite the fact she was sound asleep by now. Buffy handed Rebecca over to him and turned to Angel who looked uncomfortable.

"I don’t wanna be pushy but if we’re done here, I’m kinda tired" she told him and the vampire got to his feet.

"No, that was all" he admitted, "I have a contact down here that I needed to see, I thought I should swing by and meet the little girl I’ve heard so much about"

"So long, Peaches" Spike smirked as his grand sire headed for the door, "Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out" he added and Buffy rolled her eyes. She loved Spike, honestly she did, but sometimes he could be a real child.

"Thankyou, Angel" she smiled as she opened the door to let him out, "It really means a lot that you would want to come and tell me yourself about Faith" she told him, reaching up to give him a hug, "I really do want you to be happy" she said as she squeezed him tight.

"It’s all I ever wanted for you too" he said as they pulled away a moment later, "I see you are now"

"More than I ever thought possible" the Slayer nodded and smiled as her ex went out of the door promising to come visit again soon.

As Buffy closed the door and stepped back into the living room, Spike raised an eyebrow in questioning manner. He may not have seen the hug but he’d heard the words, vampire hearing was a very handy thing.

"He came to tell me that he’s dating Faith" Buffy told her ‘husband’ as she sat back down beside him.

"Old broody pants and the rogue Slayer?" Spike smirked, "Didn’t see that one coming"

"I guess they have stuff in common" Buffy shrugged, "Former evil trying to redeem themselves?"

"If that’s how it works you’re lucky you grabbed me when you did, luv" Spike smirked as she stood up with Rebecca in his arms, "Might have been me that ended up shagging your second in command"

Buffy rolled her eyes and tried not to laugh as she followed him up the stairs. Whatever Spike or Angel said, she was genuinely glad that her ex-love had someone to be with just like she did. No-one should have to go through life alone.

- - - - - - -

"Well, well" said Spike as he appeared from the back room at last, "If it isn’t the back-up brigade"

"Uncle Spike!" Mandy shrieked as she scrabbled down from Becky’s lap and ran at the vampire, full pelt. Angel blamed the bleached blond almost entirely for his child’s often wild behaviour, though she hadn’t spent all that much time in his company, she adored her Uncle Spike almost as much as she loved her parents and no-one could really figure out precisely why.

"Hello, Little Bit" he smiled as he scooped her up from the ground, "Bloody hell you’re getting to be a heavy one" he complained, "Lucky I got my extra power or you’d break my soddin’ back" he told her with a grin, making her laugh.

"Language Spike" Buffy reminded him with a look. He rolled his eyes as he came to sit down again with the little girl on his lap.

"Hey Blondie, what’s up?" Faith asked him.

"Five by five, pet" he smirked, stealing her infamous phrase "Yourself?"

"We get by" she smiled, before turning serious, "but I here things ain’t lookin’ so rosy round here"

"Yeah, we got trouble" Xander chipped in, "Right here in Hellmouth City"

"Giles, you mentioned a Joh’ran Katama" Angel said, turning to the ex-Watcher, "I thought they died out centuries ago"

The older man nodded in agreement, before explaining the situation to the new arrivals.

"Damn, B" Faith exhaled loudly, "When you get Big Bad’s around here they’re Real Big Bads"

"Tell me about it" Buffy sighed, "but there has to be a way to defeat it. We beat back everything else that ever tried to end the world. However bad it gets I know we can do it again"

"No arguments here, luv" Spike agreed, "Even if I can’t go swinging my sword into battle this time, you know I’ve always got your back, right?"

Buffy nodded, covering his hand with hers on the table. They got their strength from each other as well as the rest of their family and friends. They were all going to have to pull together in a big way on this one, or Becky might never see that sixteenth birthday they’d so been looking forward to celebrating.

The Scooby Gang had been in full research mode for a few hours now, most of them pouring over many books relating to the ancient demon they must face, whilst Willow got onto the Internet. The kids helped her out when so many hours of screen stareage made her eyes go wonky, and Xander was on food duty ensuring everyone had a never ending supply of coffee and snacks.

Inevitably after a while some members of the group started to get a little bored of book reading, one in particular was Faith. She got up from her seat, leaving Mandy in the capable hands of Tara since Angel was in deep conflab with Giles. She pulled up a seat next to Josh at the second research table.

"Hey kid, how’s tricks?" she asked, straddling the chair beside him.

"I’m okay" he shrugged, getting up when Cordy did and offering to take the heavy pile of books from her.

"Thanks Josh" she smiled gratefully at her son as he took them across the room, adding them to the pile of volumes that were useless on this particular occasion. His leaving had left his ‘aunt’ alone with his mother.

"So Faith..." Cordelia began, not knowing where to go from there.

"See, that’s what I love about comin’ back here and seein’ you Cordy" the darker haired woman smiled, "Always got a nice big awkward silence to greet me"

"There’s no law that says I have to like you" Cordelia snapped, reaching for another book to take her attention.

"Too true" Faith nodded her agreement, "but this battle’d be a whole lot easier if I didn’t have to avoid you and Xander and the kid" she pointed out.

"Makes me nervous when you two talk about me" the very man she’d just mentioned commented as he came back to the table, having just been out on another snack-food run. Faith sighed, picking a doughnut up out of the open box he carried.

"Don’t sweat it, Xand" she said as she got to her feet, playfully slapping him across the shoulder, "You know I’ll always be complimentary" she winked as she walked away. There really wasn’t anything to be complimentary about since he was just one guy in an awfully long list, Faith barely even remembered how it felt to be with him.

"Cordy, you know I..." Xander began some kind of defence. Despite the fact his one time with Faith had been years ago and when he and Cordy were not even dating anymore, he knew she was hurt to know he’d chosen to lose his virginity with the second Slayer and not with her.

"I know, it doesn’t matter" Cordelia shook her head and smiled as she put her hand briefly in his, before getting up and walking away. Josh passed by her as he came back to the table and sat down with his father.

"What’s up with Mom?" he frowned, having noticed the strange look on her face, "Is it Aunt Faith again"

"No" Xander lied, "it’s just..."

"There’s something you guys are trying to hide from me" his son interrupted, bored of always noticing the strangeness between his parents and the dark Slayer and never knowing why, "I know Aunt Faith kinda spoiled Mom’s friendship with Uncle Angel but it’s like there’s more to it than that"

"It’s complicated, son" Xander sighed, squeezing his shoulder, "I’ll explain it to you when you’re older" he assured the boy, looking down at the book in front of him.

"It’s another apocalypse Dad" Josh said sadly, "I might not get any older"

"Hey, I don’t wanna hear that kinda talk" Xander snapped but in a whisper, hoping no-one else had heard, "You believe in your Aunt Buffy, right?"

"Sure I do" Josh assured him with firm nod, "but without Uncle Spike, makes it harder, doesn’t it?"

"Buffy was chief apocalypse averter way before she and Spike hooked up" the veteran Scooby told the boy, "It’d be great to have him in this fight but we’ll deal, I promise"

Across the room, Buffy was doing her best impersonation of a commander-general, making battle plans with Giles seated opposite and Spike and Angel on either side of her.

"...so basically I’m thinking if we...Spike?" she frowned when she realised he was listening intently, but not to her.

"Sorry, luv, what?" he checked, shaking his head as if to come out of a daze.

Glancing around the room suspiciously, Buffy smiled a little.

"If you weren’t listening to me, who exactly were you tuned in on?" she wanted to know, wondering which of the gang were having the most interesting conversation.

Spike had been known to use that extra good vampire hearing of his for both good and bad eavesdropping, including the time he over-heard a couple of demons talking in the cemetery alerting him and the Slayer to a dastardly plot they otherwise might have had trouble dealing with, and another occasion when he’d had altogether too much fun listening to Tara and Willow’s whispered plans for a quiet evening in. If only the words he heard now were as welcome to his ears.

"Xander’s promising the boy a happy ever after from this fight" he told the others quietly, "I hate to say it but no-one can ensure all our lives in something this big"

"He knows that better than anyone" Buffy sighed, glancing over at her best male friend, "He just can’t bear to think of losing Cordy and Josh, not after what happened with Anya..."

-

The funeral was a small affair. Xander couldn’t bear to invite any of her demon friends, though he knew in some ways she might have wanted them there. It was just a week since the day it happened, up in the spare bedroom at Buffy’s house. She and Spike had gone out on patrol to find the latest semi-big bad in town, leaving Anya to babysit for baby Becky. She wasn’t the usual choice for looking after the child, but since Xander left her at the altar the gang had made extra efforts to include her in things, and she seemed grateful for it.

By his own admission, Xander had not gone through with their marriage because of Cordelia, and the fact that when faced with the prospect of pledging his life forever to Anya he started to realise that his love for Cordelia had never truly died. It was clear the former high school bitch had some kind of feeling for him too, and she and Anya had several fights over petty little differences, all leading back to jealously and insecurity regarding Xander. Now as the two brunettes stood at the graveside of the former-demon, they thought back over the events of the past week, specifically the day she’d passed away.

Knowing she would be at 1630 Revello Drive, and hating the ill feeling between them, Xander had convinced Cordy to go with him to see Anya and try to apologise for the hurt they’d inadvertently caused her. She let them in but made it clear she didn’t want to talk to them. There was yelling before long which woke the previously sleeping Rebecca upstairs, and Anya went to her, taking her from the cot and holding her close to her body, still arguing with Xander who had followed on up the stairs.

Cordy stood in the hall, throwing in her own comments where she felt appropriate. Anya soon got upset, yelling that all this arguing was only making the baby cry more.

She stormed past the couple she felt had betrayed her and went into the first room she came to, the spare room.

The three had no idea that down below in the garden, Buffy and Spike had just arrived home. They had been followed by Warren, a boy the gang had once gone to school with who had now turned into a psychopath gunning for the Slayer. He pulled a gun and levelled it at Buffy.

The first two shots veered wildly off course, the third came straight for Warren’s target and Spike wasted no time throwing his woman to theground and taking the bullet that was meant for her. It did him little damage, passing straight through his shoulder.

It was the fourth bullet fired that was deadly. Having heard the shots down below, Xander and Cordy ducked for cover. Anya threw her body around to cover the baby in her arms, as the final stray bullet came crashing through the window, embedding itself in her spine and killing her outright.

Becky’s life was saved, not even a scratch on her as Anya slumped over the bed with the baby still in her arms. Cordelia grabbed Rebecca as Xander went to his ex-love, praying it wasn’t true, that he hadn’t just seen her die - but he had.

"I’m sorry, Xander" Cordelia had cried then and she did again now as the two of them walked away from the grave.

"It wasn’t your fault" he said, squeezing her hand, "I know it’s not really mine either but..." he paused, swallowing hard before continuing, "I feel so bad for being relieved you’re still here" he said, voice shaking as a tear fell down his cheek.

"It’s okay" Cordelia promise him, wiping away his tear, "It’ll all be okay, I promise"

He nodded that he knew she was right but it didn’t mean it hurt any less.

-

"All this book reading and computer looking is giving me a headache" Becky complained, shattering the near silence of the Magic Box, "Besides I’ve been sitting too long" she demonstrated by getting to her feet and stretching out her stiff muscles, "I need to hit something"

"S’not dark yet, Bit" Spike pointed out, turning in his seat to look at her, "Doubt you’ll find any baddies about"

"So how about we hit the training room" she grinned, "Spar for a while"

"Still reckon you can take the old man down, do you?" he smirked, getting to his feet and hiding well the disconcerting feel of realising that which he already knew - his baby girl was all but the same height as he was now.

"I’ll give it my best shot" she smirked right back at him as they headed for the door that led out to the back of the shop where the training room resided.

"This oughta be fun" Faith grinned, and Buffy smiled too as both Slayers vacated their seats.

"Audience is always welcome, luvs" Spike assured them as he held open the door for the three women to pass through.

Once inside, Becky started stretching and preparing herself for a fight. Her mother and aunt sat down on the bench at the side of the room, whilst Spike removed his prize coat and carefully laid it next to his wife. He made the novice mistake of turning his back on his opponent.

"Hey Dad" said Becky standing directly behind him.

"What...?" he began to ask as he turned, but the rest of the sentence disappeared as a small fist struck him at half-power across the face. Becky smirked at his expression when he turned his head back straight.

"Playing dirty, huh?" he asked her as she backed up a step and prepared for his counter-attack.

"Just like you taught me" she started to laugh as he came at her. She blocked his first few punches but eventually his fist made contact with her ribs. The fight went on, no real violence in it and no real injuries endured by either party as the battle continued.

"The kid got the moves, B" Faith chuckled as Becky expertly swept her fathers legs out from under him, sending Spike crashing to the floor on his butt.

"Yeah" Buffy smiled fondly at the scene, watching her ‘husband’ scramble to his feet and flying kick his daughter into the padded wall on the other side of the room, "As crazy as it would sound to the world outside, I love to watch them fight like this" she shook her head at how weird that really did sound and at the expression of Faith’s face.

"Yeah, you’re right, kinda crazy" the brunette smiled, "but I get it" she nodded.

"As much as anything it’s great to know he can fight humans again of his own free will" the blonde admitted, eyes following the two fighters as they came back across the room "I mean, obviously I’m glad he didn’t go back to eating people but there’s evil in the human world too that has to be dealt with and what the Initiative did to him..." she got mad just thinking about how cruel it was, like muzzling a dog. Spike had been evil before, she wasn’t stupid enough to not remember, but he didn’t deserve that chip, no-one did. Most vamps might need staking, but that was death, plain and fast. What the government tried to do was sick torture. Besides, how do you teach morals to anyone or anything when you have none yourself?

"Don’t sweat it, B" Faith urged her, noticing the too serious and angry look on her face "it all worked out" she reminded her.

"Only cos you helped" Buffy managed a half-smile as she turned to glance at the brunette beside her.

Faith grinned.

"Hey, like I was really gonna turn down a gig like that"

-

"Well" Faith sighed, hefting the axe on her back a little higher, "Gotta tell ya B, this isn’t exactly how I planned my visit to good old SunnyD" she smirked as they walked along in the dark.

"I’m sorry" Buffy apologised, "but I kinda need someone to watch my back on this one"

For one of the first times since becoming a Slayer, Buffy was less confident about her own abilities. After spending a couple of days and nights at Spike’s side, watching him suffer, hearing him scream, as the chip fired over and over for no good reason, she was emotionality exhausted and physically almost just as tired. She needed back up and with all that had been going on with Spike and of course looking after Becky, she’d completely forgotten to cancel Faith’s little visit this weekend. Joyce, Willow, and Tara had taken over Buffy’s wife and mother duties for just a few hours whilst she and her fellow Slayer went back to the old Initiative in the hopes of finding something, anything of use to Spike.

"What exactly you think we’re gonna find down here" the brunette asked as they arrived at the hatch that led down to the old government institution.

"I dunno" the blonde groaned as she and Faith pulled on the chain to open the hatch, "I don’t care, I just need to help Spike"

Back at Revello Drive, Willow was by Spike’s bedside as he slept. He awoke and found her reading.

"Anything in there about brain-frying chips and their removal from the undead cranium?" he asked groggily, attempting a smirk.

"I wish there was" the red-head told him sadly, closing the volume, "Still hurting?"

"Only when I’m awake or asleep" he told her with a look, "Reckon this might be it for me, Red" he admitted, looking away.

"Don’t say stuff like that" she admonished, "You have Buffy and Rebecca to fight for, so you’re not going to give up, right?" she said, resolve face firmly in place.

"Yes ma’am" he smiled, wincing as pain shot through his head again and blood ran from his nose once more. Willow pushed a handkerchief to his face, looking worried by the sight of more blood, and then exceedingly relieved when Joyce called that Buffy and Faith were back and they’d brought company.

"This is a highly inappropriate setting for this kind of operation..." the man in the doctors jacket was saying as he was hurried up the stairs and into the bedroom by two brassed off Slayers.

"So make it appropriate, dumbass" Faith snapped, "Or we’re gonna get cranky"

Spike couldn’t help but smile as Buffy gave the doctor a shove towards him.

"Well Doc" he smirked, "Reckon you better do as these ladies say, cos believe me when I tell you, you wouldn’t like them when they get mad"

It had been a minor miracle to find people still working in one sector of the underground labs. A certain amount of Slayer-strength threats and a doctor had been given to them to help Spike.

Just four hours later and it was all over, the chip was out and Buffy had never cried so much or so hard from pure relief.

-

Spike was breathing unnecessarily heavily as he let his daughter out of the choke hold she couldn’t escape from. If it were a real fight and she were the enemy he could easily have snapped her neck from there. She knew it, and when he asked her where she’d gone wrong, she obediently noted her mistake and told him what it was, promising never to let it happen in a real battle.

"Well, then. I reckon that’s one down, and two to go?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow at the other two women.

"Bring it on, Blondie" Faith challenged, getting to her feet, arms gesturing to match her words. Spike glanced between her and Buffy.

"Sure, take Faith down first" the blonde shrugged "Save the best for last" she said with a look he knew so well.

"Works for me, baby" he shot back, the glint in his eye conveying his understanding of exactly what she meant. Without taking his eyes off her he lunged at Faith taking her unawares and knocking her to the ground. The second fight was on, and he was loving it.

"You okay?" Buffy frowned a little as Becky walked over with a bottle of water in one hand, squeezing her ribs with the other.

"Yeah" she winced just slightly as she sat down, knowing the pain wouldn’t last long anyway "You know Dad never goes all out with me like he does with you" she rolled her eyes, knowing that despite her father saying he’d never pull punches with her, he always did a little bit.

"He’s just worried about hurting you, sweetheart" Buffy told the girl that looked so much like herself, "You’re our baby and we love you" she reminded her, tucking loose strands of hair behind the young girls ear, "neither of us wants anything bad to happen to you"

"Bad’s coming Mom" Becky sighed, looking down at her water bottle and then up at the fight between Spike and Faith, "You can’t protect me from it, especially not this time with Dad all out of the game and pretty much just you and me and Aunt Faith with any kind of chance of inflicting damage" she said, eyes turning to her mother now.

"Then we’ll do what we do best" Buffy said firmly, putting her hand on Becky’s on the bench, "We’ll save the world, and be heroes, cos it’s what we do"

The two blondes shared a smile before a sharp yell broke their mother-daughter moment. Spike got up from the floor and offered a hand to Faith who took it, pulling herself up too but wincing as she did so.

"Geez, Spike" she complained, one hand on her back as she tried to ease the pain,"When d'you master that move? It’s gonna take me a week to re-align my spine, man" she joked as she clicked a couple of joints back into place.

"If you can’t stand the heat, luv, vacate the fight zone" he told her with a smirk, leaning over slightly with his hands on his knees, "Know what I mean?"

Faith shot him a look but had a hard time not grinning at his attitude. She liked him a lot. He was okay, for a vampire, and whilst her heart belonged to Angel she knew back in their wild days she and Spike could really have had some serious fun.

"You’re up, B" she told her sister Slayer, slapping her on the back as she walked past and headed for the door. She should check on Angel and Mandy, make sure the little girl hadn’t gotten herself into any trouble, though the likelihood was that she had.

"My turn now, huh?" Buffy smiled as Faith exited the room, "After the run around you gave these two, sure you’re up for it?" she asked Spike who looked a little tired but by no means out of the game.

"Always up for you, Slayer" he told her as they stood toe to toe. His double-meaning was not lost on Buffy, who purposely put her body as close to his as possible.

"Tell me something I don’t know" she said softly, and it was tough to know whether it was fighting or loving that was really on their minds.

"Eeew" Becky’s immature noise broke whatever moment they might have been having "Enough with the gross-at-your-age innuendoes, get with the hitting already" she complained.

"Buffy" Spike pretended to look surprised, "I do believe our daughter wants us to fight" he said as if it was absurd.

"Really?" Buffy played the part of equally-stunned-woman, as she backed up a step, "Well, I suppose we could" she shrugged, looking as if she were considering difficult options.

"You wanna take the first shot?" Spike asked her too politely, "Y’know ladies first and all that rot" he gestured with his hand and Buffy continued to look thoughtful before nodding.

"Okay" she agreed, a smile spreading across her face, "Here we go" she grinned, kicking out at him, but he anticipated her move, catching her booted foot in his hands and almost spinning her completely off her feet.

Becky watched with astonishment as she always did. No matter how many times she saw her parents spar, it was always incredible and never once did the fight go the same way. Sometimes Spike would win, sometimes Buffy, sometimes it’d go on so long they’d call it a truce because they were too bored to keep going, but it was always one hell of a fight. It didn’t look brutal though, Becky observed, though some of the kicks and punches they landed would have broken the flesh and bones of lesser beings. They fought as if they were dancing with each other. She’d told them that once and her dad had just given her this odd look, kissing her on the forehead and saying he quite agreed before walking away.

When it became obvious to Rebecca that the previous lusty looks between her parents were going to develop into something icky somewhere after or even during this fight she got up from the bench and slid out the door in silence.

"You had enough of sparring, sweetie?" Joyce asked as she came back into the main room, sipping at her water.

"Mom and Dad are taking a turn at each other" she explained, "They’re so well matched, it could go on for hours before one of them calls a truce"

"I do hope they don’t tire themselves out with practise" Giles worriedly polished the lenses of his spectacles, "The upcoming battle will require a great deal of preparation and whilst that does include physical training it might be in Buffy’s best interest to reserve as much energy as she can"

"Relax, Giles" Willow told him,"You know Buffy and Spike, they’ll only fight for so long before...well, y’know" she tried to get away without actually saying it but a few people really didn’t seem to know what she was saying at all. Faith was biting her lip, obviously having already caught on before Tara spoke up.

"I think Will means that their passion for the fight doesn’t necessarily stay...fighty" she said, looking at her girlfriend, as they both giggled like teens.

Becky and Josh shared a disgusted look.

"Eeeeww"