"Angel Investigations, we hope the helpless - wait, that's not-"
"Angel?"
The voice on the other end of the telephone line stopped Angel in his tracks. It was a voice that he recognised and knew too well, but was surprised to hear it through his telephone.
"Giles?" the vampire asked, wondering if some bizarre supernatural power had possessed his telephone and was making him hear things. "Is that you?"
"Yes," the Watcher said, sounding uncertain. "I was hoping to talk to Wesley. Is he there?"
"No, he and Cordelia are on sick-leave. We had a busy couple of weeks."
"Ah."
There was a long pause and then Giles cleared his throat. "Could you, perhaps, give him a message?"
"Of course. Is something wrong?" A though occurred, one that would have stopped his heart if it had still been beating. "Is Buffy all right?"
"She's fine . . . for now."
Angel sagged against the desk, relieved. "Good. What can Wesley do for you?"
"Actually, I was hoping Wesley might have a few contacts in the Council. I need him to make a few inquiries for me."
"What sort of inquiries?"
"A couple of nights ago Buffy was attacked," Giles began. "Something tried to possess her and force her to kill the baby. We've managed to shield the house and Willow is working on creating a portable shield so she can get out, but we need to know who did this."
"And you think the Council will know?" Angel asked, and then thought it through. "You think it was the Council?"
"It's . . . a reasonable assumption. They have the resources, their special unit has already been disabled so they can't extract her physically - they're the most likely culprits."
"I'll talk to Wesley," Angel promised. "Give us a couple of days and we'll have something."
"Thank you." Giles sounded relieved, as though a fear he had been holding for days was only now being lifted. "Buffy is important to all of us."
"She is," Angel agreed.
***
Buffy frowned at the punch bag in front of her and firmly hit it several times in succession.
"Feeling a little better?" Giles asked from his position sitting at the table in the basement with a book.
She drew back and punched a few more times, feeling some of her tension flowing out with each impact. "A bit. I'll feel even better when I can get out of this house."
"Love, I know it's frustrating but do you really have any choice?"
Instead of answering immediately she threw a few more thoughtful punches before turning away and beginning to remove the bindings on her hands. "No, I suppose not. Why can't anything in my life turn out normally? Did I do something wrong? Can't I just have a baby like everyone else, without worry that something is going to want to use it to destroy the world?"
She sat down on Giles' lap and buried her face in his chest. "I know I'm the Slayer, but is it so wrong to want just one little bit of my life to be normal?"
Buffy snuggled closer as he put his arms around her and enfolded her in a hug. When they were like this, just the two of them together, she could almost forget the problems they faced. Almost.
"Buffy, love, there is nothing I want more than for you to have your bit of normality," he said softly, "and I would do anything to give that to you. Anything. All of the pains and heartaches you've suffered I would have gladly taken myself to keep them from you."
"I know you would."
He kissed the top of her head and she sighed, feeling a little foolish for her outburst in the face of everything else they had gone through. But the way he stroked her back and feathered light kisses on her hair and face told her that despite all that he loved her. And right now, that was all that mattered.
"What do you think she'll look like?" she asked curiously.
Giles paused and rested his chin on her shoulder. "I haven't thought about it to be honest. If it's a girl, I hope she's a beautiful as her mother."
"And if it's a boy?"
"I have no idea."
"If it's a boy, I want him to have green eyes like his father," Buffy said. "That way I'll know a part of you will always live on no matter what happens to us."
"Love," Giles rasped, and cleared his throat. "I think I count myself as the luckiest man alive."
***
Gizmo watched her humans. They always seemed happier when they were together like this. It was fun to watch humans and how they interacted - they always made things so complicated for themselves.
Upstairs she heard noises from the rest of her humans. They were bonding nicely now. A time was coming when that would be vital. Maybe even the most important thing in the world.
She sniffed and caught the faint scent of frying bacon. Uncurling from her corner, she was up the stairs in a couple of short bounds. The dark Slayer always let her have some of her bacon and she was hungry. It was part of her mission to look after that one and help her heal, but she was actually becoming quite fond of her.
The sounds behind her as she nudged the door open indicated that leaving the basement now was probably a good idea; those humans probably would appreciate the privacy.
***
A package arrived for Giles a couple of days later. Buffy sat at the table in the kitchen finishing her breakfast as she watched her husband cautiously tear of the paper on the small box that had arrived. He frowned and Buffy paused with her piece of toast partway to her mouth.
"Is everything ok, Rupert?" she asked, worrying as his frown deepened when he look in the box.
The Watcher did not respond, instead staring at the contents of the box. His thoughtful expression gave no indication whether his frown was a 'oh no, this is bad' frown or a 'hmm, this is interesting' frown and Buffy began to get frustrated.
"Rupert, what's up?" she asked, abandoning her toast and shifting to sit in a chair next to him instead of across from him.
"Hmm?" he said absently, and then realised she was talking to him. "Oh, I'm not sure yet."
He took a piece of paper out of the box and unfolded it, sliding the box across to Buffy. All she could see inside were two halves of a blackened crystal ball. Before it was damaged it had probably been about the size of her clenched fist but it was now split exactly in half. Reaching inside, she brushed away some of the soot from the surface. The crystal had originally been an ugly shade of orange with brilliant red streaks and Buffy looked at Giles curiously.
"What is it?" she asked.
He did not answer, instead handing her the piece of paper that had accompanied it.
"We found him in a motel in L.A. My contacts said he was working alone, without the Council's authority, and you can make of that what you will. He is no longer a problem. It seems he was the Council's most powerful magic-worker, before he went rogue, but I have not been able to establish whether the Council intends to make another try. They seem to be licking their wounds right now - leaving Faith for so long probably indicates that they do not have the resources at their disposal for another attempt. The lack of a Slayer is having disastrous effects for the Council's recruitment attempts.
Take care,
WWP."
Buffy slowly lowered the letter, smiling slightly as she heard Wesley's voice in her head speaking the words he had written.
"Does this meant that the spell isn't working anymore?" she asked.
"That stone would have been the focus for it," Giles explained, "and if Wesley disturbed the creator the spell probably back lashed and destroyed both him and his focus."
Buffy grinned. "Cool. Does this mean I can go out again?"
His dubious look was all she needed to see.
"I can't, can I?" she said, disappointed.
"Love, this is as difficult for me as it is for you. But just because one attempt failed that doesn't mean another won't. The shields on this house would probably protect you from a nuclear warhead and the Apocalypse, all at the same time. But out there . . ."
"I'm unprotected," she admitted with a sigh. "I know. It's just so frustrating! I've been indoors for a week and I'm starting to get cabin fever. It's the summer and I'm gonna end up with less of a tan than Spike."
Buffy pouted and was rewarded with a kiss from Giles, which was good but still did not make up for being stuck indoors on a beautifully sunny day.
"I know, love," he said when he released her, "but Willow is has been working day and night to adapt her spell. It just takes time."
Buffy stood and held out her hand. "Well, if I can't go out you can help me work out my frustrations."
He blushed and she chuckled.
"Well, I was gonna suggest the punch bag again but that's fun too," Buffy said with a suggestive grin. "The doctor said we'll have to stop soon so we might as well have fun while we can."
Giles took her hand and she led him out of the kitchen to the stairs without any resistance at all.
***
Willow sighed, stretched and winced as she felt the vertebra in her back crack. Tara immediately shifted to sit behind and gently rub her back.
"Thanks," Willow said, just managing to resist the temptation to purr.
"It's no problem," Tara said softly. "We've been working for a week. I don't think I've ever spent this long working on a spell."
"I remember when we were researching the Mayor and we seemed to be working forever and . . . oh!" Willow exclaimed suddenly, jumping off her bed to rummage on one of her bookshelves.
"Oh?"
She continued scanning the shelves, explaining as she went. "I remembered where I read about it - the portable shield? - and it was in one of the spell books we were using. Invisible ferns were a no go, but I think . . . ah-ha!"
"Ah-hah?"
The redheaded witch pulled out a book and quickly flicked through it before stopping at a page and reading for a moment. "Yup, this is it. I think this will work."
Tara stood and moved to stand behind Willow so she could read over her shoulder. Willow felt the strange electric tingle she had been feeling around Tara each time she accidentally brushed against her and was almost tempted to lean back and get closer. But then she remembered the last time she had looked through the book, and who she was with, and immediately felt a wave of guilt wash over her. Why should I feel guilty about remembering Oz? What is happening to me?
Tara's voice broke into her troubled thoughts. "I think this sounds right but it says we need an anchor. Do you have anything?"
Willow forced herself to think about the spell and mentally catalogued all the possibilities. "Maybe."
***
** A picnic . . . Giles . . . Faith . . . Angel . . . Angel in vampire-face . . . her baby . . . a demon . . . a sword . . . Faith . . . **
Buffy woke, gasping and shuddering with reaction. She remembered it all so clearly. How could she have forgotten that terrible dream? Even though she had been in the middle of being kidnapped, she should have remembered something like that. Shouldn't she?
But . . . she remembered what Faith said she dreamed while she was unconscious - 'big demons, a picnic and a few other weird things'. Was it even possible?
Next to her Giles stirred in his sleep. She glanced at the clock and noted that it was still early, not even dawn yet. Yesterday's exertions had helped her excess energy levels after a few hours sleep she was again buzzing with energy. Waking up as suddenly as she had, and with the afterimages still flashing through her mind, had only made it worse.
Looking again at her sleeping husband, Buffy decided that trying to lie still for a few more hours would probably send her crazy. So she slipped out of bed and pulled on her robe before starting to creep out of the bathroom.
Giles must have been sleeping more lightly than she thought because as soon as she moved away he stirred and woke up.
"Buffy?" he asked, his voice still foggy with sleep.
She padded back to the bed and kissed him softly. "Ssh, I can't sleep. I'm going to get a drink. You go back to sleep."
He opened his eyes and focused on her, searching her face. Whatever he was looking for he found and relaxed. "I'll come with-"
"No," she said, putting her finger over his lips to silence him. "There's no sense in both of us being awake. You go back to sleep."
Buffy smiled as she watched him nod, roll over and immediately fall asleep again. She silently padded out of the room, and wandered downstairs. She could just see a faint light shining under the kitchen door so she decided to investigate.
The reason for the faintness of the light became obvious as soon as she opened the door; the only light in the room was a small one over the stove. It provided enough light for her to see, but any non-Slayers would probably have been unable to make anything out.
Faith sat at the kitchen table with a magazine in front of her, a mug next to it and a slice of chocolate cake suspended halfway to her mouth. She looked up guiltily as the door opened and grinned when she saw Buffy.
"Come to check up on me?" Faith asked.
"Nah, couldn't sleep," Buffy said, walking over to the kettle and checking the water level.
"It boiled a couple of minutes ago," Faith offered. "I think there's still some cake in the fridge."
Buffy smiled her thanks and for a few minutes the room was silent as she made her snack and Faith continued reading. She sat down opposite the dark Slayer with her cake and mug of hot chocolate and watched the other girl for a moment.
"What?" Faith asked suspiciously.
"Nothing," Buffy denied, but could not help herself. "Couldn't you sleep either?"
Faith shrugged. "I'm feeling kinda itchy."
"Oh?"
"Most of the vamps have been chased out so I haven't really had a good Slaying in a while. Gets me itchy."
Buffy grinned. "I know the feeling."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. Being pregnant? Some bits are great but lots of it sucks. I have all this energy but I'm afraid to do anything in case I hurt the baby. And now I'm stuck in doors until Willow finishes her spell. I'm getting sort of restless."
"You'd better find something to do with your energy soon, B, or you're gonna kill your Watcher."
Buffy choked on her hot chocolate and glared at Faith, blushing. "Faith, has it ever occurred to you that some things are private?"
"B, you share a house." Faith sat back and smiled wickedly. "It's a little hard to keep anything private when you've got all of us living here."
Buffy frowned.
"Look, I know things are weird," Faith continued, "but you have got to learn to loosen up a little about stuff."
"I am loose!" Buffy exclaimed, and then blushed again. "But not in that way. More in a 'I'm chilled and relaxed' way than a . . . grr!"
She ran a hand through her hair and flopped back in her chair, aggravated.
Faith snorted. "Yeah, you're relaxed. That's why you're sitting here, in the middle of the night, eating chocolate cake."
"I told you. Have a lot of extra energy right now and I'm on maternity leave from Slaying so it hasn't got anywhere to go."
"Uh-huh," the dark Slayer nodded, disbelievingly. "And chocolate cake will get rid of the energy how, exactly?"
"By . . . uh . . ."
"I thought so." Faith looked at her closely and nodded again. "You've had a dream."
"I have?"
The other girl nodded. "Yeah. And it must have been a bad one or you wouldn't be sitting here, talking to me."
Buffy closed her eyes and remembered images from her dream flashed through her mind again. "Faith, have you ever had a dream about a picnic? There was a sword, and Angel, and you had my baby for a moment but then we swapped and you had the sword and I had the baby."
As she spoke she watched Faith and was surprised to see the other girl slowly pale as she described her dream. The other Slayer was always so confident, so brash, that she did not think anything could faze her. But this . . . she looked stunned and a little frightened.
"Faith?" she asked.
"Yeah?"
"Are you ok?"
"Hell, yeah, B," Faith said harshly. "You're telling me shared a dream, and it has some kind of weird importance. Is that right? Of course I'm fine."
"I'd better get Giles," Buffy said slowly, abandoning her mug. "He knows more about this than kind of thing than I do."
***
"You're saying that you shared a dream, is that right?" Giles asked a while later. The sun was just rising and he rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Why didn't you tell me any of this before?"
Buffy frowned. "Because until now I didn't remember it. I had the dream again last night and now I do."
"And you?" He looked at Faith curiously. "Why didn't you mention it before?"
"I didn't know it was important before," Faith said logically, with an edge of frustration in her voice. "It was while I was out of it. I thought it was just one of those weird dreams people have when they're in a coma for a year. No one said that there would be a test later."
Giles ran a hand through his hair and pinched the bridge of his nose. Nothing about any of this was ever simple. "So you've both had the same dream, you interacted, and it's possibly prophetic. Is that what you're saying?"
Buffy and Faith exchanged glances but it was the blonde girl that spoke. "Pretty much."
"So what did it mean?" Willow asked. She, Xander and Tara had stayed silent while the Slayers described their dream and her voice was still hoarse from sleep.
"M-m-maybe . . ." Tara began and trailed off, looking to Willow uncertainly.
The redhead smiled encouragingly and nodded to Tara to continued. "Maybe the bit where F-Faith had the baby was about the time she spent in Buffy's body."
"It's possible," Buffy said slowly.
"And maybe the part with Angel means that for some reason he's going to be protecting her," Tara continued more confidently. "You called the demon a World Eater?"
Faith nodded.
"Well, that makes sense. Comedores Do Mondo means World Eater in Portuguese."
Willow smiled, her face beaming with pride. "I think you've got part of it. I don't know what the rest means but that must be part of it."
"Ok, so what is the sword?" Faith asked. "Does this mean there's something we need to fight the Comedores?"
Giles paced for a moment and turned to face them. "Possibly. I have no idea what it could be though. Buffy's dreams are usually fairly obscure."
"Sorry," Buffy said, pouting. "Next time I get one I'll ask for a manual."
He rested a hand on her shoulder and looked down, for a moment becoming lost in her hazel eyes.
"So, what are we going to do?" Xander asked impatiently. "Is there something we can look up, or fight, or maybe just beat up for information?"
"Yeah," Faith agreed fiercely. "A good beating would be almost as fun as a good Slaying."
Xander looked slightly sick and Anya shot the dark Slayer a disgusted look. Faith simply smirked and focused on Giles.
"We'll do what we have been doing," he said with a reluctant shrug. "We'll 'look stuff up', research and wait. That's all we can do right now
*finis*