Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the show. Joss is god, thank you!

Summary: It's been three years since they defeated the first and Fate has decided to put someone in the right direction.

FATE'S CHOICE

CHAPTER 1: A Small Voice

"Something's wrong", a small voice from the corner of the room said. Everyone instantly looked up and over towards the little boy that was no more than five years old staring out the window.

"He talks", Xander asks surprised.

"We just figured… he hadn't... he hasn't spoken until". Willow tried to say. Buffy just stood up and walked over to the small child. He gently looked up at her with his piercing brown eyes.

"What's wrong", she asked kneeling down in front of him trying to get him to talk to her. She couldn't understand why he wouldn't talk to her since she was the only one he would follow around. He often crawled into her lap and sat there for hours. The small boy didn't answer he just grabbed her hand and looked down. She instantly felt the energy running through her hand.

I know that feeling… where do I know…God why won't he talk to me. And those eyes they remind me of…

"Buffy", Willow said bringing her out of her thoughts. "Maybe…maybe he's afraid."

Buffy looked back to the boy, "Is that it, are you afraid"? He shook his head no and looked to see Buffy staring back at Him. "Can you at least tell us your name", she asked pleading with her eyes for him to talk to her.

"He's been here for two weeks and this is the first time he's spoken and now he knows we know he can talk I doubt he's gonna…", Xander tried saying before being interrupted.

"Gage", the small boy said shocking everyone. Buffy smiled at him and he smiled back his dimples spreading across his cheeks.

"Are you saying you've been able to talk this whole time", Gage lowered his head. "And you never thought to answer our questions when we asked you and…."

"Giles", Buffy yelled getting him to stop questioning the small child.

"Well I was just", Giles tried to say.

"Well don't", she replied.

"Is that true", she asked looking back down at him. He nodded his head yes.

"You shouldn't have done that", she began to say before she saw tears. "Oh its okay, I'm not mad I...we were just really worried is all". She put her hand on his dark sandy blonde head. "I think we need to talk though".

He looked up nervously but Buffy just smiled at him and he nodded. She gently took his hand and they walked towards the door.

"I think we'll go for a walk and talk", Buffy said looking back at Willow.

"Well what do we do while Buff talks to the kid", Dawn asks.

"Research, we still need to find out why the sun is not on its normal course", Giles replied still looking at a book.

"Yeah, with the sun setting sooner than normal and all. Is it just me or does it seem apocolypsy", Xander asked. Everyone just rolled their eyes. "I'm just saying the kid shows up around the time the sun starts going all oooh and aww."

"I don't think he's evil and I didn't sense any evil but I did sense power. He kinda seems like he's somewhere else", Dawn said looking at everyone else.

"Dawn I know that you are currently studying with Willow and some of the other potentials but I wish you wouldn't we still don't know if", Giles tried to explain.

"Yeah I know. Used to be key, I know I'm being careful. Don't worry", Dawn answered frustrated.

"Don't worry Giles I'm keepen an eye. And yeah I know what you mean. I kinda got that from the kid too." Willow said nodding and looking back at willow.

"You know the kid does have a name", Kennedy chimed in.

"Sorry you're right, It's…we're just so used to not knowing', Xander tried to say.

"You will tell me where the Key of Luminati is", a small disheveled demon yelled as he stalked towards the prisoner.

"I don't know what you're talking about and even if I did I sure as hell wouldn't tell you", Faith said struggling to get out of the chains that had her chained to a rock wall. She had already lost count of how long she had been there. She had bruises and gashes all over her body. "What the hell kinda key is it anyway?"

"Well did you find out? I ask you to...to do one thing", another demon asked walking into the cave.

"Oh it's you again", Faith said looking at the ugliest demon she had ever seen. "Is that your real face or did your throat just through up, cause I gotta tell you…"

"I am Kavuloq, Lord of this world and you will watch that tongue of yours before I rip it out", he said walking up and inspecting her before he hit her. "I thought you were supposed to have strength", he said hitting her across the face again causing her lip to bleed.

"My lord I don't think she knows anything", Meviq answered his master's earlier question.

"I expected more...and they say you're the champion for the powers", Kavuloq said.

"Actually that's still me", a voice said stabbing the demon in the stomach with his sword as the startled demon turned. The demon fell as Angel went over to Faith and hit the chains with his sword. Faith fell into his arms and passed out.

Angel carried Faith out of the cave and opened the portal.

"My Lord", Meviq said walking over to his master. Kavuloq stood up looking at the entrance to the cave while whipping off his stomach. "Shall I go after", he asked.

"No let them go, they know nothing. Gather the soldiers, there is still work to be done", Kavuloq said stomping out of the cave.

"I'm sorry ", Gage said looking at his feet as they walked down the trail. They had decided to walk the trail that wasn't used for training.

"It's okay I know what it's like", Buffy said giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "You know you can talk to me". Gage looked up at her deciding whether or not to talk.

Buffy could see him struggling, "You don't have to right now. Take your time". He smiled back up at her.

"I miss my mommy", he said the tears evident in his little brown orbs. Buffy stopped and picked him up and put on top of a big rock and knelt down. She gently placed her hands on his arms that were hugging his sides and gave a small squeeze.

"You've been very strong but it's ok to cry. I know what it's like to loose someone you love. I lost my mom many years ago too" she gently said.

"That lady wasn't my mom. Those people weren't my parents", the boy said his eyes watering even more.

"But I thought", she tried to say puzzled.

"No mommy left me with them", he said as he sniffed.

"Where is your mom", she asked a few tears starting to form in her own eyes from just looking at him.

"She had to go away for a while. Then when the demon killed Ben and Linda, Carmon took me and told me I had to come here", he said whipping his eyes on the sleeve of his shirt.

"What, wait you know about demons", Buffy asked surprised.

"Yeah, my mommy told me about them", he simply replied.

"So why didn't your mom just come back to get you", she asked thinking what kind of person can just dump there kid off like that.

"Because Mommy was on a mission and Carmon said this would be safest place for me cause you're the slayer", Gage said looking up at Buffy.

"You know about slayers too", she asked even more surprised than before.

"Yep mommy and Carmon taught me about a lot of stuff. They said that something bad was gonna happen and I'm", he said tears falling down his cheeks at the thought of his mother.

"You're what", she asked waiting for his answer.

"I can't say anymore. I already said too much and mommy said I'm not supposed to talk about it", he said starting to cry. He really wanted to tell her. He felt deep down he could trust her, but he knew he wasn't allowed to.

"Gage, honey its ok you don't have to say anymore if you don't want to okay", she said bending her head down trying to get him to look at her.

"Do you know how to contact your mom in any way", she asked. He shook his head no.

He shook his head. "She hasn't been this long before", he said trying to fight as many tears as possible back.

"She's done this before, the missions I mean", she asked.

"She has to, she doesn't have a choice", he said no longer able to fight back the tears. Buffy could see he was about to let go so she climbed on the rock beside him.

"I'm sure she's fine and she's on her way here right now", she said as she pulled him into her lap as he cried. She held and rocked him. She let her own tears fall as well as they stayed like that for a while.

"Are you okay now", she asked noticing that he had calmed down while giving him a light squeeze. He nodded and said yes.

"Buffy", he asked as they got off the rock.

"What", she replied.

"Are you gonna make me go away", he asked looking down at his tennis shoes.

"No, gosh no why would you think that", she said looking at him in confusion.

"I don't know", he said shrugging as he looked up to meet her gazing at him.

"I would…could never send you away…never", she said smiling at him.

"Really" Gage said suddenly grabbing Buffy into a big hug.

"Really", Buffy answered hugging him back.

I can't believe he would think that...Man he must have gone through so much...Well of course he did his mom is gone and he watched a demon kill those people and oh man we have to help this kid...I feel for this kid...I can't help thinking, he reminds me of someone...And there's this connection...And his eyes I feel like when he looks at me he's looking into...It's kinda creepy and calming at the same time.

"Buffy", he said looking up at her scrunching his little nose a bit bringing her out of her thoughts.

"Yeah", she said wondering what he was gonna say next.

"I'm hungry", he said smiling, and his little dimples now evident.

"Well let's head back to the house and see what Andrew's preparing for dinner", she said picking him up and putting him on her back as he giggled.

"He's weird", Gage said still laughing as Buffy tickled him as they walked up to the house.

"Who Andrew", she asked.

"Yeah, he talks funny and I never understand what he says", he said.

"Nobody else does either", she said getting another giggle out of him as they walked through the door.