Summary: Willow and Giles find out parenting
is full of surprises, especially when the family lives on a Hellmouth
Rating: PG
If you have any comments or questions, email
me at jaderozegirlyahoo.com
Feedback: Gives me strength and keeps me going,
unless it's hateful
Disclaimer: Joss is the God of BtVS. I,
on the other hand, am merely a mortal
Distribution: My site, Andrea, for sure, any
one else just needs to ask
Notes: Fifth installment of the "Unexpected"
series. Follows "Pregnancy and Slaying Don't Mix." It also
takes place eleven years in the future (it's approximately 2012, to give
you a better idea)
"I should have brought my sweater. There's a chill that's in the air. There's a sudden change of weather for which I am not prepared. Caught me by surprise. Fire turning to ice. Well, it ain't even cold, baby how could it snow in July?"
-From "Snow In July"- sung by Garth Brooks as
Chris Gaines.
"She knows, Rupert," Willow told him. Giles couldn't believe his ears. He just knew his wife had to be wrong.
"She can't! She's only eleven years old for God's sake!" Willow shook her head with an air of sadness. She didn't like this either.
"Mike knows," she insisted. Giles wasn't convinced. "She came out and asked me, Rupert! We have to tell her. We don't have a choice." Giles gave Willow a defeated look. In the eleven years they had spent raising their only child, they had known this moment would come, they had spoken about it and tried to prepare of it, but neither was. They had been dreading it for some time, and now it was upon them.
"How did she find out," Giles finally asked. Willow responded by shrugging.
"I'm not sure. We'll have to ask her." Willow didn't even wait for his response. She gave her husband a serious look. "I'm only sure she wasn't joking, Rupert. Mike was serious about this." Giles nodded to Willow.
"So we're doing this," he confirmed.
"Yes. We are telling our eleven-year-old daughter that vampires exist. Get over it, because I don't want to see you choke, Rupert. And we tell her everything. I want her to know about the Council, Rupert," Willow whispered.
"The Council had nothing to do with this," Giles started to exclaim, then thought the better of finishing the thought. "I see your point. She could still be recruited one day." Willow nodded.
"And I'll tell her I'm a witch," Willow added. "I think that's something she should know as well. So, we're in this together, right?"
"Of course we are, Willow. Well, let's get this show bloody started, shall we?"
"After you." Giles walked up the stairs to the door of Michaela's bedroom and knocked.
"Michaela, dear, could you please come downstairs. Your mother and I would like to speak to you." Giles had known all the cliches about this phrase and children being in trouble, but he had to ignore the silliness of it. This was one moment he didn't want to happen, so that was the only thought on his mind.
"Coming," Michaela's voice called out from behind the door. Giles then make his way back down the stairs to the living room, where Willow was sitting on the couch waiting for him.
"She's on her way down," he informed his wife. He sat down on the couch next to her and placed his arm around her. Willow couldn't ever recall seeing her husband so sad.
"Are you okay," Willow asked as she looked into his eyes.
"We are about the take away the best part of Michaela's childhood. I'm feeling bloody marvelous, aren't you?" Willow gave him a sympathetic glance.
"I know, dear, I feel the same way, but we have no choice," Willow pointed out. Before Giles could respond, Michaela's footsteps were heard from the stairs and their daughter soon joined them in the living room. Michaela Giles was of an average height for her age, a medium build, and had her mother's famously red hair, which she wore past her shoulders, and her eyes. She also had to wear glasses like her father did, but she had recently switched to wearing contacts.
"What did I do," she asked promptly as she sat down in an armchair facing her parents. Her parents had to admit, Michaela always knew how to get down to the business at hand. She also had a tendency to speak her mind, which both her parents found frustrating at times.
"You did nothing, Mike," her mother assured her, "but we need to speak to you about the conversation you and I had earlier. The one about vampires." Michaela gave her parents perplexed looks.
"All I said was that there are a lot of characters in this town who fit the description of vampires." Giles took a deep breath before he answered his daughter.
"Well, Michaela, that's because they are. This town is full of vampires, incubi, succubi, and practically any other monster you can think of. They're all here, roaming the streets," Giles said matter-of-factly.
"And how long did it take you to figure that one out," Michaela questioned nonchalantly. Giles and Willow did little to hide their shock. They had known that their little girl was always mature for her age, but they weren't prepared for her to be so calm about this.
"We've known for some time," Willow admitted, surprised by her daughter's casualness on the subject. "The question is how did you find out?" Michaela shrugged.
"It's kind of obvious. All the people who mysteriously show up at night, all the dead bodies the police find. I mean, how lame of an excuse can they come up with? Gangs on PCP? Wild animal attacks? It's just too cut and dry, too improbable, and too weird. Besides, I've read some of Dad's books," she added. Giles gave his daughter a warning look.
"You were not supposed to touch those, young lady," he reminded her sternly.
"It's not my fault you left the book shelf unlocked! I just thought that you didn't want me to see the pictures!" Giles gave his daughter an angry look, but Willow stopped him before he could reply.
"Rupert that's beyond the point" Willow said to calm her husband. "She knows. The question is how much." They both gave their daughter a look. Michaela sighed.
"I know that vampires need to be invited in to a human's residence, that they can only be destroyed by a stake through the heart, direct sunlight, or by beheading. Oh, and holy water and crosses help. Demon specifics depend on the species, and that there is supposed to be some mystical Chosen One in each generation sent to deal with them as well as a group of people who train and watch over her. Did I miss anything?" Both Giles and Willow shook their heads, impressed. Their daughter had been doing her homework that was for sure. "Then tell me how you know." Neither parent was very happy about divulging their past to their daughter, but they knew they owed her at least that.
"At one point, I was a part of the Watcher's Council that you mentioned before, as well as my father before me and his mother before him," Giles told Michaela. "I was originally sent here to train the Slayer myself. I fulfilled my duties as Watcher for two years before the prats at the Council decided to replace me. I haven't been involved with them for some time, but there's a good chance they'll try to recruit you one day as well," the former Watcher admitted to his daughter sadly.
"And when were you planning on telling me about this, Dad?" For a rare instance, Michaela was incredulous.
"When you were ready. I didn't want to make the same mistake my father did." His daughter did not look convinced. "Michaela, I have known about my part destiny since I was ten years old, and I rebelled against it because of how hard my father was on me about it. I felt it too harsh to do the same to you. I seem to have done a rather poor job of it, though." Giles finished.
"I'm sorry, Dad," Michaela answered, truly sorry she had been so harsh. Michaela had never met her grandfather, but she knew her father's personality. Now that she thought about it, it made sense. Giles had had his destiny impressed upon him, and that was why he was so serious when it came to her future. "That was harsh, but what about Mom? How does she know about all of this?"
"I knew the Slayer your father watched. A few other 'civilians' and I found out about her calling and we chose to help. We called ourselves the Slayerettes. I spent the next several years working with your father and his Slayer, doing whatever I could. That's also how I discovered magic. I sort of became involved with witchcraft." Michaela gave her mother a surprised glare.
"You're a witch," the eleven-year-old exclaimed. Apparently, she wasn't expecting her mother to say that. Willow had been very careful not to expose her daughter to the dangers of magic at such a young age, so Micheala had no idea about her mother's hobby.
"Yes, Mike, I am. And your Aunt Buffy was your father's Slayer, your Aunt Anya used to be a wish-granting demon before she lost all of her powers, your Uncle Riley once worked for a government organization that captured and experiment on demons, and your Uncle Will is a vampire. Did I miss anything, dear," Willow questioned Giles as she turned to face him.
"Well, there was the you dating a werewolf thing, but she hasn't met Oz, so it's kind of a moot point," Giles told his wife nonchalantly.
"You're a witch who dated a werewolf, and you lived to tell about it? This is NOT normal!" Michaela exclaimed to Willow with disbelief.
"Yes, I know." Michaela shot her mother a look. "It wasn't that bad, Mike, really. He was a great guy, if you didn't mind the wolfy part of him. And don't knock the magic. It's because of a spell that you're here, young lady." Michaela shook her head.
"It's worse than I thought, then. Not only do these things exist, I've invited them to my birthday parties!" Giles had to agree with his daughter. He gave her a sympathetic look, then Michaela got a puzzled look on her face. "What do you mean I'm here because of a spell," Michaela said as an afterthought.
"We'll tell you that story later," Willow told her hastily. Michaela shook her head. She thought this was all too weird, even for Sunnydale.
"I should never had brought this up," Michaela said forlornly. Of course, it was already too late.
"Yes, well, all I can say is welcome to Sunnydale, Michaela." Michaela gave her father a pointed glance.
"Yeah, Dad. Sure." Giles shook his head. Her reply was not enough for him.
"I hope you understand the importance of this, Michaela. This town is sitting upon a convergence of mystical energy that draws these things here. The Hellmouth ensures that they are not about to go away, not matter how much you fight them. Your mother and I have lost far too many people we cared about to these creatures, and we don't want to lose you to them either." Michaela understood what her father had meant.
"I get it, Dad. I don't plan on being monster food myself anytime soon."
"Then I want to begin to show you how to protect yourself. I've already spoken to Xander and Riley about this before. They're ready to train you, and I think that it's a good idea to take them up on their offer." Michaela nodded. Self-defense wasn't what she had expected out of this conversation, but she'd rather learn how to take a vamp down than to be food for the undead.
"So, I have to learn how to properly use a stake?"
"Yes, I'm afraid so. I had hoped that this would come later, but it seems to be time." Michaela glanced over to her father.
"How much later, Dad," she asked Giles.
"Oh, I was hoping for some time around thirty, but it doesn't seem to work out that way, does it," Giles said sarcastically.
"I thought thirty was for dating," Michaela pointed out to her father teasingly.
"Well, that too," Giles admitted.
"So can I date as well, because I already know a lot about that," Michaela said mock-innocently.
"Absolutely not," Willow and Giles replied at the same time. Michaela had to chuckle. Her parents had yet to get her sense of humor.
"Just checking," she kidded. "Can I go now?"
"Yes," Willow told her. The girl gave her parents a quick kiss on the cheek and fled back up to her room in an attempt to absorb what she had learned. Michaela thought it would take a VERY long time for this conversation to sink in. "She took that rather well," Willow mused to her husband.
"Yes. Should we be panicking right now," Giles wondered. Willow gave her husband a coy grin.
"Did I ever tell you what Oz taught me about
panicking, Rupert?" He shook his head. That had not been a
story she had really wanted to tell him, but now seemed like a good time.
"Maybe it's time I did."
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