Chapter Two - Two Days Later

The talk with Joyce hadn't gone anywhere near as bad as Buffy expected, much to Xander's relief. Sure, her mom wasn't exactly filled with the joys of spring about her only daughter being in the family way, especially considering it was due to a one-night stand as opposed to a relationship, but Xander would have been worried if she hadn't reacted like that. The fact she had proved that she cared about Buffy's welfare, something that was pretty much a given as far as Xander was concerned, seemed to make Buffy feel a little better.

He and Buffy had sat closely together on the couch during the conversation, which had Joyce looking at them curiously every now and then, but she didn't say anything, which Xander was eternally grateful for. They had been closer the last couple of days than they had been in, well, ever if he was being honest with himself, and while he definitely wouldn't mind something happening between them, he was more than happy just to be in her life right now in any respect. 'God, that makes me sound so desperate. Who am I kidding, I am desperate, it's just a good desperate.'

Like Buffy had expected, Joyce had brought up the subject of abortion as an option, but only an option, not as the desired solution like she thought her mom would want. She didn't attempt to pressure Buffy into thinking one way or the other at all, she simply made sure that Buffy was actually thinking about her options instead of just going with the flow. She was adamant about only one thing; that no matter what Buffy decided she would support her as best she could.

Xander had known that Joyce would react the way she did; she was just too good a mother and human being to do anything else, but he knew that convincing Buffy of that would have been nigh on impossible until she heard the words coming from Joyce's own mouth. She did look a little upset that Buffy had gone to him first instead of her, but she never commented on it for which he was glad.

While he knew that her prediction on how Joyce would behave was inaccurate, he wasn't so sure that her predictions about Willow and Giles' reaction to the news would also turn out that way, and to be quite honest that worried him.

The last few years he has seen Willow come out of her shell, which was a great thing to see as far as he was concerned, but with it has come less positive traits. Along with her growing self-esteem came the beginnings of a superiority complex, something that only seemed to expand once her journey into magic began.

He slowly started to see her looking down on those less intelligent or magically adept as she was, he included, and it was not endearing in any way shape or form. She has also become more judgemental towards people, condemning them for mistakes they'd made or almost made, even when she'd done similar things herself.

Those less positive traits had flourished it seemed to him while he'd been on his road trip, and were cemented once she'd embraced the college life. His failure to get into college, which was more accurately his inability to afford college considering he'd actually been accepted by UC Sunnydale, had also become a point of contention between the two of them, and he has sometimes felt that she looked down at him because of it.

That had really hurt, because she more than anyone should know how little money he'd always had, and the odds of his parents actually footing the bill were longer than him travelling to the moon using a space hopper. She had even almost called him a townie on more than one occasion; although she did manage to bite the word back before she did so, the fact that she even contemplated calling him that hurt more than he let on.

While she hadn't acted the same to Buffy, mainly because she had a mom that was willing to pay her tuition, he couldn't help but think that she would start once she heard about her new situation. What really worried him is that she might try and suggest a magical solution to her 'problem', something she seemed to be doing more and more lately.

He had thought that Tara, her girlfriend, might have been a bad influence on her when it came to witchcraft, but he'd changed his tune upon meeting her. Tara was such a pure and gentle person that he had felt guilty for thinking badly of her, and in fact now believed her to be a good influence on his friend. That of course made him realise that Willow might have been even worse than she was now had they not met, and that caused him to have a full body shudder.

Even if Willow didn't suggest a mystical solution to Buffy's 'problem', she would most certainly do whatever she could to change Buffy's mind if she thought her friend was making a mistake in remaining pregnant. He had discovered, or more precisely finally acknowledged, that Willow was a master at being passive aggressive; if she felt Buffy were doing something wrong, she would pressure her into doing something she didn't want, while making it look like she was actually being supportive. It hurt him to think of Willow like that, but he'd decided to put Buffy first, which forced him into acknowledging things in his friend that he'd otherwise ignore.

Giles' possible reaction also had Xander nervous; he knew that he'd only have the best of intentions, but he doubted that Giles would ever truly be able to put the needs of Buffy over the needs of the Slayer. For the Slayer to be effective, she can't be encumbered in any way; going through pregnancy will most assuredly prevent Buffy from doing her 'duty' as a Slayer, not to mention her priorities would change drastically once the baby was born.

Giles had chosen his direction in life, and as Buffy's Watcher he'd actually received a wage to do it until he'd been fired, but he expected Buffy to dedicate her life to her vocation for no other reason than because she'd been Chosen, a 'privilege' she had no control over. Even people conscripted into the army got paid; the only things Buffy really had to look forward to were the occasional pat on the back for a job well done and an early grave.

Xander had no doubt that Giles wanted nothing more than for Buffy to live to collect her pension, but he also saw her devoting her life to battling the forces of evil, as her Calling demanded. Realistically Xander knew that those two goals were mutually exclusive, as there was no way anyone who dedicated themselves to protecting humanity from the creatures of the night could hope to live a full and happy life. In his mind anyone who did wasn't doing it right.

Buffy deserved to be happy like every other human on the planet, and if she felt keeping her baby is the way to do that then Xander was going to support her every step of the way, and woe betide anyone or anything that tried to get in the way.

That was the last thought that entered his head as Buffy knocked on the door to Giles' apartment, something Xander found strange considering she never seemed to know what knocking was. About ten seconds later, the door opens and Giles peers his head round it.

"Buffy, Xander, why did you knock?" he asked, having never known either of them to do so before.

"I don't know," she replied, the reason for being there making her feel uncomfortable, "I just thought I'd try something a little different."

Giles waved them in, non-verbal invitation being the norm among those in the know about the nightlife, and Buffy and Xander followed him into the living room.

"So what do I owe the honour of a visit?" he asked, his confusion still evident.

Xander could see how nervous Buffy was, the same as she was when telling her mom, so he clasped her hand in his own. That had an immediate calming effect, something that Xander couldn't help but feel happy about, but he kept his features as neutral as possible to hide the fact.

Giles saw the gesture and misunderstood the situation; assuming that they were there to inform him they are now a couple. He couldn't see much wrong with that, Xander being far better than both Angel and that Parker fellow in his opinion, but he was worried that it might affect her slaying duties.

Xander, while showing more interest in patrolling, had never shown true devotion to the cause that the paramour of a Slayer would need, and hoped that Buffy wouldn't follow in his footsteps and become lax in her Calling.

"I take it congratulations are in order?"

They both looked at him in shock.

"Huh?" was Buffy's intelligent reply. "How did you know?"

"I am a Watcher you know, there is a clue in the title as to what I am proficient in."

"And you're not upset?" she asked, thinking that this was going far better than she had anticipated.

"I don't see that it's any of my business actually," he replied, deciding on a half-truth for the moment, "as long as your duties as a Slayer are not affected."

"Well there'll come a time when that can't be helped, it's difficult fighting a vamp when it's a struggle getting up off the couch," she quipped, knowing from stories her mom told her that moving around unaided became a luxury near the end of pregnancy.

"As long as you maintain your training regime I see no problem. While I said that this was none of my business, I do have to warn you Xander that if you should hurt her in any way I shall take great pleasure in skinning you alive."

"Okay, I think we've definitely got a crossed wire here Giles. What do you think we're here to talk about?" Buffy asked, completely confused. 'As if Xander would ever hurt me.'

Despite the fact she could bend him into a human pretzel if he tried, Xander didn't have an evil bone in his body and would never do such a thing. In fact she was pretty certain that the thought of harming her would only make him feel nauseous.

"Well, the fact that you and Xander are, as you say, an item."

"Now I'm back to the 'huh?' I said earlier."

"Well you do realise that you have been holding hands for almost the entirety of this conversation. As I said before, I am a Watcher."

"We aren't going out. I mean, come on, be serious."

At her words, Xander removed his hand from hers and shifted slightly away from her. He tried not to let what she said affect him, but it was impossible to take what she'd said as anything less than a rejection.

He found it odd that, while she could think so highly of him as a friend, she could react so strongly against anything else. If he were such a horrible option as a boyfriend, how could she possibly like him so much as a friend? Knowing that he had to put those thoughts aside for the moment, he focused on the conversation once more.

"If you are not here to talk about your relationship, what pray tell are you here to tell me?"

"Well, you see, the thing is… you know I've had this talk twice already and I still can't think of a way to lead into it so I'll just come right to the point; I'm pregnant."

"You're…" he gestured towards her stomach vaguely, having difficulty saying the words himself.

"Going to have a baby, yes Giles."

The room lapsed into silence. Giles needed time to think over what his charge had just told him, and neither Buffy nor Xander wanted to rush him. After a minute or two, Giles stood up and began to pace.

"Everything is going to be fine Buffy, I'll make all the arrangements."

"Arrangements?"

"Yes, as you're now of age you don't have to get your mother's permission, so I'm sure that I could get you an appointment sometime tomorrow."

"Appointment? What are you talking about Giles?"

Xander had a feeling he knew exactly what Giles was saying, and knew that the conversation was going to crash and burn any minute now.

"Well a termination of course. As a Slayer…"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence Giles," Buffy growled, having quickly lost what little control she had on her anger.

Like Xander, she had quickly figured out what her Watcher had been driving at, but had decided to keep her cool until he had actually come right out and said it.

After her talk with her mom, she had begun to hope that things would go as well with the others, but now she could see that wasn't going to happen. In a way she couldn't blame Giles for thinking the way he did, but it did sadly prove to her what was more important to him. It never crossed his mind that she might want to keep the baby, no doubt the thought of a Slayer as a mother being preposterous to him.

"Whatever is the matter Buffy, I am only thinking of your well being."

"No Giles, you're thinking of the Slayer's well being."

"Buffy, you are the Slayer," he pointed out, speaking as though she were a child and not a young woman.

"I'm also Buffy Summers. I know you want me to commit fully to being the Slayer, but I want a normal life."

"Buffy, you can never have a normal life in the way other people will, because whether you like it or not, you are the Slayer. I fervently hope that you live a long life, but your Calling will prevent you from having the things that the majority of people take for granted. I know you don't want that, but that is the way things are and will always be. The sooner you fully accept that, the easier it will be on you in the long run."

"Just out of curiosity Giles," Xander interjected, "but who decided that Slayers were to go through life like that?"

"Well, the Council…"

Xander cut him off before he could continue. "Is that the same Council that, presumably, kidnaps children from their families at a young age, purely because they might become a Slayer if the previous one were to die? The same Council that thought stripping a Slayer of their powers, and then putting them in a room with a starved and psychotic vampire to test if they were worthy of their 'support', was a good thing? The same Council that fired you because you had the audacity to actually show caring for your charge and didn't want to send her into a suicide mission completely helpless? Is this the source that you're citing for your argument?"

"Just because some of their tactics are not exactly savoury," he replied, anger colouring his tone at the way Xander was speaking to him, "doesn't mean that all of their ideas are wrong."

"What about cops? Or soldiers? Or fire fighters? They all have jobs that put them in danger on a daily basis, and yet manage to have families."

"That's completely different."

"How?" he asked, trying desperately to keep his tone calm in hope that things wouldn't degenerate further. "Apart from the fact they deal with human evils while Buffy deals with inhuman ones, their jobs are pretty much the same. They also have the added bonus of getting to actually choose whether to join that profession or not, instead of being drafted by some unknown higher power when they're still legally a minor. I also take it that the Council is like a family thing; where the children follow in the parents' footsteps. Why do you get to have a family if you wish and yet Buffy doesn't?"

"You're not being reasonable Xander. Buffy will not be able to work effectively if she is constantly worried about her child, not to mention the months she'll be out of commission during the actual pregnancy."

"Dealing with the pregnancy first, it isn't the first time we've dealt with the nightlife without the help of a Slayer. If need be, we could always call in Deadboy to help out if we got swamped."

Buffy whipped her head round to stare at Xander like he'd just said that Elvis and Kurt Cobaine were outside in drag singing the Macarena. She knew Xander's dislike of Angel, his inability to actually use his name being a dead giveaway, so for him to make the suggestion of asking for Angel's help was almost inconceivable.

She also felt a sense of guilt that it was indeed not the first time they would be without a Slayer; her 'sabbatical' in LA after defeating Angelus was one of her biggest regrets. She'd not thought of what it would be like for everyone she'd left behind, and when she'd returned and found out they had been patrolling without her she felt like she needed a rock to crawl under.

"As for after," Xander continued, unaware of his friend's inner musings, "I'm sure between Joyce and myself the baby will be more than okay, so Buffy won't have anything to worry about."

"You're the father?" Giles asked, putting a liberal amount of menace in his voice in the hope that it would dissuade Xander from talking further.

Try as he might, Giles couldn't help but agree with much of what Xander was saying, which only made his job of persuading Buffy otherwise that much harder. While he did agree with everything he had just said, it wasn't the major reason for wanting Buffy to terminate the baby.

There have been two previous occasions where a Slayer has had a child; the first was around the time that Angelus was first turned, and the Council took the baby and experimented on it like it was nothing more than a lab specimen, after 'neutralising' the Slayer.

The second severed all ties to the Council once she realised that she was pregnant, her Watcher being the father of the baby going with her. Not much was known of Nikki Wood, but when another Slayer was called a few years after she disappeared, the Council stopped caring one way or the other.

With the situation between themselves and the Council the way it was, he had no doubt that once they were aware of Buffy's maternal status they would either endeavour to eliminate her before the birth, or wait and abduct the child afterwards. With the resources that the Council had at its disposal, there would be no way that they could protect Buffy and the baby without her doing the same thing as Nikki and fleeing.

"No," 'unfortunately,' "but why should that matter? Buffy is my friend and I'll do whatever I can to make her life easier. If helping to look after the baby does that, then that's what I'll do."

Giles realised that arguing the point further with Xander was pointless, as he seemed to be on top form with a counter to his every argument, so he turned his attentions to Buffy, hoping that he might convince her he was right.

"Buffy, I urge you to reconsider…"

"Giles," she said sharply, cutting him off, "I'm having this baby whether you like it or not. I'd love to have your support, but seeing as that won't happen I see no reason in staying here a moment longer so I'm leaving."

With that, Buffy jumped up and stormed out. Before following her, Xander pinned Giles with a look that made the older man squirm from its intensity.

"You need to consider something Giles. When you were fired from the Council it was because you had a father's love for Buffy; where is it when she needs it the most?"

He left before Giles could say another word, leaving the former Watcher with a lot of thinking to do.