AN: Thank you so much for your review Daiz. To answer your questions, when I say complete I mean every word is written out in my word processor. The full story is 120 pages, give or take, and will probably end up being about 14 chapters. The only changes I make from that point on are tweaks here and there when I edit it in preparation for posting. I also do my own editing, so any mistakes you find are totally my fault. I try to get everything right before posting, but I'm only human and sometimes things slip through. If you see anything you can always let me know and I'll try to fix it. As for posting, I normally like to post a chapter a day, but right now my job is so erratic I never know where I'm going to be from one day to the next, let alone if they'll have internet access, so I will post a chapter whenever I can.
As for the rest of the review, which is amazing by the way, the stories very much build on each other so they really need to be read in order. Buffy is more or less normal after fighting Glory because nothing that I've put her through had happened yet. Now that the bad stuff has happened, I will be exploring the mental and physical effects as everyone recovers. I will be addressing her recovery, to various degrees, as the series progresses.
I also do have three or four more stories planned, even a rough outline worked up, for this series. By the end, hopefully everything will be explained, at least all the big stuff. The Prophecy will be explained (finally), you will learn about the missing kids (eventually), and will delve deep into my version of Slayer Lore. I love writing an adventure that wraps up nicely at the end, but gives little snippets of the bigger arc and leaves you wanting more. Hopefully I've done that.
Enough of my ramblings. Here you go.
Warnings and disclaimer in Chapter 1. Enjoy.
"Oh, hello Willow," Giles greeted when they entered The Magic Box. "Andrew."
"I am here to learn, Master," Andrew bowed slightly.
"Wonderful," Giles answered, whipping his glasses off and cleaning them vigorously. "Anya!"
"Oh no," she said, from her spot at the register. "I think training new employees definitely falls under your jurisdiction." Giles just frowned when something occurred to him.
"Where are Buffy and the twins?" he asked Willow. She smirked.
"Faith and Daniel took them for a walk." Anya laughed.
"So you managed to avoid another 'Passions' marathon." Willow nodded. "How do you keep managing to do that?"
"I'd say magic but, that might have a different connotation than what I mean, so I'm just gonna have to stick with luck." She smiled when Tara entered the shop through the connecting door shared with The Gallery. "Hey baby."
"Hey," Tara greeted with a quick hug before pulling away. "I know you just got here, but would you mind taking a look at the inventory program? It keeps trying to order two of everything."
"Sure," she said, already going through a list of problems in her mind. She had built the inventory programs The Gallery and The Magic Box used, so she knew them inside and out.
"Anya?" Giles begged. She huffed but relented.
"Fine." Andrew jumped for joy and joined her behind the counter. "The first thing you need to know is you are not allowed to touch the cash register."
"If I can't touch the register how can I put money in when you're gone?" he asked in confusion.
"I'm not gone yet. You have some time to prove your worth. Once you are worthy you shall be given access." Andrew nodded emphatically, obviously pleased to be on a quest to prove his worth. Giles closed his eyes, his thumb and forefinger rubbing the bridge of his nose in an attempt to stop the headache before it started. He looked up when the door opened again. "Xander," Anya greeted, but she didn't dare leave the cash register in the presence of an unproven male.
"Hey," he waved coming over to sit at the Scooby table in the center of the room.
"Did you talk with your employer?" Giles asked. Joyce heard him come in and was standing in the doorway between the two shops.
"I did," he confirmed. "I asked if it would be okay to study design at the same time. He looked like all his prayers had come true." He shakily pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. "As of next year I am officially a college student."
"Oh Xander," Joyce came over to hug him, tears in her eyes. "I am so proud of you." She let him go and took the paper he was shakily holding onto. An acceptance letter to UC Sunnydale.
"I think he might have pulled some strings," Xander admitted, trying to downplay exactly what this meant to him. "We've had a solid working relationship with them for the last five years so we had to have some benefit from it. After all, we rebuilt the dorms for them how many times now?"
"He might have pulled some strings to get you accepted," Giles said, coming over to congratulate the young man, "but he will soon realize that he didn't need to. Congratulations." He offered Xander his hand, which he took, but then surprised the boy by pulling him into a short hug. Xander cried softly at the acceptance of his pseudo parents.
"Oh there's something else," he said as he pulled out of Giles's grasp, discretely wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. He looked over when the door opened and waved when Dawn came into the shop. "Guess who was just awarded the contract for rebuilding Sunnydale High School."
"Your company?" Andrew guessed happily.
"Correct," Xander said, "but not quite what I was trying to point out."
"Dear Lord," Giles said, sinking into one of the chairs. "They're rebuilding it?"
"That was more my point," Xander said, looking between the two of them.
"Why?" Giles said, looking up. "Where?"
"The same spot it is now," Xander told them. "As for the why, apparently the city is going to lose the spot they found for the temporary High School at the end of next school year. When they lose the spot they lose the principal. They've already got someone new lined up, but he's insisting on a permanent campus."
"Hence the rebuilding," Giles said. Xander nodded.
"Apparently the principal is very interested in being involved from the start of the project. He's flying out to meet with Mike in a few weeks to discuss what he wants in his school."
"So what's your role going to be in this?" Anya asked. Xander swelled with pride.
"I'm gonna be construction foreman," he said proudly. "Or at least co-foreman. Mike is letting me tag along to give me some real world experience."
"That's great Xander," Joyce said, unable to keep all the apprehension out of her voice.
"Hey, I figure at least I'll be able to keep an eye on things as it's being build. That way if anything funny happens we can take care of it before it gets all Hellmouthy." Giles nodded, his mind racing as he prepared strategies for events that might never take place. Xander reached down and picked up the paper. "I've got to tell Will the good news."
"She's in my office," Joyce said. He nodded and rushed into the other building. Joyce turned to look at Giles. "What does this mean?" she asked, unable to keep the worry out of her voice. Nothing good had ever come from that school.
"It means that I was this close to going to school right over the Hellmouth," Dawn said, joining them at the table, her thumb and forefinger nearly touching. "I guess I could always fail a few classes."
"No!" everyone shouted at once. Andrew jumped, thinking Anya was yelling at him.
"Kidding," she exclaimed as the door opened and some customers entered the shop. Anya immediately went over to them, watching Andrew carefully as she went. Dawn pulled out her schoolbooks and started on her homework.
"Maybe it's nothing," Joyce asked hopefully. "I mean we did need a new High School for a few years now."
"Perhaps," Giles relented as the door opened again. "And there is more than enough space for a High School there, once you clear out the remains of the old one first. Perhaps this isn't the supernatural at work. Maybe it's just politics."
"If you think that, Ripper old chum, you really have lost your touch." Giles turned to the newcomer.
"Ethan," he hissed, already raising a hand to do something to the chaos mage.
"Wait," Ethan said quickly, calmly raising a hand. "You don't want to do anything you might later regret. Especially not in front of the kiddies." He pointed to the customers who were browsing in the shop. "I promise I'm not here to cause trouble. At least not to you."
"Forgive me if I don't take you at your word," Giles said, coming over to stand in front of his old friend. "What are you doing here?" he asked in a flat tone as he pulled Ethan over to the table.
"I'm actually trying to save your life," Ethan admitted, seeming shocked at his own generosity. "I've become quite sentimental as the years have passed it seems."
"You really think I'm going to believe that?" Giles asked. Tara and Xander rushed in from the other shop, alerted to trouble by the tone of Giles's voice. Willow followed them a few seconds later.
"Believe me I'm as shocked by this as you are," Ethan grinned. "I was approached by…" he stopped when he saw Willow enter the shop. "You!" he whispered in fright. He stared at the witch. Willow, uncomfortable with the force of the stare, fidgeted, but held her ground.
"Ethan," Giles said calmly. "All the customers have gone." It took a few minutes for that statement to penetrate his brain.
"What?" he asked, turning toward Giles, but he wasn't able to finish his question as Giles's right fist came out of nowhere and clocked him. He was unconscious before he hit the ground.
"What the hell was that about Will?" Xander asked as he quickly tied up the unconscious man. Giles gave him a quick once over, taking everything out of his pockets and checking for any weapons or amulets that he had under his clothing.
"I don't know," Willow said, staring at the unconscious Mage.
"We should get him somewhere secure," Giles said, gratefully taking the ice pack Anya held out to him. He gingerly put it on his bruised knuckles.
"Will the cell hold him?" Xander asked.
"We enchanted it against magic," Tara said. "Jonathan even volunteered to try to escape using magic. It held him."
"It also held me," Giles said, helping Xander get Ethan upright. "Anya? Can you pull the car around please?"
"Sure," she said, reaching for the keys before turning to Andrew. "Don't touch anything while I'm gone." Andrew sighed but nodded.
"Oh bloody hell," Giles cursed when the door to The Gallery opened. Joyce quickly moved to intercept whoever had entered the store.
"It's Faith," she called out as she crossed into her store. Faith raised an eyebrow at her tone, then pointed in the direction of the Magic Box. Joyce nodded. "Hey honey. Did you have a good time?" she asked, maneuvering Buffy's wheelchair so her back was to the open doorway and she wouldn't be able to see anything. Daniel stayed with the twins, though his eyes never left the doorway and his muscles tensed in anticipation. He watched through the window as Anya pulled their car around and Faith threw something into the back seat. Giles and Xander quickly got in and Anya took off. The whole thing lasted thirty seconds.
"We had a great time," Faith told everyone, walking back into the room nonchalantly. "We went and saw Spike, watched some TV, had some tomato juice, and got to see Spike get his head pounded by an infant." She smiled indulgently at the kids. "But I think it's time to get everyone back now. Right Red?"
"Right," she said shakily. "I'll go pull the van around."
"I'll take them back," Joyce said suddenly. She glanced at Tara. "Can you lock up for me?"
"Sure," she said as Willow pulled the van up. Buffy immediately headed for it, followed by Joyce. Joyce and Willow exchanged a few words, then Willow nodded and hopped out of the driver seat.
"Okay Buff," Willow said, coming over and opening the side door closest to the sidewalk.
"That is not normal," Faith said as she saw the inside of the van for the first time as Willow hit a button and a ramp slowly lowered into place. The back row looked normal enough, but the middle row of seats had been torn out, replaced by a single chair behind the driver's seat. Once the ramp was down Willow quickly wheeled the chair into place. She hit another button and the ramp started rising again. She could see Joyce take the twins out of the stroller and put them in their car seats, which were secured in the back of the van.
"Specially modified for our situation," Willow told them as the ramp reached the right height. Buffy wheeled herself into the van, twisting the chair until it was in position. The ramp lowered again, letting Willow and Joyce secure the chair to special clamps in the floor, before folding upright. Willow pulled the door closed. Joyce following her actions seconds later. Daniel folded up the stroller and put it in the back before returning to Faith.
"Shotgun," he called, leaping for the passenger seat. Faith sighed, heading over to the other side. She climbed into the weird looking chair, sighing in comfort when it melded to her body.
"What kind of a chair is this?" she asked, feeling nearly in heaven. She was surprised when it rotated around all the way. Even more surprised when she accidentally hit a button and the seat started vibrating around her. She couldn't stop her gasp as the chair started soothing muscles she didn't even know were tired.
"Nice isn't it?" Joyce asked knowingly as she pulled away from the curb.
"I need to get me one of these," she said longingly.
"It's a therapeutic chair for Buffy for long road trips," Joyce said warmly. Faith froze at those words, quickly finding the button she accidentally hit and turning the vibrations off.
"I'm sorry," Faith quickly said, as if learning the reason for the chair made it suddenly venomous. "I didn't know."
"It's okay," she reassured the young woman. "We've all taken advantage of it." Faith looked over at Buffy. The blonde was smiling at her, as if giving her permission to play with her toys. She raised an eyebrow in an unspoken question. When Buffy nodded slightly, Faith turned the chair back on, this time adding a heating element to the vibrations. She was in heaven until they reached the house, which seemed a much shorter trip than it should have. "Make sure you turn it off," Joyce told her, "or else it will run the battery dry. We learned that one the hard way." Faith nodded, making sure both settings were off, before turning to face the kids.
"What?" she asked them as they both stared at her. They grinned. Joyce was helping Buffy out so Daniel came to help her. She struggled to unhook the squirming infants, but eventually managed, passing first Alex then Billy to Daniel before climbing out herself. Buffy was already in the house, Joyce quickly following her daughter. "What now?" Faith asked as they closed the door to the van and headed in.
"Nap time," Joyce said. "Can you put the twins down? They'll probably need to be changed."
"What?" Faith asked, immediately holding Alex out at arm's length. Daniel just smirked.
"We've got it," he reassured her before turning to his girlfriend. "Big bad Faith afraid of a little diaper," he joked as he led the way upstairs.
"Not the diaper," Faith protested, "but what's inside the diaper." They heard Joyce arguing with Buffy about something, but weren't able to make much out before they entered the nursery. "I wonder what that's all about?"
"It's Buffy's nap time too," Anya said, coming into the nursery to supervise. "She usually takes her nap on the recliner in the front room, but Joyce wants her to go to her room today. I'm not sure why."
"It's because Ethan is in the basement," Xander said, joining them a few seconds after his wife. "Joyce doesn't want Buffy anywhere near him. I don't either."
"Who is he?" Faith asked, watching as Daniel changed the diaper for Billy. She decided to simply hand him Alex when he was done, thus saving herself from having to actually do the dirty work. "I don't recognize the name and I'm certain I haven't seen him around before."
"You'd remember him if you saw him," Xander said. "He's a Chaos Mage who loves causing mischief wherever he goes. Last time he was in town he changed Giles into a demon."
"That was him?" Anya asked. Xander nodded. "That was a pretty impressive bit of spell work. I thought Willow had just made a mistake again."
"Nope," Xander told her. "That bit of mojo was totally intentional." He turned back to Faith. "Every time he shows up he's in the middle of something and usually we get caught in the crosshairs. He is bad news." He stopped when they heard Joyce coming up the stairs.
"Buffy, stop struggling," she said, her voice sounding exhausted. They all looked up before rushing out the door, curious to see what was happening.
Giles was carrying the Slayer up the stairs, but she wasn't going willingly. She was kicking and screaming the whole way, only without actually kicking or speaking at all. Instead she was squirming as much as she could, trying to break out of Giles's hold.
"Buffy," Giles admonished as one of her wild flails nearly knocked his glasses off. She wasn't deterred at all though, instead trying to repeat the act. Giles sighed as he reached the landing. He followed Joyce into Buffy's room, placing her as carefully as possible on her bed. As soon as she was down she started trying to crawl away.
"Buffy," her mother reached for her, but instead of going for her mother like she usually did she went the opposite direction. "Do you think he did something to her?" she asked, reaching for Mr. Gordo and handing it to her daughter. The stuffed pig had always calmed her down in the past, but this time she threw it away. "She's never been like this."
"I don't see when he could have done anything?" he said. "She hasn't been alone all day and there's no way Ethan could do anything to her from a distance." He watched as Buffy neared the edge, reaching for the girl before she made it. Buffy jerked back suddenly, almost falling off the bed with her movements. Giles sighed as he repositioned her in the middle of the bed again, this time raising the railings to keep her in. Joyce copied his actions on the other side. Buffy didn't like that. She started banging her hands on the railings, which kept her trapped on the bed where she didn't want to be. Giles sighed, rubbing his hand through his hair. "I don't think its sorcery," he said after a minute. "I think she is throwing a fit."
"A temper tantrum," Joyce said, realizing he was probably right. Buffy clearly didn't want to come upstairs but they made her anyway and this was the result.
"How long is this going to last?" Xander asked, hating to see his friend like this. He was shocked when Buffy quieted with his voice. Joyce grabbed his arm and drew him into the room, not stopping until he was next to the bed. "Hey Buff," he greeted. She looked up at him tearfully, lifting a hand toward him. He took her hand, leaning over the railing to give her a quick hug. She returned it fiercely, not letting go. "I guess I know what I'm going to be doing for the next few hours," he said as he straightened up. He kicked off his shoes and cautiously lowered the railing before climbing into the bed. Buffy curled into him, immediately calming down. Joyce quickly took off Buffy' shoes and socks before pulling the blankets up over both of them. Giles quietly left, pulling Joyce with him. Anya stared at the two of them for a minute before sighing.
"Just don't give her any you know what's," she ordered.
"Really not a problem," he told her anxiously. She nodded and headed out the door. He looked to Faith. "Go. We'll be fine."
"Okay," she said softly. They followed Anya down the stairs.
"I'm going back to the shops," she told them. "Do you want to come?" Faith shook her head.
"I'm more interested in meeting the new houseguest," she said, heading straight to the basement. Daniel followed close behind her.