Disclaimer:- See first chapter.

Rating:- This chapter T for language and suggestive content.

Chapter 4

She slowly came back to the world to the sound of a machine beeping nearby and a heavy weight on her shoulder, new memories of Willow being with them at the farm and others that weren't there before crowding her brain. She took a deep breath and tried to control the emotions that were bubbling to the surface, pain flaring up in her chest when she couldn't. The pain of losing her mother, dampened by time and acceptance, came back as fresh as the day it happened and the machine started to go crazy. She opened her eyes and saw Giles, his hand on her chest and his head on her shoulder, moving her arm his head shot up and he blinked sleepily at her before he realized she was awake.

"Buffy, ssh it's okay" he said seeing the panic in her eyes as she stared up at him, breathing in small pants. He pulled her hands from the oxygen tube at her nose so she didn't pull it off then leant over and pushed the call button repeatedly, "Calm down love, you're okay" he said the relief he felt evident in his smile as he brushed her hair away from her face.

Not long after the nurses came rushing in and Giles had to move out of the way as they sat her up and checked her over, instructing her to take small shallow breaths, bigger each time until she had calmed down and was breathing normally.

"She's seems to be doing fine but the doctor will be in to check her over and see how she's doing himself when it's time for rounds" the nurse said to Giles as they all left.

"Thank you" he said with a grateful smile and was at Buffys bedside before she had left the room, wiping away her tears as he sat on the bed next to her, bending his head and kissing her as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, holding onto him like a lifeline.

"How long?" she croaked, coughing slightly, "Shit. Can I have some water?"

"Two very long weeks my love" he said in a strained voice as he handed her a cup of water, "Sip it, slowly"

She did as he said and closed her eyes in relief as the cold water helped quench her dry mouth and throat, "Wow, Whistler was right that was some bump on the head" she said, her voice weak with lack of use, giving him a tired smile, "How're the kids doing? And thank you, you stopped it from happening"

"They're fine, worried about you. Tommy has been in everyday after school and all day on the weekends, Lizzy and Olly have been by everyday after school with Willow or Dawn. And yes I did and I seem to remember you promising me something I'd never forget once you were awake and healed" he said with a sly grin.

"But you took the potion, you shouldn't remember anything else!" she said her eyes wide with shock.

"Yeah about that, when I went to the coven with Willow they told me I had had my memories tampered with and performed a spell to show me the truth. It was quite enlightening" he was smiling at her as she opened and closed her mouth, wondering what in the hell he had changed.

She searched her memories and found the day that Robin had tried to kill Spike while he had kept her occupied except it was different now. Rupert had told her of Robins plan and helped her stop him, arriving just as Robin had started to play that old folk song Spikes mother used to sing to him and they had worked together to keep him off of Robin as he worked through the memory and shook the Firsts control over him.

And then there was the day she was kicked out of the house, again that wasn't there anymore, instead Giles had stood right behind her and defended her against the attacks from the potentials telling them that until they had lived the life that Buffy and Faith had, they had no right to judge her or Faiths actions. He told them that a few months of experiencing attacks on a weekly basis did not give them the right to judge her decisions or her actions and then he had torn into Willow, Xander and Anya reminding them that it was their fault that they were in their current situation by bringing Buffy back. She had still gone to the vineyard on her own, conceding that they didn't need to risk their lives on a hunch and Rupert had let her, she remembered being surprised he had but now it made sense.

She also remembered finding her note and packing up their treasured possessions, asking him to mail it to his house and being surprised when he didn't question it, "Of all the things you could have changed you only changed those" she said amused at the total lack of guilt on his face, his green eyes twinkling with amusement.

"I didn't see the harm in changing those things as they only had a detrimental affect on our relationship and not the world at large" he said with grin which slid from his face as he looked away from her, "nothing else changed, we still lost Anya and we still lost the baby. I couldn't stop them from happening"

"As long as I still have you and the kids and Willows fine that's all that matters" she said brushing the back of her fingers over his cheek, her voice stronger now, "So, am I all healed up and ready to go? Did I lose anything?"

"You're completely healed and no, you didn't lose anything, the doctor managed to repair your kidney and your intestines. You just wouldn't wake up" he said his eyebrows lowering in confusion.

"You can blame the powers for that" she said pushing herself up a little more on the bed so she was sitting up, "And you know why now" she said with a reproachful look that made him grin again.

"But you were only there for one day, why were you kept in a coma for two weeks?"

"Maybe the bash to the head did more damage than they thought or maybe it was the stress of soul jumping twenty years, I don't know. The why is more your area of expertise I just hit things" she said laughing at his eye roll.

"Mum?"

Her head spun to the door and her body relaxed at the sight of her eldest son, his arm around his little sisters shoulders, "Tommy, Lizzy" she said smiling wildly with tears in her eyes as she held her arms out for them, Giles moving away from the bed his own smile growing as he saw the happiness in his childrens faces when they saw their mother awake. It had been hard for them to see her like that, so still with machines beeping around her, they weren't used to seeing their mother hurt which he was grateful for.

They rushed into the room and threw their arms around their mother, Lizzy crying happily while Thomas was manfully trying to hide it. Buffy kissed her daughters blonde head and then her sons brown one before pushing them back slightly and looking at their happy faces. Lizzy so much like her but with her fathers eyes and Tommy, so much like his father but with her chameleon eyes, clear azure blue right now and shining with unshed tears.

"Mum, you're awake" she heard Olly say from the doorway and Tommy and Lizzy moved back to give their little brother the chance to hug their mother, Lizzy going to Rupert and hugging his waist as he put an arm around her shoulders and Tommy faced the wall wiping his eyes. Olly ran into the room and jumped onto the bed crawling into her lap as he cried unashamedly into her neck.

"Ssh baby, I'm okay" she said rubbing his back.

"I told you she would be fine didn't I" Willow said from the doorway.

"Willow" Buffy said with relief and her own tears, which she had held in check for the sake of the kids, came flowing out of her at the sight of her old friend.

Olly got off the bed and joined his father and sister as Willow rushed to her bedside, sitting on the edge she pulled her into a hug, "I've missed you so fucking much" Buffy whispered into her neck as she hugged her best friend.

"Giles told me what happened, it's okay" Willow whispered back before pushing her away and smiling kindly at her, "We'll talk later when we don't have an audience"

"Are you okay Mum?" Tommy asked looking at her worriedly. They never saw their mother cry and it scared him a little.

"Yes Tommy, I'm fine don't worry" she said wiping her eyes and taking his hand, giving it a squeeze, "If I've been out for a fortnight that means I've missed some things haven't I" she said looking around at her children, "How did your game go Lizzy? Did you score a goal?"

"We won five nil and I scored two of them" Lizzy said with a proud grin and Giles rubbed her arm.

"She was brilliant, all over the pitch, yelling at the others to get into place for the free kicks, I'm glad that idiot manager made her the captain" Giles said smiling down at his daughter proudly.

"Dad stop calling Jeff an idiot, it isn't nice" Lizzy said, then she smiled cheekily at her Mum, "even if it is true"

Buffy laughed, "Well done Lizzy, I'll be at the next match to cheer you on" she said reaching over and cupping her cheek with a smile, "What about you Olly? Did you get a new belt?"

"I'm a green belt now, Sensei said I was too good for the orange so I skipped it" he said thrusting out his chest and smiling proudly.

"That's brilliant, well done, you're catching up to Lizzy now" Buffy said giving him a hug.

"Yeah but not for long squirt" Lizzy teased sticking out her tongue at him.

"Don't start you two" Giles said wearily rolling his eyes making Buffy giggle behind her hand.

She looked up at Thomas and saw him looking at the floor, "Tommy?"

He looked up at her and grinned, "Black belt first dan and I passed my end of year exams with flying colors" he said with a grin, "and I have a date for next weekend. Her names Melissa, I'm taking her to the fair" he blushed at Buffys grin and looked back at the floor.

"First, I meet her" she said seriously and his head shot up a very alarmed look on his face.

"But Dad already met her, why do you have to as well" he whined.

"You know why" she said looking at him sternly and he huffed out a sigh in defeat.

"Yeah okay" he said sullenly as only a teenager could and Buffy had to avoid Willows gaze or they would both start laughing which wouldn't be good right now.

They all chatted happily for the next hour, Olly and Lizzy sitting back on the bed wanting to be near their Mum, catching her up on everything that had happened over the last two weeks. Tommy and Giles had left to get her some food and she was expecting a McDonalds but when they returned they had brought her a jacket potato with tuna and sweetcorn, a salad and a piece of her favorite chocolate cake which she ate as they talked.

"Right okay you three, you've seen your Mom, now it's time I get you home" Willow said getting up from the chair by Buffys bed, "Aunt Dawn will have your dinner ready by the time we get back and I know at least one of you has homework to finish" she said fixing Olly with a stern gaze.

"But Aunty Willow, tomorrows Saturday, can't I do it then? I wanna watch a movie my friend Jack told me about" Daniel whined, pouting at her with wide innocent eyes. He was a carbon copy of Buffy right down to the pout and the leap first ask later attitude that had given her a new understanding of the sleepless nights she must have given her mother.

Buffy smirked at Willow then averted her eyes again to prevent more laughter. She had really missed this part.

"Well if you get it done tonight then you have all weekend to watch the movie don't you" Giles said turning his stern gaze on his youngest son who sighed and nodded his head.

"Give me a kiss before you go" Buffy said holding her arms out for him and laughing at his expression.

"I'm too old for kisses Mum, I am eleven now" he said seriously and Buffy schooled her expression into one of apology.

"You're right I'm sorry, can I at least have a hug"

He rushed over and threw his arms around her, hugging her hard. Before he let go, he gave her a kiss on the cheek and jumped down, running out of the room.

"Freak" Lizzy called after him as she hugged Buffy.

"Lizzy" Buffy reprimanded her.

"Well he is" she said back completely unrepentant.

"Come on Lizzy, let's find your brother before he gets to the parking lot" Willow said linking arms with her and pulling her from the room.

"She's not a vampire Mum, I met her during the day" Thomas said as soon as they were out of earshot.

"Not all evil hides in the shadows, you know that son and your Mum is the best one to be able to tell if she is a demon or not" Giles said sitting back on the bed next Buffy and taking her hand.

"It's better to find out now before you really fall for her, trust me" Buffy said ignoring Rupert's grunt.

"And you know 'cause of Angel and Uncle Xander with Miss French and Anya and that girl from the coffee shop right, you've all done it so why can't I learn about it the hard way like you did?" Thomas asked defensively.

"Because the hard way nearly killed us that's why. Do you think that we want anything bad to happen to you?" she snapped at him.

"How does he know about all of that?" Rupert asked her suspiciously.

"I read all of your diaries, yours and Mums" Thomas said looking at the floor with his hands shoved in his pockets.

"You never told me that!" Giles said annoyed that she had kept that information from him.

"I did! I told you I came home to find him reading and that he knew all about the vampires and demons and hell gods that were lurking out there in the world" she said scowling at him.

"I didn't think you meant that he was reading our diaries" he said with a frown, "I thought you meant he was reading about it on the internet"

She rolled her eyes at him, "You know full well he can't 'cause Willow and Andrew got their geek on and designed that program that flags any credible article or post or picture that comes up about demons and whatever and erases it completely"

Thomas just stood there watching them argue and hoping that they would forget about Melissa in the process. This was as bad as it got between his parents, they loved each other so much that they still stole kisses from each other at every opportunity, Dad still surprised her with flowers or little gifts every now and then and they still went away for romantic weekends every chance they got and they had been married for sixteen years now.

"No arguments Tommy, I meet her and until then just be careful okay" Buffy said after Giles had finally caved and apologized for his misunderstanding.

"Okay Mum, I will" he said leaning over and giving her a hug, "I'll see you tomorrow"

"Hopefully I'll be home tomorrow so wait for your Dad to call before you leave" she said rubbing his back.

"Will do, see you later Dad, you can sleep at home now" he said smiling at his fathers look of relief.

"Not without your mother" he said shaking his head.

"Like hell" Buffy said frowning at Giles, "He'll be home tonight, don't worry" and she laughed at Tommys chuckle.

"Looks like you've been told Dad" he said with a wide smile his eyes dancing merrily at his fathers eye roll.

"Yes it does doesn't it" Giles said smiling lovingly at Buffy before leaning in for a kiss.

"Okay, eew, I'm gone" Tommy said and rushed out the door missing his parents joint laughter.

"You will go home tonight love" she said once he pulled back.

"No. I meant it, not without you" he said shaking his head, "I only left to go to the kids events because you would have killed me if I didn't"

"The doctor might let me go home tonight anyway so this is a pointless argument especially seeing as I always win. You might as well just say 'yes dear' and get it over with" she said with a cocky grin.

He rolled his eyes but stubbornly refused to agree with her, "I'm not sleeping in our bed without you, it doesn't feel right"

"You know, you blame me for their stubbornness but you're just as bad as I am" she said giving his shoulder a playful shove and nearly knocking him onto the floor.

"That may be true but I'm not leaving you" he said taking her hand in his, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles and leaning forward to kiss her forehead.

"You need to be well rested for when I get out of here Rupert" she said trailing a finger down his chest and circling his nipple through his shirt before moving down his stomach, looking up at him coyly. "I mean you are an old man after all, I don't want you crapping out on me because you're too tired" her hand coming to a stop at the top of his thigh.

"Oi, less of the old, you're not exactly a spring chicken yourself" he growled as his hand tightened on hers, his other hand moving from her knee up her thigh above the blanket.

"But I'm still the Slayer, super stamina remember" she said with a smile when he gulped as she scraped a nail up the inside of his thigh, "Just think of all the time I could spend touching, kissing and tasting before I'm completely worn out" she purred in his ear then slowly trailed the tip of her tongue up his neck to his ear, pulling his ear lobe between her teeth and nibbling it gently making him growl.

He pulled back when the doctor arrived and carefully sat on the chair next to her bed, surreptitiously rearranging his groin so the effect Buffy had had on him wasn't obvious and caught her grinning at him in triumph.

"So Mrs Giles, I think we'll keep you in…." the doctor started only to be interrupted by Buffy.

"No please, let me go home. I'm fine, really, I just want to sleep in my own bed and have a shower and spend time with my children" she pleaded with the doctor.

"Judging by your results there is nothing actually wrong with you and you are healed but I would like to keep you in and monitor you to make sure there are no setbacks, just for forty eight hours though" he said seriously, flicking through her chart.

"Come on Heath! I have Rupert and my children to keep an eye on me" she said turning her pleading gaze on him and Giles gave him thirty seconds before he gave in and sent her home, "Plus my best friends and my sister will probably be bugging the crap outta me for the next few weeks to make sure I'm okay so here or there I'm still being monitored"

"Well when you put it that way…." he said tilting his head to the side as he considered giving in.

Okay maybe twenty seconds Rupert thought successfully hiding his smug grin, it took him thirty seconds to cave when she wanted something, Maybe I've built up a tolerance.

"Okay, I'll organize your discharge as long as you promise to rest" the doctor said glaring at her sternly, "And by rest I mean feet up, let people wait on you hand and foot and no stress of any kind. Being a Slayer means you heal quickly but you're not immortal and not immune to the problems us mere mortals are prone to"

"Deal" she said clapping happily.

"I have no idea how you didn't lose the baby when you were hurt but I want to make sure it stays in there until it's ready to come out" he said with a smile.

Buffys jaw dropped and she looked at Giles in shock, seeing the exact same expression on his face. She closed her mouth and swallowed, blinking rapidly she shook her head and looked back at the doctor who was now smiling brightly.

"You didn't know you were pregnant? You're three months along so that is a surprise" he said happily.

"Ya think" Buffy said sarcastically then smacked Rupert on the arm.

"Ow, what was that for?" he whined, smiling widely at her.

"You and your super sperm knocked me up again, asshole" she said unable to keep up the pretense of being annoyed with him and laughed, "We're having another baby" she crowed happily.

Giles lifted himself back onto the bed and kissed her, avoiding the deep kisses until she had brushed her teeth, laughing happily as she hugged him tightly, "So can I take her home then Heath?" he asked the doctor.

"Fine, you can go home, just behave for a few days" he said knowingly. These two were legends in the Watchers Council, before and after it's destruction. The fact that they had known each other for twenty three years and were not only still together but happily married after everything they had been through was a miracle.

"Spoil sport" Buffy grumbled at him. Then she made to get up out of the bed only to be held down by Giles, "I wanna get up and put some clothes on" she said looking at him in confusion.

"And I want you to but you only have a hospital gown on and it's only done up at the top" he said his gaze flicking to the doctor, "Could you maybe get started on her discharge now Heath so I can get her dressed"

"Oh, uh, of course, I'll send a nurse in with your discharge papers" he said grinning at them before leaving the room.

"Never thought you'd be willing to put clothes on me" she said with a smirk as he huffed at her.

"Don't get used to it, I'm going to take you away next weekend and keep you naked the entire time" he said standing and walking over to the bag that was in the corner of the room. He picked it up and put it on the bed as Buffy removed all of the monitor leads and the port in her hand chuckling as she grumbled about needles.

He shut the door and made sure the blinds were closed as she stood and removed the hospital gown, his eyes straying to her breasts before moving down to the dressing on her side as she pulled it off on one side to look at her injury.

"S'not so bad" she said looking down at the ragged pink scar that would nothing more than a faint line in a week, "Could have been worse I suppose" she said putting the dressing back and walking over to him holding her hands out for her clothes.

He handed her a tank top and a pair of sweats along with her underwear and watched as she gave back the underwear and pulled on the rest of her clothes, "Don't you want the underwear love?" he asked controlling the urge to tear off her clothes and make her stay naked for a while longer.

"No point, I'm getting in the bath when I get home and not moving for a while" she said pulling her hair up in a ponytail and securing it with a hair tie that she found in the pocket of the sweats.

"Is there room for me in that bath?" he asked pulling her to him, resting his hands on her backside as she pushed her hands up his chest and around his neck.

"Always" she purred kissing his chin.

"Let's go to a hotel tonight" he said raising his hands to her back and pulling her against his chest, "I don't want to share you just yet"

"But Heath said that we had to behave for a few days" she pouted her eyes dancing with mischief.

"Fuck him" he growled, his hands traveling slowly down her back and squeezing her rear.

"Well if you want but what will I do while you're busy with him?" she asked innocently.

He laughed loudly and pushed her back, bending his head slightly to look into her eyes, "I love you"

"I love you too" she said kissing his cheek and pulling out of his arms, "Go hurry Heath up while I use the bathroom and phone Dawn to let her know we'll be home tonight"

"What about the hotel?"

"Next weekend love that way you can surprise me like you did when I fell pregnant with the other four and I can surprise you with what I promised" she said with a wink as she turned into the small bathroom in the room.

"And what is it that you think will be so unforgettable?" he asked her, moving over to the cupboard next to her bed and picking up the cards and photos that had been placed there during her stay, putting them into her bag.

She stuck her head around the door, smirking at him, "Think fifty shades if Ripper was in charge" she said in a low seductive voice and his heart rate picked up at the thought of it.

"Oh alright" he said with a smirk and went off in search of Heath to brow beat him into hurrying up her discharge. The quicker he got her home then the quicker he could arrange a weekend away and he was looking forward to it even more now.

Half an hour later she was sat in the passenger seat of his car on her way home. She sat with her head back against the head rest and her hand in his as she watched the scenery go by, thankful that the powers had let her keep her memories of her time in the past and had allowed the message she had left to stay as it meant she had a surprise for Rupert when she got home. Something her new memories confirmed that she hadn't shown him yet as it hadn't existed until she had told her younger self to pack up her belongings.

She had kept a journal that was a record of her thoughts about him, including the very steamy dreams she used to have. But the thing that was filling her with a nervous excitement was a letter her mother had written him when Buffy had told her how she felt about him.

A letter that she wasn't supposed to give him until they got married. She smiled to herself as they pulled up the lane to the house, Fifteen years too late but never mind, she said it wasn't a bad letter she thought to herself as they pulled up the drive and she saw the house.

Light spilling from every window and the sounds of Lizzy and Olly shouting at each other over the noise of Tommy's video game spilling out into the night.

"You sure you don't want to go to a hotel?" Giles asked her, lifting her hand to his lips.

"Positive, there's no place like home" she replied smiling happily up at the house, laughing when she saw Olly's head appear in the front window, "Besides they know we're here now, no chance to run for it"

Laughing he opened his door just as the front door burst open and Olly burst through it, Dawn, Lizzy and Willow following close behind him with Xander and Tommy bringing up the rear.