A/n ok quick explainy i wanted to do last chapter but i wasnt sure how much sense it would make until after this chapter. you know how each season not only has a big bad but an underlying life theme. season five was growing up and death season six life and season seven power. well i'm combining the themes of five and six for this story. so at some points this is going to be a little/lot dark and depressing. not all the time though. i'm not taking to many episode ideas from 6 except maybe tabula rasa and a few others but the theme of life and how sometimes it kicks you in the rear is a part of this. i'm kicking around a sequel idea and if it comes to be born season sevens theme aka power will come to play. umm... other important things... oh i tried to write spikes accent more so let me know if it worked. if it did i'll keep writing it like this other wise you'll have to hear it in your head as you read... and most importantest... THANKS to all my regular reviewers, same as last time and everyone else who reviewed. i would love to hear from more people to though. let me know what you think. suggest idea's, tell me how bad my grammar is, anything! read review enjoy

DISCLAIMER: i am a broke university student, if i owned this i would be a rich university student

Buffy woke with a start to find herself tangled in her sheets. Her body was shaking partly from the nightmare and partly from the feel of a breeze caressing her sweat soaked skin. Disentangling herself she went to the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face. She looked in the mirror and stared at her reflection. She decided to go downstairs and make herself a cup of tea. She wouldn't be getting much more sleep tonight.

Walking into the kitchen Buffy found Spike sitting at the island with a mug in his hands. He was staring out the window.

"What are you doing down here all wakey?" she asked stopping in the doorway.

He turned to look at her before going back to the window. "Couldn't sleep. Came down for a mug of blood with a shot of whiskey, thought it migh' help. You?"

"Tea." Buffy said, crossing over to the kitchen sink to retrieve the tea kettle. Pouring water into the kettle she set it gently on the stove, careful avoid any extra noise. "I couldn't sleep either." The pair sat in silence, broken when the tea kettle whistled. "Spike," she started as she poured the water into her mug.

"Yeah, luv?" he looked up at her expectantly.

"The monk," she paused again rubbing her head against the impending headache. Spike held up his flask in offering. After a moment of thought she nodded her head. Spike tipped the flask pouring some of the amber liquid in to her tea. "Thanks," she continued, "the monk, does he ever… well come to your dreams? Like not in a dreamy way; in a real worldy way… like he's really there… in essence." Buffy stared into her cup. She listened as he took a long drag from his mug. After having Spike and Angel around for her whole time in Sunnydale someone drinking blood with whiskey or even weetabix mixed in was now the norm, she no longer gave it a passing thought. She worried more about Spike's pause than a vampire sipping a bloody whiskey across from her.

He set his mug down, "Yeah, I reckon he does. 'E don't always look like 'imself. Sometimes i's just a voice, other times he looks like himself, and sometimes…" he trailed off taking another swig of blood.

"What, sometimes what Spike?" Buffy finally looked up from her cup into the Spike's crystal blue eyes, hoping to get some answers that finally made sense.

"S'times i's you once o' twice it was me mum or someone I ate. Always cryptic messages, sometimes they make a little sense. Most the times it's easier to figure out Dru's babble than the dreams." Draining the last of his blood he brought his mug to the sink. He liked Joyce; she didn't need to wash out his bloody cups.

"She's still evil you know." Buffy said.

"Who is luv?" Spike asked unnessaricily from the sink.

"Drusilla. She's still evil; you can't forget that even if she is pregnant." Buffy shifted uncomfortably on her stool. As true as it was, telling a newly souled vampire the future mother of his child was more likely to kill a baby than to care for it was never a walk in the park.

Spike laughed a bit, a low laugh from the back of his throat, "Oh trust me I know. She's madder than a hatter she is." He paused, digging through his memory, "There was one thing the monk said though. One of the almost clear things, he said; born new, souled, mother and child. He also said; impregnate the unclean, making it clean. I forgot to tell the watcher and Red. If I had to guess though I think it might mean as the child grows something in Dru might to." He finished washing his cup and turned to look at Buffy with a shrug. "Probably hogwash though."

He came back from the sink to sit next to Buffy. "We'll figure it out Slayer, you and the Scoobies hell even your mum; you guys are a crack team on your own."

"Really?" She asked, needing a boost right now. She was fighting blind. Before this there had always been some prophecy, some blatant threat or some sort of clue. The master, Spike himself her junior year, the mayor and even Adam, they had some information. Here all they knew was that Glory was strong, some babblings of a possibly insane monk, a mention of a rip in time whatever that meant and a knocked up vampire. Essentially they had nothing.

"Hey you foiled all of my plans." Spike nudged the Slayer playfully. A ghost of a smile crossed her face as she nudged him back. As quickly as it came the smile disappeared. Becoming sober once more she turned to Spike.

"It's going to get bad Spike. I can feel it. It's going to get really bad. For everyone Spike, you, me, the Scoobies. Everyone. And I can't stop it. This is bigger than anything we've done before, anything we've faced. I'm scared Spike. She's stronger than me. I had that bruise for over a week after she attacked in the warehouse. How am I supposed to beat her?"

Spike put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his chest. He expected her to pull away, but in a moment that Buffy would later claim as moment of weakness she let herself relax in his embrace. The two former enemies and now reluctant allies sat in silence slowly taking in the comfort of each other. Both were chosen in their own way, one a demon who chose to become something more than the monster and turn himself into the man she wanted to see, the other a girl thrust into a duty bigger than she was, forced to grow up and hide that from everyone.

Upstairs in the master bedroom the only non supernatural member of the house received her own message.

"Joyce, listen!"

Joyce sat up in her bed. Although she never experienced something so directly supernatural she didn't have to question the origin of this dream.

"What?" she asked seemingly into the air.

"She must be ready. You must help her be ready." The voice echoed in her ears the finality of it resounding into her bones.

"Buffy." She stated, "It's her time." She didn't question the statement. The finality of it resonated with truth. She wasn't upset just accepted the truth. There would be time to worry and think later. For now she had to listen so she could understand.

"It is. She will know when Joyce. But you must go and prepare a way. Do not be afraid. All will work out as it should in the end. You will know when it is your time. You will know what to say. Trust her. She has been chosen long before this. From the day she was called she was chosen. And the day she survived the Master she sealed her fate. The Powers that Be have allowed certain moments, challenges to prepare her. It has to be like this. The rip in time must be repaired." The voice was kind but firm. It left no chance for misinterpretation.

"This is the right way? The only way?" Joyce asked.

"It is."

"And she will be happy? It's best for her?" Joyce trusted whoever she was speaking but a mothers instincts stretched farther than trusting blindly.

"Yes. It is best."

It didn't escape Joyce he didn't mention her daughters happiness but she knew better than to question anymore.

"OK. I will do it."

"Remember Joyce, prepare the way for her."

Sitting up in her bed Joyce heard the voices of Buffy and Spike downstairs in the kitchen. Filing her dream away to think about tomorrow she rolled back over in bed and went back to sleep.