A/N: Sorry for not updating sooner, with job stuff and the holidays, it's been crazy. Updates will probably be further in now as I'll soon be looking for a new job hopefully.

Chapter 9

It took some convincing, but Buffy finally managed to talk Dawn into baby-sitting tonight while she went out on patrol. Normally she'd leave Nevaeh with Willow and Tara or Xander and Anya, but they were all busy tonight and couldn't do it. There was a demon loose that was creating some havoc and she really needed to get out there and find him.

Dawn was old enough now to help out by watching her niece from time to time. At thirteen months old, the little girl was pretty easy to care for, especially since she was already in bed and would likely sleep the whole time Buffy was gone. Every now and then she'd wake up in the middle of the night with a nightmare but those instances were few and far between.

She wasn't sure what was up with Dawn lately but the girl was definitely acting differently. She knew having a baby in the house was an adjustment, but she thought they were all past that now. Something about how the girl was acting was just bugging her but she couldn't seem to put her finger on just what it was.

Wandering through the cemetery, lost in thought, Buffy barely managed to hear something sneak up behind her and duck before the demon's sword could hit her. Swinging around she managed to stop the next attack with her double-edged ax, but the sword sent it flying out of her hand and onto the ground out of reach.

Left without any weapons, she grabbed the ugly thing's arm as it made another attempt to slice her in half, but just before she could hit him, the thing disappeared leaving her empty handed. The thing reappeared, trying to take her by surprise, but she was ready for him, kicking him several times in the chest finally knocking his sword into the air. She caught it just in time to stab him in the chest with his own sword before he could strike out again.

The contact created a powerful blast knocking her several feet away. Face down on the ground she didn't see as the creature was sucked into the sword. "Oh, shiny." Thinking she could add the sword to her ever growing collection, she picked it up and headed home.

Seated at the buffet in the kitchen, Buffy watched as Anya put together the snacks for the night's party. Buffy hated celebrating another birthday but they had talked her into it. She only agreed so long as they promised it was just the group of them. She didn't want a party where no one even knew her name, or one where demons crashed the whole thing. Nope just her and the people she cared about.

"Think ya got enough food there, Anya? I mean it is only the seven of us since Giles is away, and Vaeh probably shouldn't count since I doubt she'll eat any of that," Buffy finished.

"Well ya know Buff, we all know you slayers like your food," Xander answered quickly.

"Well, well, we also invited someone for you, a guy," Anya stated in her blunt way.

Dawn choosing that moment to walk in the room, "For Buffy? Really?"

"Don't worry it's not a setup," Xander tried to reassure, hoping Buffy wouldn't kill him.

"Nope, just an attractive single man with whom we hope you find much in common. And if you happen to form a romantic relationship, leading to babies and many double dates with us, so we have someone else to talk to…yea!" Anya babbled on, not noticing Xander trying to get her to shut up.

Buffy wanted to be mad at her friends, how could they understand what was going on in her head though? "Well, I already have one baby, and you do realize guys our age typically don't go for the whole set family thing right?"

"Oh, um," Anya stopped not sure how to respond, it certainly hadn't occurred to her or Xander either that Nevaeh was now part of some package deal.

"Look you guys, thanks for the thought, but I got all I can handle right now with taking care of Vaeh. I just don't have time for dating."

Anya wasn't ready to let their idea just die though. "Not even just an orgasm buddy that doesn't require commitment?"

"And with that thought, I'm just gonna go find my daughter." Slipping off the stool, Buffy headed for the other room where the toddler was last seen playing with her toys.

Fifteen minutes later, she was too busy enjoying just spending time with her little girl to notice when the room suddenly became full with three newcomers. Spike had decided to crash the party, dragging Clem along with. Everyone knew of the chipped vampire's love for the slayer, but he just couldn't seem to get the hint that she just wasn't interested. Instead, lately he had been trying his hardest to be around her every minute he could.

"Buffy, this is Richard," Xander introduced the dirty blonde newcomer. He liked the guy, but after what Buffy said, was no longer sure that inviting him was a good idea. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that Buffy didn't just need someone, Nevaeh did too, and that required a whole different kind of setup.

An awkward silence filled the room as everyone seemed to study everyone else. The silence was broken when the tiny tot let out a whine, realizing she no longer had her mother's attention, who had up until that point been helping her make a tower. "I'm sorry baby, mommy got sidetracked," she kissed the little girl on the top of her head, before picking up another block. She knew the comment to her daughter was also pointed at the newcomer. She didn't know how much he knew about her friend's intentions, but she wanted to make it clear if he had any ideas about her, that he realized she was a packaged deal.

Hearing that Buffy was a mom, left Richard a little uncomfortable. Xander hadn't mentioned that to him when he'd been invited. Not that he didn't like kids, but dating a mom was a whole different story, even if she was a MILF. The little girl didn't look a thing like her though, so he had to wonder about the girl's father.

Dawn, impatient to get on with the night, chose that moment to suggest that Buffy opened presents. Tara and Willow had tried to find something for Buffy from Nevaeh, but when they couldn't find something to buy, they ended up making a collage of the little girl's pictures and putting it in a frame with a card they let the toddler color on.

Saving her present for last, Dawn handed over the box from her, watching with excitement as Buffy opened the new black leather jacket. "Do you like it?"

"It's gorgeous," Buffy admitted, wondering how her sister had gotten something so nice for her.

Smile plastered on her face, "I was nervous. I wasn't sure you'd like it."

Moving the jacket around in the box, she noticed something on the sleeve, "It still has the security tag on it."

"Huh. That's so weird," she answered cautiously. Something wasn't adding up in Buffy's mind, she just couldn't seem to put it all together. The moment was lost when Xander rolled in a beautiful new weapons chest, with CD holder.

Soon after, cake was eaten and games began to take up residence around the room. No one seemed eager to leave so when Dawn suggested a slumber party, everyone just went with the idea and continued what they were doing.

At some point Nevaeh had crashed out in Buffy's lap while they had been playing Monopoly, so she excused herself to carry the little girl upstairs. She changed her into her pj's as gently as she could, before placing her in her crib. She sat there watching her sleep for awhile, not wanting to leave the room just yet. She hated birthdays, but if it meant one more year with this little angel she was all for it. Kissing her fingers and placing them delicately on the slumbering baby's head, she walked out of the room quietly.

Faith had been in her cell all day thinking about Buffy and Nevaeh. She knew it was Buffy's birthday today. She remembered from her days in Sunnydale what day it was. She kept debating whether she should call and wish the girl a good one or not.

She had only exchanged letters and one short phone call since Christmas. It had only been a few weeks, but still she missed her daughter terribly. She knew that Buffy couldn't make it up there all the time though, she had a job and friends and well, a life. Something the brunette no longer did. She couldn't expect the other slayer just to drop everything to come see her because she lived for those moments when they came to visit.

Still it wouldn't be right to ignore the older girl on her birthday. Getting up she made her way over to the phone the prisoners were allowed to use. There was a line as phone time was coming to a close for the night. She took her place behind two other girls and waited her turn. Their calls seemed to go on forever, even though she knew they weren't more than the ten minutes they were allowed this late at night.

Dialing the number she now knew by heart, she was surprised when the call wouldn't go through. Thinking she had the number wrong, she tried again, but still there was no ringing. She tried Angel's place to see if he knew what was going on, and while the phone did ring this time, there was no answer. Shuffling out of line to allow the next person in, she wandered back to her cell. She'd just have to try Buffy's house again the next day and if she still got no answer she supposed she'd try Angel's again.

Until then all she could do was wait and wonder.

Morning came and a few had fallen asleep on the couches, but most were still wide awake watching the early morning cartoons that had started. Richard reminded Xander that they both needed to head into work, but neither could seem to move from the spot they were in.

It was then they all began to realize something wasn't right. Something was keeping them locked away together and no one could figure out how to leave. Upset that everyone would rather leave then stay there with her once again, Dawn threw a fit before storming out of the room.

The scoobies tried to question her if she knew what was going on, but the teenager became defensive, feeling as if they were attacking her. The tension in the room began to escalate as Dawn insisted that she didn't do anything, but they just wouldn't leave her alone about it. Realizing they weren't getting anywhere with her, they all left her alone.

While they had been upstairs, Tara had been checking the phones and other ways to get out, but came to the conclusion they were stuck and cut off from the world just mere feet outside the door.

"She's just so angry," Buffy exclaimed, not being able to get past the way Dawn had acted upstairs.

"It happens. We all went through it," Tara tried to reassure her, remembering what it was like to be a teenager.

"I know. I just can't figure out why she didn't come to me." Trying to think back over the past few months, she knew Dawn had been acting differently, but she couldn't remember if there was a time where the teen had tried to talk to her about it.

"Well you have been a little busy lately," Xander reasoned. Between her duties as a slayer and her duties as a mother, she reasoned she hadn't been paying as much attention to her sister as she used to. It seemed Dawn was beginning to feel neglected and she wasn't sure what to do about that. First they needed to figure out how to get everyone out of the house.

Deciding magic was their best bet, Tara offered to try something. Willow had been trying to control her magic and wasn't sure she dared try. It hadn't yet become a problem, but it was starting to create tension in her relationship with Tara and she wanted her girlfriend more than she wanted more power.

Magic filled the air in the house, but still no one could get to the door to open it. Everyone failed to notice the magic surround the sword that still sat there in the living room, where Buffy had placed out of Nevaeh's reach.

The sound of growling turned everyone's attention from the door to the red demon now standing there, weapon in hand ready to attack. Everyone went running from the room, but not before the thing could slice Richard in the chest, who was unaware of the danger he was in.

Buffy ran in and tackled the thing to the floor, only to have it disappear on her once again. As the demon reappeared and came after Buffy again, she heard a "mommy," as Nevaeh began to cry from her place in Willow's arms. She wanted to comfort her daughter but couldn't until this thing was taken care of.

Willow tried to rock and comfort the little girl, but she was having none of that. The demon then seemed to take notice of the child and began to make his way over to her. Buffy placed a kick into his stomach sending him flying before it disappeared again. They were relieved when he didn't come back this time, but knew he couldn't have gone far, leaving them with another worry.

Night fell and still they hadn't made any progress in getting out. At least the creature hadn't come back, but it was only a matter of time before he did. Buffy stayed close to Nevaeh as much as possible, comforting her when she could, but she knew if that thing came back she needed to be able to fight fast and only allowed herself to hold the little girl for a few minutes at a time.

Not understanding what was going on Nevaeh had spent the day crying, only stopping when she had fallen asleep. Every time someone took her away from her mom she flailed her arms, trying to get back to her. She wanted her mommy to hold her and protect her and when she wouldn't the toddler became confused and grouchy.

The walls made noises as the demon moved through them watching for an opening to attack. After another round of fighting, the thing again managed to get away leaving everyone scared, not knowing how they could possibly stop this one.

Not wanting anyone to get hurt, Buffy told Dawn to stay with Spike so that he could protect her, but the teen had, had enough and followed Buffy upstairs. "It's not like I meant for this to happen."

Buffy sighed, she didn't want to fight with her sister right now. "I never said that you did," she told her honestly.

"I didn't want this."

Buffy asked her what she did want, but Dawn wasn't sure she was ready to admit how lonely she had been feeling. In the end she decided to just go for it and explain how things were different for her, how she felt that she was alone.

As their conversation progressed, Buffy began to realize just why they might be trapped when Dawn brought up the new counselor that had appeared at her school. But before she had a chance to ask her more about it, Anya tore up the stairs and into Dawn's room.

They tried to talk the ex-vengeance demon down, but she wasn't having any of it and opened a box on Dawn's desk, finding jewelry and charms, some from the Magic Box inside. "How could you do this?"

Dawn tore down the stairs knowing she was caught. She barely made it down the stairs before Anya caught up to her, asking her how she could do something like that.

Wanting to give her sister the benefit of the doubt, she tried to figure out another possibility, before her eyes fell on the jacket that Dawn had given her for her birthday. Everything seemed to click into place then, as she realized why her sister seemed so twitchy about things lately.

Still, Dawn was her sister and she had to stick up for her when Anya accused her once again of trapping them here. "I don't think it was her fault. There was someone pretending to be a guidance counselor. She made Dawn make a wish."

"Guidance Counselor, you made a wish to someone you've never seen before," Anya stated more than asked. When Dawn admitted that she had, Anya asked her if she wore a pendant with a dark blue stone, knowing it was likely her friend from her demon days.

After several calls, Halfrek appeared before them, just as the demon attacked again stabbing her in the chest. This time when the demon tried to disappear again through the wall, Buffy stabbed the sword through, trapping the demon once again inside before breaking it in half.

Halfrek jumped up, a sword through the chest not stopping her, when they tried to take her pendant to break the curse. She wasn't about to lift the curse, but when she realized she was now stuck as well, she had no choice but to end it so she could leave.

The group all stood around, waiting for someone to open the door and see if the spell was really gone. Finally Spike reached out and opened the door and everyone made their way outside. Buffy watched them leave, before shutting the door behind them, knowing her and Dawn were now in for a long overdue talk.