A/N: And Darla returns!

Disclaimer: See previous chapters. Please review.

Meanwhile: Spike is asked to watch Dawn when Joyce has to leave town for a week; Willow, Cordy, Faith, and Tara have a girls night out at the Bronze; Xander gets a new contruction job; Oz and Wesley research on some files Angel, Welsey, Riley, and Xander got when they rescued Spike; Riley and Graham go out looking for an escaped demon; Giles leaves for England to talk to Quentin Travers about Buffy further.

Voting: Lindsey – 7; Doyle – 5; Gunn – 5; Dennis – 2; Lorne – 1.

Chapter 25:

A knock came at the door. "I got it." Buffy said walking back to the door.

She opened it, to reveal a pregnant blonde haired woman standing there.

"Darla?" Buffy asked shocked to see her.

"Can I come in?" Darla asked keeping her eyes down cast.

"Yes of course." Buffy said moving aside for her. Darla entered as Buffy asked, "What happened?"

Darla took a seat on one of the couches all eyes on her as she replied, "I do not know. I went to every shaman in the northern hemisphere and they all said this child was impossible."

"What why?" Buffy asked motioning for Dennis to get her a drink.

"Angel is the father, and I am a vampire again." Darla replied desperately. "The soul, though. The child has a soul and I can feel it."

"Darla, we will find out what is going on." Buffy promised the four hundred plus blonde vampire.

"Holtz!" Darla cried out suddenly jumping to her feet.

"Sit down, please Darla; you do not want to hurt the baby." Buffy told her. Darla said down looking around the apartment frantically. "Now, who or what is Holtz?"

"Holtz, he was a vampire hunter from back in the 18 century. He was after Angelus and me, because we killed his family." Darla said. "I do not know how, but he is here. Not one of his decedents but Holtz himself, and he has been chasing me. Buffy, please help me."

"We will." Buffy promised. "We need you to tell us all about Holtz though. We need to know who he is."

It was eight in the morning by the time Darla had finished telling them about Holtz, and her past. Buffy had gotten Darla to get some sleep in Buffy's room.

"What are we going to do?" Kate asked.

"Are we going to help her?" Lindsey asked.

"She is a vampire." Doyle added.

Buffy and Anya shared a look before Buffy replied, "We are going to help her. It is our jobs remember. We help the hopeless, and right now Darla needs the help more then anything."

"But, she is a vampire. You heard what all she told us." Gunn reminded her.

"I know, and I dated the father of that child she is carrying." Buffy reminded everyone as well. "We need to help her."

"I can go out see if I can not find something on Holtz." Anya said as she grabbed her coat.

"Okay, be careful." Buffy told her.

"I know." Anya replied as she left.

"Lindsey, can you dig up everything Wolfram and Hart has on Holtz?" Buffy asked.

"Sure." Lindsey replied, "I will also check for anything that might tell us how Darla is pregnant in the first place."

"Thank you." Buffy told him as he too left. "Doyle, Dennis, you two are on vision watch."

"Got it boss." Doyle replied as he lay down therapist patient style.

Buffy rolled her eyes before saying, "Gunn, Kate, can you guys go out and help Anya look around for Holtz?"

"Sure." Gunn replied.

"I will check with the police see if we can not get a bolo put up on him." Kate stated.

"Don't, we do not want him to know we are looking for him." Buffy said.

"Best idea, actually." Kate said as she and Gunn left.

"I will watch Darla." Buffy stated, "When she wakes up I will take her to see Lorne."

"Good idea." Dennis stated.

Buffy Summers, that was the woman's name. Smart of Darla to go to her, he had been told of Buffy's reputation in the demon community. A slayer working for the Powers that Be. Buffy and her friends would be sure to keep her safe, her and that child. All he needed was to know where Angelus was now. Holtz looked up from the papers he had laid out on the table in front of him. Each paper held a picture of either the slayer or one of her friends, names included. If he could not get Darla and Angelus, he would get that child in revenge for the children they took from him.