Chapter 24

Fathers, Mothers, Sons and Daughters

A/N: Chapter twenty-four of the series. We're about halfway through the entire story. Thanks to those who have been kind enough to write a review on and those who have emailed me. I will thank you all individually, but for now I have to acknowledge the two who have always reviewed. Igore at and Luba, with her great website. Thanks to you both. Your reviews and emails help me continue writing these crazy stories.

Disclaimer: All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows. Original characters are mine.

Feedback: Sure, as you wish.

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London, England

The Watcher's Council

December 2017

Giles stared at the Locator Screen and sighed.

He stared at the gray dot, still blinking a few miles north of Dublin. He wondered what prompted Angel to walk away whenever a major battle was about to erupt. Giles took off his glasses and begun cleaning them, an automatic motion performed every time his mind wandered unnoticed.

He soon forgot his well hidden hatred and anger at the once souled vampire when he looked at the two sleeping in the leather couch. Giles smiled and placed on his glasses as he stared at the peaceful faces of Willow and Xander. The two had barely gotten one good night's sleep, and now were relaxing. There were no news regarding the battle and the Council was currently on an orange alert. Everything was covered should there be an attack.

He once again looked at the two figures, both holding each other in their sleep. He wondered what would have happened if he hadn't appeared on their lives, twenty years ago.

He didn't know if Xander would have kept his eyesight.

He didn't know if Willow would have ever dabbed in magic.

He wondered if lives would have been lost or saved.

He wondered if Buffy would have ignored her calling or if she would have embraced it.

He didn't know how things could have worked out, but he was sure of one thing. He loved the three kids and he loved the three adults they had turned out to be.

Giles kept looking at them, and wondered if they loved him as much as he did. He was so proud of them, having seen them grow, helping them become good women and good men. He'd seen Buffy grow, get married and have a child. He didn't exactly agree with her choice of men, but he was grateful she'd allowed him to stay by her side.

He silently thanked her every day for her greatest gift. She'd asked him to give her at the altar, when she had married Angel, even when her father had been sitting in the back.

His eyes always watered when he remembered how beautiful she'd been.

Willow stirred and Xander closed his arms around her. Giles smiled and felt warm inside. He knew those two loved each other deeply and wondered why they had never tried the obvious. Xander had loved many women in his life, but he always ended up turning to Willow for help.

On the other hand, it was clear who her safe haven was. The redhead had grown to become a stunningly beautiful woman, and even with her blatant bisexuality, she was a girl any parent would love to have as a daughter in law.

A button blinked on the intercom, void of rings out of respect for the sleeping pair. Giles answered, his voice low.

"Hey." Buffy spoke. "What's the verdict for tonight?"

"All clear." He replied. "There are no new reports and the mystical plane is quiet."

"Still an hour till nightfall." Buffy said. "Why are you whispering?"

"Willow and Xander are asleep here." He said. "I don't think you'll need to come here."

"Well, I believe you will need to come here." She said.

"Care to explain?"

"Need you to talk to Annie." She explained.

"Ah." Giles said. "You need a babysitter."

"No, for that I've got Dawn." She replied. "I need you to help me talk to her."

"What happened this time?" He asked, fearing the answer.

"I found her this afternoon wearing Spike's duster."

"What?" Giles nearly choked, regretting it instantly as Xander groaned in his sleep. Giles took three deep breaths and reigned his temper in. "I thought that coat had been destroyed."

"I kept it." She confessed. "Don't ask me why, don't question my motifs. She found it, period. She's being stubborn and wants to fight with us the minute the war starts. I can't control her and her father is missing. I need you to help me with your granddaughter."

Giles shook his head, even though he knew Buffy couldn't see him.

"What do you want me to do, Buffy?" Giles asked. "She doesn't even know who Spike was, beyond the point of knowing him as William the Bloody."

"And that is my fault, I know." She said. "But what happened in those days is not something I want her to know."

"Your untimely death or the months after?"

"It's enough she was once kidnapped by Drusilla. I don't want her to know how awful those days were."

"Or you don't want her to know Spike was in love with you."

Silence answered his statement and he sighed.

"Very well." He finally said. "I can be there in ten minutes."

"Thanks." Buffy said and hung up.

Giles did as well and stood up. He turned off his computer and walked till he was standing over the two sleeping figures. He knelt down and softly poked Xander's shoulder. The man woke up almost immediately.

"What?" Xander groaned.

"Have to go." Giles said.

"What time is it?"

"Not too late." Giles answered. "Have to leave. Buffy wants me as a babysitter."

"Isn't Annie a bit too old to have a babysitter?"

"Looks like our mini Buffy struck again."

"Oh boy. Isn't she the little firecracker."

"Right." Giles smiled. "Buffy wants me there, so if she feels comfortable with the both of us there, so be it."

Willow stirred and Xander softly covered her ears.

"Fine. You'll stay over there?"

"Probably." Giles said. "Should anything happen…"

"I'll give you a call."

"Be seeing you in the morning, then."

Xander nodded and Giles walked away. As he made his way to the elevators, he had the sudden idea he might as well leave Xander in control of everything. The thought of the Council being led to battle by an old man had been bothering him for the past nights.

He rarely felt fear before marching to battle, but this time, he felt he wouldn't be of much use on the battlefield.

The elevator's doors opened in front of him, and Giles could feel the years weighing on him.

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Xander heard his father as he walked inside the elevator.

Willow stirred once again and he eased his grip on her. He still remembered how she looked, fourteen years ago, and wondered if she still looked the same. She moved, still on top of him, and he wondered how they had ended in such an intimate position.

Not that he was bothered, far from it; ever since they were children they'd slept together.

Yet, they weren't children, or teenagers, anymore. They were adults, lonely for the past years, and they had always counted on each other for everything. He took a deep breath and inhaled all scents Willow. Ages ago, he had thought of her as a woman instead of only a friend. Things had not worked out, for he'd been infatuated by Cordelia's memory, and Willow genuinely loved Oz.

He'd once wondered if Willow's choice of Tara had been a way of waiting for Oz to return. But he'd been a stupid young man, too hurt to see true love where it really was. Ironic how he could 'see' love better while being blind.

He knew Willow still went to the Pantheon at least three times a week. It hurt to realize the bodies of Tara, Joyce and Anya weren't really there, but it gave them something physical to hold on while crying for them.

He wondered how much loss could they all cope with. The three original Scoobies had lost too much, too many, and he feared that had closed them off and had sent their emotional health to hell. He hadn't been in any meaningful relationship after Anya, and he knew what he had in Okinawa wasn't anything real.

Geishas were merely doing their jobs.

He knew what a serious job that was, having taken the time to read about the ancient tradition. Against popular belief, Geishas were not obligated to sleep with their employers, save a real emotional bond existed, or a romantic interest.

Sora was a beautiful woman, but he knew she would never love him the way he needed.

He shook his head. He brought his mind back to the here and now and forced himself to fully wake up. He focused on something else besides Willow's scent and smelt something else.

Besides the normal smells natural to London, he detected something else.

"Great." He whispered, as he reached for his cell phone discarded on a small night table next to the couch.

He dialed his father's number and hoped we wouldn't wake Willow.

"What is it?" Giles answered quickly.

"Are you still in the building?" Xander asked.

"Yes, why?"

"Inside the elevator?"

"No, have just walked out of it and am on my way to my car. What is it?" Giles asked, frowning.

"Did you look outside?"

"Xander, our cars are in Sub Level 1. I can't see outside from here."

"Well, I can't see outside from anywhere, but I smelt something. Get to the main foyer."

"All right, all right." Giles sighed, walking back to the elevator. "You weren't this bossy before."

"You weren't my dad before."

"That's cheating."

"Hey, whatever I've picked up I picked it up from you, Ripper."

"Now that's a hit below the belt. Ok, I'm in the elevator, wait up."

Giles walked inside the elevator and pressed the button '1'. Soon, he was in Level 1 and looked around.

"What is it you're trying to tell me?" He asked.

"Look outside." Xander said. Giles grumbled and complained about 'bad manners' and stopped when he saw out of the window.

"Oh." He said.

"Smelt it." Xander said. "Hope nothing happens now."

"A few clouds and rain means nothing, son."

"It does when vampires get to attack an hour earlier."

"Should have seen it before." Giles said, as he walked back to the elevators. "Closed the curtains in my office so you two could sleep better."

"Thanks." Xander said. "Look, nothing may happen tonight, but I'll wake Willow up. We must be alert."

"Right. I'm coming back up."

"What about Annie?"

"Guess our talk will have to wait." Giles said, already back inside the elevator and his finger pressing the '6' button.

End of Chapter

A/N 2: Been thinking about sharing the music I listen to while writing this crazy thing.

Some recommendations are:

The Cure – A letter to Elise

Depeche Mode – Somebody

More to come as the story progresses.