Warnings and disclaimers in Chapter 1. Enjoy.
Giles jerked awake, the remnant of a dream half remembered on his mind. "Rupert?" He shook his head, clearing it as he turned his attention to matriarch.
"Joyce?" he asked quietly, glancing around him. The small amount of sky he could see out of the windows was starting to lighten, indicating dawn was nearing. It took him a minute to remember.
"Are you okay?" she asked quietly, moving a chair so she was sitting opposite them.
"It's a little overwhelming," he admitted.
"So it did work?" she asked. She glanced at her daughter, who was frowning as she slept, clearly having bad dreams. Giles followed her eyes.
"The Slayer and I have had a discussion," he started, but stopped when Joyce shook her head.
"I don't care about the Slayer," she said harshly, before sighing. "I didn't mean it like that," she said, frowning when Buffy started shifting in her sleep. Joyce reached over and ran her fingers through her hair. She sighed and relaxed into sleep again. "We did all this so we could help our daughter. Did you do that?" Giles's eyes lost focus again. Buffy sighed and shifted once again, but didn't show any signs of nightmares.
"I think so," he told her gently, "although we haven't had any time to test or study our new relationship. But I can feel her distress, and I can understand it much better than she can. And now that I know, she feels like she can relax." He took a deep breath, looking at the girl in his arms.
"So what is she feeling right now?" Joyce asked curiously.
"She's distressed," Giles told her. Joyce frowned.
"She doesn't look distressed," she said, running her fingers through her daughter's hair. Buffy smiled softly, nestling further in Giles's embrace as she slept on. Giles shook his head.
"Not Buffy," he clarified, "but vampire Buffy."
"You're sensing her too?" Joyce asked.
"She's still a Slayer, even after she was turned," he explained. "We're still bonded, now even more closely than before. I'm sensing Buffy, but I'm also sensing vampire Buffy."
"Sounds confusing," Joyce told him. He nodded.
"It's like listening to two records at once," he admitted, "but I'm getting better at distinguishing them." They lapsed into silence. Joyce looked around the room, seeing her family spread out around them.
"So what now?" Joyce asked. "What do we do about the vampire?"
"They're worried," Giles told her. "Their plan was ruined."
"Ruined?" Another voice spoke up quietly. They looked over to see Veronica slowly heading toward them. Joyce pointed to the couch and Veronica sat down on the other side of Buffy. Buffy opened her eyes blearily as she was disturbed, but then surprised all three of them when she moved from Giles's arms to Veronica's. She snuggled into the other woman's side, eyes drifting shut again. "Ruined?" Veronica asked again, holding the girl tightly.
"The Crimson Witch," Giles clarified. "As much as I hate to admit it, as soon as Ethan refused her coven, her future changed."
"And she's been trying to fix it since," Veronica added. "But why did she come here in the first place?" Giles could only shrug.
"Her thirst for power," he guessed, "or to eliminate a threat that grew to powerful in her own time. Or maybe she was just bored. Who knows her reasons." He sighed deeply. "Whatever her reasoning, her future has been changed. She brought forth the vampire version of Buffy to get her future back on track, knowing Willow would try and restore her soul."
"That makes no sense," Joyce countered. "If Ethan joined her coven, Spike would have been even more out of control. He would have killed her, not turned her."
"But Spike never turned her," Veronica added. "Drusilla did. Was Drusilla affected by the spell?"
"No," Giles admitted. "She was here but she was never affected."
"Someone actually helped her," Joyce remembered. "The Crimson Witch."
"Trying to get her future back on track," Veronica thought. "Everything hinged on Buffy being turned and Willow attempting to restore her soul. But that won't happen now, right?"
"Right," Giles agreed. "Now that we know, we can keep Willow from losing her soul."
"And Buffy?" Joyce asked. Giles looked over at the young girl.
"We do our best to keep her from this fate," he told them, "and if she does get turned we let her rest in peace." The women nodded, all lost in their thoughts until Faith and Daniel returned.
"Faith?" Veronica asked in concern when she limped over to a chair and sat down heavily.
"I'm okay," she told her Watcher, "or I will be after a good night's rest." Daniel came over with a first aid kit. "We caught up with her at the Bronze," Faith said as Daniel helped her clean up. "Daniel was able to get everyone clear while we threw down." She looked at Giles. "She's tough. I was barely able to match her, and I got the impression she was going easy on me." She looked back at Veronica.
"Spike said a turned Slayer was almost impossible to stop," Veronica remembered.
"Well, it's about to be put to the test," Faith told her. She twisted her hands nervously before looking at Veronica. "I'm not sure I can stop her," she admitted quietly. Faith looked down, focusing on Buffy's sleeping form.
"Oh Faith," Veronica said quietly.
"You won't be alone," Daniel said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I'll be there with you."
"Can you kill her?" Faith asked sincerely. "Cause, if we're being honest, I don't know if I can. We have so much history between us, most of it of the bad. I don't know if I'll be able to stake her. But my history is nothing compared to yours. She's your mother. Can you kill her?"
"That vampire isn't my mother," Daniel replied. "It is an abomination wearing my mother's face. This is my mother." He pointed to Buffy, still sleeping soundly in Veronica's arms. "She's kind and warm and honest and I won't let any monster tarnish her reputation." Joyce grabbed his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
"It will take more than you mate," Spike said, entering the basement quietly. "It will take all of us. At least we have something those other blokes didn't."
"And what exactly is that?" Albert asked, chuckling lightly when everyone jumped. Clearly, everyone had thought he was still asleep.
"Trust," Spike smirked. "Demons and humans have to work together, something that doesn't happen much in our line of work, what with the killin' each other. But we've been a team for the better part of five years. Our counterparts in years past had to build trust while dealing with a Slayer Vampire."
"That will work for Buffy," Willow said suddenly, joining the conversation. She sat up followed by Tara. "But what will we do for evil future me?" Giles and Joyce looked around the basement.
"Is anybody still asleep?" Giles asked sarcastically.
"Yes," Xander answered before sighing. "No." Anya quickly sat up.
"It's almost time to get up anyway," Anya said, moving closer to the group. "The only one who should be asleep is Buffy. Which she is."
"Perhaps Xander can take Buffy back upstairs and put her to bed," Albert suggested. Xander sighed but came over. Buffy woke up briefly when Veronica moved her to Xander's arms, but settled down completely, snuggling into Xander's side. The girl's followed them up, talking softly amongst themselves. The adults were about to follow when Albert spoke again. "One moment please." He turned toward Daniel, his Watcher mask firmly in place.
"Yes?" Daniel asked, gulping loudly.
"Are you not a son of Azeroth?" he asked.
"Yes Sir," Daniel answered.
"Buffy is your mother?" he asked sternly.
"Yes Sir," he said stiffly, glancing at Faith for support.
"Three sets of twins," Albert mumbled to himself, "and a son of Azeroth. Seven scions of the Slayer." He turned to Daniel. "You are a very important part of this prophecy." Daniel nodded.
"I know Sir," he added. "I've known it since it was discovered. And I'm committed to choosing the side of light. For my mother, and everyone who I love."
"Your mother," Albert repeated, glancing at Giles before focusing on Daniel again. "You know that makes you my great grandson."
"Yes Sir," Daniel gulped, looking at Giles imploringly. Giles came to his rescue.
"I was concerned you would focus more on his father," Giles admitted, "than his mother."
"Mother?" Ethan asked, stepping out of the shadows. "And great grandson? That makes…" He turned to Giles. "She's your daughter?"
"Ethan," Giles whined. Ethan sat down on a chair, his face shocked. Giles turned back to the group.
"I guess family secrets abound in this group," Albert deadpanned. Giles shook his head.
"Not within this family," he stated, "but we are very cautious who we tell outside of the family."
"Very wise," Albert admitted. "I take it these revelations are not commonly known in the Watchers Council?" Giles shook his head.
"No," he admitted, "and I would very much like for it to stay that way."
"I wholeheartedly agree," Albert said, turning back to Daniel. "But I might need to change a few policies. Maybe it's time I get out of the office and spend some time in the field. Maybe spend more time with my children. And their families and charges."
"What?" Faith asked, her voice shaking with panic. She glared at Daniel. He could only shrug. "We really don't need any more interaction."
"I disagree," he said honestly. "You realize that both my children are Watchers to the active Slayers, yet neither of them accepts me as part of their chosen family." Giles and Veronica looked at each other, their expressions somber. "Personally, I am saddened by that fact. Professionally, I understand. Chosen families are built on trust and actions, not blood, and I have done nothing to earn my place. On a personal level, I want to change this." He looked between his children, then Joyce, then Faith and Daniel. "On a professional level, I would have never dreamed that such a disconnect existed between the Council and the field. Such a chasm can have catastrophic consequences, especially considering what we do. I aim to lessen that distance."
"How exactly?" Veronica asked.
"I have no idea," he admitted, "but having Gregory there has been a success."
"That's debatable," Faith smirked, but it was said in a jesting tone. Albert chuckled.
"While I understand more that a certain amount of autonomy is needed in the field, we have to find a balance that works for both parties. And until I find someone to bridge the gap, I see no reason not to start that work myself."
"What about your duties as Chancellor?" Giles asked skeptically.
"What is more important than the Slayer?" he asked calmly. Giles and Veronica shared a look. "Besides, the Chancellor's job is mostly political. It can be done anywhere."
"Right," Giles said, not totally convinced. Albert smiled.
"Shall we head to breakfast?" Everyone nodded. Daniel and Faith led the group upstairs, but when Ethan moved to join them Giles grabbed his arm and moved him away from the staircase. He waited for a few minutes until they were alone. The two men stared at each other.
"I never stood a chance," Ethan spoke after heavy silence. "Did I?"
"You were the one who made the choice," Giles said tiredly. "I never made you choose."
"A life of fun or a life of rules," Ethan countered. "Is that really a choice?"
"A bit of fun paid for with the life of our friend," Giles said gently, "or the rules and responsibilities of saving mankind. It's not choosing. It's growing up." Ethan nodded solemnly. They continued their staring match.
"Have you always known?" Ethan asked, finally looking away. "It wouldn't be too upsetting if you chose family over friends. That, at least, I can understand." Giles shook his head sadly.
"I didn't find out until recently," he admitted. Ethan sighed deeply.
"So you did choose an unknown child over me," he complained.
"I chose responsibility over childishness," Giles admitted, "as did nearly everyone else. You were the only one to hold onto irresponsibility." There was heavy silence.
"You could have brought me in with you," Ethan said off-handedly. "I could have completed training. Become a bloody Watcher right next to you." Even as he said it, he could feel his distaste mar his face.
"They would have killed you," Giles said quietly. "You didn't have the family lineage to protect you. You were a threat and you knew too much. No amount of my support would have changed that." Ethan nodded. They both knew all too well the shadier aspects the Watchers Council employed.
"So what now?" Ethan asked.
"A warning," Giles told him, looking him directly in the eye. "I never intended for you to discover this information," he told him, more serious than Ethan had ever heard him be. "In the wrong hands, this knowledge threatens everything I hold dear. More than I could ever imagine."
"So you want me to promise never to tell anyone about your daughter?" Ethan asked, the playful smirk back on his face. Giles shook his head.
"Not exactly," he told his former friend. "I wouldn't trust any promise you made anyway. Instead I want to make a promise to you."
"Oh?" Ethan asked, slightly intrigued. Giles took a step forward, closing in on Ethan.
"If you ever use this knowledge, or any knowledge, against any member of this family I promise you it will be the last thing you do. I will hunt you down and kill you, and I promise I won't stop until you are dead. And if you think I'm bluffing, you should think about what a father would do to protect his child." Ethan gulped, taking a step back but Giles matched his stride. Giles's eyes shone maliciously, letting a hint of Ripper bleed through. Finally Ethan backed down.
"Fine," he said, ducking around Giles and heading for the stairs. "I promise Uncle Ethan will take your secret to the grave."
"Uncle Ethan?" Giles asked, his aggressiveness quickly turning to panic as he followed Ethan up the stairs. Ethan led them into the kitchen, where almost everyone had gathered and was watching them silently.
"They are her children," Ethan said, helping himself to some tea, "but you and Joyce are raising them, which makes them your children in a sense. I always knew I would be there for your children."
"Be there as in try to kill them," Giles countered.
"We'll laugh about it one day," Ethan said smugly. "Of course, I will have to be the fun uncle. The young carpenter can be the serious one. But at least you'll know where they are when they get tired of your noble, self sacrificing ways and run away."
"What?" Xander asked, joining the group after putting Buffy to bed. "What are you going on about now?"
"Establishing my role in the family," Ethan smirked again, glancing at Giles out of the corner of his eye. Giles groaned and hung his head in accepted defeat.
"You can't do that," Andrew shouted indignantly as he followed Xander downstairs. "I was here first. You can't join until I'm accepted."
"Andrew," Joyce called out gently, taking his arm and leading him to a stool. "You are accepted. In fact, I think we need to go over your responsibilities a bit more." He deflated.
"I know. I'm just the babysitter." Joyce shook her head.
"You're so much more than that," she told him. "You're the person I trust to protect the most vulnerable members of this family." He sat up straighter. "But that means more than just protecting them physically. You also have to protect them mentally. There's a reason I don't want the twins, either set, hearing about our Scooby meetings. I want them to have as normal as a childhood as they can, especially the older ones. I want them to be kids for as long as they can."
"But they want to help," he told her. "I want to help."
"And you do," she reassured him, "and, as much as I wish it was differently, they probably will join in the fight eventually. But as a parent, it's my job to keep them safe as long as I can." He nodded in understanding. "Now, feel free to join the Scooby meetings and give your insights and opinions, but I don't want them exposed any more than they will be. As their protector, it's up to you to keep them safe from all that. Do you understand?"
"Yes ma'am," he said, before sprinting over to the stove with a new spring in his step. "Now, who wants waffles?" Hands around the table shot up.