Warnings and disclaimer in Chapter 1. Enjoy!

"Mom?" Joyce jumped at the unexpected voice.

"Dawn," she said, turning to her youngest, clutching her heart in fright. "You scared me."

"You okay?" Dawn asked in concern. "I snuck up on you and I wasn't even trying to be quiet." Joyce turned back away from Dawn at the same time as she reached out her hand. Dawn took her mother's hand, joining her in the doorway. "You're watching her sleep again, aren't you?" Joyce nodded emphatically.

"She was having a nightmare," she explained. "I was just going to ease her through it then get breakfast started, but she settled down just as I entered the room. I just couldn't leave." Dawn nodded and followed her mother's gaze to her sleeping sister. It had been a week since Giles and Buffy returned from their vision quest. A week since they realized there was not only an evil Willow to deal with, but a vampire version of Buffy as well. Vampire Buffy wasn't shy about being seen either. She was constantly stalking them and had taken her mind games to an almost Angelus level, but she had yet to physically attack them. She always ran off whenever they approached. And since Buffy and her doppelganger were somehow mystically connected, Buffy's nightmares had intensified, leaving the whole family raw and frazzled.

"Have I mentioned watching her sleep is a bit creepy?" Joyce laughed which was what Dawn was hoping for.

"Once or twice," Joyce replied, smiling at her youngest. "You'll understand when you become a mother." Dawn nodded and they stood in silence watching Buffy sleep. "What do you say we go get breakfast started?"

"You mean lunch," Dawn said. Joyce frowned, flicking her wrist to see the time. She was surprised to see how late it was. "Come on. Maybe Andrew saved something for us." Joyce nodded, shutting Buffy's door quietly, before following Dawn down the stairs. From the noise they could hear on their way down, it appeared that breakfast was in full swing.

"Good morning," Andrew greeted from his customary place by the stove. "Good timing. I was just about to clean up, but I can make a few more pancakes before I do."

"Thank you," Joyce gratefully told him before making her way to the dining room table. As expected nearly everyone was there. Only Tara and Anya were missing, and they probably headed over to open the shops."Spike? What are you doing here?"

"Wanted to give you some information I picked up from Willies last night," he said, trying to sound intimidating. But it was cancelled out by the baby on his lap and the fact that the older twins were sitting on each side of him, watching him adoringly. "The Crimson Witch and vampire Buffy are lovers."

"What?" Xander nearly choked on his breakfast. He glanced over at Willow, who was turning red. "Is there something you want to tell us Will?"

"No," she squeaked out before taking a deep breath. "First of all, though I'm fond of her and love her, I'm not in love with her. And second, even if I was, she is nowhere ready for romantic involvement of any kind right now and it will probably be a good while before she is. And I would never hurt her."

"Damn straight you wouldn't hurt my girl," Spike growled, only to back down when Joyce glared at him.

"Language!" she hissed.

"Sorry," he apologized, hanging his head in shame. "But I won't ever let anyone hurt Buffy. Not even Scoobies."

"How did you find out they are lovers?" Xander asked curiously.

"They weren't making any effort to hide it," Spike said. "I went for the weekly poker game and they were in a back booth at Willies making out like a couple of lovesick teenagers. It was so disgustingly human that several of the demons told them to stop. It only took two eviscerations and one demon flambé for Willie to decide the best course of action was to ignore them."

"So he does have some brains," Giles commented. "But at least it makes sense why The Crimson Witch drained Faith."

"Oh?" Veronica asked, her eyebrow arching in thought.

"Buffy and Faith share the same core," he told her, "the Slayer. If vampire Buffy needed a power boost from a trip through time…"

"A Slayer is who to get that from," Veronica finished his thought. "Perhaps that is why the two Buffy's are so connected now? But then why wouldn't Faith be connected?"

"They're connected more in the mystical realm than the physical," Giles answered. "Faith has never really been able to connect on this level. It's possible they're connected and she just can't tell." Veronica nodded her head, agreeing with her brother just as Andrew brought in a plate of pancakes and sausages. Joyce and Dawn helped themselves as talk continued around the table. All talking stopped when they heard someone knocking on the door.

"Are we expecting anyone?" Xander asked, pushing his chair back to get up, but Giles beat him to it. He had just left the dining room when they heard the door open.

"What are you doing barging in here like this?" Giles demanded from the hall.

"Can you believe I found this chap waiting patiently by the door," Ethan's voice carried out of the entranceway.

"I can believe it," Giles answered honestly, "because that is what civilized people do. They wait for an invitation to enter someone else's home."

"No, that's what vampires do," Ethan countered as he led the way into the kitchen. Everybody smirked at their back and forth. "Besides, family doesn't need an invitation. We come and go as we please."

"You're not family!" Giles repeated again.

"You don't really mean that," Ethan said as he entered the kitchen, helping himself to some pancakes. Giles followed him in, sitting opposite him and glaring constantly before turning to their second arrival.

"Principal Wood. Would you like some breakfast?" He shook his head, his gaze alternating between Spike, who was holding a baby in his lap and his two former charges, who were on each side of the vampire looking at him like he was the coolest thing they've ever seen.

"No thank you," he said politely, trying hard to keep the disgust off his face.

"What can we do for you?" Joyce asked as she finished her plate. Robin shook his head to clear it before finally dragging his eyes off the vampire.

"I was able to get in touch with The Hunt," he told them, "and have the information you asked for." Giles motioned him to continue, giving him his full attention. "Now they want you to understand that this type of situation has never been seen before, so they're giving you their best guess." Giles nodded in understanding. "They think vampire Buffy and dark Willow are caught in some sort of self-fulfilling prophecy. For whatever reason they came back to our time, they can't go home until they fulfill certain requirements."

"Buffy being turned and Willow losing her soul," Xander piped up. Wood nodded. "What if that never happens? Will they stay here forever? Will they poof out of existence?"

"They're less sure on that," Wood admitted. "But they don't think there will be any adverse reactions to their counterparts in the present. At least on Buffy's behalf." He turned to Willow. "They think you and your doppelganger might actually share the same magical core."

"Because we're essentially the same person," she reasoned, "unlike Buffy who had to die in order for Vampire Buffy to be created." The principal nodded. "So does the magic belong to me or her?"

"You," Wood told her, "at least that's what they think." Willow looked thoughtful.

"Maybe I can help fight them," she said after a few minutes. "If I drain my magic maybe it will drain hers too."

"How do you drain magic?" Xander asked her. She grinned.

"Do all those things Giles has warned me not to do over the years," she said smugly. "You know; use magic for housework, levitate the couch so I can vacuum underneath, maybe dig a hole for the pool in the back and then decide I don't want a pool and fill it back in." Xander grinned too and together they looked at Giles. He looked thoughtful.

"While I would normally discourage such unnecessary magic use, you might be onto something," he said. "Just be careful that you don't drain your own magic too much. We might need you before the fight is over." Willow nodded and she and Xander began discussing things they could do when they heard the lift start. Everyone stopped, looking at each other in surprise which turned to confusion when Buffy wheeled herself in, completely dressed and ready to go.

"Morning sweetie," Joyce said, gathering up her empty dishes and taking them back into the kitchen. She paused at Buffy's wheelchair long enough to kiss her daughter on the forehead. Buffy leaned into the kiss, but as soon as Joyce pulled away she was pushing herself over to Xander.

"Hey Buff," he greeted. "You want some pancakes?" She reached out her hand. He took it uncertainly. The next second she started pulling him away from the table. "Whoa," he said, nearly being unseated with the unexpected tug. "What's up?" She started pulling him again, but this time he was ready and didn't move at all. "You okay?" he asked just as Joyce returned to the dining room.

"Buffy?" she said in concern, moving to stand in front of her daughter. She tried to loosen her grip on Xander, but she just held on tighter. "Let Xander go sweetheart. I'll help you with whatever you need. Just let Xander go." She sighed and looked at Giles, who sat up straighter.

"She wants to go to school." All movement stopped as everyone turned to look at him.

"She wants what?" Willow asked in amazement.

"She wants to go to school," Giles said again. "And Xander takes her to school." Joyce held her hands to her mouth in shock.

"I never thought I'd see the day," she said, tears streaming down her face.

"There's nothing like losing everything to make you realize how good you have it here," Ethan said somberly. Buffy looked at him and smiled before pulling on Xander's hand once more.

"Okay," he relented, "I'll give Professor Smith a call and see when we can start lessons again." She beamed at him, finally releasing his hand before pushing her chair up to the table. She reached for a plate for some breakfast, but that's when her strength left her. The plate fell from her limp fingers, but luckily Willow caught it before it smashed on the ground. She soon had a cut up pancake and some sausage on the plate and was eating contentedly.

"What else happened on this quest?" Joyce asked, running her fingers through Buffy's hair while she ate.

"What do you mean?" Giles asked quietly.

"You're clearly different," she told him, "and not in the 'I just spent two weeks with my disabled Slayer and understand her better' way. You had a vision, a nice talk with the Slayer who now wears my daughter's face, and you came back different. At first, I thought it was only you who had an experience, but over the last few days I've noticed a difference in her too. So, what happened to my daughter on this vision quest?"

"I don't know," Giles admitted, "but I also see the changes that have happened since we've returned." He sighed. "We may never know." They looked up when the door opened again. Albert and Kate made their way into the dining room.

"Kate is ready to return the books to the Council," Albert said.

"I just seem to be missing one," she smirked, looking at Giles intently.

"What?" he gasped. "I had them all in the box, sealed and ready to go."

"It's a good thing I double checked then," Kate said in amusement. Giles stiffened before turning to Ethan.

"What?" he asked casually.

"Where is the book," Giles demanded. Ethan tried to look innocent, but all too soon he sighed. He pulled the book from his pocket.

"Here," he said, handing it over to Kate. Albert held out his hand. Kate handed it over.

"There are missing pages," he announced to the group after studying it intently. Everyone turned and stared at Ethan.

"Fine," he conceded after a minute of intense scrutiny. He pulled the missing pages out of his other pocket. "Do you have any idea what that book is worth on the black market? Even those few pages would've financed my shop for months."

"Check its companion before you leave," Albert ordered Kate as he handed the book back to her.

"There's no need," Ethan admitted, reluctantly handing over the ripped out pages. "We've known about the sacred places for years. It was sold to the highest bidder over a thousand years ago. In fact, I have three copies in the back room of the store. I'll give you a good price for them." He smirked.

"Ethan," Giles groaned, "do shut up." He turned to his father. "The Watchers of that day probably thought they were safe trading this secret for power because they knew only they had the other half." Albert nodded, thinking along the same lines.

"I think you're right." He sighed, looking at the ripped out pages. "I'll have to get our best magicians to fix this as soon as I return home. And I was hoping to spend some more time here, until this crisis is resolved before returning. I guess that's no longer an option."

"Maybe not," Willow interjected. She looked at Giles. "Since I'm trying to use up my battery anyway." He nodded. She took the book and started chanting. The book glowed for a minute before the pages dissolved back into the book. She handed it back to Albert.

"Amazing act of spell casting," he praised her as he double checked that the book was intact again. He handed the book to Kate. "Keep this with you at all times. Check it before you get on the plane, before the plane lands, and before you put it back in my personal library. Call if you have any problems."

"Of course," she said, shooting a sidelong glance at Ethan. He whimpered when Kate and the book left the kitchen. He even got to his feet to follow them but a warning glare from Giles had him sitting down again.

"Okay," Xander said, returning to the group but talking mostly to Buffy. "I talked to Professor Smith. He can start tutoring you again next week. Every Wednesday and Friday from noon to three, maybe longer if he doesn't have students needing help during his office hours." Buffy nodded excitedly. "In the meantime, he gave me a list of books he said you'll need. He suggests starting with these to see where you're at." He held up a piece of paper.

"I'll take that," Ethan said, grabbing it from Xander. "I have most of these in my shop already. I can bring some over tonight." He started to leave when Giles blocked him.

"You haven't finished your tea," he said sharply. Ethan started to reply when Giles continued, "and Kate isn't out of Sunnydale yet." Ethan grumbled but sat back down. Buffy smiled at him and moved to put her hand comfortingly on his shoulder before leaving the kitchen.

"Any ideas on draining my magical battery?" Willow asked.

"Go to the forest," Giles said, "and dig big holes magically. Then fill them in magically and do it again. Anything labor intensive that doesn't have a purpose should drain your magic quite well."

"Got it," said Willow. "Well, I'm off to dig some holes."

"I'll come with," Xander told her. "Just in case you need some professional construction advice." They stood and left the kitchen.

"I better retire for the night too," Spike said, shifting the baby gently. "If someone will come take Snack-Pack and put him in the nursery. I'd do it, but it's a bit bright in that room." Giles came and took Billy gently, rocking him gently so he didn't wake up. Albert picked up Alex when she held out her arms and started making funny faces at her. Spike watched them for a minute before heading for his basement room.

"Can we go play outside?" Dash asked excitedly after Spike left.

"Sure, but don't leave the yard," Joyce told them. They nodded and darted off. Giles and Albert followed them out into the sunshine to watch as they played. Andrew left to clean the kitchen and Dawn headed to the library to finish her homework. "Was there something else you needed?" Joyce asked, realizing the principal was still standing in her dining room.

"What?" Wood was caught unaware. He had been staring daggers at the vampire and followed him out with his eyes. He was so caught up that he didn't realize everyone else had left. "No," he stated, turned to leave, and then stopped. "Actually there is," he said, turning back around. Joyce was in the process of clearing the table, but she put the dirty plates back down and gave him her full attention.

"Yes?" she asked politely.

"How can you let that monster be near the children?" He spoke without thinking and realized his mistake when her eyes narrowed.

"Spike is a member of this family," she told him icily, "and right now I trust him more than I trust you."

"I know, I know," he backpedalled quickly. "I didn't mean it like that. I just want to make sure they're safe."

"He would never hurt them," she repeated, "and if he did try, there would be a line of people to stop him. The children are perfectly safe."

"I know," he repeated, sighing deeply. "It's just, I miss them." Joyce softened, sitting down and gesturing for Wood to do the same. "I never thought I would have children, never wanted them, but now that they're gone I miss them."

"I know the feeling," she admitted. He sighed again.

"I know they're your family," he told her, "and I know this is the best place for them. I just didn't realize it would hurt this bad." He looked her in the eye. "Do you think I could visit them from time to time?" She was just about to respond when they heard someone cough discretely behind them.

"Mr. Wood?" They looked up to see Sparky standing awkwardly in the doorway. Wood nodded for him to continue. "Mr. Giles got me a book with a bunch of experiments I can do at home. Do you think you can come over and help me do some one of these days?" Wood smiled brightly. He glanced at Joyce, who nodded her head.

"I would love that," he told the little boy. He rushed over and gave the principal a hug before rushing back outside. He looked over to Joyce. "Is that okay?"

"I think it's more than okay," she told him, smiling gently. He returned the smile before leaving to start his day. The days passed quietly with everyone doing their own thing and soon another week had passed. The Summers family had just finished dinner and were just settling in for family game night when Daniel rushed into the room, a bloody and unconscious Faith in his arms.

"I need help!"