A.N. I changed the chapters a bit. This chapter will be the present/future part, as will chapter 11. Chapter 12 will be the past part. Just a heads up so you don't get confused. There will be some not so great things that are going to be going on (mostly in chapter 11) and I wanted to deal with those first before going on to another past part.

Oh and Cordelia isn't blonde, IMO that look just didn't work for her, so she's back to the long dark brown hair. Much better hairstyle on her. And Cordy is still a demon just not a higher being.

Chapter 10

February 17, 2005

Riding in Spike's Desoto towards the cemetery brought the reality of her parent's death crashing home for Liz. Her parents were never coming back, they'd never see her Lucas play soccer, basketball, or any other sport, they'd never see Liz grow big with her second child, their second grandchild.

It was devastating, Liz and Spike found out she was a month pregnant a day before Alex called informing her of her mom and dad's murder. Liz feels guilty for being happy at a time like this but every time she thought about her new baby she couldn't help but smile, she was having Spike's child.

Giles figured it out a few months ago, after Buffy revealed the news of her pregnancy, which that Slayers and Master Vampires could conceive. Something about how the Master Vampire's sperm would warm in the Slayers body making the possibility of a having a baby high. Since the Slayer is human the baby can and normally survive. It was all very fascinating and it made Spike all the more…vigorous, Spike wanted a child with her as much as she wanted one with him.

Slowly Spike pulls into the graveyard, her parents plots visible even from the road, the Pod Squad, Alex, Serena, Maria, Kyle, and Maria's husband Darren were already there waiting. "Bloody tossers, Alex and Serena I expect but the rest of the wankers think they have a right to be here? It's insulting." Spike tells her.

"As long as they don't cause trouble they're welcome to be here Spike, I want to be petty but it wouldn't be fair. No matter the differences between us…" Liz shakes her head, "I can't deny them a last goodbye to my parent's." Spike's car comes to a complete stop about twenty feet from the plots; Angel's car pulls to a stop behind theirs.

Taking a deep breath Liz opens her door; the others in Spike's car and Angel's car follow suit. Cordelia, who rode with them, opens Luke's door and lifts him out of his car seat and into her arms. Liz, after checking Lucas is ok with Cordy she takes Spike's hand squeezing the cool appendage for comfort. Her friends and family trail behind her while Angel made his way to the other side of Liz rubbing her back as they walk closer to the graves.

Alex and Serena, who have already met Liz's new "extended" family, come forward and embrace the close knit group. Serena cradles Liz's face in her palms and sends comforting waves to her friend; she was full-blooded alien who has full-control of her powers, the least she could do was send soothing waves to Liz. Which she thanked by giving Serena a small smile of gratitude.

Spike and Angel guide Liz forward toward the closed caskets, the Pod Squad and company watch in silence as the group formed a tight half-circle surrounding Liz, as if protecting her. Max glares as the bleached blonde in a long black leather trench coat standing close to Liz presses a kiss to her head whispering to her. He couldn't hear what was being said but whatever it was it seemed to relax Liz a little more. Then there was the massive dark-haired man on the other side caresses her back, which one was her husband? Were they both her husbands?

The priest has yet to arrive so the estranged friends come forward, wanting to know more about this bunch that had made their way into Liz's heart. Max breathes in deeply calming his nerves, it was time to step up as a King and face, what he felt were intruders. "I'm Max Evans." He holds out his hand to be shaken but the two men next to Liz just raise twin eyebrows and stare at his hand with disdain. Awkwardly Max lowers his hand back to his side. "And who are all of you?"

Cordelia sensing that the two vampires won't be introducing themselves, she decides to take the matter into her owns hands. She hands Lucas to Fred who gives her tiny cousin a big smile and a kiss on the cheek. Maneuvering around the group of three she gives a very fake pleasant grin, "Well, I'm Cordelia Chase, part-time actress and full-time secretary for Angel Investigations. These two protective gentlemen are Spike, Liz's husband and…part-time detective for AI, and Angel, Liz's pseudo big brother and owner of AI."

She points to the people behind the three, "That's Fred Berkle, Liz's cousin and AI's researcher, along with Lucas William Parker, everyone's pride and joy." Luke blushes and hides his face in Fred's neck, breathing in the musty book smell that clung to her. "The rugged English gentleman is Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, researcher and detective at AI, and last but certainly not least Charles Gunn, detective and kick-ass boyfriend to me. And the rest of you are?" She grins again fake joy oozing out from every part of Cordy.

Feeling slightly intimidated by Cordelia Max takes a half-step back, almost like he's trying to run, something isn't right about that woman, he had to find out what it was so he can convince Liz that the people she has aligned herself with are the bad guys. "This is my sister Isabel Evans, she's working as an assistant our father's law firm, Michael Guerin, he's going to college part-time and working at Meta-Chem full-time, Tess Harding, secretary at my father's law firm, Kyle Valenti," at that Spike lets out a growl that can be clearly heard.

Liz glanced up at him with wide eyes, gently tugging on his hand cutting his growl off. "Continue please." Cordelia asks, which actually sounds more like a demand.

Reluctantly Max continues but stares suspiciously at Spike as he talks. "Kyle Valenti, he owns a garage and fixes up cars for people also works part-time at Meta-Chem with Michael. Maria Deluca-Jacobson, she works at the Crash, and Darren Jacobson, Maria's husband he's in the music business." He finishes explaining, although Max for the life of him has no idea why he disclosed that much to the curvy brunette.

Tess who has remained out of the situation since Liz arrived decided that now was the time for her to say her peace to Liz. Slowly she eases toward the leather clad brunette, "Liz, I know we've never been friends, mostly because always felt that I had to compete with you for everyone's attention but mostly Max's and later Kyle's."

Shaking her head, "Why did you feel like you had to compete with me?" Liz asks her, curious as to why the blonde pixie was telling her this and why now? Around Tess, Liz had always felt a little inadequate, her breasts weren't big enough, she wasn't curvy enough, and Tess had a tie to Max that she just didn't have. If anything she felt like she had to compete with Tess.

"Max loved you and he never stared at me the way he did you, there was never that I'm going to devour you hear me roar when he saw me. And Kyle he always had your back no matter what, even after you broke his heart for Max and then when you left he was so heartbroken and guilty." Tess sniffles but continues.

"Then the others, you were closer to Isabel then I had ever been, and that was a really hard pill to swallow because I was…" she was about to mention aliens. But she didn't want to reveal the group's secrets in front of a new group of people, but Liz put her fears to rest and also a concerned feeling.

Liz again shook her head this time with a small smile on her face. "Don't worry Tess, they know about aliens, and you all. It kind of became a well-known fact after I started showing signs of alien powers. So it's fine to talk about the alien chaos around them."

Max furious that Liz exposed their secret to these people stomped forward passed Tess almost pushing her aside to get as close as the AI team would allow him. He was so intent on lecturing Liz and her choices that he didn't catch the glare Tess sent him. "WHAT! How could you tell them? Now you're going to get them killed because the FBI are going to be after them all now that they know."

Spike annoyed at the little boy steps away from his wife and gets right up in Dumbo's face fighting his demon, who wants to come forward and teach the little bitch a lesson in how to talk to a lady, especially his mate. "Listen you bleeding tosser, no one and I mean no one is going to let a bunch of pansy-ass's in pressed suits take them without them wanting too. Believe me we can handle ourselves just fine."

"Obviously you don't know anything about the FBI or you wouldn't be saying shit like that, they are stronger than they look?" He sneers at the bleached blonde.

"Or maybe you're just weaker than you look?" Spike rakes his gaze over Max and his expression is less than impressed. Not that Liz could blame him, after being a vampire for over 150 years and seeing many different demons and whatnots a former alien King with weak powers weren't something to get excited about.

"Baby." Liz rests her hand on his muscled bicep. "Not here." She pleads with him, Liz was one of the very few people that could say a few words and have him back down.

"You're lucky my woman doesn't want blood-shed tonight or your head would be on my nightstand." He growls low but moves back to Liz easing his arm around her waist holding her close to his body.

Breathing in Liz turns her gaze back to Tess. "Before you were rudely interrupted by Max-hole over here, I believe you were speaking." She sends a glare over to Max before returning her eyes to Tess again waiting for her to continue with what she was talking about.

"Short version, you could make anyone love you and want to go out of their way to help you. I know why you did what you did with Kyle, Isabel and Michael know as well, there are no words that can describe what you gave up for us." Tears form in both women's eyes but Tess still seems like she has some more to say.

"And there are no words to describe how grateful we are to you. To make a long story and lot shorter, I was hoping we could start anew with each other. Be friends." Tess rubs her stomach calming her nerves and her easing away her nausea with her powers. When she was nervous or scared her and Kyle's baby could feel it and in turn made her mother's stomach queasy.

Swallowing passed the lump in her throat; Liz slowly nods her head. "Ok, we can give it a try, after all we have a lot in common. We both think why did we waste our time with Max over there, we're both pregnant by our honey's, and we have alien powers. Not to mention, if I remember correctly we both love watching Jensen Ackles as Alec in Dark Angel. I'd say that's enough to start building a friendship on."

"Of course, who doesn't like to see those rippling X-5 abs kick ass?" Tess questions.

"Mmm, damn right." Isabel pops up raising her eyebrows at the two recently agreed friends. Causing Spike, Kyle, and Michael to say 'Hey' to their women.

Despite their agreement to be try being friends Tess and Liz didn't hug each other, they weren't at that stage yet, and maybe they never would be, they just didn't want to rush right into being all buddy-buddy. Both women needed time to process before their friendship went any further.

Back on the gravel road leading up to the gravesite the four supernatural beings from LA heard a car drive up and instantly perked their ears to the side trying to get a good angle to hear better. It was far enough away where the humans and aliens that didn't have sensitive ears had no clue what Angel, Liz, Spike, and Cordelia heard.

As the car comes closer the humans and aliens can now hear it, it wasn't long before they could see the car pull up. The car has tinted windows, so even with their enhanced eyes they AI supernatural team couldn't tell who was in the silver Lexus. They only to wait a few moments before the passenger and driver side door opened, the occupants step out under the dim lights that lit the gravel road which only was enough light to show you where the boundaries of the road were.

Immediately when Liz's eyes zeroed in on the face getting out of the drivers side the blood in her veins turned to ice, her eyes hardened to cold steel, and every inch of her Slayer body was telling her to kill. He dared to come to her parent's funeral. Oh no, he was going to pay.

TBC