The characters of BtVS and Angel do not belong to me. Beth and Eve do.
A/N: I keep writing with the intent to get B and A together and end it once and for all, but I always chicken out. I really have no idea how much longer this is going to last…hang in there.
Faith and Willow were holding hands, making there way towards Angel's house. They could barely contain their excitement. Faith was extremely skeptical at first, but she and Willow talked it over, and decided that they could do it. They could raise a baby together. Angel was the first person on their list to tell. They were almost to Angel's house when a strange feeling washed over Faith. She came to a dead stop in the middle of the road.
"Faith? What is it." Willow asked. Faith didn't here her. Her senses were screaming. She was looking all around and her gaze stopped on a shadow. It looked like a man, but she knew it was a vampire. He was almost gone into the woods.
"Will, wait here." Then Faith started after him. Coming up on him quickly, she could tell that he was carrying something. It was a girl, she could tell after her speed ate more distance between them. The vampire seemed to notice her. With one look behind him, he began to run with the girl still in his arms.
He disappeared around the cemetery wall, and Faith followed. Rounding the wall, she looked around, but he was gone. A chill crept up her spine. She had to catch her breath. It wasn't running that had her gasping for breath, it was the vampire she saw. He looked so much like Spike. And if it was Spike, then the girl he was carrying was probably- 'NO!' Faith's mind yelled, and she covered her ears, hoping that it would block out what she was thinking.
It couldn't be happening again. When Faith realized that Buffy was gone for good, she had started seeing Buffy everywhere. At the mall, the bar, out on patrol, everywhere. It had taken a long time to realize that Buffy wasn't there. It couldn't be happening… Not again. Faith took a deep breath to calm down. She gave one last look around the cemetery.
Slowly, she began to walk back to Willow. "Faith? What's wrong, what happened?" Willow was becoming panicked. Faith looked like she had seen a ghost.
"Nothing. I didn't see anything. No one was there." Faith gave Willow a shaky smile and took her hand again. "Let's go tell Angel our news."
Angel and Beth pulled apart. She put her cheek over his still heart and smiled. She finally had everything she wanted. Angel rested his chin on the top of her head. The feeling Angel had was beginning to dim, and by the time that Willow and Faith reached the porch, he couldn't remember.
"Oh. Hey Beth, we didn't mean to intrude…" Willow started.
"No. Not at all" Angel said as he stepped back from Beth.
"Well, Faith and I have some news, and we wanted you to be the first to hear it." Willow grabbed Faith's hand
"Isn't that something…" Beth began "Angel and I have some news of our own…"
Council Head Quarters, England
The man sat behind his desk, systematically shredding piece after piece of paper. "I've reached my limits with you. I gave an order, and time and time again you have failed." He picked up another sheet of paper, and began ripping it into pieces. "You have yet to find the older Slayer, and your 'assassin' doesn't seem to have the nerve to get the second Slayer. If you were in my shoes, what do you think your punishment should be?"
"Sir. I'm not offering an excuse, but a reason. We have evidence that is of extreme astonishment."
"Tell me what could be more important than terminating the Slayers?"
"We have a source that has become friendly with an orphanage volunteer-
The old man slammed his hand down on the desk and stood up. "What in the bloody HELL does this have to do with the Slayer!"
"Sir. Quite by accident, our source gained information, and followed up. The results are quite unbelievable." The old man nodded his head, signaling the man to continue. "We have reason to believe that one of the children at the orphanage, a little girl, is the daughter of Rupert Giles and Jennifer Calendar
"Hmm." The man tapped his fingers on the desk. "Why is the child still there? Why has no one picked her up?"
"Miss Calendar left specific instructions for the child. Not just anyone may adopt her. There are certain questions that one must be able to answer first."
"How old is the child?"
"Seven years old, sir."
I know Rupert Giles. There is no way that he would leave a child of his own flesh and blood in an orphanage. I'd bet the council that Rupert never knew of this. And if Rupert had no knowledge, I doubt his motley crew would know. So…Miss Calendar's gypsy lineage didn't end with her… I wonder what would have caused her to take such an extraordinary precaution?" He paused, looking at the young man in his office. "I'm giving you one more chance. If you fail me again, you will never live to regret it… Bring me the girl. Do whatever you have to do, but get me that girl!"
The young man started for the door, but was stopped by the quiet, menacing voice behind him. "And since we know at least where one of our Slayers is living, why don't you finish what should have been done seven years ago. We have someone close to them, do we not? No more mistakes, Alex."
The Sunnydale Smiles Orphanage
Faith and Willow walked down the hall behind one of the workers. "It amazes me how many children actually end up here. Every day there are more and more children that have lost their parents. It's odd, really. I don't know of any other town as small as Sunnydale that has this many children."
Faith and Willow just looked at each other. They were all reminders that even though they save so many; they can never get to everyone in time.
"You aren't exactly what we call typical parents, but you are both respected in this community and I'm sure that you can offer so much to whichever wonderful child you decide to adopt. I want to take you to the playroom. It is activity time, and children of all ages will be there. We like to keep the children close to each other."
The woman led Faith and Willow into the room, and into complete chaos. There were children everywhere. Running and shouting and playing. Everyone seemed to be doing something. Faith and Willow just stood back and took it all in.
"Feel free to walk around and talk to the children."
Faith and Willow went opposite directions, stopping to watch children play, or talk to an inquisitive kid. Willow looked up from tying a little boy's shoe and saw a little girl sitting by the window and Willow felt drawn to her for some reason. Maybe it was the way she sat, held herself, or her concentration on the book she was reading. Whatever it was, she felt like she knew the little girl with the dark brown hair.
Willow sat down beside her. The little girl looked up and Willow gasped in shock. She couldn't look away from the girl's eyes... Giles eyes. She was stunned. She couldn't move or speak. The girl's voice snapped her out of it. "You're the one, aren't you?"
"Which one?" she asked confused.
"The one that's supposed to take me away. I have dreams about someone taking me away from here. Are you the one?"
"Do you want me to take you?" Willow asked hesitantly
The little girl grabbed Willow's face between her hands. She pulled Willow closer to her, close enough that their noses touched. Giles' eyes stared straight into hers, never flinching. Finally, the little girl pulled back and nodded her head. "You're the one." She said with complete certainty.
"What's your name?" Willow asked in wonder
The girl just smiled up at her. "Eve Giles. What's yours?"
Willow looked around frantically for Faith. She spotted her on the far side of the room, talking to the woman that had brought them into the room. Willow looked back at the little girl. "Eve, I'm going to talk to Miss Megan. I'll be right back."
"Ask Miss Megan about me." Willow stopped in her tracks and turned back to the little girl.
"If you ask Miss Megan about me, she'll tell you how special I am." Willow looked back over to Faith and Megan, turned back to the little girl again, and whispered in her ear, "I think I already know". Then Willow made her way across the room.
"Eve is a very special little girl. We've never had another child here that shares her story. Her parents actually died before she was born. A friend of mine works in a clinic, and he says that Mrs. Giles had specific instructions as to when to proceed with the invitro fertilization process. Then Mrs. Giles came here and gave us more than enough money to see to Eve's expenses. But it was very clear that the process should only take place when Mr. and Mrs. Giles were deceased."
"When can we start the paperwork?" Willow asked
Megan looked back and forth between Faith and Willow. "I'm afraid it isn't that simple. Mrs. Giles was very clear on the stipulation that not just any be able to adopt the child. There are a series of questions that should be asked, and if and only if all questions are answered correctly would we begin adoption procedures."
"I think Willow can answer almost anything that has to do with" She paused "Mrs. Giles?"
"Oh, they aren't about her. The questions regard Mr. Giles."
"Piece of cake!" Willow said, getting very excited.
"Okay, the first question is 'What was Mr. Giles called by the people who loved him most?"
"Giles" Willow and Faith answered in unison
Megan smiled and continued. "What is Mr. Giles' favorite drink?"
"Earl Grey" Faith said
"With just a tad bit of whiskey…" Willow finished, looking a little sheepish
"No way!" Faith looked at her totally shocked "He did not!"
"Yeah, I caught him one time…"
"Well" Megan cut in "Earl Grey with whiskey is correct."
Megan looked back down at the questions. "The next question is confusing for me. 'Who was the Scourge of Europe?'" Megan looked expectantly at the girls.
Very quietly, Willow said, "Angel". Megan started to shake her head, but stopped when Faith stood up.
"It's Angelus. NOT Angel!" Willow reached up and grabbed Faith's hand.
"I'm sorry, Faith. That's not what I meant. It wasn't Angel." Faith took a deep breath and sat down again.
Megan gave them both an odd look, but continued. "Angelus is right. The final question isn't really a question. I suppose it will make since to you both. It simply says 'Pride and Joy'."
Willow's face turned red and tears started to form over her eyes. She tried to hide them, but didn't succeed. She jumped up and ran out of the room. Megan looked after her, and then turned her stunned gaze on Faith. Megan didn't say anything to Faith, though. Whatever she was about to say was forgotten as soon as she looked at Faith's face. The girl seemed to age about thirty years and the sadness in her eyes was unbearable. Megan looked away quickly and started to put her papers away.
"Buffy". Megan's head jerked up. It wasn't that she answered the question correctly, it was the voice that said it. A voice that did not belong to a young girl. Faith's voice sounded old and harsh. It sounded bitter and sorrowful. It sounded a million miles away, but still ringed in Megan's ears as if it Faith had screamed it.
Six months later
Angel and Beth stood in front of the priest. No one stood beside them, because no one was asked to. The gang was seated in the third row, because Beth's family sat in the first two. Cordelia sat on the end, unconsciously rubbing her one again pregnant stomach, while thinking up baby names. Xander was next to her, holding Angela and trying to keep her happy by playing 'peek-a-boo'. Willow sat beside Xander, her hand resting on the back of Eve's head, and supervised her work in a coloring book. Faith was on the other side of Eve, reading a book she had smuggled in. Anya and Oz, still totally platonic, were on the other end, and Anya could be heard saying 'shh' to Oz every couple of minutes.
All in all, the Scoobies looked completely uninterested in what was taking place. Everyone was jolted back to the ceremony when Beth's family broke out into applause. Obligated to do something, they all stood and clapped half-heartedly as the couple passed them going down the aisle.
Xander, once pleased with the fact of Angel moving on, changed his tune shortly after Beth and Angel announced their engagement. Beth had changed drastically. Where as before she was more than eager to join the group, eager to the point of annoying, now she wanted nothing to do with them, and kept Angel away from them using one ploy after the other. Everyone recognized what she was doing, everyone except Angel. Cordelia was actually surprised that they had even been invited to the wedding. Faith had been in a bad mood ever since she received her invite. As the day drug on, however, her mood became volatile. Right before the ceremony she had decreed, rather loudly, that she would stay at home with Eve, because she would not permit the young girl to be around such evil. Willow had threatened her.
No one was looking forward to the reception. They had just met Beth's family, and they were already asking questions about how soon children would be in the picture. This, of course, made everyone uncomfortable. Everyone except Faith, who thought the question was the funniest thing in the world. She would just chuckle and say that Angel probably had a long time to go before that happened, then she would chuckle again. Beth's family already thought the girl was a bit strange, but then again, Beth had told them about Faith's past…in length.
It wasn't any of their affair, though. This is what Angel wanted, so they would stick by his decision. No matter how horribly wrong it was.
Chicago
"That's not what I meant!" Buffy easily caught the fist of the vampire she was fighting and broke his arm, then she jumped up and broke a tree branch off, and shoved the sharp end into the vampire's heart.
Spike was dodging kicks and punches being thrown at him by another vamp. "Well, if you want to go to Paris, then you will have to learn how to speak it. That's the rule. You forgo spinning the globe in favor of deciding on your own, and you have to learn the language before we go there." Getting bored, he jumped up and pulled a stake out of his ankle holster, and shoved it into his foe.
Dusting herself off, Buffy glared at him. "We're not going there for vacation, Spike. There's a master vampire. I've read the articles in their newspapers and it can't be anything else. I know the signs."
"I'll make a deal with you, Slayer. I'll give you French lessons, and if you've got the hang of it in say…six weeks, we'll go."
Buffy stopped in her tracks and stared at his back. "SIX MEASLEY WEEKS! I took Spanish for two semesters and I can't even say 'My name is…'!"
"Well, then you'll have to apply yourself a bit more, won't you?" Spike gave her that amused look that made her feel ten years old.
"I should stake you. I really should. I can't imagine why I even let you go places with me. You know, besides the fact that you get great deals on fake passports."
Spike smiled and hit her upside the head. She stuck her tongue out at him. "You wouldn't know what to do without me, Slayer." Then he slung an arm over her shoulder and they walked back to their hotel.
Spike and Buffy weren't tired after the slaying, so they decided to watch a couple of movies and order room service. There was a paper lying on the bed, open to the front page. She recognized it as a Sunnydale paper before she could read it. She stopped a good deal away from it and looked at Spike. "I thought we canceled that! I don't want anything from that STUPID town in here!"
"Calm down, luv. We'll just throw it out, okay?" Spike went to the paper and bent down to pick it up. His hand came to an abrupt halt, as he was about to throw it in the can. He slowly brought it back and read the front page again and again. Then he looked at Buffy.
She knew what it said. Spike never gave her that pitiful and angry look unless there was something to pity her for and anger him. In fact, she had seen that look only one other time. The night that she saw Angel proposing to another woman. She knew exactly what the paper said. Her heart died a little more. There was only one sliver left of it still beating, and she wished desperately for that piece to die as well. She didn't want to feel anything. She didn't want to feel the hurt and betrayal that she felt now. She didn't want Spike to look that way at her. She didn't want any of it.
Buffy knew that there were tears in her eyes, but she told herself that it would be fine. Everything was going to be okay. She just needed to calm down. She heard Spike, but couldn't understand why he was yelling and crying. She took a deep breath, ready to tell him that everything was going to be all right. But as she took a breath, she realized that her throat was raw and sore. Spike was holding her in a flash. She realized that his cheeks were dry. She reached up to touch them, but her hands were shaking. Three things crossed her mind as she slowly sank to the floor. One, Spike hadn't been yelling or crying. Two, she really wished she had been able to make it to the bathroom before her lunch paid her another visit. Three, she wanted to die.
