AnotherLife2

Another Life, And Then Some
by Phoenixstitch

Parts 3 -- 4

Part 3

Will grinned down at her understanding very much what the problem was. She may be wearing his Buffy's very pregnant body, but the mind, and her reactions were that of the younger Buffy who hadn't come to term with her feelings about him yet, and was scared to be in intimate circumstance with him. "Scared, huh?" he grinned.

She frowned up him his perceptiveness unnerving her, and nodded with a weak smile, "petrified," she admitted.

"Yeah, I can see that. I will try to make your stay here as pleasant, and stress free as possible. You are not my Buffy so you have no worries along the lines you were maybe thinking about. It wouldn't be right for either of us," he reassured her. "I'll take the couch and you can have the bed, no big deal," he added.

"But what about these kids? I don't know how to do the mommy part of this. I'm not used to handling kids," she admitted, feeling kind of lost and helpless.

His blue eyes twinkled in amusement. "Not a problem either. You still don't have that part down too good either, but you are getting better," he grinned.

"That's reassuring, I guess," she replied, "so are we about done here? I feel like I need to eat or something. Besides go pee," she said getting up and making a dash to the bathroom.

Xander who had been listening to the exchange without adding his two cents in looked over to Will and shook his head. This has got to be one of the more weirder situations we've had in a while. Think she's handing it okay?"

"Seems to be. Though remember how freaked she was after she woke up. I will try not to add to her problems when we are alone. The Buffy of that time was pretty fragile, and strung out by all that was going on in her life, and I wasn't doing too great of job of helping her, though I was trying to—when she let any of us help her."

"Yeah, she was all I have to handle every bit of this all by myself because I'm the Chosen one, and not you. But I she did change after this trip, so maybe it will be all okay. So what do you think your Buffy is doing?"

"Probably still asleep. If I remember rightly, she only woke up long enough to tell Giles, and Willow what was going on, and to expect their' Buffy back shortly with the answer to their Glory problem. Most of the time she never woke up, or at least she pretended to be asleep for fear of altering the time line, and what was to be too much," Will told him as the three of them had been on active guard duty during that period against the Knights returning for another bout of battle.

"And how are you, and kids handling this?" Xander asked his now friend.

"Destry doesn't seem to be able to tell the difference, and Des' is just very confused, but willing to put up with the strange lady, but she still wants her mommy back. Me, I haven't bloody well figured that out yet. I am very aware she is not my Buffy and am getting all the old protective feelings back again for the one that is here. Then I feel like I'm walking on bloody eggshells in what to tell her and not to. I'm even bloody afraid to touch her, or hold her because we didn't then unless she decided to. You ought to remember how hard it was to get close to any of us," Spike told him.

"Yeah, big time. She started getting better after the bot incident," and was amused to see Will blush over memory of that embarrassing time.

"You would have to bring that up," Will glared. "I'm glad the bloody thing got destroyed during the battle. At least it went out in a blaze of Glory—literally," he added with slow satisfied smile, remembering the spectacular explosion the bot had made when they had wired heavy explosives to it, and sent it into the portal to destroy the gate, and minions wanting to come through from that side before they could close the gate from their side.

"Yeah, that she did. Though you and Buff got a bit scorched from it."

"Hazards of the job," Will replied with a shrug, "but we survived, and the world got rid of the Hellbitch, and I got the girl after all, so I have nothing whatsover to bloody complain about. I only regret that Oz, and Tara didn't make it."

Xander noticed he didn't mention Riley, but let that pass as Spike/Will still had issues about his former rival who when the commando had joined up with them just before the battle had tried his damnedest to win Buffy back to him after he found out that the vampire, and Buffy were really together. Oz, Angel and Xander had had to go have a nice talk with the soldier, and set him straight on things before he messed up their entire battle plans, and Buffy's head. Especially, after the PTB had sent Cordy a vision showing Riley trying betray them all to Glory's minions. In the end Riley did not betray them, and died defending Willow and Tara from attack after Oz was killed.

"Yeah, I know. I still miss them, but there just wasn't any way to save them," he said with a sad note to his voice and then changing the subject, Xander asked, "so you're just taking her home?"

"I can't see why bloody not. It's getting late, and the kids need to be fed and all. Can't change that, even for her. I got keep everything as normal as possible for them otherwise they'll think something is wrong, and really give us problems," Will answered. "Besides, it's only for a day or so. I'm sure she and I can work it out. Even when we were mortal enemies we could manage to work together when we needed to."

Xander raised and eyebrow on that wondering what secrets he didn't know about that those two shared before they actually had gotten together. There had always been these looks they passed back and forth at odd times in perfect if annoyed understanding of something no one else, but them knew about. Like a lot of times Buffy would not tell anyone about what she, and Spike had talked about when they accidentally ran into each other on patrol except to say she had run into him. Xander still had questions about the truce she had had with him to stop Angelus. There had been other times too. But if Buffy wouldn't say anything then trying to get the info out of her was almost impossible, and the same had held true for Spike. Except there had been a few times he had wondered what the vampire had been going on, and on about, like that time at the Bronze just before the Troll, one of Anya's ex-boyfriends had showed up. But at that time none of them had really listened' to Spike. He was just an annoyance that they couldn't understand why he was still being allowed to walk around unstaked.

"Yeah, I guess so," Xander sighed not sure what else to say. "Though this is past Buffy and not present one. If she gets too freaked she can stay over at our house if she wants," he offered.

Will looked at him, and just shook his head. "She'll be fine. What you think I'm going to bloody eat her for breakfast, or something—give me a bit of credit, mate," he told him.

Xander looked back embarrassed, "Sorry, it's just a really weird situation. But do holler if you do have problems, okay?" he asked, still worried.

"Yeah, I will. And here she comes, so let's can it for now," Will warned him as he saw Buffy emerge from the restroom finally. "Everything okay, luv?" he asked her.

"Yeah, I guess. Just not used to this body. Or being pregnant. This is so so weird," she sighed sinking down in a chair as best she could which did take some maneuvering to do so semi gracefully. "So are we ready to go?" she asked.

"Anytime you are, luv. Let me go get the kids, and we'll get you home," Will answered, then he went over to get the children who were enjoying themselves. They were not going to be happy to leave. As expected there were protests, but they obeyed their father, and put their toys up. When they had finished they followed him back to where Buffy was sitting.

Xander was getting his own offspring ready to go home as Anya was through for the day and she was almost as pregnant as Buffy was. The Harris' had hoped for a girl, but they were getting another boy. While their men were getting the kids ready the two women had had a chance to talk a little. Buffy was please to note that Anya had lost some of her blunt edginess, and had assimilated in the world better. She gave Buffy some tips on handling her new body which the younger woman appreciated.

Giles came over to them and asked Buffy, "I know I said that you would be involved in a ritual in a couple of days, but there is some prep work we need to do before hand. Do think you can come here tomorrow?" her Watcher asked her, noting that without even thinking about it the younger Buffy turned to Will for his opinion and consent.

Giles smiled inwardly, at seeing the confirmation of something he had been wondering about. That the younger Buffy, and Spike had been working in sync far longer than anyone had noticed or suspected. Or even that they themselves had suspected they were that close together. He really hadn't noticed himself until Buffy had showed up at the old Magic Box with Spike in tow after he had been tortured by Glory, and he had watched in shocked amazement how well the two communicated with a single glance or a word and weren't even aware that they were doing it. They were inter dependent on one another in ways Giles had never seen his charge work with another, including Angel or Faith. Nor did he miss that time how much his slayer was interested if not already in love with in the vampire despite her denials and protestations that Spike was the last person on earth she'd would ever get involved with.

"Shouldn't be a problem, Rupert. I'll get her here as soon as we can. I'll drop her off before I go to work once we take the kids to daycare," Will told him. "That'll also get her out of the house so she's not sitting around getting bored and lonely. Though isn't Faith bringing Willow down tomorrow too?"

Giles looked started as he had forgotten that Willow and Faith were coming. "Ah yes, I had forgotten that entirely. Willow promised to help in the spell preparations. I think they are bringing Julian, and Mysti with them."

"So I'll get to see Wills tomorrow, sounds like I'll have a fun day," Buffy said, and then noticed that everyone looked slightly uncomfortable. "What? What's wrong?" she asked, puzzled by their expressions and reactions.

"Buffy, I'm afraid that you and Willow are not the best of friends anymore. In fact I had to beg her to come her to help me. She doesn't come to Sunnydale unless she absolutely has to. She still blames you for losing both Tara and Oz, and for her paralysis along with almost losing Julian a couple of years later. It's very complicated, I'm afraid, but ," Giles began to explain but Anya jumped in.

"She hates your guts and even Xander's too because he stuck up for you," Anya stuck in, ignoring her husband's look as well as Will's. "Hey, she needs to know and I think, Giles, you better warn Faith and Willow that past Buffy is here too."

"Yes, I think I should, considering the circumstances. Will, I'll give you and Buffy a ring if we need to make a change in plans after I talk to them," Giles informed him.

"Got it."

"I sort of do, but if it won't be violating all kinds of time traveling prime directives can you fill me in on what's going on?" Buffy asked Will, looking up to him still confused as to what horrible things had happened to cause her, and her best friend to now be bitter enemies.

Will looked to Giles for permission and the former Watcher shrugged and reluctantly nodded his consent. Seeing that he had an okay, Will told her, "later, after we get the kids tucked in, I'll give you a complete rundown on everything., I promise," he told the confused girl, and she accepted his word. "Okay, we're off people," he told them and helped Buffy get out of her chair. "Destry, hold on to your sister's hand and head for the car," he added to the children and they went ahead of their parents towards the parking lot, stopping at the door while Will checked to make sure there were no nasties hanging around to jump them before he took his family outside.

Normally, they didn't have any trouble around the area of the new Magic Box as the local demon population was well aware of who owned the shop, and who hung around still. The smart demons did not like to mess with the former slayer, and the group. But occasionally there were stupid fledglings, and new-in-towners that wanted to try, and take the Scoobies down, and could find some way to get through the defensive magicks surrounding the shop. There hadn't been a serious attack in over six months, but none of the group took chances especially when they had their children with them out at night. The attack years ago on Willow and Julian had made them all super protective about all of their offspring. None of the children were ordinary, and if someone got one of them the children could be used in dark rituals, or used as weapons, or hostages against the group as a whole. This was a real fear for all of them even before they brought their children into the world, but despite the dangers, they did have kids, and never regretted it because the life affirming joys their children brought were worth all the risks.

Seeing that it was safe, Will and Buffy got the kids into the SRV and buckled in. Then he helped her in before he got in and they took off for their house. Buffy was pleasantly surprised that they still lived in her old house on Revello Drive. They both had decided not to let her father pressure her into selling it. Her missing father finally surfaced a month after the Glory crisis was over wanting to take custody of Dawn, and wanting her to sell the house to settle her mother's estate. Buffy had refused to do either, and with Giles' and Spike's help had managed to keep both, and get her father out of their lives. There was something about the Watcher's Council putting pressure on him to leave Buffy alone, but nothing was ever confirmed by them.

A month after that Spike and Buffy had gotten married. Then eight months after that Desiree had been born. Since the battle with Glory, Spike and Buffy had been inseparable, especially after he had become human. There had been some initial conflict over Spike living in the house, and their not being married, especially with Dawn living there too. But she wanted to live with her sister and Spike. They were her family, not some father she didn't even know. Once Spike and Buffy were married, then the authorities quit harassing them. After the battle she was a pretty much normal girl. Though she did retain a trace of some of the magicks that had flowed through her as the Key. She still went patrolling at night with the Scoobies, and slayed demons and other nasties like her sister had done in high school. But she did not have her own Scoobies, and kept pretty much to herself during her high school years, not finding anyone her age she could share her secrets with. Eventually she finished high school, and was now in college living off campus with Cullen in the apartment they shared.

Will filled Buffy in on some of this on the drive home, and as they were fixing dinner in the totally remodeled kitchen. The house inside was a little bit changed from what Buffy was used to. There was a new living room set, entertainment center, and the whole house had a bright cheery air to it with more of a contemporary look. Some of her Mother's prized antiques were still scattered around, but it was clear she had been making the house distinctly her own for her family. Her mom's room was now their bedroom, and Desiree, and Destry were sharing hers, while Dawn's old room was going to be used as a nursery for the new baby due in a month. Looking out the kitchen window Buffy could see that the backyard was now fenced with a high wooden fence, and there was a swing set, and play equipment for the kids. The backyard was also warded to keep out nasties, Will assured her, along with special spells to keep the kids from escaping, so they could play outside in safety at home. Willow had come up with that spell because of Julian almost running outside from the hotel into traffic when the grownups' back had been turned. She called it a kid barrier, but it wouldn't work on children after age eight. All the group had the kid barrier spell set up at their homes and places of business. It also worked to make their children invisible to prying eyes when they were playing.

Dinner went fairly calmly, with no big kid food disasters. Then it was bath time, and bed time for the two children. By the time they had the kids tucked in and asleep, Buffy was exhausted. "And I do this everyday?" she asked Will once they had left the kid's room and went downstairs to talk.

"Yeah, that you do. Quite amazing isn't it?' he grinned at her as she sat down on their new couch.

"That's an understatement. I never thought I'd live this long, or be able to have kids. I think I told you that once. Then there's this whole you being human. I'm still having a hard time believing it, let alone understanding how it happened," Buffy told him as he sat down next to her.

"It was a bit of a shocker for all of us as I had been slowly turning human for some time except no one knew it, not even me," he said with a sigh, trying to figure out how to' explain it.

"Huh?" she asked, confused, staring at him.

"It all got started when I got that damn government chip in my head, so I couldn't be a normal vampire anymore and since I couldn't drink my usual and had to drink animal swill it gradually started altering me over the months and I started craving food. I started eating the stuff and enjoying it which is not normal—I'll tell you that. Eating human food usually makes us sick, but it wasn't me. But I didn't even notice I was doing it and since I was by my lonesome, neither did I as I was kind of focused on you and not that something was happening to me," he told her, and saw comprehension in her eyes.

"Like when you had me get you the chicken wings, and then Xander was complaining about you swiping his food. You used to make all sorts of comments about food, but I didn't pay any attention. Figured you were just going through some kind of weird phase. I just kind of figured if you could drink, you could eat—no big deal," she replied.

"Yeah, me too. I didn't even question it as being wrong. Then I got bit by a Ghora demon by accident back around the time your Mum died."

"Ghora demon? Dawn had an egg from one of those in her room that she was using to do some sort of ritual with it. I asked Giles about it, but he couldn't figure out where the egg came from as he didn't have anything like it in the shop. But Dawn refused to say where and how she got it. I take it you had something to do with it?" she asked with a raised eyebrow pining him under her angry gaze.

"Yeah, but you weren't supposed to know about it. So Dawn never ratted, huh?"

"No, and I can see you aren't going to tell me either. So since I am not going to get an answer, what happened next?" Buffy asking knowing she was never going to know the story behind the Ghora egg.

Will was relieved that Buffy had decided not pursue the egg story as he still wasn't sure how much this Buffy was going to not remember when she awoke. Plunging on he said, "you remember when Glory tortured me?" and Buffy nodded, interested. "well, she did a bit of probe, and slashing with her hands, and her energy when she was working on me. Giles thinks that somehow her energy triggered something in me too. Remember how long it took for me to heal up from the beating? Any other time I would have been good as new with a day or so, instead it took double the time. And then I was hungry, but not for blood. I had to make myself drink down the stuff you brought me when I was watching Dawn for you. Your sister gave me her sandwich you left for her, and I ate it with no bloody problem, when I should have had a bloody problem with it," he told her, and she understood now.

"Dawn sort of mentioned it to me because she kept asking me if vampires could get food. I told her to ask Giles because I really didn't know. Angel never did, but you would, so I didn't know."

"Well, I wasn't supposed to—let's put it that way. Remember when the Knights were after us, and Giles flipped the RV. I landed full in a patch of sunlight, but nothing bloody happened, but I was so freaked that I was in it-- I moved like it was burning me. Giles was the only one that saw it. But things were happening so fast that he didn't get a chance to talk to me until you were in the coma. That's when we found out I could tolerate sunlight, and not burn up. The prolonged exposure made me weak though. I was also beginning to get a detectable pulse, and was needing to breath the closer my body became to being human again. It was like something was slowly reversing all that had been done to change me into a vampire. On the plus side I wasn't losing any of my abilities, and reflexes I had as a vampire. It was, and is like I am slayer like you are."

"But that's impossible," Buffy protested, "there are no male slayers—only female ones."

"Yeah, Giles said the same thing, but what I could do, and still can do was more like you than like a vampire. Peaches, on the other hand when the PTB gave him his reward made him just a normal human with no special gifts. My changing wasn't so much divine intervention as just simple biology with a touch of magick thrown in," Will explained.

"So your saying my Spike is changing into being human on his own. What about a soul?" she asked.

"I hate to break it to you. It was always there inside of me, even when we first met. The demon and I had a truce of sorts over the years. It came out to play when it was needed but most of time I was still me. The more human I got the less the demon had control over me and faded to the background just like what happens to you as a slayer."

"Huh? You're saying I have a demon in me?" Buffy asked both incredulous and disgusted. "No, no way."

"Sorry, luv, it's true. Otherwise you couldn't do what you do as a slayer. That's why you can fight vampires and demons. The part in you recognizes them, and it gives you your strength, and abilities, otherwise you'd just be a normal girl. Like recognizes like. The way I heard it explained there's something in your DNA passed down from the first slayer. When you are needed something get triggered, awaken that demon part, and you become full blown slayer."

Buffy shook her head not sure whether to believe him or not, but Will's explaination did make sense more than the purely mystical ones that Giles had given her. "Okay, I guess. So you, and Angel are both human now. Tara, Oz and Riley are dead. And Willow is not speaking to me over their deaths and something to do with her son, am I correct?"

End Part 3

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Part 4

"Yeah, it happened while Willow was still in Sunnydale after she had Julian. Jules and Des' are pretty close in age. He's just a couple of weeks older than her, so the two spent a lot of time together. Since you and Willow both went back to school along with me. We used to do tag team watching the kids, especially with Willow being in a wheelchair and unable to run after him. Now Des' has inherited some of our abilities, you haven't seen that yet, but she is super strong, and fast. Jules isn't yet. The werewolf part of him won't show up until he's older."

"So we have super kids? Is Destry like that too?" she asked, fascinated.

"Yeah, needs to be to handle Des' she's right bossy with him, and he'll put up with it just for so long before he fights back," he grinned.

"Sounds kind of like you and me," she blushed.

"Yeah, it does," he admitted with a twinkle in his eyes.

Changing the subject back, before it got into too deep with the future Spike, Buffy asked, "So what happened to Willow? Why does she hate me so much?"

"Are you sure want to know? It's not a pretty story," he asked, his eyebrow raised in question as he regarded her.

"I need to know. It's been bothering me since I heard as I can't imagine what could have happened to break her and I's friendship up. We've been through so much over the years," Buffy told him, her eyes begging him to tell her the truth no matter how painful it might be.

"That was part of it, luv, what you all had been through. During the battle her spinal cord got severed by one of the Knight's swords while she was protecting Tara, and us while we fought with her magicks. She saw Oz get killed. One of the knights beheaded him with a blessed sword, and she lost her concentration, and her barriers went down. She couldn't move fast enough to defend herself only just enough to keep herself from Oz's fate. Afterwards, she was in deep shock and mourning for months waiting to die and join her lovers but no one would let her go. She didn't even know she was pregnant because she couldn't tell with all the other changes and physical therapy she was having to do. No one noticed she was pregnant until she was almost five months along, and then the baby coming became the focus of everything for her. She didn't want to stay with her parents so she lived with us. We fixed up your Mum's old office down here as a bedroom for her as she couldn't do the stairs. All of us worked with her and she slowly recovered and started being her old self," he told her.

"So you and Dawn had to deal with two pregnant women. I bet we were lots of fun," Buffy smiled, trying to imagine that time.

"Loads. Though it wasn't that bloody bad really. You had both reregistered in college, and that was keeping the two of you occupied. I had started myself part time, and then was working too with Xander doing construction work. In the beginning it was hard as I didn't have any papers, but between you and Giles, you put pressure on the WC to have them come up with a workable identity for me. You told them if they could threaten to shut down the shop, and take Giles' green card away they could come up with papers for me since I had put my life on the line for everyone too."

"I take it you got the papers?"

"Yeah, and then some. Seems the WC in their investigations found out that I was heir to a large sum of money, and properties from my mortal days. Then the money I had left in savings in a bank had just been sitting there drawing interest for years. It was due to all this windfall that Giles, and I were able to purchase the High School property, and afford to rebuild the shop. We were also able to set up trust funds for all the children, and Dawn too. The money also came when we were fighting your father over Dawn and the house. It is now our house and completely paid off."

"So we're rich?" she asked, curious.

"Comfortably, and we still have my ancestral house in England, and properties scattered here and there in case we need them, and as investments. We teach because we want to, not because we need to. And the WC also got Angel's affairs straightened out too. They are similarly set up. Cordy was pleased, as she still manages the business. Faith just isn't interested in financial matters," he explained.

"Yeah, that sounds about right. So, what happened? We were in college, expecting, then what?" Buffy asked getting up to go see if there was something to drink.

"You finished the winter session, and decided to do the spring using the computer since you were both due around mid January, early February. Willow went into labor in the middle of the night during a Blue Moon. It was difficult for her because of the paralysis because she couldn't feel her labor pains. We got her to the hospital just barely in time. Julian was also breech which didn't help matters. I stayed with her the entire time, standing in for Oz. I have never seen so much joy on her face as when I handed her son to her. All six pounds of him screaming mad to be brought into the world. He's a real fighter that one," he said proudly, explaining this as he followed her to the kitchen.

Putting on a tea kettle of water she then sat down on one of the kitchen stools to listen to the rest of the story. "So Julian was born, and we were still friends?"

"Yes, no problems, that was later the next year that it happened. Willow had some difficulty at first taking care of Jules, but she soon got the hang of it We had to redo some of the furniture so it was more accessible for her. Between her son, and her schoolwork, and having her friends around Willow was quite happy."

"And I had Desiree a couple of weeks later?" Buffy asked making herself some herbal tea in the kitchen.

"Yeah, you had been having false labor pains for days which wasn't adding to your mood. And you and I had gone to the grocery to get some things Willow wanted when this stupid fledging appeared out of nowhere to try and attack you. Without even thinking about it you drop kicked him, and staked him in the parking lot, before I could even move. Then your water broke, and you started having real pains. You almost crushed the door handle when the first one hit. I had to pry the door open to get you into the car while you yelled at me about how much it was hurting. I got you to hospital, but you were cussing me out the entire time. The labor room was fun too. None of the drugs were working on you. You damn near broke my hand, and scared all the nurses. The whole maternity ward could hear you. After a couple of hours you had Des' much to everyone's relief. But when she was born and you held her for the first time I had never seen anyone look so radiant, or beautiful. I was kind of in shock as my really having a child hadn't registered until I saw her being born, and caught her as she came out. When she took her first breath, and opened her eyes I was lost completely. I that had done nothing, but deal death, and destruction for years had helped bring a new life into the world. It was a very profound experience for me," he said, almost misty eyed in remembrance.

"I'm kind looking forward to all this happening now. At least I'm getting a taste of the pregnant part," she sad feeling her rounded stomach in wonder. "So I became a mommy finally. I like the name Desiree. French isn't it?" she asked taking a sip of her tea while he fixed himself some regular tea.

"It was a character in a book by the same name, and a movie in the 50's with Marlan Brando about Napoleon's first love before he became emperor of France, and married Josephine. One of Desiree's sisters married one Napoleon's brothers. Napoleon and Desiree were also engaged, but he broke it off when he went to Paris, and met Josephine. Desiree ended up being married to one of his generals, and the general became King of Sweden by accident. Then the king helped the English to defeat Napoleon. During all the years Desiree saw Napoleon because she was a sister-in-law to him, and was one of his true friends. They never completely fell out of love with one another, but also knew it could never be. It's very tragic and sweet at the same time. You saw it on cable one night, and fell in love with the name," Will explained.

"That's sweet. Just out of curiosity what is our last name, since you now have one, Buffy had to ask.

Will laughed, "I was wondering when you were going to ask. It's Sommerset. My name before was Lord William Henry Xavier Sommerset IV. Yes, before I was turned, I was minor nobility. In the Watcher's records they had had me mixed up with some one else and didn't even know my real name or background. That's why I was laughing so much about the poor woman who had done her thesis on me. When I became a vampire I laid quite a number of false trails about my real past to protect my family from Angelus, and anyone else who might want to harm them," he added, noting her shocked expression.

"So you didn't kill your family?" she asked, surprised.

"No, but Angelus thought I did, and that's all that counted with me. Had to do some fancy talking to get him and Darla to believe me. Demon or not I still cared about me Mum and sister. I wasn't like Angelus hating his family. I think Dru knew I was lying, but she never said a word because she remembered what he had did to hers," he told her.

"Is Drusilla still around?" she had to ask.

He sighed. "Last I heard she and Darla were in Paris with Lindsay and Lelia. They gave up on trying turn both me, and Angel back into vampires finally. You and Faith wanted to dust them, but we wouldn't let you so as long as they stay away from us it's all cool."

Buffy had a few comments to make but decided not to, instead she returned to why Willow hated her since she still didn't know. "So if everything was fine what happened to make Willow hate me?" she asked.

"It was all good for the first year. Things were all back to normal. We still had the usual vampire and demons coming around but no end of world type crisis's until in England some bunch of kids mucking around with black magick called up this really bad, Hell God. Since it was in England the WC tried to send the god back to it's dimension. It found out about their plans and destroyed everyone before they even knew what hit them. There's still a nasty crater where the council building used to be. Just a few of the Watchers managed to escape, and they told us what was going on. Since we all had had experience with Hell gods they begged us to help. Willow had also be practicing, and getting more, and more powerful with her magicks. It had gotten to the point where she could walk around for brief periods using one of her spells."

"Wow, that must have been amazing. So I take it we volunteered to get rid of this God?"

"Yeah, you, Willow, Giles, and Wesley were all gung ho about it. The rest of us weren't that eager to do go up against a god again, since we all had kids to worry about now. We also thought that since the god was in England we'd have to go there. Instead he came looking for us, and our children, especially Desiree and Angelette, since they were children of slayers and former vampires. He needed their blood, and life force to keep the gate permanently opened. We didn't know until it was almost too bloody late that he needed Julian too. The God stuck without warning before we had a chance to prepare, taking all the kids including Jessie and Jake who were six months old. Cordelia had not had Alexander yet so she was spared what we all went through worrying about the babies in that demon's hands."

"God, we all must have been wigging," Buffy said gasping, not wanting to imagine how that had felt or been.

"Julian wore a protection charm that Willow could use to locate him since he had a habit of disappearing on her once he started walking. Desiree had a similar charm too. Angelette, and Xander's boys didn't. Our only hope was that the kids were all together in the same place. Luckily, they were in a cavern deep below the old school, close to the old Master's lair. The God was weak, and he was trying to use the some of the Hellmouth energy that was seeping through the seals to give him enough strength to do the ritual. Once we had his location pinpointed we all went down in force. He called up all sorts of slimy, fanged nasties and it was a real battle to get to the main cavern. We at least knew what, when, and how the ritual was going to be performed as well as how to stop it and the god. The key was getting the kids out of there without them being injured, or shedding even a single drop of their blood. When we broke through into the chamber the god was beginning his spell. The five children were in a circle with him. Des' and Angelette were guarding Jules who was holding the twins. It was like watching you and Faith. He wasn't going to get near the boys without a fight. Des' wasn't even two yet, and Ang' was three months younger, but the two girls kept moving, and avoiding his trying to grab them or the boys."

"But they were just babies!" Buffy protested, not understanding.

"They may have been babies, but they were our bloody babies. Fighters they all are. Anyway, the two girls being so protective was enough of a distraction that Willow, Anya, Wesley, and Giles had a chance to blast him with energy, and turn his attention away from the kids, and to them. Angel and I kept the remaining minions from interfering while you, Faith and Xander freed the children. Xander got his boys, while Faith got Ang', and you got Des', and Jules. Except Jules wanted his mommy not you, and was fighting you to get to her. He slipped out of your hands, and fell to floor of the cavern, hitting his head, and cutting his lip while you were still in the circle. Just that tiny bit of blood was enough to give the god strength against us all for a space. All hell broke loose as the portal started opening. I saw what was happening, and managed to grab Jules before he got sucked into the vortex that was beginning to open. We almost couldn't get out of the circle with the kids. Luckily, Faith had gotten Ang away from it otherwise none of us would have made it. Using their magicks the group forced the god back, and into the vortex, then it closed behind him. Willow collasped immediately unable to stand anymore. When she saw that Julian was still unconscious, she went ballastic because you had let her baby get hurt. Then she started blaming you for everything bad that had ever happened in her life since she had met you, and found out about slayers, and vampires--everything. Even after Julian woke up she was still furious at you, and you started lashing back at her. You both said things to one another that went beyond bloody harsh. That night she stayed with Angel, and Faith. They offered her space in LA with them. The next day she had hers, and Julian's things moved there. She wouldn't talk to you, or see you. Even Dawn, and I weren't allowed to speak with her for a while. She was bloody irrational, and super protective about her son, and still is," Will explained to her, amazed that not once had Buffy tried to interrupt with questions.

"Wow," was all Buffy could say, shaking her head. "I just can't believe it, after all we have been through over the last years. It just sounds like she snapped," the younger Buffy said looking at him trying to hold her tears back.

"Yeah, that's pretty much what we all think, and you know how stubborn Willow can be on something and you aren't too much better," he reminded her, and she grudgingly admitted she was sometimes that irrational and bad about things.

"Her little boy, he was okay, is okay, isn't he?" she asked suddenly worried.

"Right as rain. It was just a bump on the head, no more than any other kid could have taken," he reassured her. "So how are you holding up? Too much information, tired?" he asked looked at her worriedly.

"A little tired maybe. I think my body wants to call it quits for the night. Tomorrow is a whole new adventure. And I won't remember any of this?" she asked.

"I dunno, luv, what you'll bring back except the means to destroy Glory, and keep the gate between her world, and ours shut. I do think you had some memories of now by the way you changed towards me, and were able to face the battle. It was real hard to tell because everything started happening so fast after you woke up. So you wanting to call it a night?" he asked, looking at her.

"Yeah, I think I'd better. I feel bad about you having to sleep on the couch," she apologized as she pushed herself up.

Will shrugged and gave her a slight smile. "It's no big deal. Sometimes when you're really restless I do anyway. That way you can get a good night sleep," he added as she picked up their cups and put them in the sink.

Then she went upstairs to her mom's old room, that was their room now, feeling like a complete intruder in these people's lives. It was her life but it wasn't her life yet. Using some logic she found where the current Buffy's nightgowns were and laid it out on the bed while she went in and took a shower. The hot steamy water felt wonderful and it gave her a change to see how different she looked pregnant, which was quite a lot. She was getting used to not being able to see her feet or to bend or move easily. Then feeling the new life inside was strange and wonderful. She got out and dried off, noting in the full length mirror the changes to her body and slight aging of her features. Then going into the bedroom she put on her nightgown, and crawled into the huge kingsize bed her mind still racing with all that had happened, and she had learned so far.

She had managed to survive to age twenty six, which was unheard of for a slayer. And Faith was still alive too, and a year younger. They were both mothers too and married to ex-vampires. All the normal things she had wanted out life had come true. Though there had been costs in lives, and friendships to arrive at this point in time. She couldn't allow herself to feel guilty on what choices her future self's had had to make each step of the way—if she did, she'd go nuts. Nor could she allow her growing knowledge of this future influence her either. What was to say if this truly was her correct, and right future, and not all an illusion created solely in her mind during her coma? They were so many possibilities, branches off the time lines, alternate dimensions that anything, and everything was possible in the future she was yet to live in—if she got back that was.

She still had fears of not being able to return, and having to become the Buffy whose body she was in. Which maybe wasn't such a bad thing as she was really getting to like Will. He was so nice and solicitous of her, and really seemed to love his kids, and his Buffy. She just wished her Spike was half as nice. If she allowed herself to love Spike, and be loved by him in return would this really be the result? To herself she could admit that she was more than attracted to her Spike, and had been for a number of years, and that had been a large part of her reluctance to stake him.

But he still made her so mad, and knew what buttons to push on her to get a rise out of her. He did get under her skin. The damn bastard did know her all too well, more than anyone else did. That frankly scared the hell out of her that with him she was vulnerable, her soul, her mind striped naked before him. He knew what she needed before she did, and surprisingly she could count on him when the chips were down. He was the one who would be by her side in the end no matter what she did, or said to him. Admittedly, she had been really shitty to him over the years, even when he didn't deserve it, because he was just a vampire, and just happened to be there to dump on. She had been trying to change that recently since the ritual with the First Slayer and his torture by Glory. But was she ready to commit to a relationship with Spike yet? She didn't feel that ready yet. She had just gotten to the being able to tolerate without killing him on sight stage. If Will was telling her right that when she, and the other Buffy got switched back, and she awoke she was suddenly going to be in love, or at least encourage a bit more intimate closeness between her Spike. Was she going to be able to change her opinion of him that much in two days time? It hardly seemed possible or realistic. There had to be more to this story that what he had told her so far, she sighed.

Finally, she drifted off to sleep, still thinking of her and Spike as a couple and not seeing how it was ever, ever going to happen

End Part 4

Continued in Part 5.