Disclaimer: see prologue

Disclaimer: see prologue

A/N: sorry it took so long my muse decided to take a vacation.

            By this time all the guests had arrived.  Tara and Willow had been introduced to the members of AI that didn't know them.  Lizzie and Heather still hadn't come down stairs, but they were pre teen girls they were probably gossiping about boys in Lizzie's room.

Angel walked into the room with a grin as wide as the Mississippi on his face.  From that smile Willow knew how the conversation had gone before he even spoke.

"She's coming." He said, the smile never leaving his face.  Willow and Tara hadn't filled the others in on what was going on.  They had only said that Angel was taking an important phone call.

"Who?  Who's coming?" Asked Cordy excitedly, she had an idea who it was but she wanted to hear him say it out loud.

"Buffy." Angel said simply, "She's coming back to me, for good.  She's should be on her way soon.  She just had to pack up her things and the kids and yell at Giles and then she's going to leave."

"She has kids?" Cordy asked, surprised, "Other than Lizzie, I mean."

"Yes, she has kids," Angel answered calmly, "two of them, Jenny and David, they're 5 and 3.  She's getting a divorce from her husband and he gave her full custody of the kids."

"So, she and her children are coming here to live?" Asked Wesley in his usual inquisitive tone.

Just then Lizzie and Heather walked into the room.

"Who's coming here to live?" Asked Lizzie.

"Your Mom and your half brother and half sister." Angel said gently.

"Mom's coming to live here?!" Lizzie cried giving her father a bear hug, "alright!!  That's the best birthday present ever."  Then she noticed Willow and Tara.  "Miss Rosenburg?  What are you doing here?"  She was confused as to why her computer teacher was sitting in her rec room.

"Willow's a friend of your mother's." Angel explained.  "She's the one who told me that your mother was getting a divorce and convinced me to call her.  It's partly thanks to her that your Mom is coming."

" You mean Miss Rosenburg is the Willow from all the stories you told me?" If she had know her teacher's first name she might have figured it out on her own but Willow had introduced herself as Miss Rosenburg and left off her first name.

"Yes, she's that Willow." Angel answered, "How many Willow Rosenburgs there are in the world?"

"Stories?" Willow interrupted.

"Ever since I was a baby Dad's been telling me stories about his times back in Sunnydale with Mom and the Scooby gang.  I've heard about how they met, their whole relationship, every demon they fought, and all the little high school melodramas that went on.  Just about everything that Dad knows I know.  I feel like I know Mom and all the Scooby gang, at least I know them the way they were when Dad left Sunnydale.  And we haven't been completely in the dark, Giles feeds us little bits of information now and then, usually by accident, plus he supplies us with up to date pictures of Mom when he can."

At the same time in Sunnydale

Buffy hung up the phone; she was still a little shocked over what she had just learned.  Her daughter brought her out her trance. "Mommy, what's wrong?" Jenny asked looking up her mother.

"Nothing, baby," Buffy answered as she knelt down so she was at her daughter's eye level. "You and me and Davey are going to go on a trip.  I have to talk to grandpa Giles but I'll be up in a while to pack your suitcases.  What I want you to do is get your backpack and pack up the things you want to take in the car with you and help Davey pack his.  And both of you change into your pj's; it's going to be past your bedtimes by the we get there."  Buffy wanted to get her kids out of the way while she yelled at Giles.

"Ok, Mommy.  Where are we going?" Jenny asked innocently.

"We're going to go live with your sister and your new Daddy." Buffy answered, "I'll explain more later, right now I want you to go pack your back pack."

"Ok." Jenny agreed as she headed for the stairs.

"Giles, may I speak to you in the kitchen please?" Buffy said in a voice that was calm but dripping with anger.

"Yes," Giles responded hesitantly, following her into the kitchen.  He didn't know why the former slayer was so angry but he was quite worried that he was going to get his but kicked.

"That was Angel on the phone." She began, "and do you know what he told me?  That he's human and you knew about it!  Not only that but he has been raising our daughter for the past 11 years.  I can understand why you kept that from me for the first five years but why didn't you tell me when he turned human?!  I can't believe you thought that I was truly happy with Chris.  I was happy but never as happy as I was when I was with Angel.  You should have been able to see that!  I never stopped loving Angel, why else would I name my kids after him and his sister?  I thought you knew me.  I guess I was wrong.  Even if you did think I was happy with Chris why didn't you tell me when we broke up, especially since you knew the reason that we broke up was because I still love Angel?  I can't believe you Giles, I never thought YOU would keep something so important from me." As she finished she leaned against the counter, crossed her arms and looked expectantly at her former watcher.

"Buffy,  I… I ..I don't know what to say." Giles stammered.

"Ok, I'll assume you thought I was happy with Chris.  Why didn't you tell me about Angel when Chris and I broke up?"

"I don't know.  I guess I was thinking of the children and how traumatic it would be to lose their father and have to move at the same time.  That's to many changes for small children to adapt to in a short amount of time.  I'm truly sorry Buffy, I see now that I was wrong."  Giles was trying to explain his reasons but it was just coming out all wrong.

"Apology accepted but I don't know how long it's going to take me to forgive you." Buffy replied in a slightly softer tone.  "As you probably know it's her birthday today.  Angel invited me and the kids to go and stay with him.  I decided to take him up on that offer, I think Karrie can handle the slaying by herself by now." Karrie was the new slayer that had taken over when Buffy had retired.

"I understand that it will take some time for you to forgive me.  What are you going to tell the children when they ask where they are going?"

"Jenny already asked and I told her the truth, that we are going to stay with their new Daddy."

"What about Chris?"

"Chris hasn't even bothered to say hello to his children since I served him the divorce papers.  Anyways, he gave up his right to complain when he gave up his parental rights."

"If you don't mind me asking how did Angel find out that you and Chris were separated?"

"Turns out Willow is Lizzie's computer teacher.  Lizzie came home raving about her new teacher and Angel figured out that it was Willow and phoned the school."

"Oh, I see.  Would you, uh, like to see a picture of her? Your daughter."  Giles wanted to smooth things over as soon as possible between him and the former slayer.  She was like a daughter to him and he hated fighting with her.

"Yes, I would." Buffy said simply.

Giles walked into his study and retrieved a small photo album from the shelf.

"Here." He said handing her the album, "the, uh, more recent pictures are at the, uh, back."

Buffy flipped to the back of the book and encountered a picture of Angel and a girl who looked to be about 10.  The girl had the same dark, soulful eyes as Angel and the same raven hair and his brilliant smile but the rest of her was an exact replica of Buffy.

"She's so beautiful." Buffy said quietly. "I should go and pack.  I told Angel we'd be there as soon as we could and they're holding supper for me." She turned and headed up the stairs.