Description: Buffy's not feeling well, Spike won't go away, and Dawn knows more that she should. The Scoobies lives are about to be changed forever.

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: Buffy/Spike (did you think otherwise?)
"I can't believe it," Buffy sighed as she and Dawn exited the Sun Cinema. She tossed her half eaten bag of popcorn in a nearby trashcan and continued, "I can't believe I just spent the last 6 hours watching the Star Wars trilogy. What a waste of time."

"Hey," Dawn scolded her half-heartedly. "Those are classic movies and besides, Harrison Ford is very good looking in those movies."

"Han?" Buffy asked. "He's too cocky and he thinks he always so great."

"Hmm," Dawn sighed over dramatically, "Sounds like someone else we know. A certain undead Billy Idol wannabe."

"I thought Luke was better looking." Buffy said changing the subject quickly.

"Luke?" Dawn scoffed, the whole Spike thing completely forgotten-for now. "No way." Both girls laughed as the walked down the dark and nearly deserted streets of Sunnydale. "What time is it?" Dawn asked her sister, glancing around at the nearby shops. Their windows were all dimly lit with the merchandise being cast into eerie shadows.

"Quarter after 8, we've got some time to kill." Buffy said checking her watch.

"Wanna grab a mocha at the Espresso Pump?" Dawn asked hopefully. She was lacking the certain pep she usually possessed and hoped a frothy, iced mocha might give her a boost.

Buffy considered her options for a second. "Not sure if all that sugar is good for me. Gotta keep a healthy diet nowadays." Buffy laid a gentle palm against the swell of her stomach.

"Oh, right." Dawn amended, wondering how she could have forgotten that. Willow and Tara had raided through the whole Summers' house, and everything that was even remotely chocolate was taken out. It was nothing but health food in their house, and Dawn hated it. Chocolate was like oxygen to her, she needed it to wake up in the morning. Annoyed as she was, Dawn understood the reasoning behind the callous actions. Buffy needed to be eating healthy, and both Dawn and Spike were determined to be helpful. "How are my favorite niece and nephew doing today?" Dawn asked, her voce suddenly morphing into her baby-talk voice.

"Um, Dawn?" Buffy pointed out with a small chuckle, "They're your only niece and nephew."

"Yeah well they're still my favorites." Dawn huffed. "We'll stop at the Magic Box then head home. Sound good?"

"Let's go." Buffy looped her arm through Dawn's and both girls took off down the street.

Cordelia sat on the Summers' couch and stared at the pictures sated on the coffee table. 'What am I doing here?' she thought to herself. 'I haven't seen these people since graduation and I don't really feel like tromping down memory lane at the moment.' "Angel," she addressed the brooding vampire seated next to her, "can't we just go look for Giles? Why do we need to see Buffy anyway? She's not going to be able to do anything."

"I told you this before," Angel snapped. He was becoming increasingly annoyed, what with being in the presence of his childe. Angel couldn't help but wonder why Spike was in Buffy's house at this time of night. He didn't buy his excuse, it just didn't seem like Spike.

"Yeah I know," Cordelia whined, "You promised Buffy if you ever came to Sunnydale you'd stop in and see her. But for all we know she's at the Magic Box with Giles, or she might even be out patrolling."

'Doubt that.' Spike thought to himself, 'And if she is I'll kick her pregnant ass.' He was busying himself in the kitchen, trying desperately to stay at least 20 feet away from his sire. He was just getting Cordelia a soda she had asked for when there was a knock at the kitchen door. Spike rushed to the door and opened it.

"You want to take one of these?" Willow asked, thrusting a brown paper bag full of party supplies at Spike. The vampire took it and let the girls in. "We're got a killer deal on all this stuff, sorry it took so long."

"Um, Red?" Spike pushed the girls into the kitchen trying to keep the noise down. "We got a problem.

"I know, we've only got a little bit of time to decorate, but Tara and I can-"

"That's not it." Spike grabbed Willow's arm and pulled her to the kitchen door, he pushed it open a crack so she could see.

Willow couldn't believe her eyes. There on Buffy's couch sat Angel and raven-haired woman. 'She looks familiar.' Willow's inner voice screamed. Finally it hit her, 'Cordelia!' With one final glance Willow backed away from the door and stared at Spike. "We've got serious problems. Why are they here anyway?" She fought to keep her voice low as to not alert the couple to their presence.

"Who's here?" Tara whispered, feeling a bit out of the loop.

"The chit lost her visions and someone in Sunnyhell got them." Spike explained in his own unique wording.

"She doesn't have visions anymore?"

"Who doesn't have visions?" Tara asked. She was quickly becoming lost in the conversation and it unnerved her greatly.

"Apparently not and someone here-someone connected to the Slayer-does." Spike had begun to pace the kitchen. He snuck a peek at the clock on the stove. He only had forty minutes-give or take-to get Angel and the girl out of the house and out of Sunnydale.

"Will someone please tell me what is going on?" Tara demanded surprising both Spike and Willow with her sudden boldness. She added a quick "Please?" before blushing.

"Angel and Cordelia are here-as in Buffy's first boyfriend Angel. Neither of them knows that Buffy is pregnant, hell they don't even know Buffy and Spike are together." Willow explained rapidly. "Cordelia was given the gift of visions, she would see things before they happened, but I guess now she had passed on the gift to someone up here."

"So what happens when Buffy and Dawn get home?" Tara asked, eyes wide with sudden fear.

"All hell breaks lose." Spike offered.

"Simply math here." The gears in Willow's brain were beginning to turn, a plan formulating. "All we have to do is delay Buffy and Dawn from coming home. Spike," she pointed to the vampire, "call the Magic shop and get Giles to stall. She'll be stopping there before coming home." Willow took a moment and thought about her next move. "Tara and I will take care of Angel and Cordy."

"What are you talking about Red?" Spike asked wearily even as he picked up the phone and began dialing the number of the Magic Box.

"Don't worry." Willow said in a teasing voice. She flashed Spike a wicked grin to accent her meaning, and then pulled Tara aside. "Okay, here's the plan."

The bell above the Magic Box door jingled happily as Buffy and Dawn walked in.

"Hello?" Buffy called when no one greeted them. There was a moment of silence then a response from the back. "Looks like they're deep in the research."

"Sounds like fun." Dawn said dryly. She shrugged of her denim jacket and slung it across her arm, following Buffy to the rear of the store.

That's where she found them: Giles, Anya and Xander. All three of them were seated around the research table, a slew of books scattered around, even some stacked on the floor beside them. Giles had his nose buried in a book, obviously fascinated by what he was reading, but the other two, they looked so completely bored that it actually hurt. Buffy took a seat next to Giles and Dawn next to Anya.

"Find anything yet?" she asked him.

Giles, jumped from surprise. He was so caught up in his reading that he didn't hear them come in.

"What? Oh yes, well not much I'm afraid but we have found some new information." Giles said taking off his glasses and giving them a quick cleaning.

"So we still don't know anything about this prophecy?" Buffy asked. She pulled a book in front of her and began leafing through the pages aimlessly. She couldn't place it, but there was something about this prophecy that unnerved her. Something that seemed all too familiar.

"How are we going to get to Buffy's surprise party when Buffy's here?" Anya leaned in and whispered to her fiancé. They were all just about to pack it up and leave when Buffy and Dawn had arrived. Xander merely shrugged his shoulders in response.

Giles was about to add something when the phone rang behind the counter. He excused himself and went to answer it returning a few moments later with a worried look on his face.

"Who was it?" Buffy asked, noticing her Watcher's expression.

"What? Oh, it was just Spike. Calling to see if you and Dawn were here." Giles knew he was a terrible liar, even as he spoke he could feel his face getting flushed.

"I really think we need to get Spike a hobby." Dawn laughed. "All he does is worry about us all day long." They all shared a good chuckle before Giles pulled Xander aside.

"What d'you need G-Man?" Xander asked in a hushed voice. Giles had pulled him to the basement claiming he needed help moving some crates.

"Xander I've told you repetitively not to call me that." Giles scolded him then became more serious. "That was Spike on the phone, but he needs our help. He told me to keep Buffy and Dawn at the shop as long as possible."

"Why?"

"Well it seems that Angel is here."

"Angel!" Xander shouted in surprise. Giles automatically quieted him.

"Yes," Giles stole a glance up that stairs at the door hoping no one had heard Xander's little outburst. "Apparently he and Cordelia are here to see Buffy."

"Cordy's here too?" Xander cringed at the thought of seeing his ex. He and Cordy had only gone out for a short while, but their relationship was complicated; a mix between lust, competition, and hatred.

"Yes, but you're missing the point. Angel does not know about Buffy current, um, condition, and I doubt he will take it all too well."

"Oh right." He pushed the thoughts about his past relationships out of him mind and focused with the task at hand. "So what's the plan?"

"We'll simply recruit them to help with the research, it shouldn't be that hard."

"Whatever you say G-man." Xander agreed with a snide grin. Giles merely glared in his direction and ascended the stairs behind him. When they got to the top Buffy and Dawn were preparing to leave.

"Where ya goin'?" Xander asked, suddenly very anxious.

"Um, home?" Dawn suggested pulling her jacket onto her arm. "That's generally where we sleep." Both Buffy and Dawn laughed.

"Buffy we really need some help here with the research." Giles explained. He moved to the table and grabbed two books, walked back to the girls, and handed one to each of them.

"But Giles I'm horrible with research, you know that." Buffy whined trying to hand the book back to him, but Giles refused to take it.

"Please Buffy." Giles voice changed to pleading fatherly tone.

"Oh fine." She huffed returning to her previous seat at the table. "You know I hate it when you use that voice."

"Yes I'm quite aware." Giles said with a smirk. "And that's why I use it."

Dawn tossed her book onto the table and giggled triumphantly. "Since I'm not allowed to do research I'll be in the back sleeping." She turned to leave when Giles grabbed her elbow and pulled her to sit on the bench.

"I think it's time that you be introduced to the wonderful world of books." He said trying to hold back a grin.

"I second that," Buffy chimed in.

"Third!" "Fourth!" Xander and Anya called.

"You guys suck." Dawn sighed as she flipped open a book.