Isobel woke with a start. There were voices in the apartment, ones other than her father's. She crept silently to the door, grabbing an axe on the way. She pressed her ear to the door and listened.

'Come on Spike once the sex goes stale in a relationship what else is there? Honestly, without sex the whole thing just becomes annoying and needy and I hate the whole interdependence thing.' Faith collapsed down onto the sofa. 'Faith, pet you and Robin have been together for what nineteen years and now you're breaking up because you're not having enough sex?' Spike tried to get his head around it. Faith and Robin were the constant couple they never had huge fights like him and Buffy. They didn't break up whenever they had a fight like Willow and Kennedy. And they had a kid. Spike looked down at the tiny child in his arms. Sophia was only five weeks old. 'Faith did the whole lack of sex thing just happen recently? Like since Sophia was born?' Spike enquired with a sigh as he rocked the child gently in his arms. 'Yes and I don't get it!' she exclaimed. 'Could it have been that he thought you might not be ready for sex so soon after giving birth?' Spike reasoned out. 'Maybe, but that's no excuse!'. Faith shouted. Spike sighed, post pregnancy hormones he guessed. Faith, he knew, would crash here for a few nights then go home to Robin.

Isobel squealed and ran out of her room into Faith's arms. 'Faithie you didn't tell me you were coming! And you brought baby Sophia!' Isobel yelled excitedly. She jumped up to look at the tiny child. Sophia slept soundly, uncaring of her mother's flight of fancy. Spike sighed again. 'Faith you can have my room and I'll take the sofa. Iso, can you go out later and find a cot from somewhere? Maybe the poof has one.' Spike sat down, still holding the baby. 'Who's the poof?' inquired Isobel. 'He's referring to Angel, your mom's ex boyfriend and the original souled vamp.' Faith explained. 'My grandfather.' Isobel said succinctly. 'Long story.' Added Spike 'A very long story.' ****************************************************

Isobel and Faith walked up the steps of the hotel a little over an hour later, having left Spike on babysitting duty. 'I cannot believe that you are Queen C's daughter! Okay now that I think about it there is a slight resemblance in your height but you're blond with blue eyes!' Faith was still in shock. 'Appparently I got them from my grandmother Darla.' Answered Isobel pushing the heavy door of the hotel open. 'Never met her.' Responded Faith 'Angel's been keeping this place nice.' She commented. 'Angel?' Isobel called, uncertainly, wondering if he was even home. 'He's gone out' answered Ben, as he walked down the stairs 'Can I help?' 'Probably not, I was looking for a loan of a cot or a Moes basket or anything.' Isobel answered shyly. She didn't know how to act with Ben now. Even a week ago they had been teenagers in serious lust, maybe even love. They hadn't been able to keep their hands off each other but now everything had changed, changed utterly. Everything Isobel had thought as being certain, as unquestionable as the earth was round, had shifted. All her certainties were gone and she didn't know about Ben anymore. Perhaps she had changed too much, gone was the carefree, uncomplicated girl. She had been replaced by a girl so utterly entwined in Ben's family's history. A girl who had discovered where she came from. A girl who was confused as hell. But boy was Ben hot. He interrupted her thoughts by answering her. 'I think we still have my one in the store room. Give me a few minutes and I'll go have a look.' Ben was eager to help her 'Why don't you have a coffee or something, really just help yourselves. Ben was so distracted by the fact Isobel was standing in front of him he didn't even ask why exactly she needed a cot or who the woman was with her.

As he disappeared from sight, Faith enquired about him. 'What's going on there? You could have cut the tension with a knife! And the way that boy was looking at you! You'd better be glad your dad didn't see that!' Faith pulled Isobel over to the coffee machine. 'Tell me all baby belle!' she slipped back to using Isobel's childhood nickname. 'There isn't much to tell. We kind of dated for a while but then I found out about Angel and my mother and everything and we haven't really talked or even seen each other.' Isobel sat down 'And don't call me baby belle! Do I look like red plastic wrapped cheese? I'm too old for nicknames.' 'Hey I'm your honoury aunt so you are never too old for me to call you by your nickname. It's my prerogative.' Faith teased Isobel 'Come on tell me all about it.' 'Well I mean it's not like we were in some big love affair. It was probably pretty major lust but not love. It was like we were in our own little bubble and nothing could touch us. He didn't know about all my complications and I didn't know about his and now that's gone. My life has come crashing in and destroyed whatever chance we had.' Isobel poured herself a big mug of coffee. Faith looked at her, and took a while to think. 'Well why can't you two at least try another date? I'm not saying that you declare your undying love or lust but you need to know what's going on. You need closure or you'll always wonder what would have happened...Wow did I just give good advice? Advice that doesn't involve violence? Guess this whole motherhood thing is changing me.' Faith wrapped her arms around Isobel 'Everything will be okay, trust me I'm an old slayer.' 'You're not that old!' Replied Isobel, her voice muffled by Faith's shoulder. 'Yeah I'm not old compared to Angel or Spike but to normal everyday people I'm getting old.' Faith answered 'But maybe getting older and wiser isn't such a bad thing.' 'Wiser? Faith you arrived here having left your partner of nearly twenty years just five weeks after having your first child. That's not wise, in fact it's kind of stupid.' Isobel teased Faith. 'Stop being sensible! You're not too old to be sent to your room.' Faith replied laughing.

Ben returned to this happy scene, lugging the cot up the stairs from the basement. 'I found my old cot but it's fairly heavy. I could borrow my dad's car and drop it over to your apartment if you want?' he offered. 'It's okay I can carry it back.' Isobel replied, picking up the cot like it was a feather. 'No Isobel!' Faith shouted. 'What?' Isobel looked back at Faith. 'I'm certain that if Ben had a hard time carrying that cot then it will be far too heavy for a GIRL to carry across the city.' Faith placed a heavy emphasis on the word girl. 'I think it's far better if Ben drops it around later on, don't you?' It took Isobel a minute to catch on. 'Oh I suppose it would be too heavy for me to carry. Ben are you sure you don't mind dropping it over later on? It would be so nice of you.' Isobel smiled, and she remembered what she had been taught by the older slayers. Unbreakable Rule 1. Never ever act like you're strong around guys you like. Let them think that they are strong and all that so you don't dent their delicate egos. Unbreakable Rule 2. Act like you're scared at horror movies even if you see more blood on a daily basis than is used in the entire movie. Unbreakable Rule 3. never, ever EVER let them find out that you could kill them in less than three seconds.

Maybe, thought Isobel, if I try and stick to them I'll have a shot at getting him back. Even if it means I have to flick my hair and bat my eyelids. I mean it can't be that hard to keep up the pretence that I'm a nice, normal girl who just kills demons in her spare time. Isobel felt Faith link her arm and lead her out of the hotel. 'Bye Ben!' Faith yelled happily, as Siable realised that she still had the diary in her bag. Not that she had any idea what to do with it.