A/N: Short chapter to gauge reaction
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"How goes school?" Willow greeted cheerfully as her daughter walked into the kitchen, and pulled a grape off the bunch on the counter. Izzy hopped up onto the counter, and crossed her legs.
"I am fast coming to the conclusion that Lin knows way too much about me," Izzy answered.
"Ah. He used the fine art of blackmail," Willow interpreted. Izzy nodded her head, her fine brown hair flying.
"How is it we grew up in this tiny street, and yet he has more potential for living off the proceeds of his knowledge than Xander does from you?" Izzy complained. Willow shrugged. The witch had mellowed with time, her red hair still as bright as it ever was, but the slim form was beginning to show signs of age.
"I had more blackmail material available from him," she answered with a sympathetic smile. "How goes the Seth?" Izzy glared at her.
"You were not informed of Seth. Either you've been reading my diary, or you've been scrying. Damn it, Mom, I told you to stay out of my head!" she snapped.
Willow raised a hand. "Guilty."
Izzy sighed, and slid off the counter.
"And the dizzying prospect of babysitting Libby looks ahead. I find it worrying that Anya takes so much pleasure in abusing minimum wage," she considered. Willow shrugged.
"Sweetie, I think Dawnie got first dibs on you." Izzy rolled her eyes.
"Dawn's delightful offspring. Do you think she'd mind if I slanted them into an alternate dimension? Just for a little while?"
"I kinda think she'd go through the roof," Willow answered. A grin split her face. "Hey, wasn't it funny when Libby scribbled on your walls, and you went-"
"Mom, enough with the stories already," Izzy groaned. "Right. I'm gonna go take a shower. And then a long trance. Maybe if I can stupefy myself, I'll get through an evening with the three."
"They're not that bad," Willow said reasonably.
"Mom, Dawn has three hell spawn. How is that not that bad?"
"Well, okay, so Ryan is slightly demonic-"
"He has horns! He has horns, Mom! How is that slightly?"
"Isara, sweetie, you're getting literal. He has horns because of that small accident with a spell-"
"Hey, I was trying to exorcise him!"
"He wasn't possessed!"
"He sure acts like it!" Izzy shot back. Willow conceded.
"True."
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Johnson Avenue was cool and leafy at this point in the evening. The sidewalk was paved, and the large colonial-style houses that the families lived in were white, and friendly. At Christmas, snow falling everywhere made the place look like a particularly corny card. Huge trees covered in green leaves shaded the gardens, and dropped conkers into them when fall rolled around.
Ignoring the tricycles, and the washing line, with the string of garrotted Barbies dangling from it, Izzy pressed the doorbell of number seventy-two.
A frazzled looking Dawn answered, her brown hair swept up in a twist, and her suit already covered in baby spit up.
"Thank you, God. Izzy, please come in. RYAN!" Dawn suddenly yelled. Izzy covered her ears Motherhood had apparently rotted Dawn's brain.
The small boy slid down the banisters, and came to a sulky halt in front of them. His little horns were covered by his dark brown hair, which was always brushed over them. His tiny brows were knotted in a fierce scowl, and his lower lip jutted out.
"Stinky Isara. Don't want her," he announced. A war cry resonated through the house, followed by a high pitched baby wail. Dawn sighed.
"William is up." A four year old charged down the stairs, and skidded along the floorboards to stop in front of Isara, a shiny sword clutched in her chubby fists.
"Hi!" Alexis said happily. "Wanna play demon, and let me slay you?" Izzy added a mental note, never EVER to turn four year old Potentials into legitimate slayers.
"Uh no," Izzy replied. Dawn caught sight of her daughter.
"Lexi, what did we say? We play slayer with Aunt Buffy outside. Slayer is an outside game," she emphasised. She looked at Izzy. "Remind me to kill your mother."
"I think Lexi could manage it for you," Izzy muttered with a tight smile. "Or I will. If I make it out of here."
Dawn had picked up William, the baby, who was now slung across her hip.
"Wills, sweets, don't cry," she crooned. Izzy was thinking that 'shut up before I turn you into a seagull' would be more effective. Wills reached out with sticky hands for Izzy.
"See! He's pleased you're here!" Dawn said happily. "I've got to run, Iz. Have fun!" The door slam echoed in the hall, and Izzy felt her heart sink.
"Playtime!" Ryan announced, with an evil grin.
A/N: REVIEW!
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* ~ * ~ * ~
"How goes school?" Willow greeted cheerfully as her daughter walked into the kitchen, and pulled a grape off the bunch on the counter. Izzy hopped up onto the counter, and crossed her legs.
"I am fast coming to the conclusion that Lin knows way too much about me," Izzy answered.
"Ah. He used the fine art of blackmail," Willow interpreted. Izzy nodded her head, her fine brown hair flying.
"How is it we grew up in this tiny street, and yet he has more potential for living off the proceeds of his knowledge than Xander does from you?" Izzy complained. Willow shrugged. The witch had mellowed with time, her red hair still as bright as it ever was, but the slim form was beginning to show signs of age.
"I had more blackmail material available from him," she answered with a sympathetic smile. "How goes the Seth?" Izzy glared at her.
"You were not informed of Seth. Either you've been reading my diary, or you've been scrying. Damn it, Mom, I told you to stay out of my head!" she snapped.
Willow raised a hand. "Guilty."
Izzy sighed, and slid off the counter.
"And the dizzying prospect of babysitting Libby looks ahead. I find it worrying that Anya takes so much pleasure in abusing minimum wage," she considered. Willow shrugged.
"Sweetie, I think Dawnie got first dibs on you." Izzy rolled her eyes.
"Dawn's delightful offspring. Do you think she'd mind if I slanted them into an alternate dimension? Just for a little while?"
"I kinda think she'd go through the roof," Willow answered. A grin split her face. "Hey, wasn't it funny when Libby scribbled on your walls, and you went-"
"Mom, enough with the stories already," Izzy groaned. "Right. I'm gonna go take a shower. And then a long trance. Maybe if I can stupefy myself, I'll get through an evening with the three."
"They're not that bad," Willow said reasonably.
"Mom, Dawn has three hell spawn. How is that not that bad?"
"Well, okay, so Ryan is slightly demonic-"
"He has horns! He has horns, Mom! How is that slightly?"
"Isara, sweetie, you're getting literal. He has horns because of that small accident with a spell-"
"Hey, I was trying to exorcise him!"
"He wasn't possessed!"
"He sure acts like it!" Izzy shot back. Willow conceded.
"True."
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Johnson Avenue was cool and leafy at this point in the evening. The sidewalk was paved, and the large colonial-style houses that the families lived in were white, and friendly. At Christmas, snow falling everywhere made the place look like a particularly corny card. Huge trees covered in green leaves shaded the gardens, and dropped conkers into them when fall rolled around.
Ignoring the tricycles, and the washing line, with the string of garrotted Barbies dangling from it, Izzy pressed the doorbell of number seventy-two.
A frazzled looking Dawn answered, her brown hair swept up in a twist, and her suit already covered in baby spit up.
"Thank you, God. Izzy, please come in. RYAN!" Dawn suddenly yelled. Izzy covered her ears Motherhood had apparently rotted Dawn's brain.
The small boy slid down the banisters, and came to a sulky halt in front of them. His little horns were covered by his dark brown hair, which was always brushed over them. His tiny brows were knotted in a fierce scowl, and his lower lip jutted out.
"Stinky Isara. Don't want her," he announced. A war cry resonated through the house, followed by a high pitched baby wail. Dawn sighed.
"William is up." A four year old charged down the stairs, and skidded along the floorboards to stop in front of Isara, a shiny sword clutched in her chubby fists.
"Hi!" Alexis said happily. "Wanna play demon, and let me slay you?" Izzy added a mental note, never EVER to turn four year old Potentials into legitimate slayers.
"Uh no," Izzy replied. Dawn caught sight of her daughter.
"Lexi, what did we say? We play slayer with Aunt Buffy outside. Slayer is an outside game," she emphasised. She looked at Izzy. "Remind me to kill your mother."
"I think Lexi could manage it for you," Izzy muttered with a tight smile. "Or I will. If I make it out of here."
Dawn had picked up William, the baby, who was now slung across her hip.
"Wills, sweets, don't cry," she crooned. Izzy was thinking that 'shut up before I turn you into a seagull' would be more effective. Wills reached out with sticky hands for Izzy.
"See! He's pleased you're here!" Dawn said happily. "I've got to run, Iz. Have fun!" The door slam echoed in the hall, and Izzy felt her heart sink.
"Playtime!" Ryan announced, with an evil grin.
A/N: REVIEW!