Greeting and Salutations. Sorry about the time it's been taking lately. I just got a new job recently and its taking up a lot of time I used to have for writing. Hopefully I can get back into a rhythm soon. Just be patient. Please?

"How did this happen?" Angel muttered. Tara had taken Dru upstairs to bed, leaving Faith and Angel to discuss this latest development, "How the hell did she get a soul?"

"Beats me," Faith said, "We found her like that."

"What were you guys doing in LA anyway?" Angel asked.

"Xander and Oz were the ones that found her," Faith explained, "Botoy had to pick something up from a former X-Man that lived there and Wolf Boy tagged along. They found Dru, almost totally shut down. They brought her here and the Initiative reprogrammed the chip. No one had any idea she got souled."

"I'm going to rip that bastards lungs out when I get my hands on him," Angel growled, "How dare he get her involved?"

"Probably looking for a new science experiment," Faith said bitterly, "Cuttin' up mutants must've gotten boring."

"That's something else I owe him for," Angel muttered. His look soured even more, "I probably won't even get a chance at him. If Logan doesn't kill him, Buffy probably will."

"B?" Faith said, surprised, "Didn't think she had that in her."

"Like father like daughter," Angel said, explaining what had happened to Wild Child, "He's lucky he has a healing factor. I doubt he would have survived long enough to get his guts back in if he didn't."

"Damn," Faith muttered, "I thought I was the hot head. Did she really grow claws?"

"Six of them," Angel confirmed, "Three on each hand."

"Shit."

"Yeah, that's one way of putting it," Angel said. His eyes wandered to the stairs, "How did this happen?"

"Let me get this straight," Buffy said, "You actually met Dracula?"

"More like a collision," Logan said, "A near fatal one, too. If it hadn't been for Lilith, you'd be down a dad."

"Or worse," Shalimar said, "Something else to take care of?"

"Nah," Buffy said, "I'm done chasing vamps. Now, if we 'happen' cross paths, well, that's an entirely different story."

"Buffy Ann Summers, don't even think about going after him," Joyce said sternly, "He's got quite enough to deal with in Lilith."

"His own daughter," Buffy muttered, "Good thing they don't get along, huh?"

"Ya got that right," Logan muttered, "Still can't believe ya haven't run into any mutants."

"Beamer count?" Buffy asked, referring to the GSA agent that had come after her.

"I'd count that as good thing," Shalimar said, "Can you imagine what might have happened if Sabretooth had found her first and recognised dad on her?" A cold shiver ran up her spine, "We may never have found her."

"Or else found her too late," Logan muttered darkly.

"Hey, no frownies," Buffy said cheerily, "I'm here, alive and non evil type. That's all that counts, right?"

"Ya got that right, darlin'," Logan said, "And yer stayin' that way. Both of ya."

"Well, as fun as this was, I think its time for us to get some sleep," Joyce said, "Buffy, your room's exactly as you left it. Shalimar, I have the guest room set up for you. Mr Logan…"

"Just Logan, darlin'," the X-Man said, "And I'm fine on the couch."

"As long as you remember my name is 'Joyce'," she said, "Not 'darlin''. You're lucky you're her father, or you wouldn't get away with it with Buffy. I'll get some sheets."

"I'll get them," Buffy said, "You get some sleep. I'll probably wait for Angel anyway. He's still checking on Dru."

"Alright, hon. Goodnight."

"G'night, mom."

"You should probably call Buffy," Faith said. Angel slapped himself on the forehead.

"Damn, I forgot," Angel said, "She's waiting for the all clear."

"Hey, she'll forgive ya," Faith said, "She thinks the world of you. 'Sides, this is big."

"Yeah," Angel said, getting up and walking over to the phone, "But she should know before tomorrow," he dialled the number, waiting as the phone rang, "Shalimar, put Buffy on. No, things aren't fine. It's a little more complicated than we though. Thanks," there was a brief wait, then, "Buffy. I'm staying here the night. Might not be the best idea right now. She has her soul. Yes, you heard me right," he grinned at a comment she made, "Very funny. No, I'm not all right. Tell Logan I'm going to be right beside him when he gets his hand on this bastard. Yeah, I want leftovers. All right. I'll see you tomorrow. I love you too," he hung up, shaking his head, "Like father, like daughter."

"Summers' residence," Shalimar said, "Is everything alright? I'll get Buffy."

"What's up?" Her sister asked. Shalimar shrugged.

"All he told me was that things had gotten more complicated," she said, handing her the phone.

"Angel, what's up?" There was a moments break, "You want me to come by? Not the best idea? Why…? I'm sorry; I think there must be something wrong with the phone. I thought I just heard you say Dru's got a soul. I… you wanna talk about 'like father, like daughter'… Are you all right, sweetie? You want the leftovers, huh? You and everyone else on the planet. I'll let dad and Shal know. Tomorrow then. I love you," she sighed as she hung up the phone.

"What's up?" Logan asked, walking in from the lounge room.

"Angel wants the leftovers from this creep," Buffy said, "It seems Dru somehow got her soul along with everything else."

"Flamin'…" Logan made his way out to the backyard. Moments later there was a crash.

"I don't think I'm climbing down that tree anymore," Buffy muttered sourly.

"What was that?" Joyce asked, appearing at the top of the stairs.

"It appears Weapon X has been dabbling," Shalimar said, "Dru's got a soul. Buffy told dad and I guess he's taking it out on your trees."

"Those things needed trimming anyway," Joyce muttered shakily.

"I'll…" Buffy began.

"I'll talk to him," Shalimar said, "You two get some sleep."

"Slayer for five years," Buffy reminded her, "I don't need more than four hours sleep."

"Believe me, I know," Shalimar said, thankful she was about to get the first full nights sleep she'd had in a while, "But I think we need to keep a cool head, especially dealing with dad. And you have not got a cool head."

"What are you…?" Buffy began.

"Look at your hands," Shalimar said, "Your claws are about to pop, you're barely in control. I'll handle dad. Get some rest," Buffy looked down at her hands, not really needing to. She could feel the bone blades pushing against her flesh, threatening to burst out.

"Alright," she said, taking a calming breath, "You're right. I'll head to bed."

"Thankyou," Shalimar said. She didn't really understand why Buffy was so angry. She didn't even like this Druscilla, "I'll talk to dad."

"Take a stake," Buffy advised, "You don't have claws, and we are back in Sunnydale."

"Already covered," Shalimar said, pulling a piece of wood out of her jacket, "Never leave Sanctuary without it."

"G'night, sis," Buffy said with a grin, leading Joyce back to her room.

"Sweet dreams," Shalimar whispered, knowing her sister rarely, if ever, had such a thing.

"You done taking your frustration out on the poor trees?" Shalimar asked as she walked out the back.

"Went on to some vamps that were trying to sneak past," Logan muttered.

"You alright?" Logan sniffed at the question, "I'll take that as 'no'."

"What's this Dru like?"

"I haven't had the misfortune to meet her yet," Shalimar began, "But from the descriptions I did get, totally insane, with a hint homicidal tendencies in there for good measure."

"So gettin' her soul isn't goin' ta help things?" he muttered. Although he had no love for vampires in general, he found this experimentation impossible to forgive, mostly because he'd experienced it before.

"I doubt she's much for conversation," Shalimar said, "But she seems to have made some friends. Her, Faith and this Tara girl have been near inseparable from what Willow told Buffy."

"A kindred spirit and an innocent," Logan muttered.

"Yeah, suppose so," Shalimar said, "But we're getting off subject. I was asking about you," Logan sighed.

"I keep thinkin'…" he said, "I had him once. The Director. Had him right where I coulda nailed him. But I disfigured his face a little and let him go."

"So now you're wondering if you should've finished him there and then?" Shalimar asked, "Dad… doesn't matter what you did. They would've just found someone else."

"I know," Logan muttered, "Guess hearing what they did to her… they wanted me ta find her. The adamantium, the claws… it's too close. An' after the attacks on you two, I get the feeling they're tryin' ta get my attention."

"If I didn't think for a moment Creed told them he'd let slip, I'd say you were paranoid," Shalimar said, "But that sack of shit would have told them and enjoyed the look on their faces. Thing is, the guys found her before Sabretooth could've told them. So that leaves two options. One, it was luck, or two…"

"They got wind of the suspicions," Logan said, "That means we got a spy."

Dru walked down the stairs cautiously. She could hear Angel, Faith and Tara.

She could also hear Buffy.

Every survival instinct she had screamed for her to run, to lock herself in her room and never come out.

Her guilt was trying to drive her in there, so she could get what she deserved. Death.

The demon was trying to tell her to kill them all, that things would be better after they were gone. But with all these voices, there was one she could trust. Her constant companion throughout the years.

Ms Edith.

"Go to them," her oldest friend whispered, "Beg her forgiveness. She accepted Angel, even after what Angelus did. She will accept you."

And so she went, her knees shaking. When she walked out among them, she almost collapsed. She felt so alone. But a look around her showed her otherwise.

There was Angel, alive, looking at her reassuringly. Even though he was no longer a vampire, he cared for her, as if he were still her Sire.

Faith was sitting off to one side, smiling at her encouragingly. Even Tara, wonderful, shy Tara, was looking at her unashamedly.

Then, there was Buffy. She was unsure, memories warring with what she had been told, "Go on," Ms Edith whispered.

"Sla… Buffy," she whispered, trying to keep her voice steady. She fell to her knees sobbing, "I'm sorry. What I did, I deserve to die. Kill me, please," no, she hadn't wanted to say that.

"I should," Buffy whispered, "I should dust you now. But if there's anything I know," she gave Angel and Faith a look, "it's that people deserve another chance, if they want it," she bent down, taking the sobbing vampire by her hands and helping her up, "Welcome to the Scoobies, Dru. Stay clean," the seer wrapped her arms around the feral, sobbing into her shoulder, "Easy there, girl. This jacket's 'dry clean only'."

I get the feeling I'm going to get some complaints about Buffy's attitude with Dru. Please remember a few things though. 1) Her forgiveness of angel and Faith, 2) I'm trying to make her out to be a little more mature than in the show and 3) She is Logan's daughter. Even if he didn't raise her, I think she'd have daddy dears ability to reach out to those that need it when given a reason to trust them. The reassurances of the Scoobies, Angel and Tara would be enough I think.

Stay tuned.

Doc.