Catch 22
A/n: U MITE WANNA GRAB A TISSUE!!!
"Peanut wake up sweetie, pancakes are on the island and Kevin will be here in fifteen! Don't forget to brush your teeth and lock the door before you leave! I will be back by five tonight and hopefully supper will be on the table ready and waiting!" Angel said with a smile shouting up the stairs fondly, to his only daughter. Rachel was probably in the bathroom doing her routine brush of the hair and apply of the make-up. Women, who understood them anyways.
"Okay daddy," Rachel came bounding down the stairs and gave Angel a quick peck on the cheek, "Have a good day at work and behave!" Rachel scolded teasingly!
Angel looked taken aback but his mouth twitched into a large grin, "Hey who is the parent here?"
"you are but you haven't been for a while I am just getting used to living with my real father," considering him as her parent was a bit of a sore subject but needless to say the two were extremely happy together and had been so for the past two months.
"Now, as I said, no boys in the house, no skirts above the knee and definitely no going out at night, you heard what Giles said!" Angel said sternly.
"Yes daddy, I will see you at five" Rachel put on one of her girlish smiles and shut the door behind her dad. Racing up the stairs Rachel hiked up her skirt, applied a bit of rouge lipstick and made her hair fall in long messy tresses. He sure acted like her father but things weren't going to change too much, she had a reputation to uphold.
As her father had mentioned Kevin was there on time and wanting to go as soon as he could. Him and Angel didn't really get along. Maybe it was Angel's hate for Kevin after catching the two of them on the couch together or the fact that Kevin was still so mad at Angel for leaving Rachel all those years ago. It really was a mixture of feelings. As Rachel came gliding down the stairs his breath hitched in his throat. It always did that when he saw her. She was only fifteen about to turn sixteen and he was seventeen going on eighteen, and even though he had dated so of the most intimidating women, i.e Courtney, she still made him weak in the knees.
"Hey baby!" Rachel rushed over and plopped down in the front of the car and they sped off into the rest of the day. Together they had overcome a lot of things including Rachel's road to recovery with her father. After that night, the one break through, Rachel and her father had had counseling and some good old fashioned bonding time until it was apparent that both of them had found their lost love. It was only shortly that she and her father were having long talks about nothing but everything at the same time. It was that night at the kitchen table that really changed everything. It was what made Rachel know that she belonged with him.
"flash back"
Rachel had just come home from her volleyball practice and needles to say she was definitely wiped out. She dragged her feet over to the couch and just plopped right down, abandoning her book bag by the door. Kevin had dropped her off and gave her a sweet kiss on the cheek then sped off. Willow and Xander were out that night, or so she remembered. Willow had a doctor's appointment for the baby and she had told them many times before that she could certainly handle herself for all of four hours seeing as they had to go into L.A to get to the doctor.
After Rachel had curled up on the couch like a small child, the door had slowly creaked open, fortunately not disturbing her peaceful slumber. A man, tall and dark, had entered the room and shuffled across the living room, where he found her on the couch. He stopped. Had the girl not had chestnut brown hair he would have mistaken her for the younger version of his beloved wife. Leaning over the small girl he extended his hand and caressesed the side of her cheek. It was so warm and soft. Finally the man was able to break away and find a blanket for the sleeping bundle. After finding one in the main hall closet he laid it gently across the girl's sleeping form and was abut to leave when a small hand whipped out of the covers and wrapped tightly around his wrist,
"Daddy?" she wasn't sure if it was him but it seemed as though she just knew the intruder wasn't there to be harmful.
"Yes peanut, I'm here, I knew you were going to be left alone tonight so I decided I should check the house, make sure you were alright," He had said with an uneasy smile and began to leave.
"Wait!" She blurted out, "Do you think you could tell me about, about her?" She said uneasily hoping she wouldn't have to explain who she meant, he always got that much darker when she was mentioned. "It's just that, I don't remember her at all and for all I have heard she was a wonderful person but, I want a straight answer and who better to ask than you? I think I deserve to know."
"Of course you do." He was still looking sad but Rachel decided to ignore it and lead him to the kitchen where he took a seat and she began to prepare some tea. "Rachel, your mother was many things. Lover, friend, protector, savior, but the one thing she liked best was mother. I think that if she could have traded it all she would have had you stay as a baby forever. She just loved being a mother, especially your mother. I remember when she talked to you when you were only a half pint, she would get all glowy and her eyes had this untouchable sparkle that was only there for you. We had the best times, us three. We went to the park and had picnics and you had your very first steps right next door at Giles' old house. Oh, how Buffy doted on you. You were lavished with all things pink and I have to admit I liked to spoil you too. You were a very special baby and for some reason Buffy knew that better than all the rest. Her last words were about you. She said, "Protect her, because some day she is going to change the world." I will take those words to heart. Your mother, Buffy Anne Summers O'connor and you, Rachel Kathy O'Connor are both fighters and that is what I love most about you two. There isn't much more to say, Buffy was Buffy, Buffy was your mother and Buffy was..." he faltered, his vocal chords tied in a knot and his voice cracked, "my heart."
With that Rachel leapt into her father's arms and just tried to consol him the best she could. No one had ever spoken about her mother like that and it broker her heart to see how much he really missed her. She could then finally have some sort of understanding as to what happened and why he left. She was proud that her mother was who she was and all the night they sat together crying in love for the woman that was lost in battle.
End Flash back
"Rachel, earth to Rachel," after coming out of her memories, Kate and Ally her two best friends were staring at her with worry etched on their faces.
"What's up with you girl, you have been acting really strange lately!" Kate, who knew her best, announced.
"Ya, really strange!" Ally hunched over her book nose deep in words.
"I know I am sorry I just feel like something is going to happen very soon." It was like a knowing feeling in the pit of her stomach. Like her and her father didn't have much longer, that something was coming and that she was to play a pivotal roll. Sure she'd say that and they would put her in a nuthouse.
"What like get a B on a test for once!" Kate let out a snicker.
"Yea," Rachel rolled her eyes and decided to keep her mouth shut about her, "feelings".
"So, got any plans tonight?" Ally finally discarded the book.
"Ugh, well family dinner with my dad he is coming home early for me and we are going to have supper together!"
"oh, Rachel! Come on! You always have to have dinner with your dad lately!" Ally pouted and Kate nudged her in the side, "Ow!"
"No, that's cool, it's good have family dinners, I totally support that!"
"Thanks Kate but I am getting a bit annoyed by it too, I think we have worked out the issues already, it's time for a little space you know!"
"Well, I wouldn't mind spending all that time with your dad!" Kate blushed.
"So that's why you are always coming over!" Rachel let out a smirk and buzzed by her two friends, "well ladies I have one more class to go and I am out of here so I will talk to yall' later and hopefully we will be able to meet for the Bronze tomorrow night?"
"Sounds good!" Kate cheered.
"then, maybe we could have a sleepover at your house?" Ally also blushed!
"Would you also like a picture and an autograph to go with that!" The two girls looked at her seriously and Rachel just let out a loud life at their reaction and kept teasing, "I was joking, I am not giving you my dad's picture, besides he is like ancient."
"thirty-three-ish is not old!" Kate mocked.
"old enough! Bye girls and oh by the way Kate you have some drool on your chin!" Rachel loved to poke fun at the girls' crushes on her father. Honestly what did they see besides a handsome muscular guy. Yep it's always fun when all the girls at school think your dad is the number one hottie!
As Rachel was walking down the hallway she got the weirdest feeling that something was watching her. No not something, someone. The more she walked the more she felt someone's eyes boring into her. She quickened her pace and decided to get to class as soon as she could. She swung into her seat but couldn't shake the feeling all day long.
When Rachel got homes she called Willow to check on her pregnancy and then did her homework. By the time that angel had arrived home she had fallen asleep on the couch in a fetus position.
"Sweetheart, come on wake up! The couch isn't too good for that neck of yours!" All Angel got for a reply was a groan of protest, so with steady arms Angel picked up his almost sixteen year old daughter in his broad arms and carried her up to her bedroom. As soon as he let go of her sleepy filled body, she instinctively curled into a ball and clutched the blankets. Angel sat lovingly at the side of her bed and stroked the strands of hair that grazed her forehead.
"Daddy?"
"Yes sweetheart?"
"Tell me again, tell me what she looked like?" Angel suspected she was halfway between sleep and talking.
"She was a mere four year old and I, being the strong and manly six year old that I was at that time grabbed her small little hand and led her away to get some ice cream with your uncle Will trailing behind us. She always said she didn't like the chocolate and that Vanilla was best for her, but the chocolate always suited her Angel. We grew up from them on and it wasn't until she was fourteen that I started to notice her long golden hair and her eyes as fierce as the war god himself..." Angel trailed off, she was asleep and all was well again. With a peck on the forehead, Angel left the room shutting the door behind him. Now it was his turn to cry himself to sleep. --------------------------------------
It was a week until Rachel's Sixteenth birthday and Giles was getting worried. Not only had Rachel not been trained to protect herself until that night, she was still not aware of her crucial destiny. If Giles didn't act fast the whole world would be in ruins. So he picked up his brief case and headed to Willows.
Meanwhile, Xander and Willow were setting up the babies crib, and palying around with the baby monitor.
"Repeating, Mrs. Harris, can you hear me?"
"Roger, roger, Mr. Harris.!" And Willow fell back in a fit of giggles.
"and baby harris? Can she or he here me?"
"I think he can!" Willow smiled and blushed as Xander slowly started to pick up on what she had just let slid.
"He? We are going to have a son?"
Willow just nodded her head in approval, "just call it witches intuition?"
Suddenly Xander jumped across the room and planted a big wet kiss on the mother to be's round belly.
"A son. I am going to have a son."
"yea and hopefully he will be better at sports than you are!" Willow stuck out her tongue just as the bell began to ring.
"I think that's Rachel, she said she might come by to help us out with the baby furniture."
"Alright, now you just rest, I'll get it!" Xander rushed over the the wide oak door and opened it slowly to reveal a figure that seemed a little less teenager and a little more tweed.
"G-man! How goes it?" Xander said with a smile. When the smile was not returned, Xander's face became quite serious and led Giles to the living room.
"Xander, Willow, I am afraid I have some bad news."
"So I guess this isn't a social call?" Willow said with faint traces of hope in her quivering voice.
"I am sorry. I seem to have very lousy timing but it is very important. It is a week until the Savior's sixteenth birthday."
"The savoir? Can't you just call her by her name, she is a person you know Giles." Xander was hurt that a man he had known forever would be as inconsiderate as to mention his Rachel like that.
"I know." Giles bowed his head in shame, "it's just easier to regard her as that because I know the inevitable and it only hurts more to think that she is the daughter of my some-what adoptive daughter."
"Well face the facts her Giles, she is a person and this isn't right. Why can't the pwers ever depend on a pig or a goat why does it always have to be the innocent child?" Willow exclaimed after holding her breath for several minutes.
"It is because she is so innocent and pure that the powers choose her. Trust me if everything were that simple we wouldn't be have these problems. You know what she has to do." Giles eased himself down. He knew this wasn't going to be an easy conversation. However, this was just for Willow and Xander, wait until he would have to break the news to Angel.
"No." Xander stood up and shook his head. "No, you can't do this. You can't just ride in here like you are all high and mighty and take an innocent girls life away all because it was written by a bunch of dead morons. Giles, she is like our daughter, I will not let you sacrifice her."
Giles kept his eyes on the ground. "You are going to have to Xander?"
"Oh yea and why is that?"
"Because if she does die Xander, he will." Giles cast a look in Willow's direction, and Willow clutched her stomach.
Xander stepped back in denial shaking his head, his eyes empty. "No, no?" Xander shook his head in disbelief. If she didn't die his son and wife would. How could he choose? His flesh or the girl he had nurtured for her entire life. Willow broke down in sobs and realized that come what may she had to protect the infant growing inside of her and Xander knew it too so they were both silenced into guilt and heartbreak.
"I think it's time we told Rachel and Angel." Giles cleared his thoart.
"I love Rachel make no mistake but Giles we involve Angel and the whole world goes down. There is no way in hell he will let them do what they are going to do to her. I am sorry Giles and I know it is wrong but if this prophecy is meant for Rachel then it is only meant for Rachel and it is her decision to do what she wants with it but as soon as we involve Angel there is no way this world can be salvaged." Xander needed to protect his son as much as this was killing him inside. The selfish part of Xander knew that one death was better then the deaths of the whole world.
"He's right Giles, Angel must not know until it is too late for him to pull anything." Giles nodded in agreement.
"She is coming by soon for the baby stuff, we can tell her then." Willow supplied.
"Get ready, because today, war starts." Giles rubbed his forehead and Willow left the room.
When Rachel finally got there she opened the door with the key she had already been given awhile ago to find a very morbid living room. Willow and Xander sat in totally silence and she assumed that they were waiting for her to come in. So she tediously pulled off her shoes and joined them on the couch when she noticed the man in tweed sitting in the opposite armchair.
"What's going on."
Willow spoke calmly, "You might want to sit down." And from that point on Giles took it upon himself to explain that the week before her birthday was to be her last. At the end of his long speech and continuous sobs from Willow and the shamed look Xander had that was wracked with guilt, Rachel seemed eerily calm. Though her eyes remained empty. Giles finally came to the end of his discussion and he too had to remove his glasses and wipe the tears from his eyes. All of them had expected her to stomp around, throw things, hit stuff, rebel anything that showed a little emotion then the empty void she was. All eyes were on her when a single tear fell from the corner of her big grown eyes. With a quivering mouth she opened her lips to speak for the first time since her arrival. IT put everyone on the edge of their seats.
"Will it hurt?"
A/n: U MITE WANNA GRAB A TISSUE!!!
"Peanut wake up sweetie, pancakes are on the island and Kevin will be here in fifteen! Don't forget to brush your teeth and lock the door before you leave! I will be back by five tonight and hopefully supper will be on the table ready and waiting!" Angel said with a smile shouting up the stairs fondly, to his only daughter. Rachel was probably in the bathroom doing her routine brush of the hair and apply of the make-up. Women, who understood them anyways.
"Okay daddy," Rachel came bounding down the stairs and gave Angel a quick peck on the cheek, "Have a good day at work and behave!" Rachel scolded teasingly!
Angel looked taken aback but his mouth twitched into a large grin, "Hey who is the parent here?"
"you are but you haven't been for a while I am just getting used to living with my real father," considering him as her parent was a bit of a sore subject but needless to say the two were extremely happy together and had been so for the past two months.
"Now, as I said, no boys in the house, no skirts above the knee and definitely no going out at night, you heard what Giles said!" Angel said sternly.
"Yes daddy, I will see you at five" Rachel put on one of her girlish smiles and shut the door behind her dad. Racing up the stairs Rachel hiked up her skirt, applied a bit of rouge lipstick and made her hair fall in long messy tresses. He sure acted like her father but things weren't going to change too much, she had a reputation to uphold.
As her father had mentioned Kevin was there on time and wanting to go as soon as he could. Him and Angel didn't really get along. Maybe it was Angel's hate for Kevin after catching the two of them on the couch together or the fact that Kevin was still so mad at Angel for leaving Rachel all those years ago. It really was a mixture of feelings. As Rachel came gliding down the stairs his breath hitched in his throat. It always did that when he saw her. She was only fifteen about to turn sixteen and he was seventeen going on eighteen, and even though he had dated so of the most intimidating women, i.e Courtney, she still made him weak in the knees.
"Hey baby!" Rachel rushed over and plopped down in the front of the car and they sped off into the rest of the day. Together they had overcome a lot of things including Rachel's road to recovery with her father. After that night, the one break through, Rachel and her father had had counseling and some good old fashioned bonding time until it was apparent that both of them had found their lost love. It was only shortly that she and her father were having long talks about nothing but everything at the same time. It was that night at the kitchen table that really changed everything. It was what made Rachel know that she belonged with him.
"flash back"
Rachel had just come home from her volleyball practice and needles to say she was definitely wiped out. She dragged her feet over to the couch and just plopped right down, abandoning her book bag by the door. Kevin had dropped her off and gave her a sweet kiss on the cheek then sped off. Willow and Xander were out that night, or so she remembered. Willow had a doctor's appointment for the baby and she had told them many times before that she could certainly handle herself for all of four hours seeing as they had to go into L.A to get to the doctor.
After Rachel had curled up on the couch like a small child, the door had slowly creaked open, fortunately not disturbing her peaceful slumber. A man, tall and dark, had entered the room and shuffled across the living room, where he found her on the couch. He stopped. Had the girl not had chestnut brown hair he would have mistaken her for the younger version of his beloved wife. Leaning over the small girl he extended his hand and caressesed the side of her cheek. It was so warm and soft. Finally the man was able to break away and find a blanket for the sleeping bundle. After finding one in the main hall closet he laid it gently across the girl's sleeping form and was abut to leave when a small hand whipped out of the covers and wrapped tightly around his wrist,
"Daddy?" she wasn't sure if it was him but it seemed as though she just knew the intruder wasn't there to be harmful.
"Yes peanut, I'm here, I knew you were going to be left alone tonight so I decided I should check the house, make sure you were alright," He had said with an uneasy smile and began to leave.
"Wait!" She blurted out, "Do you think you could tell me about, about her?" She said uneasily hoping she wouldn't have to explain who she meant, he always got that much darker when she was mentioned. "It's just that, I don't remember her at all and for all I have heard she was a wonderful person but, I want a straight answer and who better to ask than you? I think I deserve to know."
"Of course you do." He was still looking sad but Rachel decided to ignore it and lead him to the kitchen where he took a seat and she began to prepare some tea. "Rachel, your mother was many things. Lover, friend, protector, savior, but the one thing she liked best was mother. I think that if she could have traded it all she would have had you stay as a baby forever. She just loved being a mother, especially your mother. I remember when she talked to you when you were only a half pint, she would get all glowy and her eyes had this untouchable sparkle that was only there for you. We had the best times, us three. We went to the park and had picnics and you had your very first steps right next door at Giles' old house. Oh, how Buffy doted on you. You were lavished with all things pink and I have to admit I liked to spoil you too. You were a very special baby and for some reason Buffy knew that better than all the rest. Her last words were about you. She said, "Protect her, because some day she is going to change the world." I will take those words to heart. Your mother, Buffy Anne Summers O'connor and you, Rachel Kathy O'Connor are both fighters and that is what I love most about you two. There isn't much more to say, Buffy was Buffy, Buffy was your mother and Buffy was..." he faltered, his vocal chords tied in a knot and his voice cracked, "my heart."
With that Rachel leapt into her father's arms and just tried to consol him the best she could. No one had ever spoken about her mother like that and it broker her heart to see how much he really missed her. She could then finally have some sort of understanding as to what happened and why he left. She was proud that her mother was who she was and all the night they sat together crying in love for the woman that was lost in battle.
End Flash back
"Rachel, earth to Rachel," after coming out of her memories, Kate and Ally her two best friends were staring at her with worry etched on their faces.
"What's up with you girl, you have been acting really strange lately!" Kate, who knew her best, announced.
"Ya, really strange!" Ally hunched over her book nose deep in words.
"I know I am sorry I just feel like something is going to happen very soon." It was like a knowing feeling in the pit of her stomach. Like her and her father didn't have much longer, that something was coming and that she was to play a pivotal roll. Sure she'd say that and they would put her in a nuthouse.
"What like get a B on a test for once!" Kate let out a snicker.
"Yea," Rachel rolled her eyes and decided to keep her mouth shut about her, "feelings".
"So, got any plans tonight?" Ally finally discarded the book.
"Ugh, well family dinner with my dad he is coming home early for me and we are going to have supper together!"
"oh, Rachel! Come on! You always have to have dinner with your dad lately!" Ally pouted and Kate nudged her in the side, "Ow!"
"No, that's cool, it's good have family dinners, I totally support that!"
"Thanks Kate but I am getting a bit annoyed by it too, I think we have worked out the issues already, it's time for a little space you know!"
"Well, I wouldn't mind spending all that time with your dad!" Kate blushed.
"So that's why you are always coming over!" Rachel let out a smirk and buzzed by her two friends, "well ladies I have one more class to go and I am out of here so I will talk to yall' later and hopefully we will be able to meet for the Bronze tomorrow night?"
"Sounds good!" Kate cheered.
"then, maybe we could have a sleepover at your house?" Ally also blushed!
"Would you also like a picture and an autograph to go with that!" The two girls looked at her seriously and Rachel just let out a loud life at their reaction and kept teasing, "I was joking, I am not giving you my dad's picture, besides he is like ancient."
"thirty-three-ish is not old!" Kate mocked.
"old enough! Bye girls and oh by the way Kate you have some drool on your chin!" Rachel loved to poke fun at the girls' crushes on her father. Honestly what did they see besides a handsome muscular guy. Yep it's always fun when all the girls at school think your dad is the number one hottie!
As Rachel was walking down the hallway she got the weirdest feeling that something was watching her. No not something, someone. The more she walked the more she felt someone's eyes boring into her. She quickened her pace and decided to get to class as soon as she could. She swung into her seat but couldn't shake the feeling all day long.
When Rachel got homes she called Willow to check on her pregnancy and then did her homework. By the time that angel had arrived home she had fallen asleep on the couch in a fetus position.
"Sweetheart, come on wake up! The couch isn't too good for that neck of yours!" All Angel got for a reply was a groan of protest, so with steady arms Angel picked up his almost sixteen year old daughter in his broad arms and carried her up to her bedroom. As soon as he let go of her sleepy filled body, she instinctively curled into a ball and clutched the blankets. Angel sat lovingly at the side of her bed and stroked the strands of hair that grazed her forehead.
"Daddy?"
"Yes sweetheart?"
"Tell me again, tell me what she looked like?" Angel suspected she was halfway between sleep and talking.
"She was a mere four year old and I, being the strong and manly six year old that I was at that time grabbed her small little hand and led her away to get some ice cream with your uncle Will trailing behind us. She always said she didn't like the chocolate and that Vanilla was best for her, but the chocolate always suited her Angel. We grew up from them on and it wasn't until she was fourteen that I started to notice her long golden hair and her eyes as fierce as the war god himself..." Angel trailed off, she was asleep and all was well again. With a peck on the forehead, Angel left the room shutting the door behind him. Now it was his turn to cry himself to sleep. --------------------------------------
It was a week until Rachel's Sixteenth birthday and Giles was getting worried. Not only had Rachel not been trained to protect herself until that night, she was still not aware of her crucial destiny. If Giles didn't act fast the whole world would be in ruins. So he picked up his brief case and headed to Willows.
Meanwhile, Xander and Willow were setting up the babies crib, and palying around with the baby monitor.
"Repeating, Mrs. Harris, can you hear me?"
"Roger, roger, Mr. Harris.!" And Willow fell back in a fit of giggles.
"and baby harris? Can she or he here me?"
"I think he can!" Willow smiled and blushed as Xander slowly started to pick up on what she had just let slid.
"He? We are going to have a son?"
Willow just nodded her head in approval, "just call it witches intuition?"
Suddenly Xander jumped across the room and planted a big wet kiss on the mother to be's round belly.
"A son. I am going to have a son."
"yea and hopefully he will be better at sports than you are!" Willow stuck out her tongue just as the bell began to ring.
"I think that's Rachel, she said she might come by to help us out with the baby furniture."
"Alright, now you just rest, I'll get it!" Xander rushed over the the wide oak door and opened it slowly to reveal a figure that seemed a little less teenager and a little more tweed.
"G-man! How goes it?" Xander said with a smile. When the smile was not returned, Xander's face became quite serious and led Giles to the living room.
"Xander, Willow, I am afraid I have some bad news."
"So I guess this isn't a social call?" Willow said with faint traces of hope in her quivering voice.
"I am sorry. I seem to have very lousy timing but it is very important. It is a week until the Savior's sixteenth birthday."
"The savoir? Can't you just call her by her name, she is a person you know Giles." Xander was hurt that a man he had known forever would be as inconsiderate as to mention his Rachel like that.
"I know." Giles bowed his head in shame, "it's just easier to regard her as that because I know the inevitable and it only hurts more to think that she is the daughter of my some-what adoptive daughter."
"Well face the facts her Giles, she is a person and this isn't right. Why can't the pwers ever depend on a pig or a goat why does it always have to be the innocent child?" Willow exclaimed after holding her breath for several minutes.
"It is because she is so innocent and pure that the powers choose her. Trust me if everything were that simple we wouldn't be have these problems. You know what she has to do." Giles eased himself down. He knew this wasn't going to be an easy conversation. However, this was just for Willow and Xander, wait until he would have to break the news to Angel.
"No." Xander stood up and shook his head. "No, you can't do this. You can't just ride in here like you are all high and mighty and take an innocent girls life away all because it was written by a bunch of dead morons. Giles, she is like our daughter, I will not let you sacrifice her."
Giles kept his eyes on the ground. "You are going to have to Xander?"
"Oh yea and why is that?"
"Because if she does die Xander, he will." Giles cast a look in Willow's direction, and Willow clutched her stomach.
Xander stepped back in denial shaking his head, his eyes empty. "No, no?" Xander shook his head in disbelief. If she didn't die his son and wife would. How could he choose? His flesh or the girl he had nurtured for her entire life. Willow broke down in sobs and realized that come what may she had to protect the infant growing inside of her and Xander knew it too so they were both silenced into guilt and heartbreak.
"I think it's time we told Rachel and Angel." Giles cleared his thoart.
"I love Rachel make no mistake but Giles we involve Angel and the whole world goes down. There is no way in hell he will let them do what they are going to do to her. I am sorry Giles and I know it is wrong but if this prophecy is meant for Rachel then it is only meant for Rachel and it is her decision to do what she wants with it but as soon as we involve Angel there is no way this world can be salvaged." Xander needed to protect his son as much as this was killing him inside. The selfish part of Xander knew that one death was better then the deaths of the whole world.
"He's right Giles, Angel must not know until it is too late for him to pull anything." Giles nodded in agreement.
"She is coming by soon for the baby stuff, we can tell her then." Willow supplied.
"Get ready, because today, war starts." Giles rubbed his forehead and Willow left the room.
When Rachel finally got there she opened the door with the key she had already been given awhile ago to find a very morbid living room. Willow and Xander sat in totally silence and she assumed that they were waiting for her to come in. So she tediously pulled off her shoes and joined them on the couch when she noticed the man in tweed sitting in the opposite armchair.
"What's going on."
Willow spoke calmly, "You might want to sit down." And from that point on Giles took it upon himself to explain that the week before her birthday was to be her last. At the end of his long speech and continuous sobs from Willow and the shamed look Xander had that was wracked with guilt, Rachel seemed eerily calm. Though her eyes remained empty. Giles finally came to the end of his discussion and he too had to remove his glasses and wipe the tears from his eyes. All of them had expected her to stomp around, throw things, hit stuff, rebel anything that showed a little emotion then the empty void she was. All eyes were on her when a single tear fell from the corner of her big grown eyes. With a quivering mouth she opened her lips to speak for the first time since her arrival. IT put everyone on the edge of their seats.
"Will it hurt?"