A/N : Thanx for all the latest reviews; Demonica Mills, kargrif, Moluvsnumber17, reesa, AraelMoonchild, FrannyLovesSpike, Freezyboncoolipants, buffwill, sheilamarie, pixiecorn, Ape18, sPiKe-RoX07, SpikeAngel-Lover - you guys all rock as always! It is so great to know you love reading this story because I am loving writing it. Here's the next chapter...
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)
Chapter 10
The sun shining in through the store window woke young Josh Harris from his slumber, sprawled across a pile of books at the research table.
"Morning Sleepy-Head" Cordy smiled, straightening out his hair for him.
"Mom?" he said groggily as he pulled himself up and stretched, "What time is it?"
"Way past school starting time" she told him, "but don't worry I called and told them you weren't feeling well"
He smiled at both the fact he could skip school and something else too.
"I swear the principal thinks I should be checked over at a hospital, I get 'sick' so much" he air-quoted.
Every time a major battle or apocalypse type situation cropped up he was granted anything from a half a day to a week off school to help deal with it, although he was fairly certain a lot of it was just his Mom being scared she'd never see him again if the worst happened.
"Breakfast!" Xander called to the assembled group as he came in the front door, making the bell jingle. In his arms he had a tray full of doughnuts and other delights, and behind him Becky carried Styrofoam cups of hot chocolate and coffee.
As everyone scrambled to grab food and drinks, the youngest girl walked over to her father's side, the only person not desperate for a jelly doughnut, and handed him a brown bag.
"We didn't leave anybody out" she smiled and he grinned back as he took the bag from her and kissed her cheek.
"Thanks, pet" he winked as he put down the book he'd been studying, took his feet down from the table and walked out to the backroom to warm the blood in the microwave there.
"I guess Aunt Faith didn't get here yet" Becky shrugged as she turned to find her mother behind her.
"Nope, not yet" she shook her head, "but you'll know when she does, your Aunt Faith always manages to make one hell of an entrance" she smiled, wiping sugar from her doughnut off her lips.
Becky laughed.
"I haven't known her to enter a room without yelling since..." her sentence was cut off by the bell above the door ringing once again and a small child who came pelting into the Magic Box, knocking a couple of books flying from a table by the door as she ran around the back of the next shelf.
"...since she was born" Becky smiled, recognising the little girl, and the loud voice that could be heard a full minute before the owner could be seen.
"Amanda Hope O'Connor you get back here now, girl, or there's gonna be a whoopin'!" Faith yelled, soon appearing in the doorway with her hands on her hips.
"I didn't mean it, Mommy" her six and a half year old daughter called from her hiding place.
"I swear to God, Angel" her mother told the man that hovered behind her, "The kid is driving me insane today!"
"Just today?" the ex-vampire smiled as they entered the shop and he stepped around his partner to try and locate his little girl.
"Mandy, honey?" he called, grateful to Willow who silently gestured where she was hiding, "Mandy, come out from there before you break something expensive" he told her, lifting her from behind the shelf and carrying her out with ease, despite the fact she struggled to be free the entire time.
"Well, if it isn't the LA super-couple and their side-kick" Buffy smiled as she walked over to greet them, "Looks like kick is the right word" she noted, not going as close as she might've when Mandy's foot flailed about and came within millimetres of her body.
"I hear you got trouble, B" said Faith as they shared an almost sisterly hug.
"Of the apocalypse kind" she agreed.
Angel finally let Mandy down and she ran straight to Becky.
"Is there any other kind of trouble in Sunnydale?" Angel checked as took his turn to hug Buffy, something that even after all these years still felt a little strange to the both of them.
"Say one thing for my home town" the blonde Slayer smiled, "It's never dull"
The three walked over to join the rest of the gang who all greeted Angel and Faith with hugs and hand-shakes. Mandy was at last still and relatively quiet, seated on Becky's knee and sharing her breakfast. She was the only person it seemed that could keep some control over the little terror that Angel and Faith had spawned, and it often amazed her parents, who usually had terrible trouble keeping the girl in check.
"Daddy said it's your birthday on Saturday" the little girl was saying, "Next Thursday is my half-birthday, and I'll be exactly six and a half then" she grinned proudly.
"Wow, you're growing up fast" Becky smiled back at the child she loved like a cousin "Y'know Mandy I was your age when I first met your Daddy" she glanced up at Angel who smiled also.
"That's actually not strictly true, Becky..."
- - - - - - -
"Just a minute!" Buffy called as someone knocked on the front door. It was almost midnight but Rebecca had decided that this was no time for sleeping and had been trying to scream the house down for the past hour. Rocking the child in her arms she made for the door, checking her robe was securely fastened.
"Angel" she gasped when she found him on the other side.
"Buffy" he half-smiled at the sight of her with the baby in her arms, "and this would be Rebecca" he said, looking down at the child who finally seemed to be quietening down, "She's beautiful"
"Thankyou" Buffy smiled at him, but feeling a little bad. There was a strange look of pain and longing in his eyes, though she was unsure whether it was because he would never get the chance to have kids of his own or because now he'd actually seen Rebecca it was kind of final that they were over.
"Can I come in?" he asked when she was quiet too long and Buffy realised she'd been so lost in thought, she'd almost forgotten he was there.
"Oh sorry, yes, come in" she said, stepping aside. They went into the living room, Angel taking the armchair and Buffy sitting down on the couch opposite with Becky.
"Where's Spike?" the vampire asked, trying to sound casual. Buffy tried not to smile.
"Out patrolling with the gang" she told him.
"Leaving you literally holding the baby" Angel smiled and the Slayer grinned, "Not that you seem to mind at all" he added.
"Nope" she said firmly, eyes fixed on the child, "Becky's the best thing that ever happened to me. I might not have always thought so but now, she and Spike make my world complete" she glanced up then and Angel looked away. She hated to think her words had hurt him but it was the truth, and they'd decided a long while ago that there time together was over.
"Buffy, I'm glad you've moved on and you're happy" he told her, glancing back, though she was fairly certain it was hard for him.
"You should try it" she said with a smile, "The whole moving on deal"
"That's kind why I'm here" he admitted and Buffy looked puzzled by that, "The thing is, well, I've sort of been seeing someone"
"Oh" the Slayer was visibly stunned by that revelation, though she knew she had no real reason to be. Angel was your typical tall, dark, and handsome guy. There was no reason to think that girls wouldn't find him attractive. He was kind and loving, and eager to protect those around him, of course his curse presented some problems but...
"It's Faith" he said suddenly and Buffy's eyes went so wide he thought they might fall completely out of her head.
"Faith" she echoed, trying to take in the concept of the dark Slayer and her ex boyfriend dating, "She doesn't..." she began before laughing lightly, "I was gonna say she doesn't seem like your type, but hey, you clearly like your women to have super demon-killing abilities" she said bordering on nastily and Angel frowned.
"I don't just love her because she's a Slayer" he argued, before replaying his own words in his head and wincing.
"You love her?" Buffy looked at him strangely, almost as if it hurt to hear those words. It was ridiculous really, they both knew it. She was so totally committed to Spike but a part of her would always love Angel, that's just the way it was with first love, she guessed.
"It's so weird" Angel almost laughed, "I can't say it to her, but I just told you without even meaning to" he admitted, "I guess I'm worried that she'll run if I go too fast"
"Going too fast for Faith" Buffy smirked, not unlike the way Spike would, "There's a concept"
"Oh we haven't..." Angel was quick to deny all carnal knowledge of his new girlfriend but Buffy shook her head.
"Angel, it's none of my business what you and Faith do or don't do" she told him, leaning over to put a hand on his arm, "I'm just glad you found someone you think you can be with" she smiled, feeling ridiculously tearful about the whole thing.
"Well, well" said a voice from the door, "Wondered when you'd come darkening our doorway again" Spike looked daggers at his grand-sire as both he and Buffy turned and saw him standing there.
"How was patrol?" Buffy asked him, as she took her hand away from Angel's arm.
Spike walked across the room, keeping his eyes on the other vampire til he reached his Slayer's side. Sitting down beside her he kissed her with some passion, no doubt all for Angel's benefit, before turning his attention to the now sleeping child in Buffy's arms.
"Patrol was fine, staked a couple of baddies" he said with a shrug, "No more news on the big bad skank" he added, referring to Glory. They had yet to figure out exactly what she was or what she was up to, "Little Bit all restless again, was she?" he asked next and Buffy told him how she'd done nothing but scream since he left, up until a few minutes ago.
"Misses her dear old Dad, don't you kitten?" he asked the child, despite the fact she was sound asleep by now. Buffy handed Rebecca over to him and turned to Angel who looked uncomfortable.
"I don't wanna be pushy but if we're done here, I'm kinda tired" she told him and the vampire got to his feet.
"No, that was all" he admitted, "I have a contact down here that I needed to see, I thought I should swing by and meet the little girl I've heard so much about"
"So long, Peaches" Spike smirked as his grand sire headed for the door, "Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out" he added and Buffy rolled her eyes. She loved Spike, honestly she did, but sometimes he could be a real child.
"Thankyou, Angel" she smiled as she opened the door to let him out, "It really means a lot that you would want to come and tell me yourself about Faith" she told him, reaching up to give him a hug, "I really do want you to be happy" she said as she squeezed him tight.
"It's all I ever wanted for you too" he said as they pulled away a moment later, "I see you are now"
"More than I ever thought possible" the Slayer nodded and smiled as her ex went out of the door promising to come visit again soon.
As Buffy closed the door and stepped back into the living room, Spike raised an eyebrow in questioning manner. He may not have seen the hug but he'd heard the words, vampire hearing was a very handy thing.
"He came to tell me that he's dating Faith" Buffy told her 'husband' as she sat back down beside him.
"Old broody pants and the rogue Slayer?" Spike smirked, "Didn't see that one coming"
"I guess they have stuff in common" Buffy shrugged, "Former evil trying to redeem themselves?"
"If that's how it works you're lucky you grabbed me when you did, luv" Spike smirked as she stood up with Rebecca in his arms, "Might have been me that ended up shagging your second in command"
Buffy rolled her eyes and tried not to laugh as she followed him up the stairs. Whatever Spike or Angel said, she was genuinely glad that her ex-love had someone to be with just like she did. No-one should have to go through life alone.
- - - - - - -
"Well, well" said Spike as he appeared from the back room at last, "If it isn't the back-up brigade"
"Uncle Spike!" Mandy shrieked as she scrabbled down from Becky's lap and ran at the vampire, full pelt. Angel blamed the bleached blond almost entirely for his child's often wild behaviour, though she hadn't spent all that much time in his company, she adored her Uncle Spike almost as much as she loved her parents and no-one could really figure out precisely why.
"Hello, Little Bit" he smiled as he scooped her up from the ground, "Bloody hell you're getting to be a heavy one" he complained, "Lucky I got my extra power or you'd break my soddin' back" he told her with a grin, making her laugh.
"Language Spike" Buffy reminded him with a look. He rolled his eyes as he came to sit down again with the little girl on his lap.
"Hey Blondie, what's up?" Faith asked him.
"Five by five, pet" he smirked, stealing her infamous phrase "Yourself?"
"We get by" she smiled, before turning serious, "but I here things ain't lookin' so rosy round here"
"Yeah, we got trouble" Xander chipped in, "Right here in Hellmouth City"
"Giles, you mentioned a Joh'ran Katama" Angel said, turning to the ex-Watcher, "I thought they died out centuries ago"
The older man nodded in agreement, before explaining the situation to the new arrivals.
"Damn, B" Faith exhaled loudly, "When you get Big Bad's around here they're Real Big Bads"
"Tell me about it" Buffy sighed, "but there has to be a way to defeat it. We beat back everything else that ever tried to end the world. However bad it gets I know we can do it again"
"No arguments here, luv" Spike agreed, "Even if I can't go swinging my sword into battle this time, you know I've always got your back, right?"
Buffy nodded, covering his hand with hers on the table. They got their strength from each other as well as the rest of their family and friends. They were all going to have to pull together in a big way on this one, or Becky might never see that sixteenth birthday they'd so been looking forward to celebrating.
To Be Continued...
A/N2 : As usual, let me know what you think by reveiwing please. It is always good to know which bits you like or don't like, any characters well written ir not so well written, etc. I'll update again as soon as I can.