TITLE: Destiny's Child
AUTHOR: sugarwater
E-MAIL: DISCLAIMER: I own nothing except Breanna, all bow down to the mighty Joss
TIMELINE: Begins mid Season 2
SPOILERS: Probably just about everything
SYNOPSIS: B/A! The Powers That Be have a surprise in store for Buffy and Angel. Btvs re-write – Angel doesn't leave. Whole lot of Fluff and little bit of Angst.
DISTRIBUTION: Anywhere, if you want it, take it, just let me know!
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Very very long epic type story, Chapter 12 takes place around the time of "Faith, Hope & Trick".
FEEDBACK: Craved, oh please, please, please, REVIEW! Constructive crit very welcome
RATING: T
The gang were back sitting inside the Bronze listening to the new slayer's stories. Faith had just finished telling the Scoobies about her toughest kills and Xander was drooling at the sight of the newcomer. Willow and Oz listened intently to the girl who seemed to be the complete opposite of Buffy. Buffy herself wasn't sure what she thought about this new slayer and felt slightly intimidated by her.

Faith took a bite out of her muffin and looked over to Buffy. A mischievous smile played on her lips. "The vamps, though, they better get their asses to Defcon One,
'cause you and I are gonna have fun, you know, Watcherless and fancy-free!" she said with a glint in her eye.

Cordelia laughed. "Well that excludes Buffy…twice" she said.

Buffy looked confused. "I'm neither….what do you mean by watcherless?" she queried.

Faith was puzzled "Didn't yours go to England, too?" she asked.

Buffy shook her head "Nope…was he supposed to?"

"Well, mine went to this retreat thing…hang on, what do you mean you're not fancy free?" Faith asked.

"Buffy has a baby!" Willow told her smiling.

Faith was taken aback. "You serious?" she asked in disbelief.

Buffy tried to half smile "Yeah, she's only a week old" she said.

Faith looked disappointed and was unsure of what to say. "Cute" she replied rather unconvincingly. "Didn't know this job actually had maternity leave" she said.

Buffy was hurt by her disapproval and shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Well, actually she's part of some big prophecy thing so…" Buffy began.

"Yeah, yeah, her mother is a slayer, her father is a vamp, she's gonna save the world yadda yadda…so tell us more about you. Anymore stories?" Xander interrupted, mesmerized by Faith.

"You got down and dirty with a vamp? What was that like?" Faith quizzed Buffy, suddenly intrigued.

"Oh, um…let's not get sidetracked…you know we should probably report to Giles, my watcher, tomorrow and let him know you're in town." Buffy suggested.

"Sure, why not." Faith shrugged, taking another bite out of her muffin.

Buffy was taking an instant disliking to Faith and remained silent as she listened to the overzealous story telling before her, wishing she had never turned up in Sunnydale.

The music played softly in the background as Buffy and Angel slowly danced in the Bronze. Angel wrapped a strong arm around Buffy's waist and pulled her closer as she sighed.

"I miss you" she whispered into his cheek.

"I miss you too, more than you know" Angel replied as tears welled up in his eyes.

Buffy took her hand away from his chest and jumped back when she saw the blood dripping from it. Angel doubled over in pain as the blood started to pour from his chest wound. Cuts began forming all over his body and he screamed in agony.

"Buffy!" he shouted through the pain.

Buffy began crying and panicking and was glued to the spot in fear. "I don't know what to do! How can I help you? Angel tell me what to do!" she sobbed, becoming ever more hysterical.

Suddenly Angel caught fire and in seconds he was consumed by the flames, disappearing before her eyes.

Buffy immediately jolted awake, breathing heavily with tears streaming down her cheeks, unable to get the sound of Angel's screams out of her head. The sound of her baby's crying eventually brought her back to reality as she got up to fetch her from her crib. Breanna's face was red with tears when Buffy picked her up and cradled her. The baby quietly sobbed as Buffy took her back to her own bed and lay down with her. They both cried themselves slowly back to sleep and Buffy was consumed by dreams of Angel being tortured. She wished more than anything that he could be there with them both and hoped that it wouldn't be long before he was set free and returned to her.

Giles walked towards the table in the library and pushed his glasses back up into position as he turned to face the two slayers. "Well I must say, I think it's fortuitous that you've appeared here now, Faith" he said as he sat on the edge of the table.

"Yeah, you can help the Buffster out, take over while she's looking after Bree" Xander said, finding it hard not to stare at the new girl's chest.

Buffy frowned and tentatively spoke up. "Well, I'm sure I'll cope with everything just fine…"

Willow interrupted before she could finish. "…That way Buffy won't have to patrol anymore! And we can help you too, just like we used to help Buffy!" she said beaming.

Buffy's face fell as she witnessed the mutiny before her. "It's not like I'm never gonna slay again…"

"Well I think everything's worked out rather well. Faith can take over the slaying for just now, until she goes home" Giles said smiling.

Faith smiled back, not noticing Buffy's look. "Sounds good to me, I'm itching for a good slay. And this towns jumpin' with demons. I'll patrol tonight"

Buffy stood up from her seat and looked slightly annoyed. "Well actually I was gonna patrol tonight anyway so really it's no problem" she said, trying to reinforce her role as slayer of Sunnydale.

"Great, you can show me the ropes then. Fill me in on all the demon haunts, it'll be fun" Faith said excitedly.

"That's a wonderful idea, if the two of you meet here around 8ish I can provide Faith with all the weapons she'll need." Giles said as he reached for his tea.

"Ummm, can we make it a little later? I wanna try and put Bree down before heading out and I promised mom I'd be home for dinner" Buffy said.

There was silence as Willow looked pointedly between Buffy and Faith. Buffy finally realized what she was implying and looked up at Faith disconcertedly. "Umm, to which you're also invited, dinner, with us" Buffy told her reluctantly.

Faith grinned widely at the invite. "Dyin' to meet the fam. I'm in."

"Great! Hey Faith, you wanna hang with us while Buffy takes her make up test?" Willow asked eagerly.

"Say yes and, uh, bring your stories!" Xander chimed in as the trio left the library, leaving Buffy behind with Giles.

Buffy sighed and sat down defeated as she watched Faith walk off with her friends and her life.

Giles noticed her discontented look and sat down beside her at the table. "I get the impression you're not exactly happy about the help" he knowingly said.

"It's not that, well ok it is, it's just…I'm still the slayer. Just because I'm a mother doesn't change that." She sighed. "I mean sure, a little time off to spend with Bree would be great, but I just don't want her to take over"

Giles smiled at his charge and gave her a serious stare. "Buffy you'll always be the slayer, no matter what. Nothing can ever change that. Besides, you're the one the prophecy speaks about, not Faith, so you don't have to worry."

Buffy listened to Giles and was thankful for the perspective. "Thanks. You're right, I'm sorry, I guess I was just feeling a little threatened is all." She reasoned.

He smiled knowingly. "It's understandable. My advice to you now would be to take advantage of Faith's presence while you settle back into school. Besides, she may not be here for very long."

Buffy forced a tired smile and slumped back in her seat. "I know." She mumbled while staring ahead, her mind far away.

Giles intuitively knew that Faith wasn't the only thing bothering her. "Is there anything else on your mind? You seem rather preoccupied." he asked gently.

Buffy looked up at him, suddenly out of her reverie. "What? Oh, no, it's nothing." she said dismissively.

"Are you sure?" he pressed.

"Umm, I've just been thinking about Angel a lot…Giles, how long do you think it'll be before he comes back?" Buffy queried, her voice cracking as she voiced her fears.

Giles averted her gaze and stared at the desk for a moment. "I've honestly no idea. It could be weeks, it could be months, possibly even years. There's no way of knowing." He solemnly said. "The only thing we know for sure is that he will be here for the End of Days, whenever that is"

Buffy slowly gulped as tears formed in her eyes. "What if it's years? This is all my fault, it wasn't meant to be like this, Angel and I were supposed to be together. What if I've ruined it? Giles, I don't know if I can do this without him"

Giles looked her in the eye and touched her hand. "You have to, and you will. Sometimes we think we can't survive without someone but when we're forced with coping alone we surprise ourselves. But Buffy you mustn't blame yourself, you only did what you had to do" He answered knowingly.

"If I had just stopped him before he had begun the ritual he would still be here. Instead he's in hell, and I did that to him!" she cried through her tears.

Giles put his arm around Buffy and held her as she cried. "You can't go on thinking like that. What's done is done, you have to have hope that Angel will be sent back soon. Hope is what keeps us going, it's what keeps me going"

Buffy noticed the distant look in Giles' eyes and immediately felt bad for reminding him about Jenny. "How is she" the slayer quietly asked.

"Same as always, no change." He replied, his voice devoid of emotion as he once again averted her gaze.

It un-nerved Buffy to see him like that, he was meant to be the strong one. "I'm sorry" she whispered.

Giles stood up from his seat and desperately tried to change the subject. "Yes, well I don't want to keep you from your test, you should continue with your revision" he replied before disappearing into his office. Buffy watched him go and sat in silence for a minute, thinking about their situations before opening her book and putting her troubles to the back of her mind.

Buffy sat at the dinner table listening to her mother and Faith eagerly talk about slaying. As much as she knew Faith was there temporarily she couldn't help but resent her presence.

"So Faith, how long do you think you'll be here in Sunnydale?" Joyce asked her as she placed a glass of soda down in front of her.

"A few weeks, until my watcher gets back" she replied between gulping down her drink.

"Well I'm sure Buffy will be thrilled for the time off. Won't you sweetie?" Joyce said cheerily.

"Huh? Um, yeah of course." She said, faking a smile.

"Glad to help" Faith said through a mouthful of fries.

The sound of a baby crying was heard over the monitor on the table as Joyce got up to see to Breanna. "Sounds like someone is awake from her nap" she said as she switched off the monitor.

"No mom, it's cool, I got it, I'm done anyway" Buffy said as she jumped out of her seat and made her way to the stairs. She was desperate to get away from Faith for a while and wanted to see her baby.

Buffy hurriedly entered the dark nursery and picked up the sobbing bundle from the crib. "Hey baby" she cooed as she hugged her daughter close and sat down in the rocking chair by the window. Breanna stopped crying and looked up at her mother who was smiling down at her.

Buffy had only been back at school for two days and already she was missing Breanna terribly. As she fed her baby, she watched the full moon and thought about Angel. She silently prayed to whoever was listening that Angel would soon be brought back safely to her. As she prayed, a shooting star leapt across the sky.

Buffy changed Breanna and made her way downstairs with the now awake baby.

Faith and Joyce were laughing loudly in the front room as Faith recounted one of her famous stories. Buffy uneasily walked into the room with Breanna in her arms as Faith looked up at the baby.

"So this is the kid huh" she said, trying to sound excited.

"The one and only" Buffy quipped as she sat down opposite her mother and Faith.

"Buffy, Faith was just telling me some tall tales" Joyce said managing to stifle her laughter.

"She's got a lot of 'em" she replied whimsically.

"Oh Sweetie, why don't you let Faith hold Breanna?" Joyce suggested excitedly.

Faith immediately frowned at this idea. "Oh no, its cool, I'm no good with kids anyway" she explained.

Joyce got up from her seat and reached out her arms towards the baby. "Well in that case her grandmother would like to see her"

Buffy reluctantly allowed her mother to take the baby from her, reminding herself that she was lucky her mom had finally got used to the idea.

"Actually I was sort of keen to get going, you coming B?" Faith asked as she stood up and grabbed her jacket.

"Oh well, um, I wanted to wait 'til Bree had fallen asleep" Buffy explained.

"You go with Faith honey, it's fine, I got it" Joyce said smiling.

"Umm…ok then" Buffy said unwillingly as she kissed her baby on the head before walking towards the door and heading out into the night with the new slayer.

The air was cool and crisp and a chilling breeze rustled leaves outside the dark mansion. As the cold hair circulated through into the abandoned house, old charred embers of a once raging fire silently stirred.

Out of the deadly silence, a rumbling noise rose from the floor. A minute later a piercingly bright light enveloped the dark room as a portal opened above. A naked body fell from the portal and landed harshly on the cold marble floor. Beads of sweat glistened in the mystical light, as the perfectly toned body lay shivering.

Angel lifted his head and squinted his eyes through the light, unsure of where he was or what was happening…..