Conner didn't knock but walked in to find Buffy hugging herself on the bed. She tried to stop crying but once Conner sat down and wrapped and arm around her she just lent into him and cried. Conner didn't mind seeing Buffy this way and just sat there as he witnessed his mother's breakdown. He petted her head and whispered calming words until Buffy was finally calm. She was down to only sniffles by the time she took her head away from Conner's.
She tried to smile, "I'm really sorry Conner. I didn't mean to you know, cry uncontrollably on your shirt."
Conner smiled, "Don't worry about it. It's the first time I've seen some emotion around this place besides love and worry."
Buffy shook her head, "Wierd seeing as that's all I want."
Conner sighed, "It's not as great as you think."
Buffy nodded, "But better then feeling anger all the time."
Conner grabbed his mother's hand, "What got you so mad?"
Buffy shrugged, "My whole life people have been telling me how great I am at killing things, how I have so much physical strength and then right before I died the first slayer told me death was my gift. I understood she meant me dying to save the world because I did but...but when I came back I was unhappy, like my death wasn't a gift but a curse because I couldn't rest. Now that's all I hear. That i'm a slayer, that I should kill vampires. Everyone looks at me like a conveniant savior and Cordy saying it all out loud finally got to me."
Conner rubbed Buffy's back, "Shh, it makes sense Buffy. All the people that really make a difference get ignored until they're needed."
Buffy nodded, "I guess you're right."
Conner stopped rubbing her back and sat still facing the floor. When Buffy turned his face to her's he knew he had to ask the real question, "You said you were leaving downstairs."
Buffy nodded and looked towards the floor, "I can't stay here forever. I don't want to leave you but Angel decided a long time ago that we stay away and he has this whole new life."
Conner couldn't look her in the eye so he moved a little bit away from her, "I knew you were going to leave before but when we found out the truth...about you and me...that I have a mother that's you...I kind of figured things would change."
Buffy nodded, "It's not like we're never going to see each other again. I mean you are a teenager and I don't think your dad will say no to visits. Plus I might die in this upcoming apocolypse."
Conner's head shot up at her words, "What?"
Buffy sniffled a little bit, "The worlds ending in Sunnydale and of course I have to lead. I seem to die every two or three years."
Conner shook his head, "You won't die. If I know dad's little family the second he knows you all need help they'll come running. Plus you know I'm already there."
Buffy smiled, "At least it won't be just me and Spike now."
Conner nodded, "So what's the deal with Spike? I can tell you guys have quite a history."
Buffy sighed, "Oh yea. A really bad history. He tried to kill me, then he tried to sleep with me and then he got a soul and now I don't know if I want to be with him."
Conner smiled, "So you two never actually..."
Buffy blushed as she looked down, "No we did. When I was in that bad place after I was brought back, Spike made me feel real. I needed someone who needed me and he was there and he appreciated me plus a hugs release of tension."
Conner nodded obviously hurt, "At least he treats you like you should be treated."
Buffy looked appreciative in seconds, "He does now."
Conner smiled to himself before explaining, "Just don't marry him because I think my brother becoming by step dad would be kind of gross."
Buffy started laughing in no time, "Don't worry. I don't see marriage anytime soon."
Conner nodded and let a small time pass before he spoke again. He waited for Buffy to begin to speak until he did, "I like that you can talk to me Buffy. I mean I'm only 14 I think but I understand you."
Buffy smiled, "I like that I can talk to you too." Then a sudden thought popped into her head. "When's your birthday?"
Conner shrugged, "I don't know. Holtz never really talked to me about it."
Buffy smiled, "Let's go find out."
Conner nodded, "You gonna be okay?"
Buffy nodded, "Yea, I'm all packed and you kind of calmed me so I'm of the good. Now let's see who lands the jump off the railing."
Conner smiles, "Last one to Spike has to hug him."
Buffy shook her head, "What if I want to hug him?"
Conner shook his head, "Just picture me hugging him and you won't want to."
Buffy gazed into the cieling as she pictured it. "You're on!"
-Downstairs-
Angel stared dumbfounded at the rest of the room as he had just taken in all of the information. Buffy was his childs mother. Everything he'd known was different and he had no idea what to feel. He knew Conner was defenitely not fond of him and with how attracted he seemed to Buffy earlier he didn't even know if he would want to be with her more or what would happen with Buffy and his relationship again. This was probably why the smirk on Spike's face was starting to get to him.
Spike did finally break the silence though, "Looks like I have a little brother."
Angel shook his head in anger, "You are never going to say that agin."
Spike's cocky grin grew wider, "Actually it was Buffy who said it first."
Angel was in shock as he heard this. Already things were changing. Angel looked directly at Wesley, "How did this happen?"
Wesley sighed, "It's all very unclear at this time. I don't even know it's real, not until I test him and her. It's happened before Angel. Spike speaks of a man named Robin. His mother was a slayer in love with a vampire. The vampire slept with another one and the woman gave birth to Robin but she had to stake herself. Robin's mother the slayer was proved his mother and the vampire his father."
Angel shook his head, "Which slayer was this?"
Spike looked down kind of embarassed, "New York mate."
Angel shook his head, "Please tell me you're not daddy."
Spike laughed a little, "No just a murderer."
Angel couldn't believe what he was hearing, "Why is it slayers?"
Wesley hit himself in the head as he sat down on the desk shaking his head. "I can't believe I didn't remember this before. I can't believe Giles didn't tell her."
Angel and Spike looked extremely worried, "What's wrong Wes?"
Wesley looked at them both with sympathy, "Slayers aren't aloud to have kids. It's physically impossible."
Spike shook his head, "That can't be. She's always going on about how she wants like three kids and how she's going to name them after us and wheather they're girls or boys."
That hit everyone hard especially Spike obviously. Wesley had to explain though, "A slayer was created for only one reason and a child would only get in the way of her duty especially if the slayer lived passed 21."
Faith who was in the room actually showed a sign of pain, "Never?"
Wesley realized she was there and regretted saying it so bluntly, "I'm sorry."
Faith shook her head trying not to show any sort of pain, "No don't even worry about it. It's not like I planned kids anyway."
Angel tried next, "Faith..."
Faith shook her head, "No seriously, now that i know I don't really have to worry about sex right. I mean it's all for the better."
Spike shook his head, "Money says you dream of the kids and house and normal life just like she does. It hurts and it will for a while but you deal just like always. Problem with you is you don't know how too. Looks like another thing you and Buffy get to do together."
Faith shook her head, "I understand that but it's Buffy. I mean I've done some helpful stuff but no one deserves this more then her."
Spike and Angel couldn't believe what they were hearing. Angel finally sat down and defended her, "She doesn't deserve this. Is there anything in this world she can have? I mean everything she has get's taken away from her and everything she wants comes last. She does everything, where's her reward?"
Spike smiled as he stared upwards, "Right there!"
As soon as he spoke Conner and Buffy jumped off the railing together and landed in rolls but they didn't stop there. With giant smiles they hopped to their feet and raced towards Spike. Buffy was winning again and as she ran to Spike she touched him on the shoulder and then turned around to see Conner running right behind her. When Conner stopped he actually had his hands wrapped around Spike so he was hugging him. Spike instantly started pushing them away making 'get off me' noises and angry faces which only made Buffy and Conner laugh more. They fell to the couch laughing.
Gunn was the first to speak, "Looks like Buffy won again."
The room was filled with laughter as they watched Buffy and Conner together. Angel especially couldn't take his eyes off them as happiness filled his soul completely. There was tons of remorse lingering in him for Buffy and her handicap of not being able to have kids but seeing them together was enough to earse it even for a few minutes.
Spike walked a little closer to Angel and whispered, "Looks like you got what you've always wanted. If you were smart you'd play your cards right this time instead of folding."
Angel couldn't respond as he continued to admire his dream. It was minutes before the room finally calmed down. Spike looked back and forth between Buffy and Conner, "Looks like you're all better now."
Buffy nodded, "I got some things out of the way."
It was back to sympathy as everyone remembered the conversation before Buffy and Conner came in. Conner looked around the room scared, "What's going on?"
Spike smiled, "Nothing. Just a little conversation about Sunnydale."
Conner nodded but Buffy knew different. She stared into Spike and Angel's eyes knowing something was coming her way. She stood up along with Conner. She turned to him as she spoke, "Why don't you go grab my coat upstairs and my good shoes in my bag? We'll go survey some damage."
Conner nodded happily not knowing why she was really asking him to go, "Sure. Can we grab another pizza because the last one was eaten by everyone but us."
Buffy smiled, "Of course."
Conner nodded and took off upstairs. Buffy noticed Angel's smile and could only smile back. That was until she glanced over at Spike, "So what's going on?" Angel stuttered his words until buffy got angry and stood in front of Spike. "I want to know."
Spike looked her in the eye, "We think the reason Conner is yours is because slayers aren't aloud to have kids, ever. Physically your body can't handle it."
Buffy shook her head and then looked at Faith. Faith just stared back with sorrow in her eyes which is when Conner decided to come running down the stairs. "You ready to go?" He noticed the expression in Buffy's face and then looked directly at Spike and Angel, "What did you guys do?"
Buffy shook her head, "They didn't do anything. I just got word from Sunnydale and I was thinking about it. No worries, let's take off, I could use a workout."
Spike grabbed her hand as she left, "Buffy."
Buffy slowly pulled free, "We'll talk later. Right now I am going to go on a patrol with Conner and then come back in about half an hour to decide how we're going to kill the beast. If you and Angel wish to come fine."
Conner interrupted with a small laugh, "A family outing."
Buffy couldn't help but smile before continuing her speech, "We won't talk about anything that just happened and you can have a work out because I know you haven't punched anything in days besides Angelus. Other then that we're leaving now."
Faith stood up, "Can I come? I haven't been outside in quite a while."
Bufffy nodded, "Let's ride." She looked at Willow. "Can you start researching how to kill beast guy and who he's working for?"
Willow nodded almost crying, "Of course."
Buffy walked over and hugged her, "I'm fine. I can hold my own."
They let go and Willow watched her walk to the door, "Take care of yourself. You can't die for another few weeks."
Buffy smiled, "We'll be back in about half an hour to an hour. All you guys are on research. Later." And with that Faith, Spike, Angel, Conner and Buffy were gone.