A/N: I've been forcing this out through an uncomfortable writer's block, and so this might not be very good. Of course, if it's good it shows me how absolutely fantastic I am and you should all praise me! Okay, so I'm lonely and I want reviews. Show your love people!

Disclaimer: Only one person was probed during the making of this chapter and it was entirely unrelated to the fic. In point of fact, I'm relatively sure it heads into Too Much Information territory, which is a lovely country full of manacles and leather heels.

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Catching up

It was entirely overwhelming. In most situations Buffy found herself in, she was whelmed. Underwhelmed even. This was out of her league. It wasn't the big things that were bothering her. Survive certain death, become a ghost, travel in time, all standard for a Slayer in the line of duty on a Hellmouth. Her problems were the small details. Well, maybe not so small.

Spike had a kid. An adorable little girl who was currently dozing in his arms. No word on the mother, but Buffy hadn't really asked. You know, vampire with a kid and all. Pretty big news, as far as news went. Angel and Giles had both always said that vampires couldn't have babies and she'd always thought one of them would know. Hell, even she'd know. Either no-one knew or they were all keeping hush about it.

That wasn't all the big news, either. Tara had died, and Willow had turned evil to get revenge against the demons who killed her. Tara, who'd been so supportive of Buffy until she got brain sucked by Glory. Buffy was sure she would be grieving later.

Giles had moved back to England, taking Willow with him. Apparently he couldn't bear to live in Sunnydale after Tara was killed as well, and he took Willow to some coven or convent or something so she'd stop being all evil and vengeancy.

Xander and Anya had gotten married, too, and had two kids of their own. Xander looked a lot older, really grown up, and he had a scar that led up into his hairline - the remnants of an apocalypse attempt. Anya had aged well, and she looked really happy. Their kids were adorable.

Dawn had grown up the most, though. In her final year of college and graduating with a major in psychology. She wasn't a gangly teen anymore, no she was… a woman. She wore her hair a lot shorter now, and she had something on that wasn't a pastel colour. She probably didn't even listen to boy bands anymore, and Buffy felt a pang in her chest when she realised how much she'd missed.

"I'm on patrol tonight," Spike said. "Mind if I leave her here for the night, love?"

Faith nodded. "No problem, Spike."

"Thanks," he said, relieved, "I don't like leaving her at home alone, and bringing her with me probably isn't the best idea. I'll be around to pick her up tomorrow, after I wake up."

Dawn perked up at the comment. "Can you pick me up before you come here tomorrow, Spike?" she asked suddenly. "I have really important classes tomorrow, but I'm free after lunch."

Buffy watched on as the gang made their plans around their jobs, their school (amazingly, Faith was actually doing a course at the local college) and their kids. It struck her again how much the lives of those she loved had changed.

"So it's settled," Dawn said, clearly satisfied. "Spike will pick my up after class, then we'll come here tomorrow around one thirty. After getting the little monsters ready-"

"My kids are not monsters," Anya grumped.

"Xander and Anya will be here at about two," Dawn continued as though nothing had been said. "Hopefully we'll be able to have a bit of a party."

"They're just spirited," Anya muttered sullenly.

"Sounds good to me, pet," Spike said warmly. He rose. "Night all. Glad you're back, Buffy," he said coolly, before heading out. His leaving heralding the break-up of the night as everyone went back to their home or dorm room.

That was something else that was strange now. Spike didn't look at her like he used to. Now he was very cool, almost curt. He even called her Buffy around everyone, and he'd never done that before. Six years probably changed even Spike.

"I'm going to hit the hay, B," Faith said, lifting Caitlin as she stood. "You going to be okay?"

"Yeah," Buffy said absently. "I'll just sleep on the cot in the basement."

"Night, B."

"Night, Faith."

XXX

Buffy stared at the door. It was old weather-beaten wood, probably oak or something fancy like that. It was solid after years of being a door in the driving wind and rain, not that you got much of that in California. She idly wondered how much force it would take to splinter it into pieces. She was a horrible person.

There could be no doubting it. A good person would be grief-stricken, would at least be sad. Buffy felt nothing. She was empty. Her mother had died, the funeral had been earlier today, and Buffy had yet to shed a single tear. It wasn't like she was being brave, she didn't even feel an urge to cry. She was numb.

She was all alone. It was too much. She had Dawn to worry about now, and paying the bills and looking after the house and her mom was dead and she felt nothing, not even when Angel showed up or when he left. She was a horrible, horrible person. The door swung open.

"Slayer?" Spike asked quietly, leaning on the doorframe.

Buffy took a step closer to him. "Do you love me, Spike?"

"Of course I do."

Buffy took another step closer, she could smell him now. "Tell me you love me."

His eyes are filled with a desperate hope, and when he speaks his voice is hoarse. "I love you, Buffy."

She crushed her lips to his and pushed him into the crypt, her hands frantically pressing over his cool, hard body, her right fingertips trailing down behind his belt to grasp his--

Buffy awoke with a start.

The sight before her eyes was not a pretty one. Well, it was a pretty one but it was squinting in a disturbing fashion. Nothing should be able to make such a horrible face on command. Caitlin was managing to squash her forehead down, and yet her nostrils had flared to twice their normal size while her mouth looked like she'd been chewing lemons. Buffy had a sneaking suspicion that this was Caitlin's thinking face and she was worried she would see it more in future.

Buffy propped herself on her elbows and looked at the little girl. Katie had seemingly decided that kneeling in Buffy's stomach while she was sleeping was a perfectly acceptable place to have a think. The girl was absently poking her delicate little fist in and out of Buffy's ethereal body.

"Buffy," Katie began, her face smoothing, "if you're a ghost, why don't you fall through the bed?"

The Slayer blinked. Blinked again. Her eyes widened slowly before she suddenly dropped and found herself under the bed, staring at the springs in a nonplussed manner. That was very embarrassing. She didn't really feel anything, even though it was really wiggy when she went through solid objects like that, but she'd slept on the bed all night and only now it decides that a ghost can't stay on it.

Buffy jumped a little when Katie's head swung down suddenly to hang upside down and look at the ghostly Slayer, her pale hair hanging like a curtain.

"Why don't you and my Dad like each other?" she asked suddenly.

"W-what?" Buffy stuttered.

"Well," the little girl drawled, "you know all of my grown-ups and everyone got real excited when you showed up like it was the bestest thing ever, by my Dad didn't."

Buffy hesitated. "It's… complicated."

"Oh," Katie sighed disinterestedly, "you mean it's boring."

The Slayer's mouth opened to correct her. Then closed. She hadn't spent a lot of time looking after little kids recently, but she was pretty sure you didn't mention any sexcapades to the child. "Yeah, that's what I meant. Boring."

XXX

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaargh!" Caitlin screamed, brandishing the stake like a sword as she hurtled from the kitchen.

Faith carefully sipped her coffee and tried to block out the screeching child. She knew there was a reason she didn't offer to look after Katie more often. This was the last time she'd help Spike out.

"Is she always like this?" Buffy asked incredulously.

"Until she gets tired or bored, pretty much," Faith muttered. The ominous tinkle of broken glass echoed from the other room, accompanied with a sinister silence. Faith idly contemplated kicking Spike's ass more than usual next time they sparred.

"So," Buffy began, fidgeting nervously. "Who's Katie's mom?"

Faith was quiet for a moment. "Don't think I can tell you, B. Not my story to tell."

"Did Spike love her?" she asked quietly.

The Slayer thought for a while, remembering the birth of Katie and before. "Yeah. He did, B. He did."

"aaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" the little girl wailed as she streaked into the room, ending the conversation more effectively than a demon attack.

With a put-upon sigh, Faith's hand snaked down and snatched the stake from Katie's little fist and looked at the kid. Not angry or pleading or anything, just looking without speaking. After a second Katie started to fidget. An expression of agony passed over her face, before settling into one of dread.

"Auntie Fayt? I accidently slayed your flower pot," she said in a small voice, staring at a point between her feet.

Faith took a deep breath. The only thing in her house that could even be mistaken for a flower pot was a very expensive Urn of Osiris that had been a gift from Willow. She looked at the pitifully guilty expression on the little girl's face and heaved a sigh before picking her up and planting her on a stool.

"You want some breakfast, kiddo?"

"Coco Pops?" she asked excitedly.

"Nah, you know your dad would get mad if I gave you those for breakfast. How about some eggs?" Faith asked as she looked into the fridge.

"Okay," Caitlin sighed. Suddenly, she perked up. "Does that mean I can have Coco Pops for lunch?"

Faith's lips twitched. "We'll see."

As Faith gathered the eggs and cooking stuff, she heard Caitlin ask Buffy, "Why aren't you falling through the chair?"

The Slayer looked over her shoulder to see a very disgruntled Buffy now seated on the floor. She grinned at the blond as she got up, muttering and dusting herself off, before turning her attention to the eggs.

"How old are you Buffy?"

"I'm twenty years old."

"Wow. You're tiny to be that old. Did you eat your vegetables when you were growing up? My dad says you don't grow up to be tall if you don't eat your vegetables. Is that what happened to you? Did you eat too much candy? I like candy. I got some at Halloween last year. I wanted to dress up as a princess only Seth said he was going to be one of the Wiggles and I said I was going to be a Princess Wiggles and he said you can't be a Princess Wiggles so I got daddy to make me a costume and it had a crown and a long pink dress and a purple skivvy so I could be Jeff because Jeff is the best one because he always falls asleep and you have to yell wake up Jeff just like when my daddy is sleeping on Easter and I have to wake him up by jumping on the bed and yelling wake up daddy so I can try and catch the Easter Bunny because if I catch him then I can get all of his chocolate eggs even though Auntie Bit said-"

"Don't you have school?" Buffy asked, sounding very panicked.

Caitlin giggled. "No, silly. I'm not big enough to school yet. That happens in six more sleeps but it doesn't because I took two sleeps yesterday and it's still six sleeps and not five sleeps so someone is telling me fibs and I can count up to 'leven because Auntie Bit said that I should be able to count things and daddy said well you bloody teach her and then Auntie Bit yelled at him for saying a naughty word because it's not nice to say naughty words but sometimes daddy and Auntie Fayt say them when they forget or think I can't hear them like this one time I was playing with the TV and my daddy said-"

Faith dropped the bowl of scrambled eggs in front of Katie who ravenously attacked them with her fingers and a spoon. Faith grinned at the look of hopeless gratitude that Buffy shot her way. There was a knocking on the door. Faith wondered who it would be. Spike wouldn't be around for a few more hours and he was bringing Dawn, and Xander and Anya would still be going through the morning routine at this hour.

Opening the door revealed two familiar figures. The first ran in with a thick blanket over his head that was still smoking and the other man followed at a more sedate pace nodding his hello as he passed. Buffy froze when she saw them.

"Angel?" she asked.

"Buffy," Angel greeted solemnly.

"Oz!"

"Hey, Buffy," Oz said. "You look good."

XXX

David was going on an adventure. At least that's what his dad told him. He was almost big enough for school, now. He didn't want to go to another country though. America was full of loud people and David had heard his dad complain about how none of them like reading books, and David very much liked books. They let him have safe adventures.

Putting his favourite story in his bag to make sure he didn't lose it, David Matthew Giles got ready for an adventure.

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A/N: Not my best, but I am pleased with some of it. I hope I continue to please with this story, and note that this chapter was necessarily transitional. I'm trying to keep things moving as quickly as possible, but I do have to explain some things. Of course, if you ask me really nicely in a review, I might be persuaded to tell you who Caitlin's mother is. But only if you review really nicely. And even then, only maybe. Still, REVIEW, and let me know which parts you liked.