Disclaimer: Since my name is not Joss Whedon, 'Buffy: The Vampire Slayer', 'Angel' and the characters associated with the show belong to someone who in't me. I also do not own the storyline, that is taken from gidgetgirl's 'The Lost Child Challenge' (details below) posted at the Chocolate Covered Strawberries Archive. Nell belongs to me, as do Rachel Knight and Reginald Humphries.

The Lost Child Challenge

When Faith was fourteen, she was raped by her mother's boyfriend. After that, she left home on her own, pregnant with the rapist's child. When she was found by the Council, her first Watcher took the baby, assuring Faith that it would be taken care of... the Watcher then was killed by Kakistos before she could give Faith more information. Now, years later, the child has come back into Faith's life.

Requirements:

- Faith dealing with mixed feelings about the child: a mother's love and the memory of the rape.
- The child having a Faith-esque attitude problem
- The council having had some hand in the child's conception
- The child having an amazing destiny
- Faith wanting to save her daughter from her own mistakes

Author's Note II: I know that it's been a while since I updated this, or any, story, so in honour of the holiday season, I'm posting a new chapter. Happy Holidays to all reviewers.

Chapter 11

Watcher's Council Jet

"All those years they made us fly coach when they had this at their disposal." Giles groused, scowling at the oppulent surroundings of the Watcher's Council's private jet. "Travers certainly liked his comfort."

"Maybe you weren't enough of an asshole to be allowed use it." Faith suggested.

Giles was slightly mollified by this but he would still have liked to be able to complain to one of the late members of the Inner Council about their miserly habits. He had had to sit next to a crying child on three separate occasions for Heaven's sake!

"Giles," Faith's voice was soft as she glanced towards the other side of the plane, where Nell was sitting curled up, fast asleep. "Do you think that there'll be any problems about me getting custody? They won't try to keep her, will they?" If he answered in the affirmative, she knew that once they were finished in Boston, she and Nell would not be getting back on the plane.

"Travers named several people as guardians for Nell in his will." Giles told her. "As these people are all deceased, I can't see how anyone else would be able to claim custody ahead of her mother, not if they want to stay in business. For the first time since the insitute of Watcher was founded, Slayers outnumber Watchers. They will need you, Buffy, Kennedy and all of the other former Potentials if they wish to stay in business. Once the Seven Hells are closed, Nell will not be so valuable as to risk all that."

"That's good."

"There's something else." Giles removed his glasses and polished them, not certain how to begin, not certain how the dark haired Slayer would react to the mews he was about to give her. "Travers left the house in Kent to Nell, together with most of his property."

"And you think that the Council might use that as an excuse to hang onto Nell?"

"No, I doubt it." He assured her quickly.

"Then I guess we'll have to deal with that when we get back - or we can wait until Nell's eighteen and let her deal with it." Faith had no idea what would be involved in sorting out her daughter's inheritance and she had a feeling that she didn't want to know.

She guessed that this had been Travers' way of showing that he cared for Nell, that he wanted to ensure her future and, much as she hated the man, she understood that he had loved her daughter, at least as much as he was able to.

"Ella?" A soft voice spoke in her dreams. "Hear me, little one."

Her eyes widened as a tall demon, robed in black approached her. The others sat around in their seats on the plane, reading or talking quietly, not seeing the new arrival.

"Do not be frightened." He knelt before her. "We will not harm you."

"I'm not afraid." She told him with dignity. "And don't call me Ella. He called me that. I don't want to be called that again.My name is Eleanor."

"Your Uncle Quentin." It wasn't a question.

"I don't want to talk about him."

"I know he hurt you very much." The demon's monstrous visage somehow managed to appear sympathetic and non-threatening. "He pretended to love you so that he could get you to do what he wanted you to do. That's why he wanted you, that's why he made sure you were born."

Against her will, Nell's eyes sought out her mother.

"That's why she wants you too, isn't it? You can sense it. She tries to pretend, like Uncle Quentin did, but you know. Once you've done what she wants. . ."

The little girl's stomach knotted with dread. Once her purpose was fulfilled, why would anybody want her? Why would anybody love her?

"We love you." He said, as if he had read her mind. "We always have, ever since we sensed that you lived, before you were even born. You are special, you were chosen, you are the One. We worship you." He took her tiny hand and kissed it. She didn't pull away.

"You do?"

"We do. All my brethren want is to be able to see you. We will love you forever."

She felt herself stir, begin to wake. His voice echoed in her head.

"You will know what to do."

Boston, underground

"Master?" An Kra'ma'ten acolyte hovered around the leader as he emerged from his trance. "Did She hear you?"

His smile was cold. "She heard."

Watcher's Council Jet

"You know, if you're going to pretend to be asleep, it works better if you don't keep opening your eyes to look around."

Nell scowled at Xander's helpful whisper. "I wasn't pretending."

"Kiddo, you're talking to a master of the art - do you have any idea how many research breaks I got because Giles thought that I was asleep and didn't have the heart to wake me?"

She didn't respond.

"Your mom would probably like to talk to you."

"She's talking to Mr Giles." Her tone was cold.

"Somehow, I think that she'd rather talk to you. Mr Giles is. . .well, boring."

"I already know what she wants me to do in Boston."

"That's not all she wants to talk about. . ."

"It is." Nell cut him off with a firm gesture. "I know what I have to do."

TBC.