A/N: Dun Dun Dun! The suspense! Come on, we all knew it had to happen eventually… and I didn't even mean for it to happen there! It just fit at the time… So here we got Chapter 6…

When in doubt…

Annabelle trudged down the familiar street to the apartment on the end that she searching for, the one place she knew she could go to for answers at the moment.

It had been at least an half an hour journey to her destination and of course the heavens had deemed fit to match her mood at that moment and had opened up.

By the time the apartment door was in sight she was shivering, drenched and felt like she wanted the ground to open and swallow her whole.

The door opened before she had chance to knock and she looked up into compassionate blue eyes, "Come in." He said guiding her in, tea already on the coffee table in his sitting room and towels heating by the fire place.

"Thanks Granddad." She sniffed, giving the man a watery smile.

Once she was dry, with a warm drink cradled in her hands as she sat before the fire. "How did you know I was coming?" She asked.

"Your father called," Rupert replied genially, drinking his own tea leisurely. "He seemed to be in quite a panic on the phone." He said conversationally, placing his tea down on the coffee table beside him.

"Buffy's back." She was under no misapprehensions that her Grandfather didn't know about the whole situation.

The old man nodded, "I know." He said, watching her intently.

Annabelle felt tears prickle in her eyes again, "Why did no one tell me?" She asked as calmly as she could.

"Because it didn't matter." He said firmly, holding up a hand to silence her when she went to interrupt. "I will not lie to you Annabelle, Buffy Summers did not want to be a mother when she gave birth to you." Giles paused, letting this sink in, appreciating how hard it must have been to hear, "You're father brought you here when you were but a few days old, all the way from LA with all this belongings and a newborn. Not a mean feat I can tell you." He smiled softly, gaining one in return.

"W-why didn't she want me?" Annabelle asked in a voice very distant than her normal confident tone.

Giles removed his glasses and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe them. "She was too young I suppose."

"She's the same age as Faith." The blond retorted.

Giles replaced his glasses on his face and gave her a quelling look, "Faith has been your mother since you were six months old, no matter what happens she is and will always be your mother."

Annabelle looked away from the stern faced man to look at his odd collection of relics. "she lied to me." She said finally.

Giles chuckled softly, "Faith was very careful not to lie to you, Annabelle. She made sure never to say that she had been involved in the first six months of your life. No matter what my son argued."

Annabelle looked back at the grey hairs man, "Where did she come from?"

Giles smiled as though in memory, "Originally, she worked in my shop. After she had been working there for about two weeks, William burst in one day a crying baby in his arms, terrified that something was wrong with you." He chuckled fondly at the memory, "I surely had no idea what to do; luckily your mother took pity on us poor fellows. She put her little finger near your mouth and you started trying to bit at it but you were instantly quiet. I think that's why your father fell in love with her." He joked conspiratorially with his granddaughter who looked to be struggling with something.

"Why did they never have anymore children? Surely she would want one of her own." Annabelle said finally, staring down into her teacup.

Giles tsked, "She already has one of her own. Faith loves you as much as she could love any child she had given birth to." Giles gazed into the first reflectively. "They did speak about having more children once, but they decided they would rather spoil you." The man finished this with a disapproving note in his voice although he couldn't really say that Annabelle was spoiled.

Annabelle put her cooling cup of tea down on the coffee table. "So, why is Buffy here now?" She asked.

Giles looked thoughtful for a moment, "I suppose she wants to me your mother now that she feels ready."

Annabelle sat silently for a long while and Giles was almost startled when she leapt to her feet and grabbed her drying coat of the hook. "Thanks for the tea, Granddad. I have to go home." She said, as she swept out the door.

After she left, Giles strolled over to his phone and dialled the familiar number. "Baby bird is returning to the nest." He said promptly, "I don't know why I couldn't just say she's coming-" However the phone line went dead and the elder Giles replaced it in the holder with a sigh.