Chapter 9

A/N In this story I have Joyce Summers still alive because I can and I like the character.

I wasn't sure what my reaction should be. Worry? wonder? excitement? so I looked at Lorne.

"Is that good?"

"Well," he said, "there's something coming which will change the way the Slayer is chosen, I'm not sure what, but Kate will certainly become a very empowered young woman."

We looked at each other.

"Is it going to happen in the next two hours?" I asked.

"No."

"That's good; we can stay here and enjoy ourselves then." I felt everyone was having a good time, especially after all the excitement and revelations and we needed a break.

"Would you like to sing?"

"Yes, I'd love to."

The rest of the evening was filled with various duets, groups and Lorne singing a brilliant array of songs. Fred was having a great time too but said that she would rather be a member of an appreciative audience this time, rather than participate. And boy, could she be an appreciative audience, her whistling and calling out was really enthusiastic.

"I'm from Texas, you know." She said laughing and cheering.

"It must be a very noisy place to live." I commented. She laughed even louder.

I turned to Lorne, "What is she drinking?"

"You don't want to know," he smiled.

I particularly enjoyed Kate and Liam singing, "You got to pick a pocket or two," reviving her role as Fagan when she was in her last year of primary school.

I turned to Lorne and whispered, "I bet no Slayer has ever done that before!" and he laughed for a long time.

When we returned to the Hyperion, everyone was still awake. Lorne and I made a drink while Beth was retelling the events in Caritas. There was a great deal of laughing but now as the aura of peace and contentment had been left back in Lorne's bar, there was no way Kate and Liam were going to give a rendition of their knock out song. Infact there were quite a few 'get losts' and 'sod offs' until David stepped in and diffused the situation. After hot chocolate and biscuits Beth rounded up her brothers and sister and they went off to her room to play cards. I had asked Beth because I wanted to talk to David, Angel and the rest of the group about Kate.

"David," I said.

He turned to me, "What have you done?"

"Nothing! Why should you think that?"

"Because it's you, and you have been quiet for a while and I know the signs after all these years."

"It's not me. When we were at Caritas, Kate and Liam were singing."

"Yes, we heard it was good, although they wouldn't sing it for us." Gunn added.

"Well," I continued, "Lorne found something out about Kate."

I could see Angel now change his body language and he visibly stiffened.

"He said that she was a potential Slayer."

There was a moment of calm when what I had just said was registering in people's minds. There then arose a cacophony of comments coming from everyone at once, "Are you sure? What does that mean? Does she know? Is that good? That's amazing! Is it true?" Then as one they all turned to Lorne, who sat calmly drinking his hot chocolate.

"You know, I can only read what's there, and this was jumping out and shouting."

"I believe you, Lorne." It was Angel that spoke.

There was silence for a while then I said, "The way I see it at the moment we have two situations we have to sort out. The first is that we need to find a way to protect us from the Wolfram and Hart, 'need human blood to make a super vampire' plan and the second is that Kate could be the next Slayer, which means I not sure what," I paused, "Although the two are connected because if Beth and I were out of the way, Kate would be the eldest in the blood line and so would make a super, super vampire."

They all looked at me.

"I couldn't have put it better myself," said Wesley, "Although I may have used different vocabulary."

"I can't believe you are being so rational about this." Cordy came over and put her arm in mine.

"Parenthood," I replied, "In a situation that threatens the family, you have to assess the situation and act quickly. Plus the fact that here we have the very best people who know what being a Slayer means and how to prepare."

We talked into the night.

Angel and Cordy had met with the Powers that Be and had been given the name of a powerful seer who had the ability to produce the protection spell for all of the family. That was good. Gunn, Fred and Wesley were going to find him – he lived miles away but they were starting out after they had had some sleep.

As the initial move from Wolfram and Hart was on me, Angel decided that they could not know about Kate being a potential Slayer or else they would have used greater force and, well I didn't want to think about that.

Angel said that we should know what it was like to be the family of a Slayer. He said that in the morning he would talk to Buffy and ask if we could go over and visit. Angel told us of Buffy's mum, Joyce and her sister Dawn. He hoped it would prepare us for what might happen.

Everyone decided that it was time to go to bed. I went upstairs with David and got ready. I tossed and turned and although David tried to stay awake for me, he had had one very demanding day both physically and mentally, so he drifted off to sleep. I gave in and got up deciding I could read downstairs.

Angel was sitting all alone in the foyer.

I went to sit next to him and he put his arm around me.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"I was just thinking of what the Master would say."

"Who's the Master?"

"He was Darla's sire. When I first became a vampire we spent a great deal of time with him. He would have killed me if he knew one of my relatives could be a Slayer."

"How do you feel?"

He turned to me. "I feel incredibly proud."

Neither of us spoke for a few moments, then Angel continued, "A Slayer fights the evil in the world. They are a force to be reckoned with. They fight for justice and they protect the weak."

"Is that why you fell in love with Buffy?"

"She had all of those qualities, but she had vulnerability, innocence, a pure heart and a great sense of humour." The sentence was mixed with romance, sensitivity and it ended on a light note. I knew he was trying to tell me about their relationship, without going into too much detail, which may still have been upsetting for him.

"You decided to go separate ways. Is that what you wanted?" I held his hand wanting to be comforting but without being too slushy and sentimental.

"I still love Buffy and I know she still loves me, but we are better apart. She is where she needs to be and I am where I need to be. Eventually who knows?"

"What about you and Cordy?" I wanted to ask because I was sure no one else would.

He turned to me with a twinkle in his eye, "I'm working on that."

"Good. I love you and you deserve to have some happiness in your life, you work so hard."

"Clare, I do have happiness, and in meeting you, David and the children, my life has become so much more contented."

"Even with super vamps and potential Slayers?"

"I wouldn't expect anything else from my family."

We chatted on for a while and then I suddenly thought of something and turned to him.

"Angel. What does one wear when one visits the mother of a Slayer?"