Warnings and disclaimer in Chapter 1. Enjoy.
"Are you sure this is where Giles said to meet him Will?" Xander asked as he pulled the car into the General Aviation parking lot. "This is for like private planes."
"This is what he said to me yesterday," Willow replied from the backseat. "Sunnydale General Aviation Terminal. Five thirty P.M."
"The Watcher's Council has private plains," Anya told them. "Maybe he was allowed to use one to come back."
"Because he's always been so in with the Watcher's crowd," Xander said sarcastically as another car pulled up beside them. Tara and Dawn gave a little wave before stepping out of the second car.
"He did sound a little weird on the phone," Willow said, as they left their car too. They gathered at the hood of Xander's car.
"Probably just happy he managed to ruin the last day of my vacation," Dawn grumbled. "He couldn't have waited till tomorrow when mom gets home? I was doing fine on my own."
"And we'll be sure to mention that to your mom," Tara added. Xander looked around, seeing lights on in the building.
"I'll go ask them. Be right back," he said. He came back a few minutes later. "He said there was a plane that was supposed to get here at five-thirty, but they had to divert around a weather system and he doesn't know how long that will be. He said to make ourselves comfortable and wait."
"We could go get some sandwiches and have a picnic," Tara suggested pointing to the small grassy area on the side of the parking lot. The sun was just starting to go down so it wasn't too hot.
"That sounds good," Anya agreed, pulling out a small notebook. "That will give me time to itemize Joyce's buying trip and determine which expenses can be written off." Dawn rolled her eyes.
"You don't have receipts yet Anya. How can you itemize?"
"I am very good at guessing," she said honestly.
"How did you become the accountant for mom's business?" Dawn asked suspiciously.
"Like Rupert, Joyce has discovered the benefit of having someone overly qualified check her books and tell her how to proactively spend her money."
"Translation," Xander said, putting his arm around his wife. "She got her hands on Joyce's books and your mom hasn't been able to get them back." Dawn nodded at this, as it was a very Anya thing to do.
"Now that extra week you made her spend. I think that you should pay for that week yourself, since the buying trip was technically over." Dawn rolled her eyes again, quickly volunteering to help Tara get some sandwiches. "Was it something I said?" Anya asked, while Willow was trying to smother her laughter and Xander just pulled her in for a hug.
"I love you Mrs. Harris," he said, kissing her gently. She responded in kind, leaving Willow to dig in the trunk for the blankets they always kept back there. Soon the blankets were laid out and Xander and Anya were cuddling contentedly while Willow watched the sun sink lower to the ground. Tara and Dawn quickly returned and talked casually as they ate, enjoyed their impromptu picnic. They were just about to discuss the merits of getting ice cream when the ambulance pulled up beside them.
"Is that Ben?" Willow asked, standing up quickly. The others followed suit. The driver went into the building, reemerging a few minutes later. After a short conversation the ambulance driver hopped in their vehicle to wait. Ben saw the Scoobies and walked over.
"What's up Doc?" Xander asked, to which Ben just rolled his eyes.
"That's still about as funny as the first time you said it," he complained. Xander grinned wickedly while the girls looked sympathetic to his plight.
"I thought you were going camping with your friends this weekend?" Willow asked. Xander had broken his arm a few months ago and just had the cast removed last week. Willow had gone with him to get the cast off and she and Ben had chatted while Xander was having some X-Rays done.
"So did I," he sulked, "but when the boss says you have a pickup, you lose all your plans quickly. Such is the life of a Sunnydale doctor." Willow laughed while Ben frowned. "Usually it's the other way around you know. People want to leave Sunnydale to recover, not come here for it."
"So that's what's going on here?" Tara asked.
"Yep. Which reminds me," he turned to the group thoughtfully. "Have any of you ever heard of a Dr. Gregory Sullivan?" They shook their heads. "He's the attending physician of the patient we're picking up and he asked for me specifically. I've never heard of him so I looked him up. Apparently he's licensed in England."
"Giles is coming back from England," Dawn said, slightly panicky now.
"That's not all," he continued. "They're preparing a ward for this patient's arrival. Not just a room, a whole floor of a ward. Whoever this person is, they're important. And apparently they know me well enough to ask for me by name. My boss was not happy about that."
"We always ask for you by name," Anya said, turning thoughtful, "but that's just because you know our secret and we can tell you when giant worms spit venom through their nostrils at us without looking at us like we're crazy."
"And on that lovely visual," Xander started, but stopped when another car rolled into the parking lot. It was black, with tinted windows. "Is anyone else getting major not good vibes from that?"
"Major Council vibes," Willow agreed, as the driver got out of the car and entered the small building.
"Watchers?" Tara asked.
"Watchers," Xander agreed. A second later the ambulance honked and Ben looked apologetic.
"I've got to go meet my secret admirer." He left, the group quickly following him. Ben hoped in the passenger seat, just as the lights flashed on and a plane landed. A ground crew worker headed out to the group, fumbling for the right key on his keyring.
"Only the ambulance can go onto the tarmac," he said as he unlocked the gate. "The rest of you have to wait on this side of the fence." The Watcher got back into his car, patiently waiting, while the Scoobies hurried to the fence line. The plane rolled to a stop five hundred feet away. Once the engines were off, the crewman opened the gate, letting the ambulance through before closing it again.
"Do you think Giles is okay?" Dawn asked, scared that something had happened to the man she thought of as her father. Xander gave her a quick one armed hug.
"Giles is one of the toughest guys I know. He's fine." As if to prove the point, the door to the plane opened and Giles stuck his head out. He looked around before going back inside, only to reemerge carrying a small bag a few seconds later. He had a short conversation with Ben before heading over to the fence. The crewman opened the smaller gate so people could get through.
"Giles!" the girls cried out in unison as the reached to hug him. He found himself engulfed, but was grinning when they finally let him go. Xander casually strode over, giving him a big manly handshake before pulling him into his own hug.
"We thought something had happened to you," he said, wiping away his tears quickly.
"I'm fine," he reassured them, but they could see the exhaustion and worry on his face.
"Umm. Giles," Dawn started. "Why do you have a diaper bag?" she asked, staring at the small bag he brought with him.
"That's a rather long story," he told them, before handing the bag to Dawn. "Did you bring both cars like I asked?"
"Yep," Willow told him. "There's plenty room for you and any books you decided to come back with."
"Perfect," he said absently, looking at the cars for a moment before turning back to the plane. "I'll be right back," he told them, jogging back to the plane.
"What do you think that was about?" Tara asked as he climbed the stairs once more.
"Maybe he's having another midlife crisis?" Anya said helpfully. The girls started picking up after their picnic. Giles came back out, this time carrying two car seat bases.
"Are those what I think they are?" Xander asked in horror. The girls turned around quickly.
"Oh my God," Willow shrieked as she ran to Giles. "Giles. What's going on here?"
"Apparently you have to mount these contraptions in the car before you can place the car seat safely inside," he said, heading to the cars. "One for each I'm thinking." Willow shook her head.
"We don't have any kids that need car seats," Willow argued. "Dawn is the youngest one here and she's an adult." He was about to reply when an older woman approached the group.
"They are about to move her," she told him, handing him another diaper bag. "All the arrangements have been made."
"Do you have a new wife and kid?" Anya asked bluntly. "Cause I gotta say I liked the car from your last midlife crisis better. Send them back and get a car." They looked at each other.
"Anya," Giles groaned as he returned his attention to hooking in the base.
"Once you've figured it out come find me. I'll be inside." He nodded and she walked back to the plane. Willow and Tara took pity on him and between the three of them they soon figured out how to attach the base. They went over and repeated the procedure in the other car, casually throwing a diaper bag next to each base.
"Giles?" Dawn asked weakly, staring at the ambulance that had just pulled away from the plane. It stopped at the gate briefly then was on its way, lights flashing brightly. "I thought I just saw mom get into the ambulance." Giles could feel every eye on him as he finished installing the second base. He turned and gave her a reassuring look.
"She's fine Dawn," he said simply. They turned as another man walked out of the plane. He walked over to the group regally, studying them intently.
"Rupert," he said commandingly, "I have business in L.A. tonight, but I will see you before I leave." He looked at each of them once more before getting into the Council car and driving away. Rupert closed his eyes.
"What fun," he said sarcastically, before turning back to the group. "Can you help with the luggage?" he asked them as their bags were being piled up next to the gate. "There's just one more thing we need to get than we can be off." The Scoobies nodded as Giles once again headed for the plane.
"This is Mom's suitcase," Dawn said worriedly as they grabbed the bags. They recognized Giles's bags and there were two they have never seen before. "What's going on?" Nobody had any answers for her though, they simple loaded the bags into the back of the cars. They waited back at the gate when the car was finally loaded and watched as Giles came back down from the plane once again, a baby carrier held in his hands. He handed it to Xander, who took it with shaking hands as he went back to the stairs.
"Please tell me that's a teddy bear in there," Xander said, refusing to look inside the carrier. The girls had no such qualms, and soon a chorus of 'Oohs' and 'Ahh's' filled the night. Giles took a second carrier from the woman coming down the stairs and together they walked briskly toward the group.
"Everyone," Giles called getting everyone's attention as the second round of 'Oohs' started when they saw the second baby. "I would like you to meet my sister Veronica. Veronica, this is Xander, Anya, Tara, Willow, and Dawn." Veronica shook hands with each of them politely.
"Oh," Anya spoke up, "So you didn't kidnap some children for your midlife crisis. These are your sister's children. And you are helping because she clearly can't afford either the time or the money required to be a good mother." Everyone was stunned into silence.
"You must be Anya," Veronica said after the shock wore off. "Rupert has told me so much about you." Anya smiled big.
"He talks about me," she told the group proudly. They just groaned.
"Ahh, yes," he said, pulling his glasses off and cleaning them. "And no, these are not my sister's children. Xander, if you could please put the carrier down for a moment." He did so, looking confused. "The child you were so recently trying not to notice is Alexandra Joyce Summers." Xander's hands came up to his mouth in shock. He realized it was a good thing he put the car seat down or he would have dropped it. The girls were in a state of shock as well, looking between the baby and Giles. "And this is William Giles Summers," he said proudly, holding up the car seat so they could look at the little form sleeping inside. He handed the carrier to his sister, stepping closer to Dawn and pulling her in front of him. "When she was in New York your mother found someone," he said, looking her directly in the eye but speaking loud enough for everyone to hear. "She found your sister. Buffy's alive and we just brought her home."
The ride to the hospital was done in silence as everyone processed what Giles had said. They arrived and were directed to the top floor of the East wing. The floor wasn't that big, only a handful of rooms on each side of the hallway, but, just like Ben said, it was all theirs. It only took them a minute to find Joyce. She was waiting in the hallway, looking through the windows into one of the rooms. She turned when she heard them. "Oh Dawn," she embraced her youngest, both women had tears running down their cheeks.
"Is it true?" Dawn asked after a minute. Joyce nodded, leading them down the hallway to the window she was looking into. Ben and another man were hooking Buffy up to several pieces of equipment. The unknown man was frowning while Ben just looked shocked. "What happened? Where has she been all this time?"
"We're still trying to figure that out sweetie," Joyce explained, leading them into an adjoining room. Giles and Veronica were there taking the children out of the car seats. "Gregory wanted someone from pediatrics to examine them," she told Giles. "Just to make sure they handled the trip okay."
"Of course," he said, carefully cradling Alex. "How is Buffy?" Joyce felt all eyes on her.
"She didn't travel well. He's concerned with her pulse and blood pressure, and she hasn't woken up yet like he thought she would."
"Mom?" Dawn's voice sounded very small. "Are these Buffy's kids?"
"Yes," Joyce told her, suddenly sounding extremely exhausted. There was a stunned silence.
"Are you trying to get us all killed?" Anya asked, deadly serious.
"Anya!" Xander choked out. He was looking very pale and looked like he might be ready to faint. Anya looked at her husband and sighed loudly.
"I'm sorry. What I meant to say was these are very beautiful children. I'm sure I will be thinking of them constantly as every demon in the world comes to Sunnydale to kill them and anyone protecting them." Nobody knew how to respond to that so the group just stood there in shocked silence.
"Who is their father?" Willow asked quietly after a few moments.
"Sit down," Giles told them, "and we'll tell you everything we know." They did and they spent the next hour explaining what happened to the Scoobies. Everyone had tears in their eyes when they were done.
"Can I hold them?" Dawn asked meekly. Joyce nodded and helped Dawn get into position. Once she was ready she carefully handed Billy to her. He blinked up at her. "He's so cute," she said not taking her eyes off him.
"He's going to be hungry soon," Joyce told her, and soon enough he started to cry. Joyce pulled out one of the bottles from the diaper bag. "Do you want to feed him?" Dawn nodded emphatically and soon was feeding the baby like a pro. Willow was shooting happy glances at Alex, who also started crying at the same time her brother did. "Would you like to hold her?" Joyce asked.
"Yes please," Willow said excitedly. She expertly took Alex out, settling her in her lap as she reached for the bottle Joyce handed her. "I used to babysit a lot," she said at their disbelieving looks. "Before I stated to help save the world."
"Everyone's got to have a hobby," Xander said, grinning at the sight of the infants as he slowly overcame his shock. Tara was hovering around Willow, letting Alex hold onto her finger as she fed, while Anya was inching closer to Dawn now that the children weren't crying any more. Joyce watched her family sadly before speaking.
"I know it will be dangerous," she said, "Giles said demons come after the children of Slayers with a fiery passion. We don't know if Buffy will ever fully recover from this, physically or mentally. I know you've all stayed here to help protect Sunnydale and defend the Hellmouth, and that's admirable, but I would understand if you want to leave." She paused and turned to each one of her kids. "Willow, you and Tara are graduating from college this year, and Xander and Anya just got married and are ready to start their own family. And Dawn," she looked lovingly at her youngest daughter, "you'll be going to college soon. You all have your own lives to lead. I understand if this is one danger too much." Tara looked up after her speech.
"Joyce," she said kindly, "We don't stay because we have to. We stay because we're a family. And our family has just grown by two. I'll stay."
"Me too," Willow added.
"I'll second that," Xander said. "It will take more than a few demon attacks to run me out of town." Anya sighed.
"They are kinda cute," she admitted, reaching out to tickle a little foot, "even though they named the girl after Xander."
"What?" Xander exclaimed, before he got a big goofy grin. He moved to look at the girl lying in Willow's arms. Meanwhile she was staring at the boy.
"William? Will," she asked tentatively. Giles nodded as tears filled her eyes. "Who named them?" she asked.
"Buffy did," Joyce told her. "Just after going into labor she came back. Just long enough to name them. That was five days ago."
"How is Buffy?" Dawn asked, looking up from the baby she was holding. He had finished drinking from the bottle and was slowly blinking his eyes. Joyce know he would be asleep soon and went to pick him up to burp him, only to have Giles beat her to it.
"She was grievously wounded during the umm... take down," Giles said, gently rocking the child as he talked. "If it had been anybody else they would have died. As it was, she did suffer an injury to her spinal column. We still don't know the full extent of that injury, or if her Slayer healing will be able to overcome it. As of right now she has no feeling below her waist, and we're not entirely sure where her feeling comes back on her chest. She can move her arms and fingers, so we are pretty certain movement in her upper body will return."
"Mentally she's not much better," Joyce told them, watching as Willow burped Alex. "She'll respond to me and no one else, and that's after a lot of encouraging. She can follow basic commands, which is a good sign, but again it takes a lot of time and encouraging and sometimes she just stops in the middle and drifts off. She's sleeping a lot, which I am told is normal."
"Does she know she has kids?" Dawn asked innocently.
"I don't know," Joyce admitted. "I hope on some level she does since she named them, but I just don't know."
"So we'll have to be their moms?" Dawn asked. Joyce nodded. "Cool."
"I'll second that," Xander said again before looking at Joyce. "So what do we need? Clothes? Diapers? I can go get diapers."
"We have enough of those for right now," she told the young man, "but what we really need is a nursery. Most people have nine months to prepare one."
"And I have nine hours. I'm on it," he said. "I can easily convert one of the guest rooms into a nursery, but I don't think you want them that far away. We might need to shuffle rooms around a bit."
"I'm good moving mine down to the guest room," Dawn volunteered, "and then you can take mine for a nursery."
"Hmmm," Xander said, thinking out loud. "You would still have Buffy's room between yours and Dawn's." He paused for a moment. "Is Buffy?"
"She will be coming home with us," Joyce said determinedly. "Soon."
"So I'll probably need to make some basic changes around the house too. Are we talking wheelchair or crutches?"
"Wheelchair," Giles said grimly, "at least at first. Even if she does get full feeling back tomorrow it will be a while before she will walk again."
"Let me see what I can come up with," he told them. "I'll get back with you tomorrow morning." They nodded. "C'mon ladies. Let's go get some shuteye. Busy day tomorrow."
"Oh Xander," Giles called as they were leaving the room. "Can you give a ride to Veronica? She'll be staying with me for a few days."
"Speaking of which," Xander said, turning back to face Giles. "We never did get why your previously nonexistent sister is suddenly here." He turned questioningly to the corner where Veronica was quietly watching the family reunion.
"I am Faith's new Watcher," she said proudly.
"What a coincidence," Xander said. Giles looked at him curiously.
"Faith was just here," Willow told them. "Said she had a feeling she was needed out here so she and Daniel did a road trip. They went down to L.A. to see if Angel needs any help, but she said she would stop by on her way back."
"If the demonic population is going to attack the children like you think," Joyce said, "having a Slayer around might be a smart idea."
"We'll make sure she sees you before she goes," Willow told her. "Both of them." Joyce smiled.
"What about Spike?" Dawn asked. "He would want to know about this. He was the last one to accept her death." The others looked uncomfortable, but Giles sighed.
"Spike?" Veronica thought out loud. "Why does that name sound familiar?"
"I'll explain later," Giles promised her before turning to the others. "If you see Spike tell him to come here, but don't go looking for him. If this threat is as real as everyone says,"
"It is," Anya interrupted.
"Then we need to develop a strategy to deal with these demons," he finished, shooting a glare at the young woman. "If Spike doesn't come tonight I'll head over to his place tomorrow and explain." Everyone nodded and turned to go except Dawn.
"Mom?" she asked quietly, "Can I stay here tonight? With you and Buffy?"
"Of course," she said, holding her youngest tight. The others quietly left the room. "In fact I think they're done with whatever they were doing in there. You can tell her all about the last four years that she's missed."
"Can she hear me?" she asked as she followed her mother out of the room and into Buffy's room. Giles stayed behind with the children. Eventually they would move them into the same room like before, but they wanted to make sure Buffy was settled first.
"I'd like to think she can," Joyce answered. She led Dawn to Buffy's bedside, explaining the various machines she was hooked up to and their purpose.
"She really needs all this?" Dawn asked, looking at her normally strong sister looking so fragile.
"Right now she does," Joyce said, grabbing Buffy's hand and motioning Dawn to do the same on the other side of the bed. "Who knows what tomorrow will bring." She turned her attention to Buffy. "Buffy? It's Mom. Someone came to visit you." She nodded encouragingly to Dawn, who squeezed Buffy's hand and began to speak.
"Hey Buffy. Guess it's been a long time since you heard my voice huh? Well it's a good thing you're not going anywhere because I've got four years of catching up to do." Joyce smiled as Dawn started telling her sister everything that had happened since she had been gone. She sank gratefully into a nearby chair and let Dawn's voice chase away the demons.
Rupert groaned as he stretched his back, his tight muscles protesting the movement. He glanced at Joyce, who was smiling down at her granddaughter. A pediatric doctor finally arrived and after a quick examination proclaimed the twins handled the trip wonderfully. While Dawn was talking to Buffy, they moved the cots and everything they would need into Buffy's room. Just in time too, as the twins chose that moment to wake up hungry. Rupert and Joyce were ready though, each jumping into action like they had done this a hundred times before.
Dawn had fallen asleep in the chair next to Buffy's bed, her hand never leaving her sister's. "I am going to make some of that infernal brew you American's love so much," he told Joyce softly, so as not to wake any of the sleeping children. "Would you care for some?"
"I'd love a cup of coffee," Joyce said, settling herself in a chair next to the cots. They were still wary about leaving any of them alone, especially since there was another attempt on Buffy's life just before leaving New York. It was the deciding factor in moving back to Sunnydale so quickly. Gregory would have liked to wait a few more days for Buffy to get stronger, but the danger was just too great in a city that was unprepared for the types of dangers Buffy brought.
Giles nodded and quietly left the room, making sure the door was securely shut before he walked down the hallway. He made his way to the nurse's station and pointed at the coffee pot. The nurse nodded at him before concentrating on the charts she was working on. Even though Buffy was the only patient on the ward, there was still a nurse on site twenty-four hours a day. Giles dumped the old coffee, before replacing the filter and adding fresh grinds. Soon the smell of fresh coffee permeated the room. Giles took the first cup, sipping it as the rest of the pot filled up. He was interrupted by Spike entering the waiting room.
"Is Niblet okay?" Spike asked him immediately. Giles sighed. As much as they would need Spike, and as much as he has done for them over the years, he still didn't want to have this conversation with the vampire. "I stopped by to check on her before bed, like I do every night, only to find the Scoobies there in tears. The whelp told me to come here. What's happened?"
"Dawn is fine," he started, "but there is something I need to tell you." He took Spike to the corner of the room, sat him down, and proceeded to tell the story once more. Spike's face went from panicky to pale to hopeful and finally ended on concerned. He stood up and ran down the hallway. The nurse looked up, ready to call security, but Giles shook his head. He poured a second cup of coffee and made his way back to the room.
The door was wide open, Spike standing inside the doorway just taking in the room. "Hello Spike," Joyce said tiredly from her chair. It was enough to break through his shock. He looked toward the two sleeping sisters but made his way over to Joyce.
"You look tired pet," he told her.
"I am tired," she answered honestly. Giles made his way over and handed her the second cup of coffee, which she took gratefully. Spike meanwhile was looking at the two sleeping infants next to her. He leaned over and smelt the air above them.
"Stop that," Giles complained immediately. Spike stood back.
"They smell like her," he told them, his eyes never leaving their sleeping forms. He shook his head and turned back to them. "Probably be another week or so before they start developing their own scent. Another month before her scent is off them, assuming she won't be doing the mothering. I can smell you and Joyce on them. You two have been taking care of them?" Joyce nodded.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Giles asked, frowning slightly at Spike's behavior.
"Demon girl didn't tell you?" Spike asked.
"I know they'll be hunted from Council record," Giles said, "and Anya hinted that was the case, but she didn't elaborate."
"Hmmph," Spike said before pulling out a pack of cigarettes and shaking one into his hand. Joyce raised an eyebrow and glared at him, but he just sniffed it then threw it back in the pack.
"Demons have prophecies too," he told them, "and the main players in our worst ones are the kids of Slayers. Kill any Slayer's kids before they can do their part and the world doesn't end horribly for demons."
"Are there that many demons who still follow ancient traditions?" Giles asked, making a mental list of things to research. Spike shrugged.
"A few," he said, "mostly the Big Bads who stay hidden or a couple of weird religious demons who worship the really Big Bads. But even those that don't hold to prophecy will want to kill them simply because of who they are. The scent of Slayer blood puts demons into a frenzy, especially young ones who can't control themselves. Combine that with the innocence of childhood blood and it is a combination most demons and vampires can't resist."
"Can you resist it?" Giles asked carefully, moving between the children and the vampire. Spike nodded.
"I've resisted the pull of this Slayer's blood for so long it's in now my nature to protect it, and any that smell like it. I won't hurt them," he promised. Giles nodded. "But it's not safe for them here. Eventually word will get out and every demon and vampire who wants to build their street cred will be coming here to off them and their mother. This is a public building. Anything can get in."
"Xander's already working on converting one of the rooms into a nursery. Hopefully in a few days we'll take them home."
"Sooner the better," Spike told them. "Buffy too?" Joyce nodded. "You might want to look into securing the perimeter better. Maybe Red and Glinda can do some wards to keep nasties away."
"We haven't had any problems there," Giles reminded him.
"I know," he agreed, "but there was nothing worth risking there before. It was the center of the Slayer's power, even if she wasn't there herself. Most demons wouldn't risk coming under your wrath, especially with nothing to gain from it. Move them back there and they suddenly have reasons again."
"I'll look into it," he promised. Spike nodded thoughtfully.
"Angel might have a couple books we borrowed from the Council that can help." Giles looked at him in disbelief. Spike scoffed. "Oh come on. It was over a hundred years ago, back when Peaches first got his shiny new soul. You think the rest of us just walked out on him without trying everything we could think of to get him back?"
"You were responsible for the burning of the Council buildings in London?" Giles asked, outraged. "Many of the books we lost were irreplaceable. Centuries of knowledge just gone."
"We were evil," he reminded them. "I still am. Besides the books were lost to the Council. They were just borrowed instead of burned." Giles rolled his eyes. "We tried the Gypsies that cast the curse in the first place. When they proved unhelpful we moved on to the next thing we thought could help. We didn't realize he'd be such a ponce or we would've just staked him ourselves and spared ourselves lots of headaches."
"We'd be grateful for any help you can give," Joyce interrupted, not in the mood to listen to the squabble right now.
"I'd do anything for any one of the Summers women," Spike gently reminded her. She smiled.
"That reminds me of something," Giles said suddenly, cleaning his glasses as he spoke. "Have your feelings for Buffy changed at all while she's been gone?" he asked.
"Not one bit Watcher," Spike told him. "I love her." Giles nodded, expecting that reply. He put his glasses on and stood straighter as he faced the vampire.
"I won't even pretend to understand how or why you have feelings for her, but in the past I have supported her decisions regarding your presence, even when I didn't understand or agree with them. She wasn't a child any longer and deserved the right to make her own choices. But that has changed. Right now she is more helpless than her children. She is dependent on others for everything, and she may stay that way for the rest of her life."
"You can't scare me away Rupert," Spike said honestly, looking back at Buffy's still form for a minute. "I took care of Dru for over a hundred years. I can take care of Buffy."
"I'll take care of my daughter!" Joyce exclaimed forcefully.
"Of course Mum," Spike backed down, "but I'll be there any time you need help." Joyce nodded but Rupert wasn't finished yet.
"I haven't staked you in the past because it was clear Buffy wanted to give you a chance to be a better person. And as amazed as I am to find myself admitting this, you have risen to the challenge admirably. But that was without Buffy's constant presence. I know about vampires and their obsessions. I'm warning you now. If you ever try to hurt Buffy, or take advantage of her in any way, I will stake you myself."
"My behavior was always good enough for Buffy," Spike protested. "I never fell beneath her standards."
"And now you'll have to meet mine," Giles deadpanned. Spike looked over at Joyce for help, but she wasn't budging on this issue.
"A father protecting his daughter," Spike said, looking Giles square in the eye. Joyce flinched, but Giles held Spike's gaze. Spike was the one to look away. "Fine," he conceded, "but I'm still new to this good thing. If I'm messing up you have to tell me before you get stake happy."
"That sounds reasonable," Giles nodded. Spike turned for the door.
"If you don't need me right now, I think I'll go patrol. See if any new players are in town. I'll be back before dawn," he promised, leaving with a swirl of his duster. Joyce turned to face Rupert.
"Do you think he could hurt her?" she asked wearily. Giles sighed.
"I don't think he would intentionally hurt her anymore," he admitted, "but even humans can hurt the ones they love the most. Especially in difficult times like this." He took her untouched coffee away from her and pushed her toward one of the other beds in the room. "Why don't you get some sleep? I'll watch over them tonight." She nodded, falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.