Warnings and disclaimer in Chapter 1. Enjoy.
The women had moved to the couch, Joyce still firmly anchored between her two comforters, but they all looked much more composed. Albert stopped briefly when he saw the rest of the Scoobies minus Dawn in the room, but Giles had expected it.
"The screaming has stopped," Anya checked, holding Alex tightly to her. She looked ready to bolt at a moment's notice. "The twins didn't like that and we just got them happy again."
"Buffy is asleep," Giles said, lowering his tray to the coffee table. Albert finally got over the shock of seeing everyone there and followed his example.
"Oh," Anya said, handing the baby over to Andrew as she made herself some tea. Everyone followed her lead. "You wanted to ask me something?"
"Yes," he said, watching Andrew carefully, but apparently he had proven his worth. Nobody moved to intercede, though Xander watched him carefully. "Have you ever heard of Voulard demons?"
"Voulard demons?" she repeated. Giles nodded.
"Have you heard of them?" he asked again.
"Only legends. I thought they were extinct. There was a rumor going around a few thousand years ago that one had popped up, but since I was new and trying to prove myself I didn't pay much attention. A few years later the rumor died."
"What do you know of them?" Giles asked.
"They were the demonic mages, but they haven't been heard of for ages."
"What do you mean demonic mages?" Willow asked.
"You know," Anya said, gesturing emphatically. "To keep the balance." She looked from one blank face to another. "You guys do know about the balance right?"
"Pretend that we don't," Giles said. Anya sighed loudly, putting her cup down a bit harder than she meant to.
"The balance between good and evil?" she said again. "You've had a balance demon seek you out and you still don't know about the balance? I thought you were Watchers."
"Not all of us," Xander said, reaching out to pull her into his arms. "Just start at the beginning," he said, calming her down by rubbing her back gently. She melted into his arms, sighing, before opening her eyes and catching Giles's gaze.
"You know eons ago the world was ruled by demons. True demons." Giles nodded. "Well they suddenly didn't say 'Gee. I wonder what Hell is like this time of year. Let's go find out.' They were banished. There was a war and they lost."
"As interesting as this is what does it have to do with these demons?" Xander asked. She lightly punched him in the arm.
"You need the backstory. If you've never really thought about the balance as anything more than a simple phrase, you really don't know what you're fighting for. You need to understand the context in order for any of it to make sense."
"Xander," Giles complained.
"Shutting up now," he said. "Go on dear." She turned to the Watcher once more.
"It was so long ago that nobody knows exactly how the war was fought or won, but the most accepted theory is that the lesser demons and the humans called a truce and formed a pack against the true demons. When they won, they had to decide what to do with the world. They knew the truce wouldn't last long, it's not in the nature of demons or humans to back down, but they also knew that without order both sides would tear each other apart and true demons would return and exact the ultimate revenge. Both sides agreed to the Grand Plan."
"The Grand Plan?" Albert asked keenly.
"Have you heard of it?" Veronica asked. Albert nodded.
"Many people have. Many modern religions reference some sort of grand design in the architecture of their religion. I didn't realize it was a real thing."
"Oh it is," she said cheerfully. "I have no idea what it is exactly, but the greatest humans and demons of the day agreed to try this plan. They left their mortal coils behind and became guardians of the world, defending demons and humans from the return of the true demons. At least that is how the legend goes."
"So the balance between good and evil is a real thing too?" Xander asked.
"Very much," Anya confirmed. "It was one of the first things D'Hoffryn taught me about being a vengeance demon. We changed reality through the power of the wish, but you had to be careful to not change it too much or the balance would tip and that is never a good thing. If you do you have to go before the Assembly and justify your actions and hope they don't incinerate you. I was almost pulled in front of the Assembly when I did my little change here, and let me tell you I have never known fear like that before. Scarier then bunnies even."
"The Assembly?" Tara asked.
"The Assembly of Balance. The lesser demons and humans who make sure the balance is maintained. Were you not listening?" She sighed again. "They knew the war between demons and humanity would start up again, which it did, but they also knew they still needed to work together to keep the true demons from reentering our world. They formed The Assembly. I think Cordelia referred to them as The Powers That Be." They all nodded. Everyone had heard Cordelia rant about them the few times the two groups got together.
"So they would be the oldest and most powerful sorcerers humanity had back then?" Giles asked, trying to understand. Anya nodded.
"Probably. At least the ones on the light side. They have their counterpoints on the dark side, who probably started out as demons, but over the eons they've all switched sides so many times it's hard to know which side anyone's on. Now their main concern is that the balance doesn't tip too far in favor of one side or the other, but that doesn't mean they don't like to interfere in the war that is still going on. A little tweak here and there. Something small that would get the balance back into their favor, whether light or dark, but not enough to tip the scales too much. If they see something about to happen that will tip the scales, they send an emissary to help stop it. That's why Whistler came to Buffy during the Acathla apocalypse."
"You knew about that?" Xander asked.
"It was the talk of the water cooler," she said. "It has been a few hundred years since they last interfered, however indirectly. It was big news and I was experienced enough to really enjoy the rumor mill."
"What happens when the scales get tipped?" Giles asked.
"That's when true demons can get back in," Anya told them. "And it doesn't really matter which way it tips. Too far in either direction is bad for everyone. If the situation doesn't resolve itself when they send their emissary, they join forces and get involved directly. Usually they just kill everybody and start over with a few thousand humans and demons."
"So not to be all Xander," Tara started, "but what does that have to do with the demons?" Anya glared at the witch but continued.
"So during this great debate the Powers were deciding everything from free will to boundary lines. One of the issues that came up was magic. Back then it was really wild, primal stuff. Stuff that could easily tip the scales. One side was for it, the other against. Eventually it was decided that if they could tame magic they would keep it, but if they couldn't magic would be destroyed. As you can guess since we have two powerful witches sitting here with us, they were able to tame magic. I'm not sure which side tamed it, but in the interest of balance both light and dark received magic and everything that goes with it, including the power of prophecy. Now it gets a little tricky. The light side decided to separate magic and prophecy and spread them both out amongst humanity. More people would have access to them, but the power would be diluted. The dark side did the opposite. They kept magic and prophecy together, endowing them to a single demonic race."
"The Voulard," Giles finished. Anya nodded.
"I don't know why they were picked. They never were the strongest of the bunch, or the smartest, but overnight they became powerful. Only they never embraced their power. They continued to be meek, weaker demons who relied on stronger demons for protection. Eventually they took on the role of advisers to demonic warlords. A role that killed many of them when they had bad news to give."
"But wouldn't that upset the balance?" Albert asked, trying to understand.
"No. Each side was given the same magic and the same amount of magic. They just invested differently. It wasn't something someone did deliberately, which would upset the balance, it was just how things played out. Eventually the Voulard died out, and with it the magic users for the dark. Humanity got a huge jump, which led to the creation of civilization as we know it, and the dark magic users faded into legend."
"But don't demons use magic?" Willow asked. "When you were a Vengeance Demon you used magic."
"A magic amulet," Anya clarified. "Without the amulet I'm as powerless as most mortals. Demons need potions or magical items to use magic. True magic, like Willow and Tara have, are beyond demons."
"Why?" Willow asked eagerly.
"Our magic draws from the natural energies of the Earth," Tara answered. "That's what my mom always told me anyway."
"She's right," Anya agreed. "Humans are able to tap into the natural forces around them. Demons, being unnatural, can't. That's why they need to rely on intermediaries. The Voulard were the only exception, but when they died out the demonic connection to true magic was lost."
"Maybe they didn't die out as much as regroup," Giles thought out loud. "When was the last time they were seen?"
"Well before my time," Anya said.
"They had the power of prophecy as well?" he asked. Anya nodded. "What if they foresaw all of this happening and knew the only way to survive was to disappear until they could affect the changes they wanted."
"Like the Dawn of the Third Age?" Veronica asked. Giles nodded.
"They went into hiding, waiting until the right time to reveal themselves. They created The Ring exclusively to capture the Slayer they needed, then proceeded to impregnate her to collect the children they needed."
"Only something went wrong," Kate said. "They never got the last batch of children. Something happened that they didn't foresee." She pulled out a picture from her folder. "Is this a Voulard demon?"
"I don't know," Anya admitted. "I've never seen one." Andrew peered over her shoulder.
"No," Andrew spoke up. "That's a Gremlark."
"What?" Giles asked him.
"They're tunnel dwellers, living deep underground," he told them. "I summoned one once to see if it could tunnel into the girls locker room. Didn't work out like I thought it would."
"Why?" Anya asked curiously.
"They don't like the surface much," he said, "like at all. They're more sensitive to the sun than even vampires. Any light will burn them, and I mean even a weak flashlight. But they have amazing cities deep underground."
"Perfect for hiding until the right time," Giles said. "Until something went wrong."
"Free will," Joyce said, speaking up for the first time. "Wasn't that what the detective said? If it wasn't for that one informant The Ring would have gone on undiscovered for years? Their entire plan brought down by one person." They were quiet for a moment as they let that sink in. The silence was broken by sound coming from Buffy's monitor. Joyce sighed tiredly and went to get to her feet, but was held down by Willow.
"Let us try," she said, motioning for Xander. "I think it might be some classic three amigos time." Xander nodded and followed his friend up the stairs. They heard their greeting before the monitor was turned off. The silence resumed, only broken by the ringing of the telephone. Giles jumped up to answer, returning a few minutes later.
"That was Wesley," he told them. "The apocalypse in L.A. has been diverted. There were no major casualties on our side, and thanks to Jonathan, Angel did not lose his soul."
"Thank God," Joyce breathed. Although not nearly as protective of the Fang Gang as her own group, she still worried about them, especially at times like these.
"Faith and Daniel are staying a few days to help with the cleanup, then they will return."
"At which time they will need to return to Cleveland," Albert said, officially speaking as the Chancellor of the Watchers Council for the first time since he got here. The power that radiated off him was amazing to watch. It was like night and day from the kindly, older man he had been. "I will make finding these children our top priority, but we cannot let an active Hellmouth remain unguarded. Faith will need to return."
"I understand," Veronica said.
"It seems I have business in L.A. I shall try to stop by before I return to London, if I can." He shook hands with the remaining Scoobies, including Andrew, and held each of the babies close one last time. He turned to his children. "You'll do fine Veronica," he told her, pulling her into a brief hug. "And you Rupert." He turned to his son. "Keep doing what you're doing. You have a fine family." Giles smiled, giving him a firm handshake. Albert turned to Joyce. "You have full Council support, even if your daughter is never able to resume her duties as the Slayer. What you have done here is amazing, nothing short of miraculous, and I would be proud to say I am a part of it in whatever way I can." With that he stormed out the door, Kate following behind him.
"What was that?" Andrew asked.
"Our childhood," Giles and Veronica said together, each of them grinning.
"But at least you got his seal of approval after only a month," Giles said. Veronica nodded. She was about to say more when Willow reappeared.
"She wants you," she said to Joyce. Joyce sighed and again made to stand when Willow held her down for a second time. Willow smiled, looking back at the stairs. Soon Xander was slowly coming down.
"I'm just saying water buffalo are very misunderstood creatures. And who teaches a water buffalo how to swim? Do you think if they can't swim they get downgraded to land buffalos?" He held Buffy tightly in his arms. She was smiling up at him.
"We caught the last few minutes of one of those foreign shows nobody else watches," Willow explained. "Then she was looking for you."
"She asked for me?" Joyce asked, nearly breaking down again.
"Not with actual words," Willow told her, trying hard not to burst her bubble, "but she nodded when we asked about you."
"You gave her a bath and got her dressed?" Joyce asked as Xander finally made it to the bottom of the stairs. Willow shrugged.
"I noticed the bag was almost full," she said shyly. "I wasn't sure if you started her routine or not, but I figured a second bath wouldn't hurt."
"I hadn't started yet," Joyce admitted. Xander had entered the living room. When she heard her mother's voice Buffy began twisting in his arms, looking for her.
"Whoa," Xander cautioned as she almost twisted out of his grip. He moved closer to Joyce, who reached for her daughter. Xander found himself being pulled onto the couch when Buffy reached for her mother and caused the pair to overbalance.
"Xander?" Joyce asked, as she repositioned her daughter.
"I'm okay," he said, straightening himself, though one of his arms was trapped behind Buffy. He wasn't in any hurry to move it. Willow quickly plopped down on Xander's other side, snuggling into her best friend. "Ah, my two favorite girls," he said dreamily, only to look up abruptly at the small, discreet cough. "Who have nothing on my incredibly understanding wife who will not castrate me for this. I'm the victim here. They jumped me."
"Well then I'm going to snuggle up with someone too," Anya declared. "And we'll see how you like it." With that she jumped onto Joyce's other side. Joyce automatically put her arm around the young woman and Anya sighed. "This is nice," she said, all the traces of anger gone from her voice.
"What just happened?" Xander asked, wincing when the arm trapped by Buffy began to hurt.
"I'm not sure," Giles told him, looking on in confusion.
"You're never too old for a snuggle," Joyce said, pulling her daughter closer so Xander could remove his arm. He smiled in relief. "Is that Mr. Gordo?"
"Yeah," he told her. "She wouldn't let go of him. We figured it would be okay for him to come down too."
"It's fine," she said, yawning loudly. Giles found the remote and flicked through channels until he could find something mildly entertaining. He knew he, Joyce, and Buffy wouldn't last long. "Stop." Joyce commanded. He did as he was told.
"Passions?" he asked, recognizing the daytime soap easily.
"It's a good show," she said. He was about to retort when she added, "and it has someone captivated." He looked over and watched Buffy. She was curled into her mother's arm, her head on her chest, but her eyes were focused on the television screen with an intensity that was usually reserved for boys and shoes.
"It is a good show," he reluctantly agreed. Willow lifted her head off Xander's shoulders, looking at him like he lost his mind, but stayed quiet when she saw Buffy's attention. He passed the remote off to the redhead and sat down in one of the chairs, nearly falling asleep as soon as he was sitting.
"I think the twins need their nap," Tara said, using the children as an excuse to flee the room. Andrew and Veronica followed her closely. As Giles predicted, he, Joyce, and Buffy were asleep before the first set of commercials. Xander and Anya soon followed, and Willow was content to doze until she heard the door open. Everyone woke up at the unnatural sound. Everyone except for Buffy.
"Oh my God," Dawn said quietly as she entered the room. "What happened here? Did you all drink the Kool-Aid or something?"
"Nightmares," Willow told her, the only one to wake up enough to answer her questions. "Really bad nightmares."
"Is she okay?" Dawn asked quietly, moving closer to the couch.
"For now," Joyce said sleepily, forcing her eyes open. "How was your trip?"
"It was okay," she shrugged, but her eyes told a different story. Her eyes lit up in excitement.
"Why don't I make us some lunch and you can tell me all about it?" she suggested, stretching her arms above her head. Anya moved from her side, snuggling deeper into the couch cushions while Xander woke up enough to gently coax Buffy to his side. Dawn followed her mother into the kitchen, where she told her all about her camping trip. They couldn't hear exactly what she said from the living room, but they could tell by the tone of her voice she had fun. By the time her story was finished Joyce had prepared soup and sandwiches for everybody. She decided to break one of her house rules by bringing the meal into the living room. Dawn placed the tray of sandwiches on the coffee table before heading upstairs to get Tara the others. Joyce followed with a tray full of mugs of soup.
"We're not relocating to the dining room?" Xander asked, as he awkwardly shifted Buffy in his arms.
"To tired," she said as she passed out mugs of soup. "But don't get used to it." She prepared to take Buffy back into her arms when Xander frowned. "What is it?"
"She's warm," he said, frowning. Joyce quickly put her mug on the table and reached for Buffy, feeling her forehead and cheeks with the back of her hand.
"You're right," she said after a minute. She looked to Giles, who quickly ducked out of the room only to return a minute later with the thermometer. He quickly slid the small tube under her tongue.
"Ninety-nine," he said after a few minutes. "A tad warm but not too high."
"Maybe it's just stress?" Willow asked. "The last few days have been really bad."
"Perhaps," Giles said reluctantly. "I'll call Ben and ask his opinion." Joyce nodded as she reached over and picked up her soup before once again settling Buffy at her side. Buffy woke up at the jostling, giving her mother a smile.
"Hey baby," she smiled back as she slowly drank her soup. Buffy watched her curiously, her hand coming up to the mug. Joyce quickly moved it out of the way. "It's a bit too hot right now," she said as she held it away. Buffy nodded and dropped her hand, but kept her eyes on the mug. After a few minutes Joyce brought the mug back, taking a sip of the still too hot liquid. "Not yet," she instructed, feeling Buffy's hand rise.
"Try this," Dawn said, returning to the room with a cup half filled with water. Joyce nodded, switching out the cups. Buffy didn't notice, her hand rising again when Joyce took a sip of the cool water. She let Buffy feel the cup, only stopping her when she went to put her fingers in the water.
"You want to try?" she asked. Buffy's hand stopped, her whole body going rigid. She glanced between her mother and the glass. Joyce wondered if she had pushed too far and was about to pass the glass off to Dawn when Buffy nodded.
"We don't have to," she told her. Buffy's face slowly changed from scared to determined as she nodded her head. "We can stop anytime," Joyce told her. "Just squeeze my hand if you want to stop." Buffy nodded again as both her hands came up, encircling her mother's hand as it gripped the glass. "Just lean against me," she instructed her daughter, "and open your mouth. I'll do all the work." Buffy did as she was asked and a few seconds later Joyce poured a tiny amount of water into her mouth. She immediately started chocking, not quite sure what to do with it once it was in her mouth. She instinctively swallowed, but not before most of the water escaped down her chin.
"Here." Giles handed Joyce as small towel and she quickly wiped up the water that had spilled.
"Not bad for your first try," she said once Buffy relaxed against her once again. "It reminds me of another time I helped you drink water. You had the same reaction then." She went to put the cup down, but Buffy squeezed her hand. "You want to try again?" she asked. Buffy nodded, leaning back against her and opening her mouth slightly. Joyce again poured a small amount of water into her mouth. Again she choked before she was able to swallow, but she was more successful this time, only a few drops escaped her mouth. Joyce raised the cup once more, but Buffy squeezed her hands. "You want more?" she asked. Buffy shook her head, letting her hands fall tiredly. Joyce nodded and handed the cup off to Dawn. "I'm so proud of you baby." Buffy smiled as she reached for Mr. Gordo. She leaned back against her mother, cradling the toy carefully. She put her head on her mother's chest, and closed her eyes. The group settled down for a quiet day.