A/N Part 1 of the newest Chapter! Hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 15 part 1: Happy Birthday

Aisling watched as Spike hurried around the house, collecting various weapons.

"Are you sure about this?" Spike asked her as he placed more and more weapons into his bag. "I don't know if I like this—"

"I'll be fine," Aisling said stepping forward. "This isn't the first time you've had to leave me in the care of someone else while you go cross-country to handle some big demon."

"I know." Spike said rubbing his brow, "But even still… I don't like this. Something tells me I should call him up and cancel."

"Da—"

"Listen… it's too soon."

"Drusilla is dead. You told me she was dead. You told me the Church burned down with her inside of it." I cross my arms. "Did you lie?"

Spike shook his head, "No, but—"

Aisling grinned and pulled away, "Then, see? There's nothing to worry about. Besides, I think Angel's been looking forward to getting to know me."

"You hate Angel."

"I do." Aisling said, "However, I know you, and you can't just leave innocent people to deal with a class 5 demon on their own. Besides Angel's all… soulful and stuff now. Not like he'll hurt me."

"Yes, 'cause Angel with soul is a paragon of virtue," Spike said rolling his eyes.

"I thought you were getting along better," Aisling said.

"We are. Even still Liam was not a paragon of virtue, drinking and whoring all of the time."

Aisling laughed, "He's changed."

"Not by much."

"Because of Buffy? I heard he was acting a perfect gentleman with her."

"For now," Spike said. "I should stay."

"Oh, come on." Aisling said, "Give him a chance to prove he's changed."

Spike closed his eyes, "The way you can just put aside your differences with a person you hate, just so I feel better about leaving truly boggles the mind."

Aisling chuckled, "And it boggles my mind how you can have had your soul for almost a decade and still not know anything about human kindness.

Spike moved to flick her head, and Aisling quickly ducked to avoid it.

"Besides." Aisling said, "I already talked to Buffy about it, and she has invited me over for slumber parties for the first week you're gone." She said with a grin.

Spike rolled his eyes. "I know." He said, "I know, but even still… if you have any issues… any at all. Call me and I'll come home." He said gripping Aisling's shoulder, staring straight into her eyes. "Promise me." He said. "And… if for whatever reason my cellphone is turned off. Leave a message. I will get to it and call you back."

Aisling nodded and she took a deep breath. "Besides, both your therapist and mine said that we had to slowly get back to our normal routine. Leaving me with a babysitter while you went and handled demons is part of that 'normal' routine."

Spike rubbed her forehead. "Sometimes change is necessary."

"It's only for a couple of weeks," Aisling said. "We'll try it out, and if it comes too hard for either you or me, then when you come back home, we can reassess."

Someone knocked at the door, and Aisling turned to it.

"It's Angel," Spike said, his nostrils flaring slightly. "Go to your room, I'll get the door."

"Da—"

"Go," Spike said.

Aisling rolled her eyes but did as she was told.

Spike opened the door, to see Angel and Buffy standing in the doorway.

"Hello, Buffy," Spike said cordially. "Wasn't expecting you?"

Buffy winced slightly, "I was heading off to visit Angel when he told me that he was on his way here to pick up Aisling. Thought I'd come to check this place out."

Spike nodded, "So long as you don't start killing the tenants."

"Should hope not," Aisling said coming out of the room, a backpack slung over her shoulder and a rolling suitcase being dragged along behind her. "Would really ruin our social lives."

"You socialize with demons."

"Careful. Most of the demons here have super hearing." Aisling said stepping forward. "And yeah. I do. Half of my friends back in Las Vegas were of the non-human variety. Sort of. Get off the judgy horse." She shouldered her backpack and turned to Spike. "See you in a couple of weeks?"

"Of course," Spike said giving her a huge hug. "Bring you back something' special."

Aisling chuckled, "It's only Iowa." She said, her eyes widened, "Ooh, if you see Riley tell him 'Hi' from me."

"Riley?" Buffy asked curiously.

"Mmmhmm." Aisling said, "He used to babysit me when I was younger, he was only a few years older than me. But he really helped out when da' and I first moved there."

"Iowa doesn't seem like a type of place with a lot of demon activity."

"Yeah." Aisling said, "It's a rouse." Aisling said. "It's the place lots of demons go, to get away from demons that tend to haunt LA and Los Vegas. Though sometimes… some of the scarier demons will go there just to make a mess."

"That… makes sense," Buffy said.

Aisling nodded before she repositioned her backpack.

"We should go," Angel said, he held out his hand. "Need help with that?"

"No thanks," Aisling said, she turned back to Spike, "See you," Aisling gave Spike a kiss on the cheek, and they were off.

"Where to?" Aisling asked once they were out of the building.

"MY place," Angel said unlocking the car door and ushering her and Buffy in. Buffy sat in the front passenger seat, while Aisling lounged around in the back.

"You'll be sleeping over at my place tomorrow." Buffy said, "Mum's agreed to let you stay for a week, and then after that, you'll be bunking with Angel until your dad gets home."

"Cool." Aisling said, "Can't wait to see your living quarters gramps. Please tell me it has running water."

Angel rolled his eyes, "Yes, I'm renting a very nice bachelor pad." Angel said as they turned a corner. "It's fortunately close to the school, so you can walk there easily without much trouble."

"Aww," Aisling said with a slight grin. "Don't trust me to handle your nice car."

Angel glared at her through the rearview mirror. "I don't trust you not to crash it just to spit me."

"Please," Aisling said rolling her eyes. "With cars like these, it's more than likely that I'll break my face then brake your car. I may dislike you, but I'm not stupid." She said as they turned into the parking lot of Angel's apartment building. Aisling collected her things and helped herself out of the car.

"Even still." Angel said, "I'd rather you walked if you could help it."

"Sure." Aisling said, "Do you have human food?" She asked.

"Yes." Angel said as they reached his apartment, "I gave Buffy some money and she agreed to go shopping for me. She assures me that everything she bought she's seen you eat at some point." Angel unlocked the door with his key.

Aisling stepped inside and pulled open his fridge. "Didn't get much." She mused, then before they could start acting indignant, she waved them aside. "For the best, especially in regard to fruits and veggies since Angel doesn't eat them and I'll be at your place." She picked something up from inside the fridge and turned to the kitchen. "I haven't eaten yet today, and I'm feeling a mite peckish – do you mind?"

"No." Angel said, "Make yourself at home."

Aisling grinned before turning to the stove and getting everything prepared.

"Have to admit." Buffy whispered her voice lowered, "I'm… a little uneasy with you and her alone together."

"Don't worry." Angel said, "Despite her dislike of me… I doubt she'll actually kill me."

Buffy looked up at him her eyes wide.

"She's not worried about that." Aisling shouted over the sound of sizzling steak, "She's uneasy because I'm her age and you and I aren't actually blood related."

Angel turned to Aisling, but she had already turned back to her food. He sighed and turned back to Buffy who was flushing at having been caught.

"Nothing's going to happen between me and her," Angel said.

"Seriously," Aisling said, as she put her steaks on a plate and headed to the coffee table. "He's not my type."

"And she's not mine," Angel said. "And even if she was… I love you, Buffy."

"I know." Buffy said, "I'll see you tomorrow." Buffy said Angel. "See you at school Ash."

Aisling gave a half-hearted wave before Buffy hurried out the door.

"After dinner brush your teeth and head off to bed," Angel said, attempting to parent.

Aisling scoffed. Though in all honesty, it was past bedtime.

The reason she was staying at Angel's house tonight was that at the time Spike was leaving it would have been too much of an imposition on Mrs. Summers, ergo Angel's room for a transitional period and then tomorrow after school she was to head to the Summer's residence for a week before being unceremoniously dumped back at Angel's feet.

"This week is Buffy's birthday," Aisling said. "Got her a present?"

"I do." Angel said, "Not that it's any of your business."

"Mmm." Aisling said, "Gonna get her a matching Claddagh ring?"

Angel sputtered, "How in the world?"

"I'm also Irish," Aisling said, "My mother had a Claddagh ring my Da' – my birth Da' – gave her" She looked up at Angel, "And I know what the ring means. And I noticed that you have one too. Heart pointed inwards – you have someone in your heart, right?"

Angel looked at her, "You taught her how to say, 'I love you' in Irish didn't you?"

Aisling grinned, "Mmmhmm."

"I thought you disagreed with our relationship."

"Oh, I do." Aisling said, "I believe this relationship is a dumb dangerous idea, that is going to end with someone's heartbroken. But teaching Buffy a few words isn't going to do anything." She said she turned back to her stake. "I mean… I'd wait until she's of age." She told Angel, "But you know… that's just me."

"Is this whole two going to be filled with snide comments?"

"Oh yeah." Aisling said, "100%." She said. "The week I come back, I will be enjoying this day, and making your waking days a nightmare until Spike comes back."

"I can see why you readily agreed to sleep over at my place."

"Mmmhmm," Aisling said with a grin. "Making your life a nightmare with just my words is heaven to me."

"Is it in any way possible for you to believe that I've changed?"

"Mmmhmm." Aisling said, "You're still a 300-year-old vampire dating an underage girl."

"I'm a vampire, I'm mentally frozen at the age I was turned."

"Cute." Aisling said, "Does that mean that you're too immature to watch me?"

"Are you done eating yet?" Angel sighed.

"Yeah." Aisling stood to go wash the dishes, but Angel took the dishes out of her hands, "No, No, just go sleep, I've made up the bed for you."

Aisling blinked, "The bed?"

Angel sighed, "I wasn't about to let a sixteen-year-old girl sleep on the sofa or the chair. The bed's clean, I put fresh Linen on it this morning."

Aisling pursed her lips, but she wasn't about to argue against it she nodded once before she turned and rolled her suitcase into the bathroom to change.

Angel sighed once Aisling was finally asleep; this was going to be a long night.

Angel wasn't really tired, but he also didn't feel comfortable going out when his adoptive grandchild (sort of) was sleeping on the bed. What if she woke up and he was gone, and she got scared.

So… to be calm he sat on the chair and opened a book to read, silently keeping watch over Spike's little girl.

Then he heard a frantic knock on the door, and he quickly hurried to the door to stop the knocking so Aisling could continue sleeping.

He blinked when he saw who was on the other end of the door looking at him wide-eyed and scared. "Buffy?"

"Is everything ok?" Angel asked, looking back to see if Aisling had awakened. But outside of the slight jolt of heart rate when the knocking started, she seemed to be at peace at the moment.

"That's… what I was gonna ask you." Buffy said, "And Aisling?" She asked tilting her head slightly. "Is she…"

Angel moved aside to let Buffy in so she could better see her. "She's asleep, I've been on the chair reading."

"You're, ok?" Buffy said, "Both of you?"

"We're fine." Angel said, "You just left us a few hours ago, Buffy. What's up?"

"I-I had this… Dream that Drusilla was alive." Buffy said.

"What happened?" Angel asked he turned his attention to Aisling for a moment before turning back to Buffy.

"She killed you," Buffy said close to tears. "Right in front of me."

"It was just a dream." Angel said, "It wasn't real." He rubbed her arms in an effort to calm her, he turned to look at Aisling again before turning back to Buffy.

"But it felt so real."

"It wasn't." Angel said, "I'm right here."

"Angel this happened before." Buffy insisted, "The Dreams that I had about the master, they came true."

"Still, not every dream you have comes true." Angel whispered, "I mean what else did you dream last night?"

Buffy hesitated, "I dreamt—I dreamt that Giles and I opened an office supply warehouse in Vegas,"

Aisling twitched in her sleep.

"See my point?" Angel said barely hiding a chuckle.

Buffy looked down, "Yeah I do," She tilted her head back up, "What if Drusilla is alive? We never saw her body."

"And we wouldn't." Angel said, "Due to Drusilla being a vampire and he is dusting when she dies. Drusilla was very weak when we made it out of the church." Angel said. "And given Kendra set the church on fire, it's unlikely—"

"I know, I know," Buffy said cutting him off. "You don't have to give me the 'As you know' speech. I was there. But… you know… it was nighttime… and she might have escaped."

"She didn't." Angel insisted. "And even if she did… we'd deal," Angel said.

"But…" Buffy started, Angel bent down and kissed her, trying desperately to calm her down.

"Mmm." Aisling moaned as she turned in bed, Buffy and Angel pulled away embarrassed.

"Right." Buffy said, "You- you still have a guest over." She said, "Should—should I be concerned about the fact that she's in your bed?"

Angel shook his head, "No." He insisted, "I was in the chair reading. I'll sleep during the day when she's at school."

"Right"

"Anyway." Angel said, "What if what?"

Buffy flushed as she remembered, "I'm sorry" She whispered. She looked at his lips again, and Angel had to just barely restrain himself. "We shouldn't." Angel said, "Not with… she could wake up and—"

"Right," Buffy said backing away, as Angel followed her both of them trying to stop each other from kissing.

And failing.

Miserably.

"I have to go to school," Buffy said.

"Not for a couple of hours." Angel said, "Already cursing himself as they kissed again.

"You should go," Angel said as they pulled away.

"Mmmhmm." Buffy said, "This is me. Leaving" Buffy said, opening the door and closing it. Before they kissed again.

"You still haven't told me what you wanted for your birthday," Angel said,

"Surprise me."

"Ok, I will."

"This is nice." Buffy said, "It's nice seeing you first thing in the morning." She said.

"It's bedtime for me," Angel said.

"Well, then I like seeing you at Bedtime," Buffy said, her eyes widening as though she couldn't believe what she had just said out loud. "Umm… eh—ha! You know what I mean."

"I think so." Angel said, "What do you mean?"

"I like seeing you, and the part at the end of the night where we say goodbye? It's getting harder."

"Yeah," Angel said softly.

It was hard after that, but eventually, they parted ways, and Angel stared at the closed door that Buffy had just left for a long moment before he turned to Aisling.

"I know you're awake." He said half annoyed.

"You really shouldn't be having make out sessions when your granddaughter is five feet away sleeping." Aisling said, "Really brings out the ick factor."

"You have school in a few hours, go back to bed."

Aisling chuckled a little before her expression became more and more serious, she swallowed heavily. "You don't think…"

Angel sighed and sat down at the edge of the bed, "Drusilla won't get to you." Angel said, "I'll make certain of it."

Aisling looked at Angel she swallowed again and turned around, so her back was facing Angel. "You shouldn't dismiss her concerns," Aisling said.

Aisling yawned as she hurried to class, Hey Buffy. She said dragging her suitcase behind her down the corridors. (It wasn't really a suitcase, more a purse that doubled as a suitcase. She dumped it inside her locker and closed the door. "Still on for tonight?"

"Hey, Ash," Buffy said.

"Where's Will?" Aisling asked as she walked on beside Buffy.

"Oh, I encouraged her to go talk to Oz," Buffy said.

Aisling chuckled.

"Speaking of Bandmates… how's your friendship with Devon?"

Aisling paused and stared at Buffy her eyes wide. "How do you-?"

Buffy chuckled, "Please, you sang in their band as a duet with him during Multicultural night. Not to mention the amount of times I caught the two of you sneaking glances at each other."

Aisling flushed, "Yes, Ok Fine, He's… he's cute alright?" Aisling looked down at her toes,

"So…" Buffy said, "Why don't you… go and l, don't know… talk to him. Ask him out?"

"I can't I have plans for tomorrow

"Yes, because the only free day you have is tomorrow." Buffy said with a roll of her eyes, "And even if it was –which it's not – you could just… bring him along."

Aisling looked at Buffy before she looked to the side. "It's not a terrible idea…"

"It would be your Birthday gift to me. Me. Seeing you in the arms of someone you like."

"you're oddly sentimental." Aisling said her eyes narrowed in thought, "You and Angel have plans for your birthday?"

Buffy blushed, as she remembered what had happened that morning. "N-no…"

"Uh-huh," Aisling said in no way fooled.

"We don't!" Buffy insisted, "really,"

"So, I just dreamed you and Angel talking about wanting to see each other at bedtime?" Aisling asked crossing her arms.

Buffy's eyes widened as her mouth dropped in shock. "Y-you…"

Aisling turned to face Buffy as she began to walk backwards. "You weren't exactly being quiet when you knocked."

Buffy reached out to smack her playfully, but Aisling having years of dealing with Spike easily dodged out of the way and ran off laughing while Buffy ran off after her.

"Buffy, I feel a pre-birthday spanking coming on," Xander said as Buffy, Ms. Calendar and Aisling walked passed him.

Aisling rolled her eyes.

"I'd curb that impulse if I were you, Xander."

"Yep," Aisling muttered to herself.

"Check, cancel Spanking," Xander said into his shirt pretending it had a communicator clip attached to it.

"Are you alright Buffy, you look a little fatigued?"

"Not surprising." Aisling quipped up, "I made jokes at her expense, and she spent that last five minutes chasing me down the halls."

"Oh, hush." Buffy said, "I visited Angel last night while she was sleeping over there and it turns out instead of sleeping like I thought she was... she'd been awakened and eavesdropped on my conversation with Angel."

"Oh?" Giles said, "What led you there?"

"Not what you're thinking." Buffy said, before his cheeks flushed, well maybe a little of what you're thinking. A had a dream that Drusilla was alive and killed Angel. "

Aisling looked down.

"It just really freaked me out," Buffy said, looking down at her fingers.

"You fear it was more of a portent."

"See I don't know; I don't want to cause a big freakout over nothing."

"Still, best to be cautious," Giles said. "If Drusilla is alive, then it could be a fairly cataclysmic state of affairs."

Aisling closed her eyes, "And her birthday is coming up." Aisling winced.

"Does that matter?"

Aisling nodded, "She always tended to have a huge way to celebrate it. Usually involved lots of death."

Buffy's eyes bugged out of her skull.

"When's her Birthday?"

"January 19th," Aisling said raking her fingers over her hair. "But according to you, Kendra set the Church on fire. Is there any way she could have escaped?"

Buffy bit her lip, "I don't—"

The bell rang, and Aisling, Xander and Buffy sighed as they stood.

"Don't worry unduly Buffy, I'm sure it's nothing."

"I know I should keep my Slayer cool. But it's Angel which automatically equals Maxi-wig." She said as she walked off. Aisling gave a weak smile to Giles before following after her.

Aisling pulled her cell phone out and stared at it. By this time, he was probably in a hotel sleeping which didn't stop her from leaving a message.

Still… should she call? Let him know what was going on?

She wasn't entirely sure what she should do. This was the first out-of-state job he'd gotten since he was healed calling him back on a maybe seemed… silly.

Aisling put the phone away in her pocket. If they had evidence that something concrete was brewing, she'd call then. But not a moment before.

No need to spoil Da's fun to come and deal with his likely dead ex, right?

"Do you really think you're ready Buffy?" Aisling heard as she hurried down the stairs for school, followed by the sound of something smashing.

"Hey Buffy, Happy Birth…" Aisling said as she entered the room, "What happened?"

Buffy looked as though she had seen a ghost, but Joyce just laughed it off, "A plate slipped out my hand." She said already bending down to clean it up.

"Need any help?" Aisling asked.

"Thank you." Joyce said warmly, "But no, you're a guest here, I can handle it. You and Buffy just wait in the car, and I'll drive you two to school, alright."

Buffy looked frozen as she stared at the plate, her eyes wide with fear.

Aisling nodded her head. "Buffy?" She said. "Should we go?"

She turned to Aisling surprised and confused. "Hmm? Oh… yeah, Let's go wait in the car."

Aisling gripped Buffy by the arm, and gently guided her out the door, not forgetting to take Buffy's backpack with them.

"What's wrong?" Aisling said once they had made it outside.

"The… the plate." Buffy said, "Mom dropped a plate in my dream…"

Aisling stared at Buffy. "And you think…"

"My dream's coming true," Buffy whispered her eyes wide and fearful.

Aisling stared terrified, the idea that Drusilla might still be alive was not a fact she wanted to deal with right now.

She looked up at the sky, and back at Buffy trying desperately to get a handle on her emotions. "It's daytime." Aisling said, "Dr—She can't do anything to Angel at the moment given the deadly ball of fire in the sky." She said. "Let's just go to school and talk to Giles."

"About what?" Joyce asked as she came down the stairs with the car keys in her hand.

"A book." Buffy said, "I think I lost a library book," Buffy said, "And… Aisling was talking to me about speaking to Giles about what I should do about it."

Joyce sighed as she opened the door, "And I thought you were being more mature."

Buffy closed her eyes, "I know. I know. But I am trying." Buffy said, "Don't you sometimes lose things as an adult?" She asked as she and Aisling climbed into the car.

"I do," Joyce said, "Let me know how you plan on taking responsibility for this, and maybe we'll revisit the whole driver's licence."

Buffy smiled, "Alright." She said with a giant grin on her face.

"It's happy Birthday Buffy!" Willow shouted hugging Buffy from behind.

Aisling eyed Buffy for a minute before wrapping an arm around Buffy's shoulder, "La Breithe sona duit." She whispered.

Buffy looked at Aisling confused before it clicked and she relaxed slightly, "Happy Birthday?"

Aisling chuckled, "Mmmhmm." She said, "Happy Birthday Buffy." She tilted her head. "I realized I forgot to say it this morning." She furrowed her brow. "Or…?"

"Not Happy Birthday Buffy?" Willow asked softly.

"I was just telling Giles what happened in my dream and how part of it came true."

Aisling sat on the table, "It could be a coincidence, right?" Aisling said.

Buffy looked at Aisling before Aisling gave a false smile. "Never mind, whatever happens, we'll deal." She said looking down at her lap.

"I couldn't stop her, she blindsided me," Buffy said. "Angel was gone before I knew what happened."

"Even if she is alive." Giles told her, "We can still protect Angel. Dreams aren't prophecies, Buffy."

"Angel, Angel, Angel." Xander huffed, "Are we all forgetting something important here?" He said stepping forward and patting Aisling shoulder.

"Xander…"

"No," Xander said, "Their so busy worried about a big bad vampire, that they forget one of Drusilla's victims is standing right here."

Buffy's eyes widened as she turned to Aisling who was beginning to look vaguely pale. "Oh, Ash." She said standing.

Aisling gave a hesitant smile. "Honestly, you're probably right. Angel's the bigger target. Being her Sire and all."

"I've heard that word before." Xander said, "What does it mean."

"It's both a catch-all term for anyone who directly precedes you in the line and also the term for the vampire who created you." Aisling rubbed her eyes, "Anyway, I'll be fine." She said honestly. "If she's alive… we dealt with her before. We'll deal with her again." She said.

Buffy looked at Aisling. "I'll protect you and Angel." She said, "If she's alive."

Aisling smiled as Buffy stood. "I have to go." Buffy looked at Aisling, "See you at home?"

Aisling nodded, "You know it."

Buffy nodded once before she left.

It's a pity that we can't have a party." Willow said, "I guess we have to contact Cordelia."

"No, you won't." Giles said, "The Patry's still going on.,"

"But… with Drusilla and Angel—"

"There's never a good time to truly relax." Giles said, "But Buffy is turning 17 just this once, and she deserves a party." He said.

"And since Aisling and Angel will both be there it means she can protect them and have cake."

"Precisely."

"I am literally right here," Aisling said waving her hands. "I am perfectly capable of—"

"You know what we mean," Giles said.

Aisling rolled her eyes before she walked off.