A/N Syg, I apologize for the rabbit hole and I think your numbers are pretty accurate since more people than just teenagers died in Sunnydale. Those are facts that are hard to ignore, I'm afraid. And your theory about immigrants makes a lot of sense too.
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"Diana's upset." Faith commented, tilting her head slightly. "But I can't make out what she's saying, even with my hearing amped as it is." The four of them were gathered on the patio out back having their own meeting. "She closed the patio door and they're in the living room, I can't hear much through it."
"I'm pretty sure they're trying to figure out how Rayne managed his costume drama." Xander answered absently, his mind on other things. "And who killed him."
"Which would be whoever hired him, right?" Cordelia nudged Xander. "Even though a lot of people would like to beat the crap out of him, present company included, I don't imagine a lot of people actually want him dead, just beaten 'til he's nice and tender before tossing him into a deep, dark hole and occasionally dropping something to eat down to him."
"You've thought about this." Jesse observed. "Enough to have come up with an actual plan."
"Baby could have died." Cordelia said flatly. "Yes, I've thought about it."
Silence and then Xander sighed. "I want to drop him head first from the Sunnydale Water Tower. After I've kicked the crap out of him."
"Demonstrate that I know how to use a chakram by cutting off his ears." Faith muttered.
"It's official, we'd all love to explain, in detail, how pissed we are at him for endangering Baby's life. Whether he knew he was endangering her or not." Jesse agreed. Ceridian didn't voice a comment in Jesse's head, although he knew how revenge could eat you up and turn one down a dark path, such as Xena had walked, he also understood the fear his new friends had for a child they'd vowed to watch over. It was probably a good thing Ethan was beyond their reach as the temptation and impulsiveness of teenagers might have combined to cause a reckless choice.
"On a different topic," Faith made an effort to focus on something else. "Diana's told the School Board and Principal Flutie about Baby and they'll let the teachers know. I'm starting to show and it won't be much longer before people notice anyway, so it's time."
"I kinda expected you to be showing a little more then you are." Cordelia shrugged. "Being close to eight months pregnant and all."
"Baby's growing fine according to the doctor, right on track." Faith told her. "But that's all, Baby's getting everything. In fact the doctor wants me to eat a little more than I have been, which if he knew how much I actually eat might make him gag. Slayer metabolism and all. Baby's healthy, Diana thinks being a Slayer is keeping me heathy, but overall, I should be a few pounds heavier than I am. So we're going to see a dietician and try to work out a bit of a plan. 'Course the dietician can't know I'm a Slayer or the kind of metabolism being a Slayer gives me, so that's going to be a tad complicated."
"You're doing everything you can to get her through safe and sound." Xander was worried. "But the Slayer thing is a curve ball."
"Yep. I can feel her kick. You guys want to feel?" Faith offered. This was the first time Faith had offered, in many ways she was still a private person and the last eight months had allowed her to open up and begin to trust people other than Diana, but feeling her baby kick was a deeply personal and emotionally intimate thing.
Xander tentatively reached out and placed his hand on Faith's small belly. His hand covered it. And than he felt it, a small nudge. He swallowed hard, his daughter was saying hi. "Hi, Honey, I'm your Daddy." Another nudge. "Thank you."
Faith smiled. "She needs to know her Daddy. Queenie? You can feel too if you want, you too, Jesse. You guys are family, right?"
"Damn right." Cordelia agreed. "Have you thought of names yet?" Her hand replaced Xander's on the small baby bump and she felt it, a small kick. "Future Cheer Captain, high kicks are going to be a breeze for her."
"Basketball player, I already saw it on Day of the Nightmares, she's going to nail layups without half trying." Faith shot back. "As for a name, after our recent adventure and the gift Xena left me, as in teaching me how to use a chakram, I put before the committee, the name Gabrielle. Because calling her Xena would get her made fun of and than I'd get in trouble for snarling at the mean kids bullying my baby."
"I think it's a beautiful name." Jesse took his turn feeling his little niece kick as Ceridian voiced his approval of the name. "Ceridian likes it too."
"Gabrielle Lahaine." Cordelia tried out the name. "Or Gabrielle Harris?"
"Both." Faith answered. "I know Xan has some issues with the Harris name, so I was thinking Gabrielle Harris Lehaine. Not hyphenated, but as a middle name."
"I can live with that." Xander decided. He put his hand back on Faith's baby bump. "Gabrielle Harris Lahaine. Any objections, Honey?" A slight ripple against his palm. "Well, she doesn't seem to be throwing a temper tantrum."
"Bite your tongue, Baby is too perfect to throw temper tantrums!"
The four teenagers all burst out laughing at Faith's passionate declaration.
"She is perfect." Xander agreed. "Warts and all."
"You're not going to get an argument from any of us on that." Cordelia grinned. "All hail, Princess Gabrielle, daughter of the King of Geeks, Nerds and Cretins, briefly the Hyena King and Queen of the Slayers and briefly, Hyena Queen, goddaughter of the Queen of Sunnydale High and Jesse needs a title."
"Greatest Uncle Ever works for me."
'Wisest too, once I've finished teaching you'. Jesse heard Ceridian's amused voice in his head. 'And I plan to teach you everything I teach my students. You know, the ones that became heros.'