Title: A New Slayer 5/9
Author: Jadedragon177
Disclaimer: Not mine, Buffy and company belong to Joss, Mutant Enemy and the WB and UPN. Can I keep Giles, please?

Note:  In Chinese names, the sir name is placed first the given or `Christian' name second.  I had forgotten this when I wrote the first part.

Giles looked around the Mansion as he entered.  It didn't matter how many times he entered it, he still felt trepidation whenever he was in the building alone or seemingly alone.  He knew that Wesley, Doyle, Spike and Angel were in the building sleeping, but still the same dread came over him, albeit briefly, before he went to read Wesley's research.  Wen would be here shortly to start verifying the translation that Wesley had done the night before while Giles would look through other volumes to see if there was any mention of the story Wesley had found in any of the Western volumes that were gathered on the table before him.  Giles had been researching for about an hour when he heard someone enter the building.  As he looked up he saw Wen in the foyer walking toward him.

At first glance, Fong Wen appeared to be the quintessential ancient oriental man.  He was short in stature, which was a bit bowed by the many years he had lived, but there his appearance drastically changed.  His long straight black, gray streaked hair was pulled back and worn in a single ponytail, and he wore jeans, and a t-shirt, which were covered by a worn Chinese silk jacket, embroidered with a Chinese unicorn.  When Buffy had first seen the jacket, four years earlier, she had called the figure a dragon, but Wen had corrected her immediately, pointing out the hooves on the colorful figure which signified that it was indeed a Kirin, an ancient Chinese mythological creature which symbolized justice, a Chinese counterpart to the European unicorn.

"Wen, it's good to see you again," Giles greeted his friend.

"It's good to see you too, Rupert.  Have you and Buffy talked about the child?" he asked.  Wen had immediately known Buffy had cast the spell when he had seen her a week after Giles departure to England.  He hadn't said anything, knowing that Buffy and Giles had to work out their relationship themselves.  He had tried to get Wang to see this many times, but his grandson was very obstinate.

"Yes, we have.  You saw through the spell."

"Yes, but it was not my place to interfere.  Buffy chose her path without seeking my counsel."

"She rather has a habit of doing that," Giles agreed, smiling at his friend and partner.

"So where is this translation that Wesley wants me to review?" he asked, ready to get down to business.

With that, the two men began the task set before them, verifying what Wesley and Doyle had found the night before.

**********

Breakfast was a pleasant peaceful meal at the Summers' residence.  Buffy, Willow, Tara and Joyce talked while they ate.  Nikki watched.  This was new to her.  Never had anyone talked about non-essential matters over a meal while she had lived with the Council.  They didn't talk about non-essential matters at all, at least not when she had been around.  Nikki watched the women as they discussed everyday matters and the birth of Buffy's child.  A child.  It was very rare for a Slayer to have a child, and Buffy was looking forward to it. She couldn't understand why Buffy would put her life at risk to have a baby.  There was no reason for it.  Buffy was the Slayer, why did she need a baby?  Nikki knew that Buffy had retired, it was still heavily discussed at the Council compound, but demons and vampires still would target her for many years so why was she taking the chance with becoming pregnant?  She was still thinking on this conundrum when the others started clearing off the table.  She helped Willow and Tara clean the table and the kitchen as Buffy took her mother into the living room to discuss something.

"Nikki, what do you want to do today?" Willow asked the young Slayer, as they were finishing up the cleaning.

"What do you mean?" Nikki asked wondering what Buffy's friend meant.

"Well Buffy said this was to be a `Girls Day', watching movies, doing hair and nails, that sort of girly stuff."

"I don't particularly like movies.  They're stupid and most aren't true.  As for hair, I just pull mine back in a ponytail and I keep my nails trimmed," she replied as she put the dishes away in the cabinet.

"Movies are a form of relaxation, Nikki.  A way to escape the everyday problems we all have," Tara tried to explain to the younger Slayer.  Her heart went out to the young girl who had suffered so intently at such a young age. Tara knew that Nikki had never had a chance at anything like a normal life and many things that she and Willow took for granted would have to be explained to her.  This would be a great challenge and she hoped they would be able to help the young girl toward a more normal life.

"I should be with Giles.  I should have patrolled last night."

"Angel and Spike patrolled last night," Willow informed her.

Nikki turned back to the dishes and helped Willow and Tara finish cleaning up the kitchen.  She didn't understand what they wanted from her.  She was the Slayer.  That was her life she didn't have any other responsibilities.  But could she?  Could she have friends like Buffy?  Could she have a life other than slaying?  She wondered as she helped put the last of the clean dishes up.

**********

Buffy sat with her mother on the couch in the living room. 

"Mom, Giles asked me to marry him."

"And?" Joyce looked expectantly at her daughter.

"And I said yes."

"Oh, Buffy," she cried as she took her daughter into her arms, relieved that Rupert would indeed be taking care of Buffy and her granddaughter.  "I'm so happy for you.  Rupert loves you so much!"

"I know.  So, you're okay with our relationship?" she asked hesitantly.

"I was concerned about the age difference at first, but after I talked with him last night, it didn't bother me anymore."

"Really, what did he say?"

"It's not what he said.  It's what I realized.  Buffy there are so many young women who get pregnant and are abandoned by the fathers.  Rupert will never do that.  I saw the love he feels for you and your child.  You are a very lucky woman."

"I know.  I can't wait to get married!"

"So when is the big date?" Joyce asked as Willow, Tara, and Nikki joined them in the living room.

"What big date?" Willow asked as she sat down across from Buffy and her mom.

"Giles and I are getting married."

Willow squealed and went to hug her best friend.  Tara also hugged Buffy, congratulating her.  Nikki was the only one who was not happy with this news.

"You're taking my Watcher away from me?  I'll never survive without him!" Nikki cried as she ran from the house.

Buffy, Willow, Tara and Joyce immediately ran after the young girl.  As they left the house, they saw her running down the street.

"Mom follow in the car, I'll follow on foot," the Slayer ordered as she ran toward the younger Slayer.

Joyce didn't have a chance to object as Buffy was off after Nikki as quickly as she had given her orders.  Joyce ran back into the house grabbed her purse and was in the SUV with Willow and Tara within minutes, following Buffy in search of Nikki.

**********

Giles and Wen were going over a difficult passage when a cell phone rang.  Giles picked up the phone, which had been lying on the table and answered it.  Wen watched as his friend became upset by what he was hearing.  When he put the phone down, he started moving toward the door as if to leave.

"What's happened? Wen asked as he joined Giles at the door.

"Nikki got upset when she heard that Buffy and I are getting married.  She ran from the house and Buffy followed her, on foot. That was Willow who just called.  I'm going to help with the search.   I want to find Buffy to keep her from hurting herself or our child!"

"Rupert, calm down.  Buffy has been running every day for exercise, with her doctor's permission.  She is in perfect health.  A little run won't hurt her!" he tried to soothe the Watcher before continuing.  "I agree we should go to help, but you must realize that Nikki feels like she will lose you too.  Wang told me her story last night," he explained as they got into Giles rented car.  "Nikki is scared.  She's had too many changes in her life over the last 48 hours.  She needs your reassurance."

Giles looked at Wen, realizing that he, as usual was right.  "Thank you.  Again you see a part of the picture that I had completely ignored.  I'm so concerned with Buffy, that I forgot about how Nikki must feel and I'm her Watcher!" he berated himself.

"You're concerned with the health and welfare of the woman you love who is carrying your child, a child I might add, you never expected.  Your world has been turned upside down over the last 48 hours, just like Nikki's has.  My friend, everything will work out in the end.  You just need to take your time to think things through."

"You're right, but we need to go and help find Nikki," he said as he started the car and drove toward Revello Drive to start searching for Nikki and Buffy.

**********

Buffy had lost sight of Nikki.  She had followed her for several blocks when the girl ran into an old cemetery.  Buffy ran and started looking.  Soon she was at the crypt that Spike had called home for many years.  As she listened, she thought she heard crying.  Following the sound, she was led to Spike's crypt.  She slowly entered and saw Nikki curled up on the couch sobbing.

Buffy approached the young girl and took her into her arms, trying to soothe the panic-stricken slayer.

"Nikki, I'm sorry," she told her as the young girl's sobbing eased up.

"Why, it's what you want!" she accused.

"What I want is to be with the man I love and to help him train his Slayer."

Nikki looked at Buffy expecting to see deceit in her eyes, but was surprised to see love and concern there instead.

"Nikki, I know that discovering my pregnancy was shocking to Giles and it has changed your life as well.  I would never try to take your Watcher away from you.  I understand how you feel," Buffy paused to let this sink in before continuing.  "The Council tried to take Giles away from me, but he never left.  He stayed even after the Council fired him."

Nikki looked at Buffy with tear stained cheeks.  "Why did they fire him?" she asked in shock.

"When a Slayer turns eighteen, she is tested.  Her strength and agility are taken from her by a series of injections and she is placed in a situation with a very violent vampire who she has to kill using her intelligence."

"Giles did this to you?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes, he was following the Council's orders. But the vampire escaped and killed the watchers that were guarding him.  Giles admitted to me what he had done and I was furious with him.  I had a friend take me home, but the vampire had already kidnapped my mother and I had to rescue her.  I defeated the vampire and was untying Mom when Giles came to help. Later I was told that I had passed the test but Giles had failed and he was fired."

"And he stayed anyway?"

"Yes he did.  Even though I didn't make it very easy for him at first.  We worked through it and rebuilt the trust between us."

"And you fell in love with him."

"Yes, but that wasn't immediate.  It took me a while to realize how much he meant to me," Buffy said with a soft smile.

"But why did you want to get pregnant?" she asked, wanting to understand why Buffy would risk her life for a child.

"When Giles left to become your Watcher, I felt much like you feel now.  I thought I was losing him to his new Slayer and I would never see him again," she hesitantly admitted.

Nikki looked at Buffy realizing they had both felt the same thing.  "You want to help train me?"

"Yes, I do.  I can't spar with you at the moment, but there are some moves I can teach you that Grandfather taught me."

"I'll get to meet him?"

"Of course.  He's a really neat person."

Buffy continued to talk with Nikki as she guided the young Slayer out of the crypt toward home.  Buffy thought about how she could help Nikki adjust to all the changes in their lives. Soon she and Giles would marry and they would be welcoming their daughter into the world, very big changes in her life and in Giles and Nikki's lives.

Nikki thought about the conversation she'd had with Buffy. She was starting to realize just how much more Buffy had in her life besides slaying and Nikki wanted more in her life, too.  It was scary to think of all the changes that would be taking place in her life.  Living with Mrs. Summers was a huge change but she knew that there wasn't room at Giles condo for her.  It would still be hard, but she was realizing that Buffy, Giles, Mrs. Summers and the rest of them just wanted to help her.  Nikki was still unsure about Angel and Spike.  It was just too weird to have vampires helping a Slayer.

**********

Giles and Wen spotted Buffy and Nikki as they left the cemetery and stopped to pick them up.  They drove to Joyce's home where Tara waited and called Joyce and Willow to let them know that Buffy and Nikki were safe.  Within ten minutes, they were back.  Joyce went immediately to her daughter and hugged her, relieved that she was all right.  But when she wanted to go to Nikki she was not in sight, but neither was Giles.  Buffy told her that Giles and Nikki were talking in the backyard.

**********

Giles led Nikki to the backyard of the Summers' home soon after they had gotten back after he had assured himself that Buffy hadn't suffered any harm from her run.

"Giles, I'm sorry I ran.  I didn't think Buffy would come after me," Nikki said to her Watcher in a soft voice, fearing his anger.

"Nikki, why did you run?" he asked her quietly as they sat down.

"I was scared."

"What were you scared of?"

"Losing you," she admitted in a quiet voice.

"Nikki, I'm your Watcher, and I will not leave you.  This is about my marriage to Buffy, isn't it?"

"Yes.  I've lost my other Watchers because I kept getting them injured.  So I thought that after you married Buffy you would abandon me like the rest of them."

Giles looked at the young girl sitting beside him.  His heart went out to her, she had truly been abandoned so many times that she expected it, expected him to move on and leave her behind.  "Nikki, look at me," he said as he lifted her chin and turned her face to his.  "I will never leave you.  I told Buffy the same thing once.  I remained her Watcher until she retired and I would have stayed here in Sunnydale then, except you needed me."

Nikki looked at the man she had come to respect and even though she tried not to, had come to care about.  Everyone she had gotten close to had died and it scared her to care about anyone.  She was so scared that he would get killed or hurt being her Watcher.  "I don't want you to die!"

"Nikki, what are you talking about?"

"Everyone I love has died.  All my Watchers have died or been injured!  I'm a jinx!  They said so!" she cried, her voice breaking from emotion.

"Who said that?" Giles asked not able to keep his anger from showing.

"I heard Mr. Travers say so.  That's why they asked you to be my Watcher.  He thought I would get you killed!" she sobbed as Giles took her into his arms.

Giles soothed the young girl weeping in his arms.  Giles wanted to give Travers a piece of his mind, but that could wait.  "Nikki, you are not a jinx.  They just gave you inexperienced Watchers.  We will help you to become as good a Slayer as Buffy is."

"But she's no longer the Slayer."

"Buffy may not be the Active Slayer, but she is still a Slayer and if I know her, and I think I know her rather well, she will continue to patrol once our child is born."

"You'll let her continue?" she asked with a puzzled expression on her face.

"Nikki it's not a question of letting her, she is a grown woman, a compassionate, loving, caring woman who wouldn't turn her back on those needing her help.  That's one of the reasons that I fell in love with her."

"And you'll still be my Watcher?" she asked, needing to be reassured.

"Of course."

"But what about everyone else?"

"What do you mean?

"All of the people that helped Buffy.  I thought no one was supposed to know about the Slayer's identity."

"Ahh…that started the first day.  Xander overheard Buffy and me talking about her special calling and that night Willow was kidnapped by a vampire, along with one of their friends.  Buffy managed to rescue Willow with Xander's help but their friend wasn't as lucky.  Xander later managed to stake him.  That was the beginning of the Scoobies. They have helped with research and slaying since that day, and through the years others have joined us."

"But vampires helping?" she asked in confusion.

"Angel was cursed with a soul by gypsies over 150 years ago and had come to Sunnydale to help Buffy.  Spike is a different situation entirely.  When he first came to Sunnydale he took over the vampire community, but ended up helping Buffy to save his paramour, Drusilla.  Later he returned and was captured by a military organization and a chip was placed in his head, which prevented him for harming anyone.  He became a reluctant ally but over the years has helped us more and more and now is considered a member of the group.  I assure you that neither of them will harm you," he tried to reassure his slayer.

"It just seems strange to work with vampires."

"It was for me too, but they have become allies," he told her.  Giles felt a small amount of guilt about not telling her the entire story about Angel and Angelus, but he didn't think she was ready for that story.  "But with so many people helping, it makes research go much faster and there are more than one interpretation of the information that we find.  That has more than once led to developments which helped us to advert major disasters."

"Then why hasn't the Council added that to the Slayer training?"

"For one, they are so deeply involved in the traditional ways that they can't see the advantages of any changes and for another, not everyone is like Willow and Xander.  They are very unique individuals who at first only wanted to help their new friend, but have become much more than just Buffy's friends, they are now her family, our family."

"Family?  But I thought they weren't related?" she asked again confused.

"Nikki, family isn't only blood kin.  Family can be chosen, and Buffy, Xander, Willow, Anya, Tara and myself are a family of choice.  And I can think of no family that is closer than we are.  And we are always looking for people to add to our family," he said looking at her in such a way that she knew he meant her.  Nikki put her arms around Giles and hugged him with all of her strength, forgetting just how strong she was until she felt him trying to loosen her hold.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly.

"It's ok.  You just have to remember most people aren't as strong as you are," he said as he continued to hug the young Slayer.

Nikki hadn't felt like this in so long.  Someone wanted her to be a part of their family.  Tears seeped down her face as she continued to hug Giles.  Everyone here was so different from the Council.  They cared, they really cared… about her!

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