Title: Their Buffy Anne (Ch. 13-18)
Author: Shawna
E-mail: smkraus1@juno.com
Couple: Willow/Tara, Xan/Anya, Buffy Harris/Ross, Giles/Buffy--Much, much later in the story...Want to know how? Gotta read all of this story!
Summery: Story takes place right after "The Gift" season 5. Buffy dies. Xander and Anya marry and to honor Buffy's memory names their daughter after Buffy. Interesting things happen....
Rating: PG13
Distribution: Want. Take. Have. Just let me know about it....
Disclaimer: Don't own....Everything is owned my Joss Whedon and everyone else who isn't me...
Feedback: Oh, YES!!! Please!!!

More years have past...

"Oh, B-u-u-f-f-y..."

Buffy moaned and buried her head deeper into the pillow, desperately trying to block out her father's voice.

"Buffy, time to wake up...Buffy...Ooh, Buffy...Time for you to be tortured and corrupted by the public school system."

"Nooo..." The new fifteen old moaned.

"Buffy! B-U-F-F-Y! Give it a try! Buffy! Buffy! We love you! Go to school, do, do, do! But be careful of demon pooh!"

Buffy moaned once more as she heard her father's go to school cheer. The traditional before school chant that her dad had started when she first started school...

'Damn, why did I break my alarm clock yesterday?' Buffy thought as consciousness slowly replaced the fuzziness of sleep.

She felt her dad start to joyfully shake the bed with his foot. Then, a moment later, sunlight filled the room as Xander threw open the drapes.

"I'M A WAKE!" Buffy shouted with a glare, throwing her beloved Mr. Gordo at her father. She smiled with glee as her favorite pig hit him dead square in the face. Xander threw Mr. Gordo right back at her with a smile. She caught it deftly with one hand.

"Are you sure, Miss-I'm-Fifteen-Today? If you were really awake, shouldn't you be out of bed?"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Yes, but I can't get out of bed with my father standing right by my bed or even in the room. I'm wearing my fishy jammies, Dad."

"Oh. Wow...My baby is growing up." Xander said with a sigh. He walked slowly over to the bed, leaning over he kissed her forehead. "Happy Birthday, sweetheart."

"Thanks, Dad." Buffy replied softly.

Xander gave her a loving tender look. That said more then words could ever say.

"Yee--EEE!!!"

Suddenly, Anya came running into the room. She leaped onto Buffy's bed. Buffy moved to make room for her mother as she laughed. Her mom hadn't realized that Mother's were supposed to act, well you know, old.

"My baby's fifteen! FIFTEEN! So, sweetie, how do you feel?" Anya said with great excitement.

"I feel like I did yesterday when I was fourteen. No, wait. I do feel a little different..." Buffy shook her head and looked at them with a smile. "I feel a strong need for lots and lots of presents...And chocolate, lots of yummy, goody chocolate!"

"Chocolate and presents you'll have, since we are throwing a surprise party for you. All your family and friends tonight at the Magic Box. Around sevenish..."

"ANYA! Sweetheart, a surprise party is supposed to be a surprise, hence the word surprise."

"Oh...Well, I'm sure Buffy can act surprised..." Anya looked at her daughter. "Can't you, sweetie?"

"Oh, sure! Surprise be my middle name!"

"Actually, it's Anne. My beautiful sweet Buffy Anne. Who is fifteen! FIFTEEN!" Any said tearfully. "It seemed like yesterday, I was rocking you to sleep. Giving you a bottle. Changing your smelly diaper. Burping you. Bathing you. My little baby has gotten older...And I've gotten older. I mean I don't mind anymore...But I still hate the wrinkles around my eyes...And one day you'll have wrinkles around the eyes and we'll be wrinkly together! Though I'll be more wrinkly....But even with wrinkles you'll still be my baby..."

Suddenly, Buffy was being hugged by her loving yet weird mother. She looked up at her dad. Quickly, it was a group hug. For now her Father hugged both his wife and daughter.

Buffy Anne Harris smiled. Now she could do what other fifteen year olds do. Fifteen today, freedom tomorrow. Oh, yeah, life was very good, indeed. Nothing could ruin it. Absolutely nothing....

The old brass bell over the door of the Magic Box rang familiarly as Buffy and her Mom entered the store.

Giles looked up and quickly shelved the ancient brown leather magic book that had been in his hands. Anya waved at him. He smiled as Buffy ran up to him and gave him a big hug.

"Hiya, Uncle G!"

"Hello, Buffy."

"See anything different?" Buffy suddenly, spun around for him.

Giles chuckled and said teasingly..."A new dress?"

Buffy gave him a half hearted glare. "Nope. This dress is months old. Try again, Uncle G."

"I'm afraid you will have to spin around for a few times, before I can figure out any little Buffy newness."

Buffy started to spin to stop mid way.

"Uncle Giles!"

"Oh, my! Now, I get it! Could this be a beautiful brand new fifteen year old that I see?"

Buffy smiled and nodded.

"Good Lord! The world is *doomed*!" Giles found himself teasing the teenager.

Buffy gave him a glare that was ruined when she broke into a laugh.

Then in all seriousness, Giles went over to her and placed his hands onto her delicate looking shoulders. His green eyes met her brown eyes....

"Happy Birthday, Buffy and may you have many more happy birthdays to come." He then kissed her forehead and gave her another hug. Buffy hugged him right back...Tightly...After the hug she whispered..."Thanks, Uncle G."

Giles gave her a strange look and rubbed his side. The side that Buffy had just hugged...The side felt bruised...Sore...Then he shook his head as he realized that he was just getting old. He needed to jog more or something. Drink more milk, maybe? He had heard that as people got older that they started to bruise more easily, he just didn't want to believe he was *that* old, damn it! He still felt young! Surely that was saying something! But each time he looked in the mirror he wondered....He had to face it...He was getting up there in age...He wished he could fight it like he would a demon and slay it...

Suddenly, he thought of Buffy...Not little Buffy...But his Slayer, Buffy...If she had lived would she have grumbled about aging like Anya? Like he does? Would she have counted every wrinkle and gray hair she received and cursed the mirror? Would she ask him to start researching so she could slay the aging monster? Though there wasn't one...He could picture her arguing with him...Saying that there must be one and she, the Chosen One, was chosen to kick it's ass. Or would Buffy have just smiled and accepted the fact she had gotten older? He could see her loving the fact she was the oldest Slayer to ever live...If she had of lived of course....But she hadn't lived and she doesn't...Giles guessed that he would never know the answers to any of those questions.

Giles was still lost in his thoughts when Buffy's mother finished counting the cash in the register and looked at her daughter. "Sweetie, you need to hurry on to school or you'll be late."

"And that would be a bad thing?" Buffy asked her mom...Giles and Anya both gave her a look that said very plainly go to school. Buffy sighed and rolled her eyes as she grabbed her worn red book bag. "See ya when I see ya!" With that said she was out the door. Not caring that she had slammed the door, making Giles and Anya jump with a start.

Giles looked over at Anya and moved over to were she was standing.

"She's...Growing up so quickly."

Giles bent over to get a box of merchandise that had just came in that morning. Anya handed him a knife so he could open the box. Anya nodded and said..."Yeah, she's growing up. Fifteen! Giles! My little baby is fifteen! I mean, time can't go by that fast!"

Giles took out some of the magic supplies and smiled..."Just think, next year our little Buffy Anne will be sixteen."

"Yeah, weird how that happens." Anya said, shaking her head in complete and total wonder.

But as some customers came into the shop they put their thoughts of Buffy Anne aside....

"Happy Birthday, my little B." Spike said as he came up to Buffy.

Buffy smiled happily. "Thank you, Uncle Spikey."

Spike gathered her up in a hug. Buffy returned the hug drinking in his familiar scent. Leather, cigarettes, and a spicey cologne...Sometimes there was even a hint of whiskey, like now....After a moment the comforting hug ended.

"And thanks for the chocolate and cool diamond heart necklace. I'll enjoy wearing it...I'm talking about the necklace not the chocolate."

Spike chucked. "No, problem. Hell, little one if you wanted it, I would have gotten you the whole bloody jewelry store. If you want I can go back and--"

"No..."Buffy shook her head as she returned his teasing smile. She reached up and gently touched his scar next to his eye. The skin felt icy to the touch. Almost as if he spent the day in a freezer...She knew he always had cold skin, she just never noticed just how cold until now....

As a little kid, she'd been obsessed with that scar for some odd reason. She'd beg him to tell her stories about how he got that scar and each story was different. Once it was when he was a pirate. Once when he was a solder. Once when he kissed another guy's girl...All kinds of stories...And sometimes he would ask her to tell him a story about how he got it...It had been a game the two of them would play and one day she hoped he'd tell her the real story behind it...But even if he never told her the real tale behind it....It would be okay. For she loved that scar...Loved touching it. Buffy always felt special when she touched it. For she had a feeling that she was the only one allowed to touch it.

"No." She tenderly repeated. " I don't need a jewelry store. All I need is my Uncle Spikey."

Spike looked like the words meant the world to him. He caught her hand gently and brought it to his cold lips. He then kissed her forehead. For some reason, her family loved to put their germs on her forehead. Though, secretly she didn't mind.

Suddenly, she was grabbed by her Aunt Dawn. Dawn held her close, then let her go. She wore a huge smile. "So...How's fifteen feel?"

"Great! Though I'm starting to look at guys butts more, but that's the only thing I'm noticing that's different."

"Oh, yeah, I remember the fifteen 'look at the boys butts' faze. And then at sixteen you start looking at men's butts because they have the smarts to wear good and sometimes tight pants."

Buffy laughed. "Sounds like I'm going to enjoy sixteen more then fifteen."

Dawn laughed with her. Spike glared and growled...

"Just stay away from fifteen and sixteen male counter parts. Their hormones...Bloody Hell! Just stay away from guys in general! Look but don't touch anything!"

"Uncle Spikey are you afraid of male counter parts? 'Cause you know what they say, you have nothing to fear but fear it self."

Spike grumbled as he turned to go get himself some fruity punch.

"Happy Birthday, um, Buffy." Dawn's husband said with a shy smile.

"Thanks, Uncle Mark, and thanks for the book. I'm sure I'll read it when I need to read something."

Like something to put her to sleep, Buffy thought to herself. The history of Math? Who would give a fifteen year old a book about Math? Obviously, she was looking at such a person. He should have just given her the money he spent on the book. Heck, a fifteen year old knows a thousand different ways to spend money. Buffy shook her head. Maybe she could talk Uncle G into buying the book from her...A pout, puppy dog eyes and he was turned into a open my wallet to make Buffy happy guy. Speaking about Uncle Giles....

Her eyes looked for him....Buffy found him in a corner talking to her father, Auntie Wil and Aunt Tara. She caught his eye and he excused himself from the confession with the others and she did the same with Aunt Dawn and Uncle Mark. They met in the middle of the room.

"Uncle G, are you having fun?"

"Yes, now that the weird mindless stuff we were listening to is off. I'm really happy that now we are listening to something good. Which is sad really, for I use to think at one time that it was noise created to make my brain dribble out of my ears."

"Hey, that was music you heard earlier not this weird stuff that was around before I was born. That isn't boring music. No! That was totally *cool* music! The Totally Damned and Bloody is an AWESOME group, Uncle G!"

"No, the Bay City Rollers, now that was an AWESOME group."

"The who?"

"Yes, they were awesome too. But, I was always more fond of Cream."

Buffy shook her head in true puzzlement. Giles had to laugh.

"I have some of their albums if you want to ever come over and listen."

"Those weird black things? Their older then those things called CD's, right? Uncle G, has anyone ever told you that you need to live in the now?"

"Yes, some years ago actually...So, are you having fun?"

"Oh, yeah! My family and friends giving me presents and a cool party...Fun! Fun! Fun!"

Giles noticed that before she had finished that sentence, she had been looking over his shoulder at something. She touched her hair nervously. He then glanced over his shoulder to trying to see what she was looking at. A teenage boy around Buffy's age. Giles knew the guy was new to town and was trying to make some friends with some people who shopped for trinkets and candles at the shop. The guy seemed very shy...

"What's his name?"

"Steve Manners."

"Oh, you like him?"

"WHAT!?! Me! Um, he, um...He's in my History and Science classes at school."

"Yes. Why don't you go over an ask him to dance? It looks like a lot of your friends from school are enjoying themselves."

Buffy looked at Giles as if he had suddenly grown two heads.

"I-I can't, Uncle G! H-he would just s-say no!"

"He probably hasn't asked you to dance for fear you'll say no."

"What! That's silly!"

"No, Buffy, it's not. One time, years ago I came very close to asking a very special young woman if she would like to dance with me."

"Came very close? You didn't ask her for a dance?Just a little dance, why not?"

"Because I had a strong fear that she would say no. Or even 'Eeew'. I let my fear control me and now it's too late for I can never ask her for a dance." Giles' eyes became misty, "...For she died years ago..."

Buffy wondered who the lady in question was. But a part of her knew the answer. She'd bet anything that it was her namesake. She then stopped wondering as she took a deep breath and went over to ask Steve Manners to dance with her.

Smiling, Giles gave her a quick thumbs up sign when Steve lead Buffy into a slow dance. Buffy smiled back and winked...

She couldn't help but think that life was indeed good....

"See! No sign of party!" Willow said happily.

"Yes, thank you, Willow. Though when you offered to stay and help clean up, I stupidly thought you'd be helping with a broom in hand not waving your hand and going poof." Giles gestured to illustrate his annoyance.

"Giles, magic is alright as long as you use it for good! And cleaning up party aftermath is a good thing! If you want I can bring it all back--"

"No! No that's alright..." Giles said looking at what once had been a training room. He bent down and straighten a woven rug. When he stood back up, he continued..."Buffy really enjoyed herself tonight." He then started to look for other objects to straighten.

Willow smiled and then looked around to help Giles. Even though she thought everything was perfect.

"That was the whole point...Gee, our little Buffy looked so grown up tonight. It seemed like yesterday she was getting into trouble because she thought she could fly. Or she was pretending to be Miss Kitty Fanny, off to save the world."

Giles chuckled and ran a hand through his hair as he remembered those days. "I remember. I also remember the time she colored in one of the ancient texts I have...I was so bloody pissed at her...But she looked up at me with that big red crayon and smiled...Saying....'I'm making a picture for ya, Uncle G!' The anger left me and I sat down and told her as gently as I could that one doesn't color in Uncle G's texts...Especially, when there is only one in the known world."

"Then you went out and bought every Miss Kitty Fanny coloring book there was...But not before you put up all the important books out of her reach and reminded her to respect books. Especially, your books!"

Giles gave a heartfelt laugh and Willow joined in.

"Remember..." Willow tried to say between gasps of laughter. "When she took some magic powder and accidently covered herself and the whole store with neon pink powder?"

"Y-yes! Oh Lord, what a mess! At least she didn't know the words to activate it!"

"Yeah, 'cause BIG trouble then!" Willow leaned against the wall, tears of laughter fell down her cheeks...And she tried to wipe them quickly away.

"At the time we didn't think it so funny." Giles said, finally running out of laughter. The sparkle of joy and laughter still danced in his green eyes.

Willow wrapped her arms around herself and smiled at her dear friend.

"I have to say, Giles, little Buffy has always made life interesting...But I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Me, neither, Willow, me neither."

The bell rang from the other room telling them someone had entered the store.

"Bloody Hell! I thought I locked it!" Giles quickly went to see who had come in. He stopped dead in his tracks as he looked at the visitor in stunned shock. Giles straightened and tightened his fists.

"Hello, Rupert."

"Quentin." Giles nodded as he moved more slowly into the room. After an intense moment of silence, Giles decided to start the pleasant conversation. "What the hell are *you* doing here?"

Quentin Travers looked around not answering. He picked up a purple crystal from one of the many various tables and looked at it. Turning it this way and that...Finally, he was heard saying..."Still running a magic shop I see."

"Yes, now answer the bloody question!"

He reluctantly set the crystal down as he faced Giles. "I come on Watcher business."

"Haven't you retired yet, old man? Hell, you're in your late eighties! I'm retired and I'm younger then you are!"

"As a matter of fact, yes, I'm semi-retired. But being a Watcher is all I know, Rupert."

"You could learn golf or something."

"Watcher business is more interesting."

Giles went over to grab a rag and started to wipe the already gleaming glass counters. He wanted something to do damn it and Quentin was taking forever to get to the bloody point! He tried to relax. Telling himself that even if he really didn't like the ponce, everything that had taken place had happened in the past. And the past could stay in the past.

"I understand. So...Would you like a drink?" Giles tried his hardest to sound pleasant...But he wasn't sure he did.

"Later, if you are still offering when I tell you what I must tell you."

Giles threw down the rag not caring that it slid off the glass counter and onto the floor. It laid there forgotten.

"So tell me."

"A new Slayer has been called."

Giles sighed and took off his glasses. "Yes, and?" Giles was puzzled. What did he care that a new Slayer had been called, unless..."No, Quentin. I'm retired. I have a good life here in Sunnydale. I have dear friends, who are like family to me. Hell! They are my family! I will not leave them to play babysitter to another Slayer! I will *not* be anyone elses Watcher. I had a Slayer once. She died--"

"Rupert! I'm not here to ask you to be the new Slayer's Watcher."

"Oh...Oh. Well then tell me, why you are here then!"

"Remember how he lost Buffy Summers, when she was first called? You must remember the prophecies, the ones we have usually help us find future Slayers, yet we didn't find her until she was called, do you remember Rupert?"

"And something has happened like that once again." Giles guessed, sliding back on his glasses.

"Yes, very much so."

"Sorry about not helping to find her. I wouldn't know where to start even if I wanted to help...I don't by the way."

Quentin sighed and looked at Giles sadly.

"Rupert, we have found her."

"But you just said--"

"That we didn't find her *BEFORE* her calling. But now she is the Chosen One. As you know the prophecies that help us find the girls are very hard to read. Many times there are no dates or places just names. Or a place with no date. But if we find two prophecies of two Slayers very much alike it's nearly impossible to find the girls when they are called! Very hard to track down the future Slayer, let me tell you, especially with no year attached to it!"

"Very much alike, you say?"

"Yes, there is a prophecy that there would be two Slayers. One in the past. One in the future, or now present. They would come from a place known as California and...Well, you see...Why we didn't find Buffy Anne Summers before she was called was because someone else would carry her name in the future. Except the last name of course. But as I said earlier with no date to the prophecies, it can be very confusing."

A chill unlike anything Giles had ever known ran through him. His hands started to shake uncontrollably. He felt the strong need to throw up or punch someone.

"Get out. Get out now." Giles said softly, deadly, giving the old Watcher a Ripper glare.

But that didn't stop Quentin from foolishly finishing what he was saying...

"Another Slayer has been called, Rupert. Her name is Buffy Anne Harris and I believe she is a part of those people you willingly call family."

After a few more words, Quentin did the smart thing and left. Saying he would talk to Giles later.

"Hopefully, by phone." Giles muttered to himself, so he could have the pleasure of hanging up on him.

Giles unknowingly started to rub the bruise at his side that Buffy had accidently given him earlier that morning. His slow and sluggish steps took him to his hidden stash of Scotch. He picked up the bottle and thought about looking for a glass of some kind. With a shrug, he twisted the lid off the new bottle and brought it to his lips. He only got a small taste when he realized that someone was weeping...Heart wrenching sobs...Sobs of despair...

"Willow..." Giles whispered brokenly. He quickly set the bottle down and went looking for her.

She had stayed in the back, out of sight but obviously, not out of earshot. He slowly went towards the crying woman.

"Willow." Giles said once again, in a soft, rough voice.

"Quentin is a jerk! H-h-he's lying! Damn him! Our little Buffy Anne isn't a Slayer! She's not...Giles...S-she's not."

Two strong arms were extended in her direction. Willow moved quickly toward them. Her body started to rock as she began to sob, almost child like, against Giles' soft purple sweater.

He did nothing but hold her, as a father would hold a beloved, precious child.

Tears filled his eyes as he held her. He gently patted her back and caressed her silky red hair.

Their Buffy...Their little Buffy Anne. She was just a little girl. Their little girl. Now she was more then a little girl...More then a teenager....She was now the Chosen One. A Slayer.

"S-She's just a little girl, Giles! Just a little girl! Oh, why! Please tell me it's not true! Please! S-she's n-not a Slayer!" Willow's voice became thick, almost slurred with the weight of her anguish.

Giles' thoughts raced through his head. Buffy...Their Buffy is now chosen. Chosen to fight the good fight. Chosen to fight vampires and demons. Chosen...Chosen to save the world time and again...Chosen for an early death.

Slayers came and went. He knew that to be a fact. One Buffy had already died to save this world. She had so much to live for...But she still died...Lost to them forever, because she had been Chosen. Chosen to give her life for something that destiny said she had to fight...

But now...Their other Buffy...Little sweet Buffy Anne was called. Called to fight. Called to kill the vampires. Called to a sometimes early and painful death. It wasn't right. Wasn't fair!

"I-I don't want her to die..." Willow said, after her sobbing was over, in a lost weepy child like voice. She stayed in his arms. Leaning weakly onto him. "She's t-to young to die...."

"Willow?" Giles asked gently.

Willow sniffed and answered back. "Yeah?"

"It's going to be alright. I promise, it's gonna be alright. Our Buffy needs us, now more then ever, and she has us."

"Yeah." Willow sniffed once more.

She eased reluctantly from Giles' protective arms. Wiping her now red eyes with her sleeve, she looked up at Giles with a tilt of her head.

"Thank you, Giles."

"Anytime." He gave her a weak but loving smile.

They stood in silence for a few moments. Giles placed his hands into his pockets as Willow started to rock upon her heels. Giles found himself wondering what to do now. Willow chewed upon her lip, thinking upon the same lines. Finally, she found herself saying, tears still evident in her voice....

"I-I guess we call an emergency Scooby meeting. Man, we haven't had one of those in years! Not since Buffy di--"

Giles could see she was ready to fall apart once more at the thought of their long lost friend. So he quickly said... "When you call the gang, tell Xander and Anya *not* to bring little Buffy, understood?"

A very red eyed Willow looked at Giles sadly for a moment, before nodding and saying....

"Understood."

Giles took his glasses off and rubbed his hand down his face...How does one tell someone's parents their daughter was now a Slayer? How do you find the words to tell two beloved friends that their fifteen year old girl was now the Chosen One? Giles found himself sighing...

He guessed he would soon find out...

"I thought Willow was joking when she called us and said the Scooby gang was needed. Do you realize how long it's been since we've called ourselves by that name?" Xander asked, relaxing against the glass counter top and not feeling any guilt at all, as he placed fingerprints all over the once clean surface.

"How are we needed? I-Is it an end of the world kinda thing?" Tara asked, running her fingers lovingly through Willow's red hair. Willow leaned even more against her lover....

She turned her face slightly to see Tara from the corner of her eye.

"Feels like it." Willow said softly.

Everyone in the magic shop gave Willow a bewildered look. Wondering what she meant. Except for Giles, of course, who cleared his throat and paced. Trying to still figure out the exact words to say...

"Yes, right...Let's start this meeting, shall we? Um....Well...Um...Yes...Um...Right, we'll start."

Anya got up from her chair and quickly handed him a cup of tea and lightly patted his shoulder. Giles had made a pot just before the gang showed up. Giles gave Anya a half smile.

"Thank you, Anya."

Anya was always surprising him. And pleasently so, he found himself thinking.

Anya smiled back, looking pleased with herself.

"No, problem! Just get to the point, will ya? When Willow called, Xander and I were having sex and I'd really like to get back home for some more orgasms."

And then there were times when Anya didn't surprise him at all. For he had a feeling she'd say something like that. He looked over to Xander and remembered a time past when Xander would have blushed and said something to Anya about her remark. Giles found himself chuckling. Xander smiled at him and nodded...Sharing a look, a special bond of friendship, that had strengthened over the years.

"Don't you think you two are too old to be shagging like bunnies?" Spike asked lighting a cigarette.

"Hey, don't be putting bunnies in with sex!" Anya said, glaring at Spike, with her hands upon her hips.

Spike smiled evilly...

"Right, bunny lover."

"Oooo..." Anya stepped closer to Spike.

"Spike." Xander cut in. "Let's not talk about bunnies or sex, shall we? A Scooby meeting has been called and I'm sure it's not about my and An's sex life or the animal my wife hates with a passion."

Giles gave Xander a thankful look.

"Thank you, Xander and, yes, you are right this meeting isn't about any of those things."

Xander smiled gleefully as he rubbed his hands together..."Oh, come on Big G-man! I'm sure you *really* do want to talk about sex and bunnies. Admit it!"

Giles rolled his eyes and felt the smile form upon his face. He couldn't seem to help himself.

"Any normal day and I'd be glaring at you."

"Yeah, I know. Just admit it, you've gotten soft in your old age, Big G."

"If you really want to believe that, Big X."

"Hey now! Don't be calling me that!"

Giles laughed. Suddenly, he stopped laughing and his smile died all together as he remembered just why they were all gathered. He drew in a deep breath.

"Today, or rather, tonight after Buffy's birthday party, I had a visitor come in."

"Forgot to lock the magic shop after the party didn't ya?" Xander couldn't help but ask.

This time Giles did give Xander a glare.

"Yes, Xander, that I did and before you ask the visitor was Quentin."

"From the Watcher's Council?!?"

"Isn't he retired?"

"Isn't he dead?"

"Yes, in a way, and no." Giles answered all the questions that were quickly thrown at him. Then he looked at Anya, for a second, before focusing on Xander.

"He came to tell me that another Slayer has been called."

Anya raised her hand to say she had something to say. "Excuse me, but why?" Anya asked in true puzzlement. "I mean you are retired, why come all this way to tell you that some girl has just been called to be the Slayer?"

"D-Did they want to give you your old job back?" Tara asked shyly.

"No...They didn't want me back in my Watcher's duties. Quentin came to tell me who had been called and to tell me how they had lost Buffy Summer's when she was first called."

"Oh. Kinda late to know the reason behind that one, isn't it?" Xander said bitterly. "I'm sure the Buffster would have loved to have known the reason, but she's...She's dead. She's been dead for many years now and nothing is going to change that."

Everyone stared at Xander. Even Willow, looking sad...Looking lost....Then very gently she said..."They didn't find her before her calling because someone in the future generations carried her first and middle name. There are no dates to go with the prophecies, you see. So it's very confusing. It's like this huge jigsaw puzzle that is only one color. So when one of the prophecies said that one day there would be two Slayers that would come from the state known as California...And their names..."

Willow found her self stopping at the look in Xander's eyes. She noticed that everyone in the room had their eyes upon her.

Intense silence filled the room....It was if the world suddenly went silent to hear what would happen next.

NEXT