Title: Miranda and Alexander
Series: The Council War, Chapter 2
Author: Watcher_Giles
Pairing: Giles/Original Character
Rating: R, to be safe (violence)
E-Mail: jldanna@earthlink.net or jldanna@yahoo.com.
Summary: A joining of souls, plots exposed, plans made, and three new Scoobies join the ranks.
Distribution: Not Picky, just ask first.
Disclaimer: Not mine, they belong to Joss and the boys. Sara, Thomas and the various Watchers do belong to me. The other fun people are just being borrowed. I shall return them undamaged.
Notes: Things appearing between **double asterisks** are Sara and Thomas either speaking, or receiving telepathically. Feedback is desired, even the flames. I won’t know what to fix if I don’t know what’s wrong. I’d like to hear what you enjoy about it as well. And now, on with the story.

BUFFY’S HOUSE – NIGHT

Rupert Giles cursed himself for not thinking. Sara Covington was a magical creature, as was Buffy. He had not taken into account that their magicks might not mix smoothly, before he approved the transfusion. And his poor fiancé had paid the price all day long. The fevers and chills that wracked her body throughout the day had to be tended to by Dawn and Willow. In his haste to make sure Sara got the blood she needed, he failed to take into account the bloody curse that was in effect. While his touch did not kill her; with Buffy’s blood in her system, it made her ill. When they realized the symptoms got better when he wasn’t in physical contact with her, he stepped across the room to allow the girls to work. Xander got him to go into the dining room, and at least pretend to research. Ethan Rayne watched in amazement – this small group really did support each other in everything. The little witch and the runt were tending to Ripper’s bird. And the boy was tending to Ripper himself. All of this without a word.  It was as if they could sense the pain in each other. This was a family – truly.

Sara felt as if she were in one of the Council’s “white rooms.” They were used for Watcher initiates with magical abilities. The stronger ones abilities in magicks extended, the stronger the pain and hallucinations were. She remembered killing Memnon, and being injured. And then she was in this place.

**You need help, mage.** She heard the male voice in her head. **You are ill.**

**I was hurt. The Slayer and her Watcher must be protected.** She replied.

**Agreed, Sara Giles.** There were at least 3 voices, that time. The voices seemed to sense her surprise. **You belong to the Watcher, do you not?**

**Our souls belong to each other. Our Lives belong to the Slayer.**

**Things have changed with the Christening.** One of the voices manifested itself in the form of Frederick Covington. Sara knew it wasn’t her father, that the voices chose his form to put her at ease.

**Yes, Rupert was able to claim his powers.** She told him. ** His magic is strong.**  The image of her father smiled pleasantly at her.

**You love him, don’t you?** A female voice joined the man. Sara gasped when she looked up into the face of her mother. She hadn’t seen her parents together in almost ten years. It vaguely registered in the back of her mind that these beings weren’t a threat to her.

**With everything that I am.** She answered without hesitation.

**Good, you have both been found worthy.** Said the third voice. Sara looked up to see a flash of light. When the flash cleared, she was looking into the face of Rupert’s mother. The ‘woman’ took her left hand and lifted it into view. On her ring finger, just above the engagement ring, was an intricate band. Sara could clearly see runes weaved in and out all along the band. **The Watcher has its twin. You and he are special. You are warriors of good. The two of you, and your lineage, will not only fight for the Slayers…but for all.**

**Now comes your choice, Sara Giles.** The image of her father told her. **You have the Slayer’s blood in your veins. It was necessary to replenish your supply after you were hurt. Her healing properties can be an asset to you. But the curse keeps you from physical contact with your husband.**

**Your magicks are strong, individually. But together you must be for survival.** her ‘mother’ told her. **We can purge the blood, but you would have to fight your battle with your injuries as they are now.**

**I have been kept from Rupert for over two decades. I fear nothing as long as I am at his side. Purge the blood.** She told the entities. The three of them smiled knowingly at her.

**The Ritual of Anturi threatens all.** Her ‘mother’ stated cryptically. Sara began to wrack her brain to recall the detail of the Ritual. Within seconds, her heart dropped.

**Kane is trying to open the Hellmouth.**

**Clever Girl** said the image of Mary Giles. **But that is the least of your worries.**

**What do you mean?** Sara asked. The three answered as one.

**You shall see. The help will be there when you need it.** Everything went dark again when the three made an arc with their hands.

“Ripper!” Ethan called out to him when Sara began having her seizure. He and Buffy were trying to gently restrain the woman to keep her from falling off the couch. Giles was climbing the walls watching his love in the midst of her seizure and not being able to go to her.

“For God’s sake, Ethan! Help her!”

“With what? I don’t have a sedative. She’s just going to have to ride it out.” He told his old friend. Giles began pacing in the doorway like a caged tiger. Every moan of pain from Sara brought an answering one from him. His anxiety level was climbing with each passing minute. After four minutes, he could take no more. He let lose with a roar of anger, and promptly put a fist-sized hole in Buffy’s living room wall. The impact seemed to have dispelled his fury – as well as the cause of Sara’s seizure.

“Giles, she coming out of it.” Buffy called to him and got out of his way as fast as she could. He came to kneel on the floor next to her. Everyone’s heart leapt when Sara opened her eyes. When she tried to reach up to touch his face, he leaned back away from her.

“No, luv. The Curse…” he started to explain. She shook her head and motioned for Willow and Ethan to help her sit up.

“The Blood in my system has been purged. Call it a Wedding Present from what I assume was ‘The Powers that Be.” She held up her left hand in front of his face. The magic radiating off the band was like nothing he’d ever sensed before. He looked down and saw an identical band on his own hand. “It would appear that time and fate itself has decided to marry us. The beings that spoke to me, kept referring to me as Sara Giles.”

“I can’t seem to be able to take this off.” It was more as a statement of fact, than the effect that his statement had instead. Anya reached forward and slapped him in the back of the head. Ethan’s head snapped forward as a result of the spell in place. The Scoobies’ hearts went out to the sadness on Sara’s face.

“Rupert, do you want to take it off?” Her voice nearly broke with the emotions battering her heart. Only Ethan recognized it for what it was. Rupert Giles had the most amazing level of curiosity with anything new. He truly didn’t realize what his statement was doing to Sara. “Buffy, help me upstairs?” The Slayer, still furious with her Watcher, slid under the older woman’s left side. She began steering them toward the stairs. She tried to resist the urge to hurt Giles when she saw the tears welling up in Sara’s eyes.

“Ripper, if you don’t get off your arse and grovel to that woman, you just might lose her forever.” Ethan leaned forward and spoke into Giles’ ear. The Watcher looked up to see the four angry glances of the Scoobies, and Sara and Buffy were nowhere in sight.

“Where’s Sara?” he asked – finally coming out of his ‘learning-mode’ trance. Anya didn’t even waste time. She stepped forward and smacked him in the back of the head again – hard. The force, multiplied by Sara’s spell, knocked Ethan face down on the ground. “OW! Bloody Hell, what was that for?” Giles asked. The Sorcerer glared at Anya, but she was unrepentant.

“Giles, I love you. But you can be such a jerk, sometimes.” Dawn told him.

“What?” he truly had no idea of his crime. Ethan was almost tempted to let him lie in the bed he made. It was entertaining watching the children give him the third degree.

“Ripper,” he sighed. “Your Lady – the woman you proclaim to love, and who The Powers that Be just married to you – essentially asked you if you wanted to be married to her. In your quest to figure out the new development of your rings, you neglected to answer her. Your silence rang loud and clear in her ears.” He almost laughed when Giles visibly paled. “Now you’ve got it! She asked the Slayer to help her upstairs. Probably went to have a good cry at your callousness.”

“Oh God,” he realized Ethan was right. When he didn’t answer, Sara must have assumed the worst. Xander saw the tears welling up in his friend’s eyes. Giles was overwhelmed by what he just did to the woman that meant everything to him. The Scoobies watched him turn green and Willow raced for the kitchen garbage pail. She managed to get it under Giles a second before his last meal came back up with a vengeance. He opened the channel he knew he had with Sara and felt the despair coming off of her in waves. Dawn rubbed soothing circles between his shoulder blades.

“Sara said Buffy’s blood has been purged from her system. Go to her, Giles. Fix this, before it can’t be fixed.” She told him. He looked up at her with wonderment in his eyes.

“When did you grow up?” She gave him a placating smile and called Xander over to help her get Giles to his feet. “While you were away,” she told him as she and Xander pushed him toward the stairs on shaky legs. They watched him get half way up the stairs before the walked back into the living room.

“$20 says despite the curse, Buffy still hits him with something,” Xander wagered.

“Oh God,” that thought truly terrified Ethan. That bloody spell was going to be his undoing. “Ripper being oblivious is going to get me killed.” Xander just laughed.

“Yeah, isn’t it great?” he smiled at the sorcerer.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Rupert felt like he had lead in all his limbs as he climbed the stairs. When he got to outside Buffy’s room, he heard Sara crying. His heart sank at the thought that he was the cause of her sadness.

“Don’t worry, Sara. I’m sure he didn’t mean it. Giles loves you, you know that.” Buffy was trying to explain to the other woman. He slid up to the open door and watched his Slayer hand Sara a box of Kleenex.

“It’s all right, Buffy. It really is. I left him alone for twenty-two years. It’s only fitting I experience a bit of my own treatment.” She told Buffy. ”I will help all of you dispel this curse, then I’ll be on my way.” Her words trailed off into a sob. And Buffy silently cursed her Watcher. ‘What was he thinking?’ she wondered. They both looked up when the heard Rupert take a shuddering breath. 

“Sara, I’m so sorry. I’m an idiot.” He took two cautious steps into the room.

“You’ll get no argument from me,” Buffy snapped at him. He realized he couldn’t get any closer to them, without putting Buffy in danger from the curse. So he stood, just out of reach.

“Luv, you know how I get when there is something stupendous and new. I go into my own little world. I know what I said, and didn’t say, is unforgivable. But believe me, I want nothing more in this world than to be married to you. I spent twenty-two years without you, and if you left, I would follow.” Buffy was still annoyed at Giles for completely toning Sara out like that. But she figured it was up to him to fix. The Slayer put her hand on the older woman’s arm.

“I’ll wait outside. You can tell us what The Powers that Be said to you after Mr. Suave pries his foot out of his mouth.” She told her. The Slayer stopped to address her Watcher before she left. “Giles, I know you’re new at this relationship stuff. But if you do this again I’m afraid I’m going to have to hurt you. You’re lucky, because of this stupid curse, I’ll have to be original – like hit you with a tree, or something. She got turned into a pin cushion saving our butts, and you made her think you didn’t want her.”

“She is still in the room.” Sara pointed out.

“Right. Sorry Sara. Giles, fix this.” He waited for Buffy to close the door behind her. His fiancé – Wife, he corrected; For all intention purposes, The Powers that Be had married them – was an enigma to him. She was so confident and secure when it came to duty, and her own abilities, magic aside, to get the job done. But she was terribly insecure emotionally; that a moment of blind callousness on his part could convince her that he didn’t want her. He tried to catch her eye, but she hadn’t taken her glance off the floor since Buffy left the room. So he did the only thing that he could – he knelt down in front of her.

“I remember the first time I met you.” He told her. “I had just come to your house to begin my training. I was a ten year old, awkward, frightened boy. Your mum pulled me aside, said she had something to show me. Miranda brought me into your room, where you were sleeping. I think she wanted me to see whom I gave my childhood to. I watched you – I don’t know for how long. But I remember you opening your eyes.” Rupert placed his palm, flat against her cheek and wiped away her tears with his thumb. When she didn’t pull away, he leaned in closer to her. “You have the most amazing eyes. Even at two years old, they showed love and wisdom far beyond their years. I felt you, even then. You are wrapped around my soul, Sara. You always have been.” Her eyes hesitantly met his.

“Rupert, do you want to be married to me?” She asked him again. Her heart sank when he got up from the floor. She thought he was going to leave. She released the breath she didn’t know she had been holding when he sat next to her on the bed.

“More than anything. I want to love and worship you, I want to make you smile when you are down, I want to coddle and take care of you when you are sick, I want to make mad, passionate love to you every day for the rest of our lives, and I want to have tribes of children with you. I wouldn’t feel right doing all of that with anyone but my wife.” He was tempted to smile when he noticed the corners of her mouth twitching. She was fighting her smile.

“Tribes of children?” She asked him. Her eyes were alight with happiness.

“Yes, tribes.” He reiterated. “I haven’t the foggiest on why you seem to persist with this foolish notion that loving you is a chore. Far from it. Loving you, is the easiest thing I’ve ever done in my life. You bewitch people, my love – whether you know it or not. Those children have never entirely trusted anyone but themselves. They have known you less than a day, and I believe they would follow you anywhere.”

“That has more to do with you, Rupert, than it does me.” She stated dryly.

“You’re right. They see that I love you with everything in my soul. And that makes it all right for them. Sara, I don’t give away my love easily. You owned it before anyone else. After I thought I lost you, it was almost 20 years before I allowed myself to love someone again. When Jenny was killed, I gave up on ever finding love. I settled for just not being alone. In the scope of things, I don’t believe that was fair to Olivia. But…” he trailed off, trying to collect his thoughts. “Now, here you are, back in my life. I won’t give you up without a fight.” Sara wanted to stay angry with him, but with all the sweet things he was saying, it was becoming more difficult. Giles noticed the mischievous light in her eyes. She wasn’t going to let him off the hook that easy. He decided to try another tactic. “Well, sorry. You’ll just have to suffer being married to me.” He teased, adding in an overly dramatic sigh, “The Powers that Be married us, and I refuse to grant you a divorce.” He smirked at her. That did it. She didn’t have a prayer once Giles laid on the charm. Sara felt the laughter erupt from her chest.

“Ow, ow, owww.” She fought to stop laughing when pain shot up her injured side. “Please, don’t make me laugh,” she begged him.

“Sara, I know my behavior downstairs was hurtful, to you. And I regret that. But know this…” he took her face in both of his hands. “I love you, so much. And I am ecstatic at being married to you. This ring,” he held his ring in front of her face, “I will never willingly remove, as long as I live. You are my wife, Sara Giles. And I will not give you up for anything in the world.” He promised her as he gently drew her into his arms. All of Sara’s nagging doubts evaporated. Her heart sang with his words. Giles breathed a sigh of relief when she wrapped her arms around him. “Does this mean I am forgiven?” He asked, hopefully. Sara looked up into his magnificent green eyes.

“You are forgiven,” she told him before she leaned up and kissed him soundly. “I suppose I can’t understand how you can be so wonderful, after I deserted you. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.” Giles smiled and shook his head.

“It’s not going to happen, my love. Like it or not, you are stuck with me, forever.” He told her.

“I do believe I can live with that. We should get back downstairs before Buffy sends someone for us.” She suggested. “I wouldn’t want her to be angry with you,” she teased, knowing full well that the Slayer was already irritated with him.

“She’s not angry,” he smirked, “she always threatens to redesign my cranium with an elm.” He stood up and helped her to her feet. When he realized that her gait was somewhat unsteady, he scooped her up into his arms and headed for the door.

“Rupert, this isn’t necessary.”

“It is – get the door, please – the children need to see you to make sure you are all right. And they need to see me, so they know that you and Buffy did not commit justifiable homicide.” She smiled at him.

“By all means, carry on.”

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Ethan was relieved to see Buffy return to the living room without her Watcher. Sara Covington’s spell on him kept him painfully aware of the Slayer’s volatile temper. As long as the girl was downstairs, she couldn’t take out her anger on his old friend. Everyone looked up when Giles came back downstairs carrying his wife.

“Do you want to make a wish with me, Sara? I could leave him with boils, or make his…” Sara held up a hand to stop her before she completed that sentence. The ‘he’ in question, set her gently in the recliner and took a chair from the dining room so he could sit next to her.

“No, thank you, Anya. It really isn’t necessary.” She told the demon. Buffy and Xander smiled when they caught Giles grateful look.

“I have apologized for being a cretin, Anya. And my wife has forgiven me.” He clarified, hoping that she would drop this whole wish nonsense. The vengeance demon looked to Sara to make sure. The woman nodded and she decided to let it go – for now.

“Xander, in the stack of texts where I was sitting earlier, I need you to retrieve three books for me. Brogin’s rituals, Kefler’s Abstract Demonology, and The Black Chronicles. I would greatly appreciate it if you could bring them to me.” Ethan sent up a quick prayer to whatever deity was listening. He was extremely familiar with the three books she called for. And he knew once she confirmed her suspicions, he would have nothing else to bargain with. He was also aware of why Kane was so scared of this woman. The Sorcerer had been so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he hadn’t notice Sara had been watching him the whole time. “Ethan, is there something you want to share with the class?” She asked. This immediately put Buffy and Giles on alert. When he shook his head, no. Sara clucked her tongue in disappointment. “You are aware that when I confirm my information, without you, Rupert and Buffy will take turns knocking the stuffing out of you.”

“The Ritual of Anturi,” he conceded the information in defeat. Without hesitation, Buffy stepped forward and punched him in the face. Anya, still angry with Giles, settled for slapping the Watcher in the back of the head, again. Ethan’s head snapped forward. Anya began to develop an appreciation for Sara’s spell.

“Bloody Hell!” The two Englishmen said at the same time. Ethan was using a handkerchief to stop the flow of blood from his nose, and Giles was delicately probing the knot that was beginning to form on the back of his head. Xander smiled when he returned from the dining room with the books in hand.

“Oh, goody. We’re beating on Ethan, again?” He asked. The unspoken ‘please’ clear on his face.

“Are you sure I can’t stake him, Giles?” Buffy asked.

“But you don’t kill humans,” Dawn pointed out, “Only demons.”

“Still not seeing a down side here…it’s Ethan.” She replied. The Watchers couldn’t help their smiles. They had to admit, she did have a point. Sara took Brogin’s Rituals, left the Black Chronicles to Giles, and handed the Kefler’s book to Willow. The witch was surprised the older woman was including her – especially after what she did to Giles.

**He loves you, and has forgiven you. That is enough for me.** Willow heard in her mind. Tearful green eyes met Sara’s warm blue ones. She dug into the book looking for any passage on the Ritual of Anturi.

“When is it being cast, Ethan?” She wanted a straight answer from the man, just once. Buffy raised her fist, daring the man to hesitate in his answer. The Sorcerer flinched.

“Three days from now – as far as I know. The Ritual has to be performed on the eve of The Festival of Bakfir. Crazy Sod needs to do it then.” Ethan confessed.

“Buffy?” Sara asked, with a hint of anger in her voice, “Would you please hit him again?” The Slayer grinned.

“Wait…!” was all he managed to get out before her fist connected with his nose and they all heard the sickening crack of the bone. Sara, still angry over what she was reading regarding the ritual, used her telekinesis to grab the dazed man and hurl him into the nearest wall. The impact knocked the air out of his lungs and he crumbled to the ground in a heap. Fueled by adrenaline and anger, she pushed herself out of the chair. Giles was immediately at her elbow.

“You stupid bastard!” The Scoobies shivered at her icy tone. She didn’t raise her voice, but the steel in it was heard nonetheless. “Do you have any idea what the ritual actually does?” Ethan rolled over onto his back and looked up into her face. The fire in her eyes intensified his fear until it took his breath.  He always believed that everyone had an inner self they called on for rage, fury, and power. He had seen it in himself, and in Rupert – in the form of Ripper. This woman was death personified. And he was terrified that the body count would start with him. Ethan felt himself being lifted off the ground and slammed against the wall again.

“I didn’t know!” he called out in a panic. He was helpless, and he knew it. Sara was using her powers to hold him against the wall. “Ripper, I didn’t know what the ritual does! Please! Call off your wife!”

“So, how about it, Ethan? A Lobotomy without the benefit of anesthetic.” She spared a glance over by the couch and called the short sword to her hand. “I could cut open your skull and rip out your frontal lobe.” When she placed the tip of the sword to his temple, he lost control of his bladder. “Then you’ll know how the children will feel if Kane completes that bloody ritual!”

“Ripper!” Ethan cried when he felt the point of the sword break his skin. Giles didn’t know what the ritual entailed, but he needed Sara calm to explain it to them. He didn’t give a fig about Ethan Rayne. It was only his own history with him, that kept him from killing the man. He considered letting Sara slaughter him. They were Watchers, after all. They did whatever they had to do to keep the world safe. He had done the same when he killed Ben. But one look at the faces of the Scoobies told him to put a stop to this. When he stepped toward Sara, Dawn – concerned for his safety – called out to him. He just smiled at her.

“She won’t hurt me, Dawn.” He stepped forward and laid his hand on her shoulder. The result of the touch was instantaneous. Sara released her telekinesis and allowed Ethan to fall to the floor, again. She immediately handed the sword to Xander, with a smile, before stepping into her husband’s embrace. “Welcome back, luv.” He kissed her. Sara looked around and took in the frightened faces of The Scoobies.

“He’s right.” She told all of them. “I won’t hurt him, or any of you – even when I’m like that. I’m sorry if I scared you.” She smiled warmly at all of them. Giles didn’t like the tense atmosphere as he led Sara back to the chair.

“I take it we just met Ripper’s Mate?” Xander joked. Everyone chuckled, and the heart of the Scoobies felt immensely proud that his joke had the desired effect.

**Thank you,** he heard Sara’s voice in his head. He looked up and returned her smile.

“One could say that, Xander. She is the part of me that I call on when people I care about are threatened. I am sorry, truly…all of you.” She left it unsaid that her apology did not extend to Ethan Rayne. “I knew the end result of the ritual when The Powers that Be mentioned it, but not the technical aspects of it. I’m afraid THAT is what set me off.” She picked up the Brogin’s book, opened it to the appropriate page and turned the book to Giles. When he read it, he actually growled at Ethan’s whimpering form on the floor.

“Giles? What is it?” Buffy asked.

“In three days time, Kane will make a live sacrifice to a Corona Demon. They are from the inner most level of the Hellmouth. The sacrifice required, the blood of one innocent, infant. That blood will allow the demon to rip the souls from all of the innocents in this town. The souls have to be pure. And just as anything in its purest form, it is quite powerful. Kane will attempt to use the energy of the children’s souls to open the Hellmouth to its fullest.” Ethan flinched as all the Scoobies turned and growled at him.

“I didn’t know,” The battered man cried. “I didn’t know…” he just kept chanting as he began to rock himself.

“Rupert, you’ve known him longer than I have. I know he’s caused trouble for you and Buffy. But would Ethan Rayne knowingly cause the death of a child?” Sara asked him. He considered everything he knew about the broken man on the floor in front of him. From his experience with Ethan, he didn’t believe that he would.

“No, Ethan has no qualms about going after Slayers, and grown men and women. But harm a child? I don’t think he has it in him.” He knew Ethan had grown up in an orphanage in London, and ran away when he was ten. The man had survived the streets by teaming with other children. They took care of each other. That upbringing in itself, led him to believe that his old friend would die before he allowed the ritual to take place.

“Ethan…” Giles called to him with no answer. As soon as Sara called his name, the sorcerer’s eyes snapped up to meet hers. Giles studied the face he used to know as well as his own. “No, I’m sure of it. He didn’t have a clue to what Kane was up to.” Sara used her telepathy and opened her mind to Ethan. She sensed his shame and revulsion with himself. But the overwhelming emotion she was getting from him was his outright fear of her.

“Rupert, let me have your handkerchief.” When he handed it over, she got up again and went over to the man on the floor. The closer she got to him, the more visible his trembling became. Sara took a knee in front of him while Ethan kept his gaze on the floor. He flinched when she reached out a hand to touch his nose. She gently touched the bridge of it with one finger and he felt the broken nose slide back into place. “What are we to do with you, Ethan Rayne?” She touched his bowed head and he lifted his eyes to meet hers. “There are two stones needed to complete this ritual – a diamond and an emerald. Does Kane have the stones?” She asked him, keeping her voice even and soft.

“Yes,” he whispered. He whimpered when she gritted her teeth, thinking he might have caused her anger to rise again. She sighed.

“I’m sorry that I hurt you, Ethan. If Rupert says you wouldn’t have helped Kane – had you known what he was up to, I believe him.” Sara pushed his hair off his forehead. “I don’t trust you. Your antagonism has nearly cost the lives of two of the most important people in my life. I have sworn my life to protect Buffy, and Rupert is the better part of my soul. You constantly put their lives in danger. That has to stop, now. Things are too delicate. I don’t have the energy to waste on you. So, this is the only warning you shall receive. Turn on us, and I will kill you. Understood?” After what they just witnessed, everyone knew the gentleness in the woman’s voice was deceiving. Sara grunted in pain when she forced herself to stand again, on very shaky legs. “Why don’t we get you upstairs and let you get cleaned up?” She extended her hand to him. He eyed it warily. “Come on,” she told him. Xander stepped forward and grabbed the sorcerer’s other hand to take some of the pressure off of Sara as they helped him to his feet.

“Xand, there are a few boxes of Giles’ clothes in the guest bedroom closet. Find him something to wear from there.” Buffy looked to Giles to make sure it was all right. He gave his Slayer a slight nod. Xander grabbed Ethan’s elbow and steered him upstairs. “Sara, we can’t let Kane complete that ritual.”

“Agreed. The situation couldn’t be worse.” Just as the words were out of Sara’s mouth, there was a knock at the door. Last time they checked – demons didn’t knock. Buffy didn’t recognize the two men, but she was very familiar with the demon with them: Whistler. She opened the door and Sara and Giles’ faces darkened in anger. “I stand corrected.” The Slayer and her Watcher’s eyes met, and Buffy knew – Council men. Sara used her telekinesis and called the short sword back to her hand.

“You’re not welcome here, father.” If it were possible, the sudden appearance of Ripper put the Scoobies more on edge than they were. Buffy stepped aside without speaking the invitation. The tension in her body echoed that of her Watcher. One word from Giles or Sara, and she would give these three a beating. Whistler had been warned that things would be tense here, but this was ridiculous. When the Slayer stepped back, he watched her cautiously before entering the Summers’ house. Cedric Giles followed, holding both hands out at his side. Nathaniel Giles came in last and Buffy closed the door. Okay, they weren’t vampires. Cedric started to open his mouth to say something, but his son cut him off. “Don’t!” Ripper snarled. “You go back and tell Travers to go to hell.”

**There is no magic on them.** Giles heard in his mind.

“We’re not with Travers, or the Council anymore, Rupert.” Nathaniel told him. Giles turned to his cousin and saw the grief pouring off the young man.

“Nat, what is it?” he asked. He always liked his cousins. Parents and Watchers aside, they always seemed to look out for each other. One look into the younger man’s eyes told him all he needed to know. “Henry, no…”

“I was told to meet your family at Heathrow and get them here. But the Watchers sent a group to head them off. We hid until big boy there,” Whistler pointed at Nathaniel, “called a mage friend of his. The bad guys got too close. Henry led them away from us to buy enough time for us to be teleported. They gunned him down in the middle of the airport. Brave kid.” The second Rupert wrapped his arms around his cousin, the man’s reserve broke. He cried for what they had done, and what was left to do. But most of all, Nathaniel cried for his brother. Cedric took a step toward the two men, only to feel the blade of Sara’s sword under his chin. He looked up to see that The Scoobies had all stepped in between him and his son. Whistler smiled when they closed ranks to protect the Watcher. The old man grinned; his own a mirror of his son’s.  Nathaniel would give the spell to Sara and Rupert. He could welcome his own death without concern.

“You have betrayed your children, you have betrayed the Watcher Called, and worst of all, you betrayed the Slayers. Thirty Slayers have been called in forty years, and if you had a fraction of the courage of your son – those girls would have stood a chance. Give me a reason that I should not administer punishment, right now.” Sara was incensed. Everything this man did in the last four decades was sacrilege to the glory of the Slayers. And desecrated everything they accomplished. She stepped in front of him, between him and the Scoobies, and held the point of the sword toward his chest.

“Honestly, Miss Covington, I can’t think of a single one.” The old man replied calmly. He began to take a step forward and Buffy’s hand came down gently on top of Sara’s.

“Sara, wait.” The Slayer told her before turning to look the old man in the eye. So this was Giles’ dad. The resemblance was spooky. “Did you really do the things she said you did?” She asked All eyes in the room were on the two of them.

“Don’t do this, Miss Summers. I’m not worth it.”

“I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing it for Sara, and that guy Henry. You guys know something. And if the Watchers killed him, I’m guessing it’s pretty big. I don’t want him to have died for nothing. But you still didn’t answer my question. Did you do the things she said you did?” Buffy wasn’t letting this go. Cedric looked to the floor in shame.

“I did. Rupert and Amelia both tried to run from their destinies. I turned them over to the retrieval squads. They bloodied two-dozen squads, and still refused to return. The Council was at a loss, they never had any one fight back with the ferocity that Rupert and his sister did.” He smiled with pride at that memory. “All that brute force, and they still didn’t return. Do you know what finally brought them back?” He asked the Slayer. “Her.” He looked up at Sara. The woman was surprised to see warmth and admiration shining from his eyes. “Her and Micheal.”

“We offered them no less than they deserved.” She explained to Buffy. “My family gave them the unconditional love they so desired.” The Scoobies all smiled as Rupert came up behind his wife and wrapped his arms around her waist. She leaned back into his chest before she continued. “We offered Rupert and Amelia a safe harbor from those pillocks on the Council. You bartered your son to my family like he was a prized stud. Cedric, you ponce, you have no idea what amazing people your children truly are.”

“So who is ‘The Watcher Called?” Dawn asked.

“I am.” Giles told her. “It is the title used to refer to the Watcher to the active Slayer. My father’s further betrayal, concerning me, was compounded when he voted with Quentin to order me to administer that bloody test.” He shot an apologetic glance at Buffy. “And when I intervened, it was his vote that sealed my fate.”

“In order for an active Watcher to be sacked – removed from his Slayer – the vote has to be unanimous. My vote made it so, and Rupert was fired.” Cedric told them.

“Why?” Anya knew of the honor and loyalty in Giles. It was one of the things she loved best about him. She couldn’t understand how his father could have pulled the rug out from underneath him. Cedric took the coward’s answer.

“It was tradition.” He simply said. Sara and Giles both took a threatening step forward. Whistler was loving all of this. These Brits were better than the soap operas.

“You can do better than that, father.”

“Quentin posed a fine argument, Rupert. And as ashamed as I am to admit it, I didn’t know you well enough to recognize that he was lying.” He went back to looking at the floor. Giles just shrugged.

“There’s no reason you should. I lived at Covington Hall for well over half my life. Hell, the longest conversation you and I ever had was the day you informed me of my destiny. I was never your son, I was a chess piece for you to maneuver into whatever spot that would boost your status. So save your conjured up tears and regret, I don’t have time for the games.” Sara laid a gentle touch on Giles’ arm to calm him. Their attention was drawn to the stairs as Xander emerged with Ethan in tow. Xander froze when he noticed the new additions to their crowd.

“OK, what’s with the ‘Giles: The next generation?”

“Xander, this is my cousin, Nathaniel.” Giles indicated the larger man by the door with genuine affection. Then his eyes turned cold, “And that is my father, Cedric.”

“Father? More like a sperm donor.” Anya stated. Xander got the message loud and clear. Giles’ dad was not liked a bit.

“You don’t believe in sugar coating things, do you?” Sara asked the vengeance demon.

“No, should I?”

“As alarmingly accurate that statement was, I’m afraid we’re losing sight of the problem at hand. We have another apocalypse to avert.” Giles needed to get everyone focused again.

“Another one?” Xander smirked. All of the Scoobies had to smile at that. They were old hands at averting end of the world disasters.

“Rupert, what have we walked in on?” Nathaniel asked. He needed something to devote his energies to, lest his grief consume him.

“The Ritual of Anturi, I’m afraid. Kane is going to open The Hellmouth, using the souls of this town’s children.” He explained to his cousin. “We have 72 hours to put a stop to him. Under no circumstances, can we allow him to complete that ritual.” Sara walked over to the table and found the Brogin’s book. She showed it to Nathaniel.

“Bloody hell!” The young Watcher did not like what he was reading. “He has the emerald and the diamond?” Nathaniel asked.

“He does.” Sara told him. He considered the pieces of another prophecy he and his uncle came for. He took in the woman in front of him – the “Savior” of the Council.  His specialty had always been reading the auras of people’s souls. When he looked at Sara, closely, he saw the brilliant gold of her aura – outlined with a faint blue and red.

“Rupert, there is a further complication.” Giles didn’t like that. They had enough on their plates without adding to it. “Look at your wife’s aura. Look for the soul.” Nathaniel had noticed their wedding bands. When Giles looked, he saw what his cousin suspected. He gasped in surprise. “You are correct when you say the ritual cannot be completed. Not only for what it would mean for the town, but also for what it means for the two of you.” Buffy and the rest of the Scoobies didn’t like feeling left out.

“Giles?” She needed an explanation. He was a bit too shaken to answer her. She touched Nathaniel on the shoulder. “What is it?” They needed answers. They didn’t like to see Giles unnerved. It made for a bad outcome.

“Miss Summers, magic allows us to see auras, if one possesses the ability. My cousin’s wife is showing three separate auras on the level of her soul.” Understanding clicked for Sara and Ethan slid a chair under her before she fell down in shock.

“English for those of us who don’t speak Watcher?” Buffy was getting annoyed.

“She’s pregnant, Slayer.” Ethan translated. “Twins, gauging from the fact that their auras can be seen. It means the tyke’s souls have taken hold.” Willow visibly paled.

“Their souls are in danger along with the rest of the children. Oh God, Giles. I’m sorry.” 

“They’re not dead, Willow. Kane will not get the souls of my children. I swear I’ll kill him before that happens.” Giles ground out.

“It’s not your fight, Rupert.” Sara added quietly. Whistler just stuck to the corner with a smile plastered on his face.

“Excuse me?”

“Kane is my fight. He used my family’s magic to curse you, to hurt Buffy. It’s my responsibility to make sure he doesn’t hurt anyone else.” She told him.

“Sara…”

“She’s right.” Whistler decided to interrupt. “That vampire has been putting the big hurt on people since biblical days. But he got worse when he laid his claws on her granddad’s magic books. It has to be her that puts the balance right. The rest of you just don’t have the skill,” Buffy took exception to that and shoved the little demon into the wall. “Whoa, Slayer! You have skills! You kill things better than most. But this battle is gonna be fought with the magicks of old. Plain, simple fact…the mommy to be is the strongest mage you got. You not only need her to fight, she has to lead this shindig.” That seemed to make things worse. All of the Scoobies seemed to think this was a free for all argument. They knew Giles wouldn’t let Sara do this alone, and to protect them – and the two babies Sara carried – they were going too. Buffy was livid, and Ethan and Xander seemed to be trying to talk her out of whatever foolish action she was proposing. Dawn, Willow, and Cedric were watching the stony facades of the parents to be. No matter what any of the Scoobies said about this. The decision ultimately belonged to Sara and Giles.

“QUIET!!!” Sara yelled. “EVERYONE SHUT UP!!!” She waited for all eyes to turn to her. “You’re giving me a bloody migraine.” She added, softly. “Nat, I agree that The Council must be dealt with, but if the Hellmouth opens…”

“No need.” The large Englishman told her. He knew, without explanation, that if the Hellmouth opened, the world as they knew it, would end. “One problem at a time.” He gave her a half smile. The man knew Whistler was correct. The weight of this battle, and many battles to come, would fall heavily on her shoulders. Sara snorted her disdain at this whole situation.

“So this is what they meant.” She said.

“What, Luv?” Giles knelt on the floor next to her chair.

“The Powers, they said that the Hellmouth opening was the least of our problems. Rupert, we won’t ever get to rest. So many battles to come, and I’m already weary.” She confessed to him. She allowed herself to be gathered into her husband’s arms and he sat down on the couch with her in his lap.

“Then rest, my love. I will protect you. I swear it. Rest, until it is time to fight. Then we’ll carry the burden together.” She leaned back into his chest. He pressed his lips to her temple in a comforting gesture.

“I’ll help,” Xander stepped up and laid a hand on Giles’ shoulder.

“Me too,” Buffy added. Whistler watched as everyone there essentially pledged their lives to the two on the couch. ‘Bosses made a good choice,’ he thought to himself. ‘These two are special.’

“The help will be there when you need it,” Sara mused. She felt honored that these amazing young people would pledge themselves to her and Rupert without hesitation.

“What?” Giles asked her.

“It’s what they said, ‘The help will be there when you need it.” They both looked around to their friends with a lightness in their hearts that hadn’t been there before.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

COVINGTON HALL – ENGLAND

Micheal Covington watched carefully over his charge while the young man practiced. His family had spent the last twenty-one years raising the man in front of him. He couldn’t fathom why he was entrusted with this precious package. He loved the boy as if he were his own. But the truth of the matter is, Thomas was special, and he had an important part in the future – as they all did. He always enjoyed watching Thomas, the young man was immensely gifted in magicks. The older man remembered his sister going through the same exercises when they were younger. He smiled at the memory.

“Is it time?” Thomas asked his guardian. Micheal started, he wasn’t aware Thomas knew he was there.

“How…”

“I sensed you. I felt your presence the moment you stepped on this level.” He was speechless at his charge’s revelation. With all of the magic emanating from Covington Hall, for the boy to still sense him…it spoke to his level of power.

“It is time. You are needed in Sunnydale. The Witches are set to teleport you.” When Thomas began to protest, Micheal held up his hand. “I am aware that you can teleport yourself, but we want you to conserve your energy. All will depend on the three of you and my sister is already injured.”

“Is it serious? How did it happen?” he asked, with a bit of fear creeping into his heart.

“Not very serious from what I gathered. Mirnar Demons got in a few shots while they were dealing with Memnon.” The younger man couldn’t help the flash of anger that flared in his green eyes.

“Why wasn’t the Slayer protecting her?” he noticed his guardian, clenching his jaw.

“I don’t know, Thomas. Why don’t you ask her when you get there? Come, we have to go.” They walked in relative silence until they reached the ballroom. Each man was lost in his own thoughts. Micheal put his hand on the young man’s shoulder. “Do not be too harsh with them. You had to be protected. Had he known you existed, Quentin Travers would not have allowed you to survive a day. Now,” he smiled proudly at his charge, “You are more than a match for any of his mages. Now it is time for you to claim your destiny. Stand with them – lead. And we will follow you until the end of time.” He led Thomas into the room, they stopped outside the casting circle. As soon as he stepped inside, the witches closed the circle. “Love them as they will love you, boy. You will not find a worthier pair.” Thomas nodded and braced himself for the flash of magic. In an instant, the young man was gone. “Set up for the next volley of spells.” Micheal ordered the witches.

“Do you think they’ll make it?” Amelia Covington asked her husband.

“If anyone can, they can.”

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

BUFFY’S HOUSE – SUNNYDALE

Whistler practically dove away from the doorway when he felt the flash of heat at his back. Thomas opened his eyes to see that he was standing in a dining room, and the house was fairly dark.

“Good Lord, I shall never get used to that.” He blinked, trying to accustom his eyes to the dark. When he took a step toward the doorway, he came face to face with an angry blonde wielding a sword, and a dark haired young man that looked to be about his age. He guessed that the blonde was the Slayer, Buffy Summers. And his eyes flashed in anger.

“Giles?” She called him. “You gotta see this, Giles.” Buffy couldn’t quite come to terms with the fact that she was looking at a younger version of her Watcher. He looked like Giles, complete with his very own ‘Ripper glare,’ but this one looked to be about twenty. He was a hottie. ‘Who knew,’ the Slayer thought to herself, ‘my watcher could look this good?’ Giles gently helped Sara to her feet and they went to see what Buffy was going on about. Rupert Giles stopped dead in his tracks when he came face to face with himself.

“Ripper, I didn’t know you had any kids.” Ethan said to him.

“I don’t.” He replied. He couldn’t take his eyes off the young man. The resemblance was uncanny.

“You do,” Sara told him. Thomas smiled when he saw her step out from behind his dad. So this was his mum. ‘She is magnificent,’ he thought. When he saw the blood patches sticking to the shirt, he turned his glare on Buffy again. “Thomas, tell your father your birth date, so he can do the math for himself.”

“Rupert Thomas Giles, born on the twentieth of December in the year of our lord Nineteen Hundred and Eighty.” He returned his glare toward the Slayer. She had allowed his mother to be hurt.

“And stop looking at Buffy that way. She’s the Slayer and can no doubt wipe the floor with you.” Sara told her son. Giles started gasping for air. When he figured out the dates, ‘Thomas’ was born eight and a half months after he was with Sara – also five months after he thought she had died. Sara and Thomas rushed forward to catch him before his legs collapsed from under him.

“Dad!” They gently lowered him to the ground and laid him on his back. Thomas decided to try a trick his Grandfather Covington had taught him as a boy. He kneeled down next to his father’s head and used his telepathy to project the calm, rolling hills around Covington Hall. He projected the babbling brook he knew that lay nearby the house. He sent all of these images into his father’s mind to calm him. Within minutes, Giles had his breathing under control, but he could see the absolute awe and wonder in his eyes. “Better?” he asked the man.

“I have a son,” he stated in amazement as he reached up and trailed his fingers down Thomas’ cheek. The young man chuckled.

“Yes, you do. It is nice to finally be able to join you.” The Scoobies were speechless. Thomas was a mirror image of his father and even sounded like him.

“Now, this was unexpected.” Whistler added. Cedric took a step toward his son – and grandson. Nathaniel stepped in his way. He shook his head at the old man. It was a clear message that he had nothing to contribute to this – so butt out. Sara was startled when she felt the anger boiling up in her husband. She flinched when he whirled on her.

“I have a son, and you kept him from me.” The anger and disdain was clear in his voice. He wanted to gather her in his arms when he saw the tears welling up in her eyes. But he forced himself to stay strong. “How could you?”

“Before you cut her out of your life, may I speak?” Thomas had an idea how important his parents were to the future. He couldn’t let them be split apart by this. “In all fairness to mum, she kept me away from her as well. Come on, Dad. Look at me. I wear your face. Do you honestly believe that the Watchers would let me live a day if they knew I existed? Given who my parents are, I would have ended up either dead – or one of Quentin Travers experiments.” He met his father’s eyes. “Don’t be angry with her, she’s had the toughest road of us all. I had Grandmother, Uncle Micheal and Aunt Amelia. Yes, I had the responsibilities of my training, but I was always loved. You had your Slayer and her friends. Mum gave up the two things she loved most – you and I – to protect us. She was alone.” Giles turned his attention back to his wife. Sara was sitting on the floor next to them. She and the Scoobies all seemed to be holding their breath, waiting to see what he would do. He was furious, he couldn’t deny that. But Giles couldn’t stay angry with her in the face of his son’s logic. He felt a pang of pride – his son. Thomas was right, Sara had taken the worst part of the deal. She had sacrificed all for him and the young man in front of him. “I have waited my entire life to stand with the both of you. And I have no intentions of wasting a bloody second.” He slid forward and wrapped his arms around his mother. She held onto him as if he were life itself. She sobbed her apologies to him, over and over. He gently rubbed her back, “It’s all right, mum. I’m here.” Everyone looked to Giles, who still hadn’t moved one way or the other. The voice of reason came from the most unexpected place – Ethan Rayne.

“For God’s Sake, Ripper, you tosser! You won’t get another chance at happiness like her. Don’t waste it by being a jackass!” he told the man. Sara looked over Thomas’ shoulder, into the eyes of her husband.

“Did you have to name him Rupert?” He smiled as he slid forward to wrap his arms around his son and his wife. Thomas smiled as he pulled back to take a good look at his parents.

“It was fitting, he is his father’s son.” Sara told him.

“Giles, well your equipment obviously still works.” Anya said out of the blue.

“Excuse me?!” The Scoobies were used to the vengeance demon’s outbursts. Even they weren’t sure they wanted to hear where this was going.

“You made him over twenty years ago,” she began, pointing at Thomas. “And you made two more tonight. I’m just saying, it’s proof there is nothing wrong with your equipment.”

“Anyanka, please, no more comments about my husband’s equipment. Please?” Sara pleaded. The Scoobies all concurred.

“Anyanka? The Vengeance Demon?” Nathaniel was stunned. He looked Anya up and down, and backed away to the farthest point in the room. She was pleased to see a man that feared her. But he was related to Giles, and he was liked – so she let him off the hook.

“Yes, the Vengeance Demon. Are you married? Have a girlfriend?” She asked while she walked toward the big man.

“Uh, no. And no.”

“Then you have nothing to worry about. You aren’t foolish enough to scorn a woman while in the presence of a vengeance demon.” She turned to Cedric, “You, however…” She smiled sweetly at Giles. “Where is your sister, again? I’m sure I could get her to make a wish against the ‘Sperm Donor.” Cedric swallowed hard past the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. Giles and Thomas helped Sara off the floor and led her back to the couch. Her son lifted the edges of her shirt to look at the gashes on her torso.

“What did this, mum?”

“Not sure. I was a bit preoccupied at the time. The deep ones in the shoulder are Mirnar Demon.” Thomas glared at Buffy again.

“What?” That was the third time he looked at her like that. ‘What was his problem?’ she wondered.

“If my parents are going to cast spells to help you, the least you could do is make sure they don’t get sliced to ribbons.” Buffy took a step back. She already felt terrible that Sara had gotten hurt because of her.

“She said she was sorry,” Dawn tried to defend her sister. “Can’t you just heal her with magic, or something?” She liked the stuff that Giles’ son had said before, about Sara, and she thought he was pretty cute. But she wasn’t about to let anyone pick on her sister.

“No, Dawnie. They can’t heal with magic.” Willow explained. “Those cuts were made by a Mirnar Demon. These things were created to hunt magic users. If the victim is cut – and survives – the injuries have to heal at the normal rate. Same as you and me. The chemical that is secreted in the nail beds of these demons blocks the use of spells.” Everyone looked at her – mouths gaping in surprise. She was uncomfortable for a moment, but continued when she heard Sara’s soft voice in her mind.

**I’m impressed, Willow. You did your research. Please, continue.**

“That’s what the books said. Giles, I kind of looked up some of those demons we saw earlier, when Sara was talking to the Powers that Be. The book said that magic blocking chemical is why the Mirnar demons are so effective against magic users. Remind me to stay away from them.” She couldn’t help an embarrassed smile when she saw Giles and Sara looking at her with pride. “So lay off Buffy, cause it wasn’t exactly her fault….Please?” Thomas blinked at her in surprise.

“She said all that in one breath.”

“Willow-babble at its best,” Xander told him and everyone laughed.

“Son, I told Buffy to get out of the way. We were the targets of a Jeheri Spell. I wanted her safe in case my shield failed.” Sara told him.

“Protect the Slayer, at all cost.” Giles recited to his son. “If your grandmother taught you nothing more, I know she taught you that.” He needed Buffy and Thomas to get along. The Slayer came forward, knowing he had a right to be angry with her. But hoping that he would forgive her, and they could be friends. She loved Giles, and was growing to care for Sara faster than she thought possible. She didn’t want to lose either of them because of Thomas’ anger. She watched the youngest Giles hang his head for a moment before she extended her hand. He looked up into her eyes and smiled – her watcher’s smile. He reached up and shook her hand.

“They are correct, Miss Summers. I apologize for my haste. I should not have blamed you.” His face colored in embarrassment all the way into his jade green sweater. Buffy thought it was one of the cutest things she had ever seen.

“No sweat. You were just worried about your mom. Friends?” Thomas couldn’t disappoint his parents. This was his father’s slayer. He wouldn’t cause unnecessary stress, just because he couldn’t control his emotions.

“Friends.”

“Good, now why don’t I introduce you to everyone? The four Original Scoobies, me your dad, Xander and Willow.” She pointed to everyone as she named them. She smiled when she noticed Thomas’ raised eyebrow.

“Scoobies? As in Scooby Doo?” He asked. Xander clutched his chest with a fake coronary.

“Oh my god! A Giles that actually understood a pop culture reference! There goes my theory that it’s genetic.” He smiled as he watched Giles pick up the gauntlet.

“Really, Xander. I didn’t think you had any theories beyond Junk Food being the fifth food group.” He teased the young man. All of them were familiar with the bottomless pit that was Xander Harris. The Scoobies all laughed. Thomas took his cue from his father and his easy teasing. Cedric and Nathaniel were confused. These people were facing the end of the world. And here they were laughing and smiling. Whistler slid over to the two Englishmen.

“Don’t think that they don’t take the threat seriously. Those kids have seen things that would make the strongest men curl into a ball and die. This is how they deal. When it comes down to it, they know what they need to do.” He told them.

“So let me guess, Dad is your, Fred?” Giles groaned when all of the Scoobies nodded excitedly. Thomas couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up. It warmed Buffy’s heart to hear his laugh. She wondered if her Watcher could laugh like that. Not that he ever had a reason to, living in ‘Sunnyhell.’ Thomas glanced at his father’s chagrinned face and tried to stifle his laughing. “I’m sorry, dad.”

“It’s all right. They’ve only been laughing at my expense for six years,” He sighed – over dramatically, “It’s only fair that you have your fun as well.” Thomas’ grin got even bigger when he saw all the Scoobies just roll their eyes.

“Please! You get more than your fair share of Zingers in, Giles.” Xander snorted. Buffy continued her introductions.

“This, is my sister Dawn. That’s Anya,” She pointed.

“The Vengeance Demon.”

“Right. But don’t worry, she won’t mess with you. She’s a recent addition to the Scoobies, Xander’s ex, and your dad’s business partner. She’s a good guy. The runt that’s dressed like a pimp lost in the 70’s is Whistler. He’s a demon, don’t ask me what kind. He’s annoying, but relatively harmless.” She stepped near Nathaniel, “This is Nathaniel, he’s Giles’ cousin?” she asked the big man. He nodded. “They’re on the run from The Council, I assume looking for your mom and dad. But it’s gonna have to wait until we take care of Kane.” She cast a wary glance at Cedric, “That’s…” Thomas, who had been amused by the whirlwind that was Buffy’s introductions, suddenly grew quiet. The smile dropped off his face, and his eyes were instantly angry.

“I know who he is,” he interrupted. “What I can’t figure out is why mum and dad haven’t killed you yet – or at least allowed the Slayer to do it. It is their right.” He stepped up in the older man’s face – letting him know that if his parents wouldn’t do it, he would kill him. “Was it worth it, Cedric? What could Travers and the others offer you that was worth turning on everything you claim to love?” He sneered when the old man shook his head and hung it in shame. “We may share biology, but we are not family.” He turned to the last person in the room. The one looking at him like he was a seven-course meal. “And last, but not least – Ethan Rayne.” The young man had to swallow back the bile that threatened to come up. His Aunt Amelia had given him a thorough background of Ethan Rayne and his father’s history with him.  “Wipe that smirk off your face, Mr. Rayne, or I’ll remove it for you. I may wear my father’s face. But do not think for one moment that I am he. In the past, you have irritated him in an attempt to release the Ripper – in some juvenile fascination in recapturing your misspent youth. I am here for a purpose, and I will not stray from that.” He told the sorcerer in no uncertain terms.

“Ethan, if you even blink suspiciously in my son’s direction, I will take great pleasure in personally feeding you to the Hellmouth – piece by bloody piece.” Sara warned him.

“No need to worry about me.” He told Thomas. “Your mum has already had me neutered and declawed. I am of no threat to you and yours. And to be quite frank, your mother scares the hell out of me. I won’t risk her wrath.” He didn’t add that if the bint were killed, he would explore recruiting the young Giles. The man in question suddenly took two steps forward and wrapped his hand around Ethan’s neck.

“Foolish, old man. You betray your thoughts with no less than two telepaths in the room. I cannot allow you to remain as the threat that you are. You leave me no other choice.” The Sorcerer panicked as Thomas began chanting. Three lines into the spell, Sara knew what her son was up to. She smiled her approval.

“Sara, what is Thomas doing to Ethan?” Willow just had to ask. She could feel the magic take hold of the other man. The Scoobies watched as Ethan fell to the floor and began trembling. When the witch noticed his fingers starting to shorten and fatten up, she guessed that he was being turned into something.

“Just putting him in a more useful form, to us.” The Watcher responded, calmly. Giles had to give his old friend credit. He took his punishment better than he thought he would. The man only cried out once in the three minutes it took to transform him into a Bengal Tiger.

“Cool!” Dawn exclaimed. Buffy watched closely as Thomas glared at the tiger.

“Follow orders, Ethan. Or we’ll donate you to a bloody zoo when this is over.” The tiger snorted in his direction – but made no motion to move. He would stay in that spot until Thomas issued orders otherwise. He stared at everyone in turn, waiting to see what atrocity would befall him next. ‘Stupid, Rayne.’ He cursed himself, ‘thinking with my hormones always brought me trouble. Looks like junior has his father’s temper and mum’s gift with magic. Better watch myself.’

“Giles, is it safe to have a tiger in here?” Willow asked. When Oz changed, he usually attacked people. Giles understood where the question was coming from. He smiled when he noticed Xander and Dawn approaching Ethan with their hands out.

“For all intention purposes, he is Ethan. He has his intelligence and his memories. I suppose he could attack one of us, but I don’t believe he will. Past encounters with Buffy and myself, and recent ones with Sara and Thomas should be enough to discourage an attack.” He smiled when Ethan/Tiger sniffed Xander’s hand and gave a snort as the boy reached up to scratch behind his ears. Thomas turned a questioning eye to his mother. Sara saw the arched eyebrow and laughed.

“My God, Rupert. He looks so like you.” Everyone at Covington Hall had always told him he looked identical to his father. But to hear his mother say it, with such love and amazement, warmed Thomas to his soul. He spared a glace to see the pride beaming on his father’s face.

“Mum, what did you do to him?” he asked, pointing to Ethan. She just smiled, enigmatically.

“Willow?” The witch couldn’t help but smile. She was getting to put ‘willow-babble’ to its best use.

“Well, when he attacked us and your dad, she took his magic and hid it. Then she cast a spell on him that if Giles gets hurt, he gets it ten times worse. Then when she found out what The Ritual of Anturi did, she beat the heck out of him and threatened to cut into his cranium and rip out his frontal lobe.” She was counting off the incidents on her fingers. “Oh, without the use of anesthetic,” she added shyly. “And she told him he wouldn’t get any warning. If she thought he would hurt any of us, she’d just kill him.” Willow looked at Sara, “Did I miss anything?” The Ethan/Tiger snorted at Sara, then turned to glare at Willow. ‘No, you didn’t miss anything, bint’ he thought. He grunted when Thomas thumped him on the head.

“Be nice,” he warned the tiger. “No wonder he’s afraid of you.” He smiled at his mother.

“And to top it all off, you turned him into a tiger,” Willow continued.

“I’d say he’s got a good reason to be afraid of your family,” Xander added. Nathaniel had been watching this exchange with a casual eye. His concentration had been focused on their impending problem. He had an unusual idea, but it just might work. The trick was getting up enough nerve to ask Anyanka. She would play the vital role in this. Her and his cousin’s wife.

“Rupert, I think I may have an idea of how to deal with the Ritual.” He waited for all eyes to fall on him. “According to Brogin’s, the two gems are the key to the ritual. If we can take them – and destroy them – he won’t be able to complete it.” He cast a nervous glance at Anya. “But we need her.” He mumbled. Anya’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Me?” Giles and Sara were both curious.

“Explain,” the Slayer ordered him. Nathaniel moved the coffee table in the center of the room. He placed two drink coasters on the center of the table.

“According to this, the ritual will have to be completed over the Hellmouth in order for the souls to be strong enough to open it. I assume you know where it would be easiest for the caster to access the Hellmouth?” Buffy nodded.

“Oh yeah, we spent our entire high school careers right on top of the easiest access,” Xander told him.

“It’s in the High School?” The big man wasn’t expecting that. He suddenly had a newfound respect for the Slayer and her friends. With the opening of the Hellmouth being under such a populated location, it is surprising that the death toll wasn’t much higher. It spoke volumes to the capabilities of these young people.

“Under it, actually. Dawn will be starting there in a few weeks. City spent a bucket load of money to rebuild it after we blew it up. Xander’s company did most of the work.” Buffy explained.

“Do you have the blueprints?” Giles asked Xander.

“Yeah, they’re in the car.”

“Thomas, walk Xander out to his car to get them. And be careful, Kane wants both your mum and myself. I don’t believe he’d hesitate to take you. Keep an eye out.” Buffy couldn’t help her smile. Nathaniel had an idea, Giles was issuing orders. Things were back to normal. Well, as normal as things can be in Sunnydale.

“Yes, dad.” Nathaniel continued explaining while the two boys were gone.

“If I remember my demonology, correctly. Anyanka is summoned, not conjured. Correct?” When Anya nodded, he smiled. “Good, that means you can teleport.” It suddenly occurred to Giles what his cousin was suggesting.

“No, absolutely not. I will not allow Anya to be placed at risk.”

“What?” Anya was happy Giles was willing to protect her, but she wanted to know what was going on in the minds of these humans.

“Rupert, if the Hellmouth opens, we’re all at risk.” The Watcher pointed out.

“What?” Anya asked, louder. Sara breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed Thomas and Xander return to the living room.

“Anya, your teleporting – like my telepathy and telekinesis – are gifts of ability. They have nothing to do with magic; therefore they cannot be countered or affected by magic. I believe what Nathaniel is suggesting is that you teleport near the casting circle, grab the gems and teleport out. Am I correct,” she asked the big man.

“You are.”

“I understand what you are suggesting, but Rupert is right. Anya would be in too much danger. Kane is one of the most powerful vampires of record. He wouldn’t hesitate to hurt her. No, we’ll think of something else.” Anya loved that these humans cared enough to want to protect her. But she knew that if she didn’t do this, the people that mattered most to her in the world, would die first. Surely, that was worth the risk.

“You keep him busy,” Anya told Sara. “You keep him busy with your magic, and I’ll get the gems. He won’t even know I am there.” She tried to sound more confident that she felt.

“Ethan did say that he thought he was scared of you.” Giles pointed out. Sara shook her head.

“No, he just wants my magic – and the control I wield over it.” Cedric, who had been quiet, up until now, decided to chance a question. His grandson’s rebuke had stung.

“If that is the case, is it wise that you face him?” The Scoobies all thought it was a valid question. Giles, Sara and Thomas all turned angry eyes toward the old man. They regarded him for a moment, and then turned away to explain.

“As Whistler said, I don’t really have a choice. We won’t get near him without disarming the magic. Secondly, he won’t be able to take my magic, no matter how hard he tries. So there is no danger of that.” She explained.

“How…” Thomas took over the explanations from his mother.

“Some people consider it a curse, the Covingtons call it ‘The Blessing.’ Any fool can cast a spell out of a book. But the effectiveness lies in the power of the caster. Mum’s family carried power before they were even aware they had it. Through Sixteen Generations – by learning from their mistakes – they have implemented safeguards. ‘The Blessing,’ is one. It guarantees that the power will only recognize the one it was born in. If Kane were to try and steal my mother’s magic, it would see this as a threat and turn on itself. The magic destroys itself, before it allows someone like Kane to control it. Basically, if you aren’t born with it, you can’t have it.” Giles was stunned. This was something he wasn’t aware of. He supposed as a Covington, Miranda would have taught Thomas about ‘The Blessing.’

“So, it’s like a Lo-Jack for your magic powers?” Xander clarified. Thomas liked the analogy.

“Yes, exactly that.”

“Why would some people call it a curse?” Willow asked Thomas, but Sara answered. The older woman cast a nervous glance at her husband.

“Because ‘The Blessing’ is usually fatal for the person it is protecting.” Buffy noticed her Watcher visibly tense at Sara’s words. The older woman regretted having to put him through this. “If I can keep him focused on me – keep him angry enough – Anya, can you get the gems?” Anya nodded. Giles groaned.

“Why is it the women I love feel it necessary to taunt and anger demons, rather than…”

“Plunge and move on?” his Slayer finished for him. From the rueful look on his father’s face, Thomas guessed this was a discussion he had had with his Slayer, before. Buffy and Sara shared an understanding look.

“Because if the demons are focused on us, Rupert, they don’t attack those we care about.” Sara leaned over and kissed him, gently. They looked in each other’s eyes; the unspoken words flying between them. Giles closed his in agony, when he opened them; his reserve had slid back in place. He nodded. They would come up with a plan to guarantee that the most people got out alive – even if it meant neither one of them did.

“Xander, spread the blueprints across the table. Nat, tell us what you had in mind.” Giles ordered. A Slayer, A Sorcerer, the Scoobies, Four Watchers, Two demons and a Tiger gathered around the table to hammer out a plan.

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ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS – LOS ANGELES

“AAARGH!!!” Cordelia cried out as the vision ripped through her mind. Wesley made it to her half a second before she hit the floor. He knew from experience that all he could do was cradle her until the vision played itself out. Angel came out of his office – his vampire hearing had roused him from his sleep at the sounds of trouble. When he saw Wesley holding Cordelia, he hurried to the bathroom and returned with a cool bowl of water and a compress. Both men immediately went on the defensive when they heard the name she muttered through her pain.

“Sara,” she ground out. ‘Shit,’ Angel thought. ‘It can’t be time already.’

“Wes, get on the phone and get Gunn over here,” he ordered. “I’ve got Cordy, go!” Wesley gently handed his friend over to the vampire and scurried off to make the call. Within a minute he was back at Cordelia’s side.

“He’ll be here in ten minutes. You don’t suppose Sara is in trouble, do you?” That was something that Wesley didn’t think he could handle. Anyone that met the woman could see her strength – physical and otherwise. If whatever was coming was more dangerous than she – he didn’t believe there would be much they could do. Truth was, Wesley had come to genuinely like Sara. She was what a Watcher was supposed to be. The kind of person Wes had become, from being in the company of both she and Rupert Giles. Angel wondered how much to tell his friend.

“I know what Sara had planned. If Cordy is having a vision now. Either something has gone wrong, or things are being acted upon by an outside force. Whatever the case, I want you to go pack. You and Cordy will be leaving for Sunnydale as soon as Gunn gets here.” Angel felt her go slack in his arms and gently scooped her up and placed her on the couch.

“Owwww! Angel, I really hate this!” Cordelia complained.

“I know. I wish I could help you.” Something in the tone of his voice made her look at him. She gave him a pained smile, knowing that if there was something to be done, he would have done it.

“Sara, she’s in Sunnydale, isn’t she?” she suddenly asked him. They had bugged Angel for days to tell them where she had gone. But, true to his word, he never did. Now, it seemed, he had to. “Angel, I saw her, with Giles, Buffy and the rest of them. And last we heard, he was back in England. Unless Buffy and the others suddenly left the Hellmouth – which I doubt – he’s back in Sunnydale. And Sara is with him. So spill, what’s going on?”

“Before I tell you that, I have to know what it is you saw.” He didn’t want to violate Sara’s trust unless it was absolutely necessary. 

“Fine. I saw all of them. Sara was facing this thing that looked like a bat. Facing – but not facing. They were projecting images, above the new high school. Giles and the rest of them were there. They were fighting everything, vampires, demons, all of it. There were other images. Two men looked like Giles – one looked old, and one young. The young one is around my age. Man, Giles was a hottie when he was younger. And the tweed club was there.” That caught both of the men’s attention.

“Tweed? Watchers?” Wesley asked her. Cordelia picked up on the concern in Wes’ voice.

“I think. What’s the big deal? I thought Sara and Giles were Watchers. So they came to help.” She thought about the vision again. “Wait a minute, they weren’t helping. The guys in tweed were going after Sara. They were leaving everyone else alone. Giles was losing it.” Angel had heard enough. He went to a safe in the wall and input his combination. He withdrew an old book, Wesley could tell from the way he was handling it, it was obviously very important. He opened it to a certain page and handed it to Wesley.

“Could this be referring to Sara and Giles?” Wesley read what the vampire pointed out.

The Warlock shall entwine his soul with the wizard’s progeny. Together, they spell the destruction of evil. In them lies the salvation of the Slayers and the Council. A fallen family shall come to light and reclaim what is owed – and the spirits shall be at peace.

“It may be,” Wesley’s mind was reeling. He knew the book he held in his hands. While the Pergamum Codex held Prophecies for the Slayers, Kobliner’s Codex held the prophecies for the Watchers. “This has been lost for five generations. How…?”

“How long has Travers family been Watchers?” Angel asked with a smirk. “Five Generations? The last time Travers was in Sunnydale, before Glory came. I took that from his hotel room. If I had to guess, I’d say the Travers were the ones who stole it so long ago.”

“My God,” Wes began running through everything he knew from Sara and Giles’ Watcher files. “When I was in London, I remember several rumors, regarding this. Miranda and Sara Covington are direct descendants of Merlin. Wizard’s progeny is most likely her. I don’t know enough about Giles’ family. I do know he is a strong spell caster. Yet, his father has little or no magic ability. If it came from his mother’s side, he could very well be a Warlock.”

“What’s his mom’s maiden name,” Cordelia asked. She had the headache; she wanted a hand in solving this. “We can check on the net and get a little history.”

“Byrnes” Angel felt the bottom drop out from underneath him. If he had a heart beat, it would be racing.

“No need. Giles is the warlock.” Angel told them in a strangled voice.

“What is it?”

“The Byrnes were some of the most powerful Warlocks in Ireland. They were one of the few things Vampires were afraid of – myself included. The strongest of them were men.” The Vampire explained. That actually explained a lot. “I tried to drink one of the females – as Angelus, of course. Her brother interrupted me. Let’s just say I barely got out of Ireland with my life.” He shuddered at the memory.

“Fallen families…” Wes was rolling that around. “The Covingtons were one of the original families of The Watchers Council. The power they wielded was unfathomable. At least half of The Hall of Heroes is Covington family members that died in defense of a Slayer, in one form or another.” Angel was about to ask what happened to them, but Wes stopped him. “Of course! Bloody hell, Quentin Travers has gone too far!”

“You think?” Cordelia added sarcastically. All of them thought Travers should have been dealt with after The Cruciamentium. He ignored her and began to work things out.

“There was talk that Miranda Covington – Sara’s mother – had a black mark in her Watcher’s file. I’d be willing to bet my next three months salary that Charles Travers instigated it. Which only means one of two things: 1. Charles wanted Sara for Quentin, or 2. They realized the prophecy was referring to Rupert and wanted to keep them apart. Either one does not bode well for Rupert Giles. For Generations, the Covingtons were the only thing keeping the corruption within the Council in check.”

“What happened? How did Travers get hold of the Council?” Angel asked.

“Two things. First, Miranda Covington died. She was killed closing the portal to keep Botsgil from emerging in this realm. She knew neither Buffy, nor Faith would survive an encounter. Sara was to be named successor – but the Council believed her to be dead. So the mantle moved to her brother Micheal. Unfortunately, most of Giles support died with Miranda. Micheal Covington – while being a good man – did not have the necessary power to stand against Quentin and his corrupt network. Then Giles interfered in Buffy’s Cruciamentium. When he was fired, Micheal took the rest of The Covingtons and left the Council. I’m sure he meant it as support for Giles, but by removing his family, he removed Quentin’s last obstacle. The Council was his.” They all turned to the door as Gunn came in.

“What’s up? Wes sounded a bit nerv…” He took in the dark looks on Angel and Wesley’s face. “Where are we going? And who do we get to hurt?” He added with a slight smile.

“Going to Sunnydale, to help Sara. You get to hurt some Watchers. Flunkies of Quentin Travers – enemy of Giles and Buffy. I owe Giles, Gunn. The Watchers want to take Sara away from him. He needs her, so does Buffy.”

“Angel, I like Sara. If anyone is trying to hurt her, that’s enough for me. The fact that your ex and her Watcher get to enjoy the fruits of our labor – that’s just a bonus. I got the van out front, bus leaves in five minutes.” He told them.

“I can’t go, yet.” Angel told them, and then steeled himself for their responses.

“WHAT?!” Came the three replies.

“Giles and Sara have their parts to play in this. So do I. My part says I have to stay in LA for at least forty hours. I want the three of you to go to Buffy’s house. I’m sure everyone is there. Wes, take the Kobliner’s to Giles and tell him where I got it. And give Gunn and Cordy a little Watcher history on the way.” When they moved toward the door, he gently touched the amulet that hung from his neck. Cordy turned back to say something else, but Angel cut her off. “Go on, I’ll be right behind you.” They didn’t like it, but they had to trust that Angel was right. Regardless, they could give their friend more help in Sunnydale than they could from LA. “I really hope you’re right about this, Sara.” He sighed before returning to his office. Little did he know, his reason for waiting would be arriving shortly.

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SUNNYDALE ARMS

The three Watchers waited patiently until their compatriot got off the telephone.

“Yes, Sir. I understand.” The man said. He hung up the phone and immediately started for his bag. He withdrew a manila envelope and returned to the others. “It seems we have our target, gentlemen.” He withdrew a picture of a woman and threw it on the bed. The others took a good look at it. It was obvious that the photo of the beautiful brunette was from a happier time.

“Cor, she’s stunning.” The youngest of them said. “Who is she?”

“Don’t even think about it, Edmund.” He chastised the other man. This is where Travers had ordered him to bend the truth. They knew these men would never attack Sara Covington, unless they believed they had no other option. He forced a sad tone into his voice. “She was the best the Council had to offer. What we all aspired to be. She’s a Covington – was a Covington.” They all knew the name. The Covingtons were powerful. The magic was in their very cells. Was also meant they had no choice. If she was turned; with her power, and on top of the Hellmouth. They all pledged to kill her – or die trying.

‘Fools,’ Travers’ man thought. ‘They just pledged to kill off their only hope.’ He had to remember to suggest to his master for the Watchers Council to recruit smarter members.

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GROCERY STORE – SUNNYDALE

Buffy was a little nervous about being sent to the store with Thomas. He was pretty mad about before. But Giles and Sara had insisted. Both could handle themselves in a fight. And if the trouble became too much, Sara ordered her son to teleport them back to the house immediately.

“Is it always like that?” Thomas asked as he pushed the cart down the aisle. Buffy had been walking just ahead, grabbing the items they wanted.

“Is what always like that?” She still wasn’t over the slight wigging over the fact that Thomas not only looked like Giles – but he also sounded like him.

“The research, the planning. Is it always like that?” They had gone for fifteen hours, laying out an initial plan and beginning to hammer out some details. It wasn’t until they took a break for food, that they realized they didn’t have enough to feed everyone for the next 3 days. After that, they weren’t sure if they would need food.

“Pretty much. Giles is pretty thorough. That’s a good thing, it’s the reason I’ve lasted six years on a Hellmouth. Other than the fact I died twice.” She added as an afterthought. Thomas was completely flummoxed as to how she could take something like dying, so lightly.

“How?”

“First time was the year your dad got here. My first Watcher was killed protecting me from Lothos. Giles was his replacement. He found this stupid prophecy in the Codex…” Thomas put his hand up.

“Wait. Dad has possession of the Pergamum Codex?”

“Yeah. Anyways it said I was gonna die. Being sixteen, I didn’t want to die. I tried to quit. Your dad tried to go face the Master in my place. I had to knock him out to stop him. But anyway, I drowned. Xander did CPR and brought me back.” Thomas’ head was swimming. Buffy was more concerned that she got the correct brand of crisps than dying. “Second time was after Glory.”

“Glorificus?”

“Yeah, her. I did a swan dive into the rift to close it. I was dead and buried. But Willow did a spell to bring me back. So here I am. You want Cheesey Chips, Doritos, or Pretzels?” She smiled at the utter confusion on Thomas’ face. Giles was used to her tendency to jump from subject to subject without warning – his son was not. “Heck with it, we’ll get all three. Xander will probably eat them all before morning, anyways.”

“Buffy, I don’t want to offend you. But I have to ask: Are you always so blasé about death?” She immediately focused on the young man. Her face was completely serious.

“Thomas, I’m not offended. I just don’t know how to put this in a way you’ll understand.” She thought carefully, “When I first learned I was going to be a Slayer, I figured my time would come. And each time, when I think it’s my time – something always happened. Did you know I almost died even before I faced The Master?” Thomas shook his head no. “A Witch, of all things. Cast some kind of Blood Vengeance Spell on me. Giles saved me. You would have been real proud of him. I know I was. But one of the reasons I’ve lasted so long, is my ‘support staff.’ I’ve lost count of how many times they have saved my life. Either by something they did, or knowledge your dad has come up with at the last minute. Even your mom, she’s known me three days – and she’s saved me at least that many times.” Thomas’ chest swelled with pride.

“It’s what we do.” He simply told her. “Mum, Dad, Grandmother, and now me. We protect the heroes, allow them to do their jobs.” Buffy was a bit taken aback. They way he said it. It wasn’t just a theory for him. It was Gospel, and something he was willing to die for.

“Now you know why I’m not worried about death. With your family watching my back, why should I?” She looked back down the aisle. “Come on, let’s get this shopping done, and get back.” She started to walk away and barely heard the man’s softly asked question.

“What kind of a man is my father?” Buffy looked up at the apprehension in his eyes. “I’ve been told about them – my parents. But it was always history and what they were doing at the time. Is he a good man?”

“Giles is the finest man I have ever known. I can’t imagine my life without him in it. He’s more than my Watcher, he’s – I don’t know how to say it. Friend just isn’t a good enough word where your dad is concerned. People assume that because Giles is kind, and can be gentle, that he is a wimp and a pushover.” She shook her head adamantly. “He’s been through things that would terrify normal people – me included. And he doesn’t have my Slayer powers. I don’t know where his strength comes from, but I’ve seen him face off against a 240-year-old vampire with nothing but an attitude and a flaming baseball bat. We had a demon mayor in this town; Giles put a sword through his chest because he threatened me. Your dad, he gives everything for the people he loves. The reason I’m able to save people with Slaying is because he saves me. He goes through hell to make sure I’m able to be me – no matter what it does to him. You’re lucky Thomas, you won the lottery when you got him as a dad.” Thomas was speechless at the awe in her voice. To hear his father’s slayer speak so highly of him warmed him more than he suspected it would. Buffy couldn’t help her smile. From the look on his face, she told him exactly what he wanted to hear. Her brow furrowed when the color suddenly drained from Thomas’ face.

“Buffy, Watchers.” He indicated with his eyes. She moved in closer to the shelves and glanced sideways to where he indicated. Just as he said, at the other end of the aisle were two men in tweed. The only person in California that she ever knew to wear tweed was Giles and other Watchers.

“But Giles said Travers…”

“Shhh, listen.” He was right. Slayer hearing did have its advantages. When she listened carefully she could hear the soft English accents and partial conversations. Thomas was using his telepathy to focus on them. He wanted to know what they knew. They needed something tangible to take back to his parents. Just as he started to “eavesdrop” on their conversation – and rifle a bit through their thoughts, Buffy decided she wanted to ‘kick some serious Watcher butt.’ He managed to restrain her just in time. “Buffy, we can help my parents a lot more by gathering information. As much as I would enjoy beating these pillocks into submission, they have been trained to withstand several levels of pain. This is going to require a certain finesse.” He tapped his index finger to his temple. Buffy almost smacked herself in the head. She completely forgot Thomas was a telepath like Sara. “We’ll continue shopping until they leave the store. I’ll ‘listen’ in. But the moment they leave, we have to teleport back.” They followed the two men from a distance and Buffy grabbed food items as they went along. Every five minutes or so, she would look at him, only to see him grinding his molars into nubs. Whatever he was ‘hearing’ must not be good. As soon as the two men left, they got in line to pay for the food. Groceries bagged, Thomas maneuvered them behind the store. “Keep an eye out,” he ordered. As soon as he saw the coast was clear, he placed one hand on the cart and the other on Buffy’s shoulder and began chanting. She saw the familiar flash in front of her eyes and when her vision focused, the two of them along with the cart of groceries were back in her dining room.

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BUFFY’S HOUSE

Whistler fell out of his chair when the Slayer and the Watcher’s kid suddenly appeared in front of him.

“Jesus, Watcher! Doesn’t your family believe in using doors?” he asked from the floor. Sara and Giles suddenly appeared in the doorway. Teleporting back meant trouble. One look at Thomas’ face confirmed the seriousness.

“Are you both all right?” Sara asked, looking them both over, head to toe.

“We have a new problem?” her son informed her.

“Tweed Brigade,” Buffy clarified.

“Watchers, here? Bloody Hell!” Giles hadn’t counted on that. They had their hands full; they didn’t need to be fighting Travers and his network, yet.

“Two, in the store. Thomas ‘listened’ in on their conversation. And he didn’t look happy about what he heard.” Giles turned to Thomas.

“Travers’ men. I’ll kill the bloody bastard when we meet.” The Scoobies clearly recognized the ‘Ripper’ in Thomas’ tone. He was surprised when his mother grabbed his face in her hands.

“Did they see you?” This wasn’t the reaction he was expecting.

“Son, this is important. Did the Watchers see you?” Giles had already discussed this with his wife. He smiled when his son shook his head. “Good. I’m honored that you feel it necessary to protect us. But your mother and I have been fighting these battles all of our lives. We can look after ourselves. You are our unknown variable. The Watchers will be expecting everyone here – but you. It is an advantage, and one we cannot afford to lose. Especially now.” He nodded his understanding, but felt the need to explain his anger.

“Dad, Travers is recruiting Watchers by making mum out to be the thing they fear most. The two in the store are here to kill her, because they believed she’s been turned. Now where do you suppose they got that idea?” He smiled when he saw the flash of anger in both his parent’s faces.

“He told them I was a vampire? Wonderful, now some prat, fresh out of school is going to try to stake me.” She really didn’t need this.

“Giles, Sara, you might want to come here for a second.” Xander called them over to the window. “Looks like the first wave of prats are here.” He pointed to a car that was three doors down and across the street. After a moment of silent communication between the two, they headed for Buffy’s weapons closet. They each took a knife and two stakes.

“Everyone stay inside, we’ll be back shortly.” Giles ordered and he and Sara disappeared out the back door. Thomas made a move to go and help, but stopped when he felt Buffy’s hand on his arm.

“He said stay here. Just watch, I’m sure they’ll both surprise you.” She pointed to the window. Everyone watched from the window. No one saw Giles and Sara even approach the car until they appeared on each side of the car. They used the handle of their knives to break out the driver’s and passenger side windows. Both of the surprised Watchers were pulled out through the opening and thrown to the ground.

They had agreed on a quick attack. If they came in hard and fast, it would be easier to subdue without harm to them, or the Watchers. Giles pulled his man out and delivered a quick hard shot to his jaw, knocking the man to the ground again. When he tried to kick out, to make sure the man stayed down, he felt his foot being grabbed and twisted. Giles rolled to the ground to prevent the bone from breaking. Both men sprang to their feet and squared off again. He spared a quick glance over to Sara and noticed that her opponent was considerably larger than his own. He stepped back far enough to roll across the hood. He landed on his feet between Sara and the other Watcher.

“Switch!” He told his wife, and she quickly slipped around to face the other man. When the man charged her, she connected with a spinning heel kick to the man’s head. She saw him reach into his coat and pulled her knife to defend herself. She cursed inwardly when she saw the glint of the gun. They didn’t want to have to hurt these men. When the Watcher tried to swing the gun in her direction, Sara concentrated her telekinesis in the middle of the man’s chest. She drove his body into the car with enough force to knock him unconscious. She looked over to see her husband struggling with the large Watcher. Giles used a hip toss to throw the man away from him. The big man sprang to his feet with the gun in his hand. Every fiber in Sara’s being screamed in alarm.

“Rupert!” Just as the man’s gun leveled off at him, she threw the knife. Giles flinched in surprise when he heard the knife sail, and saw it embedded in the Watcher’s wrist. He rushed forward and kicked the gun away. Sara rushed to the nearby tree and spotted a club-sized branch. She focused on the point where the branch met the trunk and used her telekinesis to hit it with enough force to break it away. Just as she returned to Giles, he spun his opponent; Sara swung and connected with the back of the Watcher’s head. The big man crumbled to the ground.

Inside the house, Dawn smirked at Thomas. “Giles said they could take care of themselves,” she reminded him. He smiled at the young girl and nodded. He looked up to see that Buffy and Nathaniel had left the house to help them. “Come on, I’ll show you where we keep the first aid kit.” He allowed himself to be led by the hand. Anya and Xander smiled to each other. They thought Dawn’s budding crush on the younger Giles was cute.

Having pocketed both of the Watcher’s guns, Giles went to check on his wife. She was leaning up against the car, holding her hand to her side.

“Are you all right, luv?” he gently pulled her hand away from her side and cursed when he saw the crimson spot on her shirt. She smiled ruefully at him.

“Busted a couple of sutures, I think. Other than that, I’m okay.” She grimaced at the pain in her side. “Good, Nathaniel, Buffy, help us get these two inside.” They scooped the two men up effortlessly while Giles helped her back inside. When they got through the door, Nathaniel gingerly set his man down on the couch – while Buffy preferred to just toss her load to the floor. “Buffy!” Sara admonished her.

“What?!” She asked unrepentant. “I don’t like Watchers as a rule. And these two just tried to shoot the only ones I do like. If you want me to apologize, forget it.” She crossed her arms across her chest.

“Buffy,” Giles sighed as he set his precious load down in the recliner chair. “Not all Watchers are your enemy. We will have to depend on some of these people when it comes time to return to England.” Nathaniel carefully emptied both of the unconscious men’s pockets. Wallets, watches, money and several papers were brought to Sara and Rupert. “Nat, do you know either one of these men?” The big man shook his head. Giles opened the wallets. “Man on the floor is Eastman. Looks like the one on the couch is called Stokes. Ethan, watch him.” He ordered, pointing at the man on the floor. The tiger sauntered over and sat in between Eastman and the rest of the group. Thomas and Dawn emerged with the first aid kit.

“Mum! They didn’t hurt you, did they?” he asked when he noticed the fresh blood on her shirt. His anger flared and he whirled to face the two unconscious Watchers. ‘He gets his temper from his father,’ Sara noted of her son.

“No, Thomas. I just busted some of the stitches your father put in place earlier. Calm yourself, son.” That was all they needed. To have Buffy or Thomas kill these men would be disastrous. It would lend credence to all the lies Quentin had been spouting for years. That was something they could not afford to let happen. Dawn passed the kit to Giles.

“Sara?” The younger Summers wanted her attention. “There are some ropes in the basement. Do you want me to get them to tie these guys up?” She smiled at the gratitude in both her and Giles’ eyes.

“Yes, Dawn. Thank you, so much. Willow, could you help her please?” Both girls nodded and disappeared downstairs. Xander noticed Giles was setting up to redo Sara’s stitches. He asked Anya to get him a fresh washcloth from the bathroom while he got a fresh bowl of water. Ethan tiger growled as Eastman started to regain consciousness.

“Do your worst, demon,” The groggy Watcher groaned. Sara and Giles grinned at each other. These new generation of Watchers were a bit dramatic. Must nip that in the bud.

“I don’t believe Whistler’s worst is much to be worried about, Mr. Eastman.” Sara told him, trying to keep the laugh out of her voice. The Watcher opened his eyes to find himself face to face with a full-grown Tiger. He started and scurried back to place his back against the wall. His eyes fell on Sara Covington, sitting in a chair across the room. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw her holding onto the cross he usually kept in his jacket. His mind registered that she was holding it, and it wasn’t burning her.

“How? We were told that…”

“That she was turned? Bloody fool,” Thomas spat at him. Giles stepped forward and placed a calming hand on his son’s shoulder. Eastman knew of Rupert Giles, he had been labeled a rogue and a traitor…by Quentin Travers. The same man that told them Sara Covington had been turned and sent them to eliminate her. Sara couldn’t help her smile. She saw Eastman draw his own conclusions and knew they now had a potential ally at a later date.

“Welcome to the light, Mr. Eastman. I only hope Mr. Stokes is as amenable to the truth as you are.” The Watcher looked from Giles, to his much younger twin. ‘Son, perhaps?’ he asked himself. He knew from Giles file, he had no children. This was too confusing.

“Travers lied to us.” Buffy rolled her eyes in irritation.

“DUH!!!” Sara admonished her, lightly. “Boy did you guys really back the wrong horse. If Travers lied to you about this, what else do you think he lied to you about?” Cedric Giles was impressed with Sara’s strategic dealing with this young man. But what really surprised him was how insightful his son’s Slayer was. She had just asked the “million dollar question.” The Eastmans had been Watchers for three generations. He thought back to everything his father and grandfather had told him about the two families represented in front of him. Most of it was not kind, and all of it originated from the Travers family. He groaned when he realized how far his beloved Council had been led into darkness. Giles smiled at Thomas. Even if they had to win the Council over one at a time – they would do whatever it took.

“Forgive me. Mr. Giles, Miss Covington, I had no idea.” Eastman knew they would see the apology as hollow. But it was the least that was owed to them. He felt a little better when Sara smiled at him.

“We are not who you should be apologizing to.” Thomas and Giles helped her stand and the three of them walked to Buffy. She placed gentle hands on the Slayer’s shoulders. “In following Travers and his lust for power, you have forgotten the main purpose of the Council. We serve the Slayer, she does not serve us. That is the trouble. This war – and it will be a war, I promise you – for Quentin, will be about his desire to hang on to what power he has accumulated by dismantling The Covingtons and The Giles. For us, it is about Buffy, Faith and all the Slayers that will follow them. These girls,” she looked at Buffy, “these women, are the ones on the front line. What gives us the right to determine that when they turn eighteen, they should be tested? They live it. But the Travers would rather kill these girls, and start fresh. He has tried to kill Buffy on several occasions. For the simple reason that he could not control her. We have had thirty slayers called in four decades. That is an average lifespan of a year and three months. Yet this woman has survived six years on an active Hellmouth. Do you know why that is?” She put one hand on Giles shoulder. “A Watcher that would be willing to toss away everything he had, including his life, for the well being of his Slayer.” She walked over and placed a hand on Willow. “A Witch, with a penchant for computers, that would do anything for her friend – including a dangerous resurrection spell.” She put one hand on Xander’s shoulder and the other on Anya’s, “A vengeance demon and a young man who fights by her side with more love and friendship than I have ever seen.” She came back to Buffy, but smiled up at Dawn. “And, of course, a Slayer’s sister. Who gives her the strength and focus she needs to fight.” Giles smiled as he saw the wonder in his Slayers eyes. She didn’t know that Watchers could be like his Sara. Buffy smiled at the older woman and hugged her tightly around the waist.

“Thank you,” she told her. She was so dazed with happiness, she forgot her own strength. She immediately let go when she heard Sara’s yelp of pain. Thinking she had hurt the woman further she started to apologize.

“Buffy, it’s all right. I’m fine.” She didn’t want to tell the girl she had felt three more sutures pop. “Mr. Eastman, you know the types of resources the Council has. If we placed the full weight of it behind the Slayers, these women might live to retire. Even if they don’t, we should make sure they die happy and taken care of. They are fighting for us after all.”

“Is that even possible, for them to retire?” Eastman asked. “I thought another Slayer wasn’t called until the previous one died.” Sara smiled, sadly.

“Another lie, fabricated by Travers. There are spells, which will pass the Slayer abilities to the next girl when it is time. I know because the Covingtons developed them. Copies of the spells at Council Headquarters have been destroyed. I’ll give you one guess as to who is responsible for that.” She added sarcastically. “But the knowledge has been passed down through my family.” She stopped when she noticed Ethan/Tiger pick his head up suddenly and look toward the door. “Xander, Anya, tie Mr. Eastman to the chair. Rupert, Buffy, Thomas, we’ve got the front.” Eastman watched in awe as Sara tossed a short sword to the younger image of Mr. Giles. ‘Must be Thomas,’ he thought. She and Rupert picked up what looked like Katanas, and the Slayer grabbed two stakes. The four headed out the front door.

“Sorry about this, Mr. Eastman. But we don’t have the best history with Watchers. Even though I can see you know Sara is right, I still gotta tie you up.” He was about to protest when he heard the Tiger growling at him. He got up silently, and sat down on the dining room chair.

“Why is there a tiger in here?”

“That’s just Ethan Rayne,” Xander smirked. He decided to have a little fun with the nervous Watcher. “Thomas decided we couldn’t trust him, so he turned him into a tiger. Gave us some heavy muscle power, and he’s kept in line by magic. It doesn’t get any better than that.” He told him as he tightened the ropes.

“Ethan Rayne? The Sorcerer?”

“Yeah, that’s him.”

When they got outside, Giles cursed when he saw Wesley and two others being attacked by at least a dozen vampires. But then a thought occurred to him. His wife’s stunt in the battle with Memnon came to mind. He held his arms at his side to stop Buffy and the others from going forward.

“Sara, Thomas, use your telepathy. Tell the humans on the count of three to get down.” Sara smiled. She knew what he wanted. “Ready, one, two, three” His family sent the message and when he saw the people drop, he called down a fire elemental. Within seconds, the vampires combusted, and the elemental returned to its realm.

“All right, Giles! Way to flex the magic muscles!” Buffy teased him. He liked the newfound magic coursing through his body. But he also knew that the reason he was able to get so many vampires on his first try was the Asthame in his hand that helped him focus the power. He smiled sheepishly. “Hiya, Wes.” Buffy greeted her old watcher.

“Um, hello. Thank you for your assistance.” He looked at Sara but the woman shook her head.

“Sorry, I was just the messenger. That spell was all Rupert’s,” she slid into her husband’s side. “Oh, dear.” She began to feel light headed. Giles scooped her up in his arms and headed back for the house. The others followed without a word. As soon as they got in the door, Willow gasped. He set her down in the chair, and that was when he noticed it. Sara had blood drenching her entire right side again. Giles brow immediately furrowed and he set to work on closing the cuts before she lost too much blood again.

“Dad, what happened? No one touched her.” Thomas could feel his anxiety rising.

“I’m fine,” Sara smiled weakly at her son. Giles got the needle and the new sutures ready.

“You are not fine. You’ve managed to pop nearly all of the stitches I put in and reopened several of these cuts. You lied to me, ‘busted a couple of sutures,” he parroted, sarcastically. Buffy felt the need to defend Sara, especially after what she said to Eastman.

“You mean like you have a ‘slight’ headache, concussion man?” She took two steps back when he glared at her. Eastman cursed his foolishness as he watched everything transpire. If it wasn’t for the fact that she and Mr. Giles had to come out and disable them, she wouldn’t have reopened her wounds.

“What happened?” Gunn asked. He took two steps toward his wounded friend – only to be met by the angry eyes of a young man that looked just like Buffy’s Watcher. Thomas didn’t know this man, there wasn’t any way in hell he was letting him near her.

“It’s all right, son. Gunn is a friend. Gunn, this is my son. Thomas, that’s Gunn. The beautiful young lady is Cordelia, and then there is Wesley.” Sara introduced everyone. Only then did Thomas back down.

“Mirnar Demon, from a previous battle.” He told the man. “The wounds can’t be healed by magic. And because mum won’t rest, she keeps busting stitches.” He directed at his mother, only to receive a glare back for his trouble. Giles smiled up at his wife before he started on the first cut. She hissed in pain as the needle began passing through her skin. The other Watcher on the couch began to move. He moaned when he bumped the wrist with the knife embedded in it. Nathaniel and Buffy immediately went to lend a hand in case the man fought them again. Everyone was thankful for the distraction from Sara’s pain – even if it was to play nursemaid to an injured Watcher.

“Stokes, stay still. We’re not in danger here.” Eastman told his partner. Thomas cast a surprised glance at the man. What his mother said must have hit home. Stokes opened his eyes, and looked up into the face of an irritated Slayer.

“Hi. Not sure you recognize me. Buffy Summers, Slayer.” She introduced herself. She smiled when the man’s eyes widened in surprise. “We’re going to fix your wrist. If you sit still and don’t make trouble, I won’t have to beat you into submission. ‘kay?” It wasn’t really a question. Stokes took one look at the house full of people and his partner tied to a chair. He sat still and held out his wrist. Buffy decided to pat him on the head. “Good boy. Wes, come over here and fix Mr. Stokes arm.” Thomas rolled his eyes.

“Oh, for God’s Sake.” He stomped over to the Watcher. He looked pointedly at the man. “You were sent to kill my mother. I should hate you, but I’m going to fix this for you. Hold still, this is going to hurt for a second. Buffy, hold his arm.” As soon as Buffy stabilized the arm, Thomas grabbed the knife handle and ripped it out. To the Watcher’s credit, he only grunted at the pain. Thomas immediately chanted a quick spell and the wound closed before their eyes. He pointed at where the wound was. “That was made by, mum. Not a demon. It can be healed with magic.” He placed the flat of the knife on the side of the Watchers face. “You tried to shoot my dad. Attack one of my parents again, and I’ll deliver this back to you – through the heart.” He pocketed the knife and returned to Sara’s side.

“Jeez, and I thought I was cranky,” Buffy commented. Giles grimaced when he saw his wife’s pale face. She smiled for him to continue. Xander was on one side of her, on one knee.

“You’re a lot stronger than you look,” He told her. His hand was going to be bruised from the force of her grip. But he felt he had to give her something to grip while Giles was putting her stitches back in. She looked over to see Nathaniel and Gunn helping Mr. Stokes into the chair next to Eastman. They tied him securely with the leftover rope Dawn had brought. Willow got a stack of gauze and some antiseptic, and went to clean both the Watcher’s cuts.

“Miss Covington said you’re a witch?” Eastman asked. Willow just nodded. “Is everything she said true? About what Travers has done to her. And all of you helping Miss Summers?”

“Every word. You might want to tell your friend what’s going on. I don’t think Sara is up to talking right now.” He nodded. It was the least they could do. “She’s right, you know. If the Watchers would have been helping all along, like they were supposed to – we wouldn’t have had so much trouble with The Ascension. Faith wouldn’t have gone bad, cause she would have had someone like Giles to turn to. And we would have known what the sitch was when Glorificus came to town. But you guys have to play into Travers’ power games, and we’re fighting for the fate of the world here. I hope Sara can take back the Council. It might be too late for Buffy to enjoy the benefits, but no more Slayers will have to suffer like she did. Their jobs are hard enough without you guys making it worse.”

“Well said, Willow.” Wesley commented over her shoulder.

“Wyndam-Pryce?” Stokes knew Wesley from their training. “You’re with the traitors?” Willow sighed. This guy wasn’t going to come over as nicely as his friend.

“They’re not traitors, Stokes,” Eastman told him. “Travers is the traitor. He lied to us. Sara Covington has not been turned. He wanted us to kill her for him, so she couldn’t come and reclaim the Council. Travers is only Fifth Generation Watcher, so are the Giles. But the Covingtons are a founding family – Sixteen Generations. Her birthright would be honored before any claim of his.” Wesley smiled; Sara had won over Eastman on her own. He held up the book Angel gave him.

“You gentlemen recognize this book?” they both shook their heads. “It is the Kobliner’s Codex.” Everyone in the room suddenly got quiet.

“You lie.” Stokes said. He knew The Kobliner’s has been lost for over five generations. Then something clicked in his own mind. Travers = Watchers for five generations. Wesley continued.

“When Buffy faced Glorificus, Travers came to Sunnydale to flaunt the power of The Council. My associate took this from Quentin’s hotel suite.” He opened the book to the prophecy both he and Angel agreed referred to Giles and Sara. “The Warlock shall entwine his soul with the Wizard’s Progeny. Together they spell the destruction of Evil. In them lies the salvation of the Slayers and the Council. A Fallen family shall come to light and reclaim what is owed – and the spirits shall be at peace.”

“My God,” Thomas breathed. He held his hand out for the Kobliner’s. Wesley handed it over and watched the boy flip through the pages. “Mum, Dad, there are more prophecies in here about you. And some about me – and siblings. Twins?!” He looked at his parents – clearly asking the question.

“They are not the enemy. Quentin Travers is. Think about it, Stokes. Kobliner’s has been lost for five generations. The Travers family has been on the Council for that long. The animosity between the Travers, and The Giles and Covingtons has always been heated. If they knew of this prophecy, they would want to eliminate the principles involved.” Stokes closed his eyes. The agony filling his heart that Travers was allowed to lead the Council astray. He nodded his acceptance.

“Cedric, was your mum the first female of the Giles line to become a Watcher?” Thomas asked the old man.

“She was.”

“Oh God.” He looked up at his mother with tears in his eyes. “It wasn’t supposed to be Miranda Covington that died closing the rift…it was supposed to be Claudia Giles.” Rupert looked up to see the devastation in his wife’s eyes before she had a chance to close it off. ‘Of Course,’ he thought. ‘Grandmother was at the end of her life. Her loss would not have effected the balance of the Council.’ The Scoobies eyes widened with surprise when they heard Wesley curse.

“Bastards manipulated the events to remove Miranda from the Council. She was to succeed the Chairman five years ago. Sara, I’m so sorry. I liked your mother. Respected her a hell of a lot.”

“As did I,” Eastman concurred. So did Stokes.

“Miss Covington, I give you my pledge. I’ll gut the pillock myself. And give you his heart on a platter.” Stokes promised. Giles and Thomas saw how close she was to crying. They stepped to her side and touched their heads to hers. Xander gave the hand that still held his a squeeze. He knew he wasn’t her husband, or son. But he wanted her to know he was there. He smiled when she returned the squeeze before letting go. She pressed her palms onto the cheeks of her husband and son.

“My men,” her voice cracked a bit before she got it under control.

“Miss Covington…” Eastman hated to intrude on their moment.

“Mrs. Giles,” she corrected. “I am a Covington, yes. But I am Mrs. Rupert Giles.”

“Mrs. Giles, I am truly sorry. Please allow us to help. I know you have no reason to trust us. But Travers has sent two teams to kill you here in Sunnydale. Let us return to them. We’ll tell them the truth. Stop them from coming after you.” He pleaded with the woman.

“No, you can’t be sure who is corrupt and who is just following orders. Telling the wrong person could mean your deaths,” Nathaniel knew they had two allies in these men. Could they chance feeding them to the evil, before they even fought the war?

“It doesn’t matter,” Stokes told them. “Our deaths would be acceptable if she survives. Travers has already manipulated the prophecies to the detriment of the Slayers and two good families. We’ll stop the assassination teams – by force if we have to. Please, let us do this.”

“Cut them loose.” Sara ordered. Buffy’s inherent distrust of Watchers clouded her judgment for a moment. Giles could sense her protest. He kissed his wife and turned to face his Slayer.

“I know you still don’t trust them, Buffy. It doesn’t matter if they are telling the truth, or not. We must stop Kane, first and foremost. Everything else is irrelevant.” Eastman stopped when he heard the name mentioned by Rupert Giles.

“Kane? The Vampire Mage?” he asked. Giles have the young man a sad smile.

“Yes. Quentin was right about one thing. There is a powerful vampire in Sunnydale. This should give you an idea of just how self-serving he is. Kane has initiated the curse to incapacitate Buffy. He just didn’t count on Sara. He is using The Ritual of Anturi to throw the Hellmouth wide open, and Quentin sends you to kill my wife. Who is probably the only person here strong enough to battle the Vampire Mage. He would let all of us die, and let the world go to hell, just to keep hold of the reigns of his bloody Council.” Nathaniel opened the Brogin’s and passed it to Eastman. He gave a sad smile when the man visibly paled. Once untied, Stokes came and read over his friend’s shoulder.

“Bloody Hell.”

“Quite,” Giles responded. “If you gentleman are being candid, and are earnest in your wish to stop the assassination teams, we welcome your help. Right now, you are friends. If we see you again, as foes, there will be no warning. I promise you an agonizing death.” Both men nodded their acceptance and left without another word. Sara was fighting to stay focused. She was of no help to them if she allowed herself to fall apart.

“Sara? You OK?” Dawn asked the question everyone had wanted to ask. The older woman cleared her throat before responding.

“Smashing. I just learned that my mum was essentially murdered by Charles Travers and his spawn. Why wouldn’t I be OK?” She cursed herself when she saw the tears filling Dawn’s eyes. She looked around to see tears in everyone’s eyes. “Please,” she begged them, “don’t.”

“I thought my destiny sucked,” Buffy commented dryly. The tears were clearly visible on her face. “Giles, if I ever complain about my life again, hit me in the head with a flaming baseball bat. Please?” Her Watcher nodded.

“Rupert, I want to name the twins.” Sara said, suddenly.

“What?”

“Before we face Kane, I want to name the twins. They have souls; I want them to have identities. I need this.” Giles got on a knee next to Sara’s chair.

“We’ll have to do a spell to find out the sexes.”

“You hold mum, I’ll do it.” Thomas stepped forward. He waited for his father to lift his mother into his arms, and sat down with her in his lap. Thomas took a knee in front of her and placed his hand over her flat stomach. He began chanting. He opened his mind to allow Sara to pull his discovery from his thoughts.

“A Girl,” she gasped. “And another boy.”

“The girl is easy, Miranda.” After what they had just heard about Sara’s mom, they all thought Miranda was perfect.

“Miranda Elizabeth Giles, I like it. How about it, Buffy? Would you mind sharing your name with our daughter?” Dawn grinned at Buffy’s emotional state. Her sister was a bit overwhelmed by the honor they were bestowing on her.

“She says yes,” Dawn answered for her. Sara got a sly look on her face and asked her son’s opinion via telepathy. He smiled and nodded his approval.

“Our son, Rupert. What do you think about Alexander William Giles?” Giles felt the tears spilling on to his cheeks. In choosing that name, this amazing woman was incorporating his old family into his new one.

“Thank you, my love.” He snuffled. Xander and Willow had stopped dead in their track when they heard Sara’s suggestion.

“Shouldn’t it be William Alexander?” Xander asked in a whisper. Sara shook her head.

“Xander, you wonderful young man. You have always put yourself last because you felt you had nothing special to offer. Buffy had her Slaying, Willow her magic and Rupert his wisdom and intelligence. You have a capacity to love that I have never seen in one so young. No, I believe it should be Alexander William. I don’t think Willow will mind going second…just this once.” She winked at him. Xander looked at his childhood best friend. Sara was right, Willow didn’t mind.

“Thank you, I never had nobody named after me,” Xander gave a soggy chuckle. Wesley took in the tired family that so much of the future was riding upon. He knew he hadn’t always seen eye to eye with Rupert Giles when he arrived in Sunnydale. But that was before he learned what a Watcher should really be like. It was easy to see why he instilled such feelings of loyalty from these young people. The Council tried hobbling this man, and his Slayer – Buffy was always his slayer, he had no delusions about that – yet, he continued fighting, for her sake. Sara Covington – no, Sara Giles now – had endured unspeakable darkness for her honor, and an ingrained sense of duty. It was the same thing that caused her mother’s death. Wes was clearly glad for the love they had for each other. It would be something they would have to call upon for strength. Rupert and Thomas just might be enough to remind her that a Slayer’s importance aside, without her, future slayers suffer, as well. He decided to talk to Buffy about that later.

“Come on, you guys.” Buffy stood up, wiping her tears. “We have food, we have a plan. It’s gong to be twenty-four hours before we can set up. Let’s get some sleep.” She looked pointedly at her Watchers. She knew Giles would never desert her, and Sara was part of the package. She didn’t mind; She thought back to something Giles had told her in the kitchen. That in living without Sara’s presence on the Hellmouth, ‘they were both cheated.’ Not anymore. This was a good thing for her. She wondered how many Slayers in the past got the two best Watchers at the same time. “Go on, Giles. Take your wife upstairs. You guys can have my bed, again.” Giles looked down to see that Sara had closed her eyes and was sleeping soundly against him. Her pale complexion would have worried him, if he didn’t feel her breathing against his neck. Thomas stepped in front of him and gently took possession of his mother to allow his father to stand. He managed to pass her back to him without her waking.

“What about all of you?” Giles whispered. Thomas smiled.

“We’ll make do, dad. Go on.” Wesley saw the sadness in the young man’s eyes as he watched his parents go upstairs. “Thank you, for bringing the Kobliner’s. Regardless of how much it hurts, I’m sure she needed to know.”

“They look like they got the weight of the world on their shoulders,” Gunn noted, pointing toward the vacant chairs.

“They do,” Cedric answered. “Without her, tomorrow, we all die. If she dies, he won’t have the will to go on. To do what is n