FIC: These Roads We Travel (7/?)

[Kimber <kacoe@xxxxxxx>]

This chapter is for Quin...cuz he has a big bad headache. *grin* hope you feel better
'bait boy'!


TITLE: These Roads We Travel (7/?)
AUTHOR: Kimber (kacoe@xxxxxxx)
DISCLAIMER: All BTVS characters belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.
SUMMARY: The long awaited next story in "The Road Series".
SPOILERS: Everything is fair game.
DISTRIBUTION: The usual suspects. Anyone else, e-mail me please.
AUTHOR?S NOTES: This comes because I've had so many great responses to the series and
many people begging for another. Be careful what you wish for.

{{Indicates flashbacks}}
-----------

"So. What'cha doin?" Laurel asked coyly as she approached Buffy and Xander. She had her
hands behind her back and her most innocent face was firmly in place. Neither one of them
ever had a chance.

"Nothing." Buffy said suspiciously. She knew the innocent face all too well. "And what
are you doing?"

"This." Laurel grabbed her hand and started to haul her over to where Faith and Giles
were standing.

Before Buffy knew what was happening, she was standing five feet in front of Giles. She
put her hand up and waved. "Hi." She looked over at Faith who was looking everywhere but
at her. "Hey."

Faith nodded. "Hey." Then looked away.

Xander strode up behind them. "It's a really nice day ladies. . .and G-man. Too bad I
can't enjoy it with ya. Duty calls as always."

"Now? You're going now? Throw me a bone here." Buffy leered at him.

He shook his head. "Sorry, Buff, you're on your own with this one." He grinned.
"Tootles!" He waved then promptly disappeared.

"I hate it when he does that!" Faith and Buffy said in unison. They looked at each other
then looked away.

Laurel didn't know what was going on with them and before she had a chance to ask, Giles
spoke up. "Buffy, I um, well, Faith and I have some information for you that may---"

"Nice to see you too, Giles. I'm fine, and you? Yeah, it's been a while." She looked at
him, annoyed, and crossed her arms across her chest.

"B, now's not the time. It's kinda important." Faith tried to interrupt any kind of
tirade the other Slayer was ready to launch into, then turned to Laurel. "You wanna go
grab the basket from the car? I'm starved."

"But," She tried to protest.

"No, buts. Go." Buffy interrupted her rather harshly. Laurel pouted and glared at her
mother, but did as she was told none the less. Buffy turned back to Faith and Giles.
"So?"

"I have good reason to believe that the active slayer is dead." Giles began. "I'll have
to confirm it through the council, of course, but, I believe the current slayer is already
in place."

"So, we get her, we train, teach her the in's and out's of not being a midnight snack and
ship her off to her watcher. We've done this at least eight times already, Giles. What's
the big?"

"Buffy, the active slayer is now. . .well, is now your daughter. Laurel."

"No." Buffy paled at even the thought. There were countless nights that she and Willow
stayed up discussing the prospect and they swore to each other that it would *never*
happen. Ever. "Impossible. Willow researched it before she got pregnant and even
continued to research it up until last year! There's no way---"

"There is, and it's done." Faith interrupted her. "She's been really on her game this
past year. Hadn't you noticed? And she's not sore after patrol anymore. Giles and I
were standing at least 50 feet away from her just now whispering, and she heard every
word."

Laurel walked over to them and placed the basket at Buffy's feet. She wrapped her arm
around Giles' waist and gave him a little side hug. "I know what you're talking about,
and it's okay." She smiled at him, then looked at Buffy and Faith. "I knew, I guess on
some level I've always known and never really said anything. It's no big. You can't
fight destiny I guess, no matter how hard you try."

It was all starting to come together for Buffy now. She processed everything she just
heard and came up with only one answer. "You knew." She looked accusingly at Giles and
then Faith. "You both knew there was a chance of this and you didn't tell me."

"It wasn't our place, Buffy." Giles replied. "My hands were tied. I swore I
wouldn't---"

"Swore to who!?"

Faith grabbed her arm and whirled her around to face her. "Who do you think, B?"

Buffy blinked a few times as the implications began to fall into place. "Willow. Willow
knew. That's why she was doing that spell in the woods. It had something to do with
Laurel being the Slayer. Didn't it?" She looked accusingly at Giles.

He bowed his head and sighed. "Yes. I'm afraid so."

"Mom knew I'd be the next Slayer? Why didn't she tell me, Papa?" Laurel looked to him.

"I'm afraid your mother was quite, um, strong headed about the whole situation. I only
found out about it by chance. She was researching at my place one day and I glanced at
the book she was reading. I don't know how long she'd been researching it before that,
Laurel. I only knew for about a week, then she. . ." he trailed off. The others were
well aware of the rest of the story.

"I never wanted this for you." Buffy looked at Laurel sadly. "and neither did Will. We
thought we covered every base but still. . .this is what happened. I'm sorry, Laurel."

"There's nothing to be sorry about, mamma. I asked, well, demanded that I go on patrol
with you right from when you told me about your life. I think now looking back on it,
it's in my blood. Well, obviously. Even if I never became an 'active' Slayer, I'm still
a Slayer just the same." She put her arms around Buffy and hugged her.

"When did you get so smart?" Buffy whispered.

"Hey, I'm Willow Rosenberg's daughter, it runs in the family." She smiled. "Now, I
distinctly remember a picnic we were supposed to have. . .aunt free of course, well,
except for you, Faith. What do ya say?" She looked to the three adults. "I'll set up.
Don't be long." She grabbed the basket and began to walk away. She stopped and turned
back around. "Hey, Buff?"

"Yeah."

Laurel cocked her head to the side and smiled her widest smile. "I'm your daughter too,
you know. I may not treat you like a 'mom' sometimes but, that's what you are. *My*
mom." She turned back around and headed towards the grave.

Buffy stood there dumbfounded.

"I'm gonna go help her." Giles said.

Buffy grabbed his arm. It shocked them both. They hadn't been within ten feet of each
other in six months and now she was touching his arm. She took a moment to compose
herself. "I can do the math, you know."

He smiled. "I know."

"You let me think you were helping her all along." He nodded and she continued. "I
blamed you, for everything." He nodded again.

"I'll just," Faith began to back away.

"You're next." Buffy turned her head to the brunette. "Don't move a muscle." Faith
complied. Buffy turned back to Giles. "Since we're in agreement on everything I just
said, I only have one question. Why?"

"We've been through a lot, Buffy. I've been there in your happiest times. When you and
Willow fought the council and won, when you finally got over all the petty nonsense and
got together, when you vowed your love to each other and the birth of your daughter." He
smiled. "You didn't need me to lean on or lend a hand then. . .you could stand on your
own. But in your darkest hour, when Willow was lost to you and you looked for someone to
blame, you blamed me. And I didn't stop you. I suppose it was the least I could do for
you. Allow you an outlet, someone to blame for your loss. That way, you wouldn't blame
yourself, or your daughter. . .and especially Willow."

Buffy felt the tears coming, but she pushed them back. She couldn't believe all the
hateful and hurtful things she'd said to him and about him. He sacrificed himself and
their relationship to ensure her love for Willow wouldn't be tarnished. "Giles, I?"

"No need to apologize." He squeezed her hand. "I brought it on myself and I knew what
the consequences would be. Everything is fine now. I have you and Faith and Xander
and," He looked over to Laurel and smiled. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to spend
some time with my granddaughter, if you don't mind."

Buffy smiled at him. "Not at all." She watched him walk off with a little more spring to
his step, even with the cane. She turned her attention back to Faith. "We need to talk."

Faith nodded. "Yeah, but not now, B. Let's just. . .enjoy this. Okay? It's the first
time we've all been together in over half a year."

Buffy sighed. "Okay, but after patrol. You, me and. . .well, you and me. Maybe Laurel
can stay with Giles tonight."

Faith nodded and they both went to join the rest of their family.

------

"She's forgetting. . .moving on." Willow remarked to Jesse.

"How? I mean, how do you know?"

"I can just, I don't know, *feel* it. . .I guess? We have this connection, this link.
It's always been open and we can tell what the other is feeling, thinking. . .before I
tried the spell, I severed the link and didn't tell her. I magically held a link to her
so she wouldn't realize, but, it's not the same. I just tried to re-open it and she's. .
.she's distant. Not responding." Willow's voice was resigned, like she was almost ready
to give up.

"I don't think she'd forget about you, Will. You're the love of her life." Jesse looked
at her and made a decision. It was a decision that would in turn effect everything that
happened from here on out. He stood in front of her. "Do you trust me?" Willow nodded
and tried to say something but he stopped her. "Then I'm going to show you something."
He stepped away from her. The scenery changed and instantly, she knew where she was. If
she were deaf, dumb and blind she'd know where she was. She spent most of her life in
places like this. A cemetery. "Look." He said. And pointed in the distance.

"Buffy." She whispered and slowly walked towards her.
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--
Your humble bard,
~~Kimber


Official Noodle wetter and distributor, Gutter-Slut and Vice President and Treasurer of
the Riley/Oz neutering society and garden club...Personnel Recruiter for all main gutter
and sub gutter affairs.



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