The night is cool and crisp, a nice full moon hanging in the air adding a romantic flair to the small town
of Sunnydale. Very few townspeople know of the danger that lurks just beneath the surface of the streets and the dark, dangerous creatures that walk the dark streets and empty alleys. And yet the few that know, fight the good fight to make sure that the townspeople can sleep in their warm comfy beds, knowing that the sun will rise in the morning.

“Buffy!” Xander yelled, tossing a stake.
In a cemetery, away from the eyes of the innocent people, a small band of humans who call themselves the Scoobies fight along side of the Slayer, a girl gifted with the power and courage to fight against the forces of evil. She is their last and only defense. And lucky for them, she is really good at her job.

“Thanks!” Buffy yelled as she staked the vampire she’s fighting against. It broke apart and turned to dust.

Looking for the others, she saw that her friends were still fighting against two other vampires. Xander and Anya were struggling to stake a chubby vampire but were having problems as he had tossed Xander off him and started towards Anya, who held the stake in front of her in hopes of stopping him.

Willow and Giles were getting ready to stake the other one, a young looking vampire. She went to help Xander and Anya.

Xander quickly climbed to his feet and tried to tackle it from behind. It grabbed him by the collar, let him go and pulled back its fist to hit him. Xander squeezed his eyes shut for the incoming punch when Buffy grabbed the vampire’s fist.

“No.” she said sternly before pulling back her fist and punched him across the jaw. He stumbled back,
letting go of Xander. Anya rushed to his side.

“Xander!” she knelt beside him. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” he said, reassuring his girlfriend. He looked up at Willow and Giles helped him to his feet.

They turned in time to see Buffy kick the vampire in the chest, knocking him down. She stood over him and staked him. She started dusting herself off as she walked over, “I hate having to dust the chunky ones.” she said, hitting her jacket sleeve and coughed as a large cloud of dust came loose.

“I agree with you there Buffster.” Xander said.

“Yes. Xander and I were clearly no match for him.” Anya said, bluntly as she held Xander‘s hand. “I’m
glad that you finally dusted him, as I would hate to lose Xander and his penis.”

“Anya...” Xander groused embarrassed. The girls smiled behind their hands as they all started towards
the nearest exit. Giles took off his glasses and started cleaning them as he usually does when Anya
says something so...bluntly.

“There certainly seem to be a, um,” he put his glasses back on. “Large number of vampires lately, not to
mention that there has been more and more demon activity.”

“No question here.” Buffy said. “I mean, you guys shoulda saw that demon with the goo. It stained my
favorite shirt and I lost my new jeans too. And that was after I just killed that gang of vampires from the
Bronze.”

“Poor Buffy.” Willow said, patting Buffy on the back. “Maybe everything will be better when Riley returns from Iowa.”

“I hope so.” Buffy said.

“Bloody Hell!” a British voice growled from behind them. “What does a bloke have to do to watch his shows in peace?”

“How about a stake in the heart?” Buffy said, stopping and turning to see Spike stomp up.

“Hey, I save you from Adam.” Spike said. “You can’t stake me.”

“Well I will.” Xander said, stepping up.

“I would like to see you try you bloodly pou...”

“Does anyone else see that white light over there?” Anya piped up before pointing to the sky. “That can’t be good right?”

“I don‘t think so.” Willow said. “Buffy?”

Buffy twirls her stake and turned to the others. “Come on...let go check it out whatever it is.”

~*~*~*~*

Not far away and a few minutes before, a group of figures cloaked head to foot in red silk robes walk into an abandon church where they will meet for one last time before they commit to an act that will assure their place in power. Leaving two to guard the doors, they headed for the pew.

They whisper to each other, going over everything before it is agreed that the ritual will be done. Five form a circle around a drawn symbol that was thought lost until recently as two enter the circle
and stand on top of it, naked. It’s a man and a woman, both emitting a strange green glow that encases
their entire body.

They start chanting and ancient language before they bring a blade to wrists. Together they say, “Once of our world, be of our world again. Once of flesh and blood, be of our flesh and blood...” They slice their wrists as the circle starts chanting louder. “Energy begets blood, blood begets life...ours is yours to
open the portal to bring you into the world again....”

The symbol beneath their feet starts glowing as the blood pools before it starts sucking the glow from the two people. They age rapidly as the portal forms above their heads, a bright white light that was seen
by Buffy and the others. Soon, they die as the rest of the energy is stripped from them and their bones
fall to the ground where they crumble to dust. The light above the portal grows brighter and another light, a softer, smaller blue light floats from the portal.

“Hey!”

A guard looks up just as he is punched across the jaw by Buffy. He crumbles to the ground. “Is this party for everyone or you need an invitation?”

The other guard charges her, an axe in his hands.

She ducked and kicked at him as the others run by to enter the church. “You demons really have to find another hobby.” she said as she blocks a punch and throws her own, hitting him and knocking him out.
She grabbed the axe and ran in to see that the cult was still standing over the symbol.

She threw the axe and it landed in the middle of the circle and cutting into the wood that made up the
floor effectively breaking the spell.

Startled the circle broke apart, their cowls slipping down to show that they are humans as they turned to
see who would do such a thing. Each has a blank, almost fanatical look in their black eyes, a side effect from using dark magic as they glanced at each other.

“Wait...you’re human...” Anya said.

“Infidels...” one said as she bent down to pick up the axe. She pulled it out before screeching at them in a crazed voice. “Infidels!! Do you have any idea what you have just done?!”

She ran at them. “You will die for destroying the summoning ceremony of the demon of darkness! For
making the sacrifice of our sister and brother useless!” Screaming, she swung the axe at Buffy, who
ducked and fought back.

The remaining cult followers jumped into action, charging the rest of the Scoobies with what they could
use as a weapon, Spike included since he followed them to see what was going on.

“Hey watch it!” Spike yelled as a man tried to stab him with a piece of wood from the broken chairs
nearby. When the man lunged at him, Spike had no choice but to punch him across the jaw. “Arrrggh!” he screamed, instantly grabbing his head as the jolt of electricity went through his brain but the man went down. “Bloody chip...” he growled.

“Whoa!” Xander yelled out as he held off a duo of women who had murder in their eyes. “A little help here! Can't we talk this out? Yikes!” He ducked as a woman threw out her hand and a fireball exploded in front of him.

“Xander run!” Anya yelled from a safe distance. She picked up a piece of debris and threw it at the woman. “Get away from my boyfriend, you magic junkie!” She shrieked and ducked when the woman threw a fireball at her.

Willow was holding her own against one member, a young guy, who was fighting against her by using magic. They parried and advanced but it could be seen that the magic was wearing him down as he struggled to continued fighting.

“Go down!” Willow yelled and created a blast of air that knocked him off his feet.

A scream from across the room could be heard as the woman who was fighting against Buffy suddenly stop and bent down to pick up something. The fighting stopped as the remaining members who were still conscious headed her way. They gathered around her before crying out. The woman held up a glowing blue light the size of a football in both her hands.

“Look brothers and sisters! We succeeded! The vessel is here! Hold off the infidels as I--”

“I don’t think so!” Buffy said as she kicked her way into the group and grabbed the light. “Giles catch!”

She never noticed the cut on her hand from when she held the light. The blood soaked into the light,
making it solid.

Giles, who had been fighting off to the side reached up to catch the light but was tackled from behind.
The light hit the ground and rolled.

“Gather the vessel and complete the ritual!” The woman yelled. The cult headed for the glowing vessel as she headed for Buffy. “And you little girl, you won’t live to see the next sun rise!!”

Buffy rolled her eyes before punching the woman, knocking her out. “Do you have any idea how many times I’ve heard that?”

“I got it!” Xander yelled as he yanked the light away from a guy. “Buffy, I got--Ow!” He pulled his hand
away and saw that it was bleeding from a cut across the palm. The blood soaked into the glowing vessel
and he swore it got a bit more solid when the glowing faded just a bit.

“Give me that!” the guy yelled. He reached for it but Xander tossed it to Anya.

“Anya run! Don’t let them get it!” Xander yelled as he grabbed hold of the sleeve of a woman to keep her from going after Anya.

“Where?!” Anya yelled as she caught it and held it close. She turned and ran but only got a couple of
feet when she cried out. “Ow!” She dropped the vessel. It rolled to the left and landed in front of Spike, who’s still holding his head.

“Spike, get the vessel and run!” Buffy yelled as she fought the frenzied cult with Willow and Giles’ help.

He picked it up. “Get it away from here and destroy it!” She groaned when she was suckered punched in the stomach. Willow and Giles were overtaken and beat down as the cult walked over them.

“The vessel cannot be destroyed!” the cult said in unison. “It can only be nurtured; to be shaped into
what we will it to be!”

“Bloody Hell!” Spike yelled as the cult advanced towards him. “You bloody well owe me for this Slayer!”
He stepped back before turning around and fleeing with the few members on his tail.

“Giles! Willow!” Anya ran over to check on them as Xander headed for Buffy.

“Buffy, are you okay?” Xander asked as he helped her to her feet. “We should go after them. Spike might just give it to them.”

“I agree with you.” Giles said between thick lips. His glasses were bent and his right cheek looked
swollen from where someone must have punched him. “We have to find out what it is they summoned. Xander, Anya...”

“Sure thing G-man.” Xander said before he and Anya ran in the direction they last seen Spike and the cult.

“Well why not just ask him?” Buffy said as she hauled the groaning guard she knocked out earlier to his
feet. She pulled back his cowl and was surprised to see that it was a young boy, about Dawn’s age. He had blonde hair and it looked like he hadn’t showered in days.

She shoved him against the wall. “What is it?” she demanded.

“I’m not telling you anything.” he said, jaunting his chin out defiately. “Because of you, my parent’s
sacrifice was nearly ruined. They gave their lives to see that the portal could be opened.”

She slapped him across the face, splitting his lower lip and asked again and added, “I can make this slow
and painful. So don’t test my patience.”

“It’s a vessel holding a greater power than yours and most of the creatures that walk this plane.” he
grunted before licking the blood off his lip. “A slayer like you but isn’t. This one is different...”

“How can we destroy it?”

“It can’t be destroyed...only nurtured...” he said in a voice much like the others had used. “Willed into
being by its Imprinted. They decide what it will be...within the four stages and not any after.” He
chuckled but started gasping when Buffy pressed her arm into his neck.

“What happens then?”

“Destruction. Death. Creation. Life.”

“Huh?”

He chuckled again before surprising her by head butting her and running out the door before she could
stop him. He disappeared in the bushes near the building.

Buffy held her head, before Xander ran up, breathless yet heavily breathing. Anya joined him seconds later. She glared at Xander, “Don’t volunteer me for anything ever again Xander Harris. Not if you want
sex.” she warned him.

“Where are they?” Buffy asked.

“We couldn’t find them. We heard yelling and stuff but saw no signs of them.” Xander explained. “I’m
sorry Buffy.”

Buffy sighed and threw her hands in the air. She started pacing as she talked, “It can’t be too hard to
find them. If what the boy said is true and from what we saw how crazy this cult is then this could mean
something really bad.”

“We have to find Spike then right?” Anya asked, holding onto Xander’s arm. “He has this thing with him
and a cult following after him. What makes us think that he won’t just give it to them so they will stop
chasing him?”

“I know.” Buffy sighed and shrugged her shoulders. “I so do not want to spend my night hunting him down. But you’re right Anya. He does have whatever it is and we don’t know that he hasn’t handed it over already.”

“We have to find him and fast.” Giles said. “Before anything happens.”

Chapter Two

Spike ran into his crypt, slamming and bolting the door before heading deeper inside. He had finally
lost the cult and just in time too as the daybreak was just a few seconds off. He headed for the sarcophagus that doubled as his bed and took out the thing that he carried from under his jacket.

As he ran, it had lost its glow and now he could see that it was some kind of egg the size of a football.
It was bluish white and it had a strange marking on it, a golden triangle with a half shaded star in the
middle. He looked at it closer, running his fingers lightly over the smooth warm shell. He quickly pulled
back when he cut his finger on the triangle.

“Soddin’ egg.” he cursed as looked at his finger before he sucked the blood off, never noticing that
the blood that had dripped on the shell was absorbed..

It didn’t look like much but he was in Sunnydale and there were a lot of people who would buy something like this. He bet if he went to the right buyer, he could get a large lump of dough for it. He put the egg in the sarcophagus, pulling what little blankets he had around it to keep it warm and such before he put a large candle next to it. He lit the candle with his lighter and shut the lid enough to keep the heat in without cutting off the oxygen.

“There we go.” he announced. “That should do it until I find someone to buy you. Nice little incubator and hiding place all rolled into one. I don‘t need any pesky slayer and her bunch to come and collect you just yet.”

As if on cue, Buffy charged in with a stake in her hand. She grabbed him by the shirt and pushed him against the wall.

“Hey!” he complained. “Watch where you’re pointin' that thing! What gives Slayer?”

“Where is the glowing light thing?” she demanded.

“I got rid of it just like you said.” he lied. He yelped when she pressed the stake in his chest. “Bloody hell! I’m tellin' you I did! I threw it in the river and it bloody sank!”

“You better not be lying to me Spike.” Buffy threatened. “If I find out that you did--”

“You’ll stake me good and proper.” Spike asked as he pulled loose, glaring at her. “Ever think of changin' the tune luv?”

She shrugged before she punched him in the nose and stormed out.

Several weeks later....

Harmony looked around the crypt that has been her home for the last couple of days. She and Spike were together again which made her happy but as she looked at the all the dust and cobwebs and beer bottles lying around, she knew she needed to tidy it up a bit.

She started by fluffing up the pillows on the couch and started coughing as the dust flew up and went up her throat. With disgust, she threw them down and waved her hand in front of her face to clear the air when she noticed a light coming from the sarcophagus.

Curious, she walked over and peeked inside.

She couldn’t see anything so after she looked around to make sure Spike wasn’t around before she pushed the lid open a bit more and gasped. The candle burned brightly giving off light enough to see inside. There were broken pieces of what looked like eggshells but she couldn’t be sure cause they were blue and she hasn‘t seen eggs that were blue before.

But what caused her to gasp was the fact that a little baby girl slept under a blanket, her hands in little fists as she dreamed. Unlike other babies that were known to be bald, this one had a full head of dark hair and cream colored skin. Harmony squealed in excitement.

She couldn’t believe that her Blondie Bear would give her a baby to eat! She had never had one before but she heard that they were quite juicy and sweet from the vampires in L.A.

“What are you doin’ Harm?”

She twirled around to see Spike climbing out of the lower level, a cigarette hanging from his lips. She ran forward and hugged him before pulling back to kiss him. “Oh thank you, thank you!” she gushed. “I didn’t know that you cared!”

Spike looked at her as if she grown another head. “What the bloody hell are you talkin’ about?”

Harmony pulled him towards the sarcophagus and showed him the baby. “For this,” she said. “She’s so small and looks good enough to eat.”

Spike glanced at the baby in surprise before he frowned. “Aw, bloody hell.”

He saw the broken egg shells and just knew what had happened. His demon egg must have hatched and the baby must have been inside it. Damn. Now he knew he would never be able to find a buyer. No one would believe that this human looking brat is a demon.

He sighed before reaching down to poke at the kid.
She moved but didn’t wake. He poked harder and her eyes opened up. She looked up at him and he swore that he seen those eyes before...green with little flecks of gold and hazel. When she saw him, she smiled and giggled, reaching up to grab his finger.

A strange feeling of warmth went through him as she held on to him with amazing strength before letting go. The feeling disappeared, leaving him confused as Harmony bent to pick up the baby, making cooing noises and purring as she held the baby close to her.

“Oh you’re sooo cute!” she said a in a high pitched voice. “So soft and warm...like the sun.” She felt sad for a second, regretting that she could never go outside during the day because she would turn to dust before she squeezed the baby. She looked at Spike, her eyes wide with hope. “Can we keep her?”

Spike sighed. He knew she was going to ask him that. “I don’t think so kitten. Babies are a lot of work and not to mention, we’re vampires. We’re supposed eat babies, not keep them as bloody pets.”

“But Spike,” she whined. “I promise to take care of her and feed and cloth her. She won’t be in the way at all I swear!” Spike growled in disapproval as she walked towards the fridge to see if there was anything to eat. After all, she was hungry.

“Harm, I said no and I mean--” he stopped when he heard the high pitched squeal and instantly ran towards Harmony, thinking in a panic that she was eating the baby.

He stopped when he saw that the baby had her fists in Harmony’s hair, yanking on it and it was Harmony who was squealing. He started laughing before he walked over to save Harmony.

The baby giggled as she looked into his eyes, concreting his descision for him.

“Okay Harmony.” he replied as he juggled the baby. “We’ll keep her.”

Harmony rubbed her head before jumping up and down in joy.

She kissed Spike on the mouth before she stroke the baby’s cheek. “Oh thank you! Thank you!” she kissed him again. “You won’t regret it!”

“I don’t think I will.” he agreed.

He should’ve known that Harmony wouldn’t last. Hell, she didn’t even last two week with Alia, the name they had decided on the first day. Alia, like all babies, needed constant attention and she wasn’t cut out for it. The crying, changing and feeding had taken its toll on the blonde vampiress.

Her clothes were constantly dirty from the feedings, her hair limp and unkempt from when Alia would pull on it and she never kept the nighttime hours like them.

So she would cry during the day and one of them, mostly him, would have to get up to change her or feed her and even play with her until she quiet and went back to sleep.

Oh she tried. The littlest vampire she was, she tried.

She stole all the clothes for Alia, deciding what was in fashion for her and even turning to him to see what he thought. He answered her truthfully, though he lied his ass off when Harm dressed Alia in a horrible frilly pink number with a matching hat. Harm even got a book on how to raise babies, reading it everyday but fell asleep within minutes.

She left about three days ago, leaving a note saying that she couldn’t take the pressure and went to find some peace and quiet. So she went to Las Vegas and left Alia.

Which meant, he is now on the lowest of lows in the demon community. A vampire taking care of a baby. A stake seemed to look brighter by the second.

He glanced over at Alia, playing with the toys Harmony had gotten for her. She wore a white shirt with white baby capris and white tennis shoes today. She looked like one of the child angels you would see in paintings. At least until she needed to be changed...then she was the demon he knew she is.

He tried discovering what he could about the cult that he escaped from but no one was talking...at least when they were sober. And when they did, it made little to no sense. The cult was a old one, newly migrated from somewhere far and they were something not to be messed with. There was news that they were in a heated frenzy over a interrupted ritual.

There were plans on a attack but it never fell through. He was glad that the cult had blamed the Slayer and not himself or he would’ve been in hot water.

“Da, Da, Da...” Alia gurgled, flinging her black teddy about from her play area. It was in the back of the
crypt, hidden from view and out of the way just in case any demons and a certain Slayer dropped in on
him. “Da! Da! Da!--” she continued, getting louder by the second.

“Okay!” he yelled, getting up from the chair to check on her. He walked back and picked her up, holding her up in the air for the least contact. “What is it?”

“Da. Da.” she continued as she swung her teddy. “Da. Da.”

“I’m not your Da, kid.”

“Da!” she repeated, hitting him on the chest with the teddy. He looked into her eyes and he swore for a second that he had seen those eyes somewhere.

She smiled at him before she lost grip on her teddy. It bounced and rolled towards the entrance to the lower crypt and disappeared as it fell through. She squeaked in surprise before sticking out her lower lip.

Tears instantly filled her eyes.

“Oh...bollocks..:” he muttered when she started crying loudly, reaching for her lost teddy.

“Hey, hey, hey.” he rubbed her back in a effort to calm her down. “Don’t cry luv.”

She responded by crying harder.

He tried different things, making faces at her, getting a new toy for her but none of it seemed to work. The crying was getting on his nerves and his patience was getting thin.

“Bloody hell! Would you stop!?” he growled, shifting to game face.

Alia stopped instantly, her eyes wide as she looked at the ridges and fangs before she giggled, reaching to touch his face. She wasn’t afraid at all. Spike growled at her and it made Alia smile. He smiled as well.

“Well, you’re sure a brave lil brat I give you that.” Spike said.

The door of the crypt flew open with a mighty bang and Spike held Alia close as Buffy stood in the doorway.

“Spike, I need some info about--” she dropped off as
Alia squealed and squirmed in Spike’s arms, his vampire face on. She put two and two together and came up with...“Spike, you disgusting vampire! What are you doing with that baby?!”

Spike knew he was in trouble from that deadly look in Buffy’s eyes as she stomped towards him. “Slayer? It’s not what it looks like...” he said, changing into his human face. “I can explain!”

“What can you possibly say to make me think that you weren’t going to eat this baby?” Buffy demanded, snatching Alia from his arms as she continued to glare at him.

“That...” he stopped to think of something before saying, “I found her.”

“Try that again with more conviction.” Buffy warned, holding up her stake. Alia tried grabbing it with her little hands.

“Slayer, you can’t just storm in here and think you can take something that doesn’t belong to you!”

“And what make you think that I would leave this kid here?”

“Alia.”

“What?” Buffy asked, her mouth hanging open.

“Her name is Alia.” Spike said. “It’s the name Harm and I picked for her.”

“You and Harmony?”

“Well until she left.”

“She left you with a baby?”

“Well don’t act so shocked. I know how to take care of babies. I used to all the time for Dru when she felt like eating one.” Buffy gasped in outrage, switched Alia to another arm before punching Spike in the nose again.

“OW!” Spike cried out, grabbing for his nose as a seriously brassed off Slayer yelled at him. He checked to see if it was broken as Buffy raged at him.

“You disgusting, horrible, jackass--” she yelled at him at the top of lungs. “How could you do something like that?!”

Alia startled wailing.

“Oh great job Slayer.” Spike grumbled as he snatched Alia from her back from her and starting rocking her to calm her down. “Making her cry like that.”

Buffy glared at him before grabbing him by the shirt.
“You with me. Now.” she ordered icily. “We’re going to Giles.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At Giles’ apartment, the gang all sat in the living room, the girls surrounding Alia as Xander and Giles kept a close eye on Spike who kept an eye on Alia without looking like he was looking at her. After much giggling and cooing, Giles finally got the girls attention. “I believe we should turn our attention to other larger and much more pressing matters.”

“Yeah like how did blood breath get a baby?” Xander put in. Spike glared at him.

“She’s so cute and she hasn’t made a fuss like the other babies I’ve seen around.” Anya said as she bounced Alia on her knee. She tickled Alia’s chin earning a giggle. “Xander can we get one?”

Xander spit out the soda he was drinking. “W-w-what?!” he sputtered, his eyes wide with fear.

“I just had the carpet cleaners in this week!” Giles complained as he snatched the can from Xander.

“Ahn, honey, we can’t afford a baby!”

“Spike has Alia and he lives in a crypt.” Anya pointed out.

“Guys enough. We’re here to find out how Spike got Alia in the first place.” Buffy said, staring at Spike.

“Why do you bloody care how I got her?” Spike asked. “You can have her! She’s been nothing but a pain in my arse since I got her!”

Alia looked at him and started pouting, her eyes tearing up. She started squirming from Anya’s gasp as she tried to escape. “Oh poor baby. Are you hungry?” Anya asked.

“Here’s her bag.” Spike said, handing Anya the pink fairy bag Harmony has picked for her. Anya grabbed it, and started digging inside for a bottle. She found one, handed Alia to Willow and headed for the kitchen to put it in the microwave. “You put it in for 15 seconds!” he called out.

“Okay!” Anya yelled from the kitchen.

The gang exchanged looks. “What?” he huffed defensively.

“What...happened to her parents?” Willow asked. Alia reached up and patted her face, giggling. “I mean, cuz, they must miss her.”

“What parents?” Spike said as he searched his pockets for his fags. He pulled one out and was about to light it when Alia squealed. “She has no parents as far as I know.”

“Spike!” Buffy snatched the cigarette from his lips. “You don’t smoke around babies!”

“The lil nibs didn’t mind when I smoke in the crypt!” he protested as Buffy threw it in the trash.

“Because she doesn’t have a voice to protest with.” Buffy said. “Or she would have.”

“Help.” They stopped to look at Willow and saw that she was having problems keeping Alia under control. Alia was pulling at Willow’s top, and slapping and kicking. She was giggling as she struggled.

“She doesn’t need a voice to protest it looks like.” Giles commented dryly. He grabbed Alia from a dishevel Willow. Alia struggled against him as well.
“Alia---stop---kicking--- OW!” he cried out as Alia kicked his glasses off.

“Looks like Alia doesn’t like you either Rupes.” Spike smirked.

“Here let me hold her.” Xander said, coming to Giles’ rescue.

“Aw, don’t let the whelp hold her!” Spike complained. “He’ll just upset...her...”

He dropped off as Alia stopped squirming and settled in Xander’s arms. She leaned her head against his right shoulder. “Aw...looks like you’re wrong ol’ pasty face. See, no lady can resist the Xan Man.”

“Here’s her bottle.” Anya said, walking towards Xander with the warm bottle. Xander shifted so he could feed Alia. “Oh....she really likes you Xander.”

“Yeah, makes me wanna heave with this bloody Hallmark moment.” Spike said. “Alia isn’t human.”

“Why do you say that?” Willow asked.

“Because she is what that cult from the church raised.” Spike explained. “I didn’t get rid of that glowing light thing as the Slayer called it. It turned out to be an egg and I kept it...to sell for lots of money.”

“Oh how could you ever think about selling such a cute little angel!” Anya said. Alia coughed and started crying. Anya picked her up and started patting her on the back to calm her down. “You really are evil!”

“You lied to me!” Buffy said outraged. “Well that’s not much of a surprise but still--”

“I thought it was going to be this demon! You know with scales and grrr! fangs but it turned out to be this kid.” Spike said defending himself. “You know how much people pay for something like those?”

“Quite a lot I say.” Giles said. “And you were going to mention this when?”

“Um, well...never.” Spike said sharply.

“Do you realize what this means?” Giles said, polishing his glasses.

“What?” Buffy asked clueless. “What does this mean? Is it bad?”

“Yes, perhaps. I’m not entirely sure...but if what Spike says is true, then that would mean that the cult that we fought some weeks ago has succeeded with their plans.”

Xander tensed when Alia burped. For a second, his brain thought that it was growl, which always means badness. But now Giles had him worry about whether or not it was a good idea that his girlfriend is holding Alia so close to her neck.

“Don’t tell me that Alia will cause the end of the world because that is just bloody riduculious!” Spike said. “ ‘Cuz well look at her!”

“No of course not.” Giles said.

Xander relaxed, comfortable again with little Alia laying against Anya's shoulder..

Giles walked by him and grabbed one of his books of the shelf and opened it to a page as he spoke. “But this cult, from what I could piece together from the symbols at the church, is very old. It has never crossed the oceans until very recently. The books say that this cult deals with the end of the world but it doesn’t say if it brings about the end or not. It talks about raising something of great power...”

“That’s what that boy at the church said.” Buffy said, remembering the young boy she pounded for information.

“He said that it’s a vessel holding a greater power than me and most of everything else. Like a slayer only different. He said that it can‘t be destroyed only nurtured and willed by its Imprinted within four stages.” She sighed, crossing her arms.

“What happens then?”

“Destruction. Death. Creation. Life.”

“That has bad news written all over it.” Xander said.

“No. But I’m sure I can find more. Until then...Alia will have to be protected.”

“Protected?” Willow asked.

“We can’t let the cult get their hands on her. If they do, there’s no telling what they might use her for.” Giles explained.

There was silence in the room so thick that it could be cut with a knife.

“Okay, well thanks for the newsflash but that has nothing to do with me so I’ll just push off.” Spike said, breaking the silence and stood up. He walked out the door before anyone could stop him.

The Scoobies were clueless on how to take care of babies so they turned to the one person out of all of them who knew.

"Mom!" Buffy yelled, entering her house with Alia in her arms. Giles came in right behind her, shutting the door. "I'm home and I brought a little surprise for you!"

"Buffy?" Joyce said, walking out of the kitchen. "What is--" she stopped, pressing a hand to her chest when she saw Buffy holding Alia. "Oh!"

"Mom, before you freak out..." Buffy started when Joyce ran forwards and grabbed the baby out of her arms, cuddling Alia to her chest.

"Oh she's adorable!" Joyce gushed. "Yes you are, oh yes you are!"

"Hey what's up?" Dawn asked as she came down the stairs. She stopped when she saw Joyce and the baby. "Oh, look at the cute baby!"

She walked over to Joyce, giggling and poking Alia as Joyce rocked her. Buffy and Giles watched in awe as Alia giggled and clapped her hands together as Joyce continued to gush over her. It was a few minutes when Joyce turned to Buffy, passing Alia off to Dawn.

"Where did she come from?" she asked.

Buffy answered, "Spike found her. Her parents must have abandoned her." She and Giles had already discussed that the truth about Alia would just worry Joyce. Until they figured out what Alia was, they agreed that at least one person would always keep watch and what better place to keep watch then under the Slayer's own roof. But they also decided that they couldn't lie completely to Joyce about what was going on. So they came up with a story that sounded believable---at least to their ears.

"Oh! You poor little thing..." Joyce cooed at Alia. Dawn hugged Alia closer to her body. Alia didn't seem to mind at all. Joyce turned her attention back to Giles and Buffy. "But why not take her to the police? Don't they have ways of tracking down those no good parents of hers?"

'Crap. Busted.' Buffy thought, frowning slightly before Giles spoke up.

"We would but as you can see it’s much too late to take Alia anywhere right now..." he explained when Joyce interrupted.

"Alia? Her parents abandoned her but stopped to give her name?" Joyce questioned. Something was going on, her mother instincts told her.

"That's the name Spike gave her." Buffy said.

"And why would Spike have a baby?"

"I don't know!" Buffy huffed defensive. "He's a weird vampire."

Alia chose at this time to yawn, catching Dawns's and Joyce's full attention. "Well, it is awfully late isn't it sweetie?" Joyce asked Alia softly. "But we are not done with this conversation missy." she raised her eyebrow at Buffy before heading upstairs with Dawn and Alia to fix up a bed for the baby.

When Joyce and Dawn were out of earshot, Buffy turned to Giles. "Well that went well."

"Yes well, Joyce is a strong woman with children of her own. It must be a mother's instincts that caught on to our lie." Giles replied, taking off his glasses to clean them.

"She's going to go all out to find everything she can about Alia, Giles." Buffy said.

"I understand that. But it's best to remain quiet about Alia's true history until we find more about what she is."
Buffy sighed before agreeing with him.

They said their goodbyes and he left. Buffy climbed the stairs and went to her room to see that Joyce had set up a little crib set near the window.

"Wha--Mom what's going on?" Buffy asked as she walked in.

"Oh Buffy, I hope you don't mind but I thought that it would be better if I put the baby in here with you." Joyce said as she rocked Alia gently. "I put her in Dawn's old crib.

As if by magic, Dawn appeared in Buffy's doorway with a small outfit. "Here you go Mom. Itty bitty pj's for the baby." She walked in and handed Joyce a pair of purple pj's covered with green monkeys.

"Oh thank you Dawn." Joyce set about changing Alia's clothes as Dawn grilled Buffy. "So where did you get a baby? You haven't been keeping secrets have ya?"

"None of your beeswax and no! Dawn, go away, you're being a pest." Buffy said, waving her hand at her little sister.

"Mom!"

"Girls don't fight. You'll upset little Alia." Joyce scolded as she put Alia down in the crib. "Now Buffy, I want you to take care of her tonight until I have a talk with Mr. Giles tomorrow. I want to get this straighten out."

"But--" Buffy protested.

"No buts. You brought her home and now you take care of her." Joyce walked over to Buffy and gave her a hug before pulling back. "I trust you. And think of this as a learning experience for my future grandkids." She left, dragging a protesting Dawn out of the room, closing the door after her.

Buffy blew out a puff of air before changing into her pj's for bed, making sure to make no sudden movements to disturb Alia. Afterwards, she sat down at the edge of her bed to see Alia, sleeping peacefully and smiled. She turned off the lights and pulled the covers over her shoulders.

~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*

All the way across town, the cult members gathered, distressed that they couldn't find the demon they unleashed on the world.

"We must find the vessel soon!" a woman with flat brown hair said. She turned to her brothers and sisters. "The time to mold and shape its views will soon be over---without the proper guidance---"

"We should have never conjured it." a man shouted i fear. He scratched long red lines down his face. "We doomed us all."

"Hold your tongue blasphemer!" another man hissed. He raised his dark green eyes to the sky, as if the answers could be seen in the stars. "We did what we had to. Its up to the Gods of the Sky to deem us worthy to find the vessel." He turned to the cult. "Our faith in them must be unshakened and pure. Those who doubt will be cast out and burn in the agony of betrayal."

He put a comforting hand on the man with the scratches on his face. "Walk in peace brother. All it not lost yet. When the Gods deem it so, we will come across the vessl. Until then, merge back into world, welcome the normality it brings but watch for the signs of the vessel. Should you find it, send word to the others and together as one, we will take back what is our right and our duty!!"

Chants and cheers sounded briefly before the robes were casted aside and candles put out as the cult revealed themselves to the night as regular, sane people of Sunnydale. They glanced at each other before heading out into different directions, never looking back.

~* ~* ~* ~* ~*

Back in Buffy's room, Alia stirred fitfully before she woke up and let out a loud cry.