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Chapter 5: News Flashes.

Buffy walked into her house with Giles close behind. Livia, Mila and Lillia aunt, a powerful witch in her own right, was still clearing away the last of the party messes. Buffy was always a little disconcerted when she saw paper and such flying about on their own.

"Livia, you don't have to,. I'll.. I'll finish it up."

"No no. Happy to help." the kind blond women said with a smile of happiness coming to her blue eyes.

"Rupert! You didn't drag her away from the party did you? The poor children. Can't our grandniece and nephew have some peace on your poor grandnephew birthday?"

"Sorry darling. Can't be helped." said Giles as he came over and planted a chaste kiss on his wife's lips. They'd been married only a few months, (another Willow and Lillia production.), and Buffy couldn't help but to notice look in Gile's eyes when he looked at his wife. Truth be told, it made her unbelievably happy, (not the Giles kissage, because that's just ewww). But being witness to the display, Buffy couldn't help but feel a little sad as well. It was a reminder that he, and the others, had moved on. But that she still could not.

Also, it was a little wiggy. Her little family and the Saverhaven's were a little...intermingled. Is Giles like her son's step-grandfather, great uncle in law?? Any more of this and they might as well move to Kentucky.

"Livia really," Buffy said, "Go and play with the kids. They're asking for you, and they miss you so much. With you guys in England... You don't get to visit enough"

"Alright then dear." she smiled and kissed Buffy cheek. Livia had become a surrogate mother to all of them and a grandmother to both children. Buffy had almost forgotten how good it was to have a mom type around.

Livia for her part loved Buffy like a daughter,and loved her son, and the rest of her adopted family as if they were her own flesh and blood. She'd lay down her life for any of them..Her family.

Livia had raised Mila and Lillia after their mom, her older sister, died and their father fell deeper into dark magic. She had been so young herself, but she had been good to them, her nieces, and had tried to treat them equally. Tried to undo some of the damage their father had done. It was hard, with a magical child and one non magical one, and she had done the best she could. At times she felt like she had failed them.

Mila's had descended into drinking. Never quite being able to live with the shame her parents had felt because of her non magical abilities.

And Lillia, she had followed her father path, getting addicted to dark magic.

But Livia had stuck by them. Helped them. Helped Lillia after she had become pregnant. That was when the family came together again. Both Livia and Mila helping Lillia give birth and raise her beautiful sweet girl. Helping her cover up the true parentage of Mithril.

Mithril's father! Livia shuddered.

How one of the most evil, sadistic warlocks of the age managed to produce one of the most beautiful sweetest child alive, well, Livia had no answers for that, except that Mithril was all Saverhagen. It wasn't as if Lore Barrister was an anomaly. He was from a long line of cruel sadistic witches and wizards who abused and corrupted the forces of magic and constantly created imbalances in the energies of the world. These were the type of people from whom the negative connotation of witchcraft were derived from. The Barristers were akin to royalty of the black arts world, and Lore was the favored prince. The powerful family had used their powers to cause misery and despair to others, while they themselves profited and prospered for centuries, up until the last decade or two. Recent times showed the family slowly dying out , succumbing themselves to the wretchedness that they so often created. Lore himself had been horribly murdered not long after Lillia escaped from his influence. If the family found that there was a surviving child, they'd try take her, to clam her as their own. Manipulate and twist her until she was as cruel and as cold as they were.

It had taken numerous spells and fake documents to keep the identity of Mithril's father a safely guarded secret. But they had succeeded it. Lillia had made mistakes, but there was no way that would Mithril would pay for them.

At first she was horrified when Lillia had taken these people; people she barely knew, into her confidence. But Buffy and Lillia shared a common fear. That someday, someone, somewhere, would come for their children. That their children could not escape the evil that their father's had done. That the sins of the father's, would haunt their children, till the end of time.

But they were wrong. The children were fine, happy. sweet children. Good nature kind and loving. Perhaps they were a bit mischievous at times, but they were good children all the same, and Livia would protect them with all that she was.

"Don't keep her away too long, and don't upset her." Livia whispered to her husband. She than kissed his check and walked off to visit her beloved family.

"Okay." Buffy geared herself, "We're alone, all alone, and ..umm.. alone. So..What's the big?"

"Well. There is some news." Giles said, trying to ready her.

"News. Ohh I have news." Buffy interrupted still not ready to hear any world crushing news.
"Your godson has officially been slated to move up a level next year, even though he is little younger than the usual age. Mithril and him will move up together. It will be the equivalent of like first grade instead of a preschool kindergarten deal. So more homework, more responsibility.. I believe Principle Mcglocnile's exact words were that she believe he's up to the intellectual challenge but hopes the emotional challenge won't be too much for him." Buffy rolled her eyes.

"That's... ehh wonderful. But, however.." Giles began.

"Sun..." Buffy cut in again, "William made it up to 3 hrs today, full sunlight, before we had to smear his medicine on him"

Giles was momentarily lead away from his thought," 3 hrs, that is good news. The treatments are beginning to work then."

"Yeah," Buffy smiled," That Dr. Candrol, she really knows her stuff. She thinks maybe,... someday, he won't need the medicine at all. But still, it's good Willow can brew it up now as good as any coven member"

"Yes, well, having someone, who can make his creams is.. eh.. advantageous." Giles agreed.

'His medicine.' Buffy thought. One of the few things about his life that her son fusses over. It wasn't the medicine itself, but the time it took to keep him still while she covers every inch of his skin. Her son DID NOT like to be kept still for too long.

Slight sun allergy diagnosed a little after he was a year old. But the treatments and the medicine, a kinda enhanced sunscreen, helped keep the blisters and the redness from his skin.

How fitting, He was, after all, his father's son.

"Buffy.", Giles continued again while beginning to clean his glasses . Ohh no, not glasses cleaning, anything but glasses cleaning..

"Dream."Buffy again interrupted, "The dreams.., have stopped.., for now. Hasn't had one in months. So no bad dreammage for Wills. That's good! Good news right?" She asked.

"Really," Giles challenged, "No dreams lately. Not even of her?"

Buffy froze, several months ago her son, her sweet boy, had woken up in a state of fright that terrified Buffy. His sheets were soaked with sweat, and he trembled and cried uncontrollably for hours. All the time he ambled, "Don't let her get me mommy. She's coming. She's coming to get me."
It wasn't until morning that Buffy, saw who the *she* in her son's dream was.
It wasn't till morning that her son handed her a picture of a certain dark-hared vampire, that haunted both their nightmares.
"No! No pictures, no drawings, no nightmares, NO dreams. So everything is okay. Right?" She was reaching now. She wanted him to say Yes,. 'Please, please say yes'.

Giles continued to clean off his glass while regarding Buffy. There was no easy way to break this, so he came right out and said it. "It's Connor and Drusilla. They've been spotted in California, near L. A."

Terror filled Buffy and gripped at her heart. Ever since the news of Connor, Angle's son, and the mere fact that Angel had a son., (what was it with vampires having children anyway?). She had felt pity for Connor, been mortified for Angel, and terrified for William. She harbored a fear that Drusilla would come for William, as she came for Connor.

She knew Drusilla blamed her for Spike. Not long ago, council operatives had manage to corner the pair, but the humans were slaughtered. They'd let one live though with a message. "Tell the slayer I will exact my revenge. She took my precious, my love, my beautiful creation, and someday, I will take hers."

Her life since was clocked in shadow and fear, but she had tried to get past it, and not to dwell. She wanted to raise William in as normal a life as possible, (normal for them, that is). One with school, and games and friends, and a home. But now..

Just now she felt violently ill.
"What .. Where ... When..."

"Just a few weeks ago. " He said, "We believe that have been to Wolfram and Hart. Or , at least they have been to Angel."

Wolfram and Hart, and Angel. She still couldn't believe he was there, soul and all. Still, after everything, he had stayed. She suspected, after.., why he had gone to such an evil place. He made a deal with devils, for Connor. They were one of the few people who could conjure a spell of that...magnitude. But she never understood why he stayed. Why, after Connor was turned, didn't he touched the place, scorch it to the ground, grind it under his heels. That what should be done.

"They have apparently gone back underground, but there is no news that they have left the California area." Giles said.

"Uh huh." Buffy said vacantly.

"Also the coven feels..."Giles hesitated, knowing the next bit of information could put his former slayer over the edge, but he willed himself to continue "The seers..for see...a dark force joining them, powerful magic. They feel it could have some links to the prophecy at William's birth."

Buffy could only stared wide eyed as tears sprung to her eyes. 'Damn prophecy's.. Why can't the universe just leave her and her son alone.

"The prophecy..", Giles began.

"I know all about the damn prophecy Giles!" Buffy yelled at him, "Blah blah blah, child of light, child of darkness. Blah blah, child of swore enemies, conceived in love, his blood alone can restore the evil or lock it away for 1000 years. blah blah blah."

"I would not take this lightly Buffy!" Gile warned, " The seers believe that somehow, though William, a powerful enough force can reopen the hellmouth and restore some of the First powers! Steps must be taken!"

"Steps!?", Buffy cried, "What steps? Send him away? Lock him in a tower? Surround him with spells and stuff? Keep him isolated from everyone and everything? Keep him from living? I told you before. I won't do that. I'm not gonna lock him away just because someone may or may not think he's a key or something. It's not fair to him! He didn't ask for this! He's only a baby."

Giles sighed, "Whether he asked for it or not is not the issue. He was conceived, around the time..."

"ON THE MORNING!!" She screamed.

Giles sighed again., (Not that argument now), "Conceived when hellmouth closed forever, his mother fought to close it. (He carefully avoided the father issue). William has and will always have a very powerful connection to those events. There is no escaping that. We must take measures to protect him."

"I am protecting him! I protect him every day! I'd die to protect him, but I'm doing it here! Home..Where he can have friends, and family and school and a life!"

"News Flash Giles! No one will take him from me! No One!" Buffy looked up, her eyes fierce and deadly. If looks could kill Giles's head would have exploded out his ears.

"What do you propose then?" Giles challenged, "The seers feel that this year, the energy surrounding the former hellmouth is at a peak. It will be the 5th anniversary of it's closer. You know numbers like that have significance. They feel if an attempt is to be made; it will be made this year, close to the time of the hellmouth's closure."

"April, so we have until April. We'll go away then, for a few weeks. Hide out. Right? Till it blows over. When the time comes and goes than that's it right? He'll.. he'll be safe then. Right?" Buffy looked hopeful.

"The seers feel this year, is the strongest advantage for their side. Yes.. If the time comes and goes without incidence, it may be another 5 years before they can try again. If at all.." Giles sighed, knowing full well he would have to concede to her. She would never allow him to take William to a council stronghold like he had hoped.

"So that's it. Plan in motion.", Buffy said, easing a little. 'A few weeks', she thought, 'Just a few weeks'. They could hide out, go away. She'd be able to protect him, save him. She'd saved the world, over and over again.. She could save her son.
" So we have the plain. Good plannage,...and..and everything will be okay.., Right?...." It was more of a hopeful question that a statement.

"We need to make some further plans." Giles said sternly. It was all he had left to offer.


Buffy and Giles discussed strategy and ideas, laying the ground work for what they needed to do. Giles would have Willow, Lillia and Livia start researching protection spells, and Buffy would allow them to put some on the house, the shop, even Dawn's dorm room. William would have to be watched carefully, and his time out, after dark limited. If Buffy was not with him, another slayer would be, watching him at school, or after school, anytime Buffy wasn't there.

Buffy also made one other decision. Tomorrow, she would have to take a little trip. A trip that couldn't wait.

But tomorrow was tomorrow, and today was still Nov 3, and she pushed all thoughts from her mind and went outside to find her son.

Dawn, Willow, Livia, Mila, Lillia, and Clem were sitting around the back table, chatting and watching the scene before them. Mithril giggling on Livia's lap. William was still, or again, running from Xander.

"Can't catch me uncle Xander. Can't catch me. I'm too clever for you. Too clever, "William called.

"Too clever?? Too clever eh?" and with that Xander finally managed to grab hold of William. He spun him so that William was hanging upside down, Xander holding him by his feet inches above the ground.

"Who's too clever now blond boy eh?" Xander challenged.

"Me!" William shouted defiantly, not an once of fear in his eyes.

"Ohh yeah?.. Ohh,..yeah!" Xander said as he began to tickle William, who wriggled and squealed in his arms.

"Ya know Buf, ya should've named him Dennis, as in Menace, as in what you are. You... You.. little blond menace guy you..That's it! From now on your Dennis. Little Dennis guy. I have proclaimed, and it and it will be so"
.
"Nope, I'm William." He cried, laughing, struggling against his uncle's grasp.

"No. No No, your name's Dennis now! Dennis Xander! S'gota nice ring to it" Xander said.

"Dennis Giles Xander." Giles reminded. He stood beside Livia, one hand on her shoulder, as he leaned in to kiss Mithril's head.

"Yeah yeah, okay. So Dennis, what ya gotta say now?" Xander asked.

Always the defiant one, "I'm William!" he cried, "William, William, WILLIAM!"

"Yeah, who says?" Xander demanded.

"Mommy, and she the boss, nobody messes with my Mommy!" William said proudly.

"He's..err..got you there." remarked Clem.

Buffy could help but smile, her son... God, she loved her son. He was the love of her life, the joy of her world, her reason for being. He was heaven and home itself. He made her whole, and gave her a sense of pride, of accomplishment, of purpose, that nothing, not slaying, not saving the world, ever could.
And she will never let anything happen to him.





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