The Balance: Part Seven
by Care
Willow looked in horror at her friend, "You mean because I didn't let you give Alex his powers, the world is going to end?"

"No. The world is going to end, because I didn't do my job."

"You're job was to give Alex his powers?"

"Yes."

"And you didn't because I wouldn't let you, so it's my fault."

"No. I didn't because I didn't want to steal my friend's child. I let my emotions get in the way and now life as we know it is about to end."

Buffy turned and entered the stacks to continue her research on the Hellmouth.


* * *
Hours later, when everyone had gone home to rest after a night of useless reflection, Buffy was still in the stacks looking through Giles' books.
She had no idea what she was looking for, but had a feeling that she would know when she found it.

It wasn't until an hour before dawn, when she did.

The answer to her current problem was in her own mind.

She had to get to Alex before the sun rose.


* * *
Willow awoke to the sound of stairs creaking and groaning.

At first she thought it was Oz, but she turned and saw her husband asleep beside her.

She listened to the silence in the night and heard another sound. This time it was a click of a door closing.

"Oz," she whispered, trying to wake her husband.

"What is it baby?" he groaned.

"I think someone's in the house."

"What?"

"Someone's in the house."

Oz awoke completely and got up. He quietly opened his bedroom door and listened for a sound in the hallway.

He heard it. It was the sound of someone whispering and a baby cooing.

"What is it Oz?"

"Shh! He's in the nursery."

"Alex!"

Oz stepped out of his bedroom and then opened quietly crept across the hall. When he got to the door of the nursery, he pushed it opened and saw Buffy holding his son.

"You didn't have to break into my house to hold my son, you know," he said smoothly.

"Didn't want to wake you. Needed to see the kid before I left."

Willow, who was right behind him, asked, "Left where?"

"Left Sunnydale. I have to go to England. Get the watcher's council awake and prepare them for an apocalypse."

"I thought you said there wasn't anything we could do?" Oz inquired.

"There wasn't. Now there's something I need to ask of them."

"What?"

"I can't tell you."

Willow was hurt that her friend couldn't confide in her and that led to anger, "Why? Why can't you tell me? You use to tell me everything. Now you won't even tell me where you've been or even that you're leaving, unless we force it out of you. What is so important that you can't tell me?"

"Because if I do, you'll regret ever knowing me."

"I think I already do," Willow whispered.

"I do too, Willow. I do too." With that, Buffy got up, handed Alex to his mother and said one last thing, "I must be getting rusty in my old age. 'Cause I use to be able to get anywhere without a sound."

Buffy left the room and with a tone that no one would've heard, she whispered, "Don't forget what I told you, Alex," before leaving the house.

She had to hurry. She had places to go and things to do.

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