Disclaimer: Buffy, Willow, Angel, Xander, Giles, and the rest of the Sunnydale gang aren't mine. They belong to Joss and the nice people at Mutant Enemy. I'm not making any money off this so please don't sue. And please don't repost this without asking me first.
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Part Six
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A Life Less Ordinary
Brigid walked down the halls of Sunnydale High as if last night had never happened, though she was searching desperately for Justin. It was time to tell her father the whole truth, and time to tell Justin why her father had very different reasons than the norm for panicking about his daughter's involvement in a Pagan coven. Anyway, they needed Justin's talent, and she needed someone her own age to talk to.
"Ms. Giles." Came the _Voice_ from down the hall causing Brigid to nearly jump out of her skin. [Oh shit! Snyder! God please don't let him have another hoop for me... Wait a second. What _am_ I worrying about?] Brigid realized as she turned to face the man most of the school called "The little dictator". She had no reason to be afraid of him, he actually tolerated her. [Note to self: Personal time to sort through everything is a definite Good.], she thought with a sigh.
"Yes, sir?"
"I understand that both you and your father won't be in school this afternoon for 'personal reasons'. I'd like some details."
"No offense, sir, but personal reasons are just that, personal. Excuse me, I have a class to get to."
"Ms. Giles, I'm not finished with you. I want an explanation now. Or..." His expression became uncomfortably like a cat playing with a mouse. "I can have all your teachers mark you unexcused."
She silently counted to ten, and reminded herself that breaking her principal in half was not a good idea. Then she lied through her teeth. "If you have to know, my birth father is coming in from London this afternoon, and I have to go see him."
"And this is a valid reason for missing school, because?"
"Because my birth father will only be in during afternoon school hours, and if I don't see him, you can explain to the court the reason." Brigid knew the mention of any legal terminology and it's application to Snyder would cause him to back down like a house on fire.
"Oh, I see." Snyder was only partially successful in keeping the panic out of his voice. "Get to class, Ms. Giles."
* * *
It was third period before Justin had a chance to talk to Brigid. He had had some all together strange dreams last night, centering on her, which worried him to no end. He knew this was the first night she was actively hunting vampires, and he was praying to every divine entity he could think of that she was all right. He continued to fidget with the tarot cards in his hands as he sat on one of the lounge couches.
"Justin!" Brigid dropped into the seat next to him and smiled. "How are you?"
He was just about to yell at her when it hit him. Her aura had changed dramatically since he'd seen her yesterday. There were parts of her personality, which had been dormant before, that were now surfacing, integrating with, and strengthening the whole. The transformation was so astounding that he absently dropped a card. "What happened?" He ask when his voice finally returned.
Her smile faded, and for a moment there was something surrounding her, a self-possession that belonged on a woman twice her age. "I should have known better than to try to hide this from you, Justin." She paused and her smile returned, thought sadder than before, "Have I ever told you that I hate when you can read me like a book?"
"You've mentioned it." He said patiently, knowing she'd tell him in her own time.
"You're right, something did happen to me.... Goddess only knows how my life's been turned upside down, but it's not exactly something we should talk about here at school. Snyder's warpathing because Dad and I are taking some quality time this afternoon." Justin was aghast, Giles was actively letting Brigid ditch school? No, this was way past bad. It had to be a sign that the end of the world was coming, and he said as much.
Brigid didn't laugh. "You may be more right than you know. I'll explain everything tonight. Just meet me at my house at eight okay? I promise that we'll have all the pieces by then."
Justin watched her move away, then looked down to realize one of his cards was sitting face down on the floor. He picked it up and studied the image carefully. The depiction was of an angel riding a tongue of fire heavenward carrying a scythe in one hand and a lily in the other. Both the sun, and the moon were setting behind him and at his feet as he rose was a dying phoenix. He had been very proud of this image, and it was one of his favorite in the deck he had designed, but now it mocked him. Death...
* * *
Xander and Willow had walked to the ice cream parlor, hoping to give Giles and Brigid the time they needed to work through last night's revelations. Xander was worried about Brig, he'd always had a soft spot for her, and had appointed himself her protector early on after she had moved in with Giles. He still had to blink away the image of the fragile child at times. Willow nudged him, breaking his reverie.
"Doesn't this look familiar?", she asked as they moved down the sidewalk. "'In the few hours that we had together, we loved a lifetime's worth.'"
Xander looked over at his wife with a lopsided grin, "Terminator!" He paused a moment, then picked her up and sat her on the retaining wall that overlooked the cemetery. "You know we never finished that game because of all the interruptions, and since it's daylight I figure I'll pick up where we left off. 'Give me some sugar, baby'" He quoted and then kissed her deeply, still amazed how deep his love ran for her. It had taken him a long time to look past the childish possession of 'his Willow' to find the better part of himself in her.
She broke the kiss. "You're still worried about moving back here, aren't you?"
"You know me too well," he said as he sat down next to her. "Yeah, I'm worried. I look at what Giles has sacrificed, and I worry about what it might do to you. I'm scared about raising a family here. I mean do you want to risk having children on top of a Hellmouth?"
"Xander, we turned out okay, and so will our kids." She absently put a hand to her stomach. "And that's another thing I wanted to talk to you about..."
* * *
Rupert moved about the kitchen with economy. Even after all this time he still couldn't cook, but he could make a wonderful cup of tea. And so as the kettle boiled he prepared the tea for steeping, all the while lost in memories. It was strange, but he never put his finger on the moment he'd transformed from "cousin Rupert" to "Daddy" before, now though that moment came to him with perfect clarity. Dear heavens, how he'd been a bumbling fool back then, utterly unprepared for the task of raising a small child. Somehow how he managed to muddle through. Now though, he faced the worst test all parents faced... Letting go. The kettle whistled from it's place on the stove bringing Giles out from the refuge of memories. He finished the tea, placed the kettle, two cups, some strawberry jam and the sugar bowl on a tray and carried it to Brigid's room.
He knocked on the door. "Brigid?"
"Come on in, Dad." She looked up as he entered. Noting the tea she clapped in joy, "Ohhh, study break! Thanks, Dad."
Giles put the cup in front of her, and rolled his eyes as she sweetened her tea with the jam. "I still do not know where you picked that habit up. It's almost as bad as that sludge you drink at breakfast."
"Well, if you'd stop being so traditional I wouldn't have to drink the instant sludge, which of course is the real shame." She smiled as she sipped her tea. "Thanks, this feels wonderful."
Rupert looked over the book she was reading. "Blake?"
"Yeah, 'The Tyger' reminds me of a certain vampire we know."
"'Tyger, Tyger, burning bright, in the forests of the night. What immortal hand or eye dare frame thy fearful symmetry?'" Rupert nodded, "Yes, I can see how you could apply that to Angel." He stopped for a moment to collect himself. "He's what I wanted to talk to you about or at least a part of it."
"You're still worried about me being the Slayer, aren't you?" Then she chuckled. "Or is this another attempt at the birds and bees speech for you?"
He glared at her, "Brigid, this is serious. You could be killed!"
"I know. Believe me, I of all people, know how dangerous it is."
He looked in her eyes and saw a woman's self possession staring out of them. Willow had been right, all those years ago. The knowledge of who she was had aged Brigid, adding a mature edge to a too short life. [Damn it!] Giles thought to himself. [She doesn't deserve this. Can't she just stay a child for a little longer?]
"You know the saying about digging two graves when seeking revenge...?"
She shook her head. "Not revenge, Dad, justice. No one else should have to suffer what I have. Humans do enough evil to each other in this world, so if I can make a difference and stop the inhuman evil I'll willingly go to my death." She took another sip of tea and smiled reassuringly. "I don't plan on dying anytime soon though, so don't worry about picking me out a nice plot just yet. I still plan on seeing quite a few birthdays." There was no bravado in her voice, just a calm statement of fact. Then he caught the twinkle of laughter in her eyes as she changed the subject.
"So, what's up with you and Ms. Calendar? Do I need to be checking her out anytime soon?" His daughter grinned wickedly as he blushed.
"That's none of your business, young lady." He muttered.
"Of course it is. I need to make sure she's good enough for you. Seriously, though, I'm glad she came back. You need someone besides a fifteen year old to keep you company." She raised a hand to cut off his protest. "Don't try to deny it. I've seen you. Just because you're a Watcher doesn't mean you have to swear off family relationships." He glared at her and she smiled. "I know for a fact that had my birth father been semi human you would have shipped me off to him a long time ago. You're so damn scared of the pain you've tried to cloak yourself in loneliness. Well, sorry it doesn't work like that. People care about you and you can't crawl into a cave and hide from them."
"Who told you that?"
"You did. The day after I made a total ass out of myself and nearly got you, Willow, Ms. Calendar and Cordelia killed."
He remembered that day, but it hadn't been Brigid he had given that advice to. He sighed, conceding the argument to her. "How did you get so smart?" he asked in a resigned tone.
"Genetics."
End Chapter 6
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