Prologue....

New York City, 1977.

Night time in the city known as the Big Apple, New York City, was alive with activity as it always is.  People moving back and forth through the city's streets without much cares in the world.  No one really worried about anything other than their own enjoyment.

And seeing a woman running down a mostly empty alley was not much of a surprise and neither was the fact that she was screaming for help from people who could care less about someone they didn't know.  But a woman did run, and run hard she did.  She had been running from the menace that chased her for over twenty minutes now, but she knew that the person was still chasing her.  She could hear the footsteps getting closer to her now and she tried to speed up her steps, but that's when she felt two hands wrap into her shirt and toss her to the ground roughly.

The woman's hands immediately went to her stomach and she went with the momentum, rolling around until she landed on her back and she slowly sat back up after a moment, seeing the being there watching her with hungry and menacing eyes.  She tried not to let her fright show, but it was hard.  Very hard.  And she knew he saw it, he felt it radiating off her.

The man in front of her wore a black pair of jeans with a black shirt with white designs over it.  He had a long black leather trenchcoat over his shoulders and he smiled widely at her.  Short blonde hair adorned his head.  "Now don't you worry, sweet thing," the man told her, "this won't hurt....much." with that, the man's face changed.  It morphed into the face that the woman recognized as the look of a vampire.  The eyes were a deadly yellow color and his fangs were evident as he stepped towards her.

The woman grabbed a wood stick and threw it at her attacker, but the vampire knocked it away with his hand.  He reached down and straddled her hips, holding her face to one side.  He opened his mouth wide, his fangs gleaming in the moonlight as it shined over them and the vampire sank his fangs into the woman's throat, drinking the rich fluid from her body.  He didn't care about the fact that the woman was carrying a child.  He didn't care that there might be consequences later on down the road for this one act.  All he cared about was the delicious taste of her blood as he drank from her.

But consequences there would be.  Because his one act of violence here would come back to haunt him in twenty five years time.  And for the vampire William the Bloody, also known as Spike, his life would get much more complicated by then.

Part 1

Tara Maclay sat at one of the square tables at UC Sunnydale's cafeteria.  She was sitting alone and having a little lunch meal while she read her notes.  She was going over the notes from her Composition class and she had a test in the next week over the last six chapters and the blonde was trying to organize her notes.  She had never been any good at taking down notes and she knew Willow would help her out with it later.

Pausing in her reading as she took a sip of her soda, Tara's mind drifting to a couple days earlier and the surprise that she'd felt then.  It had been two days earlier when a letter had arrived at the house addressed to her and the letter had been from her father.  Her father wanted to have a reconciliation with her and Tara had mixed feelings about it.

On one side, she wanted to believe that her father was truly sincere in his letter and she hoped to have a reconciliation with him.  But the realist in her knew her father.  And that part of her knew that he always had something else up his sleeve.  He sent that letter to her in hopes that she'd lower her defenses enough for him to succeed in whatever he was going to do.  That's what she was thinking mostly.  She hoped that it was wrong, but a tiny part of her doubted it.

She kept her left hand lying on her lap as her thumb gently rubbed over the gold band of her engagement ring.  She wondered what her father was going to say when she told him about her and Willow and their engagement.  Part of her didn't really care about his thoughts, but a bigger part of her wanted his approval.  She also knew that he was very conservative and he frowned severly on any alternative lifestyle.  That's one of the reason for his distaste for magic.

Tara had her hair combed back and hung freely over her shoulders, but she did have three small braids on each side of her face hanging down.  She was wearing a light blue short sleeved top that was cut just above her chest.  She wore a deep crimson colored skirt with different flowery patterns all over it.  It was a combination she liked very much.  And she knew Willow loved all her long skirts.  Tara smirked inwardly, remembering a very heated conversation she and Willow had recently about all her skirts.

The redhead had told Tara that she loved to make love with Tara while she wore the skirts.  It was one of Willow's more private fantasies.  And Tara liked to sometimes give her lover some memories of those skirts as well.  She shook her head.  She really needed to concentrate on her studying.

Just then, she felt a familiar tingle race up her spine that she usually got just before the redhead came into her peripheral vision.  Looking up, Tara smiled as Willow came around the corner and entered the cafe.  The redhead made a beeline for her immediately and came over, giving her lover a kiss on the lips before sitting down across from her.  She'd been doing that a lot lately.  Giving the blonde kisses while they were out in public.  Part of her wondered if it was the pregnancy that was doing it but either way, Tara didn't mind.

"Hey." Tara greeted her.

"Hi." Willow returned the greeting, sitting down across from her.

The redhead was wearing a light blue pair of jeans with a navy blue button up short sleeved shirt on tucked into the jeans.  Willow leaned forward on the table with her elbows resting on the table.  "Whatcha doing?" she asked.

Tara looked at her notes.  "Trying to get ready for that exam I have next week."

"Want some help?  We can work on it tonight." Willow suggested.

Tara looked at her notebook, then at Willow's smiling face and she couldn't help smiling back.  "Alright, we can work on this tonight."

"Good." Willow looked satisfied.

Tara leaned back in her seat.  "So um.....have you thought of any names?"

"Names?" Willow raised her brows.

"Yeah....you know....baby names?" Tara bit her bottom lip to keep from smiling.  She'd spent the better part of yesterday and today thinking about their first child and names for the child.  Apart from her father's letter that is.

Willow grinned.  "Oh!  Yeah, I've been thinking about a few names."

"So have I." Tara admitted.  "Actually, I have a bunch.  Some boy names and some girl names.  Cause we really don't know the sex yet."

Willow leaned back.  "You know something, I have a really strong feeling that it's a girl."

Tara's eyebrows rose.  "A girl?"

"A girl." Willow agreed.

"What makes you so sure?" Tara asked.

Willow laced her fingers together at her lap.  "I don't know, it's just a really strong feeling I keep getting whenever I think about it.  I just really think it's a girl."

Tara nodded.  "Alright, tell you what.  I don't have another class till four, so how about we go find a good shaded bench to sit on and we can talk about the baby stuff."

"Sounds good to me." Willow replied as she rose, picking up her bag as she did.

Tara put her things in her bag and the two witches soon left the cafe, heading towards a shaded bench to sit and talk about possible names for their first child together.

---**---

Jacob was in the back training room at the Magic Box.  He had his usual black pants on and he had a black sleeveless tank top on as he moved his body up and down.  He usually liked to do his exercises at least twice a day to keep his strength and conditioning up.  He usually found a place out in the sun to do them, but since coming to Sunnydale, he'd changed his usual routine quite a bit.  Now, he found himself using the training room to do his usual exercises.  And lately, his exercises consisted of many sparring sessions with someone who's strength matched his own.

And that brought his thoughts to the Slayer.  He had so many swirling emotions going through his head right now.  He'd kept his distance the last two days since Buffy had told him about the vampire called Spike.  She'd told him about the attempted sexual attack and the obsession.  But mostly, it was the fact that Buffy was sure it was Spike that was the vampire he'd been searching for.

Jacob had spent his entire life fighting vamps and demons, just hoping to have a chance at finding the one responsible for his curse as he thought of it.  But lately, his thoughts were not on his quest, rather on the future he could have with Buffy.  He felt that if he abandoned his quest, it would somehow dishonor his mother's memory and he didn't want that.  But he wasn't sure what he should do now.

On one hand, he could end his quest by seeking out Spike and ending it once and for all.  But, Jacob really wanted to believe that he'd changed since coming to Sunnydale and if he went off and did that, it would prove that he hadn't changed at all.  And then there was the way he felt about Buffy.  Jacob could no longer deny it to himself.  He was in love with the Slayer.  It wasn't something he'd come to this town looking for but it was something that had just happened without him realizing it.  He loved Buffy and he knew she had strong feelings for him.

So that left one question in Jacob's mind.  What was more important, Buffy or fulfilling his quest?  As he did his pushups, he let that question mull over in his mind.  There was fresh sweat cascading down his skin as he continued to move his upper body up and down.  He heard the door to the training room open and close, but he didn't look up.  He knew who it was by the sound of the footsteps.  He did five more pushups before he stopped and sat back on his knees.  "Hello Rupert." Jacob said.

"Jacob." Giles said, walking closer to the Daywalker.  Giles was dressed in his usual sparring gear he wore when he sparred with Buffy.  A sweatshirt with a pair of jeans.

Jacob studied him for a moment before rising.  "Something on your mind?"

Giles hesitated for a moment.  "Actually, I'm worried about you."

Jacob grabbed a fluffy white towel and began rubbing the sweat off his arms.  "You're worried about me?"

Giles nodded.  "Yes.  I know Buffy's told you about her history with Spike and I know she's told you that she thinks Spike's the one you've sought."

"And?"

Giles picked up two swords from the back wall.  He tossed one to Jacob.  The Daywalker caught it and the two clashed the swords together for a few moments.  "I'm just wondering....what are you going to do?" Giles said.

Jacob parried a few more sword thrusts with Giles.  "What do you mean?" he evaded the question.

Giles stopped the sword clashing.  "Don't avoid the question, Jacob!" he snapped.  "You are in a very delicate situation right now."

Jacob let the sword fall to his side.  "I know.  I've been thinking about it for a while now.  To be honest, I don't know what to do.  I mean, I have what I've always wanted.  I know who attacked my mother when she was carrying me and part of me is just itching to leave this town and find him.  Find him and take out my aggressions on him and end this quest."

Giles stayed still as Jacob looked at the floor.  "But..."

Jacob sighed heavily.  "But, there's a complication in my life now that I never expected to have.  Something I didn't realize I wanted until it happened."

"What's that?" Giles asked.

Jacob looked at the sword in his right hand.  "A future." he said softly.  "I won't bother denying it anymore." he looked at Giles eyes, knowing the Watcher's thoughts and feelings about the Slayer.  "Rupert, I love Buffy.  I do.  I never expected to fall in love with anyone, let alone her.  So, with her......I could have a future to look forward to and that's something I've never had.  And I know that if I settle down and have that future, I'll have to abandon that quest I've been on for so long."

Giles put his sword back on the far wall.  "I guess the question you have to ask yourself right now is....do you love Buffy enough to do that?"

Jacob looked away, turning his back on the Watcher.  He didn't know the answer to that question.  Not yet anyway.

Giles sighed sadly and watched Jacob keep his face from him.  Giles opened his mouth to say something, but he closed it.  Jacob had to make this decision on his own.  He turned and left the Daywalker in the training room with nothing more than his thoughts.

---**---

Most of the remainder of the day passed without much incident and the entire gang retired to the Magic Box, instead of the Summers House.  Buffy, Jacob, Giles and Dawn were sitting around the round table.  Dawn was working on her homework while Buffy and Jacob were looking through different books.  Giles was merely writing notes down from other books.

Xander was standing at the counter with Anya, putting things away behind the counter.  The two witches were in the back, putting new boxes of magic books away.  They were all in their own conversations and the shop was mostly silent.  There were a few customers looking through the shop as well.

"Here," Anya said, handing Xander a set of vials that held powders within them.  Xander took the vials and carefully put them away.

Xander turned back around and Anya handed him more vials and other items that they both began storing away.  This continued for a few more minutes as the others kept quiet and to themselves.  Buffy and Jacob were going to head out for patrol in a couple hours, or once it started getting dark.  The plan was for them to walk Dawn, Willow, and Tara back to the house before they did go on patrol.

The bell at the front door chimed as the door opened and a man entered.  The man had only been in the Magic Box two times before and both times had been bad experiences for the man.  His eyes scanned the faces until he spotted the face he'd come here looking for.

As soon as Buffy raised her eyes to the newcomer, her expression hardened.  "Oh crap." she muttered.

Jacob looked at the newcomer with an open expression.  "What?"

"Trouble." Dawn said as she looked at the man.

Xander and Anya had, of course, seen the man and the two of them stayed quiet.  Giles looked at the man before he turned to look at Willow and Tara.  The witches' attention had been drawn to the man as soon as he had entered.  Tara slowly stood up from her place at the floor she and Willow had been sitting at, looking through different books.  She took careful steps forward, knowing the others were not far behind.

"Dd.....dad." Tara stuttered.

Richard Maclay gave her a small smile.  Then it left his face as he looked over her shoulders to see identical looks of coldness and harsh expressions on their faces.  He pursed his lips.  He had been expecting this kind of response from them, considering what had happened last time, but he had hoped that his daughter would at least give him a chance.

"Here's my girl." Richard Maclay said, taking one of the steps downward into the lower part of the shop.  He stopped a few feet from her.

Tara hesitated a moment before she stepped forward and slowly, awkwardly gave her father an embrace.  He returned it with awkward moments, patting her shoulders before stepping back.  She stepped back to where she'd stood.  "I...I I I got your letter." Tara said to her father.

Tara's father nodded, staying right where he was.  His eyes kept flickering to the others nervously.  He blinked a few times.  "Yes....I'm hoping we can have a chance to talk Tara.  There is much I need to tell you."

Tara looked around before looking back at him.  "Alright," she said, "I'll...um....meet you for lunch tomorrow at that Italian restaurant, Antonio's.  Okay?"

Richard nodded.  "Very well.  I'll see you tomorrow Tara." he said just before he turned.  One of the last things he saw before he left the shop was the ring on her ring finger of her left hand.  He knew what kind of ring that was and immediately, his interest in it was peaked.  He'd find out tomorrow who the man in her life was.

As soon as the door closed behind him, Tara's shoulders slumped.  While they'd been taught with tension only moments before, now they were slumped, the tension leaving them.  Seeing her lover's shoulders slump, Willow moved forward and wrapped the fingers of her right hand around Tara's left forearm, squeezing gently.

Tara turned to her, looking like she was in a daze.  "Hey."

"You okay?" Willow asked in a low voice.

Tara nodded quickly as the two rejoined the others.

"You alright, Tara?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, I'm good." Tara answered, sitting down at the round table.

The group settled back down as silence reigned throughout the shop once again.

---**---

Richard Maclay entered the hotel room he was staying at for the night and sat down at the bumpy old bed that was provided.  Because of his limited wealth, Tara's father could only afford a certain type of hotel room.  He took his jacket off and tossed it on the bed behind him.  He stared at the wall in front of him for several seconds before doing anything.

He'd come to Sunnydale because he believed the time was right to mend things with Tara.  He'd left this city without her and had his lies proven to her.  Yes he'd convinced her she would become a demon by a certain age, but in his mind, he'd done it so he wouldn't lose her.  Richard Maclay had seen so many families fall apart because the fathers allowed their children to go off and live whatever lives they wanted.

When he'd allowed Tara to leave their home, it had always been understood that when the time came, she would return.  And it had been his surprise when he had to come to Sunnydale and eventually face off against Tara and her new friends, which by then had become her new family.  He hadn't wanted to leave her there.  He'd wanted to force her to return with him and Donny to their farm, but naturally, things didn't turn out the way he'd wanted.

He sighed.  He had one purpose for being in this town.  And that was to mend things between him and Tara.  But he had a few different reasons for wanting to clear things with Tara.  He let his mind drift over those reasons.  By the time he left Sunnydale, he hoped to have cleared things between him and Tara.

Reaching over, he picked up the phone that was in the room and he dialed a number he knew.  It rang three times before a voice answered.

"Yes, I'm here." Richard Maclay said.  He waited a moment before speaking again.  "Yes, I've seen her."

There were a few moments of silence as he listened to the person on the other end.

"I'm having lunch with Tara tomorrow." Mr. Maclay continued.  "Don't worry, I plan to tell her tomorrow.  Right, I'll see you then."

He hung the phone up and then grabbed his jacket from the bed and slowly let his body lie down on it as he relaxed.

---**---

Around eleven pm, the gang were back at their homes.  Anya was staying at the hotel she'd been staying at, Xander headed back to his house for the night, Buffy, Dawn, Willow, and Tara were at the House.  Jacob headed to the apartment he'd started renting only weeks before.  They were all getting ready for bed.

In the witches' room, Willow was getting ready for bed.  She pulled on one of her oversized white t-shirts she usually wore at night and sat down on her side of the bed.  Tara was downstairs saying goodnight to everyone and the redhead hadn't been able to get her lover to talk ever since her father had showed up at the Magic Box.  It had been the first time since they'd reconciled that Tara had been reluctant to talk about whatever was bothering her.  And Tara's reluctance was something Willow wasn't liking one bit.

After a few more moments of silence, the door opened and Tara entered, wearing her white silk nightgown.  She had her hair combed back and she walked to the bed, sitting down on her side as she got ready for bed.  Willow watched her back while Tara got ready.  "You okay?" Willow queried from behind her.

Tara turned to look at her.  "Yeah, I'm fine."

Willow pursed her lips, debating on whether or not she should push.  She decided to push.  "Tara, I know you're upset.  Do you want to talk about it?"

She saw Tara's upper body stiffen at the words.  "There's nothing to talk about." Tara said, breathing deeply.

Willow moved from her side to the bed.  She sat up and scooted over until she was sitting behind Tara, her legs on either side of the blonde.  She wrapped her arms around Tara's middle and rested her chin on Tara's right shoulder.  She smiled in relief when she felt the blonde relax into the embrace.  The door was still open, but Willow didn't care.  She knew they needed to have this conversation out right now.

"Tara, don't shut me out.  Please don't." Willow said in a low tone.

Tara closed her eyes.  "I don't mean to, I just don't wanna talk about my father."

"Why not?" Willow probed.

Tara sighed.  "Willow, don't you dare sit here and tell me you don't know!"

The redhead gave her lover a squeeze. "I know.  I just know this is upsetting you.  And when you're upset, I'm upset."

Tara dropped her head back on Willow's shoulder.  "I just wish I knew what he wanted."

Willow rubbed Tara's arms.  "Maybe he really wants to make things right between you."

"Maybe," Tara replied, "but I doubt it.  He's always had an ulterior motive.  I'm sure he'll have one here."

Behind her, Willow's face changed into a frown.  "Tara, are you so sure about him that you're not going to even give him a chance?  I mean, it's possible that he does want to make things better."

Rising from the embrace, Tara walked over to the window and looked out.  The same window that had almost separated them forever.  Tara shivered at the emotions that thinking about all that brought back up.  "Will, I want to believe my father was good intentions.  I really do, but I can't help but think he's got another reason to be here.  I can't shake it."

Willow watched her with sad eyes.  "Then, don't try to.  Go to lunch tomorrow and keep your guard up.  Listen to what he wants and if he is sincere about it, you'll know."

Tara walked back over to her fiancée and she, without speaking, straddled her lover's hips.  Willow let her body fall back on the mattress, Tara's body pressing down over her as their lips met.  Tara was content to let the subject of her father stay out of her mind for the night as she claimed her lover's body and Willow claimed hers.

---**---

The vampire named Spike entered his crypt followed by four demons.  He wore his usual getup.  His long black leather coat was over his black shirt with the red button up shirt over that and his black jeans.  He walked over and poured himself a glass of wine he had as the four demons walked into the lower part of his crypt.  Spike had told his demony pal Clem to hit the road because the demons that were here were very dangerous and Spike did like Clem, so he made sure the wrinkly demon wasn't here.

The demons were M'Fashnick demons, the same breed as the one that the Geek Trio had hired to rob the bank.  The demons looked around the dwelling of the vampire with uninterested eyes.  They all looked similar to each other, with the same type skin and scales with the only differences being various face changes.  All four of them carried weapons.

One carried a broadsword attached to his back, inside of a sheath.  Another carried a thick chain and several small sharp daggers.  A third one carried a chain with a steel ball with spikes protruding around it and the last one carried two steel posts at his sides that connected to form a double sharp edged spear.  The four of them stared at the vampire as he downed the glass of wine.

Spike turned to them.  "Don't wanna sit?"

The leader, Spike assumed, of the four stepped up.  It was the one with the long broadsword.  "You came to us, remember, Spike?"

"Of course I remember, mate." Spike answered.

"You wanted us to come here, so get to talkin." the leader of the four said.

Spike nodded as he pulled his jacket off and put it on his chair.  He walked over and opened the tomb that was near the far wall.  Reaching inside, he pulled out a small black case.  He knew that all M'Fashnick demons robbed and pillaged for the highest bidder and Spike had the best thing that the demons would want.  "I have a mission I need you boys to take care of." Spike said.  He handed the black case to the demon.

Taking it in his clawed hands, he opened the case, his three friends looking at the case.  Inside the case in the center of it was a solid gold bar.  They looked at it for several seconds before they looked at Spike, who was watching them with expressionless eyes.

"What is it you want Spike?" the leader asked.

Spike poured himself another glass of wine.  "There's someone who'll be passing through this very cemetery tomorrow night.  I want you to kill him.  I don't care how clean you do it or how messy you do it.  Just make sure you do it."

The leader of the four closed the black case.  "Very well.  You have paid us a great amount and we will take care of this problem.  Who is it that you want us to take out?"

Spike downed the second glass of wine.  He pulled out a photograph and handed it to the leader.  "I want you to take out this man."

On the photo was a picture of Jacob.

---**---

Buffy opened her eyes as the new day dawned all over the city.  Bright sunshine shown over her eyes and it made her squint her eyes.  She sighed as she sat up in her bed and looked around.  The clock on her dresser told her it was nine thirty and she wasn't surprised at the time.  She had been sleeping a little later in the mornings lately.  She didn't have to work until noon and she'd get off work at seven.  That was the new arrangement she'd made.  Seven hour shifts were better for her.  She had the weekends off so she could have quality time with her sister.  And she'd spend the next couple hours out on patrol, so all was good in that part of her life.

She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stretched her arms out.  Sometimes she really hated doing her job.  Slinging burgers was not all it was cracked up to be in Buffy's estimation.  To her, about the only good thing about it was she got to meet the most interesting people.  Like Sophie for instance, that girl had so many problems it was a wonder to Buffy that her head didn't explode.  But, of course, there was a huge downside to her working schedule.

She hadn't had much time to be a good friend to her friends.  She knew Willow and Tara were already at the University for classes and Dawn was already at the High School, so the house was empty unless Giles had dropped by to wait for her to get up.  She knew Xander was busy with his newest construction job, so she couldn't go see him and she was never any good at talking to Anya, so she couldn't go over to the Magic Box unless someone else was there.

Buffy got up and ran her hands through her curly blonde hair as she walked towards the bathroom.  She showered and cleaned her body before she wrapped herself in one of her terrycloth robes and headed back to her room.  She pulled out a pair of her blue jeans and a long sleeved white top and pulled them over her body.  Grabbing her gold crucifix necklace, she pulled the chain over her neck.  She then walked in front of her dresser's mirror and pulled her hair back into a single ponytail.  With that done, she pulled her shoes and socks on and grabbed her leather jacket as she headed downstairs.  As she thought, Giles was downstairs waiting for her.

"What are you doing here Giles?" Buffy asked once she was down.

The Watcher had his hands in his pockets as he looked at her.  He actually had a good normal reason for being her today.  He had made a personal agreement to himself.  He knew that with Willow and Tara's situation no longer a worry, he should go ahead and go back to England, but he wanted to wait and see how things were going to work out for Jacob and Buffy.  Although he personally thought their getting together could be a disaster, if it was what they wanted to do, he wouldn't leave until he was sure they were happy.

"I'm here to see how you're doing, actually." Giles answered.

Buffy's eyebrows quirked.  "Um, I'm okay Giles."

Giles nodded, not moving from where he was standing.  Buffy didn't move as well, but she did watch him like a hawk.  Whenever she and Giles had private talks in the past, it had always been forthcoming, but Giles looked very nervous and the Slayer wanted to know why.

"Giles, what's the real reason you're here?" she tried to be aggressive.

Giles looked at her.  "Alright," he said, "I'm concerned about you and your relationship with Jacob."

"I knew it," she muttered under her breath, "why are you so bothered by us possibly getting together?"

Giles's entire face tensed at the words.  He knew the issue of his personal thoughts on this matter would one day be confronted by one of them, he just hoped he'd have more time.  He knew that looking into Buffy's eyes that if he didn't answer her now, it would put a wall between the two that Giles didn't want there.  So, he decided to just be as honest as he could.  He took his glasses off as he answered her.  "Buffy," he said, "it's not anything personal against you or Jacob, it's just you're the Slayer.  He's the Daywalker.  For centuries, those two Prophesized Ones have never even met let alone been involved in a relationship."

"And?" Buffy was impatient.

"Let me put it this way," Giles said, "if the Council knew his feelings for you and your feelings for him, they'd be here at once to permamantly remove one of you."

Buffy sucked in a breath.  "Giles, are you saying that they'd....do something?"

Giles pursed his lips.  "Buffy, what I'm saying is.....they don't even know Jacob's here.  If they did, they'd do whatever they had to do to make sure you two couldn't get together."

"Why does the Council care whether or not me or Jacob get together?  It's not going to affect the whole Slayer heritage.  I mean, when I die or Faith dies, another Slayer'll be called." Buffy argued.

"It's not the same with Jacob, though." Giles replied.  "The Council fears the possibilities that would be created if you two were to share a child together.  A child that was borne by a Slayer, but would have vampire traits is something the Council would not allow to live.  That's why I am so worried about both of you trying a relationship.  The Council doesn't know about Jacob being here, the last they heard about the Daywalker's whereabouts was when Jacob was in Los Angeles."

"He was in LA?" Buffy asked, surprised.  She wondered if he crossed paths with Angel and his crew.

"Yes, for a few weeks he was, then he came here." Giles replied. "But that's why I'm so worried about the both of you.  I don't want to see him hurt, or you.  And if the Council learns of any of this, they'll come here to remove one of you."

Buffy looked around her home in silence.  She slipped her jacket on and waited several long seconds before she said anything.  Then she looked back at her Watcher and the man she's come to rely on as her foster father or adopted father.  "Have you told Jacob any of this?"

Giles looked at her.  "Buffy, I don't need to.  Jacob's known about their rules concerning the Daywalker and Slayer all along.  He just has himself convinced he can face whatever they'll do."

She nodded.  "I need some time to think."

She walked out, leaving Giles standing in the living room in absolute silence.

---**---

Tara nervously fiddled with her fingers as she sat at one of the booths inside Antonio's, one of Sunnydale's best Italian restaurants.  She wore her black dress pants and a pink long sleeved top.  The top was low cut just above her chest and she wore one of her necklaces.  She had her hair pulled back into the normal ponytail she sometimes likes to have her hair in.

When she'd woken up this morning, she had debated on wearing this ring to her meeting with her father, but in the end she knew that she didn't want to hide her relationship with Willow from her father, so she chose to wear the dolphin engagement ring.  She took a sip of the ice water the waitress had brought her as she nervously waited for her father to show up.  It was just now nearing noon and she'd been here only a few minutes.

Tara felt a sudden feeling in the pit of her stomach that meant one thing.  It was the feeling she got whenever her father was near.  SHe turned her head a fraction to the left and she saw him walking towards her.  She took several deep breaths as he slowly eased into the seat in front of her.  Without speaking, he picked up the menu and began looking through it as he made his selection.

The waitress came a moment later and he made his order and Tara made hers.  With the waitress gone, they were left in silence.

"Tara." Richard Maclay said with a small nod.

Tara nodded at her father.  "Ddad."

Mr. Maclay stared at her for a few moments.  "You're looking well, Tara."

She'd expected a lot of things from him, but a compliment wasn't one of them.  "Th...thanks."

Andrew Maclay looked at her in silence for a few moments.  "Tara, I'm not going to beat around the bush.  I know I did horrible things to you in your childhood and there isn't any way to make up for them, so I'm not going to try.  What I am here for is.....I want a chance to be in your life now.  I am hoping to have the chance to have a fresh start with you now.  That's all."

Tara looked at him with uncertainty clouding her features.  Part of her was hoping these words were the truth and that he really did want to be in her life again.  But a bigger part of her still remembered all the belittling he'd done to her during her childhood and all the putdowns he'd allowed Donny to do to her and she couldn't forget them.  "How am I supposed to believe that you're being truthful?" she asked after a few moments.

He looked at the table.  "You may not like it, but I guess you're going to have to trust me.  I know I messed up with you Tara, but I meant what I wrote to you.  No matter what, you are still my daughter and I do love you.  Tara, I want to say this to you and this is the absolute truth.  I am disgusted by witchcraft.  I was disgusted by your mother's use of magic and I'm disgusted by your being a witch.  I can't hide that, so I won't lie about it.  But I was never disgusted by you or your mother."

Tara swallowed, feeling a lump rise in her throat whenever she thought of her mother.  She could still remember being with her mother in the astral plain.  She listened as he continued his words.

"I loved your mother, Tara.  I did, I just hated that one part of her that would always belong to witchcraft.  And I made you believe you were a demon all those years because.....because I was afraid that I would lose you.  I've seen so many families get torn apart because of outside influences and I didn't want that to happen to you and me."

It would be so easy for the blonde to just lean forward and hug him and pretend that a new start was the best thing for them.  But there was still one thing that Tara needed settled before she could consider a reconciliation with her father.  "What about Donny and cousin Beth?  I remember the last time you three were here.  You wanted me to come home to take care of you.  Am I wrong in thinking that that's not a loving thing a father would do?"

Tara's father looked back at her and the blonde was surprised.  She was seeing clear regret in his eyes and on his face.  Seeing that emotion surprised her and made her think that her father really was sincere.  He rested his hands on the table.  "As I said Tara, I've done things to you or allowed things to happen to you that shouldn't have.  I should never have told you that you were a demon.  I shouldn't have let Donny belittle you and I shouldn't have made you the slave of the house after your mother was gone.  Those are things that I will always regret."

Tara stared at him, looking for any sign of deceit, but finding none.  She remained silent as the waitress returned and brought their lunches to them.  They were both silent as they began eating their lunch.  After a few minutes of silence, Tara finally spoke again.  "Okay." she said slowly.

He looked at her while chewing a bite of his meal.  "Okay what?"

She pursed her lips, a decision made.  "Okay, we'll have a fresh start beginning right now."

He smiled very little, relieved beyond words at hearing her say that.  "Thank you.  That's all I can ask for."

She nodded as she continued with her meal.

---**---

Buffy entered the Magic Box and walked inside.  Anya was behind the counter, attending to a few different patrons.  Giles was by the round table, working on the inventory list for the new additions.  Even though he was no longer owner, he still felt the need to help out where he could, since he couldn't find anything else to do.  The Slayer walked over to him.

He looked up at her as she neared him.  "Buffy."

"Hey Giles." Buffy said, her voice calm.  She had been doing a lot of thinking about what Giles had told her.  And the decision she had made didn't put her at ease much, but it was the only choice for either her or Giles.

"So, have you thought about what I told you?" Giles asked, putting the inventory list down.

"Giles, I have done nothing but think about it." Buffy replied, her voice harsh.

"And?" he replied just as harshly.

Anya walked over, her movements quick.  "Hey!  You two keep it down, you're scaring my customers away!"

Giles walked away from the round table, Buffy following behind.  "And?"

"Giles, what it really comes down to is that the decision is not yours to make, it's not even the Council's.  The decision on whether or not we are together is ours.  It's mine and it's Jacob's.  And if the Council decides to stick their unwanted asses in our business, we'll deal with it." she said.  "Giles, I sacrificed my happiness with Angel because I knew it wouldn't work.  I have a real chance with Jacob and I don't want to mess it up.  I won't mess it up."

Giles nodded after a moment.  "Alright, I'll do my best to keep the Council from knowing about Jacob's presence here, but they'll find out eventually.  And when they do, they will most likely send someone or a group.  If they do that, you need to be prepared for the consequences."

"Don't worry, I will." Buffy replied.  "Is he here?"

Giles nodded.  "Yes, he's in the training room."

Without speaking, Buffy turned and headed to the training room.  Giles watched her go, his eyes and face pensive as he did so.

She entered the training room in silence.  Jacob was there, just standing in the center of the room, his back to her.  His entire body was relaxed and she realized he was in one of his meditative states he sometimes did when he had too much on his mind.  She kenw his main problem right now was the whole Spike situation and she had to admit she was still thinking about the blonde vampire, only the thoughts of the pain and betrayal were lessoning.  She knew that even if Jacob wasn't in the picture, her days with Spike were over.

Jacob, after a few moments, tensed his body up as he took a deep breath, coming out of the meditation.  He slowly turned and saw Buffy standing there, watching him.  He put his hands on his hips.  "What's going on?" he asked.

She shook her head.  "Nothing much.  I was just wondering where you were, that's all."

He looked at the blue mat.  "I've been back here, just trying to clear my head.  I've had a lot to think about.  Rupert and I had a talk earlier and he made me realize something."

"What's that?" Buffy asked, walking closer.

"A choice." Jacob replied, "He told me that I needed to make a choice about my future.  The future path my life can take.  And he was right.  I needed to make a choice and I have."

Buffy froze in place. She realized instantly what the choice meant.  It was either a future with her or his mission against Spike.  She knew her life was about to shift and she didn't know if she was ready for it.  "You...you have?"

He nodded.  All he was wearing was a pair of black sweats and a sleeveless tank top.  "What it came down to for me was how important my mission was to me now?" he said.

She stayed frozen as he picked up his towel and began to wipe his arms with it.

"Buffy," Jacob said, stepping closer to her, "I can't lie to you, and I can't lie to myself.  When we first met, I felt an attraction to you that I hadn't felt for anyone.  Try as hard as I did, I couldn't shake it.  Then, that attraction turned to something much more dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Buffy asked, staying still as he came closer.

He nodded, "dangerous." he took a deep breath and hoped he wasn't wrong.  "Buffy, I love you.  I don't know when it happened, but somewhere along the line it did, and I can't ignore it.  My mission was the most important thing to me for a long time.  But now, compared to you, it's.....it just isn't as important as it was.  I'll honor my mother's memory by keeping her alive in here." he tapped his chest.  "But I want a life with you.  And I say, screw the Council, screw Spike, screw them all.  I want to be with you, if you'll be with me."

The Slayer closed her eyes, hearing the words she had been hoping to hear for so very long.  She didn't speak for several moments, she couldn't.  The emotions swirling in her at the words were much too powerful.  So, she just didn't speak.  She opened her eyes and without speaking, she smiled and threw her arms around his shoulders and pressed her lips against his, finding his mouth just as eager to move against hers as hers were to his.

---**---

Tara drank the last sip of her soda as she watching her father finish his meal.  Not much else had been said between them.  They had talked a little, though.  He'd asked her about her life in Sunnydale and she'd told him about it.  About her friends, about school, about most things.  She kept quiet about Willow and her earlier death because she wasn't sure about how he would react about it.  She knew he'd ask about the ring because he'd been glancing at it for a few moments.

"So um..." he said, "I heard this story some months back."

"What story?" she asked him.

He stared right at her, his voice staying calm and even, although a bit crispy.  "That you were shot and buried in the Earth some time ago."

Tara froze.  "Wh....where did you hear that?"

"Is it true?" he ignored her question.

Taking a deep breath, she nodded.  "Yes, it's true.  The guy that shot me is dead though."

Richard Maclay looked down.  "Dead?"

"Yes, my fiancée killed him after I was shot." Tara said the words.  It was the first time she'd ever acknowledged the truth.

He looked at her, his expression hard to read.  "You're getting married."

She nodded.  She knew the time had come for him to know of her lover.  "Yes, I am.  To someone whom I love very much."

"What is his name?" he asked her.

The moment of truth, Tara acknowledged.  "Her name is Willow." Tara said proudly.

For a few moments, her father was silent.  Then, he just pulled out his wallet and placed the bills down to pay for his meal.  Glancing at her only once, he spoke.  "I have to go." he said rising.

"But dad..." Tara said, starting to rise.

He raised a hand to stop her.  "Tara, I need time to think about what you told me.  It's best you not try to contact me.  I'll contact you."

He left her sitting there at the booth and left the restaurant.  She closed her eyes and already felt the wall being built between them.  The day of their fresh start and it ended like this.  Tara suddenly felt like crying and she was wishing for one thing at that moment.  She was wishing she was in Willow's comforting arms.

---**---

The remainder of the day passed without incident for the Scooby Gang.  Xander and Anya were at Xander's apartment, continuing to work on their relationship.  Dawn was at the house, watching tv and Willow and Tara were upstairs in their room.  Once the two had gotten back home, they'd both needed some time alone to deal with the meeting with Tara's father.  Dawn understood that perfectly, so she didn't object.  Buffy and Jacob were out patrolling.  They had decided to take different cemeteries tonight, changing the normal routine they usually went with.

The Slayer was in a cemetery about a mile from the cemetery that Jacob was currently moving through.  Both of them were thinking about the fiery kiss they'd shared in the training room, though.  Their intimacy hadn't gone any farther than the kiss, but the kiss was enough to keep both their minds occupied.

The cemetery she found herself going through was the cemetery that Spike's crypt was located at.  It was one that she really didn't like going to much anymore.  Used to, she enjoyed going to all cemeteries to find vampires to stake, but she was finding herself really hating this cemetery.  She was pretty sure Spike was the reason for that, but she wasn't sure.

She neared his old crypt and as she watched, there was a light coming from the inside.  Buffy slowed a few feet from the front door of the crypt, waiting to see if she could detect movement from the inside.  She thought she saw someone on the inside, but she couldn't be sure.  Shaking her head, she started to walk away from the crypt when the door slowly began to open.  She stilled her body as the door continued to open very slowly, much too slowly for her liking.  Then, it was opened and a figure was standing in the entranceway to the crypt.

Buffy's entire body froze in an instant when she saw the figure that stood there.  It was the figure that she'd had nightmares about for weeks after the event happened.  There in that doorway stood a vampire, a blonde vampire that Buffy had seriously hoped she would never see again.  Especially after knowing he was the one Jacob had sought for all those years.

Without speaking, Spike and Buffy stared at each other, studying the other with intent interest.  For Spike, the animal attraction he'd always felt for her came to the forefront once again and all he really wanted to do was walk over, pull her to his crypt and make love to her with the savage style that had become accustomed to them.  For Buffy, it was something completely different.  She recognized instantly that there was something different about him.  Something that wasn't there the last time she'd seen him or felt his presence.  It was something a vampire shouldn't have and the only other vampire she'd felt it with was Angel and he'd had a soul.

That's what she was feeling, she suddenly realized.  She was sensing a soul on Spike.  But her rational side argued that it wasn't possible for him to have a soul.  There were no gypsies to curse him and she knew the Powers wouldn't allow anyone or anything to reward him with a soul, but she felt it radiating off of him, and she didn't know where it came from and she desperately wanted to.  "Y....you have a soul." Buffy said slowly, not moving any closer or farther from the vampire.

Spike stayed silent for a few more moments before he spoke again, staying where he was the entire time.  "Gee, haven't seen you in months and that's the first thing you say to me?  I'm crushed luv, I really am."

"Is it true?" she asked him, ignoring his comment.

Spike smirked.  "Yep, I have me a soul.  My soul." he said.  "Surprised?"

"But....how?" Buffy asked.

Spike puffed on his cigarette as he stepped out of the crypt.  He stayed a good distance back, but he neared her nonetheless.  "I went to Africa.  I originally went to get this bugger chip removed, but I guess there was a miscommunication.  I got my soul back instead."

Buffy's entire face was still.  "So, you...what.......gonna try to get redeemed for your past misdeeds?"

"Oh hell no!" Spike glowered at her.  "That's Angel's curse, not mine.  I'm no different than I was before.  This soul has done one thing and one thing only.  It brings back the emotions of my crimes, but it doesn't make me feel regret.  Because I never had any."

The Slayer's fingers flexed, anticipating anything.  "Why have you come back to Sunnydale?"

He tossed the butt of his cigarette away.  "Duh, I came back for you luv.  You and I are two sides of the same coin.  We belong together, in the darkness."

She shook her head.  "That may have been true at one time, but I've moved on Spike.  I don't look at life as a torture anymore.  I'm enjoying it."

"What, because of Jacob?" Spike said.

"What do you know of Jacob?" Buffy asked, suddenly feeling very nervous.

"Me," Spike said, pointing at himself, "I know he's the Daywalker, I know he has a thing for you, and I know," he emphasized the last word, "that he's been searching for me all his life."

Buffy grabbed her stake behind her with her right hand.  "So it's true." she said.

"What, that I'm the one who attacked his mother.  Yeah, that was me.  And let me tell you something, that was the sweetest blood I've ever had.  I can't wait to have his." Spike laughed.

"You're never going to get the chance." Buffy said, her venom obvious in her voice.

"Oh please luv, don't tell me you like him?" Spike sounded incredulous.

"No, I don't like him." Buffy told him, making sure Spike was looking into her eyes.  She knew her eyes never lied and he would see the truth there.  "I love him."

Spike's face hardened as anger flashed through him at hearing the words.  He had feared the truth since he had returned.  He simply didn't want to believe that his chances with Buffy were gone.  But that was of no consequence now.  He'd started a chain of events that couldn't be stopped now, even if he wanted to.  "Doesn't matter.  Jacob won't survive the night anyway." he told her.

"What do you mean?" Buffy asked, suddenly very cautious.

"Well, let's just say.....I have a little surprise waiting for the famous Daywalker which he's walking right into." Spike told her with a smirk.

Buffy didn't bother with words, she just turned and ran off.  She ran as fast as her legs could carry her and hoped she could make it the mile that separated her from Jacob before it was too late.

"I still love you!!!" Spike yelled after her.

---**---

Jacob twirled his expertly carved stake in his right hand as he walked around the deserted cemetery, just looking for a demon or vampire to take out.  He'd been going through the large cemetery for just over an hour and he was not finding much luck in fighting anything.  And fighting is what he was in the mood for tonight.  Anything to take his mind off the fiery kiss he'd shared with Buffy earlier.  As much as he was glad that they were beginning their relationship, he had to admit that he was a bit nervous at the concept.

He'd never been involved in a serious relationship with anyone in his entire life.  He'd had flings and one night stands before, but nothing that was ever what Buffy was to him.  He wanted their first time together to be special.  No, more than special.  He wanted it to be perfect in every way imaginable.  He wanted a romantic evening that led to the perfect night of lovemaking.  He wanted their relationship to be as fulfilling as Willow and Tara's relationship seemed to be.

And Jacob was willing to do whatever he had to to make that goal a reality.  Jacob ran his free hand through his hair.  The air was very humid and Jacob was already sweating at his forehead.  He was wearing his black fighting pants with his black shirt.  He'd left his vest off and he didn't wear his shotgun or bazooka with him.  He had his stakes and a few silver daggeres with him, but that was all.

He heard rustling sounds in four different locations around him and Jacob tensed.  He suddenly had a feeling that he had just walked into something.  He was glad he did have his sword strapped to his back.  He trained his eyes and his senses to see the possible threat around him.  "Who's there?" he called out cautiously.

The leader of the M'Fashnick demons stepped out and he made gestures with his hands.  The other three demons stepped out of their hiding places, each of them holding their weapons in their hands as they neared the Daywalker.  "Greetings human.  We're here because our employer wants your destruction."

Jacob slowly unsheathed his sword, watching the movements of each of them very carefully.  "Who's your employer?"

The leader twirled his sword.  "Our employer's name is Spike, a vampire.  He wants your death and he's already paid us."

"Guess that's it then." Jacob sighed, readying himself for a battle.  He wanted a fight and he was going to get one.

"Well, now you die." one of the others said.

"No," Jacob said, "now is when you try to kill me.  But you're going to learn that it's harder than it sounds."

"Enough talk!" the leader decreed.  "Brothers, kill him!"

The three demons wasted no further words.  They rushed at Jacob.  The demon with the thick chain struck first.  He whipped his chain at Jacob's chest.  The Daywalker saw the attack coming and raised his gloved left hand and caught the chain in it.  Using his left arm's strength, he yanked hard, making the demon rush ahead.  He twisted his body around and raised his right arm, forearm out and striking the demon down with the forearm.  He quickly turned around and struck out with a savage left leg kick at the demon with the steel posts.  The demon went down.  Jacob turned his attention to the demon with the spiked stone ball attached to the chain.

The demon swung the spiked ball at Jacob in multiple angles.  The Daywalker was very careful as he evaded the spiked ball hitting him.  With him not wearing his armored vest, he knew just one strike would put him in great danger.  After several moments of evading, the demon swung the spiked ball directly overhead at Jacob.  That was the angle Jacob needed, he rolled to the side and once he was on his feet again, he pulled a wooden stake out and threw it at the demon.  The stake cut through the demon's skin about an inch, directly at the demon's right shoulder.  The demon went down, gasping in pain.

The leader, watching the battle, nodded his head in appreciation of the human's skills.  It hadn't yet occurred to him that Jacob was more than human, but he was a M'Fashnick demon and his kind were known for never failing to complete an assignment.  He wasn't about to fail here and ruin the reputation of the M'Fashnick legacy.  "Now you face an expert."

Jacob turned, his sword drawn, as the leader of the group of demons walked closer to him.  He knew just by the way the demon moved that he was an expert sword fighter.  But Jacob also knew his own sword level was very great.  There was only a few beings on the planet who'd ever either matched or beat him in sword fighting.  Buffy was one of them.

The two fighters clashed their swords together in rapid succession.  The movements were fluid and aggressive as they moved back and forth, the other demons staying out of it as they recognized their leader's desire to break the human's spirit.  Jacob swung his blade in different angles, meeting the demon's strikes full on and moving forward and hitting different shots which were hard for the demon to block.  After several minutes of shots, Jacob found his opening.

When the demon leader finally tried an overhead strike, Jacob stepped back and whipped his leg across the demon's chest, knocking the leader back.  He then swung his sword out in a wide arc, cutting through the leader's skin.  A splatter of blood fell onto the ground as the demon pressed his left claw against the wound, completely shocked at the wound.  It wasn't deep or even life threatening, but the demon leader had never been wounded by a human fighter before and it was shocking for him.  His rage intensified at the human.

"Kill him!!!" he roared.

The demon with the thick chain moved first and Jacob quickly stuck his blade in the ground as he anticipated the attack.  He sidestepped the demon and unloaded with rights and lefts that kept the demon off balance enough for Jacob to strike.  Raising his right leg, he kicked the chain out of the demon's claws and stepped forward.  He raised his right arm and wrapped it around the back of the demon's neck.  Using his body, he twisted his body and the demon's until the demon being leaned back, looking up while his neck was still locked in Jacob's arm.

Jacob pressed down on the neck, his hand locked at the base of the demon's neck.  After a few moments, a loud crack sounded and Jacob tossed the demon away from him.  Jacob and the other demons watched as the body fell to the ground.  Jacob turned and stared at the three of them that remained.  "Well..." he said, using a hand signal that insinuated for them to bring the fight to him.

The leader had watched Jacob snap the M'Fashnick demon's neck with only his hand.  He knew that only a being with the strength of the Slayer could have done that.  "Wait!" he called to his other brothers.  "Spike has deceived us.  It takes the strength equal to a Slayer to do what you just did.  And there is only one male on this planet with that kind of strength.  You're half vampire, aren't you?"

Without speaking, Jacob nodded.

"I knew it!!" the leader snapped.  "Spike has lied to us, my brothers.  Payment or no payment, no one lies to me and gets away with it!!"

Suddenly, a new figure emerged next to Jacob.  They all looked as Buffy stood defensively next to the Daywalker, ready to help her friend.  "Relax." Jacob told her in a whisper as he picked his sword up.

Her eyes widened as she looked at the three demons.  She saw them pick up another demon from the ground and then leave the area.  She turned to Jacob, who was sheathing his sword.  "Alright, what the heck's going on?" Buffy demanded, slightly out of breath.

"It seems Spike's in Sunnydale." Jacob sighed.  "He wants me dead.  It's got me to wondering why."

Buffy looked at the ground.  "He knows who you are."

Jacob didn't look surprised.  "Well, I'm not surprised.  Most vampires who have been around have heard of me.  Just like they've heard of you."

"No," Buffy shook her head, "I mean he knows of you.  He admitted to attacking your mother."

"Oh." Jacob said, looking around.

"Yeah." Buffy replied.

"Well, if he wants me dead.....then it means we'll have to fight after all, doesn't it?" Jacob looked at her.

She had no answer for him, so she didn't bother to give him one.  She just linked her arm through his and led them out of the cemetery.

---**---

Spike's crypt suddenly burst open as the three M'Fashnick demons entered.  Spike had been sitting in his lounge chair but he rose as his door was opened.  The leader moved forward and suddenly smacked Spike hard across the face.  He then placed the point of a very sharp steel dagger at Spike's throat.  "Give me a reason why I shouldn't just take your head off right now." the leader snapped.

Spike remained silent.

"Well, I'm waiting." the leader snapped.

Spike stared at him.  "What exactly is your problem, mate?"

The leader added pressure to the vamp's neck.  "My problem?  You sent us after the Daywalker without telling us, that's the problem."

Spike turned and walked away, wiping his face of the blood that was there.  "Well, now you know." Spike said as he glanced at the dead demon lying on his floor.  "Are you planning on reporting your brother's death?" he asked, looking at the leader with a pointed look.

A look of realization dawned over the leader's eyes.  He suddenly realized what Spike was aiming at.  "You....you never intended for us to kill Jacob, did you?"

"Yer catching on, mate." Spike told him.

The leader shook his head.  "You knew that he'd kill one of us and you knew what would happen when he did."

Spike smirked.  His plan had worked perfectly.  The only thing that remained now was to wait for the final elements to fall into place.

---**---

A new morning drifted in through the city of Sunnydale.  It was about six am in the morning and people were just starting to get up to begin their day.  At the Summers House, Buffy was taking a shower and Dawn was downstairs, already awake and dressed as she prepared for her day of school.  Willow and Tara were still in their room, still in deep slumber.  Well, only one of them was actually asleep.

Willow had her eyes open and was watching the ceiling as her mind wandered on many things.  She was lying on her back, wearing only her panties underneath the blanket with Tara snuggled up to her left side.  Tara was sleeping with no clothes on, but the blanket was raised up over her form up to her back.  She had her cheek pressed against Willow's left shoulder and her left arm was wrapped around Willow's waist.  Willow had her left arm wrapped around Tara's back as the blonde slept.

Willow was slightly worried about her lover.  She had gotten out of her class when Buffy had called her on her cell phone.  Willow and Tara had decided to get cell phones only weeks earlier because of all the painful things that had happened to them.  But Buffy had called her just as the redhead's last class had ended.  Buffy had told her in a slight panic that Tara had returned to the house crying over the meeting with her father.  Tara never told Buffy or Dawn what it was, just that she was crying and she immediately went to her room.

Hearing that took Willow's attention off of anyone else and everything else.  She left the University and gotten home as quickly as she could.  She'd arrived back and went to their room without speaking to Buffy or Dawn.  She had entered the room and she could feel the depression that her lover had been in.  It was an emotional night to say the least.  Willow knew that the blonde had thought she and her father could've had the fresh start he'd talked about.  And he'd assumed her fiancée was a man, not a woman.  And hearing Tara tell her about her father's reaction about their engagement cut Willow deeply because she did want her lover to have peace with her father.  She knew Tara still loved her father very much and she wanted her father to be a part of her life.  And Tara had told her that she was beginning to doubt that possibility.

Willow could only give Tara the physical comfort that she had and that had been enough for the blonde.  They hadn't made love last night, they just held each other most of the night.  Their talks had gradually left discussing Tara's father and moving towards their upcoming wedding and the next important part of it that they needed to complete.  And that was finding a Priest or Priestess to perform their ceremony.  Tara had a few people that she knew that performed commitment ceremonies for same sex couples.  The only condition the people had was that they had to do an interview first to make sure the couples were loved each other.

Willow's thoughts went from Tara's father to the situation to her own parents.  They had actually gone to the redhead's parents with the news of their engagement.  Her parents' response had pretty much been what she had expected.  At first they had been shocked and bewildered, then they'd sat down with the two of them and talked extensively with the two of them about it.  Willow was surprised by the conversation.  Her parents had told her previously that they would try to give her new lifestyle a chance.  That meant they would give Tara a chance and the day they told them about the engagement, Willow could see that her parents had put in a positive effort to try to deal with her lifestyle.

The redhead smiled as she remembered the conversation.  Her parents had offered to pay for the whole wedding.  Her father, Ira Rosenberg, had told her that they knew a Catholic Minister who was tolerant with same sex couples and was known to take cash amounts to perform the ceremonies.  Willow had been surprised and Tara had been a bit appalled by it.  In the end, the couple had told Willow's parents that they wanted something small and that they'd already done a lot of the planning for it.  They only wanted family and friends there.

That day had ended better than the redhead had imagined and Willow was happy that her parents had changed their attitudes towards her and Tara's relationship.  So even if Tara's father let his ignorance keep him from being in her life, Willow knew her parents would be there for her and Tara and that made her smile.

She turned her head to gaze at her sleeping lover.  Tara's lips were slightly open and she was snoring very lightly.  You almost couldn't hear it but Willow had gotten very good at guessing her lover's noises by now and she recognized the snores for what they were.  She let her mind drift to the plans for the wedding again.  They had decided to have their wedding on December 2, which was only two months away.  By then, Willow's pregnancy would be more pronounced at her stomach.  Willow had already chosen her wedding gown and she knew Tara was still looking for hers.  They had decided that they would wait until January to go on their honeymoon and Willow already had the perfect idea for where to go.

She'd gotten the idea from Xander and Buffy.  They had watched the movie Speed 2 and suggested that everyone, the whole gang, go out on a cruise.  It could be the chance for all of them to unwind and just relax after everything they've faced on the Hellmouth and it would give the two witches the chance to be alone for their honeymoon.  Willow personally loved the idea and she was going to take care of the expenses for herself and Tara.  She knew Tara would object if she knew Willow was going to pay her way as well.  But Willow wanted it to be a surprise and she'd tell her the night of their wedding.

She peeked another look at her lover and smiled when she saw the blue eyes looking back at her.  Willow squeezed her back as Tara moved her body until she was lying on top of Willow, her full breasts pressing against Willow's.  The redhead groaned at the contact.  "Hey." she said, running the pads of her fingers over Tara's cheeks.

"Hi." Tara greeted her lover, giving her a kiss on the lips.

"Mmm." Willow hummed, enjoying the contact before it ended.

Tara leaned her body's weight on her elbows and rubbed noses with Willow.  "Good morning."

Willow smiled at her.  "Yes, it is." she indicated their position as she touched Tara's back with her hands.  "Feeling better?"

Tara's eyes momentarily closed before she answered.  "Yeah, I'm feeling better now.  My father......if he can't accept us, then he can't accept us.  It won't stop me from loving you and it definitely won't stop me from marrying you."

Willow leaned up and pressed her lips to Tara's , letting the contact last for several seconds.  "Good," she said, "I like you being happy 'cause when you're happy, I'm happy."

"Alrighty then." Tara returned, laying her head down on Willow's collarbone and exhaling.  "Today's going to be a busy day."

Willow nodded, running her hands along her lover's back.  It was going to be a busy day for the two.  Other than their normal classes, they had appointments that they were going to.  Tara had to see Dr. Shaw about her chest pains.  She hadn't had any of them in weeks, but past events had led her to believe that it sometimes meant a bigger one might hit her at any time.  Other than that, the two had a scheduled appointment with Paladia Mitchell, a doctor that Helen Shaw had recommended to them.

"Well, why don't we start the day with some kisses and gay love..." Willow purred, pulling Tara's head down into a sizzling kiss.

Tara's only reply was a moan when her lover's hand disappeared beneath the blanket.

---**---

Two hours later, the two witches were done showering and were in the process of getting dressed when there was a knock at their door.  Willow, who only needed to put on her socks and shoes, walked over and opened the door.  Buffy was standing on the other side.  "Hey Buffy." Willow smiled at her friend.  She kept the door open only large enough for Buffy to see her and not the room.  Tara was still finding a shirt to wear.

Buffy's face had a look of seriousness to it as she looked at the redhead.  "Hey, can you guys be downstairs in about five minutes?" she asked.  The Slayer was wearing a pair of her blue jeans with a sleeveless white silk top tucked into them.  She had her curly blonde hair combed into a neat style.

Willow noticed the serious tone.  "Is there trouble?"

"Yeah, I think so." Buffy replied.  "Can you guys be down in five minutes?  Everyone else is already here and there's a visitor that wants to see Tara."

Willow nodded.  "Alright, as soon as we're finished dressing, we'll be down."

"Okay." Buffy said before she turned and headed back down the stairs.

Willow closed the door and turned back to Tara.  Willow was wearing her light blue shirt she'd wore the day that the spirit that had been created by Buffy's return.  She wore a pair of black pants to complete her outfit.  Looking at her lover, she admired the outfit Tara had chosen.  Tara was wearing her long dark red skirt with her black blouse that had the red rose design on it.  She had her hair combed back.  As she pulled her shoes on, she looked at Willow, who was admiring her silently.  "Having a good admiring session?"

"Wha...." Willow snapped out of her private fantasy, "oh yeah!"

Tara chuckled.  "What did Buffy want?"

"Well, it looks like something's up." Willow replied.  "And there's a visitor downstairs who wants to see you."

"Did she say who it was?" Tara asked.

"No, just wants us downstairs when he finish dressing."

"Well, let's go." Tara said as she grabbed her bag that had her books in it.  She didn't have her first class until one that day, but she didn't think she'd be back at the house before then.

The two headed downstairs to see who was there.  Giles, Xander, Anya, Jacob, and Buffy were already there waiting for them.  But there was someone else there that Willow and Tara hadn't seen in months and it was a complete shock to see her there, live and in person.

"S....sonya, is that you?" Tara asked.

Sonya Baxter turned around and smiled at the blonde witch.  "Hello Tara."

Having not seen the woman sorceress that was fated as her protector by the Powers That Be for months, Tara rushed forward and embraced her.  Sonya was surprised by the embrace, but she did hug her back.  A few moments passed and they released each other as Tara went to sit down by Willow.  Sonya had her jet black hair pulled back into a single braid and she was wearing a tight pair of black pants with a black button up long sleeved shirt.

"Well, I suppose all of you are wondering why I'm here." Sonya said to them as she stood before them.

"Actually," Giles replied, "I already have an idea."

"Do you?" Sonya looked at him.

He nodded.  "Yes.  You always turn up when something horrible is about to happen or has already happened.  You always show up to help us or give us information to which we already know.  So, what big event's happened or is about to happen?"

Sonya chuckled.  "Well, you are correct Giles.  I am here to help you, it's my responsibility to the Powers that you are warned when things start to happen.  But, the Powers don't know that I'm here and they will be displeased when they find out."

"What do you mean?" Willow asked, leaning forward.

Sonya put her hands on her hips.  "Well, after Saijhan was dealt with on the astral plain, I was told by the Powers to not approach Sunnydale ever again until I was instructed by them or their messenger.  Since then, I have remained near Sunnydale, watching everything that's happened.  And when Reese Maxwell made his move against Tara, I can't tell you how badly I wanted to intervene.  But I couldn't.  Everything that's happened has happened because the Powers have deemed it necessary."

"So," Buffy spoke up, "opening the Gates of Hell would have been deemed necessary by the Powers had we not stopped Kell?"

Sonya shrugged her shoulders.  "I'm afraid I have no control over that.  Let me get to the point."

"Please do." Jacob said.

"Last night," the sorceress said, "four M'Fashnick demons attacked Jacob because they were paid a good enough sum by Spike.  Their order was to kill him.  But Spike never intended for the demons to succeed."

Buffy rose.  "I thought Spike wants Jacob dead."

"Oh he does.  He just wants to do it himself." Sonya told them.

"What was the point of sending them after me, then?" Jacob asked.

Sonya walked to the entranceway of the living room to the dining room.  She turned and looked at them.  "Spike's been keeping tabs on you for many years Jacob.  Before he came to Sunnydale, he watched you like a hawk.  He watched you move from city to city, looking for that vampire that made you the Daywalker.  Vampries all over the world tremble at the very word of Daywalker.  They fear the word because they know the Daywalker takes his rage of one vampire out on all.  Spike never tried to have you eliminated before because he was entertained by your quest."

"Is there a point to this?" Jacob asked, tired of hearing it.

She nodded, "oh yes.  When Spike came to Sunnydale to take out Buffy, he knew thanks to Drusilla that one day, Jacob would come to Sunnydale.  And Spike knew he'd be here when you did.  You see, ever since Spike disappeared many months ago, he went somewhere and ended up getting his soul returned to him."

"What!!" Giles roared, rising.

The others looked just as surprised.  Sonya continued.  "Yes, but, what should have happened with Spike didn't happen.  When a vampire gets his soul returned to him or her, the soul is supposed to bring all the mortal emotions of the wrongs the vampire committed to the forefront.  Spike should have felt remorse and the desire to redeem himself for his actions.  But what his soul has done to him is it has magnified his hatred of humanity by a hundred fold.  After he got his soul, he made a plan to destroy this entire city."

"And how does he plan to do that?" Xander asked, clearly disgusted at Spike.

"Well, that's where last night comes into play." Sonya told them.  "Spike knew that when the demons attacked Jacob, he'd end up taking at least one of them down.  The M'Fashnick demons are a very clever race of demons.  They have a certain code of laws and rules that they all must go by.  You see, the M'Fashnick demons are organized by Clans.  They are allowed to do whatever they please, but they do answer to their Clans.  And Spike knows everything about the Clans." she paused before she continued.  "Last night, when Jacob killed one of the demons, you inadvertedly began a chain of events that's going to get worse from here on in."

"What's going to happen?" Tara asked, finally speaking up.

Sonya crossed her arms over her chest.  "The other three M'Fashnick demons are going to report their Clan brother's death to the Clan they belong to.  Now, when that happens, the many Clans of the demon race are going to come to Sunnydale and they are going to come for revenge.  For vindication for their fallen brother.  What I'm saying is......the M'Fashnick demons are going to start a full blown war with the people of this city to have vindication."

"Oh boy." Buffy sat back and closed her eyes.

"That is bad." Anya groaned.

"That is bad, but that's not the worst part." Sonya said.

Buffy opened her eyes, but didn't move.  "What's the worst part?"

Sonya stared at them.  "The M'Fashnick demons are going to open the Hellmouth."

A total look of shock on all their faces.  Except for Tara because she'd never had to face that threat before but she could tell the idea wasn't a good one.  "How can they do that?  I mean, they don't want to destroy themselves, do they?" Buffy asked.

"There are hundreds of ways for the Hellmouth to be opened.  If enough human and demon blood is spilled on the area around the Hellmouth, then it will get opened.  That's why you must stop the demons from slaughtering the humans."

"How can we possibly do that?" Giles asked.

"The M'Fashnick demons have an overall General that they listen to above all.  His name is Kryton.  When Kryton arrives, Jacob can issue Kryton the challenge Desulah.  The Challenge of Desulah is one of the M'Fashnick race's oldest and most respected traditions.  It means that the person issuing the challenge can fight the M'Fashnick race's champion fighter.  If you win, Kryton will order the Clans to leave Sunnydale.  If you lose..." she left the thought unfinished.

"If I lose, the Hellmouth opens." Jacob said.

Sonya merely nodded.

They all remained silent.  Once again, they all faced the possibility of the world being ended.

---**---

Far from Sunnydale, inside of a large and very tall skyscraper in the city of Los Angeles, a very important meeting was taking place.  It was inside of a large rectangular shaped conference room.  The conference room was filled with people, who sat at a long oval shaped table.

The only individual that was standing was the man that Sonya Baxter used to work for.  The man with dark hair that had sent her to Sunnydale originally to resurrect Tara Maclay.  Although having Tara back was the plan, Sonya had turned on him and the Witches Committee, helping Tara and her friends.  And for that, the man could no longer allow her to remain unpunished.  He was known to all as Mr. Lee.  He had no other idetnity, just as Mr. Lee.  And he is known as the most powerful and most ruthless warlock known and he is one of the founders of the Committee.  Although being one of the founders of the Witches Committee is his greatest accomplishment, he had very strong ties in other powerful groups as well.

Some of those powerful groups are the very influential law firm of Wolfram & Hart, the Council of Watchers, and the very powerful group known only as the Society.  The Society is a group that is similar to the Council of Watchers in that they are in control of watching special figures.  While the Watchers Council's main responsibility is the watching of the Slayer, the Society has many more purposes.  They are a ruthless group that predicts future events.  They predicted the birth of the Daywalker and the eventual meeting of the Slayer and the Daywalker.  Mr. Lee has ties with the Society and the other groups.

Today, Mr. Lee was dressed in an impeccably handsome three piece gray suit and he had his dark hair combed back.  His dark blue eyes glanced from one person to the other before he started to speak.  There were representatives from Wolfram & Hart, the Society, the Council of Watchers, and the Witches Committee.  The subject of the meeting was to discuss the combined threat that the vampire Angel and his friends present in LA and the threat of the Slayer and Daywalker fighting together.

From Wolfram & Hart, Lilah Morgan, Gavin Park, and Mr. Linwood.  From the Council of Watchers, Quinton Travers and a few of his associates.  There were three representatives from the Society.  And from the Witches Committee, there was Mr. Lee and a few other witches.  The entire group hushed their conversations as Mr. Lee raised his hand up.

"I have called this meeting for a very important reason." Mr. Lee stated.

No one said anything because they knew Mr. Lee sometimes had a very short temper and none of them wanted to bring his rage down on them.  Mr. Lee smiled.  He loved when his subjects feared him.  Having them fear him gave him incredible control over them.  And that was something Mr. Lee loved.  Control.  Having control over others.

"As all of you know," Mr. Lee said, "many months ago, I sent a woman to Sunnydale in order to return Tara Maclay to the world.  The original purpose for bringing her back remains the same.  However, Miss Baxter has dissapointed me.  She has chosen them over her responsibility to me.  She has sided with them.  But our original plan is still intact."

Mr. Linwood raised his hand.  He waited until Mr. Lee nodded at him before he spoke.  He knew that speaking without Mr. Lee's permission would be his death warrant.  "Mr. Lee, I mean no disrespect, but what about the Slayer and the Daywalker.  They are going to be obstacles when you move forward with the plan.  Not to mention Angel and his group."

Mr. Lee opened a folder he had in front of him.  "At the moment, Angel is not a problem.  His son has put him in a position that keeps him out of our way.  As for his group, if they want to intervene, they will die.  I will see to it." he said.  "Now, the Slayer and Daywalker will most likely put themselves in our way.  The Watchers Council will handle the Slayer and her Watcher, Rupert Giles.  I will position members of the Society to handle the Daywalker.  Gentlemen, things are developing better than I'd hoped.  The stars are coming together rather nicely for the final stages.  Ms. Morgan, are you prepared to fulfill your part of the plan?"

Lilah Morgan stood, smiling as she looked at Mr. Lee.  "Sir, I have been ready for this assignment since the beginning.  I will be prepared."

"Excellent." Mr. Lee stated, "Now, at the moment, the Slayer and the Daywalker are going to be involved with the M'Fashnick Clans.  Last night, Jacob killed one of them.  And as all of you know, this event was prophesized by the scrolls.  They will survive this event, and that's when our plan is moved forward."

Quinton Travers stood, taking a risk.  Mr. Lee looked at him quickly, then raised his eyebrows.  "Mr. Lee, what about the vampire?  Is it true he's regained his soul?"

"Yes, William the Bloody survived a test in Africa and his soul has been returned to him.  This was also preordained by the scrolls.  He will be dealt with in due time.  If he decides to get in our way, I personally will eliminate him.  Now, let's get down to business, shall we?" Mr. Lee stated, sitting down as they began speaking about the coming events that would transpire in the city called Sunnydale.

Continue on to Part 2 .