Chapter 6

A/N: Sixth chapter of the series, a smaller one this time. I'll try to post a chapter every week or sooner. Lost many readers on previous stories because of not uploading chapters soon enough, so I'll try to keep a regular schedule on this story.

Disclaimer: Property of Joss Whedon and all parties responsible for airing the shows. Other original characters are mine, and some others will be explained as the story goes on.

Feedback: Sure, if you wish.

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London, England

The Watcher's Council

November 2017

"What's going on between Buffy and you?" Connor asked.

Mirroring Annie's position in Buffy's office, Connor sat in one of the chairs in front of Angel's office.

Angel opened a bottle of whiskey and poured some in a glass.

"Not of your business." Angel replied, taking a sip of his drink. Connor shrugged, took a glass and poured some whiskey for himself. Angel frowned, still not getting used to the fact his son was over thirty and could legally drink and partake in whatever adult entertainment he wished to.

"Is it so bad?" Connor asked, bringing Angel back to the conversation. Angel turned on his computer and simply nodded.

"Things are not the same anymore." Angel said. Connor remained silent for few minutes. Angel was already working when Connor surprised him once more.

"Do you miss being a vampire?"

Angel refused with a bit too much enthusiasm, and as usual, something inside of him cried in outrage.

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North London

November 2017

Buffy and Annie finally arrived home.

Annie had fallen asleep on the passenger's seat on the long road back home. Buffy had tried to talk to Angel about what had been happening between them in the past months, but he'd left the Council an hour or so after their meeting in Giles' office had ended.

Connor had left with him, which meant they were either out drinking or were hunting.

In both scenarios, it meant they wouldn't return home until late the next day.

Buffy parked her small car in the garage, and carefully carried Annie out of the car and into their home. Set in the not so nearby suburbs in northern London, Giles had bought pieces of land if any of his three children wanted to settle there. Since Willow had been traveling around the world and Xander had left for Japan, the entire land finally belonged to Buffy.

There, she'd built her home; a two level structure heavily resembling her old home located in 1630 Revello Drive back in Sunnydale. The house wasn't that large, but the surrounding grounds were large enough to plant quite a number of trees and create a make believe woods, where many slayers trained under her command.

Buffy laid her precious charge on her bed and closed the door to her room, only to suddenly find herself face to face with Connor. She let out a small yelp of surprise.

"Dammit, Connor, you scared me!" She said. Connor simply smiled.

"Sorry, Buffy." He chuckled. "Have you seen Angel?"

Buffy frowned.

"No. Thought he was with you."

Connor shook his head.

"Lost him a couple hours ago. He was in a hell of a mood."

Buffy shrugged and walked to the kitchen, Connor following a step behind.

"What did you do to him this time?" Connor asked. Buffy knew the question had no ill meaning.

"Your guess is as good as mine." She answered. "I don't even know what sets him off these days."

Already inside the kitchen, Connor sat in one of the stools surrounding the small table in the middle, as Buffy began to prepare coffee.

"He's always resented me for a number of things." Buffy began to talk, knowing Connor would lend a sympathetic ear. "First, because I wasn't the ever prepared slayer he thought I'd be. Second, because he was a vampire and felt he couldn't be with me. Later on, because I was no longer the scared little girl in need of him, and finally, because I earn more money and hold a higher position inside the Council."

Connor listened in silence, looking at the woman who'd been his stepmother for the past fifteen years. He saw a small woman, still young and packing a lot of power. The woman in front of him had dealt with many things in her life, and still managed to help him and be a great mother for Annie.

"You know how he gets sometimes." Connor replied, accepting the cup of coffee Buffy gave him. "You've known him longer than I have."

Buffy laughed loud.

"Right. Lot of help that's been."

Connor smiled, thanked her for the cup of coffee and left.

Buffy stood alone in the middle of the kitchen, going through all the events in her life alongside Angel.

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Morning came and a loud crash and a muffled cry awoke Buffy.

She immediately sat up in her bed and sought the warm body next to hers. She wasn't surprised when she found none, and the side of the bed her husband usually occupied cold. Sighing, she realized it was a trait Angel had displayed ever since the first time they'd slept together, when she was a seventeen-year-old girl.

Leaping off the bed, she picked up her robe from the exact same spot she'd let it fall the night before. She slowly opened the door and listened.

Hearing soft laughs and words, she sighed.

Sometimes it was just too much trouble having super powered people living in her house.

She walked outside of her bedroom and looked up, where the trap door leading to the attic was slightly ajar. She pulled the cord and the stairs slowly descended. As she walked up the stairs, she decided she'd have to stop those impromptu sparring matches Annie and Connor usually had. Once in the attic, she heard the sharp intakes of breath and some colorful words coming from both fighters.

'Busted.' Buffy thought. She found Annie sitting on the pads she'd once installed up there, her back to where she stood, and Connor kneeling in front of her daughter.

"What happened?" Buffy asked, crossing her arms. Connor looked like the proverbial deer caught in the headlights and Annie didn't turn to acknowledge her question.

"Uh, we were sparring, and..." Connor seemed too flustered to continue. Buffy slowly walked and faced her daughter. Annie had her hands covering her face, and on closer inspection, a small line of blood trickled down her left cheek.

"Is it bad?" Buffy asked. Both Connor and Annie shook their heads no. Buffy sighed.

"Go downstairs, Connor. Bring some alcohol and bandages, please."

Connor nodded and leapt downstairs.

"Let me see." Buffy said, kneeling in front of Annie. Her daughter shook her head no.

"Let me see." Buffy repeated.

"You'll get mad." Annie said, her hands still covering her face.

"If you don't let me see, I will get mad." Buffy stated, her voice firm. Annie slowly removed her hands and Buffy finally saw the damage. Annie had a cut on her left eyebrow, bleeding profusely.

"What have I told you about sparring with Connor?" Buffy asked as she carefully inspected the cut.

"I know, I know." Annie replied. "But since he stayed overnight, and we were both bored, we wanted to train for a while. I also wanted to see if I could take him this time."

Buffy smiled. Her daughter was so much like her, always wanting to fight someone stronger. Connor quickly returned with a bowl filled with warm water, a clean towel, a bottle of alcohol and some bandages. He set them aside and knelt down besides Buffy.

"It's not so big." He said, inspecting the cut. "Also deep. I told you to duck."

"I wanted to side sweep you." Annie said, holding her head up as both her mother and her brother looked at her cut. "You moved too fast."

"No, you just moved too slow." Connor joked. Both of them smiled.

"Enough, both of you." Buffy interrupted. "There will be no more fighting in this house, understood?"

She gently cleaned Annie's face and eyebrow, the cut already closed, because of Annie's quick healing. Buffy poured some alcohol on a clean end of the towel and cleaned the cut. Not wanting it to reopen, Buffy placed some butterfly bandages on the cut.

"There." Buffy said. "Just keep it clean." The three of them stood up and brushed their clothes.

"Let's go downstairs." She continued. "I'll fix you two some breakfast." Buffy walked to the trap door and was about to climb downstairs when she heard Annie speak.

"It's going to leave a scar." Connor said. Annie practically growled and stood in front of the nearest mirror.

"Man, I don't want to have a scarred eyebrow." She said, looking at herself in the mirror.

Buffy froze and turned to look at her daughter, staring intently at her reflection.

She slowly walked until she was right behind her daughter in the mirror. Annie was already taller than her, so the image reflecting depicted only her daughter. Annie held her hair back and smirked, raising her eyebrow.

"I think I'll get used to it." She said. "Looks menacing."

Buffy stared at her daughter's reflection.

Blue eyes.

Blonde hair.

Scarred eyebrow.

The smirk.

She felt nauseous and ran downstairs, straight into the bathroom.