Seven Months Pregnant

   The first thing in the house was an antique rocking chair, that Buffy sat in while the others moved the rest of her and Giles' belongings into the house. They wanted to resent her inability to help, but couldn't. She wanted to help so bad she couldn't stand it and her face glowed with happiness.

 Buffy alleviated her need to help by placing the knick knacks. She put the picture frames where she wanted them. Giles even relented enough for her to put the linen on the bed in their room, but only if Willow helped.

 Once the quilt was placed on the bed, Buffy sat on it. "Oh, Will." She said happily.

 Willow sat next to her. "Kinda overwhelming?"

 Buffy smiled. "But in a really good way."

 Willow encouraged Buffy to lay down, 'just for a minute.' When she fell asleep, Willow covered her with a light blanket and closed the door as she left Buffy to her nap.


   Willow went downstairs and saluted Giles. "Mission accomplished, Sir." She said with a grin.

 Giles smiled back. "Finally. Even with Slayer energy, she's been so tired."

 "I fell asleep at the drop of a hat when I was carrying Buffy." Joyce said.

"Scared Hank, too, but it's perfectly normal."

 "It doesn't scare me." Giles said with dignity. "I'm just not used to seeing her like this."

 "Sure, Giles." Willow said with a grin.

 "Whatever you say, Giles." Xander said as he bit back a smile of his own.

 Giles glared at them. "Very amusing."

 "Are you saying that you wouldn't worry about me if I were pregnant?" Anya asked.

 Xander went so white that he made Angel and Spike look tan.


    A stoic Willow helped a crying Buffy into the Giles' house. "I'm sorry, Will. I feel like an idiot, but I just can't seem to stop."

 "It's all right, Buff." Willow told her softly.

 Giles walked in from another room a bit distracted. "Aren't you a little early?" He looked at them. "What happened?" He rushed to Buffy and took her into his arms, his eyes met Willow's over Buffy's head.

 "Prof. Walsh. She's ... She's dead." Willow told him as Buffy sobbed. "The official word is ..." She couldn't finish.

 "Gang related." Giles finished for her sadly. "I am sorry, I know you both like her very much."

 "I feel so helpless." Buffy sighed.

 "I know, Luv." Giles said into her hair.


Eight and a Half Months Pregnant

   Buffy sat at the desk trying to do school work, but she found it difficult to concentrate. Willow was next to her and tried to help. Xander and Anya sat with Giles and discussed the latest demon to hit Sunnydale.

 "It doesn't sound familiar." Giles told them. "Are you certain that Spike saw it clearly?"

 Xander shook his head. "I'm just telling you what he said. The only thing that he didn't say was that it scared the hell out of him. That was my own observation."

 "And Angel?" Buffy asked.

 Anya shrugged. "Hasn't seen it."


   Faith watched from the window. She saw Giles stand to answer the phone. He looked confused, then handed the phone to Buffy. Faith smiled when she saw Buffy pale.


   "Buffy? What is it?" Giles asked worriedly.

 "Faith." Buffy said, dazed. "She's awake. She beat up a girl at the hospital and took her clothes."

 "Oh dear, Lord." Giles breathed.

 "Well, this qualifies for the worst timing ever award." Xander commented.

 "Yeah, that was the funnest coma ever." Willow added.

 Buffy looked up at Giles. "What if she doesn't remember? What if she's just scared?"

 "I-I suppose that's possible." Giles said without much optimism.

 "What if she's sorry?" Buffy asked. "She told me how to beat the Mayor. Maybe we can help her this time."


   Outside, Faith snorted and left.


   Buffy sat at a table, outside the campus food court. She had her head on the table and her hands clenched on the edges.

 Faith approached her from behind. "You know, B, the one good thing about being in a coma, I have plenty of energy." Faith said.

 "Oh thank God." Buffy, pain and fear clearly on her face, looked up at Faith. "Faith, please help me."

 Faith's smirking expression turned to one of confusion. "What? Why the ..." Buffy turned side ways in the chair and Faith saw her stomach. "Jesus, B!"

 Buffy took Faith's hand in her own. "Please, Faith? The baby." Her voice was pleading.

 Faith stared at her stunned for a moment, then helped her to her feet without really knowing why.


   Once at the hospital, the staff took care of all the details, Buffy was already registered, and settled Buffy into a delivery room.

 Buffy's clasp on Faith's hand hadn't lessened. "Please don't leave me alone, Faith. I don't want to be alone."

 Faith stood helpless by her side, but made no move to leave, when the nurse came in.

 "Hello, Mrs. Giles." The nurse, Ellen, said pleasantly. Faith's eyes snapped to Buffy's. "We weren't expecting you for another few weeks." She gently patted Buffy's other hand. "Dr. Murray's on his way. Where's Mr. Giles?"

 Buffy looked at Faith. Faith nodded, reluctantly. "I'll call him." Buffy smiled at her, but the smile held fear. Faith hesitantly touched Buffy's stomach as she went by.

 "You'll come back?" Buffy asked, frightened. Faith was still a moment, then nodded before she left.

 "Is she family?" Ellen asked.

 Faith didn't know what to think when she heard Buffy's "Yes."


   Giles moved cautiously into the delivery room. He stood and watched for a moment. Buffy held onto Faith's hand as if it were a lifeline, as they both watched the ultrasound screen, fascinated. Dr. Murray conducted the ultrasound. Giles walked the rest of the way into the room and, without a word, picked up Buffy's other hand. Buffy gave him a brief smile before she turned back to the screen. Faith studiously avoided his eyes.

 "Well, what do you know." Dr. Murray said, mild surprise in his voice.

"You've been hiding something from us, Buffy."

 "Wh-what?" Buffy asked nervously.

 Dr. Murray smiled at her. "A second baby." He shrugged. "It can happen. One was completely obstructing the other from view, until they moved into position for delivery. They both look good, though. Strong heartbeats." His eyes met Buffy's. "Probably going to be a long day. Possibly a long night, as well."

 "As long as they're all right." Buffy said, although it was more of a question. Dr. Murray nodded reassuringly.

 "I'll be back in a little while." Dr. Murray said before he left.

 Buffy looked up at Giles. "I called Joyce." He told her. "And the others. Your Mother was going to call your father." Buffy nodded relieved. Giles looked at Faith. "Faith ..." He felt Buffy squeeze his hand.

 "Boy, things have changed around here." Faith said. She sounded dazed and confused. "I should go ..."

 "Don't go." Buffy said softly. She held on to her hand.

 "I should very much like to thank you, Faith." Giles said sincerely.

 Faith looked away, she was torn between wanting to stay forever and running as fast as she could.

 "Please, Faith?" Buffy's hand tightened on Faith's as another contraction washed over her.

 Faith, automatically, moved to help her through the contraction, as she had been. "Breathe, B. Come on." And she breathed with Buffy.

 Giles watched them with an odd little smile. It was clear, then. Faith wanted to be needed. Not by the world or the Council, but by one person. By Buffy. Had Buffy seen the same thing, or was she working on instinct alone? Faith had wanted something of Buffy's; her Watcher, her Mother, her friends, her boyfriend, her life. In one moment, however, Buffy gave Faith something she never, truly, expected. Trust. Buffy had trusted Faith, not only with her own life, but with the baby's - babies' - as well. He wondered if Faith even realized it. Probably not consciously. Not yet. His eyes widened. Babies.

"Twins?!"

 Buffy and Faith looked at his shocked expression and laughed.


   Through the glass of the nursery, Faith looked with awe, at the two little babies. She couldn't believe that she'd helped bring them into the world. She couldn't believe that she'd helped B at all. She waggled her fingers at the babies, without even realizing that she'd done so. A boy, then a girl. She felt Giles come up behind her. "How's B?" She asked his reflection in the glass.

 "Sleeping." Giles said with a soft smile. "She was hoping you'd stay."

 "I don't know." Faith said, uncertainly.

 "We named the babies." Giles said, seemingly from nowhere. "Dillon Quinn and Joy Anne. Names are an interesting thing. Joy Anne, for instance. It means Happy, Graceful."

 Faith turned to him then. "And Dillon Quinn? I hope it's good, 'cause that's a helluva name to give a kid." She commented.

 "Buffy found it." Giles told her. "Though, Quinn is a family name. It means ... Faithful, Wise." He touched her shoulder. "We'd like you to stay, but the choice is, inevitably, up to you."

 Faith looked back to the babies. "Faithful, Wise, huh? I haven't been either one."

 "It's never too late to start." Giles told her.