Sunnydale

"Giles, we're back!" Buffy yelled as they walked through the front door.

"Buffy, there was no indication that Willow was doing any Magic. How'd you get back?" Rupert asked quite surprised to see his Slayer.

"Xena brought us back. Did you know that she was my biological mother, when you sent us seeking her help?" Buffy answered and asked, as her new found family took a seat in the living room.

"I had a hunch. Who are these other people with you? I was only anticipating Xena and Gabrielle." Giles inquired. Xander, Dawn, Kennedy, Anya, and Spike joined them in the living room.

"My brothers and sisters. Ares, Aphrodite, Solan, and Eve. Xena Dawn was a magical ball of energy called The Key. The monks protecting The Key made her human, using my genetic material, making her my sister to protect." Buffy explained.

"It's nice to meet you Dawn." Xena greeted.

"I thought you killed the Greek gods?" Giles asked the Warrior Princess.

"I did, but not all of them. Aphrodite and Ares helped me with the other gods." Xena told the Watcher.

"I brought us 6 gods. Giles if you thought I was a decedent of Zeus, why didn't we seek them out when Glory was kicking my ass?" Buffy questioned.

"I hadn't come across the scrolls at the time. What exactly are your abilities?" Giles answered and asked.

"Aphrodite is the only one who has limitations to what she can do. She'll help as much as she can, and how she helps is up to her. The entire property is now under our protection. You won't have to worry about any uninvited guests, but if they are incorporeal, I can't do anything about that. Buffy, Faith, and Dawn drink this." Xena informed and told the group as 3 small glasses appeared with a pink liquid in them.

"What is it?" Dawn asked as she was handed her glass.

"A watered down version of Ambrosia. You won't turn into gods, but you won't die. If you get hurt badly enough, you'll wish that you could." Ares answered the youngest Summers.

"Hey, what about the rest of us? Why them?" Anya asked in panic.

"We can't. There's Olympian blood running through Buffy and Dawn. Faith because of her relationship with Buffy. What we are doing for you, by helping you fight The First, is already more than we should be doing." Xena answered the ex-demon.

"What relationship?" Xander asked Buffy. Faith wrapped an arm around B's waist, and smiled at the carpenter.

"Faith is my girlfriend." Buffy replied, while the 3 of them downed their drink. The others just took it all in stride with everything else going on.

"Faith, show Eve the Potentials, she'll be training them. I'll be training you and Buffy personally." Ares ordered the Dark Slayer.

"Solan, Bri work with the others while I try and come up with an idea of what exactly we are up against." Xena added.

"Hold on. How do I know that you're qualified to train the Potentials and the Slayers?" Giles questioned.

"Qualified? I'm Ares, God of War. I think that qualifies me. Eve has the re-incarnated soul of Callisto. Her mother is Xena: Warrior Princess. You're looking at Livia, The Bitch of Rome. Her body count is higher than Xena's." Ares yelled in disbelief.

"I stand corrected. Apologies. What will Aphrodite be doing?" Rupert apologized and continued.

"I told you. She'll help where she feels that she can. A lot of it you won't see, or even notice that she did anything. Aprhrodite." Xena replied and prompted her friend.

"Your kitchen is fully stocked. A buffet is on the island counter. Laundry is done. Everyone has 3 new outfits in their style and size. A fully stocked medicine cabinet including painkillers and antibiotics. I think that answers your question. I'm a goddess, don't you ever forget that sweet-cheeks, and if you do, you'll be wedded and bedded by the blonde vampire. You only get one warning, and that was it." Aphrodite threatened.

"Right, show me all the information you have on The First." Xena changed the topic.

"Look, Xena is it? I wanted to say thanks for that protection drink for Buffy, and the Lil Bit. It's taken a lot of worry off me mind. So, thanks." Spike thanked the Warrior Princess, later that evening.

"I didn't do it for you. I did it for me. Oh and Spike, you ever lay a hand on my daughter again, and you'll be begging me to kill you by the time I'm done with you." Xena told the vampire in a deadly tone. Spike nodded in acknowledgement, and walked outside for a smoke.

"I thought I was scary when I went evil." Willow commented as she joined Xena in the kitchen.

"I never tried to end the whole world, but my body count is in the hundred thousand. Granted I didn't kill them all personally, but they were killed in my name. You killed the man who killed your love. According to the code that I live by, killing him was well within your rights. Eve, Solan, Gabrielle, Ares, and even Aphrodite would agree with you killing him. Gabrielle killed the man that was responsible for my death." Xena explained to the redheaded wiccan.

"That's not how we do things. We kill vampires and demons, not humans." Willow replied.

"But your way is not the only way. Eve hasn't killed since she stopped going by Livia. That's her way, and I respect that, but she doesn't think she's better than me. I kill when it is necessary. You fight vampires and demons, but isn't the horrible crimes that humans do to each other far worse because they have a choice in the matter. The demons only do what they do because it's what they do." Xena continued.

"Thank you. You've given me a lot to think about. I know I was wrong for what I did after killing Warren, but I've felt guilty for feeling okay with avenging Tara's death. So, thank you for not judging me for that." Willow confessed.

"I've made mistakes, and I've been trying to make-up for them. All it took was one person to believe that I could, and another to give me a moral compass. Giles believes that you can, and Kennedy will keep you centered. You have godlike abilities; it's a lot of power for a mortal to comprehend. You have the power to end the world, which infers that you have the power to make the world a better place." Xena explained and revealed.

"Wow! I've never thought about it that way. Thank you." Willow gushed with tears running down her face. She hugged the Warrior Princess, then left to go find Kennedy.

"You just gave her exactly what she needed for her to do what is needed of her. You're not known for oratory skills, how did you know what she needed to hear." Giles asked.

"I know where she is at, and I know what it took to get me out of there. So, I can relate to her better than any of you. I gave her what you couldn't, that it's okay for her to feel justified in killing Warren. It's hard to take judgment from someone who's never been in your shoes. I believe in the greater good, it demanded that Warren die for his sins. Willow did what the rest of you wouldn't do. You condemn Willow for her use of magic, and before we showed up, you needed her magical skills. You still do. You can't have it both ways. Acknowledge her pain, growth, and progress." Xena chastised Giles.

"Good Dawn. Let's take a break." Gabrielle told the littlest Summers, after disarming her.

"Thanks. I'm not complaining, but why such an aggressive training schedule?" Dawn asked.

"Xena told me to get you caught up, so she can take over training you. Then you will be handed over to Ares for further training." Gabrielle answered.

"Understood." Dawn acknowledged.

"Hey, Niblet wanna go to the magic shop to get supplies for Willow with me?" Spike asked as he walked into the basement.

"She can't. We're not done training." Gabrielle answered for Dawn.

"You've been at it for 3 hours. She's done." Spike replied angrily.

"Yo, there a problem here?" Faith interrupted. "If Bri says they ain't done, then they ain't done. If you want company go ask Andy. Now go before a stake finds your heart." Faith threatened the blonde vampire. "Aight, kid show me what ya got." Faith told Dawn as she stood in a fighting stance.

"Listen Pet, you're bird and new found family won't let me near Dawn. Was that your idea or your Mum's?" Spike confronted the Slayer.

"Ares told me his plans for Dawn's training, so leave her be when training. As for keeping you away from her, that was Aphrodite's call." Buffy informed the in-souled vampire.

"So, you're taking advice from the sodding god of love, why not just hug and kiss The First away?" Spike yelled in disbelief.

"Cupid's the god of love. Aphrodite is the goddess of love. Completely different. I'm Eve the Prophet of Eli. Keep it up and you'll meet Livia The Bitch of Rome. The only difference is you'll never meet Cupid, but Livia is just below the surface. The time for hanging out is over, we train, strategize, and prepare now. When we win, if you're still alive, than you can socialize." Eve told him.

"Thought you reformed, you don't kill anymore." Spike pressed not wanting to back down.

"You're right, I don't. But you're already dead, so you don't count." Eve corrected the vampire.

"Is there a problem here?" Xena asked catching the tail end of the argument.

"No problem." Spike answered.

"Good, because if I have to take care of discontents in the camp, I will. So back off before you get dusted." Xena cautioned him.

"Fine, I'll play nice, for now. We'll throw down once the fate of the world isn't at stake." Spike consented, then stormed off to the backyard.

"Is he going to be a problem, Elizabeth?" Xena asked her daughter.

"I'll talk to him. I'll make sure he knows his place." Buffy answered.

"You do that, otherwise he's dust." Xena told Buffy in a tone that didn't allow discussion on the matter. Buffy nodded in understanding.

"Xena" Gabrielle called to get her wife's attention.

"Yeah, Bri." Xena acknowledged, and wrapped an arm around the blonde's waist. Gabrielle rested her head against her lover's shoulder.

"How are going to pull this off?" They're all so young. They need years of training, not weeks." Gabrielle asked softly.

"You're right. Not all of them will make it, but we're not here to save them. We're here to save the world." Xena answered her partner.

"Finally, some honesty." Rona announced to the couple. "Giles keeps talking about how you are our salvation, but then why that special drink for Buffy, Faith, and Dawn. What so we need to do to survive?" Rona continued at Xena's raised eyebrow.

"Remember your training; believe in the Slayer line, and luck." Gabrielle replied.

To

Be

Continued