See part one for disclaimer

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Part Fifteen

"She's back again, Giles." Just before Christmas Xander walked into the library throwing a scowl over his shoulder as he did so, "Are you sure that her name isn't really Bad Penny because just like one she's always turning up."

"What ever you or even we may think about her, Xander, Anastasia is still Willow's mother." Giles looked up from the book he had been reading although he could not however disguise his own frown at the news the young man had brought in with him. "And Willow has inherited her stubbornness from more than her father."

"Yeah but how many more times does Red have to tell her to stay away from Sunnydale." Faith asked unexpectedly from her usual seat on the stairs. "Hell, it was only last week she told the cow if she needed a mother, she had Jay." She used the unique nickname she had developed to refer to Joyce Summers.

"Thank you for that Faith." Her Watcher rolled his eyes. "Your contributions are always welcome but I'm afraid that Anastasia has always been one for following her own rules."

"But it's not really all that surprising Wills doesn't want her round here as much as she has been either, Giles." Xander sat down, a deep frown crossing his own face once more. "Especially when she keeps trying to come all momma dear over her and our Wills is so beyond that age when she needs a mother, it's not funny."

"But I'll never be beyond that age when I need my father, Xander." The girl in question said, as she emerged from out of the back stacks surprising them all. "Now that I've got him, I'm not sending him back."

"Willow, I didn't know you were here." Giles smiled up at the petite redhead and was immediately rewarded with a smile from her. "And I'll always be glad to be there for my daughter, by the way, just so you know."

She smiled at him again as she came down the stairs, kissing him on the forehead in a very daughterly fashion.

"I know dad, and can you believe I had to sneak in the back way to avoid the troll again," She replied, as with a absent wave of the hand, she magically snatched one of the apples the brunette Slayer was tossing in the air. "Where did you see her, Xander?"

"In the car park out back, she was unlocking the trunk from what I could see but the troll had me diverting as well." He promptly snatched the apple from her and threw it back to Faith. "Is it me or is he lurking more than normal?"

"Most definitely," She put her bag down on the table and pulled out a huge leather covered book. "You're not going to believe this, dad but Spike found this."

"Spike found it!" Giles replied, still glowing internally at her continued reference to him as Dad.

In the two months since the spell had confirmed him as her father, Willow had floated from Giles to dad to father from one day to the next. For the last week leading up end of term, she seemed to have settled on the familiar dad, although she slipped into calling him Giles more often than not, familiarity being a comfort.

"What on earth was he doing to find it?" He continued as he took the book from her. "Or perhaps I shouldn't ask."

"Giles, be serious, this is Spike we're talking about. Who knows what Junior does to find any thing and who wants to know?" Xander responded mock-shuddering as his best friend sat down next to him. "And you look chilly, Wills."

"Would you believe the temperature has fallen again? There is something so Hellmouthy about it, it's unbelievable." She replied as she looked round the library, making a mental roll call. "Where is everyone?"

"Cordy had to go home. Parents wanted to talk." Xander frowned. "Something's up there, Wills, she looked unhappy to the max."

"Amy said the same thing earlier when we were avoiding Warner yet again." The redhead pulled her coat around her as a shiver went through her slender frame and the Watcher immediately stretched out his hand to feel her forehead.

"You don't seem to have a fever."

"I'll be fine when I've warmed up well I think I will…" She finished as she shivered again. "It's just the fact it's so unusually cold outside." She wrinkled her nose before looking over to the cage where she expected to see Oz. "Where's Oz? I thought it was a full moon tonight."

"It is. His aunt's on wolf duty." Faith took a bite from one of her apples and joined them at the table. "So the doggy can't come out to play tonight."

"You are so playing with fire, Faith."

"Have to have fun some how, Red." The Slayer grinned. "Besides, he's so cute when he's furred up."

"Someone has a cru-ush!" Xander sing-song-ed quietly in Willow's ear, making her giggle especially as Faith actually blushed as well.

"Here, Willow, drink this herbal tea and no, it does not taste too bad." Giles, returning with a steaming cup from his office, caught the look his daughter threw at the colourful cup. "Drink it all up, young lady."

"You are such a mean. I swear you and Amy are experimenting on us with these things." She threw back at him before taking the cup and sniffing it. "But it does actually smell nice for once."

"Are you sure your nose isn't blocked?" Xander inquired in disbelief as the redhead started to drink it. He was going to say something else but the back doors opened and Anastasia Esterhazy entered the library carrying several boxes. "Oh look, Penny's finally rolled in."

"So has Angel." Willow murmured with a bitter smile as she continued to drink Giles's brew. "And something tells me that Spike won't be far behind him."

"Oh this will be fun." Xander grinned nastily. "Junior's given up any pretence of being polite where she's concerned."

"You're almost as bad, Mr Harris." Willow poked him in the side. "What happened to that mature young man of Halloween?"

"He's taking a slight break for Christmas. Normal play will resume permanently in the New Year and it would seem for tonight." He shot back as he rose to his feet. "Good evening Ms Esterhazy and what can't we do for you this fine, strangely cold Californian day."

"I have brought presents for Willow from her birth family." The elder redhead replied, a look on her face that they had yet to see before as she placed a chest and an old-fashioned bag on the library table.

With that look of resignation, she then turned to where Willow remained seated at the table sipping the brew Giles had given her. "I know you asked me to stay away from Sunnydale, daughter, but these are heirlooms passed down through eighteen generations or more and as your mother, I am honour bound to pass them to you as the eldest daughter of this generation."

"Then I will accept them as such." Willow placed her cup on the table but remained where she sat, making no effort to move towards her. Giles placed his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it in silent support.

Anastasia started to move away but she stopped and looked back to where father and daughter stood, a strange look in her green eyes; a look that had an eerie feeling passing through them. "I know you feel I have treated you both most unfairly but if you should ever require my help…"

"We know where to contact you, Anna." Giles replied, moving slightly as Angel and Spike suddenly appeared at his side.

She looked almost imploringly at her daughter. "I have left explanations for everything but if there is something that is unclear or unknown to you, please Willow, do not allow what I have done to stand in the way of your heritage. I truly only wanted to keep you safe."

"So you've said every bloody time you've been here. Don't stop the fact that they seem to have found her anyway, does it." Spike growled, eyes flashing for a moment.

"How many more times must I apologise?" Anastasia actually cried. "As far as any one could tell, they were still centred on searching for me and others like me in England and Europe. How were we to know that they had found their way here to the Hellmouth it's self."

"Logic could have told you that." Giles replied calmly. "With the supernatural events that occur here on an almost daily basis, of course they would have come here."

"But Willow should have been safe."

"Our daughter hasn't been safe since the moment she was conceived." Giles stepped forward, eyes flashing in a way the vampires would have been proud of. "That is after all why you brought her here in the first place was it not?"

Willow immediately raised her hand to cover his, looking up to him. "Giles, it's not worth it. We do this every time she comes here." Only just managing to hold back another shiver, she rose to her feet and Angel moved in beside her, steadying her as she swayed slightly. "I thank you for the gift of my past, Anastasia. What else you have brought my way will also be dealt with in due course but for now, I really must ask you to please leave. As you have said yourself, we know how to contact you so goodbye."

"You've been hanging round Peaches too long, pet." Spike murmured as with out another word the elder redhead left the library with only one last look at the young girl who was and yet was not her daughter, both that look and the previous one that only began to make sense with what was about to happen to her.

"I take that as a compliment, Spike." Willow responded before falling slightly back against Angel with an attack of the shivers. "I feel so strange all of a sudden."

He immediately wrapped his arms around her petite frame, frowning as the shakes seemed to grow worse. He looked towards the Watcher. "Giles…!"

The Watcher was at his side immediately, back of his hand to her forehead. "God above, child, you're burning up. Spike fetch that woman back, this just isn't natural."

The blond vampire was gone so fast, they barely blinked.

"Angel, bring her into the office. Xander, there are some extra blankets in the cage, bring them in and then contact the others."

"Giles, what's happening to her?" The young man caught his arm. "I thought it was just a chill from the unusual weather we're having at the moment."

"Hopefully, that is what it is, Xander but it's better to be safe than sorry considering where we are." The Watcher replied before gently pushing him towards the cage. "The blankets for Willow now, Xander, let's try and keep her warm just in case it is just that."

Spike returned just at the moment, frowning horribly. He jumped over the railing and landed on the table with a thud and then on the bare floor. "Ruddy woman just shot out of 'ere like the wolf was after it. Something tells me she knew about this."

Giles immediately looked over to the box that still remained on the table where it had been left. "Then perhaps the answers are where she said they would be." He turned to the vampire. "Spike, see if you can find anything in that bag that might give us an idea as to what could be happening to Willow. If it has…"

He frowned, eyes flashing for a moment before taking the blankets Xander had just brought out of the cage. "Faith, can you get the keys to Oz's van. We'll need it to take her, and everyone else I fully expect, home."

"Five by five," The brunette Slayer picked up her coat and shot out of the room.

"This is not good…" Xander murmured as he headed for the phone to follow the second part of his instructions. "This is so not good of the Hellmouth kind."

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"Well, have you found anything?" An hour later, Giles emerged from his office once more, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"There is so much information in here I couldn't ruddy well tell you. It don't help that half the stuff's in a European dialect older than even Peaches." Spike threw an old looking journal back in the bag before turning to the Watcher. "How's Red?"

"Still shivering and burning up." Giles looked back into the open door of his office where they could just see a heavily wrapped up Willow on the office couch, Angel sitting at her side. "She wants to go home."

"Then the van's finally ready for her." Faith returned prompt to her call as she and Cordelia entered the room, although she was glaring at the other brunette. "Ms. Perfection's finally decided that there are enough blankets to keep her comfortable."

"Get over it already, Faith." Cordelia shot back at her as she moved to her boyfriend's side. He looked at her, concerned by the slight redness and puffiness of her eyes, almost as if she had been crying. Catching it, she shook her head slightly, mouthing, "Later."

Looking her over once more, Xander nodded and mouthed back, "I'll hold you to it."

Amy placed the last piece of paper in the bag and closed it. "What about all this, Giles. Something tells me that I really don't think that we should leave it here."

The Watcher turned to her, a slight frown crossing through his eyes as he took in the chest and bag vampire and witch pushed towards him slightly. "I suppose you better bring it with you. I'll put it in the study safe at home." He looked around the small group. "Something tells me I better stock up."

"It's not like we weren't going to stay at your new place for Christmas any way, G-man."

Giles sighed heavily, "One of these days, Xander…" He looked back into the office where Angel now had the cocooned Willow cradled in his arms, the small girl shivering violently. "Fine, once we have Willow home, go and get your things. It's not like you don't all have your own rooms there. Spike, I take it you'll be escorting Amy."

The vampire glared at him in response and for the first time since Willow had fallen ill, the Watcher found himself having to suppress a small smile. "You better break the news to Joyce and Dawn about Willow also." He continued. "She was going over there tonight to help her with her homework."

"Little bit's going to go crazy." Spike rolled his eyes. "She may have only been here a month but Red's her sister. Beats me why those ruddy stupid monks just didn't go ahead and make her Will's sister straight from the start."

"Duh, Junior!" Cordelia responded swiftly. "There's no way that one would have worked with the way and who Will was brought up by."

Spike actually thought about what he and the cheerleader had said before scowling. "I hate it when you're bloody right Queenie."

"When you two have quite finished…" Giles inserted as they reached the van where the dark haired vampire was already inside with the petite redhead still cradled in his arms. Casting a quick look over to where the cheerleader had parked in her usual haphazard fashion, he frowned slightly as he caught sight of all the bags it was full of. "Cordelia, is every thing all right?"

"Let's concentrate on Will for the moment, Giles. My sob story can wait." The brunette shrugged as Xander wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "I have room for Xander's things."

"Very well," He immediately drew the cheerleader into a hug of his own before putting a finger under her chin. "But you will be telling me the first moment we have spare, Cordelia. I will accept nothing less."

"Yes Father Giles." She replied with a half smile that was most definitely not echoed in her dark eyes, utilising the name they had coined for him since discovering the truth of his connection to Willow. "Uh Giles, I, sort of, well, need a place to stay for longer than over Christmas."

"As I said, your room is waiting for you." He promptly replied. "In fact, why don't you both move in early under the circumstances? I think Willow will need all of us around her at the moment." Giles shot the young man a look over her shoulder and Xander nodded in response, his own eyes dark with concern for both his best friend and his girlfriend.

"Sure. I had my things packed for Christmas anyway. I just need to get a few more things together and then we'll make that food run for you, Giles." Xander replied, moving back to Cordelia's side and putting his arm around her shoulders. "Cordy will keep me under control."

"I'd appreciate that Xander." He replied looking back at his daughter. "Try not to be too long. Something tells me we're going to need all hands on deck for this one."

"Wild horses won't keep us." He cast a sly look at his girlfriend, hoping his next remark will gain a better smile from her. "Nor will her driving."

"I heard that Xander." She responded in a slightly more normal acerbic tone as she went round to the driver's side of the car. "Be assured that I will make you pay for it at the first opportunity that I get."

"Yes dear." He responded with a quick grin.

"Just don't be too long. Faith, when you've driven Angel and Willow home, do a patrol and then go over to Mrs Osborne's home. Oz will need to be told of the new arrangements. Reassure his aunt that he will be safe at full moon." The slayer nodded and shot away as the Watcher jumped into his own car. Spike and Amy had already started for the Summers' house. "Spike, tell Joyce and Dawn that they are welcome to join us."

"Do that Watcher." The younger vampire yelled back, yelping as Amy actually jabbed him in the side. "Watch it pet."

"Behave Spike." The blond witch could be heard rebuking him as they walked away.

"I just wish those two would get round to admitting what is going on between them," Xander sighed as he got into his girlfriend's car.

"And ruin all their fun..." Cordelia replied as she started her car. "I really don't think so!"

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I know, not what you were expecting but yes this is the next part of Giles' Daughter - now I just have to get round to writing the next one!

Reviews please, even after all this time, would be most enjoyable ;op