Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Connor, I need you to make sure the shuttle is on its way. Make sure everything is set up before they arrive,” Jay said, handing over a clipboard to their newest employee.

Sas was a little bummed this one didn’t have a car ghost like Freddie. He missed Jessica.

“Do we think the new guy will work out?” Sas asked, watching Connor from across the room.

“It’s his first day, would you give him a break,” Alberta said, shaking her head.

“He looks really young. I don’t think he’ll stick around,” Trevor said, shrugging. “Freddie didn’t last very long.”

“Age doesn’t matter. We had much younger than him in the mines,” Hetty said matter-of-factly.

“That’s called child labor,” Sam said, walking in just in time to hear the end of the conversation.

“Huh?” Connor asked, looking up from the clipboard.

“Oh, nothing, just thinking out loud,” Sam said, waving it off quickly. “You look really young, is all.”

“I get that a lot. I’m forty.”

The ghosts froze.

“Did he just say he’s forty?” Trevor asked, staring.

Hetty walked over to him, studying his face. “Like porcelain. I would kill for that complexion.”

“That sounds so wrong,” Pete said.

“He looks sixteen,” Sas said.

Isaac, who hadn’t been really listening, suddenly stood up straighter, adjusting his coat. “Well, well, well. How positively distinguished.”

“Isaac, no,” Hetty sighed. “Too young. It’s unseemly.”

Connor looked back at Jay from Sam. “I’ve already spoken to the driver, he’s picked up the first group and is on his way. The last group will be coming at 8 p.m. What’s this special notation on the reservation?”

“Oh, that means we only have the people in their party at the B&B this week. They were very clear they wanted to be the only guests while here,” Sam said.

“That’s a little weird, right? Just paying for rooms no matter what?” Connor asked.

“We’ve had family reunions that prefer that,” Jay said. He then turned to Sam. “I’m going to get some groceries before the guests arrive. They’ve put some things on the list that we don’t have. Do you think Pete would like to come?”

“Of course,” Pete said excitedly.

“Who’s Pete?” Connor asked.

“Oh… umm… just a guy from town. He stops by a lot,” Sam said quickly.

“Quick thinking, Sam,” Pete said. “I’m ready to go, Jay.”

“I’m sure Pete really wants to go. Maybe he’s even ready to go now,” Sam said.

“Good deal,” Jay said as he and Pete left.

“Are you going to be alright if I leave for a little bit? I’ve got a meeting in town with someone about advertising the B&B on their site.”

“Sure, no problem,” Connor said.

“Samantha, didn’t you hear his last name? He’s an Irishman. Lock up the silver,” Hetty said, a bit of pompous shock in her voice.

Sam sighed. “It’s fine.”

“What’s fine?” Connor asked.

“Just…everything. I’ll be back in an hour, call me if you run into an issue.”

“Will do.”

“Man doesn’t say much, does he?” Alberta mused.

As Sam left, Connor settled into his new role, methodically going through the checklist on the clipboard.

"I still can't believe he's forty," Trevor said, shaking his head. "Maybe he's a vampire."

"Don't be ridiculous," Alberta scoffed. "Vampires can't walk around in daylight."

"Well, maybe he's one of those fancy new vampires that can, the ones that sparkle," Trevor argued. "You know, like in those teen movies."

"Regardless of his supernatural status or lack thereof," Isaac interjected, "I find his work ethic admirable. Look at how diligently he's going through that checklist."

“Sure, it’s his work ethic you’re checking out,” Sas said sarcastically.

The ghosts watched as Connor moved around, checking things off that were in the front room.

"I wonder what his story is," Sas mused. "Forty years old and starting a new job at a B&B? There's got to be more to it."

"Perhaps he's running from something," Hetty suggested, her eyes narrowing. "Or someone. He is Irish, they can’t be trusted."

"Or maybe he just wanted a change of pace," Alberta said reasonably. "Not everything has to be dramatic, you know."

As they debated, Connor sat down at the check-in desk and started to make notes on his checklist.

“Let’s have some fun with him,” Trevor said, going over to the desk. He used his finger to push a pen, causing it to roll. Just as it was about to roll off the desk, Connor’s hand shot out at lightning speed and caught it, his eyes never leaving the checklist.

“Wow, that was impressive,” Sas said.

"Maybe he's not a vampire, but a ninja," Trevor said, his eyes wide with excitement. "Did you see how fast he moved?"

"Oh, please," Alberta rolled her eyes. "Just because someone has quick reflexes doesn't make them a ninja. You watch too many of Jay’s movies."

Connor continued working, oblivious to the ghosts talking around him.

"I don't know," Sas mused, studying Connor more closely. "There's something...off about him. The way he moves, it's almost too perfect."

Hetty sniffed disapprovingly. "Well, I still say we should keep an eye on him.”

“Hey, Thorfinn, we’re messing with the new guy. Mess with the lights,” Sas called over to the Viking.

“Thorfinn not a parlor trick.”

“Come on, we’re bored,” Sas egged him on.

“Thorfinn bored too. Fine.”

Thorfinn’s face contorted as he concentrated on flickering the lights. They flickered wildly, causing Connor to finally look up, he looked at the lights then back down to his checklist.

“If you don’t quit it, I’ll hire an exorcist,” Connor said, calmly.

“What? Can he see us?” Alberta asked.

Trevor went to stand in front of the desk, snapping his fingers in front of Connor. He didn’t move or seem to notice. “I don’t think so,” Trevor said.

“Alberta, sing,” Trevor told her.

“I haven’t even warmed up my voice,” the jazz singer said. “But okay.” She started to hum a jazz tune.

Connor looked up again, instead of being scared or even surprised he looked annoyed.

“Is that jazz? Not a fan. Try some Metallica or Blue Oyster Cult.”

“Why you little,” Alberta said, angered by the new employee.

Connor's calm reaction to the supernatural occurrences left the ghosts stunned.

"This is...unusual," Isaac said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "He seems aware of our presence, yet he can't see us."

"Maybe he's psychic," Trevor suggested. "Or maybe he's got some kind of ghost-sensing superpower!"

Hetty scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous. There's no such thing as superpowers."

"Says the ghost," Sas muttered under his breath.

Connor continued his work, seemingly unperturbed by the ghosts around him. He hummed softly to himself, a melody that sounded vaguely like "Don't Fear the Reaper."

Alberta, still miffed by his earlier comment, crossed her arms and glared at him. "Well, I never! In all my years, I've never met someone so...so..."

"Unflappable?" Isaac offered.

"Rude!" Alberta huffed.

Sas moved closer to Connor, studying him intently. "Hey, new guy," he called out, not expecting a response. "If you can hear us, give us a sign."

To everyone's surprise, Connor paused in his work and looked up, his gaze sweeping across the room. For a moment, it almost seemed like he was looking directly at them. Then he went back to his paperwork.

"Did you see that?" Trevor exclaimed. "He totally heard us!"

"Impossible," Hetty said, but her voice lacked conviction. "He's just...an odd duck, that's all."

Sas wasn't convinced. He circled around Connor, observing him closely. "There's definitely more to this guy than meets the eye. We need to figure out what his deal is."

"Maybe we should just leave him alone," Alberta suggested, still smarting from the music critique. "He's clearly not right in the head."

"Where's the fun in that?" Trevor grinned mischievously. "I say we keep pushing his buttons. See how far we can go before he cracks."

Isaac nodded in agreement. "I must admit, I'm rather curious about him.”

As the ghosts debated their next move, Connor finished his paperwork and stood up. He stretched, his movements fluid and graceful, before heading towards the kitchen.

"Let's follow him," Sas suggested. "Maybe we'll learn something."

The ghosts trailed after Connor, watching as he made a cup of coffee.

Flower wasn’t paying attention to where Connor was walking, and he walked right through her.

“I guess he really can’t see us,” Trevor said as Connor stopped.

The new guy looked confused for a second but shook his head.

“Pot never did anything for me,” Connor said before leaving the kitchen.

The ghosts exchanged bewildered looks as Connor left the kitchen.

"Did he just...?" Trevor trailed off, his eyes wide.

"I believe he did," Isaac said.

Sas narrowed his eyes, studying the doorway where Connor had disappeared. "He definitely sensed something when he walked through Flower, but it didn’t affect him."

"Maybe he’s immune to it,” Isaac said.

Thorfinn grunted. "Thorfinn think new man tricky."

"Great," Trevor groaned.

They went back into the check-in desk where Connor grabbed his phone after it started to ring. He looked at it but before Sas could get a good look at the screen, Connor answered it, putting it on speaker phone like Sam does sometimes.

“Hey, old man,” Connor said to whoever was on the other end of the phone.

“Connor, we’re in New York, got here last night. As soon as the sun sets we’ll be on our way,” a male voice said.

“The shuttle with Buffy and them are on their way now. Please don’t have any accidents.”

“What does he mean accidents?” Sas asked.

“I said I was sorry about the museum, I paid for the damage.”

“It’s fine, Dad, really. I’m not a kid anymore though, you don’t have to call every day, especially today.”

“You’ll always be my kid.”

“Remember, you’re my brother this week.”

“I know the drill. Have you told them about us yet? I was worried you wouldn’t get the job in time.”

Connor glanced around the room, his eyes seeming to linger for a moment on the spots where the ghosts stood, before responding. "No, I haven't told them anything yet. I thought it was best to wait until you arrive. We’re only telling them what we absolutely have to, not about the situation."

"Good thinking," the man replied. “How is the situation?"

Connor frowned. "Don’t really know. Haven’t been able to get a good read on it. It’s about seven miles away from the B&B so we should all be able to take watches and call the rest in when it shows it’s face. Hopefully kill the bastard this time.”

“KILL? He’s a murderer,” Hetty said, looking horrified.

“I don’t even know how a bunyip got to Upstate New York but the how really isn’t our problem, it’s getting rid of it before it really starts digging in,” the man on the phone said.

“I tried my best to get it in Chicago, but it got away from me.”

“What’s a bunyip?” Sas asked.

“I have no idea, but I don’t want to meet one,” Alberta said.

“You’re already dead,” Trevor said.

The door opened.

“Got to go, see you soon,” Connor said quickly before disconnecting the call just as Sam walked in.

Sam smiled at Connor. "Hey Connor, how's everything going?"

Connor smoothly pocketed his phone. "Fine. Just finished going through the checklist. The shuttle should be here soon with the first group of guests."

Sam nodded, setting down her purse on the front desk. "Great. Any issues while I was gone?"

"Nothing I couldn't handle. The lights flickered a bit, but I'm sure it's just old wiring."

"Oh, um, yes. Probably," Sam said, looking at Thorfinn with narrowed eyes. "We'll have to get that checked out."

"So, he's not going to mention the whole 'kill it' conversation?" Trevor asked incredulously.

"Of course not," Sas replied. "Whatever's going on, he clearly doesn't want Sam to know about it."

"I don't like this," Hetty snapped.

"We need to figure out what's really going on here," Sas said in a low voice so Sam wouldn’t hear him. "This 'bunyip' thing, whatever it is, sounds dangerous."

"Thorfinn not afraid of danger," the Viking declared. "Thorfinn want in on hunt."

"You can't hunt anything, you're dead," Alberta reminded him. “We can’t be hurt but Jay and Sam can, we can’t risk them going out again.”

"We need a plan," Isaac said.

"Maybe we could try to tell Sam?" Trevor suggested.

Alberta shook her head. "She might cancel the bookings. Bad for business."

As they debated, the sound of tires on gravel caught everyone's attention. Connor looked up, a flicker of something akin to worry graced his face.

"That must be the shuttle," Sam said, heading towards the door. "Connor, could you help me greet the guests?"

Connor nodded, following her out. The ghosts trailed after them, all wanting to see the new guests.

A small group of people emerged from the shuttle, led by a petite blonde woman with a warm smile. Behind her came a tall, lanky man with an eyepatch, a redheaded woman, and a brunette who looked around with wide, excited eyes.

"Welcome to the Woodstone Bed and Breakfast," Sam said in greeting before she was cut off by a yell.

“CONNOR!” the tall brunette yelled, running and jumping on the new employee. “I’ve missed you so much. You’re not going to believe what happened at the airport.” The woman was rambling quickly.

“Connor? Do you know these people?” Sam asked, looking thoroughly confused.

“I was going to tell you when you offered me the job, but I don’t know, I have no excuse why I didn’t. These are my friends but more like a family of friends. Please don’t fire me, I need this job.”

Sam looked taken aback, glancing between Connor and the new arrivals. "I...well, I suppose it's alright. But in the future, please be upfront about these things."

Connor nodded, looking relieved. "Of course. I'm sorry for the surprise."

The blonde woman stepped forward, extending her hand to Sam. "Hi, I'm Buffy. Thanks for having us."

"Buffy?" Trevor snickered. "What kind of name is that?"

"Shh," Alberta hushed him. "Let's hear what they have to say."

Sam shook Buffy's hand, still looking a bit flustered. "Nice to meet you. I'm Sam, the owner and manager. Please, come inside and we'll get you all checked in."

As the group moved towards the entrance, the tall man with the eyepatch fell into step beside Connor. "Everything set?" he asked in a low voice.

Connor gave a subtle nod. "As much as it can be. We'll talk more once we're settled."

"I don't like this," Hetty muttered. "They're clearly up to something."

"Maybe they're secret agents," Trevor suggested excitedly. "Or monster hunters!"

"Don't be ridiculous," Alberta scoffed. “But I am worried about Sam and Jay getting hurt.”

Chapter Text

Everyone was in their rooms now and Sam finally could think. From now on she was just there if they needed something, The blond woman seemed to want to speak for everyone. She said the rest of their group was bringing vehicles with them because they wanted to sightsee.

While Sam knew exactly how many to expect, she wasn’t sure how they all would fit in the rooms they had booked. She didn’t think much of it when she thought it was all family. But friends usually liked to keep their own space.

“Samantha, we need to speak to you,” Hetty said, coming into the kitchen, where Sam had been making her a sandwich. Sas, Alberta, Flower and Thor followed her in.

“They are only here for a week and paying by person, not room, trust me, we need that money,” Sam tried to reason with the ghosts.

“It’s not that, there is something shifty about these riffraffs,” Hetty said.

“They are paying guests,” Sam said.

“Paying guests that have a relationship with the new guy? I don’t know Sam, that sounds suspicious to me,” Sas said.

Just then Trevor and Isaac came into the kitchen.

“I hope that Connor’s on his lunch break,” Trevor said, smirking.

“Why?” Sam could feel a headache coming.

“Because he’s jumping the bones of one the guests,” Trevor said, looking giddy.

“What?” Sam couldn’t believe this.

“As I heard it, they are married,” Isaac said. “At least that’s what I heard before making Trevor leave the room with me.”

Sam nearly dropped her sandwich. “Married? Are you sure?”

Isaac straightened his coat, looking quite pleased with himself. “Absolutely. I’m a very skilled at noticing this kind of thing.”

Trevor snorted. “Oh, please, we heard him call her his wife.”

Sas crossed his arms. “So, we’re just letting that slide? The new guy’s has his wife here but we’re not to know?”

Sam groaned setting her sandwich down and rubbing her temples. “Look, I don’t have time for this. I’ll talk to Connor later.”

Just then Sam heard the front door open and Jay calling out to her.

“Whatever you do, don’t say anything to Jay,” Sam said. The ghosts just looked at her. “Oh, right, he can’t see or hear you. I need more sleep. I want all of you to leave the new guests alone, no spying.”

The rest of the evening went by with actually very little issue. Sam only saw Connor who went about doing his work. Most of it was outside, so she didn’t see him very much.

It was finally almost dinner time, and the rest of the group were due to arrive any moment.”

Jay had outdone himself with dinner. Some guests chose not to eat with them when they stay but these seemed very much in favor of it.

The front door opened in walked a small, thin woman with mousy brown hair.

Connor suddenly was at the door, where two men stood. Both looked younger than the rest of the guests, except the mousy brunette. One was a tall, broad shouldered man in black shirt and pants. The other was a bleach blond man who was shorter and leaner, wearing a leather trench coat.

“Please, come in,” Connor said.

Sam found that weird. When they were expecting guests they left the door unlocked so they could come in on their own.

As soon as the men walked through the door they looked at each other. Then the blond man looked at Connor.

“You could have told us,” he said to Connor.

“It’s an old mansion, of course there would be some,” Connor said but didn’t elaborate on what he was referring to.

Sam was tired of all this and wanted answers. She felt safer with Jay around and the ghosts, even though in a fight Jay would be as usual as the ghosts meaning not much at all.

“I want answers,” Sam said, standing tall and looking Connor in the eye.

“Can we do this over dinner? I’m starving,” Buffy said, before hugging the blond man.

“Fine but I’m getting answers,” Sam said. If they didn’t give them to her, she would just cancel their rooms and refund their money. Something was really off with this.

“Can Connor eat with us?” Dawn asked.

“Sure,” Jay said, looking happy and completely out of the loop. Yeah, that was on Sam, she hadn’t told him anything.

After ten minutes the new arrivals had put their things away and were at the table. All the ghosts were standing around table, looking eager for the gossip.

“Okay, I’ll start, Connor tell me how you know these people and why you just happen to start here the same day they arrive,” Sam said sternly.

Jay had been serving and his hand slipped dropping the ladle for the soup.

“What now?” Jay asked.

“Shh, I want to hear this,” Alberta said, even knowing Jay couldn’t hear her.

“Alright, yeah, it’s not a coincidence. I’ve been in town for two months on a job. But I needed help I soon realized. So, I asked Buffy and Faith to come out. Faith wasn’t able to, but Buffy was more than willing. Spike goes anywhere Buffy goes because they’re married and have been for the last ten years. The rest just kind of came along and wanted a reunion of sorts. I had put in for the job after realizing we would need a place to stay and some of them have very specific needs. Like Angel needed the small refrigerator and microwave in his room. I’m sorry for lying to you and tricking you.”

“Bloody hell why does Peaches get a fridge and microwave?” the blond man asked in a British accent.

“Because you can share the fridge and microwave,” Connor said through gritted teeth.

“It’s favoritism, that is what it is,” Spike said.

“Okay, that sort of answers why you’re here but why all the secrecy?” Sam asked.

“Dad?” Connor asked looking at the man named Angel.

“Dad? Did he just call him dad? That man can’t be old enough to be a forty year old man’s father,” Pete said. The ghosts had caught Pete up on what was going on while they annoyed Sam.

“Maybe they have an anti-aging gene in their family,” Trevor said.

“We’re really sorry for all the secrecy. The fact is, we hunt supernatural things that cause problems. Connor was supposed to have dealt with this two months ago,” Angel said.

“Well, no one told me it could freeze me in a stare.”

“You never needed to look at something before to kill it,” Spike said. “Unless you’ve lost a step in your old age.”

“Wait…supernatural things don’t exist,” Jay said, looking confused.

“What do you think the ghosts are?” Sam asked before she realized her mistake.

“HA told you there were ghosts here,” he said, looking at Dawn. “You owe me twenty bucks,” Connor said, holding his hand out.

“It’s no fair that you can feel ghost energy. I want something cool like that,” Dawn pouted.

“Your blood can open dimensions, that’s pretty cool,” Connor said in a placating tone.

“Don’t placate me. If I would have known you could be this annoying, I would have never married you,” Dawn snapped.

“That was your fault too Dawnie. You’re the one that wanted to be married before you gave birth,” Buffy said.

“What? Fornication before marriage,” Hetty said scandalized.

“Trevor,” Sas simply said to Hetty.

“He’s got you there, Hetty,” Alberta chimed in.

Hetty didn’t say anything else but now looked less scandalized.

“Do you feel like they’ve forgotten we’re here,” Jay said talking about their guests.

“Jay has point,” Thorfinn agreed.

“Sorry, that was rude of us,” Angel said. “It’s a fight we’ve been having for almost twenty years.”

“What fight?” Sam asked.

“Nothing,” Dawn and Connor said at the same time.

“Peaches Junior over there got Bit up the duff after dating for how long was it? Three weeks?” Spike asked hotly.

“Two weeks,” Dawn said quietly, like she was being chastised.

“Could you explain,” Sam asked. She knew it wasn’t her business, but she was nosy, she blamed the ghosts for it.

“I met Dawn when my dad called me in to help with a vampire nest. We started dating and got married a month later, that’s it,” Connor said.

“Oh, and here I was starting to believe you. Vampires aren’t real, they’re a myth,” Alberta said.

“I have to agree, vampires don’t exist,” Sam said.

“Agree with who?” Buffy asked.

“Oh, well, I can see and talk to ghosts,” Sam answered.

“That’s so cool,” Willow said.

“You believe me?” Sam wasn’t used to being believed so fast.

“Of course,” Willow said. “Are some in here?”

“Yes,” Sam said.

“Can you see them?” Buffy asked Jay.

“No,” he said sadly. Sam felt bad because she knew how much Jay wanted to see and talk to them.

“The lesser beings want to see the spirits of lesser being, I will fix,” the mousy brunette said, it was the first thing she had said all night.

“No, Illyria, no,” Angel said as the woman stood up. One minute she was mousy looking brunette, next she was blue and blue. She closed her eyes and said some gibberish.

“That was freaky,” Trevor said.

One second Jay was gawking at the guest Illyria but then he turned towards Trevor. “No Pants?”

Trevor looked at himself then behind him. “Can he see me?”

“Jay?” Sam asked.

“I can see them, all of them,” Jay said excitedly.

“We all can thanks to Illyria,” Angel said, sounding annoyed.

The woman sat back down. “It was unfair for the mother of my son’s siblings.”

There was a groaning from the guests.

Jay looked back and forth between the ghosts and the guests. “I don’t know which one I want to talk to first.”

Sam being used to seeing the ghosts, decided to question the guests. “How’s she do that?” Sam asked Buffy.

“What?” Buffy was watching the ghosts.

“Illyria is an ancient God-King. She lost most of her power but what she still has is pretty big,” Angel answered.

Sam's head was spinning with all this new information. Vampires, ancient god-kings, supernatural hunters . It was almost too much to process. She glanced at Jay, who seemed equally overwhelmed but thrilled to finally see the ghosts.

"Okay, let me get this straight," Sam said, holding up her hands. "You're all here to hunt some kind of supernatural creature?"

"A bunyip," Connor clarified. "It's an Australian water monster that somehow made its way to New York. I've been tracking it for months, but it's proven...difficult to catch."

"Really just I’m needed for the bunyip, but everyone thought it would be fun to have a reunion. Now that’s Willow’s back in the group. She’s been in a soul-crushing marriage for the last ten years,” Buffy said.

“Careful there luv, you’ll make people think our marriage is soul-crushing,” Spike said.

“Please,” Angel said rolling his eyes.

“Sorry, didn’t catch that, Peaches. I’m surprised Cordelia let you off the leash long enough to come here.”

“This is better than my stories,” Alberta said gleefully.

“I’m a vampire, I’m not scared of my wife,” Angel said shortly.

“Did he say he was a vampire?” Pete said as all the ghosts took a step back.

“Okay, Dad and Spike are vampires, but they have souls, so they are good vampires…at least that’s what they’ve been saying for the last twenty years. Buffy is the oldest living Vampire Slayer.”

“Could have done without the old bit, Sport,” Buffy said.

Connor ignored her and kept going. “You know now that Illyria is a God-King. Willow’s a witch. Dawn’s special, that’s all you need to know. I’m the son of two vampires, but not one myself also not entirely human.”

“What about him?” Pete asked, pointing at Xander.

“That’s just Xander,” Connor said.

Sam was going to have to get used to the others being able to see the ghosts.

“I think I need to go to bed early. Jay, can you handle this?” she asked, ready to be alone for a while.

“Sure, go on.” She loved Jay because he could tell she needed a break.

Chapter Text

Since the moment Illyria had made it so everyone in the house could see and talk to the ghosts, it had been an almost continuous party. Sam had asked to make sure that only the people in the house could see the ghosts. She didn’t want anyone coming in and getting scared.

Right now, Jay, Xander and Pete were off playing Dungeons and Dragons. Isaac, Angel and Thorfinn were regaling each other with their war stories. Spike and Alberta were talking about all the singers they had known in their time. Connor and Illyria had gone to do the first watch of the bunyip. Sas and even Nancy was talking to Willow, all three were very interested in the other two lives.

That left just Dawn, Buffy and Sam talking in the kitchen. Sam was cleaning up after breakfast and Buffy and Dawn were kind enough to keep her company. Sam felt a lot better than last night; it had just been too much. It was strange, usually she had more than enough company but now they could talk to others, the ghosts weren’t so attached to her.

“What’s it like being a slayer?” Sam asked as she cleaned the table off.

“Oh, you know, people always trying to kill you,” Buffy said in a joking tone, but it didn’t feel like a joke.

“I can’t believe how happy Jay was,” Dawn said. Maybe she was trying to change subjects from her sister.

“He’s been wanting to talk to the ghosts for so long. Him and Pete like a lot of the same stuff but I always have to be the go between. Will this all go away once you leave?” She had been worried; it would break Jay’s heart if it did.

“Who knows with Illyria,” Dawn said, she said it in a snippy tone.

“Do you not like her?” Sam asked, Illyria had only spoken when she made it so the others could see the ghosts and to confirm it was just the people in the house that could see them.

“Why wouldn’t I like the woman who has been trying to sleep with my husband for twenty years,” Dawn snapped.

“There’s a story there,” Sam said.

Buffy nodded and mouthed the word “yes”.

“Illyria wants Connor to father her child. I’ve said no, Connor’s said no. Even Angel has said no. Illyria doesn’t care, she seems determined that this will happen,” Dawn said.

“Surely there are other people to have children with,” Sam said.

“Not one’s that fathered a hell god that almost ended humanity,” Spike said, coming into the kitchen. “Another reason Bit having children with him was a gamble.”

“You love Orion and Jade,” Buffy said, kissing Spike after he leaned down.

“Because they are more Bit than the original hell spawn,” Spike said, taking a seat beside Buffy.

“Jade is Connor Jr.; you know that right?” Dawn asked.

Spike didn’t reply.

“How old are your children?” Sam asked.

“They are eighteen, twins. Jade’s a freshman at Stanford, she’s undecided still. She’s so much like Connor. He jumped from major to major more than anyone I’ve ever known.”

Spike snorted. “Be nice,” Buffy warned him.

“I am nice. I haven’t killed him yet, have I?”

“Spike had an issue with me getting pregnant,” Dawn said.

“You were a child,” Spike snapped.

“I wasn’t. I was twenty.”

“So, you talked about what Jade does, what about the other twin?” Sam asked, feeling uncomfortable with what was probably a long-standing issue.

The room got very quiet, and Sam worried she said something wrong. Was something wrong with the other child?

“Orion is…” Dawn started to say.

“A ballet dancer,” Spike finished.

“That’s amazing,” Sam said, wondering why they looked uncomfortable. She hoped it wasn’t some sexist thinking that men can’t be ballet dancers.

“He’s not good. There I said it. He sucks,” Spike said.

“My beautiful son is talented at so many things, but dancing isn’t one of them,” Dawn said, red faced.

“Sorry, I can’t picture Connor with eighteen-year-old children. He looks like a teenager himself,” Sam said.

“Trust me, I know and it’s annoying. It was cute when we both looked young but now, I’m aging, and people are thinking I’m some sort of cougar. We’re the same age, basically.” Dawn was working herself up into a right state.

“Tell us about you Sam,” Buffy suddenly said.

Sam, let the change of topic stand.

“There’s not much to say really. I’m a writer, and also run a B&B.”

“And talk to ghosts. That must be so cool,” Dawn said.

“It was, but it seems like there’s a fire sale on that right now.” A little part of her liked being the only one to see ghosts. Of course with as happy as Jay was, she would take not feeling very special now.

“I don’t think we’ll be able to see ghosts out of this house if it makes you feel any better. I can’t say for sure because getting a straight answer out of Illyria is almost impossible,” Buffy said.

Dawn made a noise.

“If you’re so worried about Illyria having Connor’s child, why did you allow them to go on the first watch together?” Sam questioned.

Dawn didn’t seem offended by the question. She actually smiled. “Because for all my husband’s faults, cheating isn’t one of them. His loyalty usually is what gets him in trouble.”

“He also knows as soon as he walks in here, Angel and Spike would both be able to smell him if he slept with Illyria,” Buffy said.

“And I would kill him and Captain Forehead for making him,” Spike added.

“That’s not the reason he doesn’t cheat,” Dawn said defending her husband.

Sam nodded, it was strange, she only met Connor a week before she hired him.  

Just then, the front door opened, and Connor walked in, followed by Illyria. Dawn immediately tensed up.

"How was the watch?" Buffy asked.

"Uneventful," Connor replied. "No sign of the bunyip yet."

"The creature hides well," Illyria stated. "But it cannot evade us forever."

Sam noticed Dawn eyeing Illyria, it was like she was trying to see through the woman. When Illyria arrived with Spike and Angel, she had been a normal looking woman with brown hair. Now she was mostly blue, her outfit had been something Trevor was very fond of.

"Well, I should get back to work," Sam said, attempting to ease the awkwardness. "Let me know if you need anything."

As she turned to leave, she heard Dawn talk to Connor.

"Can I talk to you for a minute? In private?"

Connor nodded, following Dawn out of the kitchen. Sam couldn't help but feel a twinge of curiosity about their conversation.

Buffy sighed. "Those two...I swear, sometimes it's like they're still teenagers."

"Bit's just protective of what's hers," Spike said. "Can't blame her with Blue over here sniffing around. Though what she sees in him is anyone’s guess."

Illyria tilted her head. "I do not 'sniff'. I merely seek to create a superior offspring."

Sam left the kitchen and went to the lobby to do some work there, as she walked she heard Connor.

"I told you, nothing happened," Connor was saying, his voice low but firm.

"I know, I trust you," Dawn replied. "It's her I don't trust. I’ve put up with her for almost twenty years."

"Illyria understands boundaries. She may want a child, but she respects our marriage."

Dawn sighed. "Does she though? Sometimes I wonder if she even understands human relationships at all. I don’t even know what she would do with a child. She still talks to the roses at the Hyperion. Knowing my luck we’d end up raising it."

There was a pause before Connor spoke again. "Look, I know this isn't easy. But we're here for a reason. We need to focus on finding the bunyip before it hurts anyone else."

"You're right," Dawn conceded. "I just...I worry sometimes."

"I know. But you don't have to. You're the only one for me. Always have been, always will be."

“Why is the Native American man and the Jazz singer lady watching us talk privately?” Dawn asked.

Sam looked around the corner and saw Sas and Alberta.

“Oh, I forgot, they can see us now,” Alberta said.

“Don’t mind us, we’re just here for the drama,” Sas said.

"I like being able to see them instead of just feeling them,” Connor said.

"Well, at least they're not trying to possess us or anything," Dawn said, her tone lightning. "Remember that haunted hostel in Prague?"

"How could I forget? You were possessed by the ghost of an angry Czech noblewoman for three days. You kept demanding we bring you pheasant and mead."

Dawn laughed. "And you had to pretend to be my lowly servant to keep me from causing a scene. Good times."

“Those were the days. Remember, that’s why Orion became obsessed with ballet? We leave him and Jade with Dad for the summer and come back to him demanding ballet lessons.”

Sam couldn't help but smile at the lighter turn in Connor and Dawn's conversation as she went on about her business.

That night Angel, Spike and Pete went to the swamp. Once they were off the property though, the vampires couldn’t see the ghost anymore or hear him.

“I can still feel him, but that’s about it,” Spike said.

“Same. Pete, if the bunyip makes and appearance try and see if it can see you. If it can’t, we can work on a plan for tomorrow night,” Angel said.

They didn’t hear or see anything but that was to be expected now that Pete was invisible to them again. It was going to be a long night with Angel being just stuck with Spike to talk to. They had a bad relationship before Connor and Dawn got together, it was made worse when they did and worse still when Spike married Buffy.

Sam found herself unable to sleep, she couldn’t help but be worried about the creature they were searching for. She quietly got out of bed and went downstairs, hoping a cup of tea might help her relax. To her surprise, she found Connor sitting alone in the dimly lit kitchen.

"Couldn't sleep either?" Sam asked.

Connor shook his head. "Just thinking about the bunyip. We need to stop it before anyone else gets hurt."

Sam sat down across from him, curiosity getting the better of her. "What exactly is a bunyip? And how dangerous is it?"

Connor sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's an Australian water monster. Normally, they stick to their own territory, but this one...it's different. More aggressive. It's already killed twenty people that we know of."

Sam's eyes widened. "Here? In New York?"

"Five in Illinois, seven in Colorado and eight in California, none here yet," Connor said solemnly. "That's why we're here. To stop it before the body count gets higher."

“So, you grew up around all of this. That must have been strange,” she said.

“I grew up in a hell dimension, trust me it’s much worse.”

“What did they mean when they said you fathered a hell god? If you don’t mind me asking.”

Connor shifted uncomfortably and looked down at his hands. “It’s not something I like talking about. But I don’t hide from it anymore. When I was new to this world, just after I escaped Quor’toth, I was angry at Angel. I was raised by a man who hated him, justly but not at the same time. He hated Angelus, which is who Angel is without a soul. Anyway, things happened and Cordy was put on a higher plane but when she got back she had stowaway.

“A hell god that needed certain things to happen so it could be born into this world. She needed me and Cordy to have sex and conceive her. My father was in love with Cordy, and she was nice to me, so two birds with one stone kind of thing. It wasn’t Cordy though; it was the hell god trying to be born. I named her Jasmine. I let her kill thousands because I was so desperate for love. In the end, the lie couldn’t stand, I killed her. Everyone felt this overwhelming love with her, this perfect life, but I never did. I always saw the truth, I just refused to do anything until the end. Cordy almost died, she would have if Wolfram and Hart hadn’t of been able to bring her back.

“Of course, we lost Fred and gained Illyria in the deal with Wolfram and Hart, and I gained a shiny new life. One that was happy, where I was raised by a loving, normal family. We also lost Gunn, he still works for Wolfram and Hart, Wesley’s in England helping Giles. Then there’s Lorne, never cared for him but he still turns up from time to time.”

“What happened to your shiny new life?”

Sam jumped a little at the new voice, but Connor didn’t. He must have felt her coming into the room.

“Hetty, maybe this isn’t the time,” Sam said.

“It’s alright,” Connor said, stopping Sam.

“There was a prophecy that I would kill a powerful demon. The warlock who gave me my memories was prophesied to be killed by that same demon. It was a whole thing. Wesley broke something called an Orlon Window. I got my memories back. At first it was slow but soon they all came back, and the fake ones were just like a dream I had. I couldn’t live in the fake life anymore. It was at Stanford that I met Dawn. We were friends for a while before anything happened. It was too weird me being Angel’s son and her being Buffy’s sister.”

“We’re Buffy and Angel together at one time?” Hetty asked. Sam hid a smile, Hetty loved some gossip almost as much as Sas.

“I’m not getting into that story but let’s just say yes,” Connor said.

Connor paused, looking thoughtful. "Meeting Dawn...it changed everything for me. She understood what it was like to have memories that weren't real, to feel out of place in the world. We connected on a level I'd never experienced before."

Sam nodded, fascinated by Connor's story. "And you've been together ever since?"

"Pretty much," Connor smiled softly. "We had our ups and downs, especially at first. My past, her past, it wasn't always easy. But we made it work."

"And now you have children," Hetty chimed in, clearly invested in the story.

Connor's smile widened. "Yeah, the twins. They're everything. Jade's so smart, always questioning the world around her. And Orion, well, he may not be the best dancer, but his heart is in the right place. They're good kids."

"It sounds like you have a wonderful family," Sam said warmly.

Connor nodded, but his expression grew serious again. "Which is why I need to stop this bunyip. I can't let it hurt anyone else's family."

Just then, they heard footsteps on the stairs. Dawn appeared in the doorway, looking sleepy.

"Connor? What are you doing up?" she asked, stifling a yawn.

"Just talking with Sam and Hetty," Connor replied. "Couldn't sleep."

Dawn nodded. Connor pushed his chair back and Dawn sat on his lap. It was a strange thing for Sam to see but it looked like something they did often. She hadn’t been married to Jay for nearly as long as Connor and Dawn but they still looked in the newlywed stage.

“Why didn’t you have any more children?” Hetty asked.

“We lucked out that Jade and Orion were human, we didn’t want to take our chances. Connor got a vasectomy, and I got a tubal ligation. Which was hard because I was only twenty-one. They didn’t want to give it to me, but we were able to get it done when the twins were born C-section.”

“Wait, then why is Illyria still after Connor if he can’t have any more children?” Sam asked.

“Stupid super healing,” Dawn said. “The vasectomy never took, we tried three times finally we just agreed to give up, my tubal ligation stuck so that was good.”

Sam and Hetty exchanged surprised looks at this new information. Dawn noticed their expressions and sighed.

"Yeah, it's been a whole thing," she said. "We thought we had it all figured out, but Connor's unique physiology had other plans."

Connor squeezed Dawn's hand reassuringly. "But we've managed. And Illyria knows that even though I could have more children, it's not going to happen."

"I just wish she'd get the message," Dawn muttered.

Sam felt a wave of sympathy for the couple. Their life seemed so complicated, full of supernatural challenges most people couldn't even imagine.

"So, this bunyip," Sam said, trying to change the subject. "How do you plan on stopping it?"

Connor's expression turned serious again. "We have a few ideas. Traditional weapons don't work well on it, but we're hoping a combination of Willow's magic, and some specialized gear might do the trick."

"And if that doesn't work?" Hetty asked, looking concerned.

"Then we'll keep trying until we find something that does," Dawn said firmly. "We don't give up easily in this family."

Just then, they heard the front door open. Angel, Spike, and Pete came into the kitchen.

"Any luck?" Connor asked, straightening up.

Angel shook his head. "No sign of it yet. Also, off the grounds we can’t see or hear Pete so that wasn’t fun.”

“And lonely,” Pete said.

Sam listened intently as Angel and Spike reported back on their unsuccessful bunyip hunt. Despite their enhanced vampire senses, they hadn't been able to detect any sign of the creature.

"It's crafty, I'll give it that," Spike grumbled, running a hand through his bleached hair. "Probably knows we're onto it."

"We'll have to try a different approach tomorrow night," Angel said. "Maybe set up some bait, try to lure it out."

Connor nodded; his arm still wrapped around Dawn's waist. "Good idea. We should talk to Willow in the morning, see if she has any magical tracking spells that might help."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Sam found herself asking. "I mean, I don't have any special powers or anything, but..."

The group exchanged glances.

"Actually," Connor said slowly, "your ability to communicate with ghosts could be useful. Since we can’t see Pete off grounds and you can, that would be helpful. But there is a risk. Angel, Spike and me, it doesn’t want, but humans, like you, it will want. We can’t ask you to endanger yourself like that.”

“Can’t Illyria make it so you can see Pete off grounds?” Sam asked.

“She doesn’t like to admit it, but her powers aren’t as strong as she lets on. That’s why I say this now, don’t get used to Jay being able to see the ghosts. I’ve seen Illyria’s magic before, it’s mostly temporary. Unless she kills you, then you stay dead,” Connor said. “I don’t think she has the power to do something that big, the house probably took more out of her than she planned.”

Sam noticed by Dawn’s face that she wasn’t the only one that heard a bit of intimacy from Connor for Illyria.

Dawn got off Connor’s lap. “I’m going to shower and get dressed, it’s almost sunup, me and Willow are next watch.”

Dawn left the kitchen without another word. Connor sighed, looking torn between going after her and continuing the conversation.

"Trouble in paradise?" Spike asked, raising an eyebrow.

Connor shot Spike a warning look. "Shut up. Maybe I should go check on her," Connor said, starting to stand up.

"Give her a minute," Angel advised. "Dawn's tough. She just needs some space sometimes."

Connor nodded reluctantly, settling back into his chair.

"So, about using Sam's ghost-whispering abilities," Spike said, steering the conversation back on track. "It could be useful, but it's bloody dangerous.”

"I know the risks," Sam said firmly. "But if I can help stop this thing from hurting anyone else, I want to do it."

Finally, Angel spoke. "Alright. But we'll need to take precautions. You don't leave our sight, and at the first sign of danger, you get out of there. Deal? It won’t stray from the swamp to hunt, only to move on to another body of water."

Sam nodded. "Deal."

Just then, Willow entered the kitchen, looking sleepy. "Did I hear something about magic?"

Connor left the group, he knew they thought he should give his wife space, but he knew her better than them. He knew giving her space meant she didn’t think anyone cared. Call it a throwback from growing up with Buffy, always being second to everything.

Connor found Dawn in their room, getting dressed for her watch shift with Willow. He could tell by the tense set of her shoulders that she was still upset.

"Hey," he said softly, closing the door behind him. "Can we talk?"

Dawn sighed, turning to face him. "About what, Connor? About how you still have some weird connection with Illyria? Or about how, after all these years, she still won't give up on having your baby?"

Connor moved closer, reaching for her hand. "It’s not Illyria, it’s Fred. I did Fred wrong in my life and it’s something that I can’t fix. Maybe that’s why I can never fully let go of Illyria.”

Dawn's expression softened slightly at Connor's words. "I know you feel guilty about Fred. But Illyria isn't Fred. No matter how much we might wish she was." Dawn never got to meet Fred, but she had heard many stories about her from everyone. Connor had been ashamed when he told Dawn about lying to Fred for so long, after she had been so kind.

"It doesn't matter what Illyria wants," Connor said firmly. "It's never going to happen. You're my wife, the mother of my children. Nothing and no one could ever change that. And anyway, she has Fred’s face and after already having sex with a hell god inside Cordy, I don’t want to repeat it with one wearing Fred’s face. That’s fucked up even for me.”

Dawn couldn't help but let out a small laugh at Connor's blunt statement. "Well, when you put it that way, ick."

Connor smiled, pulling her into his arms. "See? Nothing to worry about. I love you, Dawn. Only you."

Dawn melted into his embrace, feeling the tension start to leave her body. "I love you too. I'm sorry for getting jealous. It's just that I hate it."

"I know," Connor said softly, stroking her hair. "But you never have to doubt us. We've been through too much together."

Dawn nodded against his chest. After a moment, she pulled back slightly, a wicked glint in her eye. "You know, we still have a little time before my watch shift."

Connor grinned, catching her meaning. "Well, Mrs. Reilly, what did you have in mind?"

Dawn's response was to pull him into a deep kiss, all thoughts of Illyria and bunyip forgotten.

Meanwhile, downstairs in the kitchen, the rest of the group continued planning their next move against the bunyip.

"So, if we combine a locator spell with Sam's ability to communicate with Pete off the property, we might be able to pinpoint its location," Willow was saying, her hands moving animatedly as she spoke.

"And then what?" Spike asked. "We still need a way to actually kill the bloody thing."

"I've been working on an enchanted weapon," Willow said.

“Wait, I don’t like this, I don’t want Sam in danger,” Jay said, joining the group a few minutes before.

The group in the kitchen turned to Jay, surprised by his sudden interruption. Sam reached out and took his hand reassuringly.

"Jay, I know you're worried," she said gently. "But I want to help. This thing is dangerous, and if there's something I can do to stop it from hurting people, I have to try."

Jay looked torn. “I can't lose you, Sam.”

Angel stepped forward. "I understand your concern, Jay. But we'll do everything in our power to keep Sam safe. She won't be anywhere near the actual fight. We just need her ability to communicate with Pete off the property."

"And I'll be casting protective spells," Willow added. "Extra magical safeguards, just in case."

“Wait, there’s a lake on the grounds here, right?” Angel said suddenly.

“Yeah why?” Sam asked.

“If we can lure the bunyip to the lake here, we can have Thorfinn help instead of Pete. Pete, no shame but I just feel, he might be better at the fighting bit if it turns that the bunyip can see ghosts,” Angel said. “And that means Sam doesn’t have to be there, she can be safe in the house.”

Jay visibly relaxed at Angel's suggestion. "That sounds much safer. I like that plan better."

Sam looked conflicted. "But I want to help."

"You will be helping," Connor said, entering the kitchen with Dawn. "By staying safe and coordinating from here. We'll need someone to manage communications and keep an eye on things from the house."

Dawn nodded in agreement. "It's actually a really important role. You'll be our eyes and ears here at base."

Sam considered this for a moment, then nodded reluctantly. "Okay, I guess that makes sense."

"Great," Angel said. "Now we just need to figure out how to lure the bunyip here."

Willow's eyes lit up. "I might have an idea about that. Give me a few hours to work on a spell."

Buffy grabbed Spike’s hand and led out to the living room. It was still early and none of the other ghosts besides Hetty and Pete were up.

“I know this isn’t the anniversary you were hoping for luv,” Spike said.

“It’s better than last year’s,” Buffy said smiling.

“Yeah, sorry about that, I really did think you would have liked it.”

“Something called Blood Pudding? No.”

Buffy and Spike settled onto the couch in the living room, wanting to be alone for a while.

"At least this year we're not covered in demon goo," Buffy said with a wry smile.

“Yet. Though I seem to recall you rather enjoying the shower afterwards." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Buffy playfully swatted his arm. "Behave. We're guests here."

"Never stopped us before, pet," Spike murmured, leaning in to nuzzle her neck.

Buffy sighed contentedly, relaxing into his embrace. After a moment, she pulled back slightly to look at him. "Do you ever wonder what our life would be like if we weren't always fighting the next big bad?"

Spike looked thoughtful then shook his head. "Sometimes. But then I think, would we even be us without all this? It's part of who we are, luv."

Buffy nodded. "I know. And I wouldn't change it. Not really.”

"It’s exhausting sometimes?" he asked, like he was reading her mind.

"Yeah," Buffy admitted. "Don't get me wrong, I love our life. But sometimes I dream about a little house with a white picket fence, you know?"

Spike frowned. “Are you ever sorry for staying with me even though I can’t give you kids?”

“I barely got Dawn raised and she was already a teenager. I’m good with being the fun aunt. The responsibility of the world is enough for me, I don’t need children. Anyway, watching all the pain Angel goes through any time anything goes wrong with Connor, I don’t think I can handle it. I already feel bad enough with Dawn.”

Spike pulled Buffy closer, kissing her temple softly. "You've done right by Bit, luv. She's grown into a hell of a woman. Could have done with a better husband than the tosser but what’s done is done.”

Buffy smiled sadly. “I wish I could have given her a more normal life sometimes."

"Normal's overrated," Spike said with a smirk. "And anyway, look at her now. Married, with kids. She's got her slice of normal, even if her husband is the spawn Saten."

Buffy laughed. "Stop, it’s been almost twenty years, give them a break.”

As they sat there, enjoying a quiet moment together, they heard footsteps approaching. Connor appeared in the doorway, looking slightly embarrassed. He must have heard the Saten part.

"Sorry to interrupt," he said. "But Willow thinks she's onto something with the bunyip luring spell.”

Buffy nodded, reluctantly pulling away from Spike. "We'll be right there."

As Connor left, Spike stood up, offering his hand to Buffy. "Ready to save the world again, Slayer?"

Buffy took his hand. "Always." But before she could leave, her cell phone rang. “You go in there; I’ll be in soon.” Spike left and Buffy pulled out her phone. There was only one person who would be calling this early in the morning.

She hit answer. “Please don’t tell me the world is ending again.”

“Shit, knew there was something I was forgetting. Chill, B, was just wanting to see if there was some room for me. I’m in New York and thought I’d drop by.”

“I don’t know, Connor’s here.”

“We’re good, we fought and took care of that fight a few months ago.”

Buffy heard the pain in Faith’s voice. There were many bad traits of Connor’s, but his worst was his recklessness. Faith had that same recklessness but no matter how much of a tough exterior she put on, she was still easy to hurt. Connor hadn’t meant to hurt her, but he did.

For years Connor and Faith had been thick as thieves, much to Dawn’s annoyance. She wasn’t worried about them sleeping together like Connor and Illyria, no she was worried one day one of them would get the other killed. Because Buffy usually didn’t go anywhere without Spike, and he was handicapped by the sun, same as Angel.

When something called for two superpowers, Faith and Connor usually took it on together. There were hundreds of slayers now thanks to Willow, but Faith only trusted Connor, that was until last year.

"Alright, come on by," Buffy said after a moment's hesitation. "But behave yourself, okay? We're guests here and trying to handle this bunyip situation discreetly."

"You got it, B. I'll be on my best behavior," Faith replied, though Buffy could hear the smirk in her voice. "See you in a few hours."

As Buffy hung up, she sighed. Adding Faith to the mix was sure to complicate things, especially with Connor here. But she couldn't turn away another Slayer, especially not Faith.

Buffy made her way to the kitchen where the others were gathered. She slipped in next to Spike, who gave her a questioning look.

"Faith's coming," Buffy said quietly.

Spike raised an eyebrow. "Well, this should be interesting."

Willow was in the middle of explaining her plan. "So, the spell should create a sort of magical beacon that will attract the bunyip to the lake on the property. It's like a supernatural dinner bell."

"And once it's here?" Angel asked.

"That's where this comes in," Willow said, pulling out a dagger. "It's infused with a combination of spells designed to weaken and ultimately destroy the bunyip."

Connor leaned forward, examining the dagger. "And you're sure this will work?"

Willow nodded confidently. "Yes. And with Faith here we’ll have one more with us if it has to be during daylight hours.”

“We don’t have any more rooms,” Sam said.

“Faith can stay in the room with me and Xander, Willow said.

“Connor, are you sure you can handle this?” Angel asked.

“I’ve been fighting demons since I could walk.”

“I meant Faith coming.”

“We’re fine.”

Buffy didn’t believe Faith when she said it and she didn’t believe Connor now.

“I smell gossip,” Hetty said.

“It’s none of our business,” Sam said to her.

“Let’s just say, things happened, and Faith almost died, and Connor did for a couple of seconds. It’s why he could feel the ghosts but not see them, same with Angel and Spike because they died. I can’t which is weird since I died twice but that may have something to do with me being a slayer and not part demon,” Buffy said.

“Hurtful but true,” Connor said.

“Connor’s never liked the demon title,” Willow said, explaining to everyone who didn’t know.

“He’s human, mostly,” Angel said. Angel also got upset at anyone that called his son a demon.

"So, about this spell to lure the bunyip," Buffy said, turning to Willow. "Is there anything we need to do to prepare the property?"

Willow seemed grateful for the shift in conversation. "Yes, actually. I'll need to set up a magical perimeter around the lake. It'll help contain the bunyip once it arrives and amplify the luring spell."

"I can help with that," Dawn offered. "I've been practicing my magic lately."

Connor looked at his wife with worry. Connor didn’t like magic but accepted it, he had to because he had some magic himself, he just didn’t like to advertise it. Both of their children were fine with staying away from magic. Dawn had to learn hers, Connor’s came naturally. "Just be careful, okay?"

Dawn nodded, squeezing his hand reassuringly.

"Alright then," Buffy said, taking charge. "Willow and Dawn will set up the magical perimeter. Connor, I hate to ask since you’ve got almost no sleep, but could you go on the watch this morning? Angel and Spike can’t because it’s daylight now. And Willow and Dawn will be busy with the lake.”

“I will go with him,” Illyria said, coming from somewhere.

“No, I’ll go with him,” Xander said from the doorway. “I see I missed a lot. Junior here can fill me in while we’re on watch.”

Connor looked relieved at Xander's offer. "Sure, that works. Thanks, Xander."

Illyria tilted her head, studying Xander. "The one-eyed human is not as capable as I am."

"Maybe not," Buffy interjected smoothly, "but Xander has years of experience."

Illyria seemed to consider this for a moment before nodding curtly. "Very well. I will assist the witch and the Key with their magical preparations instead."

As the group began to disperse to their various tasks, Sam pulled Jay aside. "I'm going to help Willow and Dawn set up near the lake. Will you be okay here?"

Jay nodded, though he still looked a bit overwhelmed. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Just be careful, okay?"

Sam smiled reassuringly. "Of course."

Outside, Connor and Xander set off towards Connor’s car.

"So Faith's coming, huh?"

Connor sighed. "Yeah. It'll be fine."

Xander raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that? Last I heard, things were pretty tense between you two."

"We worked it out," Connor said shortly. Then, after a pause, he added, "Mostly."

Xander nodded, understanding. "Want to talk about it?"

“I fucked up. Drop it.”

Connor and Xander drove in silence. Xander knew the story, they all knew the story but Connor had yet to talk to anyone about it including Dawn.

"Look, I get it. You don't want to talk about Faith. But bottling it up isn't going to help when she gets here. Trust me, I'm the king of repressing emotions, and it never ends well."

Connor sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. "Faith and I, we've always worked well together. We understand each other in a way most people don't. But last year, on that mission in San Marino I made a call, a bad one. Faith got hurt because of it. And then when I tried to save her, I ended up..." He trailed off, shaking his head.

"Dying for a few minutes," Xander finished for him.

"Right. And when I came back, everything was different. Faith was so angry, so hurt. And I couldn't blame her. It was my fault."

Xander was quiet for a moment. "You know, Connor, from what I've heard, you both made mistakes that day. It wasn't all on you."

Connor shrugged. "Maybe. But I was the one who rushed in, she told me that we needed to work on a plan first. I should have known if Faith was practicing restraint, it was for a reason. I died in front of her, and she was down and couldn’t help. I think that’s what she’s most pissed about, not me almost getting her killed but getting killed myself and making her witness it.”

Xander nodded slowly. "That's a heavy burden to carry, for both of you. Have you talked to Faith about this since it happened?"

Connor shook his head. "Not really. We had a brief, heated argument a few months ago, sparred a little but that was it. We've both been avoiding each other since."

"Maybe this is a chance to clear the air," Xander suggested. "You two have been through too much together to let one incident, even a big one, ruin your friendship."

Connor sighed. "I know. It's just I don't know how to fix it. And with Dawn already on edge about Illyria, I'm not sure bringing Faith into the mix is the best idea right now."

Xander clapped a hand on Connor's shoulder. "Look, relationships are messy. Believe me, I know. But avoiding the problem never makes it better. When Faith gets here, try talking to her. Really talking. And be honest with Dawn about it too."

Connor nodded. "You're right. Thanks, Xander. You know, for a guy who claims to be the king of repressing emotions, you give pretty good advice."

Xander grinned. "What can I say? I've had a lot of therapy."

“Do they have to watch us?” Dawn asked Sam.

“This is exciting to them. They haven’t had anyone to talk to besides each other and me for so long. And magic just adds to the fun.”

All the ghosts were out watching them, even the ones from the cholera pit. Crash had also found his head and was enjoying the show. Nigel, Jenkins and Baxter had come out of their shed to watch.

Sam was watching Dawn and Willow do magic and she felt as intrigued as the ghosts.

Dawn sighed, trying to focus on the magical preparations despite the ghostly audience. "I guess I can understand that. It's just a little unnerving having so many eyes on us."

Willow smiled reassuringly at Dawn. "Just pretend they're not there. Focus on the energy of the spell."

Sam watched in fascination as the two women began to chant softly, their hands moving in intricate patterns. The air around them seemed to shimmer and pulse with energy. She could tell that Willow was carrying most of the weight of the spell casting.

"Fascinating," Hetty murmured, leaning in for a closer look. "I've never seen real magic before."

"It's quite beautiful," Alberta agreed, her eyes wide with wonder.

As Dawn and Willow continued their spell, Sam noticed a faint glow beginning to come from the ground around the lake. It pulsed gently, growing stronger with each passing moment.

"Is it supposed to do that?" Sam asked, pointing to the glowing perimeter.

Willow nodded without breaking her concentration. "Yes, that's the magical barrier taking shape. It'll help contain the bunyip once it arrives."

Suddenly, there was a loud splash from the lake. Everyone jumped, even the ghosts.

"What was that?" Sam asked, her heart racing.

Dawn and Willow exchanged worried glances. "The spell shouldn't have attracted anything yet," Willow said. "It's not complete."

As they all stared out at the lake the surface of the water began to ripple and splash. Suddenly, a massive, dark shape burst spraying water in all directions.

"Oh my god," Sam gasped, stumbling backwards.

The creature that emerged was unlike anything she had ever seen. It had the body was huge, skin looked like seal or manatee, at least that’s what she thought this far away. Its head was oddly elongated, with a snout like a horse and rows of sharp teeth visible as it opened its mouth in a thunderous roar.

"That's not a bunyip," Dawn said, her voice shaking slightly. "What the hell is that thing?"

Willow's eyes were wide with shock. "I don't know. But whatever it is, it's angry."

The creature thrashed in the water, its powerful body sending waves crashing against the magical barrier. Its eyes, glowing an eerie red, fixed on the group standing by the lake.

"We need to get out of here," Sam said urgently. "Now!"

But before they could move, the creature lunged forward with surprising speed. Its massive body heaved itself partially onto the shore, jaws snapping.

"The barrier!" Willow shouted. "Dawn, help me reinforce it!"

The two witches raised their hands, chanting rapidly. The faint glow around the lake intensified, forming a shimmering wall between them and the monster.

“GO GET BUFFY!” Willow yelled.

“I’ll do it,” Pete said, taking off to the house.

Sam watched in horror as the creature thrashed against the magical barrier, its massive form sending shockwaves through the shimmering wall with each impact. Dawn and Willow strained to maintain the spell, their faces pained.

"We can't hold it for long," Willow gasped. "That thing is too strong!"

Just then, Pete reappeared, looking panicked. "Buffy and the others are on their way!"

As if on cue, Buffy came sprinting into view with Illyria behind her.

"What the hell is that thing?" Buffy shouted as she approached.

"Not a bunyip," Dawn managed through gritted teeth. "Some kind of other lake monster."

"Okay, questions later," Buffy said, grabbing a nearby branch and breaking it into a makeshift stake. "How do we kill it?"

"We're not sure," Willow called out, her voice strained as she and Dawn continued to maintain the barrier. "The spell we prepared was specifically for a bunyip. This is something else entirely."

Buffy surveyed the situation, her mind racing. "Alright, we need to keep it contained until we figure out how to take it down. Illyria, can you help reinforce the barrier?"

The blue-haired god-king nodded curtly and moved to stand beside Dawn and Willow. As she added her power to the spell, the shimmering wall seemed to solidify further.

"Sam, get back to the house," Buffy ordered. "Go inside and have Angel call Connor and Xander back, we’ll need them, and Angel and Spike are stuck inside because of the sun. Also have Spike call Faith and see if she’s far out, if not have her step on the gas. Another Slayer power would really be helpful right about now. Whatever this thing is we pissed it off.”

Sam nodded and took off running towards the house, her heart pounding. Behind her, she could hear the creature's furious roars and the sound of splashing water as it continued to thrash against the magical barrier.

As she burst through the front door, she nearly collided with Angel and Spike, who were pacing anxiously in the foyer.

"What's happening out there?" Angel demanded.

"Some kind of lake monster," Sam gasped, trying to catch her breath. "Not a bunyip. Buffy needs Connor and Xander back here now, and she wants you to call Faith and tell her to hurry if she's close."

Spike was already pulling out his phone. "On it."

Angel grabbed his own phone, quickly dialing Connor's number. "Son? You need to get back here now. We've got a situation."

As the vampires made their calls, Jay appeared from the kitchen, looking worried. "Sam, are you okay? What's going on?"

Sam shook her head. "I'm not sure. There's this thing in the lake. It's huge and angry and definitely not what we were expecting."

Outside, they could hear another thunderous roar. The windows of the B&B shook.

"We need to do something," Sam said, feeling helpless. "Buffy and the others can't hold that thing off forever."

Just then, Spike hung up his phone. “Faith is just down the road; she’s coming in hot so be prepared.”

Sam nodded, grateful for the news about Faith. Every bit of help would be good with this unexpected enemy.

"We should gather any weapons we have," Angel said decisively. "Anything that could potentially harm a large aquatic creature."

As they scrambled to collect whatever makeshift weapons they could find around the B&B along with the weapons they brought themselves, Sam couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the situation. Just yesterday, her biggest concern had been making sure the guests were comfortable. Now she was helping prepare for battle against a monster straight out of a nightmare.

The sound of screeching tires outside announced Faith's arrival. Moments later, a dark-haired woman burst through the front door, her eyes wild with adrenaline.

"Where's the action?" she demanded, glancing around at the assembled group.

"By the lake," Spike replied, tossing her an axe he'd found in a storage closet. "Big nasty, not what we were expecting."

Faith caught the weapon easily, twirling it in her hand. "Well, I’ll go introduce myself then."

Just then, Connor and Xander came running into the house.

"Dad, what's going on?" Connor asked as soon as he saw Angel.

"Some kind of lake monster," Angel explained quickly. "Not the bunyip we were expecting. Buffy and the others are trying to contain it, but they need backup."

“Fuck. I think I know why the bunyip was on the move now,” Connor said, looking out the window.

“Why?” Sam asked Connor.

“They don’t have any known predators except one. It’s been running from this monster. The plus is this one usually doesn’t bother people unless…”

“Let me guess, unless they bother it first like we just did,” Angel said.

Connor nodded. "Exactly. It might have already been here, hiding, waiting for the bunyip to move from the swamp that’s too small for it.”

"Great," Faith said sarcastically. "So how do we kill it?"

"We don't," Connor replied. "At least, not if we can help it. This creature is ancient and one of a kind. If we can find a way to calm it down and guide it back to deeper waters, that would be the best solution.”

“How?” Sam asked.

“By giving it what it wants, we can take care of both problems letting nature take its course. We just need to get the bunyip here now.”

"You want to lure the bunyip here? To feed it to that monster?" Sam asked incredulously.

Connor nodded. "It's not ideal, but it's the natural order of things. The lake creature is just doing what it's meant to do, hunt the bunyip. If we can facilitate that, both creatures will leave the area, just one inside the other."

"And how exactly do we lure a bunyip here when we've got Godzilla's angry cousin thrashing around in the lake?" Spike asked skeptically.

"We modify Willow's spell," Connor explained. "Instead of just attracting the bunyip, we make it irresistible. Like a supernatural siren call."

Angel looked worried. "It could work. But it's risky. We'd be bringing two dangerous creatures together."

"Do we have a choice?" Faith interjected. "That thing out there isn't going to calm down on its own, and we can't kill it without potentially disrupting the ecosystem."

Sam felt her head spinning. "I can't believe this is happening at my B&B," she muttered.

Jay put a comforting arm around her. "Hey, at least it'll make for an interesting story someday, right?"

Just then Isaac came back into the house, walking through the closed door. “Buffy would like some help, she said something about killing one of you if you let the thing eat her sister.”

“Fuck, Dawn, I got to get out there. We need more magic.” Connor pulled out his phone and handed it to Angel. “Call Stella.”

“What? No, Willow will be crushed,” Angel said.

“She will literally be crushed if we don’t get help now. Stella is the only witch I know that is on the same level as Willow,” Connor said.

“But-” Angel started to say.

“Give it to me, I’ll call her. I’d rather deal with a sad Willow than a dead one,” Spike said, grabbing the phone.

“Who is Stella?” Sam asked.

“Willow’s ex-wife,” Connor said before running out the door to help his wife.

"Willow's ex-wife?" she asked.

"Yeah," Angel said with a sigh. "Stella is an incredibly powerful witch, but she and Willow had a messy divorce. Bringing her in is going to cause some tension."

Spike was already on the phone. "Stella? It's Spike. Yeah, I know it's been a while. Listen, we've got a situation here and we need your help. No, Willow's fine. Look, can you just get here? I'll text you the address."

“How is she going to get here soon enough to help?” Sam asked.

“Teleportation spell, it’s one of her specialties, she won’t even be tired from it. Willow can do them too, but it wipes her out,” Faith said. “I’m going out there.” Then she too was out the door.

"So now we're just waiting for this Stella to show up?" Jay asked, looking bewildered.

Angel nodded. "She should be here at any moment. Teleportation spells are instantaneous."

As if on cue, there was a flash of light in the middle of the room. When it faded, a tall woman with long dark hair and piercing green eyes stood before them. She was dressed in flowing robes adorned with mystical symbols.

"Where's the emergency?" she asked without preamble, her eyes scanning the room.

"By the lake," Spike said quickly. "Big nasty water beastie, not what we were expecting. Willow and the others are trying to contain it, but they need help."

Stella's eyes narrowed at the mention of Willow's name, but she nodded. "Right. I'll see what I can do. You want to fight?”

“Absolutely,” Angel and Spike said at the same time.

Sam was confused before Stella chanted some words and a light hit both vampires.

“You know the time limit, you’ll only be protected from the sun for an hour, make sure you’re back inside before the time is up unless you want to be cleaned up with a dustdevil.”

With a nod of understanding from Angel and Spike, Stella turned and strode towards the door, the two vampires following close behind. Sam and Jay watched in awe as they stepped out into the sunlight without bursting into flames.

"Did she just make them immune to sunlight?" Jay asked incredulously.

Sam nodded. "Apparently. But only for an hour."

They moved to the window, watching as Stella, Angel, and Spike raced towards the lake to join the others. The sounds of the creature's roars and splashing water grew louder.

"Should we go help?" Jay asked uncertainly.

Sam shook her head. "I think we'd just get in the way at this point. The best thing we can do is stay here and be ready if they need anything."

“I kind of want a closer view,” Jay said.

“Me too, we’ll stay back but we’ll go watch outside.”

Sam and Jay cautiously made their way outside, staying well back from the chaos unfolding at the lake. From their vantage point, they could see the massive creature thrashing in the water, its dark form looming menacingly against the magical barrier that seemed to be weakening.

Buffy, Faith, and Connor were darting around the shore, trying to distract the monster while Willow, Dawn, and Illyria maintained the barrier. Angel and Spike had joined the fray, using their enhanced vampire speed to dodge the creature's attacks.

Stella walked towards the group, her hands already glowing with magical energy. As she approached, Willow's head snapped up, her eyes widening in surprise and something that looked like pain.

"Stella?" Willow called out; her voice strained. "What are you doing here?"

"Saving your ass, apparently," Stella replied coolly, raising her hands. A surge of power flowed from her, reinforcing the weakening barrier.

With Stella's added strength, the magical wall seemed to solidify, pushing the creature back into deeper water. It roared in frustration, its massive tail sending up huge sprays of water.

"We need to lure the bunyip here!" Connor shouted over the noise. "It's the only way to get rid of this thing without killing it!"

Stella looked confused for a moment but quickly caught on. “A bunyip? I think I know a way to lure it, I know something that one in a hundred miles can’t turn down. Make sure you don’t look at it when it comes here.”

“Thorfinn ready for glorious battle,” Thorfinn said.

“You can’t fight, you can’t touch any of them,” Nancy, one of the basement ghosts said.

“I don’t even see any fight,” Flower said.

“You’re facing the wrong way Flower,” Alberta said.

Flower turned around and was now facing the battle. “Oh, when did that get here?” she said pointing at the water beast.

Sam and Jay watched as Stella began chanting in an unfamiliar language. A shimmering mist began to form over the lake's surface, swirling and pulsing with an unknown energy.

"What's she doing?" Jay whispered to Sam.

"I have no idea," Sam replied. "But it looks powerful."

As Stella's chanting grew louder, the mist coalesced into a ghostly image hovering above the water. It looked like a beautiful woman with long, flowing hair, but there was something off about her appearance something, not quite human.

"Don't look directly at it!" Connor shouted to the others. "That's a siren illusion. It'll entrance you if you stare too long!"

The water beast seemed momentarily confused by the new apparition, its thrashing slowing as it tried to make sense of what it was seeing.

Suddenly, there was a disturbance in the water at the far end of the lake. Something was approaching rapidly, leaving a wake behind it.

"The bunyip!" Buffy called out. "It's coming!"

Sure enough, a creature burst from the water. Smaller than the lake monster, but still formidable. It had the body of a seal but with thick fur, powerful flippers, and a head that looked like a huge frogs but with fangs.

The bunyip emerged from the water; its eyes fixated on the siren illusion Stella had conjured. It seemed entranced, barely noticing the larger lake monster or the humans gathered on the shore.

"It's working!" Connor shouted. "The bunyip is drawn to the siren's call!"

The lake monster, momentarily distracted by the new arrival, let out a thunderous roar. Its attention snapped back to its natural prey; red eyes gleaming with predatory intent.

"Everyone, get back!" Buffy ordered, gesturing for the group to retreat up the shore.

They watched in horror as the two creatures faced off. The bunyip, still dazed by the siren illusion, was slow to react as the lake monster lunged forward with shocking speed. Its massive jaws clamped down on the smaller creature, dragging it beneath the surface in a spray of water and blood.

"Well, that's one way to solve the problem," Faith muttered, her axe still gripped tightly in her hands.

For several tense moments, the lake's surface churned violently as the two beasts grappled beneath the waves. Then, slowly, the water began to calm.

"Is it over?" Sam asked hesitantly from her position further up the shore.

As if in answer, the lake monster's head broke the surface once more. It let out a low rumble, almost like a satisfied belch, before diving back down into the water.

“I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but I really don’t want that thing in our lake,” Jay said.

“It won’t stay; it’ll want to get home now that it’s prey has been eaten. They eat only once every hundred years or so,” Connor said.

“Where is it’s home?” Sam asked.

“Scotland,” Connor said.

“Are you telling us that was Nessie?” Jay asked, excitement in his voice.

“None other,” Connor said with a smirk.

“Nessy?” Hetty asked.

“Otherwise known as The Loch Ness Monster,” Connor said.

"The Loch Ness Monster?" Sam repeated incredulously. "That's real too?"

Connor nodded. "Yep. Most cryptids have some basis in reality. Nessie here just got a little tunnel visioned, she wanted bunyip and wasn’t taking no for an answer. Good for us because the bunyip was killing rapidly."

"This is insane," Jay muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "First ghosts, now lake monsters and bunyips and who knows what else."

Willow approached the group, looking exhausted. "Well, that's one crisis averted. Good thinking on luring the bunyip here, Connor."

"It was Stella's spell that did the trick," Connor said, nodding towards the dark-haired witch.

Willow's expression tightened slightly at the mention of her ex-wife's name. "Right. Well, thank you, Stella. Your help was appreciated."

Stella merely nodded in response; her face unreadable.

"So, what now?" Faith asked, twirling her axe restlessly. "We just wait for Nessie to decide to go back to Scotland?"

“How does she get back there?” Jay asked.

“She has magical powers in lakes, she can go to any one that she wants, she just prefers Loch Ness. It’s how she was able to follow the bunyip, it had to walk but she didn’t. We kind of trapped her here and she was pissed, rightly so. She’ll disappear and it’ll be like she never existed here.”

As the group stood on the shore, the massive form of Nessie seemed to fade and dissolve into the water, becoming less and less distinct until it vanished entirely.

"Well, that's something you don't see every day," Spike remarked, lighting a cigarette.

"So, it's really over?" Sam asked, still hardly believing what she had witnessed.

Connor nodded. "Yep. Nessie's gone back to Loch Ness; the bunyip's been taken care of. Crisis averted."

"And my B&B is still standing," Sam added with relief.

As the group began to make their way back to the house, Sam noticed the tension between Willow and Stella. The two witches were pointedly avoiding eye contact, walking on opposite sides of the group.

"So, um, thank you again for your help, Stella," Sam said, trying to break the awkward silence. "That was some impressive magic."

Stella gave a curt nod. "It was nothing. I'm just glad I could assist."

"Yeah, it was great," Willow said, longing clear in her voice.

“Tell Angel and Spike they need to get inside soon,” Stella said, ignoring Willow.

She then said some words and disappeared herself.

“What a bitch,” Trevor said.

“I have to agree,” Hetty said primly.

Sam had to agree too; the woman helped them but was cruel to Willow who had been nothing but sweet.

“Don’t be too hard on her,” Willow said. “I did go a little Dark Willow on her near the end of the marriage.”

Sam looked at Willow curiously. "Dark Willow?"

Willow sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Long story, don’t ask. Just know it wasn’t good."

"That doesn't excuse her being so cold now," Dawn said, putting a comforting arm around Willow's shoulders.

"No, but I understand it," Willow replied softly. "I hurt her badly. It's going to take time to heal those wounds, if they ever do."

As they approached the B&B, Angel and Spike suddenly darted inside, barely making it before the sun protection spell wore off.

"Cutting it a bit close there, weren't you?" Buffy called after them, shaking her head fondly.

Once everyone was safely inside, Sam looked around at the group of supernatural beings and monster hunters gathered in her living room. It was surreal to think that just yesterday, her biggest concern had been making sure the guest rooms were properly cleaned and making the ghost share one room, which they weren’t happy about.

"So what happens now?" she asked uncertainly.

Connor shrugged. "Well, the immediate threat is gone. But we should probably stick around for a few days, just to make sure there are no lingering effects from the magical convergence we created."

"Plus, we did book the rooms for a week," Xander added with a grin. "Might as well enjoy a little vacation time, right?”

“I’m going to leave,” Illyria said.

“What?” Dawn asked.

“I came to fight. Fight is over. I will meet you back at the hotel,” Illyria said before walking out the door.

“That was very brisk,” Jay said.

“That’s Illyria, she’ll be fine, she always is,” Angel said.

"Well," Sam said, trying to lighten the mood, "since you're all staying for the week, how about Jay whip up some Lunch? I'm sure everyone could use a good meal after all that excitement."

The door opened and a woman with long brown hair with blonde highlights came in.

“Was I supposed to knock? I wasn’t sure with this being a B&B,” she said kindly. She was a beautiful woman, and Sam saw Angel walk to her and hug her.

“I didn’t know you were actually going to come,” he said.

“I told you, as soon as the bunyip was gone, I would.”

“Vision?” Angel asked.

“Yep. Why do you think Faith was here just in time?”

“Yeah, sorry, Queen C told me I may want to drop in but didn’t say why.”

Sam watched as the newcomer greeted Angel warmly, clearly familiar with the group. The woman's eyes scanned the room, taking in the assembled crowd.

"So, crisis averted?" she asked with a wry smile. "I saw the highlights, but details tend to get fuzzy."

"Cordelia, this is Sam and Jay," Angel introduced. "They own this B&B. Sam, Jay, this is my wife, Cordelia."

"Nice to meet you," Cordelia said, extending her hand to Sam. "Sorry for dropping in unannounced. Visions don't always come with convenient timing."

"Visions?" Jay asked, looking intrigued.

"Cordy's a seer," Buffy explained. "She gets visions of people in danger, supernatural threats, that kind of thing."

"Which is how I knew to send Faith your way," Cordelia added, nodding to the dark-haired Slayer. "Looked like you could use the extra muscle."

"Yeah, thanks for the heads up," Faith said. "Though a little more detail would've been nice. 'There's trouble' is pretty vague."

Cordelia shrugged. "Hey, I just pass along what I see. Interpretation is your department."

“I don’t mean to be weird but am I the only one seeing a Viking and minuteman?” Faith asked.

“Minuteman? Well, I never,” Isaac said.

“Wait, you can see them?” Buffy asked.

“Yes.”

“I thought Illyria said that people that weren’t here during the spell wouldn’t be able to see them,” Buffy said.

“Cordy do you see a Viking?” Angel asked.

“Yes, and a hippy, and fancy soldier, a grown boy scout with a arrow through his neck, a woman dressed like she’s from the 1920s, a frat guy with no pants, a woman in a very pretty dress, a bit dated but I like it and a very handsome Native American man.”

“Well, that’s unexpected,” Sam said.

Because there was so many, Jay decided to open up the restaurant for them for lunch, the group was more than willing to pay for the service. There was enough room for all of them and the ghosts to sit for lunch. Well, the basement ghosts went back to the basement after the fight, they didn’t like to stay away from their friend the furnace for too long. Crash also went off for his own thing. But the rest were there.

“So, are you guys stuck here for always?” Dawn asked the ghosts.

“Well, sometimes we can get sucked off,” Isaac said.

Xander had just taken a drink and spit it out and coughed. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Don’t tell them,” Trevor said. “I have so little in this afterlife.”

"What Isaac meant is that sometimes we can be 'sucked off' to our final resting place. It's happened to a few ghosts we've known over the years," Alberta said.

"Oh," Xander said, looking relieved. "That's less exciting than what I was imagining.".

"So, you're not necessarily stuck here forever?" Willow asked, looking fascinated. "That's actually really interesting from a metaphysical perspective. I wonder what determines when a ghost moves on."

“No one knows, Thorfinn’s been here the longest with Sas not far behind, they’ve been here for over five-hundred years,” Sam told them.

“For a long time, it was just the two of us,” Sas said.

“And very sad since most recently we’ve found out that Sas is a virgin,” Flower said.

“That you remember? You can’t remember where you’re walking but that you remember?” Sas said.

“I’m sorry, it’s just so, so sad. But like I said, Thorfinn and I are open for that threesome.”

“Not happening,” Sas said.

“So, you’ve never had sex? That’s depressing,” Xander said.

“Can we not talk about my sex life.”

The conversation about ghost sex lives was thankfully interrupted as Jay brought out platters of food for all the non-ghosts and non-vampires. As they dug into the meal, the mood lightened considerably.

"So, Sam," Buffy said between bites, "what's it like running a B&B full of ghosts? Any interesting stories?"

Sam laughed. "Oh, where to even begin? Let's just say it's never boring around here. Though I have to admit, today takes the cake for weirdest day ever."

"Welcome to our world," Xander said with a grin. "Weird is kind of our normal."

As they ate and chatted, Sam couldn't help but notice how at ease everyone seemed now. Willow though looked sad.

"Hey," Sam said softly, leaning towards the redheaded witch. "Are you okay? That thing with Stella looked pretty intense."

Willow gave a small smile. "I'm alright. It is what it is. Seeing her again brought up a lot of old feelings."

Sam nodded sympathetically. "Breakups are never easy. Especially when magic is involved, I'd imagine."

"You have no idea," Willow sighed. "But hey, at least the world didn't end this time. That's progress, right?"

After a bit, Sam noticed two people were missing. Connor and Faith, she hoped that wasn’t a bad sign.