LIFE SHATTERING NEWS 2

DISCLAIMER: The characters do not belong to me, just thought I'd straighten that out right now!!

LIFE SHATTERING NEWS

PART TWO

"You ok pet?" Spike stood behind Willow as she sat on a bench on campus.

"Hard to tell really. My whole world's turned upside down and inside out."

"Yeah, but other than that you're ok?" He tried to make her laugh, to make her smile, to make her anything but unhappy.

It had been two weeks since she'd discovered she was adopted. When she'd called her parents about it, well the Rosenburgs anyway, they said that they 'regrettably had to confirm that it was true.' There was no 'we love you anyway, you will always be our daughter.' Just a 'regrettably informed.' It was then that Spike had decided that her parents had to die and he had bumped them to the top if his 'must kill after the bloody chip comes out' list.

"Hey, come on, today's the day right? Come one, I'll walk you over to the watchers." He walked around the bench and looked at her. There were no tears, she had cried all that she had. Now all she did was mope and brood like Angel the second.

"Maybe I don't want to know, Spike."

"Maybe." He reasoned lighting a cigarette. "But I do. Come on you're telling me you at least aren't the slightest bit interested? I mean the good ol' watcher or the evil psycho man? It's gripped my attention."

"Well then you can have either one as you father."

"Never gonna happen pet. I'm way older than both of them put together." He sat beside her. "Come on. I bet it's the watcher. You know he loves you, I mean even before al this started he cared for you."

"But it's weird. I mean he's Giles, not my dad. My dad's my dad. I mean as much as they're never around they're still my parents right?"

"I guess. Dunno much about this stuff luv. Just tryin' to cheer you up."

She smiled at him. "Thanks Spike. I swear I won't tell a soul."

"That's my girl. Come on." He stood and held his hand for her. Holding his hand he pulled her up and together they walked to Giles' house.

.................................................

Willow stumbled and grabbed Spike. "I've never felt that before.

"Felt what luv? You ok?" He held onto her as she struggled to remain standing.

"So much magical power. I feel it. It's almost coursing through me." They stood in the courtyard of Giles' building complex.

"I can't feel anything. You sure?" He asked worriedly.

"Yeah I'm...I'm in tune to that stuff being a Wicca an' all." She looked up and toward the house. "In there, it's in there."

"You think Giles is doin' a spell or something?"

"This isn't a spell Spike it's a presence."

"You want me to take you home?"

"No." She gripped his arm and stood up straight. "I'm ok, let's go in." Slowly they began walking together.

Using his free hand Spike opened the door and found himself pinned to the wall by a strong, tall redheaded woman. He looked at her; her red hair flowed over her shoulders and was in loose ringlets. Her green eyes were alive and aimed at him. They seemed almost dead of emotion and yet so full of it. Her fingernails curled into his throat and it wasn't until he felt it digging into his chest did he become aware of the stake she gripped.

"Vile, evil creature, you will die." Her words seemed to echo around the room in his head. With each word she pushed the stake further toward his un-beating heart. He was too shocked to even speak; he rationalised that he was staring into the face of an adult Willow. It was only when he saw her out of the corner of his eye holding onto the doorframe to support herself and her cry of 'no' that he realised who this woman was.

"Please, let him go."

Spike watched as Willow struggled toward him and placed her hand on the woman's arm. She yelped in pain and jumped back falling to the floor.

"Wills, you ok?" Xander ran to her side and knelt beside her. Spike watched as she clung to him and closed her eyes. He saw her concentrating and then he felt the stabbing pain in his chest disappear as the stake vanished.

"Let. Him. Go." She defiantly looked at the woman as Xander helped her stand.

"Juliana please." Giles' voice entered the room. Silently the woman let go. Willow stared at her in shock as Spike went to her side and helped Xander hold her up.

"Oh now Ripper, you spoil all the fun."

"Do shut up Ethan." Giles shouted as she went to Willow ignoring Juliana. "Are you ok? Spike?" He asked looking to the vampire.

"Never bloody better. Is she...?"

"Yes." Giles turned back to Willow. "Willow this is Juliana Edwards...your mother."

"Rupert, you never told me she used dark powers." She all but glanced at Willow. "I would never have thought it of you."

"She....she isn't. Are you?"

"No. What?" Willow asked confused.

"Him." Juliana pointed to Spike

"This is Spike and...and if you touch him again you *will* be sorry." Willow threatened as her arm tightened around him.

"He is a demon. You know that?"

"He's a vampire. He's...he's my....*our* friend."

"How can you allow this Rupert?"

"Well...things happen that&look, Spike isn't important here is he?" He took off his glasses and glared at her. "Why don't you start by telling us who her father is and why you hid it all?"

................................

Keeping her eye on Spike she watched as he and Xander helped Willow over to the sofa furthest away from Ethan who, over the past two weeks had taken to be a permanent fixture in Giles' recliner chair. "I did it for her own safety. For all of your safety." Juliana began. "You know what I am..."

"No, what are you?" Willow asked. Now Juliana looked at her daughter.

"I think you know deep down. You feel it. The power, the magic. I could not care for you when you can not be in the same room as me without needing support to stand."

"That's you?"

"Yes, Willow." She smiled sadly. "I am very powerful. I have power that took years of my life to harness and control; some that I still have trouble to control. I couldn't look after a child, when&when I could have hurt it."

"Ok, then why not tell me or Ethan about it?" Giles asked.

"I...I couldn't." She looked away as a silent tear fell. The room fell silent.

"One of them is my dad right?" Willow asked quietly.

"Yes." Wiping her tears away Juliana looked back to her grown up daughter. "You were never meant to find out about this, you were meant to live a normal life."

"Normal on the Hellmouth? Pah!!" Xander exclaimed then looked sheepish. "Just statin' a fact here right?"

"I had no idea that you would end up here, that you would in fact begin to use your power. I never wanted you to."

"You never wanted me to use magic? Why?"

"Because I was afraid of what you would do. It is very powerful, I didn't want you to turn out like me."

"And how's that?"

"Alone." The sadness returned to her face. "I...I can't be around people too long not without great difficulty, I have to constantly keep my power in check and it drains me then I get sloppy. Before, when you used magic to take the stake away..." Willow nodded. "It was only because I was weak that you were able to do that."

"Well I'm glad." Willow said smiling at Spike.

"Yes, but Juliana, please, who is the father?" Giles pleaded. "And how did you know about the power being passed down? In fact, when did you power become so great?"

"The black arts Ripper you fool. Not everyone is sickly good like you." Ethan spat out.

"He's right. I tapped into the black arts, harnessed power, I...I used Ethan for that."

"See Ripper told you I was better at magic than you."

"Not better Ethan." Juliana added. "Just more devious and more willing to use the full range of black arts." She looked back to Giles and Willow. "I...I didn't want the black arts for evil, I just wanted the power. Then one day I did a spell I shouldn't have and I got all this power. It was non-returnable I'm afraid. Then I discovered that I was pregnant. I could feel the magic in my child as she grew and I could feel my magic growing everyday, I knew I couldn't keep her. I had to leave you Willow." She looked sadly at Willow. "I checked that you would be looked after properly I swear."

"Didn't check very well." Spike grumbled under his non-existent breath.

"Spike." Willow elbowed him.

"What?" Juliana asked looking at them.

"Her bloody parents, the one you checked out, don't give a damn about her. They go away and leave her. Didn't even seem bothered that she discovered she was adopted. I swear, they will die Red as soon as this chip is out." He looked to Willow; she saw the promise in his eyes.

"I'm sorry Willow, I really am. Still, I could never have looked after you."

"What about...about Giles? Or....or Ethan?" She spat out the last word glaring at the man.

"True I could have left you with your father, but I didn't know who he was back then." She looked at both men. "I do now, magic can tell you so many things, but even if I did I wouldn't have."

"Why?"

"Because of their link to magic, don't you see? You would have had access to it, I didn't want that, I wanted you to not harness your power in anyway."

"I guess." Willow looked down. She felt Xander squeeze her shoulder gently in reassurance.

"So who the bloody hell is he?" Spike asked.

"I feel that maybe I should not tell." Willow looked up sharply.

"You mean you came all this way and you're not going to say?"

"I can tell you and you can do what you want with the information if you wish?"

"No." Willow said firmly. "Tell us all. Please."

"Very well." She looked at the two men; she saw how un-interested Ethan was in any of it, only truly concerned with the discomfort the whole situation caused everyone. Then she looked at Giles and saw the concern written all over his face, the love he showed for Willow in his every being. She knew that he would love her whether she was his or not. Smiling she turned to Willow. She knew that what she was about to say would finally give the girl some happiness and love that she deserved. Finally she could tell the truth and do right by her daughter. "Giles."

.................................................................

Willow stood with her arm around Giles' waist as she waved goodbye to her mother, her biological birth mom. Giles held his arm firmly around his new found daughter and smiled as he too waved.

"Will I see you again?" Willow asked.

"When you are stronger my darling, you need to be able to see me and not get weak from my power."

"Will that be soon?" She asked hopefully. "Cos Giles never really lets me play with magic and now he know what may happen I bet he bans me using it all together."

"You are smart my Willow, you will find a way. Giles&your father can not stop you from doing what is in you blood." She looked at Giles. "Can he?"

"I guess not. But in moderation." He added looking down at his daughter.

"Gee thanks Dad!" Willow smiled and giggles slightly. "I don't think I'll ever get used to calling you that."

"There is plenty of time. Farewell." Juliana waved as she walked out of the courtyard.

"All the time in the world." Giles smiled as he pulled his daughter into a hug.

THE END

I want my life to make more sense to me!

CHAPTER: 1