BackWater - Chapter 3

The next day and a half everyone was jumpy, and on pins and needles waiting for the time when Cordelia would pull up in that limo with Buffy and the rest of the Scoobies. "Are you sure you guys don't want to watch some TV or something?" Angel asks, both girls were sitting on the couch in his office, silently entertaining themselves, Nerice was sharpening her knife and J.J. sat with a notepad and a pen but she wasn't writing anything.
"Boss?" The secretary box at Angel's desk broadcasts Harmony's voice, "The limo driver called, Cordelia's back from the airport."
Angel hurries over to his desk and pressing the button responds, "All right, thank you Harmony."
Both girls are on their feet and J.J. is smoothing her pink dress decorated with red roses, "Do I look okay?" J.J. asks Nerice.
"Oh yeah, gap-tastic." Nerice rolls her eyes but she too adjusts her jean capri pants and blue Tommy Hilfiger top that Cordelia had insisted she buy.
Xander leads the group and is commenting, "I can't believe Harmony is Angel's secretary. There's just nothing normal about this place."
Dawn is next and the instant she walks in the door she walks to him giving him a hug and he greets her with "Hello lil' bit." And everyone else exchanges awkward greets and introductions are made for everyone except Nerice and J.J
"So is anyone going to explain why you called us all from different places halfway across the world?"
Cordelia waves at the girls to come across the office and slowly, and shyly the girls move to stand in front of the group, and Cordelia lays comforting hand son both of their shoulders. "This is J.J. and Nerice."
"Who are they?" Buffy asks.
"They are your daughters." Cordelia responds quickly.
Buffy makes a face at this comment, "I would have been, like seven, I don't think so."
"Nine." Cordelia responds.
Angel adds, "They're from an alternate universe."
"Of course!" Xander exclaims sarcastically, "I have so many different children in another universe I can't keep track of them."
Nerice's expression darkens as J.J. looks to be on the verge of tears and Nerice stops on J.J.'s foot hissing, "Don't start crying again," under her breath.
"What the hell is going on?" Buffy demands.
Cordelia explained again and this time she left the Scoobies in stunned silence looking back and forth between the girls and Cordelia. "I'm having a hard time believing this, how do I know this isn't some scam?"
Spike jumps in then, slightly angry, "Look at her love, she looks like Dawn with blonde hair, she looks like your mother."
"I didn't say I *didn't* believe it, it's just a hell of a lot to take in. I have two daughters in two different universes with either one of you." Buffy walks over to the girls who are sitting on the couch again and she kneels in front of them both. Gently she touches J.J.'s face, "You've got the same facial structure as my mother's family," and grabbing Nerice's hand she adds, "and you've got Summer's eyes."
Nerice throws her arms around Buffy's neck then hugging her tightly whispering, "I can't believe you're here."
J.J. does the exact opposite and managed to quickly weave her way through everybody and out of Angel's office and quickly manages to find an empty office. J.J. walks over to the wall opposing the desk and leaning against it she sinks to the ground and pulls her knees to her chest and buries her face, sobbing. She isn't alone for long though as Spike gently opens the door and walks over to her kneeling in front of her and gently asking, "What's wrong tiny bit?"
J.J. looks up at Spike her hazel eyes glistening with tears and her cheeks wet, "I can't talk about it." J.J.'s voice is rough from the tears, "even if I wanted to I can't."
"Please don't cry then," Spike gently urges, "I don't know if I can stand to see you cry."
J.J.'s chin quivers as she states, "There's just so...so much pain."
Spike wraps his arms around his daughter and holds her as he sobs into his chest, the two sit like that for a long time until Buffy comes in asking, "Is everything all right?"
"She'll be all right." Spike responds as he helps J.J. to her feet.
Buffy nods, "We were going to get some lunch, Nerice is coming, did you want to go J.J.?"
J.J. looks at Spike who urges, "Go on."
J.J. nods, "All right."
"Good," Buffy nods, "let's go."
They approach the group and J.J. takes note that Nerice is deep in conversation with Faith when Dawn approaches her, "You're Spike's daughter?"
J.J. nods, "Yeah, I guess."
"That's cool, so I'm an aunt, which I guess means you're my niece, but you don't have to call me Aunt...how old are you anyway?"
"I'll be 15 on June 17th, we'll I guess we both will be, we have the same birthday we checked." J.J. states.
"Nerice can I come in?" J.J. calls softly that evening once everyone else has gone to bed.
"What do you want?" Nerice asks coming to the door, her hair ruffled but she looks to awake to have been sleeping.
"Can we talk?" J.J. asks.
Nerice nods, "Yeah, come in."
"Is anyone how you know them?" J.J. asks once she has settled on Nerice's bed sitting cross-legged and facing Nerice.
Nerice shakes her head, "Everyone seems happier now, more like the way Dawn used to tell me they were."
J.J. nods, "Yeah I get that too, we have to change the future, if it means making everyone happier we have to do it."
Nerice nods, "I know but how are we going to do it though, how do you knowingly change the future?"
"You know, they're probably talking about everything now." J.J. states.
Nerice nods, "Let's go."
Sneaking to Buffy and Dawn's shared hotel room door they both press their ears to the door easily able to hear the conversation going on next door.
"How is it possible for two vampires to have children?" Xander asks.
"I think I might know." Andrew voices.
"I think they aren't telling us something." Faith states.
"You think they're holding out on us?" Kennedy asks.
"I don't think so," Willow says, "I think they are as lost as we are."
"I think I know!" Andrew says more loudly this time.
"What is it Andrew?" Buffy sounds exasperated.
"The last time I was hear I learned about a prophecy." Andrew states.
"What kind of prophecy?" Wood questions.
"I looked it up after I heard about it. It's in the Scrolls of Aberjian basically it's a prophecy that says once a vampire with a soul saves the world they will regain their humanity, or that's what I got from it."
During the pause in conversation that it brought on by Andrew's statement the girls exchange glances, and finally Giles states, "If that is what this has to do with it solves everything. One vampire with a soul is radical enough and when Spike gained is soul as well it probably through the entire prophecy off balance. I believe that these girls are the product of both options, Nerice comes from the world where Angel saves the world and gains his humanity whereas J.J. comes from the world where Spike is the champion instead."
"Fine, that takes care of the how, now what about the why?" Faith asks.
"We know this part in the mystery," Nerice whispers, "lets book it back to the room before they figure out we're here and have to answer questions."
Once they are back in Nerice's room Nerice takes note of J.J.'s pale face and asks, "What, are you going to cry again?"
J.J. shakes her head, "No."
"Then what is it?"
"I just thought of something." J.J. whispers.
"What?"
"If we change the future," J.J's words come out slowly, "then one of us won't be born."
Nerice looks taken aback, "I guess I never thought of it that way."
"I'm going to bed." J.J. states, "I'll see you in the morning."

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