A new twist on reality

A/N: The computer im on now no longer has mic word so dont be surprised at spelling and grammar errors.

Two Months Later

Buffy leaned against the wall of her bathroom, desperately trying to refrain from vomiting for the fifth time that morning...and it wasnt even noon yet. Wiping a hand across her sweaty brow she decided she was going to live, standing she walked to the sink and after brushing her teeth. AGAIN and splashing cold water on her face she went downstairs.

Smiling a good morning to Dawn she went into the kitchen and was instantly assailed by the smell of Faith cooking grilled cheese, freezing momentarily Buffy decided that it wasnt going to make her toss her cookies and walked into the kitchen.

Smiling at the sight of the slayer standing in front of the stove, intently watching her project. Buffy looked around and was surprised to see such a wide array of food for lunch. There was a heaping plate of several different types of sandwiches, fruits and some vegtables. Except for oranges...quickest way to make her have to visit the porceilin throne again. Faith remembered...

"Hey B...didnt know what youd want but got a little of everything." Faith smiled nervously.

"Thank you Faith, this is...its great."

"Dont go gettin all mushy...your not are you?" Faith asked suddenly worried, Buffy rolled her eyes but didnt argue. Faith had been more than victim to her horomones lately.

"No im fine. What are you doing up so early?" Buffy asked, since Buffys sudden 'condition' as Giles called it Faith had been double teaming with local slayers and had been staying out until nearly eight in the morning every day the last few weeks.

"I took a night off, the girls have it pretty much handled." Faith handed her an empty plate and stepped back allowing Buffy to have full access to the food.

"So hows my unwed knocked up sister doing today?" Dawn piped up as she walked into the room. Buffy rolled her eyes.

"Cant get married if hes already married Dawn." Buffy inwardly winced at the stiff expression on Faiths face and sighed when she realized what she had just said.

"Yeah because thats SO much better." Dawn quipped, reaching around her to grab a tuna sandwich.

"Dont you have some place to be...like school?" Buffy snapped. Dawn smirked and stepped back.

"Its late-start Buffy, seriously though you feeling alright today?" Dawn asked, sisterly concern firmly in place.

"Except for throwin up the last months meals...im good."

"Eww...so not hungry anymore." Dawn muttered, although that didnt stop her from finsihing off her sandwich.

"Im going to the mall later D...you wanna come?" Faith asked. Buffy looked over in surprise. She shouldnt be to be honest, lately they had been spending so much time together that if Buffy thought any less of the slayer sehd say Dawn was dating her.

"Yeah sure, that okay Buffy?"

"Yeah just be home by seven, your still babysitting for the neighbors remember?"

"Yeah yeah...ill be back. When do you want to go Faith?" Buffy chose that time to go find...something to do. Faith still avoided her most of the time but it was small moments, like this morning with the whole food thing that gave Buffy hope they could be friends at hte very least.

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Buffy sat at her desk trying to finish up the days work, after Sunnydale had gone ass up she had been able to use her previous month or so of expirience as a school counselar to land a job at another high school. She liked it for hte most part...since the staff had learned that she was pregnant everyone pretty much coddled her which on most days she took gracefully but on days like today...when her non existant horomones resurfaced...well it was all she could do not to stick a pencil in one of her well meaning co-workers eye balls...wonder if thats even possible?

"Ms. Summers?" A soft voice said nervously from her doorway. Looking up she saw a small slight girl standing there, shifting from one foot to the other.

"Yes? Come on in. Whats your name?" Buffy asked gently in her best 'Im here for you voice'

The girl was tall and slender, Buffy had seen her before at Pikes Place Market in downtown Seattle playing a acoustic for money. She was about eighteen, long chestnut dreadlocks were arranged carefully into a pony tail and an oversized pair of overalls made her think of Rona.

"Um...Maggie. I um...wanted to ask you some things. If you arent to busy." Maggies gaze flitted around the room before she sat down in the chair across from Buffy.

"Yes go ahead. Anything you say here unless its detrimental to you or another person is between us." Buffy kept her smile in place while mentally kicking herself on how lame that sounded.

" Well...im not crazy i just...I live on the streets you know and well I...something happened to me the other night and i dont know who else to talk to and some of the kids say you seem to know bout weird stuff so...yeah." Maggie smiled gently and Buffy inwardly rolled her eyes...she was supposed to be a secret slayer and no matter what she was always pinned to weird shit.

"What did you see?" Buffy was plenty ready for any of the run of the mill teen stories and even the not so run of the mill.

"Well I was walkin round the othe night and these army guys tried to grab me. I outran em but well it was really weird, i swear i wasnt doin nothin." Maggie said sincerely. Buffy frowned. Army guys?

"Why would soldiers want to grab you?" Buffy asked. Even if it wasnt the inititave this was strange. "Have you told the police?"

"No of course not, im eighteen but i live on the streets, if anyone saw me talkin to them i wouldnt be allowed anywhere to crash ya know?" Maggie shifted and placed her bag onto her lap, after a moment or two of shifting thorugh her things Buffy saw her pull out a ratted sketchbook. Buffy waited patiently while Maggie turned it to a picture and handed it over to her. "Thats what they look like."

Buffy took the sketchbook and was momentarily stunned by the skill of the sketch in front of her, after that passed she was certian that it had been Inititave. Looking back at Maggie she tried to feel her out, get any demony type tingles...nothing. "Has anything strange happened to you lately?"

"No nothin...i mean i dont cause no trouble or anyhting i just want to get my diploma and get a decent job." Maggie sighed and stood up." I just thought...well ive heard stuff and you seem like the one to tell. So im tellin you." Maggie took her sketchbook and put it back into her pack.

"Theres not much i can do about this but if i hear anything ill let you know....Maggie...where do you live?" Buffy asked, concerned over the girl.

"Around...look im not lookin for no handouts and i can take care of myself. Just thought id letcha know. Thanks and all." Without waiting for Buffy to reply she turned and walked out of the office.

Leaning back Buffy gently folded her hands on her stomach, the slayer in her wanted to rush out and find Riley, demand to know what he knew. Why would Inititave attack human girls?

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That Night

Buffy sat comfortably on her couch watching Friends reruns, a heaping bowl of extra buttery popcorn in her lap and a liter of soda on hte floor at her feet...so she was pigging out but hey them cravings are NEVER fun. Turning when she heard footsteps and the front door open she smiled when Faith and Dawn walked in talking animately.

"So how was it?" Buffy asked. Dawn smiled broadly and came and plopped down onto hte couch.

"It was pretty cool, we went to Pikes after the mall and Faith bought this really cool box thing that unfolds into a bunch of little boxes." Dawn leaned back and took a handful of popcorn out of hte bowl.

"Hey Dawn." Buffy asked after Faith came and sat down next to Dawn.

"Yeah?"

"Do you know a girl named Maggie? Shes got brown dreadlocks? Bout your age?" Buffy asked, ignoring the suspicious look from Dawn.

"Yeah, shes in my english class why?" Dawn looked back to Faith who shrugged and turned her attention to the TV.

"I met her today and she told me that Inititave attacked her. Just wanted to know if she seems off at all." Buffy said. Dawn shrugged and leaned back thinking.

"Nothing of the monster variety, shes not one of the druggies, doesnt really talk to anyone and shes REALLY fast. Star runner at the school this year." Dawn said as she became more and more distracted by Friends.

"Faith, are you patrolling tonight?" Buffy asked, when she didnt get an answer she turned and looked over at the other slayer, Faith was fast asleep, snoring softly. "Shes really tired isnt she."

"Yeah she is...slaying and working at that club is getting to her." Dawns eyes widened when she realized what she said.

"Working? Since when does she work in a club?" Buffy asked, why had no one told her?

"She didnt want to stress you out, its just with the baby coming shes trying to help out money wise." Dawn said queitly. Buffy frowned and leaned back.

"She doesnt have too." Buffy mumbled."With our slayer incomes and my job were doing okay."

"Yeah but she wants to contribute. Dont tell her i said anything Buffy shell flip." Dawn said nervously. Buffy nodded and reached behind her for the throw blanket.

"Here put this on her. Lets go to bed so she can get some sleep."Buffy stood and put the popcorn onto the coffee table and she and Dawn carefully walked upstairs.

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Buffy lay in her bed for nearly an hour. SHe didnt know why the whole thing with Maggie bothered her so much but it did. For all she knew the girl was lying or maybe she was...hell it didnt matter anyway because it wasnt like Buffy could do anything about it. Something crashed downstairs and Buffy jumped to her feet, rushing out of hte door she rushed down the stairs about ready to attack whatever it was that had made that noise.

Skidding to a halt when she saw Faith standing in the kitchen amidst a shattered bottle of whiskey. "Faith what the hell are you doing?" Buffy hissed. "What if you had woken Dawn up?"

"That girl sleep throuz anythinz." Faith drunkinly slurred. "Goes to bed. Ill clean this up." Faith went to clean it up but Buffy quickly slid on her shoes and walked through the kitchen.

"No you sit down, ill get it and we'll get you to bed." Buffy said sternly, she hadnt ever really seen Faith drunk. But she didnt like it, just like she didnt like that Faith avoided her like a plague but could do something like making enough food to feed an army for her or working because she wanted to help.

Luckily Faith was drunk enough to comply and Buffy did her best to hold her breathe as she swept up the glass and dried the whiskey. Turning back she wrapped Faiths arm aroudn her shoulders and helped her to her feet.

"Come on, think you can handle stairs?" Buffy asked, the pair stumbled and Buffy all but carried Faith up the stairs into her room. Faiths room was spartan with only the most neccesary things present. Hell all her clothes could probably fit into Dawns bookbag.

The bed was probably the most ornate thing, it was an oriental frame without a headboard or footboard and that in itself made it easier to deposit Faith onto the mattress.

"Okay are you good?" Buffy asked as Faith tumbled around underneath hte blankets to get comfortable.

"Noes...im soes sorry B...i justa gonza shuts up now." Faith slurred. Buffy frowned and sat down beside her sister slayer.

"Sorry about what?" Buffy asked gently. Faith grunted and shrugged.

Buffy sighed and stood up as she walked out of hte room she heard Faith mumble something under her breath. Stopping she turned. "What did you say?"

"I loves you Buffy." Faith murmured as finally sleep overcame her. Buffy felt tears brim her eyes as she walked back into her room and numbly climbed under the sheets. She had really fucked it all up. All of it. That didnt matter though...all that mattered was the little baby growing inside her. She could deal with the rest later.

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The next day


Buffy sat at the dining room table on her day off going over college prospects for Dawn. Dawn would be home anytime now and Faith had yet to make an appearance. Buffy had opted to let her sleep instead of one having to deal with hungover faith who would undoubtedly be surly as hell and two for being able to avoid knowing what Faith had said.

Jumping when the door whipped open so fast that Dawn nearly fell in her hurry to get inside. Buffys heart froze thinking the worst at the look of panic on Dawns face.

"Buffy...its Maggie....shes missing."

TBC

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