Christina Giles washed the dishes of the night before. She gazed out of the kitchen window and wondered why her father hadn’t got rid of that curious piece of wood embedded in the hawthorn. She looked down at her son Harry, swinging on her skirt with his fist smothered in jam. "What is it Hal?"

"Nanny and Ganddad all cuddly this mornin’"

Christina picked up her child and sat him on the drainer to wash his hands. "Yes, well, Nanny and Gand… Granddads do cuddle, just like mummy and daddy do…"

Harry giggled, his podgy hand covering his mouth.

Willow and Giles came into the kitchen for their breakfast. Both looked slightly dishevelled.

Christina blushed and Hal giggled again.

"Hello Hal, you crept in our room this morning didn’t you?" Willow playfully scolded. "You should knock darling, ok?" Her grandson nodded. Willow ruffled Hal’s hair and then addressed her daughter.

"Christina, we’ll need the computers today, I have a project to complete." Willow looked earnest, the first hint of "resolve face" she’d ever shown her daughter.

Christina frowned. She’d never seen her mother look like this. She turned to her father and saw the same resolve. She felt a sense of foreboding in the air. There was just one other occasion when she had felt the same; ten years ago, when her father had tackled an intruder at the house and had killed him with a stake. "Do you want us to leave early?" Christina hesitated before asking, "It’s not dangerous is it?"

"No" Her father answered, "not dangerous. We just need peace and quiet to concentrate." He smiled easily at Christina, as she left to gather the family.

"Umm, Christina…" Willow addressed her daughter’s back, "Poppy can stay with us. I’d like her to test the project."

Poppy clung to her Nanny’s body like a limpet as her parents drove away. She waved goodbye to them and then turned to her Granddad. "Can we play with the pooters now?"

Willow smiled and nodded. "Yes, c’mon. Would you like to choose some dresses for the Slayer to wear?"

"Oooh, Slayer!" Poppy bounced with excitement, "That’s what I’ll be when I grow up!" She raised her hands to her grandparents, "Swing me…" She asked.

Willow and Giles each took a hand in theirs and swung Poppy up and over, releasing her as she flipped over their arms.

She landed softly and sprang into a cartwheel, hands aloft, they swung her again all the way indoors.

Despite Willow’s tireless fingers flying over the keys, the day had progressed slowly, because of the program’s complexity.

Rupert leaned against the doorjamb and watched her, whilst sipping his tea. He had completed his task of supplying the arcane knowledge and recording encouraging quips, hours ago. Poppy had long since surrendered to Morpheus; Rupert had tucked her safely into the cot in the corner of the room.

Finally, Willow’s fingers tapped to a halt. She leaned back from her screen and sighed. "It’s finished. Uploading now."

Rupert’s fingers massaged her shoulders and he glanced as each piece of information glided off to the Councils main frame. One file remained on the screen and blinked urgently at them.

Willow groaned…

"Damn…" She murmured, "program error…" She reached to delete it but Rupert stopped her and opened the file. The screen flashed blue and Buffy turned to greet them with a thousand watt smile.

"Hi Willow, Hi Giles. It’s so good to see you again." She frowned as her eyes slid to her Watcher. "Sit down Giles, before you fall down. Yep, I know weird! How can I be talking to you…I’m a program." Buffy looked down at her clothes. "Someone has good taste in clothes!"

Willow glanced at Rupert, her eyes brimming with tears, "I didn’t do this…"

Rupert hugged his wife whilst they gazed at the screen.

"You’re scaring us a little Buffy."

Rupert gulped as a young version of himself and Willow strolled onto the screen.

"We’re only here for a short while Rupert. Buffy wanted to show you the virtual Slayer; it won’t be Buffy’s image in the program."

His own voice startled him.

All three characters parted to make room for the fourth who walked through a mist.

"Hi, mum and dad. I’m sorry I couldn’t stay with you and get to know you but my destiny lies elsewhere. I’m Rose and I love you, and I’ll take good care of Poppy when the time comes."

Cyber Willow and Giles hugged their daughter.

Buffy smiled sadly at them. "Don’t hurry to see me, this file will delete on reboot, I just wanted you to see your baby. See ya later, K ?"

The image faded and the blue screen popped up with the error "file not found." Willow rebooted as her tears splashed on the keyboard.

Epilogue

Stella Travers eagerly awaited the arrival of the holographic program. She paced the training room worrying at a hangnail. All at once, she found herself in a library, with the sounds of a high school in the background. The doors swished open admitting three youths, two girls, and a boy. She flattened herself against one of the shelves and witnessed Giles’ traverse of the library steps. He looked directly at her.

"May I help you?" He took a short breath, "Are you the Slayer?"

"Slayer? Slayer… c’mon Big G, y’know that’s a secret word…" The gangly boy quipped. "Oh, dunno know though, she’s pretty enough to be…what do you think Wills?"

Willow looked Stella over quietly. "Miss Travers, to stop the demo, say halt. If you want to interact with the program say chat." The young Willow with wise eyes smiled as she said "Meet the Slayer."

Stella’s eyes connected with the young woman standing in the corner twirling her stake like a baton. She noticed Stella and stopped; hastily hiding the stake behind her back and then stepped forward. "Hi, I’m Rose…Want to train?"

The End.

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