Another day another trouble

Her reply was simple, but to him it wasn't just that straight forward. "It's a bit of both," he confessed, looking in to her muddy brown eyes. He loved her, wanting to kiss her solely on that reason, but he did feel quite ready to at least try. The worst that could happen was that he would need a break and just try and ground himself again. "I feel like I'm ready to do it, because I'm afraid to lose you," he explained, frowning a little. He wished that he could say he wanted to kiss her just because he could, or simply because he felt ready. But emotions like these seemed so grand for his mind to process. Loving her was easy, because he couldn't do anything but adore her whole being, but trusting himself with her was another thing. "I just don't want to live with regret, I want to be able to be the man that you bargained for when falling in love with me," he said, frowning at his own words. Was he just admitting that he felt less then? Yes, he didn't feel like he would ever be himself, ever be the man that Aiden truly deserved. He wanted to be worthy of the love and patience she seemed to grant him every day, and so it was a question of wether or not she was willing to hold on to the hope of him becoming worthy.

"Nova," she replied, though she knew it wasn't answering his big question. The city was alive, and thankfully so, but she still had to be weary. "You don't need to worry for now, the daemon's might be good at tracking you down, but as long as I am bonded to you," she said, pointing at a white mark on his wrist. "Then they cannot track you, you are protected," she promised him. Having a bond like this was relatively simple, as it was more of a symbolic one. It didn't drain her energy as much as creating a deeper bond. They started moving, and she seemed to already know the way. Her eyes narrowed a little, stopping to look around before she whistled. Juno came bolting towards them jumping in to Nova's arms as she chuckled. "I told you I would be safe, Mika," she said as the cat nuzzled it's face against Nova's chin. The cat that Buffy and Baal had named Juno, Nova knew as Mika, one of her celestial bonds connected to her. Mika looked at Baal, meowing and purring before jumping to him, licking his face gently, as if it was trying to heal him. "You've taken good care of her in my absence; she rarely let's anyone pet her, but you and your fenix seem to be an exception," she remarked, smiling to herself. He tanked her and she shook her head. "It's a payback for what you have done for Mika; I've been lost for a while, but the bond I share with her has kept me connected to this world," she said looking at Baal with a gentle smile. Reaching over she scratched the cat under her chin, smiling to herself. Maybe it was a good time to explain, at least as they walked but she looked to her arm, a mark lighting up, however not as visible as in her other form. "She's been affected by our travels, I knew the risk, but as long as we keep moving we'll get to her in time," she promised, grabbing Baal's wrist to move a little faster, however being careful not to strain him too much. Mika jumped from Baal's arms, running ahead as it knew the way, making Nova giggle. "I'm guessing you have a lot of questions for me, but I prefer you wait spewing words at me before I've recovered fully," she said. She wasn't showing it, but the travel had taken it's toll on her.

Buffy felt weak, like she had taken a beating to her soul and as she laid on the floor she started crying. She was afraid, her dream having told her something important, but she couldn't believe it. She was scared. Scared of what the dream had shown her was true, but another part of her were willing to deal with it for the sake of Baal. For the sake of her, she thought.

She made a small nod as he said it was a bit of both, as she had figured it might be. His explanation made her frown a little as she nodded. It couldnt hurt to try but she feared what it would do to him if he didnt feel ready. She caressed the side of his hand on her cheek with her thumb, looking down at his next words as she frowned a little, "What do you mean?" she asked with a small frown forming on her brows before she looked up at his beautiful green eyes. She shook her head, not wanting to hear an explanation on something she didnt think to be true, "I'm not in love with the ghost of you, Xander," she said rather seriously as she gave his hand a careful squeeze. "You're still the man I fell for, even if you dont feel like it," she said lifting her other hand to place on his cheek. "I still see the man I love," she whispered before she nodded a little to herself in her certainty. She wouldnt let him wait too long on his answer, "You can kiss me," she whispered with a faint smile, but as her words had been said, she heard the thump from Buffy's room and quickly let go of him as they both probably wanted to see what had happened.

He didnt know any Nova, but she didnt seem to be either a daemon or seraph. Her energy was different, like something otherworldly, like the realm they had passed through and yet not quite. He wouldnt try to figure it out, not now at least. Nodding as he looked at the mark on his wrist, carefully touching around it with his other hand, but not directly on it. "Even if they cant track me, I couldnt hide for long. Not if I want to live," he argued, but he did appreciate the gesture. Her whistling made him frown before he saw Juno come running at them. Seeing the cat jump to this female's arms made him wonder but at the same time he couldnt wonder about anything else than the fastest way to Buffy. He grabbed around Juno as she jumped into his arms, groaning a little at the movement but he was happy to see his cat again. He felt a little bad as she said he had taken good care of her, as he didnt feel like he had done a good job, but maybe a roof and food had been enough in this case. He gently scratched the cat behind it's ear, wondering if his cat may have been another being once, but it seemed surreal to consider. "I see," he said as he nodded at Nova.
They started walking and he glanced at the mark on his wrist a few times, holding Juno in his arms, though it did slow them down there was no way he would leave the cat here alone. And then it was like she knew and as she jumped from his arms and ran ahead, it made him feel like he had yet to learn more about the stray cat that seemed to have found a home in his house. He looked at Nova at her words, nodding a little to then shake his head, "I do, but they can wait," he assured her, looking ahead while he felt her hand pull at him. It wasnt exactly a pleasant feeling with his sore ribs, but if she hadnt been pulling at him, he was sure he would have tried to run for it. The closer they got, the more at ease he started to feel, but the stinging feeling in his wound didnt seem to subside, but it wasnt worsening either, not yet.

Hearing her words of reassurance made him smile faintly, mostly because he would probably always be rather worried. Worried that what ever she saw was not who he was anymore. Yet he wanted to believe he was. Looking in to her eyes as she said he could kiss her. Swallowing he took in a trembling breath, leaning closer but then the sound of a thump rung in the apartment. Xander widened his eyes, moving to his feet and carefully walking to Buffy's room. He knocked on the door, frowning as he really just wanted to open the door, however he couldn't know if she had just fallen or dropped something. "Everything good, Buffster?" he asked through the door, placing an ear against the wood. He could hear her sobs, swallowing as he opened the door to see her on the ground. He hurried to her side, lifting her up in his arms, struggling a bit, but he would manage to at least move her to the bed. Buffy seemed inconsolable, crying and crying, however she rarely made a sound besides breathing. It tore at his heartstrings, seeing his sister like this, he cradled her close, rocking her back and forth as if it would help. It didn't seem to. What could he do? He had no power to bring back the one she loved, and the option he did have was out of the question. He looked up at Aiden, his eyes full of hurt, because he didn't know how to comfort his sister. When they were younger, he was always the one to cry the most, and she would be the one to comfort him. And now he couldn't even return the favor. He felt like he had failed once more, looking down at his sister so broken that he feared he had already lost her. Then he noticed how Buffy's hands were protectively placed around her stomach, making his eyes widen slightly as he had never seen anyone but mother's do that. "Buffy," he said gently. He was not going to ask her the question. He couldn't bring himself to do it, not even to be sure, because it seemed to be tearing her apart.

Nova nodded at his words. "But you have a reason to stay alive, and I believe that is stronger than their wish to capture you," she remarked. She wasn't trying to push his limits as she pulled him, it was mostly because she could sense the fenix. She could sense the heartbroken feeling, making tears run down her cheeks because the bond was made. "I can feel how she feels right now, she needs you before she loses herself," she said, as they reached the apartment complex. She saw Mika waiting for them, making a small clicking sound that made the cat jump up the fire escape at the two of them went to the front door. Mika started scratching at the window where Buffy and Xander was as the doorbell rang. Xander let his sister lay down on the bed, walking to the window to open it with a frowning expression, seeing the stray cat jump in he looked on confused, trying to catch it, but then he saw how the cat snuggled up to Buffy. The fenix stroking it's soft furs seemed to calm her down, at least so the tears weren't running down her cheeks in waterfalls. Nova pressed a few more times at the button, getting a little impatient. "C'mon, it's cold out here," she complained, but it wasn't what she was really worried about.

Moving in to the apartment, Nova simply let Baal go first, reaching out and grabbing Aiden so she wouldn't fall. Nova's eyes sparkled a little as she looked at the hybrid, already sensing what she bore of ancestry. "Please excuse him, he's just been through another realm and isn't really acting himself," she chuckled, brushing off the danger that they had just gone through. She felt a little dizzy, but she was not going to let her weakness show. Watching Buffy and Baal be reunited however made her sigh in relief. The fenix wasn't lost yet, and she knew that with the help of the daemon she would return rightfully. Nova placed a hand on Aiden's shoulder, looking to Xander with a thoughtful expression. She couldn't see bonds, but she could sense strong ones, making her wonder if the two was lovers. "Healers, I need you to tend to the daemons wounds once the fenix is asleep," she said, giggling a little as she looked to Mika. "C'mon now, give them some space you third wheeler," she teased the cat that seemed to meow in response, jumping from the bed to the windowsill where it cuddled up on some of the blankets. Nova smiled gently at the cat before looking at Aiden. "You don't need to worry," she said in a calming voice, sounding almost motherly. Smiling she let go of the hybrid's shoulder, instead moving out in to the kitchen, screeching in delight as she saw the hot food on the table. She went over, grabbing a plate that had barely been touched before she started eating, sighing in relief as if it was the best food ever. Xander sighed, looking at his sister before leaving the room, closing the door to give them some privacy. He looked to Aiden, feeling confused, especially as he went out to the kitchen, seeing the strange woman eating their dinner.

Buffy felt so lost, felt like she was losing grip with reality as she spiraled further and further down in to a bottomless pit. Then she felt arms around her, being pulled close by someone who's scent calmed her whole being. Opening her eyes, she looked through tears at none other than her daemon, but it only made her cry more, thinking this was just a dream. Still having one hand around her stomach her other moved up, touching his face, slowly realizing that he was really there. Her sobs continued, but they sounded more relieved now than before. "Baal," she cried, sobbing as she couldn't take her eyes off of him. He looked hurt, looked like he had been taking a beating and that wasn't something she had ever wished to see. Seeing his broken lip she frowned, still crying as she just couldn't seem to stop. "My Baal," she said, her voice getting a little stronger. It was really him, she knew it was. She wanted to hug him close and kiss him, but he looked too hurt and delicate for her to even dare trying. She barely moved, laying here in his arms she just looked at his face, as if her body knew that he was there, but her mind was still catching up. "They hurt you, my love, I'm sorry ... I should've fought harder ... I should've screamed louder," she pleaded, touching his face gently and trying not to put pressure on any broken or bruised skin. She knew a daemon had good healing abilities, so these bruises would hopefully have a short life.

His long caresses, it was like it was slowly waking up all of her body, feeling the warmness spread from his touch. "They did," she whispered, however she bore no visible reminders of it. She sniffled, trying to get her crying under control but it was hard just stopping the flow of the emotions in her body. "They took away the one I love, they hurt the one I love, and they wanted me to turn in information about Aiden to get you back," she said in a broken voice. She gestured for him to lay down with her. She knew he was hurting, but she would still lay close to him, looking at his face, gently and carefully touching his arm. "They didn't hurt me physically, thankfully, but what they've done to you is much more unbearable," Buffy said, feeling her heart ache by looking at him. She wanted to hug him, but for now she was simply caressing his arm, paying attention to if he pulled a hurt expression, making sure not to touch the tender spots. She swallowed, looking down. "They made me take a pregnancy test; two actually," she said, but she knew that he probably knew. She was terrified, mostly because of the dream she had had before seeing Baal again. If those black figures were real, then she feared what everything meant. "The test came back negative," she said, but she knew her sentence wasn't done. Taking a deep breath she closed her eyes, whimpering a bit. "But I cheated on the test," she admitted, sobbing as she leaned against him, hiding her face away in his shirt. She was afraid that for whatever reason he would be mad. Or that he would scold her. She couldn't know if she was pregnant, but if her dream was real, then she knew the answer without taking a test.

Xander looked at Aiden, smiling softly as she suggested he should eat something, making him nod. He wanted to tell her to eat as well, but right now he was quite frankly too confused and hungry not to follow her orders. Xander sat down, picking up his fork as he started eating. He looked to the strange woman, feeling rather confused as to why she was here and who she was. Especially seeing as he had never seen her before, and Buffy had never mentioned anyone of her description. However as his curiosity was peaking, it seemed like Aiden spoke for him, making him smile at the hybrid. He had heard her laugh, and just that notion after something like this, was a gift in it of itself.

Nova moaned in delight while eating, looking up as the other entered the kitchen, smiling at them. She shrugged at the woman started to laugh, continuing to eat as she felt like she was gaining some energy back. The woman was quite relaxed, even though she was in the company of complete strangers. She did however notice how the hybrid wasn't eating, making her head go off in a wonder, until her words brought her back. "I took him from the lower levels of the temple, yeah?" she said, shrugging as it was no big deal, however everyone knew how hard it was for other races to move within the other's temple. Especially the Temple of Bael being more secretive. "Oh, yeah!" she said, looking at her arm as some marks started to glow faintly. "Hmmm ... Oh there," she said, pressing one of her symbols, drawing out a mass of what seemed to look like a soul. Reaching over she placed it in the hybrid's glass, winking at her as if it were their secret. She chuckled, eating from her plate once more. As she finished her plate she leaned back, placing a hand on her stomach with a satisfied smile on her lips, closing her eyes for a while. "You might've noticed I'm not quite like anything you've seen before," she chuckled, keeping her eyes closed as if it helped her focus. "As far as I know, there's only one other being like me in this world, however I would be weary of meeting him," she said, frowning a little. She only had the bad memories from her past life of him, so to her he was like a perfectly sculpted enemy to her. Opening her eyes she looked at Xander first, smiling a little. "Anyways, I'm Nova, and right about now I kinda need a place to crash," she chuckled, fiddling a bit with her thumbs. "Or ... Well, me and Mika of course," she clarified, nodding to the bedroom where she knew the cat still was.

She couldnt put a hold on her curiosity which was why she had asked, but the woman's answer surprised her a lot. She hadnt heard of other species making it into the temple of faith's they didnt either have allowance to or belonged to at birth. However, it wasnt completely odd that someone could get there, it was just considering the fact that Baal was supposed to be held captive and she managed to smuggle him out through realm-travelling that made Aiden so confused.
Looking at the woman touch her marks and pull out a soul-looking thing to place in Aiden's glass made her quickly glance at Xander like she wondered if he saw or knew. She made a small thankful nod at the woman, taking a sip of her drink that tasted far better than any meal now. "Definitely havent seen someone like you before," she admitted with a small frown, wondering a little to herself. She carefully placed her hand on Xander's back as they sat there, a quite natural movement to her that was careful to the touch. "Is he dangerous?" she asked with her eyebrow raised. She wondered what he could do and if it was anything like this woman's apparent abilities.
"Aiden," she just said with a small smile, taking another sip from her drink as she leaned back into her chair. When Nova spoke of needing a place to be, Aiden pulled a thoughtful expression, "Uhhh... Well, actually..." she said as she looked at Xander for a bit before looking at Nova, "I'm not really using my apartment at the moment, though it's.. ummm... A bit of a mess," she admitted, scratching the side of her neck as the thought of what Nahia had done still made her feel uneasy about being in her home. "If you need a place, I'm not really there, most of the time anyway," she said, pinching her lips a little as she looked at her drink. She couldnt just offer her apartment away fully since she wasnt to decide how long she could stay here with Xander and Buffy, but she could offer it for as long as she wasnt there.

He could promise her so much, yet seeing him hurt was painful. Coming clean was a good thing, he needed to know. Even if he was going to be mad, she couldn't bring herself to lie. His questions she could barely answer, whimpering as faint replies to let him know just as much as she did, which was not a lot. He moved away and she feared that he would move away completely, however as he lifted her chin she looked in to his eyes. She didn't see anger. In fact, she saw him wondering if it was true. "I haven't had a test; but if my dreams are anything to go by ... Then yes," she said, her heart racing faster and faster as he seemed to look away from her. Her breath haltering as she just wanted him to react, wanted him to say anything, however he just let go of her face to look up at the ceiling. She closed her eyes, bowing her head a little as she felt like he was about to move away from her and never return. His mumble making her press her eyes harder together, fearing what he might do next, but soon she felt his lips against hers. Her whole body surprised, yet she gave in to that kiss, a single tear running down her cheek as she felt herself overwhelmed. She felt him pull her closer, even to the point of hurting him and she couldn't help but smile as their lips separated, looking at her daemon. "Baal ... I ... I can't do it alone," she said, however she also knew that what they needed to do now was uncertain. Could they stay in Churchill, or would they have to flee? And what about the Order? Could they really lay claim on a child that was only half their breed? She felt a little confused by it all, but seeing Baal's reaction made a faint smile creep on her lips. She realized that if she was truly carrying Baal's child, then that meant she had something of him with her at all times. She took his hand, frowning a little as she felt a little stupid, but she wanted to do it as well. She moved it to her stomach. There was not a bump or anything yet, but feeling his hand against her skin made her smile more genuinely. "I don't know how we'll do it ... And I'm afraid that it could give us more heartache; But part of me aren't afraid of breaking my heart if it means there's a small chance we could ..." she said, looking down at his hand, placing one on top of his that rested on her stomach. "Be a family," she finished her sentence. She loved him, and though they hadn't known each other for a long time, sometimes she wondered if what he had said was true. What if they had been meant to find each other, despite it all, what if they were meant to create this together.

Feeling Aiden placing a hand on his back made him smile a little, eating some more of his food. He looked on rather curiously as the stranger placed something in to the hybrid's cup, but he didn't get a good look at what it was. Listening to Nova speak was a little unsettling, mostly because he couldn't begin to imagine the danger she had faced going in to the temple of Bael. It sounded weird that someone like this woman could be able to infiltrate it. Let alone get out alive with a captive. It sounded a little too good to be true, and he was sure to observe Nova first, before deciding wether to trust her or not.

Nova shrugged a little at the hybrid's question. "I wouldn't call him dangerous, seeing as I haven't met him in this life yet," she said in a thoughtful voice. She took another plate of food, indulging herself in the meal as if she hadn't been eating for years. Well to her she hadn't, but time on earth and time in the other realm worked differently. Aiden suggesting her own apartment made her nod, considering that she had no place to stay she knew she would have to accept it. "I think that would be alright, as long as you don't get put on the street," she said, looking to Xander for an answer. Xander chewed on his food, looking at Nova as he swallowed. Frowning a little he looked to Aiden, and then back to the stranger. He chuckled a little. "Well of course she wouldn't, she stays here most of the time, and having her around makes everything better," he said, as if he had to prove his worth to Nova. "That's good to hear," Nova said with a small yet cheeky smile. One of her marks lit up, making her groan a little, mostly from the pain she was trying to hide. "I think it's about time that one of you healers tend to the daemon in the other room, his vitals are not too good, but it will be quite the easy solution; you don't happen to have fresh moss laying around?" she asked. Xander nodded, because he actually did, however if she asked for moss then it must've been to stop a bleeding, right? "Great!" Nova said, taking another mouthful of food in between her lips. "You'll need it, he probably needs to be bled for a little, just to get the feeling of the other realm out; not much more than about a cup of blood though," she said, smiling as she waved at the two, gesturing for them to get to work.

Her reply made him look at the ceiling as he thought about it for a bit. But of course he couldnt be anything but happy, because it was with her and she meant the world to him. At least that was what he knew now after his kind had tried to pry them apart, but with the help of this stranger, Nova, they had bounced back together. He smiled as he held his hand on the side of his face, the realization hitting him with a happiness he couldnt express in anything else than a kiss. He was hurting as he held her close, but letting go was not an option in his mind and her words made him nod in a serious manner as his hand calmly ran down her back, "You wont be," he promised her in a calm tone, but he knew she wasnt just talking about him being present. He made a sharp inhale as the pressure on his wound was getting overwhelming, releasing his grip around her to get the pressure off him. He felt her grip around his hand and feeling her press it against her stomach made him chuckle softly as he frowned to himself while he listened to her words. He looked from his hand to her eyes to his hand again as she placed her own over his, smiling widely at their hands. "Sounds almost like a dream," he mumbled, his smile turning a little tired as his body was trying to relax but something kept it from being able to. "I have to have your brother look at my wounds, something doesnt seem right," he admitted before he carefully pushed himself up.

Aiden looked at Nova as she didnt seem sure of the stranger that was like her, frowning a little, "This life? Do you mean as some kind of soulmate?" she asked, just trying to understand what it was they were being told. Was this mystery stranger some dangerous being with malicious intent, or if he was just like her? Aiden rubbed her neck a little before she offered up her own place. Hearing Xander say she made everything better made her blush slightly as she looked at her cup. She made a nod when she spoke of tending wounds, Aiden finished her glass before she got up from her chair. She didnt even have to go knock on the door as Baal came out, looking at her with a worried frown. She gestured him to the kitchen with a nod, before she followed. He rolled up his shirt to show the dark purple spot on his ribs that seemed bigger than when he first had looked. Aiden inhaled sharply in a sympathetic manner before she looked at Xander. She hadnt exactly seen something like this before, it seemed like it had supposed to be a bruise but something had made the blood assemble in the dark area. She touched it carefully to feel the blood that had gathered, making Baal grit his teeth in pain. She swallowed, looking up at him before she went to gather the necessary things. She wasnt too keen on cutting people open, but Nova had been right in her words. She looked at the dark area again before she sighed, "This is gonna be messy," she warned them before she waited for Baal's approval. He frowned a little, unsure if he would look forward to this, but he had to. Nodding with his approval, Aiden made a small cut to let the blood seep out of the wound. Baal's eyes widened at the pain from the drainage as he grabbed a hold of the edge of the table, wanting to squirm and scream, but he bit his tongue and made a few painful grunts instead.

She drained most of the wound, though it wasnt near enough yet. Baal was gasping for air to not panic, shaking his head as he looked at Aiden, “A break please,” he begged, but Aiden frowned with worry before she looked back at the wound, “The faster it’s out, the better you’ll feel,” she tried to encourage him, but the tall daemon shook his head, “I cant,” he said through gritted teeth, feeling like if his grip tightened more on the edge of the counter, either the surface would break from the pressure or his nails would start popping off.

Nova shrugged at Aiden's question, mostly because she didn't know how to reply. "I don't have enough memories to string it together," she replied. Unlike the fenix, she did have some memories from her past lives, but only some of them. She knew it was all connected to her counterpart, but she honestly didn't know what to think about this stranger.

Buffy knew he needed to get looked at, but the notion that Baal had said that she wasn't going to be alone had made her smile. It was a promise not only to stick around for the small family, but to stay alive and stay safe. It was how she interpreted it. As Baal moved up and out of the bedroom, Buffy laid there for a while, looking at the ceiling wondering what she was going to do from now on. She knew her place was with Baal, but what about her family? She wondered if they could ever accept a child born from a daemon, if her ties would be cut and not even Xander would be allowed to see her. She didn't like thinking about it, but then again it could be something she needed to take in to consideration. Moving to stand up she felt rather dizzy, going out to the kitchen, the smell of blood made her cover her nose and mouth. Looking to Baal she gasped under her breath, however Xander was quick to guide her over to the table where Nova sat before he continued making a solution of dried moss and herbs to put on the wound afterwards. "You gotta put your back in to it," Nova said encouraging at Aiden, smiling as she continued eating. She had seen these effects so many times to know that it was far from deadly for the daemon. Had they been there any longer it would've been much worse, but she knew he would pull through. Buffy sat at the table, looking at her daemon hurting so, seeing the thick black liquid pouring out as Aiden squeezed. Nova placed a hand over the fenix', running her thumb over the back of her hand in calming strokes. "You don't have to look, I can feel it's making you nauseous," Nova said in a caring tone. Buffy shook her head, she needed to be there. Be supportive. Nova sighed, watching Xander and Aiden work on the daemon.

It didn't take long before Baal pleaded for a break, Nova sighed, placing her fork on her empty plate. She moved up, walking to Baal and placed a hand on his cheek. She looked in to his eyes. "The longer you wait, the greater the pain," she said in her motherly tone before she looked to Buffy, waving her over. Buffy got up from the chair a little reluctantly, walking over to them but feeling the need to throw up increase at the stench. "I need you to focus," she said, reaching over to take the daemon's hand, moving it to greet the fenix'. "Relax and breathe," she instructed the daemon as she let the fenix step closer. Buffy touched Baal's face, smiling although she felt it pain her to see him like this. "You're stronger than this," she said in a weak voice, however the flames in her eyes were slowly coming back. She wanted him to get better, looking at Aiden she nodded to say that she should continue. "Don't think of what she's doing, think of something that makes you happy; something that you're looking forward to," she said, wanting to guide Baal through this experience.

Buffy felt like she was standing in the way, like she was useless in all of this. All she could do was stand there, trying to comfort Baal, but even that she felt like she was failing at. They had come all this way, he was here with her, and now she was afraid to lose him to something unknown. "I'm right here," she pleaded, touching his face gently, trying to calm him down and keep him conscious. "Stay with me," she whispered, scared that speaking any louder would make the opposite happen. Buffy looked to Nova as Aiden guided her hand to Baal's wound, frowning as she didn't understand what was going down.

Nova touched the tender skin, however her face didn't change much in how she studied the spot. Squatting down she moved her head to the wound, taking a few sniffs and nodded to herself. "Answer me Belial, did you open your eyes?" she asked firmly, moving to her feet and gesturing for Buffy to move away, however the fenix was unable to do so. Nova sighed, shaking her head. "Did you hear something in that other void? Voices?" she asked. Taking him through the realm had been her only possibility to move Baal out of the temple. Gritting her teeth she grabbed his hand, looking at the mark she had made, signifying their bond. Her eyes scanning it as if it was a file she could read. "I'm missing something," she mumbled, looking at her arm before she felt a sharp pain in her chest making her stumble backwards. "Oh ohohohohohooo," she mumbled, her eyes lighting up as if she wasn't looking in to the room anymore. "Where are you?" she said, but she wasn't looking at the people in the real world, instead she was peaking in to the shadow realm, trying to look for him. "Hang on tight, daemon, I'll see if I can grab you a better healer," she mumbled, her body transforming as she disappeared in to a portal than opened beneath her. "Keep him stable!" she managed to yell before disappearing completely. This was the time. She needed her counterpart, she just knew it.

Xander guided Baal to a chair, sitting him down he looked at the hard knots under his skin. "Well, stable is what we'll have to settle for," he said, frowning as he didn't like that. However in this he needed to put his trust in Nova. Xander placed the mixture of moss and herbs against the open wound, knowing it would soothe a little at least. "I'm not letting my sister raise a kid without it's father," he mumbled, making Buffy look down, feeling like she couldn't even hide that from her brother. "Aiden, could you grab the wrapper I made from linen? It's in my drawer next to my work table," he said. He wasn't doing anything but focusing on his work. That was how he coped in matters like these.

Nova went to the void realm, wanting to see if she could track down her counterpart. Something in her just told her that he would be the key to help Baal. But from her memories, she knew that the chance would be slim. She called out in to the void, an ancient name that sounded strange for everyone but the two of them. She knew he could hear her, because she could always feel when he was close. "I need your help!" she called out, looking around in her rather large form. She could see far, spot everything, but he would need to show himself.

Xander wrapped the linen around Baal, keeping the moss mixture pressed against the wound. Normally that would be it, just wait for it to heal, but he knew this was far from over. He saw how Baal was looking at him, just nodding, as he didn't need to hear any words. He just needed to make his peace with what had happened, and needed to put his pride aside for Buffy. He could do that, but it was not making it easier to be around a daemon. "That should do it for now; perhaps some rest would do you good?" he said, looking as Aiden placed her tears to the daemon's lips. He had to do everything in his power to not rip the flask from Baal's mouth, because to him it was only to be used to heal the innocent and clean. However he reminded himself what laid ahead.

Buffy was at Baal's side as he reached for her, placing her cheek against his palm, closing her eyes to stop herself from crying. "Right here, love," she said in a soft voice. She would always be there for him, she just knew that she would, and she needed him to get well. It wasn't just a matter of her not wishing to live without him, it was a matter of her not being able to function without him there. "We're here," she whispered, knowing that the cat was out of the bag.

The pressure of the herbs being wrapped closer around him made him inhale sharply in pain, but he just nodded at Xander's words, "I'll try," he said in a strained voice, but he doubted that he would be getting much rest. Aiden knew that Xander wouldnt be too happy about her offering her tears, but she would be ready to defend her choice in the matter - But she wasnt thinking he was going to doubt her. She grabbed his hand as they had done what they could, tugging carefully at his arm to get his attention, "Maybe we should let them be," she said in a hushed tone, nudging her nose carefully against his upperarm as she looked up at him.

It was a relief to feel Buffy close, but he worried what would happen if Nova would take too long. He wasnt dumb to what he was feeling, the electricity so strong in the knots on his chest. He made a tired smile at her, running his thumb along her cheekbone, "That's all I need," he said, leaning back into the chair as he felt quite restless. The sharp pain subsided but it did make sudden returns like a knife being pushed in between his ribs, but he managed to hush it down to a few grunts. "I thought I was going to break my promise to you," he mumbled with a small frown as he looked at her, "We'll keep this child safe from them," he assured her, placing a hand over her stomach. He still felt the giddy notions inside from when she told him, but he was in too much pain to express it properly.

"Of course you do," a voice sounded in the distance of the shadowrealm, he kept his distance but he knew she would find him eventually. In his own form, he hid his shine in the shadows, tilting his head a little as he moved around in his hiding, "You should have known the risks from the wounds the daemon bore, he wasnt fit for travelling, the infection seeped in with ease," he said, rolling his head from side to side as he felt the same pull as the daemon so clearly. He was annoyed by it, but at the same time it was the first clue he had gotten in this life to be led to her, "I've missed you. How long has it been? I'm 24 in this life, but it feels like a thousand without you," he then said, slowly protruding from the shadows, his bright yellow shine showing, though he was so far from her, in this realm it felt like they were both an arm's length or a world away from each other.

Xander nodded at her words, following the hybrid out in to the living room. He wanted to do more, even though he knew he couldn't. As they had let Baal and Buffy have their space he exhaled, sitting down on the couch, hiding his face away in his palms. It was a lot to take in, let alone digest, however he couldn't help but chuckle a little. Leaning back on the couch he looked up at the ceiling, his shoulders twitching a little as he was trying to withhold a laugh. "I don't know how to react," he confessed, his face frowning as he couldn't really understand why he felt like chuckling. Perhaps it was because he had a feeling of dread as to what would happen with his sister if Baal didn't make it. And then there was the thought of his sister bearing a child. He felt it was almost unrealistic that he was to be an uncle already.

Buffy reached her hands up, touching his face gently as she thought of it all. His words made her shake her head, she knew he would keep his promise no matter what. Feeling his hand against her stomach made her smile. "She will be safe," Buffy ensured him, placing her other hand over his. Of course it was too early to know what gender it was, but her dreams were rarely wrong. In fact she had only ever been wrong once, and that had been something as trivial as what kind of ice cream her mother had bought for dessert one night. "And we will both be able to keep our promise, alright," she said, leaning down. Carefully she placed her lips against his, kissing him ever so tenderly, while still bearing in mind that he was hurt. Buffy wanted to take his pain away, or at least be able to bear the burden with him, but she knew that even given the choice, he would have denied her that. "You need to rest ... Do you think you could move?" she asked softly, removing some of the hair that was stuck to his forehead.

Hearing him she gritted her teeth, however in these forms that was not something that was visible. Was he really trying to play smart at a time like this? She was lucky that time moved different in this realm than back on Gambion. "I had no other choice, I had hoped that his blood would just coagulate in the wounds, but apparently not," she said, moving closer to him. She knew how he looked in this form, however she had never seen it in this life. As he said he had missed her she sighed, looking down because to her it sounded like a lunatic. Who would miss their enemy? "I'm 21," she replied, although she was rather hesitant. "I would love to chat more, but I need your help; There's a reason I feel the pull to you stronger now, so you must be able to do something," she said. She felt something so strongly in her, like a need to reach out and touch him, but she had to keep her restrains on herself. Normally she was not shy of touching others, but her memories made it so she thought twice for once.

She followed him to the livingroom, sitting down next to him on the couch as she stared a little absentminded into the room. Today had been like a rollercoaster and she just felt like she needed a moment to not think at all. His words made her blink as she seemed to return to herself, looking at the floor as she made a small nod, furrowing her brows a little, "I dont think anyone does in this moment," she said in a quiet tone before she leaned back leaning her head against his shoulder with a deep sigh. "It is weird that you are going to be an uncle so soon," she said in a soft tone before she placed her hand over his arm, "But at the same time, a new life is always a blessing on it's own," she said in a more hopeful voice before she turned her eyes up to the ceiling. She had had a lot of siblings in her time with the lycan family and her father had always seemed so ecstatic when her mother would tell him about another child. She scrunched her nose a little as it was a silly thing to think about for her.

He raised his eyebrows a little as she mentioned their child to be a she, looking at her with a faint yet tired smile, "She?" he asked in a low tone before he glanced down at their hands. He wouldnt doubt her if she seemed certain, then it would have had to be so. He wasnt sure what he had been hoping for, mostly because he hadnt been thinking fatherhood would have come this soon for him, well at least he had expected to wait a few years before he would consider it. He nodded at her words, returning the kiss carefully with a relieved sigh against her lips. He had missed her dearly compared to how much he had believed that he wouldnt ever see her again. Her question made him think for a moment, looking at the linen wrapped around him, he moved in a short wiggling motion to see if it would hurt or move the wrapping, "I should be fine," he said before he carefully got up from the chair. He gritted his teeth slightly but it was bearable.

"You're always so hopeful of everything. I like that about you," he simply replied, his tone soft like he had truly felt like his life had been a thousand years without her. He could feel her move closer and it just made him move away, to keep the distance he wanted. He felt the pull to her, like she was holding the piece he felt he was missing and yet it seemed so scary in a way. "21..." he repeated, shaking his head as he placed a hand on the side of his head, "That's why I felt so different till I was 3," he mumbled to himself. He looked up at her words, making a small shrug, "You want me to help, but you dont want to be there with me," he said in a somber tone, looking a little around his black marks before he finally started moving towards her, "Because if I see how you look in this life, you know I wouldnt stop looking for you," he said, wanting to frown but it wouldnt show when he was in this form. He made a small sigh, "Where do you want me to go?" he asked, feeling the pull getting stronger, making him clench his fist around his heart, "I can feel it so clearly," he said stopping his movement.

"I feel like I should be happier about the news, but I'm to worried," he said, looking down to his hands, fiddling a bit with his fingers. He had always known that his sister wanted children, but they were so young. Not to mention the fact that the child was with a daemon of all races. He exhaled, trying to remind himself of his mother's words; that you didn't choose who you would fall in love with. However he felt like it was a cruel test of faith to let it his sister go through all of this at once. He would have to figure out a way to protect both Aiden and Buffy, while also making sure that the child growing in his sister wouldn't be harmed. Wrapping an arm around Aiden, chuckling a bit at her words. "If you don't mind, I'd like to wait a little with having children myself," he said, although he had never been sure that he wanted kids. Sure, he loved his small cousins, and he was always the one initiating small games with them at family gathering, but having a child of his own was different. Exhaling he turned his face to look at her, his other hand reaching up and touching her cheek ever so gently. "You should train to be a healer," he said, thinking how well she had handled everything in the kitchen. He knew she had the talents, not to mention the smarts.

Buffy chuckled lightly as he repeated her words. Mostly because it felt a little silly. The child couldn't be much bigger than an atom and here they were speaking of it as a person already. As Baal moved to his feet, she went to open the door, making sure to help him if he needed it. She was careful not to put pressure on his ribs, wanting this to be as painless as she could make it. Opening the door in to her room, Juno meowed, yawning as she stretched in the windowsill. Buffy still only knew the cat as what they had named it. She moved over to the bed, moving the covers aside as he needed to let the mattress follow the curve of his body to support it the best. She kept at his side, helping him if he needed, and as he was laying down she moved to his feet. Helping him off of his shoes as carefully as she could, she made sure to place the duvet over him. Crawling on to the bed she laid down next to him under the covers, placing an arm under his head and pulling him a little closer, but not so close as to put pressure on his wounded body. "Try and sleep at least," she whispered, kissing his head gently. Breathing in his scent, she caught the calming notes of anise, sighing against his scalp. "I was afraid I would forget that scent," she admitted in a mumble. "But I know I never could," she said, her other hand moving some of his hair from his forehead away. Placing a gentle kiss against his cheek, she pressed her forehead to his temple, closing her eyes as she just laid there with him, hoping he would get a little rest.

The way she spoke of her always being hopeful made her wonder. Wonder if he was a lunatic or if he had different memories from what she had. As he spoke about her not wanting to be seen by him she nodded. She had tried hiding, though she had always felt the pull, even as a child. It wasn't as scary as it was intriguing. She knew she would have to follow him, make sure he did what he was supposed to and then get out before he used his twisted mind on those innocent people. "Gambion, Churchill," she said, chipping off a symbol from her black arms, tossing the symbol to him. It was just enough to let him know where it was, nothing more and nothing less. "I'll be following you, watching what you do; and if you manage to help him ... I'll let you see my eyes," she said. It was a big step, showing anything of herself was a big risk, but he needed to know that she was being serious about this.

"Yeah, I get it," she said as she caressed his arm gently. She knew he was probably already worrying for the sake of his sister, but she also thought that it would be a little too early to let it blow out of proportion. Her eyes widened a little as he said he would like to wait with his own, not thinking she had been insinuating anything, shaking her head a little frantically before she made a nervous chuckle, "Most definitely," she assured him before she made a soft scoff, "I wouldnt introduce any kids to all the crazy that's going on at the moment," she chuckled, closing her eyes for a bit at his hand on her cheek. His words made her frown a little before she opened her eyes to look into his. "I dont know if I would be any good at it," she shrugged before she stuck out her tongue at him, knowing he would disagree. "Truthfully said; I'm not very booksmart," she admitted, leaning towards his hand.

He followed her, thankful that she was opening doors for him so he wouldnt have to. Lying down he grunted softly in pain but he didnt feel the relaxing feeling that he would normally have felt right about now. He wrapped his arm around her and touched her arm gently in small motions, frowning a little at her words, "I cant seem to relax," he said truthfully, chuckling a little at her when he felt her inhale, "I know," he said in a calm tone, running his hand up her arm. He moved his other hand to the wrapping, carefully touching the area as he groaned at the tenderness of the wound, glancing at the mark on his wrist. "Do we know if we can trust her?" he asked in a pondering tone. He glanced towards Juno, not sure what to tell Buffy. "She said that this was a repayment for what we had done for her Mika.... Or something along those lines," he said, looking up at the ceiling.

He knew she was running a great risk by telling him where to go, as it would direct him closer to her. He hadnt thought he would see this day come on this day, but he was thankful either way. Grabbing the chipped symbol, he flashed a smile that couldnt be seen, her offer making him look up in the direction she was, or where he felt she was. "You're putting much on the line for these bonds of yours. I've always admired that," he said quite emphatically though she probably wouldnt remember him with such emotion. "I'll do what I can. But if it has spread out of my reach, then only the elders can help him, you know that," he said, pressing the chipped mark to his arm to absorb it. Looking up he sighed shortly, "Guess I'll best be going," he said, opening a portal to where he was in the world. He stopped before he went through looking around for a bit, "I'm called Trent in this life," he then said before he passed onto the other world, knowing she probably wouldnt say her name as it would give her away. He looked around the cold streets of England, scoffing to himself as he couldnt help but giggle to himself.

"Book-smart or not, you clearly know how to handle yourself in these situations," he said in a thoughtful voice. Looking at her he felt so much adoration for her, not just because he had fallen in love with her, but for the fact she could do things that he would probably never be able to do; heal even the darkest of creatures. "I could take you on as my apprentice, but I don't know if that would be something you would want," he suggested. He knew it could put a strain working together like that, but he also thought she needed to know more to help like she wanted to. Of course he couldn't teach her everything, but if she wanted he could show her the brief things about each area. Maybe she would learn something in the process. He kept stroking his thumb along her cheekbone, wondering what she was thinking about. Their moment before everything with Nova and Baal had kind of been ruined, but he knew another was just waiting around the corner.

Buffy didn't know if they could trust Nova, but in her dream she had seen those eyes on the figure that had saved her from the pit of black matter. "I don't know, but if she saved you and brought you here, I can't think that she would want to hurt us," she said. Why else would Nova had gone through the whole ordeal with saving Baal and bringing him here, knowing the risk involved. As he spoke of a Mika she furrowed her brows. "Mika?" she replied, making the cat meow before jumping over to them on the bed. The cat cuddled up to Buffy's neck, making the fenix smile, although she didn't understand why the cat moved to her all of a sudden. "Well, if she is repaying a favor, then this Mika must be important," she said, wondering what it could be. Was it perhaps an item? Or someone they knew? She couldn't really think of anything. "Either way, I know it sounds strange, but she hasn't been in any of my dreams," she said, frowning. Normally when people entered her life, she would see them as background figures in her dreams, but she had never seen Nova's face before. "Maybe she's a shapeshifter, but even so, I can't tell what it means," she said. Looking at his face, she ran a finger down over his lip that was now healed. Breathing out she shook her head a little. It didn't help to sit around wondering, she could just ask the strange woman once she returned. For now she would enjoy laying here with her daemon, even if he was hurting, she was grateful to have him here. Leaning closer she kissed his cheek in small pecks, none too lingering, as she just wanted to feel his skin against her lips, feel the slight roughness to his chin from the stubble, breathing in his scent that almost made her high if she didn't focus on staying in the moment. "Once you're healed, I want to hug you so close that you can't breathe," she whispered, smiling as she felt a little giddy at the thought.

Nova felt a little confused. He seemed to be almost infatuated with her, or perhaps just the idea of her. "I need to get back to them, I can't stay here too long," she replied to his words about doing what he could. "Nova," she said, watching as he left. Her name was unique, that was for sure, but finding her in records would be almost impossible. As he left she felt herself wanting to run after him, but she kept herself in the void for a while before moving back to the apartment. Slowly she appeared from the floor, a portal black and dark as her body slowly moved out, her appearance changing from her other form to her human one before stepping on to the wooden floor of the living room. She looked around a bit disoriented, a small trickle of blood running from her nose. Breaking off a symbol always had a physical cost, and she felt her body stumble, landing flat on the floor passed out from the many travels between realms.

She chuckled at his words, shaking her head, "Would have worked back when horses were the main way of transportation," she said with a smile. She thought she could be happy using her knowledge and smarts to help others, but she wasnt sure anyone would accept her without an actual educational background to back her up. His suggestion made her pinch her lips as she thought about it, making a small shrug, "I'm not sure. I'd like to consider it after a good night's rest," she said, smiling at him gently to let him know that she wasnt turning him down, but she wasnt going to make a decision either. She leaned her head into his hand as she seemed to just stare a little into the room. She wasnt thinking of anything particular, just sort of relaxing in the moment. She felt him look at her, but she thought he would say something if he was curious.

"Mika," he nodded, knowing Juno reacted to hearing her name, though he wasnt thinking on how to explain it to the fenix yet, at least his mind wasnt really thinking about it. He just nodded as she said that Mika was important, that was what he was thinking too, looking at Juno with suspicious eyes. He looked back up at Buffy, thinking it was odd that she hadnt gotten a hint in her dreams about this, though he didnt really know how the fenix dream thing worked - At all. "She's not like us," he said with certainty, his eyes getting a worried look. The daemons hadnt reacted out of confusion, but he didnt doubt that they were looking into it this very moment to figure out what it meant - He hoped it would take them a while.
He closed his eyes at her kisses, chuckling softly at every little peck, "That's not even near enough what I'd do to you," he teased her, sighing deeply before he placed a hand on his wound clenching his jaw a little, "By the elders," he mumbled under his breath in annoyance, closing his eyes hard while he grasped a little at the wrapping, feeling the sting longer than usual. He calmed after a moment, his body seemingly back to it's attempts of relaxing.

Aiden was just relaxing close to Xander while she was considering what he said about an apprenticeship when the portal appeared and Nova seemed to come out in her spooky form - Or Aiden didnt know how else to describe it. She frowned a little as the woman didnt seem too good and as she fell, Aiden moved to her feet before she went to her. She lifted her arm over her shoulder to help her off the floor, at least getting her to the couch for her to rest on. She grabbed a blanket, tugging her in before she ran a hand through her hair, feeling pretty tired herself. "I'm heading to bed" she said with a small smile, leaning down to kiss Xander's forehead, "You dont have to come too, but we could talk a little in bed before I sleep," she said, straightening her back as she brushed his cheek gently.

Baal was right, the strange woman was not like them, and very far from it, as it appeared. She still wondered who or what she was, but she decided to stay in the moment with her daemon. She couldn't help but chuckle a little at his words, sighing as she didn't dare think of what he meant. As he started complaining she frowned, brushing her fingers over his cheeks in a calming motion, because she didn't know what else to do. "You're alright, you're right here with me," she whispered gently as his pain seemed to subside for a while. She kissed his forehead softly, letting her lips linger at his warm skin, closing her eyes for a while. She was tired, having cried so much that she knew she would pass out soon. However she couldn't rest easy until Baal at least got a little sleep. "Try and sleep, my love, it'll all be better in the morning; then we might get more information," she said in a comforting voice, her hand stroking his arm gently as she held him in her arms. She wished she could take his pain away and make him relax. Dreamless sleep was better than no sleep she though. "I love you Baal," she whispered, feeling her own tiredness grab a hold of her tighter.

Xander looked rather surprised as Nova appeared once more. To them it hadn't been much more than minutes, but for the strange woman it appeared to have been quite different. He watched as Aiden helped her, moving out of the way and lifting Nova's legs up on the couch. He sighed as he looked at her. She looked young, but deep down he had a feeling that she was much older, seeing as she had spoken of past lives he wondered if she might be related to the fenix race, but he couldn't handle too much thinking right now. Instead he nodded at Aiden's words, moving over to take the hybrids hand and following her to his bedroom. He tried to keep it rather organized, sometimes a little too much so, but it was how he liked it. "What do you want to talk about?" he asked casually as he started to take off his clothes. It wasn't uncommon for them to speak late in to the nights of their dreams and aspirations, or even opening up about their past and their family life. He adjusted his back a little, a few links popping as his bones clicked in to place. He grunted slightly, feeling tired himself, but he knew his head would be wrapped up about how Baal was struggling with healing. It made him wonder what exactly had happened between the daemon and Nova.

Her comforting words didnt help with the pain but he appreciated them none the less, but it just had to pass on it's own which it did after a while. He exhaled deeply in a groan, furrowing his brows a little as he lifted his hand from his chest. "I'll try," he said in a sore tone, kissing her forehead carefully. He closed his eyes and leaned back into the pillow. He sighed at her whisper, smiling a little as he leaned his head to her temple, "Call me Belial, please," he pleaded in a soft whisper, kissing her skin lightly. He felt physically tired but his mind wouldnt let him rest just yet. He could feel her struggle, caressing her carefully to not move his chest too much, but still give her some comfort.

She smiled at him with a loving smile when he grabbed her hand, walking into his room. She didnt mind how organized he kept everything, because it was a part of who he was. Frankly she had seen people lose their quirks after trauma but he had seemed to still hold onto his - For which she was nothing but thankful. She laid down, unbuttoning her pants as she carefully wiggled out of them, just wanting to feel the soft fabric on her legs. She got out of her shirt, placing her clothes next to the bed as she crawled under the duvet. She thought about his question before she shrugged, "Something where I dont really have to think?" she said in an uncertain voice, adjusting her head on the pillow before she moved her hair to the side. She rested her hand under her head, lying on her side as she faced him, touching his chest carefully as she was as silent as she had been in the living room before Nova showed up. She swallowed after a while before she looked up from her hand to Xander, grinding her teeth slightly together while she gathered her courage. "I love you," she said in a faint tone, feeling her cheeks redden before she looked at her hand.