Ella sat on her bed with her knees to her chest and head in her hands

I don't own any of the characters in this they all belong to Joss Whedon, FOX and mutant enemy. You know the drill, so please don't sue. Written for fun not profit.

This is the sequel to my first fanfic are you happy now. If you want to understand this I recommend you read it but it's not essential.

Historians note: 15 years after Buffy leaves LA to England. This follows Buffy, Ella and the rest of the scoobies with the new watchers council

Wow I really thought I had uploaded this last chapter, I don't know what happened. I know its been forever and I was checking up on other stories when I checked my profile and it hadnt added the last chapter. How odd. Well you guys have probably stopped waiting for an update but this is for any lurkers out there :P thanks for reading this, I know the updates for this have been aweful but at least you've ot an end now ! Thanks again for all reviews I really appreciate it xx

Chapter 16 - As it should be

Ella sat on her bed with her knees to her chest and head in her hands. It felt like the world had fallen down around her. Everything her mum had told her had been a lie. 'How do I know this is the truth? There could be loads of things she lied about, how can I trust her again?' Ella thought to herself. She was so tired, like all the adrenaline that had been buzzing around her body earlier had disappeared. She was weak, lonely and lost.

Ella lifted her head and wiped her eyes with her sleeve, leaving black mascara marks on her shirt. Her eyes drifted to her window. The moon was hidden behind the dark clouds and everything felt cold. Suddenly Ella stood up and grabbed her jacket from her chair next to her desk and quickly put it on. She grabbed some tissue and stuffed it in her pockets, knowing that she would be needing it later. She took one last glance around her room, grabbed her purse from her bed side table and walked over to the window. She opened it with ease and slid out into the night.

The cold air hit her lungs; the sign that autumn was closing in on what had been a great summer. She looked around, darkness, no one around. She didn't know what time it was but she knew it must be late. She didn't realise how long she'd been sitting in her room in silence for. But no other houses in the street had lights on, every one was sleeping. The only light, apart from that of her own house, were street lights. Their glowing yellow lamps like stars in the darkness as she set off. She didn't know where she was going, but knew she must get away. She couldn't think, not in that house, full of lies and deceit.

Ella wasn't concentrating on where she was going, she wasn't looking for anywhere in particular to go, she just needed to get away. Her hands in her pockets and her head hung low she walked for what seemed like ages, time seemed to be moving very slowly. She looked up and saw she was nearing the park, knowing that it would be empty she opened the gate and started walking down towards the swings.

She wiped the seat and sat down on the middle swing. Rocking backwards and forwards, her mind still racing. Her mum used to bring her here all the time when she was little. She closed her eyes and sighed.

The sun was brightly shining and the sound of children playing flooded her ears. Ella was sat on the swing, her legs unable to touch the ground.

"mum push me" Ella shouted to her mother who was sitting on the swing next to her. Ella kicked her legs around, trying to get herself moving with no success. "pleeeeasee" she added with a smile and a batting of eye lashes.

Buffy rolled her eyes and got up off her swing. "ok" she said and stood behind her daughter. "But soon you're gonna have to learn to push yourself, you're six you're a big girl, right?" she asked.

Ella smiled once again. "Yeah I'm a big girl with short legs mommy" Ella giggled at her own joke and Buffy smiled.

"Higher! Higher!" Ella screamed with delight and she soared higher into the air. This was her favourite thing to do at the park. Her mum would push her so high that she felt she was flying.

Ella opened her eyes, shaking off the memory. She wished she could go back. Go back to the times when it was just her and her mum, she wished she'd never known about her father. She wanted everything to go back to normal.

Buffy couldn't sleep, not tonight. Too much was going on in her head. She wasn't sure whether she should have been truthful from the start or just have never told Ella the truth. She knew which would be easier at the moment. Spike was sleeping soundlessly next to her. She watched him sleep for a while. She was glad that Spike would now be part of their lives properly now, she was. But the way Ella had looked at her, it broke her heart. They had always such a strong relationship, probably because for a long time they'd only had each other. Now everything would be different.

"Luv why are you watching me?" he whispered with his eyes still closed.

Buffy didn't reply she just looked away from him.

Spike opened his eyes and sat up and leaned his head back against the headboard. He watched her closely; he knew she had been crying.

Buffy sighed and he placed a gently hand on her shoulder.

"Sorry if I woke you, can't sleep" Buffy whispered, still not looking at him.

"Don't worry 'bout it pet" he said as he let his hand fall down her arm.

Buffy pushed the covers off her and got out of bed, she pulled on her dressing gown and pulled her hair into a low pony tail loosely. She turned around and finally looked at him.

"I think I'm gonna go check on her" she said quietly.

"Its 2.30 luv, she's gonna be asleep" Spike said. "Come back to bed, talk to her in the morning".

"I can't…. I can't leave it like this. She thinks I betrayed her" she said. "I can't have her thinking that." A tear fell from her eye and she quickly wiped it away and took a deep breath.

He knew there was nothing he could do to change her mind, so he let her go.

Buffy walked silently across the landing and went to Ella's door. She couldn't hear anything, maybe Spike was right, she was asleep. She opened the door slowly and quietly, the room was dark. She looked over to the bed, it was empty. Her stomach dropped to the floor. She looked quickly round the room and her daughter was no where to be seen. Buffy noticed the open window and realised that's why the room felt so cold. she walked over to the window and looked out into the night. She ran out of her daughter's room and back into her own.

Spike had drifted back off to sleep was woken by the sound of Buffy crashing the door in a state. "She's gone, what are we going to do? Anything could happen to her out there on her own!" Buffy spoke very quickly and Spike got out of bed and put both hands on her shoulders.

"Slow down, what's happened" he told her in a calming voice.

"Ella, she's not in her room. Her window was wide open I think she's run away." Buffy said, a couple more tears falling from her eyes. "This is all my fault".

"She probably just wants some space, time to think. I'm sure she's fine." Spike said. But Buffy was already getting dressed.

"She's in no state to be out on her own, left alone at this time of night. Anything could happen to her. Of all people, you should no it's not safe." Buffy said as she pulled on a jacket. "Are you coming not?" she asked, already fully dressed.

He nodded with a sigh, he also knew this wouldn't be a great time for her to go out and look for Ella it would just make things worse he thought. Their emotions were too high and this will probably just get blown out of proportion. Spike got dressed and they left the house together.

Buffy hurried down the street, her jacket wrapped around her tightly. She had no clue where Ella could have gone. She could be anywhere by now. Spike walked next to her in silence. He knew Buffy was worried, and he had a feeling she would just snap at him, so he stayed quiet as his eyes searched in the shadows for his daughter.

They turned a corner and where noticed they were at the park. Spike reached his hand forward and touched Buffy's arm. He pointed over to Ella, still sitting on the swing.

Buffy stopped and turned to him.

"Do you mind? I think I need to do this alone" Buffy told him.

Spike sighed. "Ok, don't be too hard on her".

And with that Buffy slowly walked towards her daughter, wondering whether she could ever find the words to explain. Try and make her see that what she did, she thought had been for the best. But she was wrong, she knew that now.

That conversation had been one of the longest and hardest things she had ever done. She had sat on them swings with her daughter for what seemed like hours. She told her everything, the good, the bad and the very ugly. Ella listened carefully, the things her mother had gone through, at her age where incredible. And now she understood why she did the things she did. Why she tried so hard to protect her.

But now, everything was different. Her mother was happy, she was happy. Everything was as it should be. Ella had learned things about her self in the last year that she never thought possible; the world had opened up with so many opportunities. Everything was right with the world, well for now. Her mum had told her things wouldn't be quiet for long. There was always something around the corner trying to destroy the world. This still surprised Ella, monsters, demons, it was all real. And she would fight against it, alongside her parents, fighting the good fight, as a slayer, one of many.

THE END