Disclaimer – Duffy and Whedon own them, I just like to take them out of the box now and then

AN – This will only be three chapters, the main two chapters will be just the two movies. I am taking a lot of leaps of faith that PTB intervention would make things easier for her transition from a Slayer to a McMannus.

AN 2 - Modified 11/19/13

Elizabeth Anne 'Buffy' Summers was a determined teenager on a mission. Her mother had kicked her out of the house for doing what needed to be done to save the world, not that her mother really understood that. She went to LA to see if she could stay with her dad only to have him shove the papers in her face that released him from all burdens of her. Apparently, dear of Hank was unable to have kids, so he and Joyce used a sperm bank.

So, she spent a few hours hacking into various databases, she learned well from watching Willow, she just never admitted it to the red head. On the long bus ride to Boston she fell into an exhausted sleep and had a dream. All she heard was the sound of dripping water and the words echoing off of stone walls 'Destroy all that which it evil, so that which is good my flourish.' When she awoke she felt the same yet somehow different, she shrugged it off as poor sleep for the past few weeks and gathered her duffel bag and her jacket before exiting the bus.

She there she was now, standing outside of a bar by the name of McGinty's that looked to be closed for business for the night, which was odd considering it wasn't even that late in the evening, but it was her last lead on someone who may know the man who contributed to the other half of her genetics. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door. After a few moments an elderly man with glasses on his face answered.

"Sorry my dear, we are closed. You are also looking a wee bit too y-y-young to be in here anyway." The man stuttered as he said this.

"I am sorry to bother you, it's just I am looking for a man and rumor has it, you may be able to help me locate him." The man looked back over his shoulder for a moment, then nodded slightly and then stepped aside and motioned for her to come inside as well.

"Have a seat dear and I will get you a soda, then you can tell old Doc, who it is you are looking for." Buffy sat on the bar stool that Doc gestured to and accepted the soda, she took a sip and pulled a folded up piece of paper out of her pocket.

"If you don't know, maybe you will remember him enough to be able to tell me where else I can look." The man nodded and she unfolded the paper and continued. "The man I am looking for is McMannus, Noah McMannus." The man paled a bit and did not have time to respond when the dulcet Irish accent came from behind her.

"And why are you looking for me then sweet pea?" Buffy turned around at the voice and looked at the man. She slid off of the stool and slowly walked over to him while taking in his appearance, she barely came up to the middle of his chest, his hair and beard were long and grey with white sprinkled throughout. He did not smile, but his eyes were just like hers. As she looked into them she felt a click in her heart and head that she could not explain.

"I wanted to meet you. I'm not looking for money or anything, just...Sorry let me back up the train of confusion. Apparently my dad is not my dad because my mom used a sperm bank and your name was attached to the creation that is me. I only found out due to an unfortunate incident with yelling and screaming and telling me to never come back. You know how it goes." The man placed a hand under her chin and lifted her face to his and sighed deeply, briefly closing his eyes as he tilted his head to the ceiling.

"So I have a little girl now as well, come then. Sit down and tell me about yourself, a name would also help with this. I have some time before I have an appointment to keep."

"Look you don't have to feel obligated to get to know me or anything, it was curiosity that drove me here. Trust me, the less you know about me the more you like me."

"You are a McMannus then indeed. Now, sit." She did as she was told and sat across from Noah...her father.

"Now, your name dear?"

"Sorry, that should have come first, huh? Buffy Summers." Her father made a face.

"Buffy? Really?"

"Well, it fits in when you are living in California. Elizabeth Anne is on my birth certificate."

"I like that, Elizabeth it is, if that is okay with you." She nodded her acceptance of that. "Now how old are you lass?"

"Almost seventeen." He ran a hand through his beard and nodded.

"Where are you staying?" Buffy did not answer, just blushed and looked away, he sighed.

"I have a room at a hotel down the street. I have to go and get your brothers out of a bit of trouble they are in."

"I have brothers?" She was excited at the prospect of having siblings.

"Yes, Conner and Murphy. They are twins, my boys are, your brothers. Only ten years older than you. They are following in their father's footsteps it seems and need rescuing."

"What footsteps are those?" Buffy cocked her head to the side, face full of curiosity.

"Wicked men who do wicked things and somehow always get away with it, they have nothing to fear in life except the lead from our guns. It is a dangerous life we lead. Once it is daylight you can part ways if you wish, I just don't want you out on the streets at night in this town. My boys are good boys, I like to think I am a good man, only ever had one rule in this game. No women and no children." His bluntness about the things he did surprised her.

"Ok." She had done the same thing with the demon population, who was she to throw stones? A small part of her wondered why she did not find this more appalling, the code of a Slayer was never to kill humans, but if she was honest with herself she always wondered why Slayers were only relegated to the demons when there were so many men doing evil thing, she guessed it did not mean that the PTB did not have their own human assassins to keep the balance for humanity. "Do you need any help?" She felt stupid for even asking as soon as the question left her mouth.

"No my dear, I do not want you to get hurt in this."

"Sure I get that, you don't know me, I'm a girl and all, but I have been hurt worse. I'm tiny and stealthy, plus people usually over look teenagers." He thought for a moment.

"Fine, let's see how deep my blood flows through you then. We leave shortly." The ride to the mansion that was where the boys and the original mark Il Ducce was released to take care of before he knew his boys were with him, were being held was a quiet one. A comfortable quiet though. They parked down the street and after Buffy tossed her coat in the backseat they began their walk in the shadows towards the house. He unbuttoned his own coat and she caught a glimpse of the vest of guns.

"Interesting apparel."

"Heh, maybe I can make you one. You know how to fire a gun?"

"Part of the wonderful wonder that is me. You hand me a weapon I can fire it."

"That's my girl. Take this." He hands her a gun with a silencer on it and she tucks into the back of her pants. They were about to head to the back of the house when they saw a muzzle flash from a basement window.

"That can't be good. I can fit through there." He nodded and looked at her as he patted her shoulder then dropped a fatherly kiss on her head and she took a shot and got a man that was creeping up on the side of them from the corner of the house. She should have felt guilty for taking a human life, but she didn't. It was just like taking out a demon, they were out to harm her and her own so she needed to do what needed to be done.

"Good girl. Be careful Elizabeth." She nodded and ran silently into the darkness and crouched down to look in the window. She had to hide behind the bushes for a bit when a car pulled up and a woman stepped out of it. When she was allowed inside the house Buffy then went back to the window and peered inside. There a dead man handcuffed to a chair on the floor and there were two other men in chairs, one had his leg free and was kicking the hand of the other one to seemingly break it enough so he could get his hands out of the cuff. She sighed and broke the window and made quick work of dropping into the room in a crouched position. The smell of fear and blood was thick in the room.

"Who the fuck are you?" Even in pain and tied to a chair the one with the now broken hand sounded intimidating.

"Just call me the Calvary." That is all Buffy said as the approached the one that spoke first. By their eyes she could tell they were the brothers in question. She pulled a bobby pin out of her hair and picked the locks on the cuffs on the hands then feet of the first one then moved to the other brother.

"Not that we are not grateful and wish you would have gotten here with that a few moments sooner, but what is a little girl gonna do to help us out of here."

"I have backup." They heard the door begin to open and the brother with both good hands took an arm and pushed her behind him as the other brother took out the guard with a broken part of the chair he was chained to and took his weapons off of him keeping one for him self and tossing the other to his brother.

"Friend of yours?" She nodded her head in the direction of the body on the ground.

"Yeah, he was a good man."

"I'm sorry for your loss then. We've got to make with the getting out of here, soon." They nodded and set the chair Rocco was in upright and dug into their pockets to place pennies on his closed eyes.

"There is something we have to do first." The knelt down in front of their fallen friend and began to speak. "And shepherds we shall be, for Thee, my Lord, for Thee. Power hath descended forth from Thy hand, that our feet may swiftly carry out Thy command." As they spoke in unison the door again opened and the clicking of the hammers of two guns caused all three of them to turn around with their own guns pointed. Buffy lowered hers first and the the boys did once their father started to join in on the prayer. " So we shall flow a river forth to Thee, and teeming with souls shall it ever be. In nomine Patri, et Fili, Spiritus Sancti." Their father then reached out his hands and placed on on each of their faces as they looked up at him with wonder, disbelief and a barely hidden sliver of hope.

"I'm proud of you boys, you too Elizabeth."

"Thanks dad." The two men whipped their heads in eerie unison and looked at the small blonde.

"Da?" Again in unison. Buffy could make a game of this.

"I will explain later, let's get you out of here and patched up." With Buffy's help they got them into the car and drove off.

She helped patch them up and gave a sympathetic smile to the brother she now knew as Murphy as she set the bones in his hand before wrapping it. She spent the rest of the time ignoring the looks of questions in their eyes for a while then sighed. "Just ask what you want to know." Her softly spoken words startled them.

"Where you from?" The brother she now knew as Conner asked her this.

"California, little town called Sunnydale, only an hour or so from LA."

"Why the fuck do you think he is your Da?" Murphy asked her this and got a slap up the side of his head from Conner.

"Da has been in jail for the past 25 fucking years, and he wouldn' cheat on our Ma." Conner explained with a bit more diplomacy, for them anyway. Noah just sat back and watched his children interact.

"There are these magical places where men can go and get paid for leaving a contribution. Then when a woman and said contribution meet and fall in love with a petri dish a baby is born." Conner laughed hysterically at her explanation.

"I wilna deny that wit is a McMannus trait through and through. What will you do now?"

"I don't really have a home to go back to, so I was thinking I could get a job and a place around here and get to know you three better, that is if you don't mind me hanging around." She was unexpectedly pulled across the laps of both brothers.

"Ah, Little Lizzie, that would be great, I am not sure how long we are going to be here after this." Murphy ruffled her hair with his bandaged hand and looked over to his father, with the action of the two brothers, they accepted her as a sibling as if her existence had been known to them her whole life.

"So what do we do now? We can't let him get away with this again. Yakavetta will walk again if we are not careful." Buffy just stayed where she was, a feeling of warmth and true family connection filling her and she picked up Conner's arm as he was talking and looked at the tattoos there, and compared them to Murphy's. It should have bothered her how comfortable she was with these men and the way they did business but she was strangely okay with it. Both men already seemed to accept her familial ties as if she had always been there, allowing her the curiosity and familiarity of family in allowing her to inspect them as she moved their hands and arms to get a better look at the tattoos there.

"We will start planning tomorrow, getting to know our girl here and then when the time is right, the Lord will let us know." The three men and one women sat in silence Buffy was starting to get antsy and her brothers let her go so she could pace the room.

"You okay there Lizzie?" Conner asked her this, he took his new role seriously and was directing that big brotherly concern her way.

"Yeah, just a burst of energy that I need to work off."

"Wanna learn to clean the guns?" Murphy offered this and she nodded and sat at the table in the corner of the room, Conner sat down across from her and Murphy to her left. They then started to show her how to care for the weapons that they depended on. As they showed her how to clean the guns they continued with more general questioning.

"Happen to know any other languages?" Murphy asked her this.

"Not really, I know some Gaelic from an old boyfriend and only enough Latin to perform an exorcism. Not really conversationally fluent in either, come to think of it the Gaelic is probably all naughty words anyway." So focused on her task she did not see the dark look on the brothers faces or the humor in their fathers.

"And where is this old boyfriend?" Conner asked this, trying to interject some levity into his question, she stopped what she was doing and looked him in the eyes.

"Dust in the wind. He developed a nasty habit of killing young girls, so I had to take him out." Her statement was ended when she broke eye contact and finished reassembling the gun, then handed it to a silent Murphy for inspection.

"Is that what you had to do when your mother kicked you out?" The boys looked in surprise at their dad then looked angry again when they saw her nod her head.

"Doesn't matter now. I now have other family." She gave Noah a smile and finished cleaning out the remaining guns.

"You have really tiny hands, maybe a smaller glock is something we need to take her to see Patrick for." Conner said this and Murphy rolled his eyes before replying.

"You just want to get some more of your fuckin' rope." She smiled at the banter and when she was almost done with the last one when she heard them all yawn.

"Go to sleep, I can finish this one on my own."

"There are only two beds Lizzie, you need one to sleep on." She shot Conner a look.

"I am tiny, can curl on up the chair Dad is sitting in. Besides, you two are the injured ones."

"Well, I have seen that look on Murph's face here enough to know there is no arguing that will end nicely. Murphy and I can bunk in one bed, Da, you can have the other then. Night Little Lizzie." Conner stood up and leaned over the table and kissed her right temple.

"You change your mind you wake us up okay? Night Lizzie." Murphy laid a kiss on her left temple as he stood up.

"Good night Elizabeth." Buffy stood and gave her father a hug and he returned it and kissed the top of her head. Buffy sat back down at the table and finished cleaning the remaining gun and went through the weapons bag to see what else was in there.

Two hours later she was finally getting tired. She had sharpened all the knives, wrapped back up an unraveled rope and loaded all the clips. For the past half hour the room had been quiet, the McMannus men finally fell into sleep. Quietly she stood up and went over to the overstuffed chair and smiled as she picked up the shirt and sweatpants that belonged to one of the brothers that had been left out for her, and curled up in the chair, pulling the afghan over her and went to sleep. She slept and she had a dream.

"About time you fell asleep. You are at a crossroads, you have two choices here Buffy." Buffy looked around and saw Whistler standing next to her. Before her were two windows with drastically different scenes. One was of the Sunnydale crew with Faith at the helm, they looked to be doing good, all still alive, smiling and happy. The other window held the scene of her father and brothers sleeping in the room, bandaged and clutching weapons under pillows in their sleep.

"What happens if I choose to stay with them?" Buffy tore her gaze away and looked down at the messenger demon.

"Then the powers take back your Slayer destiny and give you the destiny of your other side of the family." Buffy nodded and took a look at both scenes.

"How long do I have to decide?"

"I managed to get you a day to decide." She nodded and smiled down at the demon.

"I will take that under advisement. Tell me something, why am I so comfortable with all of this?"

"They have a destiny as well, someone has to keep the evil men in check. They have been called to do this. They are not just men on a killing spree for fame and glory. I also may have linked you into their destiny before you got here to help ease the way." Buffy nodded her head and turned back to the window.

"Now, you have been granted a front seat view of the movie that is your other half of the family, the powers wanted you to be well informed of both options." Buffy nodded and watched the playback with fascination and horror as she saw the catalyst that started this all in both her father and her brothers, tears streamed down her face as she watched, unable to look away until it got to where she entered the boys lives.

"How long has she been like this?" Conner asked this of his father while Murphy tried to wake Buffy up as she was frozen in a dream, crying in her sleep.

"Not sure, seems to be settling when one of us touch her." Murphy ignored his injuries and picked Buffy up and put her in the middle of the bed, then he and Conner got back in.

"Now she will stay settled. I'm fuckin' tired and she is being a pain in the ass little sister already." Murphy huffed in irritation and went back to sleep, Conner made a grunt of agreement and soon followed behind him in sleep.

Buffy could see all of that from her window view.

"Why did you let me see that part? Don't you think I will be swayed?" The small demon took off his hat and looked around before speaking in a hushed tone, filled with urgency.

"I hope you are, I really do, you will have pain if you choose your dad and brothers, but it will be worth it. The pain of everything if you go back to Sunnydale? I've seen it kid, I like you I do, like you enough for you to stay alive. You stay here with these men and you will have a chance to be your own person, find love and laugh. Both choices have possibilities of life ending young, but what happens in the middle is what makes it life." Suddenly Whistler was gone and the room they were in was nothing but white.

Buffy opened her eyes and saw ceiling. A hand came up and gently closed her eyelids. "Shh, we're sleeping." She gave a giggle at the tired voice of Conner and rolled over to her side towards Murphy to give the larger frames of her brothers more room to sleep, then fell into a blissfully dreamless sleep herself.

The next morning she awoke still in the middle of the bed, a brother on either side, each had an arm over her body and resting on the upper arm of the other, the bond of the twins encompassing her and protecting her even in their sleep, having seen how far they have gone to protect each other she felt at home that they would share that with her. She would have stayed there longer to avoid having to move them but the call of nature would not leave a message and she carefully started to scootch down the bed only to be trapped by two sets of legs.

"Where you sneaking off to now?" Murphy asked this rubbing a hand over his face.

"I think she is trying to run away, such a shame dear sister." Conner said this also rubbing his face and the two of them reached out an arm and pulled her back.

"If you two have to know, I was hoping to make it to the bathroom and not wake you, but since you have me trapped you two will have to sleep in the wet spot." They raised an eye and her unintentional innuendo and laughed as they released their hold on her and sat up quickly, swinging their legs over the side of the bed.

Buffy got up and went to use the facilities and when she was done their father had returned with a few bags with what looked like clothing and food, and what looked like her duffel bag that she had forgotten about in all the excitement the night before.

"Good morning Elizabeth. Went back and got the bag you left at the bar, now you can wear your own clothing. Eat then shower, we have church then the boys want to get you outfitted with weapons while we plan." She nodded and went over to the bed and stood on it so give her father a kiss on the cheek and take the duffel bag from him.

"Think I will shower first if that is okay." She did not wait for a reply just went into the bathroom and closed the door. She finished quickly, feeling more refreshed to be clean and in her own clothes again. She padded out barefoot and sat on the end of the bed to put on her socks and Doc Martins. She gratefully accepted the bagel and coffee that was handed to her and sat back and ate as the three men smoked and planned around the table before breaking to get clean themselves.

Once they were all dressed and ready they headed down to the church. Buffy just looked up at the cathedral and softly uttered as they walked in. "Was always more just a Easter and Christmas goer."

"Well even a few times a year is better than nothing my child." Father Kee stepped from the shadows and answered her as she watched her brothers and father kneel in prayer. The fact they left her alone with the priest spoke to their trust of him.

"Are your doors here always open?"

"There is always an open door here for you my dear, now if you have any questions in the mean time I will give you a number you can call." He went to a back room and came out with a piece of paper with a name and number on it and handed it to her. She smiled at the man and nodded in thanks. It was then the three men got up and finished their prayer and came her way to collect her.

The next stop was to the Irish gun dealer, Patrick. "You boys back already?" Patrick looked up and saw the two people with them. "With guests?"

"Da and little sister." Buffy rolled her eyes at the emphasis Conner used to point out that she was off limits. Patrick raised his hands in mock surrender.

"And what can I do for you today?"

"We came to get Lizzie here a few new shiny toys." Murphy used his good hand and brought Buffy up closer to them and motioned for her to hold out her hands. Patrick gently took them in his own and took a look then smiled before flipping the switch that opened the armory.

"I have just the things. If you will follow me." Patrick crooked his arm and Buffy placed her hand in there smiling, ignoring the twin growls of irritation behind her, and he led her to the walls of weapons. "Now try out these two and see how they fit." He handed her a Heckler & Koch P7M8 and a Glock 26. She held them both and had a better grip on the Glock 26. She told him that and he nodded to find a few more and extra clips. She wandered around the room and her eyes lit up as she spotted the rocket launcher.

"These are so much fun. For the record if you are ever wondering what I want, this is a perfect gift." She grinned at them and the brothers gave her a manic grin back.

"Will keep that in mind dear sister."

"She has good taste. For her I will even do gift wrapping when the time comes." The brothers shot Patrick twin looks of irritation. "Here you go, three of the Glock 26, six extra magazines and four boxes of ammo, two silencer attachments and a shoulder holster, also in honor of the fight your two brothers had last time they were in here, I am throwing in a fine rope and a smaller bowie knife with boot sheath."

"Thank you." Buffy inspected the weapons with a grin as they settled the bill. They packed all but one into the bag they brought and her father helped adjust the holster over her back and load the weapon in before placing her jacket back on.

The next meeting was a sit down at McGinty's with Agent Smecker and Detectives Greenly, Dolly and Duffy.

Introductions were made and plans set into motion. Buffy took a step back from the conversation happening and walked over to the bar to help Doc get refills for everyone. She smiled as she watched them all, even the covert glances the three McMannus men were giving her to make sure she was okay was comforting. Smecker came over to the bar and stood in front of her.

"You know what kind of men these are?" His voice was almost caring as he asked this.

"They are good men with a calling. They are my family." The agent nodded and looked at the group of men from both walks of things. The good guys and the bad guys if all you had to color with was black and white. She always did like the shades of grey more.

"You planning on staying with them?" She closed her eyes and thought for a moment then looked at Agent Smecker with a look of clarity and serenity on her face.

"Yes, so I am going to need a favor. Figure it would be nice to have my name match the rest of the family." With those words she heard the echoing of Whistler's voice in her head. "Good choice kid." She could actually feel what made her a slayer start to fade away and she collapsed on the floor behind the bar.

"Okay kid, I only have a short time before they find out I am here again. My gift to you is that you get to keep your weapons knowledge and the uncanny aim. You lose the slayer package of strength and speed and such, you do get to keep some extra muscle to keep you on your toes and keep up with your brothers."

"How much trouble are you going to be in for this?" Buffy asked the short demon concerned.

"Nothing I have not been through before. You take care of yourself kid."

"You too. Thank you for everything."

Buffy awoke to three sets of distinctive voices. "Little Lizzie?" "Lizzie!" and "Elizabeth?" She gingerly opened her eyes and smiled up at the eight concerned faces.

"Sorry, I'm fine. Guess a bagel and coffee does not a filling all day meal make."

"Sit down dear and I will f-fi-fix you some food." Conner and Murphy led her back to the table and sat her down between them.

"Drink your soda." Murphy pushed the glass in front of her.

"I'm fine, really." As her dad sat down the three of them gave her identical looks, much to the amusement of the others still there.

"Fine." She pouted and began to slowly sip the drink.

Smecker and the Boston PD boys said their goodbyes shortly after leaving the family and Doc in the bar. Doc came up and sat a plate of food down in front of her and she began to eat, the boys were on the other side of the bar playing darts and their father was talking to Doc. When she was almost finished she managed to get ketchup on her shirt, then she looked up and asked them a question.

"So where can I go around here for some new clothes? If I am going to be staying then I need more than what is in my duffel."

"You know I think your brothers can help you with that, you don't need your Da hanging around when looking for things." Noah shot her a grin when he saw the looks on his sons faces.

"This is the third store she has been in. How many stops does it take to get a few pairs of pants and shirts?" Conner asked this to his brother who asked him a question in return.

"And how many shoes does a person need?"

"I see now why you two are single, you two may be able to wear the same thing again and again, with the bonus of being able to share, but I have to get enough for me to last me a while. I just have to stop one more place and we are good to go." They started to follow her, dutifully carrying the bags filled with the items she had purchased when they came to a stop.

"No, you can go on in, we will wait here." Conner stated this as both he and Murphy looked up at the pink Victoria's Secret sign.

"Babies." Buffy stuck her tongue out at them and went inside. Thirty minutes and three bags later she joined them once again.

"It's not that we are afraid to go in there you know. It is just, there are certain things that a brother should not know about his new sister right away." Murphy said this and they exited the shopping center. Conner switched the bags he was holding to his off hand to keep his firing hand free if needed and Buffy heard Murphy curse.

"Let me carry my bags there." She took them despite his protest and walked in between them to get back to where they were staying.

Three weeks into their new family unit, they were settling into a routine. Wake up, go to church, eat, kill time, weapons training for her, eat again, sometimes they would meet with the law boys for a bite and pint, most of the time they were having dinner with Doc and getting to know each other. This was just another learning moment.

"What the fuck is with all the bras hanging in the shower? A man should not have to shower with all that color in there." Buffy was woken up from sleep by this comment as Conner walked out of the bathroom with a towel around his hips, their father and Murphy laughing were laughing in the corner of the room.

"Have to be hand washed and line dried jackass." Buffy threw his pillow at his head and laid her head back down, pulling the covers over her head.

Noah would have honestly preferred if his youngest and only daughter never fell into the life laid out for him and the boys, hoping the kill she made that first night would be her last, but six weeks after she helped rescue her brothers, Poppa Joe Yakavetta's men had learned of her existence, and in one of the rare moments they were not with her they attacked.

Buffy had just finished bagging up the trash from the bar and was taking it out back, with all the food and booze Doc supplied the least she could do was help out where she could. As she placed the first of the bags on the ground and got ready to toss them into the dumpster she heard the cocking of guns then saw the men come in from the exit points of the alley.

"Can I help you?" Buffy tried for the innocent girl routine first. Maybe they would ignore her and go on about their way.

"Yes, can you please get on your knees and scream for your family?" The heavily accented Italian spoke and Buffy was grateful that she never went anywhere unarmed. It was strange how use to the holster and gun she had become, now she reveled in the strangeness.

"Not gonna happen." The man gave an irritated growl at this and spoke to the others in, what she assumed, was Italian and they began to open fire. Quickly she dove behind the dumpster and pulled out her gun, she crept to the side and was able to take down two of them before having to go further behind it again. As she got over to the other side and took out one more the back door of the bar was flung open and the three McMannus men came out, weapons blasting like modern day avenging angels.

They four of them made quick work of the remaining men and once they were all down they rushed to her and her father pulled her into a hug, subtly checking for injuries.

"I'm fine. Took out three of them before you slowpokes made it out here." She hid her wince very badly when he went to pat her arm, he took a closer look and swore.

"Sure you are fine, get her inside boys." Conner and Murphy led Buffy inside and sat her down as their father came out from behind the bar with a bottle of whiskey and a sewing kit. He poured a shot and set it in front of her.

"Drink, this is going to hurt." She numbly nodded and took the shot, making a face that caused her brothers to howl in laughter.

"Good girl, now let me get this closed up." Her father began to work on her arm and Murphy offered her a hand to squeeze.

"Just curious Lizzie. Why didn' ya tell us you were hurt?" Conner knelt in front of her to ask this, taking her smaller hands into one of his.

"I didn't want you to worry about me, I can take the pain." A tear ran down her face and he wiped it away while Murphy swore, never one to be comfortable with girls crying.

"If he got rid of every sibling that got nicked in the arm, then he would have been an only child a while ago. You are one of us through and through, be hard pressed to get rid of us now little sister." She gave a watery smile to Murphy and nodded. She was vaguely aware of the stitching being done and a bandage going over it.

"I don't know how they found out about your parentage, but I will not let my guard down again." Her father said this and the brothers nodded their heads in agreement. That night she had a dream, not the usual slayer dream, or even one with Whistler in it. All she heard was an unfamiliar voice in the darkness saying 'Saints rush in where others fear to tread, Angels always surround them'

Seven weeks in had proven that Buffy actually had a head for Latin, much to their delight, she could carry on a passable conversation in it even. Apparently she just needed the right teachers, or destiny as it were to allow herself to learn. Now once she mastered that, they could start teaching her other languages like their mom made sure they were taught while growing up.

Nine weeks they had been in this one room hotel with two beds, the siblings on one with their dad on the other. This morning she woke alone in the bed, which was unusual, that and the absence of cigarette smoke in the air. The only thing she smelled was the cigar her father smoked. She got up slowly and stretched as she walked over the table with her father and slumped into the chair.

"Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum?"

"Your brothers offered to make a food run." She nodded and put her head on her folded arms on the table and closed her eyes. She did not have to wait long before the boys showed up with the bags of food in their hands. She reached for the food and Conner slapped her hand away.

"I will bite you and you know it." She scowled at him then finally noticed Murphy had his hand hidden behind his back.

"What are you up to?" She raised an eyebrow and then smiled as he revealed a cupcake with a candle in.

"Happy birthday little sister."

"How did you know?"

"Called into Smecker and found out a few weeks back."

"I have already called Patrick, anything you want today is yours at his place, on the house." The boys rolled their eyes at this and waiting for her to get ready so they could go.

They were three days out from the trial of Poppa Joe.

"You can't keep me from helping!" Buffy wanted to stomp her feet at the men in front of her.

"You are too young for this, we are exposing who we are to the media. Do you need that kind of notice right now?" Her father tried to be the voice of reason.

"I have to help, I feel it so deep in my soul it hurts. I made my choice a while ago and I will be damned if you will keep me from this." The brothers shared a look then turned to look at their dad who was locking eyes with their sister, she was standing there defiantly, chin jutted up and hands on her hips.

"Da, we canna argue with that can we?" The older man sighed heavily and sat down.

"Come on Lizzie, lets go take a walk so Da can think on things." The siblings left the room and were soon on the streets, her movements were in time with theirs as they all three put the sunglasses on their faces, then the two men lit their cigarettes. A few blocks from where they were staying they stopped at a payphone.

"Give me the quarters." Conner held out his and and Murphy put several dollars worth of quarters in his brothers hand then Conner began to dial.

"Ma? Yeah, it's Conner. Yes Ma, Murph is here too." Murphy leaned his head against his brothers and held the bottom of the phone with him.

"Hi Ma."

"We just wanted to let you know our number is changing so you won't be able to reach us for a while."

"Yes. No. Ma, Conner and I are fine. Just making some changes."

"Love you too Ma, call again when we can. Bye." The boys hung up the phone and Buffy stood back up from where she was sitting on the pavement.

"Did you want to call anyone? There is no guarantee this will end the way we hope." Buffy shook her head slowly.

"No I made my choice." Each brother wrapped an arm over her shoulder and they finished their walk. Half an hour later found them back in the room.

"My dear girl. If this is something you must do, then so be it." She went up and wrapped her arms around her father.

"They hurt my brothers, wanted to kill them. They would have tried to get rid of you, and they tried to kill me. I say I have every right to be there. I know I am young, and I am a girl. There is a chance I could lose you all. I would rather lose you and myself there, than be tucked away in an ivory tower and safe alone."

The four McMannus family members made an intimidating entrance into the courtroom where the trial was being held. It did not take long for them to round up the weapons and secure the witnesses to watch what was about to happen.

They soon had Yakavetta on his knees in the middle of the court room.

"You people have been chosen to reveal our existence to the world. You will witness what happens here today and you will tell of it later. All eyes to the front." Their father started them off with that as the brothers held their guns to the back of the mans head. Buffy was crouching in front of the man just studying his face.

The fire alarm went off in the court house and their father chambered his shell in the gun and took the place of the brothers as they jumped to address their congregation of the captive audience. Going back and forth as they spoke.

"Now you will receive us."

"We do not ask for your poor, or your hungry."

"We do not want your tired and sick."

"It is your corrupt we claim."

"It is your evil that will be shot by us."

"With e'ry breath, we shall hunt them down."

"Each day we will spill their blood till it rains down from the skies."

"Do not kill, do not rape, do not steal, these are principles that every man of every faith can embrace."

"These are not polite suggestions. These are codes of behavior, and those of you that ignore them will pay the dearest cost."

"There are varying degrees of evil, we urge you lesser forms of filth not to push the bounds and cross over into true corruption into our domain."

"But if you do, one day you will look behind you and see we four, and on that day you will reap it."

"And we will send you to whatever god you wish."

"Amen." Buffy ended it and placed a kiss on each cheek of Poppa Joe Yakavetta, leaving the sheen of lip gloss on each cheek, then moved to the side as the men lined up their weapons. The three men spoke in unison and Buffy was in a bit of awe at their conviction of words.

"And shepherds we shall be, for Thee, my Lord, for Thee. Power hath descended forth from Thy hand, that our feet may swiftly carry out Thy command. So we shall flow a river forth to Thee, and teeming with souls shall it ever be." Then they broke out speaking as individuals, each man taking a part of the three. "In nomine Patri, et Fili, Spiritus Sancti " Then they pulled the trigger and released the people so they could make their escape in the crowd.

The next morning Smecker arrived at their room, they were almost finished packing. They had just turned off the news with the four of their faces were shown in sketch rendering. They were being called the Saints and the Angel. Fitting if they didn't know the 'Angel' in question had a mean right hook when you picked on her shortness.

"Brought breakfast too. Here are the travel arrangements to get out of here." He handed Noah the package then handed Buffy a smaller envelope.

"In for a penny." She smiled at the man and placed the papers in her bag.

"I checked the other thing you asked me to, there have been no reports listed for you." She gave the Agent a slightly sad smile at that, she had asked Smecker to check and see if her mother or anyone had looked for her since she had been gone for almost six months. No one had, maybe Giles and the others thought she was dead. Her mother not looking for her did hurt a bit. "Thank you for checking." She gave the agent a hug, which he awkwardly returned with a pat on the back as well.

"What is that now Lizzie?" Conner asked her this with a teasing lilt to his voice to distract her when he saw the frown start on her face, while Murphy got it out of her bag and opened it.

"Well I guess it is really official then idn't?" Murphy handed the papers to Conner over her head to read, who in turn handed them over to their father.

"When did you decide to do this then lass?"

"The night I passed out in the bar actually." The three men dragged her into the middle of a hug and she laughed. "I just hate that by changing my name officially over to yours I don't get the height. I am forever going to be asking for help with things on shelves." She smiled up and the men and the brothers ruffled her hair and ran off laughing as she jumped onto Murphy's back the force of it sent him onto the mattress of the bed, Conner came up behind and lifted their sister off of him and threw her over his shoulder, laughing even harder as she pounded her fists on his back. With a pout she looks up and calls out. "Da-aaa-aaad."

"Conner put your sister down, Elizabeth stop picking on Murphy. Murphy, I can see you. Finish packing kids, our boat for Ireland leaves in an hour." He shook his head at his three children and gave a rare smile before he resumed his own packing.