Discovery

Chapter 17

Buffy was virtually bouncing up and down on the spot excitedly on the front doorstep of Willow's house.

"Hey, Willow. Is now a good time to meet your dad? Because if not, then I can so totally come back later. Xander said it was like being around Angel, except they were kind of different, other the whole one being undead and the other being alive difference."

Willow grinned and stepped aside, allowing Buffy into the house.

"You just missed breakfast," Willow said as she closed the front door after Buffy walked through.

"Did you make chocolate chip pancakes?" Buffy asked.

Willow nodded happily.

"Oh, monkey poop." Buffy sighed. "They're my favorites."

"I'll give your mom the recipe." Willow laughed. Buffy brightened up as they entered the kitchen. Buffy took one look at Booth before coughing.

"Okay, that's very freaky."

Willow was still smiling. "Buffy, this is my dad, Special Agent Booth. Dad, this is my friend Buffy."

Buffy was still absorbed in studying Booth, searching for differences between him and Angel, while Booth was still in shock that Willow had just called him Dad, so it took a few moments before anything more was said.

"Hi, um, nice to meet another friend of Willow's. She said a lot about you in her emails," Booth said, offering Buffy his hand. Buffy shook it.

"She's told me a lot about you too. Especially that you looked kind of, no, a LOT like a slightly older version of my boyfriend, which you do, and Xander said it was a little weird and that it gave him a wiggins. I though he was just being anti-Angel but, wow, he was so right. Is there someone who looks like me, only older where you live? Maybe you're from the future or an alternative reality?" Buffy babbled.

"Buffy, should I feel threatened in my role of chief babbler?" Willow interrupted, cutting off Buffy's speech before the Slayer said something that she shouldn't have. Buffy coughed and took a deep breath.

"Right, sorry about that. How have you been finding Sunnydale?" Buffy asked, regaining her composure. Booth quirked an eyebrow (in a way that automatically reminded the girls of Angel when the vampire was confused) and nodded.

"It's a nice town. Nice and small and it's got lots of parks and stuff. You must have spent a lot of time out at the parks when you were younger?" Booth asked Willow, who nodded brightly.

"Yep, all the time, well, during the day anyway. Not at nighttime, because little kids shouldn't be outside at nighttime," Willow said. "Oh, can I tell Buffy about Parker?"

Booth nodded and Willow gave a girlish, entirely out of character squeal and turned to face Buffy.

"Buffy, guess what!"

"What, who's Parker?" Buffy glanced from Booth to Willow curiously.

"He is my really, really cute little half-brother. His name is Parker and he's six." Willow pulled the photo Booth had given her from her pocket and showed it to Buffy, who grinned.

"Aww, what a cutie."

"I know." Booth could virtually see Willow puffing up in pride over her little brother. It was sweet to watch. His shy, eager-to-please, squinty little girl, getting to show off her little brother. From the way she talked, all of Willow's friends were only children, so the fact that Willow had a brother, albeit only a half-brother, was a novelty in itself.

If Parker ever came to Sunnydale, he was going to get incredibly fussed over, if Buffy's reaction was anything to go by.

Booth grinned at the thought. Parker would probably love every minute of it.