Disclaimer:

The characters of Charmed,Buffy – the Vampire Slayer, and Angel – the Series do not belong to me.

Summary:

AU Crossover between the Charmed and Buffy universes. In the aftermath of Dark Willow, Willow discovers she's adopted. Her biological father comes to Sunnydale to retrieve his daughter.

Author's Note:

This story is distinct and separate from my other AU stories. I'd like to thank River Blackstone for the great idea and all the brainstorming sessions.

Chapter One – Who's My Daddy?

Part One

Willow was listless. Xander had given her a cup of hot chocolate, but she hadn't touched it. It was growing cold in her hands. She was still in shock over everything she had done. She'd tried to kill her friends. She'd nearly destroyed the world! Goddess! How could you move on from that? It was impossible. I never felt evil before. She collapsed her face in her hands and wept without tears. She didn't have any tears anymore. Who was she? What was she?

Giles watched Willow somberly. Willow had always been his favorite. He should've stayed in Sunnydale. He was responsible. Bloody hell! I should've done something. If I'd kept from her from those books... If I'd been here... If. If. If! IF! Hell and damnation! He'd never realized just how powerful Willow was. Witches... sorceresses, really... like her were few and far between. Could she be? It bothered him... It ate at him... Witches like this were usually at least partially demonic. It was driving him mad! Had there been signs he'd missed? He hadn't thought so. She'd been the most pure and kind person he'd ever met. She was the sensible one, the strong one. And, now this!

Buffy was sitting at another table with Dawn. She was also in shock. She was used to fighting evil. She just never thought it would be her best friend. Never. It was just crazy. She remember when she first met Willow. That girl would never have done this. Part of her wanted to think that there was something else. Something that made her be that way. But Buffy knew that wasn't right. It was part of her, but the witchcraft didn't do this. No. It was Willow's passion and her emotions that were responsible. She closed her eyes in despair. This was worse than Angelus. He was a demon. You could separate Angel from his demon. He wasn't responsible for the demon's actions. But this... She shuddered involuntarily.

Xander, for his part, was more worried about was going to happen Willow now. Willow kept everything inside. Everything. This was going to just eat her up. If they weren't careful, she would destroy herself before their eyes. He didn't understand this witchcraft thing. He just knew that he had to take care of her. Who else was there? Judging by the looks on Buffy's and Giles' faces, they were more worried about what to do about the witch. They weren't worried about the woman. Girl, really. For all Will's brains and age, she wasn't that different from the little girl who he'd played with in the sandbox. He walked over to the table Willow was at and gathered her in his arm. She wrapped her arms around him and started to bawl. No, not that much different at all.

Everyone was so wrapped up in their little world that they didn't notice that they were being watched. He was watching the scene silently from outside the closed magic shop. There she was. You could feel the power from a distance. And she was crying. The man shuddered in disgust. She had wielded the most incredible dark magicks and she was crying? She should be reveling in the power! It was these humans. That could be the only thing. If she had been raised properly – with her own kind... Damn that witch! She should never have hid this from him. She should never have hid HER.

It was all he could do to not just storm in there and take her. But, no. That would not do at all. Not. At. All. He needed a plan. He needed her to accept him, to trust him. Most of all, he needed to get her away from these... mortals. He stepped back from the window and started to walk away. He needed some space as he thought.

Part Two

Willow's head was throbbing. All her crying jags had really affected her. And, now, Giles. He was giving one of his speeches. She dreaded the consequences. She knew Giles was very upset. He cared for her. But, he also had a duty to fight evil. Me. That's what I am. I'm evil. What will Giles do?

"Willow? Have you been listening?" Giles prodded gently. She was under such a strain. Plus the guilt. Willow had always been prone to internalize things. He cringed as she looked in his eyes. They were bloodshot and full of fear. Fear of him. When had Willow started to fear him?

"I'm sorry, G-giles. I just don't know what to do..." She smiled tremulously at him, trying not to cry again.

"That's alright Willow. I just think we just need to..." He started when he was interrupted by a rapping at the door. Bloody hell! Don't they see the Closed sign? Everyone turned to the door where a tall, older man was rapping insistently. Giles went up and pointed at the sign. "We're closed."

"Please, sir. I need your help. I'm looking for my daughter." The man began. Giles paused. He had a very urgent look about him. Daughter? What daughter?

"Sir, your daughter isn't here. You'll.." Giles began when he was interrupted.

"Sir, I think you know her. I just... well, please if I could just come in... I think she went to the high school you worked at. I think she worked in your library... Please?"

Giles heard the gasps from behind him. There had been very few girls that worked in his library. Actually, the only working was the demon research sessions. And, how many girls would that include? Buffy. Willow. Cordelia. He unlocked the door and let the man come in.

He had five pairs of eyes watching him as he entered. He smiled. His daughter was a truly beautiful young woman. He could only imagine how truly beautiful she had been when she had killed that young sociopath. Looking around, he stuck to his plan. It was actually very simple and ingenious. It would use her humanity against her. (He suppressed a shudder at the word.) Looking to Mr. Giles, he began.

"Mr. Giles, my name is Tempus. Geoffrey Tempus. I have just found out that I have a daughter. It's been quite a shock. You know, it was one of those things. You're in a town during summer break from university and you meet a girl. Well, we had a beautiful, hot-blooded romance. We both knew it was nothing more than a summer fling. At the end of summer, we went our separate ways." Tempus paused to see the effect his story was having. It was actually very close to the truth. Except he hadn't been on a summer break. If anything, he'd been in that town working.

Giles nodded and motioned the man to a chair. "I understand, Mr. Tempus, please continue."

"Well, apparently dear Deborah was pregnant. That was her name. Deborah St Cyr. We met in Santa Monica. It was a wonderful seaside interlude in my life. I shall never forget it." He paused with a dreamy look in his eyes. That, too, was true. He wouldn't forget it. He rarely forgot himself with a mortal. Much less with a witch. That had surprised him at the time. He'd no idea at the time she'd been a witch. He should have killed her. That's what one did with witches. Why he hadn't---

"Go on." Giles prodded. The poor man was quite caught up in his memories. I probably would be too. I never have forgotten dear Kayla...

"Of course, very sorry. Well, anyway, I'd never found out about the pregnancy. It wasn't until recently... I don't know why, I'd never looked for Deborah before. For some reason, I just decided to track her down again. I was quite devastated when I discovered she had died. She was in childbirth when she died. I did the math and realized it could be my child she had given birth to. I had to know. I hired a detective to find out about the child." He paused as he reached inside his suit jacket for a piece of paper. What was amusing was he hadn't had to fake this particular piece of paper. It was the genuine article. He passed it over to Mr. Giles.

Giles looked seriously at the piece of paper. Oh, dear Lord. He was her father. He looked to Willow, who started nervously under his gaze. The man Tempus followed his gaze and smiled. "Oh, my dear, I should've known. Those eyes. Those beautiful siren's eyes."

Willow blushed and looked down. Siren's eyes? How ridiculous! She looked back up and smiled nervously. It would be lovely to have a father that cared. Who wasn't always gone. But, he didn't know what she was. She would have to protect him from that. "H-hello."

He smiled into her eyes. Her mother's eyes. They really were Deborah's eyes. Right down to that adorable blush. She certainly hadn't gotten that from HIM. Blushing, indeed! I need to get her away from this world-- this light. Sitting across from her, he took her hands into his. "Where to start, my dear? Oh we have so much to catch up on. Can you ever forgive me? I shouldn't have left. I should have-- Oh, hell and damnation!"

Willow turned at the sound of Buffy chuckling. "Hey, Will. I think Daddy must be British."

Giles laughed as well. He certainly did sound English. "Quite. A bit of Cambridge, I'd imagine."

Tempus laughed. Oh, yes, he'd spent a great deal of time in England and the British Isles. Not really English, but he'd spent enough time there to get an accent. "That evident? I was actually born in Hong Kong, but was sent to England for my education. After university, I went back to Hong Kong as a security consultant. I advise banks and other financial institutions on security issues. Give threat assessments. That sort of thing."

Willow looked up in interest. Oh? He sounds so intelligent. I wonder if he knows anything about computers? And, it sounds like he's been everywhere. The farthest I've gotten from Sunnydale was LA. "That sounds fascinating, Mr. Tempus."

"Mr. Tempus?" He raised an eyebrow. "Do you think you could bear to call me Father... or even Dad?"

Willow blushed again to the delight of the room. Maybe he would be good for Willow, Giles thought. Lord knows her adopted family never spent any time with her. Not even when she was younger. He could give her the stability she really needs. Still, the witchcraft was still an issue. It wasn't like he could just bring it up with this man.

Buffy and Xander were also really happy. Xander wasn't really sure he could trust this man. Didn't even know him. But what he'd seen was so much better than her adopted father. I'll bet this guy'd let her watch A Charlie Brown Christmas. He smiled at the man, and decided to make an opening gesture. He extended his hand. "Hi! My name's Xander, Xander Harris. Willow and I've been friends since pre-school."

Ah, good. Tempus knew he'd have to deal with this one. He'd been able to tell from the beginning that this boy had a special connection with his daughter. He took the hand pleasantly and smiled. Judging by the boy's eyes, he was a perceptive. Hmmm... The boy probably doesn't even know his true potential. I'll have to take care with him. "Splendid to meet you! It does my heart good to know she's had a good friend like you. Since pre-school, you say? Quite a friendship! I'm sure we'll be good friends... At least I hope so. I do so want Willow's friends to trust me. Very important, I'm sure you'll agree."

Xander nodded and motioned around the room. "Yes! That's great. You should probably meet the rest of the gang. That's Buffy, she and Will have been buds since their sophomore year of high school. That's Buffy's sister, Dawn. And, you've met Giles, of course."

Tempus nodded at everyone in the room. He smiled warmly. "It's a pleasure to meet all of you. However, I was wondering if maybe I could take Willow out for lunch or something?" He looked down at his daughter. Once he got her alone, he was sure he could sway her. He just had to be careful about these people. The girl, Buffy, was quite obviously a Slayer. That would make this man Giles her Watcher. It looked like the rest must know her secret. Surprising, that. It wouldn't do to have a Slayer on his track. It wouldn't do at all.

Willow looked up happily. She was really warming to him. My father. She shook her head happily at the suggestion. Really, she'd probably have leaped at the chance anyway. She really didn't want to discuss what they were going to do with her. It was too depressing. A little time away would be good. She didn't want to think about it anymore. She looked to Giles, hopefully. "Please, Giles?"

Tempus bristled in anger at the thought of his daughter – HIS! - asking permission from a mere mortal. How dare he! How dare he presume to have responsibility for MY daughter. Mr. Giles chuckled, dispelling Tempus' anger, "Willow, of course. It really isn't my decision. It's yours. Still, I would like to continue the discussion we were having later. Please?"

Willow nodded happily. She stood up and waved to her friends as Mr. Tempus – her father! - escorted out of the magic shop. It was amazing! How things could change so quickly. Now, that she had her father she was sure everything would change. She would never have to use her magicks again. She would never have to hurt anyone again. She would never want her father to be disappointed in her. Never.

She smiled up into his gray eyes and was surprised to see a look of self-satisfaction there. Oh, well, Willow thought. He's probably just happy to get me away from the gang. They can be kind of smothering.