I made this fic after Buffy season one ended. It was my fist fic I ever did so please be kind. I did a little editing, but knowing me I bet I missed one or two things. But hey no one is perfect. Enjoy.
Giles sat in his office, reading the Codex. He was very hesitant to read the prophecies again. The last time he did, Buffy died. But he knew that they had to be ready for what ever the next threat from the HellMouth would be. He was very puzzled about the next prophecy in the book. He quickly translated it twice; he then read it out loud to himself.
"In the Aftermath, the Dreamer of the chosen one will switch.
The re-born servant of the lord will guide him.
And he will be confronted with the unknown past and the horrid future."
Giles had heard almost every reference to the Slayer, the Master, and even his own job as Watcher. But he had never heard... "The Dreamer of the Chosen?" He said it over and over in his head. He sat for a few more hours trying to think of whom the book refereed to. Finally around 2 am, he gave up and went home to try to get some sleep.
* * *
Buffy, Willow, and Xander walked to school the next morning. "This is great, we have to study for finals, while we fight an army of vampires," Xander said as he drank out of his jukebox, "I wonder if we can get an extension." "Sorry sir, but we where busy saving the world from the undead, could we take the test on Tuesday?" Buffy said sarcastically. Willow laughed, "To bad we can't earn credits killing demons. We would have enough to graduate already."
The group stopped at the schools restrooms. "Be right back," Xander said as he went into the mens room. While he was gone Buffy asked Willow, "Are you going to tell him?" Willow just shook her head, "I can't, I haven't been able to tell him for 4 years, why ruin the streak." Buffy wasn't going to let this go, "You'll never forgive yourself if you don't ask him." Willow just kept shaking her head, "I can't, i just can't."
* * *
Giles looked up from his book. "Oh good you're here." "We're always here." Buffy said as the three teens walked into the library. "Not another prophecy." Xander wined as he saw the Codex. "I'm afraid so" Giles replied. "What is it this time, Mutant Goldfish?" Buffy asked. Giles rolled his eyes. "I have no idea." His answer both surprised and worried the three teenagers. Giles lived this stuff 24 hours a day. If he didn't know, they could be in trouble.
He told them the prophecy and they where just as clueless as he was. "We know that Buffy is the chosen one." Willow said. "Yes, but who's the Dreamer?" Xander asked as he started to pace nervously. "Calm down Xander, we'll figure it out." Buffy told him. "Calm down? Calm down? Buffy the last time we read that book, you died, and a slimy three headed monster came out of the floor." He said as he continued to pace.
Buffy turned to Giles, "No idea at all?" "Only one thing that I can think of." He said as he started to clean his glasses, "is that a Slayer dreams about the past lives of former Slayers." "But I haven't had any Slayer dreams at all for a month or two." Buffy said as she was starting to pace with Xander. "Well, that throws that idea out then."
"Maybe…" Willow said to her self. The others stopped and looked at her. "Maybe what?" Xander said as she came over to the table. Willow sat down on the table, "maybe the phrase "The Dreamer of the chosen one" doesn't mean, Buffy. Maybe it means a friend or a family member. People show up in other people's dreams all the time. Say you dream you're at school, you naturally dream of your classmates in that setting." Giles sat up; "You could have something there."
"And the Aftermath could mean the aftermath of Prom night." Xander guessed. "But who's the Reborn servant of the Lord? Buffy wondered. "I am going to drive to San Diego to meet with an old friend of mine and get her take on this." Giles said. "Why not just use the phone?" Xander asked. "She doesn't have one." Giles said as he got his jacket from his office. "I should be back either tonight or early tomorrow. Until then, just keep your eyes open."
* * *
That night Xander was overly nervous. He was not worried about the prophecy as much as what didn't happen that day. Buffy never said anything about him trying to ask her out. He was very worried that he acted to soon and drove her into Angels arms. He had gone so far as to ask his cousin in North Dakota what he should do. He spent most of the conversation on the phone with her, trying not to mention the whole Slayer, Vampire thing. "Just be yourself and if she doesn't respond to you then forget her." His cousin had said. Her advice didn't help him much. He couldn't forget a girl he's faced the Demons of Hell with. Plus how he screwed up with Willow. He still kicked himself for asking for a pity date when Buffy turned him down.
While he was thinking this over and over in his head, he barley noticed the doorbell ring. His mom came to his room, "Alexander, you have a friend here." Xander turned and saw the last person he would ever think to see at his house. "Cozy, "Angel said as Xanders mom left the room. Xander got up and closed his door, "What are you doing here?"
"I need your help." Angel said evenly. Clearly he did not like to come to Xander for help. And Xander did not like it either "What could I help you with? Wouldn't Giles be a better person to ask?" even as he said it, he remembered that Giles would not be back until the morning. And if Angel could not wait until then, then it had to be serious. "He's not home," Angel said as he looked out Xanders window. "This sounds important," Xander said.
"It is," Angel turned around, "The Masters lair is empty now it won't be for much longer. When Buffy killed the Master, the vampires scattered there still regrouping, deciding whether or not to move on." "So we have to get them while their still here...?" Xander asked. "No, that would take days." Angel threw Xander his jacket "we have to get to the lair and get the Masters books while they are still unguarded."
* * *
Buffy was in the dark looking for keys to her front door. "I slay countless vampires and demons, and yet I have to lock my door to keep burglars out." She had just gotten her door open, when she heard something behind her, as she spun she nearly tripped on Cordelia. "Don't sneak up on me like that!" Cordelia just shrugged, "Don't be so jumpy then." "Now, I need to talk to you. Let's get in before this humidity ruins my hair."
Buffy did not want to put up with this. "What do you want to talk about then?" "Cordelia sat down on Buffys couch, "Look, I want to know what's been happing in this town for the last 8 months." Buffy tried to act innocent, "Happened? Nothings been happening, Where just a nice little town." "Don't patronize me Buffy." Buffy had never heard Cordelia angry from something other than a bad hair day. "Sorry, but this is not something that can be gossiped all over school."
"Do you think that low of me?" Cordelia asked. "The body count in this town has gone up a lot lately. And most of the dead is from our school. And I do not want to end up as a…what ever those things where the other night." Buffy was not convinced "You're the same girl, who we saved from an invisible girl, and then made fun of us the next day?!?!"
"Hey, I'm nice to Willow now." Cordelia wined. "Only when you need her help with something." Buffy shot back. "Look, I am not leaving until I find out what is going on here." Buffy could see Cordelia was very serious. She felt this was going to be a long night.
* * *
Angel looked at Xander, "The dreamer of the chosen one?" Xander nodded, "That's what it said. I just hope Giles friend knows somethi…." Angel held out his hand. "Hold on." Xander looked ahead in the tunnel he had been in two days ago looking for Buffy. "I thought you said it was unguarded!" Angel didn't even look up, "Keep your voice down." They looked into the opening of the Masters lair, and saw four vampires and The Anointed One. Xander couldn't believe it, "That little prick kid is the one that led Buffy to die?"
He apparently spoke too loud, because they where surrounded by vampires before he got his sentence out. Angel quickly spun and started to attack the oncoming vampires. He was able to stake one when he realized what they where doing. The vampires where giving their "lives" to buy the Anointed One some time to finish whatever he was doing. And if it was that important to them, Angel knew He and Xander had to stop it. He was removed from his thoughts by a vampire actually throwing Xander on to Angel.
While a vampire was closing in on his neck, Xander heard a harsh childs voice. "Bring them to me NOW!!" They where thrown to the ground near a large chair. Xander thought it had to have been the Masters throne. "Next time I tell you to shut up, SHUT UP!" Angel snapped. "You said they wouldn't even be here now!!" Xander yelled back.
"Angelus, why do you toy with these creatures" the Anointed One said as he looked into Xanders eyes, "they are so weak and afraid." Xander just looked down, "Like you're so damn hot." The Anointed One just laughed, "It will be a pleasure to drink your blood, not as much as the Slayers of course." Now it was Angels turn to laugh, "You'll never get her. She to powerful for you." "She is now, but we don't need to worry about that. As he started chanting, Xander and Angel shared a confused look trying to figure out what he meant. Xander stood up, "Ok, for the only little stupid mortal in the room. What the hell are you talking about?"
The Anointed One held up a very large and musty old book. Angel stood up slowly, "The Lazzera!!" "The what?!?" Angel turned to Xander, "Giles books contain prophecy and stories passed down though generations. But that book is the only book to contain the entire history of the first Slayer. It was said to have been destroyed, centuries ago." Xander still didn't understand the importance of it, "So it's a big history book. What so important about that?"
"You are a stupid mortal." The Anointed one said as he came face to face with Xander." It contains how the first Slayer got her powers from God. It will also help me rid the world of the Slayer, and allow the Master to rule over all the earth. And please call me Colin." Angel came over to him, "You can't open the portal it's too dangerous." Xander was to confuse, "What Portal?" A blue flash that knocked everybody to the ground answered his question. "Oh, that portal." He said as he got up and looked around. By Colin there was a large blue vortex suspended in mid air.
Colin laughed, "This portal will allow me to go back and stop the slayer before she completes her first "mission." Xander couldn't believe it, "Time travel?!? Hey, I've seen enough Star Trek to know that's bad." "Maybe for the good guys." And with that Colin jumped into the vortex, and disappeared. With their leader gone, the vampires didn't know what to do. So they relied on instinct, they attacked. During the fight Angel pushed Xander out of harms way, "Go, and get Buffy. I'll be right behind you."
Xander didn't wait a second, he ran for the nearest manhole he could find. He swore when he saw it was still dark out that meant the vampires could come after him. He took off for Buffys house. While he was running he noticed that all the street lights where busted, the houses where all dark, plus there where cars on fire in the streets, "What the hell is going on here?" He asked looking around. As he cut across the school football field, he heard a high pitched scream. He went into panic as he recognized the voice the scream had came from…Willow.
Xander burst into the school and followed the screams coming from the gym. Along the way he jumped over several bodies. He recognized almost all of them as his classmates. Running into the gym he saw two vampires trapping a small group of girls. One vampire spun around to fight him, and as soon as Xander saw him, he was more confused than ever. The vampire was Jesse. "They can come back from the UN-dead now to?" Xander didn't have time to think any more before the vampire charged. And out of reflex Xander plunged a steak into the undead Jesses hart.
He ran to the other side of the gym to get the other vampire, which was about to bite Willow. As Xander got closer he could here Willow crying and the vampire mocking her, "Come on Willow, you know you always wanted me to do this…" Xander plunged his second stake into the back of the vampire, and before the vampire turned to dust, it turned around and Xander saw a vampire version of himself.
* * *
Angel ran out of the manhole and sniffed the air. "Damn, I told him to go to Buffy. She wouldn't be at the school this late."
* * *
Willow and her group of survivors slowly backed away from Xander. "What's going on here, you can't be Xander You just killed him!" She watched as the new human Xander looked at her in shock, "That little prick, he must have done it. He must have stopped her." He sure sounded like Xander she thought. "Willow, do you know Buffy?" "Who's Buffy, another one of them?" The new Xander sat down on the bleachers and put his head in his hands, "He killed her before she moved here."
Willow turned to talk to her group. "That can't be Xander, we just saw him kill Xander." Cordelia said. "It will be dawn soon. We still should try to make our way to Nevada." One girl said. "And then what!" Willow demanded, "They took over LA in a few days. It won't take them long to reach Nevada. Besides they could already be there. We haven't had a working TV for two months. No way to check CNN." "We have to find out what's going on." Another girl said. Willow looked over to the boy on the bleachers; "He's the only one that might have some answers."
Willow walked carefully over to Xander; she was ready for anything. "Where did you come from? And do you know what's going on?" The boy that had Xanders face looked up, "It's a long story and you wouldn't believe it. And I don't have time to explain. I have to know did this start about a year ago?" Willow nodded. "I guess I can check the net for clues. If that's not destroyed allready." Xander said as he walked to the doors.
Willow and her group followed Xander to the library, "They still work, but we have to run off a generator. The electric company was destroyed two weeks ago." Xander logged on, and called up his email account. He left a note for his Willow, and hoped she would get it, if the world went back to normal. Next he went on the Internet, and looked up all the California newspapers. About 5 minutes later, he found what he was looking for, The LA Times. He looked at the last few issues online, "That's odd, there all over a year old." He entered the word to search for "Buffy". The only article to come up caused the blood to drain from his face. "Oh, god no."
"What are you doing here?" Willow screamed as she saw who had asked the question. It was Angel, but he still had his vampire face on. And Willow and the other girls ran out screaming. Xander knew they couldn't waist the time to go after them. "You should take a look at his." Angels face went back to its human form as he looked over Xanders shoulder, "Gang War turns school dance into Bloodbath?"
Xander pointed to a picture in the article, "See that guy right there" Angel looked where Xander was pointing, he saw a dead kid about 17 or 18 lying dead on a gym floor. "What you did know him?" "I didn't, but Buffy did." Ignoring Angels *what does this have to do with anything* look, Xander continued, "Buffy told me about when she first learned she was a Slayer. She fought a vampire like the Master, and that guy helped her. She said his name was Pike. And that he survived the gym and got most of the student to safety." Angel was starting to understand, "But the paper says there where no survivors." Xander concluded, "That's what Colin meant. That portal sent him back to that night and he killed that Pike guy, and with him dead, this other master was able to beat and kill Buffy."
"So she never moved here, or fought our Master." Xander nodded, "These online newspapers update every day, so if this one is a year old…." Angel finished the thought, and "Then LA was over run with vampires a few days later." "And that would explain why I was a vampire ten minutes ago, and why Willow was afraid of you. Where are in an alternate time line." Angel looked out the window, "It's almost light out, we have to get back to the liar before the vampires here head back underground."
* * *
They walked for a few minutes in silence. And then Xander stopped "That's it" Angel turned around, "What's it?" Xander looked up, "The prophecy!" "Think about it, I'm the Dreamer. "YOU?" They started walking as Xander kept explaining; "I have a crush on her, so I dream about her. And I switched to; we switched to a different timeline. Also you're the re-born servant of the Lord" Angel understood, "And we just saw the horrid future. And we have to go through the portal to the unknown past." It took them about 5 more minutes to get back to the portal. "Here goes nothing." Xander said as they jumped in the portal and vanished.
Pike was not a happy camper. He had staked three vampires in the last twenty minutes. Plus Benny his friend turned vampire threw him to the floor. As he was trying to get up he thought he saw…no it couldn't be, he could have sworn he saw a small kid walking around. Before the kid could register on Pikes brain, he was lifted into the air and thrown onto a table.
* * *
Angel and Xander appeared a few seconds after Colin. And they immediate had to duck to avoid getting hit by a chair flying threw the air. They started to look around at the pure carnage going on in the gym. Angel looked around, "I'll look for the little brat, you find this Pike guy." A vampire attacked Xander before he got ten feet. As soon as he dumped a jar of Holy water on it, he had to pull a vampire off a group of panicking students. When he left the hysterical kids, one girl turned to her friend, "Who was that guy?" Her friend only replied by screaming.
Pike was just recovering from killing Benny, when the kid showed up again. "Kid, get out of here. Before they notice you." He started to push the kid to the back door when a guy he didn't know blocked his way. Pike put the kid behind him to protect him, "Look pal your not touching this kid." Angel put on his vampire face, "You don't know what's going on, get out of my way."
Pike was not going to move. "You want him you're going to have to get past me." He charged Angel. Pike was able to throw Angel on to the ground and was about to try and stake him, when Xander tackled him. Free of Pike, Angel went after Colin "What you didn't think we would come after you?" Colin showed his fangs, "You maybe, but the mortal, I thought he be dead by now." Xander was able to grab Pikes stake and tossed it to Angel. But before Angel could charge, a chair hit him from behind.
As Angel went down, The Colin turned on Xander and Pike. "Well, looks like I get two meals." Xander held out a cross, "Guess again." Colin recoiled in pain, "Next time, mortal." And he ran and jumped into the portal and disappeared. Xander ran over to help Angel up. Pike just stood there, "Who the hell are you guys?" They ran to the portal, "Just forget us." Pike was going to protest when Buffy burst into the room; she was being chased by vampires. Pike went to help her, and Xander started to run to help to. Angel stopped him, "It's not our fight, she'll be ok." And they followed Colin.
When the portal returned them back to the lair, they where grabbed by a new group of vampires. "What is this…the second time we have captured you?" Colin asked sarcastically, "You are getting sloppy Angelus." Angel said nothing as Colin continued his speech. "I know your weakness Angelus. You have a thing for these mortals, for the Slayer. And you protect this human, because he is a friend of hers. And you know that if something happened to him, the Slayer would be very upset. Maybe upset enough to lower her guard." Two vampires dragged Xander to an altar and chained him to it. "But death is to easy an end for this mortal. I could change him into one of us, but you've shown me that even a vampire can cause me trouble. So I'll use my little book here to get rid of him."
Xander didn't like the sound of this. "What do you mean get rid of me?" Colin laughed, "I am going to send you ahead in time. I can't control where you end up, but you won't help the Slayer again. And with her little helper gone…she will not be ready for my next attack. Now hold still." Colin started chanting from the book, while Angel kept struggling to get free.
* * *
Willow walked into the library at 7:30, about an hour before her first class started. She found Buffy already there doing her homework. "You're here early." Buffy put away her books; "I couldn't sleep. I kept thinking of what we would go through next." Willow nodded and looked around, "Has Xander been here? He said he would meet me in the commons, but he wasn't there."
Buffy sighed; "He probably over slept" She got up, "I'll call him." While Buffy was calling Xander, Willow went over to the computer and called up her school email account. She had read about 3 letters, when Buffy came over. "We have a problem." Willow looked up, "What's wrong? Xanders ok…isn't he?" Buffy sat down next to her; "His mom hasn't seen him since about 9 last night. She says that a guy she didn't know came and picked him up, and he never came home,"
Willow jumped out of her chair, "We have to find him. He could be hurt, he could be…de…dea…Oh, my god he could be dead." Buffy tried to calm her friend, "Willow, I'm sure he's fine." Willow wasn't connived, "Buffy, we live on a HellMouth." Willow started to run for the door when she remembered that she was still logged on. She came back and was about to flip the power switch, when she noticed the last letter, "Buffy." Buffy looked over, "What is it?" Willow just pointed to the letter; "I got a letter from Xander, at about...11 last night, two hours after his mom last saw him." "Well open it?" Buffy urged.
* * *
From: AlexHarris@sunnydale.edu
To WRosenberg@sunnydale.edu
I hope you guys get this. Angel and I tried to get the Masters stuff out of his liar. But that little anointed kid was there. He had some book called the Lazzera. He used it to make a "Portal" and went back. We are going to try and stop him. But I don't know if we will make it.
* * *
Giles was nearly knocked over by Buffy and Willow as they ran through the parking lot. "Is there a problem?" He asked as Buffy grabbed his arm and pulled him along.
It took them about 10 minutes to get to the lair, and Willow screamed with what they saw. Buffy started right into attacking the vampires, and Giles had to hold Willow back from going to Xander. Angel had expected Colin to panic when Buffy arrived, but he just laughed. "Your too late Slayer, your friend is going to be gone in minutes. And there is nothing you can do to stop it. You FAILED," he continued to taunt her as her ran out of the lair.
"Wanna a bet?" Buffy asked as she started to take after Colin. She didn't get very far before Angel stopped her, "He's right. Xander only has a few minutes left. We'll get him later." Buffy was about to object when she saw Willow. She was kneeling by Xander, and Xander was fading away. "I'm sorry," was all Buffy could say to Xander as she knelt along side Willow.
Xander looked up at her, "Don't be. It was my choice to lead this life. Just promise me that you'll kill that little asshole." Buffy was starting to cry, "I promise. He won't get away." Willow spoke between sobs, "Xander, you can't leave. We need you…I need you." Xander tried to grip her hand, but his body was almost completely phased out. "You'll be ok, you have people now who love you, and will look out for you. And wherever I end up, I'll find you. I'll get back…no matter how long it takes."
Xander felt his body about to go into the unknown. And he managed a weak "Good bye…" before he completely disappeared. "NOOOOOOOO!!" Willow screamed as she fell into Buffy's arms. Giles and Angel knelt down beside them. "I'm so sorry, I should never have asked him to help me." Angel said to Buffy. Buffy responded by pulling Angel into her hug with Willow. They stayed there for a long time holding each other, Watcher, Slayer, Vampire, and the last Slayerett, not caring if the vampires returned.
* * *
Buffy woke up and looked at the alarm clock "3:37?" She rubbed her eyes and looked around for Willow. There was no one in her sleeping bag, but there was a light on in the living room. "Willow, what are you doing up this late?" As soon as Buffy saw what Willow was doing she immediately understood. Willow was looking at their yearbook. Buffy could see lots of wadded up tissues all over the place.
"Last week, I thought today would be so different." Willow said as Buffy sat down next to her, "I thought we would get our yearbooks and have fun laughing at all the bad pictures of us." Willow wiped her nose, "But now we are sitting here looking at a picture of a friend who's…." Willow choked back the tears. "He's not dead," Buffy said. "We don't know where he is, but wherever he is, I'm sure he's alive. And thinking of you." Willow looked at her though red eyes; "You think so." Buffy gave her a hug; "I know so."