The Beginning of Something Wonderful
This is a story that has been going around in my head, ever since I heard about the end Of season 5 on Buffy, and about the death of Doyle on Angel. I never even got to see Angel, because we lost our WB programming after the Scooby gang graduated from high school. I have read a few of the books, and I remember the most of the other characters from Buffy, except Riley, Dawn, and Terra, because they weren't on the show. I could just imagine a defanged Spike, and Dawn.
I was also inspired by another Fan fic Author Richard Ruth. He did a cross over that encompassed Buffy, pre-Angel spin off, Poltergeist: the Legacy, and Highlander, and I would like to give him credit for the inspiration. However this story is mine, I may right Prequels later; explaining how every one met up.
All Characters are owned by their respective creators.
For my purposes, Terra has left Willow, breaking her heart. Riley wont even be mentioned except here. I am having the deaths of Ritchie and Doyle coinciding, even though neither of the shows were on at the same time. I am also having Buffy and Derrick's sacrifices coincide as well.
I am throwing in some Characters from Highlander the Raven, just for some fun.
This story is totally AU; I just let my imagination take me where it thought it should go.
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It is written that a Slayer shall come, she shall perish twice, only to return stronger.
It is written that two Slayers shall be called after the first death of the other, one killed by evil, the other turned to evil.
It is written that a third Slayer shall be called, and she shall have power over great magic.
It is written that two Champions shall arise from evil, to help the Slayers, chosen by fate to win their hearts.
It is written that the Key shall cause the death of the first of the two Slayers, bringing about the calling of the wiccan.
It is written that one of the Champions shall have a soul, loose it, then have it returned to him.
It is written that the Slayers shall join with the Legacy, and the immortal warriors of the light to push back the coming darkness.
It is written that the forces of light shall reunite and banish the evil with in the two Champions, saving their immortal souls.
It is written that the child of the first of the two Slayers shall be revealed to her and her Champion
It is written that there shall be a great battle between good and evil, good shall prevail, ending the game, and bringing forth a new age of light.
So it is written.
Excerpt from the prophecy of the two Slayers
As Methos read the passage, his heart jumped into his throat, according to the prophecy Buffy would come back from the dead again. He had been in Sunnydale ever since she had died, doing research in to the Prophecy of the two Slayers, trying to find any explanation to what had been happening. It had been a few months since Buffy Ann Summers and Derrick Raynes had both made their respective sacrifices, and that had just been two of many things that had gone wrong in the past year.
First Frances Doyle and Ritchie Ryan had been killed, then Joyce Summers had gotten Cancer, and beat it, only to die from an aneurysm, then Buffy and Derrick had given up their lives to stop the end of the world, and in Buffy's case to save Dawn's life.
Terra had left Willow leaving her heart broken, so, in typical Willow fashion, she had thrown herself into taking care of everyone else, even Spike.
Spike had made a promise to Buffy before she died, that he would watch over Dawn and Willow, and protect them from the forces of evil, which in Spike's way twisted mind also included teen age boys in Dawn's case.
Spike and Willow had moved into the Summer's home, along with Giles who had been named Dawn's Guardian since Buffy's death, and Angel, when he was in town for a visit, which was starting to be every weekend.
Angel had taken it upon himself to make sure everyone was doing alright, and to help out with the slaying as needed when he was there, giving Spike time to himself, and to give Willow a chance to cope with all of the changes in her life.
Cordelia had been trying to cope with everything in LA, but she was still reeling from the lose of Doyle, and trying to learn to cope with the head aches that accompanied the visions that she had started getting ever since Doyle had been killed.
Anya and Xander had gotten engaged just before Buffy's funeral, but had as of yet made no definite plans on when they were going to have the wedding.
The Members of San Francisco's Legacy house had moved into a much smaller house on Angel Island, near the site of the reconstruction of the house that Derrick and Nick had blown up.
Nick was in charge now, but it was still hard for Alex and Rachel to look at him. The ring he now wore made it even harder. Phillip had been back to see everyone. He had gone to Sunnydale on behalf of the Legacy house to pay his respects after Buffy had died. A very distraught Giles had called to speak to Derrick, but Phillip had been the one to explain what had happened. The Watcher had nearly broken down in tears; it had been almost too much for him to take. First the lose of his adopted daughter, then one of his oldest, and dearest friends.
Rachel and Kat had moved into the new house to be closer to Alex and Nick, for mutual comfort, and for protection.
Ever since they had gotten the news about Buffy, Methos had been going over every Watcher journal he could get his hands on. Joe and Amanda had feelers out looking for Duncan. Nick Wolf had disappeared just after he had become immortal, saying something about needing time to get a handle on the whole thing. Amanda's friend Liam had found Nick, and was training him but, as Liam put it, Nick had a stubborn streak like a Scot.
Duncan McCloud had been hold up at an old monastery ever since he had accidentally killed Ritchie, in self imposed isolation. Cassandra, Mac's guardian angel, had found him and was trying to help him through the pain and lose of a young man that had been as close to him as a son.
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Cordy was sitting at her desk going over some bills, when she was hit by a sudden vision of Joyce Summers, Buffy's Mother. Joyce was trying to tell Cordy about something having to do with Spike and Angel, but the pain became too intense, and Cordy passed out before she could get the full message. She and Angel headed to Sunnydale to try and figure out what was going on.
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Cassandra had a vision of two souls, trapped in their own bodies by evil. She told Duncan that it is time for them to go. Then she did the one thing she never thought she would ever do again, she calls to Methos, using a link that the two of them had, similar to the one Willow has with Spike, and told him that they have to get to Sunnydale fast.
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Kat had a vision that was so real to her that she woke-up screaming for Derrick and her Mom, once she told the others about it, Nike Boyle suggested that they go to Sunnydale, and he called Phillip to have him meet them there.
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"Well, " said Giles, as he replaced his glasses, after having cleaned them for the hundredth time, "it would appear that there is going to be an influx of activity in town, I have received calls from Los Angeles and San Francisco. It seems that Cordelia has had a vision of Joyce, sent by the powers that be most likely. She and Angel are on their way here. It seems young Katherine has also had a vision, but this one was of Derrick and Buffy."
"Derrick and Buffy, where were they, what were they doing?" Asked Willow, as she sat down at the table in the back of the Magic Box.
"Rachel wouldn't say, but what ever it was, it frightened Katherine enough that she was crying out for Derrick in her sleep." Giles explained.
"How close were Derrick and Kat, when he was alive I mean?' Asked Anya, from behind the counter.
"From what I remember they were very close, almost like father and daughter, Katharine's father was killed in a car accident along with her older brother Conner, when she was only six. A year after that was when Derrick and the others came into she and Rachael's lives. A hell demon tried to open a gate way by use Katherine and her mother. The first time I met her, I thought that she was Derrick's daughter." Said Giles.
"Love is very powerful, and I should know. I seem to remember a young girl that was very up-set. She found her mother kissing another man a few years after her father died, and her brother tried to take her to the other side. The man that this girl's mother had kissed helped get her back." Said Anya, as she counted out the day's receipts and closed up the shop.
"That was Kat, she told me about it once, she said that it was scary, but fun at the same time, because she got to see her dad and brother again." Said Willow.
"Those were not the only calls I received, Joe Dawson, from the other branch, called as well to let me know that he and his friends are on their way here as well. It seems that one of them is a powerful witch, like you Willow, except she has had thousands of years to perfect her craft. She has also had a vision, except this one was about Spike and Angel."
"Did I hear some one mention my name?" Spike said, as he came in the backdoor of the shop, accompanied by a still very out of it Dawn, "Bit, why don't ya go lye down in the training room?"
"Okay Spike, I do feel tired." The girl said, as she headed for the back room.
"Yes, do you know if Angel ever knew a woman named Cassandra, an immortal?" Giles asked.
"Yah, that one was a piece of bloody work, she helped one of the other slayers wipe out a whole clan of my kind, from the leader, after the master of course, on down to the last lowly newcomer, had the master moping for weeks, why?"
"It seems that she is on her way here, along with a few of her friends."
"Oh, Bloody hell," said Spike, "I guess that is my queue to leave town for a while, Red, just let me know when she leaves, and I'll come back then."
"What about Dawn, you promised Buffy that you would take care of her." Said Willow accusingly.
"If that other witch is coming here, she couldn't be any safer then if Buffy was here to protect her herself, by the way did you let the Poof know that she was going to be here?"
"I tried to reach Angel before they left, but I was too late."
"Great, then that means I have to stick around, at least until they get here, then I can leave." He said.
"Not so quick, this Cassandra told my friend in the other branch, that her vision was about two souls trapped in their bodies by evil, I dare say that would probably be you and Angel."
"I'm a Vampire remember watcher, I have no soul." Said Spike, as he turned to leave.
"Buffy didn't think so," said Willow, " and I think that she was more correct then you care to believe."
Spike froze in mid-saunter, and turned back around.
"Everyone has always treated me like a monster; she treated me like a man. So did Joyce for that matter. The rest of you lot just see me as a way to replace her, A way to rid the world of my kind, and the only reason I didn't kill you all out right is because of this bloody chip in my head."
"That's not true and you know it Spike, you had plenty of chances to kill me, and you never did." Said Willow.
"Only because you were a means to an end Red."
"Oh right, how about the time you kidnapped me and Xander, you could have just killed us both once you had what you wanted, but you didn't, you left us there."
"Yah, and look at what happened you lost the Mutt, and Xander lost the Cheerleader." Said Spike.
"Yes, but he got me." Said Anya.
"Right and I didn't loose Oz until almost six months after that, and then there was Terra, but don't you see Spike there is still a part of you that kept you from killing us."
"And your point is?"
"You have some thing in you that stopped you, after Drew left you, it stopped you from killing randomly."
"Ah, but you forget about Harmony."
"You didn't kill her; you just made her into a vampire, a companion because you were lonely."
"Next things you'll say that I enjoy helping you people."
"I have seen that look in your eyes, the one you use to get when you were playing cat and mouse with us, the look that says alright, lets do some damage." Said Willow.
"Have you been casting spells on your self again?"
"No, besides Spike, Dawn needs you; she loves you like a big brother."
"Little Bit will get over it, I am evil pure and simple, I just have a chip that keeps me from going too far with humans."
"I don't believe you; after all we have been through in the past two years you are just planning to leave like this." Willow said, as Xander came in.
"What's up with those two?" Xander asked Anya.
"Oh, Spike is talking about leaving town again, and Willow is trying to talk him out of it by giving him the old you have a soul deep down speech." Anya explained.
"Oh, come on you two," said Xander, " your going to say that you have to leave because you have to. Willow will just keep telling you how much you're needed here. Then you'll say that you are a monster and that it is unnatural for you to kill your own kind. Then Willow will throw the promise that you made to Buffy in your face. Then you'll say she's better off, because you are pure evil. Willow will throw the fact that you never killed her in your face, and you'll say that it's because she was an means to an end. Then she will guilt trip you into admitting that you enjoy spending time as an unofficial member of the Scooby gang. You will tell her that you're going to stay, but only until the next crisis is over with, what is the next crisis?"
"It seems that everyone that we know, with any physic ability, in the past two days have had visions of Buffy, her mother, and two souls trapped in their bodies by evil, and now they are all coming here to see us." Explained Giles.
"Um, I don't think we have room for all of those people, I don't even know if there are enough rooms for all of them at the local motels." Said Xander.
"Cordy and Angel are going to stay with us, it will help Dawn, and maybe they can convince Spike to stay, and hear what this Cassandra has to say." Said Willow.
"Well, you lot will have your hands full trying to do that." Said Spike.
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"I don't know why we have to go back there." Said Cordy, from the passenger's seat of Angel's caddie.
"We're going back because there are people that need us there." Said Angel, "Cordelia why is it so hard for you to go back to Sunnydale?" .
"Because I thought that when I left for LA that by the time I came back, I would be famous and rich, and I don't think I can face Xander and Anya, I made such a fool of myself before I left." She said.
"Cordy, they are your friends, in Xander and Willow's case probably your oldest ones. I doubt that they are going to judge you. They know that you have been helping me, and right now I think Willow is in mother hen mode. I think that she can understand what you have been going through since Doyle was killed."
"Angel, you should understand it better then the rest of them, I mean they lost a friend, their best friend, but we lost the two people that we loved."
"I miss him too Cordy, why do you think I fired you after Doyle was killed, he had become one of my closest friends.
"We're almost to the Magic Box, I hope Spike has been behaving himself." Said Angel, as they pulled up to the front door.
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"They're here." Said Xander, as he saw the Caddy pull up.
As soon as Angel and Cordy came in the door, Willow and the other woman begin to cry and hug each other.
"Oh bloody hell; let the water works start again." Said Spike, as he rolled his eyes.
"Stop it Spike, we are all hurting, let them be." Said Giles.
"I'm going to go in back to check on Little Bit, she has hardly left her bed all week." Said Spike, as he stalked to the back door.
"Spike wait, I'll go with you." Said Angel, as he followed the younger vampire into the back room.
"No need Poof, where were you when we really needed you, when Dawn and Buffy were fighting for their lives with Glory, where were you when she threw herself off of that tower, where were you when we buried her." Spike said, as he threw Angel into the back wall of the room.
"She knew where I was, she could have called me, you could have called me, but she didn't want me here."
"I was there, I was pushed off that tower trying to save Dawn, if you had been here, you could have stopped all of it."
"I could have tried, yes, but once Dawn's blood was shed, there was no other way, except for Dawn to die, and I know Buffy would have never wanted that, and so do you." Said Angel.
"Yah and all you do now is pop in for the weekend, and leave me to pick-up the pieces. Willow is a wreck, and Dawnie, Dawnie hasn't hardly left her room since the funeral, she just sits there, and there isn't anything any of us can seem to do to get her to feel even a little better." Said Spike, as he let Angel go.
"I am sorry that I wasn't here to help." Said Angel.
"Yah well, here's another bit of news you may not like, Cassandra is on her way here as we speak."
"Cassandra isn't she the witch that created the Slayer line?"
"The same seems that that Watcher bloke, Dawson from the other branch, is connected to her, she's a friend of McCloud's." Spike explained. "He's kept to himself since he killed the kid, but I guess the witch has taken it upon her self to try and help him."
"Well, if Cordy's vision is any indication, she may be able to set every thing right."
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"Willow, I was so sorry to hear about Terra, did she even say why she was leaving?" Cordy asked, once the tears had subsided.
"No, she didn't leave a note or anything, I came home one night, after having been on patrol with Spike, and she was just gone, all of her cloths, every thing was gone." Said Willow.
"God, I am so sorry, but if what I saw in my vision is any indication there may be some hope of getting Buffy back." Said Cordy.
"That's good to know, I thought just Angel brooding was bad. You should see Spike, hardly ever leaves Dawn or me and never leaves Dawn alone. Giles, Xander, or Anya has to be with her, or me."
"Good, I was... Oh no, not again." Said Cordy, as a wave of pain hit her.
"Is it a vision?" Willow asked.
All Cordy could do was nod her head painfully.
"Here, take my hand, I should be able to help you with the pain." Said Willow, as she started an incantation.
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"How long until we arrive in Sunnydale?" Rachel asked Nick, who was flying the Legacy helicopter.
"The airport is just over the next hill, we should get to town in a little under an hour, you had better call Giles and let him know that we are on our way to Buffy's house, Alex."
"And try to find out when Phillip's plane lands." Said Rachel, in a low whisper, trying not to disturb Kat, who was fast asleep for the first time since four that morning.
"I'm on hold with the airlines, how is Kat doing?" Alex asked.
"Well, as far as I can tell, she is fine, for now. If she has to see that again, I don't know. She swears that she saw Derrick and Buffy fighting to save someone named Doyle, and Ritchie. She also keeps mentioning vampires, but not ones like the ones that tried to get you, these two are different. I just don't know Alex, I wish Derrick were here."
"We all do Rachel, and from what Giles says, we maybe able to get him back." Said Nick, "Hold on, we're getting ready to land."
"Phillip says Hi Nick, he was just coming off the plane when I called, and he'll get the car and meet us on the tarmac in a few minutes." Said Alex, as she hung up the phone.
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"That was father Callahan, he and the others from the Legacy house are going to meet us at the Summers house." Said Giles, as he hung up the phone a few moments later.
"Are you two all right?" Xander asked Willow and Cordy.
"Are they like that every time?" Willow asked Cordy.
"No, the past few have been more painful than usual." Cordy explained.
"Um, guys if you want a ride over to the house, lets go." Said Xander, as he and Anya headed for their car.
"Cordy can ride over with Giles, and I'll ride with Spike, Dawn, and Angel." Said Willow.
"Hay Xander, what is the deal with Willow and Spike?" Cordy asked, as they headed for the car.
"We're not sure yet, all I know is that he has been there for her since Buffy died, I think she was included in the promise that Buffy made him make to her." Anya explained.
"Well, at least some one is there for her." Said Cordy, as she got into the car.
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"Dawnie, Little Bit, Angel is here, do you want to see him?" Spike asked, as the two walked over to the sofa.
When he received no response, Spike sat down next to her.
"Oh Dawnie, you have hardly moved all day, come on now Little Bit, we are going to have a house full soon." Said Spike, as he helped her to her feet.
"Why, they all hate me." Said Dawn.
"They don't hate you Little Bit, if they hate anyone, it's me."
"How could anyone hate you Dawn?" Asked Angel.
"Because I'm here and Buffy isn't."
"It was Buffy's choice Dawn, not yours, she wanted you to live." Said Angel.
"The Poof is right Bit, Buffy would want you to get on with your life, to grow-up, to have fun again." Said Spike.
"Your friend Kat is coming for a visit, you two haven't seen each other since Cordy and me went to LA, and I bet you have allot to tell each other." Said Angel.
"That wasn't me, that was part of the spell, I was just the key then." Said Dawn.
"Well, the memory was bloody well real enough to the rest of us Bit." Said Spike
"Dawn, we love you, what ever that book said doesn't mean a thing to the rest of us, just like it didn't mean a thing to Buffy." Said Angel, as he put an arm around the girl's shoulders.
"I just miss her so much." She said, as she burst into tears, clinging to Angel.
"We all do Bit, we all do." Said Spike, as he stroked the back of her hair.
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"When was the last time she slept?" Angel asked Spike.
"I don't think she has really slept since that night, she keeps having nightmares." Said Spike, softly.
"Spike, I know Dawn's tiered, but we have to get back to the house, Methos and Cassandra are going to meet us there, and Nick and Alex are going to be here soon too." said Willow, after the others had left.
"I'll carry her out to the car while you two lock-up." said Angel, as he headed for the training room.
"Angel, why don't you just take Dawnie back to the house, Spike and I need to talk, we'll meet you there." said Willow, as she and Spike watched him carry Dawn out to the car.
"Okay, but be careful, there are a lot of strange things going on." said Angel
"We know, we are the one's who have been patrolling, just get Dawn home." said Willow, as Angel left.
"Red, what's going on?" Spike asked her, as they locked up.
"I don't know, every thing is happening so fast, I know we are going to get her back, and maybe the others too."
"How do you know, Willow tell me how do you bloody know?"
"Ever since Buffy died, I have been having nightmares, until last night, last night, I saw us, all of us together again, happy, and in the sunlight, even you and Angel."
"Willow, the Poof and I will never walk in the sun, except in another dimension, unless you know of a way to stop us from frying that you haven't told me about."
"I don't think it has anything to do with that, I think that some how we are going to redeem both you and Angel in the eyes of the powers that be."
"I think that that is highly unlikely, since I have no intention of becoming some brooding idiot in the next few days."
"All it takes is regretting what you've done, I know that some where deep down you don't like a lot of the things you have had to do to survive." She said, as they left the shop.
"I think you have to have a soul for that, besides, as it is now I will out live the whole lot of you, but I may help out future Slayers, tell them about you lot, maybe there will be one that will live longer than Buffy did."
"We are going to get her back Spike, I can feel it."
"Not if we don't make it back to the house, you didn't happen to grab a stake or two did you?" Spike asked, as they were aproached by a group of vamps.
"I don't know what I was thinking leaving the Magic Box with out any weapons." she said, backing up tward the near by ally, where she found an old packing crate that she proceeded to break up into weapons.
"Guess we'll just have to do this the hard way, see if there are some old crates we can break up."
"Way ahead of you," she said tossing him one of the impromptu stakes, "here, that should help even the odds."
"This just is not my day." said Spike, as he staked one of the vamps, "First I find out that bloody witch is coming to town, no offence, then the Poof shows up."
"At least things aren't getting boring." said Willow, as she staked the vamp nearest to her, while Spike played with one of the others.
"You doing okay?" he asked, as he staked the vamp he had been playing with.
"Fine, better then fine in fact, it's weird, but it almost feels like this is what I'm suppose to be doing." said Willow, as a strange sensation went through her.
"It is what your suppose to be doing." said Spike, as one of the other vamps managed to get a hold of a stake and came up behind him.
"Spike, look out!" Willow exclaimed, as the vamp tried to drive the stake into his heart.
Willow's yell gave Spike time to move just enough that the stake missed his heart, and went into his right side, which only made Spike mad.
Willow staked the vamp that had tried to get Spike, but more just kept coming.
"There's too many of them, should we try to run?" Willow asked.
"You wouldn't make it ten feet before they got you Red."
"But your hurt, and there are so many of them." she said, as she tried to fight off another vamp.
"We can do this, I'm not hurt that bad, you have seen me in worse condition and keep fighting." he said, as he took out another one.
Willow got cornered by a pair of the vamps, after she had dusted another, but the one in the lead knocked the stake out of her hand, and started to attack her.
"Get off me." Willow yelled, as she threw the vamp into the wall across the ally, "Okay, this is getting weird, when did that come from?" she said, as she realized what she had done.
"Willow, duck!" Spike exclaimed, as he threw a stake at the vamp that was coming up behind her, dusting it.
"Thanks." she said, as she waded back into the may lay.
"No problem, besides, if Buffy comes back and finds out that I let you get your self killed, she'll dust me." he said, as he dusted another one.
"You two look like you could use some help." said a voice with a thick Scottish accent.
"Grab a stake and join in, just don't dust the one that looks like Billy Idol." said Willow.
"Who's Billy Idol?" the new comer asked.
"She means me, Red as I have told you before, I had the look first."
"Yah, Yah, I know, but you have to admit that you do look like him."
"Now is not the time Red," Said Spike, as he kicked one of the vamps into a nearby crate, dusting it, "Willow look out, behind you."
Willow turned to see a vamp right behind her, and as she turned, the vamp stabbed her in the abdomen with a knife.
"Willow, are you alright?" Spike asked, dusting another Vamp.
"I..., I think that last one got me." she said, looking at the blood on her hands.
"Willow, Willow your bleeding, we have to get you out of here." said Spike, as he grabbed her hands, and scooped her up into his arms.
"You two get out of here, I'll hold them off." said the stranger, as he decapitated one of the vamps with a kitana sword.
"Thanks, by the way, who are you?" asked Willow.
"Names Conner McCloud, I believe you know my kinsman, Duncan."
"Do you mean the bloody wanker that is coming here with the witch?" asked Spike.
"That depends, who is this witch?"
"Goes by the name Cassandra, has killed plenty of my kind."
"She is a legend, almost as much of one as Methos."
"Look, just meet us at the house that has the strongest buzz, you'll know it when you get there, she needs to get patched up, or the Slayer is going to kill me." Said Spike, as he left.
Conner made quick work of the Vamps that were remaining, and followed Spike and Willow to Buffy's house.
"Hay, Watcher, we need some help here." said Spike, as he banged on the door, and waited for some one to answer it.
"Why don't you just use your key?" asked Giles, as he opened the door, and found Spike holding Willow.
"I would have used it, if I had a bloody hand free, but yah see, Willow got hurt when we were attacked." he said, as he pushed the door open with his foot.
"Willow!" Angel and Xander said, heading for the door.
"You we're suppose to protect her, not let some vamp use her as a pin cushion." Said Xander, as he went to grab the first aid kit from the bath room.
"I tried to, but there were too many of them, we managed to take out 8 of them before they cornered us."
"Pardon me, but if you were cornered, how, prey tell, did you manage to get away?" asked Giles, as he looked at Willow's wound.
"Some bloke by the name of Conner McCloud helped us out." said Spike, as he kneeled next to Willow, whom he had laid on the sofa.
"It's really not that bad, Spike is hurt worse then me." Said Willow, as she looked at the Blonde vampire holding her hand.
"All I need is a little blood, and some sleep, I'll be fine." Spike told her.
There was a knock at the door a few minutes later, signaling the arrival of the expected guests.
"You must be Conner McCloud," Said Cordy, who answered the door.
"Yes, your blonde friend there told me to look for the house where I got the largest buzz in town, and this appears to be it." he said.
"That would be Rachel and the others from San Francisco." Said Giles, as they heard a car pull up out front, "I think Rachel should take a look at Willow, while the rest of us talk in the dinning room."
"Kat can go up to Dawn's room, it is pretty late." said Willow, "Spike, you should probably go down to your room and get some rest."
"Yes Mother." Spike said sarcastically, as he patted her hand, then he got up and went down stairs.
"Dr. Corragen, Mr. Boyle can take Kat up to Dawn's room, I need you to take a look at Willow, she was stabbed earlier this evening." said Giles, as he showed Rachel to the living room.
"If you will follow me Alex, I will show you where you can help me make coffee, Xander won't let me do it by myself, for some reason." said Anya, as she and Alex went into the kitchen.
"That's because you still don't understand that you do not use a full can of coffee to make one pot Anya honey." Xander called after her.
"She still hasn't gotten the hang of that one yet has she?" asked Phillip.
"Nope, but we're still trying," Xander said, "You know Cordy and Angel, this is Conner McCloud."
"You wouldn't happen to be related to Duncan McCloud would you?" asked Phillip.
"As we like to put, same clan different vintage." said Conner, as he shook Phillip's hand.
"What brings you to Sunnyhell?" asked Cordy.
"I received a very strange call from Duncan, he told me to meet him here." said Conner.
#####
When Nick reached Dawn's bed room, he found her sitting up in bed, crying.
"What's wrong Dawn?" He asked, lying Kat down on the bed.
"You remember me from the last time you were here, but that wasn't me, that was a memory that the monks put in your head." She said.
"Dawn, what are you talking about, we have known you since your sister was in high school, I know you were just the key then, but those memories are real, just as real as the scares I got saving Kat, they are as real as any one of us."
"Buffy said the same thing, do you remember the time Spike had Kat and me cornered in the basement, you almost fell down the stairs trying to get to us." Dawn said smiling.
"There is that smile we all love." Said Nick, "Why don't you try to get some sleep, we'll still be here when you wake-up"
"Okay, boy Kat is really out isn't she?"
"Yes, just like you should be, Night Dawn."
As Nick closed the door to Dawns room, he turned to find not the hall, but a dark dank cavern.
"What the hell, what's going on?" Nick asked aloud.
"Not quite, some where in between heaven and hell would be more exact." Said a young man with a slight Irish accent.
#####
There was another knock at the door, this time Xander answered it.
"Joe, Giles is in the living room, your chair is waiting for you, Methos, Anya is in the kitchen making coffee." Said Xander.
"Oh no she isn't, do you realize that the last time she made coffee, she used a whole can, it was tar, and before that, I swear she tried to kill me with it." Methos said, heading for the kitchen.
"Alex is with her." said Rachel, as she applied a bandage to Willow's stomach.
"I told you it wasn't that bad." Willow said, looking at Giles.
"You are still going to have to take it easy, it's going to take a few days for that to heal." Said Rachel, as she put every thing back into the first aid kit.
"I hope you gave better then you got." Said Joe, as he sat down.
"Yah, that vampire is dust in the wind." She said, sitting up.
"Any other casualties?" Rachel asked.
"Just Spike, he took a stake to his right side, he says he'll be fine." Willow said.
"So Joe, when was the last time you heard from Duncan?" Asked Angel, as he sat down next to Willow and Cordy.
"It's been almost six months, I do however know that he's still alive." Joe said.
"He called me yesterday, told me to meet him here." Said Conner, who was leaning in the door way to the kitchen.
"Conner, he called you ?" Joe asked.
"Yah, he said some thing strange was going on here, he however forgot to mention that it had to do with the Slayer and her friends." Conner said.
"Cassandra called me to let me know that we had to meet her and Duncan here, I wonder if they contacted anyone else." said Joe.
#####
"We will be landing shortly, please return your tray tables and seats to their upright position" Said the steward.
"Finally, I can not believe Liam did this, tricking me into getting on this plane." Said Nick Wolf.
"It was the only way to get you to come with me, and I am not about to face Duncan by myself." Amanda said.
"Joe is going to be there too, besides, I'm still mad at you."
"What was I suppose to do, let you die, that poison would have killed you out right, and this way, at least you have a chance, even if it is in the game." she said.
"You should have told me." he said.
"What was I suppose to do," She asked, "Oh yah, by the way Nick, your like me, your going to die, but you'll get to come back if some one shoots you."
"Oh, I don't know, you could have at least given me a little more of a warning."
"I said I was sorry, what more can I do?"
"You could stay out of my life for the next hundred years or so." Nick mumbled under his breath.
"I heard that."
#####
"Duncan, we're almost there, I think that's the house." Said Cassandra, as Duncan pulled into the drive way at Buffy's.
"I've been here before, I know these kids." Duncan said, "So, yes this is the house, besides, there's Methos' car."
"I think I shall stay out here for now."
"Oh no you don't, it has been over two millennia since all of that happened, you are going to go in there, and you are going to put the past behind you."
"I shall try, for the sake of the others involved." She said, getting out of the car.
At that moment, Nick and Amanda pulled up in a rented car.
"I told you that this was the house, but no, you had to drive around the block five times while I tried to read the directions by the map light." Said Nick, as he got out of the car.
"Is it my fault that all of these houses look the same?" Said Amanda, as she got out of the drivers seat.
"Amanda, this is the only place with half a dozen cars parked out front, there aren't too many of those around here."
"What, do you want blood?" Amanda asked.
"Right now, all I want is a drink." He said, heading for the front door of the house.
"Same old Amanda." Said Duncan, as a smile crossed his face.
"That man, he is more infuriating then you, if that is believable." She fumed.
"That must be Nick," Said Duncan, as they hugged, "You love him don't you?"
"Yes, and I had to shoot him to save his immortal life, and now he won't talk to me." She moped.
"Give him time." Said Duncan, as he, Amanda, and Cassandra walked over to the front porch, where Nick was waiting.
They didn't even get the chance to knock on the door, when Conner opened it.
"Conner, I wasn't sure if you would have made it yet." Said Duncan, hugging his clansman.
"I was on the first flight to L.A., after you called, I arrived here about two hours ago." Conner explained, as he showed the others in.
"Mac, how are you doing?" Asked Joe, as Conner showed Duncan and the others into the living room.
"I'll live." Said Duncan, as he sat down next to Willow, "Willow, you look pale, are you alright?"
"Yes, I had a little accident on the way home, Rachel checked me over and said I will be fine." She said, smiling at Duncan's concern.
"She is a good fighter, her and that blond guy." said Conner.
"Blond guy, Willow, have you been holding out on me?" Duncan asked.
"He means Spike."
"Spike, that's right, I had heard that he was helping out." Said Duncan.
"He's more then helping out, he's moved in, I won't say that I like it, but it is helping Dawn." Said Angel.
"Xander, Anyanka may be beautiful to look at, but she should never be left alone in a kitchen." Said Methos, as he, Anya, and Alex came out of the kitchen with the coffee.
The tension in the room was almost palpable, as Methos looked at Cassandra.
"I think we should go check on Spike, he has a tendency to blow off major wounds, especially when some one else is hurt." said Willow, as she stood.
"I'll go with you, he can be too stubborn for his own good." Said Angel.
"Maybe I can help, I have some experience with this sort of thing." Said Rachel, as she followed Angel and Willow.
"Anya, Cordy, why don't we go into the kitchen and make a snack for every one." Suggested Xander, "Alex, Amanda, we are going to need your help, Cordy is only slightly better in the kitchen then Anya."
"I resent that Xander Harris, I have improved since high school." Said Cordy, as she followed the others to the kitchen.
"Joseph, Conner, Duncan, Nick, Father Callahan, shall we adjourn to the dining room, I have a few volumes that I brought with me from my apartment that might help." Said Giles, as he lead the others out of the room.
#####
As Willow, Angel, and Rachel walked down the stairs, they could hear Spike moaning in his sleep.
"Sh," Said Willow, "He hasn't been sleeping well, since Buffy died."
"Is that when the moaning started?" Angel asked.
"You would have to ask Xander or Giles that, he stayed with both of them before he moved into his crypt." Willow said, "He has been doing it ever since he moved in here."
"Probably some residual trauma from his fall, or nightmares." Said Rachel.
"We've all been having nightmares," Said Willow, " out of all of us though, I think it's been worse for Giles, when Joyce died, so did a little bit of him, but then when Buffy chose to die rather then let Dawn die, it almost killed him."
"No parent should have to out live their own child." Said Rachel, " I had to try and keep going for Kat's sake, but it was really hard, but Derrick and the others helped, after we met."
"Once the shock of Buffy's death was over, he wouldn't let Dawn out of his sight, that was when he started staying here at night, that and the fact that Spike refused to leave the house unless he was here." Said Willow.
"We don't know what the promise was that Buffy made him make to her before the battle with Glory, but I think it included Dawn, and Willow." Said Angel.
"Why would she make him promise to take care of me, I am very capable of taking care of myself, thank you very much."
"She was afraid that you would try to use dark magic to get her back Red." Said Spike, "And could the three of you be any louder, some of us are trying to sleep."
"Sorry, we were just trying to give Methos and Cassandra some space." Said Willow.
"Fine, just keep down the noise," Said Spike, as he rolled over, "I need my beauty sleep."
#####
"I brought my original of the book that Methos was doing his research in, and a few other volumes that have helped in the past." said Giles, heading for the buffet table, where the books were sitting.
"Let me help you with that." said Duncan reaching for one of the books, as Giles handed it to him.
As Giles turned after retrieving the second book, he found that he was no longer in the dinning room, or in a room at all.
"Giles!" some one yelled, throwing themselves at him, and hugging him until he was almost out of breath.
As Giles looked down at the top of the persons head, a million things ran through his mind, but one stood out from the rest, Buffy.
"Buffy?" Giles said almost in a whisper, too shocked to believe that it was true, that Buffy, the daughter that was not his in flesh and blood, but in soul was in his arms, slowly squeezing the life out of him.
"Buffy, he's turning blue." said Nick.
"Oh god, Giles I am so sorry, I didn't break any thing did I?" She asked, loosening her grip enough for Giles to breath again.
"No, nothing except my heart." he answered, hugging her back.
"How's Dawnie?" she asked.
"She is still very upset, but she is slowly coming around, thanks to Spike of all people." he said, "Where are we?"
"Some place between heaven and hell, if what the others say is right." She said.
"Others?" He asked, just realizing that there were other people around them.
"Rupert, how are you?" Asked Derick, as they shook hands.
#####
As Duncan turned to put the book on the table, he found that there was no table, and that the others were gone as well.
As he surveyed his surroundings, Duncan was able to make out a group of people a little ways in front of him.
He noticed that the group consisted of people he knew, and all but two of them were supposed to be dead.
#####
"Methos, we have a problem." Yelled Joe, as he, Conner, Phillip and Nick Wolf ran into the living room.
"I think that it's more then a problem, Angel, Willow, Rachel, Cordy, and Xander all disappeared, one moment they were there the next they were gone." Said Alex, as she, Anya, and Spike came in from the kitchen.
"Spike, what's going on?" asked Dawn, as she and Kat came running down the stairs.
"We're not sure yet Bit." Said Spike, as he turned tward her voice only to find empty air where Kat and Dawn had been.
#####
As every one was talking, Ritchie could feel some one staring at him, and he turned to find his friend and mentor, Duncan McCloud.
Duncan was in shock, there standing before him was Ritchie, looking very much alive and well.
"Hi yah Mac." Ritchie said, as he walked over to Duncan.
"Ritchie, is it really you?" Duncan asked, as he approached the younger man cautiously.
"It's me Mac, I know that it wasn't your fault, that demon made you see things, just like he made me see Joe, to get me to the track."
"Oh god, Ritchie I am so sorry lad, I should have listened to Joe, but I thought you were in trouble."
"And as usual, you thought you would come to the rescue , like you always do, but you know what, it was suppose to happen that way."
"What do you mean?"
"I'll explain later, once the others are here."
"What others?"
"according to the Prophecy of the two Slayers, we should be expecting Willow, Angel, Spike, and most of the others, except your friend Amanda and Nick Wolf." Said Giles