Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me. I do not profit off of any of this.

Authors Note: This story is also posted on another site but under the name writersblock which is me as well.

October 26th.

McHenery Illinois

A woman lay in her bed tossing and turning from the violent images in her dreams. Images that just seem to be getting worse but with the images came a message. The woman awoke with a gasp of breath willing her heart beat to slow as to not beat out of her chest. Tara Mclay looked over to her night stand to see it was only 2.47am. Shutting her eyes and concentrating she recalled the images from her dream and the message to go with it. It seemed she was needed in a place called Sunnydale, and needed to aid the current Chosen One.

Oct 29th

Sunnydale Ca.

Buffy was just getting ready for patrol, grabbing a couple stakes and bottle holy water for the night. Thinking about her sister Dawn and why they never seem to get along. "She just bugs me, always wanting to know what I'm doing. Why am I doing this and why am I doing that." She grumbles to herself. Shaking her head to get those thoughts out of her head and more pleasant ones to replace them. Lifting up her window she quietly slips out and on to the ground to begin patrol. Later than usual due to the amount of homework she had to do.

Stalking along one of Sunnydale's many cemeteries, trying to find any signs of her prey. Coming into the next cemetery after only dusting two fledging vampires she spots a girl standing on the sidewalk under a street light. Buffy slows her stride studying the girl to determine friend or foe. Tara spots her coming of course, she's been waiting for her to come by. Having seen the blonde Slayer the day before when she got into town. Wanting to wait till she was well rested to meet the Slayer. Tara calls out to her wanting to let her know she's not a danger to her. "Hello Buffy"

Buffy tilts her head trying to figure if she's met her anywhere. "Um hi... I don't think I know you."

Tara chuckles "no you don't know me but I was informed about you and who you are a couple days ago."

Buffy blinks and starts looking around, starting to get an unusual feeling about this encounter. "Ok, first who are you and who told you about me?" tensing up, getting ready to fight if she has to.

Tara seeing the Slayer getting more tense holds up both hands "please Buffy I'm not here to hurt you or try anything bad. My name is Tara Mclay, I'm a witch and worship my Goddess. I believe it was her that sent me dreams a couple nights ago. Horrible things are going to happen in the next couple days and I was sent here to hopefully help you prepare."

Still being cautious she takes a step closer to Tara. "Ok, if you really believe you were sent some vision thingy by your Goddess how do I know you're not crazy?"

Tara laughs a little "ok your right it does sound crazy when you put it that way but I have a way of proving it, but you'll have to listen to my story first."

Thinking for a minute Buffy decides to hear the cute blonde out. Shaking her head to dispel those thoughts she accepts the offer. "Alright, how about we go up the street to the all night café? We can get a coffee and see what we can do about your crazy story."

Tara smiles "Sounds good but you'll have to lead the way, I just got in town yesterday."

They settled into a booth when we got to the all night diner. Buffy took a minute to study the other blonde, trying to come up with what kind of person she is. Tara was also doing the same thing all though in a more subtle way. She grinned at the slayer and took a deep breath knowing this was going to take a while. "So" Buffy said "start at the beginning and we'll see how crazy you are".

Tara smiled "well to let you know right now I have never had any kind of vision or future dream but I know this was real. I felt it while I was dreaming. The pain, anger, and hurt. Along with this was an underlying message. To get here to Sunnydale and to you to help so those things don't happen". Tara paused to take a sip of her coffee and to order her thoughts on how to tell her without the slayer running out. She looked into the slayers eyes "this happens on Halloween, and it involves you and your sister Dawn". Buffy went to say something but Tara cut her off "you being here is causing the PTB a whole lot of trouble to their so called balance and they intend to do something about it". Buffy's eyes went wide. "When you died and came back a second slayer was called. With you coming back it put their plans all out of whack".

"So they want to kill me?" Buffy asked.

Tara shook her head, "no, they want to get rid of you but also to take the Key with you." Ok, Buffy was officially confused now but before she could ask Tara answered for her. "This is the part where your sister comes in, your sister isn't who you think she is or rather she wasn't made how you think she was". Tara glanced around trying to see if anybody was listening in on their conservation. "She was made using magic from you. From what I understand from the vision she is the Key to dimensions and protected for centuries. But the order that was protecting this mystical Key was all but wiped out by a creature wanting the Key very badly. So the monks of this order used some very powerful magic to form the Key into the person you call your sister using your blood". Buffy had gone pale listening to this woman talk. She could not, would not believe her. "It couldn't be true she told herself!" But Tara was already ready for her reaction, knowing if she was being told this she wouldn't believe it either. Tara held up her hand to hold off the protest she could see coming. "Remember I told you I can prove it but you have to listen to me first". Buffy closed her jaw with a snap and glared at her.

"Make it fast because I'm quickly losing my patience"

Tara nodded "there is a spell that you can do on your own, with meditation some candles and the right words. It's a spell designed to see any spell cast for a certain time frame. This will allow you to see if any spells cast on you, your mother or sister".

Buffy just stared at her, trying to find any signs that she was lying. After a minute or two she slumped back with a look of defeat across her face. She didn't know why but she trusted the blonde witch. But even with her inner self was saying to trust her she didn't want to. It would mean she is telling the truth. "Ok, let's pretend that everything you said was true, why are you telling me this?'

Tara nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. "On Halloween night everybody getting there costume from a place called Ethan's is going to turn into the costume they chose. The mage Ethan has spelled all his merchandise, so when he invokes Janus" she trailed off seeing the comprehension in the slayers eyes. "But when everybody is distracted and you're not yourself the PTB will step in activate the Key being able to send you out of this dimension along with your sister since she is the Key. Thus restoring their so called balance." Tara scoffs at that last part knowing their balance was mostly against the good guys.

Buffy sits back numb from what she just heard. She feels like crying but can't seem to find the energy. She looks at Tara, her sad eyes showing heartbreak.

"Do you know what kind of dimension their sending us?" Tara blinks slowly, that was not what she expected. "Yes somewhat but before I tell you that and let me just reassure you it's not a hell dimension, It's a human one". Buffy nods feeling a little better. "I have been working on a way for you to protect Dawn and yourself from just about anything" Tara smirks "in the Galaxy." Buffy opens her mouth but shut it not knowing what to say to that and not daring to let herself believe. Tara smiles softly knowing what was going through the young slayers mind. "Ethan's turning everybody into their costumes right?" The slayer nods. "Well he's not gonna have any characters that are powerful simply because the drain on him would be far to great". Seeing the question in Buffy's eyes Tara answered, "when he invokes Janus, Janus will grant him the temporary power to turn the costumes to whatever the character it is. He can handle the power to turn the normal ghost, werewolf, or goblin. But if a costume is spelled and it's meant for a being with a lot of power there won't be anything he can do but pour more power into the spell. He'll have to fully complete the spell before he can stop it and by then he won't be able to do anything but sleep for a month. Tara finishes smiling wide.

Buffy sat there thinking, amazed and more than a little hopeful after Tara got done explaining. She looks at Tara "so who did you have in mind?" she smiles. "Well how would you feel about being Kryptonian?" Tara laughs at the look on the slayers face "isn't that what Superman is?" Tara nods, Buffy's eyes go huge thinking about it. "And you said Dawn can become one to?" Tara nods again "Yep, and with her being the Key when the Halloween spell is activated it will unlock yours and hers DNA allowing the Kryptonian DNA to merge with the human DNA. Then locking it back into place when the merging is complete. Where it will always be apart of you. A Human-Kryptonian Hybrid.

Oct 30th

Sunnydale CA

Buffy wakes up to loud beeping of her alarm clock. The night before running through her head. The spell Tara had given her to see if there were any spells cast on her family. Sure enough after walking around her house, she crept into her mother's room there was a soft grey band around her head. Knowing what it was with Tara explaining a few things to her she understood this was to do with memory. She eased out and silently went to her sisters room. Already knowing but wanting it not to be true. Opening the door all looked normal with Dawn asleep in her bed but one blink and it all disappeared turning the room into a storage room. Another blink and she was back to a vision she was used to thanks to the memory spell.

Buffy made her way back to her room, thinking over everything. How her sister was her sister but not. How fake memories were forced into their minds. But sitting there in her room quietly she came to relies one important fact. "She's made from my blood" Buffy said quietly. "She's innocent in all this." After acknowledging those key facts the rest just didn't seem to matter. She nodded to herself "I'll protect her" she whispered. With that grim determination she settled down for a few hours sleep.

Sighing softly Buffy got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. After washing her hands she started to walk out only to almost collide with Dawn, having been so lost in thought.

Dawn looked up waiting for her sister to say something smart about not watching where she's going. So after a moment or two when nothing came Dawn made to move around her only for her to be stopped short by a hand on her shoulder. Dawn looked at Buffy getting ready to question why she was being stopped but was quickly confused when Buffy looked around to see if their mother was anywhere in hearing range. Buffy turned to Dawn "will you come to my room when you're done, I have something very important I need to tell you but we can't let Mom hear." Dawn looked into her eyes and nodded knowing this was serious. She hurried up in the bathroom and hurried to her big sisters room.

Buffy stood there waiting for Dawn to shut the door. She did with a soft click and waited. Buffy approached and spoke softly "Dawnie I know you've read my diary before right?" Seeing her little sister tense she quickly added "I'm not mad so relax but what we need to talk about is along the lines of what I've written in there."

Dawn nodded slightly "is this about you being the Slayer?" she shut her eyes quick hoping that Buffy wouldn't kill her. But to her surprise she felt two hands on both shoulders, she opened her eyes looking straight into Buffy's.

"Yes it's about me being the Slayer but this time it's about you too. Now what we have to talk about is very serious, so much so that I'm skipping school today and picking you up after Mom leaves for work."

Dawns eyes bug out with that statement. "Is Mom in danger...or me?" she blurts out.

Buffy shakes her head no. "No, but this is serious so go ahead and get to school and I'll see you soon." Dawn nods her ok and turns to leave, her thoughts going everywhere.

She's chewing on a pencil willing the clock to go by faster or Buffy to hurry up. The wondering is killing her. "This must be some really serious stuff if she's telling me" Dawn thinks to herself. She glances up when the principle's assistant comes in handing her teacher a note. She's not surprised when she hears her name being called to head to the office.

Buffy's sitting there waiting for her and signs her out when she sees Dawn coming. They walk out of the school not talking. Dawn knowing nothing important will be said till their alone. Buffy asks her if she wants to go to the park since it's such a nice day. Dawn nods yes but refuses to say anything waiting for her big sister to start. They sit down at a bench in a secluded area of the park and face each other. "We're waiting one person, they can explain things in better detail then I can." Dawn nods accepting that and very curious as to who it is. "You don't know her, I just met her last night while out on patrol. She's a witch and very powerful one at that." Seeing Dawns surprise Buffy chuckles "yes Dawn I will be explaining a whole lot of what I've hoped to keep hidden from you and Mom. I'm the Slayer, do you know what that is?"

Dawn nods her head "you fight vampires."

"Yep, along with other supernatural baddies out there."

At this point Dawn noticed a curvy blonde walking towards them with a soft smile gracing her features. Buffy looks to where Dawn is and stands up to give the witch a hug before sitting back down next to Dawn. "Dawn, I would like you to meet my witchy friend Tara Mclay. Tara Mclay meet my sister Dawn Summers." Buffy says with a smile.

"It's nice to finally meet you Dawn, I know quite a bit about you." Dawn looks over to Buffy asking to explain. So she does, taking turns with Tara with everything that led them to this point. Dawn cried for her sister who died and she didn't even know. She cried thinking she was no more than an IT or a Thing. Not a real person. "You are a person Dawn, you're my sister made from my blood. Summers blood" Buffy said with tears staining her cheeks. Looking into her sisters eyes and trying to will her to understand. She will never leave her, she will do anything for her and she will die to protect her. Dawn sees all this and finally understands, she's a Summers woman and her big sister will stick by her no matter what.

Everything is quiet for a moment, the only thing to be heard are sniffles after the emotional release that just happened. "There's more though" Buffy cringes wishing she didn't have to burden her little sister like this. Dawn nods and gestures to continue. So they slowly explain about the PTB and Halloween and what's going to happen. Dawn can't believe what she's hearing, her sisters bosses want to get rid of her and their going to use her to do it. These higher beings or so they call themselves want to preserve a balance so tipped to the dark it's a wonder their not proclaimed the bad guys. "but and this is why I'm here, I'm here to prepare you and your sister before your forced out of this dimension." Tara says directing her statement to Dawn.

After the two sisters walked their blonde witch friend to her hotel they turned to head home before their mother got home. Dawn turned to Buffy with a question "Buffy, what are you gonna do about Angel?"

Buffy sighs simply shaking her head having an idea but not really knowing how to put it in words. "I'm gonna tell you the truth since we need to start counting on one another. It's gonna be just you and me Dawnie and I can't keep on shutting you out." Dawn nods but doesn't say anything. "I've been trying to cling to Angel for a while now. I tried to make the feelings stay, I tried so hard but more and more I've found their not anymore and not just with Angel. I try to picture myself with some of the cute guys at school but it's just not there" she finishes with a frustrated huff.

"could you be gay?"

"What? No!" "Maybe"

Dawn looks over with an arched eyebrow.

"OK, OK, probably" Dawn smiles just as Buffy looks over "Brat!" she laughs feeling better that she's admitted it to somebody. These thoughts and feelings that have been bothering her for a while now.