Chapter 1

Monday May 28th, 2001
Sunnydale, California
Construction Site
Within an hour before Sunrise

"Dawn," Buffy called as she climbed up the last rung to the platform.

The Doc or whatever his name was was standing in front of her, but whirled around as she moved, as Dawn called her name. "This should be interesting," he commented. She didn't even stop, just pushed him off as she walked, ignoring his scream as he fell.

"Here," she smiled as she reached Dawn who was crying.

"It hurts," she whispered.

"I got it," Buffy countered softly. "Come here, you're gonna be okay…" she continued before leading Dawn across the platform towards the tower entrance. Dawn stopped and turned towards her. "Go!" Buffy ordered.

"Buffy, it's started," she argued and Buffy turned around, they could both see the light of the portal as it grew larger and Buffy flashed back to earlier

"You sure you're not going to tire yourself out?" Giles asked as he walked towards her and she stopped her attack on the punching bag.

"I'm sure," she answered before resuming her attack, "I'm sure."

"We're still working on ideas," he continued and she stopped once more, "Time's short, but, uh, best leave it to the last moment. If we go in too early and she takes us out, no chance of getting her to miss her window."

"Then we wait," she answered before throwing one last punch that broke the bag off its chain; she stared at it before giving her arm a shake.

"I imagine you hate me right now," she sighed but didn't answer, listening as he took a few steps closer. "I love Dawn."

"I know."

"But I've sworn to protect this sorry world, and sometimes that means saying and doing…what other people can't. What they shouldn't have to."

She turned to face him then, "You try and hurt her, and you know I'll stop you."

"I know," he answered before she turned and walked over to the sofa slowly, sitting down before he followed.

"This is how many apocalypses for us now?"

"Oh, uh, well…" he sat, taking off his glasses. "Six, at least," he sat back slowly, "Feels like a hundred."

"I've always stopped them. Always won."

"Yes."

"I sacrificed Angel to save the world. I loved him so much. But I knew…what was right. I don't have that anymore. I don't understand. I don't know how to live in the world if these are the choices. If everything just gets stripped away. I don't see the point. I just wish that…" she paused tearfully, "I just wish my mom was here." Getting up she walked a few paces away before turning to him, "The spirit guide told me…that death was my gift. Guess that means a Slayer really is just a killer after all."

"I think you're wrong about that."

"It doesn't matter. If Dawn dies, I'm done with it. I'm quitting."

Lightning shot out of the portal, and as Buffy glanced below she could see the ground shake as the tower shifted slightly.

"Xander!" she heard Anya's yell, glancing towards it to see Anya push him aside before a pile of bricks fell on her.

"Anya!" he yelled as he ran towards her.

Looking back over at Dawn, Buffy turned towards her as her sister just stared at the portal. "I'm sorry," Dawn cried.

"It doesn't matter," Buffy argued before Dawn tried to run past her, reaching out she grabbed her. "What are you doing?"

"I have to jump. The energy…" Dawn explained in a rush.

"It'll kill you," Buffy argued.

"I know," Dawn answered softly. "Buffy, I know about the ritual. I have to stop it."

"No," Buffy argued before the tower shook and they both stumbled this time.

"I have to. Look at what's happening!" Dawn shot back as more lightening crackled, even larger than before. Buffy looked up in time to see a huge dragon fly out of the portal and around the tower as they watched. "Buffy, you have to let me go. Blood starts it, and until the blood stops flowing, it'll never stop," she explained softly as Buffy just stared at her, her own anguish visible. "You know you have to let me," Dawn pleaded as tears slipped down her cheeks. "It has to have the blood."

Buffy sucked in a quick breath as her mind flashed back to Spike earlier 'Cause it's always got to be blood'. Her mind went back further, to that day in the hospital when she realized it was Summers' blood. 'She's me. The monks made her out of me'.

Frowning she turned around slowly and looked out across the platform, at the portal and the sky beyond as holes seemed to be opening in the sky, and the sun began to rise.

Flashes passed through her mind, memories of her first year in Sunnydale, Sid and fights, numerous different moments at school with the others. Willow and Xander pretending to date when she and Owen showed up at the Bronze. Her first kiss with Angel and other kisses, when the Master held her then bit her, more kisses with Angel…When she threw her cross down and quit, even more flashes of moments at school with the others, her Dad picking her up that day after they stopped Billy's nightmares. After she killed the Master and they were all staring at his bones before leaving to go to the party…coming back from vacation, when she arrived at school and saw Giles for the first time, destroying the Master's bones and falling apart in Angel's arms, back in school and Willow and Xander accepted her even after all the crap she pulled. Tom at the school inviting her to the party, the demon there in the basement as she tried to get it to come after her instead of the others. Confronting Jenny about Angel, watching the others when they returned to school after she killed Angel then leaving Sunnydale. Coming back and seeing Willow, Oz, Xander and Cordelia as they lay on the ground after the fight with that vampire, staring up at her and her simple 'Hey guys'. That day she and Willow sat at the Espresso Pump and called each other names after making up after her return. Angel back and collapsing, burying his face in her stomach after he saved her from Pete. Fighting Angelus from the point in the garden until he became Angel once more and she killed him…more kisses they had exchanged…Her and Willow outside school one day by the tree before Willow tackled her. Walking down Main Street with Angel in the snow, dozens of memories from senior year, making Angel drink, Prom when she got her award…having a picnic with Riley, Willow, Tara, and Xander on campus, memories of Riley and other events from her freshman year…

"You can tell me anything. I love you. You're my best friend," she told Willow, still on the cables as they scaled down the tunnel to get into the Initiative's compound.

They hugged as Willow spoke, "Me, too. I love you too… Oh, falling now!"

"Let's promise to never not talk again," Buffy continued once they hit the ground, not breaking apart from their hug, it wasn't that big a thing really…

"I promise, I promise," Willow agreed before Xander appeared next to them and they wrapped their arms around him.

"Xander!"

"Oh, wonderful Xander!" Willow continued.

"You know we love you, right?"

"We totally do."

"Oh God, we're gonna die, aren't we?" Xander asked as he looked between them.

"No, we just missed you," Willow countered.

Looking up he called to their last member, "Giles, hurry up! You definitely wanna get down here for this!"

She saw the First Slayer in her dream just a short time before, "Death is your gift," she heard the First Slayer saying. "Death is your gift…"

She took another breath, before looking back at Dawn who stared at her with wide-eyes, already knowing what she was planning…

"Buffy…no!"

"Dawnie, I have to."

"No!"

"Listen to me. Please, there's not a lot of time, listen," Buffy argued softly as she held Dawn by her upper arms, "I love you. I will always love you. But this is the work that I have to do. Tell Giles… tell Giles I figured it out. And…and I'm okay. And give my love to my friends. You have to take care of them now. You have to take care of each other. You have to be strong. Dawn, the hardest thing in this world…is to live in it. Be brave. Live. For me," she stroked the side of Dawn's face, and then kissed her on the cheek as Dawn continued to cry and in her mind she saw each member of her 'family': her mom, Dawn, Willow, Tara, Oz, Xander, Angel and Riley...

Turning, she started to run, leaving Dawn behind but knowing the others would take care of her. For a moment she was thankful for those diving lessons as she jumped off the end in a perfect swan dive and into the portal. She felt it pull around her, keeping her there as the lightning and power surged around her body, she didn't feel the pain though as her mind continued it's show of her life…her life truly flashing before her eyes. She saw the time with her mom in the hospital after the surgery. Kissing Riley, then moments with Angel. Xander in the body suit that day, Joyce and Dawn together, Willow and Tara, Xander…everyone that day in the hospital together when her mom was having surgery…her family, only Angel missing…Then she was back in the portal and everything stopped, the slight pain and the memories, and she was free.

"Buffy?" a distant voice called.

Groaning Buffy rolled onto her side and slowly climbed to her feet, her muscles twitching with phantom pains her mind told her she should be feeling.

"Buffy?"

"Mom?" Buffy called in return, her heart recognizing her mother's voice immediately, even though her mind told her it was impossible.

"Buffy?"

It was hard to tell where the voice was coming from, it seemed to be coming from everywhere and nowhere at once and every way Buffy turned she found the same emptiness around her.

"Buffy."

Feeling something touch her shoulder Buffy spun around, ready to deal with whatever was standing behind her. "Mom?" she asked in disbelief as she took in the appearance of the woman now standing before her.

"Hello Buffy," Joyce Summers greeted.

"This isn't happening. This isn't real," Buffy said shaking her head. "You...you died..."

"As have you Buffy," Joyce countered evenly.

"Excuse me..." Buffy began only to have her words trail off as images flashed before her eyes. "Dawn...I jumped to save Dawn. Death is my gift. So, does that mean...is this...am I...is this Heaven?"

"No, Buffy, not yet," Joyce said.

"I don't understand. If death was my gift then why am I not in Heaven. I'm not going to...to hell, am I?" asked Buffy worriedly.

"No Buffy, you're not going to hell. Heaven is where you'll end up, if that is your choice," Joyce told her.

"My choice?"

"Yes Buffy. The Powers..."

"Why am I not surprised to find out that the Powers That Be are somehow involved in this," sighed Buffy.

"Buffy, the choice is yours either way," Joyce said. "You can choose right now to continue onto heaven..."

"Good. Heaven it is," Buffy interrupted before turning and walking away from her mother.

"But you are condemning a slayer to death," Joyce called after her retreating daughter, causing Buffy to stop in her tracks and turn back to face her mother.

"Excuse me?"

"Buffy, you have every right to continue on to Heaven, I'm not trying to stop you but you need to know that the Powers sent me to plead with you to help them. If you don't you are condemning a fellow slayer to the darkness and almost certain death. Buffy, please, just hear them out before you make a decision," Joyce pleaded.

"I'm listening," Buffy said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Through Willow and Giles you've learned about witchcraft but their magic is external to them. Yes, they can cast spells and do charms but they have to rely on the graciousness of Gods and Goddesses to grant them the ability to perform these spells and charms. What you don't know is that there is a race of people among us who are born with a natural ability to perform magic. The world these natural born witches and wizards live in is separate from our own, much like the world of the slayer is separate from the rest of the world," Joyce explained. The Wizarding World, as it is known, has not always been separate from our own. There was a time when the non-magical, or Muggle as they call it, world, lived side by side with the witches and wizards."

"What happened? What caused the separation?"

"Fear," Joyce said. "The Muggles began to fear their magical friends and began to hunt them down."

"The Salem Witch Trials," Buffy commented.

"Those and others like them. Eventually the witches and wizards withdrew from our world and created their own communities and governments separate from our own."

"This is all really fascinating Mom but what does it have to do with the slayer? And me in particular?" questioned Buffy.

"Everything," Joyce said. "Buffy, you know the lore of the slayer, one girl in all the world. Well that world once included the Wizarding World."

"I don't understand. You just said that this Wizarding World is separate from our own," observed Buffy.

"They are now, but when we lived side by side, the slayer could be either Muggle or witch," explained Joyce.

"But not now," commented Buffy.

"Not exactly," Joyce replied cryptically.

"Not exactly? Mom this is making the kind of sense that's...not."

"The attack on the witches and wizards was started by the Watcher's Council. They had a string of slayers that were all natural born witches and they grew fearful of them."

"What were they afraid of?" asked Buffy curiously.

"They were afraid the witch-born slayers would turn on them, use their magic against them."

"I take it this fear got the best of them," Buffy observed. She gathered the Watcher's Council hadn't changed much over the centuries using her own dealings with them as a reference.

"Yes, it did," admitted Joyce. "One of them brokered a deal with what you know to be the law firm of Wolfram and Hart. In exchange for keeping the slayer out of their business, the Watcher's Council received a spell that would hide any and all witch-born slayers from the Watcher's Council. If, when the current slayer died, a witch-born slayer was called, she along with a Muggle girl would be activated, but only the Muggle girl would be identified to the Watcher's Council."

"And the witch would be left to her own defences, not having the slightest idea of what was going on or what was happening to her?" demanded Buffy angrily.

"Yes, and unfortunately for the witch, it's not just the gaining of her slayer strenth she has to deal with," Joyce admitted.

"Meaning what?" demanded Buffy.

"The Watcher's Council had nothing to fear from these girls Buffy. The minute they receive their slayer abilities..."

"Mom what? It's not like they'd lose their ability to do magic or anything...Mom?"

"Once activated as a slayer, a witch's magic changes. She can no longer do the magic she's been doing everyday of her life. Once a slayer, her magic becomes more of a weapon for her than anything else. She can use it to help her or protect her in battle," Joyce explained.

"So she gets the abilities of a slayer while losing a very large part of who she is," commented Buffy.

"Yes," agreed Joyce.

"And the Watcher's Council leaves her to her own devices? Are they trying to drive the poor girl insane?" demanded Buffy angrily.

"They don't care Buffy, because they don't know that a witch has been called, and even if they did, they wouldn't do anything to help her."

"So what happens to them?" asked Buffy in concern.

"A few have turned to the darkness, some have been hospitalized for the rest of their lives, while most...most of these girls end up taking their own lives."

"Why would they do that? Surely their families..."

"The ones committed to the hospital are done so by their families. The rest end up being turned out; rejected by their families and by society as a whole. Their magic is a huge part of who they are. For a witch or wizard to suddenly lose the ability to perform even the simplest of spells for no apparent reason...it's devastating and with no one there to tell them what's happening to them, to train them as slayers...death is the only answer for them."

So then how do I fit into the picture?" asked Buffy.

"The wizarding world is self destructing, Buffy. The forces of evil have beaten down the forces of good and it won't be long before they turn their attention to the Muggle world, the world in which your sister and friends live," Joyce said. "The war has been going on for years and good has always triumphed over evil, at least that is until three years ago, when the tides changed and evil started winning one battle after another. The forces of good have almost been completely destroyed. Once they are, there is nothing to hold the evil at bay and they will strike out at the rest of the world."

"What changed?" asked Buffy. "What was it that gave evil the power to win?"

"A slayer," Joyce said simply.

"A slayer? But both Kendra and Faith have been...what was the term you used?"

"Muggle," Joyce supplied.

"Yes, Muggle. Kendra and Faith have both been Muggle so how could they have a slayer?"

"Remember what I said Buffy. Witch slayers are never identified by the Council. One was called the same time as Kendra. She was fourteen at the time the Master killed you," Joyce said as the whiteness that had surrounded them all this time started shifting and taking on colours and shapes.

"Where are we?" asked Buffy as the room finished taking shape around them.

"We're at Hogwarts. It's a wizarding school," replied Joyce.

"What are we..." Buffy began before being interrupted by a loud crack and smoke filling the room.

"Miss Weasley! What in Merlin's name are you doing?" cried an angry female voice through the smoke.

Buffy and Joyce watched as a woman in a green robe, who appeared to be in her mid-sixties, strode across the room towards a redheaded girl.

"I'm sorry, Professor McGonagall. I didn't mean to do it. I was doing the transfiguration exactly like you said but something went wrong," replied the redhead.

"Something indeed, Miss Weasley. You are dismissed from this exam. Collect you belongings and go," the woman ordered.

"But Professor..."

"Out Miss Weasley!"

"Yes Professor," the redhead replied quietly as she gathered her bag and left the room.

"That's her, isn't it," noted Buffy as the room faded from view.

"Yes, it is," replied Joyce. "This was about a month after she was activated."

"What happened with the exam?"

"She failed it and every other one that required the use of her magic in some way. She only just managed to pass her classes thanks to her term marks and the fact that it happened late in the school year. The next year she wasn't so lucky," Joyce said, as scenes started playing out around them.

Buffy stood and watched each scene as they unfolded around her. She watched the young redhead get into fights, serve numerous detentions and blow things up around her every time she picked up her wand. The hardest thing for Buffy was watching the girl fall into an ever-deepening isolation and cry herself to sleep night after night, only to be tormented as she slept by what Buffy could only believe to be nightmares. "What about her family? Where were they in all of this?"

"Of her six older brothers, only one was at school with her and he was too busy helping his friend prepare to fight the forces of evil, he barely gave his baby sister a second thought. As for her other brothers, one was in Egypt, one in Romania, one worked for their government and the twins were running a store in London, all of them too busy to pay her much mind," explained Joyce.

"And her parents?"

"Indifferent."

"But..." Buffy began as her surroundings changed once more. She now found herself in a rather large, yet rundown house. She could hear voices coming from the other side of the door, which opened suddenly as the redhead made her way out of the room and down the hall. Buffy soon found herself following the girl.

"Sure, of course I'll go get Mum and Dad. It's not like I've got anything better to do. It's not like it's my birthday or anything," the redhead grumbled as she made her way upstairs, Buffy following behind her.

Buffy watched as the girl lifted her hand to knock on a door only to pause, her hand dropping down and quietly pushing the door open slightly, allowing Buffy to hear the voices on the other side more clearly.

"I'm tired Arthur. I can't do this anymore. I can't go on pretending to care about her. She's a joke, a laughing stock, not to mention a disgrace. She failed every one of her O.W.L.s. No one has ever failed all of their O.W.L.s before Arthur, not until our daughter."

"I know Molly, but it's too late to do anything about it now. We're stuck with her. If only Harry hadn`t pulled her from the Chamber, then we wouldn't have to deal with everything."

"If only I'd listened to you all those years ago and gotten rid of her while I still could, then we wouldn't be in this position. You were right Arthur. She was a mistake…"

Buffy watched the young redhead turn away from the door, tears in her eyes, and make her way silently down the hall and into another room where she quickly changed her clothes and grabbed what she could carry before making her way out of the house as it faded from view around Buffy.

"What happened to her?" asked Buffy quietly.

"She ended up on the streets for a few weeks before they caught her in their trap," Joyce said.

"They?"

"The Death Eaters."

"They would be the forces of evil then," observed Buffy.

"Part of them yes. Their leader Lord Voldemort wanted to use her against his enemies. When they set the trap for her, they had no idea she was a slayer until much later. At the time they knew she was the daughter of one of the more prominent families in the forces of good and were going to use her as bait. It was long believed she was the object of affection and future wife of the champion of the forces of good. Lord Voldemort believed that by taking the girl, he would be striking at the heart of his enemies," Joyce explained.

"Did he?" asked Buffy.

"He did, but not in the way he had intended. When they first caught her in their trap, she looked much the same as you just saw her, but they changed that."

"Changed it? Changed it how?"

"This is how she looked when she first fell into their trap," Joyce said as Ginny appeared before Buffy, looking as she did on the morning of September First. Her wavy red hair ending just below her shoulders, wearing a sweater over her blouse and a pair of jeans.

"This is how she looked a few days later," she said as the image of Ginny morphed in front of Buffy so that her now straight and waist length hair was multicoloured to look like a flame. Sections of her hair came down in front of her shoulders and covered what appeared to be very ample and bare breasts. Buffy could see a small pale blue thong and a string of pearls, the same colour as the thong, around the girl's neck. Despite the physical changes, Buffy could tell it was still the same girl, her eyes held a sense of innocence about them despite everything she'd been through.

"This is how she looks now," Joyce said as the image of Ginny morphed once more. The girl now standing before Buffy had her flame red hair pulled back in a tight French braid, and she was wearing a leather halter top that was so tight Buffy was afraid the girl's still ample breasts would bust out at any given moment. She was also wearing tight leather pants and leather boots with a three-inch heel at least. The sense of innocence that Buffy had noticed in the girl's eyes earlier was gone, replaced by a hardness Buffy couldn't explain.

"What do the necklaces signify?" asked Buffy curiously, having noticed they went from a single strand to five when the image had changed the last time.

"It's how they discovered she was a slayer," Joyce said.

"How'd they do that?"

"Each one of the strands of pearls signifies the loss of another piece of her innocence. She received the first strand when she first agreed to work for them, before they changed her appearance. The second she received from the Death Eater who had the winning bid for her first kiss, the third from the Death Eater who bid the highest for the right to be the first to touch her. The fourth she received from the Death Eater with the highest bid for the right to give her oral sex and the fifth…the fifth and final necklace she received from the Death Eater who won the right to be the first to have sex with her," Joyce explained.

"Wait…they sold her off piece by piece?" asked Buffy in shocked outrage.

"Yes and it was with this last necklace that her being a slayer came to light."

"How?"

"The fear the Watcher's Council had for the witch-born slayers was not completely as unfounded as you may think Buffy," Joyce said. "They had good reason to be afraid. Something happens when a witch is called, if she's still a virgin when she's called, then the first wizard that claims her virginity is able to control her through a magical bond that is formed. His magic, in a way, helps stabilize and focus hers, a huge benefit to the slayer but also a great hindrance. If he gives her a direct order, she is incapable of refusing him. The Death Eater learned of what she was after claiming her the first time when he ordered her to do something and she did it without question. He went to Lord Voldemort with the information and together they turned her to their side completely. Instead of fighting against the forces of evil, she was fighting with them, and the forces of good didn't stand a chance."

"And her family?"

"The first to die at her hands," Joyce said, a sadness entering her voice.

"Like Angel," Buffy said as she recalled when Angel had told her of how he had killed his family.

"Fyre lost everything that day she overheard her parents talking," Joyce said.

"Fyre?" asked Buffy in confusion.

"Her name," Joyce replied. "She used to be known as Ginny Weasley but after hearing her parents talking on her sixteenth birthday, she's gone by the name of Fyre Kensington. It wasn't just the Death Eaters that wanted her unrecognizable to her family and friends Buffy."

"How do I fit into all this?"

"The events I spoke of were never supposed to happen. The slayer is supposed to remain neutral in the wars of man and wizard. The Powers That Be want to send you back, Buffy."

"Back?"

"Four years to be exact. They know they can't interfere with when Fyre fell into the Death Eater trap but they hope to stop the power of the slayer falling into the hands of the forces of evil. That's where you come in Buffy."

"How?"

"They want you to explain to her what's happening. Explain to her about being the slayer. Train her," explained Joyce.

"They want me to be her watcher?" asked Buffy in disbelief?

"Essentially, yes. They will send you back with a new identity and new appearance since Buffy Summers is alive and well and a junior at Sunnydale High. Buffy, I know this is a lot to ask of you…"

"No kidding," commented Buffy quietly.

"But she has no one, Buffy. You had your family and friends to help and support you. She's lost all that and has no idea why or what's happening to her. And if events are left unchanged, the Powers figure it will be another year or two at most before Lord Voldemort turns his attention to the Muggle world completely and he will make dealing with Glory feel like a walk in the park in comparision to what he has planned. Do you really want to leave your friends to that fate? Leave Dawn to that fate?

Saturday, February 15, 1998
London, England
10:45am

It had been six months since Ginny first started working at The Hidden Pearl and six months since she'd taken up running. She had started running the morning after her first night at The Hidden Pearl. It was how she had kept her sanity these past six months. Running helped clear her mind after being in the club. It helped her deal with everything, helped her distance herself from things she'd had to do in order to survive. Last night had been the worst yet, although Ginny knew there was one night still ahead of her that would be worse but she tried not to think about that as much as possible.

Last night Ginny had received her fourth strand of pearls. It had been Simon's perverse idea of a Valentine's Day gift to her to have the auction end the night before last and allow the winner the right to claim his prize last night, on Valentines' Day. The only saving grace as far as Ginny was concerned was that it had been Francois, the same man who had given her the other two strands of pearls. He had told her the night he claimed her first kiss that he had every intention of claiming all of her prizes and he had lived up to his promise so far. She was just glad that Francois was an extremely private man. She had heard stories from some of the other girls about how some of the men liked to 'put on a show' as they called it by having sex with them in front of others.

Francois had been nothing but kind and gentle in all his dealings with Ginny and he had fast become her favourite client. She hoped he was right and he would be the one to give her her fifth and final necklace. He had promised to make it special for her, a night for her to remember.

Ginny was so caught up in her thoughts that she never saw the other woman until it was too late and they both went crashing to the ground.

"Bloody hell," the other woman groaned before looking over at Ginny, "Are you alright? I'm so sorry about that... err this... uhh well the fact we're down here," she began to babble.

"This can't be happening," Ginny groaned as she covered her eyes, blocking out the sun. "I just hope I don't have any bruises or anything," she mumbled.

"Oh I hope not," she agreed quickly as she climbed to her feet and held a hand out to Ginny, "I don't think we went down that hard, more sore muscles but no multi-coloured patchwork quilt..."

"I hope you're right," Ginny sighed as she uncovered her eyes and reached up and took woman's hand, using her as leverage to get back to her feet. "I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to run into you. I didn't even see you there. I guess I was off in my head somewhere, which tends to happen when I start running and I'm babbling. I haven't done that in a really long time and I'm just going to shut up now."

Buffy chuckled, "Don't worry, I'm just as much to blame as you are," she smiled, brushing a bit of dirt off her butt, thank God she decided to wear jeans and a black sweater for this little trip back to the past and her own future...although where did that duster go...she needed to tell whoever to give a person enough time to get dressed for crying out loud...Spotting it she bent down to grab it while turning her attention back fully to the girl she knew to have once been known as Ginny, now Fyre. "Summer Andrews," she offered her hand once more, this time in greeting as she stood, hiding a mental smile over the fact she was actually taller than the person she was talking to for once in her life, okay so, technically she was only an inch taller than Ginny's five-six frame...still she was tall, she was going to relish it.

"Fyre Kensington," Ginny said shaking the other woman's hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Fyre," Buffy smiled, "Even if it did mean we had to run into each other quite literally."

"Well, like I said, I was off in my head somewhere and never saw you until it was too late," commented Ginny sheepishly.

Buffy waved her hand before shrugging, "And like I was saying, it was neither here nor there who was responsible for our little visit with the pavement." Slipping her duster on, very similar to the one Angel used to wear and mostly the reason behind its existence in her life, Buffy glanced around the park, "Would you like something hot to drink, Fyre? It's the least I could do after our trip to the pavement together."

"I would love some hot chocolate actually," Ginny said. "Come on, my favourite little café is just down the road."

"As long as they have coffee then it might become my favorite too," Buffy smiled as she linked arms with Ginny. "Are you from London or just in town on holiday?"

"Coffee I don't know about but they do have a wide selection of teas. And I live in Leicester Square, which isn't far from St. James's Park here," Ginny said as they began walking.

"Well tea I could handle too," Buffy smiled, "My mum was a coffee drinker, my dad," she paused with a smile as her mind flashed to Giles instead of Hank, "despised the stuff, it was tea and that was final. And to be quite honest, I have no bloody clue where those places you just mentioned are, this is my first time in London."

"Well, we're in St. James's Park and Leicester Square is about a twenty minute run that way," Ginny said pointing off into the distance.

"Thanks," Buffy chuckled, "Do not be surprised, Miss. Kensington, if I ask you to tell me how to get to half the places I found that are looking for workers and a place to stay. After we have a lovely time at your cafe of course."

"I'll help you as best I can. I've only been in London proper for the past seven months so I'm still getting to learn my way around," Ginny said.

Another chuckle, "We make a fine pair, don't we? "

"That we do," Ginny laughed as she stopped in front of a door, reaching out and opening it for Buffy to walk through ahead of her. "Shall we? My treat for running into you."

"And here I was going to insist it be my treat for that very reason," Buffy smiled, "I'll make you a deal, you buy this time, and we have to get together again so I can be the one to pay. "

"If you insist, but it'll have to be a morning thing cause I sleep in the afternoons," Ginny said as they climbed into a booth.

"Deal," Buffy smiled before a waitress made her way over to ask for their order. Indeed there was no coffee, so Buffy settled for tea and decided to take a risk and try one of those scones that Giles spoke of so often, which she knew she should like anyway thanks to her newfound knowledge of everything she should know had she grown up in Ireland, not to mention a complete working knowledge of everything Giles and Wesley knew from their years of Watcher training...Ginny meanwhile asked for an Irish Cream Hot Chocolate and a butter croissant before their waitress wandered off and Buffy excused herself to go to the restroom.

After she made use of the facilities, Buffy made her way up to wash her hands and get her first look at her new self. Looking in the mirror she finally had a chance to see the changes that had been made in…well perhaps limbo was a good name for it. She was five-seven now, tall and thin, willowy almost, well except for the 'D' boobs she gained in the hope she'd be able to get past the requirements to work at the Hidden Pearl...Her hair, no longer blond was red, kind of like a burnt something or other maybe. It wasn't as red as Willow's, not as dark as Ginny's hair since becoming Fyre, or even as the…well more of a copperish-colour that Ginny had been born with. After a moment it hit her what it reminded her of, blood…not a pool of blood that was dark nearly black, more like when there was just a smear of blood, fresh blood, on something…Her eyes were different as well, they were grey currently but she knew they could go as dark as the shade of blue the sky was just before the first stars appeared, her mother had said they were that colour when they hugged for the last time…Between her red hair that was cut in a bob, ending at her chin, and her grey-blue eyes, her skin really seemed to stand out as she reached up to touch her cheek, gone was her tan instead her skin was…perhaps alabaster was the word Giles or Willow would have used…yes that was it.

Shaking away thoughts of the others for now, she reached down and grabbed the bag that had come with her, riffling through it to see just what had made the trip as well, basic make-up collection, nice…grabbing the wallet she opened it and found the ID and licence for Summer Andrews…she paused as she imagined the looks of fear on the others' faces if they knew she was licensed to drive in England, on the other side of the road and everything. There were even a few credit cards…very nice; at least she wasn't going to be completely helpless in this new life…A few pictures were also in the wallet, part of her new life no doubt, she paused to smile when she found one of her, her mom, and Giles together, but with her new appearance…she simply wasn't going to ask how the Powers did whatever they did. Just flipping through the pictures she saw a picture of her and Dawn, and one of her, Xander and Willow from their first year together, but like the others instead of her real appearance, it was her new appearance, unbelievably weird to see.

Flipping her wallet back closed, she returned it to her bag, quickly glancing at the address book and not surprised to find the notes that identified more than one entry as a good place to buy…supplies. And in the back was a list of demon bars…shaking her head she dropped it back into her bag before zipping it closed, a quick run of her fingers through her hair, and tucking it behind her ears, a smile as she focused on her hand when she saw the glint of light on the silver on her hand, the ring Angel had given her…Turning she made her way back out into the café, heading towards where Ginny sat.

"Hello again," she smiled as she slid into the booth.

"Hey," Ginny greeted just as the waitress returned with their drinks and food.

"So," Buffy began as she doctored her tea, "Out of all the world you picked London, you said you have not had much time to learn or see much of the area since moving here, have you had a chance to see any of those wonderful touristy things?"

"Mostly just St. Margaret's Church," Ginny said but seeing the look of confusion on Buffy's face she decided to elaborate more. "It's in Westminster, which isn't too far from here. It's between Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament. "That's actually where I was coming from when we ran into each other."

"Cool," Buffy smiled, "Perhaps one day we can see a few together, I doubt it would be all that fun to go sightseeing by yourself…I have always wanted to see the crown jewels in the Tower of London."

"The Tower's not far from the church actually," Ginny commented. "I haven't really seen much. I spend most of my time either at work, running or sleeping."

"Then it sounds to me like you'll be needing a sightseeing trip one of these days. You can not just work and sleep, you need a break every now and again."

"That's why I run," Ginny said. "My job takes up a lot of my time.

"I can relate, my last job pretty much dominated me life, only good thing was that I got to work off a lot of energy and frustration while working."

"Well, that's not a luxury I have unfortunately," Ginny said bitterly. "Another reason why I run."

Buffy nodded, "Well running is a good means of escape."

"It also helps keep me in shape. I kinda need my figure to stay as is for my job."

"Sounds like my last job," Buffy nodded before glancing up at the clock, "I should probably be letting you go get some sleep..."

"I really should get some sleep. If I show up looking just the slightest bit tired, Simon will have my head, in more ways than one," Ginny said her last few words barely above a whisper.

Buffy frowned before catching herself and nodded, "Well, how about I give you my cell phone number and you can give me a call when you get a chance?"

"Sounds good. I can't promise how soon it will be though," Ginny replied.

"Not a problem," Buffy shrugged it off, "after all, I have to find a job and a place still, I might be busy with that for a while," she found a pen in her bag as well as the cell phone she was thankful to find, quickly locating the number she wrote it down before handing the napkin to Ginny. "Whenever you need a break or someone to talk to or whatever. Do not forget, I owe you a hot chocolate."

"Deal," Ginny said taking the napkin from Buffy. "I'll see you around Summer," she continued as she stood up.