Disclaimer : BTVS and Angel belong to the Great, Munificent Joss Whedon! I'm not doing this for money, fame, or fortune (more's the pity) but I am doing this for the recognition of my peers, peons, and loyal subjects. Side note: I started this story quite some time ago with my, now, ex-wife. I like this story so I am re-writing it, re-naming it, and re-posting it. Okay, this is why I need to be more patient with my posts. My Muse didn't like this posting so, to appease my muse I have slightly re-written it. I've added to it as well, both the first and second chapter. Please let me know what you think so I can get my Muse off my back and continue on with the story!


A Hellmouth resides in Cleveland, Ohio deep, deep, very deep underground. Well, about 50 ft. down underground, beneath a specific house. Strangely enough this house has become a Historic Landmark known as "Franklin's Castle", also known as the Hannes Tiedemann House. Built by that German Immigrant in the mid 1880's it has a very rich history of haunting, death, and betrayal.

Of course, that made it perfect for the New Watchers Council as Giles called it. Buffy, Xander, and the mini-slayers from Sunnydale wanted to call it Council of Sunnydale Survivors. Willow voted for N.W.C , which stood for Neo Watcher's Council. Faith just jumped on her bike flipping everyone off as she took of for her once a month bike tour. Once he found out about Willow voting Xander voted for Twinkies. Everyone threw bananas at him. Dawn screamed, almost breaking the windows that had just been installed, getting everyone's attention.

"Daughter's of Sineya Council." she said into the silence.

Everyone was quiet, so quiet you could hear the crickets outside. Then Pandemonium erupted in the Ball Room/Exercise Room of the new house. It mattered for naught. Just a few day's later the official paperwork was placed with the proper departments and government agencies. The Neo Sineya Council was born. Buffy didn't really care, she staked her claim on the third floor Master Bedroom with the bay windows.

Almost a year and a World Tour later found Buffy back in her apartment in Franklins Castle. It felt good to be home, which was why she was very upset when she woke from dream in the early evening hours. Well, a nightmare actually. That would explain the gasping for air and sheets sticking to her sweat soaked skin. Catching her breath she flopped onto her back, bouncing her bed. Glancing at her clock she gasped at the time, throwing the sheets and bounding off the mattress.

Jumping into her exercise outfit of black yoga pants, white wife beater, and gray hoodie she raced into the hallway. Carrying her dark blue nike's she headed for the stairs. Her pony-tailed blond hair wagged behind her in her haste as she pounded down the staircase to the library. Once in the cavernous room she looked around while slipping on her sneakers. Finally Giles, one of the objects of her search, lurched around a corner heading for the central table. Ignoring the huge pile of tomes Buffy jumped up hurrying towards her former watcher.

"Where's Dawn?" Buffy demanded before Giles could greet her.

"I'm here!" Dawn appeared from behind another bookcase. "And see I'm all fine and dandy." She spun around in a circle just to prove it, "So, what's the hubbub, bub?"

"I had..." Buffy started to tell Giles, but stopped when the last thing Dawn said registered. Slowly turning just her head to face Dawn she accused, "You been dipping into Xander stash of comics again, haven't you?"

Dawn blushed.

Buffy spun quickly back to Giles stating, "Slayer Dream. Thousands of Demons behind Angel's hotel. Feels soonish. What's the what?" she finished crossing her arms while staring commandingly up to the British man.

The current CEO and Head Watcher in Charge slowly placed the Tome he had carried onto the growing pile on the central table. His lanky frame barely stooped in age straightened up while looking gently into his former Slayers blue eyes. Carefully removing his glasses he began to clean them, which sent Buffy's Apocalypse Alarms blaring.

Replacing the spectacles over his own blue eyes he began, "And it's good to have you back Buffy." he stated with good-nature sarcasm. Turning serious he continued, "Well, we.. we don't know exactly. Angel managed to devise a plan to, uh, take out the Circle of the Blackthorn. And he accomplished this task with the members of his team, but... but he failed to think much ahead of that." Once again removing his glasses Giles massaged the bridge of his nose, "The Wolf, The Ram and The Heart have released their most powerful horde of demons to take them out. And I'm afraid…it might be the last battle for Angel."

Frantically Buffy strode about. "I need to be there. I need to help him. I can't just stand here and do nothing Giles. He's always been there for me. It's time that I paid him back." Determined she glanced up at Giles, tears threatening to fall down her cheeks. "We can do something, right?"
Having caught Giles's explanation as she entered the library Willow placed a comforting hand on her friends shoulder. Stepping in behind Buffy she consoled, "If we can help him Buffy, we will."

Buffy patted her best friends hand while leaning her head to Willow's, basking in her comfort.

Dawn piped into the conversation, excitement coloring her voice. "Look here Giles!" She rushed to him with a book in hand, pointing to the passage she'd been perusing. "Right here it states that if the members of the Blackthorn are defeated then hell would practically rain down upon those who destroyed the Circle." Quickly she flipped through a few pages and sat the book into his hands, "But read that!"

Giles rapidly scanned the page. His eyes simmered with hope as he turned to the others. "Well, according to this passage, we CAN stop the invading horde. All we have to do is find a spell to send them back from whence they came," he announced. "It seems the members aura's are, or were, tuned to a binding spell keeping the demons, except vampires, in.. in a type of, uh, stasis. Now that they are dead or no longer upon this plane of existence the binding spell is dissipating."

"So?" Buffy quirked an eyebrow, arms imperiously crossed, "Un-dissipate it."

Dawn just shook her head, "That's not even a word and it's too late. It's mostly done dissipating and quite a few of the demons have already escaped."

"How do you know?" Buffy asked.

Dawn pointed at the T.V., "The news."

"Huh. Okay, so we hunt them down and take 'em out." Buffy decided almost letting hope get the best of her before she seeing the look on Giles face. "But there's more to it, isn't there?" She let out a heavy sigh slumping down into a chair.

"Well, I'm afraid it's, it's quite a powerful spell Buffy and not one that can easily be carried through to completion. In fact the last warlock who attempted this feat, died trying." The space around them quickly filled with a melancholy air.

"But Will's a pretty powerful witch. Not that I want to jeopardize her safety, but don't you think she could pull it off?" Buffy asked, hope filling her crackling voice as she sat up in her chair.

Willow rose from her chair scared, but ready to do what she could if it meant saving Angel. The last time she tried had ended in failure, due to no fault of her own of course, but if she could alter the course of fate this time, she was certainly willing to try. Besides, she had a few ideas percolating inside her genius brain.

"Well, Buffy, Willow is powerful and much more controlled in her Magic." Giles commended, "But powerful enough is indeed a question I'm afraid I just can not answer." He leaned back in the chair he had lowered into with a his forehead creased in thought.

"I'm afraid I can't just take that for an answer." Buffy stated, "We have to make a decision before it's too late. As much as I hate just jumping into the things, I'm not losing him again!" She broke off in a fitful burst of tears for her ex-boyfriend. Dawn and Willow attempted to comfort Buffy as she remembered the look on his face when she had to send him to some Hell Dimension to stop Alcaltha. Making a silent decision she jumped up and ran, leaving the room in a mad rage.

"Buffy, WAIT!" Willow yelled running after her. She took a second to look back at Giles who only nodded his head in agreement. Willow caught up to the impatiently waiting slayer in the hallway leading to the stairs.

"Buffy, we can't just go rushing into things! Give us an hour, please? We'll figure it out." Willow stared pleadingly into the slayer's expressionless eyes, tears still managing to find their way down her cheeks.

"That's it. One hour. And then I am leaving with or without you!" Buffy pivoted quickly, raging down the hall and up to the next floor to her room. Once there Buffy threw clothes about and changed into her hunting outfit hurriedly. In her state of mind, she didn't hear Kennedy knocking at her door.
Buffy was startled and jumped when Kennedy touched her shoulder. She spun around into a defensive posture. Realizing whom it was she slowly dropped her fists to her hips, her heartbeat returning somewhat to normal. She snapped out, "You know better then to come up on a Slayer like that!"
Kennedy just smirked.

"Anyways, it's good you're up, I was just about to wake you." Buffy added as she continued to pack her favorite weapons.

"Well, apparently you did a fine job of it." Kennedy griped. "Look, I'm awake now, so what did you need?"

"Get the girls assembled in the training room. Now" She ordered.

"Sure. But, mind if I ask why? I mean this is the middle of the night after all." Kennedy waited patiently at the door.

"What else…another apocalypse! Small 'A' this time." she growled. Buffy headed off any further exploratory questions by asking with quiet intensity, "Please. For once? Just do what I ask."

"Whoa, you're asking? There's a first." Kennedy mock gasped.

Buffy simply stopped, stilled and turned dead, stone-cold killer eyes on the young girl. Kennedy actually gulped and hurried off to wake the other girls.
The girls inundated Kennedy with questions as she roused them from sleep.

"No questions girls. Just get into the training room." A frustrated Kennedy snapped as she ushered them down the dark hallway. Kennedy was still a bit annoyed with Buffy, but seemed to think that maybe something serious was going on here.

Buffy waited outside the door of the training room for several seconds. Grunts, sighs and sleepy yawns could be heard inside the room. Some of them weren't taking this seriously while others were. Most were just complaining that they never get any good sleep around this insane asylum.

Buffy entered the room, slamming the door hard behind her. Startled screams echoed through the room as she growled out, "And now that I have your attention, we can begin. First of all this isn't a game. If you don't want to be here, then you know where the door is no one is holding you prisoner. Secondly, there are things much worse than climbing out of bed at 3 in the morning." She strode silently around the room clasping her hands behind her to control the anger and fear rising within her.

Stopping at the front of the room Buffy took a deep cleansing breath. She relaxed slightly saying, "Ok, look I understand the sleepiness and frustration. I really do! Been there done that, for WAY too long. Unfortunately slayers don't get to punch out at five o'clock and go home. A slayer's work is never done even when she is!"

Buffy sighed as she listened to the young girls' rebellious mutterings. Raising her voice slightly, Buffy retrieved their attention, "Slayer's were created from the beginning to protect the world from the undead. And today, we have a crisis. It seems we have another apocalypse, small 'a', on our hands. The world needs some saving and we're the only ones that can do it."

Buffy let the news sink in for a few moments before continuing, "For those who've never fought in a real battle, there is no time like the present to get your shot. Demons, Vampires, all things that go bump in the night, are real. And we slay them. It's just what we do." One or two of the girls still carried on behind her back like spoiled little children. Spinning quickly around, Buffy's darting eyes found the petulant girls. She stormed to the back of the formation glaring at them. The girls eyes met Buffy's and they immediately stilled. With eyes locked she continued, "As I said, those that do not wish to be here are welcome to LEAVE." The girls hushed and the room filled with eerie silence.

"I need to go see if Giles and Willow are ready to leave. Please get ready. Arm up for War, not a night out." Buffy turned for the door. "Kennedy, hand out the weapons accordingly." The door shut quietly behind her.

After several moments of silence, "Well you heard her troops. Mount up!" Kennedy spoke up sounding quite the drill sergeant. Even though she and Buffy weren't the best of friends, Kennedy was the second in command of the girls. Besides, she really kicked ass when it came down to it and Buffy could respect that.

Passing out the Big Guns, basically the swords, axes, and sharpened staves, the girls ran up to their rooms to get into their personalized fighting gear. They loaded up on their personal weapons as well, of course, not a one of them were without their trusty stakes. Once ready they congregated in the top floor gym ready to head to roof if necessary. Those who'd never truly fought in a real battle of life and death were trembling and scared but not a girl amongst them weren't ready to fight.


Conner slipped into the alleyway behind the Hyperion Hotel without taking his father's attention away from the battle at hand. He'd only meant to see how things were going, never intending to stay for long. Hearing a groan of metal nearby Conner espied a vampire struggling to get behind a dumpster. Conner scuffed his shoe on the ground and the vampire spun quickly around in surprise. Attacking Conner the vampire just simply rushed him. Grabbing and twisting Conner threw the Vampire interrupting the creatures bum rush. Slipping a stake from his sleeve he lazily stabbed it in the chest as it tried to attack him again.

Watching the Vampires ashes gust across the asphalt, Conner stole a quick glance and saw Gunn lying in a small pool of blood. For a second, he mourned more for the loss his father would experience but also because death was never a pretty painted picture. About to step away he heard the man groan faintly. Realizing Gunn still clung to life Conner braced himself. No Vampire or Demon would get his friend.


The girl's were getting rather restless and Kennedy was thinking about starting them to spar. After all, one can only do so many warm-up exercises. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw Buffy leading a struggling Giles and Willow up the stairs.

"About time!" Kennedy huffed.

Buffy just quirked an eyebrow telling the girls, "All right! Listen up!"

The girls quieted and gave Buffy their full solemn attention.

"We are opening two portals. I need you girls to split half and half. Kennedy! Pick team leaders." Buffy ordered.

A quick sorting and Kennedy, Rona, and Vi stepped up asking, "What's the what boss?"

"Hand out the projectile weapons and flamethrowers. We're gonna soften them up and hit 'em hard!" Buffy informed them. She gestured to the portals that Dawn created, "Move 'em out!"