AN: I actually never figured out if the Devonshire was a tea brand, or did it mean tea & scones etc. Or maybe it was just name my host family used... and there's no way in hell I'll google that, just that name brings up pleasant memories, I don't want to ruin them.

DISCLAIMER: Series trademarks, all publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The author is not in any way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise, and makes no money from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.

III

She felt a pang of guilt when she watched Willow walking on the sunny street. There was pain on Willow expressive face. She increased her pace until she was walking beside Willow, but she didn't know what to say. So she just silently walked beside her. She looked at quarreling kids, they were arguing who's turn it was to fetch the ball from the darkness of the bushes. You never saw that kind of deep fear of shadows in other towns.

It took a long time for Willow to realize that someone was walking beside her. When she finally did, she turned to look who it was and froze. "You!" Willow said.

"I'm sorry." Ash said.

Willow gave a hollow laugh. "She left me..." Then she grabbed her face, and Ash froze when Willow fiercely kissed her. "And now we've kissed the same girl," She continued and as she waved her hand a blueish barrier appeared around her. "Stay."

She stood there, watching how Willow crossed the street before reaching the collage. When the barrier around her disappeared, and she turned around to leave, she saw Buffy and Xander. For a moment, she thought about running away, but then she decided that it was pointless. Buffy now knew about her, that blissful night had changed everything, she looked straight into Buffy's eyes.

"Who are you?" Buffy asked.

She ignored her, and as she tried to pass them by Buffy grabbed her arm. "Who are you?" Buffy asked again.

"Ninguém." She answered and stared Buffy's fingers, she used so much force that bones of a human would have been broken, Buffy either didn't know her own strength or she wanted to hurt her.

"That's your name? So WHAT are you? Not a human."

"Yeah, not a human." She answered, wrapped her fingers around Buffy's wrist and twisted it until Buffy wailed and released her grip, then she walked away.

"No, Buffy," She heard Xander saying. "She's not evil."

She turned around the corner, jumped up to fire ladder and climbed to the roof.

"She's gone." She heard Buffy speaking down at the alley.

"Yeah, she's better in that dark, and mysterious thing than dead boy was. She does it in broad daylight too," Xander said. "She said she's a half-breed. But she's one of the good guys, she kills demons and vampires."

There was a long pause before Buffy spoke. "I have to tell Giles, ask him to find out who she is."

After Buffy and Xander had left she laid down on the roof and watched clouds slowly moving through the sky, thinking how the witch's memory spell had changed her situation. Now the Slayer was after her, and there wasn't much she could do about that, except to hope that she'd covered her tracks well enough to hide any clues who she was.

Ash sighed. Giles was Slayer's Watcher. And, if anything, watchers were good finding out information in any of the usual ways, and they weren't afraid to use some of the more unorthodox ways to track out people who were too hard to locate by usual means. And, even though she'd paid a lot to a wizard to prevent any magical ways to locate her, she wasn't sure if it had been enough.

She got up and jumped back down on the alley. She had things to do. And the first thing was to find a moving company willing to move her things right away. And before movers would come, she'd have to pack her weapons so that movers would never see them. Even in the Hellmouth her weapons would raise an eyebrow or two.

She wondered around the mansion, she actually liked it, it was dark and cold, but it had some character. And in some ways it reminded her about only home she ever had. The alarm-system was crude, but it had to do until she'd decided if she'd stay in the mansion or not.

She went to the roof, she could see the stars in the clear darkness of the sky. They seemed somehow dimmer than they had before. She fished through her pockets until she felt the familiar shape of a vial. It was a small vial, but what it had in it was a complex drug. She stared it. If she'd inject it to her veins and then go fight with the demons they'd kill her, it would be suicide, but she'd still go fighting.

She was tempted.

Suddenly there was a short, low, buzzing sound of the alarm from the front door. She groaned, placed the vial back on her pocket, jumped down on the ground and went to see who had broken in to her new place. Door was open, she slid in, inhaled deeply, and a faint smile flashed on her lips. She saw a light coming under one of the doors. She moved cautiously to the door, grasped the handle and opened it.

Xander's reaction was unconscious and instinctive. He turned, aimed his crossbow to her. Then he relaxed and lowered it. "Ash, the door was open," Xander said. "When you weren't at Ethan's, I figured that it was you who moved in here. This is Tara... but you two already have met, haven't you?"

She nodded, and Tara blushed.

"You choose creepier and creepier places, don't you?" Xander asked, and she looked him with raised brow. He sighed. "First Ethan Rayne's store and now dead boys mansion, you broke in, huh?"

"Angel knows," She answered and stared Tara, who lowered her gaze to the floor. "I bought it."

"And Angel sold it to you?" Xander said, making a mental note to ask Angel to whom he had sold his mansion.

"He did." Ash answered, never taking her eyes off from Tara.

Xander nodded, then he placed his hand on Tara's shoulder. "Staring with raised eyebrow... that's her way of asking why you're here."

Tara glanced gratefully at Xander, and then she looked at Ash, the young girl made her extremely nervous. "Xander told me that y—you train him?" She nodded. "Can y—you train m—m—me too?"

The need crawled slowly inside of Ash, white and bright need to have friends, grasping its fingers around her mind. She hated that feeling. If she'd let Tara into her life she'd endanger Tara's life, and she already had been weak enough to let Xander in. But the need rose inside of her, sat down, eased its legs as it spread its tendrils within her. 'I'm gonna regret this', she thought before she nodded.

Tara smiled, but her smile quickly vanished when she snarled to her.

"She does that, and she growls a lot too," Xander said to Tara. "I've figured that her annoyance is not aimed to me... or you. I think it's more that she's angry to herself... because she has feelings."

Ash snorted, Xander was extremely good natured young man, and now it seemed that he was more observant than he appeared.

"I like you, you know?" Xander said. "Yeah, you're all broody and silent and mysterious... much like Angel. But... couple nights ago in Magic Box I saw a self-assured and charming girl flirting with Tara, protecting us—"

She shook her head. "That girl died long ago," She stared Tara. "Can you erase my memory?"

Tara's eyes widened. "I—I might... but I don't want to make that spell. Not, not e—even when you w—want it."

She nodded. "I understand, white witch and black magic... I won't ask again."

"Why'd you want erase your memories?" Xander asked.

"It's been a terrible life," Ash said and frowned. "I'd like to have a fresh start."

Tara looked at Ash, what Xander had told her, the girl was a silent killer. But this woman's aura wasn't killer's aura. She had a lot darkness in her, but it wasn't evil. Never had she seen anyone who at the same time was as scary and disarming as she was. "You—you can't. But you can leave it be—behind... mostly."

Ash nodded. "Trying... but it's hard," She said and smiled to Tara. "I'll never hurt you."

Tara smiled. "I know," She lowered her gaze. "But, but I'm nervous. T—that I...you'll be disappointed of me."

"I will be," Ash said. "But that's expected. It's not a reason to stop trying," She looked at Xander. "You'll be her fitness trainer."

"Aye, Aye, Sir." Xander said and mockingly saluted her.

Ash smiled shaking her head.

Ash killed the demons almost as fast as they crawled out of their underground tunnel. It had been an easy job, she'd killed two of them before they got out from their cave. But then they got over their shock and attacked her as a team. And suddenly she was facing a small team of intelligent demons. She pulled her gun from the holster, aimed and pulled the trigger. Bullet hit the eye of the demon, and when the back of it's head exploded it fell on the ground.

She dropped her sword, dodged an attack, pulled second gun and started pulling the triggers. Under a minute, all of them were lying on the ground. She put her guns back on the holsters, took her sword and cut their heads off. "You could've helped." She said.

"Why?" Spike said. "I'm still the big bad."

She nodded, whatever Slayer and her friends thought about Spike, he still was a psychopath who saw only one side: his own. She sat down on the demon's back, took her sword and started to clean it.

"You don't talk much, do yo?" Spike asked, looking at the dead demons. "And you're a darn good killer. Slayer would never use a gun."

While she cleaned her sword, she cautiously watched him moving, and when he approached her, she moved the sword on her lap, took a gun and pointed it to him. He stopped, and then he smirked. "Bullets won't kill me." She didn't answer, she just pointed the gun on his head. Spike flinched. "Right... that would hurt. Slayer and Watcher want to meet you."

She nodded. "When?"

"Right now would be good, they've at the Magic Box," Spike said and flicked his cigarette away. "I like that you still see me as a threat. Even with this... chip."

Without answering, she put her sword back to its sheath, got up, took her duster off, leaned down, and lifted the six feet tall demon on her shoulder, and carried it back into the tunnel.

"Damn those things weight over three hundred pounds, you don't look much, but you're strong." Spike said. She ignored him and carried all of the demons back into their tunnel. Then she put her duster back on, and started to walk away.

"So... are you going to Magic Box, or not?" Spike asked.

She nodded. As she walked toward the Magic Box she wondered what they wanted from her, she knew that they didn't trust her. Neither did she trust them, anyone who was powerful enough to resurrect death Slayer by magic was potentially very dangerous. And then there was the Slayer, she'd seen how emotionally unstable she was. But she didn't want to hurt her. "Slayer..." She said. "Will she try to kill me?"

"Might," Spike said. "She's... been strange after she got back."

She shrugged. "Dying does that to you."

She lifted the hood of her sweater over her head and put sunglasses on before they opened the Magic Box door. The moment they entered the Magic box, she was faced with the Slayer. She stood in few yards away, arms crossed and stared her. "What are you? A demon?"

She ignored her and smiled to Xander.

"Buffy," Giles said. "We invited her. Do you want anything? Tea perhaps?"

She nodded. "Devonshire, no jam."

Giles arched his brow. "Good choice, though jam's essential. I haven't yet found decent enough scones from here, but I have some edible ones?"

She nodded to Giles. "That'll be fine."

Xander rolled his eyes. "Dammit, she's one of them." He said and shook his head, and Ash smiled to him.

"You've been training Xander." Buffy said with a bitter tone.

She shrugged, went to sit beside Xander, who smiled reassuringly to her.

"He's mine." Anya said.

Xander sighed and turned to his girlfriend. "Ahn, she's just my training instructor."

"Yes, and she sees you all sweaty and..."

"Ahn, she's gay." Xander interrupted her.

"She's not even a human, so we can't be sure if she's female." Buffy said.

Giles took his glasses off, ran his thumb and forefinger up the bridge of his nose and then, with a small sigh, placed his palm over his eyes. "Buffy, we didn't invite her to be insulted."

"She saved our lives in sewers." Xander said.

"Yes, quite right. We should be grateful for that," Giles said. "Tea and scones will be ready soon." He continued and went into the back room.

"Slayer," Spike said. "It's futile to try to protect them now that the girl's here. She has guns, sword, knives and stakes on her. And she knows how to use 'em. She killed several demons today and then tossed 'em away like they weighted nothing. I'd say she could kill us all before you'd have time to react."

Buffy jumped as though she'd been shot. She faced her, but Ash was now pointing a gun on the Buffy. "Don't," Ash said, her voice unnaturally shrill. "I won't hurt anyone."

Spike laughed. "Slayer, if she'd wanted us dead we'd be dead already."

"Bloody hell!" Giles said, placed a tray on the table and looked first Buffy then Ash's gun. "I was gone only for a few minutes!"

"'S OK," Ash said and put the gun away. "She's protecting them."

"What's with the gun?" Xander asked. "Bullets don't kill vampires."

"Head, eyes, spine, knee, genitals," Ash said, without noticing it, she'd taken the role of Xander's instructor. "Slows vampires down, and guns CAN kill demons. Your gun training starts after you've gotten good enough with the crossbow."

"That's... unconventional, ostentatious and messy." Giles said.

"And effective," Ash shrugged. "I kill demons. I don't care about anything else."

"Yeah you do, you care about me and Tara," Xander said. "You're a nice girl."

"I am a half-breed, much like vampires," Ash said and poured tea to a cup. "I was... created to kill vampires and demons. I'm not a human, or a girl," She looked at Giles. "And I don't kill humans."

"You were pointing a gun on to my head." Buffy said, pointing her with a crossbow.

Ash shrugged. "You're not a human. You're the Slayer. I won't hurt you, but killing you wouldn't be against my oath not to hurt humans."

"Slayer's are humans." Willow said.

"Slayer is Slayer," Ash stated and took a sip from her tea. "This is excellent tea," She sighed. "What do you want from me?"

"Two things," Giles said. "What did you mean by your note? What is not a demon?"

Ash took a pen and wrote something. Then she gave the note to Giles.

Giles read the note and nodded. "I won't ask how you know this. Another thing is... we'd like to know more about you, at the moment you are an enigma and... in Sunnydale enigma is... suspicious. Is it possible for you to take that hood and those sunglasses off so we can see your face?"

"No, I don't want to appear in your CCTV, after the last time I had to change my appearance."

"We don't have CCTV in here." Giles said.

Ash arched her brow, then she looked at Spike. "Listen."

Spike stared her for a minute, then he cocked his head to one side, and shut his eyes. "Bloody hell, be quiet for a moment!" He ordered and shut his eyes again. After awhile he nodded. "She's right, I can hear that strange whirring of zooming camera."

"Good lord," Giles said. "Are you telling us that we've been watched?"

Ash nodded and glanced at the front door. "The scones were fairly edible, and the tea was excellent," She said and got up. "Thank you."

"You are welcome. Now, young lady," Giles started, but paused when there was a knock on the door. "Anya, go tell them that we are closed," He continued, and when he turned back Ash was nowhere to be found. "Where did she go?"

"To the basement, I s'pose she's in the sewers by now," Buffy said. "She's fast."

"I suppose that to be a good demon hunter she has to be fast," Giles said. "Her note.." He continued and gave the note to Willow. "Is that possible?"

Willow read the note, then she looked at Giles. "A freeze-weapon... it might be possible. But how can she know that it's not a demon? And how did she knew that we were researching it?" She said and looked at Xander.

Xander shook his head. "I haven't told her anything about what we do. But I would've if she'd asked. I trust her."

"Trust might be too much to say, but I do consider her as an ally for the time being," Giles said. "Willow what can you do to those cameras?"

Ash was growing restless. She'd been following the Slayer since sunset, her gaze fixed on her. She heard a quiet growl, and she could feel her senses growing even sharper, her mind groping out across the cemetery. The Slayer's night had been busy, more than usual — six older vampires, one demon and general row of the newly born vampires.

When she saw the vampire dressed as a monk she shut her eyes, trying not to surrender to the hurtful memories that came flooding back. She'd seen vampire monks before, waiting for defenseless women to be victims of their torture. Slowly she opened her eyes and shook those memories away. This wasn't one of the monk-vampires she'd met, this one was too young, too slow and too weak to fight the Slayer. Soon it was dust, and the Slayer continued her patrol.

Suddenly the Slayer stopped, turned and stared straight at her. "You can come out." She said.

She got out from the shadows, and when the Slayer saw her she groaned. "You," She frowned. "How come I don't feel the demon in you?"

Ash shrugged and stopped about ten feet away from her.

Buffy sighed and turned. "If you're following me, it's best if you join me on my patrol," She glanced at Ash. "But I'm watching you."

They walked in silence the familiar paths of the cemetery. At times when Buffy glanced at the black, cloudless sky Ash saw sorrow and desperation spread upon her face, but when Buffy's gaze turned back to Ash it was gone. As they got in to next cemetery Ash noticed how Buffy changed, suddenly every drop of her predatory attitude disappeared, and she was a lost girl. Buffy made herself as a bait.

"Here they come," Buffy whispered when four vampires were approaching them. Ash raised her brow, pretending to be a little lost girl seemed to work well for Buffy.

"Let me handle them." Buffy said, Ash nodded and sat on the headstone.

"Little girl, you're going to be our snack." One of the vampires said, and Buffy rolled her eyes.

"Is there a Vampire cliche book y'all have to study?" Buffy asked.

When the first vampire launched on Buffy, she kicked him on the ribs, and smashed his head back with her open hand as she staked him. Ash watched her fighting all of the three remaining vampires at once. She was fighting hand and foot, and she fought grimly, silently. Buffy made a graceful jump, kicked one on the head and as she dropped down she drove stake to the heart of the vampire beside her.

"You left your right side open." Ash said when they continued their patrol.

Buffy shrugged. "Broken rib."

Ash nodded, that explained it.

"Pistols of yours," Buffy said. "Are they useful?"

"Yeah, but noisy," Ash said and smiled. "Close combat killing is much more fun."

Buffy chuckled. "Yeah, and it's good exercise too," She frowned. "Why are you doing this?"

Ash shrugged. "It's my life."

Buffy stopped and stared her. "You said you were created to kill demons and vampires. Is that true?"

"Yeah,kinda."

Buffy nodded, and they walked in silence from the cemetery to another, at times killing fledglings until they went into the park. Buffy sat on the bench, and Ash sat on the other end of the bench. They sat in silence for a long time. When the sun was up Ash looked at Buffy and the sad expression on her face had given way to a small smile.

"Xander can take care of himself now, I've never... known how to train him. Or any of them," Buffy said. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Ash said, leaned back on the bench, shut her eyes and let the sun warm her face while she listened to the sounds of the waking town.