Chapter 3

When Buffy, Willow and Xander arrived at the library after school the following day they were surprised to find a very dishevelled and frustrated librarian.

"Giles? Did you get attacked by a book or something?" Buffy asked.

"What? Oh, Buffy. I didn't see you there." Giles said as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"What's got to you?"

"It's these men. Summers, Potter, Kent, Logan and Longbottom."

There was a giggle.

Willow turned the colour of her hair. "I'm so sorry, I just can't help it." She said embarrassedly.

Xander patted her back proudly as Buffy smiled.

Giles took a breath to calm himself. "I have been trying all day to inform the Council back home about them and the possible threat they pose. Whatever method I try backfires. If I write about them I start listing… irrelevant information. If try to call I start to babble about… other irrelevant information."

There was no way he was going to tell the three teenagers he kept spouting off about his sexual endeavours. Everything from when he lost his virginity to when he first masturbated. It was outrageous and he was mortified.

"I believe they have employed a geas on me that prevents me from speaking of them and instead compels me to speak of… other things."

"I am both very curious about what they make you say and at the same time… terrified to know." Xander quipped as he put his bag on the table and took a seat.

"I don't get why you think they are a threat. So far they've been more helpful than some other people I could mention." Buffy said with a pointed jab at Giles and his stance on the duties of Watchers and Slayers.

"We know nothing about them!" Giles argued. "They turn up here, right where the Slayer lives and they know about the Council and the darker side of life. How do they know these things?"

"Because people more powerful than you told us."

The group of jumped at the gravelly voice that came from above them.

Clinging to the ceiling with what appeared to be one fist and an act of magnetism was Logan with a hat on his head and a cigar in his mouth.

"And your situational awareness sucks, Summers." He grunted before he suddenly plummeted to the ground causing Willow to shriek.

Logan landed with barely a sound and bent knee.

"Whoa." Xander said in awe.

"I've been here the whole time and you didn't sense me." Logan said unhappily as he stalked up to Buffy. "First thing you should do when you enter a room is check every visible surface. Look for whatever might be out of place."

"I'm a teenage girl, not a super spy!"

"You're a target." Logan countered. "Whether you want to be or not. If you want to live longer than other Slayers I suggest you get your mind in gear."

"So this is what I can look forward to for the rest of my life? Severe paranoia?" She said as she slumped in her chair depressed.

"It ain't paranoia if they're actually out to get ya girl. Besides, our job is to make sure you have a long and happy life. We're gonna drill these instincts into you so you can then get yourself a nice boy or girl and settle down and raise some runts."

"Girl?!" Willow squeaked.

"Shh… let me bask in that image for a moment." Xander hushed his friend. "Ow! Slayer strength!"

"Get used to it kid." Logan grinned at him. "If you want to survive this fight then I suggest you learn to toughen up or you'll be filling the stomach of some demon."

"Now see here! You can't just come in here and start ordering us around. There are rules and traditions. A Slayer must devote her life to her calling. I am barely going to be able to convince the Council that Miss Summers should be allowed to stay in school and involve her friends." Giles said angrily.

"Allowed?" Buffy queried archly.

"Buffy, if it were some other Watcher here they would have removed you from your mother's custody and ensured you spent one hundred percent of your time training and slaying." Giles said firmly.

"How would they 'remove her from her mother's custody'?" Xander asked with a cold calmness.

"It depends on the situation, but it would not be good for any member of the family." Giles said as he sat down in frustration. "Buffy, I may push you hard but I am doing everything I can to protect your relationship with your family."

Buffy looked to Logan.

"He's not lying." Logan shrugged. "But he can't do a fraction of what we can do to protect you."

"The Council has special teams to deal with threats to the Council's control of the Slayers. Armed units made up of the elite of the British military, a majority are SAS, some are the elite of MI5 and 6." Giles warned. "You may have been able to stop me from reporting your interference but there are plenty of others affiliated with the Council who will report back. When they do you will find yourself… dead." He finished bluntly.

"They'd kill humans?!" Willow asked aghast.

Buffy looked defeated. "Maybe it would be safer for everyone if-"

"Kid, I'm the best at what I do. And what I do best is killing things." Logan scoffed. "Even if these wet behind the ears nancy boys managed to hurt me, they'd still have to get past the rest of the team.

"If they somehow managed to do that… well…" Logan grinned nastily. "Been a while since I fought in a war. Hopefully this time Thor and Hercules won't hog all the fun."

"Didn't you say that other guy, Clark, defeated Thor?" Buffy challenged.

"He defeated Thor in his universe. He's the adopted uncle of the Thor of my universe."

"Wow… it's more complicated than a comic book." Xander muttered.

No one noticed the scowl appear on Logan's face.

"Can't you and Mr. Giles work together?" Willow pleaded. She hated confrontation and this was not helping her nerves.

"Me? Long as he's no threat to the girl's freedom and safety I'll work with him. But I'm not the one choosing to be bound by oaths to misogynistic old geezers." He looked at Giles pointedly.

"Misogy-whatsit?" Xander queried.

"It means those who treat and think of women as inferior." Giles said heatedly. "And I take objection-"

"To me calling a group of men who treat young girls as canon fodder to be ordered around as they like, 'women haters'." Logan finished.

"There are women on the Council." Giles argued.

"No, there are female Watchers. There are no women on the ruling council."

"Yet." Giles emphasised. "But they still entrust women with the Council's greatest asset, the Slayer."

"Asset?!" Buffy said indignantly. "That's it. I am out of here." Buffy said angrily as she grabbed her bag.

"Buffy! You can't leave! If you do… I won't be able to protect you." Giles pleaded.

"From who? You?" She demanded before storming out with Xander and Willow hot on her heels.

Logan just stood there staring disappointedly at Giles.

"You've doomed her. Her and her mother." Giles said depressed as he slumped into a chair.

Logan just looked at him in disgust before stomping off after the Slayer and her friends.

"Come with me, Rupert."

Giles nearly had a heart attack at the sound of Harry's voice.

"Where did you come from?" He asked as he tried to calm his pulse.

"That is exactly what I plan to show you." Harry smiled.

Logan caught up with the kids in the school parking lot as the sun was beginning to set.

"Hold up Summers."

Buffy stopped but didn't turn around.

"I'm not going to take orders from others anymore." She said clearly, her back still turned.

"Yes you are." Logan said calmly. "And if you follow those orders well enough then you will soon be in a position to give orders yourself or even to just give up the game and enjoy a normal life. But if you don't take those orders and learn to follow them then you won't live long enough to have a choice."

"Is that a threat?" Xander asked as he got between Logan and the girls.

"I like you kid. You've got what it takes to be a hunter. You will not only kill for your friends… you'll just plain kill them." Logan grinned.

"Answer the question." Xander ordered as he maintained his position, he didn't like being reminded of what he had done at The Bronze the previous night.

Willow had no idea how it had happened but Xander was on the floor gasping, Buffy was clasping her knee and there was a knife at her own throat.

"Out of all my friends I am considered the weakest." Logan said quietly. "I took you down before you could breathe. If you don't want our help then that's fine." He released Willow and pushed her away gently. "But you and your friends and family won't last long. The evil of the night will find you and they will take their time."

He stooped down and helped Xander to his feet before doing the same with Buffy.

Buffy and Xander both considered sending some violence his way but they decided they wouldn't make much of an impact.

"Come on, I'll walk you home. Just make sure you all get home before dark in the future."

"I can handle vamps." Buffy said sorely. Her pride hurt more than her knee.

"So you didn't learn anything from the night your friend Jessie was taken?" Logan challenged.

"Hey!" Xander said angrily. "That wasn't her fault."

"No, it wasn't. And I wasn't saying it was. But she hasn't learned how to dispatch vamps and protect people at the same time."

"You think you can take on five vamps and protect four people?" Xander challenged.

"Kid, I've fought armies just to keep kids younger than you safe… vamps don't even have ranged weapons, they're all about the up close kill." Logan said as he started walking. "Come on. It's getting dark. One of the rules of survival is don't put yourself into dangerous situations you can avoid."

"There's a list?" Willow asked.

"Nothing official after the first four or five. Most are just common sense."

"What's number one?" Buffy asked as they cautiously began to follow the man.

"Don't die."

"That's it?" Willow asked in disbelief.

"One of the hardest rules not to break. Broke it enough times myself to know." Logan grumbled.

"What are the others?" Xander asked curiously.

"Rule Two: Everybody dies… well… unless they're Harry." He allowed.

"That contradicts rule one!" Willow objected.

"Rule Two ain't just that people die. It's about making sure that you are prepared mentally. Your friends are going to die, possibly horrible pointless deaths, Rule Two is making sure you are aware of this so you can continue to fight."

"Alright, what's Rule Three?" Buffy asked, unable to curb her curiosity.

Logan just grinned. "Don't break Rule One."

"Are these serious rules?" Willow asked sceptically.

"These rules have kept my friends and family alive for millennia."

"Millennia?"

"Kid, I'm older than civilisation. Round about one hundred and ninety-five hundred thousand years… give or take fifty thousand. I stopped counting ages ago, only Harry and Clark pay attention to that type of thing now."

"Are they the same age as you?" Xander asked, he wasn't sure if Logan was telling the truth or just plain crazy.

"No, Harry and Neville are both over twenty mill'. Neville is supposed to be a lot older."

"Twenty million years? They were around when dinosaurs were alive?" Willow clearly thought this Logan person was nuts.

"No, although we have travelled through time." Logan allowed. "In his home universe Harry was born on July 31st 1980. But he lived there for around fifteen million years before he came to my universe. It's a long story and if you want to hear more you have to accept our training." Logan grinned evilly.

"Bribery!" Willow objected.

"I will bribe you, guilt you and mock you if it will make you accept our training." Logan said seriously. "But I won't force you and I won't blackmail, threaten or kidnap you. We are not the Watcher's Council." He said with a pointed look to Buffy.

"What are the other two rules?" Buffy asked with a frown. She had to admit, Logan made a better pitch than the Watcher's 'One girl born' spiel.

"Rule Four: You can't change Rule Two. Too many people turn to necromancy or bargain with demons and gods. There is always a price and the deal is never what it seems. But the real point of Rule 4 is to reiterate Rule Two."

"These aren't real rules." Willow grumbled.

"You're gonna hate Rule Five then." Logan chuckled.

"Go on then, what is it?" Willow sighed.

"Rule Five: There are no rules. The enemy will cheat… be prepared to do the same."

"I like that one." Xander grinned.

"It's not rules that should be followed on the battlefield. It's a moral code." Logan explained further. "The problem is that sometimes that moral area gets a little grey."

"There are rules for a reason." Willow said firmly. "They are what separate us from animals and monsters."

"You've got a wounded vampire lying in front of you. What do you do?" Logan challenged her.

"I… I get Buffy. Or Giles." She said hesitantly.

He rolled his eyes. "Wait here a second." He said as he jumped over the low fence of the house they were passing and headed into the shadows of the alley.

"What's he doing now?" Xander asked as he began checking the shadows for danger. Since finding out about vampires his awareness was always on high alert. It was making things fairly stressful for him.

"Call of nature?" Buffy offered.

There was the sound of a scuffle and Xander pushed Willow behind him as Buffy moved in front of her friends defensively.

A few seconds later Logan stalked back out with a body over his shoulders. He hopped back over the fence and dropped the body on the ground.

It was clearly a vampire with fangs out, eyes yellow and forehead… protruding. It used to be a young male, about twenty something years old. And it was obviously paralysed.

"Here you go girl." Logan proclaimed as he pulled out a stake and handed it to Willow. "A practical lesson. Xander, Buffy and I aren't here. In about ten minutes this vampire will have healed enough to move and possibly attack you or someone else. What are you going to do about it?"

"Call Buffy."

"Buffy isn't available. Nine minutes thirty."

"Can't I just keep him tied up?"

"You got chains in your school bag there? Heavy duty ones that could keep Buffy in place?" Logan asked.

"Call the police?"

"What will the police do? Seven minutes forty-five."

"Put him in prison."

"First of all, do you really think they will put an injured person in prison before taking him to a hospital? By the time he is in the ambulance he will be healed and the paramedics will be drained dry."

"I don't know!" Willow began to panic.

"You could just stake him." Logan shrugged.

"I'm not a fighter!"

"Does that mean you aren't a survivor? Those rules you were just belittling have helped kids much younger than you survive. Harry was only a year old when he had to face his first killer. Ten years later and he was facing the same killer and his lackey.

"Five minutes fifteen."

Xander stepped forward, snatched the stake from Willow's hand and plunged it into the vampire's chest.

"Congratulations girl, you are now an accessory to an untold amount of murders." Logan sighed. "The vampire ran off and killed a little girl walking her dog." He pointed to a girl of around twelve walking a large Labrador down the road. "Then he used her to gain access to her family."

"Willow isn't a fighter." Xander said icily. "I will deal with the threats."

"The point wasn't to make the girl a fighter." Logan shook her head. "It was to help her understand the murky greys of combat."

He turned back to a slightly pale Willow. "You think there was anything wrong with your boy staking that vamp?" He asked calmly.

Willow shook her head.

"What if it had just been a human? A murdering human sure, but still… human?"

"That would make him a murderer!"

"What makes it any better for you to kill a vamp than a human? Humans can be even more evil than vamps."

"Vampires aren't alive." Buffy said slightly irritated.

"Their bodies aren't alive. But they have intelligence and the ability to be reasoned with. You take that to any activist and they will be all over it trying to get equal rights for vamps." Logan snorted in disgust.

"But they're just vamps." Buffy objected.

"They have intelligence, emotions, the ability to reason and reproduce… take that to any court of law and they'll issue the vamp a lawyer." Logan shrugged as he began walking again.

"Then why can't we convince vampires not to eat people?" Willow asked with honest curiosity.

"Because they are literally creatures of evil. They don't give a rat's arse about anything but themselves. They need to feel above others, always fighting for superiority.

"Sure, some will stay low in the ranks. Stick to themselves even, but they will always be looking for a way to the top."

"Gee, they sound so… human." Xander commented sardonically.

"Already said humans can be evil. Some vamps don't hold a candle to the monsters the human race produced."

"Hitler?" Willow asked.

"Hitler?" Logan barked a laugh. "That little pansy's like a terrier dog. Sure, he barks a lot, his bite might break your skin, but the only reason he achieved anything is because his annoying yapping irritated his 'human' handlers so much that they would do anything to shut him up."

"I don't think that's really how the Nazi's felt." Willow frowned.

Logan grinned evilly. "Consider the perfect model of the Aryan human… then think about how Adolf matched up. Short little runt who wasn't even able to dye his hair and managed to not get lynched even though he didn't shave his non-Aryan black-haired head."

"It's all true. The fire, the… 'vampires'… she wasn't making any of it up?"

Scott looked down at the blonde haired woman beside him as they stood in the shadows watching Logan escort the kids home, as he lectured them and discussed ethics and history whilst staking the occasional vampire.

"Yes Joyce, everything she said was true. She spent all those weeks in the asylum because she told the truth." Scott was not going to sugar coat this for the woman. He knew she was a good person but he also knew she had to get to grips with this soon and if he babied her through it then it would take twice as long.

"But why didn't she- Who- "

Scott knew what she was trying to ask but he also knew that she already had the answers. Buffy did tell her and she got locked up for her honesty.

She was in the current state of trying to find someone else to blame… but finding all roads led back to her.

"What have I done?" She asked distraughtly.

"What you've done is not half as important as what you are going to do." Scott said quietly. "You know the dangers she faces. I've told you that no matter how hard she tries to ignore the underworld, it will always find her.

"Your daughter is standing there having been told by the one man who was supposed to help her through this that she could be stolen from her mother if she defies the people he works for. Now she is being lectured on being better prepared by a man who is by his very nature… a killer."

Joyce gasped.

"Make no mistake, Logan is a good man. We wouldn't associate with him if he wasn't. He wouldn't be family. But whether it is as an assassin, a soldier, an avenger, a defender, an executioner or just a man acting in self-defence, Logan is a killer.

"He doesn't stand on our side of the battlefield. He stands on the enemy's side, he cuts through their numbers from within them, not as creature of stealth but as a whirlwind of carnage intent on taking as many of them with him as he can before we have to deal with them."

"He sounds so… evil." Joyce said with a shudder.

"He is our brother. He is a husband, a father, an uncle, a godfather… he is the best at what he does… but what he does should make the decent sick."

"You trust him with children?"

"Joyce, we trust him with the world. He has never truly accepted his role in the universe. But like your daughter he does it anyway.

"But enough about Logan, we are supposed to be talking about your role with regards to Buffy." Scott firmly changed the subject. "You know the truth now. What do you intend to do about it?"

"I don't know what I can do." Joyce admitted worriedly. "I'm just her mother, I don't know the first thing about… vampires."

"Neither did she when her first Watcher approached her and her powers emerged; and she was far younger and more naive than you."

"Perhaps we have a solution."

Scott and Joyce turned to see Clark Kent and the glowing ethereal form of Luna Lovegood standing there.

"Luna." Scott frowned as he greeted her. "Just how much do you want to tell her?" He had a feeling he knew where this was going.

"Just enough to give Harry and Neville back their mother." Clark said quietly. "Every now and again you need someone to care for you."

"What are you talking about?" Joyce asked, she had just seen a man turn to dust before her eyes and now there was a spirit of some sort looking at her with a very unnerving grin.

"I want to take your soul to the other side." Luna grinned. "I want you to see who you can become and maybe give you what you need to help your daughter."

Joyce Summers was a fierce woman who would do whatever she could for her daughter. Even placing her in a mental institute as it broke her heart knowing that Buffy would never really trust her again.

"You want to kill me?" She asked carefully for clarification.

"Technically." Clark admitted. "Your body will be seemingly dead, in reality it will just be unoccupied whilst your soul accompanies Luna."

"There won't be any pain or discomfort." Scott assured her. "I've had out of body experiences plenty of times, but I can't give you any idea of what the after life is like. I've never been there."

"It is impossible to describe the after life to a mortal." Luna shook her head. "It is also impossible to describe the mortal experience to someone who has crossed over. All you have is a memory of sensations and imparted knowledge."

"Then what would be the point? How would it benefit Buffy and myself?"

"Because of the knowledge that someone wants to impart to you." Clark explained.

"Will I be gone long?" She asked; she didn't want to leave Buffy alone for long.

"The better part of a day." Clark shrugged. "Time travels differently between the realms, it could take more or less time, but rest assured we will have someone take care of Buffy and ensure she knows what is happening."

Logan and the kids reached the Rosenberg Home first.

"Where are your parents?" Logan asked as it was only eight pm and the lights were off.

"Their probably upstairs." Willow said nervously.

"Stick to the truth kid. You won't sweat so much. When was the last time they were home?"

"A week or so ago." Willow admitted in defeat.

"They say when they were coming back?"

Willow shook her head.

"Lock up the house. You can stay with us if Mrs Summers doesn't have the room." Logan instructed.

"She can sleep with me."

"Oh god!" Xander gasped.

"A sleepover!" Buffy scowled as she whacked him on the shoulder.

"Please… don't deprive me of my fantasies." Xander grinned.

Willow didn't bother arguing. She hadn't won an argument all night and she was wallowing in her failures.

Logan was feeling pretty smug.

Next up was the Summers Residence.

Buffy went to open the door but was met by a blonde she didn't recognise… three of them… identical to each other.

"Hi!" They chorused with a grin.

"What the hell are you three doing here?" Logan growled.

"Luna wanted to borrow Joyce so we said we would come and babysit." Phoebe said smugly.

"This is revenge for bringing Hibiki and Hikari through, isn't it?"

The girls just grinned evilly. "We'll see you tomorrow Logan."

"Hey! Hold on, where is my Mom?" Buffy demanded.

This time Logan grinned at the Cuckoos. "They're all yours now."

He quickly turned the near drooling Xander around and marched him away from the four blondes and the redhead.

Buffy focused her ire on the home invaders. "Where. Is. My. Mom?"

"She went on a little trip. I'm Phoebe, this is Mindee and Celeste. We're going to be looking after you whilst she's away. Willow too, so it seems."

"Girls, bring them in. Dinner is ready."

"How many of you are there?" Buffy asked as she saw another blonde head poke round the corner.

"Just a few. We really wanted to get back at Logan." Celeste smirked.

"Come on, you heard Amara, dinner time."

As they walked away from the Summers' home Logan quietly stopped and looked at Xander carefully.

"What? Do I have something in my teeth?" Xander joked nervously.

"No. You have something on your back." Logan said expressionlessly. "You really think I'm going to let you go back to the place you got that bruise? Red's parents are nearly as bad as yours. Sure, they don't hit her but they definitely don't care about her."

Xander shrank back visibly. "You won't tell anyone will you?"

"Ain't my place kid." Logan shrugged. "Most of my friends know, but they didn't need me to tell them. So no, I won't tell anyone if'n you don't want me too. But I can't in good conscience let it continue."

"But they'll take me away from Willow! I've already lost Jesse, don't make it worse man." Xander begged.

"Way I see it there are a few options." Logan stated as he calmly took out a fresh cigar and lit it. "One: I go to social services and let them sort things out. You'll probably be put in foster care for the next few years. If you're lucky you'll stay at Sunnydale High.

"Two: I hook you up with some lawyer friends of mine and we look into emancipation. Gotta be honest, your chances aren't good there, you have a reputation as a slacker and the courts won't think you've got what it takes to be responsible."

He reached into his jacket and pulled out a manila envelope that really shouldn't have fit in there. "Three: I go talk to your parents and convince 'em to sign these papers handing custody of you to me."

"You want to adopt me?" Xander laughed. "Ok, I'll bite, what's the downside for that one?"

Logan grinned evilly. "I'm a mean ol' son of a bitch and I'll hit you more than your parents… 'course, by the time I'm finished with ya, you'll be able to block most and hit back just as well."

"You can't just come in here and take over my home!"

"Of course we can." Amara said with a soft smile. "We already have. Besides, we are obligated as responsible adults to ensure the care and safety of a minor. You and Willow are both underage."

"I can take care of myself!" Buffy objected.

"You know how to cook? Joyce didn't leave any ready made meals in the fridge as she didn't have time."

"I can cook." Willow said hesitantly. She wasn't sure about all these strange women. It didn't help that she felt like she was in a house of clones as all of them where blonde.

"But you are still underage. Please grab a dish and take it to the table." She requested.

The house was full of blondes. Emma, Tsukiumi, Mindee, Celeste, Phoebe, Amara… Amara had threatened bodily harm on anyone else trying to get in, they were just lucky that Chloe, Kara and Brunhilde were on duty back in Clark's universe.

"Girls, you three need to leave." Amara told the Cuckoos. "There simply isn't enough room in the house."

"Fine." Phoebe pouted.

"We will head to the mansion." Celeste continued.

"And have hot passionate sex with Harry." Mindee finished with her nose in the air before the three flamed out.

"They were our transportation." Tsukiumi glared at Amara.

"We'll be sleeping here, Dear." Emma assured her.

"They were also the best form of defence in this town." Tsukiumi countered. "You and I can hold our own but they had a distinct advantage as does Amara."

"Life is boring without a little challenge." Emma smirked.

"I can't believe they flamed out in front of these two." Amara sighed as she indicated the gobsmacked teenagers.

Willow was pointing at the place where the Cuckoos had stood and stuttering. "They- They-They-"

"Vanished in flames." Emma finished dryly.

"We are not your average humans." Amara explained. "But we are human."

"I believe the Cuckoos are as human as I am." Tsukiumi argued.

"Of course." Amara nodded. "It's been so long that I often forget you aren't human."

"Would someone please explain what is going on?" Buffy demanded. "First you kidnap my Mom, now I find out there are demons in my home!"

"How dare you!" Tsukiumi said angrily as she shot out of her seat. "I am far less a demon than you are Slayer! I am a Sekirei!"

"Tsukiumi, calm down." Emma said sternly. "Miss Summers has never been taught that there is more to the world than simply demons and humans."

"Buffy, Willow, we are human. Emma, Harry, Scott, Logan and myself are all human." Amara explained. "Tsukiumi is an alien, the triplets who just left are Phoenixes, as is Neville. They are the antithesis of demons."

"Anti what now?"

"The opposite of demons."

"Like angels?" Willow asked.

"I suppose." Amara allowed. "They are a race of beings that exist beyond the mortal realm, they fight to protect the innocent, some of them act as companions to beings who impress them."

"Why haven't I heard of them?" Buffy asked. "I've never heard of any other demon fighters… except Doctor Potter and his friends."

"They are out there." Emma said firmly. "You haven't heard of them because the Watcher's Council prefers to keep the Slayer in the dark about as much of the wider world as possible."

"But wouldn't more knowledge be better?" Willow asked aghast.

"Of course!" Tsukiumi scoffed. "But why would they want such young maidens as Buffy having ideas beyond their station?"

"Station?" Buffy muttered dumbly.

Emma and Amara hid a smirk. Tsukiumi still spoke in her old fashioned manner at times, they so enjoyed watching her confound people.

"Your position. For instance, a teacher trying to do the principal's job." Emma explained. "What Tsukiumi is saying is that the Watcher's Council believes the Slayer should answer to them. That the Slayer should do as they are told."

"Like a puppy?" Buffy asked; her nose wrinkled in distaste.

"A puppy with teeth, but yes."

"Like hell!"

"That would be our response as well." Amara nodded. "We were not just sent here to help you as the Slayer. Nor were we sent just to deal with the demonic infestation in this world. We came here because some of us… all of us really, have personal ties to this world.

"What I am trying to say is… this is not just a job for us."

"Where are my sons?"

Buffy and Willow turned to see a very determined Joyce Summers standing there.

"Sons!"

Logan had taken Xander straight to the mansion before he headed to the Harris home. He had made a fairly convincing 'argument' to his parents that had them signing the custody papers in seconds.

He then headed up to Xander's room and called the Cuckoos on the Avengers Comm System to have them transport his belongings to the mansion.

He hated not being able to teleport.

Xander had been escorted to a room on the second floor of the mansion by Clark.

If there was ever a man to feel inferior to it was Clark Kent. The man was some six-foot plus, blue eyes, built like a girl's wet dream… Xander felt like an alley cat next to a lion.

Clark either didn't notice or simply ignored Xander's self-image issues. He just told him where the en suite bathroom was, that there were clothes in the dresser and begged him not to wear anything that looked like a unicorn had thrown up on it again.

Xander nearly took offense to that… but he only wore the shirts because they were cheap.

Xander quickly got into bed and tried to sleep. He found it hard in the strange room, his thoughts filled with events of the evening and fearing nightmares about Jesse.

He never noticed the soft musical notes that eventually lulled him to sleep.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER HARRIS MCGONAGALL SUMMERS HOGWARTS!"

Harry and Neville jumped out of the armchairs they were resting in with fear in their eyes. "We didn't do it! Nobody saw us do it! You can't prove anything!" Harry said quickly on reflex.

"Mum?" Neville asked carefully as he saw Joyce Summers standing imposingly at the front door with Tsukiumi slightly behind her with a draw dropped Buffy and Willow.

Joyce dropped her pose to a cheeky cocked hip with a huge grin. "Yep. I've still got it."

"Wow. I have never ever seen you two move that fast." Scott grinned.

"Mum, is that you you?" Neville asked.

"In the flesh. Now come here, both of you." She ordered as she held out her arms.

Both men jogged forward and she was engulfed in two pairs of strong arms.

Then the shoving started.

"Get off!"

"I want a solo hug first!"

"I'm the youngest!"

"Since when is that the winning argument?"

"Because I'm the baby! Babies always get what they want."

"Like hell! Besides, Luna was the baby."

"She's not here."

"I don't ca- OW!"

"OW!"

Both men spun around to see the red glow slowly recede from Scott's eyes as they rubbed their sore arses.

"Grow up and focus on your mother and not your squabbling." He ordered. "And for the record, Clark is the youngest."

"Youngest what?" The aforementioned Clark asked as he came down the stairs from settling Xander.

"The youngest of all of us."

Clark opened his mouth to refute that… then he remembered that they didn't count years spent time travelling… so he just shrugged. "So how much knowledge was imparted?" He asked the newly arrived Joyce.

"Luna performed a full soul merge." Joyce smiled. "My older soul showed me pictures of these two and Luna when we first met them and my younger soul was sold." She grinned as she reached up to ruffle her boys' hair.

"Luna can do soul merges?" Harry asked in surprise.

"She has to do them on her side of the afterlife, but yes."

"But why?" Neville asked, he was very happy to have his adopted mother here, but he was just curious.

"Ask your youngest brother." She smiled at Clark who was seated on the couch.

Clark just shrugged. "It's been a long time since Dad passed on. I knew this was going to be hard on you both, being around a young Dad and Joyce and them not knowing you. So Luna and I offered the younger Joyce the chance to get some help dealing with the revelation about Buffy."

"Standing right here!" Buffy called out irritably.

"Tsukiumi, bring them in. I'll see if Xander and Faith are still up." Scott offered.

"Don't bother." Clark said as he looked at the ceiling. "They are both out cold." He decided to keep quiet about Xander's bed buddy for now. He'd just enjoy it later.

"Why is Xander here?" Willow asked.

"That's private and personal kid."

Buffy and Willow jumped at the sound of Logan's voice behind them.

"It's his story to tell, don't let me hear you've been pushing." He glared at Willow.

It was obvious to anyone that she cared about Xander, it was also clear that she was the sort who had to know and understand everything.

Tsukiumi gave the Cuckoos who had arrived with Logan a meaningful look as she cocked her head at the two teenagers.

"Come on girls, you can sleep here tonight." Phoebe said firmly.

"A sleep over!" Mindee cried out happily.

"It's a school night dummy." Celeste chastised her sister.

"Fine." Mindee pouted. "But we should have one soon."

As they were talking the girls had Buffy and Willow moving towards the stairs without them realising it as they subtly switched personalities between their bodies. It was an excellent effect that enabled them to confound others without using magic… it even worked on Harry.

Clark was somehow immune.

"Those three are impressive." Joyce said with an expression to match. "If they can keep Buffy and Willow in line they may have to move in."

"How much do you remember?" Neville asked curiously as he led his adopted mother to the couch.

"Everything from your home world. Everything from raising Rick, Sal, Ro and Helga to those last days when my mind started to go and you had to send me on." She looked at Harry with a sad smile.

"What about from this world?" Neville asked.

"Everything I used to. I know what my daughter is, I know she inspired me to become Hogwarts and continue helping. I remember certain things about my family. Oz, Cordelia, Giles… Dawn- Harry, you need to do something about Dawn. I want my daughter back but preferably without her being a target."

"She is going to be relatively easy to research." Clark spoke up. "Well, The Key is. Being an inter-dimensional energy it is bound to be mentioned in most universes. We should be able to cobble something together to find the energy, I have no idea where they got the soul for Dawn from though."

"They may have called on a god." Scott offered. "Many of the elder gods like Odin and Zeus are capable of creating souls."

"Actually, they 'form' souls from existing ambient life-force energy." Harry corrected.

"We can work on it." Neville interrupted testily. "Now, do you remember events from your life here?" He asked Joyce eagerly.

"You know it doesn't work like that, Neville." Joyce gave him a sympathetic smile. "I remember major events but not dates and details. And I wasn't a part of anything major for a good few years."

"Damn." Neville muttered. "I was really hoping for more intel."

"Is there something you aren't telling us?" Clark asked suspiciously.

Neville looked very frustrated. "Probably. But only because the Phoenix Council doesn't know either." He admitted. "This reality and universe has always been prohibited to us because of the demonic taint. We wouldn't dare come here because we knew we would start a war that we had no way of winning."

"You were the ones that recommended we come here." Harry pointed out.

"Yes, because if anyone can clean this reality up it is you." Neville said with certainty. "You have allies from multiple realities ready to fight just for the fun of it but we don't have any true intel on what we are facing here."

"Couldn't we ask Xander's older version of his soul?" Scott asked.

"Xander was a single man fighting on a front that was a small part of a much larger war. This goes far beyond Watchers and Slayers. There are gods involved here. In your world and Clark's the gods were always watching from a distance, they never really got too involved. In this world they actively manipulate and pull the strings. They have followers and worshippers and it is a huge mess just waiting to explode."

"We're gonna need more help." Logan mused as he leant against the stair's banister.