Disclaimer: I don't own BtVS or SV.

CrimsonAcid, Erikslittleangel13, Kit Merlot, Glynnis007, Haxan, Jennicula and lildevil0644 thank you guys for reviewing!

to all those reading this, some things mentioned here are referenced to happenings in the prelude Slayer in Smallville.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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Smallville

Sitting with Indian Style with a large notepad on her lap and biting the eraser of the third pencil she'd used in twenty minutes, Chloe Sullivan frowned down at what she'd written on the ridiculously large notepad Buffy had gotten her as a gag-gift some time ago—only to have the joke turned on her when the blonde actually used it.

She was writing down pure nonsense.

Growling, she threw it on the ground and collapsed back down on her bed, looking up at the ceiling, which was plastered with pictures of Lex, Buffy, Pete, Lana and even some of Bruce Wayne.

The blonde had to admit that ever since she'd met the brunette billionaire some months back when Buffy and her had gone to interview him only to be attacked by vampires---well, Chloe had developed something of a schoolgirl crush on him---and the fact that he was a flirt—and still kept in contact with her—didn't help her get over the attraction one bit.

But that wasn't what was bothering her.

No.

It was Clark…

…Or 'Kal' as he was calling himself now.

Chloe didn't know what to think of him. He'd rescued her that night some months ago from the vampires that'd once more tried to kidnap her (she still didn't know who'd ordered her kidnap or why) but Clark had seemed so angry with her for some reason. What had she done to him? Why did he suddenly seem to hate her so much? And since he hated her—why save her?

And how was it that the vampires not only knew Clark—but had been frightened of him?

And she'd begun getting the feeling again. The sense that she was being watched—and only last night had she caught a good look at her protective 'stalker', and had been surprised to see Clark. But when he realized that she'd seen him he'd vanished.

But how could he have vanished?

Growling in impatience, Chloe heard laughter in the room next to hers. Buffy was probably on the phone with Willow or Cordelia again. The blonde was slightly jealous of the relationship Willow had with Buffy—she'd grown to think of Buffy like a sister—but she knew that her old friends were important to the brunette—and she had chosen to stay here in Smallville with her—so Chloe couldn't complain.

Also, Buffy seemed a lot happier now that her mother had moved in next door and her Watcher was still driving his U-haul across country to get here. He'd taken up the position of librarian in Smallville High, and had agreed to tutor Chloe in the art of being a Watcher.

A knock on the door gave Chloe a second to throw her quilt down on the ground over her notepad and assume an innocent expression in time for Lex to stick his head in a grin at her.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure." Sitting up rapidly, folding her legs under her once more, she patted next to her. "What has you over here so early?" Since he was the head of Lexcorp, he spent most of his days in his office stressing himself out, and then would come in the evenings to 'de-Luthor' as Buffy put it.

"Rough day at the office, decided to escape while my secretary was on bathroom break." He replied with a sigh, sitting down on her bed before throwing himself back tiredly. "If I didn't get out of that place I'd go mad and try take over the world or something."

She snickered. "Yes, or you might get so stressed you'd lose your hair."

He made a face at her yet ended up chuckling.

That only proved to both of them how close their relationship was. If anyone else mentioned Lex's baldness he didn't take it very good—and it was only because Buffy wasn't exactly your normal run of the mill teenaged girl that he let her get away with 'baldie'---although he cursed and threatened her every time she did.

With Chloe it was different, it was allowed.

Lying down next to him, Chloe curled up on her side. "Your dad giving you problems again?" It would seem that Lionel Luthor couldn't stand the fact that his son hadn't only started his own company—but that it was quickly getting more successful than Luthorcorp.

"When doesn't he?" Lex sighed, turning to look at her. "How was your day? Don't think the innocent expression fooled me one bit."

She cringed. "What is it with you and Buffy? I can never keep a secret around you two."

He smiled tenderly at her. "What's up?"

Chloe turned so that she was lying on her back, looking up at the ceiling once more. "I don't know. It's just that ever since that attack in Wayne Hotels, I, oh never mind."

Lex surprised Chloe stiff by bringing his hand to her cheek and turning her head so she was looking at him. "What's wrong Chloe?" He looked worried, very worried.

She tried to smile yet it was more like a grimace. "I don't know." Turning to him once more she quickly sat up, suddenly uncomfortable. "You know that just after I got out of the hospital we started working for you rounding up all the Meteor Freaks that went haywire and wrecked havoc on Smallville?"

He nodded, sitting as well, face blank as if he could sense there was something she was about to say that he wouldn't like. "Not that I wanted you two getting in the thick of it—but you would do it even without my help—so it would be better with my help and you had a place to put the infected people while my people try to find a way to neutralize their powers."

"Yes, and I love what Buffy and I are doing." She hurried to assure him. "But—and Buffy's beginning to notice it too—I—I--."

"You what?" Lex leaned forwards, worry written in ever feature of his face. "What's wrong Chlo?"

"Lex," She lowered her head, the hair she'd been growing longer falling into her face. "Ever since that attack in Metropolis strange things have been happening whenever Buffy and I are hunting. I—I—I think I might be a MF. I think what that vampire said when she was trying to drain me—'feel and accept it'—maybe she was talking about my mutation."

"Or maybe she wasn't only draining you."

She looked up at him in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"Didn't the Slayer say that the vampire took her sweet time 'draining' you?" Lex asked, running a hand over his bald head. "What if she wasn't ever planning on killing you? What if, somehow, she was inserting something in while she was drinking you?"

Chloe suddenly went cold.

The bald hunk besides her reached for her and held her close as she shivered against him.

"I want you to run some tests on me."

He winced at the thought of treating Chloe like a lab rat. "Chlo--."

"Please, Lex." Her voice cracked. "I need to know what's going on with me!"

He sighed and held her closer, nodding. "Alright."

"Thanks." She whispered, closing her eyes, and enjoying the sense of safety she always felt in his arms.

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Sunnydale

Willow had about had it.

No, she'd had it a long time ago.

The redhead put her hands on her ears, yet her damned vampire hearing allowed her to hear the newest argument between Spike and Angel. Her Grandsire had fully 'recovered' from his stay in Hell, and his verbal dissection with Spike at this moment only proved that he'd missed arguing with the blonde—who was cursing him off just as colorfully.

She couldn't stand this anymore. All of her reservations about having sex with them vanished the moment she realized that that was the reason they were arguing every fucking day.

Angel wanted her and Spike wouldn't let him.

And Spike wanted her but couldn't have her because he knew that when he did he wouldn't have the leverage over Angel that he had now.

So he blamed Angel for not being able to have her.

It was bleedin' kindergarten logic.

If having sex with them would get them to mellow out and give her ears a rest then she'd gladly do them.

She'd do anything just to have them shut up!

"I'm your sire!"

"And I'm hers!"

She shook her head and stormed out of the mansion into the darkness of the night. It'd been a week or two since she'd met up with the new Slayer and with Fred, and the redhead couldn't help but wonder what had happened with both of them. No other vampires had mentioned the newest Slayer and she wondered if Faith was purposely keeping a low profile or if she really wasn't that interested in guarding the Hellmouth.

She didn't know how long she laid on the hood of the De Soto, looking up at the stars, but during the long and cursed-filled fight (honestly, she'd never heard so many different curse words in her life—and unlife) her absence must have been noted because the fighting died down and the Master Vampires appeared in front of her.

"You know," she drawled, twirling a strand of her fiery hair through her fingers. "I feel like the child of soon-to-be-divorced parents." She winced as she thought of parents. Hers were so out of it and never here long enough to realize that their daughter wasn't alive anymore, but a cold corpse whose demon and soul fought daily for dominance—or that every time they were around, her demon demanded she drain them for their abandoning her all her life.

Feeling a hand running through her hair, she smiled up at Angel.

Spike slid up onto the hood next to her. "You okay, pet?"

"I never realized a vampire could get a headache." She chuckled humorlessly. "You're supposed to be dead, you'd think it'd come with some perks."

"Other than eternal life and superhuman abilities?" Angel asked with a teasing smile.

She made a face at him, but smiled despite herself. "Yes. Other than eternal life and superhuman abilities."

Angel seemed to be thinking it over as he leaned against the side of the De Soto.

Not surprisingly, it was Spike who found one, even if it was somewhat egotistic. "You get to stay with me for eternity."

She made a face at him.

He smirked back at her. "Too obvious to mention, I know."

Willow laughed, her bad mood evaporating rapidly with the two Master Vampires surrounding her. "So spending eternity with you makes up for never seeing the sunrise again?"

"Of course it does." Spike snorted, reaching into his duster for a fag and lighter. "Sunshine is vastly overrated. You should be glad—with your white skin if you'd spent human hours instead of Slayer hours these last years you'd have been covered in freckles." Lighting the fag he offered it to Willow, and then to Angel, and shrugged indifferently when both refused before enjoying it himself.

Willow rolled her eyes at Spike. "Another perk? I'm freckle-less? I happen to think freckles are cute."

Angel raised an eyebrow at his childe, who was happily smoking a storm. "Well Little One, you should be glad you're dead—or William would have been sure to give you cancer from all of his second-hand smoke."

Spike flipped 'the finger' at his sire, all the while continuing to smoke.

Angel smirked.

Willow giggled at Spike's childish antics and at Angel's constant goading.

"Well, well, well." A voice chuckled in the darkness. "If it isn't little red riding hood and her two castrated wolves."

Spike and Angel shoved away from the De Soto and took a couple of menacing steps towards where the voice had been only seconds ago. Reluctant confusion filled their eyes since there wasn't anyone in front of them—neither could they smell anything in the air.

"I take it back—even dogs have better sense of smell then these leeches." The voice taunted from the opposite direction.

Willow jumped off of the hood of the De Soto and looked behind her, frowning. The voice had been right behind her, but there was no one there.

Angel, as the Alpha of the group, went to the other side of the car protectively, each step threatening, face demonic. "I would shut up if I were you."

It was still so weird seeing Angel like that. It was during moments like this that he was more Angelus than Angel.

"And I saw an Angel falling from heaven…" The voice was now behind the De Soto, causing the three of them to turn rapidly in that direction. "Oh how the mighty Angelus has fallen."

Angel's eyes flashed golden.

"Friendly sort, ain't he?" Spike murmured sarcastically. "Listen--." He couldn't finish the sentence because the wind rushed out of him when something slammed into his stomach, sending him flying backwards into a light post. The force of the blow broke the light post in two.

"Spike!" Willow cried as she turned to go to him, but she stopped when a shadowy image appeared right in front of her.

"My, my, my, I can see why the leeches like you." The voice chuckled as he took a step towards her. "You smell divine." He outstretched his hand as if to touch her.

"Touch her and you're dead."

There was a flash of color as Angel rammed into the shadowy person, catching him by surprise. Both tumbled to the ground and began wrestling viciously for dominance.

Willow looked from the fight to a still Spike and back again, hesitating, not knowing what to do. A part of her ordered her to go and see how her sire was doing, and another begged her to stay and help Angel.

She was stuck in the middle of her own battle.

Suddenly Angel was thrown back against the De Soto, denting it with the shape of his body.

"Angel!"

There was laughter as the mysterious person stood and brushed himself off. "You caught me by surprise. Not many can do that."

"What the bloody hell are you?" Spike groaned as he stirred and stumbled to his feet, face feral and pissed.

Angel growled as he peeled himself from the car. "Nothing is scentless so why can't I scent you out?"

Willow sighed in relief. They were fine. Pissed. But fine.

The figure irritated them by laughing tauntingly again. "I don't know what the fuss was all about. The Scourge of Europe and William the Bloody together couldn't even scratch me." He snorted, turning to Willow. "But you, you I like. It's a shame that blondie owns your demon, and Angelus owns your soul—" He chuckled. "But I wouldn't mind owning your body."

Spike growled and charged.

Angel did the same.

And the man disappeared.

The Master Vampires stopped in mid-charge, frowning, feral faces angry. They peered in the darkness, tried scenting him again, and then their faces shifted back human before turning to look at Willow.

"What?" She asked at their accusing glares.

"Who was he and what the bloody hell was he talking about?" Spike wanted to know, stalking towards her. Grabbing her upper arm, he jerked her towards him. "Speak!"

"How the hell am I supposed to know?" She hissed back, not afraid of Spike, but really pissed at his attitude.

"I don't know—maybe because he seemed to know you and know something I don't!" Surprisingly enough, jealousy was what deepened his voice.

Willow blinked.

It took that little to get Spike jealous?

No wonder Dru liked to abandon him every couple of months.

Just as that thought entered her mind, her demon hissed at her for it, and she lowered her head in submission.

"If you know anything about him, you'd better tell us, Little One." Angel told her, his normally tender voice cold and distant except for that tiny slither of possessive jealousy when he'd said the word 'him'.

"I don't know him." She raised her head and looked at them both to prove that she wasn't lying. Both knew that she couldn't look into the eyes of the person she was lying to, but still they seemed unconvinced. "Please, what do we know about this guy except that he knows about us?"

"He doesn't leave a scent." Spike muttered resentfully, loosening his hold on her. "And he hits harder than a vampire."

"So that would discredit the fact of him being a vampire." Willow reasoned. "Maybe he's a werewolf?"

"Impossible." Angel shook his head, seeming more eager to believe that she didn't know the guy who'd practically hit on her. "He used the term dog, and that's a derogatory way of saying werewolf. You only call a werewolf a 'dog' to their faces if their chained up and bound, or you have a death wish."

"So, he's some sort of demon?" Willow asked, pulling her arm out of Spike's hold and going to lean on the remains of the car.

Spike opened his mouth to say something, but he finally saw the condition of his beloved De Soto and turned to Angel, growling. "What the hell did you do to my car"

"Landed on it." Angel responded in a dark voice, rubbing his back for good measure.

"Couldn't you have landed on the concrete floor instead?" Spike complained, going over to examine his car.

"Your concern for your sire is duly noted." Angel snorted, going over to Willow and placing an arm around her, looking around them as if not sure that their attacker was truly gone.

"Oh sod off Gellmaster, I wouldn't give a rat's arse if you'd somehow landed on a stake and staked your arse—just as long as my De Soto had been spared."

Angel rolled his eyes in annoyance.

Willow leaned her head against his chest, stifling a giggle. It was amazing. They'd just been attacked seconds ago and here they were, fighting like five-year-olds again.

"I hope you know that you're paying for the body work this baby's going to need." Spike concluded after examining the De Soto thoroughly.

Ignoring Spike, Angel turned to Willow with a frown. "What I want to know is what he meant."

"He meant that you are going to pull out some plastic and pay when the mechanic's finished fixing up his De Soto." Spike didn't miss a beat.

Willow giggled.

Angel growled at Spike. "I meant the attacker."

"I doubt he's going to pay for the damage, so there's no excuse, you're pulling out your beloved MasterCard and that's that." The smirk on the blonde's face proved that he was only trying to rile his sire more than he already was.

Angel realized what his childe was doing and ignored him once more. "What I meant was that I want to know what he meant when he said that Spike owned your demon and I owned your soul."

Willow frowned, turning the sentence over in her head.

"He was bloody mouthing off is all. I own all of Red, I'm her sire, she was my pet and then my childe, we have an inseparable bond. You, on the other hand, are the distant relative we pretend we're not related to." Spike smart-mouthed, beginning to look for yet another fag, and then frowned when he realized that his lighter had gotten smashed in the fight.

"I'm beginning to wonder if that bond's really as inseparable as you like to flaunt."

Spike froze, eyes narrowing as he turned to look at him. "What?"

"Right before you had to come and get in the middle of everything, Willow and I--." Angel blushed but then pressed forwards. "That night, we were about to make love. The only reason we didn't was because I smelt you on her and then smelt you outside. I hadn't given it any more thought, but now that I do, I realize that it wasn't there."

Spike paled slightly, which was a great accomplishment considering how pale he was naturally. "You're lying."

Willow frowned, looking from one to the other. "What wasn't there?"

"The barrier." Angel was smirking so Spike-like it was frightening. "It's never been there—at least not for me."

Spike growled. "You're lying. I claimed her and I sired her. You have no--."

"You heard the man." Angel chuckled. "I own her soul. When she gave me back my soul it bonded our souls, made it one." His smirk grew dark. "I own her just as much as you do."

"What. Barrier?" Willow hated when they started fighting over her, talking about her as if she wasn't even with them at the moment.

"When a vampire claims a human as his there's a barrier that makes sure that no other vampire, demon or human can do anything sexual to the claimed one." Angel replied smoothly, never taking his taunting eyes off of Spike's angry one. "But since your soul is mine, that barrier doesn't affect me because I'm like an extension of you." His smirk was pure evil. "I can have you whenever I damn well want."

Spike hissed while taking a possessive step forwards. "Over my undead body, ponce."

"Try and stop me, William."

Willow growled at them both, surprising them enough to get them to stop glaring at each other. "If it's like that, then I'm the one who is going to decide when EITHER OF YOU can 'have me'…if I decide to or not! Because the way you two are going about it is pathetic and juvenile!"

Spike opened his mouth to claim his rights as sire.

Angel did the same to claim his rights as the 'owner' of her soul.

Willow beat them to it. "I will not have my first time be a competition between the two of you! You—you jackasses!" She turned and stalked away in the night. "And neither of you two follow me or I swear I'll let my demon out in a bad way and I'll kick your asses, Master Vampires or not!" Throwing her hands up in the air in angered frustration, she disappeared into the shadows.

Both vampires surprisingly enough shut their mouths immediately and watched her as she stomped away.

"Has she been informed that she's supposed to be the Omega of the group?" Angel seemed to be asking himself the question. "And that she has no right to talk to us in that way?"

"If you're volunteering for the job, go ahead mate." Spike replied, eyes still glue to the shadows in which she'd disappeared. "She's bloody scary when she gets angry." He shook his head and chuckled. "Sexy—but definitely scary."

Angel chuckled in agreement.

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Faith sighed in relief when she saw the redheaded vampire storming in her direction. Normally when she saw a vampire—and one as pissed off as Red seemed to be—she either staked it or made her way away from the vicinity, but this time she went towards her.

Sensing her presence, Red winced and then looked up. "Slayer."

"Vampire." She smirked. "I've been looking for you all over the place." Her smirk disappeared into a frown. "You're coming back to my place. Now." Normally you didn't order a pissed vampire around, but there was something about this vampire that many times made her forget what she was.

"Listen Slayer, now is not the time."

"Hmmmm. I didn't know that vampires got PMS."

Surprisingly enough, instead of infuriating Red, she actually cracked a smile.

Faith returned it. I knew I liked this vamp.

"You know, you're not my type." The vampire had actually made a joke.

Faith's smile grew larger. "Your loss." Then remembering why she needed the vampire to go to her motel room, she frowned. "It's about Fred."

Worry crossed Red's green eyes. "What happened?"

A vampire that not only saves humans but worries about them? She needed to get to know Red better. All in good time. "Let's walk and talk."

Red fell into step with her and she told her about how she'd taken Fred to the hospital, and about how the police came to the hospital to take her statement—which wasn't much considering that the girl had gone into shock.

"They wanted to intern her in a psychiatric hospital, but I pretended to be her cousin—same colorings and all—and they let me take her." Faith finished explaining as they reached the rundown motel and headed towards her room. "But she's locked herself in the bathroom for days now—don't make me tell you what I've had to do to be able to use the toilet!—and I think you might be able to reach her."

"Why me?" Red asked in her soft, compassionate voice.

"Because," Faith opened the door, entered, and invited the vampire inside before continuing. "After I took her she went Cookoo for Coco Puffs. She was sane when she was with you. Feels safe."

" A human feeling safer with a vampire than with a Slayer." Red shook her head, a small smile on her face at the irony.

"No accounting for taste, obviously." They shared another smile. The Slayer went to the bathroom door and knocked. "Fred? It's me Faith. Let me in."

"Go away." A whispery, teary voice called out.

"Never try to save the world—they'll end up crucifying you." Faith sighed dramatically. "Or keep you from your own toilet and shower."

Red smiled.

Faith tried again. "Fred, open up, someone's here to see you."

"I don't want to see anyone." Came the defiant answer.

"Not even Red?"

Red raised an eyebrow at the name.

But Faith didn't have time to defend herself when the doorknob slowly turned and the door creaked open enough for Fred to peek out.

"Hey." The vampire waved awkwardly.

The door flew open and the skinny, dark haired girl threw herself at Red. The vampire looked somewhat uncomfortable, yet held the crying girl to her, whispering that everything was alright.

Faith smiled tenderly at the scene and sighed, wishing she'd had someone during the times she'd needed a shoulder to cry on.

The world's an ugly place, Faith, toughen up already.

Somehow Red managed to coax Fred out of the bathroom and towards the bed, where she let the girl cry on her until she fell asleep.

"You know, this place is a dump." The vampire stated after a moment of silence.

"Keen eye." The Slayer deadpanned, passing her a glass of tap water.

"My parents are never home." The redhead announced randomly, eyeing the water. "And after I was sired I went to live with my sire and grandsire at the mansion, so I'm not staying there either."

Faith looked up, suddenly getting what Red was getting at. "You're a weird vampire Red, you know that right?"

Red sighed. "My sire never lets me unlive it down."

Faith smirked. "That might be so, but you're five by five to me."

Despite the stupid high school, the stupid friends of the other Slayer, and her Watcher abandoning her as everyone else in her life had—Faith was really starting to like Sunnydale.

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How about a review? Sorry I didn't update before but I was away on vacation and couldn't bring my computer.