That still small voice


There is a town in Main

Where every storybook character you've ever know...

Is trapped between two worlds...

victims of a powerful curse...

That can only be broken by one person.


In New Orleans Willow is walking towards a small store, where she tracked down the warlock who has been shielding Buffy from her location spells. She enters the store, it's empty apart from the tall man standing by the bookshielf. As Willow walks towards him she is stopped, as surrounding the man is a binding powder, the man looks up at her "I've been expecting you."
Willow watches the man with suspicion, "Who are you?"
"My name is Dragomir. You're friend Oz may have mentioned me, once or twice."
Willow stared in shock "Your the warlock he met when he was trying to learn to control the wolf."
Dragomir smiled at the young woman and walked towards her, still not crossing over the binding spell. Willow noticed how he refused to cross the powder "What's with the binding spell, that's normally for demons."
Dragomir clicked his tongue at the girl "Normally yes, but see this is my own special binding spell. It's designed to keep anyone who has given into their inner darkness out." Willow winces internally at the warlock, remembering what she had done to Warren. Willow tries to bury the guilt as she faces Dagomir "You know why I'm here. So tell me where is Buffy Summers?"
"She is safe. You need not worry about, Miss. Summers." Willow glares at the man she is beginning to grow angry and impatient. "Where is she Dragomir. Tell me now!"
The warlock merely laughs "You do not scare me little girl. You may be powerful but I have power you could never even comprehend. That was why Angel asked me to protect Miss. Summers."
A look of despair crossed over Willow's face "Please. Tell me where she is" Willow begged.
The warlock frowned "Miss. Summers is where she is supposed to be, she must fulfil her destiny. And I will not let you and your friends drag her back into your war. She has her own to deal with. One that will allow her to find her family. Her true family." Willow frowned in confusion, what did he mean by real family and destiny, Buffy had already fulfilled her destiny. "I suggest, Ms. Rosenberg, that you and Mr. Harris stop trying to interfere with the slayer's life."
"Buffy is no longer the slayer, she is one of many." Willow argued.
Dragomir laughed "Oh, you dear girl, Buffy is not just any slayer she is the last of the chosen line. So she is The Slayer. No matter how many more slayers show up she will always be stronger and more powerful them then all. In time she will be more powerful than either you or even me."
Dragomir sighed as he watched the sad red head "I will tell you something about, Miss. Summers. She is safe, for now. And she is with her son." With that Dragomir disappeared in a puff of blue smoke leaving a stunned and confused Willow alone in the shop.

Buffy looks at disbelief at the uniform Graham just handed her "You're kidding right. You know I can be a deputy while still wearing my stylish yet affordable clothing." Buffy lifts the uniform and holds it in front of her chest "A tie? You know you don't have to dress a woman as a man to give her authority."
Graham smiles then gestures to her jacket "So you think you can get people to do what you want in that red coat?"
"Worked in Sunnydale. Plus I'm getting you to do what I want right now." Buffy drops the uniform on the desk in front of him, while she smirks. "Well, at least wear the badge." Graham holds up the badge for Buffy to see, Buffy frowns "Go on. Take it." Graham tells her "If you really want to be a part of this community, you have to make it official." Buffy slowly reaches a hand out taking the badge and attaches it to the belt on her jeans. The moment she does the room begins to shake violently causing things to crash around the two, once it stops all the phones in the office start ringing.

Buffy and Graham drive to the old mines entrance where it seems majority of the town is now looking at the crater wondering what happened. Regina walks over to Graham "Sheriff, set up a police perimeter." She then turns to Marco "Marco, why don't you help with the fire department" Lastly she turns to Buffy "Ms. Summers, this is now offical town business. You're free to go."
Buffy smirks slightly then turns to Regina "Well, actually, I work for the town now."
Regina looks at Graham confused "She's my new deputy." He informs the mayor.
Buffy smiles while Regina glares at Graham "They say the mayor's always last to know."
"It's in my budget."
"Indeed." Regina turns her attention away from Graham and focuses on Buffy "Deputy, why don't you make yourself useful and help with crowd control." Buffy looks at Graham who nods at her, so Buffy heads off to deal with the crowd. Buffy comes back with the police tap after Regina has told the crowd to go back and is standing next to Henry. Henry who noticed Regina pick something up from the floor and hide it in her jacket turns to Buffy and whispers "What was that?"
Before Buffy can respond Regina walks over "Henry, enough" Regina orders him before pushing him towards the car "Listen, this is a safety issue. Wait in the car." After Henry heads off Regina turns to Buffy and Graham "Deputy Summers, Sheriff, cordon off the area." As Regina walks off Buffy rolls her eyes and walks off with Graham.

As Buffy is working she sees Henry creep out of the mayor's car and call for Archie, Henry then hides behind the police car waiting for her and Archie. When they arrive Henry turns to the both of them "This requires all of operation cobra—both of you."
Archie looks at Henry confused "I didn't realise I was in operation cobra."
"Of course you are." Henry says "You know everything. We can't let her do this. What if there's something down there."
Buffy looks at Henry "Their just some old tunnels."
Henry interjects "That just happen to collapse right after you get here?" Buffy looks at Archie for help as Henry goes on "You're changing things. You're weakening the curse."
Buffy focuses back on Henry "That's not what's happening"
"Yes, it is." Henry sighs "Did you do anything different today? 'cause something made this happen." Buffy's hand makes it way to her badge as she contemplates what Henry just asked. A second later Regina approaches them "Henry, I told you to wait in the car. Deputy, do your job." Buffy, who is still contemplating things nods then walks off.

Buffy is sitting at the kitchen counter at the apartment while Mary Margaret is making s'mores "Oh, I am the worst person in the world." Mary Margaret tells Buffy before biting into the s'more.
Buffy raises an eyebrow "Really? In the whole world?"
"If Kathryn was horrible, it'd be easier, but she's so...nice."
"And what exactly would be easier?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing's a good idea. You're smart. You know not to get involved with a married guy it's not worth the heartache. Trust me." A moment later there is a knock at the door "I'll get it." Buffy says as she gets up from her seat and walks over to the door. When she opens the door she sees a crying Henry "Kid, what happened? Come on." She gestures for him to come into the house. Once he was inside, Henry filled Buffy in on what happened with Archie.

Buffy pounds on the door "Archie? Archie!" She opens the door slamming it closed behind her and glares angrily at Archie "What did you do? You told me not to take the fantasy away. You told me it would devastate him"
"When a course of therapy stops working, you just adjust it." Archie tells Buffy but Buffy is unconvinced "Is it her? Did she threaten you?" "What could be strong enough to drown out your own conscience?"
Archie stood up from the couch and glared at Buffy "I do not need to defend my professional decisions to you, okay?" Before Buffy can respond or hit him like she was tempted to her phone started to ring. She looked at the caller I.D and frowned "Hello, Madam Mayor. Nice work."
"Are you with him?"
"Yes, I'm with Dr. Hopper, and guess what? You left your fingerprints all over him when you tried—"
"Not him. Henry. Is he with you?"
Buffy starts to get worried "I dropped Henry at your office an hour ago."
"Well, he's not here."
"I don't know where he is." Buffy sees the expression come over Archie's face and hangs up the phone.
"Ohh. I do." Archie tells her, looking very worried.

Buffy and Archie and his dog Pongo arrive at the mine entrance to look for Henry "Henry!" Buffy calls.
Archie runs over to Pongo who is now by the entrance "What do you got there, Pongo?"
Buffy walks towards Archie "I don't think he's here."
"I think he is. Candy bar." Archie stands showing Buffy the candy bar wrapper "He had these with him." A second later the ground beneath their feet begins to shake again "Henry!" Archie shouts as he starts to make his way through the entrance to the mines.
"Archie!" Buffy screams as she jumps into the crater from above and tries to get to him. Archie keeps going "Henry, it's not safe!"
"Henry!" Buffy yells, but then the entrance collapses with Archie inside "Archie!". Buffy runs over to the entrance "Archie! Henry!" Buffy stares at the entrance she figures she can get through it but with that much rubble it would take hours for anyone even her.

Later Buffy is standing with Graham and Marco staring at the entrance to the mines "Archie's smart" Marco tells them "He will keep the boy safe until we get to them." The ground rumbles and Regina runs towards them "Stop! Stop! You're making it worse!"
Buffy turns to face her "I am trying to save him. You know why he went in there in the first place, don't you? Because you made him feel like he had something to prove."
Regina glares angrily at the blonde "And why does he think he has anything to prove? Who's encouraging him?"
"Do not put this on me."
"Oh, please! Lecture me until his oxygen runs out!" Regina at this point looks very close to tears and turns away from Buffy. Buffy sighs and walks over to Regina "We have to stop this. Arguing won't accomplish anything."
Regina turns around to face Buffy "No, it won't."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Help me." Buffy nods "We need to find some way to...punch through the ground. We need something big."
"Like what?"
"Explosives." Said Marco.

Everyone stands back as the explosives are now set to go. The builder looks at Buffy "Okay. We're all clear"
Regina who is still staring at the entrance calls out to the man, "Blow it." As she says that everyone takes cover. A moment later the explosives go off. Buffy runs over to the entrance to the mines, to see if it worked. Regina sees Buffy reappear out of the smoke "Did it work?" She asks.
"It didn't open." Buffy tells her panting.
Graham stares at the seen "Then what did it do?"

Regina runs over to the men who had set up the explosives "What the hell was that? You said you could do this!"
"Madam Mayor." Buffy calls as she runs after Regina
"They could have killed my son!"
"I know but this isn't helping."

Marco walks over to the two women "If we knew exactly where they were, we could drill down to them, maybe...maybe rig something to bring them back up." Buffy who had noticed Pongo ran over to him, and let him out of the fire truck "Come on, buddy." Pongo runs off "It's Archie's dog. He's found something." Buffy tells the others. The dog starts to whimper showing them where they are "Look, This is where they must be. What is it?" Graham gets on his knees and moves to dirt out of the way revealing a metal board he and Marco move it out of the way revealing a metal grate "What is that?" Buffy asks.
"It's an air shaft." Graham tells her. Marco, Graham and Regina all step back and look at each other trying to figure out how to get it open. Once they are no longer looking at her Buffy bends down gripping the grate and carefully pulls it from the ground and tosses it to the side "I got it!" She called over to the group. All of them stare at her stunned, Buffy ignored the looks "What next?"

Marco who is now setting up a lever with wire, looks at Buffy and Regina "We need to lower someone straight down or the line will collapse the sides of the shaft."
Graham walks over "I've got a harness." He tells the group showing it to them.
"Lower me down." Regina tells him.
Buffy shakes her head and steps forward "Oh, no way. I'm going."
"He's my son."
"He's my son, too. You've been sitting behind a desk for ten years. I have done this kind of thing before. I can do this."
Regina sighs a steps right up to Buffy "Just bring him to me." Buffy gives her a small sad smile and nods then turns to Graham taking off her jacket so she can put on the harness.

Buffy makes her way through the tunnel looking for Archie and Henry when she finally sees them a few feet below her sitting in the elevator "Are you guys okay?"

Archie smiles " Yeah, we're—we're okay." Buffy steps on the top of the elevator "Hang on, Henry." She grabs her walkie talkie "Okay. That's good. Stop." Buffy lifts the top of the elevator off moving it to the side. She turns when she hears Archie's strained voice as he lifts Henry towards her "Here you go. Up."
Buffy grabs Henrys hand "Come on. I gotcha." She easily pulls him up "Okay. All right. I got him" Buffy tells Archie "You got him? Is he safe?" The elevator begins to shake Buffy know she doesn't have a lot of time she switches Henry so she is holding him on her left size and reaches out her left hand "Archie! Quickly grab my hand!"
"It gonna fall!"
"I know now grab my hand!" She yells Archie jumps up reaching for her hand just as the elevator begins to fall. Buffy grabs his hand and smiles at him. As they are pulled up Henry watches Buffy realising that she is not even bothered by either his or Archie's weight making him very curious about who she was in her past, that caused her to change her name. As the three appear from the ground Buffy hands Henry to Graham then pulls Archie up with her left hand. The crowd cheers as the three appear, while Regina pulls Henry away, Graham grabs a hold of Buffy to help her out of the harness. The second she is free Buffy runs over to Henry "Are you okay?" She asks him but Regina pushes her away "Deputy, you can clear the crowd away." Regina walks off with Henry, Buffy stands there upset and angry at the same time.

A short time later Buffy is sitting with Henry when she noticed Marco and Archie talking "Is that Archie's father?"
Henry shakes his head "No. They're just old friends." Buffy looks over at Henry and reaches her hand over to take his "You really scared me."
"I'm sorry."
Buffy hears footsteps approach them and turns her head to see Marco and Archie now standing in front of her and Henry. "Gentlemen" Buffy nods at them before turning to Henry "Ahem. Well, come on your mom wants to take you home."
"Hey. Listen." Henry tells them all. They all stop to listen, only to hear crickets chirping "Crickets." Archie says with a smile.
"They're back." Henry turns to Buffy "Things are changing." Buffy turns to Archie for help but Archie just continues to smile at Henry.

While Buffy is talking with Graham, Marco and Archie by the fire truck while they all have celebratory drinks, Regina walks over to the grate she then removes the piece of glass that she found earlier, out of her pocket and examines it closely. After a moment she drops it letting it fall into the grate where it continues to fall until it lands next to more of the same glass. The glass from Snow White's coffin