DISCLAIMER
This story is in no way associated with, or makes any claim to, Harry Potter, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or any other fandom/celebrity/anything else you may recognize. It all belongs to their respective owners. No money is being made from this story which is purely written for entertainment.

A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
I am so sincerely sorry for the long wait you had to endure for this chapter. I can only apologize. I really have no excuse, other than real life. I hope you enjoy this chapter: real life is still a b-tch so expect updates every three weeks rather than every other week, at least for while, as I adjust to slowly having more spare-time again! /Ida

25 May, 2001

"Okay...when I hear the words Giles and car...this is not what I expected," Buffy said honestly, looking at the bright red convertible sporty car incredulously. "What happened to the Citroën anyway?"

"Spike crashed it," Giles said sourly, clearly still put out over it. "But there is nothing wrong with this one."

Buffy quirked an eyebrow, wondering who Giles was trying to convince. Giles flushed. "There's not! It took me awhile to get used to the automatic transmission, but now it rolls very smoothly, and that's what matters."

"But it's not why you bought it," Buffy sing-songed as she opened the door and sat down in the passenger seat. "The purchase of this car was clearly you acting out due to a mid-life crisis."

Giles made a weird clucking sound with his tongue as he sank down into the driver's seat and started the engine. "Don't be ridiculous," he muttered. "Like I would be that shallow." Buffy's lips twitched.

They began to drive to the desert where Buffy would undertake the vision quest in a silence that was finally broken by Giles: "I must say I am a bit curious, Buffy. I never imagined you would be interested in the Slayer origins, or anything to do with it, really."

"Me neither," Buffy answered. "But things change, I guess. I went through some...issues in the other dimension that made me scrutinize myself more and realize how little I really know about my heritage and destiny." She glanced at her Watcher. "I'm hoping this quest may clear some things up."

Giles nodded. "It should. Records of previous Slayers who have undertaken it show that it served to give them more strength and determination."

"Has Faith done it?" Buffy wondered.

Giles shook his head. "No. To be honest, I never felt she needed it."

"Speaking of Faith," Buffy continued hesitantly. "What's she like?"

"Oh, she's very spirited," Giles chuckled. "Brash, impulsive, impatient...somewhat reckless. But she's a good Slayer. She has that spark, that passion which always made you so brilliant and made me want to tear my hair out in frustration at the same time."

Buffy smiled weakly. "Is it wrong of me to be jealous of her, Giles? It feels like she's taken my place."

"Buffy..." Giles turned to look at her. "No one could ever replace you. But if it makes you feel better, Faith feels the same way: I believe Wesley was going to talk to her about it."

"She does?" Buffy sounded surprised. "Somehow, I have trouble believing that. She seems so confident and self-assured."

"You're only seeing what Faith wants you to see, Buffy," Giles sighed. "Deep down, Faith is really a quite uncertain young woman. Her upbringing was the very opposite of yours – Faith didn't have anything, and didn't have any prospects for the future. And so, when she was called as the Slayer, she embraced it wholly, with an eagerness bordering on dangerous. When she came to Sunnydale, she had just lost her first Watcher and was in desperate need of guidance and friendship. That I, your friends, and your mother, could offer her that, did her a lot of good and helped her grow up. As different as you are, I believe that if you both got over your envy of each other, you would get along very well."

Buffy nodded slowly. "Did mom talk about me much?" She asked. "After I disappeared?"

"Not a lot, at least not to me. But I believe it was a painful subject. It was clear she resented me for your disappearance. I can't blame her, really," Giles said ruefully.

Buffy frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You clearly didn't trust me enough to come to me after killing Angel," Giles said honestly. "For months after you left, I kept wondering if I could have done anything differently as your Watcher...obviously, I wasn't as approachable as I could have – "

" – No, Giles, my leaving had nothing to do with me not trusting you!" Buffy protested, shocked that he felt that way. "I left because I was a coward. Angel was gone and you and Willow were so badly injured, and I blamed myself... That I ran was not because of anything you did or didn't do. It was all me, unable to deal. It took me the entire summer to get past it, and when I was ready to return, the portal happened."

"Hmm...yes, the portal," Giles mumbled. "I imagine it was quite an adjustment to land in another world... Do you feel like you fit in, in that dimension?"

"A lot better than I thought I would," Buffy said honestly. "And at the same time...not really. I'm the Slayer, but for awhile, I tried so hard to forget all that and be the normal girl I always wished to be, and a witch, and then the Slayer again, and all at the same time. It's something I'm still struggling with...finding the balance. That's partly why I'm going on this quest thing."

"And Remus...he is your boyfriend now?"

"Yes," Buffy said. "I love him. But seeing Angel again...it's hard, not just because I didn't expect to ever face him again, but also because it drags up so many memories and emotions I thought were long gone."

"Well, I don't think I ever made it a secret that I didn't particularly like the relationship between you and Angel," Giles said with a frown. "And it seems Remus has been good for you. The only obstacle in your path – and it's unfortunately quite a big one - seems to be that you both belong in different worlds."

"Yeah..." Buffy whispered, still not sure which world she wanted to be in.

"Hi, Remus, right?" Remus blinked, turning around to look at the blonde who had spoken.

"Yes. And you're Tara."

"Yes. Umm... Anya, Xander, Willow and I were about to sit down and talk in the living room for a bit, and were w-wondering if you would like to join us?"

While not overly enthusiastic about the prospect of being forced to answer whatever questions they were surely going to throw at him when Buffy was away, Remus could see no reason to decline. He had no idea how long he would end up staying here, and these were Buffy's friends, so he should make an effort. And something about Tara's honest expression as she asked spoke to him: for a moment, she reminded him of Samantha.

"I'd love to," Remus said, and Tara smiled.

"Great!"

Remus followed Tara into the living room, hesitantly sitting down in a free armchair. The conversation began to flow easily, Anya talking about some customer she had had in the magic shop, the others interrupting with comments now and then. None of them seemed to expect any active participation from Remus, and he found himself begin to relax.

Of course, that's when Anya finished her story, and Xander spoke up: "How long have you and Buffy been together, Remus?"

'And let the interrogation commence,' Remus thought to himself. "Almost three years."

"Wow, that is long," Xander muttered.

"Was it d-difficult for Buffy to adjust to live in your world?" Tara wondered, and Remus smiled at her.

"At first, because everything was so new for her. That she is the Slayer and used to supernatural things probably eased the transition a lot, though."

"Is Buffy any good at magic?" Anya asked.

"Yes," Remus said firmly. "She is. When she arrived, Dumbledore – the school's Headmaster – had her join our year, and she had to learn over six years worth of education in less than ten months in order to pass her finals."

"It must be so exciting to live in a magical society," Willow sighed, looking rather dreamy. "Isn't it?"

"Well, I more or less grew up in it, so for me, it's normal," Remus shrugged. "For other people who didn't though, I imagine it would be, at least to begin with."

"It must make things so easy, to be able to magically fix everything – "

" – Hardly," Remus interrupted Willow. "Like every society, we have our fair share of difficulties."

Willow frowned. "But you can use magic, everyday! Why can't you just - "

"I'm afraid you might have misunderstood what it's like in our world," Remus interrupted. "We can't just wave our wands and make every problem go away, it doesn't work like that. We have laws and restrictions, of course, but just like in every civilisation, there are also people who break those laws. Everyone there is capable of using magic, Willow, and not all of them use it for good."

"Like the people you're fighting against in that war," Xander stated, and Remus nodded.

"Yes. Being here when it is going on...I worry something will happen to my friends. It seems like the time moves at the same speed here as it does in my world, which is a relief. Still, a lot of things can happen in a few days, especially when you're in the thick of fighting, like they are. Buffy and I have lost so many people close to us already."

Willow spoke up again, a slight frown still on her face: "And speaking of Buffy..."

As she asked another question about Buffy's life in the Wizarding World, Remus let out a sigh, settling himself in for a discussion that was undoubtedly about to become exhausting.

Giles parked his car in the middle of the desert, among some sandy dunes with some scraggly bushes. Slowly, they got out, Giles opening the trunk. "What's in the trunk?" Buffy asked.

"Supplies," Giles answered.

"Supplies, huh? I was wondering about that. Like food, water…maybe a compass?"

Giles straightened up. "What about a book, a gourd, and a bunch of twigs?" He said, holding out the three objects for Buffy, who wrinkled her nose.

"Ritual stuff, then."

"Yes," Giles nodded. They began to walk across the sand. "You see, the location of the sacred place where you will undergo your quest is a guarded secret. I can't take you there myself. The ritual will…transfer my guardianship of you, temporarily, to a guide." He came to a stop, putting the stuff down. "This will do."

"So…this guide will lead me to the sacred place, and then a week later, it leads you to my bleached bones?"

Giles gave her an exasperated, but fond look – he had missed Buffy's wit and sarcasm. "Buffy, please. It takes more than a week to bleach bones."

Buffy grinned, as Giles kneeled on the ground and arranging the twigs around himself. "So, how does the ritual work?"

Giles coughed uncomfortably. "I, uh…jump out of the circle and then jump back in it, and then, um…" He flushed. "I shake my gourd."

Buffy couldn't help but laugh. "I know this ritual! The ancient shamans were next called upon to do the hokey-pokey and turn themselves around."

Giles threw her a sour look. "Go Quest." Buffy didn't move, but her eyes twinkled mischievously as an embarrassed Giles sighed and rolled his eyes, as he jumped into the circle of twigs, jumped out again, and shook the gourd. Buffy burst out laughing. "Oh, just get going, will you?" Giles snapped fondly, sitting down and opening the book.

"Yes, sir," Buffy saluted, beginning to walk across the planes, alone, leaving Giles, reading from the book out loud, behind.

Buffy had been walking for quite some time, when she heard a growling noise to her left. Slowly, she turned around, catching sight of a coyote, its fur a gleaming golden blonde that harmonized with the desert sand it was sitting on. "Hello," Buffy mumbled, feeling slightly comforted by the fact that its looks reminded her a little bit of Remus' werewolf-form. "I'm guessing you're going to lead me to the sacred place, huh?"

The coyote began to walk and Buffy followed it through a passageway made by two large outcroppings of rock, to a large expanse of sandy desert. There, Buffy sat down, looking around, shivering slightly. It was getting colder, the sun fading, and after awhile, her head dropped, her eyes closing. An owl hooted, and Buffy jerked up, sighing, before her eyes closed again, night falling over the desert around her.

Remus walked out of the house with a tired yawn, finally escaping the conversation with Willow, Xander, Tara and Anya. As he had thought, it had ended up being more of an interrogation about Buffy than anything else. Breathing in the cold night-air from his place on the porch, he fixed his eyes on the length of the street, hoping Buffy would return soon. He bit his lip, feeling slightly worried: while he had no idea how long a vision quest was supposed to take, he thought she should have been back by now.

A slight rustling of leaves made him stand up, and within two seconds, his wand was outstretched, the bright light of a silently cast 'lumos' whichilluminated the part of the garden he had heard the sound coming from. His eyes narrowed slightly when he saw who it was. "Oh, it's you," he muttered and lowered his wand slightly, but not completely. Warily, he watched as Angel left the shadows behind the tree and joined him on the porch.

"You're quite alert," the vampire noted, sounding quite wary himself.

"Yes, well, I am a werewolf," Remus said. "And I am fighting in a war – if you don't pay attention, you're likely to get killed."

Angel grunted. "True."

A heavy silence fell between them, but to Remus' slight surprise, it wasn't very awkward or uncomfortable at all, and he pocketed his wand. He was jealous of the closeness Angel and Buffy had once shared, and he still feared that Buffy would leave him now when she had been reunited with him and her friends, but he had to trust that their love was strong enough. Acting like a resentful berk or hating the man wouldn't help any.

"So..." Angel asked after a few seconds, quite surprised that Lupin wasn't trying to threaten him or telling him to keep away from what was 'his.' The fact that he didn't said a lot about him, and his estimation of the werewolf rose somewhat. "How did you and Buffy meet?"

A slight smile appeared at the corner of Remus' lips. "She fell from a portal and landed in the middle of our school's dining hall while everyone was eating. Of course, she was out cold and wounded at a time, so maybe that doesn't count. The first time we met when we were both conscious was later, after she woke up in the hospital wing."

Angel nodded slowly. "And..." he cleared his throat slightly, "when did you...ah...when did you become..."

"A couple?" Remus glanced at him and Angel nodded, not able to bring himself to say the word. Though he may not...dislike Lupin as much as he expected, it definitely didn't mean he was happy that he was with Buffy, and he was not about to give them his blessing any time soon. "Maybe two months after that," Remus revealed. "And it wasn't exactly a smooth road to get there." His eyes glazed over slightly as he recalled Buffy nearly killing him during a full-moon, the disagreements they had had about his inability to accept his werewolf-side, and the time it took for Buffy to get past what had happened with Angel. "Buffy was...well, she was grieving for a long while after she arrived. She may not always have shown it, but it was impossible to miss. I know that what you shared was remarkably strong and it took her quite some time before she dared to move on and even try to be happy."

"She was unhappy?" There was a frown on Angel's face.

"To begin with. Who wouldn't be? I'd like to think her friends and I made things a little easier for her, though. Lily, in particular, was a really big support for her."

"Lily?"

"Her best friend," Remus clarified. "Red-head, scarily smart, a temper a sane person would never cross. Unless you're named James Potter and too infatuated to realise it."

Angel snorted. The two fell silent again. "Do you love her?" Angel finally asked, and Remus turned to look at him.

"With all my heart," he said, and it was impossible to miss the sincerity in Remus' voice, or the utter love and devotion in his eyes.

Angel nodded sharply. "Good."

They both returned to keep a silent vigil over the street, waiting for the woman they had both given their undying love to.

The sound of a crackling fire made Buffy open her eyes and sit up with a frown. "Hello? Who's there?" Buffy narrowed her eyes: on the other side of the fire, she could see someone, but the flames were nearly obscuring the figure. Despite that, something in Buffy's gut told her she knew this person from somewhere… "You're the First Slayer," Buffy breathed, remembering the story she had read in the book Dumbledore had given her. "Sineya."

"This is a form. I am the guide," the woman said, her voice filled with mystique.

"Alrighty then," Buffy muttered. "I have a few questions…about…what dimension I belong to. And being the Slayer…what does that mean, exactly?"

"It means what it means," the First Slayer said mysteriously. "What you chose for it to mean."

"That's not even remotely helpful," Buffy said bluntly. "I don't understand. I'm…what I really want to know is how I find a balance, between being a witch, the Slayer…and me. How do I do that?"

The First Slayer cocked her head. "Why are you trying to separate yourself into three? You are who you are."

Buffy frowned. "But that's just it. I don't know – "

" – You are who you are," the first Slayer repeated, almost sternly. "One. Not three. Whole, not broken, unless you let yourself become so."

Buffy took a deep breath. "So what you're really saying is that I need to stop trying to figure out whether I should be a witch, a girl, or the Slayer first? Because there is no right order? Because I am all these three things at the same time and I need to accept all…three pieces of me as a whole and stop them from…fighting each other? Because it's only when they are combined that I am truly me?"

The First Slayer just smiled.

"Right," Buffy muttered. "Easier said than done." But she did feel somewhat comforted. "And…my other question. What world do I belong to?"

"It is not the world that matters," the First Slayer spoke. "It is the people. Your friends. Family. Where does your heart lie?"

"Yeah, that's kind of what I'm hoping you'll tell me," Buffy said.

"But it is your heart," the guide said. "Only you can decide where it will lead. You decide your own destiny. Only you have the power to shape the path ahead." Confused, Buffy wanted to ask what that meant, but before she could, the guide continued: "You are so full of love. Do not reject it."

Buffy frowned. "Why would I reject it?"

The First Slayer looked at her. "You love with all of your soul. It is brighter than fire...blinding. It scares you. Love can be painful, and the Slayer forges strength from pain. Love...give…and receive in return. Risk the pain. It is your nature. Your gift."

Buffy blinked. "My gift?"

"Yes." The First Slayer smiled then, sadly. "Death was my gift."

"Death…"

"…was my gift," the First Slayer repeated.

"But it's not mine," Buffy clarified, her stomach churning uncomfortably as she realized Sineya must have meant she only found peace in death. "Right? Instead, you're telling me my gift is my pain?" She felt extremely confused.

"Your gift is your love and the love you get in return," the First Slayer clarified, and for a moment, the face of Remus flashed before Buffy's mind's eye.

"Do not reject it," Buffy muttered softly, repeating the first Slayer's words to herself.

"Your questions have been answered," the First Slayer said, and she, as well as the fire, faded away. Buffy frowned as she stared out across the cold, grey rocks and sand, lost in thought. Finally, after several minutes, she stood up, and began the long trek back to Giles and the car.

Buffy stepped out of Giles' car, her eyebrows rising in surprise when she saw both Angel and Remus standing on the porch, beside one another. "Were you both waiting for me?"

Angel smiled at her. "Of course."

Buffy chuckled lightly, taking Remus' hand in hers. She was rather surprised at the lack of any conflict between the two men of her heart, but was glad for it. That neither of them were acting like a six-year old and fighting over the last cookie lifted a great weight from her shoulders. As she, Remus and Giles, entered the house, Angel choosing to leave, she allowed herself to completely relax for the first time since she came back to Sunnydale.

Willow, Xander, Wesley, Tara and Anya were sitting in front of the television. Faith was just entering the room, a stake in her hand. "I'm going out to patrol," the dark-haired Slayer told them, not noticing Buffy in the hallway. "Need to unwind. Do you guys want to come?"

Remembering the conversation she and Giles had had in the car, Buffy spoke up in attempt to reach out to the other Slayer: "I'll come," she said, and everyone turned around, Faith looking quite surprised at her offer.

"Buffy!" Xander got to his feet. "You're back. How was your quest-thingy?"

"Enlightening," Buffy said. "So...what do you say, Faith? Can I come along?"

Slowly, Faith nodded, looking slightly suspicious. "Alright."

"I'll go with you as well," Wesley said, standing up.

"Me too," Giles said. "It will be interesting to see how well you've retained your fighting abilities, Buffy."

"Well, have fun," Xander said, sitting back down, figuring two Slayers, two Watchers and a werewolf would be enough for even the Sunnydale population to deal with: all of them coming along would only be unnecessary and might do more harm than good, even if he wanted to see Buffy in action again as well.

"Yeah, cause there's always a lot of that going around on the Hellmouth," Anya said sarcastically.

"So..." Faith said, her and Buffy walking a bit ahead of the others. "What made you offer back there? Because if you were hoping to find my fighting abilities lacking – "

" – Chill, Faith," Buffy sighed. "I'm not out to get you, okay? I think things would be a lot easier on both of us if we could at least attempt to be civil."

"Fair enough," Faith said. "Sorry if I've been a bit stand-offish," she added a second later, rather grudgingly, but Buffy did have a point. And Faith was rather curious about her, as much as she tried not to be.

"That's okay. I guess I haven't been the most gracious guest either."

"You're not a guest, though," Faith reminded her, and Buffy pursed her lips.

"Aren't I? I don't know...it feels like I am, at least a little bit. Hanging out with Willow and Xander this morning...it felt a bit odd. And I have no idea why I'm telling you this."

Faith smirked. "Maybe it's easier to talk to me because you don't particularly like me," she suggested.

"I don't particularly dislike you, either," Buffy countered. "But I don't know you. And I guess I'm sort of jealous."

"Of me?" Faith sounded astonished. "Why the hell would you be jealous of me for?"

Buffy shrugged. "Mom accepted you, something she never did for me. She took you in... Giles is your mentor now, not mine, and Willow and Xander are your friends, while I may just as well be a total stranger to them. Oz and Cordy aren't around anymore...and Angel..." Buffy let out a puff of air. "Let's not even go there."

Faith snorted. "Well, if it helps, I'm sort of jealous of you too. You share this whole past with them that I wasn't a part of. When we were waiting for you to wake up...everyone was so excited, giddy, even. I've never seen them like that. And it feels like I've been living in your shadow – the stories about you they used to tell...it's a lot to live up to."

"You shouldn't have to live up to anything," Buffy said, with a slight frown. "You're not me; you're your own person. And I may share a past with them, but for every second I spend here, I'm starting to realize that's all it is: a past. And maybe that's where it should stay." Buffy shrugged. "I'm not sure what I expected really, when I woke up here. To think everything would be just the way I left it...it was naive. And even if it had been, I'm not sure I would feel like I fit in any better. I've changed: it's as simple as that."

"We've both been rather stupid, haven't we?" Faith said ruefully. "We're both Slayers – we should get along."

Buffy smiled. "Truce?"

"Truce," Faith agreed, grinning. They reached the first cemetery, which, coincidentally had some night-time visitors already: Spike and Angel, fighting a group of demons and two vampires. Buffy guessed Angel must have headed straight to the cemetery after leaving Revello Drive earlier.

Over the sound of violence, they could hear Angel yell at the peroxide-blonde vampire: "Did you have to deliberately antagonise them? We're getting our asses kicked thanks to you!"

"I thought we were two against two," Spike shouted back while ducking a hard swing from one of the demons. "How was I supposed to know they had backup?"

Angel rolled his eyes, "Gee, maybe the demons barbecuing a kitten over that fire over there should have given you the first clue that they were not alone!"

"They were barbecuing a kitten?" Buffy whispered, looking over at the remains of a fire between some of the gravestones.

"Yuck," Faith agreed. "Hey!" She hollered, and Angel, Spike and the opponents they were fighting turned to stare at them. "How about you leave the two losers alone – " both Angel and Spike threw her offended looks, "and pick on someone with your own - eh – " She glanced at Buffy, realising 'size' wouldn't really work considering of the way the demons towered over them.

" - strength?" Buffy suggested with a grin.

"That'll work," Faith nodded, throwing herself into the fray with abandon, Buffy following her.

Remus unconsciously clutched his wand tighter, watching the two Slayers worriedly, wanting to help but afraid he would hit either Faith or Buffy accidentally if he cast a spell. "So...those are demons?" He asked instead, his eyes wide.

"Yes," Wesley said, looking at him curiously. "Do you not have them in your dimension?"

"They exist, but they're really rare – I've never seen one."

Wesley nodded, going back to watching the fighting. Angel and Spike were taking on one vampire each, and Spike, at least, was only playing with his opponent: Angel seemed a tad distracted – every now and then, he would turn his head to check on Buffy.

The two Slayers were a magnificent sight against the group of four demons. It was like a dance: Faith's movements were all passion, filled with drive, strength, and an untamed wildness. Buffy's on the other hand were more refined: she had a graceful fluidity to her actions, filled with vivacity and fire. Together, they complemented each other very well, each seemed to instinctively know the move the other person was about to make next, which made them a force to be reckoned with.

"I never thought I would see two Slayers fighting alongside each other like this," Wesley mused, sounding rather awed.

"Buffy has lost some of her technique," Remus heard Giles comment. "But there is more originality and variety in her movements now, instead... she's very unpredictable...that combination! Wonderful!"

Wesley chuckled. "I don't think it matters that she has lost some technique. Faith gets along just fine without it, for the most part. She's always been a bit of a brawler. In can be rather restrictive, in a way that instinct isn't."

"Yes, I suppose each Slayer has to find what works for them," Giles agreed. "Kendra was brilliant at technique, but she did lack some imagination."

At that moment, Buffy took an uppercut to the jaw, stumbling back a few steps. Faith immediately kicked the responsible demon sideways in the face, but lost sight of the two others she'd been fighting for a second. It was enough – one of them grabbed her outstretched leg, and before she could react, Faith found herself face first on the ground.

"I've told that girl to never take her eye of the opponent, but does she listen?" Wesley grumbled slightly.

It was Giles' turn to chuckle. "I suppose the line between intuition and impulsiveness becomes rather fine, sometimes. She did it to help Buffy."

"Well, she seems to have things well in hand," Wesley said dryly, and it was true: Buffy had quickly recovered from the blow and was managing just fine in holding back two demons on her own while Faith got up. Angel and Spike had dusted their adversaries and was now fighting the two others.

"I am quite impressed," Giles said. "I was afraid Buffy would be rusty, but she is handling herself almost impeccably, even outnumbered."

"Yes, well, while she hasn't gotten the chance to fight any demons, she has faced a few vampires, if not as regularly as she used to here," Remus said proudly. "And when we're on a battlefield, there's so much going on around us, with spells flying in every direction. We've been forced to get used to facing several people at once and looking over our shoulders while in combat."

"Anyone brought a sword?" Faith yelled at them, as she got back to her feet.

Finally realising a way he could help, Remus quickly conjured up two plain swords – creating metals was quite difficult, so they weren't very sturdy, nor would they last all that long, but they would work well enough. "Buffy!" He yelled to get her attention, and swished his wand: the swords floated over to right beside the fighting group, and it was easy for Faith and Buffy to grab them, before the bewildered demons could react.

"Thanks, Re!" Buffy said chirpily, and quickly stabbed one of the demons in the chest, before beheading the one Angel was fighting, while Faith was doing the same to the third demon, leaving only one, who quickly backed away and began to run, to no avail: Buffy threw her sword forward, impaling him from behind, and he fell to the ground, dead. "That's for burning that kitten, you utter ass!"

"That was some cool mojo," Faith told Remus appreciatively as he walked up to them, clapping him on the back.

Spike threw him a sour glare. "You couldn't have conjured up two more, when you were at it?"

Remus shrugged. "Conjuring metal isn't my strong suit and I figured two swords were enough between the four of you, what with Buffy and Faith both being Slayers, and I was right."

"Of course you were," Faith laughed and high-fived Buffy. "We're the Chosen two, B, how does that feel?" She and Buffy both looked a lot more relaxed than before.

"Pretty neat," Buffy admitted. "Calling me 'B,' however...less so."

Faith snorted and slung an arm around her. "Well, you better get used to it, girlfriend."

"I've been trying to get her to stop calling me 'G' for ages, with no success," Giles said with a long-suffering sigh.

"Like I said – you better get used to it," Faith repeated with a grin.

27 May, 2001

Buffy stepped into the living room, only to be met by Angel, talking to someone on a cordless phone. She inwardly sighed – the two of them really needed to have a long talk. Angel had been remarkably patient, something Buffy was extremely grateful for. That he and Remus weren't at each other's throats also made things easier, though in some ways, it was rather disconcerting that her ex and current boyfriend were getting along so well. It made her wonder what they had been talking about that night on the porch.

Furthermore, since Buffy saw them both in the same room more often than not, she couldn't help but notice the similarities, as well as the differences. And even though she tried not to, she couldn't help but compare them either, something she felt extremely guilty about – especially considering how understanding they both were: it was clear it hadn't escaped their notice – and yet, they said nothing.

"Uhu...yes...no..." Angel said into the phone. "I don't know how much longer I'll be here, it depends... Well, it will have to wait until I get back... I realise that's what the powers want, but...no, this has nothing to do with Buffy!" Angel finally snapped at whoever was at the other end of the line. Buffy let an eyebrow rise, and Angel blanched when he finally noticed her. If he was capable of blushing, that's what he would have done, and Buffy's lips twitched slightly in amusement. "Speaking of...do you want to talk to her? Catch up? Okay, great." Angel handed her the phone, trying to look nonchalant in a bad attempt at covering up his embarrassment, causing Buffy to grin. "It's Cordelia."

Buffy put the phone against her ear while making a shooing motion in Angel's direction until he left the room. "Hello? Cordy?"

"Buffy!" Cordelia's chirpy voice said. "I was surprised to hear you were back!"

"I'm quite surprised to be back," Buffy said honestly, sitting down on the living room sofa.

Cordelia laughed. "So...another dimension, huh? I know all about those."

Buffy blinked. "You do?"

"Kind of. Just before Angel left to help fight Glory, I had a vision of this girl, Fred."

" – Vision?" Buffy interrupted.

"Oh, yeah, did no one tell you? I'm now a conduit for the Powers That Be. They send me visions of people in danger, and Angel heads off to save them. It's a thing."

"Wow," Buffy said, stunned.

"Wow, and OW," Cordelia said, laughing slightly. "They give me excruciating headaches, but it's worth it, considering it allows us to help the helpless. Anyway, about that vision...all the stuff that's been going on here in LA while Angel's been away and the research I've been doing all points to one thing – Fred's in another world, and we'll have to go there to save her. I was talking to Angel about that, trying to convince him to return to LA sooner rather than later, but he's reluctant."

"Because of me," Buffy filled in for her.

"Yeah," Cordelia said kindly. "I'd say so."

"So...this other world," Buffy said slowly, wondering if Cordelia of all people might know how to open a portal back to the Wizarding World, "how are you going to get there?"

"By portal," Cordelia said. "There's this book – when you read from it, it opens a portal to that other dimension, which is called Pylea, by the way. Quite a few of them have been opened in various places in LA on dimensional hotspots - natural gateways between the worlds."

"You've done your research," Buffy was quite shocked by the maturity Cordelia seemed to possess.

"Yes, well, Angel's been gone for weeks and my acting career is in a stalemate, so it's not like I had anything else to do. And I've got an excellent source who is actually from that other dimension."

"And him being here when he belongs in Pylea...it doesn't upset the balance?" Buffy questioned, remembering what Dumbledore had said about the dimensional balance needing to be upheld.

"Not quite sure what you mean by that," Cordelia said honestly.

Buffy pursed her lips slightly. "And this book you mentioned...reading from it only opens a portal to Pylea, nowhere else?" Buffy asked next.

"No," Cordelia said. Both of them were silent for awhile. "You're not staying, are you?" Cordelia finally asked, and Buffy bit her lip, taken aback, not by Cordelia's bluntness, because she'd always had that, but of her perceptiveness. Just from a couple of minutes of conversation, Cordelia had figured out what the people supposed to know her best hadn't - what she herself had struggled to come to terms with.

"Honestly...if I'm given a choice...I don't think so," Buffy said, and as soon as she'd uttered it, she knew it to be true, and it felt as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Sunnydale wasn't her home anymore, and somehow, it was easy to admit that to Cordelia, perhaps because they had never been all that close. "You've changed."

Cordelia snorted. "Time does that to people," she said. "You've changed too, that much I can tell. I know we never really got along, but I'm glad I got to hear from you."

"Likewise."

"A piece of advice, Buffy," Cordelia said, "if time has taught me only one thing, it is that you should do what your heart tells you, and not what other people say. No matter what you choose, whether it's staying or going, follow your heart, okay?"

Buffy smiled at Cordelia's advice, which nearly mirrored what the spirit guide out in the desert had told her. She glanced at Angel who had just re-entered the room with Remus: Angel looked slightly exasperated over the fact that she hadn't hung up yet. "I will."

Buffy ended the phone-call and turned to the two men of her heart, an eyebrow raised. "Did you want something? Because if not, I'm just going to re-dial Cordelia – I'm honestly surprised at how great it was talking to her."

Angel shuddered, clearly imagining what Buffy and Cordelia in cahoots would be like to deal with. "Well...it's like this...I – no, we...uh..."

" - I was actually thinking that you and Angel should go out on a patrol together," Remus said, interrupting the vampire's ramble.

Buffy looked startled. "Okay..." she said slowly. She honestly hadn't expected that – while Angel and Remus were getting along fine, she didn't think that stretched over into one of them proposing that she spent time with the other alone. "Why?"

"We need to talk, Buffy," Angel spoke up, and Buffy sighed. She had been deliberately postponing it, instead choosing to spend time with Giles, Faith or her friends, in an attempt to recapture the easy comradeship of their high-school days, to no avail.

It was actually a lot simpler to connect with Anya and Tara, perhaps because she had no prior knowledge of them, and as such no expectations or a past to live up to. And Faith, while they had had a slightly rocky start, was great to spend time with now after they had cleared the air: she was someone who understood what it was like to be a Slayer, even if she embraced it in a way Buffy never had. And while they were opposites in many other things as well, it didn't seem to affect their growing comradeship negatively.

Truth be told, she was afraid that it would be just as awkward with Angel as it was to spend time with Willow and Xander - that he would be a stranger to her, like they truly were a world apart. And at the same time, she was afraid that it would be too easy – that it would be completely effortless to slip back into what they had had, because if it was...she had no idea what that would mean for her and Remus, soulmates or not.

"I know." She pursed her lips slightly. "You're right."

"No need to look so enthusiastic," Angel said, slightly teasing, and Buffy smiled weakly.

"Sorry, Angel, I just...sorry."

"It's alright. Anyway, it could be fun," Angel said, while Buffy grabbed a sword from the nearby weapon's chest. "Just like old times."

Buffy smiled slightly. "Well...maybe not quite like old times," she corrected, her mind flashing back to the heavy make-out sessions she and Angel had sometimes got up to during their patrols. 'No. Definitely not like old times,' she thought, glancing back towards Remus' silhouette in the living room window as she exited the house.

Published: 12/01 -12

Trivia

- The Citroën Buffy asks about is Giles first car, introduced in Never Kill a Boy on the First date, and the crash Giles refers to happened in BTVS 4x12: A New Man, where it was presumably totalled. The red replacement car makes its first appearance in BTVS 5x2: Real Me, and according to Giles, he bought it because it was all red and sporty, seducing him, and because he was searching for a way to feel more "shallow" as suggested then by Buffy.
- The clucking sound Giles makes is a sound Willow states he does when he is mad but too English to say anything, in BTVS 3x3: Faith, Hope and Trick.
- The vision quest was based on the one Buffy does in BTVS 5x18: Intervention, with some changes. For example, the guide is not the canon mountain lion, but a coyote (a prairie wolf, to mirror Buffy's connection to Remus, a werewolf) instead, and the conversation between the First Slayer and Buffy is different, with Buffy having other problems to deal with and other lessons to learn, than in the series.
- Giles mentioning Joyce resented him for Buffy's disappearance is based on what Joyce states in Anne, where she says she blames Giles.
- Willow's problems with/later addiction to magic in season 6 is hinted at in her conversation with Remus, where she can't understand why a magical world isn't perfect.
- 'The Chosen two' – Faith's name for her and Buffy in 3x14: Bad Girls. The full sentence goes: "We're Slayers, girlfriend. The Chosen Two," which is where I got Faith calling her 'girlfriend' from as well. Buffy's nickname, 'B,' was first uttered by Faith in BTVS 3x3: Faith, Hope and Trick, right after their first meeting outside of the Bronze. ("Thanks, B. Couldn't have done it without you.")
- Spoilers for ATS s. 2 – with both Angel and Wesley in Sunnydale, clearly the AI gang can't go to Pylea until his return, so that entire arch has been postponed and delayed.
- An example of the referred to 'heavy make-out sessions' between Buffy and Angel during patrol can be seen in BTVS 2x12: Bad Eggs.