"Ākāra kā mazadūra, I have a favor to ask of you."I say to the creature in front of me. Akara is a magnificent creature. She/he/it uses its Hindu name as an actual name every time it takes human form. The first time I encountered Akara was last year before I was called. Kate and I cleared out a small cave that hosted a small nest. The vampires had forced Akara to shift into human form so that they could feed. I have never enjoyed killing vampires as much as I did that night. The things that they did to Akara are not fit to be heard.

"You may ask anything of me Taraka." Akara says in a near whisper from lips that don't exist. I never thought I would actually be asking a favor from Akara. When I found it in Sunnydale I was surprised. This species of shape shifter is rather docile and the idea of it searching out the hellmouth seemed rather odd. I questioned it before but received only a vague answer to my questions. Akara has a reason to be here I just don't know it. As long as it stays docile I will leave it be and I've made sure it knows to stay away from Buffy and friends.

"I need you to shift into the shape of a specific man. I need you to impersonate him, through the day and night. Someone is going to try to kill him I just don't know who. I want you to let his attackers "kill" you so that others think he is dead." It's a big favor. The stabbing or shooting might not kill Akara but it will hurt and take some time to heal.

"I will need to touch this man to assume his form. I will need a bit of his blood to hold on to it." Akara tells me in a near whisper. Nodding my head I ask it to follow me.

It's predawn and the streets of Sunnydale are quiet. It took me the majority of the day to think out how to save Professor Wirth. Then it took the whole night to find Akara. My plan has a couple of holes in it but I hope it works. Akara can take on the shape of anything it touches. Hopefully with a bit of blood it will be able to not only assume the good professors form but his scent as well. Overall if this works I am a genius.

The walk to the professor's apartment doesn't take too long. As I expected he is home and the door is locked. Taking out my lock picks I get to work. I would rather take the professor by surprise. Working the lock for a minute I am glad to hear the click signaling I have hit the tumbler just right. Opening the door I look around and am swamped by a flash of memory. I've been here before and the conditions were very different. I remember his terror, his body tensing as the knife slid cleanly into his stomach. It was indeed a painful death and I inflicted it with relative glee. How eager I was to please.

Entering Wirth's room I find him laying in bed still sound asleep. Hovering over him I place my hand on his mouth which immediately wakes him up. Looking him in the eye I tell him to be quiet. He merely nods and I am not stupid enough to remove my hand. Signaling to Akara I tell it to do what needs to be done. Silently I watch as it takes the professor's hand and cuts it lightly. Licking the wound clean I watch in mild fascination as Akara takes the professor's form. It looks exactly like him down to the stripped pajamas he's wearing. It's rather creepy to watch. Turning my attention back to the professor I find his eye's to be wide as saucers. He is shocked to say the least.

"The mayor of Sunnydale is planning to send a couple of goons to your house today to kill you professor. Akara here is going to take your place. You are going to pack a bag and get out of Sunnydale for about two weeks." I tell him clearly making sure he understands everything. Removing my hand from him mouth I wait for him to speak.

"Why in the world would the mayor want me dead? I am just an anthropologist." He looks shocked and confused.

"It seems some of the work you have done has caught his attention. He wants you out of the so that some of your work never sees the light of day." I tell him feeling it isn't necessary to specify which work.

The good professor merely nods and I find he is taking everything relatively well and in good stride. Then again I suppose watching a demon transform into what looks like a carbon copy of you would make it just a little bit easier to accept the fact that the mayor is trying to kill you. After Wirth packs a bag I take him outside leaving Akara behind. I walk him to the bank order him to take out all his available cash and not to use his credit cards or checks for the next two weeks everything has to be cash. Walking him to the bus station I watch him board and release a sigh of boarded up tension. The first part is done. Next is to wait and see if the mayor follows the same path. If he doesn't then I've just sent the professor away for no good reason.

Walking back to the motel I enter my room only to find Cordy there waiting expectantly. This is something of a surprise. I had told her at the library that I had to think out the problem of the professor. I thought she was a bit too understanding. Though I have to admit it was wrong of me to leave her with the Scooby gang. They were clearly full of questions. It wasn't quite right.

"You know I should smack you for leaving me with them." She tells me simply as I walk in. Yup she is this side of ticked off.

"I would happily let you smack me Cor. I might even like it." I give her my little smirk hoping to soften her up a bit.

"Knowing you I know that's not true." She tells me switching to serious mode. "I will tell you that I did not appreciate being left behind to fend off the lions. In return for that move I did not keep my mouth shut. They asked questions and I answered honestly." She tells me with her own wicked smile. Undoubtedly she enjoyed herself regardless of how much she might deny it.

"So how much do the super friends know?"

"Just that you were a stripper and that we were not having sexual relations the other night."She tells me with all seriousness. I knew she would never tell anything personal. For all that the Scooby's look down on Cor she is one of the most reliable people I know. Anything I've asked her to keep quiet about she has done so without a question. She's the only person I have ever trusted enough to talk about my past. Cor is my therapist.

"Well I guess it was bound to come out some time. Did you have fun torturing the Scooby's with my illicit life style?" Her smile tells me all and I merely laugh wishing I was there to see it.

"So how did it go today?"

"I think I may have solved the problem but I am not positive yet. We will see won't we? Just in case the professor is still on his way out of town as we speak. All we have to do now is wait to see how things progress."

"I still don't see why you can't just stop the mayor? You would be saving a lot of lives I would guess." She tells me with a frown.

"It's an argument we have had before Cor. I don't know what will happen. I honestly don't think I am able to kill the mayor. I know it is hard for you to believe but through everything I experience in that prophecy I can't murder him. He was like a father to me. I love him. It is going to kill me to watch Buffy kill him this time around. Do you really think I would be able to handle murdering him? Cause that is what it would be Cor; murder. He is a demon right now but he is still mostly human. I can't kill him. I also don't know what killing him will do, how it will change the course of time. That vision was sent to change my actions and I don't think it was meant for me to change everyone's future. If it was meant to change everyone's future I would have seen bits and pieces of their lives along with my own. I don't have a clue as to what was happening in Buffy's life while I was in jail. I know the bare facts but I don't have a timeline for anything. I am walking blind in to the future when it comes to everyone else. Changing my actions, making my life better probably won't affect what happens here in Sunnydale since I was not really involved in Sunnydale to begin with. I was outside of time here." I tell her and see she is looking at me with a sad little smile.

"I suppose you are right Faith. Even with the changes you have made you have been outside of what happens here. You move in and out of this world but you are never really seen or appreciated. You do know I love though don't you?" She asks me and I wonder what she saw in my face to make her say that. I merely nod and move towards her letting her envelope me in a hug. She is my anchor and I don't think I could manage without her.

Angel was right when he said a slayers life is filled with darkness and loneliness. It was so lonely in my life that I turned to a demon. A demon who gave me the one thing I needed more than anything else in the world; love. They all saw me and used me, but they never got to know me, they never thought to try to love me. Yet the mayor saw me, the real me underneath the layers of bravado, and he loved me. I've made this life a little less lonely. I've included Cor into my life in a way I didn't know how to do in the last. This time I am dragging Angel into my circle cause I know he actually does care for me. I will anchor myself firmly this time. I will not let my own inner darkness consume me. This time I will live my life to the fullest.