Author's Note: Now you can see the effect the US stuff is having on the England stuff. If Buffy hadn't done what she does, in this chapter, Jack would never have gotten out of jail, and the 456 would never have been defeated.

Enjoy!

In London, Jack Harkness was clanged shut into a cell by the army. He sunk to the bench, his face blank, as he struggled to take in everything that had happened.

Torchwood had been destroyed.

Ianto had been killed.

His secret daughter, Alice Carter, and his grandson, Steven Carter, had been imprisoned alongside him. Used as leverage to make sure he'd do whatever the government wanted him to.

That same government that was selling out Earth's children to the aliens.

Jack had tried to make a stand. He'd fought back against both the 456 and the leaders who were willing to surrender Earth's children to those monsters.

But Jack had lost.

So many children were going to die, now, and… and...

This time, it was all his fault.

A desperate clanging echoed through from the cell beside him. "Captain!" shouted Lois Habiba, through the wall. "Is that you? Captain Harkness, it's me, it's Lois!"

He didn't answer.

All his fault.

"What do we do?" Lois shouted. Clanged again. "Captain?"

Jack dropped his head into his hands.

All his fault…

"Captain!"

Across the world, armies were out in full force. Taking and grabbing children, forcing the adults to hand over the necessary numbers.

The soldiers hated it.

But most didn't know why the children were being gathered. Thought it was a protective measure. And those that did… understood the alternative was their own children.

Kept their mouths shut.

Gwen, in Cardiff, knew the truth.

Was helping to save Ianto's family, and all the other children she could.

"Don't make a sound," Gwen said, helping a little girl into a puffy pink coat. "It's like a game, yeah?" She leaned down, put her fingers to her lips. "Fingers on lips."

The girl imitated her, and Gwen smiled.

Rhiannon, Ianto's sister, raced into the room. "Now, no one makes a sound until we get there. You stay nice and quiet, and you get sweets."

"Where is this place?" Rhys asked.

"Down by the field," said Rhiannon. "It's all boarded up."

Perfect place to hide.

They all headed out, to run for the lives of these children. As the military advanced through the streets, searching for children to gather up and take away…

In the United States, Ria's team had finished handing out firearms.

Ria watched, standing beside her husband and her infant son, as the sky grew lighter and lighter. The deadline approaching.

Everyone around her was confident.

Gung-ho and geared up and ready to fight!

But they all quieted when Ria stepped up to address them. Making sure their rage was fueled at the aliens, not at the army or the human governments.

"You know why we're here," Ria said. Confidence flowing through her. "They're taking away our children. And we're here to show them… we won't let them do it!"

Everyone cheered, thrusting their guns in the air.

"They're taking our children because they think we're weak!" Ria continued. "They think we won't care! That we'll surrender someone else's kids to protect our own." She gestured at the crowd around her. "But they've never faced down an army of desperate parents, have they?!"

More cheering.

Along with shouts of, "Hands off our kids!" and "Go to hell, Osama!"

"They tried to divide and conquer," Ria said. "But we don't divide! We unite!" She thrust her gun into the air. "And because of that… humanity will always win!"

Xander held the recording.

Trying to figure out what to do.

Did he race out and try to stop Ria, stop her from leading everyone to their own deaths? But what if, by saving the adults, he doomed the children?

You're the best person I can think of to oversee the Institute in a post-apocalyptic…

Xander shuddered. Even Ria expected this whole world to fall into chaos and anarchy, after today.

What could Xander do to stop that?

"Nothing," Xander realized. Thinking of that Crystallizer. "The apocalypse is coming… and I'm finally powerless to stop it."

Willow still didn't know what she was doing, Crystallizer tucked under her arm, as Buffy opened up the most secure, deepest basement vault in the whole Slayer Institute. The one where they now kept their most secret and powerful magical items.

Was Buffy doing the right thing?

Was Buffy even herself, right now?

"It was staring me in the face the whole time!" said Buffy. "That Super-Entity Rose created — he made sure I'd see that other timeline, with Twilight! He did it for a reason! Nothing can destroy the Crystallizer — and nothing could destroy the Seed of Wonder!"

She yanked up one of the magical items.

"Except this!" said Buffy, the Scythe gleaming in her hands.

Willow just stood, frozen, in the doorway.

Not sure what to say or do.

"One final wish he knew I'd make," Buffy said, yanking the Crystallizer from Willow and tossing it to the floor. "One final timeline of the Doctor's that he could tweak." She swung back the Scythe over her shoulder, its blade radiating with mystical power. "Ten percent of children saved, and only one life sacrificed to do it!"

Then she swung the Scythe down.

And the Crystallizer exploded into a shower of sparks, blade slicing through its surface.

A wave of energy ripped out from it, as the lights began to fade from the machine. Energy that surged through the Scythe, and straight into Buffy.

Buffy screamed.

And collapsed.

The instant the Crystallizer was destroyed, the instant it fizzled out...

In London, Alice Carter told Agent Johnson, "If your duty is to protect the state above and beyond any other authority, then the one person you need right now is Jack Harkness."

Johnson thought a long moment.

Then gestured to her troops. And went to release Jack from his cell.

"No!" Willow screamed.

She felt herself losing it, as Buffy's limp, pale body fell to the floor. Unmoving. Oh, God! Buffy was dead. The real Buffy! DEAD! Willow had lost her, again, just like…

Just like…

"No!" Willow shouted, grabbing Buffy's body up. Summoning all her magical powers. "By Osiris and all the gods of the underworld, bring her back! Hear me, keeper of—"

"I'm not dead," Buffy muttered.

Willow almost dropped her on the floor, she was so startled. "Buffy!"

Buffy moaned, and opened her eyes. "Couldn't you at least check if I have a pulse before you start going all crimes-against-naturey again?" She struggled to stand on her feet. But had to cling to Willow, as she was still wobbly. "I mean, I only blacked out for, like, a second. Not even close to dead."

"I… I thought…" Willow bit her lower lip. Realizing… she'd been caught out trying to bring Buffy back, again. Even though she'd promised she wouldn't. "Sorry."

"Yeah, well, no harm done," said Buffy. "Fortunately for you, I was still alive. And it's not like there was anyone else around whom you could magically resurrect."

Across the world, in a London morgue…

Like an abnormal and screwed-around-with wrinkle in the fabric of space-time that had suddenly been yanked straight by the magic Willow had invoked…

Alison Korjensky gasped back to life.