~~~~~~~~~~

"What do you mean the Council's coming here again?" Buffy was annoyed as she punched the punching bag.

"I just got the letter this morning. They'll be here tomorrow night." Giles told her.

"Giles, something wrong?" Buffy eyed Giles.

"No, nothing to be concerned about. Anyway, I suggest you keep a close eye on Dawn, if they find out Dawn is the key, they could take her away from us." Giles said.

"Well Xander and Anya are taking Dawn to a movie tonight, I'll let them know....."

"Good." Giles put the letter down, as he went to answer the phone in the front.

Curious why Giles didn't let her read the letter, Buffy took a quick peek.

~~~~~~~~~

Dawn, Xander and Anya were walking home from the movie that night, when Dawn got uncomfortable.

"What's wrong?" Xander asked.

"I feel like we're being watched." Dawn was creeped out.

"Its OK, you're almost home." Anya told her looking around at the bushes.

~~~~~~~~~

Spike grumbled at the knock on his crypt door. "Yeah what?" He snarled as he opened the door. A hand with a large roll of money greeted him.

"Can I come in?" The voice asked.

"Thought you were dead." Spike told the voice as he waved the person in.

"The news of my death has been greatly exaggerated." Alex told him as she handed him the roll of money.

"What's this for?"

"Saving my life." She sat down on the stone coffin. "Its not much, but its all I can spare right now."

"You didn't have..."

"Stop, I have a business proposition for you." She took off her black cloak, revealing black lace chemise, trimmed with the Drummond tartan.

"All right. Spill it."

"I want to hire you on a month to month basis."

Spike scoffed, "What do I get out of this deal?" He came face to face with her.

"One hundred-twenty five a month, and a chance to get that damned chip taken out of your head." She told him.

"Two."

"One-fifty."

"Two fifty."

"Two and a quarter."

"Three."

"Done." It was no use, she didn't want to barter with him anymore.

"What do I have to do?"

~~~~~~~~~~

"You again?" Buffy asked Harmony the following evening.

"You're not so tough." snapped Harmony as she motioned for one of her followers to challenge Buffy.
Seeing that Buffy would come after her, Harm backed up and ran.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Allo." Harm turned around and into a flying fist. "I owe you a few valley girl."

"Who are you?" Harmony was already bleeding from the nose.

"Don't you recognize me love?" Aricia circled Harmony.

"Should, should I?"

"The last time you saw me, I was a bloody mess. Spike had to come in and save my skin."

"Slayer!" Harmony hissed at Aricia.

"Slayer. Vampire." She boxed Harmony in the jaw.

"That hurt."

"So did the arrow in my leg." Aricia aimed her bow at Harmony's left leg and fired.
Harmony went down holding her leg.

"What did you do that for?" she cried.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Harmony!!!" Buffy's voice found them in the darkness.

"I'm only warning you once. If you even consider meddling in my or anyone associated with my life, I will come back, chain you up and leave you to die by the sunlight."

Harmony nodded and took off as Buffy came into the picture.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Where's Harmony? Who are you?"

"She's been given a pardon for tonight." Aricia told Buffy.

"Who are you?" Buffy's tone was demanding.

"I'll give you a hint." Aricia turned back to Alex.

"Huh?" Buffy seemed surprised. "But I thought....."

"Do I look dead to you?" Alex snapped. "Sorry. Buffy, can we talk, slayer to slayer?"

"About what?"

"Things."

"I don't think so." Buffy was already late for the Council visit.

"If you're worried about the Council's visit, don't. They won't start without us." Alex said.

"What did you just say?" Something clicked inside Buffy's brain.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Buffy's late, the Council's late..." Giles kept mumbling.

"I'm sure they'll be here, and, umm Buffy promised." Willow poured Giles another cup of tea. He in turn pulled out his little silver flask and poured the contents into the tea.

The door to the shop swung open and in walked Cole, Jonathan, Gwen, Elizabeth, Marcus, Bane, Angelo, with Isis bringing up the rear.

"Can I help you?" Anya was very polite.

"Where's Buffy?" asked Cole.

~~~~~~~~~~
Buffy and Alex were just about to go through the back door, when their instincts told them someone was watching them.

"Alexandria?" the voice asked from the wall.

"Who wants to know?" snapped Alex. "Oh."

"You know him?"

"Yes. If you'll excuse me." She beckoned the black figure down from the wall.
The figure jumped as she held up her hand and a wooden stake shot out from her left wrist. Ashes and the stake littered the air above.

"How did you know he was a vampire?" Buffy seemed impressed as she picked ash out of her hair.

"The only demons that have been following me, have been Adern's minions, everything else seems to run the other way when they find out about me."
Aricia shrugged, reloading her wrist weapon.

"Oh." Alex smiled as Buffy held open the door for her.

They never heard the scuffle in the alleyway between Spike and another vampire.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Guys, we're here." Buffy called to the others.

"Who's we?" asked Giles.

"We, as in your two favorite trouble finding slayers." Alex smiled as Giles turned around.
"Giles, close your mouth before you start catching flies."

Dawn giggled as Giles obeyed.

"But, I got a letter....." Giles was stumbling for words, he also noted the dark circles under her eyes, she looked like she'd been through more than he could imagine.

"Giles, do I look dead to you?" She asked.

"No but......."

"Let's get down to business, shall we?" Alex said. "I would like to introduce the Council of Watchers."

"They're so young!" pointed out Willow.

"I know, from what Alexandria tells me, they are as good as anyone of us." Buffy put in.

"Call me Alex. My watcher is Cole."

Cole stepped forward and nodded.

"My bookworms, Elizabeth and Gwen," the cousins stepped forward, "Marcus, Bane," they stepped forward, "the one who keeps all of our heads on straight is Jonathan." Jonathan smiled as he was introduced.
"My best friend and teacher, Isis." Isis stepped forward with a rather large book and presented it to Willow and Tara.

"From one sister to two sisters." Isis told them as Willow took the book.

"How did you umm, know we..." Willow started to ask.

"She's one herself." Tara poked Willow in the ribs. "She's powerful too, can't you see it?"

Isis just smiled as she stepped back.

"And the one who's responsible for me being here. Angelo." Alex shook her head as Angelo shook hands with everyone.

"How is it that someone of your age, no offense, becomes leader of the Council?" asked Xander.

"By bloodline." Cole told him.

"Let's get down to the business at hand, I know about Dawn." Alex said.

"You're not taking her!" Anya protested.

"We won't. Not unless you need our help. The Powers sent her to you, we are here to help you, if you need it. No one should have to face someone like Glory alone." Angelo said.

"I absolutely agree." Giles shook his head in agreement.

"Giles, I don't like discussing this topic, but, what would Buffy do if something happened to you?" Alex asked.

"It should be up to the Council to choose, my err, replacement." Giles said.

"Buffy?"

Buffy nodded.

"I am assigning to you Giles, a Watcher in training." Alexandria said.

"Who?" asked Giles.

"Xander." Buffy and Alex said.

"Excuse me?" Xander was shocked.

"I agree!" Dawn shouted as Buffy nodded in agreement.

"Its impossible for me to assign Buffy a total stranger as a Watcher. Xander's smart, Buffy says he can handle himself in almost any situation. Wouldn't you agree Giles?" Alexandria stated.

"I'll need training." Xander told them.

"That is true, but I believe you will make an excellent Watcher." Giles told him.

"I'm sure my father wouldn't mind helping out." Cole said.

"That is a good idea Cole, I will only be able to teach him so much." Giles seemed to be happy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I call it Slayer Com." Marcus smiled as he tossed phones to Giles and the rest of the gang.
"The phones are programmed to respond to voice authorization as well as dialing the numbers."

"How do we reach you?" Asked Dawn as she played with her cell phone.

"Wait a minute, Dawn does not get a phone." Buffy objected.

"Why?" Dawn asked.

"Because I said." Buffy replied.

"Fair enough." Marcus said taking it away from Dawn.

Buffy nodded.

"But how do we reach you?" asked Giles.

"Say call Alex, or in the phone book, under Alex. If I don't answer, it will forward your call until someone answers."
She replied standing behind Dawn as she slipped a cell phone and charger into Dawn's open backpack.

"I have chargers for all your phones." Marcus set the bag on the table.

~~~~~~~~~

The following evening Buffy, Giles, Alex and Cole and Angelo were in the back room of the shop.
"She's improved drastically, considering she's missed a great deal of training. Cole you've done a wonderful job."

"I can't take all the credit, Wesley helped too."

~~~~~~~~~~~

In the front, Isis, Willow and Tara were swapping spells, when Alex's cell phone rang.

"Alex's phone." Isis answered. "Marcus?" She spoke into the phone.
"What? No, you and the others head home. No, I can't she's with Giles and Buffy. OK, I will." Isis got up and headed for the back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Isis knocked on the door and then entered. "Excuse me, but there is call for you Alex, its Marcus."

She excused herself and went outside. "Marcus, you and your father go to Italy, try and smooth things out as much as you can. When I get back, I'll join you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Isis what's wrong?" Tara asked her as she came back into the room.
"She's here...." Isis' eyes seemed to gloss over.
"Who?" asked Willow.
"Glory." Isis seemed to snap out of her trance and headed for the back.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Outside Alex was on the phone with Gwen, when a female came up to her.
"Who are you?" Glory asked her.
"I..." Alex realized who it was, as Glory picked her up and tossed her against the wall opposite the door.

~~~~~~~~
Willow, Tara, Buffy and their respective Watchers followed Isis out the back door as soon as they heard the thud.

"Glory!" Isis yelled at the fallen goddess.

"Isis, and all this time I thought you stayed on your throne." Glory retorted. "I want my key Buffy." Glory pranced up to Buffy.
"Who is that?" Glory pointed to Alex. "Never mind, she's just another human. You can't hide the key from me any longer."

"Really?" Angelo put in. "We've done a damn good job so far."

"You!" Glory reached for Angelo, but Aricia knocked her hand away.

"I really wouldn't do that." chuckled Glory as she turned towards Aricia. "What the hell are you?"

"Your new headache." snapped Aricia as she grabbed onto the blond hair and swung her into the brick wall.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"I thought you and Buffy were on the same page." Giles questioned his goddaughter as he examined her dislocated shoulder.

"Same book, couple chapters apart." Buffy explained as she helped the shoulder pop back into place with Cole.

"I need to go to LA." Alex began to gather up her things.

"What's wrong?" Giles asked.

"Something's wrong, Gwen won't tell me, but I've got to go, Cole, Angelo I want you to go home."

"Is that a good idea?" Buffy asked. "I mean you going into this situation with no help."

"Look who's talking." Alex pointed out.

Giles frowned at her.

"I'll have help, don't worry." she caught herself, before she said anymore.

~~~~~~~~~

Faith had bruises, a black eye, and a very swollen lip and some more injuries.
She had been transferred from the prison infirmary to the local hospital for better care.
It hurt to move, the demon did some damage, but she wasn't concerned, it would heal.

The doorway was darkened. "Faith?" Alexandria was concerned.

"I'm OK." snapped Faith as Alex stood next to her bed.

"Please, don't snap at me." She asked softly.

"I'm sorry."

"Excuse me, you can't be in here." the guard had come up from behind her.

"Please, I've come from half way across the world to see my only living relative." Alex pleaded still facing Faith. Faith's eyes widened at the site of the vampire guard.

"This doesn't concern you..."the guard began to say as Aricia turned around.
"Oh my...."

Aricia broke his arm to get the knife, and threw it away. "By the tone of your voice, I sense you know who I am?"

The bald vampire nodded as the door slammed closed, as Aricia pinned him against the wall with a sharp piece of wood ready to strike. "Tell me who hired you and I'll let you live."

"Vampire in a warehouse on the south side."

"Who?"

"Rorta."

"You sure?"

He nodded, and true to her word she let him go.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Wolfram and Hart." Rorta had pointed her Nor, Nor to Weon. Weon's high pitched voice echoed as they stood in front of the burning building. Aricia had her down on her knees with a handful of hair.

"You're not lying to me are you?" She stuck a stake into the back of her neck. "Well?" Aricia pulled back on the neck.

"No....Its true...." Those were Weon's last words.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"What have you found out?" Alex sat down in the back room of Gypsy Cove.

"Its a Fyreon Margeiayn demon." Wesley came up from behind her. "Its good to see you."

"A what??" asked an amazed Alex.

"Demon for hire?" Jonathan was surprised. "Who hired it?"

"Wolfram and Hart, it appears they made a deal with your grandfather to have her taken out." Cordelia sat down next to Wesley. "Not to mention some other deals that are yet to be fulfilled." Cordelia handed the papers to Alex.

"And deals that won't be, thanks Cordelia." Alex pulled a piece of paper out and slid it across the table to her.

"What's this?"

"Your fee for this and the last time I was here."

"Oh wow. Are those all zeros......" Cordelia was stunned.

"Let me see." Gunn snapped the check away. "Holy......"

"Jonathan, would you excuse us?" Alex asked. He nodded and left.

"Wesley, I would like to reinstate you as a Watcher."

"Excuse me?" Cordelia asked.

"Why?" Wesley asked.

"I need eyes and ears out here. If I cannot count on you, tell me. I was also considering hiring Cordelia and Gunn as Guardians."

"What does that mean? Guardians?" Gunn asked.

"Who cares, how much does it pay?"

Alex smiled, she took that as a "yes."

~~~~~~~~~~

Wolfram and Hart's demon vampire detector was very confused a few days later.

"Seal off the building!" the guard hollered into his radio as he raced past Lilah.

Lilah was reading a file as she walked towards her office.

"We think there is a vampire in the building." A guard came up to her.

"He shouldn't try thinking." mumbled Lilah as the lights went out on the entire floor.

"I suggest you stay in your office until we know for sure." The guard suggested.

~~~~~~~~~

"Who's there?"

"You mean your boss didn't warn you about me?"

"This isn't a game." stated Lilah.

"I don't play games." spoke the voice as the lights came back on.

"Who the hell are you?" Lilah asked her chair.

"I just wanted to let you know that I'm in charge now, and all deals you had with Seth are off."
Aricia, dressed in black jeans with a black velvet shirt, wore her clan colors around her waist, threw a handful of white papers at her.
"Next on the agenda..." Aricia circled Lilah, "I heard about your little plan to dismember my sister slayer. If you continue to assault her and anyone
else I know, even if its person I bump into on the street, I will come back and burn down this law firm, with you in it."

"You can't threaten me!" snapped Lilah as she held out a large wood cross.

Aricia began to laugh at the feeble attempt to scare her, she grabbed the cross away and broke Lilah's nose.
"Senseless acts of violence. I love it." Aricia quipped as security guards rushed in.

"Get her!" growled Lilah staring at the blood dripping on the carpet, the guards rushed forward.


"Stop." An angry voice rolled through the room like thunder. "Lilah, go clean yourself up, before you drip anymore blood onto the carpet."
The older man helped Lilah to the waiting guards outside.

"You know that white hat doesn't suit you." Aricia sat back down in the chair and put her feet up on the desk.

"Miss Drummond." Holland seemed pleased as he looked at the papers, she had scattered.
When he tried to pick them off the floor they burst into flames.

"You know this vampire?" Security questioned.

"Oh yes, Miss Alexandria "Aricia" Drummond." He sat on the desk facing her. "I see you found the documents."

"Manners, did it ever occur you to not piss me off, seeing now that I'm in a position of great importance?" Aricia smiled sweetly.

"I suppose this visit is strictly business?" Holland seemed to want to ask her something.

"What did you have in mind love?" She eyed him.

"Business over dinner, my treat." He suggested.


~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You did what????!!!!!!!?" Cordelia shrieked.

"Why in heaven's name would you do that?" Wesley looked her in the eyes.

"I don't have to explain all my actions to you do I?" Alex snapped.

"We're not condemning you for what you did. We'd just like to know why." Angel treaded lightly.

"I was laying the ground rules between our two factions."

"That's not what I saw." Gunn said.

"Are you following me???!!!" Alex yelled.

"You followed her?" Angel was shocked. "Why?"

"Wesley told me to." Gunn said.

"Wesley......" Alex and Angel said at the same time.

"I did nothing wrong."

"You had no right." Angel said quietly after Alex thundered up the steps.

"I had every right." Wesley argued.

"What did you see Gunn?" Angel asked.

"Her and Mr. Manners looking like old friends, until she pour red wine all over him." Angel smiled and then excused himself.

~~~~~~~~~

"You know Dad I really don't get it." Alex sat on the edge of the roof mumbling some more. "I swear if Wesley wasn't still healing I would have..."

"Would have what?"

"I don't know." She sighed as Angel sat down next to her. "Everyone says I'm cranky lately."

"Dying could do that to a person." Angel joked.

"Did Wesley tell you about what happened in London?"

"Only a few things."

"Good." Aricia got up and left for the city below.

~~~~~~~~

A source had called earlier to tell her that the demon she was looking for, might be on the
other side of the city, had given her the address, and description

Aricia round the corner and into a tall, purple and red demon.
"Heard you were looking for me babe." The demon spoke and almost had Aricia holding her ears. Its voice was high pitched and could easily break glass.

~~~~~~~

"Anyone home?" Angel heard the Host in the lobby. He headed downstairs to see the Host holding up a bloodied, green slimed Alexandria.
"She yours?" he asked Angel.

"Kinda, she's staying with me while she's here." Angel put the book on the couch, lifted up her chin and looked at the swelling and cuts on her face.

"Angel I....." Alex began as her dislocated shoulder began to ache.

"Go upstairs Alexandria." Angel told her.

"But Angel..." Alex looked like a little girl facing her stern father.

"Go upstairs now."

"Angel..." Still holding her ribs she made one last protest.

"We'll talk about this later." he snapped and pointed to the stairs. "Go and get cleaned up." She headed for the stairs.

~~~~~~~~

"Who's the hell cat?" asked the Host.

"Don't you have to go back to the bar?" asked Angel picking up his book, starting for the stairs.

"No, so who is she? Is she really the young lady that's been striking fear in the minds of all the demons?"

"Maybe. How did you run into her?" He asked the Host.

"Well she kinda fell at my feet."

"I thought there wasn't supposed to be any violence in your bar." Angel said.

"Special circumstances?" Host began the story.

~~~~~~~~~~

Host had just finished comforting a demon with depression. The past seven weeks had been like
a mad house, demons of all shapes and sizes were worried about a young lady from London,
or was it Scotland? He wasn't sure until tonight, a vampire began to sing, she was here in the city, alive.
The vampire had narrowly escaped with his dead life, he could read that much. If she was who he thought she was, he wondered why she didn't pull a return to sender.

The vampire had just finished the final verse of a classic country song, when a crash and a series of thuds followed. A young lady came tumbling down the stairs,
a Fyreon Margeiayn demon followed her down. She was bleeding from the jaw and had a swollen eye, and was up in a flash taunting the demon.

The customers fled the scene in a flash. The Host and a few of the bouncers stayed behind to watch the young lady and the demon have it out.
The bouncers removed the furniture from around them as well as they could.

The demon slammed her against the edge of the bar, ribs first, then Aricia was sent flying over the bar, Host cringed at the breaking noises.
When the demon looked over the counter, he saw more blood but no slayer.

A tap on his shoulder, turned him around, Aricia ran at him, wrapping her legs around his tree trunk neck and swung him into the nearest wall.
The demon was on his back, and when she reached him, he exploded, splattering green goo all over the nearest objects.

"Oh EWWW." Alex was disgusted at the green goo dripping from her body. "Guys, you are seriously gonna have to consider telling me everything next time."

~~~~~~~~~~

Her body had taken a beating from the demon, she was in clean sweat pants and T-shirt with her hair was still dripping from the shower.

She was standing in front of the mirror, staring at her battle scars, when Angel knocked on the door. "Come on in Angel."

He stepped into the room and opened his mouth for a lecture, but thought better of it.

"How many ribs?

She moved faster then her body expected her to, and there was a rather loud pop that came from her left shoulder.
"At least half of them, aw hell, not again." she groaned. "That's what I get for tangling with a fallen goddess."

~~~~~~~~~

She still had that damned chip on her shoulder, he seemed to sympathize with what she was going through. He also hoped that getting her on stage, and that a reading by the Host would help.
"No WAY!" She turned around and stood face to face with Angel and the others. "No, I don't sing."

"You're going up there." Angel picked her up and dropped her on the stage as the Host stood next to the bar watching her.

"OK, OK." Aricia looked at the song list and made her choice. "If any of you laugh, I'll knock your teeth in."

~~~~~~~~~~~

She finished her song and got off stage. "Sit down honey. The Powers have shown me much more then I expected. "

"That sounds bad." She said to him, sitting across from him.