Title: Somewhere Else

Rating: R

Summary: Buffy travels to a universe where she did die in "Prophecy Girl", where Faith recently became the slayer, her mother is still alive and she must deal with the fact that everything she believed in was fake.

Author's Notes: Takes place mid season 6, after Giles has left.

Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy or Angel. You know the drill.

Buffy:

Giles had come back. I still had no idea why, I'd just been told wait till everyone turned up. At my place. So I had to make dinner, drinks. I put Dawn to sleep, and then since she hadn't done her homework, did it for her. How mother like.

'Buffy?'

'Giles, hey, how's merry old England?'

'Fine...listen Buffy, something has come up. I'm coming back to Sunnydale. Today.'

'What?"

'Buffy, its more important than you can imagine.'

'Sure...'

'I'll be at your house by 10...tell the others. Its very important.'

'Okay...'

'See you soon.'

'By-' I was cut of by the noise of beeping

The door knocked. I was finishing off some of Dawn's algebra. I forgot how hard it was. I moved from the kitchen bench, pulled out the dinner, and the cake, and moved towards the door.

Giles' figure was there.

'Buffy,' he said, hugging his slayer

I hugged back.

'What are you doing here?' I asked

'In England...in London...I was, researching, making sure that you were ok. I need to know that you are fine, that you are healthy.'

We moved slowly towards the couch and sat down. Willow walked in.

'Hey what's going on?' she asked

'Buffy's going to be taken to another universe.' He said

I stopped.

Willow stopped.

Xander and Anya walked in, Anya was wearing her famous bunny costume. Xander was wearing a sheet with 2 holes poked out for eyes. 'You said it was a costume party.' Said Anya

'What do you mean another universe?'

'Its been hinted to me. When you died, fighting the Master, I got many letters in blood,

"Prophecies are prophetic." I didn't bother to tell you, I thought it might scare you. When Big Ugly was killed, I got no more letters. I don't think it was them who sent the letters anymore. I think it was someone greater.'

'That's your big theory?' I asked

'No. A few years ago, I read another prophecy, in a book which usually just has metaphors that were seen by seers. "We are moulded from the day she dies." I didn't know what it meant, but it most certainly involved you. But ignored it was. Then, on Tuesday I was told by the powers that be, through a messenger vampire, that I, that you, that Willow, that Xander and Anya and their fucking costumes are not real!! Nothing on this planet is!'

Nothing was real? Nothing? And Giles was giving me this look, this look that it was my fault. I looked back, what's going on? That was my look. I thought I was going to cry, but looking around, it seemed as everyone else wasn't in the mood for my tears.

'Woah calm down...' said Xander

'How am I meant to calm down? Everything that I believe in, everything that there is, isn't.' Said Giles

'So let me get this straight, some vampire, some vampire who was picked off the street, probably, came to you, and said you aren't real. And you believed him.' Said Xander

Giles gulped. 'It wasn't any vampire.'

I realised who it was.

'Who was it?' asked Anya

'It was Spike.'



Spike had left town a few months ago. I remember wanting him to leave, urging him to do so. Dawn was crying. Then when he left, there was this big part missing from me. Ever since I had been brought back...I'd been distant from Willow. When I did work with Xander, we got this tie, but it wasn't as strong as it once was. Anya and I had been always not been that close, and Tara left, so I no longer had that small tie. So basically, all I had was Xander and Dawn and...ok, Spike. Spike got drunk with me. Spike was just far enough out of the group, that I felt that I could tell him secrets. Just far enough in that he wouldn't betray me. When he left...everything collapsed.

'Spike...' asked Dawn

She was at the top of the stairs.

'Dawn go back to sleep.' I said

'No...what's happening? Why is Anya in a bunny costume, again?' she asked

'Spike is a messenger for the powers that be. He told me that nothing we see is real. Nothing we feel.' Said Giles

'What?'

Giles thought that I had no authority. Just before he was going to answer Dawn again, I stopped him. 'Giles,'

'She has the right to know.'

'I know that. But it can wait. There are more important things.'

Dawn stopped.

'Get back to sleep.' I said

Giles sighed. Why was he being such a dickhead?

'Can you tell us the story already.' Said Xander

'No, Buffy's going to have to figure it out.' said Giles

'What?' I asked, shocked that he would say such a thing

'Willow.' He said

Willow had already pulled out her books.

'What are you doing?" I asked

Xander paused, grabbed Anya. 'Get back.'

He moved towards Willow, to stop her. He felt himself being fled backwards. 'Ow!'

'Xander!' screamed Anya

I wasn't looking at Xander. I was looking at Giles.

'Sorry Buffy,' he smiled

'Why the fuck would you do such a thing?' I asked

I felt myself being pulled somewhere else.

Two Months Ago

Faith:

'We need to leave.' Margaret's voice was plain, and simple. It was English. It was her.

'Why?' I asked

The small dead end cafe was where I worked a few nights a week. I'd just finished my shift, it was the middle of the night, I was snappy, and tired.

'Because Rockdale Heights isn't where vampire activity began. And it is not where it will be stopped.' She said

'So that makes us automatically intent to go to this place? This Sunnydale? This place you love so much?' I asked

'Faith, if any one can stop it. If it can be stopped at all...well, you may be the only hope. What is here anyway? Your alcoholic mother? That vampire Ever who occasionally makes an appearance? The boy who you nearly killed?'

'Yeah well we stand no fucking chance in Sunnydale. How many slayers were killed there? 1, 2? What chance do I stand...they're a fucking rebellion!' I screamed

A woman wearing leather looked at us from the other side of the room.

'This town...it can be handled. We run...it'll be easier. We need to escape from here.' She said 'And there will be much more vampire activity.'

'You think just cause I like the slay, that I want to fucking go to a town where only 10 of the population aren't vampires?' I asked

I got up, and moved from my chair.

'Faith!'

'Stop...Faith, listen. Your destiny, your future. Its lies in this town.' She said

By the time she finished that sentence, I was already out the door.



I kicked down the door to the cheap motel. I looked around. Hope was sitting on the floor, smoking a cigarette and watching some soap.

'What did I fucking tell you about cigarettes?' I asked, pulling it out her mouth 'You're fucking 15 Hope. 15.'

'I'm pregnant but nobody really seems to care.' She said

'You're what?'

'I got on abortion on Monday.' She said

'Stop fucking around with Robbie.' I said, sitting next to her

'Yeah, well, I don't think I can.' She said

'How about a change of location?" I asked, totally changing the subject

'What are we talking? Hawaii? Australia? London?'

'How about Sunnydale, California.'

'Vampire place?' she asked

'Dah.' I said

'What, some ancient vampire who has never been beaten wanting to take you down there?'

'Not yet.'

'Faith...I've got a lot of stuff left here.'

'Like what?'

'Mum...Charity.'

'Charity's dead.' I said

Charity was our sister. She died a couple of years ago. It was mum's fault...nobody could blame her though. We ran off, me and Hope. It was probably for the best. Hope still visits her. I can't. I loved Charity too much to visit that bitch. She takes half my money too. Like she still owns me. She's the one who should be paying me.

Hope gulped. 'Stop blaming mum.'

'She's the one who made her become a hooker. She's the one who had her stay out. She's the one who made her get killed by that fucking bastard of a stepfather.' I said

'She said you hate her.'

'I do Hope.'

'Well I don't.' She said, standing up 'I'm going to Jo's house.'

'Hope, sit down.' I said, pushing her shoulder 'You're coming with me.'

She pulled away, and ran to the door. 'I'm going to live with Jo.'

'What?'

'She asked me to...she said she could provide me with food, and drink. She said...she said I shouldn't be living with you.'

Jo was out aunt. She'd always hated me. She hated me and Charity. Probably because I was the love child of her husband and her sister. She always wanted a kid of her own. She wanted Hope.

'What?' I asked

She walked out the door. I realised those were the last time I would ever see her.

Margaret's apartment was on the top floor about 8 blocks away from mine. I'd packed up the apartment, taken all my stuff. Hope was going to live with Jo, and as much as you hate to admit it, she's a good woman.

'Faith? Have you reconsidered?'

'Yeah...we leave tonight.' I said

Margaret grabbed her bag from the side of the door. 'Ready.'