When Worlds Collide

Synopsis: An ancient vampire threatens to complete a ceremony which will call forth the power of the First. A stranger shows up in Sunnydale. She's strong and fast and has a certain sixth sense about vampires. New slayer? No, an old one.with a very dangerous agenda that puts Spike in grave danger. A/U. Post Wrecked.

A/N: I took a little liberty with the whole "Calling the next Slayer" thing, so just go with it and enjoy! Oh yes, of course there's a Spike/Buffy pairing - eventually.



The tall brunette wandered idly down the streets of Sunnydale. It wasn't bad for a small town, but the public transportation was a joke. It was nothing like the hustling streets of London. Everything was busy there, bright and alive. A visitor could feel the pulse of the city. It was a living entity. Sunnydale held no such vibe. All she could feel were the churning forces pressing all around. No one but she could feel the dark undercurrent of powerful forces teeming beneath the city. Well, perhaps there was one other than herself. It was a familiar feeling, she thought with a sigh. One she hadn't felt in nearly ten years. She was glad Rupert had tracked her down. She frowned, checking the address written on the small slip of paper.

"It should be right up here," she muttered to herself. She turned the corner and smiled. The Magic Box. Just as Rupert described. She frowned. He never mentioned the roof being quite so - purple. Sighing, she pushed the door open. She expected the interior to be tastelessly decorated in tweeds.

The bell jangled merrily and she was pleased to see the shop was nearly deserted. It was nearly 9PM. A blonde man sat at a table in the corner, reading a book and nursing a teacup. A familiar tingle thrummed within her.

"Oi, vampire." She called out, casually approaching the startled man.

Spike snapped the book shut and rose to address the stranger. He slowly rose to his full height, his best intimidating glare in place. "Who wants to know?" he asked menacingly.

The brunette slowly walked towards the table which Spike occupied. Sauntered would be a better word. She walked with the confidence of a woman who could take care of herself. She appeared to be in her early thirties, slim - attractive. Spike noted with dismay that she stood nearly eye to eye with him. Her green eyes bore into his, an unspoken challenge.

"What I want to know is why William the Bloody is hanging around with humans instead of eating them." She said softly, her words leaving no room for doubt that the wrong answer would cost him dearly.

Spike watched, slightly amused, slightly puzzled as she stopped in front of him. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't dust you right here." She purred in a clipped British accent.

"Renny?" Anya's voice broke in. She had just walked through the curtain separating the rear office from the sales floor. She lifted the counter separator and approached the woman. "Oh, my god. It is you!"

Renny whirled and regarded the blonde woman before her. She narrowed her eyes, trying to place the face. Spike took the opportunity to take a step back and get out of striking distance.

"Anyanka?" she asked in disbelief. "Is that you?"

Anya stepped forward and embraced the woman. Renny returned the hug.

"It's Anya now, and yeah, it really is me. Well, sort of. I'm human now." She babbled. She took Renny's arm and pulled her into the center of the room. "How long has it been?"

A faint smile tugged at Renny's lips. "About ten years, I reckon." She pulled open her jacket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes.

Anya snorted. "So, how did things turn out with your boyfriend?"

"He's dead." Renny said flatly. Anya's mouth formed a small "O".

"Well, don't mean to interrupt the demon sorority reunion, but would somebody mind explaining just what the bloody hell is going on?" Spike asked, still standing near the table.

"She's not a demon, so don't get any ideas into that bleached head of yours." Anya said, her eyes never leaving the woman. "And you don't have to kill him. He can't hurt humans anymore - and he's been helping us fight. You know, go team." Anya punched the air with a closed fist for emphasis.

Renny lit her cigarette and casually regarded the vampire. "Can't hurt humans?" she repeated.

"Courtesy of the United States Government. Put a chip in my head."

"Damn colonials." She agreed, then frowned. "I thought you'd be taller." She commented.

Spike opened his mouth to reply, but Anya cut him off. "Renny - I thought you died." She laid a hand on her friend's forearm. "I mean, you had to have - "

Renny made a face. "Only for a minute." She took a drag on the cigarette and looked around. "Nice place you have here," she picked up a candle and sniffed it experimentally.

Anya smiled, pleased. "Yeah, it's a really neat system. People come in and give me money for my things and I use that money to buy more things to sell. It's the cycle of life." She said seriously. She sat down at a nearby table and gestured for Renny to join her. Spike stayed where he was, content with watching the scene play out before him. "What happened?" she asked seriously. "You wished for Brian to become human again - I granted it. Why didn't you ride off into the sunset together?"

"Because the silly sod got himself bitten again. He liked the power better than he liked me, so I killed him." Renny said without emotion. "Got meself killed in the process, too." She added after a moment.

Anya put on a sympathetic face. "After all that," she whispered. "So, what happened after that?"

Renny dropped her cigarette on the floor and ground it out. Anya pulled a face, but said nothing. Renny pulled out the chair next to Anya and sat down heavily. "Woke up in hospital and retired. The Council had no idea I was still alive. Pulled a little duck and dive and went to the coast. Rupert tracked me down. We wrote the final chapter ten years ago, turns out there's an epilogue." She mused.

Anya made a face. "You know Giles?" she asked.

Renny smiled. "He was my watcher."