Disclaimer: I claim no rights over the characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer portrayed in the
piece of fiction. All rights of the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer is reserved by Mutant Enemy,
Sandollar, Kuzui Enterprises, Fox and(or) WB TV. This piece of fiction is not to be reproduced
anywhere or edited without the express consent of the author as named above.

Warning: This piece of literature contains scenes with violence, strong language and religious
references that may be considered offensive. Parental disgression should be applied.

Note: This story takes place just before Surprise during the 2nd
season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It represents an alternative storyline, which moves away
from the BtVS story arc as represented in the series for the purpose of the story I want to tell.

Chapter 3: Ex nihilo

Almost a year passed…

"Hi Willow", Wendy yelled and walked up to the pale redhead. They had known each other for
almost a year. Willow spun around and smiled. "Hi Wendy", she muttered and was once again
lost in thought. She seemed sad.

Wendy frowned, Giles had been acting just as depressed this morning. "What's wrong?", she
asked as they walked through the sunshine.

Willow looked at the younger girl. She considered. Wendy had been Buffy's replacement for
almost a year now. She had defeated demons and vampires. They had helped her, and so had
Angel, who had saved Wendy time and time again. And therein lay the problem.

Wendy needed their help badly. She wasn't anywhere near Buffy's fighting abilities or flexible
mindset. Maybe they were too harsh with her, but somehow neither Willow, Angel or Giles
could entirely forget that Buffy had been better than this girl.

It wasn't really her fault though. Wendy simply had different talents than Buffy. Wendy had been
somewhat of a nerd before her transformation into the Slayer, and somewhere deep inside of her,
her old personality still existed.

Wendy was a great researcher and more often than not she could actually help Giles with his
research or work together with Willow on the computer. Maybe that was what bothered Willow
about Wendy. She could do her job.

"Well?", Wendy asked once again. Willow decided that she would tell her. "I'm just a bit sad
that's all. It has been exactly a year since one of my friends died. Her name was Buffy", Willow
said bitterly. Wendy couldn't know, who Buffy was.

Giles had demanded that they didn't reveal their previous experience to the young Slayer else she
would be disheartened. So they hid the truth from her, but Willow had never really agreed with
this. At first she had thought it unfair towards Buffy, later when she had gotten to know Wendy
better, she had decided that it was unfair towards her as well.

Wendy deserved to know about the wonderful girl, who had died protecting the city. And Buffy
deserved to be remembered for the truth about her, instead of the lie that they had invented to
cover the truth and make her death more palatable to the police and her mother. Willow made a
decision. She would go against his wishes and tell her. Right away.

"She was very special", Willow said and sat down in sun. Wendy dumped down on the grass
beside her. "She was your friend that makes her special", Wendy replied sagely. "No, not like
that. I mean really special", Willow looked around for spectators.

"She was a Slayer just like you", Willow explained and watched Wendy for any reaction. Wendy
didn't say anything, she just looked at Willow. "She was the Chosen One before me", Wendy
realized, "She's the one, who brought you all into this".

Wendy seemed flabbergasted for a few seconds as something she had wondered about for a year
fell into place. "She saved our lives time and time again. She defeated the Master a mighty
vampire lord, befriended Angel, saved the world a few times and our lives as well", Willow said,
she was suddenly overwhelmed by the memories of her best friend, a friend she would never
meet again.

"Angel actually had friends", Wendy joked bitterly as she thought about the bitter vampire, who
constantly criticized her and her fighting technique. Willow was about to speak but decided not
to.

Wendy looked at the pale young woman. "And she died a year ago today?", she asked. Willow
nodded her head and muttered: "Actually a year ago tonight". Wendy and Willow sat a long time
in silence. The bell was about to end their break, when Wendy suddenly asked: "How?".

Willow stared at the 16 year old girl. "She was caught in a fire", Willow finally said and got up.

Wendy looked after the girl as she walked away. "Strange the mere thought of this girl seems to
bring forth some very painful memories for them all. Giles were acting just like Willow this
morning. Jenny, Angel and Xander are probably just the same. I think I have to find out more
about this Buffy. I guess I'm off to do some research", she thought and turned to walk to the
library.

Giles was sorting some old books as Wendy walked inside. "Oh, hi Wendy. Shouldn't you be in
class?", he asked and looked her over. "Well, maybe but I wanted to continue some of my
research on Acathla, since it resides here in Sunnydale", she explained and walked to Giles'
special book storage.

"Oh", Giles said and seemed lost in thoughts again as his Slayer went about researching her
favorite subject. The demon whom they had sealed away a few months ago.

Wendy looked at the book shelfs. Giles was a very orderly librarian and as such would probably
have books on the different Slayers and the like. She would have to look for his personal journals
or very recent works of Slayer lore though.

Wendy put the journal she had pilfered from the library down in surprise. Willow had made an
understatement, a very special girl indeed. "No wonder Angel is never satisfied with me. He
loved her and she loved him. And the things she did. She even died and came back", Wendy
thought and suddenly looked at her wristwatch. "Damn got to return this before Giles misses it",
she thought and ran back to the library.

Wendy had just put the last book back in place as Giles walked up to her. "Listen Wendy I would
like you to go on patrol tonight. There are more vampires in town than usual and I'm afraid that
the number will increase drastically, if you don't destroy some", he said and put a book back on a
low shelf.

"Sure my Watcher I'll snuff some for ya", Wendy replied and walked away. "Sometimes I think
we underestimate that girl", he said. "Yes", Angel said. Giles jumped up with a startled gasp and
bumped his head against a shelf.

"Ouch", he said and sat down on the worn carpet. "Sorry I didn't mean to startle you", Angel said
and helped the man to his feet. Giles rubbed his neck. "So what brings you here?", he asked and
looked at the dark dressed vampire.

"I thought we might have a little gettogether tonight to remember Buffy", he explained. Giles
seemed to consider it. "I'll be there. Where should we meet?", he asked and cocked an eyebrow.
"How about my apartment?", Angel suggested. "That will do", Giles muttered and remembered
the error of judgement that had cost Buffy her life.

"I'll contact the others", Giles offered. Angel nodded and turned to leave. Giles looked after the
heartbroken vampire. He was still mourning Buffy even a year after her death. Giles knew that.
"I guess the pain never entirely goes away. It just gets bareable", he thought and walked into his
office. He still had research to do, the vampires were collecting in Sunnydale in numbers not
seen since the days of the Master, and he couldn't tell why.

"Welcome", Angel said and opened the door to admit Willow and Oz. Oz was her boyfriend and
a werewolf. He looked at the couple and then pointed them to the big table in the center of his
one room apartment.

"I like your new place better", Willow commented and looked around. Angel smiled and closed
the door. He had moved from his other apartment, when his landlord had decided to condemn the
building. It still stood back there near the Bronze, but he hadn`t wanted live there anymore
anyway.

There they had been together, there they had enjoyed themselves. Angel didn't want to remember
that. He walked to the head of the table and sat down. "I hope you like the food, I haven't tasted
it, so I don't know", he explained and looked around at Buffy's old friends. He hadn't invited
Wendy.

In another place.

Everything was white.

Everything was light.

Suddenly a voice spoke: "Do you want to return?".

"Yes", came the answer without thinking.

"Nothing will be the same. Your old life is gone", the voice said again.

"I know, but I understand my mission", she answered. Suddenly there was a wrenching pain.

"Will I remember this?", she asked.

"No, but in time you will", the voice answered gravely. She felt her awareness fade.

"They mustn't know. You can't tell them. They must learn from this as well", the voice said.

"Yes. It is sad, but I accept the terms. Will this war ever end", she asked.

"No, but you'll have some peace when this mission is over", the voice explained.

She heard a crescendo of song filled with unearthly beauty and infinite sadness, as she fell
towards the realms below. They all sang to console her, to wish her a safe passage. They all sang
to her and she was content.

She lost awareness.

The headstone of her grave shattered.

A white light suddenly filled the building site. It came from an infintisimal little star, which
hovered over the very spot where she had died. Slowly the pinprick of white grew into the shape
of a young woman dressed in a beautiful white dress. Beautiful blond hair hung loosely from her
young head. She was surrounded by a aura of light. Then the dress, the light and the aura
disappeared.

The girl suddenly wore the same clothes as those she had died in. Her eyes opened and she
looked around. She was standing in the middle of a building site, where someone were building
some large mansion.

She looked around in bewilderment, then she remembered her last moments.
The girl walked out onto the street and disappeared into the night, while trying to determine
where she was. Across town Angel was saying goodbye to his guests.

Wendy walked into the pale light of the street lamp. She had been on patrol most of the night and
had already eliminated one vampire. Her heart wasn't in it though. She was thinking. She was
thinking about Buffy, the girl who had died in this very town, doing the exactly same thing as
she was doing just a year ago tonight.

Wendy didn't like to admit it, but she would rather had been a Watcher than a Slayer. She
actually felt uncomfortable with her strength and abilities. She could defeat any normal person
and most vampires. Wendy was lost in thought as she headed home.

Suddenly Wendy heard a scream of utter terror. She turned to face in the direction of the sound.
It came from somewhere close to the Bronze. Wendy ran all that she could. She realized that she
was getting close to the Bronze.

Suddenly she saw a vampire running down the street towards her. He was wearing his demonic
face and constantly looking over his shoulder.

Wendy was puzzled. "Hey suckface, where do you think you are going?", she said and drew a
stake. The vampire stopped dead.

"Hmm, he looks like he has to decide between death or destruction", she thought. "Die Slayer",
he roared and suddenly charged. But Wendy was ready for him, she sidestepped him, wheeled
about and hammered the stake into his back.

He disintegrated to dust.

Wendy ran in the direction, he had come from. She walked between the warehouses and alleys
close to the Bronze. Wendy stopped dead and looked down an alley again. There were several
piles of dust shattered around. There seemed to have been a major fight there. Wendy counted
three maybe four dead vampires.

"Now I know something is going on", she muttered and looked around. There were no other
tracks or even blood. "Someone just walked up and dusted three or more vampires and managed
to scare one off. Now that is impressive", she thought and resumed the last stage of her usual
patrol.

The girl walked down the stairs. She ignored the condemned sign. Many buildings in Sunnydale
were condemned, there were just not a lot of them that were actually demolished. She walked
past the thick steel firedoor and ended in front of a normal door.
It was open. Inside everything but a few matresses and some pieces of paper were gone. The girl
sighed deeply and closed the door behind her. She desperately needed sleep and she didn't want
to walk any further. She collapsed upon the matresses and fell into a deep and healing sleep.

Next morning...

Willow had a free first period and was doing some homework on a laptop, when Wendy walked
in for her morning report to Giles. "Ah, Giles just the man I want to see", she said and walked up
to the librarian.

"So how was last night's patrol", he asked without looking up from his newspaper. "Fine I dusted
two vampires, but at this rate someone is going to beat my record", she said and walked up to sit
besides Willow.

"What?", Giles asked at her cryptic remark. "Well, someone really messed up the vampires' act
last night. I found three dustpiles and I caught one of my kills, when some totally terrified
vampire came running my way without looking. I'm telling you someone else is killing vampires
and they're definitely not loving it", she explained and looked at the others.

"You are sure about that", Giles asked and looked to Willow. Wendy nodded vigourously. "Well
that's not good. We'll have to find out what is doing this of course", Giles said.

Wendy stood besides Giles. He seemed tired. He had been trying to determine what was going
on in Sunnydale. Why the vampires were coming to Sunnydale in droves and why something
besides the Slayer had succeded in killing a large group last night. She looked at her watch.
She had to go home soon or her mother would freak out again. She had lately become convinced
that Wendy had become a member of some kind of gang or something and Wendy fought hard
not to reveal her secret to her family once and for all. "Willow, would you look into Tobin's
guide?", Giles asked and looked at the pale girl sitting besides Xander and Cordelia, who were
doing their homework.

"I have already looked, but there are just not enough too go on yet", she sighed and slammed a
heavy book shut. Wendy had known that would be the result of their search, they wouldn't learn
anything new until the sun had set and the bad guys came out to play. Suddenly Wendy felt
watched.

She whirled about, but couldn't see anything. "What's wrong", Xander asked and looked up from
his book. Wendy didn't answer, she was trying to listen. She heard the breath of her four friends,
she heard the wind slipping into the library through the door to the hall and she heard the slight
creaking of floorboards up amongst the stacks.

She dropped the book, she had been holding and vaulted up over the wooden rails and landed
amongst the bookcases. She thundered around a corner.

And found nothing. No one. She stopped and listened once more. "Wendy! What are you
doing?", Giles cursed, the book she had dropped had struck his foot. "SHH!", she commanded
and tried to listen again. No unfamiliar sounds reached her this time. "Damn", she cursed and
walked back to her friends.

"What the hell was wrong?", Giles asked still angry. "I thought I heard someone amongst the
stacks, but it was probably nothing", Wendy answered and dumped into a chair. "Maybe I'm a bit
overexcited", she commented and turned her attention back to a book. "Maybe...", Giles replied
thoughtfully.

The sun shone red through the clouds. The sun was once again setting over Sunnydale and the
Hellmouth. In a long abandoned warehouse a very blond vampire stood before his underlings.

"Listen to me. We have returned to the Hellmouth to do a duty that is long overdue. For the last
few years this place, which should be our bastion, our feeding ground, has been controlled by the
Slayer and her ridiculus friends. Tonight we take the first step to reclaim that birthright. Tonight
you feed. And tomorrow the Slayer dies", Spike's word almost sang in the blood of his enthralled
followers.

A golden amulet of a ruby eyed demon hung around his neck. It's eyes glowed with every word
he spoke. Soon the vampires split up into small groups and left. Spike sat back down. "This little
charm works rather well", he commented and laughed harshly.

"Soon Slayer I'll drink your heart's blood, soon I'll be even mightier", he said and walked to the
seven armor clad vampires kneeling around an idol. "Tomorrow", Spike said with a smile and
also dropped to his knees. The ritual hadn't been finished.

She walked down the street towards Willy's. A vampire walked drunkenly towards her. She
couldn't smell any alcohol, it was trying to play a trick on her. She smiled knowingly and kept
walking as if she knew nothing.

Suddenly the vampire growled and jumped towards her. Faster than the vampire could even
imagine her hand grabbed the vampire's neck and crushed it with a hard wrench. It gasped. She
brought forth her weapon and stuck it into the vampire's chest. It dusted on the spot. She resumed
her walk towards the bar.

Willy's really hadn't changed, since her last visit there. The girl now wore a dark long cloak and
covered her face with a hood. It made her look a little mysterious and left her mostly anonymous.
She stepped past the now unconcious bouncer and looked inside.
Willy wasn't there, maybe he was out on business. That suited her even better.
Then there would be no one to recognize her. The vampires were about to learn what it meant to
be undead in Sunnydale. The girl drew her weapon from beneath the cloak. Everybody noticed
the large weapon, which couldn't have been hidden there. She smiled broadly and began her
bloody dance.

The large group of vampires returned to Spike's lair. Most had fed well and were ready for
tomorrow. Spike surveyed his troops. There were huge gaps in their ranks. "What has
happened?", he nearly screamed and gesticulated towards the empty spots. One of his lieutenants
stepped forth.

"We don't really know, Spike. Most that went down to the Bronze and everyone who went to
Willy's hasn't come back", he said. Spike felt like annihilating the vampire instantly but
reconsidered.

Suddenly a vampire burst into the warehouse. It seemed filled with fear and kept looking over it's
shoulders. It was deeply wounded and it's vampyric blood was dripping on the floor. Spike ran to
it. He wanted to kill it instantly, but chose instead to wait and learn.
"Spike", the vampire whispered and fell to the floor. "What happened?", he asked. "I went to the
Bronze with the others, but before we could enter the new Slayer and that traitor Angelus fought
us. We lost. I fled to Willy's as we were supposed to. But...but. The place was a mess. Dead or
dying vampires everywhere...", the vampire closed it's eyes and sighed.

Spike grabbed and shook it. "Who did it? Who killed everybody at Willy's?", he screamed at the
dying vampire. "She did. The One", he gasped and slowly dusted between Spike's fingers.
"AAARRRGGHHH!!!!!", he screamed. "I hate that", he screamed and hammered a stake into
one of his minions.

It dusted on the floor with an surprised expression on it's face. Spike began crushing furniture.
They drew away. "No one will interfere in our plans. NO ONE!", he yelled and punched a
concrete pillar. Huge chunks of concrete fell off. "Find thing which did that and destroy it
utterly", he commanded. The vampires scattered, rushing to fullfill his command, but it was
futile. The strange entity the dying vampire had called the One had disappeared without a trace.
Angel and Wendy stood before Buffy's grave. "So you knew?", Angel asked. "Willow told me",
she replied and looked at the carnage. "I will destroy whom ever did this", Wendy said in anger.
Angel didn't speak, he just looked at her grave. Someone had smashed her headstone.

"Don't worry about that now. Buffy is dead, she doesn't care about the headstone no more", he
said, "You must worry about that group of vampires, we met earlier. They don't usually hunt
together in large groups. Not unless they're planning something special. You must be ready.
Remember to tell Giles about this".

Angel turned and left, leaving the freezing Slayer behind. "Damn", she cursed and looked again
at the broken headstone. "I'll keep your city safe", she whispered, turned and went home.
Next morning...

"Call off your morning classes or something", Wendy said as she went by Xander, Oz and
Willow. "The bloodsuckers are beginning to show up in droves", she explained and kept on
walking towards the library. "Oh no, not again", Cordy sighed, but still followed the gang
towards the library.

Giles and Willow were discussing a certain translation of a text about vampire crusades as the
phone suddenly rang. "I'll go", he said and left Willow. "I'm sure that I'm right", she muttered
and walked back to the rest of the gang, who were busily looking up references in certain very
unsavory books.

Willow sat down. "Got anything?", she asked. The mumbled responses were all negative even
Wendy who was practicing throwing knives towards a wooden target seemed a bit anxious. Giles
talked on the phone for a few more minutes. Willow had just gotten back to concentrated
reading, when he spoke: "That was Angel. He was out all night looking for clues on the things
that happened last night and learned a lot".

Everybody put down their books to listen. Wendy stopped throwing knives.
"First of all Spike is back in town on some kind of mission. He is lairing in the warehouse again.
Secondly the group Wendy and Angel defeated outside of the Bronze were only a mere
smattering of his forces. He also sent groups to the mall, to the bus station and even to Willy's.
Angel has heard something strange about the vampires who went there though.
It seems that vampire killer has been at it again. It singlehandedly destroyed somewhere
inbetween ten and fifteen vampires, without leaving any clues or tracks behind. No one who saw
the killer survived to tell the tale.

Angel says that all Spike's vampires spent all last night trying to track the vampire killer down,
but didn't succed. Apparantly Spike only knows that the killer is called the One and it is a she",
he finished and looked towards Wendy.

"The One, huh. Doesn't sound too impressive. I guess I should go down to Willy's and have a
look around as well", she said and threw a knife in the dead center of the target. "I guess that we
should begin looking for all references to this the One character", Willow said with a sigh. Giles
nodded and went into the stacks, while Wendy went to get her jacket.

Wendy had been at Willy's several times this year. She had been introduced to the little rat by
Angel, when they had needed information once. She walked down the street towards the place. It
was late afternoon and Willy's would just have opened.

Wendy stopped and looked at the ground. Someone had killed a vampire there. She sighed. That
One seemed just as gifted as her or Angel, maybe she could be made an ally. Wendy didn't find
any clues on the street and decided to go downstairs.

Willy was in a lousy mood. No sooner had Spike returned to town, had his troubles begun once
more. Spike was a great customer, but always seemed to attract trouble to Willy's. Now his
reputation amongst the vampires of Sunnydale would be ruined.

Someone wearing a black cloak and hood had decimated his entire clientele of vampires on the
worst possible night. He hadn't even been able to count the number of smashed chairs and
glasses yet. Willy poured himself a glass of whisky and surveyed his destroyed bar.

"Well, well, well Willy. It seems that someone didn't like your place one bit or in one bit", a
familiar voice said from over by the entrance. He spun around and faced the Replacement Slayer
as the vampire of Sunnydale called Wendy. "Oh, hi Slayer", Willy sighed and realized that bad
luck usually came in droves.

"What can I help you with?", he asked and limped towards her. Angel's attack a year ago had
destroyed his kneecap beyond repair and left Willy with a perpetual limp. Wendy smiled sweetly
and walked inside. "I wanted to look around", she replied and stopped in the middle of the room.
"Oh, well then help yourself. And don't bother to threathen me. I was not in when that bitch,
whoever she is, attacked. I only know what the vampires told me, and I'm sure that's what they
told Angel after that bastard tortured them", he replied bitterly and went into the storeroom.
Wendy hummed a happy tune and began looking around in the debris of Willy's bar.

She bent down and looked at a piece of a chair which had been broken. Wendy examined the
edge of the piece with one finger. It seemed that it had been cut by something instead of
smashed. Wendy stopped and looked around again.

She had been in Willy's for half an hour and something about the entire scene had bothered her
until now. "She used a sword or a knife", Wendy realized and smiled. She dropped the wooden
debris and left. Willy walked over and looked at the former chair.

She woke earlier this time. She was getting better.

The girl looked around in the bare apartment. She couldn't make herself go home. They had
buried her over a year ago, she was dead to her friends. Buffy looked into the mirror. There were
no marks or scars anywhere on her body. She was amazed.

"I came back, but how? And why?", she thought and turned back towards Angel's former home.

"I can't just turn up now and say: Hi how have you been. That wouldn't be right. I'll stay in the
shadows until I have no other option", Buffy thought as she dressed. "But I have changed", she
thought and drew the black cloak, she had bought from money she had stolen from some
vampires, before she killed them, on her first night back on Earth.

"I have to get more resources soon", she mumbled when her stomach rumbled.

Buffy walked with the cloak under her arm. People didn't seem to notice her, when she didn´t
want them too anymore. Like a shadow she walked amongst the people of the mall. She saw
people she didn't know buy stuff they didn't need. She watched Cordelia's former friend
Harmony flirt with a cashier. She saw Willow and Oz drive by in his van.

She followed them into the library, although she had to take the back route, which had usually
been reserved for Angel. Buffy crept into the armory and retrieved her favorite crossbow and a
lot of arrows and stakes.

She tiptoed back amongst the stacks, when Wendy, whom she presumed, was her replacement,
walked into the library. The rest of the gang had already collected around the table as they had
done back, when she had still lived. Buffy turned to leave. She already knew where she could go
hunting tonight.

Suddenly she felt a dark presence with her heightened senses. She heard his steps clearly. She
had to stop herself from drawing her weapon. He was coming to the meeting as well. Buffy had
to bite her lip to avoid call out to her beloved.

Angel walked past her hideout. Not even he could pierce her disguise. Buffy decided to stay and
listen. She hung the crossbow on her back. Angel had made his usual silent appearance.

"Hello", he said. Xander yelped and jumped in shock. "That's it. Next time I see you I'm tying a
bell around your neck", he said angrily.

"Sorry", Angel apoligized with a smile and went to stand next to Giles. "Have you found
anything of importance?", he asked the librarian. Giles sighed. "No. There are no references
anywhere to a Cloaked One or something similar to that which would actually fight vampires.
There are however some other very bad news. Willow?", he gave the word to her.

Willow got up and walked around. "I looked into why Spike might collect so many vampires,
and I think I found something. Tonight is a holy night for the vampires. Tonight is the Creation
night. It celebrates the creation of the first vampire warriors by a vampire named Tythonicus
back god knows when. Tonight it's possible for a vampire to feed upon a person or a vampire and
to permanently gain greater strength. Of course that increase would be abnormally huge if a
vampire say got to drink the blood of the Slayer. I think Spike is trying to become as powerful as
the Master, who did the same thing many many years ago. If he succedes, we'll have another
vampire lord another Master on our hands", Willow explained and looked around.

"I think that means the vampires will try to attack us. All of us. We know a lot of secrets and so
would empower a vampire greatly. We need to barricade ourselves somewhere safe", she
suggested and looked at Giles and Angel for approval.

"I think that would be prudent", Giles said and nodded as Jenny Calendar walked in the door.
"Good let's go home to me. We'll be safe there", Giles offered and smiled to his betrothed. "Can
we make it before the sun goes down", Xander asked. "I don't know", Angel asked and looked
towards one of the windows. "You do have about fifteen minutes, but are you sure you are the
only targets", he commented and looked at everybody.

"Anything, Spike and any other vampires he prepares for this evening, kills will make them
stronger. Tomorrow you could be facing a Master and a large group of Warrior vampires instead
of just Spike and his gang, if we don't stop him off course", Angel explained.
"Damn I hadn't thought of that. Do you and Wendy think, you can defeat the vampires, if they
attack in large numbers. We still don't know how many vampire underlings he has?", Giles
asked. "Around 20 vampires. And yes I think Wendy is up for the challenge, so am I for that
matter", Angel answered and looked at the Slayer for support. She nodded gravely, but deep
inside Wendy knew that this could be her last night on Earth.
"Don't forget about us", Xander said. "We can all help a little", Willow offered. "Yeah, we could
all get killed", Cordy argued. "No Willow is right. We can help. We must", Oz explained and
looked coldly at Cordelia.

"Has everybody suddenly gone insane? Ms. Calendar?", Cordy asked for her support. "Shut up
Cordelia", Jenny commanded. "Angel is right. We have to stop Spike before he becomes too
powerful. Do you think he'll attack us here?", she asked Giles.
He seemed to consider it for a moment. "Yes, he knows our habits. He will attack here early in
the evening, when he can be almost sure we'll be here trying to figure out his next moves. If we
weren't here, he'd move his warriors to all the other places we usually gather at", Giles answered
thoughtfully.

Buffy heard every word. Somehow the thought that these brave souls kept defending Sunnydale
even after her death filled her heart with warmth.

She wanted badly to be with them amongst them.

She wanted to be with her lover with her friends.

She wanted something like her old life back.

She had missed them all of them. Xander's wit and jokes, both the good and the bad ones.
Willow's quiet intelligence and their warm friendship. Giles's concern and his immense
knowledge, which had always been a pillar for her to lean on. Even Cordelia, Ms. Calendar and
Oz, who she hadn't know exceptionally well, but who still belonged amongst them.
Then there was him. Angel, her only love. Her heart beat raced at the mere thought of him and
now looking at him the loneliness, she had felt already yesterday, felt even deeper.
But she couldn't go to them. A voice inside of her warned her against it. She was forbidden that
option. She could only hope that one day they learned about her and until that day she had to
remain in the shadows. Even if she didn't know why.

Buffy sighed and turned to leave. She would also have to get ready to protect her friends, to
defend her city. That wasn't forbidden.

Wendy heard a sigh not far away. Again she spun about and stared into the forest of bookcases
and thick volumes of knowledge, poetry, science and stories. "Is something wrong?", Giles
asked.

"I thought I heard something up there again", she said and slowly walked up the stairs with a
drawn stake. Angel followed her. They stalked around but found nothing. "Damn, am I going
nuts?", Wendy said with chagrin as she came back down.

"Nothing again the stacks are empty", she cursed and stared back there again. "That does
however bring up one important subject", Jenny said and looked at Giles. "Where do we make
our stand?", she asked. Everybody fell silent for a while, then Xander suddenly said. "I know.
We don't just make one. We meet them on the lawn, before they get inside. Then we lead them to
the gymnasium and let Wendy and Angel work on them, while Giles and Ms. Calendar shoot the
critters with the crossbows. Meanwhile me, Oz, Willow and Cordy gang up on one vampire at a
time using whatever means we can think off", he explained triumphantly.

Willow, Oz and Cordelia looked at him with shocked expressions. "Doesn't that get Angel and
Wendy in a lot of trouble", Willow asked him. "What would you rather do? Fight them in here,
where Snyder is usually snooping around for damages Giles can't explain. Or out in the halls
where they can split us up. No, I know it gives them an opportunity gang up on us as well, but at
least they have to drink our blood instead of just killing us", he tried to defend his plan.

"Well, it has a few rough edges, but I think it's workable. I think Wendy and Angel should meet
them on lawn and stall them, while Jenny and I shoot them from the roof of the Gymnasium,
then you break off and let them come inside. Inside you can bombard them with holy water and
we can use crosses to block places as well. It can work, if we get to work right away", Giles
explained.

Xander smiled triumphantly at his friends. "Let's get to work then", Wendy said and walked
towards the armory.

"Giles!", Wendy yelled. He charged in. "We have a problem", Wendy explained and pointed to
the open weapons locker, where the crossbows usually hung. Giles looked inside.

"The biggest crossbow and a lot of arrows are gone", Wendy pointed out. Giles nodded. It had
always been Buffy's favorite, because it gave her superior distance. He had thought to use it
himself, even if it was incredibly hard for him to reload it. "Who the hell could have taken it?",
she asked. Giles didn't say anything. He walked out into the library again.

"Angel? Did you take a crossbow from the armory?", he asked the pale vampire. "No... Why?",
Angel didn't understand. "Someone has stolen the heavy crossbow", Giles explained and looked
back towards the armory. "Maybe Wendy did hear something after all", Willow suggested and
looked around at the others. "Maybe. Well, we don't have to time care about that now. We still
have two crossbows and besides no one had used that crossbow since...", Giles stopped speaking
when Wendy came out of the armory.

"Since Buffy", she replied sweetly and sighed. "How??!", Giles asked surprised by her
knowledge. "Giles. I can read. Besides you have all been dropping clues about her all the time.
Don't worry I'm not going to quit because of her", Wendy said and winked at Willow. Giles
shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I thought you might give up on your post, if you had learned that
she had died fullfilling her duty here in Sunnydale", he explained. Wendy laughed.

"At first I might have. But now I'm in for good. This hero business is kind of habit forming.
Besides I enjoyed reading about her. She must have been quite a Slayer, if your journals are any
indication", she said and placed a huge pile of stakes on the table. "Let's get this done", she said
to her astonished Watcher.