XXXXXX

Buffyverse

"I'm telling you she is in that house Finn!" Forrest said raising hand and pointing the house was a few doors down from them causing Riley Finn to sigh.

"Are you sure?" The captain asked in his comms.

"We think we spotted the pair in the area," one of his soldiers replied. Riley grimaced again as he knew that therefore the house in question would be the most likely place for the pair to hide… but that meant it didn't mean that the forthcoming situation was not about to be any less awkward.

"Okay spread out in the neighbourhood let's check around," Riley instructed his men in his jeep. "Knock on doors but keep it civil," he underlined looking directly at Forrest who rolled his eyes. "Remember we are just recruiters I don't want to scare half the town and create a panic. This is not martial law or anything like that."

"Who will take care of the house?" Forrest asked as the men stepped out of the jeep and into the street.

"I will do that myself," Riley said and Forrest almost smirked as he watched the captain head towards the house. He noted some movement at a curtain as he came up towards the door and knocked politely at it. Riley was hoping that it wouldn't come to this, that he wouldn't have to lead the army to Buffy's front door, but he had little choice. An older woman opened it taking in his military appearance with a noted eyebrow.

"Can I help you?" she asked him.

"I'm sorry to bother you… madam but I'm… Riley Finn, a friend of your daughter's and I'm looking for two of her friends Alexander Harris and a girl called Faith?" Riley asked uncomfortably suddenly very aware that this was the first time he was meeting his girlfriend's mother. He probably should have bought some flowers or a bottle of wine.

"I haven't seen either of them for some time," Joyce replied looking innocent. "Xander is busy doing working most days and the last I heard Faith is in the hospital in a coma, so I believe. Did she come out of it?"

Riley didn't seem best please at the response. It could be a lie, or it could be the truth. Buffy had mentioned on occasion that her mother can be quite clueless at times. "It would appear true Mrs Summers and Xander appears to be helping her avoiding the local authorises who want to question her over the events of last year. I am just trying to bring her to justice."

"And what part of dating my daughter helps bring Faith to justice," Joyce enquired crossing her arms leaving Riley dumbstruck and mouth opened like a fish.

"She does have a point there Riley," said Xander's voice and Riley turned towards it seeing Xander and Faith standing in the living room. Seeing Riley about to react Xander held up his hands. "Whoa there big guy! Before you go calling the cavalry here, I want to remind you whose former house this is!"

"It's Buffy's I know that, and I am sorry for coming on your door!" Riley said turning to Joyce before looking back at Xander and Faith. "But I have a job to do, and she needs to be detained."

"Try it and I promise you that you will be a smear all over the porch," Faith warned her fists tight ready for a fight.

Xander stepped in front of Faith acting almost like a shield between her and Riley. "She is not going to go down without a fight you already know that from my basement so are you really going to call your soldiers and brawl in her mother's house? A mother who Buffy makes an active attempt at staying as far away from hellmouth business as she can?"

"You are the one who brought Faith here!" Riley justified enraged.

"Only because you left me no other option," Xander shrugged. "I am not the one who called his military buddies and reported all this! You could have worked with us, trusted us, and helped us in this matter but you didn't. Now you are about to make things even worse."

"So, you date my daughter and now you are planning on staging a military strike at my door?" Joyce said stepping in and looking unimpressed and rather dangerously at Riley. "Well, we are off to grand start, aren't we?"

Riley was fuming looking at the people in the house his hands on his comms ready to call for help at any moment. "You can't be serious about helping them?" he all but squawked at Joyce Summers sounding nothing like a soldier and more like a whipped boy.

"I don't know you and I don't know what is happening just now, but I know that one of my daughter's oldest and closest friends has come to me needing help and I know that my daughter would do anything to help him, so I'm inclined to do the same." Joyce announced stilled with her arms folded.

Way to go Mrs Summers, Xander thought before speaking up. "The way I see it you have another minute until one of your buddies out there gets suspicious, comes over here and all hell breaks loose. I promise you Buffy will never forgive you if that happens, so you really have to ask yourself what are you going to do?" Xander asked the other man.

Riley looked at the people around them and weighted up his options and the repercussions. He did not like to lose, nor did he did he not like failing a mission, but he saw little choice in the matter. He had slowly come to realise that when operating in Sunnydale he had to adopt some different tactics than he was used to. Meeting Buffy only enforced that. Gritting his teeth, he glared at Xander. "Okay Harris you win this round. I will keep the military off your back for now but only because it is what Buffy would want." With that the man turned around and went back down the street to meet with Forrest shaking his head. A quick conversation and Riley and his men where back in his jeep and down the road. The three of them in the house breathed a sigh of relief.

"Once again I'm sorry for bringing this on your doorstep Mrs Summers," Xander apologised to the older woman.

"It's okay I've had worse coming through the front door," Joyce grimaced recalling some events of last year before shaking it off. "Just as long as this helps Buffy, Xander I don't know what's going on but please tell me she is okay."

Exchanging an awkward look with Faith Xander stepped forward. "I promise you Buffy is going to be okay. She is caught in the middle of something, and we are all doing our best to help her." He assured her before gesturing to Faith. "We better go out the back," she nodded, and the pair made their way to the kitchen.

"Xander," Joyce called out causing the young man to turn around. "Do be careful and tell Buffy that I would like to speak to her as soon as possible about certain new aspects in her life." She said rather pointedly causing Xander to wince at both the conversation between mother and daughter and the conversation between himself and Buffy. The old Harris luck was officially running dry. He gave her a weak thumbs up before leaving the house with Faith.

XXXX

Wishverse

Listening to Anya the former demon bring him up to speed to recent events in her reality caused Giles to lean back as she finished giving him a history lesson. There really was a better world out there but he was just stuck in this one. He had almost given up on hope that there was a better world out there. Gathering his compose he looked at the young woman before him and narrowed his eyes at her. "What exactly do you expect me to do?"

"You're old and knowledgeable," Anya said and Giles's teeth grinded at the mere comment. "Your counterpart and Willow seem to think that if I can come here then I can bring Buffy there at least with your help. You seemed to have a better idea of magic in this universe than old stuffy Giles in my reality."

Despite sarcasm and the bluntness, she seemed to be making sense Giles considered. If his counterpart could manage in sending her across reality to him then surely, he would be able to do the same and they would be able to get Faith back. He turned at the sound of the door being opened and in stepped Riley Finn. "Who is this?" he asked warily eyeing Anya the newcomer in the room.

"Ah! Agent Finn perfect you keep Anya here and don't let her out of your sight and I will get Buffy and Alexander!" Giles replied moving to the front door hurriedly.

"Anya?" Riley repeated confused who pointed at the woman. "Whose Anya? What is going on?"

"She is Anyanka," Giles explained to the military man, "the Patron Saint of Scorned Women who is responsible for all of this!"

"Former Patron Saint of Scorned Women!" Anya corrected from the couch before turning to look at Riley. "Oh, hey I know you, you are Buffy's boyfriend, some sort of secret agent." She looked suspiciously at him she did not like the idea of his military group and what it did to demons so had no love for seeing the man in his combat gear.

"Responsible for all this?" Riley said carefully eyeing the former demon.

"I will expand when I get the others just stay here," Giles said, and he was out the door in search of Buffy and Alexander. It left Riley and Anya who was feeling a little uneasy about how the soldier was looking at her. For Riley he was almost in a state of shock, he could not describe it but to have it confirmed that there was someone and something was responsible for all of this hell. His friends: Forrest, Graham, his parents all dead because of one person who was currently standing before him made his blood boil. "So, you probably know me, right?" Riley asked his tone menacing as he stepped forward. "Seen me around campus? With my friends? Forrest? Graham? Are they still alive in your world? What about the rest of my battalion?! My men?!"" Anya opened her mouth to reply but was stopped when Riley slammed her against a wall. "You still don't remember?!" Riley snarled at her right in her face as he drew out his handgun.

"Riley!" Buffy screamed at him. "What are you doing?!" At hearing his name Riley spun both he and Anya around to face Buffy, Giles and Alexander with Anya in front of him acting as a shield. His gun planted firmly against Anya's head.

"Put your weapon down soldier boy!" Alexander said standing next to Buffy very wary of Riley's next move.

"I can't do that," Riley replied full of conviction. His trigger finger tightened as Buffy stepped towards him her hands raise up. Riley's eyes shifted back and forth between Alexander and Buffy; his gun still trained at Anya's head. "I had a command. Good men. Friends and they all died because of this world. This hell! She doesn't deserve to live!"

"Please Riley listen to me!" Buffy implored to the military man. "I know you! I know this isn't you! You are not a killer!" The tense almost deraged man holding a gun to Anya's forehead was a far cry from the easy going, charming man she was used to seeing on an almost daily basis. He was always so solid in their interactions but now he had lost the plot.

"Put your weapon down," Alexander repeated more forcefully than Buffy. "We need her to bring Faith back." If man became the reason, he would not get Faith back then he was going to die it was very simple. No ifs or buts about it.

"Stay out of it, vampire!" Riley fired back and Buffy threw back a look at Alexander that screamed 'not helping!' to which he ignored. She turned back to look at Riley, who in another reality was her kind, caring boyfriend but yet all she could see was the cold hard determination in this one's eyes. "She's the reason for all this! Everyone is dead because of her and her powers! She should be killed for what she has done here!"

"Riley, please," Buffy pleaded once more with him. "Don't do this please. I am sorry for what has happened to you, but this isn't your way. In my reality you are a leader, selfless and full of courage you are not a killer. You are a good man. Just put the gun down please!" She said softly pleading that the man she knew and had come to care for was in this one before her.

Riley's eyes were saddened and almost with an understanding for a second, before glazing over with cold steely stare. "I can't let this monster live," Riley finally said and began squeezing the trigger and in a split second it all went to hell. Well, more than it already was. Buffy ran at him with all her slayer strength and speed as Alexander did too, but both knew they were too far away when a shot was heard, and Buffy screamed as she and Alexander stopped in their tracks. Riley fell backward to the ground releasing Anya who jumped away. Riley landed on the ground emotionless and with a single bullet hole in his forehead. Buffy starred at his in wide eyes before spinning around and seeing Giles standing there with a grim expression and a small handgun.

Buffy blinked back tears as she looked at the man wearing her watcher's face which was grim but gave away little. What kind of twisted reality was this place? It didn't even feel like reality anymore it felt like hell on earth.

XXXXXX

Buffyverse

Xander walked down the sidewalk, putting himself in between the street and Faith, to keep the passing cars from seeing her. While he hoped Riley would do them all a solid and keep the military off their backs, he still wasn't a hundred percent and didn't want to take chances as they made their way to Giles.

It was silly of him she decided to be acting like she was a weak young girl requiring constant projection but still she allowed it. This version of Alexander was risking his goofy ass for her, and she appreciated it more than she cared to admit. She was in a land of strangers, and she needed a friend. She couldn't help but feel shaken by what she had learned about herself in this reality. She was a killer, someone to be feared and not trusted. Not a white hat in any shape or form according to the Scoobies which made her feel sick to her stomach. She knew she could be reckless and had certainly been when she had first starting the slaying gig but her time with Alexander and Giles had soften her edges and made her feel part of a team. So, she took his offers of leading without protest or annoyance. It was nice to know someone cared in this reality.

"This way," Xander gestured to a back alley and Faith nodded and the pair moved into another back alley. It was funny that such a town like Sunnydale had so many back alleys but then Xander chalked it up to the former big bad the mayor being in charge for so long. No doubt he designed the town with back alleys in mind. Easy pickings for the local night life. Turning back to Faith Xander wasn't sure if he should say something right now. She was a Slayer after all. Stronger, faster, smarter, and simply built better than he would ever be. Slayers only need the help of their Watcher, so the official handbook says but Xander hadn't ever read that. He helped Buffy as best he could as she was his friend but why was he helping Faith? She was the first woman he'd ever had sex with. When he was younger, he thought she was the first woman he'd ever made love to, but Faith herself had made him very aware of the distinction. There were times he'd hated this girl, and there was a time he could have believed in loving her. So, was the latter the reason as to why he was helping her? A question for a later time he decided. "Another couple of minutes and we will be at Giles's apartment." He turned and saw her muted nod and decided to stop. "Okay you have been silent since we left Mrs Summers, what's up?"

"What not used to my silence in this reality?" Faith snapped back at him wanting to just press on.

"Actually no," Xander replied calmly. "Wild stories? Yes! Killer moves? Yes, and brash attitude naturally. But a Faith that is sullen and silent… no. I'm not used to that." He stood unmoving and expecting answers.

"Look it doesn't matter all things go well I will be out of your hair in a day or so," Faith all but growled at him but still the muppet wouldn't move or let it drop. She cursed him but gave in. God this guy was as annoying as Alexander. "It's just…" Faith began, "that woman back there, the slayer's mother… she knew me, and she was afraid of me. Was I really that evil? Like vicious and stuff?"

"You were a little out of control," Xander admitted sheepishly. He could almost recall her fingers around his neck squeezing as he stood in front of her. Faith hugged herself as she could almost picture what she might do… her life before she was a slayer wasn't exactly sunlight and roses and she couldn't quite believe that it would be any different in this reality. She knew she given the mood she would beat any demon or vampire into a bloody bulb but always thought that she would draw the line at humans. It would seem her counterpart didn't. Seeing her almost fragile expression tugged on Xander's heart more than he would have liked. "We… didn't really make things easy for you. For a long time, it was just us. The core four, the three musketeers and the stuffy old Englishman. We tended to give outsiders a tough time," he admitted. "I mean Deadboy, Angel was view with suspicion, Cordelia wasn't embraced with open arms, I ranted about Oz and Willow is barely civil with Anya, but I guess they got history," he mused glancing away before turning back to face her and seeing her slightly puzzled state. He guessed correctly that he had just used a bunch of names she had never heard of or wasn't familiar with, so he carried on. "We can be abit exclusive when it comes to the group and coming here a place where there is already a slayer… I guess we made you feel a little second best. By the time I tried… to talk to you… you were already too far gone."

Faith swallowed hard listen to the man before her who had been nothing but honest to her since she got here. Again, it made her feel good and she cursed her other self for not listening to what he had to say. "I can't hate you in your universe," she insisted looking anywhere but him. "I could never. I must have just been so angry that I said the wrong thing. Sometimes, back before I was a Slayer, I'd get mad at people who tried to help me. Everyone who ever helped me always ended up using me. It got to the point where I just wouldn't let them help me." Xander let her speak unsure of what to say. ""That's what I probably did," she said. "I probably just got mad that you were trying to help me. You have to know I didn't mean it Xander, they were just words, whatever I said." He almost felt like protesting as she used more than just words to prove her point. He didn't get a moment of sleep that night unable to think of anything but Faith who he had been intimate with just a week or so before above him squeezing his very life out of him. He was also taken aback by the very next day Buffy, Willow and Giles continuing as if nothing had happened. To them it was another day in the office, the message was clear we have bigger issues to worry about. "Whatever happens," Faith spoke getting his attention again, "you have to try again," she said sounding more than a little desperate. "Please I promise it'll work the next time Xander. I promise. Just don't give up on me."

He looked at him and she stared right back at him. The last time he was staring at her in such a way was after they had sex and for a brief moment that night, he had held her, stroked her hair, and seen thought he had seen a vulnerable girl beneath the exterior. "I'll try," he promised. She smiled a little sadly and turned to started to move on. "You are in love with him, aren't you?" Xander asked. "The other me I mean, the one from your world."

She hesitated biting her lip and he winced thinking that he had been too bold. "I think I may do," Faith admitted. "He's been helping me from the get-go, there is a connection and a willingness to do anything for me. That kind of compassion is hard to ignore." She smiled almost wishfully as she thought about Alexander and Xander was more than a little jealous that she seemed to have powerful feelings for a version of him. With nothing more to add she did start walking and he almost out loud.

Nothing was ever easy on the hellmouth.

XXXXXXX

Wishverse

You could almost hear a pin drop in Giles's apartment. As Alexander gathered up Riley's dead body and went to 'dump' it somewhere Buffy felt sick as she could never examine that her Xander would ever be comfortable in doing such a thing. Her Riley, her strong, stable just recently become her boyfriend was now dead at least in this universe and she was just meant to be okay about it? Like it was nothing? A simple but necessary measure? How sick was that?! "That man grew up in Iowa to a loving family with two older sisters," she almost whisper from where she sat on a chair. "Every Thanksgiving, he and his family would stay at his grandparent's house for thanksgiving dinner before they would take a walk down a river with their dogs… and you just killed him in cold blood." She said with venom looking in direction of Giles.

Rupert sighed expecting this. Buffy Summers had almost gone into a trance like state after he had shot Riley sitting down on a chair and not talking to anyone while he and Alexander handled the 'clean up'. Of course, he knew the Slayer was aware of him, and everyone and everything else within several hundred yards. Truth be told the former watcher wasn't exactly sure of the exact parameters of a slayer's senses, but he was quite certain that all were far more sensitive than most historians and watcher believed them to be. After all, a being whose purpose for existence was to prey upon predators needed senses at least as acute as her quarry's were, didn't she? Anyway, he knew whatever trance she was in it was only temporary and not that deep, so he had been expecting this argument. "He had a gun to your friend's head, the woman who will bring Faith back and get you home what may I ask was I meant to do?" Giles asked.

"I was talking to him! I was getting him to listen!" She fired back rising to her feet.

"You were wasting your breath!" Giles cut her off. "That was not the same man you knew! None of us are! He was a damaged man who was about to kill an innocent I did what I had to simply put!"

"So, you think that justifies killing a human being?!" Buffy said in disbelief. "How many humans, not vampires have been killed that get in your way?!"

Outwardly he raged but inwardly he was quite taken aback about her passionate defence. The Buffy Summers from this world that he had briefly encountered was a grim soldier who sadly it seemed understood the cost of war. This one was far more vibrant and innocent which pleased him slightly that she had never encountered such losses and darkness as he feared her double had. "Like I told you before this is a dirty business here in this world," Giles said taking off his glasses. "The council have been little or no help. Every little victory we take seems to pale in comparison of the Master and his followers. At best all we have done is stall his grander plans. So, I am afraid I have had to push myself into making some very difficult decisions."

His response was bittersweet and there argument would have continued if Anya had not returned from the bathroom where she had retreated to. Shaken at not just being so close to dying but seeing death in front of her while stuck in a mortal body she had needed time to compose herself. "I really wish to be leaving from this place as soon as possible," the former demon announced.

"That makes two of us," Buffy muttered.

"Very well," Giles said simply, "I have gathered together what I think will be required for the spell to send yourself and Anya," he said the former wish granting demon's name carefully and she smiled a little in delight. Alexander re-entered the apartment and Buffy tried not to picture where or how he had dumped the body that had been here minutes before. "I trust that as soon as we send Mrs Summers back you will be able to send Faith back into our rea-" The older man was unable to finish his sentence as there was a great blast. Buffy had felt it first, her slayer reflexes kicked into high gear, and she grabbed Giles moving him out of the way from the window which exploded inwards at a forced it knocked them all to the ground.

Anya coughed and groaned her ears ringing and vision hazy. This reality was getting worse and worse by the second. She was lucky however that she had been standing halfway still in the hall to Giles's bathroom and now completely out in the open. "Are you okay?" A voice asked her, and she felt a cold hand touch her shoulder and her vision cleared to see Xander's face. Her boyfriend, her lover, her vampire? Wait no that wasn't right! Oh, wait now she remembered.

"I'm just dandy," she coughed trying to shake off the cobwebs as she felt herself being pulled up onto her feet. "Hey watch it! I could have a pair of broken legs! Internal bleeding! A spine snapped in two! These bodies are super breakable!" She exclaimed in protest.

Alexander ignored her glancing in the direction of Giles and Buffy who were getting back on their feet. "What the hell was that?!" Buffy snarled alert and ready for anything. Her question was answered when four demons climbed into the room from the now opened window. Another bursting into the apartment from the door. They were big bastards, the smallest made two of him, he didn't recognize the species. They wore chainmail over their scaly hides and had claws and teeth to supplement the personal armoury each carried. Alexander figured they weren't the new neighbours from down the hall. The smallest one took up a position in front of the door as the others rushed to the attack. I'll take the big one," the Slayer said and did launching herself at demon with a strong kick and solid upper punch.