Chapter Two

Buffy jumped out of her bed. What the hell just happened she thought. One second she was beating the crap out of a couple of generic vamps, in the middle of the night and the next she was back in her bed, the sun was almost up and she was wearing a pair of PJ's she knew she had gotten rid of years ago. She heard someone call her name and she froze. Slowly she turned and and watched her Mother come thru her bedroom door. She couldn't move. She couldn't speak. It was her. It was Mom. It was impossible. What's going on she thought. Her mother came over to her, put her hand on her forehead and said her name again. It broke her out of her trance and she finally noticed how young her Mother appeared to be. Then she noticed her clothes. She looked around her room and saw the unpacked bags, the bare walls and then she saw her reflection. She looked back at her Mother and suddenly lunged forward and hugged her. She knew she had to find out what had happened but for the moment she just wanted to be able to hold her Mother again and never let go. Which of course was when Dawn woke up.

"AAIIEEE!!!"

Buffy immediately let go of her Mother and ran in the direction of Dawns room. She pushed the door open and stopped abruptly when she saw her. Staring back at her was a nine year old girl with pigtails, braces and Bugs Bunny pajamas. She ran to Buffy, looked up at her and asked franticly

" WHAT HAPPENED TO MY BOOBS?"

"Shh" Buffy told her. "Everythings going to be ok". Even though she knew they had to find out what was going on , she was trying not to laugh at the rather indignant question. Frantic whiny Dawn was one thing, but a nine year old pouting, whiny Dawn was another. Before she could get Dawn calmed down however another voice called her name.

"Dawn" Dawn froze in Buffys arms. Looking up at Buffy in disbelief she saw her smile and slightly nod her head. Slowly pulling away she stared at her Mother for a moment and then hugged her fiercely.

"I missed you so much" she sobbed .

Joyce meanwhile was wondering what had gotten into her daughters. First Buffy and now Dawn were acting as if they hadn't seen her in months. "Okay, what did you two do?" she asked suspiciously.

We've been fighting assorted demons and monsters for the past 6 years Buffy wanted to say. We've been watching as the people we love the most leave us or die. We've been trying to fill the void you left when you went away and failing miserably. All those thoughts went thru her mind but she couldn't say any of them to this incarnation of her Mother so she said the only thing she could think of.

"Nothing" mentally she winced. Nothing? That's the best you can come up with? She scolded herself and tried to make up for it by giving her Mother the most innocent look she could manage under the current circumstances. Joyce wasn't buying any of it however. Narrowing her eyes she looked at both girls for a few long moments and was about to say something else when she noticed the time on the clock by Dawn's bed.

"7:00. Oh my god. I'm going to be late. And it's my first day at the gallery. Both of you get dressed and ready for school in 30 minutes. I'll put some Pop-Tarts in the toaster." They stared back at her for a second until she said "Today" both girls seemed to be in a daze as they finally got moving. She stared at them for another moment wondering again what was going on before she went downstairs.

45 minutes later Buffy was getting out of her Mothers Jeep. She had to speak to Giles. She was on her way up the stairs to the school before Joyce had time to go into her prepared motivational speech. "Try not to get kicked out" she muttered as she drove away.

An hour earlier at the Rosenberg residence

Willow blinked and tried to get her bearings. What had happened? Where was she? She was laughing and talking to Tara and Anya just a second before. Still somewhat confused she noticed a vaguely familiar lamp in the darkened room beside the bed. Turning it on she looked around the room for another moment until everything suddenly came into focus and she recognized her old bed, her old clothes, and her old room. In her parents house. Her confusion immediately vanished and her guard went up as she realized something Hellmouthy must have happened to her. She walked over to the dresser and caught her reflection. Somehow she wasn't to surprised to find she was looking at the reflection of her sixteen year old self. As she studied herself, noting how young she looked she suddenly remembered the wish she had made. Eyes widening she silently cursed to herself . After what happened with Dawn's ill fated wish how she have been so careless. Looking around her room she noticed her schoolbooks. She picked up the notebook she knew had her homework. She opened it and looked at the date of her last assignment already knowing what it would be. She looked at it a second then put it down. She had to get to the school. If her wish had come true then both Buffy and Xander, along with Giles would be there, aware of what had happened but not knowing why. . Tara wouldn't though. She would be back with her father and brother, fully aware of what had happened but in no position to do anything about it. In the back of her mind Willow began to panic as she realized she had no way of contacting her. She was going to have to wait and hope Tara contacted her. Turning to her closet she began to get dressed.

Xander

What was he doing with a skateboard Xander wondered. Why was he out after dark walking the streets of Sunnydale alone? What the hell was he wearing? As he was wondering if he were dreaming he continued to walk. Where was he going he asked himself. If he were dreaming did it matter. Of course if he was dreaming why was he asking himself if he was dreaming. Shaking his head at his thoughts he turned right at the next corner and stopped in shock. It can't be he thought. It's gone. It's not supposed to be here. Slowly he began to walk again, knowing now where he had been going. There was a presence about it that loomed larger than the building itself. He wondered if it was just his imagination or did it seem to awaken as he drew nearer. "I remember you" it almost whispered "Welcome back." Growing more nervous as he got closer he almost jumped out of his skin when he heard the sound of glass breaking. Like a bucket of cold water it served to snap him out of his trance. More alert and now remembering the need to not draw attention to himself he ran towards the sound trying to keep as close to the wall as possible. Finally he saw the broken window and stopped just before he would have passed in front of it. He noticed the wooden frame had been broken as well and carefully pulled a six inch section with a jagged end to it out. As he was trying to decide whether or not to go thru the window after the intruder the decision was made for him. He heard a growl, a sudden then silenced scream and knew he was to late. He had to leave. Before he could move however the vampire came back around the corner and saw him. She was startled for a moment then smiled and continued to walk towards him. Xander knew he was in trouble. There was no way he could outrun her and he knew. So did she for that matter. Clenching his fist he felt the stake in his hand. The angle didn't allow the vamp to see it. Knowing he would only have one chance he waited in what he hoped the vampire would assume to be a state of terror, unable to run. He didn't have to try to hard actually. The vamp stopped at the window sill, saw the lightening of the horizon and without saying a word grabbed Xander and pulled him towards her. Pulling his head sharply to the right, she went into gameface and was about to bite him when she suddenly felt a terrible pain in her chest. She pulled back and looked down in disbelief at the stake in her heart. She only had time to whisper "How…" before she exploded into dust. Standing in her ashes trying to figure out what was happening he saw someone else come around the same corner she had only seconds before. He couldn't believe his eyes at first. The figure continued to walk towards him and finally he came to his senses.

"Giles?"

"Xander?"

Sunnydale High library, a few minutes earlier

Giles stared at his empty hand. He had been in the process of lifting a cup of tea to sip but it was gone, along with saucer he had been holding in his other hand. Then he noticed the sleeves on his arms. To be more precise he noticed the tweed sleeves on his arms. Finally he realized he was wearing a tweed suit. Looking at the stacks he also realized where he was. What he didn't know was why or how. Looking at his surroundings again he knew he also needed to ask the question when as well. He walked over and went behind the counter to confirm what he already knew had happened. That's when he saw it. The book. VAMPYR was stamped across the front. Slowly he ran his fingers across the cover, remembering the first time he saw Buffy. So young. So determined not to be the slayer. With a start he remembered that here and now she was still young. Still an innocent in so many ways. His resolve to return to his own time and place suddenly conflicted with the realization that if he stayed he could change the course of events and spare all of them a great deal of pain. While thinking about what he should do he heard a noise in the hall just outside the library doors. He crept to the window and looked out just in time to see a female vampire drop the body of a young male to the floor. She looked down and grinned at the body then turned and walked around the corner. Waiting a few seconds to make sure she had gone Giles left the library and checked the body briefly before looking around the corner, just in time to see the vampire explode into dust. That she had been staked was a surprise, but not as big a surprise as the identity of the person who had staked her. Walking towards him Giles heard him speak his name.

"Giles?"

"Xander?"

"What's going on?" ""I remember going to bed last night and then suddenly I think I'm dreaming walking to school before the sun comes up with a skateboard." He looked at Giles hoping that this was indeed a dream or rather a nightmare from which he would soon awaken. No such luck however.

"I'm afraid it's not a dream Xander" "Come on. Let's get back to the library and wait for Buffy and Willow." As he said it Giles wondered if Willow was involved in this somehow. With a twinge of regret he knew he wouldn't be surprised if she was. He was distracted from his thoughts about Willow when it finally occurred to him to ask Xander what he was doing at school at this time of the morning.

"I always tried to leave for school before my Dad was awake. It made things easier. By the time I got home from school he was at a bar somewhere. By the time he got home I was already asleep." He grinned at Giles before he continued "Of course this was before Buffy…" he trailed off looking at Giles as what he was about to say registered in his mind. "This is the day she first shows up in Sunnydale isn't it?".

"Yes" Giles replied as he went into his office to begin his ritual of making tea to soothe his nerves. It didn't work however as there weren't any tea bags or a teapot for that matter. Turning back to Xander in frustration he said "I'm assuming that since you are aware of what's happening, Buffy and Willow will be as well". Pulling a chair out from one of the tables Giles sat down. Removing his glasses he wearily pinched the bridge of his nose. Xander meanwhile wandered back over to the doors. Glancing out he suddenly remembered they had a very immediate problem.

"Uh Giles?" he said looking thru the window. "We've got a problem"

A small house in a rural community called Andersenville, OR

"TARA"

Tara jumped and turned around. Her father and brother were sitting at the dining room table looking at her. "Have you been listening to a word I said?" her father asked in that soft dangerous voice she still had occasional nightmares about. Her brother Donny just sat smirking at her. "Wh What…" she finally got out. What was she doing here? Here. This house where she promised herself she would never return. The house where her mother was…. where she died

"I said" she heard her father say as he got up and began to walk towards her "that you need to get your head out of the clouds and bring us our dinner" as her father got closer he paused and pulled a long leather strap off the wall.

"How many times are you going to make me do this until you learn to listen?" As he continued to advance Tara began to back away quickly as her fear and desperation continued to mount and then she stopped. She wasn't sure what was going on but she had faced countless demons, vampires and other assorted evils the past two years. She had stood up to a hellgod knowing what the price would be. Looking at the man advancing on her her fear disappeared. Crossing her arms she said one word

"Stop". The spell leapt toward her father, the magic shaped by her intent. He stopped immediately, his arm slightly raised, as he had been preparing for her lesson. The expression on his face was priceless she thought. How could she ever had been afraid of him for so long. Looking past him she noticed her brother Donny. He had gotten up and was running towards her.

"Sleep" she commanded and he fell to the floor as if poleaxed. She turned back to her father. Studying him for a few moments she finally said "Obey" and released him from his paralysis.

"Now tell me how you got me here" she demanded.

"You've never left" he said stunning her. She just stared at him for a second and then glanced around and was stunned again. Walking over to the small mirror she looked at her reflection. Her face was devoid of any makeup and her hair, although pulled back and clean looked as if it hadn't been combed in a week. She looked down at the dress she was wearing. A dreadful suspicion began to form in her mind. She went back over to her father and demanded.

"What is todays date?"

He told her and after confirming her fears she knew she had to get back to Sunnydale. Although, she thought as she packed, I'm actually going back for the first time. After she was thru packing she went back into the dining room and saw her father still sitting on the sofa where she had left him.

"I'm leaving" she told him "and I'm not coming back"

"Yes you will" he replied. "You're only 15" "All the magic in the world won't change that." "You'll need me eventually, especially when you reach your twentieth birthday. No matter how far you go or how many friends you make no one's going to help you when the demon shows itself."

"You lie" she told him "I know the truth. There aren't any demons in the Maclay women. There never have been." There have only been men who were afraid of our power." "I don't need you anymore." "I have friends, people who will help me" "Who'll let me be me, without judgement or ridicule"

"If only your mother could see you now" :She'd be so…" he never got the chance to finish.

"DON'T YOU DARE BRING MY MOTHER INTO THIS" she screamed. "You got her to deny her true self for you. She worked herself to death for you. And did you shed a single tear when she was gone. No. The only thing you concerned yourself with was who was going to take care of you. You never loved her. You certainly never loved me. So don't presume to speak for her. You don't have the right."

Despite trying to keep from crying in front of her father she could feel the tears begin to fall. "Stay" she said hoarsely and ran out to the front porch. After crying herself out she just sat for awhile thinking about her mother. How kind she was, how wise. Why did she stay she wondered. She certainly could have done what I just did. What hold did he have on her. The longer she thought about her mother the angrier she grew at her father. Long suppressed, her desire for retribution against him finally surfaced and Tara literally shook with anger. She knew she couldn't go back in the house and confront him right now or she might do something to him she'd regret later. It was then, when her anger was at its peak that Anya appeared.

"Hello Tara" she said rather nervously. Although she had been keeping an eye on everyone that had been directly affected by Willows wish she hadn't planned to speak with any of them. Tara's pain was so great however that she felt compelled to.

"Anya?" said Tara, once again taken completely by surprise. What was she doing here. Then she understood. "You're a vengeance demon again aren't you?' "You were the one that granted Willows wish?" Anya didn't say anything. Her silence was all the confirmation Tara needed. "Why" she asked.

"Because of Xander. Because I wanted vengeance and yet irony of ironies as a demon I can't grant my own wishes." Tara wasn't feeling very sympathetic however.

"I see…, no I don't see. How exactly is Xander supposed to be hurt by this?" Tara asked both angry and confused.

Anya looked at her, confused in her own right. "Willow said…, I mean she said he would hate it. I know he doesn't like to talk about his school years. Especially before Buffy showed up." "Besides" she said bitterly "it was the only wish I could get out of any of you that would hurt Xander in any way." She continued, speaking a bit more softly "I had to do something. He hurt me. He hurt me so bad"

"Anya sweetie" said Tara "like I told you before, I understand the feelings of betrayal that you've been feeling. I sympathize, I really do, but this isn't going to hurt Xander. Oh he's definitely going to be pissed, but think about the wish, what it really said. He's still going to have Willow, Buffy and Giles to help him. Unlike before though, they're all going to be aware of how to deal with everything coming down the road for the next few years. You've given him, all of us actually the chance to do something most people can only fantasize about. To correct the mistakes of the past. Once he, they, get past the anger, they're going to recognize it as a gift. Not a curse"

"I never thought about any of that" Anya replied "I just wanted to hurt him"

"You can reverse it you know. The wish I mean" Tara trailed off at the look Anya gave her. The feeling of dread she had been keeping at bay began to overtake her again.

"It's to late" Anya whispered

"What do you mean it's to late?" "I thought if your power center was destroyed the wishes you granted would be nullified?"

"No." Anya replied "Only the last wish I granted" she looked away from Tara. "I've already granted another wish." She whispered "This reality is permanently set now. Nothing can change it."

They sat in silence for awhile before Tara got up. "I've got to get to Sunnydale" she sighed "Although I have know idea how I'm going to get there"

"I can help" Anya replied. "If you want me to"

Smiling slightly Tara said "I appreciate the offer Anya, but I've already got my bags packed. I just need the money for a bus ticket"

"I meant I can grant you a wish if you want"

"I don't understand" Tara said "I thought you only granted wishes to scorned women"

This time Anya smiled "No. Those are just the types of wishes I choose to grant. My raison d'etre if you will" "If you want I can grant you a wish just this once" "Anything you want, except to reverse another wish" she said before Tara could speak.

Tara just looked at her for a moment then asked "Anything?"

"Anything" Anya replied.

Tara thought about it for a few minutes. Finally she came to a decision. She went back inside the little house. Getting a piece of paper and a pencil she wrote in exact detail what she wanted her wish to be.

After she was finished she turned to Anya and said "I wish for what I just wrote down"

"Granted"

Anya felt a change sweep over her. It took her only a few seconds to realize that she was human again. Stunned, she sat down and then looked up at Tara silently demanding an explanation.

"That was the last wish you'll ever be able to grant." Tara told her. "It can't be reversed either, because unlike before your power center can never be destroyed" "Don't worry though," she continued hastily as she saw Anya's face drain of color " I made sure that we will be taken care of"

"What do you mean?" Anya asked, still in shock. Tara pulled a chair over and sat down facing her. She took hold of her hands. They stayed there until Anya finally began to get her bearings. Tara let go of her hands finally leaned back in her chair, grinned and told her.

"I won't let anything happen to my sister"

Ten minutes later a brand new 1997 Cherry Red corvette pulled away and headed towards a portal opening in front of it. In the front seat a newly emancipated Tara Maclay-Giles and Anya Jenkins-Giles were laughing.

"I can't wait to see the look on Giles face when he finds out he suddenly has two teenage daughters?" Tara was saying as she gunned the engine.

Anya looked at her in amazement "It's always the quiet ones" she said to herself.

As they went thru the portal to Sunnydale Anya asked her "What was the rest of your wish?" Tara just smiled and said nothing. The portal closed.

Inside the house two men awoke from a midday nap and began to finish the business of the day. If anyone were there at that moment they would not have seen anything that would indicate a girl had been living there. Indeed, if the father or son had been asked about a daughter or sister they would reply that no such person had ever existed much less lived there.

An apartment in Texas, somewhere along the Gulf of Mexico

"Bloody hell" Spike shouted as he leapt off a bed that he was not lying in just a few seconds before. He had been watching Buffy as she worked out some of her frustrations by wiping the graveyard with a pack of what looked to be fairly young vamps.

"Where the hell am I?"

"Spike?"

He froze for a moment then turned around slowly. There she was, lying on the bed, as beautiful as the last time her saw her. Of course he thought she's responsible for… whatever this is

"What kind of game are you playing Dru? "Where am I?" "How did you get me here?" he demanded harshly.

"Spike?" she asked again, confused by his sudden hostility. Trying to get up she faltered a moment as a wave of dizziness overtook her. "Why are you angry" she asked "I stayed here like you asked me to." "And you brought me such a lovely gift" she said, gesturing to the body of the young girl lying on the bed next to her.

Spike stared at her for a long moment, not quite believing what he was seeing. It was Dru. But she was acting like nothing had happened. The last time he had seen her he was offering to stake her to prove his love for Buffy. When she left afterwards he knew that they would never be together again. He grimaced slightly at the memory. He didn't like to think about it, knowing he should have died that night. Buffy hadn't killed him, though at the time he had no idea why she hadn't. Focusing his thoughts back to the present he looked around the little apartment they were in. There was something familiar about it that he couldn't quite place. Walking over to the table in the dining area he glanced down at the newspaper strewn around on the top. He grabbed the first page he saw in disbelief. The date was 10 Oct 1996. It was a page from the Dallas Morning News with the headline PEROT CALLS FOR DOLE'S EXCLUSION FROM FINAL DEBATE.

This can't be true he was thinking, it has to be a trick of some kind. Somebody, somewhere is having a good laugh at my expense. Angrily he walked back over to Dru, grabbing her shoulders to demand she tell him what was going on when he smelt it. The smell of her impending death. Not quite as strong as when they had first arrived in Sunnydale, it was present nevertheless. It was what immediately convinced him that he was indeed in the past. With Dru. Before they had ever gone to Sunnydale. Releasing Dru he looked around the apartment once more, his memories of this point in time becoming clearer. His eyes took in the bodies strewn around the bed before finally focusing on the girl. Her dead eyes looked back at him. For a brief moment a face with clear blue eyes and long shiny brown hair superimposed itself over hers with a look of silent accusation. Quickly looking back at Dru he saw the expression on her face change from confusion to horror as she saw that the Spike standing in front of her wasn't the same as the one just the night before. Sinking into the bed she was silent until she finally looked up at him and said

"You've left me haven't you?" "You're not my Spike, my wicked black knight." She hissed at him "You are full of regret, for a human. A slayer." "And the girl, you love her, you will protect her now, not me. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the headboard. After a few moments she looked up and told him "You're going to kill me."

Spike was at a loss. She was right of course. He wasn't going to deny his feelings for Buffy and Dawn. And the only way to save Dru was the Ritual of DuLac, which would involve Angel. If the date on the newspaper was correct then Angel would be in Sunnydale right now with Buffy. His eyes widened and a smirk began to form on his lips as it suddenly occurred to him that he could start over with Buffy and seriously annoy Angel at the same time.

"She knows" Dru suddenly whispered "they all know." then she lost conciousness and began to slump forward and toward the floor.

Moving quickly Spike caught her and laid her back on the bed. Stroking her face gently he remembered how at times he would have to go out hunting and bring her back 2 or 3 meals at a time. Sometimes this would continue for a week or more before she was able to regain her strength and they could move on.

Looking at eyes of the dead girl once more he knew he wouldn't be able to do that again. He wondered if she had a sister or mother. Would they miss her as much as he had missed Buffy. He grimaced as he admitted, to himself at least, what he would rather have died then to reveal to anyone else. He was feeling empathy. It had begun with Joyce's illness, intensified with her death and reached a crescendo with Buffy's death. That terrible summer he spent with Dawn, the two of them sharing their grief and pain had finally culminated in him beginning to think about what the loved ones of his and Dru's victims might have felt.

Spike continued to stroke her face gently as he struggled to accept a decision he had already made. This was Dru, his black goddess, for over a century his lover and of course, his sire. He thought about their life together, how much they had seen, the passion they had shared and then remembered Sunnydale, Angelus and her betrayal. He sat and remembered it all until the sun began to go down and the room was completely dark. Finally he got up, walked over, picked up one of the chairs and snapped off a leg. He went back over to the bed and leaned down and kissed her gently.

"Goodbye baby"

A few minutes later he was speeding up the interstate on his way to Sunnydale. He never looked back.